Let's Learn More Kanji: Family Groups, Learning Strategies and 300 Complex Kanji

Learning to speak Japanese, it Is universally acknowledged, can be done in a reasonable amount of time, but learning to read and write it cannot. The culprit is kanji, or Chinese characters, which complicate the Japanese writing system to the point of frustration.

A first step toward conquering kanji was taken by Yasuko Mitamura in 1997 with the publication of Let's Learn Kanji. There, the fundamentals were introducedstrokes, radicals, and components-and 250 basic kanji as well. Now, Let's Learn More Kanji moves on to complex kanji and the formation of compounds of more than one character. Not simply a brilliant exposition but more importantly a workbook, it teaches the student how to analyze difficult characters in terms of radicals, components, and basic kanji; how to put kanji together into compounds; and how to recognize and learn any kanji not actually introduced in the book. Progress is constantly checked, and the student is continually motivated through quizzes and exercises. The result is the acquisition of 300 complex kanji. If the student has also studied Let's Learn Kanji, at the end of this volume he or she will have mastered 550 kanji for writing and received exposure to some 2,000 kanji altogether. As a result, the student will be firmly on the road to reading and writing Japanese.

Preface [slightly abridged]

In the first volume of this series, Let's Learn Kanji, the student was introduced to the fundamentals of Kanji: strokes, radicals, components, and 250 basic Kanji which can be components of more complex Kanji. Most importantly, the student learned how Kanji can be classified into family groups based on their constituent radicals and components. It was explained that recognizing such relationships is a crucial skill that the non-native student will need in order to quickly and systematically learn Kanji. Learning these various family groups enables students to break down new and complex Kanji into familiar components.

In the present volume, Let's Learn More Kanji, we expand on the family group relationship and emphasize it as an important Kanji learning strategy, but at the same time we also provide several other strategies. In Part I, we introduce 300 complex Kanji that can be analyzed in terms of the radicals, components, and basic Kanji introduced in the first volume. The chart entry for each Kanji includes an "exploded view" in which the Kanji is broken down into its constituent parts. Sometimes one of the constituent parts could be broken down further. However, if this constituent part was introduced earlier as an entry Kanji with its own exploded view, it is treated as a single component and is not "exploded" a second time. This view will aid the student in determining the family group to which the Kanji belongs and also will make it easier to memorize and learn to write Kanji.

In Part II, we introduce other Kanji learning strategies that are based on the following Kanji groupings: (1) conceptually related Kanji, (2) same Kun-yomi groups but with different meanings, (3) same On-yomi family groups based on common components, and (4) similar Kanji (visually or because the same radical/component is used) that are easily confused.

Finally, in Part III, we introduce the student to some patterns which are useful in understanding the structure of Kanji compounds called Jukugo. These patterns include repeating a single Kanji to show emphasis or plurality, joining two Kanji with similar meanings, with opposite meanings, or with the first modifying the second, etc.

Throughout Parts I and II, sufficient exercises are given, so that at the end of both volumes, the student will be thoroughly familiar with 550 Kanji for writing, will have been exposed to over 1,000 more for recognition and reading, and will be equipped with several powerful learning tools which will facilitate the rapid mastery of Kanji. It is the authors' hope that the confidence gained through use of these two volumes will enhance the students' desire to achieve complete Kanji mastery....

Richard Glenn Covington Joyce Yumi Mitamura Yasuko Kosaka Mitamura