Confronted with Chinese characters while learning Japanese

As I started learning Japanese from last year more seriously than before I faced a few times the situation that I saw Chinese characters and got extremely curious about their meanings.

Is it being at the airport, running through Chinatown or working in a factory, it's so easy to be confronted with Chinese characters. But when you are studying Japanese it can be confusing: You notice characters which look familiar and some you've definitely seen before. You even know their Japanese readings and also what it means... But you don't speak any Chinese language!

But as an learning addict your mind wants to figure out the meanings. Looking at food menus you often get an idea on what it means, but on the other hand I noticed some train stations in Singapore which I couldn't understand properly.

Then I was in a factory and I could read characters for example for milk. The characters don't feel like 'unreadable' anymore, it's amazing. 

You even start looking up characters via radical search with your Japanese dictionary app (e.g. Jsho) only to find out that the character is only not really used in Japanese. For example I found this on a package of a box:  姆

Looking at the radicals it means "female" and "mother", so it made me curious of course.

Also, I guy from Hong Kong I met in Australia told a good example of how meanings of a Kanji can differ by the example of 湯. In Japanese it's ゆ and a common term for hot water - especially at places like onsen. However, in Chinese the meaning would be "soup" (tang). I found that quite interesting. 

I'm aware that there are lots of examples, so if you know an interesting one, just let me know in the comments.

And how do you feel as Japanese learner being confronted with Chinese characters? Okay, of course it's clear to me, that Japanese Kanji are based on Chinese ones, so maybe I should rephrase: Are Chinese words confusing Japanese learners or make them rather curious?

Let me know^^

My 2018 JLPT N4 experience!

Last Sunday I finally participated at the JLPT N4 test in Düsseldorf. Let's review how it went...

During my time in New Zealand earlier this I decided to do the JLPT test level N4 during my 'summer break' in Germany. Back then I knew that there are a lot of kanjis to be memorized, lots of vocabulary to be learned and so many grammar rules to be understood and applied.

After failing an attempt for the N5 test two years ago I made huge steps recently making me confident enough to go even further. I could have played save trying the N5 again, but that wouldn't be the kind of challenge I needed now to move forward.

Back then I failed mostly because my reading speeding was way too slow for being able to finish and a lack of many kanji and grammar rules.

Ready for the test I arrived in Düsseldorf as many more than 500 other people did. Interestingly the most of the participants were applying for the N2 test which I found quite interesting leaving me respect for those reaching that level.

Of course also many were in the N5 one - most of them probably giving it their first shot. 

The test

In any case: I gave it a shot in the N4 test and the first session was the vocabulary and character test for thirty minutes. My general impression was quite positive, but in some cases I had to guess the answer since two kanji looked quite similar, but of course just one was the right one. 

The second part was the one hour grammar and reading test. I didn't felt really sure in much of the grammar questions since I often couldn't see THE answer, in my view many could have made sense. The texts were alright, I felt like I generally wasn't quick enough and fully focused. I felt that the time is running out and that I should get the 'save' points first, but generally it had an impact on my concentration. Not too mention, that it was also a very hot afternoon.

And as by the end the time really ran out, I had to guess the rest. Not sure, if I reach enough points to get through, but next month I'll know more.

Finally, the listening part came and it was definitely one where I felt I could make up points. The level of the conversations being played were way lower than the previous texts and mostly really easy to understand. The only thing was where I and others I talked to afterwards lost points was - again - the focus. If you drift away when the conversation begins and the questions are asked, you found yourself like: 'Ok, I understood the question, but what did they talk about?!' 

But definitely the easiest part of the whole test!

Final thoughts

The question is of course: Did I pass or did I not? Generally this test showed me in which areas I definitely need to improve and although I can read way quicker now then I used to, there's still a lot to be done.

For example certain grammar, I need to understand why certain things are correct and others are not. Plus: I noticed that in terms of kanji I rely too often on furigana. Definitely not the best idea, even though it's convenient. Maybe I should switch them of more often while reading the NHK Easy News.

So, what's next? With myself intending to go on Working Holiday in Japan by the end of next month I definitely plan to do some more courses in Tokyo. Will I even prepare for N3? Probably too soon, maybe I will even do N4 again.

Nevertheless I'm already increasing the vocabulary towards N3 level. Maybe in case of repeating the N4 one it's easier to be a bit more beyond this level. 

I met one guy in Düsseldorf even tried the N4 test now for the third time - without being certain if he made it this time.

So time will tell...

ではもっともっとがんばります。

How much you understand and how much you don't...

With my current chance to live among many Japanese people in a hostel I'm daily confronted with Japanese - in terms of listening to conversations and speaking a bit myself.

On the one side I notice already how much I understand, even if it's just a bit or sometimes even whole sentences. However the lack of knowing the context or certain vocabulary or grammar rules makes it difficult on the other side.

First you have the relief seeing your progress getting more and more understanding and being able to have easy conversations yourself or even shocking some Japanese people by being able to talk to them in their native language.

The latter is certainly funny and I tell things like: '自分で勉強します。(I'm studying myself). It's definitely nice to be praised for your effort learning Japanese - personally I'm satisfied on the one hand - just comparing myself to last year - but I want more.

I noticed my ability to read manga or even some Facebook comments, news articles with furigana and similar stuff got faster. 

The biggest issue stopping me from reading faster is the lack of Kanji and certain vocabulary. But luckily I could see some improvement in that regard.

Through these daily conversations - also on FB messenger - I can increase my Japanese skills gradually which is really motivating.

But still, it's a long way ahead which I'm willing to follow.

New Japanese vocabulary - Mid-February 2018

As I'm currently continuing to improve towards my goal learning more and more Japanese I'm currently surrounded by many Japanese people which helps me getting more and more vocabulary - these ones I found quite important this week:

休憩きゅうけい
Meaning: break, recess
Comment: It's an important word for being at work. I memorized this word by using the following sentences to my Japanese working colleague: 休憩までは１０分。=> 'It's 10 minutes until the break.'

個室こしつ

Meaning: private room
Comment: As I switched to a private room that week I was taught this important word. I especially to a closer look at the second kanji: 室. It means 'room' and is one of the level N4 ones which I can remember now.

連絡れんらく
Meaning: to contact, to get in touch

Comment: Actually an easy and common one, but as I had it in several conversations (LINE and 'real') this week plus I still struggle to memorize the Kanji it made sense to put it into this list. Despite it's seems quite often used, the Kanji characters are for JLPT N2 and N3.

渡るわたるMeaning: to cross over, to go across
Comment: After work, a street needed to be crossed and like 'koeru' 'wataru' can be used. How I memorize it? Wataru is also a Japanese name and the first thing which comes to mind is Takagi Wataru (police guy from Detective Conan, 名探偵コナン). So I thing like 'Takagi is crossing the street' and here we go^^

Application out for JLPT N4!

This year it's time to go for the JLPT again. But unlike two years ago I will go one step further and will try the JLPT N4.

It's time to raise my game and give my ambitions improving my Japanese a new challenge. Two years ago I failed passing the N5 test, but back then I wasn't really used to read Japanese and my Kanji and vocabulary knowledge was quite low.

Especially the ability to read is important which I noticed during the test in 2016. I wasn't used to it and way too slow. I couldn't really read the longer text at the end and ended up guessing the answers without having gone through the text through the lack of time I had.

Additionally I wasn't that confident with the N5 Kanji and I guess I even made silly mistakes in that regard.

But the situation now is different: Just a few months after failing that test a acquired some manga in Japanese on my travels and kept me more into reading the language plus it also plays a huge role in learning new words. My Anki deck is getting filled with lots of vocabulary and especially words directly written in Kanji (but with furigana).

I found with Obenkyo an interesting recommendation for learning Kanji and the necessary vocabulary.

But surely it's not just that: Many grammar rules are important and are needed to be understood and learned. It's something where I definitely need to catch up.

Recently I was indecisive about taking N5 or N4, but I felt like that I could already easily pass N5 by now, but as it's still a few months to go until July I figured that it would be best to aim one step higher and go for N4.

So with currently being in New Zealand I had to sent my application via post delivery to Düsseldorf in Germany as they don't have the option yet to apply online. I found out that other places have that possibility already and that it's really easy in Japan as well of course.

But anyway, the application is out and now I can fully focus on passing N4 in July.

How I will continue to follow One Piece

After watching One Piece for around 15 years and especially in the last few years in the original dub with subtitles I recently decided to take another approach...

I was mostly following the anime being around 20-30 episodes behind the broadcast and was on the way to reach episode 800. Through some spoilers I was aware that there will be an emotional fight between Luffy and Sanji soon and checked that volume 84 will cover exactly that.

And with my will to take my Japanese skills to the next level I decided the following step:
- watch the One Piece anime that far that I can continue with reading volume 84... in Japanese!

While being in Tokyo I bought this very volume and caught up with the anime that I could start reading in it's original form.

To explain, it's not my first Japanese manga, but mostly I bought manga where I already knew the story like some Dragon Ball or Detective Conan volumes. And of course I had to look up lots of kanji and vocabulary. But the important ones ended up in my Anki deck.

But the situation now is different: I'm now reading a manga story (where I know what happened up until now), but need to understand the upcoming development of the Whole Cake Island arc in Japanese.

It's a challenge, I need to read the chapter twice and more to get the meanings. And I wouldn't say I get every line. Sometimes I'm happy with understanding the just some words in a sentence. The furigana are helping a lot, but sometimes the kanji itself are helping more to get the meaning than the furigana.

Often used words I look up in Jisho.org and add them in my Anki deck. Generally I realized: Once I dived in reading it all in Japanese, having the time to focus on it really works. I see progress in my understanding and reading skills.

By now I already continued with volume 85 and will keep on going this path.

Why I love the Japanese train systems

It's so simple and it works perfectly: Such a well-organized and easy to figure out train system. The maps show the exact price straightaway. Let me explain!

How often you ended up in a train systems where you had to figure out 'Ok, so how much do I need to pay know?' and saw like the areas were divided into zones, sometimes even in separate charts. 

In Japan I found it very easy, despite there are even completely other characters. The easiest thing is you look for a station and the price in Yen is well-placed within the whole map. And even if you get it wrong and pay not enough: Once you leave the train there are machines where you can fix your ticket with paying the remaining Yen - or just go to the counter on the way out. All you need to know is the station you wanna go to.

You cannot leave unpaid - the system is so simple and so effective working. No need to worried, did I pay enough? Recently I took a longer way from Mishima to Tokyo and then I in Tokyo I went out at the Ryogoku station. I only payed a small amount at the beginning for the train (like 230 Yen) and payed the rest at the final subway station - after changing the train three times during that ride. No issue at all (as it was all JR line).

And since there are often different lines - especially in big cities like Tokyo - there are so many ways to reach the destination you want to, and even in cheaper ways than you initially think.

That's something I noticed this year when I was going from Osaka to Suzuka: According to Google Maps I saw a certain price, but in reality it was around 1000 Yen cheaper - by only using certain trains - with a short stop in Nabari and Ise.

Additionally I should mention that you can use prepaid IC cards which allow you to travel faster and more convenient. You can also use the machine to check how much you paid for what and how much money is left on the card.

For longer routes you should consider getting a Japan Railpass, where you have a flatrate for certain lines around the country.
Does it make financially sense? Depending on the routes and distances you take sense - but don't forget to get the pass in advance.

In general (to sum up) you should go to Japan and experience it yourself!