Kanji Learning: Key Concepts, Readings, and Practical Pathways

Kanji Learning: Key Concepts and Practical Guide

  • Kanji are logograms (logographs) used in Japanese writing. Each character represents a word or a small meaning, unlike the English alphabet which represents sounds.
  • Kanji also have a phonetic component called a reading. Readings provide pronunciation information for the character.
  • There are more than 2000 kanji in common use. This volume tends to intimidate beginners, but a practical learning path is possible.
  • Despite debates about replacing kanji with Hiragana, the speaker argues that kanji aren’t going away and that learners should learn kanji to read Japanese effectively.
  • Each kanji has a meaning (in Japanese) that can also be learned in English. The meaning helps with comprehension and memorization even before mastering readings.
  • Stroke order rules exist for every kanji. If a kanji has, for example, 10 strokes, the prescribed order is considered important and is often fixed. While this is more critical in handwritten Japanese, it can significantly affect how a kanji looks if written incorrectly.
  • Stroke order is worth learning for writing and reading accuracy. The next video in the series promises to cover stroke-order rules in detail.
  • Reading kanji is the hard part: many kanji have three or more readings, which can be categorized as Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Name readings.

Readings: Onyomi, Kunyomi, and Name Readings

  • Onyomi (音読み) = sound reading. Based on the original Chinese reading; many kanji were borrowed or adapted from Chinese. Onyomi is often used in compound words (jukugo).
  • Kunyomi (訓読み) = meaning reading. Based on native Japanese words. Typically used for native-style words (verbs, adjectives that end in an -e sound, and some -na adjectives).
  • Name readings = readings used when the kanji appears in a personal or geographical name.
  • Some kanji have multiple Onyomi, multiple Kunyomi, and many name readings. There are even readings that seem to come out of nowhere.
  • The sheer variety of readings can be overwhelming. The speaker notes that learners shouldn’t try to memorize every reading in isolation.
  • The speaker promises to explain a practical approach later and emphasizes that you don’t need to memorize all readings outright.

Approaches to Learning Kanji: Overview of Major Paths

  • Native writing-by-repetition approach (how Japanese kids learn): write kanji over and over for about nine years, then three more years for certification. Pros: deep familiarity with characters in native language context; better intuition for what comes next in a sentence, aiding reading with kanji you haven’t learned yet. Cons: extremely time-intensive, not practical for most learners.
  • Textbook dictionary-style approach: learn meanings in English, then the readings and a sample word for each reading. Pros: structured, straightforward; easy to map to a dictionary entry; often paired with flashcards or rote memorization. Cons: can feel like memorizing dictionary entries rather than learning reading in real usage; may neglect the integration of writing and sentence-level context.
  • Picture-based memorization (visual mnemonics): treat kanji like pictures to memorize shapes. Pros: can be memorable for some learners. Cons: not ideal for learning readings; author notes this approach is not recommended and shares reservations similar to the native approach.
  • Remembering the Kanji (RTK) by James Heisig: learn English meanings first, then writing, and eventually learn readings later. Pros: strong focus on meaning and structure; efficient for building initial meaning/writing knowledge. Cons: RTK provides little to no method for memorizing readings; time to reach meaningful proficiency is long (often six months or more just for meanings and writings); can delay practical reading practice.
  • WaniKani: a hybrid approach that blends RTK and the earlier methods. Pros: emphasizes meanings first and introduces readings later as you encounter words. Cons: does not emphasize writing early, so reading practice can be tedious early on; memorizing meanings without strong immediate writing practice may hinder long-term retention.
  • The speaker’s stance: no single perfect method. He advocates a pragmatic blend, taking useful elements from each approach to create a more efficient, context-rich learning path.

Radical System and Visual Mnemonics

  • Early kanji development: the first kanji learned is the number one (一), then two (二), then three (三), and so on. The four-kanji is more complex.
  • Radicals: most kanji are built from smaller components called radicals. These parts can appear in many kanji, acting as building blocks.
  • James Heisig popularized using radicals and their meanings to craft stories to memorize kanji components. These stories help memorize the meanings and how the parts relate, not strictly the readings.
  • The approach uses a single object/story per radical and then combines those parts to form more complex kanji. Example: the mouth radical (口) is a common radical; the “legs” radical (人 or 𠂇 shapes that imply legs) can be combined with other radicals to form new kanji and to anchor a memory story.
  • How to apply the stories: learn each radical’s meaning separately, create an imaginative object/story for it, and then blend these objects into a story for the target kanji that uses those radicals.
  • The storytelling method is meant to simplify memorization of meanings and writing; however, it can become unwieldy for radicals with many variations and for complex kanji if overextended.
  • The author offers to provide pictures of the stories to help visual learners, and encourages learners to create their own objects and stories for simple radicals to keep the mnemonics memorable and personal.
  • Writing the kanji and its radicals on your hand or paper twice is recommended to reinforce memory.
  • Spaced repetition (e.g., Anki) should be used in conjunction with these mnemonics to solidify retention over time.

Practical Memory Technique: A Worked Example

  • Example set around the mouth radical (口) and the legs radical (人):
    • Learn the basic kanji for mouth (口) and the radical for legs (人) separately.
    • Create a simple, memorable story combining these parts. For instance, imagine a scene where a mouth character holds several legs as part of a visual metaphor for a kanji.
    • For a kanji that combines these parts, blend the two imagined objects or stories to form a new meaning. The example described involves four mouth characters and four pairs of legs.
    • Visualize the scene clearly (legs inside mouths, multiple pairs) and then write the kanji twice by hand to reinforce the memory.
  • The goal of this approach is to make the characters more memorable by associating concrete images with their structural components.
  • If visualization is difficult, the author has prepared pictures to help get started.
  • This method emphasizes simplicity for simple radicals and customization for personal mnemonics.

A Practical, Step-by-Step Learning Plan (From Scratch)

  • The author proposes a practical, incremental plan that aligns with JLPT and Kanken benchmarks:
    • Divide kanji by proficiency test levels (JLPT and Kanken).
    • Start with JLPT N5 and Kanken level 10 (the lowest levels). This covers roughly 118 kanji to begin.
    • Learn the meaning in English and the writing for each of these kanji using a spaced-repetition system (SRS) like Anki. Write on paper or your hand during review sessions to reinforce memory.
    • Daily workload: learn between 5 and 20 kanji per day, depending on time available. This initial step would take approximately 6 to 24 days.
    • Contrast with RTK: RTK would cover about 2200 kanji before moving on, which could take roughly 110 to 440 days depending on time available.
    • After finishing the meaning and writing for the current level, switch to learning words that use those kanji. Do not practice the readings for each kanji in isolation; learn words in context first.
    • Focus on sentences that use grammar and vocabulary you already know. Ideally, include audio in the sentences. Keep all sentences in the same SRS deck.
    • Do not overthink the fact that a word has different readings for the same kanji; simply learn to read and write the word as it appears.
    • Write out each word by hand during review sessions to reinforce memorization.
    • The author mentions linking to good kanji practice notebooks in the description for organized writing practice.
    • After mastering the words for that level, return to Step 1 and move on to JLPT N4 and Kanken level 9 kanji.
  • The underlying idea: when you encounter kanji you know in an unfamiliar word, you’ll be able to infer reading and pronunciation from your experience with other words containing the same kanji, rather than memorizing readings in isolation.
  • The author estimates that this approach is necessary for roughly 800 to 1200 kanji. After reaching this range, you’ll likely recognize how to read kanji seen in other words more easily.
  • This approach aims to reduce reliance on rote memorization of readings and instead build reading skill through encounter in meaningful words and sentences.

The JLPT and Kanken Roadmap, and Anki Deck Resource

  • The author outlines a concrete, scalable plan tailored to JLPT and Kanken preparation:
    • Begin with JLPT N5 + Kanken level 10 kanji (the first 118 kanji).
    • Use an Anki deck that focuses on meanings and writing for these kanji, along with example words, sentences, and native audio.
    • The author notes a complete N5 Kanken level 10 Anki deck is available for members of tokenyandy.com, which covers all first 118 kanji, their meanings, writings, and words for each reading with sentences and native audio.
    • This deck is designed to cover nearly one fourth of the vocabulary needed to pass JLPT N5 and to enable reading and writing of the kanji necessary to pass N5.
    • The deck also provides listening practice through native audio during reviews and helps learners pass the Kanken level 10 exam.
    • A membership perk: one video per week on YouTube, plus a livestream after each video. Additional content is released on tokenyandy.com as soon as editing is finished.
    • The series will continue to cover kanji topics for free on YouTube, including areas not yet discussed in depth (history, special readings, kanji used in non-Japanese words, and more) in future videos if needed.
  • The plan emphasizes gradual progression and the benefits of practicing with both writing and reading in meaningful contexts.

Practical Reminders and What’s Next

  • The author signals upcoming content in the Kanji series, starting with the next video: "Rules for Writing Kanji". This indicates a continued, structured learning series designed to build fluency step by step.
  • The overall message: kanji learning is a long journey, but with a structured, multi-faceted approach that blends different methods and focuses on writing, context, and repetition, you can achieve functional reading and writing proficiency in a reasonable timeframe.
  • If you’re interested in getting started now, consider checking the tokenyandy.com deck and resources for the first 118 kanji and plan your study schedule around the JLPT and Kanken benchmarks.

Quick Takeaways

  • Kanji are essential logograms with both semantic and phonetic components, and they come with multiple readings (onyomi, kunyomi, and name readings).
  • Stroke order matters for legibility and handwriting quality, though it’s less critical in everyday recognition than in writing practice.
  • There are several learning approaches; a hybrid, pragmatic method often works best: combine meaning + writing focus, context-rich reading, and structured progression through JLPT/Kanken levels.
  • Radicals and mnemonic storytelling (Heisig-style) can aid memory of meanings and writing, but rely on you to integrate readings via words and sentences.
  • A practical plan starts with a small, manageable set (around 118 kanji for N5 + Kanken 10), emphasizes writing and context, uses SRS (Anki), and gradually expands to 800–1200 kanji as reading becomes more automatic.
  • Specialized resources (like the N5+Kanken deck) can accelerate progress and provide listening practice, with ongoing content and community support through tokenyandy.com.

Next Video Preview

  • Rules for Writing Kanji (the next installment in the Kanji series) will be covered to deepen stroke-order understanding and writing accuracy.