Side-by-Side Comparison: 可 vs. 何 vs. 寸 vs. 付 vs. 対 vs. 村 vs. 団
Every kanji below contains the Mailpost (寸) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 可 (Possible) | ON: か KUN: — |
Sometimes anything is possible if you just send out a few holiday cards . | 可 (か) — passable |
| 何 (What) | ON: — KUN: なに, なん |
Nanny leaned-in to see what’s inside the mailbox. Turns out, it was just naan bread... | 何か (なにか) — something |
| 寸 (Measurement) | ON: すん KUN: — |
As soon as proper measurements are taken, the mailbox can be fixed. | 寸前 (すんぜん) — just before; on the verge of |
| 付 (Attach) | ON: ふ KUN: つ |
After a tsunami the mailbox needs to be fully attached again. | 付く (つく) — to be attached |
| 対 (Versus) | ON: たい KUN: — |
A tiger mailman versus a broken mailbox... looks like no mail will get delivered today... | 対する (たいする) — to face, to confront, to oppose |
| 村 (Village) | ON: そん KUN: むら |
A moose running broke a mailbox in the village, and the songbird saw the whole thing!! | 村 (むら) — village |
| 団 (Group) | ON: だん, とん KUN: — |
After a repair is done , the repair group always takes a pictures and frames it next to their golden tongs award. | 団体 (だんたい) — organization, association, group |
How Each Kanji Uses the Mailpost (寸) Visual Motif
1. 可 (Possible) — Mailpost Radical (寸) in Context
On’yomi: か | Kun’yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “Sometimes anything is possible if you just send out a few holiday cards .”
- 可 (か): passable
2. 何 (What) — Mailpost Radical (寸) in Context
On’yomi: — | Kun’yomi: なに, なん
Shibashi Visual Story: “Nanny leaned-in to see what’s inside the mailbox. Turns out, it was just naan bread...”
- 何か (なにか): something
- 何とか (なんとか): somehow, anyhow, one way or another
- 何 (なに): what
- 何で (なんで): Why?, What for?
3. 寸 (Measurement) — Mailpost Radical (寸) in Context
On’yomi: すん | Kun’yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “As soon as proper measurements are taken, the mailbox can be fixed.”
4. 付 (Attach) — Mailpost Radical (寸) in Context
On’yomi: ふ | Kun’yomi: つ
Shibashi Visual Story: “After a tsunami the mailbox needs to be fully attached again.”
5. 対 (Versus) — Mailpost Radical (寸) in Context
On’yomi: たい | Kun’yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “A tiger mailman versus a broken mailbox... looks like no mail will get delivered today...”
- 対する (たいする): to face, to confront, to oppose
6. 村 (Village) — Mailpost Radical (寸) in Context
On’yomi: そん | Kun’yomi: むら
Shibashi Visual Story: “A moose running broke a mailbox in the village, and the songbird saw the whole thing!!”
- 村 (むら): village
- 村人 (むらびと): villager
- 村長 (そんちょう): village mayor, village head
- 市町村 (しちょうそん): cities, towns, and villages, municipalities
7. 団 (Group) — Mailpost Radical (寸) in Context
On’yomi: だん, とん | Kun’yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “After a repair is done , the repair group always takes a pictures and frames it next to their golden tongs award.”
- 団体 (だんたい): organization, association, group
- 集団 (しゅうだん): group, mass, collective body
- 団員 (だんいん): group member, troupe member
- 一団 (いちだん): a group, party, band
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Mailpost (寸) Family
Once you can recognize 可 (Possible), 何 (What), 寸 (Measurement), 付 (Attach), 対 (Versus), 村 (Village), 団 (Group) by their shared Mailpost (寸) visual motif, practice reading them inside these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 可 | か | passable | JLPT |
| 何か | なにか | something | JLPT |
| 何とか | なんとか | somehow, anyhow, one way or another | JLPT |
| 何 | なに | what | JLPT |
| 何で | なんで | Why?, What for? | JLPT |
| 寸前 | すんぜん | just before; on the verge of | JLPT |
| 一寸 | いっすん | one sun (approx. 3.03 cm); short time/distance | JLPT |
| 付く | つく | to be attached | JLPT |
| 付ける | つける | to attach, to join, to add, to append | JLPT |
| 対する | たいする | to face, to confront, to oppose | JLPT |