Side-by-Side Comparison: 友 vs. 飯 vs. 髪
Every kanji below contains the Bar (又) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 友 (Friend) | ON: ゆう KUN: とも |
Tomato model youth love to compete with their tomato friends. | 友人 (ゆうじん) — friend |
| 飯 (Meal) | ON: はん KUN: めし |
This year’s Hanukkah meal will be a giant daikon and some mellow shiitakes . | 飯 (めし) — (sl) meals, food |
| 髪 (Hair) | ON: はつ KUN: かみ |
The woman in a hat(su) at the bar has stunning long hair that begs her every day, "don't cut me" ... | 髪 (かみ) — hair |
How Each Kanji Uses the Bar (又) Visual Motif
1. 友 (Friend) — Bar Radical (又) in Context
On’yomi: ゆう | Kun’yomi: とも
Shibashi Visual Story: “Tomato model youth love to compete with their tomato friends.”
2. 飯 (Meal) — Bar Radical (又) in Context
On’yomi: はん | Kun’yomi: めし
Shibashi Visual Story: “This year’s Hanukkah meal will be a giant daikon and some mellow shiitakes .”
3. 髪 (Hair) — Bar Radical (又) in Context
On’yomi: はつ | Kun’yomi: かみ
Shibashi Visual Story: “The woman in a hat(su) at the bar has stunning long hair that begs her every day, "don't cut me" ...”
- 髪 (かみ): hair
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Bar (又) Family
Once you can recognize 友 (Friend), 飯 (Meal), 髪 (Hair) by their shared Bar (又) visual motif, practice reading them inside these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 友人 | ゆうじん | friend | JLPT |
| 友 | とも | friend, companion, pal | JLPT |
| 飯 | めし | (sl) meals, food | JLPT |
| ご飯 | ごはん | cooked rice | JLPT |
| 髪 | かみ | hair | JLPT |