TextFugu » Topic: Kanji readings

Kanji readings

ロバート — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:51:06 +0000

On Textfugu you learn a kanji meaning, it’s on’yomi and then you learn common vocab associated with that kanji. Recently I’ve had a little trouble with the 3-stroke kanji on’yomi anki list, but I’m having less trouble with the 3-stroke kanji vocab (which seems slightly more important).

I’ve been thinking, would it be better to focus less on the on’yomi and more on the meaning of the kanji early on and then learn the necessary yomi through common vocab? For example, if I know that 山 means mountain and that the pronunciation for the kanji (by itself and thus the word for mountain) is やま and that the pronunciation of that kanji in the word 富士山　「ふじさん」 is さん does it matter to know which is on’yomi or which is kun’yomi?

Keep in mind I don’t think I’m some kind of genius who has had some kind of radical realization about kanji learning as I’m pretty sure I saw a conversation like this early on in my Japanese study before I found Textfugu, I’m just interested in seeing what you guys have to say about this and whether you think this is an efficient way to go about learning kanji or not.

Reply To: Kanji readings

Kroentschies — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:49:57 +0000

I’m also learning Kanji and Kanji Vocab.
It confuses me quite a lot, when the pronunciations for the same Kanji are different depending on the deck I’m using. I haven’t yet found a rule I am able to stick to. Not even onyomi and kunyomi are used predictably, I found out, when I checked the Kanji on Textfugu. Or is there a greater meaning of this, I haven’t understood yet?

For me it would be beneficial to have sample words for the all the different readings of a Kanji which are taught at TextFugu. That would be very useful probably not only for me to remember the readings in a context more easily and learn some vocabulary at the same time ;-)
Anyway, I tend to forget why there is onyomi and kunyomi, thus it’s tough.

At the moment, I’m guessing for every single Kanjis, ehh, which deck I am in, and ahhh, what was the pronunciation of that Kanji in that specific deck.
Sounds weird to me.

Examples are

Kanji Vocab
七[しち / なな] seven
力[ちから] power
刀[かたな] sword (katana)
十[じゅう] ten

except for 七, it’s kunyomi in the examples
http://www.textfugu.com/kanji/1-2-stroke/七/

Kanji (reading)
七 – しち seven
力 – りょく、りき power
刀 – とう sword
十 – じゅう ten

except for the 十, it’s onyomi
http://www.textfugu.com/kanji/1-2-stroke/%E5%8D%81/

P.S.
Bounty found in Kanji vocab
一{いち} one
now I understand why it’s shown differently than all others: the {} does not show furigana as [] does ;-)

Edit: minor correction

Reply To: Kanji readings

Luke — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:22:33 +0000

I am learning the meaning of the Joyo kanji through Remembering the Kanji then I’ll learn the on’yomi readings on Read the Kanji, Read the Kanji focuses on compounds and that is where on’yomi usually is used the most, for the kun’yomi I can just learn those through vocab lists because the kun’yomi reading is just how it would be written in hiragana/katakana, with some exceptions with stuff like 楽しい、楽しみ – they are the same until the last character.

There’s exceptions in all of this but I didn’t like having to learn the on’yomi and kun’yomi at the same time, didn’t really see the point. So I don’t use this site for kanji anymore. You just have to remember there are always exceptions but for the most part my way of handling it is working fine.

Reply To: Kanji readings

Hatt0ri — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:10:03 +0000

In my opinion, learning a reading without learning vocab associated with that reading is a waste of time. And if you’re learning readings from vocab, it’s a waste of time to think weather what you just learned was onyomi or kunyomi. It’s even a waste of time to be concerned with things like: does 入口 breaks down to い + りぐち or いり+ ぐち or いりぐ+ち? When you learn enough vocab containing 入 and 口 you will know all that stuff anyway.

But then again, there are people who think learning radicals is a waste of time, and each kanji should be learned as a whole together with vocab. So, it’s all about which method you personally prefer.

Reply To: Kanji readings

Gigatron — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:31:11 +0000

Personally I found that what more or less worked the best (for me) was just learning it through vocab.

I was finding that even without really “studying” the kanji themselves, that just by going through vocab my brain was unconsciously remembering the readings, such that when I found a new word with kanji in it that I’d seen before, I’d say around 6 or 7 times out of 10 I was able to correctly guess its pronunciation.

Mind you, that’s considering I wasn’t actively studying, just playing games and taking note of new words.

Reply To: Kanji readings

MisterM2402 [Michael] — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:02:34 +0000

Seeing as this thread was first created on the 28th of June 2011, I think any replies are a LITTLE bit too late :P
Robert, if you’re even still with us, what’s your opinion on the matter now?

Reply To: Kanji readings

Luke — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:29:31 +0000

Oh what the hell. Why do so many people keep necroing old threads lately?!

Reply To: Kanji readings

Kroentschies — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:32:21 +0000

Thanks to all to share your thoughts on how you learned the Kanji.
I probably will add the necessary vocab myself, to make life easier :-)

Well, Yggbert, I revived this thread
Before I’m writing, I usually rummage through Google to find an answer to my question on TextFugu.
If I find it, well, I don’t need to write. Sometimes there are threads really similar to my questions, that’s why I choose this one, even though if started a couple of months ago. If I don’t find anything, I start a new thread.
Until now, this was the way I used other forums.
Well, if that is not the way TextFugu forum works, I can adjust.