Basic Japanese Kanji Volume 1. Timothy G. Stout
stock paper works best for printing out flash cards. Not only does it last longer, it also makes it impossible to accidentally see the answer through the paper. You may want to print out multiple sets of flash cards, one side only, for playing games like Memory. One advantage of having the flash cards on the CD-ROM is your ability to print as many copies as you wish.
Also, please note that Japanese has many homonyms. For instance, the word spelled in hiragana as にかい can mean 二回 (two times) and 二階 (second floor). This is one reason why kanji characters are important to the Japanese language. As you progress in your Japanese studies, you will encounter some words that share the same sound as words you have already learned, but have different meanings. This is the case with some of the words on the flash cards. Luckily there are kanji characters in most cases to help minimize this confusion!
For best results, try studying a few at a time, adding more cards as they become easy. Some students prefer to divide their cards into two piles as they study: the cards they already know and the cards they are still working on mastering. By focusing on the stack of flash cards you are still learning, you will use your study time more efficiently.
One Step at a Time
The Japanese have a saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” 千 里の道も一歩から “senri no michi mo ippo kara.” This applies to learning kanji. You are taking the first steps toward mastering written Japanese. The list on the table of contents may seem vast at this point, but taking kanji one character at a time, one lesson at a time, you will make great progress. Most experienced students will tell you it is not easy, but worth it. When you look back, you will be impressed by all the ground you have covered. All the best to you in this journey!
1
一
One
One (1) stroke One finger
■ Trace the gray lines, and then practice on your own.
■ Useful vocabulary: Write the character, and trace the gray ones.
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|
いち | ichi | one |
| いちがつ | ichi gatsu | January | |
| ひとつ | hitotsu | one thing | |
| ひとり | hitori | one person | |
| ついたち | tsuitachi | 1st of the month |
2
二
Two
Two (2) strokes Two fingers
■ Trace the gray lines, and then practice on your own.
■ Useful vocabulary: Write the character, and trace the gray ones.
|
|
に | ni | two |
| ふたつ | futatsu | two things | |
| ふたり | futari | two people | |
| ふつか | futsuka | 2nd of the month | |
| はつか | hatsuka | 20th of the month |
* An asterisk denotes vocabulary with kanji that have not yet been introduced.
Yoshiko san wa, nigatsu hatsuka kara isshūkan, hokkaidō ni ikimashita. Ichinichime wa tsukarete nanimo dekimasendeshita ga, futsukame kara wa sukii o shitari, onsen ni haittari, karaoke ni ittari shite, totemo tanoshikatta desu. Rainen no fuyu wa, sunōbōdo o naraitai desu.
Questions 1-A
1. Yoshiko came home on (A. February 10, b. February 27, C. October 20, D. October 27).
2. Yoshiko could not do anything on the first day because (A. she was too excited, b. she had a cold, C. she was tired, D. it was very far).
3. Apart from skiing, how did Yoshiko enjoy her trip? (A. bathing in a hot spring, b. snow-boarding, C. riding a bullet train, D. eating sushi).
4. Yoshiko is looking forward to (A. going skiing again, b. having a Japanese bath next winter, C. going to Hokkaido again, D. learning snowboarding next winter).
3
三
Three
Three (3) strokes Three fingers
■ Trace the gray lines, and then practice on your own.
■ Useful vocabulary: Write the character, and trace the gray ones.
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|
さん | san | three |
| さんぷん | sanpun | three minutes | |
| さんにん | sannin | three people | |
| みっつ | mittsu | three things | |
| みっか | mikka | 3rd day of the month |
4
四
Four
Five (5) strokes The roman numeral four
■ Trace the gray lines, and then