How to Learn Japanese Writing
Japanese writing is a very complex art form. There are two phonetic alphabets (the symbols stand for sounds) and one symbolic alphabet (the symbols stand for words) used in Japanese writing. A lot of practice and repetition are involved in learning Japanese writing.
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Things You'll Need
- Japanese writing series by Mitamura: Let's Learn Kanji, Let's Learn Katagana, Let's Learn Hiragana
Instructions
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Learn Japanese Writing
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1
Become familiar with the Japanese language. You don't have to be fluent, but understanding basic words and grammar will making writing much easier.
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2
Learn the characters for each alphabet: Kanji, Katakana and Hiraguna. Memorize a few symbols and begin practicing them.
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3
Watch videos showing how to make the characters so you will grow more comfortable with them (see Resources).
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4
Get a pen, some paper and the book "Let's Learn Hiragana: First Book of Basic Japanese Writing." Follow the lessons sequentially, and practice each until you feel comfortable writing independently. Each lesson has a section for tracing to help you.
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5
Create flashcards of characters you need to practice writing or to remember for reading. Number the strokes on the flashcards to help you remember how to write each symbol.
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6
Practice, practice, practice. As with any new skill, practice makes perfect.
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Tips & Warnings
Take your time. Japanese students spend a lot of time practicing these characters that they look at every day, so don't expect expertise quickly.
Be careful looking for translations of Japanese characters on the Internet; a lot of sites aren't reputable.
