Japanese kanji 台: 台所 and 台風

The idea

台 has 5 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. Read 台所 as だいどころ and 台風 as たいふう. N4 is an estimated learning level, not an official JLPT kanji list.

Examples

• 母ははは台所だいどころで料理りょうりをしています。My mother is cooking in the kitchen.
• 台所だいどころに猫ねこはいません。There is no cat in the kitchen.
• 台風たいふうが近ちかづいています。A typhoon is approaching.
• 屋台やたいでたこ焼やきを買かいます。I buy takoyaki at a stall.
• 車くるまが一台いちだいあります。There is one car.
• 自転車じてんしゃを二台にだい買かいました。I bought two bicycles.

Watch out

Compare the shapes of 台 and 古. Read whole words: 台所 means kitchen, whereas 台風 means typhoon. 台 counts vehicles and machines, as in 一台; 台風 uses たい rather than だい.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 台所 in hiragana.

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   だいどころ

   台所 is read だいどころ and means kitchen. In the example: My mother is cooking in the kitchen.

2. Write the reading of 台風 in hiragana.

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   たいふう

   台風 is read たいふう and means typhoon. In the example: A typhoon is approaching.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿風（たいふう）［台／古］.

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   台

   台 completes 台風, read たいふう; the word means typhoon.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 台 from memory, then read 台所 and 台風 aloud. Check their readings and meanings.