Lesson L7N3N3 Kanji in Context⏱ 25 min

Government and Society Kanji

This lesson introduces key kanji for discussing government and society, such as 政, 党, 府, etc. Each kanji is presented with common readings, example compounds, and usage in sentences, helping learners recognize and use these characters in real-world contexts like news articles or formal discussions.

🎯 Goal: Learn N3 kanji related to government and society in context.

Lesson Content

Learning Goal

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to read, write, and understand 8 N3 kanji related to government and society. You will learn them in context through example words and sentences, and practice using them in short drills.

Concept

Government and society kanji appear frequently in Japanese news, official documents, and everyday conversations about politics, law, and community. These kanji often combine to form compound words that describe institutions, roles, and social concepts. Understanding them will help you read more advanced materials and participate in discussions about current events.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. 政 (せい / sei) – politics, government

Meaning: Politics, government, administration
Common compounds:
- 政治 (せいじ / seiji) – politics
- 政府 (せいふ / seifu) – government
- 政党 (せいとう / seitou) – political party
Writing tip: Left side is 正 (correct), right side is 攵 (action). Think "correct action" = government.

2. 府 (ふ / fu) – government office, prefecture

Meaning: Government office, administrative district (especially for Osaka and Kyoto)
Common compounds:
- 政府 (せいふ / seifu) – government
- 府中 (ふちゅう / fuchuu) – prefectural capital
- 大阪府 (おおさかふ / oosakafu) – Osaka Prefecture
Writing tip: Contains 广 (building) + 付 (attach). Think "attached building" = government office.

3. 議 (ぎ / gi) – deliberation, council

Meaning: Discussion, deliberation, council
Common compounds:
- 議会 (ぎかい / gikai) – parliament, congress
- 会議 (かいぎ / kaigi) – meeting, conference
- 議員 (ぎいん / giin) – member of parliament
Writing tip: Contains 言 (speak) + 義 (righteousness). Think "righteous speech" = deliberation.

4. 法 (ほう / hou) – law, method

Meaning: Law, rule, method
Common compounds:
- 法律 (ほうりつ / houritsu) – law (system)
- 方法 (ほうほう / houhou) – method, way
- 憲法 (けんぽう / kenpou) – constitution
Writing tip: Contains 氵 (water) + 去 (go away). Think "water flows away" = following a natural law.

5. 民 (みん / min) – people, nation

Meaning: People, citizens, nation
Common compounds:
- 国民 (こくみん / kokumin) – citizens, nation
- 民主 (みんしゅ / minshu) – democracy
- 市民 (しみん / shimin) – citizens (of a city)
Writing tip: Looks like a person (氏) with a mouth (口). Think "people speaking" = citizens.

6. 選 (せん / sen) – choose, elect

Meaning: To choose, to select, to elect
Common compounds:
- 選挙 (せんきょ / senkyo) – election
- 選択 (せんたく / sentaku) – selection, choice
- 選手 (せんしゅ / senshu) – athlete (chosen player)
Writing tip: Contains 辶 (move) + 巽 (obedient). Think "move obediently toward your choice" = to elect.

7. 挙 (きょ / kyo) – raise, hold (an event)

Meaning: To raise, to hold (an event), to cite
Common compounds:
- 選挙 (せんきょ / senkyo) – election
- 挙式 (きょしき / kyoshiki) – ceremony
- 挙げる (あげる / ageru) – to raise, to hold
Writing tip: Top is 興 (prosper) + bottom is 手 (hand). Think "prosperous hand raised" = to hold an event.

8. 社 (しゃ / sha) – company, society

Meaning: Company, society, shrine
Common compounds:
- 社会 (しゃかい / shakai) – society
- 会社 (かいしゃ / kaisha) – company
- 神社 (じんじゃ / jinja) – Shinto shrine
Writing tip: Left is ネ (spirit) + right is 土 (earth). Think "spirit on earth" = shrine → society.

Mini Examples

Japanese	Romaji	English
政府は新しい法律を作った。	Seifu wa atarashii houritsu o tsukutta.	The government made a new law.
国民が選挙で投票する。	Kokumin ga senkyo de touhyou suru.	Citizens vote in elections.
議会で重要な会議がある。	Gikai de juuyou na kaigi ga aru.	There is an important meeting in parliament.
この会社は社会に貢献している。	Kono kaisha wa shakai ni kouken shite iru.	This company contributes to society.

Common Mistake

❌ Confusing 政府 (せいふ / seifu – government) with 政治 (せいじ / seiji – politics)

政府 refers to the institution (the government body)
政治 refers to the activity or system (politics)

❌ Writing 選挙 (senkyo) with the wrong kanji for 挙

挙 is used for "holding an event" or "raising"
選 is for "choosing" – together they mean "election"

Quick Practice

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

新しい___治 (せいじ) の制度が始まった。
→ Answer: 政 (Atarashii seiji no seido ga hajimatta. – A new political system started.)
市民は___挙 (せんきょ) で代表を選ぶ。
→ Answer: 選 (Shimin wa senkyo de daihyou o erabu. – Citizens choose representatives in elections.)
この___会 (しゃかい) は___律 (ほうりつ) に従う。
→ Answer: 社, 法 (Kono shakai wa houritsu ni shitagau. – This society follows the law.)
___府 (せいふ) は___民 (こくみん) の意見を聞く。
→ Answer: 政, 国 (Seifu wa kokumin no iken o kiku. – The government listens to citizens' opinions.)

Summary and Next Step

You have learned 8 essential N3 kanji related to government and society:

Kanji	Reading	Meaning
政	せい	politics, government
府	ふ	government office, prefecture
議	ぎ	deliberation, council
法	ほう	law, method
民	みん	people, citizens
選	せん	choose, elect
挙	きょ	raise, hold (event)
社	しゃ	company, society

Next step: Practice reading news headlines or short articles about Japanese politics. Look for these kanji in context. Try writing a simple sentence using 2-3 of these kanji together (e.g., 政府の法律について国民が議論する – Citizens discuss the government's law).