Hello!! I just started learning japanese and I am a little confused about kanji. I am aware that… - Feed Post by aaleexiss
Hello!! I just started learning japanese and I am a little confused about kanji. I am aware that they can have multiple readings, but how do you know when to use each? do you have to know them all? What is your personal approach to learning them? I need advice, please!
posted by aaleexiss
Comments 7
I always found it better to learn kanji in context/words...not just stand alone kanji + all possible readings. You just kind of get used to it :)
Thank you very much for your reply! That's an interesting approach. How do you choose and organize the words you learn? You use a dictionary or something alike?
I wouldn't bother specifically trying to memorize all the readings of a kanji and when to use them. Many kanji have readings that are only used very rarely, but as a beginner it's difficult to distinguish which readings are common and which ones are not. It saves a lot of time, and frankly is a lot easier, to learn how kanji are read through immersion and absorption. For example, if you see the word 食事（しょくじ）, and then the word 食堂（しょくどう）, you'll learn to associate the しょく reading with 食 when you see it in compounds.
As for choosing words to learn, I usually don't go actively searching for words to memorize as I don't know if I'll ever need them, but instead learn words that I encounter when reading or watching something. I put words in Anki, a spaced repetition flashcard program, in order to organize and remember them.- For now I am only learning the words in the order that the textbook teaches me! If you use a textbook like genki or minna no nihongo, the jpclass lessons will go well along with them, as well as memrise or anki decks to help you memorise those kanjis/words. For example, one kanji that is very easy to remember is 今（いま, now）but you also learn how to say things like 今晩（こんばん, tonight）、今年（ことし, this year, notice how 年 is usually ねん but here we learn it can be とし）and you naturally learn the various readings of it! Other than that... reading stuff that is appropriate for your level and about a subject you like can also be helpful! I always found flashcards and quizzes like jpclass and memrise helpful because I have a terrible memory
- Thank you very much for your answers! I will apply your advices! :) I am less stressed now about the readings, they were driving me crazy.
- Good luck on your studies and don't let kanji discourage you °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
- thank you very much *_________*
