Learning how to read Kanji, but ignore the opposite?

[Kenpo]

Hello so I started learning Japanese a while ago, and... I've been having a hard time trying to start learning Kanji.
For a simple reason, I don't want to be able to write Kanjis, nor do I want to be able to "recall their picture" being given a meaning.
I've been recommended the books Remembering The Kanji (along with it's Anki deck) but it wouldn't do for me for that simple reason:
Instead of:
seeing ICHI and recalling 一
I want to:
see 一 and recall ICHI (and it's meaning, of course)
So basically, what RTK teaches is how to remember a Kanji given a certain meaning. And what I want is the opposite. That is, see a kanji, and remember it's meaning. And why is that? For several reasons:
- I have no need to write Kanji by hand
- If I ever need to type a Kanji I'd just use Windows's MIME to type the Kanji by typing its name and hiting spacebar...
So there's no point in being able to recall how's a Kanji, I'd just want to read a Kanji and remember what is it's meaning.
And that's the problem I have with RTK's Anki deck, what the cards show is the words ONE, TWO, etc, and I am supposed to remember it's kanji.
Is there any way to inverse that? I mean, make the anki deck show the Kanjis 一, 二, etc and make me remember it's meaning? Basically, is there any way to reverse the anki deck like that so instead of remembering the kanjis, remember the meanings?
I also have some confusion with the matter of Kanjis, I've played a lot of Japanese visual novels and I've noticed that Kanjis have multiple names/sounds?
Like how the kanji for A HUNDRED (百) is called HYAKU when alone (?), but in the word 百合 (YURI a kind of flower) it reads as YU. Same goes for that other kanji 合 (TO SUIT).
Hmm, I think I've spoken my mind too much, sorry for that
And hey, thanks a bunch if you read it (or even if you did not), Japanese is the third language I'm learning (with english being my second)
I admitedly haven't yet read the forum rules, therefore please pardon me if I screwed up somehow =(
I have a lot of free time right now and I really feel like learning Japanese, once work starts again I won't have the same free time, and Kanji is currently the only thing holding me up atm, so if anyone can give me any word on the matter, I'd be immensely thankful!

 

[Toritoribe]

Like how the kanji for A HUNDRED (百) is called HYAKU when alone (?), but in the word 百合 (YURI a kind of flower) it reads as YU. Same goes for that other kanji 合 (TO SUIT).

百 is never read "yu". 合 is never "ri", either. That's 熟字訓[jukujikun]. 百合 is read "yuri" only as a compound word.

 

[Glenn]

Check Anki's options. There's one to reverse the order of cards.

 

[Morphling]

百合 is the Chinese word for lily.
ゆり is the native Japanese word for lily. Sometimes Chinese compounds are used instead of a single character to express native Japanese words.

This happens often in plant and animal names. 海豚 いるか, 河豚 ふぐ etc.

Another example

昨日 is the Chinese compound for yesterday.
きのう is the native Japanese word. This sound applies to the Kanji compound so you can't break it up to which part is き and which is のう.
However often you can also use the on reading for these compounds. In this case it is read as さくじつ. The nuance is much stiffer though.

Basically learning characters through reading is the best way to learn in Japanese. Context is everything and the Kanji reading is semi random in Japanese and not even natives fully masters this. Learning characters in isolation is not going to work for Japanese.

 

[Kenpo]

Thanks for clarifying about the lily flower thing =)
Just more data to remember though...

Check Anki's options. There's one to reverse the order of cards.

Hey thanks, I spent some minutes tinkering with Anki and I just achieved what I wanted:
This is the front of a card:
And this is the back (the answer):
Clicking on the answer goes to RTK's website on that kanji.
But I don't know, I feel like that could use more information? Would it be more effective if I included addition information like the onyomi and the kunyomi? Or maybe even Jukugo? That would be a lot of work but still...
My question is, for when practicing Kanji, for example, when away from home (e.g at work), wanting to do a quick practice, upon drawing the cellphone and doing some Anki, would it be enough to let the cards as they are, ie, only the Kanji and it's meaning? Or would it be more meaningful if there were more information about the Kanji (as mentioned above)?
Thanks.

 

[Morphling]

This is 四 from a Japanese Kanji dictionary. As you can see the kunyomi is ridiculous as is the case with most characters.

Need to strike a balance. Maybe make your own Anki cards with readings you learnt through reading and have example sentences would help. Also if you create simple sentences with the readings you have learnt it will also help. Just using Anki would not be enough.

 

[Glenn]

You may want to check out the conversation in this thread:

Questions about learning kanji | Japan Forum

It's pretty similar to what you're asking about, and may help you out a bit.

 

[Glenn]

Morphling, is that dictionary native to the iPhone, or is it an app? Actually, I guess it'd have to be a paid app, wouldn't it, with all that information.

 

[Morphling]

Yeah you get what you pay for though .

It's 漢字源 for iphone. Also available are 大辞林, ジニアス英和・和英 etc. Another iphone casualty. Pretty much those dinky dictionaries from Casio and the like are good as useless.

 

[Glenn]

I have 3 out of 4 of those on my 電子辞書. 大辞林 is the only one I don't (I have 広辞苑 instead). I find 漢字源 to be a pretty good 漢和辞典. The print one I own is 新漢語林, which I also like.

 

[Morphling]

Yeah 広辞苑 is not available as an iOS app yet but the others are just as good. I don't use my electronic dictionaries anymore as you can just use your phone with much better functionality like 手書き and better screen. Plus why carry more than one device when you don't have to.

I would recommend these dictionary apps to anyone that had a smart phone instead of using a paper dictionary or buy a single purpose device.

 

[FinancialWar]

I have all the Japanese dictionaries on my phone and computer for free.

Android + sd card + pirating + hacker > you iPhone tech noobs.

 

[Morphling]

I have all the Japanese dictionaries on my phone and computer for free.

Android + sd card + pirating + hacker > you iPhone tech noobs.

Well if you are on a budget there is your answer to free dictionaries.

 

[FinancialWar]

Look at all the dictionaries I have on my Samsung Galaxy Note II.

This is just a few of my Japanese dictionary collections. It took me years of searching and collecting, PM me if you want the my Google Drive download link for this massive collection of 50+ dictionaries, free all for everyone except Morphling.

PS, wow iPhone screenshot is so small compared to ...

 

[Toritoribe]

I have all the Japanese dictionaries on my phone and computer for free.

Android + sd card + pirating + hacker > you iPhone tech noobs.

This is just a few of my Japanese dictionary collections. It took me years of searching and collecting, PM me if you want the my Google Drive download link for this massive collection of 50+ dictionaries, free all for everyone

What do you think about copyright?