‘Japanese writing system based on Chinese characters’ NYT Crossword clue hints and answers

I hope your multilingual skills are up to scratch as they need to be if you want to conquer the “Japanese writing system based on Chinese characters” clue in the July 10 NYT Mini Crossword.

The NYT Mini Crossword has thrown up another doozy of a puzzle to tackle. The “Japanese writing system based on Chinese characters” might be one of the standout clues here. It’s fun and difficult, and I thankfully had this knowledge in the bank.

Japanese writing system based on Chinese characters Crossword clue hints and solution

• Hint 1: It almost sounds like the name of a Manchester City defender.
• Hint 2: The writing system comprises letters formed with various vertical and horizontal lines.
• Hint 3: The first three letters act as a homophone.
• Hint 4: It begins with a “K.”

If you’ve still not got it, it’s time for me to reveal the answer.

The answer to the tricky clue is KANJI, and I completely understand if you found this one hard. If you’ve ever watched anime, visited Japan, or seen Japanese writings in TV, film, or YouTube videos, chances are you’ve been exposed to Kanji—but don’t know its name. But yes, Kanji is the name of the writing system, and it’s one of the most eye-catching languages in the world.

All answers for the July 10 NYT Mini Crossword

ACROSS

• 1A Website born from its C.E.O.’s “personal film diary” — IMDB
• 5A Service symbolized by an envelope — EMAIL
• 6A Japanese writing system based on Chinese characters — KANJI
• 7A Some frozen waffles — EGGOS
• 8A Ages and Ages — EONS

DOWN

• 1D P.R Concern — IMAGE
• 2D Fruit that may be served with sticky rice — MANGO
• 3D Spicy Mustard — DIJON
• 4D Pure joy — BLISS
• 5D ___ out a living (barely get by) — EKE

Japanese writing system based on Chinese characters crossword clue difficulty rating

If my fiancé hadn’t studied Japanese for several years, I likely would’ve struggled with this. She kept me apprised about her learnings throughout the years, and I had plenty of exposure to kanji and how it works—don’t ask me to read or write it, though! In terms of difficulty, it’s central to most of the rest of the crossword, so I’ll land on a four out of five, but I considered going higher.

How to play more Crosswords like the NYT Mini

Now you have completed the July 10 edition of the NYT Mini Crossword, broaden your horizons and seek out even more challenges. The LA Times and Washington Post are terrific examples of word games, as are Strands and Spelling Bee.