Best method for learning Kanji: App or Book?

Hi! I’m about to learn Kanji now. My mistake is that i started learning Japanese without starting Kanji. I didn’t know that I also have to start kanji once I learned Hiragana and Katakana. Currently, I’m using Genki series for Japanese structure and vocab. I’m also using Onitan and Takanobo apps for vocab.

My main point is, are Kanji Look and Learn workbook and 1000 Kanji Understanding Through Pictures book enough to learn kanji? I would also like to purchase Kanji Study! because I rlly like its usability and simplicity.

Do you have any tips or recos on which material I should use? I’m self studying and my plan is to take JLPT. Thank you!

2 comments
  1. I recommend you incorporate both together. Apps have mnemonic/review settings. Books can be pretty useful depending on the person—I personally like to read and remember better when I read from a book. That being said, having a decent grasp on the ~200 main kanji compounds are pretty important and learning to write will help you to become more adept.

    With a decent grasp of around 1000 kanji, I think you can read elementary-grade texts; if you were to try to use a translate aid for online texts (stuff short of newspaper or Wikipedia-stuff), you wouldn’t have as much pain. Most online comments are pretty simple and you’ll be able to grasp them well if again, you have a ‘decent’ (arbitrary definition here) comprehension of the meaning.

  2. >enough to learn kanji

    Gotta specify what qualifies as “enough” for you. Practically anything can teach you a handful of kanji.
    On a related note,

    >my plan is to take JLPT

    Are you planning to take N5, N1, or somewhere in between? Elaborating on this point helps with the first issue as well.

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