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Hermonie Urameshi

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:05 pm


I'm currently revising the thread to make it easier to read things. I do not know when I'll be finished, but hopefully it'll be soon so I can get more kanji up. biggrin


  Kanji is an essential part of reading and writing in Japanese. Kanji is used for many nouns, adjectives, and verbs as well as all last names and most boys' names. In Japan, students learn various reading to several kanji in each year. They learn about 80 in first grade, 160 in second, 200 in third, 200 in fourth, 185 in fifth, and 181 in sixth totaling 1006 in elementary school. The last are taught in junior high. If they go to college after high school (which most do) they learn about a thousand more characters. To be considered literate, though, you only have to know the jouyou kanji or daily use; the ones taught in elementary and junior high schools. I might teach the jinmeyou, the ones taught in college, if I can find everything.

  Kanji were taken from the Chinese hanzi around 300 AD. I've heard it was either by some Chinese (can't remember what they did) or Koreans looking to make a treaty with Japan against China. The Japanese emperor was so impressed with the writing, since they had never written anything down before, that he sent his son to learn Chinese. Soon all of the royal court spoke Chinese instead of Japanese.

  On'yomi are Chinese readings, readings taken from the Chinese. They are usually used in compounds, explained later in this thread. Kun'yomi is Japanese readings, readings from the Japanese words. They are usually used when the kanji are standing alone in a word. the okurigana afterwards usually helps in knowing which of the kun'yomi to use if you know the word anyways. These rules do not always apply, however. e.x. 一 is pronounced as いち by itself, which is an on'yomi, but in the word 一人, 一 is pronounced ひと, which is a kun'yomi. It's best to learn the words after you learn the kanji or right along side. If you still don't know how to pronounce something when reading it out loud, say it one way and someone is sure to correct you.

  I will be teaching using mnemonics; the same method as with the book which this thread is named after. PLEASE NOTE: These are not all my stories. I will try to think up of my own story first, but if I can't, I will quote all or part of James Heisig's stories. I am thinking of changing my stories to green text just so y'all know. ALSO: If anyone can come up with their own stories I will be more than happy to replace either mine or more likely Heisig's stories with theirs. Just post or PM them to me. 3nodding


Suggestions
Remembering the Kanji I, II, III
Remembering the Kanji: Hyperkanji!
Reviewing the Kanji


Colour codes:
green=me
red=kanji
blue=English
purple=stories or radicals
brown=on'yomi(カタカナ)
teal=kun'yomi(ひらがな)
indigo=up coming kanji
PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:16 pm


Radicals

  These are kanji or strokes that are used to help remember more complicated kanji. Some have variations depending on where they stand in other characters. You will see how these work in Part Two. You do not need to memorize these.

一 いち ONE
个 ぼう ROD NO SJIS GLYPH
丶 てん DOT
丿 てん KANA-NO
乙 おつ FISH HOOK
亅 はねぼう FEATHERED STICK BARB
二 に TWO
亠 なべぶた LID
人 ひと PERSON
儿 にんにょう HUMAN LEGS
入 いる ENTER
八 はちがしら EIGHT
冂 まきがまえ DISPLAY CASE
冖 わかんむり WA-SHAPED CROWN
冫 にすい WATER DROPS
几 つくえ TABLE ENCLOSURE
凵 うけばこ OPEN BOX ENCLOSURE
刀 かたな SWORD
力 ちから STRONG
勹 つつみがまえ WRAPPING
匕 さじのひ SPOON
匚 はこがまえ SIDEWAYS BOX
十 じゅう CROSS
卜 ぼくのと DIVINING ROD
卩 ふしづくり SEAL
厂 がんだれ CLIFF
厶 む MYSELF
又 また FURTHER
口 くち MOUTH
囗 くにがまえ BOX
土 つち EARTH
士 さむらい SAMURAI
夂 ふゆがしら DESCEND
夕 ゆうべ EVENING
大 だい BIG
女 おんな WOMAN
子 こ CHILD
宀 うかんむり CROWN
寸 すん GLUE
小 ちいさい LITTLE
尢 まげあし CROOKED-BIG
尸 しかばね FLAG
屮 てつ OLD GRASS
山 やま MOUNTAIN
巛 まがりがわ CROOKED RIVER
工 たくみ CRAFT
己 おのれ SNAKE
巾 はば CLOTH
干 はす DRY
幺 いとがしら SHORT THREAD
广 まだれ DOTTED CLIFF
廴 いんにょう LONG STRIDE
廾 にじゅうあし TWENTY
弋 しきがまえ CEREMONY
弓 ゆみ BOW
ヨ いがしら PIG HEAD
彡 さんづくり TUFT
彳 ぎょうにんべん GOING MAN
心 りっしんべん HEART
戈 かのほこ HALBERD
戸 とびらのと DOOR
手 て HAND
支 しんよう BRANCH
攴 ぼくづくり FOLDING CHAIR
文 ぶんにょう SENTENCE
斗 とます DIPPER
斤 おの AXE
方 ほう DIRECTION
无 むにょう CROOKED HEAVEN
日 にち SUN
曰 にち SUN
月 つき MOON
木 き TREE
欠 あくび GAP
止 とめる STOP
歹 がつへん DEATH
殳 ほこつくり WINDY
毋 なかれ MOTHER
比 くらべるひ RACE
毛 け WOOL
氏 うじ CLAN
气 きがまえ SPIRIT
水 みず WATER
火 ひ FIRE
爪 つめ CLAW
父 ちち FATHER
爻 めめ DOUBLE X
爿 しょうへん LEFT-SIDE KATA
片 かた ONE-SIDED LEAF SHEET
牙 きばへん FANG
牛 うし COW
犬 いぬ DOG
玄 げん MYSTERIOUS
玉 うし JEWEL
瓜 うり MELON
瓦 かわら TILE
甘 あまい SWEET
生 うまれる LIFE
用 もちいる USE
田た rice field
疋ひき head count
疔やまいだれ sick no SJIS glyph
癶はつがしら dotted tent
白しろ white
皮けがわ hide
皿さら dish
目め eye
矛むのほこ halberd
矢や arrow
石いし stone
示しめす show
禹うのあし mu in box no SJIS glyph
禾のぎ two branch tree
穴あな slit
立たつ stand
竹たけ bamboo
米こめ rice
糸いと thread
缶ほとぎ can
网あみがしら net crown
羊ひつじ sheep
羽はね feathers
老おい old man
而しかして rake
耒らいすき three branch tree
耳みみ ear
聿ふでづくり writing brush
肉にく meat
臣しん retainer
自みずから oneself
至いたる climax
臼うす mortar
舌した tongue
舛ます dancing
舟ふね ship
艮うしとら good
色いろ color
艸くさ grass
虍とらかんむり tiger crown
虫むし bug
血ち blood
行ぎょう journey
衣ころも clothing
襾にし west
見みる see
角つの corner
言ことば say
谷たに valley
豆まめ bean
豕いのこ pig
豸むじな badger
貝かい shellfish
赤あか red
走はしる run
足あし foot
身み station in life
車くるま car
辛からい spicy hot
辰しんのたつ sign of the dragon
辷しんにゅう road
邑むら right village
酉ひよみのとり sake
釆のごめ dice
里さと village
金かね metal
長ながい long
門もん gate
阜ぎふのふ left village
隶れいづくり slave
隹ふるとり old bird
雨あめ rain
青あう blue green
非あらず injustice
面めんface
革かくのかわleather pelt
韋なめしがわtanned leather
韭にらleek
音おとsound
頁おおがいpage
風かぜwind
飛とぶflying
食しよくfood
首くびneck
香においこうsmell
馬うまhorse
骨ほねbone
高たかいhigh
髟かみがしらlong hair
鬥とうがまえbroken gate
鬯ちようfragrant herbs
鬲かくtripod
鬼おにdevil
魚うおfish
鳥とりbird
鹵ろsalt
鹿しかdeer
麥むぎwheat
麻あさflax
黄きいろyellow
黍きびmillet
黒くろblack
黹ふつsewing
黽べんgreen frog
鼎かなえthree legged kettle
鼓つづみdrum beat
鼠ねずみmouse
鼻はなnose
齊せいequal
齒はtooth
龍りゅうdragon
龜かめturtle
龠やくflute

Hermonie Urameshi

Conservative Explorer

6,550 Points
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Hermonie Urameshi

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:19 pm


常用漢字1級

Stories

  These stories are meant to give you and idea of a picture to let you use your imgination to help you remember each character.

一 ONE
イチ ひと・い・いっ・はじめ
Hermonie Urameshi
If you turn it on it's side it looks like a Western numeral 1. Just a note, numbers tend to be written the western way in horizontal text, but in kanji in vertical text.

八 EIGHT
ハチ や・やっ
Hermonie Urameshi
The English numeral 8 is made up of a smaller circle then a smaller circle. Same with the kanji for eight except that they are lines not circles.

力 STRENGTH/POWER
リョク・リキ・リイ ちから
James W. Heisig
With a little imagination, one can see a muscle in this simple, two-stroke character meaning power.

十 TEN
ジュウ・ジッ・ジュッ とお・と・し
Hermonie Urameshi
Turn it a few degrees in any direction and it looks like the Roman numeral X.

二 TWO
ニ・ジ ふた
James W. Heisig
Like the Roman numeral II, which reduplicates the numeral I, the kanji for two is a simple reduplication of the horizontal stroke that means one. The order of writing goes from above to below, with the first stroke slightly smaller shorter.

女 WOMAN
ジョ・ニョ・ニョウ おんな・め・た
James W. Heisig
You have probably seen somewhere the form of a squatting woman drawn behind this character, with two legs at the bottom, two arms (the horizontal line) and the head poking out the top. A little farfetched, until you draw the character and feel the grace and flow of the three simple strokes. Remembering the kanji is easy; learning to write it beautifully is another thing.

口 MOUTH

コウ・ク くち

Hermonie Urameshi
Over the years the Chinese have squared off most round parts of kanji. If you think about it, it looks like an opening to a box.

下 BELOW
カ・ゲ した・さ・くだ・お
James W. Heisig
Here we see our famous miraculous divining rod hanging, all on it's own, below the ceiling, as you probably already guessed would happen. . . .

子 CHILD
シ・ス・ツ こ
James W. Heisig
This kanji is a pictograph of a child wrapped up in one of those handy cocoons that Japanese mothers fix to their backs to carry around young children who cannot get around by themselves. The first stroke is like a wee head popping out of the air; the second shows the body and legs all wrapped up; and the final stroke shows the arms sticking out to cling to the mother's neck.

山 MOUNTAIN
サン・セン やま
James W. Heisig
Note the clearer outline of a triangular mountain here.

川 RIVER/STREAM
セン かわ
James W. Heisig
We have taken the image of a river streamover into English to describe things that fall down in straight lines, or ripple along in lines. All of this is more than evident in the kanji given here, a pictograph of a stream.

三 THREE
サン み
James W. Heisig
And like the Roman numeral III, which triples the numeral I, the kanji for three simply triples the single horizontal stroke. In writing it, think of "1+2=3" (一+二=三) in order to keep the middle stroke shorter.

上 ABOVE
ジョウ うえ・あげる・あがる
James W. Heisig
The two directions, above and below, are usually pointed at with the finger. But the characters do not follow that custom, so we have to choose something else, easily remembered. The radicals show a diving wand standing above a floor―"magically," you might say. . . .

手 HAND
シュ・ズ て
James W. Heisig
Any way you count them, there are either too many or too few fingers to see a good pictograph of a hand in this character. But that it is, and so you must.

日 SUN/DAY/JAPAN
ニチ・ジツ ひ・-か・に
James W. Heisig
This kanji is intended to be a pictograph of the sun. Recalling what we said in the previous frame about round forms, it is easy to detect the circle and the big smile that charcterize our simplest drawings of the sun―like those yellow badges with the words, "Have a nice day!"

水 WATER
スイ みず
Hermonie Urameshi
To remember this one, think of a stick being dropped in water and sending drops in every direction.

木 TREE/WOOD
ボク・モク き・こ-
James W. Heisig
Here we see a pictograph of a tree, showing the main trunk in the long vertical stroke and the boughs in the long horizontal stroke. The final two strokes sweep down in both directions to indicate roots the roots. Although it may look similar at first sight to water, the order in which it is written is completely different and this affects its final appearence.

火 FIRE
カ ひ・ほ-
James W. Heisig
Just as sitting before a fire enlivens the imagination and lets you see almost anything you want to in the flames, this kanji is so simple it lets you see almost any sort of fire you want to see. It no longer makes a good pictograph, but I invite you to take a pencil and paper and play with the form―first writing it as shown below and then adding lines here and there―to see what you come up with. Everything from matchbooks to cigarette lighters to volcanic eruptions to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah have been found here. No doubt you, too, will find something interesting to bend your memory around these four simple strokes.

月 MOON/MONTH
ゲツ・ガツ つき
James W. Heisig
This character is actually a picture of the moon, with the two horizontal lines representing the left eye and mouth of the mythical "man on the moon." (Actually, the Japanese see a hare in the moon, but it's a little farfetched to find one in the kanji.) And one month, of course, is one cycle of the moon.

田 RICE FIELD
デン た・たん
James W. Heisig
Another pictograph, this kanji looks like a bird's-eye veiw of a rice field divided into four plots. . . .

目 EYE/LOOK/INSIGHT
モク・ボク め
James W. Heisig
Here again, if we round out the corners of this kanji and curve the middle strokes upwards and downwards respectively, we get something resembling an eye.

本 BOOK/MAIN/TRUE/REAL
ホン もと
James W. Heisig
Recalling that books are made of paper, and paper made of trees, one might think of a book as a slice of a tree. Can you see the "cross-cut" in the trunk of the tree? Picture it as a chainsaw cutting you out a few books with which to start your own private library.
PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:21 pm


Radicals

  Many of the kanji will not have stories to help you remember them, so instead I will tell you the radicals that make up the kanji.

千 THOUSAND
セン ち
DOT CROSS
犬 DOG
ケン いぬ
DOT BIG
天 HEAVEN/SKY/IMPERIAL
テン あま・あまつ
ONE BIG
六 SIX
ロク・リク む
LID EIGHT
白 WHITE
ハク・ビャク しろ
DOT SUN
四 FOUR
シ よ・よん・つ
BOX HUMAN LEGS
早 EARLY
ソウ・サッ はや・はよ・さわ
SUN CROSS
休 REST/HOLIDAY/RETIRE/SLEEP
キュウ やす
PERSON TREE
字 LETTER/SECTION of VILLAGE
ジ あざ・あざな
CROWN CHILD
百 HUNDRED
ヒャク もも・ど・なり
ONE WHITE
名 NAME/PERSON/REPUTATION
メイ・ミョウ な
EVENING MOUTH
貝 SHELLFISH
バイ かい
EYE EIGHT
花 FLOWER
カ・ケ はな
TWENTY PERSON SPOON
見 SEE/HOPE/OPINION/VISIBLE/LOOK
ケン み
EYE HUMAN LEGS
村 VILLAGE
ソン むら・また・ら

男 MAN/MALE
ダン・ナン おとこ・お

空 EMPTY/SKY/VACUUM
クウ そら・あ・から

林 GROVE
リン はやし

音 SOUND
オン・イン おと・と・ね

草 GRASS/WEEDS
ソウ くさや

校 EXAM/SCHOOL/WRITING/CORRECTION
コウ・キョウ

森 FOREST/WOODS
シン もり

Hermonie Urameshi

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Hermonie Urameshi

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:22 pm


Other

This is where all of the kanji that do not fit in the first two parts will go.

人 PERSON
ジン・ニン ひと・-り・-と
九 NINE
キュウ・ク  ここの
入 ENTER/INSERT
ニュウ・ニッ い・はい
七 SEVEN
シチ なな
土 SOIL/EARTH/GROUND
ド つち
大 LARGE
ダイ・タイ おお
小 SMALL
ショウ ちい・こ-・お-・さ-・こう
夕 EVENING
セキ ゆう
円 CIRCLE/EN/ROUND
エン まる
王 KING/RULE
オウ・-ノウ おおさま
中 MIDDLE/INSIDE/CENTER
チュウ なか
文 SENTANCE/LITERATURE
ブン・モン ふみ
五 FIVE
ゴ いつ
立 STAND UP
リツ・リュウ たつ・た・たち
右 RIGHT
ウ・ユウ みぎ
正 CORRECT
セイ・ショウ ただ・まさ
石 STONE
セキ・コク・シャク いし
玉 JEWEL/BALL
ギョク たま

出 EXIT/LEAVE
シュツ・スイ で・だ・い・すつ・てん
左 LEFT
サ・シャ ひだり
生 LIFE/BIRTH
セイ・ショウ い・お・う・なま・は・なり・き
糸 THREAD
シ いと
竹 BAMBOO
チク たけ
虫 BUG/INSECT
チュウ・キ むし
気 SPIRIT/FEEL
キ・ク いき
耳 EAR
ジ みみ
先 FUTURE/AHEAD
セン さき・ま
年 YEAR
ネン とし
車 CAR
シャ くるま・か
足 LEG/FOOT
ソク あし・た
赤 RED
セキ・シャク あか
雨 RAIN
ウ あめ・あま・さめ
金 GOLD/METAL
キン・コン かね
学 STUDY/LEARN
ガク まな・のり
青 BLUE
セイ・ショウ あお
PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:23 pm


reserved

Hermonie Urameshi

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Hermonie Urameshi

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 24, 2006 1:26 pm


reserved
PostPosted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 10:27 am


常用漢字2級

Stories

Hermonie Urameshi

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:30 am


Radicals
PostPosted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 12:49 pm


Other


刀 弓 丸 工 才 万 心 引 今 牛 止 戸 方 元 午 父 公 少 切 太 内 友 毛 分 矢 外 兄 古 広 市 冬 台 半 用 母 北 肉 羽 行 西 米 会 回 毎 光 合 自 交 考 寺 色 多 地 池 当 同 言 走 何 角 汽 近 形 作 社 図 声 体 谷 弟 里 売 麦 来 夜 門 画 岩 京 国 姉 直 知 長 東 店 歩 妹 明 食 科 海 活 計 南 後 思 室 首 秋 春 星 前 茶 昼 点 風 馬 夏 家 帰 記 原 高 紙 時 弱 書 通 黄 魚 強 教 黒 鳥 細 週 雪 船 組 野 理 雲 絵 間 場 晴 朝 答 道 買 番 園 遠 楽 新 数 電 話 歌 語 算 読 聞 鳴 線 親 頭 顔 曜

Hermonie Urameshi

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Hermonie Urameshi

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 12:51 pm


常用漢字3級

Stories
PostPosted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 3:14 pm


Radicals

Hermonie Urameshi

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PostPosted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 4:00 pm


Other


丁 区 化 予 反 央 主 皿 去 号 仕 由 写 申 世 他 打 代 平 皮 氷 礼 安 羊 曲 血 向 死 式 次 守 州 有 全 両 列 医 究 局 君 決 坂 身 住 助 対 豆 投 返 役 委 育 泳 岸 苦 具 幸 昔 使 始 事 実 者 取 受 所 注 定 波 板 表 服 物 放 味 命 油 和 院 屋 界 客 急 級 係 研 県 指 持 重 拾 昭 乗 神 品 相 送 待 炭 柱 追 度 発 畑 美 秒 負 面 洋 員 荷 起 宮 庫 根 酒 消 真 息 速 庭 島 配 倍 病 勉 流 旅 悪 階 球 祭 終 習 宿 商 章 深 進 族 第 帳 笛 転 都 動 部 問 陽 飲 運 温 開 寒 期 軽 湖 港 歯 集 暑 勝 植 短 着 登 湯 等 童 悲 筆 遊 葉 落 暗 意 感 漢 業 詩 想 鉄 農 福 路 駅 銀 鼻 様 緑 練 横 談 調 箱 館 橋 整 薬 題
PostPosted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 1:59 pm


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 2:01 pm


reserved
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