Kanji Felt Impossible. Here's How I Started Making Progress

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1. 01Kanji Felt Impossible

   Hello, everyone. I'm an engineer from Brazil, and I've been learning Japanese for two years. For a long time, kanji felt impossible. Today, I'll explain why it's hard and what finally helped me.

   大家好。我是來自巴西的工程師，學日語已經兩年了。很長一段時間裡，漢字讓我覺得根本學不會。今天，我來解釋一下漢字為什麼難，以及最終是什麼幫到了我。

2. 02The Problem: So Many Characters

   The first problem is the number. Japan's official list of common kanji, called the jōyō kanji, has 2,136 characters. Japanese children learn 1,026 of them in primary school, over six years.

   第一個問題是數量。日本官方的常用漢字表，叫作「常用漢字」，共有2,136個字。日本孩子在小學六年裡要學其中的1,026個。

   Sources: Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan: 常用漢字表 (Cabinet Notice No. 2, November 30, 2010); MEXT, Japan: 小学校学習指導要領 学年別漢字配当表 (2017, fully implemented from 2020)

3. 03The Problem: Many Readings

   The second problem is that one kanji can have several readings. For example, the kanji for "life" is read differently in different words. I memorized a reading, and then it changed!

   第二個問題是，一個漢字可能有好幾種讀法。比如，「生」這個字在不同的詞裡讀法不同。我剛記住一種讀法，它就變了！

4. 04Solution 1: Learn Parts, Not Pictures

   My first solution was to learn the parts. Many kanji are built from smaller pieces. For example, the part for "water" appears in many words about liquids. Once I knew the parts, new kanji felt less random.

   我的第一個辦法是學習部件。很多漢字是由更小的部分組成的。比如，表示「水」的部件出現在很多和液體有關的字裡。瞭解了部件以後，新的漢字就不再顯得那麼雜亂無章了。

5. 05Solution 2: Learn Words, Not Single Kanji

   Second, I stopped studying single kanji and started learning whole words. When I learn a kanji inside a word I actually use, the right reading is much easier to remember.

   第二，我不再單獨學一個個漢字，而是開始學整個詞。當我在自己真正會用的詞裡學一個漢字時，正確的讀法就容易記多了。

6. 06Solution 3: A Little Every Day

   Third, I do a little every day. I learn five new kanji a day and review old ones with a flashcard app on the train. Small steps add up over time.

   第三，我每天學一點。我每天學五個新漢字，並在火車上用單詞卡App複習以前學過的。積少成多。

7. 07Conclusion

   In conclusion, kanji isn't impossible. It's just a long road. If you learn the parts, study whole words, and practice a little every day, you'll be surprised how far you go. Thank you.

   總之，漢字並不是學不會的，只是一條很長的路。如果你學習部件、學習整個詞，並且每天練習一點，你會驚訝於自己能走多遠。謝謝大家。