I-RO-HA, 2nd special part

Day 631, 20:38 • Published in Japan Japan • by Kyonkyon

Today I write about kanji.

Kanji are from China. Kanji means Chinese letters or exactly Kan letters.
Kan is how China was called, when Chinese letters introduced in Japan.

Kanji show idea not sound.
For example in english we right "b". This has the sound of "b" but not meaning.
But kanji show meaning not sound. For example this 一 means one.
It is difficult to guess the sound, if we do not know it.
This is the reason kanji is difficult. You must memorize sound for all kanji.

But there is a hint.

Actually, most kanji have a sound part.
For example this 可　means can. We read it ka.
This 河 also means river. We also read it ka.
In 河, the 可 part shows sound, not meaning.
Many kanji are formed this way.
So if you have experience with basic kanji, you can guess sound of kanji you do not know.
But not always.

The reason is that kanji sound has changed. That is why you must learn each kanji.

Kanji have meaning. Usually one part shows meaning and one sound.
For example 魚 is the kanji for fish.
Usually fish names have this part.

鮭
鯉
鮫

So even if you do not know kanji, if see 魚 part in a kanji, you can guess that it might be a fish.

There are about 200 kanji that show meaning. If you learn them, you can guess many kanji.

女 woman: 妹　姉
水 water:　泳　河
火 fire:　焼　燃


When we combine meaning part with sound part usually kanji change.
For example the kanji 河　is a combination of 水　and 可. 水 is simplified as the three dots of 河.

Sound

Kanji in Japan have usually two sounds.
One sound is the Chinese sound and the other is Japanese sound.
For example 海 has the Chinese sound kai and the Japanese sound umi.
So you must study both sounds.
Usually when a kanji is alone we read it with Japanese sound, but when we combine kanji we read with Chinese sound.
That is the reason we say
北海道　hokkaidou.
Not Kitaumimichi.

Unfortunately there are many exception so you have to learn one by one correct sound.

There are some kanji that actually are made in Japan.
For example this one 働 means work. This has only Japanese sound hatara.
There are of course many kanji that have only Chinese sound.
For example 王. This means king and has only Chinese sound ou.

But there are some kanji with more than two sounds.
For example 上　has sound jou, ue, kami and more.
This is because sound or meaning has changed.

In Chinese, kanji have usually only one sound. But in Japanese there are two.


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