What is kanji?
Once kana feels familiar, you are ready for kanji — the characters that carry meaning. This is where words gain depth.
Kanji carry meaning
Unlike kana, which are only sounds, each kanji stands for an idea. 水 means water, 山 means mountain, 人 means person. Most kanji also have one or more readings — how they are pronounced — which can change depending on the word.
One character, one idea — water, mountain, person.
Why kanji comes after kana
Kanji readings are written in kana. So once you can read kana, you can read a kanji's readings and start connecting characters to real words. Learning kana first makes kanji far less overwhelming.
You're ready
Kanji-Navi lets you look up a kanji, see its meaning and readings, hear its place in real words, and watch its stroke order. Explore at your own pace.