If you are just starting to learn the Japanese language, congratulations! Starting out may seem confusing and complex for you, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, after all, almost all non-native Japanese language learners went through the same ordeal just like you since Japanese isn’t just a simple language to learn.
Basics tips for speedy learning of Kanji:
- Learn the radicals
- Remember the stroke order for each Kanji and practice it
- Read books, magazines, or newspapers with kanji texts
- Learn jouyou kanji
1.Learn the radicals
There are 214 radicals in Kanji, which are the roots of the characters. You will become familiar with the radicals that are important if you learn all 214. Each Kanji has at least one radical, while some Kanji work alone with their own meaning, as radicals themselves. Likewise, some radicals have no reasonable meaning in their modified forms and cannot be used alone unless they are combined with another radical.
Kanji dictionaries are organized by radicals, making them the best way to learn them.
2.Remember the stroke order for each Kanji and practice it
Writing Kanji over and over again is definitely the most effective way to memorize its stroke order? Learn how each stroke should be written correctly and specifically. Often we feel like we can just do it our own way, but learning the correct sequence of strokes can make it easier for someone to read what we write. Sticking to the basics is practical and reliable. All the rudimentary radicals used in all the involved characters make learning them seemingly effortless. When the composite characters are split, there is quite often a similar pronunciation of the radicals.
3.Read books, magazines, or newspapers with kanji texts
You will eventually get used to this. At first, it might seem strange and confusing. It’s one thing to memorize Kanji, but if you don’t apply it, you may never find out what it means.
What you have learned so far. By memorizing them, you might be able to write them, but reading Kanji materials will enable you to comprehend how to use them in the right context.
It isn’t enough to know how to pronounce the Kanji if you don’t know how to read and memorize it. It is therefore recommended that you look for magazines or books with audio options, as you can listen to the pronunciation while you are reading.
Is kanji necessary for Japanese?
The Japanese language is composed of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Chinese was adapted by the Japanese and added to with the addition of Hiragana and Katakana syllables. Unlike Hiragana and Katakana, Kanji is not phonetic. In a string of words and ideas, a word can either stand on its own or if combined with another character, can change into a differently spelled phrase.
Symbols corresponding to each word are shown here. Chinese kanji, however, also developed in Japan. There are two ways to pronounce Kanji, each referred to as ‘a reading.’ The readings originate from a combination of Chinese and Japanese origins to achieve the Kanji symbols. In Kanji, memorizing what each symbol represents can be challenging. People spend so much time learning a language because of this. Several thousand Kanji exist, but there is no definitive number, so even if one learns 100, one has a good grasp of Kanji basics.
How to learn Kanji quickly
1. Set Goals:
In order to make it a strict point of learning Kanji, you need to set goals that are specific, realistic, attainable, and functional. Achieving is the practical aspect of the theoretically set goals. Surviving in this fast-paced and impatient world is possible only if you set up small goals for yourself and achieve them steadily daily.
2. Download the apps:
Nothing is off-limits when it comes to technology. With the availability of numerous apps, the daunting task of learning Kanji has turned out to be quite straightforward. The free apps for the same includes:
“imiwa?” for iOS and “tangorin” for Android: These are the dictionary apps
“Anki”- the flashcard app
Google translate- for both iOS and Android.
The paid apps are “Midori” and “Skritter.”
3. Learn Radicals:
Going by the basics is relatable and reliable. Because all the involved characters are made of some rudimentary radicals, learning the latter is much effortless. Quite often, it would happen that the radicals and the associated pronunciation are the same in the composite characters when split.
4. Practice Stroke Order:
There’s a distinct style of writing Kanji. Kanji is written in a specific stroke order. This might appear a point to be forsaken but bear in mind that not going by the sequence will just make learning hard for you. Following as is said will make things easier for you in memorizing, and in turn will reinforce your interest as well.
5. Frame Flash Cards:
Making flashcards enables you to quickly scan through what you need at the moment. Flashcards happen to be quite handy whenever the learners encounter something which is unyielding to them. The most common way is to write Kanji on one side and its meaning on the other. Along with the flashcards, it is also prudent to memorize via mnemonics. Flashcards are handy and so it is a great tip for practicing. Make it a habit of remembering the words daily in the morning so that you will learn this language in a fast and efficient way.
6. Learn with the images:
Visual memories are the best. The renowned Heisig method of learning Kanji takes into account the photos. The eminent books like ‘Remembering the Kanji’ by James Heisig and Kanji Pict-O-Graphix’by Michael Rowley prove out to be helpful for many learners. For example, the character for ‘person’ looks like a person. Images are the perfect source of learning things. Practicing this language is challenging, but visual learning is an excellent way to practice this challenge.
7. Repetition:
A simple concept of learning any new entity is revising and repeating. Owing to the fact that there’s not much understanding in Kanji, mugging up happens to be the option. As a matter of fact, to convert your short term memory into long term, memorizing around 4 times is a must. It’s a key to hold on for an extended period. Repetition is the traditional way of learning kanji, and this requires a lot of hard work. In this essential tip, beginners have to write the same Kanji over and over again in small square boxes made on the paper.
8. Read the Japanese text as much as you can:
Learning individual kanji glyphs is one step. To make your learning more concrete, you should read the text as much as possible. Memorizing will be rendered fruitful only when you see Kanji in context. It’s like getting a bigger picture. I Agree with the fact that finding interest in reading an unknown text is tedious, but in order to achieve the task of learning Kanji, this step is a must.
9. Learn with Sounds:
Japanese have their own way. After you have your plan ready and commitment set, hear, spell, and pronounce the characters. Going in this way is the only technique by which you can acquaint yourself with such an exigent foreign language. Read aloud the Japanese alphabets and words daily so that you have a sense of familiarity in a day or two of practice. For approaching a language like Japanese, a realistic and smart plan needs to be framed.
Conclusion:
The toughness level of Kanji is well accepted. Even the native Japanese people do not know it by their hearts. Learning a foreign task itself demands courage, and when it comes to logograms, things turn out to be more cumbersome. The only key is to practice as hard as you can. Have faith in yourself and keep reminding yourself that nothing is impossible in this world. You can do this and don’t be discouraged by small failures because, in the end, you will undoubtedly become fluent in the Japanese language.
