The Characters tab breaks the word into the characters that spell it. Every character links to its own page; tap one for a card with its meanings, readings and stroke count.
The sections
| Section | What it shows | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Written Form | The characters that spell the word as it is written | 珈琲 此れ 食べる |
| Reading | The characters of the word's reading | コーヒー これ たべる |
| Other Forms | One line per alternate spelling, its written form beside its reading | None |
The leading section is where you are most likely to meet the word. コーヒー leads with the reading, the kanji following; 食べる leads with the written form.
The same character can appear in two sections. 此れ is spelled 此 + れ and read こ + れ, so れ sits in both. Each section spells the word in full, so a shared character shows up in each.
Characters are not sounds
A cell is one written character, not one mora (the beat a Japanese word is counted in). Counting cells will not tell you how long a word is.
Morae and pitch belong to the Pronunciation tab. This tab spells the word.
Characters with no sound of their own
- ー lengthens the mora before it. コーヒー is コ held long, then ヒ held long.
- 々 repeats the character before it. 人々 is 人 twice.
Neither carries a speaker button. There is nothing to play on its own.
Tags beside a heading
A tag beside a section heading names how the word is written. Hover or tap it for the explanation. Alternate forms carry their own tags on the same line. Read them before the meanings beneath the characters; they change what those meanings tell you.
| Tag | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ateji | The kanji were chosen for their sound. 珈 ("hairpin ornament") and 琲 ("string of beads") spell the sound コーヒー. Their meanings are not part of the word. |
| Gikun | The reverse: the kanji were chosen for their meaning, and the reading beside them is not one those kanji normally take. |
| Irregular okurigana | The kana tail attached to the kanji is written in a non-standard way. |
| Usually written in kana | The kanji spelling exists, but you will meet the word in kana. |
Where no tag appears, a kanji's meaning beneath it is contributing to the word.