Volume 1 · Chapter 11

Kanji Reality Check

Same-looking characters can be close, shifted, or completely fresh.

Use kanji as leverage, but verify Japanese meaning and sound.

The three buckets

As a Chinese native speaker, kanji helps immediately, but it can also mislead. Sort words into three buckets:

  1. Similar meaning, new Japanese pronunciation.
  2. Related but shifted meaning.
  3. False friend or modern usage trap.

Your first job is pronunciation. Your second job is checking whether the everyday Japanese meaning matches what your eyes assume.

Similar meaning, new sound

銀行 ぎんこう bank 病院 びょういん hospital / clinic 時間 じかん time / hour 電話 でんわ phone / telephone 住所 じゅうしょ address
Where is the bank?
I want to go to a hospital.
Please write the address.

Shifted or high-risk meanings

手紙 てがみ letter Not toilet paper in Japanese. 勉強 べんきょう study The everyday Japanese meaning is study. 丈夫 じょうぶ sturdy / healthy 大丈夫 だいじょうぶ okay / all right 娘 むすめ daughter / young woman 汽車 きしゃ steam train Not the normal word for train in modern daily Japanese. 先生 せんせい teacher / doctor / professional title Not just 'born earlier' in everyday use. 老婆 ろうば old woman Not wife. It can sound blunt or literary. 愛人 あいじん lover / mistress Not spouse. 走る はしる to run
It is okay. / I am okay. / No thanks, depending on context.
I am studying Japanese.
I write a letter.

Readings you must memorize

Some kanji are easy to understand but have readings that are not obvious from Chinese. Treat these as audio vocabulary.

今日 きょう today 明日 あした / あす tomorrow 昨日 きのう yesterday 一人 ひとり one person 二人 ふたり two people 大人 おとな adult
Today is hot.
I will go tomorrow.
Two people.

How to ask for readings

When a word looks familiar but the Japanese sound is missing, ask directly.

How do you read this?
How do you read this kanji?
Please tell me the reading.
I understand the meaning, but I do not know the reading.

Randomized practice

Kanji Trap Practice

1/24

  1. Read it

    銀行