Getting started with Japanese Characters and Drawing Doodles.
Learning Japanese characters with drawing doodles.
I love to draw doodles for planning my schedule, to keep the stress away, relax as a hobby, and whatnot. I also use doodles for learning languages. My current language is Japanese. So here is a little information about the Japanese characters, they are made-up of Pictographs and logographs which makes them a bit like a doodle but many times they don’t make any sense that’s where a build-up of some stories to remember them by comes handy. The Kana system is so complicated that I had to draw some doodles to learn the characters. With this post, we will learn how to keep the stress of learning Japanese characters away with some tips. This post helped me to learn about how drawing doodles keep stress at bay and help you to make better choices. This post was really helpful when I started to learn Japanese.
A Little Intro On The Characters
Japanese characters are complicated and can be stressful for beginners to learn. The Japanese writing system is made up of three writing systems, Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji, well four if we include Romaji. Since I have a basic understanding of Chinese Characters and it’s a writing system, it was a bit easier for me to learn Japanese Kanji as the Kanji originates from China. However, that is not the case Kanji might carry the same meaning but the reading is complex. Japanese Kanji generally has two readings Kun’yomi and On’yomi. Kun’yomi is the Japanese reading of the Kanji. On’yomi is the Chinese reading of the Kanji. When multiple Kanjis appear it is preferred to be read as the On’yomi. When the Kanji is on its own or coupled with a Hiragana character Kun’yomi is preferred. Know more about this. It does get a bit complicated as we progress as students of the Japanese language. However, the more we read, the more we learn about the different readings itself. It gets extremely exciting as we improve over our reading one day at a time.
Now let us talk a bit about Hiragana, It is the original script of the Japanese. Every beginner must start learning Japanese writing and reading with Hiragana. It is possible to study Hiragana in about 4 days to a week. Learning Hiragana will help you in the long run, it will be beneficial for Furigana reading. Furigana is not another script of the Japanese but Kanji with its reading in Hiragana for beginners to be able to read the complex sentences consisting of Kanji characters. Hiragana consists of 46 characters, 5 singular vowels, 40 consonants, 1 singular consonant. Hiragana will provide you with the accurate pronunciation of the Japanese words. To sound like a native start like a native with Hiragana. To learn Hiragana.
Similarly, to start learning Katakana use a character chart, you’ll soon realize that Hiragana and Katakana share the same readings also the number of characters is 46, It is just an angular form of the Hiragana characters. Katakana is used for Foreign words or Loan words, words that are borrowed from different foreign languages, words that were originally not a part of the Japanese language. Generally, names are written in Katakana too. Prepare a chart with Hiragana and Katakana characters together for better learning. Start learning Katakana. Practice Katakana characters by reading and writing also by typing to keep the confusion away. Many of the Katakana characters look alike, but don’t worry right practice will keep you on the right track.
Just a little bit on Romaji, It is basically Japanese sentences written in English. Romaji is helpful for foreigners to get used to the reading of the Japanese text but not beneficial as the Japanese do not use Romaji as a writing system. Romaji can be useful for getting the hang of reading while a person is an absolute beginner but stop using it as one progresses further. Use Romaji for reading purposes while starting out but do not continue with it. Once, the Hiragana reading is improved stop using the Romaji completely. I also use Japanese songs as a learning tool, it has helped me to learn new songs and improve my Japanese vocabulary.
The Heisig Method:
The Heisig Method is introduced by James Heisig in his book ‘Remembering The Kanji’. Use this book for starting out. This method is considered to be the most fun way of learning Japanese Kanji. Visualizing the Kanji or creating small stories around the Kanji to be able to understand it. Some people like the Heisig method, some people don’t for them I would recommend this book ‘Mastering Japanese Kanji’. You can also use the free book from Japanesepod101 But the difficulty for me and many other beginners is not remembering the Kanji but remembering the reading of the Kanji. For reading, I use dialogues or lyrics from songs that I love. Reading is going to be the tough part but at least get the hang of understanding of the Kanji character first. Understanding the Heisig Method in action. Once you start learning to write Kanji yes you will have difficulties with the stroke order, reading, writing everything might feel scary but please don’t be scared. Use apps like Japanese Kanji Tree for daily practice. Remember to start small begin with the N5 Kanjis, learn and practice about 3 - 5 Kanjis or as many as you are able to remember by the end of the day. Happy Kanji studying. Draw your doodles or even create a mini-story around it for your understanding, test out by writing them, or drawing them on the app mentioned above. Unleash the creative guiness you have for learning.
Create your own Method:
Draw the characters in a way you feel comfortable. Remember that the purpose of drawing these weird doodles is to learn the Kanji and eventually be able to read them as you progress further you’ll yourself realize which reading is used where. These Doodles helped me when I started out about 3 months ago. With Katakana, I definitely had a tough time because I got confused with many of the letters. Katakana may take a little longer than Hiragana to learn, as many characters look alike and are easily confused. But, hang in there Japanese is way complex than learning the Katakana characters. There is Kanji with multiple readings and stroke orders that are even scarier coupled with the complex grammar structure. The ultimate goal is to be able to understand it. Yes, the reading is going to take longer than you thought but hey, you’ve got to start somewhere. A basic understanding with a little idea of its reading will take you a long way. Have fun while learning, frustration will make you forget what you’ve already learned. Make things easier for yourself. Make use of whatever method of learning Kanji you feel is comfortable and efficient for you, you are a beast keep at it. Start small with about only 2 to 3 kanjis everyday use a Japanese Dictionary(Download Jisho from playstore) to learn about the stroke order and the multiple readings. Enjoy learning Kanji on your own but remember to test yourself by visiting random Japanese Music channels or using the Jisho itself. Here are a couple of beginner doodles I made for learning,.
Resources I used when I started :
Apps:
- Jisho
- Japanese Kanji Tree
Books: (Pdfs are available online)
- Remembering The Kanji — James Heisig
- Mastering The Kanji — Japanese Pod 101(For absolute beginners)
- Mastering Japanese Kanji — Glen Nolan Grant
YouTube:
- Talk in Japan - https://www.youtube.com/user/TalkInJapan
- Yuko Sensei - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf-ruwCgdtpCzuM7ODY5c9g
- Japanese Pod 101 - https://www.youtube.com/user/japanesepod101
- Learning Kanji - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaICD6XJma5-H4NQIiKpX5g
Conclusion:
I had a lot of fun when I began learning Japanese during the quarantine, I felt like I did something I had always feared. I am still continuing with my journey of learning Japanese. I hope it may have helped you to get started and apply some tips along with the resources I have mentioned above. Start drawing your own little stories or anything now! Happy Learning.
