Dienstag, 25. Juli 2017

How to read Kanji: 11 pracitcal tips on reading Kanji

1. When you see a  熟語 a so called compound of two Kanji, in over 90 % of the time you want to use the on-yomi. Examples are 就活 しゅうかつ Jobhunting、授業 じゅぎょう Lesson、習得 しゅうとく Learning.

2. Kanji followed by  送り仮名 おくりがな are read with the  kun-yomi. Examples are  食べる たべる eat, 読む よむ read, 話す はなす speak.


Alternatives like 食う くう  have to be remembered, based on the Okurigana that follows the Kanji.


3. If the T syllable ist followed by a K or S syllable the T syllable transforms into a small Tsu.
Examples: 失格 しつかく -> しっかく disqualification, 物体 ぶつたい -> ぶったい object、出荷 しゅつか -> しゅっか shipment.


4. If the T syllable is followed by a H syllable, the T syllable becomes a small Tsu and the H becomes a P Syllable
Examples: 出版 しゅつはん -> しゅっぱん publication、出発 しゅつはつ -> しゅっぱつ Departure、失敗 しつはい -> しっぱい  Fail.


5. Is a N syllable followed by a H syllable, the H syllable becomes an B or a P.
Examples are  三百 さんひやく -> さんびゃく、三本 さんほん -> さんぼん, aber auch 三分 さんふん -> さんぷん. This can be tricky because it often appears when you count things. Especially with the number three. You just have to learn them, i didn't really noticed a system.


6. If a single Kanji ist followed by Suru, you often want to use the on-yomi. These Kanji are often Kanji that don't even have a kun-yomi.
Examples: 発する たする -> はっする send, give forth 、念ずる  -> ねんずる.
Notice  tip number 3 in the first example.


7. There are compounds that use the kun-yomi. Often used verbs are an indicator. Normally you would add okurigana, but to save space Japanese People tend to omit them. So 踏み切り (railroad crossing) becomes 踏切 and leaves the impression to be read とうせつ, but it's still  ふみきり.


8. If the Kanjis are also used as nouns.  Examples 青空 せいくう -> あおぞら blue sky、坂道 はんどう -> さかみち slope. Often used words in everyday life tend to be read like this.


Japanese words that are cultural tend to be read with the kun-yomi as said in number 8. Another Example would be  折り紙 -> 折紙 おりがみ.


9. Mixing both reading ist also a thing. Examples are 試合 しあい match、本音 ほんね real Intention and 気軽に きがるに free, light hearted. I think these are quite numbered, so you just have to learn them.


10. Sometime there ist  more than one correct reading, depending of formality or reading and speaking. The mos well-kown has to be  私 which can be read わたし and more formal as わたくし.

When writing in Japanese 今日 きょう -> こんにち or 今年 ことし -> こんねん.
Words that have two readings like these tend to be more formal with the on-yomi. 熟語 are more formal to compared to a normal verb.

11. Names can have there own readings, so better don't even bother learning them, since reading Kanji as they are, can be difficult enough. The special reading for names a called 名乗り なのり.


As a tip for learning all the different on-yomi and kun-yomi. Just DON'T. Learning them without context, never really helped me really. The best thing you can do is

1. Find at least an Example an you will remember it used, so you get a feeling on how it can be used
2. you will also learn a new word

一石二鳥 いっせきにちょう So you can kill two birds with one stone.


PS: With these you won`t be able to read Kanji 100 % prefect, but it reduces your error rate quite drastically. These are more tips for advanced Japanese Learners who may want to start reading books and will stumble upon new words every other sentence and may don´t want to look it up every 5 seconds.

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