Side-by-Side Comparison: 古 vs. 者 vs. 去 vs. 考 vs. 孝 vs. 教 vs. 苦
Every kanji below contains the Grave (古) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 古 (Old) | ON: こ KUN: ふる |
For some reason, this old tombstone of a very cold person is full of rubies . | 中古 (ちゅうこ) — used, second-hand, old |
| 者 (Someone) | ON: しゃ KUN: もの |
A sword in the ground means someone important, like the monopoly shaman is buried here. | 記者 (きしゃ) — reporter, journalist |
| 去 (Past) | ON: きょ, こ KUN: さ |
it’s not common knowledge, but in the past, in Kyoto , samurais were buried with their pianos... | 去年 (きょねん) — last year |
| 考 (Think) | ON: こう KUN: かんが |
For some reason, the man in the kangaroo coat thinks praying will still help him now... | 考える (かんがえる) — to consider |
| 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 |
| 苦 (Suffering) | ON: く KUN: くる, にが |
Even with cool ruby flowers planted by a lady with knee guards , if there is a grave, there is suffering... | 苦い (にがい) — bitter |
How Each Kanji Uses the Grave (古) Visual Motif
1. 古 (Old) — Grave Radical (古) in Context
On’yomi: こ | Kun’yomi: ふる
Shibashi Visual Story: “For some reason, this old tombstone of a very cold person is full of rubies .”
2. 者 (Someone) — Grave Radical (古) in Context
On’yomi: しゃ | Kun’yomi: もの
Shibashi Visual Story: “A sword in the ground means someone important, like the monopoly shaman is buried here.”
3. 去 (Past) — Grave Radical (古) in Context
On’yomi: きょ, こ | Kun’yomi: さ
Shibashi Visual Story: “it’s not common knowledge, but in the past, in Kyoto , samurais were buried with their pianos...”
4. 考 (Think) — Grave Radical (古) in Context
On’yomi: こう | Kun’yomi: かんが
Shibashi Visual Story: “For some reason, the man in the kangaroo coat thinks praying will still help him now...”
- 考える (かんがえる): to consider
- 考え (かんがえ): thinking, thought, ideas, intention
5. 孝 (Filial Piety) — Grave Radical (古) 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
6. 教 (Teach) — Grave Radical (古) 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
7. 苦 (Suffering) — Grave Radical (古) in Context
On’yomi: く | Kun’yomi: くる, にが
Shibashi Visual Story: “Even with cool ruby flowers planted by a lady with knee guards , if there is a grave, there is suffering...”
- 苦い (にがい): bitter
- 苦手 (にがて): poor (at), weak (in), dislike (of)
- 苦しむ (くるしむ): to suffer, to groan, to be worried
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Grave (古) Family
Once you can recognize 古 (Old), 者 (Someone), 去 (Past), 考 (Think), 孝 (Filial Piety), 教 (Teach), 苦 (Suffering) by their shared Grave (古) visual motif, practice reading them inside these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 中古 | ちゅうこ | used, second-hand, old | JLPT |
| 古い | ふるい | old (not used for people) | JLPT |
| 記者 | きしゃ | reporter, journalist | JLPT |
| 者 | もの | person | JLPT |
| 去年 | きょねん | last year | JLPT |
| 去る | さる | to leave, to go away | JLPT |
| 考える | かんがえる | to consider | JLPT |
| 考え | かんがえ | thinking, thought, ideas, intention | 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 |