The biggest challenge for a quite number of Japanese learners (myself included) is the Kanji. While I have found a way to memorise them, the more I go on, the more I feel that I'm either not on the right track or at least something is missing. As we all know, each kanji character has two reading categories (I'm not sure if it's right to call them categories) and under each category there are multiple readings. How do you deal with this? How do you build up a sense for each kanji character so that you don't end up with a bunch of new alphabets in your head that you don't understand and that have no meanings at all? If I go on any further with this manner, I'll end up forgetting what I have managed to memorise.
Do you have any ideas on how to learn kanji in a meaningful way?
It doesn’t seem this way when you first start learning the characters, but kanji don’t exist in isolation. Every character (with maybe a few exceptions) is related to several other characters in two ways, the on’yomi and the radical. But before you start worrying about that, focus on how kanji are used to make compounds. Memorize a few key compounds for every character you learn. It will make it much easier to recall the readings.
It doesn’t seem this way when you first start learning the characters, but kanji don’t exist in isolation. Every character (with maybe a few exceptions) is related to several other characters in two ways, the on’yomi and the radical. But before you start worrying about that, focus on how kanji are used to make compounds. Memorize a few key compounds for every character you learn. It will make it much easier to recall the readings.
Would you please explain further by giving an example (or more if you could)? I'd really appreciate it. Thank you in advance!
Okay, one example. Take 火, which you probably know already. 火 is the radical for the bunch of other characters (205, to be exact). It also supplies the on’yomi for one character 伙. But before you worry about any of those other characters, memorize these words:
火 / ひ - fire, flame, blaze
火影 / ほかげ - firelight, shadows or forms moving in firelight
Okay, one example. Take 火, which you probably know already. 火 is the radical for the bunch of other characters (205, to be exact). It also supplies the on’yomi for one character 伙. But before you worry about any of those other characters, memorize these words:
火 / ひ - fire, flame, blaze
火影 / ほかげ - firelight, shadows or forms moving in firelight
火曜日 / かようび - Tuesday
火災 / かさい - conflagration, fire
Got you! This is really a clever way. Thank you indeed! Do you know any good, free resources that are specialised in teaching the Kanji this way?
It doesn’t seem this way when you first start learning the characters, but kanji don’t exist in isolation. Every character (with maybe a few exceptions) is related to several other characters in two ways, the on’yomi and the radical. But before you start worrying about that, focus on how kanji are used to make compounds. Memorize a few key compounds for every character you learn. It will make it much easier to recall the readings.
Now that I know what you meant, I can safely say it was wrong to not mix in Kanji at the beginning when I started learning Japanese.
