Learning kanji?

[xTIDx]

I want to start learning kanji but I'm not sure what's the best way to go about it. Any tips?
Also Should I learn the joyo or just learn ones on the JPLT lists?.

 

[mdchachi]

I want to start learning kanji but I'm not sure what's the best way to go about it. Any tips?
Also Should I learn the joyo or just learn ones on the JPLT lists?.

First tip is to join Monday's thread about this.
best way to approach kanji and memorize it | Japan Forum

 

[Lacota]

I want to start learning kanji but I'm not sure what's the best way to go about it. Any tips?
Also Should I learn the joyo or just learn ones on the JPLT lists?.

Do you know Kana?

 

[xTIDx]

Do you know Kana?

Yes.

 

[Lacota]

Yes.

You can purchase Grade 1 Kanji work books quite cheaply. I recommend writing them on paper and applying them to sentences you can already form. Don't worry about memorising every single reading for each Kanji. That will come in time, once your vocabulary expands.

 

[xTIDx]

You can purchase Grade 1 Kanji work books quite cheaply. I recommend writing them on paper and applying them to sentences you can already form. Don't worry about memorising every single reading for each Kanji. That will come in time, once your vocabulary expands.

So how do I know which readings to learn?

 

[Lacota]

So how do I know which readings to learn?

Well, if you don't apply it to a sentence or a phrase, then generally you would try to learn the Kun-yomi reading, which is the Japanese reading as opposed to On-yomi. Mostly it is used for words that only uses the one character.

 

[mdchachi]

So how do I know which readings to learn?

Best way is to learn words, not isolated kanji. For example learn 木 and 木曜日 and you've learned the two most important readings for 木.

 

[xTIDx]

Best way is to learn words, not isolated kanji. For example learn 木 and 木曜日 and you've learned the two most important readings for 木.

But how will I know the most important readings of new kanji? (Sorry if this is obvious)

 

[WonkoTheSane]

Get some graded readers.

Read them.

Cover the furigana and read them again.

Repeat until you just look at 木 and see tree/き and when you look at 木曜日 you just see Thursday/もくようび.

Any graded reader worth anything at all will use simple, common words and readings.

 

[Hans Kamp]

While I learn Japanese, there is a vocabulary of course: learning new words and their meanings. When I learn a new word, I learn the kanji. A while ago, I learnt 食.
- In a verb like 食べる (to eat), it is read as た (ta). The same in 食べ物 (food);
- In a word like 食 and 和食 (Japanese style food), it is read as ショク (shoku).
I just learn it.

 

[mdchachi]

But how will I know the most important readings of new kanji? (Sorry if this is obvious)

If it's in a common word that just about anybody would know (or should know), then it's important. Tuesday is important. Neurology, probably less so. Use your own judgment.
You could pick up a kanji dictionary for grade school age. It lists the kanji, readings and words that elementary students should know. My son uses this one:
小学生の新レインボー漢字読み書き辞典

 

[Mike Cash]

Kanji should be learned in a context. Because there are on and kun reading, and even for each, there could be multiple pronunciations, you will need to learn the words, not the single kanji character. Read this article for some guidance on learning kanji.

Is spamming links to your commercial website going to be the sum total of your participation on this forum?