002 4 I cannot recommend this dictionary highly enough . There is simply no better dictionary for beginning and intermediate students , and it can be used even into advanced studies . I will be taking the Japanese Proficiency test for 2 kyu soon , which requires reading over 1,200 kanji , and I still use this dictionary . If it had been published when I first began my Japanese study , I might be making plans to take the 1 kyu test instead of 2 kyu . It's that good .
When I came to Japan , I inherited three kanji dictionaries from various sources , and they were all basically useless , even though I had already studied Japanese off and on for a total of about a year's worth of university-level coursework . I went shopping for a new dictionary a few months after getting here , and thankfully I found the Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary , which had just been published a short time before .
The SKIP lookup system makes so much sense that I wonder why no one had ever thought of it before . While it does take a small amount of practice to become completely proficient in using SKIP , the traditional indexing by radical is so cumbersome that you often have to fall back on the possible readings ( on-yomi or kun-yomi ) for a character to find the right entry . If you are trying to find a totally unfamiliar kanji , whose reading you don't know , this is completely hopeless .
The Kanji Learner's dictionary also includes a radical index for those who learned the traditional system , or for the very few cases where looking things up by radical is faster or easier . In other dictionaries , main indexing is _ only _ by radical . This is a problem since many modern kanji have been simplified so much that the original radical it is traditionally indexed under has been simplified out of existence . That was something I didn't know until I had already been studying Japanese for over a year . After looking for one character ( au , to meet ) for almost 5 minutes , I had to ask my teacher where it was indexed in the class dictionary .
My test for which dictionary to buy was actually to see how easy it would be for someone with no prior knowledge to find the kanji for au . Most dictionaries ( and my teacher ) list it under the radical entry for sun , which is no longer present in the modern form of the character . If you didn't already know about the lost radical you wouldn't be able to find it at all by using a traditional index , and if you already know that much about the kanji , you don't really need a dictionary to look it up !
The entries in the Kanji Learner's Dictionary include the most commonly-used compounds , grouped by reading , and unlike almost every other dictionary I've seen so far , it includes words that do not use the entry kanji in the front position . The compound words include many technical terms and words that are often used in publications , but often are hard to find in anything other than a massively exhaustive word dictionary . The possible readings ( yomi ) are written in roman letters ( romaji ) . Though some may say this is not a good thing , in that kana is ultimately more useful for learning to read Japanese , I think it should not be necessary for a student to have to learn all of the kana before starting to learn kanji .
The frequency of use ranking has been absolutely invaluable in furthering my studies . Some of the kanji introduced in the first six years of elementary school as dictated by the Ministry of Education don't even make the top 1,000 most used . Instead of using the Japanese education standards , I used the frequency table compiled for this dictionary . It made an immediate difference in how well I was able to pick up new kanji since the ones I was studying first were the ones I was most likely to see in newspapers and other publications .
The only downside to this dictionary is that it is somewhat limited for advanced studies . With entries for only 2,230 kanji , you sometimes cannot find an entry for some less common characters . Of course , once you progress to the point where you find a need to look up kanji that are not included in this dictionary , you can graduate to its big brother , the New Japanese-English Character Dictionary , which is the only other kanji dictionary I would recommend .
If you are a beginning through advanced-intermediate student of Japanese , buy this dictionary now ! Save yourself the pain of struggling to learn a primitive and outmoded indexing system that requires knowledge of the characters that you are obviously still trying to acquire . Every minute you spend unsuccessfully looking for a character is a minute you could be studying instead . This dictionary will save you weeks worth of those wasted minutes and will give you the tools to intelligently study Japanese characters .
By the time you learn enough Japanese to require using a traditionally indexed dictionary , you will know enough about kanji to use that dictionary with the minimum of pain , though I guarantee you will miss being able to look up complicated kanji using the SKIP method . People who say otherwise are geniuses , total Japaniphiles who love everything Japanese regardless of how unnecessarily difficult some of their traditional ways of doing things can be , or those who invested massive amounts of time and effort in learning the traditional way and are jealous of the fact that this revolutionary dictionary only came out a couple of years ago .
001 4 I'm not sure why I took so long to write a review for this dictionary . . . I've been using the Kanji Learner's Dictionary for almost three years now and have nothing but good things to say about it . The best thing about this dictionary is its size . All of the commonly used kanji and kanji compounds are included in a compact volume . When you're reading a newspaper article and come across an unfamiliar kanji / compound , or when you're writing a letter ( or homework , etc . ) and you can visualize a character but can't quite remember how it's written , who wants to lug out some 100 pound ( slight exaggeration ) kanji dictionary when you can quickly leaf through this one ?
Granted , once you get out of the beginning stages , you will need a more thorough dictionary . But I have found myself going back to this one every single time , unless there's a character or compound that doesn't appear in it ( but honestly , I would say that happens only 1 - 5% of the time ) . It's that convenient .
If you are looking for your first kanji dictionary , definitely buy this one - you'll find yourself going back to it again and again . If you only have a huge kanji dictionary , buy this one too - you'll love the size , and be surprised by the fact that this dictionary actually has the vast majority of kanji / compounds that you're looking for . . .
003 4 This is so well-designed , it is a joy to use .
( I'm in my second year of learning Japanese [ Japanese for Busy People series ] , first term of real attention to Kanji . )
The SKIP system is just one of five ways of looking up kanji ; I've used them all now ( even the frequency-ranking one ) . It's nice but just one facet of the dictionary .
Little things like the layout , the indices , the introductory explanations , the paper , the font , the size are all so good that one doesn't even really notice them , they just seem natural , like a good tool should be . Now other dictionaries ( like the complete Nelson which I have and respect and still use when necessary ) seem awkward , if not ugly .
The keywords in red and the organization of the definitions really do help give ( to this novice anyway ) a feel for the core meanings .
Plus , for computer use , the Unicode numbers are given which is a big time-saver ( for me anyway ) .
It's hard to imagine a more perfectly balanced kanji dictionary for the beginner .
004 4 This book is nearly perfect . It's very complete and comes in a very handy presentation . You can quickly find the 2000 most used kanjis and learn how to write them correctly . Besides a kanji's core meaning , you learn frequent combinations with other kanjis , which helps a lot for context interpretation . The layout invites you to read on , even after you found what you wanted , it's beautiful ! My fear to kanjis is gone . I learnt to break them down in pieces and now I remember them easier . I just wish that this dictionary had kana instead of romaji in the meanings part . There's also a lot of wrongly-counted kanjis ( for those of us who still don't master the SKIP system ) that somehow ruin the layout , although is very considerate and helpful from the editor to give us a shorcut instead of going like you have to learn how to count strokes first before using this dictionary ! For those of you who find this book incomplete , I tell you , you can always go to its daddy , Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Character Dictionary . Let's learn kanji !
005 4 I find this dictionary helpful , as a beginner . It is quite easy to use , and the definitions are clear . My few nitpicking problems with the dictionary are : ( 1 ) I'm actually not a big fan of the skip system ; while it is easy to use initially , I think that in the long run it is probably better to practice looking for radicals or counting strokes , so you can use other dictionaries . ( 2 ) Many kanji and compounds are missing ( this is true of any small , or beginners ' , dictionary , though . ( 3 ) I wish that the readings were given in kana . As nearly all English kanji dictionaries give readings in romaji , I suspect that I am in a small minority here , though .
Overall , a good dictionary for beginners ( like me ) . You will certainly want a more comprehensive dictionary if you keep studying Japanese , though .
006 4 In general , I can't really say anything too bad about this dictionary . I originally began my kanji studies with Kanji & Kana by Spahn and Hadamitzky . After about 200 or so kanji with that book , I decided to purchase this book because it would provide another source for learning kanji , and possibly some more insight . With this book , I was able to learn the rest of the Joyo kanji within about a year and a half . I still think this dictionary is a great study tool , but I have increasingly become more critical of some of its features .
First of all , some reviewers knock this dictionary because it only offers romaji lookup for the entries . While this is true , it is also true of almost all other kanji study books designed for non-native Japanese speakers . Given that , I can overlook that fault in this dictionary . If you could read and understand the interpretations of the characters in a Japanese dictionary , you wouldn't need this book in the first place !
This dictionary does seem to boast of the SKIP lookup system . I originally was very excited about this system because it was relatively new , and I thought it would somehow make the lookup easier . The lookup process is most certainly easier for ' type 1 ' kanji ( kanji which can be separated into right and left sections ) . However , for the other types of kanji , types two , three , and four , lookup can be surprisingly ambiguous . On occasion , it has taken me up to three times to lookup the kanji I was after . As a result , I have become frustrated to the point where now I almost exclusively use the On-Kun-yomi for the lookup . I would prefer the SKIP system to be replaced by a nice radical lookup system . While this book does have a radical system , it is not very accessible because the book is basically organized according to the SKIP system .
In addition , many times this dictionary gives definitions that are unnecessary . For example , one of the definitions given to the kanji & #27969 ; ( flow or current ) is ' electric current . ' One of the vocabulary listed under this definition is & #38651 ; & #27969 ; , electric current . The meaning of this vocabulary clearly comes from & #38651 ; , which carries the meaning of ' electricity , ' and without this kanji , the idea of ' electric current ' would not be implied . There are MANY examples of this throughout the book , and sometimes they are more troubling . When I learn new kanji , I like to learn as few meanings as possible so that I can focus on a general basic meaning . This dictionary does claim to focus on a ' central meaning ' for each kanji , but sometimes the definition unmistakably belongs to the other kanji .
My favorite feature of this dictionary is the amount of vocabulary given under each kanji . This is very helpful for aqcuiring a larger vocabulary in comparison with a lot of other kanji learner dictionaries . In general , I would recommend this book to anyone desiring to learn kanji . Just be aware of some of the things I mentioned earlier !
007 4 I recently received the Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary and I must say that I had my expectations fully met . Not only because it was all I had read about , but the edition was excellent , the size just perfect to carry around and the design is the main feature of the dictionary .
I had seen about 20 diferent dictionaries and I finally decided for this one ( I must say that this is my first year with the language so that was a very important reason ) .
Let me tell you this straight : the book is for a basic-intermediate level ( and it is designed as a pedagogic tool ) so if you are a rookie or don't get well with the kanji , this book is for you . But if you know a considerable amount of kanji forget it , it only has 2230 so you better look for the New Japanese-English Character Dictionary , wich it's also got th SKIP , core meaning , stroke orders , etc , but is not so aimed to the learning .
Finally , the forget about the Nelson-like mamut dictionaries , the kosansha's editions are very superior ( not in quantity of kanji but in quality , organization and in-deph .
008 4 Tracking found kanji compounds is still not always the quickest thing to do ( I can still mis-count numbers of strokes , etc . , ) but with some patience it is possible with this dictionary to find virtually any kanji you set out hunting for . And when you find it , that's where the real value is - - core meanings , rankings according to frequency of use , stroke order diagrams , and most of all a wack of compounds containing the kanji in question , regardless of where it appears in the compound . You're sure to feel empowered in your running battle with the outrageous number of kanji to be reckoned with in this nutty language . Gotta love it .
009 4 This is a great selection for a learner . I have been studying Japanese for a very short time , and it is quite difficult to read a newspaper , letter , or anything other than children's books ( due to the large number of kanji symbols found in normal text . ) As a beginner , the most useful tool in this book is five pages of the most commonly used kanji symbols used in Japanese text . 2000 kanji symbols , ranked by frequency of use , are listed in an easy to use table . This table references the location of detailed kanji information .
Subsequent investigation of the symbol will show the exact method of handwriting the symbol . The book goes into advanced knowledge ( which I have yet to actually use ) that the more advanced student will appreciate .
This book is truly a useful tool for beginners as well as the more advanced person . I was told by my Japanese tutor that this book is the most complete American version of a Japanese kanji dictionary she had ever seen .
010 4 First of all , I should say that this is a great dictionary overall , and it's so well designed that I have fun just flipping through it . The compound-words provided in the entries are often surprisingly advanced , and as long as you know hiragana anyway , the romaji - on and - kun readings aren't really much of a detraction ( I mean , really , who cares ? a sound is a sound ) .
However , there is one small problem with it . One of the selling points of this dictionary is that the SKIP system is supposedly easier to use than the radical system used in more advanced dictionaries , and for all I know it may very well be , but it's not as easy to use as the ad copy would have you believe . Once you FIND the entry for the Kanji you need , you're in business , but figuring out which category your chosen Kanji belongs to can be surprisingly difficult . Basically , the SKIP system is arbitrary , and it really only becomes easy to use after you've been using it for quite some time . This dictionary boasts 5 unique look-up methods , and it's a good thing because you'll often find yourself getting frustrated with the SKIP system and defaulting to the ON-KUN index .
Overall this is a useful tool for the beginning / intermediate student , however don't be fooled into thinking that it's going to be increadibly easy to use . Like the Japanese language itself , learning the ins and outs of SKIP takes time and practice . Still recommended .
011 4 Man I mean Perfect . I've never seen anything so well made in the area of Japanese language and I have alot of Japanese books . It does what it claims nothing more nothing less . Learner's dictionary is right . So if your looking for a complete kanji dictionary look elsewhere , but this book already has everything you would ever really need . It has all of the Joyo and Jinmei kanji and has plenty of compounds for each one . If you're looking for characters like Nomi ( chisel ) you won't find it , but take into consideration that most Japanese natives dont even know those advanced kanji anyways .
012 4 This dictionary is an excellent tool if you are a student of Japanese language who has a strong grasp with hiragana and katakana , but still a bit shaky when it comes to kanji . But after using Halpern's KLD , the fears of not knowing where to look up kanji will melt away .
In addition , this dictionary is also great for advanced students ( 3rd year university level Japanese or native speaker ) . In many entries , Halpern includes technical words from other disciplines . While flipping through the dictionary I have found words that related to chemistry and physics that I didn't expect to find .
The organization of this reference is beautiful . It's not just black and white like dictionaries that most people encounter . Jack Halpern color codes the 1000 most frequently used kanji in red and includes the other 1000 most frequently used kanji in black . In this way , students can identify the more essential kanji to learn first .
When searching for random kanji found in newspapers , you can choose from three different methods . If you know any of the Japanese pronunciations ( on or kun readings ) , you can look up the kanji in the on-kun index . Or , if you know the first several strokes of the kanji , you can use Jack Halpern's SKIP method which is very easy to learn if you have trouble with the other two methods . Lastly , if you know the radical for the kanji , look it up in the radical index .
I highly recommend this reference ! However , if you feel that ~ 2000 kanji isn't enough for you , I recommend Halpern's companion NTC's New Japanese-English Character Dictionary .
014 4 The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary is compact , yet detailed enough to satisfy the demands of intermediate users . This softcover dictionary with dimensions measuring about 13cm x 18.2cm x 3.2cm ( 1000 + pg . ) is light & compact to be carried around easily . I've listed below some of the features of this dictionary that I find to be useful for my needs .
The dictionary contains 2,200 plus of commonly or frequently used Kanji characters - including those listed by the Japanese Ministry of Education in the Jooyoo Kanji lists .
For the ease of finding specific characters , there are five methods of looking up Kanji characters . Of the five , there are 3 notable methods that I find most useful :
( 1 ) A unique Pattern Index system or SKIP ( System of Kanji Indexing by Patterns ) which organizes characters under groups of four geometrical patterns , allowing users to quickly & easily locate characters .
( 2 ) An alphabetical listing of On-yomi ( On-reading , Chinese-derived pronounciation ) and the native Japanese pronounciation of Kun-yomi ( Kun-reading ) in the On-Kun Index . This method offer the users a quick way to look up a character if they know its readings .
( 3 ) For users acquainted with the traditional radical ( bushu ) system . there is a listing of Radical Index & Chart with radical positions and stroke counts .
The layout of the pages & typeface are well presented in an attractive , uncluttered and easy to read manner . The core meaning of each entry character is presented in red capital letters . In addition to its core meanings , in-depth meanings are also given along with useful & common examples , compound words and homophones .
A stroke order diagram is also listed with each Kanji characters , enabling users to learn the correct order of writing the character .
Special readings & Japanese name readings ( nanori ) applicable to some characters are also listed . All character readings and compounds are transcribed with the widely used romanization method of the Hepburn system ( hebonshiki ) .
For users using the computers , a notable feature is the listing of the international character set , the Unicode value under each entry Kanji . Other extra information include the degree of character importance , frequency level & ranking , school grade entry - during which the character is taught are also listed .
For readers , don't be intimidated by the sheer amount of features . Included in the dictionary are pages of explanations and detailed informations on how to make full use of all the its features .
Bottom line , whether you're just a casual learner , a beginner or an intermediate user , look no further , IMHO for this level , there are no Kanji dictionaries as good as this .
015 4 It was a real pleasure to receive this huge , beautiful book printed on luscious paper with appealing fonts and even color ink . The people who put this together clearly understand the essential aesthetic value of the Japanese language , something which pedants such as Eleanor Jorden have failed altogether to grasp . Why should the study of Japanese be dry and ugly ? Why shouldn't we enjoy using a book while learning from it as well ? In general , I have found that the Kodanshi books tend to share this aesthetic approach .
I could spend the rest of my life perusing this fascinating text . Highly recommended .
016 4 It really is a joy to use ! With just a few minutes getting the hang of stroke counts , any kanji can be found with little trouble .
Each character has so much information packed in , from core meanings , pronounciations , stroke order , frequency of use , Unicode , common compounds , etc , but the page design is such that the information never seems cluttered .
Hiragana dictionaries are a pain to use ; but with this one I often find myself flipping to adjacent pages .
017 4 My reason :
I am a novice at the Japanese language , but the SKIP system in this book allows me - - who had never before used any Kanji dictionary - - to find Kanji in mere seconds , accurately every time .
My story :
I visited Japan for the first time in my life last week . I had been studying elementary Japanese in college for just one semester and am proficient at reading and writing hirigana and katakana , with a very rudimentary spoken vocabulary . I actually thought this would be enough for a short trip to Japan . I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE MISTAKEN ! I didn't have a Japanese-speaking friend to help me or show me around . I had no tour . It was just me and my wife facing Japan on our own .
Kanji was EVERYWHERE and I was forced to realize on the first day that I wasn't going to get anywhere or even order food well without a Kanji dictionary . I went to the nearest department store ( TOBU in Ikebukuro , very near to where I was staying ) and found the book store . After quite a lot of slowly walking around , I found the Japanese-English reference section and very carefully checked each of the Kanji dictionaries . All but this one referred to radicals or stroke counts , which I didn't know anything about . I tried to experiment with different dictionaries to find nearby Kanji samples , and found the process slow and very error-prone ( in fact , I couldn't even find most of the Kanji that I tried to locate ) .
It was the front inside cover and the easily-understood SKIP system that made me decide to buy this book over all others . I knew nothing about radicals , but I could count strokes . I experimented with the book right where I was standing - - after all , I was surrounded by Kanji . I very quickly realized that the SKIP system was THE BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION for someone who knew NOTHING about Kanji . I could tell that SKIP was far superior to the radical / stroke-count systems in the other dictionaries for a beginner like me .
With understanding Kanji being a make-or-break issue for our trip to Japan , THIS BOOK SAVED US ! While I was somewhat slow to use it at first , SKIP is very easy to learn and by the third day , I could find any Kanji that I faced in mere seconds . For the rest of the trip , this book was always in my hands . By the end of the trip , I was even recognizing often-used Kanji without having to look them up at all !
I will be studying more Japanese language in college and I can tell that this book will always be with me as I do so .
019 4 This book has made looking up Japanese kanji something that I no longer dread . While some of the more traditional methods of stroke-counting and radical lookup * should * be learned , using the SKIP method in this book is a breeze . Kanji can sometimes be difficult to get the exact number of strokes perfect , which can leave you lost many pages away from where you need to be in other dictionaries . The same goes for looking up by radical . Sometimes the radicals are so deformed / stretched / squashed , that they are hard to determine which is which accurately . The SKIP method in this book attempts to get around all these difficulties .
It groups the kanji into 4 main types , based on how they are drawn . These types are Left-Right , Top-Bottom , Enclosed , and other . Then you count the strokes in the first part , count the strokes in the second part , and end up with a number . A simple example is the kanji for the numeral 2 . It looks pretty much like an equals sign in math ( or = if you can't see the Japanese character ) . This is clearly seperated into 2 parts , a top and a bottom part . That is the second type in the SKIP system . It has one stroke in the top section , and one in the bottom section . The SKIP number would thusly be 2 - 1 - 1 ( 2 for the type , 1 for the strokes in the top , 1 for the strokes in the bottom ) . If you open the book to second section , and go to 1 - 1 page , and you'll find the kanji almost immediately .
While this book does not have a very exhaustive list of compounds , it * does * list a vast majority of the compounds you'll actually see on a day to day basis . The SKIP system is fast and easy to use , and if you want a kanji-lookup dictionary that you can actually carry with you without destroying your shoulders and lower back , this is a great choice . Bear in mind though , it is * just * a kanji-lookup dictionary . If you need to translate English words into Japanese this book will be of very little help . I'd suggest one of Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary options .
021 4 I will say immediately that I am extremely pleased with this dictionary . As other reviewers noted , the aesthetic quality is tasteful and makes the text easy to follow . It is also really useful how the 2000 or so Jouyou kanji are recognized by writing the kanji in red , while the rest of the kanji are simply in black .
Beyond the aesthetic assets , I have almost never come across a kanji not in this dictionary . It is wonderfully inclusive in not only the kanji themselves , but the combinations of kanji as well . Below the kanji is a list of combinations in which the kanji is used in , and some kanji take up three pages or more in combinations ( namely , me or eye or deru to exit ) . This is really useful in learning kanji that mean little alone and are only used in combinations .
The search systems for the kanji are quite useful too . There are various ways to look up the kanji , including the SKIP system as mentioned , looking them up by pronunciation , and by radicals . Options are always nice .
Finally , I do agree that the use of romaji is a letdown ( though the only one that I find ) . It would seem that if a person is learning kanji , then the would already know the hiragana and katakana , thus rendering romaji useless and detrimental . This is a small enough flaw that I still give it five stars ( though if I had the option of four and a half , I would go with that ) .
Overall , it is an essential tool for studying kanji and well worth the price . I definitely recommend it .
022 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
If you're looking for a Kanji dictionary , I thought it might be useful for someone to directly to talk a bit about the differences between 3 of the possible choices . So , let me compare the three I have access to : Kodansha Learner's , Kodansha Essential and Spahn-Hadamitzky Learner's , and how to decide which one you want .
To begin with , none of the three are definitively better , really . They're different , and sort of aimed at different people and uses .
Kodansha Essential seems aimed primarily at someone who already knows Japanese pretty well , who is already accustomed to identifying kanji by their radicals , and wants something that will be fast without any frills or romaji or distractions . It's not really suitable , in my opinion , for a student , at least not in the first couple of years of study . You are given little help in identifying radicals - this is meant for people who either don't need , or don't want , that help . It covers the smallest number of Kanji , only the core 1945 Jouyou kanji list . It allows lookup by the 213 standard radicals , by on / kun readings or by total stroke count . The entries for each kanji are given without any romaji : the onyomi are in katakana , the kunyomi in hiragana and only the definitions in English . Pros : closest to an actual all-Japanese kanji dictionary , uncluttered and straightforward , reinforces no bad habits . Cons : Just finding the Kanji can be difficult , detail entries are very sparse .
Kodansha Learner's is my personal favorite of the three , and the safest choice for a student . It really aims at making helping you find the kanji in question . You can look kanji up by the 213 standard radicals ( including secondary radicals ) , by on / kun readings or by the SKIP method . SKIP is a unique method aimed at breaking the kanji up into smaller up / down or left / right pieces regardless of whether those pieces are actual radicals . It has the 1945 Jouyou kanji , plus the 285 Jinmei name kanji . Each entry has a lot of detail , including stroke order and count , frequency information , the school grade it's taught in , and even the Unicode value . Pros : Easy to locate the kanji entry , lots of extra info . Cons : SKIP system isn't portable to other dictionaries , entries are somewhat crammed and cluttered .
Spahn-Hadamitzky Learner's is another good student choice . It covers the same Kanji as Kodansha Learner's . It allows you to look up kanji by either their on / kun reading or by a simplified radical system of 79 radicals . This is my biggest issue with it - - I think the 79 - radical system is neither simple , like SKIP nor standard like the 213 - radical system . On the other hand , I can see why someone might prefer this : it does add older , variant character forms , and examples of how each character might look when hand-written . Pros : Clean and lookup system is fairly simple . Cons : Lookup system is non-standard and there's no secondary alternative when it fails you .
023 4 If you're looking for a Kanji dictionary , I thought it might be useful for someone to directly to talk a bit about the differences between 3 of the possible choices . So , let me compare the three I have access to : Kodansha Learner's , Kodansha Essential and Spahn-Hadamitzky Learner's , and how to decide which one you want .
To begin with , none of the three are definitively better , really . They're different , and sort of aimed at different people and uses .
Kodansha Essential seems aimed primarily at someone who already knows Japanese pretty well , who is already accustomed to identifying kanji by their radicals , and wants something that will be fast without any frills or romaji or distractions . It's not really suitable , in my opinion , for a student , at least not in the first couple of years of study . You are given little help in identifying radicals - this is meant for people who either don't need , or don't want , that help . It covers the smallest number of Kanji , only the core 1945 Jouyou kanji list . It allows lookup by the 213 standard radicals , by on / kun readings or by total stroke count . The entries for each kanji are given without any romaji : the onyomi are in katakana , the kunyomi in hiragana and only the definitions in English . Pros : closest to an actual all-Japanese kanji dictionary , uncluttered and straightforward , reinforces no bad habits . Cons : Just finding the Kanji can be difficult , detail entries are very sparse .
Kodansha Learner's is my personal favorite of the three , and the safest choice for a student . It really aims at making helping you find the kanji in question . You can look kanji up by the 213 standard radicals ( including secondary radicals ) , by on / kun readings or by the SKIP method . SKIP is a unique method aimed at breaking the kanji up into smaller up / down or left / right pieces regardless of whether those pieces are actual radicals . It has the 1945 Jouyou kanji , plus the 285 Jinmei name kanji . Each entry has a lot of detail , including stroke order and count , frequency information , the school grade it's taught in , and even the Unicode value . Pros : Easy to locate the kanji entry , lots of extra info . Cons : SKIP system isn't portable to other dictionaries , entries are somewhat crammed and cluttered .
Spahn-Hadamitzky Learner's is another good student choice . It covers the same Kanji as Kodansha Learner's . It allows you to look up kanji by either their on / kun reading or by a simplified radical system of 79 radicals . This is my biggest issue with it - - I think the 79 - radical system is neither simple , like SKIP nor standard like the 213 - radical system . On the other hand , I can see why someone might prefer this : it does add older , variant character forms , and examples of how each character might look when hand-written . Pros : Clean and lookup system is fairly simple . Cons : Lookup system is non-standard and there's no secondary alternative when it fails you .
025 4 I have to give a tip of the hat to this dictionary for introducing me to the idea of character frequency ; for beginning language students learning characters by rote , mastering them in the order of frequency seems to be the best way to go ( there are quite a few joyo kanji that I almost never encounter ) . Or rather , learning them in that sequence worked best for me ; focusing on high ~ frequency characters in the early stages of study is probably a good idea . Some of the definitions of compounds seem kind of vague / ambiguous ( they are often esentially very broad lists of English ~ language synonyms , like some kind of bilingual thesaurus ) . The focus on the characters ' meanings may annoy those who are themselves annoyed by the ideographic myth , but it sort of works as a mnemonic device ( I guess ) .
Ivan Rorick
026 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
You can locate Kanji characters by one of the following routes : 1 ) by frequency , 2 ) by pronunciation , 3 ) by radical , and 4 ) by pattern . The frequency table gives you a list of frequently used characters . If you know the pronunciation of the character , you can find it in the pronunciation table . The entries in this table are in Romaji ( pronunciation in English letters ) . If you know the radical of the character , you can find it by referring to the radical table . However , the radical index is not very convenient . So , if you prefer the radical method , you should look elsewhere . The pattern method is the essence of this dictionary , which is known as SKIP . According to the SKIP method , each character can be divided into either left-right portion , a top-bottom portion , center , or miscellaneous . For example , if you know the number of strokes of the left side of the character , and the number of strokes of the right side , you go to the right-left section , then to the number of strokes of the left side , and then to the number of strokes of the right side . A downside of this dictionary is that it lists the pronunciation of each character in Romaji ( English letters ) , and not in the genuine Hiragana or Katakana . Other than that it gives you a lot of options to locate Kanji characters , which saves a lot of time .
I disappointedly , found this publication , highly difficult to use . The clutter of colors , typesets of diverse characters , hights , and styles , rob the reader's attention from concentrating on the subject matter . The needlessly complicated combersome structure , quite unnaatural to the native mindset , foreign to the common theme of the language , make the availability of this source , to almost null . It is very difficult to make sense of a method to look up a definition , once a learner has begun to read texts , in the native sense of the word , she'll find it very odd and difficult to use . As a beginner , one should seek other sources .
027 4 You can locate Kanji characters by one of the following routes : 1 ) by frequency , 2 ) by pronunciation , 3 ) by radical , and 4 ) by pattern . The frequency table gives you a list of frequently used characters . If you know the pronunciation of the character , you can find it in the pronunciation table . The entries in this table are in Romaji ( pronunciation in English letters ) . If you know the radical of the character , you can find it by referring to the radical table . However , the radical index is not very convenient . So , if you prefer the radical method , you should look elsewhere . The pattern method is the essence of this dictionary , which is known as SKIP . According to the SKIP method , each character can be divided into either left-right portion , a top-bottom portion , center , or miscellaneous . For example , if you know the number of strokes of the left side of the character , and the number of strokes of the right side , you go to the right-left section , then to the number of strokes of the left side , and then to the number of strokes of the right side . A downside of this dictionary is that it lists the pronunciation of each character in Romaji ( English letters ) , and not in the genuine Hiragana or Katakana . Other than that it gives you a lot of options to locate Kanji characters , which saves a lot of time .
I disappointedly , found this publication , highly difficult to use . The clutter of colors , typesets of diverse characters , hights , and styles , rob the reader's attention from concentrating on the subject matter . The needlessly complicated combersome structure , quite unnaatural to the native mindset , foreign to the common theme of the language , make the availability of this source , to almost null . It is very difficult to make sense of a method to look up a definition , once a learner has begun to read texts , in the native sense of the word , she'll find it very odd and difficult to use . As a beginner , one should seek other sources .
029 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
The format of the entries in this dictionary is great . Unlike some other kanji dictionaries , this one tries to break down the various different meanings of each kanji , and give examples for each one . This is much more useful than just giving a couple words as the meaning followed by an undifferentiated list of compounds , as in some other kanji dictionaries . One slight complaint is that it doesn't usually try to differentiate the different meanings associated with different on readings of a kanji , although of course this would be difficult to do in many cases .
Another nice feature of this dictionary is that it gives the stroke order for each character ( which also shows the character in a nice handwritten style ) . When first learning kanji , getting familiar with the stroke order is important . This feature , combined with the fact that the book is pretty small and easy to handle , makes it a good go-to reference when you are learning kanji . In particular , this dictionary can serve as a substitute for books like
Essential Kanji
or
A Guide to Reading & Writing Japanese
, since this pretty much contains the same information , but also features a full dictionary entry for each kanji rather than the very short entries in those books .
I'm not that enthused about the SKIP indexing system used by this dictionary . It can sometimes be useful when it isn't clear what radical a kanji would be categorized under , but on the other hand the way the SKIP system breaks the kanji down into parts can be a bit unintuitive at times . At any rate , there is also an index according to the traditional radical system , and one by readings , so you don't really have to use the SKIP system if you don't want to ; it's just another way to look up kanji that may be easier in some cases .
030 4 The format of the entries in this dictionary is great . Unlike some other kanji dictionaries , this one tries to break down the various different meanings of each kanji , and give examples for each one . This is much more useful than just giving a couple words as the meaning followed by an undifferentiated list of compounds , as in some other kanji dictionaries . One slight complaint is that it doesn't usually try to differentiate the different meanings associated with different on readings of a kanji , although of course this would be difficult to do in many cases .
Another nice feature of this dictionary is that it gives the stroke order for each character ( which also shows the character in a nice handwritten style ) . When first learning kanji , getting familiar with the stroke order is important . This feature , combined with the fact that the book is pretty small and easy to handle , makes it a good go-to reference when you are learning kanji . In particular , this dictionary can serve as a substitute for books like
Essential Kanji
or
A Guide to Reading & Writing Japanese
, since this pretty much contains the same information , but also features a full dictionary entry for each kanji rather than the very short entries in those books .
I'm not that enthused about the SKIP indexing system used by this dictionary . It can sometimes be useful when it isn't clear what radical a kanji would be categorized under , but on the other hand the way the SKIP system breaks the kanji down into parts can be a bit unintuitive at times . At any rate , there is also an index according to the traditional radical system , and one by readings , so you don't really have to use the SKIP system if you don't want to ; it's just another way to look up kanji that may be easier in some cases .
031 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
I won't extend myself to much , since the book already have a lot of reviews . I must say that i'm pretty happy with this book . I can't think of a better kanji dictionary for a beginner student .
Let me start with the bads / cons . I wouldn't mind pay a little extra cash for a hard cover book , it really adds to the book durability . Second , this is the one thing that bugs me about this book and it has been said here , so i won't say much about it , Romaji . If this dictionary had a hard cover and kana , instead of romaji it would be PERFECT .
The book covers only the basic kanjis , but since it is aimed for the beginner and it is intended to be a small book i shouldn't and won't count this as a con .
It gives a lot of info on each kanji , keywords , conpounds , senteces , diferent readings . Pretty much every thing you need to know to learn the kanji . SKIP is great , at least to me , much more fast and precise than the radical system . I'm very happy with it , it's just great . If you are a beginner / intermediate student this is the book for you .
If one day they release another edition with a hard cover and kana instead of Romaji i will buy it with no second toughts . PLEASE someone at Kodansha International read this : ) . . . i believe that i'm not alone on this one !
032 4 I won't extend myself to much , since the book already have a lot of reviews . I must say that i'm pretty happy with this book . I can't think of a better kanji dictionary for a beginner student .
Let me start with the bads / cons . I wouldn't mind pay a little extra cash for a hard cover book , it really adds to the book durability . Second , this is the one thing that bugs me about this book and it has been said here , so i won't say much about it , Romaji . If this dictionary had a hard cover and kana , instead of romaji it would be PERFECT .
The book covers only the basic kanjis , but since it is aimed for the beginner and it is intended to be a small book i shouldn't and won't count this as a con .
It gives a lot of info on each kanji , keywords , conpounds , senteces , diferent readings . Pretty much every thing you need to know to learn the kanji . SKIP is great , at least to me , much more fast and precise than the radical system . I'm very happy with it , it's just great . If you are a beginner / intermediate student this is the book for you .
If one day they release another edition with a hard cover and kana instead of Romaji i will buy it with no second toughts . PLEASE someone at Kodansha International read this : ) . . . i believe that i'm not alone on this one !
033 4 There are many good reviews here , so I will try not to repeat too much . Overall I like this dictionary and would recommend it .
I find that the SKIP method is usually easier for me than the radical look-up method . However , if I know a pronunciation of the character I almost always look it up by pronunciation instead .
What I like most is the kanji frequency information . I have been teaching myself the kanji based on this order . This frequency is based on a 1998 survey of kanji appearing in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper , so is heavily business and government weighted . Although all kanji have their frequency marked , only the first 1000 are shown in the list of frequency . Additionally , this dictionary only has entries for the kanji included in the Joyo Kanji and Jinmei Kanji lists , so seven of the first 1000 characters do not have entries in this dictionary and an additional dictionary would be need to complete the first 1000 ( and who knows how many more to make it all the way through the dictionary since there isn't a list past 1000 ) .
If I had my wish , I would have a dictionary similar to this with the frequencies based on a combination of newspapers and best sellers and all of the 2000 most frequent kanji included . But since that doesn't exist , this is the next best thing .
If the frequency feature doesn't appeal to you , then I'm not sure the SKIP method alone is enough reason to buy this dictionary and another dictionary might be preferable .
034 4 Though it lacks a stroke-index for searching the characters , this is possibly the best Kanji dictionary available for foreign students interested in Japanese . Very complete and organized , and it's exclusive SKIP method is extremely efficient ; I dare say it's the best way I've come across of listing and finding Kanji , once you get used to it ( previous knowledge of how to draw and count strokes correctly helps , though the dictionary explains how to do it ) . Highly recommended .
035 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
As a beginning-to-intermediate Japanese language student , I've found the Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( KLD ) to be a fabulous resource . Although I have several kanji dictionaries , this is the only one that I use on a regular basis .
Other reviewers have pointed out many of the advantages . For my part , what I've found to be most helpful are the following features . First , there are several ways to look up any kanji . If you know the pronunciation , you can use that . If not , do it by radical ; or by the SKIP method , if you know how to count the strokes . I usually find it easiest to do by pronunciation if known , or by radical if not - - the dictionary is small enough to scan the list of matching kanji by radical pretty easily , and I prefer that to counting strokes . But the key point is that with multiple methods , something will work for everyone .
Second , it has a great visual design . Simply put , this dictionary comes as close to being beautiful as any dictionary can . Once you've located the kanji of interest , the clean design makes it easy to find the information you need , and different sets of meanings are broken out very nicely . I usually get pulled in by browsing through the compounds , discovering interesting sets of meanings that are fun to read and think about . This is both educational and fun ( at least for me ) .
Third , it has exact & cleanly presented stroke order for every kanji . Instead of simply numbering the strokes like many dictionaries ( if they show stroke order at all ) , the KLD actually shows them in consecutive sequence , one at a time . So it's very easy to see the exact order and how the kanji is built up . Although stroke order is not that hard to learn , I've been surprised at how often I forget it or get confused , especially in characters with lots of right angles . KLD always sets me straight and is my first place to go for a checkup on order .
All of these features make it perfect as a supplement for classroom learning , because you can easily leverage whatever information you have ( e.g . , radicals , pronunciation ) , and fill in the knowledge you need ( stroke order , meaning , compounds , etc . )
It is important to note two things that the dictionary does NOT do . It does not provide translation from English ; you'll need an English-to-Japanese dictionary to do that . Also , it does not provide any learning method or meaningful didactic sequence of kanji ; you'll need either classes or another kanji learning system in order actually to learn the kanji .
If your goal is to supplement another learning system , are at beginner or intermediate stage , and you want to learn kanji better , in more depth , or fill in gaps in your other methods , then I highly recommend KLD . Ganbatte kudasai !
036 4 As a beginning-to-intermediate Japanese language student , I've found the Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( KLD ) to be a fabulous resource . Although I have several kanji dictionaries , this is the only one that I use on a regular basis .
Other reviewers have pointed out many of the advantages . For my part , what I've found to be most helpful are the following features . First , there are several ways to look up any kanji . If you know the pronunciation , you can use that . If not , do it by radical ; or by the SKIP method , if you know how to count the strokes . I usually find it easiest to do by pronunciation if known , or by radical if not - - the dictionary is small enough to scan the list of matching kanji by radical pretty easily , and I prefer that to counting strokes . But the key point is that with multiple methods , something will work for everyone .
Second , it has a great visual design . Simply put , this dictionary comes as close to being beautiful as any dictionary can . Once you've located the kanji of interest , the clean design makes it easy to find the information you need , and different sets of meanings are broken out very nicely . I usually get pulled in by browsing through the compounds , discovering interesting sets of meanings that are fun to read and think about . This is both educational and fun ( at least for me ) .
Third , it has exact & cleanly presented stroke order for every kanji . Instead of simply numbering the strokes like many dictionaries ( if they show stroke order at all ) , the KLD actually shows them in consecutive sequence , one at a time . So it's very easy to see the exact order and how the kanji is built up . Although stroke order is not that hard to learn , I've been surprised at how often I forget it or get confused , especially in characters with lots of right angles . KLD always sets me straight and is my first place to go for a checkup on order .
All of these features make it perfect as a supplement for classroom learning , because you can easily leverage whatever information you have ( e.g . , radicals , pronunciation ) , and fill in the knowledge you need ( stroke order , meaning , compounds , etc . )
It is important to note two things that the dictionary does NOT do . It does not provide translation from English ; you'll need an English-to-Japanese dictionary to do that . Also , it does not provide any learning method or meaningful didactic sequence of kanji ; you'll need either classes or another kanji learning system in order actually to learn the kanji .
If your goal is to supplement another learning system , are at beginner or intermediate stage , and you want to learn kanji better , in more depth , or fill in gaps in your other methods , then I highly recommend KLD . Ganbatte kudasai !
037 4 This dictionary is modest in its coverage compared to others of comparable physical size ( although to be fair it does include a good number of kanji that are common in names but rare in other uses - a nice touch ) .
This is of course due to the fact that large fonts and generous spacings are used . This , along with the SKIP system for locating kanji makes the book large in proportion to its coverage , but the trade off is that it makes for a very nice introductory kanji dictionary .
Kanji meanings are described in multi-dimensional format where this is appropriate . This is a great step up from the simple key word followed by a string of entries . Kanji with multiple general meanings are presented with multiple key-words and the listings under the kanji are organised to reflect these different meanings .
All in all a nice one to start off with , although I would recommend you wean yourself off the SKIP system and on to the radical index as soon as you can .
038 4 As a beginner , learning a new language is not easy . However this is one of the most effective translation books i've seen . In a very short time i was able to quickly and accurately find and understand what i needed time after time .
040 4 If you know ( or have read ) anything about Jack Halpern it is obvious why this book now exists . The man speaks several languages ( fluently , I might add ) and is a prefectionist , hence the ease at which you can make use of this dictionary ( Well , it does take some getting used to , but it's worth the effort ) .
041 4 Before purchasing a kanji dictionary , I did some research to find out which one to get . Between the three major kanji dictionaries ( Nelson , S H , and Halpern ) this is definitely the best . You still have to understand the fundamentals of kanji , like counting strokes and stroke order , but Halpern is much more intuitive and easier on the Western brain .
I give this one four stars because it is somewhat limited . I'm something of a language enthusiast , and I've already run into a bunch of characters that aren't listed in this book . I was deterred away from the regular Halpern Dictionary because it seemed to include a lot of useless stuff , like Chinese pinyin . But if you're going to deal with somewhat advanced / obscure characters , I would recommend the regular Halpern Dictionary instead of this , the Learner's Dictionary . For most people , though , this probably isn't an issue .
042 4 This book is an excellent resouce for those learning Kanji . However , it is meant to be used as a means for translating Japanese into English , NOT how to learn how to speak teh language or read fluently or remember easily what is what . A good book to have for anyone studying the language .
043 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
I really liked this dictionary , because it shows many of the uses of each kanji in it . It's also really easy to the eyes . There were only two things I disliked , first the SKIP System , I loose a lot of time trying to find the kanji , often I end up looking for which page it is at the Denshi Jisho - Online Japanese Dictionary , which uses the radical system . Second of all , I wish it used furigana instead or romanji , since you can learn all the hiragana characters in just one week of study . That said , it's a great dictionary for beginning and intermediate students and I would recommend it .
044 4 I really liked this dictionary , because it shows many of the uses of each kanji in it . It's also really easy to the eyes . There were only two things I disliked , first the SKIP System , I loose a lot of time trying to find the kanji , often I end up looking for which page it is at the Denshi Jisho - Online Japanese Dictionary , which uses the radical system . Second of all , I wish it used furigana instead or romanji , since you can learn all the hiragana characters in just one week of study . That said , it's a great dictionary for beginning and intermediate students and I would recommend it .
045 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
It's a great source for kanji . Just flipping to random pages is cool ! The explanation of the character is done well . Only bad part : trying to find a specific kanji is really hard .
046 4 It's a great source for kanji . Just flipping to random pages is cool ! The explanation of the character is done well . Only bad part : trying to find a specific kanji is really hard .
047 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
this dictionary fully meets the practical needs of beginning and intermediate students , character meanings were illustrated by numerous compounds and examples , are grouped around the core meaning in a logically structured manner that allows them to be perceived as an integrated unit . also guidance is provided for distinguishing between easily confused characters .
049 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
I have been teaching myself Japanese , and even not knowing any Kanji , I have been able to find the characters I am looking for . When I do find the particular Kanji character , they often have it listed with some of the other Kanji it is paired up with . This has been a great time saver and gives a fuller understanding of just what the Kanji means and how it is used . I think it is well worth the money . I had my cousin who lived in Japan look at this book and his comment was that he wished that they had a book like this when he was learning Japanese .
050 4 I have been teaching myself Japanese , and even not knowing any Kanji , I have been able to find the characters I am looking for . When I do find the particular Kanji character , they often have it listed with some of the other Kanji it is paired up with . This has been a great time saver and gives a fuller understanding of just what the Kanji means and how it is used . I think it is well worth the money . I had my cousin who lived in Japan look at this book and his comment was that he wished that they had a book like this when he was learning Japanese .
051 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
My high school aged daughter is in her third year of Japanese . This is the kanji dictionary her Sensei ( from Japan ! ) recommended , and she loves it . She says it is very useful , and especially likes that stroke sequence instructions for kanji writing are given . She says the dictionary is organized in an way which makes it easier to use than other Japanese dictionaries she has used .
052 4 My high school aged daughter is in her third year of Japanese . This is the kanji dictionary her Sensei ( from Japan ! ) recommended , and she loves it . She says it is very useful , and especially likes that stroke sequence instructions for kanji writing are given . She says the dictionary is organized in an way which makes it easier to use than other Japanese dictionaries she has used .
053 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
Book was for my Grandson - - as he is studying Japanese . he found this book very helpful .
055 4 As stated in its name , this dictionary is clearly directed to people who are learning Japanese . It covers only the most common Kanji , no more than about 2200 . So , if you're looking for a complete dictionary , you should definitely look somewhere else .
If you're a student that has just started learning the language , anyway , this dictionary is nothing less than perfect . It covers every kanji you'll need to know , giving a good description of every kanji ( common meanings , stroke order , etc . ) . The format is pretty good , too .
What I love the most , anyway , it's the SKIP system . With it , you'll be able to find in no time any kanji , without even knowing its pronunciation !
Overall , I strongly recommand the purchase of this dictionary to any beginner student of Japanese .
056 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
The dictionary is not meant for pockets , but is still small enough to fit into most bags and purses .
After seeing several dictionaries that friends had I decided that I do not like the radical system .
This dictionary includes two different indexes , Radical , SKIP , and defines more than 2200 kanji .
The SKIP system is great .
SKIP is logical and using the index I have been able to find almost any character within seconds .
I also like how each kanji is presented .
Stroke order followed by several root meanings and many common uses for the kanji .
These common uses words are very handy , many multiple kanji words can be defined just by looking up one of the kanji .
The general grouping of kanji is helpful .
Kanji with similar meaning or use tend to be grouped together ; for example , Sea , Life , Flood , Vast , Wash , Shallow , Harbor , Sandbar , and Ocean are defined in that order .
I highly recommend getting this if you do not have it .
Even masters of Japanese could find this dictionary helpful .
057 4 The dictionary is not meant for pockets , but is still small enough to fit into most bags and purses .
After seeing several dictionaries that friends had I decided that I do not like the radical system .
This dictionary includes two different indexes , Radical , SKIP , and defines more than 2200 kanji .
The SKIP system is great .
SKIP is logical and using the index I have been able to find almost any character within seconds .
I also like how each kanji is presented .
Stroke order followed by several root meanings and many common uses for the kanji .
These common uses words are very handy , many multiple kanji words can be defined just by looking up one of the kanji .
The general grouping of kanji is helpful .
Kanji with similar meaning or use tend to be grouped together ; for example , Sea , Life , Flood , Vast , Wash , Shallow , Harbor , Sandbar , and Ocean are defined in that order .
I highly recommend getting this if you do not have it .
Even masters of Japanese could find this dictionary helpful .
058 4 Initially , when I decided to learn Japanese , I thought I only wanted to learn how to speak in Japanese , not read . Later , I found out that in order to understand what is spoken , knowledge of writing is almost imperative . I bought this book because it packs a ton of information into a tiny , light book .
Notable Features :
It is a great book for beginners to learn how to count strokes , recognize radicals , and write the Kanji . It even lists highlights and lists how common each Kanji is , so beginners can focus on more common Kanji first and move onto the less common ones later .
For such a small dictionary , it is incredibly comprehensive . I have been using it to translate various bits of Japanese material and I have found a translation for every compound so far . Another nice feature that has helped is it includes a few different fonts . So my untrained eye can recognize the correct Kanji in more situations .
Quite possibly my favorite feature is the Homophones ( words that sound similar ) and Easily Confused characters feature ( Kanji that look similar ) .
Ease of Use :
The only downside to this book is that there is a bit of a learning curve to use this book . The explanation on how to use the book is about 20 pages long but also easy to use . It took me less than an hour to get used to the basics . After 2 weeks of use , I felt pretty comfortable with the more obscure features .
The skip method is pretty easy to use , but I ( a complete beginner ) still find myself searching in 2 locations before I find my Kanji . I sometimes find myself wishing that they listed Kanji by radical , but not enough to detract from the score . As I understand it , this is really just an issue with Kanji in general and I think that overall this book is really easy to use .
060 4 This book is very useful for beginners who try to understand the different Kanji .
I think the methodology used in this book is very clear .
Regarding to the service delivered by Amazon was excellent .
The book has arrived on time and in right conditions .
061 4 This is by far the best kanji dictionary I have found . There are multiple easy methods for looking up the kanji , and it conveniently includes the most statistically common kanji found in Japanese newspapers , all of the Joyo kanji , and all of the official kanji for names . In all , 2,230 kanji . The dictionary is so comprehensive , it is not restricted to beginners . But the lookup methods are ideal for beginners . Traditional lookup methods assume a higher degree of familiarity with kanji than most beginners will have , but the methods in this dictionary are quick to learn . But the traditional methods can also be used .
I only really have one nitpick : the pronunciations for the kanji are written in Romaji , not in kana . For most people , that is a nice feature . But people taking Japanese classes usually learn the kana , and continuing to use the kana is the best way to remember them . Besides , if someone has enough knowledge of Japanese to need this dictionary , they probably already know the kana and the Romaji is not necessary .
Also , I wish the dust jacket wouldn't slide around so much . A hardcover version would be really nice . This softcover is going to be used until it falls apart .
Overall , if you are a learner of Japanese , you can't go wrong with this , and I doubt there is a better choice .
062 4 This book has all the kanji's and steps to write them . Once you learn the different ways to look it up , its almost impossible not to find the kanji your looking for . Its only down fall is that if you were looking for a kanji that was connected to a word of one of the kanjis your found , it doesnt tell you what page that kanji would be on , rather you have to start from scratch to find it that kanji . Its definitely worth it for those who are determined to learn japanese . recommended for intermediate to advance .
064 4 Well , this is basically the first kanji dictionary I have ever had that allowed me to just look up a random character I found by just knowing the pattern of the character ( without knowing meaning or hiragana equivalent ) . This approach is definitely useful for looking up unknown kanji characters as long as you know the pattern of the character . The uses of the character and its possible compounds are pretty through for as compact of a dictionary as it is . However , what I think it desperately needs is a way to also do reverse look up ( i.e . I know a particular word or phrase is usually written in kanji and need to find the kanji for it or perhaps I just want to learn a kanji for a particular English word ) .
Either way , I still think that this dictionary is very helpful for its ' System of Kanji Indexing by Patterns ' alone .
065 4 I went through several of these Dictionary's to find the right one . This one was finally the answer to my needs . The system they use for looking up Kanji's is very good and easy to use , once you get used to it . It is also very useful for showing you how to actually write the Kanji's and I find myself utilizing it for this purpose more and more .
I use this Kanji dictionary in conjunction with the Random House Japanese-English dictionary for nouns and verbs .
I would also suggest the White Rabbit Press Kanji Flashcards if you are working on memorizing Kanji .
066 4 Easy to use , very good reference book . I'm still learning Kanji and I am already able to use for references and studies .
Recommend to those who are a little familliar to japanese and kanjis .
068 4 In sum , it is extremely good - - - this dictionary ( along with the parent dictionary from which it was derived , I suppose ) may very well be the best English Kanji dictionary ever made . The principal outstanding features are its unique character lookup method , the presentation of the meanings and senses for each character , and the presentation of compounds .
069 4 I originally purchased the Kanji Learners Dictionary ( Spahn , Hadamitzky ) and enjoyed using it . I purchased the Kodansha Kanji dictionary because I really liked the Kodansha Furigana dictionary and was expecting something similar .
However , the Kanji and readings were not written in kana , but romanji , and did not use radical look up but a method called SKIP . Instead of looking up the radical with the largest amount of strokes ( which sometimes radicals are hard to read / find especially if the character isn't written legibly ) you look up the amount of strokes the piece of the kanji in a given geometric section . There have been a couple times I could find a kanji using the SKIP method and not the radical method , but as a whole I really prefer the radical method ( gives you a feel for what the kanji is composed of , not just the strokes in a section that seems mostly unsorted ) .
So I think it would be better to go with another dictionary using the radical method , unless you either don't care , or you already had some experience with radicals and know what to expect from this dictionary .
070 4 First off , I'm teaching myself to read and speak Japanese , and there aren't many people who can help me where I live . So , finding a dictionary that is easy to use was a priority . Luckily , this Kodansha dictionary was on the shelf of the book store on one of my trips to the city .
It took me a few days to get a system of finding the characters ( Ji ) , but , once I got the hang of the SKIP system and stroke counting , I was able to find things quickly . Within weeks , I began to use combinations of SKIP , radical lookup , stroke count , and Romaji to locate words and phrases .
Now , almost 7 months later , I'm comfortable with shopping on Amazon.co.jp and can make sense of the content .
The only problem I have with this dictionary is that it's too good . I need to buy a true Japanese-Japanese dictionary to continue learning . Of course , thanks to the Kanji Learner's Dictionary , I can use the reviews on Amazon.co.jp in order to choose one .
072 4 I should state that I'm not learning Japanese . At least not in any formal capacity . I did have a lot of doujinshi that I was trying to decipher titles from . This book has come in handy and has altered my thinking of how I look at Kanji . It almost makes sense to me and I'm learning plenty . This was a great investment .
073 4 This review is from :
The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary ( Paperback )
The extensive use of Romanji ( Japanese words written using English / Roman characters , i.e . romanized Japanese ) ruins it for any serious student of the language . If you just want to speak it and use it out of necessity , fine , but if you want to embrace and absorb the Japanese language , you are going to need to learn hiragana / katakana first ( try Heisig's book Remembering the Hiragana ) . If you already know hiragana / katakana , then why are you bothering with romanji ? Get a Kanji dictionary that doesn't have Romanji instead . Try Kodansha's Furigana dictionaries ( they use hiragana / katakana to show you pronounciation instead of romanji ) .
I know I sound like a fuddy-duddy and you're getting angry at me , but TRUST ME , if you avoid romanji while learning Japanese , it will save you so much blood , sweat and tears ! You will thank me , I SWEAR it !
074 4 The extensive use of Romanji ( Japanese words written using English / Roman characters , i.e . romanized Japanese ) ruins it for any serious student of the language . If you just want to speak it and use it out of necessity , fine , but if you want to embrace and absorb the Japanese language , you are going to need to learn hiragana / katakana first ( try Heisig's book Remembering the Hiragana ) . If you already know hiragana / katakana , then why are you bothering with romanji ? Get a Kanji dictionary that doesn't have Romanji instead . Try Kodansha's Furigana dictionaries ( they use hiragana / katakana to show you pronounciation instead of romanji ) .
I know I sound like a fuddy-duddy and you're getting angry at me , but TRUST ME , if you avoid romanji while learning Japanese , it will save you so much blood , sweat and tears ! You will thank me , I SWEAR it !
075 4 The SKIP system really works , and obviates the need to memorize a bunch of radicals . Stroke order and multiple meanings are provided . The only thing lacking is an explanation of the origin of each character .
076 4 the book arrived quickly and safely . and my boyfriend , who i ordered it for , has all but devoured it already . : ) thank you so so very much . : )
077 4 This is pretty helpful . You almost need to know a little Japanese before hand . It's extremely thorough .
013 4 The Kanji Learner's Dictionary is the best Kanji Dictionary I have used . It claims one can find any Kanji as fast as one can find a word in an English Dictionary , and I was amazed to find it was true , using the system in this book . It is excellent . Furthermore , it has many common and not so common Kanji compounds in a relatively small book , so I've found it to be great use . I strongly reccomend this book to anyone learing Kanji .
028 4 Including over 2,000 Kanji this Dictionary has it all ! This Dictionary uses a new system to easily look up Kanji - and it WORKS ! Each entry contains a main keyword and lists numerous uses for the Kanji , including compounds . I loved how this book also teaches you the stroke order of the Kanji . This is the Ultimate Kanji Dictionary
039 4 The Kanji Learner's Dictionary has been an essential reference for me . It employs an easy to use system for looking up the kanji . Each kanji has its own section with examples for each of its readings . The kanji are additionally indexed by frequency , reading , and radicals . Beginning and intermediate students of Japanese won't find a more useful kanji dictionary .
048 4 this dictionary fully meets the practical needs of beginning and intermediate students , character meanings were illustrated by numerous compounds and examples , are grouped around the core meaning in a logically structured manner that allows them to be perceived as an integrated unit . also guidance is provided for distinguishing between easily confused characters .
063 4 it is great dictionary , easy to use . Have a lot of compound words and wide range of examples .
067 4 I was amazed to see all the great tools this dictionary has and a great way to start in the world of Kanji , eventhough I think a person that knows a lot can still use it as a great tool
024 4 Kodansha is the best , so we come to expect a higher level of quality in the material as well as a higher price . As a student , the number of Kodansha books that I can afford to keep on my shelves is quite limited ; and in retrospect , this particular dictionary was a waste of money . The vocabulary is kept pretty small in order to make space for a more detailed description of each Kanji . This doesn't , however , present us with any real information that could not be obtained through other dicitonaries of a higher vocabulary . I would highly suggest instead the KODANSHA ESSENTIAL KANJI DICTIONARY , which I would personally not be able to live without .
