Gaijinian
Sempai
- 3 Jun 2005
- 495
- 9
- 28
Kanji may seem confusing... For example, you may learn the kanji, 話, is "hanashimasu," but then... it is "wa" in 電話... So, why?☝
Well, as you may know, most Japanese words came from Chinese words (denwa in Chinese DianHua, with the same "kanji."). The word "hua" means "to speak" in Chinese. So, the Japanese applied it to their own word, "to speak," hanashimasu. "Hanashimasu" is know as the kun-yomi, or the Japanese reading.
When the word "denwa" was made, the Japanese did not have their own word for it, so the used the Chinese word (spelt out in hiragana. So, dian became DEN (electricity), and hua became WA, to speak. This is called the ON-YOMI, or the Chinese reading.
In combinations, the ON-YOMI is generally used. That is why, for example, 高校 uses KOU, and not takai. If there is hiragana in the word however, the on-yomi is used (ex: 食べ物 is tabemono, both are kun-yomi readings.)
Sometimes, there will be a small "tsu." This may seem confusing, also. Why is it 学校 (gakkou, with a small tsu), but also 学生(gakusei, no tsu)??
In Japanese, if two hard consonants follow each other, the first is changed into a small tsu:
By hard consonants, I mean:
Hiragana that start with b, d, g, j, k, n (not including ん), t, , w, y and z.
I hope that gives you some idea as to why Japanese is the way it is.
みなさん、日本語のべんきょう を がんばって ください!!
Well, as you may know, most Japanese words came from Chinese words (denwa in Chinese DianHua, with the same "kanji."). The word "hua" means "to speak" in Chinese. So, the Japanese applied it to their own word, "to speak," hanashimasu. "Hanashimasu" is know as the kun-yomi, or the Japanese reading.
When the word "denwa" was made, the Japanese did not have their own word for it, so the used the Chinese word (spelt out in hiragana. So, dian became DEN (electricity), and hua became WA, to speak. This is called the ON-YOMI, or the Chinese reading.
In combinations, the ON-YOMI is generally used. That is why, for example, 高校 uses KOU, and not takai. If there is hiragana in the word however, the on-yomi is used (ex: 食べ物 is tabemono, both are kun-yomi readings.)
Sometimes, there will be a small "tsu." This may seem confusing, also. Why is it 学校 (gakkou, with a small tsu), but also 学生(gakusei, no tsu)??
In Japanese, if two hard consonants follow each other, the first is changed into a small tsu:
By hard consonants, I mean:
Hiragana that start with b, d, g, j, k, n (not including ん), t, , w, y and z.
I hope that gives you some idea as to why Japanese is the way it is.
みなさん、日本語のべんきょう を がんばって ください!!