Reading Vs Writing

Will writing improve my Japanese kanji understanding versus reading? I thought about writing my own sentences in English first and then translate in Japanese with kanji in it to practice how they are used, mostly what they do in textbooks. Ofcourse writing takes more time and you really need to sit down for it, and reading is a little bit more flexible approach.

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I would say it has for me. I would expect that getting more and more repetitive exposure is going to help your understanding. I wouldn’t do it in lieu of reading, though. They are more complimentary actions.

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It has definitely for me. When learning to write kanji you understand each part/radical that composes the kanji which helps not only remember it better, but also to differentiate between similar kanjis such as 防妨坊訪肪… for example.

However, reading also reinforces your kanji knowledge by being able to narrow the time gap between seeing the kanji and understanding its meaning/reading. By reading a text you actively review all of the kanji that are within it which helps reinforce your knowledge of it, just like WaniKani’s reviews do.

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I want to write my own fantasy stories in Japanese with Kanji, do you think that is a good practice.

Any writing practice is good practice, reading will greatly benefit your writing as well just so you know.

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I’m personally inclined to think that this kind of writing practice is just a good way to solidify mistakes, but :woman_shrugging:

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I agree with @QuackingShoe. If you want to use your own sentences, you will also need a tutor or a teacher to check for mistakes. Speaking from experience, just asking a native won’t do, as they are likely to let things slip since they “understood your point” or don’t know how to explain the problem.

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