Side-by-Side Comparison: 戸 vs. 声 vs. 所 vs. 戻
Every kanji below contains the Door (戸) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 戸 (Door) | ON: こ KUN: と |
A girl with a cool tomato coat just burst through the door. | 戸 (と) — door |
| 声 (Voice) | ON: せい KUN: こえ |
For safety you must learn to coexist with the samurai voice greeting you at the door... | 声 (こえ) — voice |
| 所 (Place) | ON: しょ KUN: ところ |
Mr Ax. is visiting every place, showing his talking robot invention... | 場所 (ばしょ) — place, location, spot, position, area |
| 戻 (To Return) | ON: れい KUN: もど |
Even on a rainy day, the friendly monster doctor is so relieved to return home... | 戻る (もどる) — to turn back |
How Each Kanji Uses the Door (戸) Visual Motif
1. 戸 (Door) — Door Radical (戸) in Context
On’yomi: こ | Kun’yomi: と
Shibashi Visual Story: “A girl with a cool tomato coat just burst through the door.”
- 戸 (と): door
2. 声 (Voice) — Door Radical (戸) in Context
On’yomi: せい | Kun’yomi: こえ
Shibashi Visual Story: “For safety you must learn to coexist with the samurai voice greeting you at the door...”
- 声 (こえ): voice
3. 所 (Place) — Door Radical (戸) in Context
On’yomi: しょ | Kun’yomi: ところ
Shibashi Visual Story: “Mr Ax. is visiting every place, showing his talking robot invention...”
4. 戻 (To Return) — Door Radical (戸) in Context
On’yomi: れい | Kun’yomi: もど
Shibashi Visual Story: “Even on a rainy day, the friendly monster doctor is so relieved to return home...”
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Door (戸) Family
Once you can recognize 戸 (Door), 声 (Voice), 所 (Place), 戻 (To Return) by their shared Door (戸) visual motif, practice reading them inside these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 戸 | と | door | JLPT |
| 声 | こえ | voice | JLPT |
| 場所 | ばしょ | place, location, spot, position, area | JLPT |
| 所 | ところ | place | JLPT |
| 所で | ところで | by the way; even if; no matter what | JLPT |
| 所が | ところが | however; while; even if | JLPT |
| 戻る | もどる | to turn back | JLPT |
| 戻す | もどす | to restore, to put back, to return | JLPT |