5-SECOND RADICAL BREAKDOWN

水 (Water) vs 泳 (Swim) vs 海 (Sea) vs 洋 (Ocean)

When 水 (Water) moves to the left side of a kanji, it compresses into 3 water droplets (氵). What stands next to the splash tells you the exact body of water!

水

Water flowing river = Water

泳

Swim water 氵 + eternity 永 = Swim

海

Sea water 氵 + every day 毎 = Sea

洋

Western Style water 氵 + sheep 羊 = Ocean / Western

ON すい

KUN みず

Japanese Kanji Mnemonic for 水 (Water) — Shibashi Visual Kanji Mnemonics Flashcard

Missou-ri (みず) free water looks super i-nteresting (すい)...

ON えい

KUN およ

Japanese Kanji Mnemonic for 泳 (Swim) — Shibashi Visual Kanji Mnemonics Flashcard

Eighteen (えい) year olds apparently really love playing with a yo-yo (およ) and swimming...

ON かい

KUN うみ

Japanese Kanji Mnemonic for 海 (Sea) — Shibashi Visual Kanji Mnemonics Flashcard

Humidity (うみ) is crazy high. Ideal day for a kayak (かい) adventure, out on the sea.

ON よう

Japanese Kanji Mnemonic for 洋 (Western Style, Ocean) — Shibashi Visual Kanji Mnemonics Flashcard

So the kanji for western style is just a sheep eating yogurt (よう) behind big waves/ocean. Not cool Japan, not cool...