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Japanese Language Conspiracies!!!

Keep in mind, by no means are these serious arguments. Again, I labeled them conspiracy theories for a very strong reason as that is all they are. Chidorashi makes a very good point on the fact of being used to something can make all the difference.

Anomouse... where are you getting the data about 4000 kanji being very well educated? As I have been studying Chinese and never gotten a clear answer, I'm curious where you found it.
 
Anomouse .... where are you getting the data about 4000 kanji being very well educated ?

As I have been studying Chinese and never gotten a clear answer, I'm curious where you found it.



For highly literate Chinese,they need to know close to ten thousand Kanji characters.:)
 
I am just regurgitating what my Chinese friends have told me. But in any case it is still at least twice as many as Japanese need to learn.
 
I am talking about the "highly educated" ones, if you are an average Chinese, no need to learn that much. And remember, 10 percent of their population are still illiterate. The Chinese government is trying hard to eradicate illiteracy.

Japan's literacy rate 99
China 90
 
Oh, you are wrong again, it doesn't take 12 years to master 2000 kanji in Japan, Joyo-Kanji is taught within 9 years.

But it doesn't mean the rate is slow. Certain abstract words require mental maturity to master. Some words may be easy for foreign adults, but not so for Japanese children. The same can be said for other languages.
 
Ok,I have a link to Chinese source indicates average high achool educated Chinese have knowledge of 3000 plus 漢字 ( Kanji ),generally should read and understand 98% written content of book or any publication.

Elementary through secondary education levels,students learn 3000 to 4500 Kanji.

China's 2 major standard reference dictionaries 《漢語大字典》 recorded 54,000 Kanji & 《中華字海》 has 85,000 Kanji.


* 一般人至中學畢業時雖僅認識3000多個漢字,但已夠看懂一般書刊98%內容。

中小學生所識的漢字約應有3000至4500個。

國內較通行的大型字典《漢語大字典》收錄5.4萬字,《中華字海》更達8.5萬個

Source: http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/internet/2007-10/22/content_6921948.htm
 
umm no anomouse my friend you are wrong. I just confirmed it with two of my Japanese co-workers and our section chief who read through the government issued course guidelines which stated Japanese students are still learning new and mastering aspects of jyouyou kanji all the way till they graduate from high school. They may in fact learn more than this in that time.. but it is not in the guidelines and the 1945 jyouyou kanji are a minimum requirement. Where are you getting your ideas exactly?
 
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My limited time online contacts with Japanese,I observed college educated ones are more Kanji-literate than those with just formal K-12 education.
 
My limited time online contacts with Japanese,I observed college educated ones are more Kanji-literate than those with just formal K-12 education.
Excuse my ignorance, but how did you come up with that? Unless you are as literate in Kanji as "those" college students, I would think that you would find it very hard to tell. On top of that, when writting on social pages people tend slack off.
 
Excuse my ignorance, but how did you come up with that ?

Unless you are as literate in Kanji as "those" college students,I would think that you would find it very hard to tell.

On top of that, when writting on social pages people tend slack off.



I do know at least twice as many Kanji as them so I could evaluate their Kanji-literacy level,they're often the ones effectively use 四字熟語 ( Chinese 4-character idioms ) and difficult Kanji in writings.

That's a good point,there are times they tend to write in ( 平仮名 ) hiragana more as it ultimately represents their indigenous tongue.
 
>I do know at least twice as many Kanji as them

4000? 5000? That's a lot. How well do you know them?

>they tend to write in ( 平仮名 ) hiragana more as it ultimately represents their indigenous
>tongue.

That's hardly the only reason.
 
Well, 漢字 isn't a langauge.
And Japanese and Chinese characters are used differently and have different meanings.

So I am still not getting your point.
 
It's true that a percentage of Kanji in Japanese language have different meanings from Chinese,but majority retained original definitions.

1 example," daijoubu 大丈夫 " is ok or no problem in Japanese whereas these Kanji literally mean " great husband " in Chinese.
 
#1: In the Japanese classes I've taken, it's been taught.

#2: I've seen katakana used for Japanese-origin words too. Mainly for ones that have really complicated kanji, but they are there. Also, for some reason, various plants/animals have their names written in katakana.

#3: ...
 
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