JLPT N5 Kanji Lesson 03: People and Family (人男女父母子友)

Introduction

Welcome to Lesson 03! In this lesson, you will master the 7 core Kanji representing people, gender, family members, and friends: 人 (person), 子 (child), 女 (woman/female), 男 (man/male), 父 (father), 母 (mother), and 友 (friend). These characters appear constantly in introductions, family discussions, immigration paperwork, and JLPT reading passages.

Learning Objectives

• Master the stroke orders, radicals, and readings of 7 vital human relationship Kanji.
• Distinguish Kun-yomi (native words like ひと, ちち, はは, とも) from On-yomi compounds (ジン, ニン, フ, ボ, ユウ).
• Understand formal versus humble family terms in Japanese (父 vs お父さん; 母 vs お母さん).
• Confidently identify gender and family member kanji in JLPT N5 questions.

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Lesson Contents

Concept / Meaning

These Kanji are pictographs depicting human beings and their roles: 人 represents a standing person, 女 represents a kneeling graceful woman, 男 combines a rice field 田 with physical strength 力, and 子 represents an infant.

Japanese Form

人 (ジン/ニン/ひと), 子 (シ/ス/こ), 女 (ジョ/ニョ/おんな/め), 男 (ダン/ナン/おとこ), 父 (フ/ちち), 母 (ボ/はは), 友 (ユウ/とも)

English Meaning

People and Family (Person, Child, Woman, Man, Father, Mother, Friend)

Nepali Meaning

मानिस र परिवार सम्बन्धी कान्जीहरू (मानिस, बच्चा, महिला, पुरुष, बुबा, आमा, साथी)

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Detailed Explanation

Basic Rule

1. Radical usage: 女 serves as a radical for female-related kanji (like 妹, 姉). 子 serves as a radical for learning/infant-related kanji (like 学, 字).
2. Family humility rule: When talking about your own family to outsiders, use 父 (ちち) and 母 (はは). When referring politely to someone else’s parents or addressing your own parents, use お父さん (おとうさん) and お母さん (おかあさん).
3. Gender compounds: Combining 女 with 子 gives 女の子 (おんなのこ = girl). Combining 男 with 子 gives 男の子 (おとこのこ = boy).

Formation

• 人: 2 strokes (left falling stroke, right supporting stroke)

• 子: 3 strokes (top curved horizontal with hook, slanted sweep, horizontal bar cutting across)

• 女: 3 strokes (crossing slanted hook, right sweep, wide horizontal bar)

• 男: 7 strokes (field 田 [5 strokes] above strength 力 [2 strokes])

• 父: 4 strokes (two top slanted ticks, followed by crossing sweeping legs)

• 母: 5 strokes (outer enclosure frame, middle vertical line, two internal dots, horizontal bar)

• 友: 4 strokes (horizontal bar, left sweep, followed by 又 [two strokes representing joined hands])

Usage

Used in daily self-introductions (日本人, ネパール人), talking about family (父は会社員です), and friendships (友達と映画を見ます).

Important Notes

Readings of 人:

• ひと (Kun-yomi): あの人 (that person)
• ジン (On-yomi for nationality): 日本人 (Japanese person), ネパール人 (Nepali person)
• ニン (On-yomi for counting people): 三人 (さんにん), 四人 (よにん)
• Special irregulars: 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり)

Exceptions

Special compound readings:

• 友達 (ともだち – friend)
• 親友 (しんゆう – best friend)
• 男女 (だんじょ – men and women)

Common Mistakes

Nepali students often confuse 母 (mother) and 毎 (every). Look closely: 母 has two internal dots, while 毎 has a horizontal stroke and top tick. Also, never confuse 父 (father) with 交 (intersect).

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Examples

Example 1

• Japanese: あの人は日本語の先生です。
• Reading: あの ひとは にほんごの せんせいです。
• English: That person is a Japanese teacher.
• Nepali: उहाँ मानिस जापानी भाषाको शिक्षक हुनुहुन्छ।

Example 2

• Japanese: 公園に男の子と女の子がいます。
• Reading: こうえんに おとこのこと おんなのこが います。
• English: There is a boy and a girl in the park.
• Nepali: पार्कमा एउटा केटा र एउटी केटी छन्।

Example 3

• Japanese: 私の父はカトマンズに住んでいます。
• Reading: わたしの ちちは カトマンズに すんでいます。
• English: My father lives in Kathmandu.
• Nepali: मेरो बुबा काठमाडौंमा बस्नुहुन्छ।

Example 4

• Japanese: 日曜日に友達と買い物をしました。
• Reading: にちようびに ともだちと かいものを しました。
• English: I went shopping with a friend on Sunday.
• Nepali: मैले आइतबार साथीसँग किनमेल गरेँ।

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Vocabulary

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Conversation Practice

Situation

Talking about a family photograph with a classmate.

Dialogue

Tanaka: 素敵な写真ですね。この人はどなたですか。 (すてきな しゃしんですね。この ひとは どなたですか。)

Suresh: これは私の父と母です。ネパールにいます。 (これは わたしの ちちと ははです。ネパールに います。)

Tanaka: こちらの小さい男の子は？ (こちらの ちいさい おとこのこは？)

Suresh: 私の弟の子ども、つまり私の甥です。 (わたしの おとうとの こども、つまり わたしの おいですね。)

Translation

• English:

Tanaka: What a lovely photo! Who is this person?

Suresh: These are my father and mother. They are in Nepal.

Tanaka: And who is this small boy here?

Suresh: He is my younger brother’s child, meaning my nephew.

• Nepali:

तानाका: कस्तो राम्रो फोटो! यो व्यक्ति को हुनुहुन्छ?

सुरेश: यी मेरो बुबा र आमा हुनुहुन्छ। नेपालमा हुनुहुन्छ।

तानाका: अनि यो सानो केटो नि?

सुरेश: मेरो भाइको बच्चा, अर्थात् मेरो भान्जा/भतिजा हो।

Speaking Practice

Introduce your family members in Japanese using 父, 母, and 友達.

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Reading Practice

Short Reading

私の家族は五人です。父、母、姉、私、そして犬が一匹います。父は高校の先生で、母は病院で働いています。姉は大学生です。私の親友のタナカさんは、とても親切な人です。私たちは毎週土曜日に図書館で一緒に日本語を勉強します。タナカさんのお母さんはおいしいお菓子を作ってくれます。

Vocabulary Help

高校 (こうこう = high school), 親友 (しんゆう = best friend), お菓子 (おかし = snacks/sweets)

Reading Questions

1. 家族は何人ですか。(How many people in the family?)
2. 父の仕事は何ですか。(What is the father’s job?)
3. タナカさんはどんな人ですか。(What kind of person is Tanaka-san?)

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Practice

Fill in the Blank

1. あの (男 / 女) の子は山田さんの娘です。[Girl: 女の子]
2. 私の (父 / 母) は50歳です。[Father: 父]
3. 明日 (友 / 人) 達がうちに来ます。[Friend: 友達]

Choose the Correct Answer

1. 「外国人」の読み方は？ [A. がいこくにん / B. がいこくじん]
2. 「女の人」の読み方は？ [A. おんなのひと / B. おとこのひと]
3. 「母」の訓読みは？ [A. ちち / B. はは]

Sentence Formation

1. [私の父は / 会社員 / です] -> 私の父は会社員です。
2. [友達と / 映画を / 見ました] -> 友達と映画を見ました。

Word Arrangement

Arrange words: [男の子, 公園で, 遊んでいます, が] -> 男の子が公園で遊んでいます。

Translation Practice

1. That woman is my mother. -> あの女の人は私の母です。
2. I will meet my friend tomorrow. -> 明日友達に会います。

Speaking Practice

Speak about your best friend using kanji vocabulary 友達 and 親友.

Writing Practice

Write each kanji (人, 子, 女, 男, 父, 母, 友) 5 times following stroke order.

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Questions

Basic Questions

What two parts make up the kanji 男?

Understanding Questions

When should you say 母 (haha) vs お母さん (okaasan)?

Application Questions

How do you say ‘three friends’ using kanji compounds?

JLPT-style Questions

How is the reading of 人 tested when attached to nationalities vs counters?

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Meaning

Japanese Meaning

人間、性別、家族、友人関係を表す重要な漢字。

English Meaning

Crucial Kanji representing humans, gender, family members, and friends.

Nepali Meaning

मानिस, लिंग, परिवार र साथीसम्बन्धी महत्त्वपूर्ण कान्जीहरू।

Important Vocabulary

人 (person), 男の子 (boy), 女の子 (girl), 父 (father), 母 (mother), 友達 (friend)

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How to Learn

Step 1: Understand

Learn 男 by picturing working in a rice field (田) with physical strength (力).

Step 2: Memorize

Learn 女 as a kneeling graceful motherly figure.

Step 3: Practice

Learn 友 as two hands reaching out to shake in friendship (又).

Step 4: Speak

Distinguish humble words (父, 母) used for your own family from honorific words (お父さん, お母さん).

Step 5: Read

Practice writing stroke order for 母 (frame, vertical, dots, bar).

Step 6: Review

Review the 3 readings of 人: ひと, じん, にん.

Memory Tips

A man (男) puts power (力) into the rice fields (田)!

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Common Mistakes

Mistake 1

• Incorrect: Calling someone else’s mother ‘私の母’ (Watashi no haha).
• Correct Form: Saying ‘田中さんのお母さん’ (Tanaka-san no okaasan) for others, and ‘私の母’ (Watashi no haha) for your own.
• Why: Japanese distinguishes humble forms (haha) from honorific respectful forms (okaasan).

Mistake 2

• Incorrect: Writing 母 with a continuous line through instead of two distinct dots.
• Correct Form: Write two separate dots inside the frame of 母.
• Why: Kanji 母 depicts breasts feeding an infant, represented by the two dots.

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