The JLPT just got a little bit harder...

[zakojanai]

It was announced last month that the number of Joyo Kanji is expanding from 1945 to 2131. I was a little surprised by how many of these I already knew, but that's still an extra 191 kanji to memorize. (The numbers don't add up because apparently the also removed 5 from the previous list.)
Many of the new Joyo Kanji come from place names, while 丼 and 酎will be familiar to anyone who has spent time eating and drinking in Japan.
Here's an article with the list available on the left side:
http://www.asahi.com/national/update/01 ... 60297.html

[Moccona]

Interesting article,... but I don't know if JEES will actually raise the level of kanji that far. In fact, there are only 1926 kanji measured in the proficiency test... somehow they round it up to 2000. Same for vocab,... it is just over 8000 words I think, but is rounded up to 10,000.. probably to include 'set phrases' and such.

You're right though, and I think even people taking level 3 or 2 should already know kanji like 丼, 串 and so on (at least if you've gone to an izakaya or something of the like in Japan.)

Good luck to all those waiting on your JLPT results. Shouldn't be long now...!

Maybe this topic should be in the JLPT forum?

[zakojanai]

Well, I didn't put it into the JLPT section because it actually has nothing to do with the JLPT. The title was to get your attention.
I didn't realize JLPT 1 only tests 1926 kanji. I thought it tested all the joyo kanji, but now I see that you're right. However, I imagine that some of these new joyo kanji will be showing up on the revised JLPT1 test in 2010, which is supposed to be equal to the current JLTP1 test but "slightly more advanced."

[Psy]

It's about time they got some sense and included 誰. Thankfully, through continuous reading practice I already know most of these, but the reference is still valuable for us aspiring test-takers. You just know this is going to be part of the JLPT reform-- maybe it the reason why it was delayed half a year?

Thanks for the post!

[Javizy]

Interesting stuff. I think a portion of them were included in Heisig, and like the article said, there are a number that have been unofficially 常用 for years, so I'll probably have less than 100 to worry about. I wonder if the 人名用 set will undergo a similar review It's at 983 characters at the moment, which I guess you'd need to know for a decent level of proficiency, but I'm not worried about them for the time being.

I wonder how this will affect the Japanese themselves. Will it only be a concern for schoolchildren or will adults have to start downloading anki as well? It'd kind of suck if you were a schoolkid just finishing off around the time this reform is enacted.

[Psy]

I transcribed the first of the three lists for the benefit of those using flashcard software or in need of a text-based list. I chose keywords I felt appropriate from JEDict, and picked out example words that I've encountered myself "in the wild." Let me know if there are any typos. Parts 2 and 3 coming soon!

Kanji 1~64

媛 "beautiful woman" // 愛媛県（えひめけん）
エン・ひめ

怨 "grudge" // 怨恨（えんこん）
エン・オン

鬱 "depression" // 憂鬱（ゆううつ）
ウツ

唄 "[pop?] song" // 唄(うた）
うた

淫 "lewdness"
みだら・イン

咽 "choked"
イン

茨 "thorn" // 茨城県（いばらきけん）
いばら

彙 "same kind" // 語彙（ごい）
イ

椅 "chair" // 椅子（いす）
イ

萎 "droop" // 萎れる（しおれる）
なえる・イ

畏 "be apprehensive"
おそれる・イ

嵐 "storm" // 五十嵐（いがらし）
あらし

宛 "address" // 宛て名（あてな）
あてる

顎 "chin" // 顎（あご）
あご

曖 "unclear" // 曖昧（あいまい）
あい

挨 "push open" // 挨拶 (あいさつ）
あい

韓 "Korea" // 韓国語（かんこくご）
カン

鎌 "scythe" // 鎌倉市（かまくらし）
かま

葛 "arrowroot"
くず・カツ

骸 "corpse" // 死骸（しがい）
ガイ

蓋 "lid" // 蓋（ふた）
ふた・ガイ

崖 "cliff" // 崖道（がけみち）
がけ・ガイ

諧 "harmony"
カイ

潰 "crush" // 暇潰し（ひまつぶし）
カイ

瓦 "tile" // 瓦礫（がれき）
かわら・ガ

牙 "fang" // 牙（きば）
きば・ガ・ゲ

苛 "torment"
カ

俺 "I (informal masculine)" // 俺（おれ）
おれ

臆 "timidity" // 臆病（おくびょう）
オク

岡 "knoll" // 岡山県（おかやまけん）
おか

旺 "flourishing"
オウ

艶 "captivating" // 艶やか（あでやか）
つや・エン

稽 "consider" // 滑稽（こっけい）
ケイ

憬 "yearn for"
ケイ

詣 "visit a temple" // 初詣（はつもうで）
もうでる・ケイ

熊 "bear" // 熊本県（くまもとけん）、熊手（くまで）
くま

窟 "cavern" // 洞窟（どうくつ）
クツ

串 "skewer" // 串（くし）
くし

惧 "dread"
グ

錦 "brocade" // 錦（にしき）
にしき・キン

僅 "a wee bit" // 僅か（わずか）
わずか・キン

巾 "towel" // 巾着袋（きんちゃくぶくろ）
キン

嗅 "sniff" // 嗅ぎ付ける（かぎつける）
かぐ・キュウ

臼 "mortar" // 臼井（うすい）
うす・キュウ

畿 "capital"
キ

亀 "turtle" // 兎角亀毛（とかくきもう）
かめ・キ

伎 "skill" // 伎（わざ）
キ

玩 "play with" // 玩具（おもちゃ）
ガン

挫 "sprain" // 挫く（くじく）
ザ

沙 "sand" // ご無沙汰（ごぶさた）
サ

痕 "mark" // 傷痕（きずあと）
あと・コン

頃 "about, approx. time" // 近頃（ちかごろ）
ころ

駒 "pony"
こま

傲 "be proud"
ゴウ

乞 "beg" // 乞食（こじき）
こう

喉 "throat" // 喉飴（のどあめ）
のど・コウ

梗 "for the most part"
コウ

虎 "tiger" // 虎猫（とらねこ）
とら・コ

股 "crotch" // 股間（こかん）*cough*
また・コ

舷 "gunwale"
ゲン

鍵 "key" // 鍵盤（けんばん）
かぎ・ケン

拳 "fist" // 握り拳（にぎりこぶし）
こぶし・ケン

桁 "beam/column"
けた

隙 "crevice" // 隙間（すきま）
すき・ゲキ

[QuackingShoe]

Thanks for the list.

Hmm, yeah, already know almost all of those. A very large portion are in Heisig, and the rest are just rather common. Seems like a good selection.

[zakojanai]

Thanks for the list Psy! I know I'm nitpicking, but here are a few suggested edits.

For 俺, define it as "I (masculine)." For 鎌, 鎌倉市 would be a good example. Capitalize Korea. And it should be "gunwale" not "gunwhale."

Also, does anyone know the difference between 姫　and　媛? Both show up as "princess, young lady of noble birth" in the dictionary. And I'm not sure 唄 means "pop" song. It seems like the meaning is more related to poetry and the only example of usage that comes to my mind is the Okinawan folk song 島唄.

(After writing this, I noticed you said you picked keywords out of JEDict. Are you going for a Heisig type keyword approach?)

[gerald_ford]

Also, does anyone know the difference between 姫　and　媛? Both show up as "princess, young lady of noble birth" in the dictionary.

I think one is modern, the other is the archaic version of the same word. I study a lot of Buddhist texts, and sometimes they'll print liturgy using classic style characters that aren't in the modern language anymore, and not all Japanese may even know them. They have furigana on the side, so it's all good I guess. Sometimes liturgy prints the same text but in modern kanji. For example 廣 and 広 are the same kanji, same reading and so on. One's just archaic, one's more modern.

[wccrawford]

I transcribed the first of the three lists for the benefit of those using flashcard software or in need of a text-based list. I chose keywords I felt appropriate from JEDict, and picked out example words that I've encountered myself "in the wild." Let me know if there are any typos. Parts 2 and 3 coming soon!

Awesome list, Psy. If you aren't turning these into an iKnow list, I'm going to. (The vocab, at least. Not sure I want to create an rtk-like deck for them or not.)

[Psy]

Awesome list, Psy. If you aren't turning these into an iKnow list, I'm going to. (The vocab, at least. Not sure I want to create an rtk-like deck for them or not.)

Go for it. By learners, for learners, right? Feel free to add additional example words. I only went with ones I have encountered in real life, in the attempt to avoid including exceedingly obscure vocabulary.

For 俺, define it as "I (masculine)." For 鎌, 鎌倉市 would be a good example. Capitalize Korea. And it should be "gunwale" not "gunwhale."

Whoops. Not sure how I slipped on a definition for this one. I guess I just assumed everyone already knew "ore."

Also, does anyone know the difference between 姫　and　媛?

Apparently, in the old days 姫 was used to indicate the daughter of a feudal lord, whereas 媛 referred to a daughter of the regular folk. Nowadays they have evolved to mean the same thing, though exactly how this happened I am unsure.

And I'm not sure 唄 means "pop" song. It seems like the meaning is more related to poetry and the only example of usage that comes to my mind is the Okinawan folk song 島唄.

I put "pop song" because I recall rather vividly seeing this character on a CD stand with the latest hits. Upon further investigation, while it does refer to folk songs and the like, another definition is その時代の大衆の好みにあい、広く歌われる歌。りゅうこうか, so I have chosen to keep with "pop song" to make a distinction between 歌 and 唄.

(After writing this, I noticed you said you picked keywords out of JEDict. Are you going for a Heisig type keyword approach?)

More or less. More than one keyword serves little more than to muddle up clean memorization and create more synonyms with like characters. (In the study of human memory they call this "interference.") It's easy enough to pick up additional meanings as you learn more vocabulary. Seeing as I tend to think of the characters in terms of Japanese words rather than English meanings, I used JEDict to pick out appropriate English meanings, and when faced with the choice between multiple keywords, I tried to keep a balance between the general meaning of the character and a keyword that stood out.

Thanks for the comments, folks. I'll be writing part 2 today.

[wccrawford]

Awesome list, Psy. If you aren't turning these into an iKnow list, I'm going to. (The vocab, at least. Not sure I want to create an rtk-like deck for them or not.)

Go for it. By learners, for learners, right? Feel free to add additional example words. I only went with ones I have encountered in real life, in the attempt to avoid including exceedingly obscure vocabulary.

The fact that you picked them from daily use makes them the best. I won't be changing any you've listed.

[Psy]

Alright, 61 more for all of you kanji enthusiasts out there. You'll have to excuse me for being a bit of a dufus and transcribing the last one by reading left-to-right-- Not that there's any particular merit in learning these in Japanese alphabetical order-- but I wrote them out the proper way this time. Again, let me know if you find any errors!

Part 2: Kanji 65-125

采 "dice/die" // 拍手喝采（はくしゅかっさい）
サイ

塞 "obstruct" // 八方塞がり（はっぽうふさがり）
サイ・ソク・ふさがる・ふさぐ

埼 "cape (land formation)" // 埼玉県（さいたまけん）
さい

柵 "entwine around" // 柵（しがらみ）
サク

刹 "(Buddhist) temple"
サツ・セツ

拶 "be imminent" // 挨拶状（あいさつじょう）
サツ

斬 "kill with a blade" // 斬り付ける（きりつける）
ザン・きる

恣 "selfish"
シ

摯 "seriousness"
シ

餌 "animal food" // 餌（えさ）
ジ・え・えさ

鹿 "deer" // 鹿児島県（かごしまけん）；馬鹿（ばか）
しか・か

叱 "scold" // 叱られる（しかられる）
シツ・しかる

嫉 "envy"
シツ

腫 "tumor"
シュ・はらす・はれる

呪 "curse" // 呪い（のろい）
ジュ・のろう

袖 "sleeve" // 振り袖（ふりそで）
シュウ・そで

羞 "feel ashamed"
シュウ

蹴 "to kick" // 蹴る（ける）
シュウ・ける

哨 "scout"
ショウ

憧 "yearn after"
ショウ・あこがれる

拭 "wipe" // 手拭き（てふき）
ショク・ぬぐう・ふく

尻 "buttocks" // 尻尾（しっぽ）
しり

芯 "wick"
シン

腎 "kidney" // 腎臓（じんぞう）
ジン

須 "ought" // 急須（きゅうす）
ス

裾 "hem"
すそ

凄 "terrible" // 凄い（すごい）
セイ

醒 "sober up"
セイ

脊 "stature" // 脊椎（せきつい）
セキ

戚 "grieve" // 親戚（しんせき）
セキ

羨 "be jealous" // 羨ましい（うらやましい）
セン・うらやむ・うらやましい

煎 "roast" // 煎茶（せんちゃ）
セン・いる

腺 "gland"
セン

詮 "result" // 詮索（せんさく）
セン

箋 "(written) composition"
セン

膳 "tray"
ゼン

狙 "aim at" // 狙い（ねらい）
ソ・ねらう

遡 "go upstream" (both abstract and literal senses)
ソ・さかのぼる

爽 "refreshing" // 爽やか（さわやか）
ソウ・さわやか

曽 "ex- (former)" // 未曽有（みぞう）
ソウ・ゾ

痩 "get thin" // 痩我慢（やせがまん）
ソウ・やせる

踪 "footprint"
ソウ

捉 "capture"
ソク・とらえる

遜 "humble" // 謙遜（けんそん）
ソン

汰 "(natural) selection" // 音沙汰（おとさた）
タ

唾 "saliva"
ダ・つば

堆 "piled high"
タイ

戴 "be crowned with"
タイ

誰 "who"
だれ

旦 "daybreak" // 元旦（がんたん）
タン・ダン

綻 "ripped"
タン

憚 "hesitate"
タン・はばかる

緻 "minute (e.g. fine)"
チ

酎 "sake (liquor)" // 焼酎（しょうちゅう）
チュウ

貼 "stick (onto)" // 貼付く（はりつく）
チョウ・はる

嘲 "ridicule" // 嘲笑う（あざわらう）
チョウ・あざける

諜 "spy out"
チョウ

捗 "make progress" // 捗る（はかどる）
チョク

椎 "oak" // 椎茸（しいたけ）
ツイ

爪 "claw"
つめ・つま

鶴 "crane (bird)" // 鶴の一声（つるのひとこえ）
つる

[zakojanai]

Thanks again Psy. Didn't notice any errors this time, but you just had to list buttocks after wipe, didn't you?

WCCrawford, if you make an iKnow list, would you be so kind as to link us?

And thanks to both of you who answered the 姫/媛 question. Do either of you have a source?

[wccrawford]

WCCrawford, if you make an iKnow list, would you be so kind as to link us?

Of course! If I somehow forget, my username there is wccrawford as well. I'll be posting all my lists publicly when I'm happy with them.