What is the difference between "紙" and "髪"?

"紙" means "paper" (N5), whereas "髪" represents "hair (on the head)" (N4).

Kanji Homophone Battle

Pronunciation Trap: "かみ (kami)"

Same sound, completely different Kanji! Choose the right conceptual writing.

Kanji Option A

かみ (kami)

N5 / CEFR

Kanji Option B

かみ (kami)

N4 / CEFR

In Japanese, many words share the exact same pronunciation "かみ (kami)" but are written with different Kanji, changing the meaning entirely.

紙 (Level: N5): Translates to "paper" and is used when Used for materials made of paper like writing paper, newspaper, etc. Often counted with 枚.
髪 (Level: N4): Maps to "hair (on the head)" and carries the nuance of Specifically refers to the hair on one's head. Not to be confused with 毛.

Mixing these up can easily result in unnatural writing. Look at the bilingual context cards below to master the conceptual boundaries!

Bilingual Context for "紙"

私は新しい紙を買いました。

I bought new paper.

Bilingual Context for "髪"

彼女は長い髪を持っています。

She has long hair.

Which Kanji perfectly fits this blank space?

Which Kanji perfectly fits the blank: "私は新しい＿＿＿を買いました。" (Meaning: "I bought new paper.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Correct! "紙" is used for "paper" in the context: "I bought new paper.".