I'm so confused

[Sumi]

I need help, how do you read kanji? I'm so confused that I've probably fried a couple 100 brain cells trying to read them. I don't know when to use onyomi or kunyomi. Can someone help me straighten this out?

-Kendra

[Justin]

I'm going to beat Tony to the punch here, but what you really need to focus on is learning words, rather than just kanji themselves. Generally speaking, you would use the on-yomi with compound words, the ones where you've got multiple kanji put together to represent one meaning. The thing is though, there are plenty of times where following that rule doesn't work, so in the end, you're probably going to be better off if you take the approach of learning kanji through words, and figuring out things out a bit on your own.

[crowfeather]

I am a beginner and feel as you do. It is overwhelming!

So, now after I learn a word I learn the kanji for it. With all the on and kun readings I was concerned that I would learn the wrong pronounciation for specific kanji.
For example, I learned the names of the colors in Japanese and then learned the kanji for them. I know the word watashi and anata and now the kanji for those words. It is a slow process, but this way I think I will be learning the correct words to associate with the kanji. At least I hope so
Barbara

[Schattenjedi]

And keep in mind, just because there is a Kanji for a word, doesn't mean its normally used. e.g. ありがとう　有難う.

[crowfeather]

>>>>And keep in mind, just because there is a Kanji for a word, doesn't mean its normally used. e.g. ありがとう　有難う.<<<<

Groan
Barbara

[Machina Maw]

^ Basically what Justin said. Although some kanji combinations have irregular pronounciations, but you'll just learn them as you go, I guess.

E.g: 一 ichi + 人 hito = 一人 hitori.

But hey, learning a language could be way harder. You could be learning English then think how many stupidly spelled words and silent letters and confusing verb tenses you would have to memorise.

[crowfeather]

I have no problem with a multitude of pronunciations. I have that in English.
However, Schattenjedi said that there are words that have a kanji, but it is not normally used, such as in arigatoo.
Now I wonder how I will learn which words do not use their kanji, but are written in Kana?
Some may say I will learn them as I go along, but I am learning this on my own.
I think my back up plan will be to read fiction as soon as I am able so I can learn how it its normally written.
Barbara

[AJBryant]

I'm going to beat Tony to the punch here,

Grumble grumble grumble.... log off for an hour to get dinner and someone steals a march...

Tony

[Mukade]

crowfeather wrote:
I think my back up plan will be to read fiction as soon as I am able so I can learn how it its normally written.
Barbara

Context is a fantastic way to learn.

You can also use Jim Breen's dictionary to get a feel for it. If you look up a word on edict and see a (uk) in parenthesis like this, then it means it's a word that's usually written in kana.

For example:

有難う(io)(P); 有り難う(P) 【ありがとう】 (conj,exp) (uk) Thank you


But again, just pay attention to how the Japanese use the words and you'll start getting a feel for when and how kanji like these are/aren't used.

[tyle7]

Mukade wrote:
If you look up a word on edict and see a (uk) in parenthesis like this, then it means it's a word that's usually written in kana.

Aah, so that's what it is an abbreviation for. I figured it stood for unknown or something, but this is a better explanation, since it even makes sense. You learn something new every day...