Lesson L5N4N4 Kanji in Context⏱ 20 min

Nature and Direction Kanji

In this lesson, you will learn key N4-level kanji related to nature and directions, such as 山 (yama, mountain), 川 (kawa, river), 東 (higashi, east), and 西 (nishi, west). Through example sentences and contextual exercises, you'll practice recognizing these kanji, their readings, and common compound words. The focus is on building reading comprehension and using these kanji naturally in everyday Japanese.

🎯 Goal: Learn N4 kanji related to nature and directions in context.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to read, write, and use 8 N4 kanji related to nature and directions. You will understand how these kanji combine with others to form common words and sentences.

Concept

Nature and direction kanji are essential for describing locations, weather, and the world around you. These kanji often appear in compound words, where two or more kanji combine to create a new meaning. For example, 山 (yama, mountain) + 川 (kawa, river) = 山川 (sansen, mountains and rivers). Today, we focus on four nature kanji and four direction kanji.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Nature Kanji

1. 山 (やま / yama) – Mountain

Meaning: Mountain
Reading: やま (yama), サン (san)
Stroke order: 3 strokes. Start with the vertical line in the center, then the left short stroke, then the right long stroke.
Example words:
- 山 (やま / yama) – mountain
- 火山 (かざん / kazan) – volcano (fire + mountain)

2. 川 (かわ / kawa) – River

Meaning: River
Reading: かわ (kawa), セン (sen)
Stroke order: 3 strokes. Write the left stroke first, then the center, then the right.
Example words:
- 川 (かわ / kawa) – river
- 小川 (おがわ / ogawa) – stream (small + river)

3. 林 (はやし / hayashi) – Grove

Meaning: Grove, small forest
Reading: はやし (hayashi), リン (rin)
Stroke order: 8 strokes. Two trees (木) side by side. Write the left 木 first, then the right 木.
Example words:
- 林 (はやし / hayashi) – grove
- 森林 (しんりん / shinrin) – forest (dense + grove)

4. 森 (もり / mori) – Forest

Meaning: Forest
Reading: もり (mori), シン (shin)
Stroke order: 12 strokes. Three trees (木) stacked. Write the top 木 first, then the bottom-left 木, then the bottom-right 木.
Example words:
- 森 (もり / mori) – forest
- 森林 (しんりん / shinrin) – forest (dense + grove)

Direction Kanji

5. 東 (ひがし / higashi) – East

Meaning: East
Reading: ひがし (higashi), トウ (tou)
Stroke order: 8 strokes. Start with the horizontal line at the top, then the vertical line through the center, then the left and right parts.
Example words:
- 東 (ひがし / higashi) – east
- 東京 (とうきょう / toukyou) – Tokyo (east + capital)

6. 西 (にし / nishi) – West

Meaning: West
Reading: にし (nishi), セイ (sei), サイ (sai)
Stroke order: 6 strokes. Write the horizontal line at the top, then the box shape, then the inner strokes.
Example words:
- 西 (にし / nishi) – west
- 西口 (にしぐち / nishiguchi) – west exit

7. 南 (みなみ / minami) – South

Meaning: South
Reading: みなみ (minami), ナン (nan)
Stroke order: 9 strokes. Start with the top horizontal line, then the vertical line, then the bottom part.
Example words:
- 南 (みなみ / minami) – south
- 南口 (みなみぐち / minamiguchi) – south exit

8. 北 (きた / kita) – North

Meaning: North
Reading: きた (kita), ホク (hoku)
Stroke order: 5 strokes. Write the left part first, then the right part.
Example words:
- 北 (きた / kita) – north
- 北口 (きたぐち / kitaguchi) – north exit

Mini Examples

Here are some sentences using these kanji in context:

山の上に雪があります。
Yama no ue ni yuki ga arimasu.
There is snow on top of the mountain.
川の水は冷たいです。
Kawa no mizu wa tsumetai desu.
The river water is cold.
駅の東口で待ちましょう。
Eki no higashiguchi de machimashou.
Let's wait at the east exit of the station.
森の中を散歩しました。
Mori no naka o sanpo shimashita.
I took a walk in the forest.

Common Mistake

Mistake: Confusing 林 (hayashi, grove) and 森 (mori, forest).

Why it happens: Both kanji use the tree radical 木, and the difference is just the number of trees. 林 has two trees (smaller area), while 森 has three trees (larger area).

How to avoid it: Remember: 2 trees = 林 (grove, smaller), 3 trees = 森 (forest, bigger). Think of it like "double trees" vs "triple trees."

Quick Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct kanji from this lesson:

東京は日本の___ (east) にあります。
Toukyou wa Nihon no ___ ni arimasu.
(Answer: 東)
この___ (river) はとてもきれいです。
Kono ___ wa totemo kirei desu.
(Answer: 川)
学校の___ (south) に公園があります。
Gakkou no ___ ni kouen ga arimasu.
(Answer: 南)
大きな___ (mountain) が見えます。
Ookina ___ ga miemasu.
(Answer: 山)

Summary and Next Step

You have learned 8 N4 kanji: 山 (mountain), 川 (river), 林 (grove), 森 (forest), 東 (east), 西 (west), 南 (south), and 北 (north). You can now describe natural features and directions in Japanese.

Next step: Practice writing these kanji from memory, then try using them in simple sentences about your own town or neighborhood. For example: "My house is north of the river" = 私の家は川の北にあります (Watashi no ie wa kawa no kita ni arimasu).