Phonetic Parts

Phonetic Parts/Components

Why am I talking about these Kanji parts? Well there is GOOD NEWS: Sometimes, Kanji that have a common part/component may have the same on’yomi! Let’s look at 7 different Kanji that all have the あお part/component:

青　静　精　清　晴　情　請

As it turns out, we should thank the Kanji gods because all 7 of those Kanji have the same on’yomi, which is せい! Here is a more detailed chart:

This means that 青 is called a common phonetic component of those 7 Kanji. A common phonetic component causes a group of Kanji to sometimes have a common (on’yomi) reading. This can sometimes be a big help when you see Kanji that you don’t know.

Now, there are two things I have to point out. (1) The radical of a Kanji is NOT always the part/component on the left-hand side. It just happened to work out that way for these 7 Kanji. (2) ALL Kanji that have a common phonetic component do not automatically have the same reading.

However, there is a chance! If you take a guess and read any of those Kanji as せい, you will at least have a chance at getting it right. And if you get it wrong, someone will hopefully correct you (they might correct you outright, or they may indirectly correct you by saying the correct reading out loud). Either way, pay attention. I can also tell you this: Sometimes the best way to remember something is by remembering that you made a mistake with it!