Basically title. I haven’t learned anything yet, but I’m trying to construct a study plan before starting anything. This may sound dumb, but I’m confused. They say the best way to learn kanji is to learn vocab AND learn the kanji that come along the vocab. I’m also leaning towards using Anki.
So are there decks that teach vocab and simultaneously teach the Kanji in that vocab? Like, they teach the word “simultaneously” and then the kanji that come along with that word? Or do I have to have a seperate deck for vocab, manually identify the kanji per word, and then make cards for the kanji that I got from the vocab? And then review them all seperately?
Thanks for answering!
6 comments
Because it will help learn the on and kun reading by default. Assuming that your native language is English, you can easily tell the difference between your and you’re. While in japanese, kanjis have the same kun and ok readings like 彼 and 火 for example which both mean か and with practice you’ll understand that they both mean two different things
Just learn words. Language is made up of words, not kanji. Most words you learn will have kanji in them. You’ll learn to recognize the kanji in them and learn the reading of that kanji as you learn to pronounce the words. You’ll spot the same kanji in different words – sometimes they’ll have the same sound, sometimes not. You’ll then learn more readings of the kanji. Once in a while you’ll become curious enough to look up the meaning of a kanji you’ve seen in many words and you’ll learn some more about that kanji…. and so on.
Just learn words. The rest will follow.
If you know how to look at kanji (i.e., it’s not just a bunch of squiggles to you), then any deck will do. the main concern with learning full vocab as opposed to individual kanji really has to do with the readings. You don’t personally get to pick and choose whether to use on’yomi or kun’yomi, so if you learn the full word, you won’t ask “which one do I use??”
On the other hand, if kanji do still look indistinguishable to you, look into radicals and stroke order. These will teach you how individual kanji are put together.
What are you wanting to learn about a kanji that you wouldn’t learn from learning the words that use it?
When you learn the meaning of the word, you will learn to associate the kanji with that meaning. When you learn how to read the word, you will learn how to read the kanji. When you learn how to write the word, you will learn how to write the kanji. What else do you need to know about the kanji?
Kanjidamage teaches you kanji by radicals, which I find great for learning handwriting, and tells you some important vocab that includes that kanji. You can use that alongside your vocab learning. Has some unsavory/edgy mnemonics if that’s a problem for you.
I do 12 new words a day (notice, words not kanji) so that you have at least a word context for the kanji. I also go over the radicals in new kanji and try to think up a radical-based story to remember the meaning.
This means some days we have 6 new kanji, some days we have none. Follow along with you want, no need to subscribe. The word lists are on a shared Google drive and videos are on youtube if you don’t want to watch the stream.
[https://www.twitch.tv/deadmandz](https://www.twitch.tv/deadmandz)