If you want to learn Japanese, you have to face Kanji

　Japanese is one of the most difficult language for native English speakers to learn. But you don’t have to worry. Janji is also too troublesome for Japanese too because only about half of people can score well on Kanji exam in class.

　There is a test called a “Kanji Aptitude Test(日本漢字能力検定)”. If you pass the 4th level of it, you will be able too read 1,339 Kanji characters which is more than half the level of an average Japanese junior high school student.

　On this page, I will explain the rules for reading about Kanji so that you can understand them more deeply. Oh, I’ve on purpose introduced most difficult example I think, so please don’t hate Kanji after reading this article. Okay?

Kanji has some sound “音読み” and “訓読み”

　Kanji is Chinese character used by Japanese and Chinese characters originated in China at least over B.C. 1,000. It is thought to brought form China around 4th century, but it appears that Chinise haracters were in use at least as early as the 1st century in Japan.

　Using Chinese characters for Japanese words. At that time, the Japanese people thought like this. Or way of saying this is that they made a mistake.

A MAN

Let’s mix Chinise and Japanese readings into one character!

A WOMAN

Oh! it’s good idea!

　It is truly a mistake from the perspective the modern generation people have struggling with Kanji. Because of them, Japanese Kanji characters become to have multiple sound. There are On-Yomi(音読み) and Kun-yomi(訓読み).

　On-yomi is pronunciation of Chinese origin sound. Kun-yomi is pronunciation of Japanese origin sound. Didn’t you feel “it sounds Chinese” when you see On-yomi?

　If you not sure of detail of On-yomi, you can interpret it as a “Katakana-English(カタカナ英語)”. What water is to you, it is to us “Wor-tah“.

You will be able to read “生” after read this paragraph

　Let’s see that one Kanji character have many sounds and can be controlled by how you use it so take the “生“ as instance. The image that comes to y mind personally is “Life“. But it has meaning “Born“ and “Law“ and “grow“ and etcetera.

　Kanji is not only has multiple sound, but also has multiple meaning through join another Kanji.. This fact can be a headache for Kanji learners, but just like English, it become easier once you grasp the core image of the word. It is written usage examples so you can get an idea of what it is like.

　Japan has a history of several thousand years. Within Japanese culture, Kanji has evolved in its own way, and developed unique reading sound each other. It may give you a headache morally, but try to your best to read it. Please note that these idiom not read separation actually.

Even Japanese people feel Kanji difficult

　There are still a lot of readings of “生”! However, for the sake of the foreigners who are trying hard to learn Japanese, I will refrain from cramming too much into the page. If you have a desire to know more, why not actually visit Japan?

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