Complexity of Japanese Writing Compared to Chinese

Published by

Karl

August 6, 2024

Complexity of Japanese Writing Compared to Chinese

While I am slowly learning Japanese, I’ve decided to prioritize verbal fluency over mastering the complex Japanese writing systems, including Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana. Initially, I was concerned that learning Kanji characters used in Japanese, derived from Chinese, would be as extensive as the vast number of Chinese characters. However, the Japanese writing system, despite borrowing characters from Chinese, involves a more manageable set.

In Chinese, the logographic writing system consists of tens of thousands of characters, with most native speakers using only a fraction in daily life. Comprehensive Chinese dictionaries may list over 100,000 characters, although many are archaic or rarely used. On the other hand, Japanese employs three writing systems: Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana.

Kanji: Japanese includes thousands of Kanji characters, but the Jōyō Kanji list, commonly used in daily life and education, comprises approximately 2,136 characters. While there are additional Kanji for names and specialized fields, the number regularly used is significantly lower than the total number of Chinese characters. Memorizing 2,136 characters is still a substantial task!
Hiragana and Katakana: Both scripts have a fixed set of characters, totaling 92 (46 for each script, plus additional characters for modified sounds). These scripts serve phonetic purposes and are not as numerous as Kanji. Overcoming this amount of characters is a challenge I see myself tackling over time, but 2,136 different Kanji characters? I am not so sure about that.

Despite the numerous Kanji characters in Japanese, the actual number used in everyday Japanese is much smaller compared to Chinese. This, combined with the two phonetic scripts, makes the Japanese writing system more approachable than the Chinese system.

As a polyglot familiar with Swiss German, German, Dutch, French, and English, I perceive learning Japanese from a European viewpoint as my most significant challenge. Nevertheless, I am dedicated to addressing this challenge gradually every day. Achieving fluency in Japanese would undoubtedly mark a significant personal milestone for me, and I am hopeful that I will accomplish this goal within the next 1-2 years. Fingers crossed!

#JapaneseLanguage #LearningJapanese #KanjiVsChineseCharacters

2 responses to “Complexity of Japanese Writing Compared to Chinese”

Rolf

August 9, 2024

I fully agree that while learning the syllabic character sets of Hiragana and Katakana is manageable, Kanji characters present an altogether much more formidable challenge – one that I decided to effectively abandon after my first year in Japan, instead deciding to focus on verbal fluency.
After 28 years in this country, I must say that not being literate in the local lingo does come with its challenges and frustrations, but with a combination of today’s technology and help from my other half, I survive.
Perhaps the biggest challenge presents itself in the lack of understanding by Japanese people that my speaking ability doesn’t automatically translate into written fluency as well, which I then have to explain each time. As happened just the other day at a doctor’s office, when I was asked to fill in a questionnaire and they didn’t have an English version available (as is so often the case).

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1. KTN
  
  August 9, 2024
  
  Thank you for your comment and for sharing your thoughts, Rolf. It’s great to hear perspectives from a fellow Swiss who has been living in Japan for a while. I also enjoyed your Ningen Dock story—it was both interesting and amusing. I look forward to hearing more from you!
  
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