Moji NinjaHow to learn kanji
Learn kanji in small sets: the meaning first, then the readings through real words, and leave the reviews to spaced repetition. At 5 new kanji a day, a first pass through the 104 for JLPT N5 takes about three weeks. Knowing a kanji's parts makes the next one easier, and writing by hand helps you tell similar shapes apart.
Before you start
Learn hiragana and katakana first. Kanji readings are written in kana, so you can't get far without them.
What order to learn them in
Follow the JLPT levels: they run from the commonest, simplest kanji to the rarer ones. The course here has 2,135 kanji:
Five steps for each kanji
- The meaning first. Tie the shape to one clear meaning: 水 is water. Now the kanji says something whenever you meet it.
- Its parts. Most kanji are built from smaller parts. 休 is a person beside a tree: a person resting. A small story around the parts stays with you far better than repeating strokes.
- Readings through words. Don't learn on'yomi and kun'yomi as a list. Learn the word, and it carries the reading with it.
- Writing. The JLPT has no handwriting, but writing helps you tell 未 from 末. Follow the stroke order rules.
- Spaced reviews. Each day, review what is about to slip. In Moji Ninja a kanji's meaning, reading and writing are remembered separately, because you often forget them separately.
How many kanji a day
Start with 5 a day. What matters is a pace you can keep: today's new kanji are the reviews of the coming days, so too many new ones soon turn into more reviews than you can do. If your reviews take over 20 minutes, stop adding new kanji for a day or two.
How the examples in Moji Ninja work
Every word and sentence on a card uses no kanji but the one you are learning, so you can read each example at once. That is why some kanji that appear almost only in compounds have no example word.
Frequently asked questions
How many kanji do I need to know?
It depends on your goal. About 100 cover the first JLPT level, and reading a newspaper takes well over 1,000. This course goes up to 2,135. See the guide to the JLPT levels.
How many kanji a day is sensible?
About 5 a day for most learners. You can keep that pace up for a long time, and your reviews stay short.
Do I need to be able to write kanji?
Not for the JLPT, which has no handwriting. Writing still helps you remember the shapes and tell similar kanji apart.
Should I learn by JLPT level or by school grade?
For foreign learners the JLPT levels are more practical. Japanese school grades serve other aims: kanji for children come first.
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