| Z | Ô | I | O | N |
(remaining kanji and links to kanji descriptions to be added)
This webpage has been stalled for a while due to work being focussed on the kana/kanji derivation table
| hira | kata | kanji | roma | mnemonic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| あ | ア | 安 | a |
law cross of no-swimming law cross, now bent into an arm AN / yasu(i) - peaceful, cheap |
| い | イ | 以 | i |
skiing downhill, overhead view of ski tips ski pole handle, tilted steep-slope sign I - from, by means of |
| う | ウ | 宇 | u |
U - universe |
| え | エ | e |
engineering diagram distance bracket |
|
| お | オ | o |
|
|
| か | カ | 加 | ka |
|
| き | キ | 幾 | ki |
|
| く | ク | 久 | ku |
cooing mouth (and 2nd part of a 'K') KYUU/hisa(shii) - long time |
| け | ケ | 計 | ke |
cape and dagger a cape hanging from an arm possibly: KEI / haka(ru|rau) - plan, calculate |
| こ | コ | 己 | ko |
combs, above/below, teeth facing teeth comb with 90 degree corners |
| さ | サ | 左 | sa |
SA/hidari - left |
| し | シ | shi |
(variation like つ->ツ) |
|
| す | ス | 寸 | su |
a super soupspoon with hilt a soupbowl with handle |
| せ | セ | 世 | se |
SE/SEI/yo - period, world |
| そ | ソ | 曽 | so |
|
| た | タ | 太 | ta |
a spinning top (w/ motion lines) TAI / TA / foro(i|ru) -- great, thick |
| ち | チ | 知 | chi |
chi-master sitting with arms outstretched chi-master with arms outstretched |
| つ | ツ | 川 | tsu |
"2", top part. "2", top part, (variation like し->シ) |
| て | テ | 夭 | te |
"T" in gaElic cursive form
(downstroke also matches first stroke of gaelic "E") tempermental (lightningstrike) heavenly cloud (overbar) TEN/ama/ame - heavens |
| と | ト | 止 | to |
your toe with a thorn in it a thorn your toe might get stuck on SHI/to(maru|meru) - stop |
| な | ナ | 奈 | na |
naughty person (arms outstretched)
spying on crosslegged person, facing right
naughty person (arms outstretched), after crosslegged person flees |
| に | ニ | 仁 | ni |
kneecaps (ni with a cap) (like symbol for 'two', pronounced 'ni') |
| ぬ | ヌ | 奴 | nu |
noo (an 'n' plus two 'o' loops) noodle hanging out of a bowl |
| ね | ネ | 祢 | ne |
"n" with "e" in tail |
| の | ノ | 乃 | no |
the "no-" (or this-is-banned) symbolt the "no-" part of the 'banned' symbol (mne: no-step) |
| は | ハ | ha |
a split 'h' but has a head like 'ma' halved stick, gives hatchi (8) or hashi (chopsticks) |
|
| ひ | ヒ | (k)hi |
heel, top outline view heel, side view of back of shoe with pull-on tab |
|
| ふ | フ | 不 | hu |
foodbowl, profile of right edge |
| へ | ヘ | he |
heystack heystack |
|
| ほ | ホ | 保 | ho |
a split 'h', rhymes with 2-barred 'mo' |
| ま | マ | ma |
mama - notice the arms and head mama's upperarm, lowerarm, and hand |
|
| み | ミ | mi |
"m", rotated left, no overbar |
|
| む | ム | mu |
muu-cow (head at left, tail at right) muu-cow's noseridge and nostril flare |
|
| め | メ | 女 | me |
the backslashed 'no' means you 'may' the backslashed 'no' means you 'may' JO/NYO/ME/onna - woman |
| も | モ | mo |
a "mo" (vietnamese spoon) w/ hilt |
|
| や | ヤ | ya |
yard hummock, complete with weed yard hummock, after weeding |
|
| ゆ | ユ | 由 | yu |
a finger, tied with string, pointing at YOU a U-boat's periscope YU / YUU / yoshi - reason |
| よ | ヨ | yo |
looks like a 'y' and 'o' together yoke for two cows, overhead view |
|
| ら | ラ | 良 | ra(/la) |
ra the god, sitting facing right ramen piled high in a bowl, profile |
| り | リ | 利 | ri(/di) |
a 'r'-'i' ligature just the sides of the hiragana symbol |
| る | ル | 留 | ru(pal. trill,1) |
roo ('ro' + a 2nd 'o' at the bottom) add a line; it's 'r' or 'u' in lowercase cursive |
| れ | レ | 礼 | re(/le) |
|
| ろ | ロ | 呂 | ro(/go) |
round kana, squared off |
| わ | ワ | 和 | wa |
watery swell at the last pier-post watery swell, squared and flat |
| ん | ン | n |
looks like a small 'n' with a long stem looks like an apostrophe-'n' ('no', actually) |
|
| を | ヲ | [w]o |
woman needs 't.l.c.' (tender loving care) woefully split foodbowl |
| contact ζωιον |