王 (King) vs. 玉 (Jewel/Ball) vs. 主 (Master) vs. 国 (Country): Follow the Royal Dot
Start with three horizontal bars connected by a vertical pillar: 王 (King). Depending on whether you place a scepter ball by his side, a master's flame above his head, or border walls around his kingdom, you unlock 6 JLPT kanjis at once.
One of the best examples of how Shibashi's Visual Radical Families multiply your memory is the 王 (King) cinematic universe. Once you recognize our bearded King in his golden crown, moving a single dot or adding a frame unlocks 玉 (Ball/Jewel), 主 (Master), 国 (Country), 全 (All), and 現 (Present Time)!
1. 王 (King — おう) vs. 玉 (Ball / Jewel — ぎょく / たま): The Crown vs. The Taco Market Scepter
Compare the first two chapters of the King's story on the flashcards below:
- 王 (King — おう ō): Three horizontal bars connected by a vertical pillar with no dot. The King's crown is all about fancy O-shaped jewels, so you go "Ohhh!! (おう ō)" when you see it!
- 玉 (Ball / Jewel — ぎょく gyoku / たま tama): Add a single dot at the bottom-right hip — that's the round orb on the King's royal scepter! The King, with his scepter ball/jewel, is eating gyoza cooked (ぎょく gyoku) at the local taco market (たま tama).
2. 主 (Master — しゅ) vs. 国 (Country — こく / くに): The Flame Above vs. The Coke Kingdom
Now watch what happens when the dot moves to the very top of the King's head, or when border walls wrap around his kingdom:
- 主 (Master — しゅ shu): The dot sits right on top of the King's crown like a guiding flame! Every smart king was always sure (しゅ shu) to follow the true Master above him.
- 国 (Country — こく koku / くに kuni): Place the royal Jewel/King (玉) inside protective border walls (囗)! For some reason, the Coke (こく koku) country king has really cool knees (くに kuni).
3. Bonus Royal Family Members: 全 (All — ぜん / すべ) & 現 (Present Time — げん / あらわ)
Once you know the King (王), two more JLPT N4/N3 kanjis snap into focus immediately:
- 全 (All — ぜん zen / すべ sube): Put a mountain roof (人) over the King (王) → The zen (ぜん zen, as in 全部 zenbu) king lives in the mountains and all he eats are super berries (すべ sube, as in 全て subete)!
- 現 (Present Time — げん gen / あらわ arawa): Put King (王) next to See (見) → Present time Genghis (げん gen, as in 現在 genzai) Khan subsists on apples, rabbits and water (あらわ arawa, as in 現れる arawareru), which gets many strange looks!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 王 (King), 玉 (Jewel/Ball), and 主 (Master)?
王 (King — ō) has three horizontal bars and a center vertical line with NO dot. 玉 (Ball / Jewel — gyoku / tama) places the dot at the bottom-right hip (like the king's scepter ball/jewel at the taco market). 主 (Master — shu) places the dot at the very TOP above the top bar (following the true master above the king).
Why does 国 (Country) have 玉 (Jewel) inside a box (囗)?
国 (Country — koku / kuni) wraps protective border walls (囗) around the royal King and his Jewel (玉) — pictured in Shibashi as the Coke (こく) country king showing off his cool knees (くに) inside his castle walls!
