Japanese Language
Four-Character Compounds
Learn what four-character compounds mean and how to use them correctly, in four-choice questions.
A yojijukugo compresses a whole meaning, sometimes a whole scene, into four characters. See how many of them you can place, and how well you can use them.
Take the four-character compounds quizWhat they are
A four-character compound joins four kanji to express a single unified meaning. Some come down from classical anecdotes, others stack paired characters against each other; the ways they are built vary widely. Their great appeal is the ability to state a complicated situation or state of mind in very few words.
What you will learn here
In four-choice form you can check both the meaning and the correct use of each compound, and you will start catching the ones you have been confusing or quietly misremembering. They lend a certain tautness to writing and to speech, and they help with exams and with general knowledge.
How to approach it
Start with the compounds you see most often. Looking at what each of the four characters means on its own makes the sense of the whole much easier to infer. Repeat while watching your accuracy rate and the number you can use with confidence steadily grows.
Pick a set and start
2 sets · 20 questionsYour results are saved on this device. Start with a single set.