Kelsey P. - Immersion Japanese Club

Japanese Kanji: Its Origins, Characteristics, and Distinctions

Kelsey P. — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:43:52 +0000

Oh, kanji… Yep, it’s time to address that possibly most unnerving and difficult aspect of the Japanese language.

There are already several articles in this blog discussing the number of known kanji (the answer: a lot), as well as the different readings of each character and the like.

In this article, we will specifically explore the origins of kanji and its distinct characteristics that make it differ from alphabets (i.e. the ABCs, or rōmaji as they’re called in Japanese) and from syllabaries (that is, the kana).

Origins of Kanji

Kanji is one of the four (yes, you heard me, four) writing systems used in Japan, along with hiragana, katakana, and rōmaji. (In fact, the kana were themselves derived from kanji, but we’ll explore that factoid elsewhere.) It consists of Chinese characters that were adapted and modified to fit the Japanese language: in fact, the very word “kanji” means “Chinese (Han) character.”

As such, we can say that kanji originated from China as “hanzi” (the Chinese word for them) and were introduced to Japan nearly en masse sometime around the 5th century CE. At that time, Japan did not have a writing system of its own, so it adopted Chinese characters to record its own language -- why create when you can borrow, right?

Over time, the Chinese characters were modified somewhat to fit the language better, as well as unique cultural contexts, resulting in a set of characters that were Japan’s very own and are now used exclusively in that country.

(...Unfortunately, they’re still called “Chinese characters,” however, so that’s a bummer, I suppose. “Japanese Chinese characters” is even more confusing, though. Perhaps we should just stick with “kanji,” if only for disambiguation purposes.)

Characteristics of Kanji

Figuring out what kanji are exactly is sadly more difficult than one might suspect at first.

Linguists often consider kanji characters to be generally logographic, which means that each character represents a word or idea rather than a sound. The development of Japanese kanji over time, however, challenges this notion as many characters are used for only the representation of their sound rather than their meaning.

Regardless, this status of carrying meanings (even in characters only meant to represent certain sounds) makes them quite different from alphabets, which represent individual phonemes, and syllabaries, which represent syllables (more accurately called “morae” in the case of Japanese). As an example, I can take think of the word “kanji” alphabetically and break it down to its component phonemes (“k,” “a,” “n,” “j,” “i”); or I can think of it via the Japanese syllabary (let’s use hiragana) and break it down as “か,” “ん,” and “じ.” (Note how there are fewer syllables to break the word down into than phonemes.) Compare that to the logographic version of the word, 漢字 (kanji), and we notice that we only need two character to represent it: “漢” and “字.”

To dive into the deep end for a moment, kanji characters themselves can often be broken down even further into smaller components, many of which can serve as stand alone characters. For example, 字 (“character”) above has a component 子 (“child”) in it that is its own character. Every kanji also has some one extra-special component that is called its radical and that gives us clues to the meaning and pronunciation of the character.

One further unique characteristic of specifically the Japanese version of these Chinese characters is that each character can have multiple pronunciations, depending on the context in which it is used. This is because many of the kanji characters were adapted from Chinese, and Chinese has many homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings). And this may also be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for what makes Japanese the most difficult language to learn for native speakers of English. A quick example of this is the character 風 which can be pronounced as "kaze" (wind) or "fū" (style), depending on the context.

One of the most daunting tasks for beginning Japanese learners is most certainly that kanji require memorization of a (very) large number of characters. There are over 2,000 kanji characters that are commonly used in Japanese (known as the Jōyō kanji), and the average educated Japanese person probably knows around 3,000 to 4,000 characters. Daunting, yes, but it is nonetheless essential for eventually reading and writing in the language.

Differences from Alphabets and Syllabaries

It’s important to stress again that one of the main differences between kanji and alphabets/syllabaries is that kanji characters are not phonetic. The pronunciation of a word cannot be determined by simply looking at its written form, as is the case with alphabets and syllabaries. (Alternatively, characters in alphabets and syllabaries don’t carry inherent meanings with them as kanji do.)

This means that we learners of Japanese must memorize the pronunciation (or “reading”) of each individual character and how it is used in words and phrases. That said, there are certainly means and methods to learning these readings in an efficient manner, which I’ll detail further in another post.

For now, perhaps another incentive for learning these wacky characters, beyond being able to understand written Japanese, is that Chinese characters are not themselves used exclusively in Japan (even if we can say that kanji are). Chinese languages as well as several other East Asian countries, including Korea and Vietnam, have utilized in the present or the past their own passed-down versions of these characters.

Which means that if I’m visiting somebody’s Chinese YouTube channel, one can often at least get the gist of what the topic of conversation is, and perhaps what’s being said, even if one’s Chinese is perhaps subpar. We could even go as far as to say that this makes kanji a valuable tool for communication and cultural exchange in the region.

In summary, kanji is a unique writing system that originated from China and was adapted over the years to fit the Japanese language and culture. Its logographic nature and use of component parts make it a distinctive way of representing words and ideas. While it requires memorization of a large number of characters, it is an essential part of reading and writing in Japanese. Despite its differences from alphabets and syllabaries, kanji is also an invaluable tool for communication and cultural exchange in East Asia.

And if you're interested in mastering these and other important aspects of Japanese kanji, I recommend looking no further than IJC's Cracking the Kanji Code Course, as well as it's sequel for starting with your first 80 JLPT N5-Level kanji in our Level 2 Kanji Course.

Happy studies!

The post Japanese Kanji: Its Origins, Characteristics, and Distinctions first appeared on Immersion Japanese Club.

How many kanji ARE there?

Kelsey P. — Sun, 05 Mar 2023 01:28:17 +0000

In case you weren’t already aware, kanji are an integral part of the written Japanese language. They’re used extensively: in newspapers, books, manga, ads, everywhere. The Japanese Ministry of Education has established a set of guidelines to determine the appropriate level of kanji proficiency for students at different stages of their education. Here’s a brief look at these different levels of proficiency and the number of kanji you'd be expected to know at each stage of schooling were you too a Japanese native.

Elementary School (Grades 1-6)

In Japan, the education system places a great deal of emphasis on kanji education. Students begin learning kanji characters from the first grade, and by the end of their elementary education, they are expected to have learned approximately 1,000 kanji characters, as per the gakunenbetsu kanji haitōhyō (学年別漢字配当表) -- say that five times fast! -- also known as the kyōiku kanji (教育漢字). These kanji are considered the basic building blocks of the Japanese language, and I like to tell my students that kanji can’t be that bad if these elementary schoolers can get that many of them down.

The gakunenbetsu kanji haitōhyō is a list of kanji characters that are specifically designated for each grade level, from first grade to sixth grade. The list serves as a guide for teachers and students to ensure that the appropriate number of kanji characters are taught in each grade, and that students are well-prepared for the next level of education.

The first-grade list consists of 80 kanji characters, and each subsequent grade adds an additional 160 characters. By the end of the sixth grade, students have learned a total of 1,006 kanji characters, which is a significant accomplishment.

While the gakunenbetsu kanji haitōhyō serves as a guideline, it is not a rigid rule. Teachers have the flexibility to adjust their lessons to meet the needs of their students, and some may introduce additional kanji characters beyond the designated list.

Overall, the gakunenbetsu kanji haitōhyō is an essential aspect of Japan's education system. It provides a standardized approach to kanji education, ensuring that all students receive a comprehensive education in the language.

Junior High School (Grades 7-9)

In Japanese junior high schools, the focus on kanji education continues from where it left off in elementary school. Students are expected to learn an additional 1,130 kanji characters on top of the kyōiku kanji during their junior high education, bringing their total to around 2,136 characters. (Bear that last number in mind as we move forward here.)

While the exact number of kanji characters taught may vary depending on the school and curriculum, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) provides a list of these 2000+ kanji characters that students are expected to know by the end of junior high school. The kanji on this list are best known as the "jōyō kanji," or "regular-use kanji," and include characters that are commonly used in everyday life.

For the record, these jōyo kanji are the ones you and I care about most. So be relieved: you only need to learn 2,136 characters (on top of the 92 new kana characters you learned before)! *Awkward smile and wink*

The jōyō kanji list is divided into three levels: the first level includes 240 kanji characters, the second level includes 160 characters, and the third level includes 740 characters. Students are expected to learn the first level of kanji in the 7th grade, the second level in the 8th grade, and the third level in the 9th grade.

Kanji education in junior high schools is typically taught in Japanese language classes, but it may also be included in social studies and history classes. The teaching method may vary depending on the school and teacher, but it usually involves a combination of reading, writing, and memorization.

So essentially, kanji education in Japanese junior high schools builds upon the foundation established in elementary school and prepares students for the more advanced kanji characters they will encounter in high school and beyond.

High School (Grades 10-12)

In Japan high schools, high school students are expected to know an additional 881 kanji on top of the kyōiku kanji and jōyō kanji, bringing their total to around 3,017 characters. These kanji are considered more difficult and specialized, and are not commonly used in everyday life.

Similar to junior high school, the exact number of kanji characters taught may vary depending on the school and curriculum, but the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) provides a list of 881 kanji characters that students are expected to learn in high school. This list is called the "jinmeiyō kanji" (人名用漢字), which means 'kanji used in personal names,' and it includes kanji characters that are not included in the jōyō kanji list but are commonly used in personal and place names.

The jinmeiyō kanji list is itself divided into two levels, with the first level including 284 kanji characters, and the second level 597 characters. Students are expected to learn the kanji in these levels in the tenth grade and eleventh through twelfth grades, respectively.

As you can imagine, the kanji education taught in Japanese high schools therefore focuses on preparing students for the sort of literature they are more likely to come across in higher education and in their future careers.

College and Beyond

Students and working professionals in Japan encounter even more complex kanji characters than those mentioned thus far. The number of kanji characters they are expected to know can vary widely depending on their field of study or profession. For example, those studying Japanese literature or history may encounter kanji characters that are rarely used in everyday life, whereas those working in business or engineering -- that is, sectors with a larger degree of technical verbiage -- may need to be familiar with kanji characters only related to their field.

The average number of new kanji characters encountered in higher education and careers in Japan, therefore, can range from a few hundred to a few thousand, depending on the field of study or occupation. However, many Japanese universities and companies offer specialized language courses and training programs to help students and employees improve their kanji skills and keep up with the demands of their respective arena.

Many Japanese adults therefore continue to study kanji beyond the level required by the end of high school, as there are thousands more kanji characters that can be learned, and such individuals often find the pleasure and pain of kanji to be two sides of the same coin to that end.

The Jōyō Kanji

As mentioned earlier, the jōyō kanji, or "common use kanji," is a set of 2,136 Chinese characters officially designated for use in daily communications throughout the country. These characters were first selected by the Japanese Ministry of Education in 1981 to be taught and learned in schools, replacing the previous set of 1,850 characters known as the "tōyō kanji" (当用漢字) or "present use kanji."

At the time, the jōyō list totaled 1,945 characters. (Which is spookily also the number year that Japan underwent one of its biggest governmental and economic overhauls of all time.) The list was last updated much later in 2010 (which was only yesterday, when you think about it), when it was expanded from 1,945 to the 2,136 characters we know and love today.

The selection process for these 2000+ characters was based on several factors, including frequency of use, importance in written communication, and overall cultural significance. By learning these kanji, Japanese learners are able to read and write most of the commonly used words that show up on a regular (if not exactly everyday per se) basis.

Today, the jōyō kanji are widely used in Japanese education and serves as the foundation for the study of the Japanese language. The characters are taught in a more-or-less specific order, with students gradually building up their kanji knowledge and skills. These kanji are considered essential for basic literacy in Japanese society and are therefore taught in schools throughout the country, often serving as a requirement for entrance to higher education institutions.

The Dai Kanwa Jiten

But wait!, you say. I found on some Reddit channel way-back-when that there are far more than just 2,000-something kanji!

You're right. The Dai Kanwa Jiten (大漢和辞典), or "big Japanese kanji dictionary," is a Japanese dictionary that contains over...wait for it...50,000 kanji characters.

This massive Chinese-Japanese dictionary was compiled by Japanese scholars in the Edo period (1603-1868). The dictionary contains over (I repeat) 50,000 entries and is considered one of the most comprehensive Chinese-Japanese dictionaries ever created. This compilation took place in response to a growing need for accurate and comprehensive Chinese-Japanese dictionaries in Japan at the time, what with China still being seen as a major cultural and intellectual influence on historical Japan.

First published in 1716, the dictionary and has been revised and updated several times since then and remains an important reference work for scholars of the Chinese and Japanese languages, literature, and culture.

While it's not even remotely necessary to know all of these kanji, it may be a useful resource for those studying Japanese and for those who work with the language professionally. (See also the last sentence in the above "College and Beyond" section regarding intentional pain-seekers.)

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To conclude, knowing the appropriate level of kanji proficiency is important to consider after gauging what our own specific needs and desires are behind learning Japanese. For most of us, the 2,136 "regular-use" kanji are more than sufficient.

And if you're interested in mastering these and other important aspects of Japanese kanji, I recommend looking no further than IJC's N5 Kanji Course. Happy studies!

The post How many kanji ARE there? first appeared on Immersion Japanese Club.

Kun-yomi vs. On-yomi Explained: Why do Japanese kanji have multiple readings?

Kelsey P. — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 19:49:21 +0000

Japanese kanji, the logographic characters borrowed from China, are an essential part of the Japanese writing system.

However, one of the most challenging aspects of learning kanji is that many of them have multiple readings. This can be confusing, especially for newbies to this aspect of the language, and especially when said newbies discover that some kanji have more than two, three, even -- wait for it -- more than twenty readings. (Yes, I'm looking at you, 生 ...)

So why do Japanese kanji have multiple readings, and what is the difference between kun-yomi and on-yomi? In this article, we'll explore these questions and shed some light on this important topic.

The Origin of Multiple Readings

To understand why kanji have multiple readings, it's important to know a bit about their history.

Kanji were first introduced to Japan over a thousand years ago, perhaps as early as the late 50s CE. Since then, they've evolved in distinctly unique (read: distinctly Japanese) ways.

The Japanese language already had its own set of native words and grammar rules, so the imported Chinese characters had to be adapted (in some cases, a lot) to fit the Japanese language.

One of the ways this was done was to give some of the kanji new pronunciations that were based on the sounds of existing Japanese words. These new readings were called kun-yomi, which literally means something like "instructional reading" or "meaning reading," but is probably best remembered as "Japanese reading."

The other type of reading for kanji is called on-yomi, which refers to the original Chinese pronunciation of the character (albeit from a region and time in China when they barely if ever resembled Mandarin). When kanji were first introduced to Japan, they were read using these on-yomi readings, and sometimes we can still see a loose connection in this regard between the Chinese hanzi and their Japanese equivalents (kanji).

Adopting kanji with their given on-yomi readings allowed Japanese people to read Chinese texts and communicate with Chinese traders and officials. Over time, the on-yomi readings became an important part of the Japanese language and can be found about as pervasively throughout the language today as French words are in English (as when I ask you if this isn't a most fine instruction of today's topic).

Kun-yomi vs. On-yomi

So, what is the difference exactly between kun-yomi and on-yomi readings?

Well, as mentioned earlier, kun-yomi readings are based on the sounds of Japanese words that existed prior to kanji's arrival to the country. These readings are used when a kanji has been "grafted" onto all or part of a Japanese word, either on its own (such as in 木, or ki) or as part of a compound word (as in 持ち帰り, mochikaeri), though somewhat less rarely than is the case for their on-yomi counterparts.

Kun-yomi readings are often the case as well when we see okurigana (or whatever hiragana comprises part of a word along with the word's kanji). A case in point: 行きたくない (ikitakunai), or "I don't want to go," requires okurigana to help us with declining the verb 行く (iku), and as such relies on a version of "to go" that utilizes the kanji's kun-yomi for 行 (which would otherwise be read "gyou" or "kou").

On-yomi readings, on the other hand, are based on the original Chinese pronunciation of the character. These readings are very often used when a kanji is used in combination with other kanji to form a compound word.

For example, the kanji for "big" (大) has the on-yomi reading of "dai" and the kun-yomi reading of "o'okii." When combined with other kanji (e.g. 学, "to study/learn") to form a compound word, it is usually read with the on-yomi reading (e.g. 大学, or daigaku, which means college/university).

Compound words in Japanese often have Chinese origins (again, think of big fancy French words used now in everyday English) that were imported into the language along with their readings. This makes on-yomi as necessarily relevant to daily Japanese conversation and reading as kun-yomi. So much for choosing favorites.

Why Learn Multiple Readings?

With so many kanji having multiple readings, it can be challenging to learn them all. (Seriously, there's eleven reading variations to the kanji we used above, 行. What gives?!)

However, as any good-natured Japanese native or language teacher will tell you, it is an unavoidable, arduous, and fairly thankless task that you signed up for the moment you told yourself that one time, "Kanji are cool! I'll bet I can learn 50 of them a day and have all the jouyou ones down before Anya says 'chichi' again!" (Bad, Anya, bad!)

It's most certainly worth it, though. For one thing, knowing both kun-yomi and on-yomi readings allows you to understand the meaning of a much wider variety of words than if you only chose one or the other. This inherently makes reading Japanese texts much easier, consider the vast number of words that are written using kanji.

Another less obvious reason to take the time to learn these multiple readings is that they can provide hints as to the meaning of unfamiliar words. For example, the kanji for "fire" (火) has the on-yomi reading of "ka" and the kun-yomi reading of "hi." Knowing both readings can help you recognize the kanji (and therefore its associations) when you hear it in other words, such as "kayoubi (火曜日 , "Tuesday"), "kazan" (火山, "volcano"), or "hibana" (火花, "spark").

In other words, kanji often serves as the link between disparate-seeming words (e.g. "ie" and "kazoku" both share 家) which we can only really appreciate and take advantage of knowing if we do our due diligence of studying both its kun- and on-yomi readings. Put in the effort, and you'll slowly but surely begin to see the code of the Matrix that is the Japanese language reveal itself to you.

In conclusion, the reason why Japanese kanji have multiple readings is due to their evolution over time and the need to adapt them to the peculiarities and idiosyncrasies of the Japanese language.

Happy studies!

The post Kun-yomi vs. On-yomi Explained: Why do Japanese kanji have multiple readings? first appeared on Immersion Japanese Club.

The difference between は and が

Kelsey P. — Sat, 04 Mar 2023 16:48:18 +0000

Let's face it: Japanese has a lot of rough patches for English native speakers itching to learn it, and some of these crop up from the very start of one's studies.

One of the most challenging aspects of these patches for a beginner is the topic of Japanese particles. While there are a few great resources out there for deep-diving into these uniquely Japanese words (among which I most recommend this one), it can still be particularly difficult to understand the difference between two innocent-looking particles: は (wa) and が (ga).

While these particles are often used interchangeably in English translations, they have distinct meanings and functions in Japanese grammar.

In this article, we'll take a brief look at は and が and provide examples to aid you in gaining a little more ground in comprehending them.

Subjects and Topics

は and が are both particles that can indicate the subject of a sentence, but they are used in different ways.

は is used to mark the topic of a sentence (a concept foreign to English speakers), while が is considered the one most frequently used to mark the subject. (Keep in mind, however, that は is frequently doing the job of marking the subject as well, though not in the same sentence with が.)

The distinction here is a bit tricky at first: the topic is what a sentence or a conversation is about, while the subject of a sentence is the person or thing that is doing the action.

Let's take a look at some examples to see how this works in practice:

私は日本語が話せます。

Watashi wa nihongo ga hanasemasu.
"As for me, I can speak Japanese."

In this sentence above, は marks the topic (私は), while が marks the subject (日本語が), that being what I can speak.

彼が先生です。
Kare ga sensei desu.
"He is a teacher."

This sentence shows が marking the subject (彼が), which is the person doing the action of being a teacher.

As you can see, the use of は and が can change the focus of what is being said. So one general difference between these two particles is that while は is used to bring up a topic, が is used to identify the subject of the sentence.

Contrasting and Emphasis

は has the additional benefit of expressing a contrast between one thing to another.

私はりんごが好きですが、兄はオレンジが好きです。
Watashi wa ringo ga suki desu ga, ani wa orenji ga suki desu.
"I like apples, but my older brother likes oranges."

In the sentence above, は is used to contrast between two items (myself and my brother) and highlight the difference in preferences.

昨日は友達と映画に行きませんでした。
Kinou wa tomodachi to eiga ni ikimasen deshita.
"Yesterday, I didn't go to the movies with my friends."

This sentence shows は being used to highlight the negative aspect of the statement ("didn't go") and contrast it with a hypothetical positive statement ("went to the movies with friends").

However, there's another type of situation that highlights the differences between は and が. Despite the fact that they can often be used interchangeably, in general は is used to make a statement about a topic, while が is used to provide new information about a subject.

Here's an example:

魚は好きです。
Sakana wa suki desu.
"I like fish."

The は in this sentence marks the topic (魚は) and provides a general statement about the speaker's likes and dislikes.

魚が好きです。
Sakana ga suki desu.
"I like fish."

Now が is marking the subject (魚が) and provides new information about what the speaker likes.

Summary

In short, は is used to mark the topic of a sentence or to contrast between options, while が is used to mark the subject or emphasize. And in some cases, they can be used interchangeably depending on the context and the focus of the sentence.

There's no doubt that it can take a while to get the hang of using は and が correctly. But while the distinction between them is indeed an essential aspect of Japanese grammar, the difference is probably best grasped over time by lots of example sentences.

And while understanding their differences and practicing their use can improve your Japanese language skills and help you to communicate more effectively, it is through courses like those offered here on IJC that one realizes there's no point in stressing out over getting it all right off the bat. By spending large amounts of time listening, reading, and practicing, you too will begin to intuit the nuances between these particles.

Check out our Courses page for a look at what we offer here!

The post The difference between は and が first appeared on Immersion Japanese Club.