Freaking Out (Kanji problems)

[gaghl641295]

I was going to start to learn kanji and I'm totally freaking out.
How am I supposed to learn them? Do I memmorize each reading individually, do I memorize the word it represents, do I learn how to read them just in combonations? Do I learn vocabulary, then kanji?
Tatsuketekudasai!

[mmmason8967]

Did you download the N5 Kanji list from http://www.tanos.co.uk/jlpt/jlpt5/? There are about 80 kanji and they seem to have been carefully chosen as they're mostly the simple, distinct ones along with a handful of more complex ones (like 電) that are probably included because they're so common. My Japanese level is probably around N5-ish; I've never made any effort to learn kanji but I can still read the ones on that list--most of them very easily.

Pretty much everyone agrees that trying to learn the onyomi and kunyomi is very difficult and not useful for a beginner. I think you'd probably do much better if you find the words in the N5 Vocabulary list that use the kanji from the N5 Kanji list, and make sure you can read/write those words in kanji.

The N5 vocabulary list includes the kanji for each word but I think that's just there for reference, I don't think you're expected to know all those kanji. Also, as far as I know, some of the words (tonari for example) are usually written in hiragana even though there's a kanji for it, so knowing the kanji for those words isn't going to be essential for N5.

You might like to try the JapanesePod101 Nihongo Doujou series. The first two seasons (Newbie Season 2 and Newbie Season 3) cover the N5 Kanji list and almost all of the N5 Vocabulary list.

マイケル

[gaghl641295]

OMG Arigatogozaimashita!
You're very helpful. I will start on those right away!
Can't thank you enough.

[community.japanese]

gaghl641295-san, マイケルsan,
I agree with you, gaghl641295-san; we also can't appreciate enough for マイケルsan's help!
Thank you very much again for a great help, マイケルsan!!

Natsuko(奈津子),
Team JapanesePod101.com