年 Year

Radical Combination

• Gun
• 牛

  Cow

Meaning

Primary

Year

Mnemonic

The cow part of this kanji is slightly altered, but I think you can see where it is. The gun looks just fine, though. Think back to a fake memory you have living on the farm. You have your gun, and you gotta use it on a cow (ruh roh). Once a year on New Year's, you have to go out and shoot one of the cows. It's only a yearly shooting, though, so at least there's that respite.

Hints

You'll have to imagine yourself doing this to remember the meaning of the kanji. Focus on the thought that "okay... it's only once a year... I only have to do this once a year..."

Readings

On’yomi

ねん

Kun’yomi

とし

Nanori

None

Mnemonic

It is New Years, though, so when you bring the dead cow back home, it’s time to celebrate. Using the cow’s organs and bones, you and your siblings construct a nendoroid (ねん). Nendoroids are Japanese toys - little plastic figurines (Google it if need be). You make a little cow nendoroid holding a gun. How cute.

Hints

How funny that you use dead cow parts to make a miniature cow holding a gun much like the one you murdered earlier. Imagine yourself playing with this nendoroid as you think about how weird it was to make a cow nendoroid out of a dead cow.