Kanji-What to learn?

[Robdan]

I just finished learning hiragana and katakana and now I'm ready for kanji. With each Kanji , what should I memorize? Is one expected to memorize all On and Kun readings for each kanji? I would like to learn so that I would be prepared for the JLPT. So I would like to know what is expected to be answered for each kanji.

For example with 一(ichi) on the JLPT would one be expected to state ICHI/ITSU/hito/hito(tsu)-meaning One? I'm also fuzzy on the (tsu) with hito(tsu) and the whole reason why it is there. Any help is appreciated!

[hiraikotsu]

actually i've a question too... is there a list somewhere for all the kanji a JLPT 4 student is expected to know?

[kaywala]

hiraikotsu wrote:
actually i've a question too... is there a list somewhere for all the kanji a JLPT 4 student is expected to know?

There's a link to that on this site ^^ here it is ^^:

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/downloads/4kyuukanji.pdf

Also if you go to the Kanji button in the Navigation clumn (your left) and you click on it, there'll be another link. To get to the link about go to downloads, then kanji and then it'll be there ^^ I hope that helps.

[mandolin]

I prefer to learn the kanji as parts of compounds, rather than trying to memorize lists of on and kun readings.

When a part of a reading is separated out, it means the second part is usually in okurigana, which means kana following the kanji.

So if you see "hito(tsu)" you will see it read as 一つ
Another way to show the division used in some websites and books is:
ひと・つ
the stuff after the dot is the same as the stuff in parentheses.

For the JLPT, it would probably be good to know all the readings, but I think it's much easier to associate them with words, and remember the readings that way, especially if you learn at least one word with every possible reading.

一
リンゴ一つ　　　ringo hitotsu one apple
一番　　　　　　　ichi-ban the best
唯一 yui-itsu unique

Now not only do I have 3 new words, but each one uses a different version of the kanji 一 -- namely, hito, ichi, and itsu

I suppose this method isn't for everyone, but if you're having trouble, try it out and see if it works for you. If not, maybe someone has other methods.

As for the JLPT4 kanji, you can click "Kanji" on the list at the left side of this page, and then click JLPT4.

[shikamarufoo]

Since this is on topic for Kanji/Numbers...when would a person use hitotsu/ichi/itsu or the other number readings?
Is it nescessary to learn all readings of a kanji and what is the difference between on and kun reading and when is it necessary to use one or the other?
Thanks for the time:).

[mandolin]

You know from usage, one word at a time. Reading and vocabulary.

There's no great method for trying to figure out when to use ON and KUN readings. There's some generic rules, but there's tons of exceptions that it's not even worth trying to memorize these so called rules.

ON and KUN are so confusing to so many beginners, including me. I would like it if someone could tell me "you always use ON when..." or "you always use KUN when..." So that's why I just learn it word by word. *shrug*

[AJBryant]

Since this is on topic for Kanji/Numbers...when would a person use hitotsu/ichi/itsu or the other number readings?
Is it nescessary to learn all readings of a kanji

This is why I usually tell people the best way to learn kanji is as *vocabulary*. You learn them a lot faster (and a lot more of them!) if you don't start by dividing words into "this will be learned as vocabulary and in hiragana, and I'll learn these with kanji" and instead just learn the *proper* way to write each word as you come to it.

That's certainly how you have to do Chinese, and when I was doing Chinese I was learning about 30 or 40 new words a day, and means a metric buttload of hanzi.

If you learn the kanji when you come to the word, you'll be cutting a step out of the artificial method so commonly taught in schools in the west.

Tony

[shikamarufoo]

Ohh I understand how I should learn it now...So instead of one by one kanji, learn from vocab and it'll be like killing two birds with one stone, vocab and kanji at the same time.
Thanks you guys that helped out, I think I'll change my method since it seems it'll be easier for me;).

[hiraikotsu]

thanks guys! i found it already

[Robdan]

Thanks much to all. The learning kanji as you learn vocab sounds great. I have the Pimsleur CD's but no list of ever single thing taught on the CD. That would be so nice. Anyways, would it be a good idea to try and learn vocab from those CD's and find out the written meaning and study along?

Thanks!

[RGmex]

I use the kodansha Kanji dictionary


It has the 2230 kanji characters, the ones that go from K-12 and college level japanese kanjis. It also has the name meanings for those kanjis use in japanese names. Not only that, but it has the kanjis that are used a lot more in japanese language and colors them in red.





and here is a page

[shikamarufoo]

^wow that book looks good!
Do you know if it's easy to find or kinda hard?

[Infidel]

that one actually is pretty easy to find if you have a barnes and noble or a boarders in town.

[amego]

Maybe 紀伊国屋 kinokuniya?