Japanese-Chinese Difference

[MikeM]

Could someone please explain to me the difference between Japanese and Chinese kanji?

Thanks.

-Mike

 

[Glenn]

I think that it would be quite difficult to do on this board. I tried using traditional and simplified Chinese alongside Japanese in another post, but they did not all display properly. But, just for the heck of it, I will try again.

After WWII Japan decided to make some reforms to the writing system. Among these changes were simplifying some kanji, making a list of kanji that were deemed most important to learn, and making the kana easier to read (IMHO). Examples of the kana would be (old -> present) きやう -> きょう, てつか -> てっか, etc.

Mainland China also decided that the hanzi (Chinese pronunciation of 漢字) should be simplified in order to increase literacy. This was a wholly separate process from the Japanese simplification, as is evident by comparing. Hong Kong and Taiwan kept the traditional characters intact.

Here are some examples:

Japanese	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese

[td1]気[/td1][td1]氣[/td1][td1]气[/td1] [td1]機[/td1][td1]機[/td1][td1]机[/td1] [td1] 漢[/td1][td1]漢[/td1] [td1]汉[/td1] [td1] 体 [/td1][td1]體[/td1][td1]体[/td1]

 

[jeisan]

they are similar but not the same, while one charactor could mean fish in chinese the same charactor could read floor in japanese. i dont know if thats right, im just making it up to use for an example.
its kinda similar to the english alphabet and the russian alphabet. they have some of the same letters but others that are completly differnt and the letter A doesnt nessecarily make the same sound in both languages. i hope that helps explain what you were looking for, if not im sure someone will come along later with a better explanation for you.

 

[MikeM]

So obviously if you master all basic Japanese kanji you will not be able to read Chinese, correct?

Because a Chinese friend said one kanji said big: 大

And I saw it meant the same in Japanese. This made me ask this.

 

[jeisan]

you would know the japanese readings for thos charactors which may or may not be the same. i remember some members talking awhile back about how the cantonese readings for some japanese signs were pretty funny or made no sense at all...

 

[Glenn]

Originally posted by MikeM
So obviously if you master all basic Japanese kanji you will not be able to read Chinese, correct?

Because a Chinese friend said one kanji said big: 大

And I saw it meant the same in Japanese. This made me ask this.

Many have the same meaning. The example which you gave is one instance of this. However, 機 (machine) is written the same way in Japanese as traditional Chinese, but it is written 机 in simplified Chinese. Also, when you get into some of the grammatical particles in Chinese (like 了 and 的) you will obviously run into differences in meaning. The Chinese Outpost is a good place to look to learn some basic Chinese grammar; it is explained in a very understandable way to anyone.

 

[beluga]

For some characters, they are the same meaning. But not all.

For example,
走 - In chinese it means walk but in Japanese it means run.
勉強 - In chinese it means forced but in Japanese it means study.
切手 - In chinese it weirdly means cut hand but in Japanese it means stamps (Perhaps, literally, it could mean the same too)

There are definitely more to this....

 

[Elizabeth]

I don't know a lot about Chinese, but I am interested in the origin of kanji and remember reading a couple of examples where the meaning seems to have changed radically over time.

Such as :

雇 (borrowed meaning employ/hire in Japanese -- Chinese as well? ; retained meaning quail (or other birds?) in Chinese

相 (together, each other ; retained meaning careful observation?)

事 (also has the sense of servant in Chinese)

All from the book "A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters" by Kenneth Henshall. And as Beluga said there are obviously many more beyond these.

 

[Ewok85]

The induvidual meanings of Kanji and generally the same, but japanese compound kanji of 2 or 4 kanji and kanji that serve as pre/suffixes have different meanings.
ie;
切手 may mean stamp in japanese but the individual meanings are hand and cut.