Recognize 思 in words such as 思う and 思い出; connect each complete word with its reading and meaning.

The idea

Kanji can have Japanese-origin readings (kun) and readings borrowed through Chinese (on). Compare 思う (おもう) and 思い出 (おもいで). 思 has 9 strokes; follow the linked KanjiVG diagram for their order.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingMeaning
思うおもうthink; feel
思い出おもいでmemory; recollection
不思議ふしぎstrange; mysterious

Examples

  • 明日あしたは雨あめだと思おもいます。I think it will rain tomorrow.
  • この本ほんは面白おもしろいと思おもいます。I think this book is interesting.
  • これは子こどもの頃ころの思おもい出でです。This is a childhood memory.
  • 楽たのしい思おもい出でがたくさんあります。I have many happy memories.
  • 不思議ふしぎな話はなしですね。That is a strange story, isn’t it?
  • その音おとは不思議ふしぎです。That sound is mysterious.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

思う (おもう) means think; feel; 思い出 (おもいで) means memory; recollection. Learn the reading with the whole word. A thought can precede と思います: for example, 雨だと思います means “I think it will rain.” Compare the indicated parts of 思 and 恩: 田 and 因.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 思う in hiragana.

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    おもう

    思う is read おもう and means think; feel. Remember the reading of the whole word.

  2. Write the reading of 思い出 in hiragana.

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    おもいで

    思い出 is read おもいで and means memory; recollection. Remember the reading of the whole word.

  3. Fill in the missing kanji: 不＿議（ふしぎ）.

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    思

    思 completes 不思議, read ふしぎ; the completed word means strange; mysterious.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 思 from memory, and read 思う and 思い出 aloud. Check their readings and meanings.