漢字

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The spelling is 漢字, read かんじ, and it combines 漢, referring to China or the Han, with 字, meaning character.
• Basic usage: 漢字 is a Chinese-derived character used in Japanese writing with a meaning-bearing function.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Writing the character shape and giving its Japanese reading
  • Both examples use the form 漢字. One concerns writing a character visibly on a board; the other asks how that particular character is read in Japanese.
• A new character on the board and a reading question
  • 黒板に新しい漢字を大きく書いた。 — I wrote the new Chinese character in large script on the board.
  • この漢字の読み方を教えてください。 — Please tell me how to read this Chinese character.