Is it necessary to use Kanji?
Learning Kanji is a tough job…
“Hey! I’ve learned all Hiranaga!”
“I can write everything by Hiragana! This should be fine, isn’t it?”
You may think like that, but it is necessary to use Kanji appropriately
to tell your message properly. I would like to show you some examples.
What does this sentence mean?
Firstly, would you tell me what this is about?
I wrote everything in Hiragana.
- ここにはしがあります。
Thinking time is…up!
Here are three sentences by using different Kanji.
Of course, each meaning is not the same. I added the English translation, too.
- ここに橋があります。
-> There is a bridge here. - ここに箸があります。
-> There are chopsticks here. - ここは市があります。
-> There is a city here.
* Honestly, 4. is not realistic one. I mean we usually do not discuss to others
if there is a city here or not. Even so, this sentence makes sense as Japanese.
As you can see, by using the different Kanji, the meaning of the sentence is changed.
This is because you need to use not only Hiragana, but also Kanji properly, when you
write a Japanese sentence.
Here is another example. It is a kind of spoken version, because I wanted to make
a little complicated one. Can you imagine what this is about only from Hiragana?
きのうわたしたなべものたべた?
Let me add commas(読点: Touten) to this sentence.
Is it much better to understand?
きのう、わたしたなべもの、たべた?
Well, let me add Kanji now.
昨日、渡した鍋物、食べた? (鍋物 = a hot pot)
This means “Did you eat the hot pot I gave you yesterday?”
By using Kanji appropriately, you can tell your message to others accurately.
One more thing.
I would like you to compare the following paragraphs.
I won’t translate it, but I believe you can imagine the sentences
only Hiragana seem more complicated than the one includes Kanji.
(Only Hiragana)
こんかいのきじがさんこうになったらとてもうれしいです。
にほんごはもじのしゅるいもたくさんあるので、ぶんしょうを
かくのはとてもたいへんだとおもいます。いちどにおぼえようと
せずに、すこしずつ、じっさいにつかいながらおぼえていくのが
いいとおもいます。あせらずにがんばりましょう!
(With Kanji)
今回の記事が参考になったらとても嬉しいです。
日本語は文字の種類もたくさんあるので、文章を
書くのはとても大変だと思います。一度に覚えようとせずに
少しずつ、実際に使いながら覚えていくのがいいと思います。
焦らずに頑張りましょう!
The more you learn Japanese, the more you will feel that using Kanji
is useful. It is not possible to memorize everything at once. So, take
your time and try to learn Kanji which you often use.
Do you want to practice it? Here is my Twitter account.
Please feel free to mention to me in Japanese. I will reply to you!
I’m rooting for you!
応援しています!
