Definition & Meaning of "kanji"

What are "kanji"?

Kanji are the logographic characters used in the Japanese writing system, originating from Chinese characters. Each kanji represents a specific meaning or idea, and many kanji can be pronounced in different ways depending on the context. Kanji are used alongside two other scripts, Hiragana and Katakana, to write Japanese. While some kanji represent whole words, others are used as parts of words or in combination with other kanji. Kanji are significant in the Japanese language because they provide a compact way to convey complex ideas, contributing to the richness of written Japanese.