Bridge into the Next Lesson

Not all words are as simple to write as 高い — and words like きれい (meaning “pretty” or “clean”) can be tricky in kanji — even for native speakers.

　　　

The second character, 麗, is especially hard to write — even though it’s only a 4級 kanji. Its radical is 鹿 (deer), but what makes it difficult is the uncommon top component — a structure rarely seen elsewhere. Many people can read it instantly, but writing it from memory is another story.

In contrast, the first character 綺 is a 1級 kanji, yet more people can write it because it combines two familiar elements: the radical 糸 (thread) and a common right-hand component - 奇.

As handwriting becomes less frequent and more people type on phones or computers, this kind of imbalance is becoming more common. Many native speakers can read complex kanji without trouble — but writing them is often a challenge.

So if you ever struggle to write certain kanji, don’t worry. Even Japanese people feel the same way — and that’s perfectly okay.