All The Jinmeiyō Kanji From The Novel ‘Botchan’ (With English Meanings)

For anyone interested in studying jinmeiyō kanji and wondering where to start, here’s a list of all of the jinmeiyō kanji found in one of the all-time classic Japanese novels: Botchan (坊っちゃん) by Natsume Sōseki (夏目 漱石).

How many jinmeiyō kanji are these in Botchan? Good question! There are approximately 135 of them!

And here they all are, listed in groups or twelve at a time, and given with hiragana, romaji, and their English meanings.

First twelve: 云|漱|貰|栗|蔭|詫|肴|畠|揃|藁|圃|孟

云 (くも, kumo) – cloud
漱 (そそ, soso) – to rinse out one’s mouth
貰 (もら, mora) – to receive
栗 (くり, kuri) – chestnut
蔭 (かげ, kage) – shade, shadow
詫 (ちが, chiga) – excuse, pretext
肴 (さかな, sakana) – food, provisions
畠 (はた, hatake) – field for growing rice or other crops
揃 (そろ, soro) – to become complete, to be all in order
藁 (わら, wara) – straw
圃 (はちぶさ, hachibusa) – vegetable garden
孟 (もん, mon) – prosperity, abundance

Next twelve: 肋|喧|嘩|嬉|蕎|蝦|紐|胡|逢|叶|甥|馴

肋 (はば, haba) – ribs
喧 (けん, ken) – noise, uproar
嘩 (か, ka) – quarrel, fight
嬉 (うれし, ureshi) – joy, delight
蕎 (そば, soba) – buckwheat noodles
蝦 (えび, ebi) – shrimp
紐 (ひも, himo) – string, cord
胡 (ご, go) – barbarian, foreign
逢 (あ, a) – to meet, to encounter
叶 (かな, kana) – leaf, blade
甥 (いとこ, itoko) – nephew, niece
馴 (なら, nara) – tamed, domesticated

Next twelve: 喋|撫|笹|楊|鞄|漕|磯|傭|臥|廻|捺|遥

喋 (しゃべ, shabe) – to speak, to talk
撫 (なで, nade) – to stroke, to pet
笹 (ささ, sasa) – bamboo grass
楊 (よう, yō) – willow
鞄 (かばん, kaban) – bag, suitcase
漕 (こ, ko) – to row
磯 (いそ, iso) – seashore, beach
傭 (よう, yō) – servant, hireling
臥 (ふ, fu) – to lie down, to recline
廻 (めぐ, megumi) – to go around, to surround
捺 (なつ, natsu) – to stamp, to seal
遥 (はるか, haruka) – distant, far away

Next twelve: 袴|蒼|茄|逞|毬|叡|綾|坐|狼|董|嵩|捲

袴 (はかま, hakama) – traditional Japanese split-skirt trousers
蒼 (そう, sō) – blue, pale
茄 (なす, nasu) – eggplant
逞 (たくま, takuma) – brave, bold
毬 (まり, mari) – ball, sphere
叡 (えい, ei) – intelligence, wisdom
綾 (あや, aya) – design, pattern
坐 (ざ, za) – to sit
狼 (ろう, rō) – wolf
董 (どう, dō) – director, manager
嵩 (こう, kō) – bulk, volume
捲 (まく, maku) – to roll up, to wind up

Next twelve: 馳|硯|簾|煤|憐|楓|縞|蒲|竪|喰|溜|蒙

馳 (は, ha) – to run, to gallop
硯 (すずり, suzuri) – inkstone
簾 (す, su) – bamboo blind
煤 (すす, susu) – coal
憐 (れん, ren) – pity, compassion
楓 (かえで, kaede) – maple tree
縞 (しま, shima) – striped pattern
蒲 (が, ga) – bullrush, reed
竪 (たて, tate) – vertical, perpendicular
喰 (く, ku) – to eat, to drink
溜 (たたる, tatatu) – to glide, to slip
蒙 (もう, mō) – to be ignorant, to be unaware

Next twelve: 燭|智|慧|毘|鯉|淋|恰|竿|柏|尖|嶋|吾

燭 (ともしび, tomoshibi) – candle
智 (ち, chi) – wisdom, intellect
慧 (え, e) – wisdom, intelligence
毘 (び, bi) – to guard, to protect
鯉 (こい, koi) – carp
淋 (さび, sabi) – rust, tarnish
恰 (かっ, katsu) – just right, suitable
竿 (みぎわ, migiwa) – rod, pole
柏 (かしわ, kashiwa) – oak
尖 (とが, toga) – sharp, pointed
嶋 (しま, shima) – island
吾 (わ, wa) – I, me (used by men)

Next twelve: 鯛|錘|槍|凌|猪|斐|庵|惚|仔|膏|辻|瓢

鯛 (たい, tai) – sea bream
錘 (おり, ori) – weight, lead sinker
槍 (やり, yari) – spear, lance
凌 (しのぶ, shinobu) – to endure, to bear
猪 (い, i) – wild boar
斐 (あや, aya) – beauty, elegance
庵 (いおり, iori) – hermitage, retreat
惚 (ほる, horu) – to be forgetful, to be absent-minded
仔 (あさ, asa) – small, little
膏 (こう, kō) – ointment, unguent
辻 (つじ, tsuji) – crossroads, intersection
瓢 (ひょう, hyō) – gourd, scoop

Next twelve: 纏|紗|琥|珀|烏|杜|耽|賑|萩|輿|蔓|逗

纏 (まと, mato) – to wrap, to wind around
紗 (さ, sa) – gauze, thin silk
琥 (こ, ko) – amber
珀 (はく, haku) – amber
烏 (からす, karasu) – crow
杜 (と, to) – grove, forest
耽 (たん, tan) – to be absorbed in, to be indulged in
賑 (にぎ, nigi) – busy, lively
萩 (はぎ, hagi) – bush clover
輿 (こ, ko) – palanquin, litter
蔓 (まん, man) – vine, tendril
逗 (ほ, ho) – to stay, to remain

Next twelve: 鄭|芭|蕉|襖|薩|耀|碗|杖|瓜|芹|螺|穿

鄭 (てい, tei) – (surname)
芭 (ば, ba) – banana
蕉 (こうさ, kousa) – banana
襖 (あお, ao) – sliding door
薩 (さつ, satsu) – (surname)
耀 (よう, yō) – shine, glitter
碗 (わん, wan) – bowl
杖 (つえ, tsu) – cane, stick
瓜 (うり, uri) – melon
芹 (せり, seri) – celery
螺 (ら, ra) – spiral shell
穿 (うが, uga) – to pierce, to penetrate

Next twelve: 豹|儲|晨|伊|淳|蒔|盃|伍|迂|鋒|柑|捷

豹 (ひょう, hyō) – leopard
儲 (ちゅう, chū) – to save, to store up
晨 (あさひ, asahi) – morning
伊 (い, i) – (surname)
淳 (じゅん, jun) – pure, simple
蒔 (ま, ma) – to sow, to plant
盃 (さかずき, sakazuki) – sake cup
伍 (ご, go) – five
迂 (う, u) – roundabout, indirect
鋒 (ほう, hō) – point, tip
柑 (かん, kan) – citrus fruit
捷 (せつ, sets) – victory, success

Next twelve: 幡|汐|陀|洛|掠|這|頁|灸|濡|耶|斯|燈

幡 (はた, hata) – flag
汐 (しお, shio) – tidal wave
陀 (だ, da) – steep place, rapid
洛 (らく, raku) – (surname)
掠 (るす, rusu) – to plunder, to pillage
這 (は, ha) – to crawl, to creep
頁 (ぺえじ, peei) – page
灸 (きゅう, kyū) – moxibustion
濡 (ぬ, nu) – to wet, to moisten
耶 (や, ya) – (exclamation of joy)
斯 (し, shi) – this
燈 (とう, tō) – lamp, light

Final three: 恢|葺|之

恢 (かい, kai) – restore, revive
葺 (ふ, fu) – to thatch, to roof
之 (の, no) – (possessive particle)

Happy studying!