The Kanji Handbook The Kanji Handbook Vee David TUTTLE PUBLISHING Tokyo •Rutland,Vermont •Singapore FrontMatter-1.0_KanjiHB.q6 8/17/06 2:33 PM Page iv Published by Tuttle Publishing,an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd,with editorial offices at 364 Innovation Drive,North Clarendon,Vermont 05759 and Copyright © 2006 Vee David All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,recording,or by any information storage and retrieval system,without prior written permission from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Library of Congress Control Number:200629281 Printed in Singapore Distributed by: North America,Latin America and Europe Tuttle Publishing, 364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon,VT 05759,USA Tel:(802) 773 8930 Fax:(802) 773 6993 [email protected] www.tuttlepublishing.com Japan Tuttle Publishing, Yaekari Building,3rd Floor 5-4-12 Osaki Shinagawa-ku Tokyo 141-0032 Tel:(813) 5437 0171 Fax:(813) 5437 0755 [email protected] Asia Pacific Berkeley Books Pte Ltd, Tel:(65) 6280 1330 Fax:(65) 6280 6290 [email protected] www.periplus.com 06 07 08 09 10 5 4 3 2 1 TUTTLE PUBLISHING®is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd. 想magination is more 要mportant than 知nowledge... — Albert Einstein 00AA--000011--003333 IInnttrroo((FF))..iinndddd vv 88//1177//22000066 22::5599::2255 PPMM 00AA--000011--003333 IInnttrroo((FF))..iinndddd vvii 88//1177//22000066 22::5599::2277 PPMM Chapter Preface Linguistic scholars largely agree that Japanese as not to confuse them. Diligent practice of writing the is the most difficult second language to learn. Veemuenics will serve the purpose of differentiating With four different writing systems, those eager between similar-looking Kanji characters. to learn Japanese have a long and demanding journey Another major hindrance for Kanji beginners is the to undergo. Thus, the Kanji Handbook was conceived lack of adequate learning tools. To find a Kanji to map out learning strategies to systematically guide character in the dictionary, one must know the Kanji learners from beginner to advanced level in Kanji character’s stroke order, radical, ON-yomi or KUN- literacy. Unique learning tools were designed for this yomi readings. These prerequisites make it frustrating book to resolve the many aggravations commonly and utterly confusing for beginners. How does an encountered by Kanji learners. All 1,945 Jōyō Kanji absolute beginner search for豊and農without knowing characters—the most commonly used Kanji characters anything? To that end, the Flip-It Index was created to as officially prescribed by the Japanese Ministry of allow absolute beginners to search for a Kanji character's Education since 1981—can be learned through this meaning without knowing any basics whatsoever. To book. The Kanji Handbook was fashioned to offer an use the Flip-It Index, all one has to do is decide if a Kanji end to some of the most discouraging problems facing character is flippable, looking the same when inverted those who study Kanji characters. The biggest struggle horizontally, non-flippable or partially-flippable to a in learning the 1,945 Kanji characters is the mission certain degree. This simple, artistic way of finding the of memorizing them, their shades of meaning, myriad meaning of a Kanji character is a revolutionary learning pronunciations and compounds. To encourage memory tool designed to take the prerequisite guess work out of retention, all Kanji characters in this book appear as Kanji study. Finally, a new indexing system was created KanjiHybrids, or the combination of a Kanji character for this book to address some inadequacies. Usually, and its English meaning to form one, integral and Kanji indices only list the page number in which to find indivisible unit. In addition, the pioneering concept of each Kanji character, without the English core meaning. Veemuenics—where similar looking Kanji characters are This process of first finding a Kanji character in the placed as KanjiHybrids in a rhyming English sentence or index, and then having to search for its corresponding phrase—will further help learners remember each Kanji page to know the core meaning, is time consuming character and the slight differences between them. For and cumbersome. Additionally, sometimes learners example: confuse similar-looking Kanji characters and look up the KanjiHybrid: 皇mperor,星tar, 星lanet wrong page, and have to begin all over again. These Veemuenic: Roman皇mperors shine like annoyances are quickly resolved in this book's indices 星tars even from星lanets afar... of all 1,945 Kanji characters together with their English The concept of Veemuenics was created to help core meaning and corresponding page number. learners differentiate between the similar-looking Kanji characters nearly undistinguishable to beginners. Some These innovative problem-solving novelties make the Kanji characters may only differ because of a dash Kanji Handbook radically different from other Kanji or a stroke, or a radical. In many cases, these slight books. The study of Kanji characters has never been differences only become visible after years of careful easier or enjoyable. With the publication of this book, study and consistent use. How does one discern the learners will ideally find their journey to be a rewarding difference between皇 and星? To manage this problem, experience, thereby enriching Kanji characters as one of each Kanji character presented in this book has a the most powerful mediums of world civilization. corresponding list of similar-looking Kanji characters vii 00AA--000011--003333 IInnttrroo((FF))..iinndddd vviiii 88//1177//22000066 22::5599::2277 PPMM To My Loving Mother... In Collaboration with 西西浦浦勝勝男男 Katsuo Nishiura Juri Kathryn Sara Marina Yuko Hirota 00AA--000011--003333 IInnttrroo((FF))..iinndddd vviiiiii 88//1177//22000066 22::5599::2288 PPMM