Kyōiku kanji
Appearance
Kyōiku kanji (教育漢字, lit. "education kanji"), also known as Gakunenbetsu kanji haitōhyō (学年別漢字配当表, lit. "list of kanji by school year") is a list of 1,006 kanji developed and maintained by the Japanese Ministry of Education that prescribes which kanji Japanese schoolchildren should learn for each year of elementary school. Although the list is designed for Japanese children, it is also very useful for non-native speakers, by limiting the kanji to the most commonly used in the culture.
Versions of kyōiku list
- 1946 created with 881 characters
- 1977 expanded to 996 characters
- 1982 expanded to 1,006 characters by adding ten roman numerals
(In some contexts, the term gakushū kanji ("Study characters") is used to refer to the list of 1,006 and the term kyōiku kanji reserved for the list of 996 without the roman numerals.)
The list by grade
First grade (80 kanji)
- 一 one ichi
- 二 two ni
- 三 three san
- 四 four shi or yon
- 五 five go
- 六 six roku
- 七 seven shichi or nana
- 八 eight hachi
- 九 nine kū or kyū
- 十 ten jū
- 百 hundred hyaku
- 千 thousand sen
- 上 up ue
- 下 below shita
- 左 left hidari
- 右 right migi
- 中 middle or inside naka
- 大きい large ōkii
- 小さい small chiisai
- 月 month gatsu
- 日 day nichi
- 年 year nen or toshi
- 早く quick hayaku
- 木 tree ki
- 林 woods hayashi
- 山 mountain yama or san
- 川 river kawa
- 土 soil tsuchi
- 空 sky sora
- 田 rice paddy ta
- 天 heaven ten
- 生きる life ikiru
- 花 flower hana
- 草 grass kusa
- 虫 insect mushi
- 犬 dog inu
- 人 person hito or jin or nin
- 名まえ name na or mei or myo
- 女 woman onna
- 男 male otoko
- 子ども child ko
- 目 eye me
- 耳 ear mimi
- 口 mouth kuchi
- 手 hand te
- 足 foot or leg ashi
- 見る see miru
- 音 sound oto
- 力 power chikara or ryoku
- 気 feeling iki
- 円 yen en
- 入る enter hairu
- 出る exit deru
- 立つ stand up tatsu
- 休む rest yasumu
- 先 previous saki
- 夕 evening yū
- 本 book hon
- 文 writing fumi
- 字 character ji
- 学ぶ study manabu
- 学校 school gakkō
- 村 village mura
- 町 village machi
- 森 forest mori
- 正 correct sei
- 水 water mizu
- 火 fire hi
- 玉 ball tama
- 王 king ō
- 石 stone ishi
- 竹 bamboo take
- 糸 tread ito
- 貝 shellfish kai
- 車 car kuruma
- 金 gold kin
- 雨 rain ame
- 赤 red aka
- 青 blue ao
- 白 white shiro
Second grade (160 kanji)
- 形 shape katachi
- 太い thick futoi
- 細い thin hosoi
- 広 wide hiro
- 長 long chou
- 点 point ten
- 丸 circle maru
- 交 cross
- 光 ray hikari
- 角 angle kaku
- 計 measure kei
- 直 straight
- 線 line sen
- 矢 arrow ya
- 弱 weak jaku
- 強 strong
- 高 tall
- 同 same dou
- 親 parent oya
- 母 mother haha
- 父 father chichi
- 姉 older sister ane
- 兄 older brother ani
- 弟 younger brother otouto
- 自 oneself ji
- 友 friend tomo
- 時 time toki
- 曜 weekday
- 朝 morning asa
- 昼 daytime hiru
- 夜 night
- 分 minute pun
- 週 week shū
- 春 springtime haru
- 夏 summer natsu
- 秋 autumn aki
- 冬 winter fuyū
- 今 now ima
- 新しい new atarashii
- 古い old furui
- 間 interval kan
- 方 direction hou
- 北 north kita
- 南 south minami
- 東 east higashi
- 西 west nishi
- 遠い far tooi
- 近い near chikai
- 前 in front mae
- 後ろ behind ushiro
- 内 inside uchi
- 外 outside soto
- 話 talk
- 言 say
- 答 answer
- 声 voice
- 聞く hear kiku
- 語 language
- 読む read yomu
- 書く write kaku
- 記 write down
- 紙 paper kami
- 画 picture
- 絵 picture
- 図 drawing
- 工 craft
- 教 teach
- 晴 clear up
- 思 think
- 考 think
- 知 know
- 才 genius
- 理 reason
- 算 calculate
- 作 make
- 元 origin
- 食べる eat, meal taberu
- 肉 meat niku
- 馬 horse uma
- 牛 cow ushi
- 魚 fish sakana
- 鳥 bird tori
- 羽 feather
- 鳴 chirp
- 麦 wheat
- 米 rice kome
- 茶 tea cha
- 会 association
- 組 association
- 船 boat
- 明るい bright akarui
- 社 company
- 切る cut kiru
- 電 electricity
- 毎 every
- 合 fit
- 当 hit
- 台 pedestal
- 楽 pleasure; music
- 公 public
- 引 pull
- 科 section
- 歌 song
- 刀 sword katana
- 番 turn
- 用 use
- 何 what nani
Third grade (200 kanji)
- 丁 street
- 世 world sekai
- 両 both
- 主 master
- 乗 ride
- 予 in advance
- 事 abstract thing
- 仕 do
- 他 other
- 代 substitute
- 住 dwelling
- 使 use
- 係 person in charge
- 倍 double
- 全 whole
- 具 tool
- 写 copy
- 列 row
- 助 help
- 勉 diligence
- 動 move
- 勝 win
- 化 change
- 区 ward
- 医 medicine
- 去 leave
- 反 anti-
- 取 take
- 受 accept
- 号 number
- 向 over there
- 君 you
- 味 flavor
- 命 fate
- 和 peace
- 品 article
- 員 member
- 商 sell
- 問 question
- 坂 slope
- 夫 husband
- 始 begin
- 委 committee
- 守 protect
- 安 cheap
- 定 decide
- 実 truth
- 客 guest
- 宮 Shinto shrine
- 宿 inn
- 寒 cold
- 対 opposite
- 局 office
- 屋 shop
- 岸 beach
- 島 island
- 州 state
- 帳 account book
- 平 flat
- 幸 happiness
- 度 degrees
- 庫 warehouse
- 庭 garden
- 式 style
- 役 service
- 待 wait
- 急 hurry
- 息 breath
- 悪 bad
- 悲 sad
- 想 concept
- 意 idea
- 感 feeling
- 所 place
- 打 hit
- 投 throw
- 拾 pick up
- 持 hold
- 指 finger
- 放 release
- 整 put in order
- 旅 trip
- 族 tribe
- 昔 long ago
- 昭 shining
- 暑 hot atsu
- 暗 dark
- 曲 musical composition
- 有 have
- 服 clothes
- 期 period of time
- 板 board
- 柱 pillar
- 根 root
- 植 plant
- 業 business
- 様 formal title
- 横 side
- 橋 bridge
- 次 next
- 歯 tooth
- 死 death
- 氷 ice
- 決 decide
- 油 oil
- 波 wave
- 注 pour
- 泳 swim
- 洋 ocean
- 流 stream
- 消 extinguish
- 深 deep
- 温 warm
- 港 harbor
- 湖 lake
- 湯 hot water
- 漢 China
- 炭 charcoal
- 物 thing
- 球 ball
- 由 reason
- 申 say
- 界 world
- 畑 agricultural field
- 病 sick
- 発 departure
- 登 climb
- 皮 skin
- 皿 dish
- 相 mutual
- 県 prefecture
- 真 true
- 着 wear
- 短 short
- 研 sharpen
- 礼 thanks
- 神 god(s)
- 祭 celebrate
- 福 luck
- 秒 second
- 究 research
- 章 chapter
- 童 juvenile
- 笛 whistle
- 第 ordinal number prefix
- 筆 writing brush
- 等 class
- 箱 box
- 級 rank
- 終 end
- 緑 green
- 練 practic
- 羊 sheep
- 美 beauty
- 習 learn
- 者 someone
- 育 nurture
- 苦 suffer
- 荷 luggage
- 落 fall
- 葉 leaf
- 薬 medicine kusuri
- 血 blood chi
- 表 express
- 詩 poem
- 調 investigate
- 談 discuss
- 豆 beans
- 負 lose
- 起 wake up
- 路 road
- 身 body
- 転 revolve
- 軽 light
- 農 farming
- 返 return
- 追 follow
- 送 send
- 速 fast
- 進 advance
- 遊 play
- 運 carry
- 部 part
- 都 metropolis
- 配 distribute
- 酒 alcoholic drink
- 重 heavy
- 鉄 iron
- 銀 silver
- 開く open aku
- 院 institution
- 陽 sunshine
- 階 floor of a building
- 集 collect
- 面 face
- 題 topic
- 飲 drink
- 館 public building
- 駅 station
- 鼻 nose
Fourth grade (200 kanji)
- 不 not
- 争 conflict
- 付 attach
- 令 orders
- 以 since
- 仲 go-between
- 伝 transmit
- 位 rank
- 低 low
- 例 example
- 便 convenience
- 信 trust
- 倉 godown
- 候 climate
- 借 borrow
- 停 halt
- 健 healthy
- 側 side
- 働 work
- 億 hundred million
- 兆 portent
- 児 child
- 共 together
- 兵 soldier
- 典 code
- 冷 cool
- 初 first
- 別 separate
- 利 profit
- 刷 printing
- 副 vice-
- 功 achievement
- 加 add
- 努 toil
- 労 labor
- 勇 courage
- 包 wrap
- 卒 graduate
- 協 cooperation
- 単 simple
- 博 Dr.
- 印 mark
- 参 participate
- 史 history
- 司 director
- 各 each
- 告 tell
- 周 circumference
- 唱 chant
- 喜 rejoice
- 器 container
- 囲 surround
- 固 harden
- 型 model
- 堂 public chamber
- 塩 salt
- 士 gentleman
- 変 change
- 央 center
- 失 lose
- 好 like
- 季 seasons
- 孫 grandson,granddaughtor
- 完 perfect
- 官 government official
- 害 harm
- 察 guess
- 巣 nest
- 差 distinction
- 希 hope
- 席 seat
- 帯 sash
- 底 bottom
- 府 urban prefecture
- 康 ease
- 建 build
- 径 diameter
- 徒 junior
- 得 acquire
- 必 without fail
- 念 thought
- 愛 love ai
- 成 become
- 戦 war
- 折 fold
- 挙 raise
- 改 reformation
- 救 salvation
- 敗 failure
- 散 scatter
- 料 fee
- 旗 national flag
- 昨 previous
- 景 scenery
- 最 most
- 望 hope
- 未 un-
- 末 end
- 札 tag
- 材 lumber
- 束 bundle
- 松 pine
- 果 fruit
- 栄 prosperity
- 案 plan
- 梅 plum
- 械 contraption
- 極 poles
- 標 signpost
- 機 machine
- 欠 lack
- 歴 curriculum
- 残 remainder
- 殺す kill korosu
- 毒 poison
- 氏 family name
- 民 people
- 求 request
- 治 govern
- 法 method
- 泣 cry
- 浅 shallow
- 浴 bathe
- 清 pure
- 満 full
- 漁 fishing
- 灯 lamp
- 無 nothing
- 然 so
- 焼 bake
- 照 illuminate
- 熱 heat
- 牧 breed
- 特 special
- 産 give birth
- 的 target
- 省 government ministry
- 祝 celebrate
- 票 ballot
- 種 kind
- 積 accumulate
- 競 emulate
- 笑 laugh
- 管 pipe
- 節 node
- 粉 flour
- 紀 chronicle
- 約 promise
- 結 tie
- 給 salary
- 続 continue
- 置 put
- 老 old man
- 胃 stomach
- 脈 vein
- 腸 intestines
- 臣 retainer
- 航 cruise
- 良 good
- 芸 art
- 芽 bud
- 英 England
- 菜 vegetable
- 街 street
- 衣 clothes
- 要 need
- 覚 memorize
- 観 observe
- 訓 instruction
- 試 test
- 説 theory
- 課 section
- 議 deliberation
- 象 elephant
- 貨 freight
- 貯 savings
- 費 expense
- 賞 prize
- 軍 army
- 輪 wheel
- 辞 resign
- 辺 environs
- 連 take along
- 達 attain
- 選 choose
- 郡 county
- 量 quantity
- 録 record
- 鏡 mirror
- 関 related
- 陸 land
- 隊 group
- 静 quiet
- 順 obey
- 願 request
- 類 sort
- 飛 fly
- 飯 meal
- 養 foster
- 験 test
Fifth grade (185 kanji)
- 久 long time
- 仏 Buddha
- 仮 sham
- 件 affair
- 任 responsibility
- 似 becoming
- 余 too much
- 価 value
- 保 preserve
- 修 discipline
- 俵 straw bag
- 個 individual
- 備 provide
- 像 statue
- 再 again
- 刊 publish
- 判 judge
- 制 control
- 券 ticket
- 則 rule
- 効 effect
- 務 duty
- 勢 power
- 厚 thick
- 句 phrase
- 可 possible
- 営 manage
- 因 cause
- 団 group
- 圧 pressure
- 在 exist
- 均 level
- 基 foundation
- 報 report
- 境 boundary
- 墓 grave
- 増 increase
- 夢 dream
- 妻 wife
- 婦 lady
- 容 contain
- 寄 approach
- 富 rich
- 導 guide
- 居 reside
- 属 belong
- 布 linen
- 師 expert
- 常 normal
- 幹 tree-trunk
- 序 preface
- 弁 valve
- 張 stretch
- 往 journey
- 復 repeating
- 徳 virtue
- 志 intention
- 応 respond
- 快 cheerful
- 性 gender
- 恩 grace
- 情 feelings
- 態 condition
- 慣 accustomed
- 承 acquiesce
- 技 skill
- 招 beckon
- 授 instruct
- 採 pick
- 接 contact
- 提 present
- 損 loss
- 支 branch
- 政 politics
- 故 circumstances
- 敵 enemy
- 断 cut off
- 旧 old times
- 易 easy
- 暴 outburst
- 条 clause
- 枝 branch
- 査 investigate
- 格 status
- 桜 cherry
- 検 examine
- 構 construct
- 武 military
- 比 compare
- 永 eternity
- 河 river
- 液 fluid
- 混 mix
- 減 decrease
- 測 fathom
- 準 standard
- 演 perform
- 潔 undefiled
- 災 disaster
- 燃 burn
- 版 printing block
- 犯 crime
- 状 form
- 独 alone
- 率 rate
- 現 appear
- 留 detain
- 略 abbreviation
- 益 benefit
- 眼 eyeball
- 破 rend
- 確 certain
- 示 indicate
- 祖 ancestor
- 禁 prohibition
- 移 shift
- 程 extent
- 税 tax
- 築 fabricate
- 精 refined
- 素 elementary
- 経 manage
- 統 unite
- 絶 discontinue
- 綿 cotton
- 総 whole
- 編 compile
- 績 exploits
- 織 weave
- 罪 guilt
- 群 flock
- 義 righteousness
- 耕 till
- 職 employment
- 肥 fertilizer
- 能 ability
- 興 entertain
- 舌 tongue
- 舎 cottage
- 術 art
- 衛 defense
- 製 manufacture
- 複 duplicate
- 規 rule
- 解 untie
- 設 establish
- 許 permit
- 証 evidence
- 評 evaluate
- 講 lecture
- 謝 apologize
- 識 discriminating
- 護 safeguard
- 豊 bountiful
- 財 wealth
- 貧 poor
- 責 blame
- 貸 lend
- 貿 trade
- 賀 congratulations
- 資 resources
- 賛 approve
- 質 quality
- 輸 transport
- 述 mention
- 迷 astray
- 退 retreat
- 逆 inverted
- 造 create
- 過 go beyond
- 適 suitable
- 酸 acid
- 鉱 mineral
- 銅 copper
- 銭 coin
- 防 prevent
- 限 limit
- 険 precipitous
- 際 occasion
- 雑 miscellaneous
- 非 negative
- 預 deposit
- 領 territory
- 額 amount
- 飼 domesticate
Sixth grade (181 kanji)
- 並 row
- 乱 riot
- 乳 milk nyū
- 亡 deceased
- 仁
- 供 offer
- 俳
- 値 value
- 傷 wound
- 優 superior
- 党 political party
- 冊 counter for books
- 処 dispose
- 刻 engrave
- 割 divide
- 創 create
- 劇 drama
- 勤 diligence
- 危 dangerous
- 卵 egg
- 厳 strict
- 収 take in
- 后
- 否 negate
- 吸 suck
- 呼 call
- 善 good
- 困 become distressed
- 垂 droop
- 城 castle
- 域 range
- 奏 play music
- 奮 stirred up
- 姿 shape
- 存 suppose
- 孝 filial piety
- 宅 home
- 宇 eaves
- 宗 religion
- 宙 mid-air
- 宝 treasure
- 宣 proclaim
- 密 secrecy
- 寸 measurement
- 専 specialty
- 射 shoot
- 将 leader
- 尊 revered
- 就 concerning
- 尺
- 届 deliver
- 展 expand
- 層 stratum
- 己 self
- 巻 scroll
- 幕 curtain
- 干 dry
- 幼 infancy
- 庁 government office
- 座 sit
- 延 prolong
- 律 rhythm
- 従 obey
- 忘 forget
- 忠 loyalty
- 憲 constitution
- 我 ego
- 批
- 担 shouldering
- 拝 worship
- 拡 broaden
- 捨 throw away
- 探 grope
- 推 infer
- 揮
- 操 maneuver
- 敬 respect
- 映 reflect
- 晩 nightfall
- 暖 warmth
- 暮 livelihood
- 朗 melodious
- 机 desk
- 枚 sheet of...
- 染 dye
- 株 stocks
- 棒 rod
- 模 imitation
- 権 rights
- 樹 trees
- 欲 longing
- 段 steps
- 沿 run alongside
- 泉 fountain
- 洗 wash
- 派 sect
- 済 settle
- 源 origin
- 潮 tide
- 激 violent
- 灰 ashes
- 熟 ripen
- 片 one-sided
- 班 group
- 異 uncommon
- 疑 doubt
- 痛 pain
- 皇 emperor
- 盛 prosper
- 盟 alliance
- 看 watch over
- 砂 sand
- 磁 magnet
- 私 me
- 秘 secret
- 穀 serial
- 穴 hole
- 窓 window
- 筋 muscle
- 策 scheme
- 簡 simplicity
- 糖 sugar
- 系 lineage
- 紅 deep red
- 納 settlement
- 純 genuine
- 絹 silk
- 縦 vertical
- 縮 shrink
- 署 government office
- 翌 the following
- 聖 holy
- 肺 lung
- 背 back
- 胸 bosom
- 脳 brain
- 腹 abdomen
- 臓 entrails
- 臨 look to
- 至 climax
- 若 young
- 著 renowned
- 蒸 steam
- 蔵 warehouse
- 蚕 silkworm
- 衆 masses
- 裁 judge
- 装 attire
- 裏 back
- 補 supplement
- 視 look at
- 覧 perusal
- 討 chastise
- 訪 visit
- 訳 translate
- 詞 poetry
- 誌 document
- 認 recognize
- 誕 born
- 誠 sincerity
- 誤 mistake
- 論 theory
- 諸
- 警 guard against
- 貴 precious
- 賃 fare
- 遺 bequeath
- 郵 mail
- 郷 home town
- 針 needle
- 鋼 steel
- 閉 closed
- 閣 tall
- 降 descend
- 陛
- 除 exclude
- 障 hurt
- 難 difficult
- 革 leather
- 頂 place on the head
- 骨 bone