Samurai & Katana Kanji Guide: 刀 (Sword), 十 (Ten), 形 (Shape), 声 (Voice), 身 (Body), 先 (Ahead), 出 (Exit) & 青 (Blue)
Follow the Samurai and his Katana sword across 8 illustrated Shibashi flashcards: 刀 (Sword), 十 (Ten), 形 (Shape), 声 (Voice), 身 (Body), 先 (Ahead), 出 (Exit), and 青 (Blue).
In Shibashi's visual world, whenever a kanji means katana / shape (かた / かたな) or features a sweeping blade stroke, a Samurai with a Katana steps onto the card canvas!
Quick Comparison: 刀 (Sword) vs. 十 (Ten) vs. 形 (Shape) vs. 声 (Voice)
Look at how the Samurai and Katana connect 刀 (Sword), 形 (Shape), 十 (Ten), 声 (Voice), 身 (Self/Body), 先 (Ahead), 出 (Exit), and 青 (Blue):
| Kanji & Meaning | Primary Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Hook | Common Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 刀 — Sword | On: とう Kun: かたな |
Curved blade cutting _to_ast (とう) with a _katana_ (かたな) = Sword | 刀 (かたな) — sword; katana |
| 十 — Ten | On: じゅう Kun: とお |
Crossed blades = 10/10 Samurai performance winning _jew_els (じゅう / とお) = Ten | 十 (じゅう) — 10, ten |
| 形 — Shape | On: けい, ぎょう Kun: かた |
Carving the Shape (かた) of a _gyo_za (ぎょう) _ca_ke (けい) with three katana slashes (彡) | 人形 (にんぎょう) — doll, figure |
| 声 — Voice | On: せい Kun: こえ |
Samurai top (士) over door = booming Voice (こえ / せい) | 声 (こえ) — voice |
| 身 — Self, Body | On: しん Kun: み |
Pregnant/armored torso = Self / Body (み / しん) | 身長 (しんちょう) — height (of body), stature |
| 先 — Previous, Ahead | On: せん Kun: ま |
Walking legs advancing = Previous / Ahead (さき / せん) | 先生 (せんせい) — teacher, doctor |
| 出 — Exit | On: しゅつ Kun: で, だ |
Double mountain peaks = Exit / Come Out (で / しゅつ) | 出す (だす) — to put out |
| 青 — Blue | On: せい, しょう Kun: — |
Growing plants over moon/well = Blue / Green (あお / せい) | 青年 (せいねん) — youth, young man |
Illustrated Kanji Flashcards(Tap Readings for Audio)
In 刀 (とう / かたな — Sword), a man cuts his _to_ast (とう) with a _katana_ (かたな) sword! In 形 (けい / ぎょう / かた — Shape), a chef uses his _katana_ (かた) and three slash strokes (彡) to carve the *shape* of a _gyo_za (ぎょう) _ca_ke (けい). And in 十 (じゅう / とお — Ten), the samurai wins a stack of _jew_els (じゅう) for a 10/10 sword performance!
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Using 刀 / 十 / 形 / 声
Once you can recognize 刀 (Sword) and 十 (Ten) and 形 (Shape) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 刀 | かたな | sword; katana | JLPT |
| 十 | じゅう | 10, ten | JLPT |
| 人形 | にんぎょう | doll, figure | JLPT |
| 声 | こえ | voice | JLPT |
| 身長 | しんちょう | height (of body), stature | JLPT |
| 身 | み | body, main part, oneself, sword | JLPT |
| 先生 | せんせい | teacher, doctor | JLPT |
| 先月 | せんげつ | last month | JLPT |
5-Second Memory Summary: How to Never Mix Up 刀 & 十 & 形 Again
Katana blade = かた (Shape 形) / かたな (Sword 刀), and the Samurai's jewels = じゅう (Ten 十).
