Stage 1-6 (Workbook 1) 183
Step 3
1. In the previous chapter, we studied ìÇĭĚݳÇï and ìÇĭĂݳÇï. That is, each kanji of
a word that consists of kanji compounds has a specific sound assigned to it. For instance, a word
for “college” or “university” is written ùó, and the first kanji ù is pronounced üĮ while the
second, ó, is pronounced ĉĚ. Both are ìÇĭĂݳÇï. The same kanji is used to write ùģ
Į, and in this case, the kanji, ù, is pronounced ĂĂ, which is the ìÇĭĚݳÇï.
2. There are, however, some kanji compound words in which each kanji is not assigned a separate
reading. Rather, these kanji compounds are pronounced together without each having its own
sound. That is, there are some kanji that are neither ìÇĭĂݳÇï nor ìÇĭĚݳÇï. See
the following examples:
Kanji Kana Meaning
ĒĬ ģğī today
Ĭ ČĦĥĨČð tomorrow
»Ĭ ģûī yesterday
ùā ĂęĪ adult
ćā ēęb one person; alone
ĒU ÄÅ this morning
ĒĊ ġęĦ this year
3. List other kanji compounds like those above.
4. Some words are written with two identical kanji. In this case, the second kanji is abbreviated
using the symbol Ü. When two kanji are repeated, it normally indicates that there is more than
one thing that is indicated by the kanji. As for the pronunciation of the symbol Ü, its initial
syllable is a voiced variation of the first syllable of initial kanji that have a voiced variation. The
number of words indicating the plural meaning with this symbol Üis few, and the tone of some
words with this symbol is rather formal.
Kanji Kana Meaning
đÜ ęģÝģ from time to time (sometimes)
āÜ ēęÕę people
ÿÜ ďĢďĢ a few mountains
ĊÜ ċİċİ year after year
5. See it you can make other plural nouns like those above.
1: Kanji Compound with Special Readings