Hey all,
I am now learning japanese for a few months. I started with the basics (Hiragana, Katakana, grammar and so on). However, as I started with learning Kanjis I am really struggling to put all the things together.
At the one hand, I just want to learn new vocabulary. On the other hand, I also want to be able to read easy texts as well. For reading, I obviously need Kanjis.
I tried to learn Kanjis with the iOS app Kanji! that have categorized the relevant Kanjis in the JLPT categories (N5 up to N1). I also tried to learn with WaniKani. At the end, the main problem for me is to learn the vocabulary, the Kanji, and the different readings all at once. I didn’t figured out a routine for me that works quite well.
Do you have a good routine for learning that part in a more intuitive way? I guess, the main goal would be to learn Kanjis mainly by reading texts and just learn all the unknown Kanjis. But for that I obviously need a lot of basic Kanjis in the first place.
I tried to find some recommendations by googling but without any satisfying results. I hope some of you have interesting routines, especially for the early phase.
Already thanks a lot 🙏
4 comments
I went straight into Wanikani and started seeking for reading material when I reached level 10 ~ 12.
There’s no secret about learning kanji and vocab really. All you can do is tore through it at first, eventually you’ll be able to record things when you see them being used over and over again. It does becomes way easier to learn new things the more you know though.
Anki, this place is full of Wanikani paid shills
When it comes to multiple readings, I think the best approach isn’t to start with the kanji but rather to learn vocab words that contain that kanji. You’ll pick up the alternate readings in context this way which will make it stick easier than if you’re learning them in a vacuum.
Don’t download generic paid apps and don’t learn the kanjis by themselves
Get all the words you know right now and start making an anki deck containing:
-front: the word in romanji, optionally with the translation in english below
-back:the way it’s commonly written, be it with one kanji, multiple kanjis, hiragana or a combination of these
Try making around 5 new cards everyday
I also recommend that you put images with both the handwritten version of the kanjis and the ”computer” version, also it is highly recommended that you put a stroke order image and you try to memorize it, it’s gonna help a lot, specially when you get to the more complex kanjis that little stroke detail might make you confuse similar kanjis, also, if you want to get a test certification you’ll need to know how to hand write kanji so it’s an useful skill knowing the stroke order
If another word uses the same kanji, make a new card for it, don’t put on the older card, make a single specific card for each word isolated
In the end it’s gonna be pretty cool because not only you gonna have a personalized kanji anki deck that 100% tells you exactly how to read and write you vocab in real life situations, you’ll also have documented the amount of vocab you currently know
Study it everyday and in no time you’ll be kanji fluent with the vocab you know at least