Kanji Stories

[RadioKid]

心：KOKORO/SIN is a KANJI character meaning mind, heart or soul. Learn and exercise this hand order and surprise your Japanese friends.

This character had made from the anatomical shape of human heart. I wonder why ancient Chinese people got the chance to see the human heart.

KOKORO is also a radical to make other KANJIs which you do not see so often on the street signs but these KANJIs (with KOKORO as radical) will help you to understand what Japanese people recognize the world an human relations.

For the first hand, can you find KOKOR in 愛 AI/E ?

AI corresponds to the English word "love" but I do not think 愛 and love are just the same.

Also, can you find KOKORO in 優:YUH/YASA(SII）; meaning "kind" or "kindly".

[RadioKid]

You might remember this character 必:HITSU/KANARA(ZU) as a relative of 心:KOKORO.

However 必:HITSU has another origin. 必 was said the shape of a curved wooden branch to straighten tied between two straight branch.

必 also could be used as a part of KANJI characters like as each of 秘密：HIMITSU meaning secret.

[RadioKid]

There are many KANJIs made with KOKORO radical. Among them, I would like to introduce a KANJI character "忍:NIN/SHINO(BU)".

You will find this character as "刃" on "心".

"刃" means edge while "刀" means blade.

TOU/KATANA
HA/YAIBA

Getting them together, "忍" means a hidden intention. And a person with hidden intention will be called as "忍者:NINJA".

Then "忍" is also used in "認", meaning recognize or authorize because the radical "言:GEN/I(U);say"(GONBEN) is used for things related to saying something.