Elementary school Japanese  
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My junior high school students were overjoyed to find my Japanese study books. This month I'm reviewing elementary school 2nd grade kanji and grammar, using practice books for 7 year olds. In particular, Kumon Kanji Drill (くもんの小学ドリル国語漢字) books. There's a standardized kanji test, the Kanji Kentei (漢字検定) — Kanken for short — that I wanna take with my students.

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Many foreigners studying Japanese take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), or in Japanese, 日本語能力試験 (Nihongo Noryoku Shiken). There are four levels, 4-kyuu (beginner) to 1-kyuu (expert). In 2010, a 5th level will be added. There are many good studying websites you can easily find. In particular, The JLPT Study Page has word, kanji, and phrase lists in Japanese and English. For kanji radicals, see All About Radicals or Kanji Radicals.

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There are two good Japanese study games for the Nintendo DS. First, 250 Mannin no Kanken (250万人の漢検) is a kanji quiz game. It's designed for Japanese kids taking the kanken, but works well for foreigners too. You can practice reading, writing, stroke order, and stroke count through simple quizzes. Second, Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten (漢字そのまま楽引き辞典) is a Japanese-English dictionary. You can look up words in English or Japanese, using the pen to write kanji. The cheapest electronic dictionaries cost $100 or more, and this game costs $40, so if you already own a DS it's a good buy.

These lists are taken from the National Course of Study, written by the Ministry of Education (MEXT). Here are the 1st grade kanji (80字).一二三四五六七八九十百千日月火水木金土上下左右大中小手足目耳口人子女男名年山川林森田空雨天気夕花草竹犬虫貝石王玉力糸車音学校先生字文本村町赤白青円正早入出立休見。

Here are the 2nd grade kanji (160字). 春夏秋冬光風晴雲雪朝昼夜午明星野原岩谷海池公園東西南北時分週曜今元間親父母兄弟姉妹自友体毛頭顔首声心思考才言記話書読聞国語算数理科社会図画工作楽歌絵色紙黄黒形点丸線直角合計何答電教知万毎回半当番組交通道場地方京市里家寺店門室戸台汽船弓矢刀牛馬魚鳥鳴羽肉米麦茶食活用前後内外遠近多少古新太細強弱長高広同歩走行来帰止売買引切。

Here are the 3rd grade kanji (200字). 悪安暗医委意育員院飲運泳駅央横屋温化荷界開階寒感漢館岸起期客究急級宮球去橋業曲局銀区苦具君係軽血決研県庫湖向幸港号根祭皿仕死使始指歯詩次事持式実写者主守取酒受州拾終習集住重宿所暑助昭消商章勝乗植申身神真深進世整昔全相送想息速族他打対待代第題炭短談着注柱丁帳調追定庭笛鉄転都度投豆島湯登等動童農波配倍箱畑発反坂板皮悲美鼻筆氷表秒病品負部服福物平返勉放味命面問役薬由油有遊予羊洋葉陽様落流旅両緑礼列練路和。

Here are the 4th grade kanji (200字). 愛案以衣位囲胃印英栄塩億加果貨課芽改械害街各覚完官管関観願希季紀喜旗器機議求泣救給挙漁共協鏡競極訓軍郡径型景芸欠結建健験固功好候航康告差菜最材昨札刷殺察参産散残士氏史司試児治辞失借種周祝順初松笑唱焼象照賞臣信成省清静席積折節説浅戦選然争倉巣束側続卒孫帯隊達単置仲貯兆腸低底停的典伝徒努灯堂働特得毒熱念敗梅博飯飛費必票標不夫付府副粉兵別辺変便包法望牧末満未脈民無約勇要養浴利陸良料量輪類令冷例歴連老労録。

Here are the 5th grade kanji (185字). 圧移因永営衛易益液演応往桜恩可仮価河過賀快解格確額刊幹慣眼基寄規技義逆久旧居許境均禁句群経潔件券険検限現減故個護効厚耕鉱構興講混査再災妻採際在財罪雑酸賛支志枝師資飼示似識質舎謝授修述術準序招承証条状常情織職制性政勢精製税責績接設舌絶銭祖素総造像増則測属率損退貸態団断築張提程適敵統銅導徳独任燃能破犯判版比肥非備俵評貧布婦富武復複仏編弁保墓報豊防貿暴務夢迷綿輸余預容略留領。

In total, there are 1006 elementary school kanji. Here are the 6th grade kanji (181字). 異遺域宇映延沿我灰拡革閣割株干巻看簡危机揮貴疑吸供胸郷勤筋系敬警劇激穴絹権憲源厳己呼誤后孝皇紅降鋼刻穀骨困砂座済裁策冊蚕至私姿視詞誌磁射捨尺若樹収宗就衆従縦縮熟純処署諸除将傷障城蒸針仁垂推寸盛聖誠宣専泉洗染善奏窓創装層操蔵臓存尊宅担探誕段暖値宙忠著庁頂潮賃痛展討党糖届難乳認納脳派拝背肺俳班晩否批秘腹奮並陛閉片補暮宝訪亡忘棒枚幕密盟模訳郵優幼欲翌乱卵覧裏律臨朗論。

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