"Right" Kanji explanation: Isn't the right eating narwhals?

I generally like the explanations for the left and right Kanjis. However, rather than thinking of the right as “protecting” the narwhals, isn’t it easier and more realistic to think of them as eating the narwhals, and/or protecting their right to do so? This fits the radicals and seems less far-sketched. That said, I guess the oddness of some of these explanations actually helps, too!

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Are you talking about the part that says “protesting”?

No idea if that changes your perspective, though.

I meant the part where it says

The Narwhal mouths. These are a group of people who speak on behalf of the narwhals. Strangely, though, in terms of political party, it’s the right that’s representing these majestic animals.

It’s indeed strange in political terms. I find it much less strange to think of the right as protesting for the right to eat/hunt whales. As in this article where

Foreign pressure on Japan to stop whaling has hardened conservatives and politicians

No big issue for me, it just felt much more natural this way, and maybe easier to remember (I had learnt that Kanji before wanikani anyway, so I am not using this mnemonic much).

I think the idea is that the mouth is attached to the narwhal because it is below it. For eating a whale I guess the mouth should be at a different position. In this case the whales obviously care for their own survival :wink:

Also, the description for 左 talks about a political movement of whales, it would have to be changed as well.

Finally, it wouldn’t match the upbeat attitude of the site to talk about an actual existing controversy, no matter how you feel about it personally. It’s not really necessary to willingly turn the WK forum into an “OMG WHYY does WK HATE whales!!1!” battleground.

Haha, fair enough! Point taken on avoiding actual existing controversy! I think 左 still works for me—左 is the movement that constructs houses for narwhals, 右 the movement that wants to eat them. Also, in the original explanation, the mouth is the party that speaks for the whales, not the whale’s mouth that speaks for the whales. But as said, happy either way—Just spending three messages on a forum about random mnemonics probably means I will remember 右 forever anyway :slight_smile:

Btw, I am worried that Charlie Sheen, at some point, ends up doing some of the weird things he’s made up to do here! He’s so erratic, nothing would surprise me. Then we end up with “does WK hate/endorse Charlie Sheen” battleground situations :wink:

In my mind I made up the mnemonic “punch the narwhal right in the the mouth”. Is there anything wrong with me? Should I see a psychologist?

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I believe tweaking the mnemonic like this to suit what makes something memorable to you is a really good habit. You have a greater chance of it sticking with you, and it also helps for when you want to make your own mnemonics for kanji that Wanikani doesn’t teach.

Keep at it! :heart:

Nope. Have you ever seen some of WaniKani’s mnemonics? You are in the right place.

I just love people forcing political views into my learning experience!

It’s the greatest experience ever!

I think part of the reason is that the mouth radical is being connected to opening and saying, and eating would be connected to a different radical (meal). So the story would refer to a intended use of a later radical.

But that said, you are encouraged to make your own if it doesn’t work for you =)
There was one that bothered the heck out of me, around 13’ish, where there are no mnemonic, make your own for practice… XD
It was only one, and on the reading, but I failed at it =P
I always just remembered when looking, “right, the one I was supposed to make myself, so shiki!” So I do remember the reading still, しき, but I don’t recall the kanji it belonged too ^^;
I will have to make a new mnemonic when I reach it again, to connect it to the kanji as well.

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I’ll add to the conversation that I’ve also used political satire to differentiate the left from the right:

The industrial workers are labourer and vote for the left to defend their rights,
while the capitalistic pigs from the right eat all the food with their mouth .

I know it’s cliché but it worked for me.

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Same.

In my version, though, the right are secretly controlled by the alien Mi-Gi from Lovecraftian fiction. I like to think that I’ve added a fun new level of political interpretation to the Narwhale issue.

Don’t even ask what motivates the left. It gets dark.

(they’re actually called the Mi-Go but sacrifices must be made for mnemonics)

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I like that, it’s short and sweet. That’s the kind I make up for myself when WK’s are too long (if I need one).

Yay, another Lovecraft fan!
Do you play Arkham Horror? (I haven’t actually read any of his works… but I’m familiar with the mythos.)

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Arkham Horror is great but sadly I’ve only had the opportunity to play it a grand total of one time.

I am a fan of his works though!

But really, there’s nothing like a little cosmic horror to scare kanji into staying remembered. : D

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Just chiming in to +1 Lovecraft, Cthulu Mythos, and Arkham Horror. I’m a big fan and have a ton of related stuff, as well a ton of other RPGs and boardgames, actually.

And I initially used the Mi-Go => Mi-Gi thing, but now they’re just right/left みぎ・ひだり to me (I internalized them quite a long time ago).

I own quite a bit of it. Not everything, but some of my favourite expansions (and I know which those are, as a friend of mine I used to play with weekly for a while had everything before Innsmouth came out.) I generally play it about once a year now - have an Arkham Horror Day. : D

@Gaidheal - woot!

In my case, I had already seen Parasyte: The Maxim when I got 右… And it was his right hand that he named that… so it was really easy for me to remember. ^^;

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