Kanji Guide
Master the art of Chinese characters in Japanese - from radicals to readings
Understanding Kanji
Kanji (漢字) are Chinese characters adopted into the Japanese writing system over 1,500 years ago. Unlike hiragana and katakana which represent sounds, kanji are logographic - each character represents a meaning or concept.
Modern Japanese uses approximately 2,000-3,000 kanji in everyday life. The government designates 2,136 jōyō kanji (常用漢字) as essential for literacy, taught through high school.
Key Differences from Phonetic Scripts
- • Meaning-based: Each kanji carries inherent meaning (木 = tree, 森 = forest)
- • Multiple readings: Most kanji have both Chinese (on'yomi) and Japanese (kun'yomi) pronunciations
- • Component-based: Built from smaller parts called radicals and components
- • Context-dependent: Reading often depends on whether the kanji appears alone or in compounds
Origins and Evolution
Kanji originated in China over 3,000 years ago as pictographs and ideographs. They entered Japan through Korea around the 5th century CE, brought by Buddhist monks and scholars.
Pictographs
Stylized pictures of objects. 山 (mountain) shows three peaks.
Ideographs
Abstract concepts. 上 (up) shows something above a line.
Phono-semantic
Combine meaning and sound hints. 語 has 言 (speech) + 吾 (sound).
Over centuries, Japan adapted these characters to fit their language, creating uniquely Japanese readings and even inventing new kanji called kokuji (国字) like 働 (work) and 峠 (mountain pass).
The Radical System
Radicals (部首, bushu) are the building blocks of kanji. There are 214 traditional radicals, though only about 50-100 are commonly used. Understanding radicals is crucial because they:
- • Provide clues to a kanji's meaning
- • Help with dictionary lookups
- • Make memorization more systematic
Common Radical Categories
水 (みず) - Water
Appears as 氵on the left
木 (き) - Tree
Related to wood, plants
人 (ひと) - Person
Appears as 亻on the left
心 (こころ) - Heart
Emotions, feelings
Effective Memorization Strategies
Learning kanji requires a systematic approach. Here are proven pedagogical methods:
1. Component Analysis
Break kanji into meaningful parts rather than memorizing strokes.
語 = 言 (words) + 五 (five) + 口 (mouth)
Story: "Five mouths speaking words = language"
2. Semantic Networks
Learn related kanji together to reinforce connections.
All contain 日 (sun/day) radical
3. Spaced Repetition (SRS)
Review at increasing intervals to move knowledge to long-term memory.
Day 1 → Day 3 → Week 1 → Week 2 → Month 1 → Month 3
4. Production Practice
Writing kanji activates motor memory and deepens encoding.
Practice stroke order → Write from memory → Use in sentences
5. Contextual Learning
Learn kanji through vocabulary, not in isolation.
生
生きる (to live), 生徒 (student), 生まれる (to be born), 先生 (teacher)
Special Patterns and Phenomena
Repeated Kanji (々)
The repetition mark 々 (called のま) indicates the kanji before it is repeated:
Rendaku (連濁) - Sequential Voicing
When kanji combine, the first consonant of the second word often voices:
Ateji (当て字) - Phonetic Usage
Sometimes kanji are used purely for their sound, ignoring meaning:
Semantic-Phonetic Compounds
About 85% of kanji combine a meaning component with a sound component:
On'yomi vs Kun'yomi
Most kanji have multiple readings divided into two categories:
音読み (On'yomi)
Chinese-derived readings
- • Usually used in compounds
- • Often written in katakana in dictionaries
- • Generally shorter sounds
- • Example: 山 = サン (as in 富士山)
訓読み (Kun'yomi)
Native Japanese readings
- • Used when kanji stands alone
- • Written in hiragana in dictionaries
- • Often have okurigana (hiragana endings)
- • Example: 山 = やま (mountain)
General Patterns (with exceptions!)
Learning Path
A structured approach to learning kanji:
Recommended Daily Practice
- • Learn 5-10 new kanji (beginners) or 10-20 (intermediate)
- • Review 20-50 previously learned kanji
- • Read native material using known kanji
- • Write 10 kanji from memory
Start with the 2,136 essential jōyō kanji for structured learning