Side-by-Side Comparison: 有 vs. 着 vs. 石 vs. 研 vs. 備
Every kanji below contains the Cliff (石) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 有 (Have) | ON: ゆう KUN: あ |
To climb a massive cliff, you must have strong arms and a ladder... | 有名 (ゆうめい) — famous, well-known |
| 着 (Wear) | ON: ちゃく KUN: き, つ |
Mr. Sheep (羊) proudly wears his matcha courier uniform so he can afford jiu-jitsu for his kids, and giant kiwis ... | 着る (きる) — to put on from the shoulders down |
| 石 (Stone) | ON: せき KUN: いし |
Seven kiwis is an i-nvincible shield for the sacred stone. | 石 (いし) — stone |
| 研 (Polish, Sharpen) | ON: けん KUN: と |
Old men was surprised to find a toddler polishing historic Kennedy stone head. | 研究室 (けんきゅうしつ) — study room, laboratory |
| 備 (Provide) | ON: び KUN: そな |
It's so naive to think the little fence will provide protection against a beaver invasion... | 備える (そなえる) — to prepare, to provide for |
How Each Kanji Uses the Cliff (石) Visual Motif
1. 有 (Have) — Cliff Radical (石) in Context
On’yomi: ゆう | Kun’yomi: あ
Shibashi Visual Story: “To climb a massive cliff, you must have strong arms and a ladder...”
2. 着 (Wear) — Cliff Radical (石) in Context
On’yomi: ちゃく | Kun’yomi: き, つ
Shibashi Visual Story: “Mr. Sheep (羊) proudly wears his matcha courier uniform so he can afford jiu-jitsu for his kids, and giant kiwis ...”
3. 石 (Stone) — Cliff Radical (石) in Context
On’yomi: せき | Kun’yomi: いし
Shibashi Visual Story: “Seven kiwis is an i-nvincible shield for the sacred stone.”
- 石 (いし): stone
4. 研 (Polish, Sharpen) — Cliff Radical (石) in Context
On’yomi: けん | Kun’yomi: と
Shibashi Visual Story: “Old men was surprised to find a toddler polishing historic Kennedy stone head.”
- 研究室 (けんきゅうしつ): study room, laboratory
- 研究 (けんきゅう): research
5. 備 (Provide) — Cliff Radical (石) in Context
On’yomi: び | Kun’yomi: そな
Shibashi Visual Story: “It's so naive to think the little fence will provide protection against a beaver invasion...”
- 備える (そなえる): to prepare, to provide for
- 備わる (そなわる): to be furnished with, to be equipped with
- 予備 (よび): reserve, spare, backup
- 不備 (ふび): deficiency, inadequacy, defect
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Cliff (石) Family
Once you can recognize 有 (Have), 着 (Wear), 石 (Stone), 研 (Polish), 備 (Provide) by their shared Cliff (石) visual motif, practice reading them inside these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 有名 | ゆうめい | famous, well-known | JLPT |
| 有る | ある | to be, to have | JLPT |
| 着る | きる | to put on from the shoulders down | JLPT |
| 着く | つく | to arrive at | JLPT |
| 着物 | きもの | kimono | JLPT |
| 下着 | したぎ | underwear | JLPT |
| 石 | いし | stone | JLPT |
| 研究室 | けんきゅうしつ | study room, laboratory | JLPT |
| 研究 | けんきゅう | research | JLPT |
| 備える | そなえる | to prepare, to provide for | JLPT |