4 Ways to Learn to Read Japanese

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Japanese consists of three unique writing systems: hiragana (ひ ら が な), katakana (カ タ カ ナ) and kanji (漢字). Furthermore, it can be transcribed into the Latin alphabet, called romaji (ロ ー マ 字), which is frequently used by beginners. Hiragana and katakana are syllabaries, so each character / letter represents a complete syllable. Kanji are symbols that reproduce an idea or concept. They can be read in many different ways depending on the context, while hiragana, katakana and romaji are always read in the same way. Reading Japanese may seem like a daunting task at first, but with a little effort, practice, and a few little tricks, you'll learn how to read the simplest texts in no time.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Romaji

Step 1. Learn Japanese vowels

The language has five, with a rather linear and invariable pronunciation. In fact, the vowels are pronounced just like in Italian, so they don't change depending on the context as they do in English. They are:

• TO.
• THE.
• U.
• AND.
• OR.

Step 2. Learn the basics of romaji

In principle, it follows the same rules as the Italian pronunciation, but you have to keep in mind some peculiar characteristics. For example, in romaji long vowels are often marked with a horizontal bar (i.e. ā, ī, ū, ē, ō), but in some cases they may be represented by a double vowel (i.e. aa, ii, uu, ei, ou). Furthermore:

• Some romaji systems involve the use of an apostrophe to indicate the separation of syllables, especially with the sound "n" (ん). For example, the word shin'ya (し ん や) is made up of three syllables 「shi (し) • n (ん) • ya (や), while shinya (し に ゃ) only has two「 shi (し) • nya (に ゃ) 」.
• Double consonants represent a short, abrupt pause when reading aloud. This pause is important and can completely change the meaning of a word, think sakki ("right now") and saki ("previous").

Step 3. Break down into syllables

Japanese is a metric language. Each syllable has approximately the same length, except for long vowels, which are considered two syllables. Splitting into syllables will help you understand how words end and how they are commonly separated, will allow you to read better, and will also prepare you for learning hiragana and katakana.

• Generally Japanese has a structure that involves an alternation of consonant (C) and vowel (V), think of the word kodomo ("children"), or CVCVCV, in which each alternation of CV forms a syllable.
• Some Japanese sounds consist of two consonants and one vowel. Some common examples: tsu (つ), kya (き ゃ), sho (し ょ) and cha (ち ゃ). Each of them constitutes a single syllable.

Step 4. Practice the more difficult combinations

Speaking another language often requires you to move your facial muscles differently than your own. Practicing complex or uncommon Japanese sounds will help you become more familiar, so that it becomes natural to read and pronounce them aloud. Here are some words you could use to practice:

• Kyaku (き ゃ く, "guest"), with the following syllable subdivision: kya • ku.
• Kaisha (か い し ゃ, "company"), with the following syllable subdivision: ka • i • sha.
• Pan'ya (ぱ ん や, "bakery"), with the following syllable subdivision: pa • n • ya.
• Tsukue (つ く え, "desk"), with the following syllable subdivision: tsu • ku • e.

Step 5. Learn new words as you practice reading romaji

By reading regularly, you will become more familiar with Japanese writing and sounds, which will then become easier. As you read, have a notebook handy and write down the words you don't know so you can look up them later in the dictionary.

• Review the words often to memorize them well. For example, you can check out the new terms every morning and evening.
• If you don't have a book to help you practice, you can find many resources online. Try typing "Japanese romaji reading materials" into the search engine.

Method 2 of 4: Hiragana

Step 1. Learn the vowels

The basics of hiragana are represented by five vowels: あ, い, う, え, お (a, i, u, e, o). Almost all Japanese consonants are joined to them to create consonant clusters of five symbols. Such groups often contain sound and deaf elements, which will be explained better later.

The K group is an example of a consonant group. In practice, every single vowel is joined to the letter K to form five symbols: か (ka), き (ki), く (ku), け (ke), こ (ko)

Step 2. Identify the consonant clusters

They are easy to remember, as deaf symbols are distinguished from voiced ones by using a sign similar to quotation marks (〃) or a circle (゜). Voiced consonants make the throat vibrate, deaf consonants do not.

• Deaf: か, き, く, け, こ (ka, ki, ku, ke, ko)

  Sonorous: が, ぎ, ぐ, げ, ご (ga, gi, gu, ge, go).

• Deaf: さ, し, す, せ, そ (sa, shi, su, se, so)

  Sonorous: ざ, じ, ず, ぜ, ぞ (za, ji, zu, ze, zo).

• Deaf: た, ち, つ, て, と (ta, chi, tsu, te, to)

  Sonorous: だ, ぢ, づ, で, ど (da, ji, zu, de, do).

• Deaf: は, ひ, ふ, へ, ほ (ha, hi, fu, he, ho)

  Sonorous: ば, び, ぶ, べ, ぼ (ba, bi, bu, be, bo)

  Sonorous: ぱ, ぴ, ぷ, ぷ, ぽ (pa, pi, pu, pe, po).

Step 3. Find out about the nasal groups

An "m" or an "n" can be considered a nasal sound, vibrating down the throat and into the nasal cavity. Hiragana has two nasal groups:

• な, に, ぬ, ね, の (na, ni, nu, ne, no).
• ま, み, む, め, も (ma, mi, mu, me, mo).

Step 4. Learn more about the consonant group of "y"

It can be combined with consonant symbols ending in い ("i") (such as き, じ, ひ / ki, ji, hi). Graphically this is represented by writing the consonant symbol followed by a symbol of the "y" group (which should be written in small print). It has no dull sound.

• The consonant group of the "y": や, ゆ, よ (ya, yu, yo).
• Some common combinations made with the "y" group: し ゃ (sha), じ ゃ (ja), に ゃ (nya), き ゅ (kyu), ぎ ゅ (gyu), し ゅ (shu), ひ ょ (hyo), び ょ(byo) and し ょ (sho).

Step 5. Study the last consonant clusters of the hiragana

Traditionally, the "r" group is taught at the end, along with three other unique symbols. Neither of these two groups has deaf sounds. It has a pronunciation halfway between "l" and "r".

• The consonant group of the "r": ら, り, る, れ, ろ (ra, ri, ru, re, ro).
• The three unique symbols: わ, を, ん (wa, wo, n).

Step 6. Avoid confusing particles, which are typical components of Japanese grammar

There is no equivalent in Italian, although to understand them better it may be useful to consider them similar to prepositions. Their function is to indicate the grammatical role that words play within a sentence. Sometimes they are pronounced differently than expected.

• For example, in the sentence "I'm going to school", the word "I" is the subject and "school" the destination, so it translates like this: 「わ た し は が っ こ に い き ま す」. Watashi wa ("I" + particle expressing the subject) gakko ni ("school" + particle expressing direction) ikimasu ("I go").

• Japanese has many particles, here are some of the most common:

  • は ("wa"): indicates the subject.
  • か ("ka"): indicates a question at the end of a sentence.
  • が ("ga"): marks the subject.
  • に ("ni"): indicates a place, a movement, marks the time and the indirect object.
  • の ("no"): corresponds to the complement of specification.
  • へ ("and"): indicates a direction (towards which you are moving).
  • を ("o"): marks the direct object.

  

  Step 7. Memorize the symbols of the hiragana

  If you have no experience with other Asian writing systems, the shape of these symbols can be tricky. Practice regularly to memorize them better, so you can read them faster, more fluently, and correctly.

  You could make flashcards to help you study. Write each symbol on the front of a card and its pronunciation on the back

  

  Step 8. Enrich your vocabulary by reading

  Many children's books and beginner materials are written exclusively in hiragana. By reading them and practicing them, you will surely acquire a new vocabulary.

  • You could prepare flashcards for the new words as well. Maybe mix them with those dedicated to hiragana to vary the learning.
  • Some sites publish articles or simple stories in hiragana for beginners. Type "hiragana reading exercises" into a search engine: you should be able to find the one that's right for you.

  Method 3 of 4: Katakana

  

  Step 1. Learn the vowels of katakana

  Just like hiragana, katakana features five vowels that are combined with consonants to create clusters of five symbols. The five vowels of katakana are as follows: ア, イ, ウ, エ, オ (a, i, u, e, o). Here is an example of a consonant group, in which the "s" was joined with the five vowels to create five consonant symbols:

  サ, シ, ス, セ, ソ (sa, shi, su, se, so)

  

  Step 2. Study similar groups to facilitate learning

  As with hiragana, similar consonant clusters in katakana are generally separated into voiced and voiced. To make a deaf symbol become voiced, just add two quotes (〃) or a circle (゜). This will help you learn more easily. Voiced consonants cause the throat to vibrate, while deaf consonants do not.

  • Deaf: カ, キ, ク, ケ, コ (ka, ki, ku, ke, ko)

    Sonorous: ガ, ギ, グ, ゲ, ゴ (ga, gi, gu, ge, go).

  • Deaf: サ, シ, ス, セ, ソ (sa, shi, su, se, so)

    Sonorous: ザ, ジ, ズ, ゼ, ゾ (za, ji, zu, ze, zo).

  • Deaf: タ, チ, ツ, テ, ト (ta, chi, tsu, te, to)

    Sonorous: ダ, ヂ, ヅ, デ, ド (da, ji, zu, de, do).

  • Deaf: ハ, ヒ, フ, ヘ, ホ (ha, hi, fu, he, ho)

    Sonorous: バ, ビ, ブ, ベ, ボ (ba, bi, bu, be, bo)

    Sonorous: パ, ピ, プ, ペ, ポ (pa, pi, pu, pe, po).

  

  Step 3. Study the nasal groups

  In Japanese there are only two. These sounds vibrate in the throat and nasal cavity. They are generally represented by an "n" or "m". Here are what they are in katakana:

  • ナ, ニ, ヌ, ネ, ノ (na, ni, nu, ne, no).
  • マ, ミ, ム, メ, モ (ma, mi, mu, me, mo).

  

  Step 4. Study the "y" group and its combinations

  Its function is the same as that which it has in hiragana. Symbols in the "y" group can be combined with syllables ending in イ ("i"), such as キ, ヒ, ジ / ki, hi, ji. To do this, you have to write the syllable ending in イ, followed by a consonant group of the "y" (which must be written in small).

  • Consonant group of the "y": ヤ, ユ, ヨ (ya, yu, yo).
  • Common combinations with the "y": シ ャ ("sha"), ジ ャ ("ja"), ニ ャ ("nya"), キ ュ ("kyu"), ギ ュ ("gyu"), シ ュ ("shu"),ヒ ョ ("hyo"), ビ ョ ("byo") and シ ョ ("sho").

  

  Step 5. Conclude the study of katakana with the last two groups

  Just like in hiragana, the final groups of katakana also contain the consonant group of "r" and three unique symbols. The "r" group does not contain deaf elements. The sound of the Japanese "r" is a cross between the Italian "r" and "l".

  • The group of the "r": ラ, リ, ル, レ, ロ (ra, ri, ru, re, ro).
  • The three unique symbols: ワ, ヲ, ン (wa, wo, n).

  

  Step 6. Memorize the symbols

  The katakana has some symbols similar to the hiragana. Making connections (for example き and キ) will help you study faster. You should put aside the symbols of katakana that are easily confused with each other and practice them a little more, as some are all too similar for the untrained eye. Here are some examples:

  • シ (shi) and ツ (tsu).
  • ソ (so) and ン (n).
  • フ (fu), ワ (wa) and ヲ (wo).

  

  Step 7. Practice reading regularly

  Since katakana is used less frequently than hiragana, some students neglect it or do not fully learn it. However, this can jeopardize the study of Japanese in the long run. The more you read in katakana, the easier it will become.

  Since many students have difficulty with katakana, there are many resources available online. Just type "katakana reading exercises" into a search engine to find useful materials

  Method 4 of 4: Kanji

  

  Step 1. Select the most used kanji

  Many books immediately deal with the ideograms that appear most frequently. Since you will likely see them more often, not only should you study them right away, it will also help you remember them better, as they will appear frequently when you read. If you don't have or can't afford a book, do this:

  Search for a frequency list by typing "list of most used kanji" or "list of most common kanji" into a search engine

  

  Step 2. Divide the list into groups

  Trying to learn the 100 most common kanji at once will make it difficult for you to study. Breaking them up into small, manageable groups will help you study them more fully and quickly. You have to experiment to figure out which method is right for you, but you should start by learning five to ten kanji at a time.

  You could also break up the list based on the type of word. For example, you could group all the kanji used within verbs, those associated with food, and so on

  

  Step 3. Study kanji thoroughly

  Whenever you need to learn one, look it up in an online Japanese dictionary. You can do this by copying and pasting the symbol into the search box on the home page. Before typing it in the box sometimes you will have to select the "kanji" option. This will open the page dedicated to the specific ideogram, which should include the following information:

  • Writing order. The order in which you draw a kanji can affect the final result. To avoid confusion, the order of writing is always the same.
  • On-yomi. Indicates how to read a kanji when no hiragana is added to it. On-yomi reading is often made up of several combined ideograms, or words made up of various kanji (example: 地下 鉄 / chikatetsu / "underground").
  • Kun-yomi. This reading is used when adding a hiragana to the kanji (eg 食 べ ま す / tabemasu / "eat"), but it is also used for words of Japanese origin.

  

  Step 4. Memorize the reading of the most common kanji and compounds

  In addition to the order of writing, all 'on-yomi and kun-yomi, on the dictionary page dedicated to kanji you should find a list of common compounds. Not only will they help you enrich your vocabulary, they will help you learn the ideogram itself.

  • You could write the useful compounds in a notebook and review them regularly, for example every morning and evening.
  • A kanji contains a lot of information, so you may want to prepare and use flashcards to learn its shape, on-yomi, kun-yomi, and compounds.
  • There are many free computer or mobile programs that help you learn kanji. They allow you to study in a similar way to flashcards. However, applications have one more advantage: they keep track of your progress, so you can isolate the ideograms that are giving you problems.

  

  Step 5. Use radicals, which are commonly repeated symbols contained in a kanji

  They can often help you understand what a word you don't know means. For example, in the word 詩 (shi / poem), you find the root 言, which means "speech". Even if you don't know the 詩 symbol, seeing the radical of the word "speech" can help you understand that the word is connected to language and maybe you could even extrapolate its meaning from the context. Here are some common radicals:

  • ⼈ / ⺅: person, people.
  • ⼊: to enter.
  • ⼑ / ⺉: knife, sword.
  • ⼖: hide.
  • ⼝: mouth, opening, entry, exit.
  • ⼟: earth.
  • 日: sun.
  • 月: moon.
  • ⼠: man, scholar, samurai.
  • ⼤: great.
  • ⼥: woman.
  • ⼦: child, son.

  

  Step 6. Make connections to interpret the meaning

  Even if you don't know how to read a kanji or a compound of ideograms, you can still understand it. For example, if you know the kanji for the words "sugar" (糖), "urine" (尿), and "disease" (病), you might assume that the word 糖尿病 means "diabetes", even though you can't pronounce it. Diabetes is a disease that prevents the body from processing sugar, causing it to be excreted in the urine. Here are other examples of useful links:

  • 地下 鉄 • chikatetsu • meaning of the kanji: earth + under + iron • Italian: underground.
  • 水球 • suikyuu • meaning of the kanji: water + ball • Italian: water polo.
  • 地理 • chiri • meaning of the kanji: earth + logic / organization • Italian: geography.
  • 数学 • suugaku • meaning of the kanji: number / law / figure + study • Italian: mathematics.

  

  Step 7. Read and practice frequently

  Even some native speakers sometimes struggle with less common ideograms. Take your time to learn these symbols and add new ones as you memorize them. In the nine years of compulsory education provided by the Japanese government, children are taught about 2,000 kanji.

  • You can practice by reading Japanese newspapers and sites that use kanji.
  • If you are a beginner, you can read texts containing furigana, or small hiragana positioned above the kanji that assist you in reading.
  • Although most native speakers learn 2000 kanji in elementary and middle school, the general literacy rate averages around 1000-1200 ideograms.
  • It may seem like a huge number, but many kanji and radicals repeat or combine to create new words. What does this mean? Once you have learned the first 500, you will begin to observe recurring patterns and similarities that will make it easier for you to learn the symbols.

  Advice

  • Most beginners start with romaji, then move on to hiragana, katakana, and kanji. This learning order can help you learn to read Japanese faster.
  • Hiragana is generally used for Japanese words, so it's especially useful for beginners.
  • Particles are always written in hiragana, unless romaji is used. In the latter case, the Latin alphabet is used (example: は → "wa", へ → "e").
  • Katakana is usually used for foreign terms, onomatopoeias and emphasis. As a result, it is used less frequently than hiragana, although both are used regularly for reading.
  • In some cases, katakana is used to indicate a particular language, such as that of an alien or a robot.