100 Most Common Japanese Letters - Kanji

Kanji is one of three different writing systems in Japanese, the others being the two kana systems, hiragana and katakana. Adapted from Chinese characters over 1,000 years ago, kanji remains the most common form of written communication in Japanese .

 

With multiple writing systems, two phonetic systems, and a symbolic system, Japanese can seem intimidating to beginners. Memorizing the most common kanji and other characters takes practice. But once you master them, you'll discover a means of written communication unlike anything in English. Below, you'll find the 100 most common kanji characters .

100 most common Japanese kanji letters

日	sun
一	No.1
大	huge
年	year
中	between
会	encounter
人	people, people
本	book
月	moon, month
長	long
国	country
出	go out
上	up, top
十	10
生	life
子	children
分	minute
東	east
三	No.3
行	Go
同	alike
今	Now
高	high, expensive
金	money, gold
時	time
手	hand
見	see
市	city
力	power
米	rice
自	by myself
前	the day before
円	yen (Japanese currency)
合	combine
立	stand
内	inside
二	number 2
事	story, problem
社	company, society
者	People
地	ground, location
京	capital
間	distance, between
田	rice field
体	body
学	study
下	down
目	eye
五	number 5
後	Later
新	new
明	bright, clear
方	direction
部	segment
.女	women
八	number 8
心	heart
四	number 4
民	people, nation
対	opposite
主	main
正	correct
代	replacement, generation
言	speak
九	number 9
小	small
思	think
七	number 7
山	mountain
実	reality
入	enter
回	back, time
場	Location
野	field
開	open
万	10,000
全	all
定	repair
家	house
北	north
六	number 6
問	question
話	speak
文	letter, article
動	move
度	temperature, time
県	district
水	water
安	inexpensive, peaceful
氏	polite name (Mr., Mrs.)
和	harmony, peace
政	government, politics
保	to maintain, to keep
表	to show, surface
道	way
相	phase, each other
意	mind, meaning
発	to start, to emit
不	not, un-, in-
党	political party