Learn Kanji?

[lucky419]

I've been studying Japanese for a few months. I've all the katakana, hiragana memorized and I have most of the first year kanji memorized by sight. But my question is what is the best way to learn the kanji would it be better to learn one w/all of it's different pronunciation as in the on/kun readings or just memorize them? Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ParanoiaK3]

AH, sorry that no one replied.

Kanji is awesome, I hate it. I am learning first year kanji, with ON/KUN readings as well as basic vocab's kanji. Therefore, I already have some other years' kanji known AND I have a decent vocabulary. Don't learn it all at once, learn it as you learn a vocabulary.:p

GOOD LUCK! You're awesome.

[Kates]

lucky: I suggest you learn how to write them and read all of their 'yomi'.

Practice writing a new kanji until you have it down by heart--and make sure you practice all the new ones again the next day and the next, until you have it memorized.

As for readings, I think it's best to learn all of the readings provided when you learn that kanji the first time. It may seem like a lot, but really, it gets easier as you learn more and more kanji. The best way to remember a reading is to learn a vocab word that goes with it. When you learn a new kanji, learn one new vocab word for each 'yomi' it has. So if a kanji has three 'yomi', then learn three new words--one that uses each of the readings.

For example, I'm looking at 女 to the right in the "Kanji Benkyou" window. The kun-yomi are: おんな and め. And the on-yomi are ジョ and　ニョ. So I suggest a vocab list like this to go with it:
女（おんな）＝ a woman/women; female
女神（めがみ）＝ goddess
女性（じょせい）＝ a woman/women; female
女人（にょにん）＝ a woman

Now, to be honest, NYO is a very, very uncommon reading for 女--I actually don't know any words myself and had to go look for one. ^^; You'll probably find this happens often, but it's really best to know all the readings possible, so you can make the best guess which reading will be correct, if you come across a word without furigana (which tells you how to read the word).

I hope this helps you some~ Ganbatte, ne. Ask here if you've got more questions~

[Harisenbon]

hehe... the にょう reading is an 一級 reading that I had to learn.
女房 (にょうびょう) is another way of saying wife.
If you want to be nice and thorough when learning your kanji, you should learn all the readings when you learn a kanji. But only Japanese students ever do that.

Ok, I admit it, I have no constructive advice for this thread. I go somewhere else now.

[lucky419]

Well, much thanks to everyone that answered. Kates thanks for that very infomative post. That is kinda how I figured how I 'should' learn them. Well, I think I'm gonna have to go back and do a refresher course on the kanji that I kinda know . Thanks.