Tagged Questions
5
votes
3answers
463 views
How many Kanji characters are there?
I have been searching around, but all the sources give completely different answers ranging from 2,000 to 50,000. So my question is how many Kanji characters that have ever existed since the dawn of ...
9
votes
1answer
141 views
What is the connection between shrimp and old age?
Shrimp(えび) is written several different ways in Japanese. For example, there are the words commonly used in Chinese: 蝦 and 鰕. There is also a compound specific to Japan, 海老, and a kokuji, 蛯. Both of ...
0
votes
2answers
285 views
Vocab vs. Kanji. Should I learn a lot of vocab first before moving to kanji? [closed]
Do you think it makes sense to prioritize vocab learning first, to feel comfortable speaking and listening, and then, after couple of years, catch up with reading and writing?
Currently I concentrate ...
7
votes
1answer
104 views
Usage of 腱 vs 筋
What is the difference between the following characters: 腱 vs 筋 （すじ）
Both translate to tendon (as in the connective tissue between muscles and bones)
3
votes
1answer
110 views
「のれん代」(Goodwill) and 「のれん」 of 居酒屋
Is there any relation between 「のれん代」(Goodwill) and 「のれん」 of 居酒屋?
And how about those kanji, are they using same kanji for both?
If there are the same kanji, I would like to know their etymology, ...
8
votes
1answer
119 views
question about kanji sports names 蹴球, 籠球, 庭球, and 野球
A few questions about these words. The words [蹴球]{しゅうきゅう}, [籠球]{ろうきゅう}, and [庭球]{ていきゅう} mean football, basketball, and tennis, respectively. But I have only seen them in a dictionary, and in practice ...
20
votes
1answer
225 views
How is the wind related to illness?
I've seen the kanji 風 appear in several different illnesses: 風邪 (a cold), 中風 (paralysis), and 痛風 (gout). Conceivably there may be others, but I haven't seen them.
What does the wind have to do with ...
2
votes
0answers
101 views
same reading, similar meaning, different Kanji [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
do people actually respect the nuances of 探す vs 捜す?
There are many kanji that I have come across with similar meanings, and (seemly coincidentally) identical readings. ...
10
votes
4answers
354 views
What determines whether a word gets a kanji compound or katakana?
I read electronics/computing articles, and I find an incredible amount of terms are written either in kanji (almost similar to Chinese) or katakana. There are times when it's confusing as to know why. ...
8
votes
1answer
168 views
Why is 「人口」 used to denote population?
I'm just curious at the appearance of 「口」 that makes this word mean "population". Why should it be 「口」 as opposed to any other body part or anything else? Is there a definitive reason or story ...
8
votes
1answer
185 views
Kanji use in these words, 今 vs 未
I'm learning vocabulary from 日本語総まとめN2. In one section they describe four words and group them together (I assume because they have slightly different meanings but somewhat similar). They group them ...
4
votes
1answer
85 views
Why does 音物【いんもつ】 contain 音?
When looking up the definition of 音物 (a present or a bribe), I thought it was very odd that it contained the kanji 音. I can't think of what 音 (sound) could have to do with presents or bribes.
Is ...
4
votes
1answer
135 views
“Dive” = “fly into”?
The words 飛ぶ and 跳ぶ are both read as とぶ, the former meaning "to fly" and the latter meaning "to jump" (generally; don't know if they are interchangeable at all).
The compound-verb suffix 〜込【こ】む means ...
10
votes
1answer
319 views
Names for strokes
What do we call the different types of strokes of kanji/kana in Japanese?
For example, in Chinese the left-downward stroke is called 撇[piě] and the right-downward stroke is called 捺[nà]. And if I ...
4
votes
1answer
130 views
虚; 空; 洞 【うろ】and differences
虚; 空; 洞 【うろ】: hollow; cavity; hole
pronunciation is only one but why are there three kanji words??what are they differences??
10
votes
1answer
839 views
Are all kanji compounds considered words?
A friend once commented to me that Japanese has a larger vocabulary than English. I said I didn't think it did, because it wasn't really accurate to call all kanji compounds "words". My friend said I ...
5
votes
2answers
176 views
7
votes
3answers
284 views
うるさい written as 五月蝿い
This is a follow-up question to Does うるさい have a "negative" connotation.
I've seen うるさい written as 五月蝿い.
現代では、is this form used often / at all?
What does this have to do with flies (蝿【はえ】) in May? ...
4
votes
3answers
186 views
Is 門 read as かど or もん?
Is it more common to read 門 as かど or もん?
e.g. how would we pronounce the 門 in 彼らは門が開くのを待っていた。
6
votes
1answer
148 views
regarding the kanjis 嗚呼; 於乎; 於戯; 嗟乎; 嗟夫; 吁; 嗟; 噫; 鳴呼
This question has 2 parts.
Why is it that ああ has so many different kanji 嗚呼; 於乎; 於戯; 嗟乎; 嗟夫; 吁; 嗟; 噫; 鳴呼 (source)
and is the average japanese (16 yr old and above) able to recognize them all?
9
votes
1answer
360 views
Which is the “official” kanji for さい, 歳 or 才 ?
Well if I'm not wrong, usually when a word has multiple kanji's one of them is selected as the "main" or more commonly used one.
But is it true that both 才 and 歳 are both the "main" kanji for さい?
6
votes
2answers
182 views
What is the difference between 蔵, 倉, and 庫?
The word 【くら】 can be written with any of the kanji 蔵, 倉, or 庫. However, WWWJDIC lists them all under one entry, defined as:
(n) warehouse; cellar; magazine; granary; godown; depository; treasury; ...
12
votes
1answer
619 views
Words/characters for fast food meal sizes: 並, 大, 特
When dining at Yoshinoya I never know how to ask for the size meal I want.
Their sizes are 並, 大, and 特.
I only know that "大" means big, but it also has two readings so I have no idea whether to ask ...
7
votes
1answer
779 views
Common 四字熟語 that use/are 当て字
Are there any commonly used known 四字熟語 that use/are 当て字 besides the following? Just crossed my mind, and now I'm curious.
滅茶苦茶 (めちゃくちゃ), 夜露死苦 (よろしく), 無理矢理 (むりやり)
