If you have started or are planning to learn the Japanese language, you probably would have been introduced to the three Japanese writing systems – hiragana, katakana, and kanji. According to most current and previous learners, kanji is the most difficult Japanese script.
Kanji and hanzi are used in the Japanese and Chinese languages respectively. These two writing scripts have varying similarities and are sometimes assumed to have the same meaning. But this is not true as the majority of kanji characters do not have the same meaning in Japanese and Chinese.
When the Japanese language adopted the writing system of the Chinese language several centuries ago, a systematic approach was not used. Besides, the adoption was done over a long period. As a result of this, the Japanese kanji usually have lots of additional meanings when compared to the Chinese hanzi. In some cases, the characters in the two writing systems may look the same but have two distinctive meanings.
However, the difference between the Japanese kanji and the Chinese hanzi does not stop here. The two writing systems are usually pronounced differently. So, you should note that you cannot use the same pronunciation for the two writing systems.
In addition to different meanings, there is also a difference in how they are written. Although digital versions of kanji may look the same in Japanese and Chinese, the handwriting is quite different. Even the stroke order and calligraphy styles of the two systems are not the same.
Do kanji have multiple pronunciations?
Yes, most kanji characters have multiple pronunciations. In other words, you can pronounce a single character in different ways. The multiple pronunciations are due to the origin of kanji characters.
Basically, in the fifth century, the Japanese writing system was adopted from the Chinese writing system. Although the Japanese people didn’t have a way of writing things, they already had pronunciations for different words. As the Chinese writing system was introduced to Japan, some people started using Chinese pronunciations. Consequently, both the Japanese and the Chinese pronunciations can be used for the same word. Notably, the Japanese pronunciation is known as kun-yomi whereas the Chinese pronunciation is referred to as on-yomi.
Sometimes, a single kanji character may have lots of native kun-yomi readings. In other words, a kanji can be pronounced in different native Japanese ways. This is usually the case when the kanji has multiple meanings. Similarly, the Japanese adopted various Chinese writing characters from varying areas of China during different periods. Even though a kanji might look similar to another, its pronunciation could be different. Given this, a kanji may also have several on-yomi readings.
Therefore, as you are learning the Japanese language, it is important to pay attention to these important things.
Can You Learn Japanese without Kanji?
If you have started or are planning to learn the Japanese language, you probably would have been introduced to the three Japanese writing systems – hiragana, katakana, and kanji. According to most current and previous learners, kanji is the most difficult Japanese script.
As a result of this fear, you may start thinking and asking an array of questions. Can I learn Japanese without kanji? What is the importance of kanji to the Japanese language? What are the impacts of not learning kanji? In this post, we will answer these questions in full.
Is it possible to learn Japanese without kanji?
Yes, it is possible for you to learn Japanese without kanji. Since kanji is one of the three important writing systems of Japanese, this may sound strange to you, but it is actually true. Generally, you don’t need to know any kanji character to speak or understand Japanese. In other words, you can have understandable conversations with Japanese-speaking people without kanji.
However, don’t be too excited yet. Without learning kanji, there are tons of limitations to your understanding of the Japanese language.
Reading and writing will be difficult without kanji
If you don’t understand kanji characters, it will almost impossible for you to read and understand lots of Japanese writings. Primarily, each Japanese writing piece contains some kanji characters. These kanji characters are added to ensure that the whole piece is meaningful. So, if you don’t understand kanji, it will impossible for you to understand what you are reading.
As you don’t understand the things you are reading, it will be also difficult for you to write any meaningful piece in the Japanese language. Therefore, kanji is the most important writing system that will determine your literacy in Japanese.
Also, if you don’t
You can read kids’ or toddlers’ books without knowing kanji
Having said this, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you cannot read anything in Japanese without kanji. Most Japanese kids don’t learn kanji until they are about 7 years old. So, their books don’t usually have kanji characters. Furigana and other simple writing systems are used to simplify their vocabulary and grammar so that they can read without any hassle.
Therefore, if you don’t know kanji, you can still read kids’ and toddlers’ books easily. However, as an adult, what is the use of kids’ or toddlers’ books?
So, it can still be concluded that you cannot read anything meaningful without kanji.
What are the benefits of kanji characters to the Japanese Language?
Below, we will explain some of the benefits of kanji characters.
- It is used for indicating clauses
You can write a whole sentence using only hiragana characters, but such a sentence will be too difficult for anyone to read or understand. Therefore, kanji characters are usually used to indicate clauses in Japanese sentences. Kanji will allow you to understand where a specific word begins and ends. Kanji characters will offer the clause that helps you to understand what a particular sentence means.
- It helps you to guess the meanings of Japanese words
In any language, you cannot know the meaning of every word. However, some structures or patterns can be used to guess the meaning of a strange word. In Japanese, kanji provides the structure that you can use to guess the meanings of unknown Japanese words. So, if you don’t learn the kanji writing system, lots of words will look strange to you when you are reading.
- It helps you to identify homonyms
Homonyms are words with similar sounds and/or spellings but have different meanings. Notably, there are numerous homonyms in English and several other languages including Japanese.
When homonyms are written in hiragana, you will not be able to identify their meanings. Fortunately, kanji characters are often added to homonyms to make it easy for anyone to differentiate the words. So, if you don’t know kanji, you will be lost when you come across homonyms.
As shown above, kanji plays a key role in reading and understanding Japanese words and sentences.
How do hiragana and katakana differ from kanji?
At the beginning of this post, we explain that hiragana, katakana, and kanji are the three major writing scripts of Japanese. But these scripts perform different functions. So, let’s shed more light on how these three systems differ.
- Hiragana
Hiragana is believed to the most important Japanese script as it is utilized for native Japanese words. It is usually the first Japanese script that you will learn when studying the Japanese language.
- Katakana
In the Japanese language, lots of words are imported from foreign languages. Since these words don’t have direct native meanings, katakana is used for such imported words.
Along with kanji, these writing systems function together to help you to read, write, speak, and listen to Japanese words.
Only a few kanji characters are enough
Currently, more than 2000 kanji characters have been identified by the Japanese government as what you need to be considered as being literate in Japanese. Even highly educated Japanese people often require more kanji characters.
But you don’t have to be intimated by the number. This is because you don’t need thousands of kanji characters to read in the Japanese language correctly. As stated by some Japanese language experts, you only need around 100 kanji characters to read many basic Japanese writing pieces. In fact, you can read a few books, some anime subtitles, some aspects of newspapers, etc. with just 100 kanji characters.
How to learn kanji
So, if you would like to learn kanji characters, do the following things:
- Take the time to master the radicals in the script
- Use strokes to memorize as many kanji characters as possible
- Utilize jouyou kanji to learn the most essential kanji characters for day-to-day conversations
- Use spaced repetition to practice regularly
In a nutshell, you can learn Japanese without knowing a single kanji character. While this won’t stop you from speaking Japanese, you will struggle with reading any meaningful Japanese writing piece. Therefore, if you want to be literate in Japanese, you must learn kanji.