Illustrated Flashcards in the Robot (貝) Family (Tap Readings for Audio)
Side-by-Side Comparison: 員 vs. 買 vs. 貸 vs. 質
Every kanji below contains the Robot (貝) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 員 (Member) | ON: いん KUN: — |
Each member of the Robot Inn staff looks exactly the same. | 団員 (だんいん) — group member, troupe member |
| 買 (Buy) | ON: ばい KUN: か |
The boy really wants to buy the kangaroo robo-roo. | 買う (かう) — to buy |
| 貸 (Lend) | ON: たい KUN: か |
When the couple decided to tie the knot, their friend lent them his camera robot. | 貸す (かす) — to lend |
| 質 (Quality) | ON: しつ, しち KUN: — |
Robot soldiers may be quality warriors but just a little shitzu with shit cheap water gun can make them short circuit... | 質 (しつ) — quality, nature (of person) |
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Robot (貝) Family
Once you can recognize 員 (Member), 買 (Buy), 貸 (Lend), 質 (Quality) by their shared Robot (貝) visual motif, practice reading them inside these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 団員 | だんいん | group member, troupe member | JLPT |
| 店員 | てんいん | shop assistant | JLPT |
| 全員 | ぜんいん | all members (unanimity), all hands, the whole crew | JLPT |
| 買う | かう | to buy | JLPT |
| 買い物 | かいもの | shopping | JLPT |
| 貸す | かす | to lend | JLPT |
| 質 | しつ | quality, nature (of person) | JLPT |