Illustrated Flashcards in the Sun (日) Family (Tap Readings for Audio)
Side-by-Side Comparison: 時 vs. 早 vs. 朝 vs. 明 vs. 草
Every kanji below contains the Sun (日) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 時 (Time) | ON: じ KUN: とき |
In the old Toki-o Jesus rang the church bell so you could tell the time... | 時代 (じだい) — era |
| 早 (Early) | ON: そう KUN: はや, さ |
Peculiar Mr. Sun (日), the Happy Yankee , loves to rise early, wash with soap and eat salsa ... | 早い (はやい) — early |
| 朝 (Morning) | ON: ちょう KUN: あさ |
According to this Japanese doctor, the recipe for a perfect morning is chocolate ++ Asahi beer. | 朝 (あさ) — morning |
| 明 (Bright) | ON: めい KUN: あ, あか, あき |
With sun - moon dating in May , it’s so darn bright!! Akita artist academy may need not to wait... | 文明 (ぶんめい) — civilization, culture |
| 草 (Grass) | ON: そう KUN: くさ |
The Yakuza sun with his spiky grass hair is obsessed with soap ... | 草 (くさ) — grass |
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Sun (日) Family
Once you can recognize 時 (Time), 早 (Early), 朝 (Morning), 明 (Bright), 草 (Grass) by their shared Sun (日) visual motif, practice reading them inside these high-frequency Japanese words from the Shibashi app:
| Japanese Word | Hiragana Reading | English Meaning | JLPT Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 時代 | じだい | era | JLPT |
| 時 | とき | (1) time, hour, (2) occasion, moment | JLPT |
| 時期 | じき | time, season, period | JLPT |
| 早い | はやい | early | JLPT |
| 朝 | あさ | morning | JLPT |
| 朝ごはん | あさごはん | breakfast | JLPT |
| 文明 | ぶんめい | civilization, culture | JLPT |
| 明らか | あきらか | obvious, evident, clear | JLPT |
| 明るい | あかるい | bright; cheerful | JLPT |
| 簡明 | かんめい | concise, simple and clear | JLPT |