JLPT N5 Kanji Lesson 10: Movement and Travel Verbs (行来帰出入)

Introduction

Welcome to Lesson 10! In this milestone lesson, you will master the 5 core motion verbs of Japanese: 行 (to go), 来 (to come), 帰 (to return/go home), 出 (to leave/exit/take out), and 入 (to enter/put in). These characters form the backbone of Minna no Nihongo Lesson 5 (いきます, きます, かえります) and Lesson 6-18 action patterns. Understanding their verb forms and transitive/intransitive pairs is essential for both daily life and JLPT N5 success.

Learning Objectives

• Master stroke orders, radicals, and readings of 5 primary movement verbs.
• Form essential verb conjugations: 行きます (ikimasu), 来ます (kimasu), 帰ります (kaerimasu), 出ます (demasu), 入ります (hairimasu).
• Distinguish destination particles (へ / に) used with motion verbs.
• Accurately parse directional travel passages in JLPT N5 tests.

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Lesson Contents

Concept / Meaning

These characters depict human motion: 行 depicts a crossroads junction where people travel; 来 depicts a grain stalk arriving from afar; 帰 depicts a wife carrying an apron returning to her family home; 出 depicts footmarks leaving outwards past a threshold; 入 depicts legs walking inwards into a shelter.

Japanese Form

行 (コウ/ギョウ/アン/い-く/ゆ-く/おこな-う), 来 (ライ/タイ/く-る/き-ます/こ-ない), 帰 (キ/かえ-る), 出 (シュツ/スイ/で-る/だ-す), 入 (ニュウ/はい-る/い-れる)

English Meaning

Movement and Travel (To Go, To Come, To Return, To Exit/Take Out, To Enter/Put In)

Nepali Meaning

हिँडडुल र यात्रा सम्बन्धी क्रियापद कान्जीहरू (जानु, आउनु, फर्कनु, निस्कनु/निकाल्नु, पस्नु/हाल्नु)

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Detailed Explanation

Basic Rule

1. Directional Particle Rule: Motion towards a destination takes へ or に: 学校へ行きます (go to school), 日本へ来ました (came to Japan), うちへ帰ります (return home).
2. Opposites Pairing: 出る (demasu = to exit) vs 入る (hairimasu = to enter); 出口 (exit) vs 入口 (entrance).
3. Transitive vs Intransitive pairs: 出る (to go out) vs 出す (to take out/submit); 入る (to enter) vs 入れる (to insert/put inside).

Formation

• 行: 6 strokes (left step 彳 [3 strokes], right sweep and hook 亍 [3 strokes])

• 来: 7 strokes (top horizontal bar, two inner slanted ticks, horizontal cross, central vertical hook, left sweep, right sweep)

• 帰: 10 strokes (left side: horizontal, slanted sweep, vertical; right side: broom/apron 帚 [7 strokes])

• 出: 5 strokes (mountain-like top peak with central vertical, bottom base peak)

• 入: 2 strokes (short left slanted stroke, long right sweeping stroke overlapping top)

Usage

Daily travel (毎日電車で学校へ行きます), immigration dates (日本へ来た日), returning home (早く国へ帰りたいです), and building navigation (部屋に入る, ゴミを出す).

Important Notes

Readings of 来 vary dramatically across verb conjugations (Kuru verb):

• 辞書形: 来る (くる – kuru)
• ます形: 来ます (きます – kimasu)
• ない形: 来ない (こない – konai)
• て形: 来て (きて – kite)
• 漢字熟語: 来年 (らいねん – next year), 来月 (らいげつ – next month)

Exceptions

Special compounds:

• 旅行 (りょこう – travel)
• 行事 (ぎょうじ – event – irregular ‘gyou’)
• 行う (おこなう – to carry out/conduct)
• 輸入 (ゆにゅう – import) / 輸出 (ゆしゅつ – export)

Common Mistakes

Do not confuse 入 (enter: 2 strokes, RIGHT stroke is longer and goes over top) with 人 (person: LEFT stroke starts at top). Also do not confuse 出 (exit) with 山 (mountain) stacked—notice that the central vertical stroke in 出 is drawn continuously down through the middle.

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Examples

Example 1

• Japanese: 明日、京都へ行きます。
• Reading: あした、きょうとへ いきます。
• English: I am going to Kyoto tomorrow.
• Nepali: म भोलि क्योटो जान्छु।

Example 2

• Japanese: 去年、ネパールから日本へ来ました。
• Reading: きょねん、ネパールから にほんへ きました。
• English: I came to Japan from Nepal last year.
• Nepali: म गत वर्ष नेपालबाट जापान आएँ।

Example 3

• Japanese: 午後六時にうちへ帰ります。
• Reading: ごご ろくじに うちへ かえります。
• English: I return home at 6:00 PM.
• Nepali: म दिउँसो ६ बजे घर फर्कन्छु।

Example 4

• Japanese: 部屋に入ってください。
• Reading: へやに はいってください。
• English: Please enter the room.
• Nepali: कोठाभित्र पस्नुहोस्।

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Vocabulary

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Conversation Practice

Situation

Talking with a coworker about evening plans after work.

Dialogue

Yamada: ラジさん、仕事が終わった後、どこかへ行きますか。 (ラジさん、しごとが おわった あと、どこかへ いきますか。)

Raj: いいえ、今日はまっすぐうちへ帰ります。 (いいえ、きょうは まっすぐ うちへ かえります。)

Yamada: そうですか。明日は休みですから、夜うちに来ませんか。 (そうですか。あしたは やすみですから、よる うちに きませんか。)

Raj: ありがとうございます！ぜひ行きます。 (ありがとうございます！ぜひ いきます。)

Translation

• English:

Yamada: Raj, are you going anywhere after work finishes?

Raj: No, I will go straight home today.

Yamada: I see. Tomorrow is a day off, so won’t you come to my house tomorrow evening?

Raj: Thank you very much! I’d love to go.

• Nepali:

यामादा: प्रबिनजी, काम सकिएपछि कतै जाने हो कि?

प्रबिन: अहँ, आज म सिधै घर फर्कन्छु।

यामादा: हो र? भोलि बिदा छ, त्यसैले साँझ मेरो घर आउने होइन?

प्रबिन: धेरै धन्यवाद! म पक्कै जानेछु।

Speaking Practice

Practice stating your daily travel routine: 会社へ行く (go to work), うちへ帰る (return home).

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Reading Practice

Short Reading

私は毎朝八時に家を出て、駅へ歩いて行きます。電車に乗って三十分に学校に着きます。教室に入ると、先生が「おはようございます」と言います。午後は四時まで勉強して、五時にアルバイトの店へ行きます。バイトが終わって、夜の十時にうちへ帰ります。お風呂に入ってから寝ます。来週の日曜日は友達と旅行へ行く予定です。

Vocabulary Help

乗って (のって = ride on), 予定 (よてい = plan/schedule), お風呂 (おふろ = bath)

Reading Questions

1. 筆者は何時に家を出ますか。(What time does the author leave home?)
2. バイトが終わって何時にうちへ帰りますか。(What time does the author return home after part-time work?)
3. 来週の日曜日に何をする予定ですか。(What is planned for next Sunday?)

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Practice

Fill in the Blank

1. 明日、図書館へ (行きます / 来ます)。[Go: 行きます]
2. 六時にうちへ (帰ります / 出ます)。[Return home: 帰ります]
3. 教室に (入って / 出て) ください。[Please enter: 入って]

Choose the Correct Answer

1. 「来年」の読み方は？ [A. らいねん / B. きねん]
2. 「出口」の読み方は？ [A. でぐち / B. いりぐち]
3. 「旅行」の読み方は？ [A. りょこう / B. たびゆき]

Sentence Formation

1. [日本へ / 勉強に / 来ました] -> 日本へ勉強に来ました。
2. [宿題を / 先生に / 出しました] -> 宿題を先生に出しました。

Word Arrangement

Arrange: [うちへ, 電車で, 帰ります] -> 電車でうちへ帰ります。

Translation Practice

1. I will return to Nepal next year. -> 来年ネパールへ帰ります。
2. Please don’t enter this room. -> この部屋に入らないでください。

Speaking Practice

Say where you went yesterday and where you will go this weekend using 行きました and 行きます.

Writing Practice

Write 行, 来, 帰, 出, 入 5 times each paying attention to stroke order.

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Questions

Basic Questions

What is the stroke difference between 入 (enter) and 人 (person)?

Understanding Questions

Why does 来 have different sounds in 来る (kuru), 来ます (kimasu), and 来年 (rainen)?

Application Questions

How do you direct someone to enter through the entrance and exit through the exit?

JLPT-style Questions

How are motion particles へ and に tested with 行く, 来る, and 帰る?

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Meaning

Japanese Meaning

移動、交通、出入り、帰宅を表す基本動詞の漢字。

English Meaning

Foundational motion verbs representing going, coming, returning home, entering, and exiting.

Nepali Meaning

हिँडडुल, यात्रा, घर फर्कनु, भित्र पस्नु र बाहिर निस्कनु जनाउने आधारभूत क्रियापद कान्जीहरू।

Important Vocabulary

行く (to go), 来る (to come), 帰る (to return home), 出る (to exit), 入る (to enter), 入口 (entrance), 出口 (exit), 旅行 (travel)

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How to Learn

Step 1: Understand

Pair opposites: 出る (exit) vs 入る (enter); 出口 (exit) vs 入口 (entrance).

Step 2: Memorize

Link the big three motion verbs: 行く (go) -> 来る (come) -> 帰る (return home).

Step 3: Practice

Remember 入 (enter) has the right stroke sweeping over the top, unlike 人 (person).

Step 4: Speak

Observe that 出 looks like two footsteps stepping outwards past a door.

Step 5: Read

Remember the irregular readings of 来: くる, きます, こない, らいねん.

Step 6: Review

Practice reading station signs: 乗換 (transfer), 出口 (exit), 入口 (entrance).

Memory Tips

Entering a house (入) requires ducking under the taller roof beam on the right!

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Common Mistakes

Mistake 1

• Incorrect: Confusing 入 (enter) and 人 (person).
• Correct Form: In 入, the right stroke is long and overlaps on top. In 人, the left stroke starts at the peak.
• Why: Writing 人 for 入 converts ‘enter’ into ‘person’.

Mistake 2

• Incorrect: Writing 帰る as ‘返る’ or miscounting the strokes in 帰.
• Correct Form: 帰 has 10 strokes (left side + broom radical 帚).
• Why: 帰 indicates returning to one’s permanent home/roots.

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