In this post, we’re taking a closer look at the top 100 most common Kanji characters. This list comes from a Japanese Kanji analysis website called called the Balanced Corpus of Contemporary Written Japanese that used to exist (currently it is not available online). Here they are, translations and Romaji added by me (thus they might not always be the most accurate but I tried).
人
Romaji: hito
English: person
一
Romaji: ichi
English: one
行
Romaji: iku
English: go
日
Romaji: nichi
English: day
出
Romaji: deru
English: exit
大
Romaji: dai
English: big
本
Romaji: hon
English: book
分
Romaji: bun
English: minute
年
Romaji: nen
English: year
書
Romaji: kaku
English: write
中
Romaji: naka
English: inside
時
Romaji: ji
English: time
的
Romaji: teki
English: -like; -ish
用
Romaji: yō
English: use
作
Romaji: saku
English: make
生
Romaji: sei
English: life
数
Romaji: kazu
English: number
私
Romaji: watashi
English: I; me
学
Romaji: gaku
English: study
言
Romaji: gen
English: say
文
Romaji: bun
English: sentence
定
Romaji: tei
English: decide
間
Romaji: aida
English: interval
合
Romaji: ai
English: fit
場
Romaji: ba
English: place
子
Romaji: ko
English: child
入
Romaji: iri
English: enter
思
Romaji: omou
English: think
自
Romaji: jiko
English: self
見
Romaji: mi
English: see
者
Romaji: mono
English: person
上
Romaji: ue
English: above
理
Romaji: ri
English: reason
実
Romaji: jitsu
English: reality
Romaji: jitsu
English: truth
方
Romaji: hō
English: direction
会
Romaji: kai
English: meeting
二
Romaji: ni
English: two
使
Romaji: tsukau
English: use
事
Romaji: koto
English: thing
力
Romaji: chikara
English: power
表
Romaji: hyō
English: table
前
Romaji: mae
English: front
成
Romaji: naru
English: become
業
Romaji: gyō
English: business
物
Romaji: mono
English: thing
手
Romaji: te
English: hand
要
Romaji: yō
English: important
動
Romaji: ugoku
English: move
変
Romaji: hen
English: change
示
Romaji: shimesu
English: show
関
Romaji: kan
English: relation
図
Romaji: zu
English: diagram
現
Romaji: gen
English: present
家
Romaji: ie
English: house
国
Romaji: kuni
English: country
内
Romaji: uchi
English: inside
代
Romaji: dai
English: substitute
三
Romaji: san
English: three
社
Romaji: sha
English: company
月
Romaji: tsuki
English: month
十
Romaji: jū
English: ten
記
Romaji: ki
English: write down
新
Romaji: shin
English: new
設
Romaji: setsu
English: establish
性
Romaji: sei
English: nature
気
Romaji: ki
English: spirit
何
Romaji: nani
English: what
画
Romaji: gaku
English: stroke (of a character)
対
Romaji: tai
English: opposite
同
Romaji: dō
English: same
体
Romaji: karada
English: body
名
Romaji: na
English: name
目
Romaji: me
English: eye
発
Romaji: hatsu
English: emit
知
Romaji: shi
English: know
部
Romaji: bu
English: part
法
Romaji: hō
English: law
最
Romaji: sai
English: most
後
Romaji: ato
English: after
報
Romaji: hō
English: report
面
Romaji: men
English: surface
利
Romaji: ri
English: benefit
通
Romaji: tsū
English: pass through
当
Romaji: tō
English: right
来
Romaji: rai
English: future
化
Romaji: ka
English: change into
取
Romaji: toru
English: take
意
Romaji: i
English: meaning
開
Romaji: kai
English: open
持
Romaji: mochi
English: hold
高
Romaji: kō
English: high
情
Romaji: jō
English: feelings
立
Romaji: tachi
English: stand
能
Romaji: nō
English: ability
心
Romaji: kokoro
English: heart
明
Romaji: mei
English: bright
字
Romaji: ji
English: character
下
Romaji: shita
English: under
世
Romaji: yo
English: world
多
Romaji: ōi
English: many
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