2.3. Japanese Alphabet: Hiragana: Kanji

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One of the first steps in learning a new language is to familiarize yourself with its alphabet. In the case of Japanese, there are three main writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. However, in this chapter, we will focus mainly on Hiragana and Kanji.

Hiragana

Hiragana is one of the most basic writing systems in the Japanese language. It is a phonetic system, which means that each character represents a specific sound. This makes Hiragana a good starting point for beginners as it gets you started reading and writing Japanese relatively quickly.

Hiragana consists of 46 basic characters, plus some modified and combined characters. Each character represents a syllable, not a single sound as in the English language. For example, the character "あ" represents the sound "a", while the character "か" represents the sound "ka".

One of the most challenging things about learning Hiragana is its calligraphy. Each character has a specific stroke order that must be followed, and this can be difficult to master initially. However, with practice you will get used to the correct way to write each character.

Kanji

While Hiragana is a phonetic writing system, Kanji is a logographic writing system. This means that each Kanji character represents a word or concept rather than a sound. For example, the Kanji character "水" represents the word "water".

Kanji characters are derived from Chinese characters, and there are thousands of them to learn. However, for basic level Japanese language proficiency, you only need to know about 2000 Kanji characters. That may sound like a lot, but remember that each Kanji represents a word or concept, so learning Kanji is like learning vocabulary.

Like Hiragana, Kanji characters have a specific stroke order that must be followed when writing them. Also, each Kanji has one or more readings, which are the different ways to pronounce the character. This can make learning Kanji a little more challenging than learning Hiragana, but it is also an essential part of learning the Japanese language.

In summary, Hiragana and Kanji are two of the main writing systems in the Japanese language. Hiragana is a phonetic writing system that is a good starting point for beginners, while Kanji is a logographic writing system that represents words and concepts. Both are essential to reading and writing Japanese, and while they can be challenging to learn at first, with practice and patience, you can master them.

Understanding these two writing systems is key to furthering your studies in the Japanese language. So keep practicing and don't give up! Remember, the journey of learning a new language is an ongoing and rewarding process.

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62.4. Japanese Alphabet: Hiragana: Basic Vocabulary