The are kanji which Japanese elementary school students should learn from first through sixth grade. Also known as , these kanji are listed on the . The table is developed and maintained by the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT). Although the list is designed for Japanese students, it can also be used as a sequence of learning characters by non-native speakers as a means of focusing on the most commonly used kanji.
kanji are a subset (1,026) of the 2,136 characters of kanji.
Versions of the list
1946 created with 881 characters 1977 expanded to 996 characters 1989 expanded to 1,006 characters, with 20 kanji added and 10 removed. The revised list came into effect in 1992. 2017 expanded to 1,026 characters The following 20 characters, all used in prefecture names, were added in 2017. (Ibaraki), (Ehime), (Shizuoka, Okayama and Fukuoka), (Niigata), (Gifu), (Kumamoto), (Kagawa), (Saga), (Saitama), (Nagasaki and Miyazaki), (Shiga), (Kagoshima), (Okinawa), (Fukui), (Okinawa), (Tochigi), (Kanagawa and Nara), (Yamanashi), (Ōsaka), (Gifu)
List by grade The does not contain readings or meanings of each kanji. Many kanji have complex meanings and nuances, or express concepts not directly translatable into English. In those cases, the English meanings mentioned here are approximate. In the readings, readings after - (hyphen) are okurigana. A - (hyphen) at the end of the -yomi corresponds to a small tsu in kana, which indicates that the following consonant is geminated.
First grade (80 kanji) # Kanji Meaning Strokes 1 one ichi, itsu hito-tsu 1 2 two ni, ji futa-tsu 2 3 three san mit-tsu 3 4 four shi yot-tsu, yon 5 5 five go itsu-tsu 4 6 six roku mut-tsu 4 7 seven shichi nana-tsu, nana 2 8 eight hachi yat-tsu 2 9 nine ku, kyū kokono-tsu 2 10 ten jū tō 2 11 hundred hyaku momo 6 12 thousand sen chi 3 13 top, above jō ue 3 14 bottom, below ka, ge shita, shimo, moto 3 15 left sa hidari 5 16 right u, yū migi 5 17 inside, middle chū, jū naka 4 18 large dai, tai ō-kii, ō 3 19 small shō chii-sai, ko, o 3 20 month, moon gatsu, getsu tsuki 4 21 day, sun nichi, jitsu hi, ka 4 22 year nen toshi 6 23 early sō, sa haya-i 6 24 tree moku, boku ki 4 25 woods rin hayashi 8 26 mountain san yama 3 27 river sen kawa 3 28 soil to, do tsuchi 3 29 sky, empty kū sora, a-ku, kara 8 30 rice field den da, ta 5 31 heaven, sky ten ame, ama 4 32 living, birth, raw sei, shō i-kiru, u-mu, nama 5 33 flower ka hana 7 34 grass sō kusa 9 35 insect chū mushi 6 36 dog ken inu 4 37 person jin, nin hito 2 38 name mei, myō na 6 39 female jo, nyo on'na 3 40 male dan, nan otoko 7 41 child shi, su ko 3 42 eye moku me 5 43 ear ji, ni mimi 6 44 mouth kō kuchi 3 45 hand shu te 4 46 foot, suffice soku ashi, ta-riru 7 47 see ken, gen mi-ru 7 48 sound on ne, oto 9 49 power riki, ryoku chikara 2 50 spirit, air ki, ke iki 6 51 yen, circle en maru 4 52 enter nyū hai-ru, i-ru 2 53 exit shutsu de-ru 5 54 stand up ritsu ta-tsu 5 55 rest kyū yasu-mu 6 56 previous sen saki 6 57 evening seki yū 3 58 book hon moto 5 59 text bun, mon fumi 4 60 character ji aza 6 61 study gaku mana-bu 8 62 school kō kase 10 63 village son mura 7 64 town chō machi 7 65 forest shin mori 12 66 correct sei, shō tada-shii, masa 5 67 water sui mizu 4 68 fire ka hi 4 69 jewel, ball gyoku tama 5 70 king ō kimi 4 71 stone seki, koku ishi 5 72 bamboo chiku take 6 73 thread shi ito 6 74 shellfish bai kai 7 75 vehicle sha kuruma 7 76 gold, money kin kane, kana 8 77 rain u ame, ama 8 78 red seki aka 7 79 blue sei, shō ao 8 80 white haku shiro, shira 5
Second grade (160 kanji) # Kanji Meaning On Kun Strokes 81 number, count sū kazu 13 82 many, much ta oo-i 6 83 a few, a little shō suku-nai, suko-shi 4 84 ten thousand ban, man yorozu 3 85 half han naka-ba 5 86 shape kei, gyō katachi 7 87 thick ta futo-i 4 88 thin sai hoso-i 11 89 wide kō hiro-i 5 90 long, leader chō naga-i 8 91 point ten bochi 9 92 circle gan maru 3 93 intersect kō maji-waru 6 94 light kō hikari 6 95 corner, horn kaku kado, tsuno, sumi 7 96 measure kei haka-ru 9 97 straight, fix choku, jiki tada-chini, nao-su 8 98 line sen suji 15 99 arrow shi ya 5 100 weak jaku yowa-i 10 101 strong kyō tsuyo-i 11 102 high kō taka-i 10 103 same dō ona-ji 6 104 parent shin oya 16 105 mother bo haha, kā 5 106 father fu chichi, tou 4 107 older sister shi ane 8 108 older brother kei, kyō ani 5 109 younger brother tei, dai otōto 7 110 younger sister mai imōto 8 111 oneself ji, shi mizuka-ra 6 112 friend yū tomo 4 113 body tai karada 7 114 hair mō ke 4 115 head tō atama 16 116 face gan kao 18 117 neck shu kubi 9 118 heart shin kokoro 4 119 time ji toki 10 120 day of the week yō 18 121 morning chō asa 12 122 daytime chū hiru 9 123 night ya yoru 8 124 minute, understand fun, bun wa-karu 4 125 week shū 11 126 spring shun haru 9 127 summer ka natsu 10 128 autumn shū aki 9 129 winter tō fuyu 5 130 now kon ima 4 131 new shin atara-shii, ara-ta 13 132 old ko furu-i 5 133 interval kan, ken ma, aida 12 134 direction hō kata 4 135 north hoku kita 5 136 south nan minami 9 137 east tō higashi, azuma 8 138 west sei, sai nishi 6 139 far en tō-i 13 140 near kin chika-i 7 141 before zen mae 9 142 after go, kō nochi, ushi-ro, ato 9 143 inside nai uchi 4 144 outside gai, ge soto, hoka, hazu-su 5 145 place jō ba 12 146 ground chi, ji 6 147 country koku kuni 8 148 garden en sono 13 149 valley koku tani 7 150 field ya no 11 151 meadow, plain gen hara 10 152 hometown ri sato 7 153 city shi ichi 5 154 capital kyō, kei miyako 8 155 wind, -style fū kaze 9 156 snow setsu yuki 11 157 cloud un kumo 12 158 pond chi ike 6 159 sea kai umi 9 160 rock gan iwa 8 161 star sei hoshi 9 162 room shitsu muro 9 163 door ko to, be 4 164 house ka, ke ie 10 165 Buddhist temple ji tera 6 166 pass through, commute tsū tō-ru, kayo-u 10 167 gates mon kado 8 168 road dō michi 12 169 talk wa hanashi, hana-su 13 170 say gen, gon i-u, koto 7 171 answer tō kota-eru 12 172 voice sei koe 7 173 hear, listen, ask bun, mon ki-ku 14 174 language go kata-ru 14 175 read doku yo-mu 14 176 write sho ka-ku 10 177 record ki shiru-su 10 178 paper shi kami 10 179 brush stroke ga, kaku 8 180 picture kai, e 12 181 drawing zu haka-ru 7 182 craft kō, ku 3 183 teach kyō oshi-eru 11 184 clear sei hare 12 185 think shi omo-u 9 186 consider kō kanga-eru 6 187 know chi shi-ru 8 188 age, ability sai, zai wazukani, zae 3 189 reason ri kotowari 11 190 calculate san 14 191 make saku tsuku-ru 7 192 origin gen, gan moto 4 193 eat shoku ta-beru, ku-u 9 194 meat niku 6 195 horse ba uma, ma 10 196 cow gyū ushi 4 197 fish gyo sakana 11 198 bird chō tori 11 199 feather u ha, hane 6 200 chirp mei na-ku 14 201 wheat baku mugi 7 202 rice bei, mai kome 6 203 tea cha, sa 9 204 colour shoku iro 6 205 yellow ō ki 11 206 black koku kuro 11 207 come rai ku-ru 7 208 go kō, gyō i-ku, yu-ku, okona-u 6 209 return ki kae-ru 10 210 walk ho, fu, bu aru-ku, ayu-mu 8 211 run sō hashi-ru 7 212 stop shi to-maru 4 213 active katsu i-kiru 9 214 store ten mise 8 215 buy bai ka-u 12 216 sell bai u-ru 7 217 noon go uma 4 218 steam ki 7 219 bow kyū yumi 3 220 number of times, revolve kai mawa-ru 6 221 meet kai, e a-u 6 222 team so kumi 11 223 ship sen fune 11 224 bright mei aka-rui 8 225 company sha yashiro 7 226 cut setsu ki-ru 4 227 electricity den inazuma 13 228 every mai goto 6 229 fit gō a-u 6 230 this, hit tō a-taru 6 231 pedestal dai, tai 5 232 music, pleasure gaku, raku tano-shii 13 233 public kō ōyake 4 234 pull in hi-ku 4 235 section, grade ka 9 236 song ka uta 14 237 sword tō katana 2 238 number ban 12 239 use yō mochi-iru 5 240 what ka nani, nan 7
Third grade (200 kanji)
# Kanji Meaning On Kun Strokes 241 street, district chō hinoto 2 242 generation sei, se yo 5 243 both ryō teru, futatsu 6 244 master, main shu nushi, omo 5 245 ride jō no-ru 9 246 beforehand yo arakaji-me 4 247 intangible thing ji koto 8 248 serve shi tsuka-eru 5 249 other ta hoka 5 250 era, substitute dai, tai ka-waru, yo 5 251 dwell jū su-mu 7 252 use shi tsuka-u 8 253 person in charge kei kakari, kaka-ru 9 254 double bai 10 255 whole zen matta-ku 6 256 tool gu sona-eru, tsubusa-ni 8 257 copy sha utsu-su 5 258 row retsu 6 259 help jo tasu-keru 7 260 diligence ben tsuto-meru 10 261 move dō ugo-ku 11 262 win shō ka-tsu 12 263 change ka ba-keru 4 264 district ku 4 265 doctor i iya-su, i-suru 7 266 leave kyo, ko sa-ru 5 267 anti- han so-ru 4 268 take shu to-ru 8 269 receive ju u-keru 8 270 number gō yobina, sake-bu 5 271 face kō mu-kau 6 272 you, monarch kun kimi 7 273 flavor mi aji, aji-wau 8 274 fate, life mei inochi 8 275 harmony, Japanese wa yawa-ragu, nago-yaka 8 276 article hin shina 9 277 employee in 10 278 commerce shō akina-u 11 279 question mon to-u, ton 11 280 slope han saka 7 281 center ō 5 282 begin shi haji-meru 8 283 committee i yuda-neru 8 284 protect shu mamo-ru 6 285 cheap, calm an yasu-i 6 286 determine tei, jō sada-meru 8 287 fruit, realization jitsu mi, mino-ru 8 288 guest kyaku 9 289 Shinto shrine, prince kyū, gū miya 10 290 inn shuku yado, yado-ru 11 291 cold (weather) kan samu-i 12 292 opposite, against tai, tsui aite, soro-i 7 293 office kyoku tsubone 7 294 roof oku ya 9 295 shore gan kishi 8 296 island tō shima 10 297 state, province shū su 6 298 notebook chō tobari 11 299 flat hei, byō tai-ra, hira 5 300 happiness kō saiwa-i, shiawa-se 8 301 degrees do tabi 9 302 warehouse ko, ku kura 10 303 yard tei niwa 10 304 style, ceremony, numerical formula shiki 6 305 role yaku 7 306 wait tai ma-tsu 9 307 hurry kyū iso-gu 9 308 breath soku iki 10 309 bad aku waru-i 11 310 sad hi kana-shii 12 311 thought sō 13 312 idea i 13 313 feel kan kan-jiru 13 314 place sho tokoro 8 315 hit da u-tsu 5 316 throw tō na-geru 7 317 pick up shū hiro-u 9 318 hold ji mo-tsu 9 319 finger, point shi yubi, sa-su 9 320 release hō hana-su 8 321 organize sei totono-eru 16 322 trip ryo tabi 10 323 tribe zoku 11 324 long ago seki, shaku mukashi 8 325 shine shō 9 326 hot sho atsu-i 12 327 dark an kura-i 13 328 melody, curve kyoku ma-garu 6 329 possess yū a-ru 6 330 clothes fuku 8 331 period of time ki 12 332 board han, ban ita 8 333 pillar chū hashira 9 334 root kon ne 10 335 plant shoku u-eru 12 336 business gyō 13 337 appearance yō sama 14 338 horizontal ō yoko 15 339 bridge kyō hashi 16 340 next ji tsugi, tsu-gu 6 341 tooth shi ha 12 342 death shi shi-nu 6 343 ice hyō kōri 5 344 decide ketsu ki-meru 7 345 oil yu abura 8 346 wave ha nami 8 347 pour chū soso-gu 8 348 swim ei oyo-gu 8 349 ocean yō 9 350 stream ryū naga-reru 10 351 extinguish shō ki-eru, ke-su 10 352 deep shin fuka-i 11 353 warm on atata-kai 12 354 harbor kō minato 12 355 lake ko mizu'umi 12 356 hot water tō yu 12 357 Chinese kan 13 358 charcoal tan sumi 9 359 (tangible) thing butsu, motsu mono 8 360 sphere kyū tama 11 361 reason yū, yu yoshi 5 362 say shin mō-su 5 363 world kai 9 364 farm hata, hatake 9 365 sick byō yamai 10 366 departure hatsu 9 367 climb tō, to nobo-ru 12 368 skin hi kawa 5 369 dish bei sara 5 370 mutual sō ai 9 371 prefecture ken ka-keru 9 372 true shin ma 10 373 wear, arrive chaku ki-ru, tsu-ku 12 374 short tan mijika-i 12 375 sharpen ken to-gu 9 376 manners rei 5 377 deity shin, jin kami 9 378 festival sai matsu-ri 11 379 luck fuku 13 380 second byō 9 381 research kyū kiwa-meru 7 382 chapter shō 11 383 juvenile dō warabe 12 384 flute teki fue 11 385 ordinal dai 11 386 writing brush hitsu fude 12 387 class tō hito-shii 12 388 box sō hako 15 389 rank kyū 9 390 end shū o-waru, o-eru 11 391 green ryoku midori 14 392 practice ren ne-ru 14 393 sheep yō hitsuji 6 394 beauty bi utsuku-shii 9 395 learn shū nara-u 11 396 someone sha mono 8 397 raise iku soda-tsu 8 398 suffer, bitter ku kuru-shii, niga-i 8 399 luggage ka ni