[Kanji Learning] How Do Japanese People Remember Them? 3 Steps We Learn in Elementary School

Fumi
Feb 2
4 min read

Hello, I’m Fumi from Speak Japanese Naturally

I receive many comments from Japanese learners on my channel every day. The most common struggle I hear is: "Kanji is too difficult!" or "I just can't remember them!"

It’s true, there are so many Kanji, and their shapes are complex. But how did we Japanese people manage to memorize this huge number of characters when we were children?

Actually, the "way we learn Kanji" in Japanese elementary schools contains many hidden hints that are useful for adult learners too.

In today's blog, I will introduce "3 Learning Steps" that Japanese people practice, based on my video How Japanese People Learn Kanji.

1. "Stroke Order" is Rhythm! From Top to Bottom, Left to Right

The first step is very simple: "Write to remember." In Japanese elementary schools, when we learn a new Kanji, we practice writing it over and over again. At that time, there is one thing teachers are extremely strict about: "Follow the Stroke Order."

You might think, "As long as the final shape is correct, does it matter how I write it?" But stroke order isn't just a rule. It is "the shortest route to writing Kanji beautifully and with good balance."

There are two major iron rules for stroke order. Please remember them in this order:

From top to bottom
From left to right

Basically, Kanji are designed to be written following this flow. For example, think of the character 「木」 (Tree). You draw the horizontal line (left to right) first, and then pass the vertical line (top to bottom) through it.

If you write it in your own style, like starting from the bottom, the shape will collapse. If you follow this "Top to bottom, Left to right" principle, your pen will flow naturally, and you will be able to write neat characters comfortably.

2. "Onyomi" and "Kunyomi" — It’s Natural for You to Struggle!

Next is the "Reading" problem that confuses everyone the most. One Kanji has both "Onyomi" and "Kunyomi", which is very confusing.

Onyomi (Chinese reading): Sound that came from China. Like "Yama = San," the sound alone often doesn't convey the meaning.
Kunyomi (Japanese reading): The Japanese meaning. Like "Yama = Yama," you understand the meaning just by hearing it.

In school, we are taught: "Memorize Onyomi with compound words (jukugo)" and "If there is Okurigana (hiragana sticking out), it's Kunyomi."

However, there is one thing I really want to tell you.

The reason we Japanese people can distinguish between these two is that "we already know the words in conversation before we learn the Kanji." As children, we already know the words "Yama" and "Kawa." Later, we learn, "Oh, this is how you write it in Kanji."

But for foreign learners like you, it is different. You don't know the word, and you don't know the Kanji. You have to learn both at the same time.

This is a "Handicap" that we Japanese people don't have. So, it is natural for you to feel that "Onyomi and Kunyomi are difficult!" It is definitely not a lack of ability. Please be confident and tell yourself, "I am doing something even tougher than Japanese children."

3. Create Stories with "Combinations" and "Mnemonics"

The third step is understanding the composition of Kanji. Kanji are not just random lines. They are made of combinations of parts.

■ Remember by Combination (Meaning + Meaning)

These are Kanji created by adding the meanings of parts together. For example, the character 「男」 (Man) introduced in the video.

田 (Rice field) ＋ 力 (Power) ＝ 男 (Man)

In the old days, "a person who does power work in the rice field" was a man. That image became the Kanji itself.

■ Remember by Combination (Meaning + Sound)

There are also combinations of a "Meaning part" and a "Sound part." This is actually the most common pattern in Kanji. For example, the character 「時」 (Time).

日 (Sun/Day): The Meaning part. "Time" is related to the movement of the sun.
寺 (Ji): The Sound part. This represents the sound "Ji."

These two come together to make 「時 (Ji)」 for Time.

■ Remember by Mnemonics (Goroawase)

For even more complex Kanji, we sometimes use rhythmic phrases (wordplay) to memorize them. In the video, I introduced the character 「戀」 (Love). This is the old/traditional form of the Kanji 「恋」. It has many strokes!

We remember it like this:

"Itoshii (Beloved), Itoshii (Beloved), to (quote), iu (say), Kokoro (heart)." (Note: "Itoshii" starts with "Ito", which is the Kanji for "Thread" (糸). So the phrase helps you remember the parts.

You chant the parts from top to bottom: "itoshii (Love), itoshii (Love), to iu (Say), kokoro (Heart)." By using stories and rhythm like this, even difficult Kanji become easier to remember.

Summary

How was it? This is the learning process we Japanese people went through as children.

Write in the order of "Top to bottom, Left to right."
Accept that Onyomi/Kunyomi are difficult (Because you have a handicap!)
Visualize with Combinations and Mnemonics.

Of course, you don't have to copy all of this perfectly. Please pick up only the parts where you think, "This looks useful," or "I can do this," and incorporate them into your own learning.

Learning Kanji is a long journey, but I am cheering for you!

Next Actions

Check the Stroke Order of "Your Name"
- Check if it matches the "Top to bottom, Left to right" rule.
Try writing "Man (男)" and "Time (時)"
- Write while imagining "Power work in a rice field" and "Sun and Temple."
Try chanting the Mnemonic for "Love (戀)"
- "Itoshii, itoshii, to, iu, kokoro." Once you get into the rhythm, even complex traditional characters aren't scary!