Introduction: "Writing" Kanji and "Using Them in Context"

Have you ever taken a Japanese test or gone about your daily life thinking, "I can read this kanji, but when it's time to write it down, my hand just freezes...", or "Is this the right kanji for this word?"
It might feel challenging at first, but don't worry! Writing kanji and using them naturally in sentences comes down to a few clear principles and handy tips.
In this unit, let's develop both your ability to write kanji accurately and your skill in using them correctly within sentences and passages.

[Key Point] Know the standards for "writing" kanji in Junior High School!
The new regular-use kanji (Joyo Kanji) you encounter in junior high school are primarily focused on "reading" (※we will study reading kanji in detail in the chapter "Reading Joyo Kanji").
Actually, the main goal for "writing" in junior high school Japanese is mastering the 1,026 kanji from the Elementary School Kanji by Grade List (Gakunenbetsu Kanji Haitōhyō)!
• Grade 1 (7th Grade): Be able to write around 900 characters from the list and use them in sentences and passages.
• Grade 2 (8th Grade): Be able to write all the kanji shown in the list and use them in sentences and passages.
• Grade 3 (9th Grade): Become thoroughly comfortable and fluent in using these kanji within sentences and texts.
In other words, by building on the kanji learned in elementary school, your goal over these three years of junior high school is to reach a level where you can use them in your writing anytime without hesitation.

1. Essential Checklist for Writing Kanji Accurately

The first step to writing kanji correctly is grasping the exact features of their forms (character shapes). Let's master the basics so you never lose marks on notebook assignments, essays, or exams!

① Pay Attention to Stops (Tome), Hooks (Hane), and Sweeps (Harai)

In kanji, the way a stroke ends (stop, hook, or sweep) can change a character into a completely different one, or cause it to be marked as incorrect.
• Tome (Stop): Bring the stroke to a clean, firm stop (e.g., the left and right downward strokes of 「木」, the vertical stroke of 「十」).
• Hane (Hook): Flick the tip of your pen upward (e.g., the final stroke of 「手」 or 「子」).
• Harai (Sweep): Gradually release pressure to taper the stroke off naturally (e.g., the left and right strokes of 「八」 or 「人」).

② Distinguish Stroke Lengths and Intersections

Many kanji look almost identical at first glance, but differ in the length of their strokes or whether a line protrudes.

• 「末」 (sue / end) and 「未」 (imada / not yet)
In 「末」, the top horizontal stroke is longer; in 「未」, the bottom horizontal stroke is longer.
• 「土」 (tsuchi / soil, earth) and 「士」 (samurai / warrior, gentleman)
In 「土」, the bottom horizontal stroke is longer; in 「士」, the top horizontal stroke is longer.
• 「牛」 (ushi / cow) and 「午」 (go / noon)
In 「牛」, the vertical stroke sticks out at the top, but in 「午」, it does not.

[Common Mistake] Watch out for dots and short strokes!
• 「鳥」 (tori / bird) and 「烏」 (karasu / crow): A single horizontal stroke makes them entirely different creatures!
• 「太」 (futoi / thick, fat) and 「大」 (ōkii / big): Be careful not to forget the dot in the center.
When writing, don't just write "roughly"—move your pen with a clear awareness of where each stroke goes and how many there are.

[Quick Tip] Pay attention to kanji components (radicals like Hen and Tsukuri)!
Trying to memorize kanji entirely by rote can be exhausting. However, looking at them as combinations of radicals (such as sanzui [water], kihen [tree], and gonben [word]) and components makes them vastly easier to remember! For instance, words related to water often feature the "氵 (sanzui)" radical, while those related to speech feature "言 (gonben)", providing great clues to their meanings.

2. Rules and Usage of Okurigana

When using kanji in a sentence, one thing that trips up many students is okurigana (the kana suffixes following kanji). Remembering the fundamental principles based on the official Cabinet Notification on Okurigana will clear up most of your doubts!

Basic Rule 1: Conjugated Words (Verbs, Adjectives, Adjectival Nouns)

For inflected words whose forms change—such as verbs and adjectives—the general rule is to write the conjugating part (the inflectional ending) in okurigana.

• Examples of verbs: 「動く」 (ugo-ku), 「書く」 (ka-ku), 「話す」 (hana-su)
• Examples of adjectives: 「高い」 (taka-i), 「美しい」 (utsuku-shii)
• Examples of adjectival nouns (na-adjectives): 「静かだ」 (shizu-kada), 「豊かだ」 (yuta-kada)

Basic Rule 2: Nouns

As a general rule, nouns do not take okurigana.
Examples: 「山」 (yama), 「川」 (kawa), 「桜」 (sakura)
However, special care is needed for nouns that originate from verbs.

[Common Mistake] Words whose okurigana differs between verbs and nouns
These are typical examples where mistakes frequently happen in writing:
• When used as a verb: 「友達と話す」 (hana-su / to speak), 「問題に答える」 (kota-eru / to answer)
• When used as a noun: 「先生の話を聞く」 (written as 「話」, not 「話し」 / speech, talk), 「答えを書く」 (written as 「答え」, not 「答」 / answer)
Always double-check how the word is functioning in your sentence before choosing its form!

3. Using Kanji Appropriately in Sentences and Context

Kanji shouldn't just be memorized as isolated words in a vocabulary book; it is vital to choose the appropriate kanji to match the surrounding context.

① Choosing the Kanji that Fits the Context

Even for words with the exact same reading (homophones), the kanji used can be entirely different depending on the meaning of the sentence.
(※We will explore the detailed classification and vocabulary expansion of homophones in the chapter "Homophones, Synonyms, Antonyms, and Polysemous Words".)

• 「機会をつくる」 (造る / 創る / 作る) \(\rightarrow\) For standard actions or creating relationships/opportunities, we use 「作る」.
• 「速くはしる」 (run fast) \(\rightarrow\) 「走る」
• 「船がはしる」 (a ship glides through waves) \(\rightarrow\) 「走る」
Get into the habit of considering the meaning of the whole sentence and asking yourself, "Which kanji feels most natural in this context?"

② Balancing Kanji and Hiragana

When writing, simply turning every word you know into kanji does not automatically make your writing better! Too much kanji can make a text look stiff and difficult to read, while using only hiragana makes it hard to distinguish where words start and end.

• Words often written in hiragana (auxiliary verbs, formal nouns, etc.)
Example: 「本を読んでみる」 (try reading a book — written in hiragana, not 「見る」)
Example: 「机の上に置いておく」 (leave it on the desk — written in hiragana, not 「置く」)
Example: 「行くことができる」 (be able to go — written in hiragana, not 「事」)
Example: 「知っているひと」 (a person you know) \(\rightarrow\) When referring to a specific, tangible individual, writing 「人」 in kanji is appropriate. However, for functional phrases like 「〜すること」 or 「〜してみる」, writing in hiragana is standard practice.

[Key Point] Make proofreading and revising a habit!
Whenever you review your essays or written answers, always verify these two points:
1. Are there any misspelled, missing, or extra strokes or missing okurigana?
2. Are you using the right kanji for the sentence's intended meaning?
Just one quick round of proofreading will dramatically improve the precision and quality of your writing.

4. Summary: Review Checklist

Use the following checklist during your daily study and whenever you write passages:

• Can you accurately handwrite the 1,026 kanji assigned to elementary school grades?
• Are you writing with neat, deliberate shapes, paying close attention to stops, hooks, sweeps, stroke counts, and protruding lines?
• Have you attached the correct okurigana (inflectional endings) to verbs and adjectives?
• Have you chosen the appropriate kanji for the context and balanced them well with hiragana to create an easy-to-read text?

Kanji become second nature through repeated practice of "writing by hand and using them in sentences." Take your time, don't rush, and practice using each character with care!