User:Jun-Dai/Np/L3

= Lesson 3: Kanji =

Overview
In addition to the two syllabaries, ひらがな and カタカナ, Japanese also has a large number of ideographic characters, almost all of which have come from the Chinese language. These are called 漢字 (かんじ), and the number of them that exist in the Japanese language depends on whom you ask, and what context the language is used in. There are 1,945 "basic" 漢字 defined for the Japanese public education system, and they are called Jōyō kanji (常用漢字). These are the 漢字 that you are expected to know by the time you graduate high school in Japan. Beyond this, there are a certain number that you would need to know in order to be able to read a newspaper, and a certain number that you would need to know in order to read texts in specialized fields. The number that you would need to know in order to read historical texts is significantly higher. By most counts, however, there are several thousand 漢字 in the Japanese language.

In the course of this textbook, you will see an increasing number of 漢字 used. Each vocabulary section will define the 漢字 that you will be expected to be able to recognize, read and understand, as well as the number that you will be expected to be capable of writing and recalling from memory. Beyond this, a high number of "passive learning" 漢字 will be used, always noted with ふりがな (accompanying ひらがな to indicate pronunciation). You will not be expected to know the 漢字, but it will make it easier for you to recognize them later when they are added to the vocabulary section.

Compound words
Sometimes you will see a 漢字 by itself, but most frequently you will seem them grouped together to form compound words. If you encounter a new word constructed from two 漢字, the process of looking up the definition of that word can be difficult. The first step is to try to guess the meaning of the word based on context, and based on the symbols that make up each 漢字. You can also try determine the pronunciation. This is easier if you know the pronunciation of each character in other words that you've seen, but even if you don't recognize the character itself, you might recognize parts of the character that indicate its pronunciation.

Writing 漢字
blah blah blah

Vocabulary

 * 1) 漢字 (かんじ)
 * 2) ふりがな

etc.