Kanji Study

Bushu (Radical) Info: 方 (ほう) – direction

Henshall Mnemonic: both boat and plow can point the way

Levels: JLPT N4 | JLPT 3 (old) | Grade 2
Frequency: #46 of the 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Common Words and/or Phrases Using this Kanji:

Click any individual kanji to view a similar information sheet for it.
Click [K] to look up the word's individual character(s) at WWWJDIC.
Click [D] to look up the word at WWWJDIC (definition is the same but other useful features exist).
Click [Jisho] to look up the word at Jisho.org.

JLPT N5 Words

• 其方   [そちら]
  (n) (uk) over there; the other   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 其方   [そっち]
  (n) (uk) your (that) place; the other   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 此方   [こちら]
  (n) (1) (uk) this person; (2) this direction; (3) this side; (4) thereafter   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 此方   [こっち]
  (n) (1) (uk) this person; (2) this direction; (3) this side; (4) thereafter   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 夕方   [ゆうがた]
  (n-adv,n-t) evening   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 貴方   [あなた]
  (n) (hum) (uk) you; dear (what a wife calls a husband)   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 彼方   [あちら]
  (n) (1) there; yonder; that   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 何方   [どちら]
  (n) (uk) which (of two); who   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 何方   [どっち]
  (n) (uk) which way; which one   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 何方   [どなた]
  (n) (uk) who?   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 方   [かた]
  (n,suf) (1) person; (2) way of doing   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N4 Words

• 両方   [りょうほう]
  (n) both sides; both parties   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 仕方   [しかた]
  (n) way; method; means; resource; course   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 方   [ほう]
  (n-adv,n) side; direction; way   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N3 Words

• 方法   [ほうほう]
  (n) method; process; manner; way; means; technique   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 地方   [ちほう]
  (n) area; locality; district; region; the coast   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 彼方此方   [あちこち]
  (adv,n) (uk) here and there   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 一方   [いっぽう]
  (conj,n-adv,n) (1) on the other hand; one side; one way; one direction; one party; the other party; (2) meanwhile; (3) only; simple; in turn   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 味方   [みかた]
  (n) friend; ally; supporter   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 方々   [かたがた]
  (adv,conj,n-adv,n-t) persons; this and that; here and there; everywhere; any way; all sides; all gentlemen; all people   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 方々   [ほうぼう]
  (adv,conj,n-adv,n-t) persons; this and that; here and there; everywhere; any way; all sides; all gentlemen; all people   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 方向   [ほうこう]
  (n) direction; course; way   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N2 Words

• 方程式   [ほうていしき]
  (n) equation   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 方面   [ほうめん]
  (n) direction; district; field (e.g., of study)   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 行方   [ゆくえ]
  (n) one's whereabouts   [K] [D] [Jisho]

JLPT N1 Words

Other Popular Words Not Classified by JLPT

• 朝方   [あさがた]
  (n-adv,n) toward morning   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 西方   [せいほう]
  (n) western direction   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 使い方   [つかいかた]
  (n) way to use something; treatment; management (of help)   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 方法論   [ほうほうろん]
  (n) methodology   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 父方   [ちちかた]
  (n) father's side of family   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 立方メートル   [りっぽうメートル]
  cubic meter   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 四方   [しほう]
  (n) every direction   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 地方議会   [ちほうぎかい]
  local assembly   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 前方   [ぜんぽう]
  (n) forward; frontward   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 前方後円墳   [ぜんぽうこうえんふん]
  (n) ancient Imperial graves   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 地方公共団体   [ちほうこうきょうだんたい]
  (n) local public body   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 地方公務員   [ちほうこうむいん]
  local government employee   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 地方行政   [ちほうぎょうせい]
  local administration   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 言い方   [いいかた]
  (n) speaking style   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 右方   [うほう]
  (n) (1) right side; (2) style of Japanese court music   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 地方自治   [ちほうじち]
  local (governmental) autonomy   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 地方自治体   [ちほうじちたい]
  (n) local self-governing body   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 生き方   [いきかた]
  (n) way of life; how to live   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 地方税   [ちほうぜい]
  (n) local taxes   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 上方   [じょうほう]
  (n) Kyoto and vicinity; upper region or part   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 地方分権   [ちほうぶんけん]
  decentralization of power   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 平方キロメートル   [へいほうキロメートル]
  square kilometer   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• 平方メートル   [へいほうメートル]
  square metre   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• やり方   [やりかた]
  (n) manner of doing; way; method; means   [K] [D] [Jisho]
• あの方   [あのかた]
  (n) that gentleman (lady); he; she   [K] [D] [Jisho]

Find more details for 方 at jisho.org, Yookoso! or WWWJDIC

Acknowledgments

The sofware used to generate this kanji information uses the EDICT and KANJIDIC files. These files are the property of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group at Monash University and are used in conformance with the Group's license.

NOTE: I converted the sources just mentioned years ago and have never really updated so there may be some missing or incorrect information that has been addressed in the original sources but not here.

The first Stroke Order image used on this page is courtesy of Ulrich Apel's excellent open source KanjiVG project. The second image is from the folks at the excellent Jisho Japanese-English dictionary site and it too is based on KanjiVG.

Classifying the kanji and popular vocabulary by the new JLPT levels was done by consulting Jonathan Waller‘s JLPT Resources page, renshuu, Wictionary, and Nihongo Ichiban.

The Henshall Mnemonics are the copyright of Tuttle Publishing and are the result of the hard work by Professor Henshall. See the list I used here.

If you are curious about the lexicography shown in the word definitions, visit the WWWJDIC abbreviations and codes guide and the JMdict/Edict Lexicographical details page.