Friday, June 22, 2012

Milestone

About 6 months and 17 days ago, I discussed one of my goals here.  I decided I no longer wanted to be crippled by the fact I could only read Japanese kanji but not write. Today is a good point for reflection on that goal.

At first it was very difficult to keep a regular pace because everyday I review hundreds of kanji compounds. I write almost all the reviews I look at so it takes a considerably amount of time each day. I look at the meaning in English and Japanese phonetic guide to recall and write the characters.


For example, the front side of my card displays the following:      

Washing machine - せんたくき

I then try to write the kanji for せんたくき(sentakuki).

The backside of my card looks like this:

洗濯機


I repeat this process over and over until I have correctly remembered and written all reviews for the day. I have grown to enjoy my kanji study time. The satisfaction of recalling characters and then writing them out is very rewarding. My writing study has helped me remember vocabulary even better.

So what is my progress after about a half year of relentless study?  I can write just about 1,000 characters. These are the 1,000 characters I have more or less mastered to this point.


一右雨円王音下火花貝学気休玉金九空月犬見五口校左三山四子糸字耳七車手十出女小上森人水正生青石赤先千川早草足村大男竹中虫町天田土二日入年白八百文本名木目夕立力林六引羽雲園遠黄何夏家科歌画会回海絵外角楽活間丸岩顔帰記弓牛魚京強教近兄形計元原言古戸午後語交光公工広考行高合国黒今才細作算姉市思止紙寺時自室社弱首秋週春書少場色食心新親図数星晴声西切雪線船前組走多太体台谷知地池茶昼朝長鳥直通弟店点電冬刀東当答頭同道読内南肉馬買売麦半番父風分聞米歩母方北妹毎万明鳴毛門夜野矢友曜用来理話悪安暗委意医育員飲院運泳駅央横屋温化荷界開階寒感漢館岸期起客急究級去橋業局曲銀区苦具係軽決研県庫湖向幸号祭坂皿仕使始指死歯事持次式実写者主取守酒受州拾終習集住重宿所暑助勝商昭消乗植深申真神身進世整昔全想相送息速族他打対待代第題炭短談着注丁調定庭鉄転登都度島投湯等豆動農配倍畑発反悲美筆表病品負部服福物平返勉放味命面問役薬油有由遊予様洋羊葉陽落流旅両緑礼列練路和愛案以位衣英塩億加果課貨改械害街各覚完官管観関願喜器希機季紀議求泣給共協極軍郡景芸欠結健建験固功好康航告差最菜材昨察殺参散産残史士氏試治失借種周祝初焼照省笑象賞信臣成清静席積折節説戦浅選然争側束続卒孫帯隊達単置仲貯低停底的典伝徒努灯働堂得特毒熱念敗梅博飯費飛必不付夫府副別変便法望末満未脈民無約要養利陸料良量輪類例冷歴連労老録易因営衛演往恩仮価可過解快格確額慣基寄規技義逆居許境興禁句群経潔件券検険減現個故護効厚講鉱混査再妻採災際在財雑賛師志支資示識質舎授修術準承招証常情条状織職制勢性政精製税績責接設絶祖素総増則測損態貸退団断提程敵適統導徳独任燃能判版比非備貧婦富布復複仏編弁保報豊貿防務夢綿輸余預容率略異映延我灰拡割巻干簡危揮机貴疑吸供勤敬系警激憲権絹源呼己誤皇紅降刻困砂座済姿私視誌磁捨尺若収宗就衆従縮熟傷将蒸針寸聖宣専泉洗染善窓装蔵存尊宅担誕暖段値忠庁賃痛展党難乳認納拝晩並閉宝訪亡忘訳郵翌裏律論依偉為違井影宴煙縁鉛奥押欧憶乙嫁暇介皆較掛刈乾喚換汗環甘企幾祈輝儀吉喫及恐況狭驚屈繰契継剣懸軒玄娯抗稿郊香婚歳剤咲削施祉執湿芝邪釈趣需舟銃塾旬償奨床渉粧紹冗飾伸寝振辛震吹遂酔姓請扇禅礎燥葬騒即替滞袋択濯脱嘆端壇弾致遅蓄聴沈抵訂渡途怒倒凍盗筒到踏逃濃杯泊薄爆抜般疲描敷普浮符腐赴封幅払併遍邦乏坊妨忙翻凡慢漫眠霧娘黙誘与翼頼雷絡了涼倫励露廊郎惑

I'm not just learning single characters but compounds of these. So in reality I can write some several thousand character combinations. That is the real challenge anyway. Learning these individually would not be useful because so many words are made up of 2 or more kanji. 


扇子、爆弾、驚嘆、義務、全体主義、疲労、濃霧、北極、悲観的、警察署、息吹、and on and on. You get the idea.


The outlook is good. No stopping now!

1 comment:

AJ and Kim said...

WOW!!! that is so impressive. i feel like i haven't accomplished anything compared to you my friend! Great work!

I saw you mom over at grandmas the other day! Brought back good memories.

Post a Comment