Kanji readings

[SkaKid0911]

Hey guys. I'm starting to learn kanji by making flashcards and worksheets, but I am confused about what I should learn. Do I need to learn it's radicals, and all of it's readings (on-yomi and kun-yomi). Also, should I learn the meanings of all the radicals first, so I will have a basic idea of what kanji mean before I learn what they are? Thanks.

 

[Glenn]

I believe that the most effective method for kanji learning is the one laid out in James Heisig's book, "Remembering the Kanji I." He says that one should start learning the bits and pieces, then put them together to form more complex kanji while learning just one meaning for each. After that, the readings should be learned, but learning everything at once is just too much to handle.

I tend to agree, because just one kanji can have three different meanings and five different readings. It is quite a handful. Wait to see what others say, and then pick the path that you think suits you best. Good luck!

 

[SkaKid0911]

Thank you. I'm also confused about the on-yomi and kun-yomi.

If the on-yomi is the Chinese reading of a kanji, then why do I hear that one used in spoken Japanese more? For example: ﾅｽl. It means 4, and its on-yomi reading is shi, and its kun-yomi readings are yottsu, yotsu, yo, and yon. But when I hear someone count, they never say ichi, ni, san, yottsu.

Also, what is the signifigance of the kun-yomi readings, and do I have it backwards, because it seems like the Chinese reading would be less common than the Japanese reading.

Thank you.

 

[PaulTB]

If the on-yomi is the Chinese reading of a kanji, then why do I hear that one used in spoken Japanese more?

Why not? Being a 'Chinese' reading doesn't make it any less part of the Japanese language now.

 

[Elizabeth]

Why not? Being a 'Chinese' reading doesn't make it any less part of the Japanese language now.

Yeah, I agree. It is simply because there are more ON Chinese readings, used for nouns, most "na" adjectives and all compound words. The counters for 4 (yottsu etc) you mention is from a Japanese line for ordinal numbers which has no place in the standard ichi, ni, san numeric system.

 

[SkaKid0911]

Why not? Being a 'Chinese' reading doesn't make it any less part of the Japanese language now.

Thank you everyone. I just didn't think the chinese readings would have been adapted into the japanese language as much as it seems they have been.

 

[Glenn]

Yeah, yottsu is part of the hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, etc. system. In anime you will sometimes hear people counting the same thing three different ways. E.g.: A:ichi, ni, san, yon, go. B:hi, fu, mi, yo, itsu. C:hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, yottsu, itsutsu.

 

[Elizabeth]

Thank you everyone. I just didn't think the chinese readings would have been adapted into the japanese language as much as it seems they have been.

Basically there was no other recourse if Japan wanted to have communication with China without a native writing system of its own at the time and a much, much more limited vocabulary. Of course all sounds do change over time however which explains variations in Chinese readings adopted in different eras for the same kanji and why they may not correspond very closely or sometimes at all to modern Chinese. To make it even more challenging for us learners today, other readings were imported solely for their similarity to existing Japanese syllables and words (especially place names) with absolutely no regard to their meaning. An interesting story indeed....