You open your Japanese textbook and see 「山」「川」「人」on the first page — wait, isn't this just Chinese?
That's right. Japanese uses roughly 2,000+ common kanji, and a significant portion are written the same way and mean the same thing as in Chinese. For Chinese speakers, these are essentially free vocabulary — no memorization needed.
This article introduces 20 representative "same form, same meaning" kanji to show just how powerful this built-in advantage is.
Core Kanji Table
Nature & Basic Concepts
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 山 | サン (san) | やま (yama) | mountain | 富士山 (ふじさん, Mt. Fuji), 山道 (さんどう, mountain path) |
| 川 | セン (sen) | かわ (kawa) | river | 川沿い (かわぞい, riverside), 小川 (おがわ, stream) |
| 人 | ジン (jin)・ニン (nin) | ひと (hito) | person | 日本人 (にほんじん, Japanese person), 人間 (にんげん, human) |
| 大 | ダイ (dai)・タイ (tai) | おお (oo) | big | 大学 (だいがく, university), 大きい (おおきい, big) |
| 小 | ショウ (shō) | ちい (chii)・こ (ko) | small | 小学校 (しょうがっこう, elementary school), 小さい (ちいさい, small) |
| 日 | ニチ (nichi)・ジツ (jitsu) | ひ (hi) | day, sun | 日本 (にほん, Japan), 今日 (きょう, today) |
| 月 | ゲツ (getsu)・ガツ (gatsu) | つき (tsuki) | moon, month | 月曜日 (げつようび, Monday), 月光 (げっこう, moonlight) |
| 水 | スイ (sui) | みず (mizu) | water | 水曜日 (すいようび, Wednesday), 水泳 (すいえい, swimming) |
| 火 | カ (ka) | ひ (hi) | fire | 火曜日 (かようび, Tuesday), 火事 (かじ, fire/blaze) |
| 木 | モク (moku)・ボク (boku) | き (ki) | tree, wood | 木曜日 (もくようび, Thursday), 木材 (もくざい, lumber) |
Society & Abstract Concepts
| Kanji | On'yomi | Kun'yomi | Meaning | Common Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 金 | キン (kin)・コン (kon) | かね (kane) | gold, money | 金曜日 (きんようび, Friday), お金 (おかね, money) |
| 土 | ド (do)・ト (to) | つち (tsuchi) | earth, soil | 土曜日 (どようび, Saturday), 土地 (とち, land) |
| 学 | ガク (gaku) | まな (mana) | study | 学校 (がっこう, school), 学生 (がくせい, student) |
| 国 | コク (koku) | くに (kuni) | country | 中国 (ちゅうごく, China), 国際 (こくさい, international) |
| 会 | カイ (kai)・エ (e) | あ (a) | meet, gather | 会議 (かいぎ, meeting), 会社 (かいしゃ, company) |
| 時 | ジ (ji) | とき (toki) | time | 時間 (じかん, time), 時計 (とけい, clock) |
| 長 | チョウ (chō) | なが (naga) | long, chief | 社長 (しゃちょう, company president), 長い (ながい, long) |
| 東 | トウ (tō) | ひがし (higashi) | east | 東京 (とうきょう, Tokyo), 東方 (とうほう, the East) |
| 風 | フウ (fū)・フ (fu) | かぜ (kaze) | wind | 台風 (たいふう, typhoon), 風景 (ふうけい, scenery) |
| 馬 | バ (ba) | うま (uma) | horse | 馬車 (ばしゃ, horse carriage), 競馬 (けいば, horse racing) |
Why Are These Kanji "Universal"?
These 20 characters share a common trait: they belong to the core layer of kanji — pictographic or ideographic characters that have existed since the oracle bone script era, with meanings stable for over 3,000 years.
When Japan adopted Chinese characters in the 5th-6th centuries, these fundamental characters were preserved completely in both form and meaning. Regardless of how Chinese or Japanese later simplified their writing systems, this core layer remained virtually unchanged.
On'yomi and Kun'yomi: Two Ways to Read
You might have noticed each character has two types of readings:
- On'yomi (音読み): Readings that imitate ancient Chinese pronunciation. Mostly used in compound words (e.g., 山道 さんどう)
- Kun'yomi (訓読み): Native Japanese readings. Mostly used when kanji appear alone or with okurigana (e.g., 山 やま)
Rule of thumb: "Compounds use on'yomi, standalone uses kun'yomi" — when kanji are combined into a word, it's usually on'yomi; when a kanji appears alone or is followed by hiragana, it's usually kun'yomi.
Days of the Week: A Perfect Showcase
The Japanese days of the week perfectly demonstrate the power of these shared kanji:
| Japanese | Kanji Breakdown | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 月曜日 | Moon + Day-of-week + Day | Day of the Moon (Monday) |
| 火曜日 | Fire + Day-of-week + Day | Day of Fire (Tuesday) |
| 水曜日 | Water + Day-of-week + Day | Day of Water (Wednesday) |
| 木曜日 | Wood + Day-of-week + Day | Day of Wood (Thursday) |
| 金曜日 | Gold + Day-of-week + Day | Day of Gold (Friday) |
| 土曜日 | Earth + Day-of-week + Day | Day of Earth (Saturday) |
| 日曜日 | Sun + Day-of-week + Day | Day of the Sun (Sunday) |
Sun, Moon, Fire, Water, Wood, Gold, Earth — Chinese speakers can read these instantly. That's a massive head start.
Cultural Connection: Tōkyō = Eastern Capital
These shared kanji hide many cultural clues:
- 東京 (とうきょう) = Eastern Capital, contrasting with the historical western capital (Kyoto)
- 富士山 (ふじさん) = The sacred mountain of Japan; both 富 (wealth) and 士 (warrior/scholar) are shared kanji
- 人間 (にんげん) = In Japanese this means "human being," while in Chinese 人間 means "the human world" — careful, this one has a subtle meaning shift!
Practice
Q1. Which set of kanji has the same meaning in both Chinese and Japanese?
A. 山, 川, 人 B. 手紙, 勉強, 大丈夫
Show answer
A. 山, 川, 人.
Set B are all "false friends" — 手紙 = letter (not "hand paper/toilet paper"), 勉強 = study (not "reluctant"), 大丈夫 = it's okay (not "big strong man/husband").
Q2. When is on'yomi (音読み) typically used?
Show answer
When kanji are combined into compound words. For example, 山道 is read さんどう (on'yomi), while 山 alone is read やま (kun'yomi).
Q3. How do you say Wednesday in Japanese? Hint: think about "water."
Show answer
水曜日 (すいようび). 水 = すい (on'yomi), 曜日 = ようび.
Q4. Match each kanji with its kun'yomi: 山, 人, 火
a. ひ b. やま c. ひと
Show answer
山 = b. やま, 人 = c. ひと, 火 = a. ひ
Q5. What do the two characters in 東京 mean individually?
Show answer
東 (ひがし) = east, 京 = capital city. Together: "Eastern Capital."
Summary
- Chinese speakers have a built-in advantage: many kanji share the same form and meaning
- These 20 kanji (山, 川, 人, 大, 小, 日, 月, 水, 火, 木, 金, 土, 学, 国, 会, 時, 長, 東, 風, 馬) are written the same and mean the same in both languages
- Each kanji has on'yomi (Chinese-derived reading, for compounds) and kun'yomi (native Japanese reading, for standalone use)
- Japanese days of the week use 日月火水木金土 — instantly recognizable for Chinese speakers
- Next up: meet the "false friends" — kanji that look the same but have different meanings