kanji

Befron · (#1 (**permalink**))

ok, I have a couple kanji questions

I have one of those japanese kanji a day calendars: here's what one says

下　below, low. カ、ゲ
　　　　　　　　した、しも、さ（がる）、かだ（す）、お（りる）

1) When I looked some of these up in the dictionary I found entries, but some weren't mildly related to the words below or low, I found nothing for カ and かだ（す）. Why is this

2) I looked up what this could be and found some other kanjis. They listed some things called on-readings and kun-reading, I noticed I could find kun readings, but no on readings in the dictionary, doees this relate to me previous problem?

MrDrEsq · (#2 (**permalink**))

1) because ka is part of bigger compounds, and I can't find kadasu in any of my dictionaries...maybe下出す？ in which case the reading of 下 would be ka sooo....
2) yes
Kanji is complex. Here's a wikipedia article on it!
Kanji - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Befron · (#3 (**permalink**))

Ok thanks, the article helps a bit, so if anyone knows, I assume you won't find ons in a dictionary, but you will find kun, usually or always?

Nathan · (#4 (**permalink**))

A kanji by itself has one meaning (or several!), but when you start to compound them into words it doesn't always carry the same meaning, but something related to it.

Just take the examples you gave:

下りる -> To get off/ get down

下 -> below

下がる -> to hang, to lower

They all carry a general "low", "below", "lower" description.

MrDrEsq · (#5 (**permalink**))

i think what you're looking for is a kanji dictionary.
this one is good
Amazon.com: The Kanji Dictionary: Mark Spahn, Wolfgang Hadamitzky: Books
and this one is my personal favorite
Amazon.com: Kanji & Kana Revised Edition: A Guide to the Japanese Writing System (Tuttle Language Library): Wolfgang Hadamitzky, Mark Spahn: Books

did you get the difference between On and Kun?

Befron · (#6 (**permalink**))

OK thanks I will look into them, i wish amazon had one of those things that lets you look into the book, but I guess not for this one

anrakushi · (#7 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by Befron

下　below, low. カ、ゲ
　　　　　　　　した、しも、さ（がる）、かだ（す）、お（りる）

for starters either you are confusing your hiragana or your chart is wrong. here are the readings taken from jim breens dictionary:
カ, ゲ, した, しも, もと, さ.げる, さ.がる, くだ.る, くだ.り, くだ.す, -くだ.す, くだ.さる, お.ろす, お.りる, T1 さか, しと

as you can see there is no かだ（す）but　くだ（す）
here is a very common used for the kanji.. 下さい (ください）as in..
しっかり勉強して下さい - study hard
勉強 = べんきょう = study

also here is an example for カ
下腹部 - かふくぶ - abdomen

Seiryuu · (#8 (**permalink**))

Where's 下さる?

anrakushi · (#9 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seiryuu

Where's 下さる?

?? that reading is mentioned in the list i gave

Seiryuu · (#10 (**permalink**))

Sorry I wasn't looking. :P