日
Mnemonic
This kanji is a pictograph of the SUN. Imagine watching a sunrise at the beach: the horizontal line represents the ocean’s horizon.
The top half is the sun itself, just rising above the horizon, while the bottom half shows the sun’s reflection in the water.
Its second meaning, DAY, is a natural extension—after all, we measure days by the movement of the sun across the sky.
Japan is famously called “the Land of the Rising Sun,” so this character can also refer to Japan itself.
Example Vocabulary
- 日光（にっこう） – sunlight
- 日の出（ひので） – sunrise
- 日焼け（ひやけ） – sunburn
- 毎日（まいにち） – every day
- 平日（へいじつ） – weekday
You probably haven’t seen these other kanji before—and that’s totally normal at this stage! Focus on the English meanings and see how they all relate to SUN or DAY. The rest will click as you learn more.
Example Sentences