Kanji
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Kanji (漢字) are the logographic characters used in writing Japanese (along with kana).
Learning kanji
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Learn kanji radicals first. Study them in order of stroke count, and associate them with mnemonic meanings.1
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Learn kanji in order of increasing written complexity. Contrast this approach with how Japanese children learn: they learn kanji with simple meanings first, e.g. learning 曜 (weekday) before 勺 (ladle).2
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Consider the 80/20 rule: Learn kanji on the jōyō kanji (commonly used kanji) list.3
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For pronunciation, focus on being able to read words aloud in context. Don’t try to memorise all of the on and kun readings.4
Kanji lists
- Jōyō kanji (2,136) – the official list of commonly used kanji.
- 1,026 kanji taught in primary school (kyōiku kanji, “education kanji”).
- 1,110 additional kanji taught in secondary school.
- Jinmeiyō kanji (863) – additional “name kanji”.