Learning Chinese the Easy Way

Download Learning Chinese the Easy Way PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781419686115
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (861 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Learning Chinese the Easy Way by : Sam Y. Song

Download or read book Learning Chinese the Easy Way written by Sam Y. Song and published by . This book was released on 2012-04-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book introduces Chinese characters through both illustrations and the reasons behind them. It's a "must have" for learners of Chinese everywhere!

Traditional Chinese Characters

Download Traditional Chinese Characters PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Dr. Alan Hoenig
ISBN 13 : 0982232438
Total Pages : 522 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (822 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Traditional Chinese Characters by : Alan Hoenig

Download or read book Traditional Chinese Characters written by Alan Hoenig and published by Dr. Alan Hoenig. This book was released on 2013-01-31 with total page 522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The pioneering memory technique taught in this book removes the major obstacle to learning modern Mandarin Chinese: how to remember the meanings of more than 2,000 of the most common of traditional Chinese characters--enough to read more than 96 percent of the characters in almost any Chinese text. The lessons included here will help to learn new definitions at a breakneck pace, build up new characters using characters already learned, develop memory tricks to associate meanings with these characters, and fix meanings and characters forever in the mind. This unique manual provides a sure-fire way to master the most challenging and intimidating aspect of learning Chinese, vital for any student of the Chinese language.

Remembering Simplified Hanzi 1

Download Remembering Simplified Hanzi 1 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
ISBN 13 : 0824875931
Total Pages : 432 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (248 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Remembering Simplified Hanzi 1 by : James W. Heisig

Download or read book Remembering Simplified Hanzi 1 written by James W. Heisig and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2008-10-31 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At long last the approach that has helped thousands of learners memorize Japanese kanji has been adapted to help students with Chinese characters. Book 1 of Remembering Simplified Hanzi covers the writing and meaning of the 1,000 most commonly used characters in the simplified Chinese writing system, plus another 500 that are best learned at an early stage. (Book 2 adds another 1,500 characters for a total of 3,000.) Of critical importance to the approach found in these pages is the systematic arranging of characters in an order best suited to memorization. In the Chinese writing system, strokes and simple components are nested within relatively simple characters, which can, in turn, serve as parts of more complicated characters and so on. Taking advantage of this allows a logical ordering, making it possible for students to approach most new characters with prior knowledge that can greatly facilitate the learning process. Guidance and detailed instructions are provided along the way. Students are taught to employ "imaginative memory" to associate each character’s component parts, or "primitive elements," with one another and with a key word that has been carefully selected to represent an important meaning of the character. This is accomplished through the creation of a "story" that engagingly ties the primitive elements and key word together. In this way, the collections of dots, strokes, and components that make up the characters are associated in memorable fashion, dramatically shortening the time required for learning and helping to prevent characters from slipping out of memory.

Beginning Chinese Reader

Download Beginning Chinese Reader PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780300020564
Total Pages : 1012 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (25 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Beginning Chinese Reader by : John DeFrancis

Download or read book Beginning Chinese Reader written by John DeFrancis and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 1012 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second edition, like the earlier first edition, introduces some of the main varieties of Chinese as found before and after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. While continuing to stress the basic importance of the traditional usages, such as the regular characters to be found in all materials published before the adoption of the simplified forms in 1956 and still in use in some areas, the present revision goes further in contrasting variant usages and in providing additional material relevant to the PRC. Closely related with the author's Beginning Chinese and its companion volume, Character Text for Beginning Chinese, this text is based on a new approach which not only takes into account the advantages of the oral-aural method but gets the student more quickly into material that he is likely to encounter in actual written Chinese. Unique features are the emphasis on compounds and their extensive use in various types of exercises. The 1,200 combinations are based on 400 characters; in all, the book contains 120,000 characters of running text. All compounds appear in illustrative sentences accompnied by English translations, in dialogues as a means of audio-lingual reinforcement, and in narrative or expository form. Additional exercises include maps, booksellers' book lists, correspondence, poems, table of contents, and brief passages from the works of outstanding writers such as Sun Yatsen, Hu Shih, Mao Tse-tung, and Lu Hsun. Supplementary lessons present reading material using the simiplified characters adopted in mainland China.

Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters

Download Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Tuttle Publishing
ISBN 13 : 146290128X
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (629 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters by : Alison Matthews

Download or read book Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters written by Alison Matthews and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2011-12-20 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This user-friendly book is aimed at helping students of Mandarin Chinese learn and remember Chinese characters. At last--there is a truly effective and enjoyable way to learn Chinese characters! This book helps students to learn and remember both the meanings and the pronunciations of over 800 characters. This otherwise daunting task is made easier by the use of techniques based on the psychology of learning and memory. key principles include the use of visual imagery, the visualization of short "stories," and the systematic building up of more complicated characters from basic building blocks. Although Learning Chinese Characters is primarily a book for serious learners of Mandarin Chinese, it can be used by anyone with interest in Chinese characters, without any prior knowledge of Chinese. It can be used alongside (or after, or even before) a course in the Chinese language. All characters are simplified (as in mainland China), but traditional characters are also given, when available. Key features: Specially designed pictures and stories are used in a structured way to make the learning process more enjoyable and effective, reducing the need for rote learning to the absolute minimum. The emphasis throughout is on learning and remembering the meanings and pronunciations of the characters. Tips are also included on learning techniques and how to avoid common problems. Characters are introduced in a logical sequence, which also gives priority to learning the most common characters first. Modern, simplified characters are used, with pronunciations given in pinyin. Key information is given for each character, including radical, stroke-count, traditional form, compounds, and guidance on writing the character. This is a practical guide with a clear, concise and appealing layout, and it is well-indexed with easy lookup methods. The 800 Chinese characters and 1,033 compounds specified for the original HSK Level A proficiency test are covered.

Hacking Chinese

Download Hacking Chinese PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781530334889
Total Pages : 246 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (348 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Hacking Chinese by : Olle Linge

Download or read book Hacking Chinese written by Olle Linge and published by . This book was released on 2016-03-26 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learning Chinese can be frustrating and difficult, partly because it's very different from European languages. Following a teacher, textbook or language course is not enough. They show you the characters, words and grammar you need to become proficient in Chinese, but they don't teach you how to learn them! Regardless of what program you're in (if any), you need to take responsibility for your own learning. If you don't, you will miss many important things that aren't included in the course you're taking. If you study on your own, you need to be even more aware of what you need to do, what you're doing at the moment and the difference between them. Here are some of the questions I have asked and have since been asked many times by students: How do I learn characters efficiently? How do I get the most out of my course or teacher? Which are the best learning tools and resources? How can I become fluent in Mandarin? How can I improve my pronunciation? How do I learn successfully on my own? How can I motivate myself to study more? How can I fit learning Chinese into a busy schedule? The answers I've found to these questions and many others form the core of this book. It took eight years of learning, researching, teaching and writing to figure these things out. Not everybody has the time to do that! I can't go back in time and help myself learn in a better way, but I can help you! This book is meant for normal students and independent language learners alike. While it covers all major areas of learning, you won't learn Chinese just by reading this book. It's like when someone on TV teaches you how to cook: you won't get to eat the delicious dish just by watching the program; you have to do the cooking yourself. That's true for this book as well. When you apply what you learn, it will boost your learning, making every hour you spend count for more, but you still have to do the learning yourself. This is what a few readers have said about the book: "The book had me nodding at a heap of things I'd learnt the hard way, wishing I knew them when I started, as well as highlighting areas that I'm currently missing in my study." - Geoff van der Meer, VP engineering "This publication is like a bible for anyone serious about Chinese proficiency. It's easy for anyone to read and written with scientific precision." - Zachary Danz, foreign teacher, children's theatre artist About me I started learning Chinese when I was 23 (that's more than eight years ago now) and have since studied in many different situations, including serious immersion programs abroad, high-intensity programs in Sweden, online courses, as well as on the side while working or studying other things. I have also successfully used my Chinese in a graduate program for teaching Chinese as a second language, taught entirely in Chinese mostly for native speakers (the Graduate Institute for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language at National Taiwan Normal University). All these parts have contributed to my website, Hacking Chinese, where I write regularly about how to learn Mandarin.

The Yellow Monkey Emperor's Classic of Chinese Medicine

Download The Yellow Monkey Emperor's Classic of Chinese Medicine PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Singing Dragon
ISBN 13 : 0857012339
Total Pages : 275 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (57 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Yellow Monkey Emperor's Classic of Chinese Medicine by : Spencer Hill

Download or read book The Yellow Monkey Emperor's Classic of Chinese Medicine written by Spencer Hill and published by Singing Dragon. This book was released on 2016-08-18 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A horse complains of a chest as tight as a bear's embrace, a goat bleats about skin as dry as parchment, and a rat describes his urine as darker than soya sauce. Join these lively characters and their friends as they seek diagnosis from wise animal sages and the yellow monkey emperor. Covering 78 syndromes of Chinese medicine, these cartoons graphically illustrate the disturbances and illnesses that can affect the organs of the body, or Zang Fu, as they are understood in Chinese medicine. They are accompanied by a concise list of symptoms for easy diagnostic reference. Combining Damo Mitchell's deep knowledge and experience with Spencer Hill's witty cartoons, this is a fun way to learn, remember and be entertained by the syndromes and their symptoms.

How to Tell a Joke

Download How to Tell a Joke PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691211078
Total Pages : 326 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis How to Tell a Joke by : Marcus Tullius Cicero

Download or read book How to Tell a Joke written by Marcus Tullius Cicero and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Timeless advice about how to use humor to win over any audience Can jokes win a hostile room, a hopeless argument, or even an election? You bet they can, according to Cicero, and he knew what he was talking about. One of Rome’s greatest politicians, speakers, and lawyers, Cicero was also reputedly one of antiquity’s funniest people. After he was elected commander-in-chief and head of state, his enemies even started calling him “the stand-up Consul.” How to Tell a Joke provides a lively new translation of Cicero’s essential writing on humor alongside that of the later Roman orator and educator Quintilian. The result is a timeless practical guide to how a well-timed joke can win over any audience. As powerful as jokes can be, they are also hugely risky. The line between a witty joke and an offensive one isn’t always clear. Cross it and you’ll look like a clown, or worse. Here, Cicero and Quintilian explore every aspect of telling jokes—while avoiding costly mistakes. Presenting the sections on humor in Cicero’s On the Ideal Orator and Quintilian’s The Education of the Orator, complete with an enlightening introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, How to Tell a Joke examines the risks and rewards of humor and analyzes basic types that readers can use to write their own jokes. Filled with insight, wit, and examples, including more than a few lawyer jokes, How to Tell a Joke will appeal to anyone interested in humor or the art of public speaking.

The Chinese Language

Download The Chinese Language PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
ISBN 13 : 9780824810689
Total Pages : 348 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (16 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Chinese Language by : John DeFrancis

Download or read book The Chinese Language written by John DeFrancis and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 1986-03-01 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "DeFrancis's book is first rate. It entertains. It teaches. It demystifies. It counteracts popular ignorance as well as sophisticated (cocktail party) ignorance. Who could ask for anything more? There is no other book like it. ... It is one of a kind, a first, and I would not only buy it but I would recommend it to friends and colleagues, many of whom are visiting China now and are adding 'two-week-expert' ignorance to the two kinds that existed before. This is a book for everyone." --Joshua A. Fishman, research professor of social sciences, Yeshiva University, New York "Professor De Francis has produced a work of great effectiveness that should appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It is at once instructive and entertaining. While being delighted by the flair of his novel approach, the reader will also be led to ponder on some of the most fundamental problems concerning the relations between written languages and spoken languages. Specifically, he will be served a variety of information on the languages of East Asia, not as dry pedantic facts, but as appealing tidbits that whet the intellectual appetite. The expert will find much to reflect on in this book, for Professor DeFrancis takes nothing for granted." --William S.Y. Wang, professor of linguistics, University of California at Berkeley

American Born Chinese

Download American Born Chinese PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : First Second
ISBN 13 : 1466805463
Total Pages : 231 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (668 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis American Born Chinese by : Gene Luen Yang

Download or read book American Born Chinese written by Gene Luen Yang and published by First Second. This book was released on 2006-09-06 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A tour-de-force by rising indy comics star Gene Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he's the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny's life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax. American Born Chinese is a 2006 National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature, the winner of the 2007 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: New, an Eisner Award nominee for Best Coloring and a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. This title has Common Core Connections

Chinese Lessons

Download Chinese Lessons PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 0805076158
Total Pages : 343 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (5 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Chinese Lessons by : John Pomfret

Download or read book Chinese Lessons written by John Pomfret and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2006-08-08 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "As a twenty-two-year-old exchange student at Nanjing University in 1981, John Pomfret was one of the first American students to be admitted to China after the Communist Revolution of 1949. Living in a cramped dorm room, Pomfret was exposed to a country few outsiders had ever experienced, one fresh from the twin tragedies of Mao's rule - the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution." "Twenty years after first leaving China, Pomfret returned to the university for a class reunion. Once again, he immersed himself in the lives of his classmates, especially the one woman and four men whose stories make up Chinese Lessons, an intimate and revealing portrait of the Chinese people." "Beginning with Pomfret's first day in China, Chinese Lessons takes us back to the often torturous paths that brought together the Nanjing University History Class of 1982. We learn that Old Wu's father was killed during the Cultural Revolution for the crime of being an intellectual; Book Idiot Zhou labored in the fields for years rather than agree to a Party-arranged marriage; Little Guan was forced to publicly denounce and humiliate her father." "As we follow Pomfret's classmates from childhood to university and on to adulthood, we see the effect that the country's transition from near-feudal communism to First World capitalism has had on his classmates. This riveting portrait of the Chinese people will not only change your understanding of China but also challenge your perception of the way fate can shape the course of nations as surely as it has the extraordinary lives of these five classmates."--BOOK JACKET.

Big Breasts and Wide Hips

Download Big Breasts and Wide Hips PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Skyhorse Publishing Inc.
ISBN 13 : 1611453437
Total Pages : 636 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (114 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Big Breasts and Wide Hips by : Mo Yan

Download or read book Big Breasts and Wide Hips written by Mo Yan and published by Skyhorse Publishing Inc.. This book was released on 2012-01-04 with total page 636 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jintong, his mother, and his eight sisters struggle to survive through the major crises of twentieth century China, which include civil war, invasion by the Japanese, the cultural revolution, and communist rule in the new China.

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Download The Fortune Cookie Chronicles PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Hachette+ORM
ISBN 13 : 0446511706
Total Pages : 237 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (465 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by : Jennifer 8 Lee

Download or read book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles written by Jennifer 8 Lee and published by Hachette+ORM. This book was released on 2008-02-01 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you think McDonald's is the most ubiquitous restaurant experience in America, consider that there are more Chinese restaurants in America than McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Wendys combined. New York Times reporter and Chinese-American (or American-born Chinese). In her search, Jennifer 8 Lee traces the history of Chinese-American experience through the lens of the food. In a compelling blend of sociology and history, Jenny Lee exposes the indentured servitude Chinese restaurants expect from illegal immigrant chefs, investigates the relationship between Jews and Chinese food, and weaves a personal narrative about her own relationship with Chinese food. The Fortune Cookie Chronicles speaks to the immigrant experience as a whole, and the way it has shaped our country.

Basic Spoken Chinese

Download Basic Spoken Chinese PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Tuttle Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1462914810
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (629 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Basic Spoken Chinese by : Cornelius C. Kubler

Download or read book Basic Spoken Chinese written by Cornelius C. Kubler and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2014-08-12 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a beginning-level course in spoken Chinese that employs a revolutionary new method designed to have you quickly speaking and comprehending Mandarin Chinese. Along with its sister book Basic Written Chinese and their accompanying workbooks, Basic Spoken Chinese offers a complete introductory course to the Chinese language. As a native English speaker, working hard to learn Chinese is not enough; you have to work smart to learn this very different language efficiently. Downloadable audio and video reinforce the material introduced in the book. No matter why you've chosen to learn Chinese--for business, travel, cultural studies or another goal--the Basic Chinese approach of two separate but integrated tracks in spoken and written Chinese will help you learn this language most efficiently and successfully. Detailed explanations in English of Chinese pronunciation, grammar, usage, culture, society, and recommended learning approaches. A digital Instructor's Guide is available electronically. A written Character Transcript (Simplified and Traditional) is available electronically. The downloadable materials feature: 40 videos with dozens of native speakers filmed on location in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. 6 hours of native-speaker audio, including all of the book's conversations. Build up sections, new words, and pronunciation exercises. Available separately, Basic Spoken Chinese Practice Essentials is the companion workbook for Basic Spoken Chinese. This practical guide includes a broad range of drills and exercises designed to enhance your proficiency in speaking and comprehending dramatically. While intended for use with the companion textbook, it can be used together with any Chinese textbook or teaching program to hone your Chinese language skills.

Second 100 Chinese Characters: Traditional Character Edition

Download Second 100 Chinese Characters: Traditional Character Edition PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Tuttle Publishing
ISBN 13 : 146291196X
Total Pages : 134 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (629 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Second 100 Chinese Characters: Traditional Character Edition by : Laurence Matthews

Download or read book Second 100 Chinese Characters: Traditional Character Edition written by Laurence Matthews and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2013-02-26 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a quick and easy way to learn the second 100 basic Chinese traditional characters. The major struggle facing all beginning Chinese language students is to learn to recognize, read and write hundreds of Chinese characters. A working knowledge of characters is essential for any student wishing to learn Chinese. The Second 100 Chinese Characters adopts a structural approach that helps students to overcome this initial difficulty and quickly master the basic Chinese characters that are fundamental to this language. This book contains characters that have been carefully selected and sequenced for rapid and effective learning. For effective learning, memorization and practice, each Chinese character is shown separately on a single page, together with its English definitions, hanyu pinyin romanization, alternate form (if any), a stroke order guide and ample space for writing practice. The stroke order guides introduce the student to the standard stroke sequence used in writing the characters, by tracing over them. After learning the correct stroke order, the student can then practice writing the character on their own, thus reinforcing recognition and memorization. Large boxes with grid lines for correct proportions are provided. Related compounds and phrases containing each character are also included to assist in vocabulary building. Three indexes (alphabetically by the English meanings and the pinyin romanization, and by radicals) are provided at the back of the book for quick and easy reference, along with extra sheets of blank boxes for writing practice. This book features The second 100 most frequently-used Chinese characters. Foundation characters for the HSK A level language proficiency test. Standard hanyu pinyin romanizations. Step-by-step stroke order guides and ample space for writing practice. Over 500 words and phrases containing the basic characters. Concise English definitions.

Chinese Calligraphy

Download Chinese Calligraphy PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : National Geographic Books
ISBN 13 : 0789208709
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (892 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Chinese Calligraphy by : Edoardo Fazzioli

Download or read book Chinese Calligraphy written by Edoardo Fazzioli and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2005-09-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written Chinese can call upon about 40,000 characters, many of which originated some 6,000 years ago as little pictures of everyday objects used by the ancients to communicate with one another. To convey more abstract ideas or concepts, the Chinese stylized and combined their pictographs. For instance, the character for “man”—a straight back above two strong legs—becomes, with the addition of a head and shoulders and arms held sternly akimbo, the character for “official.” This book, modeled after a classic compilation of the Chinese language done in the 18th century, introduces readers to the 214 root pictographs or symbols upon which this writing system, whose rich complexities hold a wealth of cultural meaning, is based. These key characters, called radicals, are all delightfully presented in this volume, with their graphic development traced stage-by-stage to the present representation, where even now (in many of them) one can easily make out what was originally pictured—with the author’s guidance. Centuries ago, when the Japanese took up writing, they also adopted these symbols, though they gave them different names in their own spoken language.

Remembering the Kanji 2

Download Remembering the Kanji 2 PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
ISBN 13 : 9780824836696
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (366 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Remembering the Kanji 2 by : James W. Heisig

Download or read book Remembering the Kanji 2 written by James W. Heisig and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2012-04-30 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Following the first volume of Remembering the Kanji, the present work provides students with helpful tools for learning the pronunciation of the kanji. Behind the notorious inconsistencies in the way the Japanese language has come to pronounce the characters it received from China lie several coherent patterns. Identifying these patterns and arranging them in logical order can reduce dramatically the amount of time spent in the brute memorization of sounds unrelated to written forms. Many of the “primitive elements,” or building blocks, used in the drawing of the characters also serve to indicate the “Chinese reading” that particular kanji use, chiefly in compound terms. By learning one of the kanji that uses such a “signal primitive,” one can learn the entire group at the same time. In this way, Remembering the Kanji 2 lays out the varieties of phonetic pattern and offers helpful hints for learning readings, that might otherwise appear completely random, in an efficient and rational way. Individual frames cross-reference the kanji to alternate readings and to the frame in volume 1 in which the meaning and writing of the kanji was first introduced. A parallel system of pronouncing the kanji, their “Japanese readings,” uses native Japanese words assigned to particular Chinese characters. Although these are more easily learned because of the association of the meaning to a single word, the author creates a kind of phonetic alphabet of single syllable words, each connected to a simple Japanese word, and shows how they can be combined to help memorize particularly troublesome vocabulary. The 4th edition has been updated to include the 196 new kanji approved by the government in 2010 as “general-use” kanji.