Kanji Dictionary For Foreigners Learning Japanese 2500 N5 May 2026

| Kanji | 食 | |-------|----| | Meaning | Eat, food | | Radical | 食 (eat, food radical) | | Strokes | 9 | | On'yomi | ショク | | Kun'yomi | た(べる)、く(う) | | N5 Vocabulary | 食べる (たべる) – to eat
食事 (しょくじ) – meal | | Mnemonic | "A person with good (良) food (食) is ready to eat." |

| Pros | Details | |------|---------| | Comprehensive | 2,500 kanji = enough for newspapers & university | | Compact | Fits in a bag, unlike larger dictionaries (e.g., The Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary) | | Stroke order | Clear, small diagrams — good for reference | | Radical-based lookup | Teaches you how to find unknown kanji | | Good for review | Once you know ~500 kanji, it’s fast to check readings/compounds | | Affordable | Usually cheaper than full-size kanji dictionaries |

Don't try to memorize 2,500 kanji. Use the dictionary as a reference. When you learn the word "mountain" (やま), look up 山. Study its stroke order and one example phrase. Kanji Dictionary For Foreigners Learning Japanese 2500 N5

At first glance, 2,500 kanji seems overwhelming for a beginner. But here’s the logic:

Can't remember the kanji for "to go"? Search the English index. Find 行く (iku). Now see its N5 example sentence: 学校へ行く (go to school). | Kanji | 食 | |-------|----| | Meaning

A Kanji on its own often has multiple meanings. The real power of Kanji comes from "Jukugo" (compound words). This dictionary doesn't just tell you that 水 means "water." It gives you vocabulary words like 水曜日 (Wednesday) and 水泳 (Swimming).

This is crucial for N5 preparation because the exam tests your knowledge of how Kanji function within real words, not just in isolation. Don't try to memorize 2,500 kanji

While a kanji dictionary is an indispensable tool, supplementing your study with other materials can enhance your learning:

| Cons | Details | |------|---------| | Misleading title | “N5” is wrong — absolute beginners will feel overwhelmed | | No sentences | You won’t learn kanji in context | | Small font | Stroke order diagrams can be hard to see | | No exercises | It’s a reference, not a textbook | | Not for writing practice | No blank grids or tracing | | Outdated design | Some copies have typos or inconsistent romaji |