Australia and the World Past and Present

Here are some ways to ‘chop up’ Japanese characters for fish and other seafood. Most will share the fish radical ⿂. Some shellfish use the insect radical 虫. The following are from level 1 of the kanji kentei examination. Once you understand how a character is made up of different components, you can go ahead and make your own memory devices.

1. 蚌 – dobugai – clam = 虫 – mushi – insect radical + a string with three coins

‘a clam is holding an insect and a string with three coins’

2. 蚌 – karasugai – mussel = 虫 – mushi – insect radical + a string with three coins

‘a mussel eats an insect and collects coins on a string’

3. 蚌 – hamaguri – oriental clam = 虫 – mushi – insect radical + a string with three coins

‘an oriental clam sees an insect next to a string with three coins’

4. 鮑 – awabi – abalone = 虫 – mushi – insect radical + 包む – tsutsumu – to wrap

‘an abalone wraps up insects (in it’s mouth?)’

5. 蛯 – ebi – prawn = 虫 – mushi – insect radical + ⺹ – oikanmuri – old age radical + 匕 – saji – spoon however here acting to indicate ‘fallen person as in 死 – shi / shinu which might be read as ‘when evening comes, the fallen body is buried in the ground’. So a mnemonic for prawn might be:

‘a prawn is the old man of the sea’

6. 蜆 – shijimi – freshwater clam = 虫 – mushi – insect radical + 見る – miru – to see

‘a freshwater clam sees and insect (and eats it?)

7. 蠡 – nina – river snail = 彑 – keigashira – pig’s head radical variant + 豕 – buta – pig +虫 – mushi – insect (x2)

‘a river snail has the head of a pig, the body of a pig and (the tail?) of 2 insects’

8. 蠡 – horagai – conch = 彑 – keigashira – pig’s head radical variant + 豕 – buta – pig +虫 – mushi – insect (x2)

‘blow into a conch shaped like a pig’s head and a pig’s body and 2 insects will come flying out’

9. 魳 – kamasu – barracuda = ⿂ – uo – fish + 市 – shi – market / town / city

‘a barracuda is a fish that likes to go to the market in town’

10. 魴 – kagamidai – sea bream = ⿂ – uo – fish + 方 – kata – direction

‘a sea bream travels in the direction of the sea of course’

11. 魬 – hamachi – yellowtail = ⿂ – uo – fish + 反 – soru – to bend

‘the fish that bends in the middle is a yellowtail’

12. 魸 – namazu – catfish = ⿂ – uo – fish + 片 – kata – split wood

‘a catfish splits wood’

13. 鮃 – hirame – flounder = ⿂ – uo – fish + 平ら – taira – flat

‘a flounder is a very flat fish’

14. 鮖 – kajika – a bullhead fish = ⿂ – uo – fish + 石 – ishi – stone

‘a bullhead fish has a head like a stone’

15. 鮗 – konoshiro – herring = ⿂ – uo – fish + 冬 – fuyu – winter

‘a herring is a winter fish’

16. 鮇 – iwana – a char = ⿂ – uo – fish + 未 – mi – not ready / immature

‘a char is an immature fish’

17. 鮠 – hae – minnow = ⿂ – uo – fish + 危ない – abunai – dangerous

‘a minnow is actually a very dangerous fish’

18. 鮟 – an(ko) – monkfish = ⿂ – uo – fish + 安い – yasui – at rest, relaxing

‘a monkfish is at rest (until it strikes for it’s prey).

19. 鮴 – gobi – gobi = ⿂ – uo – fish + 体 – tai – physical / body

‘a gobi is a fish with a physical body’

20. 鮲 – kochi – flathead = ⿂ – uo – fish + 伏す – fusu – lying down (on one’s belly)

‘a flathead is a fish that likes to lie with it’s belly on the sea floor’

21. 鯊 – haze – goby = 沙 – suna – sand +⿂ – uo – fish

‘a goby is a fish in the sand’

22. 蛸 – tako – octopus = 虫 – mushi – insect radical + ⺌ – shoukanmuri (a variant of small) + 月 – tsuki – moon

‘an octopus is an insect that looks like a small moon’

23. 鯏 – ugui – short-necked clam = ⿂ – uo – fish + 利 – ri – advantage / profit

‘short-necked clams are very profitable (at the market)’

24. 鯐 – subashiri – young striped mullet = ⿂ – uo – fish + 走る – hashiru – to run

‘a young striped mullet is fish that likes to run’

25. 鯣 – surume – dried cuttlefish = ⿂ – uo – fish + 易い – yasui – easy

‘dried cuttlefish is easy (to see)’

26. 鯢 – sanshouuo – salamander – ⿂ – uo – fish + 臼 – usu – mortar (and pestle) + ⼉ – hitoashi – human legs

‘a salamander is a fish that grinds it’s prey with teeth like a morter. It also has human legs!’

27. 鯔 – bora – stripped mullet = ⿂ – uo – fish + ⼮ – magarigawa – winding river + ⽥ – ta – rice paddy

‘a stripped mullet is a fish found in the winding river that goes through the rice paddy’

28. 鯡 – nishin – Pacific herring = ⿂ – uo – fish + 非 – hi – not

‘a Pacific herring is a fish- not!’

29. 鯱 – shachi – orca = ⿂ – uo – fish + 虍 – tora kamuri – the tiger radical + ⼏ – kinyou? table

‘an orca is a fish that puts a tiger on the dinner table’

30. 鯰 – namazu – catfish = ⿂ – uo – fish + 念 – attention / care

‘a catfish is a very careful fish’

31. 鰕 – ebi – prawn = ⿂ – uo – fish + 段 – dan – step / grade

‘a prawn is a fish that can take steps to make the grade’

32. 鰉 – higai – minnow? = ⿂ – uo – fish + 皇 – kou – emperor

‘a minnow is the Emperor of fish kingdom’

33. 鰌 – dojyou – a loach = ⿂ – uo – fish + an old wine press radical

‘a loach is a fish in an old wine press’

34. 鰆 – sawara – Spanish mackerel = ⿂ – uo – fish + 春 – haru – spring

‘a Spanish mackerel is a spring fish’

35. 鰒 – fugu – puffer fish = ⿂ – uo – fish + part of 腹 – hara – abdomen

‘a puffer fish is a fish with a poisonous abdomen’

36. 鰊 – nishin – Pacific herring = ⿂ – uo – fish + 東 – higashi – east

‘a Pacific herring is a fish in the east’

37. 鰘 – muroaji – brown striped mackerel = ⿂ – uo – fish + 至る – itaru – to arrive

‘the brown striped mackerel has arrived (on my plate)’

38. 鰙 – wakasagi – a smelt = ⿂ – uo – fish + 若い – wakai – young

‘a smelt is a young fish’

39. 鰮 – iwashi – sardine = ⿂ – uo – fish + part of 囚人 – shuujin? – prisoner + 皿 – sara – plate

‘a sardine is a fish imprisoned on the plate’

40. 鰤 – buri – amberjack = ⿂ – uo – fish + 師 – shi – master / teacher

‘an amberjack is the master of all fish’

41. 鰰 – hatahata – sandfish – ⿂ – uo – fish + 神 – variant of kami? – god / divine

‘a sandfish is divine’

42. 鱆 – tako – octopus = ⿂ – uo – fish + 章 – shou – badge / chapter

‘an octopus is a fish with a badge’

43. 鱏 – ei – a ray = ⿂ – uo – fish + a variant of 西 ? – nishi – west + 早く – hayaku – early

‘a ray is a fish that wakes up early in the west’

44. 鱚 – kisu – whiting = ⿂ – uo – fish + 喜び – yorokobi – joy

‘a whiting is a joyful fish’

45. 鱧 – hamo – conger eel = ⿂ – uo – fish + 豊か – yutaka – abundant

‘conger eels can be found abundantly in the river’

46. 鱩 – hatahata – sandfish = ⿂ – uo – fish + 雷 – kaminari – lightening / thunder

‘a sandfish is a thunderous fish that moves like lightening’

47. 鱶 – fuka – large shark = ⿂ – uo – fish + 養う – yashinau – to bring up / to rear

‘a large shark nurtures it’s young’

48. 鱲 – karasumi – dried mullet roe = ⿂ – uo – fish + ⼮ – magarigawa – winding river + 鼠 – nezumi – mouse

‘dried mullet roe is eaten by a mouse in a winding river’

49. 鱸 – suzuki – sea bass = ⿂ – uo – fish + 虍 – tora kamuri – the tiger radical + 田 – ta – field + 皿 – sara – plate

‘a sea bass is with a tiger in a field – on his plate’