Side-by-Side Comparison: 代 vs. 貸 vs. 式 vs. 試
Every kanji below contains the Wedding (弋) component. Bold readings indicate the primary WaniKani reading:
| Kanji & Meaning | Readings (Bold = Primary) | Shibashi Visual Mnemonic Story | Top Compound Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 代 (Substitute) | ON: だい, たい KUN: — |
The man gave the girl a diamond ring and decided to tie the knot once he realized, there is no substitute... | 時代 (じだい) — period, epoch, era, age |
| 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 |
| 式 (Ritual) | ON: しき KUN: — |
Marriage is quite the ritual. Hopefully she keeps her wedding vows... | 正式 (せいしき) — due form, official, formality |
| 試 (Try) | ON: し KUN: こころ, ため |
She is trying to focus while a coconut robot is reading her wedding vows, and a tacy melody is playing... | 試し (ためし) — trial, test |
How Each Kanji Uses the Wedding (弋) Visual Motif
1. 代 (Substitute) — Wedding Radical (弋) in Context
On’yomi: だい, たい | Kun’yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “The man gave the girl a diamond ring and decided to tie the knot once he realized, there is no substitute...”
- 時代 (じだい): period, epoch, era, age
2. 貸 (Lend) — Wedding Radical (弋) in Context
On’yomi: たい | Kun’yomi: か
Shibashi Visual Story: “When the couple decided to tie the knot, their friend lent them his camera robot.”
- 貸す (かす): to lend
3. 式 (Ritual) — Wedding Radical (弋) in Context
On’yomi: しき | Kun’yomi: —
Shibashi Visual Story: “Marriage is quite the ritual. Hopefully she keeps her wedding vows...”
4. 試 (Try) — Wedding Radical (弋) in Context
On’yomi: し | Kun’yomi: こころ, ため
Shibashi Visual Story: “She is trying to focus while a coconut robot is reading her wedding vows, and a tacy melody is playing...”
Essential Japanese Vocabulary Words Built from the Wedding (弋) Family
Once you can recognize 代 (Substitute), 貸 (Lend), 式 (Ritual), 試 (Try) by their shared Wedding (弋) 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 | period, epoch, era, age | JLPT |
| 貸す | かす | to lend | JLPT |
| 正式 | せいしき | due form, official, formality | JLPT |
| 式 | しき | equation, formula, ceremony | JLPT |
| 試し | ためし | trial, test | JLPT |
| 試す | ためす | to attempt, to test | JLPT |