Let's Learn Kanji Characters!

Are Kanji characters troublesome to learn for you?
The number of common Kanji characters designated for daily use is 2,136. Do you think it's too many or not so much?

We learn 80 Kanji in 1st grade of elementary school in Japan. During 6 years until graduation, students must learn 1006 Kanji characters. The period of 6 years in elementary school and 3 years in junior high school is compulsory education. Students must master 1607 characters at a graduate level. In Japan, more than 97% of the students go on to high school. And then, finally, they master 2,136 characters.

Even Japanese people need 12 years to learn all of them, so why do you need to be impatient? =) Take it easy! And many people forget how to write or read some of them. Just move your fingers, the computer (PC, mobile) will help you find proper Kanji characters. Well, sometimes they show us funny conversions. I'm gonna tell you about it later!


Before the examples of funny Kanji conversions, I show you helpful video for Kanji learners.
If you have hard time to remember them or have interest in them and just want to start learning them, this video would help you out.


The title is "Learn to read Chinese ... with ease!"
She's talking about Chinese but, you know what, Japanese Kanji is from Chinese characters. The characters she introduces (not all of them) are also used in Japan in same meanings.

口 mouth　くち
人 person　ひと
火 fire　ひ
木 wood　き
山 mountain　やま
日 sun　ひ
月 moon　つき
門 door, gate　もん
囚 to be taken presoner (not so common)
林 woods, grove　はやし
森 forest　もり
呆 idiot (not so common)
本 book　ほん
炎 flame　ほのお
晶 shining, crystal (sometimes used as a boy's name)
明 bright, cheerful あかるい*明るい
旦 sunrise (not so common for daily use)
問 ask, question しつもんする*質問する
女 woman　おんな
火山 volcano　かざん
日本 Japan　にほん
日本人 Japanese person/people　にほんじん
出口 exit　でぐち

This is the list of Kanji characters she showed in the video above which are also used in Japan. Do you have any particular Kanji characters hard to remember? Let me know if you have. I just wonder. =)


Okay, now I let you know the examples of funny Kanji conversions.
Today, this is *Japanese Word of the Day*

きみのかお、なんかいもみたい。

You have a Japanese girlfriend and send her an email. You want to say that you want to see her face many times. Then you'll convert it into the sentence written with Kanji characters.

君の顔、何回も見たい。
/kimi no kao, nankai mo mitai/

*君(きみ) you *an informal, familiar term
*顔(かお) face

君の顔 = your face

*何回(なんかい)も many times

見(み)たい = 見る+～したい
*～したい want to do...


You must be careful not to write as;
君の顔、なんか芋みたい。
/kimi no kao, nanka imo mitai/

*芋(いも) potato
*なんか～みたい look like..., seem to be...


You see, to use proper Kanji is very important. Lol