Keyword
ear
Info
FrequencyTop 400-500
Type
Kyōiku (1st grade) 
?
KankenLevel 10
Heisig881
Readings
みみ
(97%)
(2%)
Mnemonic

A pictograph of a rectangular ear.

Used in kanji (36 in total)
hear
take
holy
shame
Used in vocabulary (254 in total)
ear; hearing; edge; crust; selvedge (non-fray machined edge of fabrics); selvage
close to the ear
to hear; to hear by chance; to hear by accident; to catch (the sound)
to lend an ear; to hearken; to give an ear to; to listen carefully
to reach one's ears; to come to one's knowledge; to hear about; to learn of (by chance)
whispering into a person's ear
to listen carefully; to strain one's ears
something heard for the first time; hearing something for the first time
hard (on the ears); offensive (to the ear); rasping; rough; harsh; grating
to lend an ear to; to listen to
to stop (plug) one's ears
to not believe one's ears
to prick up one's ears and listen; to listen attentively
acute ear; good ear
tinnitus; ringing in the ears
to listen carefully; to strain one's ears
to control; to take the lead in; to have under one's thumb
being painfully-true (e.g. reprimand); making one's ears burn; striking home (e.g. remark); having an earache; feeling pain in one's ear
to remain in memory (of sounds and words); to linger in one's ears
mishearing; (feigned) deafness; homophonic translation of song lyrics for comic effect
earpick; ear cleaning (with an earpick)
close to the ear
straining one's ears
to catch one's attention; to catch one's ear; to be annoying to one's ear
to be something familiar
bolt from the blue; great surprise
to happen to hear; to overhear
to turn a deaf ear to; to not listen to; to not get the message
to lend an ear; to hearken; to give an ear to; to listen carefully
earplug (for protection against noise or water)
sharp ear; long ears; ability to remember everything one hears
eyes and ears; seeing and hearing; one's attention; one's interest
being quick-eared; having sharp ears; being first to know about something
ear cleaning; cleaning one's ears
close to the ear
to reach one's ears; to come to one's knowledge; to hear about; to learn of (by chance)
welcome (news); inviting; encouraging; tempting; hopeful
bread crust
feeling one gets from listening to something
young woman with a lot of superficial knowledge about sex, etc.
to lend an ear to; to listen to
sharp-eared; have sharp ears; picks things up fast
welcome (news); inviting; encouraging; tempting; hopeful
to be deaf; to not be able to hear
sharp-eared; keen-eared; quick-eared
to happen to hear; to overhear
feeling one gets from listening to something
long ears; gossiper
to happen to hear; to overhear
being painfully-true (e.g. reprimand); making one's ears burn; striking home (e.g. remark)
to attract interest; to capture attention
utter indifference; talking to the wall; praying to deaf ears
to catch one's attention; to catch one's ear; to be annoying to one's ear
otolaryngology; ear, nose, and throat department
to be told or made to hear something so often that you (metaphorically) get calluses on your ears
earmuffs (for protection against cold); ear warmers
whispering into a person's ear
bunny-ears headband
overhear; happened to hear that
earpick; ear cleaning (with an earpick)
hard of hearing
to get together all the money necessary (to pay off a debt)
preaching to the deaf; (lit.) reading the nenbutsu into a horse's ear
earwax; cerumen
inner ear
novel; new; unfamiliar; hear for the first time
to get together all the money necessary (to pay off a debt)
familiarity (of a sound, etc.)
straining one's ears
otitis media; inflammation of the middle ear
mishearing; (feigned) deafness; homophonic translation of song lyrics for comic effect
having been told something so often that one is fed up with it
earring (non-pierced); helix
external ear; auricle
listening attentively; auricle (of the atrium)
to happen to hear; to overhear
ears of an ox
to turn a deaf ear to; to not listen to; to not get the message
Turkey; turquoise
to be told or made to hear something so often that you (metaphorically) get calluses on your ears
deckle-edged (e.g. paper); eared (e.g. jug); with lugs
straining one's ears
plump ears (large, fleshy earlobes), said to bring good fortune
all at once (usu. of payment); at one go
walls have ears; (lit.) walls have ears, sliding doors have eyes
hard of hearing; unfamiliar
hairdo covering the ears
pick-up knowledge; second-hand knowledge; hearsay
something heard while sleeping
earpick; ear cleaning (with an earpick)
nose and ears
earring (non-pierced); helix
ear hair; hairs of the tragus
straining one's ears
auricle (visible part of the ear); auricular
all at once (usu. of payment); at one go
whispering
to be something familiar
otorhinolaryngology; otolaryngology; ear, nose and throat department
(bread) crust
playing (music) by ear; transcribing (music) by ear
ear clearing; clearing the ears; equalizing pressure in the ears with external pressure
to turn a deaf ear to; to not listen to; to not get the message
sharp hearing
external auditory canal; ear canal; external auditory meatus
earflaps; earmuffs
earwax; cerumen
whispering into a person's ear
pinna (of the ear); auricle
otolith (part of inner ear); statolith; statoconium
parotid gland
external ear; concha
to come to one's notice
cloud ear mushroom (Auricularia auricula-judae); wood ear mushroom; Jew's ear mushroom
earwax; cerumen
earache; aural pain; ear pain; otalgia; otodynia
to have a sharp ear
middle ear; tympanum
to prick up one's ears; to listen attentively; (lit.) to make one's ears (like) Dumbo's
to have an ear for music
to take by surprise; to startle; to shock
things overheard
ear piercing; earring
auditory ossicles
being painfully-true (e.g. reprimand); making one's ears burn; striking home (e.g. remark); having an earache; feeling pain in one's ear
Eustachian tube
big ears; (arch.) listening without paying attention
familiarity (of a sound, etc.)
pricking up one's ears and listening; listening attentively
protruding ears; prominent ears
memory like a sieve; going in one ear and out the other
ear discharge
the ears of the public
burial mound for severed ears
Germanic (people, language, culture, etc.)
earmark (on cattle, etc.)
earwax; cerumen
otitis externa; inflammation of the outer ear
ear drops (medicine); eardrops
Turkey; turquoise
World Hearing Day (March 3)
memory like a sieve; going in one ear and out the other
earmuffs (for protection against cold); ear warmers
tinnitus; ringing in the ears
ear, nose, and throat
playing (music) by ear; transcribing (music) by ear
earwax; cerumen
vulgar ears; attention of the masses
(one's own) eyes and ears
inside the ear
ear clearing; clearing the ears; equalizing pressure in the ears with external pressure
having been told something so often that one is fed up with it
mouth and ear
preaching to the deaf; (lit.) wind (blowing) into a horse's ear
hard of hearing
to be told or made to hear something so often that you (metaphorically) get calluses on your ears
earwax; cerumen
mumps; parotitis; parotitic
being quick-eared; having sharp ears; being first to know about something
vestibulocochlear nerve
kanji "ear" radical at left
otitis; inflammation of the ear
good advice is harsh to the ear
memory like a sieve; going in one ear and out the other
being quick-eared; having sharp ears; being first to know about something
snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis); silver ear fungus
sharp-eared; keen-eared; quick-eared
having been told something so often that one is fed up with it
earwax; cerumen
to turn a deaf ear to; to not listen to; to not get the message
cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium); cockleburr
cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium); cockleburr
sharp eyes and ears used for collecting information far and wide; having the acumen and shrewd discernment gained by widely-collected information; being well-versed on a subject; books which broaden our knowledge
tragus (small cartilaginous flap in front of the external opening of the ear); tragi; antilobium
memory like a sieve; going in one ear and out the other
memory like a sieve; going in one ear and out the other
ass's ear abalone (Haliotis asinina); donkey's ear abalone
ear piercing; earring
otitis interna; inflammation of the inner ear
to have an ear for music
infections or diseases of the ear
earwax; ear discharge
retentive memory; double-woven edge of cloth; cryptotia; pocket ear
good advice is harsh to the ears; honest advice is often unpleasant to the ears
selvedge (non-fray machined edge of fabrics); selvage
blindstitched machined fabric edge (selvedge) forming a fold, pleat, edge, etc.
(to pay off) in full
(to pay off) in full
removing edges; cutting edges
short-eared owl (Asio flammeus)
to take the lead in; to control; to be the leader
otolaryngology; otorhinology
ear polyp; aural polyp
"ear-hanging" scallop spat, i.e. piercing the resilium to string them
earplug (traditional jewellery worn in the earlobe, popular in Han-dynasty China)
earplug (traditional jewellery worn in the earlobe, popular in Han-dynasty China)
earplug (traditional jewellery worn in the earlobe, popular in Han-dynasty China)
earplug (traditional jewellery worn in the earlobe, popular in Jomon-period Japan)
divine hearing (one of the six supernormal Buddhist powers)
if a cat washes its ears, rain is coming
if a cat washes its ears, rain is coming
eye of a needle
otoscope; auriscope; auroscope
pizza crust
deafness; deaf person
The Broken Ear
Whisper of the Heart
red wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata)
yellow wattlebird (Anthochaera paradoxa)
Utricularia bifida (species of bladderwort)
Utricularia bifida (species of bladderwort)
Utricularia bifida (species of bladderwort)
Utricularia bifida (species of bladderwort)
cloud ear fungus (Auricularia polytricha); wood ear fungus; black fungus
cloud ear fungus (Auricularia polytricha); wood ear fungus; black fungus
cloud ear fungus (Auricularia polytricha); wood ear fungus; black fungus
African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis)
bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis)
Chinese shrew mole (Uropsilus soricipes)
gracile shrew mole (Uropsilus gracilis)
Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla)
auricled leafhopper (Ledra auditura)
auricled leafhopper (Ledra auditura)
golden ear (Tremella aurantia)
Examples (119 in total)
Why are your ears so big?
He could not believe his ears.
Are my ears red?