Why not more vocabulary for 坂?

WaniKani Feedback
1

Today I learned the kanji 坂 (slope) and noticed that it’s only used in one vocabulary word on Wanikani: which is probably the least helpful kind of vocabulary. Its: 坂 (still meaning slope and with the same Kunyomi reading). I anticipate struggling to remember this in the long run because there isn’t much to reinforce it in my mind.

I looked on Jisho and there seems to be a good amount of words available: LINK TO JISHO

Just wondering why this is. I know Wanikani is “NOT FOR LEARNING VOCABULARY!!!” but can’t one or two more be added? At least so we’ll also learn the Onyomi reading? Is there a good reason for this that I’m ignorant of?

2

I’m always up for learning new words, but yeah who knows what the process is for selecting corresponding vocab ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It’d probably be best to email them at hello@wanikani.com in regards to these types of things, it’s usually the quickest way to get a response, and maybe the team can shed some light on it for you and/or have a new suggestion to add to their list of things they’re working on :crabigator:

3

Huh I don’t even remember learning it ha

4

There are two Onyomi options in the Jisho link, has WK introduced either of those up to your level (14?)?

It seems WK only includes vocab that they can make with the kanji you have already seen.

5

Not via the search function or looking at the kanji page directly. There really is only one vocab for it, which is itself: https://www.wanikani.com/kanji/坂

Weirdly enough, I do still remember it, despite only one vocab being available for it, but yeah, would be interesting to hear why they did that.

6

For most people, 坂 will probably be used in region/city names. Look up anything with さか and its actually really common. From that context, words such as “hill”, “mountain”, “river”, “valley” come up in english region titles often so try using that to remember.

7

I think 大阪 used to be 大坂, too, but they changed it for some reason

8

Oh yes, I was totally like “but it’s the kanji in Osaka, right?” Then I realized it’s 大阪. But then it turns out I wasn’t that wrong after all.

Also, according to Wikipedia: “The name is written 大阪 in kanji but it was written 大坂 until 1870, when the partisans for the Meiji Restoration changed it, apparently to avoid the second kanji being misinterpreted as 士反, meaning “samurai rebellion”. The older kanji is still in very limited use, usually in historical contexts.”

9

There are actually a couple of kanji with one vocab like that. 努 only has 1 vocab word, but it’s 努力 which is very common, so there’s sense in that.

10

Well, there are a ridiculously small number of words that use 努. They could teach 努める, but they do teach a different nuance of the word already, using a different kanji. But seriously, there’s a freakishly small number of words that include that kanji.

11

Are there any other standout kanji like that that have usage other in 1 very common word? 努 has been the only one like that I’ve seen so far

12

Some of the legendary no-vocab kanji from WK’s reality, like 乃, 莉 and the like, come to mind.

(Well, 莉 is only used in names, really, so I guess it doesn’t count)

WK has ご無沙汰. I’ve never seen the last two kanji outside of that word.

13

If you want to see more vocabulary words, you can install [Userscript] WaniKani Vocab Beyond and your 坂 kanji page (along with all your other kanji pages) will have other common words listed. i.e.

坂(common)、阪（さか）
Noun
slope; hill

大阪(common)、大坂（おおさか(common)、おおざか）
Noun
1. (おおさか only) Osaka (city)
2. [archaism] large hill

下り坂（くだりざか）
Noun
(See 上り坂) descent; downhill; decline; waning

京阪(common)、京坂（けいはん）
Noun
Kyoto-Osaka

上り坂(common)、登り坂、のぼり坂、昇り坂（のぼりざか）
Noun
(See 下り坂) ascent; uphill

坂道（さかみち）
Noun
hill road
14

‘Kyosaka’ would have been nice

15

The old version is also used for names