List of Japanese Words - K

This is a list of common Japanese words and phrases - many of which are used in this website. Most of these Japanese words are available as hand-brushed Japanese Calligraphy Designs suitable for tattoos, craft, and commercial use. Each design was hand-lettered by Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase and professionally scanned and documented. Links to independent sources, including Japanese/English dictionaries, are given so you can be absolutely sure the translations are correct. To see the complete catalog of Japanese Words visit our on-line catalog at StockKanji - Catalog of Japanese Words.

Japanese Kanji Symbols You Can Trust - Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase has been creating custom designs for over fifteen years with thousands upon thousands of satisfied customers. You have probably even seen Master Takase's work in movies, on TV, or in print or even on a favorite product. Now you can have beautiful Japanese Calligraphy as a part of your own personal expression whether it be for body art, crafts or for commercial use.

To begin, select the first letter of the Japanese word or phrase:

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, PQ, R, S, T, UV, W-Z

English Word	Japanese Kanji	Japanese Word
Kamikaze		kamikaze
Karate - China Hand		karate
Karate - Empty Hand		karate
Karate-Do		karatedou
Karma		gou
Kendo		kendou
Kill two birds with one stone		issekinichou
Kill with One Blow		ikken hissatsu
Kindness		shinsetsu
King		ouja
King		ou
Kiss		seppun
Kisses		seppun
Kite		tako
Kitten		koneko
Kittens		koneko
Knight		kishi
Kyudo		kyuudou

Notes:

(1) Indicates a word created for its meaning. These will not be found in the dictionary but intended for use a literal translations of names and used in Names in Japanese.

(2) The kanji for some common Japanese words are strange. These exceptions are now often written in katakana rather than in kanji. For example, Fern is shida which has the kanji which literally reads "sheep teeth". Dolphin is another example which is iruka and has the kanji which literally reads as "ocean pig".
(3) Indicates a Japanese name.

Select the first letter of the name:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Recommended Books/CD:

Learn Japanese Calligraphy Lessons 1 - 6 by Eri Takase

Learn Japanese Calligraphy by Eri Takase is a unique Japanese Calligraphy course on CD-ROM. With these CD's you can learn Japanese Calligraphy by actually seeing the characters being brushed by Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase. Japanese Calligraphy is all about movement and you simply cannot learn the proper movement from a book. These CD lessons actually shows videos of Master Takase brushing the characters - and you can learn proper technique by seeing it over and over again. We also show videos of common student errors and how to correct them. Along with the videos are samples with stroke order that can be printed as well as detailed step by step instructions. Learn Japanese Calligraphy is a great learning tool by itself or to complement your current studies.

The first CD includes topics on tool selection, posture, how to hold the brush as well as the basic strokes of the block font. Each lesson covers the stroke order with examples that can be printed. Combined with our Japanese Calligraphy Sets you will have all you need to begin your study of Japanese Calligraphy.

Or order directly from us and save at Shodokai - Learn Japanese Calligraphy with the first CD at $15.95 - you save over six dollars!

Japanese Kanji & Kana Revised Edition: A Guide to the Japanese Writing System (Tuttle Language Library) by Wolfgang Hadamitzky and Mark Spahn

This is an excellent reference and is perfect for learning the stroke order of kana and kanji.

This book shows all modern kanji along with the stroke order and direction. This is the perfect companion for the serious student.

The New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary by John H. Haig, Andrew N. Nelson

For more advanced needs this is the best English Language Japanese-English kanji dictionary you can buy.

References:

カタカナから引く外国人名綴り方字典 (Guide to Spellings of Foreigner's Names in Kana Orders) - Find the original non-Japanese name given the Japanese translation.

United States Census - 1990 - The top 2400 male and female names from this US government publication are covered in our list.

BabyNamer - Produced by Oxygen Media this is a good source for the meaning of names.

The Etymology of First Names - This site is our second choice when researching the meaning and pronunciations of given names.

StockKanji - Names in Japanese Calligraphy Over 9000 names translated to Japanese. This is a searchable site giving much more information about each name than we show here. Many names also have original, hand-lettered designs for personal use like a tattoo and for professional use such as for wedding invitations or as part of a logo design.

Jeffrey's Japanese<->English Dictionary Server - An on-line dictionary that does not require Japanese fonts. This dictionary is terse so it is easy to misinterpret. Its value for name translations is limited as it does not give the pronunciation.

Goo Jiten - A good on-line English/Japanese dictionary. Japanese fonts are required.

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