Miss Koala's KOU (こう) Kanji Guide: 幸 (Happiness), 高 (Tall), 広 (Wide), 向 (Face) & 孝 (Filial Piety)
KOU (こう) is the #1 most common On'yomi in Japanese. See how Shibashi uses Miss Koala to anchor the こう reading in 幸, 高, 広, 向, and 孝.
More Japanese kanji are read こう (kou) than any other On'yomi syllable. To make kou effortless to recall, Shibashi pairs it with an adorable phonetic anchor: _Ko_ala = こう (kou)!
Quick Comparison: 幸 (Happiness) vs. 高 (Tall) vs. 広 (Wide) vs. 向 (To Face)
Look at how Miss Koala appears across 幸 (Happiness), 高 (Tall/High), 広 (Wide), 向 (To Face), and 孝 (Filial Piety):
| Kanji & Meaning | Primary Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Hook | Common Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 幸 — Happiness | On: こう Kun: しあわ |
Miss _Ko_ala (こう) _she's a-wa_sh (しあわ) in Yen = Happiness | 不幸 (ふこう) — unhappiness, sorrow, misf... |
| 高 — Tall | On: こう Kun: たか |
Tall tower with two windows = Tall / High (たか / こう) | 最高 (さいこう) — best, supreme, wonderful... |
| 広 — Wide | On: こう Kun: ひろ |
Cliff awning + piano (厶) = Wide / Spacious (ひろ / こう) | 広い (ひろい) — spacious, wide |
| 向 — To Face | On: こう Kun: む |
Window inside house facing outward = To Face (む / こう) | 向こう (むこう) — over there |
| 孝 — Filial Piety | On: こう Kun: — |
Old top (耂) over Child (子) = Filial Piety (こう) | 孝行 (こうこう) — filial piety; devotion to... |
Illustrated Kanji Flashcards(Tap Readings for Audio)
In 幸 (こう / しあわ — Happiness), Miss _Ko_ala (こう) is happy knowing _she's a-wa_sh (しあわ) with Yen! In 高 (こう / たか — Tall/Expensive), the koala climbs a tall tower. In 広 (こう / ひろ — Wide), she plays piano in a wide hall. In 向 (こう / む — To Face), she faces across the street, and in 孝 (こう — Filial Piety), a devoted child (子) supports an elder (耂).
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Using 幸 / 高 / 広 / 向
Once you can recognize 幸 (Happiness) and 高 (Tall) and 広 (Wide) individually, lock them into your active reading vocabulary with these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 不幸 | ふこう | unhappiness, sorrow, misfortune, disaster, accident | JLPT |
| 幸せ | しあわせ | happiness, good fortune, luck, blessing | JLPT |
| 最高 | さいこう | best, supreme, wonderful, finest | JLPT |
| 高い | たかい | tall, expensive | JLPT |
| 高低 | こうてい | high and low, rise and fall, pitch | JLPT |
| 広い | ひろい | spacious, wide | JLPT |
| 広がる | ひろがる | to spread (out), to extend, to stretch, to reach to, to get around | JLPT |
| 向こう | むこう | over there | JLPT |
5-Second Memory Summary: How to Never Mix Up 幸 & 高 & 広 Again
Whenever Miss Koala is in the scene, the On'yomi reading is こう (kou)!
