Most of the kanji aer built of a few basic elements. The way how they are constructed is important to their meaning and their pronunciations. The roots of these signs can be found in three origins

• Pictograms
  These were the first signs derived from natural things or appearances of the daily life. Even the simplified sign still remembers of its real counterpart.

mountain (yama)

tree (ki)

field (ta)

• Allegories
  Abstract terms or numbers are represented with signs, which depict the meaning.

one (ICHI)

two (NI)

top (ue)

bottom (shita)

• Combination of Images
  Moreover in some cases several signs are combined to express a new meaning

some trees

become forest (mori)

moon and

sun become

bright (akarui)