暗記

• Reading: あんき
• Romaji: anki
• Kanji breakdown: 暗 (an) — dark, memorize; 記 (ki) — record, write, chronicle
• Pronunciation: /aŋ.ki/

Meaning

Memorization; learning by heart. Committing information to memory through repetition.

Functions as a noun or する verb (暗記する). A core study method in Japanese education, especially for kanji, vocabulary, and historical dates. While sometimes criticized as rote learning, 暗記 is considered an essential foundation for deeper understanding.

Examples

1. 漢字を暗記するのは大変です。 Memorizing kanji is really tough.
2. 試験のために公式を暗記した。 I memorized the formulas for the exam.
3. 暗記だけでは本当の理解にはならない。 Memorization alone doesn't lead to true understanding.

Usage Guide

Context: study, exams, school

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 暗 (an, dark/memorize) and 記 (ki, record/write). The kanji 暗 carries the sense of doing something in the dark — i.e., recalling without looking, from memory alone.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal