Hello,
Now that im getting all these kanji and vocabulary I wanted to apply them. Thing is, how can I generally know if a kanji I come across uses onyomi or kunyomi in sentences? If I see a vocabulary with the kanji combination ive learned, ill use that reading. Should I wait until I learn more vocabulary?
Hello!
A general rule is that if a kanji has hiragana attached to it, it uses the kunyomi. If itâs combined with other kanji, then it uses the onyomi *
*This is a VERY general rule.
There are many exceptions and combinations that even WaniKani doesnât go over. For example ç«ăĄć „ăçŠæą so since the first two kanji have hiragana after it, they are read with kunyomi, but often you will see it written like ç«ć „çŠæą and this is a short-hand way of writing it. Itâs still pronounced as if the hiragana is in the word, and is one you will need to memorize.
You will learn more vocabulary via encountering them in the readings you want to do. Say you start readying NHK easy news, and there is a word youâve never seen before. You look it up and Boom!! Brand new word, just learned it. and you keep going adding new vocabulary here and there. If the words get to be a lot, I know many users on WK use anki to make their own flashcards to practice words theyâve encountered just by reading. Donât let your current lack of vocabulary stop you from trying to read! Itâll only ever get easier as you continue. Donât wait, and start reading today!! Good luck!
The simplest, most accessible reading content for beginners or Japanese children will typically have furigana- so the kanjiâs reading will be provided in hiragana above/next to the kanji. Furigana is kind of like training wheels for kanji, the more advanced texts you read, the less youâll find.
When there isnât furigana, knowing which reading to apply for the kanji isnât easy, and really itâs something that youâll have to develop a sense for over time. There are general rules like @superelf94 said, but thereâs no simple foolproof way to know, as itâs case-by-case.
But, donât let that discourage you! The best way to develop that sense is by reading. So donât wait until you feel like youâve learned enough vocabulary to read seamlessly (because unless you do a lot of reading, that time will never come). Youâll always encounter new vocabulary, new kanji, and new readings of old kanji while reading, and the more you read, the easier it will get!
Adding to the above comment, you should start reading text with furigana (hiragana/katakana reading above the kanji). NHK News Easy has that option, manga marketed to kids and teens also do. By starting to read you will absolutely gain more vocabulary quickly. Good luck on your reading journey!
Iâll also put in a good word for the Tadoku graded reader series! Previously I had attempted reading light novels (and manga which were better) and found it slow going and mostly âtranslatingâ rather than âreadingâ, so having a whole series of books I could read and comprehend without looking up words felt really empowering.
I can also recommend starting out with childrenâs books. There are translations into Japanese of classics you may know from your own childhood, or you can read something aimed at Japanese children! Keep in mind: some childrenâs books (e.g. Winnie the Pooh) are primarily aimed at parents who read to their children, so you might encounter unfamiliar grammar. Sometimes theyâre also a weird mix of aimed at the parents and aimed at the children, and easy Kanji that youâre familiar with are suddenly written in Hiragana.
Also, to avoid having to look up every other word, I started out with something that had a familiar story. I really enjoyed the story of Winnie the Pooh translated into Japanese! You could also try manga, no matter whether you know the story already or not, as the pictures usually provide enough context clues to guess whatâs going on, even when you donât understand all the words.