 (above) From Kanji Book: Book One by Naoe Naganuma, calligraphy by Chikudō Takatsuka. Tokyo: Chōfūsha Co., 1951. |
While other people's mnemonics are a big help in the beginning, I found it more meaningful and the effects longer lasting when you create your own. To improve my listening, I watch and listen to anime. To improve my reading comprehension, I read manga. But to improve my character recognition, I use a combination of mnemonics and stroke order writing practice. H = hiragana (what Japanese schoolchildren learn first) K = katakana (used for writing words adapted from foreign languages) NOTE: The background graphic is a translation of Kokkuri-san, a Ouija-like board that Japanese schoolchildren can make by writing hiragana characters on a piece of paper and using a 10-yen coin (about 10 cents and the size of a quarter) as an indicator. Sometimes participants hold onto a pen or pencil and use that as a pointer. Kokkuri-san is the name given to the fox spirit who possesses the participants and provides the answers: "Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, if you're here...." The red torii at the top of the board represents a gateway to a Shintō shrine where foxes are often guardians and messengers as they are associated with Inari, the deity of rice cultivation. |
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| aru ("there is/are" for things, pres.), atta (past), nai (neg.), nakatta (neg. past); iru ("there is/are" for people and animals, pres.), ita (past), inai (neg.), inakatta (neg. past) |
i-adj. (—ai, —ii, —ui, —oi): —ku (-ly), —katta (past), —kunai (neg.), —ku arimasen (polite neg.), —kunakatta (neg. past) |
Ki (w)o tsukero! HE, also pronounced [e], is used for writing the particle following a direction/place. |
Ki (w)o tsukero! WO, also pronounced [o], is used for writing the direct object particle. |
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| kara (from, starting point) dai ikka (lesson one) kore KA are KA (this or that) phrase GA, contrary phrase sumimasen GA (sorry but) |
KI + (half-size ya) = kya kya, kyu, kyū, kyo, kyō gya, gyu, gyū, gyo, gyō |
clause particle: KE (~ but, …) ge-ge-ge (cackling), e.g., manga GeGeGe-no-Kitarō. |
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| SHI + (half-size ya) = sha sha, shu, shū, sho, shō ja, ju, jū, jo, jō (katakana only) she, je |
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| -tai (I wish to or want to) dare (who) |
CHI + (half-size ya) = cha cha, chu, chū, cho, chō |
(katakana only) TE + (half-size i) = ti DE + (half-size i) = di desu ("to be"), deshita (past), dewa/ja* arimasen (neg.), dewa/ja* arimasen deshita (neg. past), *"ja" is informal. |
(katakana only) TO + (half-size U) = tu DO + (half-size U) = du doko (where), dono or dore ga (which), dono kurai (to what degree), donata (who [female speech]), dou (how, how about) |
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| na-adj. (—ei, non-i) + NA + noun na-adj. + de (-te form), + deshita (polite past), + dewa/ja* arimasen (p. neg.), dewa/ja* arimasen deshita (polite neg. past) *"ja" = informal form |
NI + (half-size YA) = nya nya, nyu, nyū, nyo, nyō 1) subject + WA (write HA) + place + NI + aru/iru 2) ko-/so-/aso-/doko (place) + NI + subject + GA + aru/iru 3) place of work + NI + tsutomeru ("to work") |
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| HA is pronounced [wa] when used as a particle. someone + WA (write HA) + something + GA + adj. + desu time phrase + WA (write HA); HA ("as for," modifies time) |
HI + (half-size YA) = hya hya, hyu, hyū, hyo, hyō bya, byu, byū, byo, byō pya, pyu, pyū, pyo, pyō |
(katakana only) FU + (half-size vowel) = fa, fi, fe, fo |
HE is pronounced [e] when used as a particle. doko + E (write HE) + ?-mark |
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| made (until, ending point) —masu: future action, —mashita: past action —masen deshita (neg. past) |
MI + (half-size YA) = mya mya, myu, myū, myo, myō |
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| RI + (half-size YA) = rya rya, ryu, ryū, ryo, ryō |
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| Ki (w)o tsukero! HA, also pronounced [wa], is used for writing the topic particle. |
U.S.: subject + verb + direct object JAPAN: subject + direct object + O (write WO) + verb place moved from/through + O (write WO) nani + O (write WO) + verb |
