Side-by-Side Comparison: 子 vs. 好 vs. 孝 vs. 教
Every kanji below contains the Child (子) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 子 (Child) | ON: し, す KUN: こ |
Just a happy child with his pet sheep eating cold soup ... | 男の子 (おとこのこ) — boy |
| 好 (Like) | ON: こう KUN: す, この |
A soup connoisseur in a fancy coat , and a cute newborn... Which kid do you think mom likes more? | 好む (このむ) — to like, to prefer |
| 孝 (Filial Piety) | ON: こう KUN: — |
The little boy with his pet koala has a lot of respect/filial piety towards his grandpa. | 孝行 (こうこう) — filial piety; devotion to parents |
| 教 (Teach) | ON: きょう KUN: おし, おそ |
The workout-dad (父) took his son to Kyoto to teach him about his awesome grandpa Hiroshi . | 教える (おしえる) — to teach, to instruct |
How Each Kanji Uses the Child (子) Visual Motif
1. 子 (Child) — Child Radical (子) in Context
On’yomi: し, す | Kun’yomi: こ
Shibashi Visual Story: “Just a happy child with his pet sheep eating cold soup ...”
- 男の子 (おとこのこ): boy
- 子供 (こども): child
- 女の子 (おんなのこ): girl
- 子 (こ): child
2. 好 (Like) — Child Radical (子) in Context
On’yomi: こう | Kun’yomi: す, この
Shibashi Visual Story: “A soup connoisseur in a fancy coat , and a cute newborn... Which kid do you think mom likes more?”
- 好む (このむ): to like, to prefer
- 好み (このみ): liking, taste, choice
- 好き (すき): liking, being fond of, to one's liking, to one's taste, preferred, favourite
- 大好き (だいすき): liking very much, loving (something or someone), adoring, being very fond of
3. 孝 (Filial Piety) — Child Radical (子) in Context
On’yomi: こう | Kun’yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “The little boy with his pet koala has a lot of respect/filial piety towards his grandpa.”
- 孝行 (こうこう): filial piety; devotion to parents
- 親孝行 (おやこうこう): filial piety; devotion to parents
- 不孝 (ふこう): lack of filial piety; undutifulness to parents
4. 教 (Teach) — Child Radical (子) in Context
On’yomi: きょう | Kun’yomi: おし, おそ
Shibashi Visual Story: “The workout-dad (父) took his son to Kyoto to teach him about his awesome grandpa Hiroshi .”
- 教える (おしえる): to teach, to instruct
- 教室 (きょうしつ): classroom, lecture room
- 教会 (きょうかい): church, congregation
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Child (子) Family
Once you can recognize 子 (Child), 好 (Like), 孝 (Filial Piety), 教 (Teach) by their shared Child (子) visual motif, practice reading them inside these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 男の子 | おとこのこ | boy | JLPT |
| 子供 | こども | child | JLPT |
| 女の子 | おんなのこ | girl | JLPT |
| 子 | こ | child | JLPT |
| 好む | このむ | to like, to prefer | JLPT |
| 好み | このみ | liking, taste, choice | JLPT |
| 好き | すき | liking, being fond of, to one's liking, to one's taste, preferred, favourite | JLPT |
| 大好き | だいすき | liking very much, loving (something or someone), adoring, being very fond of | JLPT |
| 孝行 | こうこう | filial piety; devotion to parents | JLPT |
| 親孝行 | おやこうこう | filial piety; devotion to parents | JLPT |