- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Kodansha International Ltd (Jan 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 4770020686
- ISBN-13: 978-4770020680
- Product Dimensions: 24.3 x 21.1 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
137,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #28 in Books > Languages > By Language > Japanese > Learning Materials
- #52 in Books > Languages > Grammar, dictionaries & phrasebooks > Japanese
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Product Description
Product Description
Everyone agrees that it is possible to learn to speak Japanese in a reasonable amount of time, but no one has ever said that about reading and writing it. It is widely held that spoken and written Japanese require separate efforts by the student, as if these two aspects were in fact distinct languages.
A first step toward alleviating this situation was taken by Yasuko Mitamura in 1985 with the publication of Let's Learn Hiragana and Let's Learn Katakana, which continue to help thousands of students every year to master these two forms of Japanese script. Now, Let's Learn Kanji goes to the heart of the problem: the learning of kanji (i.e., Chinese characters as they are used in Japan).
Not simply a brilliant exposition but also a workbook, it teaches the student how to write the basic strokes, how to put these together into full-fledged kanji, and how kanji function in the context of example sentences. Progress is continually checked, and the student is encouraged through quizzes and exercises. The result: 250 fundamental characters learned almost painlessly.
A first step toward alleviating this situation was taken by Yasuko Mitamura in 1985 with the publication of Let's Learn Hiragana and Let's Learn Katakana, which continue to help thousands of students every year to master these two forms of Japanese script. Now, Let's Learn Kanji goes to the heart of the problem: the learning of kanji (i.e., Chinese characters as they are used in Japan).
Not simply a brilliant exposition but also a workbook, it teaches the student how to write the basic strokes, how to put these together into full-fledged kanji, and how kanji function in the context of example sentences. Progress is continually checked, and the student is encouraged through quizzes and exercises. The result: 250 fundamental characters learned almost painlessly.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
128 of 129 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very good book. It takes the subject seriously, but presumes no prior knowledge of kanji. The second half does assume you know kana, the two "alphabets" of 46 characters each. But to be honest, the whole book assumes you'll be studying diligently, and so requiring you to learn kana is minor compared to the task this book helps you with.
"Let's Learn Kanji" suits those with a structured mind. It builds up from strokes, to radicals and components, to 250 basic kanji which are themselves components of other kanji.
Most of the first half of the book consists of just tables of components, and it's tempting to skim them. Don't. Work through them carefully and several times, learning the names, shapes, and different example kanji which use each component. You'll need it when you come to the exercises, which are doable but challenging.
The second half of the book is a magnificent workbook of 250 kanji in stroke order. Each kanji is shown with all readings (pronunciations), example kanji which it forms part of, and example COMPOUNDS and SENTENCES with pronunciations and translations, as well as how to write it and space to practice writing it yourself. Again, these aren't to be skimmed, but worked through carefully. There are very useful exercises after every 20 or so to help fix them in your memory.
It's a pity it doesn't have a chart of hiragana and katakana, because after using romaji for Part 1 it switches to using kana for Part 2, and if you're not 100% sure of every kana then you'll want to print out your own chart to refer to. But this is a very minor flaw to an excellent book.
This is the best self-teaching beginner's book on kanji I've come across, and I strongly recommend it. You'll need dedication, but there are no lazy ways to learn kanji. If you're prepared to put effort in to studying, this is an excellent book to help you along the way.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Being someone who learns things better through images and memory, i brought this Kanji book to help me learn a few (well... 250) Japanese words. The fact that i got to learn the Kanji a long side them is just a bonus, and will save anyone a lot of time later - believe me!
You're not going to get anything else in this book apart from the Kanji and it's meaning translated into English and Hirigana/Katankana (Other forms of the Japanese alphabet).
It's divided into two parts, part one which goes into detail about the different sections that make up Kanji, and part two where it gives you a list (in stroke order)of 250 Kanji words. What's truely useful, is the fact that each Kanji symbol is seperated into small parts, so you know what bit you should draw first, and where you should draw it. Work pages are also included in the book, and allow you to practive the Kanji.
Really good for the beginner/intermediate person.
You're not going to get anything else in this book apart from the Kanji and it's meaning translated into English and Hirigana/Katankana (Other forms of the Japanese alphabet).
It's divided into two parts, part one which goes into detail about the different sections that make up Kanji, and part two where it gives you a list (in stroke order)of 250 Kanji words. What's truely useful, is the fact that each Kanji symbol is seperated into small parts, so you know what bit you should draw first, and where you should draw it. Work pages are also included in the book, and allow you to practive the Kanji.
Really good for the beginner/intermediate person.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Just got the book, haven't had much time to start studying kanji, but it seems pretty nice!
I'm just a beginner in Kanji, and actually don't know anything about it. But the book seems well organized, starting off with "learning strokes", then "learning traditional radicals" and then "other useful but non-traditional components". After this first chapter, it proceeds with "250 very basic kanji and exercises". The kanji taught in the book show the stroke order, and their meaning in katakana and hiragana, having the downside of presenting the romanized version as well.
This is, contrarily to the impression I had, a book with written exercises, and not just a textbook.
In my opinion, this means that it is a good book for beginners, especially if they want to learn how to write Kanji, and not only read them.
I'm just a beginner in Kanji, and actually don't know anything about it. But the book seems well organized, starting off with "learning strokes", then "learning traditional radicals" and then "other useful but non-traditional components". After this first chapter, it proceeds with "250 very basic kanji and exercises". The kanji taught in the book show the stroke order, and their meaning in katakana and hiragana, having the downside of presenting the romanized version as well.
This is, contrarily to the impression I had, a book with written exercises, and not just a textbook.
In my opinion, this means that it is a good book for beginners, especially if they want to learn how to write Kanji, and not only read them.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great book!
I've been learning Japanese for about a year and a half now, and decided to give kanji a shot! I couldn't have picked a better book to learn it with! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Gill_K/LK
An excellent book for Kanji beginners
This book presents a simple approach to learning Kanji. It gives a foundation on the types of character and how to recognise the different strokes and radicals.
Published on 3 Jan 2002
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