Learn Japanese with a New Efficient Study Guide for Kanji

You can learn Japanese with this new efficient study guide for kanji that deals with all 1,945 characters in use in Japan. The Kanji Mnemonics manual has individual Lesson Pages that present kanji in Natural Groups. Wonderfully easy Mnemonic Strings make learning the structure and meaning of kanji a breeze! The manual assumes only elementary knowledge of grammar and the kana and is designed for self study of Japanese kanji at home.

 

Kanji Mnemonics- An Instruction Manual for Learning Japanese Characters. By Robert P. Bodnaryk Ph.D. Edited by Isao Morishima Ph.D. 2000; Published by Kanji Mnemonics Publishing; 423 pages; ISBN 0-9688937-0

The Kanji Mnemonics CD contains the entire Kanji Mnemonics manual in .PDF format (Windows and Macintosh).

 

You can purchase a copy of the book and/or CD from the Kanji Section at www.theJapanShop.com

Click here to ORDER DIRECTLY

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 

PART 1
INTRODUCTION
    Kanji Came from China
    Kanji are Picture Words
    So Why Don't I Get the Picture?
HOW THE PICTURES CHANGED
    Drift
    Copying Error
    Assignment of New Meanings to Old Characters
    Standardization
    Simplification
    It's a Picture of What!?
THE STRUCTURE OF KANJI
    Radicals and Elements
    Kanji as Radicals
    ON and kun Readings
MNEMONICS- THE KEY TO LEARNING KANJI
    Pictographs and Ideographs Tell the Story (Sometimes)
    Mnemonic Strings for Complex Kanji
    Natural Groups of Kanji
    Kanji in Compound Words
    Stroke Order
   Kanji Cards
OTHER TOOLS FOR LEARNING KANJI
    Computers
    Dictionaries
    Other Kanji Texts
GENERAL RULES FOR WRITING KANJI
    First Steps
    Stroke Direction
    Stroke Order
A FINAL WORD
    How Many Kanji Do You Really Need to Know?
    How Fast Can You Learn Them?

PART II- THE KANJI
    Pictures and Symbols
    Sound Groups
        Level 1
        Level 2
        Level 3
    Mixed Sound and Structure Groups
        Level 1
        Level 2
        Level 3
    Structure Groups
        Level 1
        Level 2
        Level 3
APPENDIX
    Abbreviations
    Reference Material
    Kanji Dictionaries
INDEX 1. ON READINGS
INDEX 2. KUN READINGS

 

SPECIAL FEATURES

THE LESSON PAGE

Anyone studying Japanese will appreciate the one-lesson-per-page feature of the Kanji Mnemonics manual. The lesson page is self contained with complete information on each kanji:

  • pronunciation (reading)
  • meaning(s)
  • break down of complex kanji into elements, radicals and simple kanji and their cross indexing
  • a mnemonic string that makes remembering the structure and meaning of each kanji a breeze
  • typical words containing the kanji that illustrate its meaning and build vocabulary
  • historical and current information, where relevant to the learning process

SUPERIOR PRESENTATION AND ORGANIZATION OF KANJI

  • kanji are first presented as a group(s) across the tops of pages in large, bold Kanji Mincho type-face, and Natural Groups are marked out clearly
  • the across-the-top feature serves as an aid to memory and review, a feature found only in the Kanji Mnemonics manual
  • kanji on each page are organized in the same Natural Group(s) to make them easier to learn.
  • generous 8.5x11 format and large fonts throughout- no squinting to see detail

NATURAL GROUPS METHOD FOR LEARNING KANJI

There is no doubt about it- we learn things better and faster when they are in like groups. The Kanji Mnemonics manual puts group(s) of kanji on a lesson page that have common structural elements and the same or different readings. Learning a group all at once takes significantly less time than trying to learn individual kanji scattered about at random, as is the case for most other texts.

MNEMONIC STRINGS FOR COMPLEX KANJI

Every school child knows the year Columbus discovered America thanks to a humble mnemonic. The Kanji Mnemonics manual uses Mnemonic Strings to make learning and remembering complex kanji a breeze. Here is how they work:

First, we break down complex kanji into elements, radicals or simple kanji. Then we put them back together to form a Mnemonic String. For example, the complex kanji for wealth is composed of two simpler kanji, money and talent, written side by side. The character for wealth is easily remembered from the string:

Money and talent bring wealth

Some Mnemonic Strings are truly excellent because they seem to make sense. But a string does not have to make sense for it to be memorable. For example, the complex kanji for permit is composed of two simpler kanji, words and noon. The character for permit is easily remembered from the string:

Words at noon are permitted

Even though this string does not make a lot of sense, it is easy to learn and remember. In fact, our experience is that once such Mnemonic Strings are learned, they are almost never forgotten. Pure learning power from the Kanji Mnemonics manual!

 

 

­­­­­­­­­Notes from the author:

Click here to see  SAMPLE PAGES  from the Kanji Mnemonics manual.

Kanji List Online  (free) has memory aids for learning the structure and meaning of Japanese kanji.

The partial list is taken from the kanji book & CD  “Kanji Mnemonics- An Instruction Manual for Learning Japanese Characters” by Dr. Robert P. Bodnaryk and was prepared by the author.

If the Kanji Mnemonics manual is not what you are looking for, you can find a wealth of information on the Japanese language at Jim Breen's Japanese Page and at the WWWJDIC .


The Kanji Mnemonics manual is not available at present from amazon.com .