KanjiHybrid Text: Al Gore

[KanjiHybrid]

See www.kanjihybrid.net. In the Website's Private Room (need to register to activate), one can copy and paste a Japanese text from another Website (sites you visit in privacy) or e-mailed text. After pressing "Submit" button, a pop-up box appears with relevant data on the particular Kanji character. This site will make Kanji dictionaries obsolete.
"An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore (KanjiHybrid Text)

後fter more than thirty 年ears as a 学tudent of the 候limate 危risis, I have a lot to 与hare. I have 試ried to 言ell this 件tory in a way that will 興nterest 全ll 類inds of 読eaders. My
望ope is that 人hose 誰ho 読ead the 本ook and 見ee the 映ilm will 始egin to 感eel, as I have for a 長ong 時ime, that 世lobal 温arming is not just about 科cience and that it is not just a 政olitical 件ssue. It is 実eally a 倫oral 件ssue.

Although it is 真rue that 政olitics at 時imes must 起lay a 要rucial 役ole in 解olving this
困roblem, this is the 類ind of 挑hallenge that ought to 全ompletely 超ranscend
政artisanship.

I very much 望ope that you will 感ense that my 目oal is to 与hare with you 両oth my
熱assion for the 地arth and my 深eep
感ense of 関oncern for its 命ate. It is not 可ossible to 感eel one 無ithout the 他ther
時hen you 知now 全ll the 実acts.

I also 欲ant to 伝onvey my 強trong 感eeling that 何hat we are 向acing is not just a 因ause for 慌larm, it is 裏aradoxically also a 因ause for 望ope. As 多any 知now, the 華hinese
表xpression for "crisis" 含onsists of 二wo 字haracters 隣ide-by-side. The 初irst is the
号ymbol for "危anger," the 次econd the 号ymbol for "機pportunity."

===================
This is the learning concept of The Kanji Handbook (Tuttle Publishing). No need to abandon the world of English in order to master Kanji characters. Recognition and familiarity of Kanji characters as directly-linked with their English meaning is the book's core. A KanjiHybrid software is on its way. Friends and I have been e-mailing in the above text. Once you're familiar with the meaning of each Kanji character, writing from memory is not exactly difficult.

[Outkast]

That's an interesting concept (although I initially thought the unicode on the page was messing up again...)

[Garyuchin]

Hmmm. As an adjunct to the learning process, it certainly seems to have merit.
But how do you handle words with compound kanji?

[Bueller_007]

Hmmm. As an adjunct to the learning process, it certainly seems to have merit.
But how do you handle words with compound kanji?

You don't. The technique is used to remember the core meaning of kanji, not kanji words.

[Belton]

I found the book heavily discounted so I decided to buy it, mainly because I liked the look of the "Veemeunics" . These are interesting little sentences using these kanji hybrids to link characters in your memory mainly by shape.
for instance
遠istant 園arden, in fact a 猿onkey's den...

And the idea behind using hybrids I find quite interesting.
why 遠istant is different than 遠 = distant and oddly a more useful connection. I also think the ambiguity at times helps by making me look closer or think harder. I first thought 猿onkey might be Donkey because of the potential rhyme. but in fact it's monkey and I think it might now be a permanent memory. or has the potential to be.

And I'm a sucker for kanji books!

To be fair to the author he does have this to say.

"KanjiHybrids are not an end in itself, but a learning tool to further knowledge. The ultimate goal is familiarity with kanji compounds, pure and simple.
You must set in motion a lifetime commitment for advancing your kanji reading and writing skills through constant and continuous application."

Indeed if you take away the hybrids, the method is very much a traditional one. The twist is it's using your 16 years plus of English knowledge to give you a leg up.
I think it might work and intend to give it a try. Nothing to lose really and it lends itself as an addition to how I already try to learn kanji.


The indices are interesting.
The index of English key words is the first I've seen in a dictionary. There are also indices based on JLPT level and Japanese grade which could be useful. As well as the usual reading index and radical index.
Less useful I find is the kana index. I'm not sure why it is there as the reading index does a better job.
Also of limited usefulness, I think, is the new method of indexing kanji -- the flip index. I think this is novelty for novelty's sake. It's meant to be an easy way for non-kanji literate people to find a kanji, but I'm not sure it's precise enough. Or clearly enough explained. Jack Halpern's SKIP method is a more accurate and more thought out method based on shape and definitely better explained.

[KanjiHybrid]

KanjiHybrid Times: Emperor Hirohito's14 August 1945 Message

後fter 考ondering 深eeply the 般eneral 方rends of the 世orld and the 現ctual 状onditions 得btaining in our 帝mpire 今oday, we have 決ecided to 果ffect a 妥ettlement of the
今resent 状ituation by 採esorting to an 特xtraordinary 策easure.

We have 令rdered our 政overnment to 通ommunicate to the 政overnments of the United States, Great Britain, China, and the Soviet Union that our 帝mpire 受ccepts the
但rovisions of their 共oint 宣eclaration.

Indeed, we 宣eclared 戦ar on 米merica and 英ritain out of our 真incere 望esire to
確nsure Japan's 自elf- 保reservation and the 安tabilization of 東ast 亜sia, it being far from our 意hought either to 侵nfringe upon the 覆overeignty of 他ther 国ations or to 冒mbark upon 地erritorial 奪ggrandizement.

But 今ow the 戦ar has 終asted for 近early 四our 年ears. Despite the 最est that has been done by 全veryone-- the 勇allant 闘ighting of our 軍ilitary and 海aval 兵orces, the
勤iligence and 忍ssiduity of our 民ervants of the 国tate and the 忠evoted 義ervice of our 100 million 民eople--the 戦ar 状ituation has 成eveloped not 要ecessarily to 和apan's
益dvantage, 間hile the 般eneral 方rends of the 世orld have 全ll 回urned 反gainst our
得nterest.

Moreover, the 敵nemy has 始egun to 使mploy a 新ew and 最ost 酷ruel 爆omb, the 力ower of which to do 害amage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the 計oll of 多any innocent 命ives. Should we 続ontinue to 闘ight, it would not only 果esult in an 至ltimate 壊ollapse and
消bliteration of the 和apanese 国ation, but also it would lead to the 全otal 滅xtinction of
人uman 民ivilization...

(漢anji 字haracters learned: 82)

===============
The KanjiHybrid text above was done by a beta software. When I typed the word "declaration" the software converted it to "宣eclaration." After completing the whole English text, I placed the mouse cursor on 宣eclaration, and a yellowish comment box popped out with the following: "SEN; declare, proclaim, announce, broadcast" plus its unicode number. Regarding The Kanji Handbook (Tuttle Publishing), I believe the author is a comedian in disguise. Check out page 242 " 旨nstructions by 指inger: No 脂nimal-fat in my Whopper." The three linked Kanji characters stayed in permanent memory. I immediately recognized their meanings when I saw them in a Japanese newspaper. I bought the book and enjoyed many silly laughs.

[maxhodges]

So are you just building a huge cross-reference list for the English language?

[Bucko]

This is certainly an interesting concept. I've thought of a similar system before actually. However, I wonder if exchanging the entire English word (except for maybe word stems) for the kanji might be better? It'd be harder to read but you'd be forced to think more about the meaning of the kanij:

後 考ing 深ly the 般 方 of the 世 and the 現l 状 得ing in our 帝 今, we have 決ed to 果 a ...

[Bueller_007]

This is certainly an interesting concept. I've thought of a similar system before actually. However, I wonder if exchanging the entire English word (except for maybe word stems) for the kanji might be better? It'd be harder to read but you'd be forced to think more about the meaning of the kanij:

後 考ing 深ly the 般 方 of the 世 and the 現l 状 得ing in our 帝 今, we have 決ed to 果 a ...

It would only work if you already knew all the kanji. Otherwise it would just be a pain in the butt.

I know all of those kanji, and I still can't understand what you're trying to say.

[Belton]

However, I wonder if exchanging the entire English word (except for maybe word stems) for the kanji might be better? It'd be harder to read but you'd be forced to think more about the meaning of the kanij:

The thing is, what KanjiHybrid relys on is your ability to fill in missing information while reading. Why you can understand mispelt words for instance. And I remember a test where as long as the length and the first and last letters of each word were correct you could still read a sentence that was on the face of it meaningless.
By completly replacing english words with kanji in a rebus fashion you have nothing to help you understand the kanji. What Hybrids hopes to do is give you repeated exposure to a combination of the kanji and english key word. Enough exposure and you start to remember it.

[Bucko]

and I still can't understand what you're trying to say.

umm...it's a copy from KanjiHybrid's last post.

[Bueller_007]

and I still can't understand what you're trying to say.

umm...it's a copy from KanjiHybrid's last post.

Ah. To be honest, I didn't even bother reading his post, because I think the whole system is ridiculous.

The English used in that thread is such an exceptionally poor translation of an originally Japanese comment, that I doubt it's of any use as a learning material.

"After pondering deeply"
"actual conditions obtaining in our Empire today"

Huh?

Plus, 妥 doesn't mean "settlement" (unless it's an abbreviation of 妥協). It means "peace". 採 doesn't mean resort, it means "take"/"select". Etc. Etc.

[KanjiHybrid]

So are you just building a huge cross-reference list for the English language? (Answer: Spanish, French, German as well!)

We 望ish to 奉ffer our 真incerest and 深eepest 祈rayers to the 32 innocent 命ives in Virginia, and 全LL 他ther 犠ictims of 惨ragedies and 酷ruel 死eaths around the 界orld.
助elp us 超vercome our 憎atred and intolerance. 与ive us 永ver-残asting 和eace.

Our 父ather 誰ho Art in 天eaven
聖allowed be Thy 名ame
Thy 王indom come
Thy 意ill be done
On 地arth, as it is in 天eaven
与ive us 当his 日ay our 日aily 食read
And 許orgive us our 侵respasses as
we 許orgive 人hose 誰ho 侵respassed 対gainst us
導ead us not into 誘emptation
but 救eliver us from 悪vil.
Amen

(Spanish)
Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos
Santificado sea tu Nombre
Venga tu reino
Hágase tu voluntad
En la tierra como en el cielo
Danos hoy el pan de este día
y perdona nuestras deudas
como nosotros perdonamos nuestros deudores
y no nos dejes caer en al tentacion
sino que líbranos del malo.
Así sea

(For Spanish-speakers)
父adre nuestro 誰ue estás en los 天ielos
聖antificado sea tu 名ombre
Venga tu 王eino
Hágase tu 意oluntad
En la 地ierra como en el 天ielo
与anos hoy el 食an de 当ste 日ía
y 許erdona nuestras 侵eudas
como nosotros 許erdonamos nuestros 侵eudores
y no nos 導ejes caer en al 誘entacion
sino que líbranos del 悪alo.
Así sea

[KanjiHybrid]

So are you just building a huge cross-reference list for the English language?

Answer: Chinese Kanji or Hanzi as well. Japanese students use KanjiHybrid system to learn Chinese characters used in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. But they need an excellent grasp of English vocabulary as prerequisite:

姨ister-in-law 鹉arrot
佼andsome 厕oilet
译ranslate 赢rofit
悃onest 媾greement
贾ommerce 檬emon
檐romise 嫣eautiful
愍ympathy 婴aby
椽omeless 昃fternoon
燮armony 甥ephew

[Bueller_007]

So are you just building a huge cross-reference list for the English language?

Answer: Chinese Kanji or Hanzi as well. Japanese students use KanjiHybrid system to learn Chinese characters used in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

I've never heard this before, and it seems like an unlikely, inefficient and impractical way for a Japanese person to learn Hanji. Do you have a reference for this claim?

Also, 椽 doesn't mean homeless.