JLPT N4 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
記 means record, note. It is a JLPT N4 kanji written in 10 strokes, read き. It combines 言 (say, word), which carries the meaning, with 己, which is there for its sound き. It appears in 日記 (diary / journal) and 記述 (description / statement / notation).
記 is written in 10 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
記 breaks into 2 parts.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 日記 | にっき | diary / journal |
| 記述 | きじゅつ | description / statement / notation |
| 記号 | きごう | symbol / code |
己 tends to carry the sound き. They carry it; they do not all mean the same thing.
| Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 己 | き | self |
| 記 | き | scribe, account |
| 起 | き | rouse, wake up |
| 紀 | き | chronicle, account |
| 忌 | き | mourning, abhor |
| 杞 | き | river willow |
These use 言 or 己 too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.
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