CHAPTER 1
NUMBERS and COLORS
| 数 | number, count, math | 13 strokes NN2353 |
|
kazo(eru), kazu, sū
Grains of rice (米) were COUNTED by a woman (女) at a folding table.
iro, shiki
A snake has patterns of COLOR and a barbed tongue.
Numbers 数
hito(tsu), ichi
ONE stroke for ONE.
futa(tsu), ni
| FUTA 二 | TSU つ | two [things] |
TWO strokes for TWO.
mi(tsu), san
| MI 三 | TSU つ | three [things] |
THREE strokes for THREE.
yo(tsu), yon, shi
four [things]
itsu(tsu), go
| ITSU 五 | TSU つ | five [things] |
FIVE is only a four-stroke kanji, but there are FIVE segments.
mu(tsu), roku
Two strokes away from eight (八), you have SIX.
ya(tsu), hachi
In EIGHT hundred years, the volcano that looks like an EIGHT will erupt.
nana, nana(tsu), shichi
| NANA 七 | TSU つ | seven [thing] |
SEVEN includes elements of the two sounds of its name,
kokono(tsu), kyū
| KOKONO 九 | TSU つ | nine [thing] |
The angle of the clearest right angle starts at NINE and ends at noon.
tō, jū
| TŌ 十 | KA 日 | the tenth [day of the month] |
In Roman numerals, an X is the Roman numeral for TEN, but the kanji for TEN is rotated to look like a cross.
hyaku
A white (白) band of paper wraps around one HUNDRED one dollar bills.
chi, sen
| CHI 千 | BA 葉 | KEN 県 | Chiba Prefecture |
This is the profile of a centurion who has guarded a place for one THOUSAND years.
| 円 | yen, circle | 4 stroke NN0385 |
|
maru(i), en
A change drawer has two divisions for CIRCLE-shaped YEN coins and a larger space for YEN notes.
| 万 | ten thousand | 3 stroke NN0007 |
|
man, ban
| ICHI 一 | MAN 万 | ten thousand | |
One (一) place where counting takes a turn and starts in a slightly different direction (方) in Japanese is at the number TEN THOUSAND.
| 半 | half, middle | 5 stroke NN0608 |
|
naka(ba), han
| SAN 三 | JI 時 | HAN 半 | half past three o’clock |
| NAKA 半 | BA ば | SU 過 | GI ぎ | beyond the middle |
Two identical HALVES are cut with precision by a samurai sword.
| 発 | departure, emit, start from | 9 stroke NN3860 |
|
ha(tsu), hotsu, hatsu
| HAP 発 | PYŌ 表 | announcement, publication |
| BAKU 爆 | HATSU 発 | explosion, eruption |
As you begin your DEPARTURE from your tent in the morning, you may choose from one of two (二) paths for your journey.
| 卒 | graduate, soldier, private | 8 stroke NN0615 |
|
sotsu
| CHŪ 中 | SOTSU 卒 | junior high graduate |
Under the roof, two people (人) out of ten (十) GRADUATE with honors.
| 単 | simple, one, single, merely | 9 stroke NN0620 |
|
tan
The SIMPLE addition of planting merely three bits of knowledge in a field (田) can reap benefits ten-fold (十).
| 協 | co-, cooperation | 8 stroke NN0617 |
|
kyō
| KYŌ 協 | RYOKU 力 | cooperation, collaboration | |
| KYŌ 協 | KAI 会 | association, society, organization |
When ten (十) or more people multiply their power (力) through COOPERATION, they are stronger.
| 博 | Dr., PhD, wide knowledge | 12 stroke NN0621 |
|
haku
| HAKA 博 | SE 士 | doctorate, PhD, learned person | |
| HAKU 博 | BUTSU 物 | KAN 館 | museum |
A person with a PhD oversees ten (十) fields (田) and has a WIDE KNOWLEDGE that can be measured (寸).
Colors 色
kuro, koku
Soil (土) from the bottom of a freshly plowed field (田) runs BLACK as ink.
shiro, haku, byaku
| BYAKU 白 | YA 夜 | the midnight sun |
Striking a match on the sun might initially produce very hot WHITE light.
| 的 | bull’s eye, mark, adjective ending | 8 stroke NN3867 |
|
mato, teki
| MOKU 目 | TEKI 的 | purpose, goal |
| NI 日 | HON 本 | TEKI 的 | typically Japanese |
In a field of white (白), a man pulls a plow right through the soil on the MARK he was aiming for.
| 皆 | all, everything | 9 strokes NN3869 |
|
mina, minna, kai
Comparing (比) EVERYTHING that is white (白) as the sun, you will still find variation.
kō, ō
| KŌ 皇 | KYO 居 | Imperial Palace | |
The EMPERORS and kings (王) in a foreign land wear white (白).
aka, seki, shaku
| SEKI 赤 | JŪ 十 | JI 字 | Red Cross |
The roots of the soil (土) are RED in color.
midori, ryoku
| SHIN 新 | RYOKU 緑 | new green leaves |
Heavily sowed grass thickens in GREEN layers when watered (水) well.
| 青 | blue, green | 8 strokes NN6557 |
|
ao, sei
A plant sprouts its second set of branches on a BLUE moon (月).
| 変 | unusual, change, strange | 9 strokes NN0001 |
|
ka(waru), hen
| TAI 大 | HEN 変 | very, greatly | |
| HEN 変 | KŌ 更 | change, modification |
| KA 変 | WA わ | RU る | to be changed |
The UNUSUAL root vegetables used in the stew cooking on the folding table under the lid smell a little STRANGE.
ki, ō, kō
The grill has tens (十) of people ready to eat the organic YELLOW squash and other veggies skewered sideways (横).
| 橙 | bitter orange | 16 strokes NN2877 |
|
daidai, tō
| TŌ 橙 | SEKI 赤 | SHOKU 色 | orange-red, fire red |
If you climb (登) the mountain beside the tree (木) to see the ORANGE sunset, take plenty of beans (豆) for energy.
| 紫 | purple, violet | 12 strokes NN4486 |
|
murasaki, shi
| SHI SHI | GAI 外 | ultraviolet |
When mixing PURPLE grapes for grape juice with a dipper, stop (止) if you spill any on your clothes as the threads (糸) will stain.
| 灰 | ashes, cremate | 6 strokes NN3396 |
|
hai, kai
| HAI 灰 | IRO 色 | grey, ash color | |
| HAI 灰 | NI に | NA な | RU る | to be cremated |
In the shade of a cliff (厂) were found the ASHES of a fire (火).
| 紅 | crimson, deep red | 9 strokes NN4441 |
|
beni, kurenai, kō, ku
Through a string (糸) of costly construction (工) projects, the company’s books fell into a deep CRIMSON shade of red.
cha, sa
TEA leaves, like cut grass, are dried after a person (人) pulls them from a plant, and keeps them in bunches of 10 (十).
