猫と日本語が好きです!

はじめまして! チョコです。アメリカ人です。6年ぐらい日本語を勉強しています。よろしく! (previously @chokopan)

[nyahongo]

イントロ :

こんにちは! チョコと申します。アメリカ人です。これは私の日本語のブログです。４年ぐらい日本語を勉強していますけど、2018年まで勉強に真剣ではありませんでした。あの時にこのブログを始めました。日常生活に日本語を使いたいですから、自分の文を書くのついてに練習するのことができるの有用と思います。

ここに、日本語で日記を書いて、日常生活の写真をポストします。日本語は難しいですけど、とても面白くて、楽しいと思います。がんばります! ٩(๑`^´๑)۶

よろしくおねがいします! (*´ω`*)〜♪

[nyahongo]

Using は to create space for contrast

The topic particle は can either replace or combine with other particles in order to mark the topic of a sentence. For example, は replaces を to mark the direct object as the topic of a sentence.

私も弁当を食べる。

→ I will eat a bento, too.

Has no topic (nothing is marked by は)

Direct object = 弁当 (marked by を)

弁当は、私も食べる。

→ As for a bento, I will also eat it.

Topic = 弁当 (marked by は)

Direct object = still 弁当

What is は doing in the second sentence?

Interpretation #1: A neutral statement. 弁当 is the topic of the conversation, and the speaker is mentioning that they also eat 弁当.

Interpretation #2: Introducing a contrastive topic. 弁当 is the topic of the conversation, but the speaker is being specific about eating 弁当 versus something else.

Contrastive は

Think of は as putting a spotlight on a topic and quietly implying:

"As for X… (here’s what I want to say about it — and it might differ from other things)."

That "might differ from other things" is where the contrast sneaks in. It’s not always strong contrast — sometimes it’s just a gentle nudge.

私も弁当を食べる。

→ I will eat a bento, too.

Focus = 私

You're adding yourself to the group.

No contrast implied.

弁当は、私も食べる。

→ As for a bento, I will also eat it.

Focus = 弁当

You're adding your action to the topic of 弁当.

Contrast = between 弁当 and other possible foods/topics/other people's actions

A trick to feel the contrast

If you can naturally add "but…" after the は phrase, the contrast is there.

弁当は、私も食べる。

→ As for the bento… (but the curry? maybe not).

You don’t have to say the second half — Japanese often leaves it unsaid.

Additional Examples

① りんごは食べるけど、バナナは食べない。

As for apples, I eat them, but bananas I don’t.

Contrast = explicit (けど)

Topics = りんご and バナナ (は marks the things being contrasted)

② 今日は行くけど、明日は行かない。

→ As for today, I’ll go, but tomorrow I won’t.

Contrast = explicit (けど)

Topics = 今日 and 明日 (は marks the things being contrasted)

③ コーヒーは飲む。

→ I drink coffee (but maybe not other things).

Contrast = implicit

Topic = コーヒー (marked by は)

Compare to:

コーヒーを飲む。

→ I drink coffee.

Direct object = コーヒー (marked by を)

Neutral and factual.

No contrast implied.

[wwwwwwwwwwww123]

(Xユーザーのせきのさん: 「パン屋初めての人 https://t.co/XfsOorX8WA」 / Xから)

[nyahongo]

I was able to read almost all of this short comic and guess some of the words based on context, which is something I haven't been able to do before!! So exciting! 🥹

I was able to do this because I was already familiar with the words, just not how they're written in kanji. This is why previous vocabulary knowledge is so important! Even learning how to write a word in hiragana is helpful - it builds the foundation for the kanji later. And by tying previous knowledge to new knowledge, the memory of that previous knowledge gets stronger, which improves recall.

Because this is a comic and uses visuals, I was able to guess that 屋 was pronounced や (パン屋 = bakery) and that 初 was pronounced はじ (初めて = first time, one's first) based on the context: a) the events in this comic are happening in a bakery, and b) the person is just helping himself to the bread and eating it before paying, so he's clearly never been to a bakery before. I was also able to guess that 客 was pronounced きゃく (お客さま = customer) because this is how retail customers are addressed in Japanese, and お and さま are indicators of polite, formal language. Lastly, I was able to guess that 当 was pronounced あ because I was familiar with the colloquial phrase 当たり前でしょ! already (あたりまえでしょ!) and I already knew that 前 was pronounced まえ.

It's like playing Hangman: if there's a series of letters you already know to be a part of a word, there's a good chance you can guess what the rest of the word is.

The only phrase I didn't recognize was 見殺し (みごろし) which is a colloquial phrase that apparently means letting (someone) die without helping. In the context of this comic, I think this phrase has the nuance of "Thanks for nothing!!!" because it was this person's first time in a bakery, and the staff person didn't give him any help at all. I looked up this phrase on Weblio, and it says: "To stand by and watch someone being killed or in distress, and not intervene, or to be unable to help and leave them to their fate."

Title: パン屋初めての人

Comic text:

ちょっとお客さまおやめください!!!

えっ?

これって食べちゃダメなんですか?

当たり前でしょ! えっ? パン屋初めて?

はい･･･

入口にあるトングでパンをトレーに入れてレジで買ってください!

えっ? トング?? トレー??? なんだよこの店!!!! 初見殺しすぎるだろ!!!!

[nyahongo]

春はとうとう来ますね！

少し散歩して、きれい桜を見つけました！ピンクの桜はやっぱり一番好きな〜 🌸😍

今日の天気は少し暖かいけど、いい風があっても、今晩も散歩したいかもね。

毎日、日本語の勉強のために、漢字を勉強して、単語と文法を復習しています。少しずつ、もっと新しい漢字を読みたいです。がんばります！

じゃ、またね〜👋

[nyahongo]

Honest Thoughts About Migaku

I have been studying kanji using Migaku's Kanji Academy Level 1 course, and I recently started the combined vocabulary and grammar course (Japanese Academy Level 1 course). Since it's been a few months, I wanted to write about my experience so far.

The Kanji Academy course says to learn 10 new cards per day for three weeks (that's 210 cards total) before starting the Japanese Academy course. The kanji course covers approximately 800 kanji, but also includes cards for kanji components (most of which are recognized kanji radicals, but some are not). Out of 1273 total cards, if 800 of them are kanji cards, then 473 are component cards.

Components Cards

In my opinion, the components cards are meant to introduce different parts of the kanji you'll learn and helps give you a solid foundation to build on when learning the kanji made up of those components. Unlike WaniKani, Migaku seems to group kanji not by meaning, but by visual appearance and complexity based on whether you've already learned the components of a given kanji yet.

For example, the course starts with the following components:

丶(dot)

⺍ (drops, a variant of dot)

冖 (roof)

These components combine to build another component: 龸 (schoolhouse).

Then, you get the first kanji, 一 (one). The next kanji is 子 (child) and then you get this kanji: 学 (learning), which contains the previously learned components and kanji. It's kind of like math:

⺍ (drops) + 冖 (roof) = 龸 (schoolhouse)

龸 (schoolhouse) + 子 (child) = 学 (learning)

At first, I found this approach to be interesting and fun, but as I progressed, I found 10 cards per day to be too much. I lowered the number of cards down to 5, and found that much more manageable. However, I also felt that learning all of these components and kanji in isolation was quite a slog. Of the first 210 cards in the kanji course, 150 of them are kanji (the rest are component cards). Out of roughly 800 kanji, 150 kanji is less than 20% of the course. What could I do to make the process feel more enjoyable and relevant to actually using the language?

The answer: vocabulary!

I started using Jisho.org to find vocabulary words I already knew using the kanji I was studying. To continue the previous example, I already knew the kanji 学 was in a bunch of school-related words, like:

学生 (がくせい)

学校 (がっこう)

大学 (だいがく)

大学院 (だいがくいん)

I added these words to a Word document I'm using to record my studies, highlighting the kanji being used. Another thing I'd like to try - especially with new or unfamiliar vocabulary - is writing my own sentences.

*Note: Another reason to look up vocabulary words is because not every kanji card lists words that use that kanji.

Japanese Academy Level 1

Now that I've started the Japanese Academy Level 1 course, I'm reviewing basic grammar and making connections between kanji I've learned the meaning of and vocabulary words that use them. Each "lesson" goes over a grammar point and then introduces vocabulary words along with example sentences using that grammar. The words use kanji already learned in the kanji course, so the only thing that's "new" for me is connecting the kanji and its meaning to the pronunciation of the word itself.

What I really like about this course is that a sentence using the vocabulary word is given on the front of the card. The sentence gives you context clues to help you try to guess what the word means, but this only works if you know the meaning of the kanji used in that word. Thus, the Kanji Academy Level 1 course and this course work together. Knowledge gained in one course can be immediately applied in the other. At the same time, by learning vocabulary words that use familiar kanji, you also learn the most common readings for those kanji without much more effort. WaniKani's mnemonics for kanji readings don't work for me, and I found it much more difficult to come up with better ones on my own. I didn't see the point of forcing myself to remember that 口 is read as こう before learning a word that actually uses that pronunciation. It's like learning it twice: the pronunciation on its own first and then a related vocabulary word. On the other hand, learning through repeated exposure in context means learning vocabulary words in sentences, and then the more times you see the word, the more you remember how to read that word, including the readings of the kanji that are in it.

For example, a card appeared with the vocabulary word 元気 on the front. I've seen both of these kanji already, and I already knew a few words that use the kanji 気. My first guess was てんき ("weather") but this word doesn't make sense in the sentence. My second guess was げんき, which means "lively," "energetic," or "healthy." (*Note: You can choose whether or not to show furigana on the front of a card. I have furigana only on the back of a card toggled on.)

... Aaand I was right!

Given my feelings of frustration with my kanji studies as of late, guessing this card correctly was a huge morale booster.

This experience taught me that you can't make guesses without understanding the context of the sentence, and you can't understand the context without already knowing the meaning of the kanji in the word whose meaning you're guessing as well as some words that use that kanji. In the above example, I knew that the kanji 気 is read as き in some words (e.g. てんき, げんき) and I knew what those words meant. If I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to guess what 元気 meant or how it was pronounced. Accumulating vocabulary knowledge slowly takes time, but repeated exposure can help you remember that 元気 is read as げんき so that when you see another word with 気 in it, your brain goes, "Oh! I've seen 気 before! Is it pronounced き in this word?"

The Slog of the First 210 Cards

To get to this point, I had to get through 210 cards (150 kanji and 60 components). At a pace of 10 cards per day, this is supposed to take 21 days, or 3 weeks. It took me much longer because I got burnt out, missed a lot of days, and I didn't lower the card amount until the middle of March (the second row from the bottom in the streak chart below).

I started the Japanese Academy Level 1 course on March 27th even though I still had 10 more Kanji Academy course cards to learn because I was tired of the slog and wanted to make all of that accumulated kanji knowledge more relevant.

Keeping Track of Progress

Something that I wish Migaku had that WaniKani has available through user extensions is a progress screen that shows you how many kanji you've learned and how far you have to go. I think a breakdown through a pie chart would be a helpful visual indicator of one's progress.

Something like this:

I haven't used Migaku to make flash cards yet because I'm not sure how helpful sentence mining will be for me. I talked about this before in another post, but I don't think continually making cards for random new words and reviewing them forever is a good use of the little study time I have. Although repeated exposure through SRS for the basics is helpful, I don't think relying on it for long-term learning is helpful. If all I need for basic reading comprehension is 1000 or so kanji, I think I'd rather consolidate learned kanji and vocabulary in long-term memory through repeated exposure from of native material than reviewing flashcards forever.

At 5 cards per day, I should finish the kanji course by late October. The other course has grammar in it, but considering I've learned most of that already, the part I'll need to focus on is tying kanji to vocabulary words I know already (and learning new ones). I hope to finish that course at some point within the next year, assuming I can bump up the number of cards to 10 once I finish the kanji course.

Compared to WaniKani and the other methods I've tried to study kanji, I have found Migaku to be the most helpful because kanji are arranged by visual complexity through components, rather than by meaning. Components used in a particular kanji are presented first, and then you can combine them in different ways to produce mnemonics for different kanji, thus enabling you to remember their meanings more effectively. To keep this process from feeling like grinding, I look up the kanji on Jisho.org to find familiar vocabulary words that use them. If I know the word already and its meaning overlaps in some way with the kanji in it (which it usually does), then I can use that familiarity to boost my memory of that kanji.

As for handwriting, I've decided to not worry about it for the time being. I don't have much free time and I want to prioritize learning meanings and vocabulary words over stroke order. Most of my writing in Japanese is electronic anyways, and as I currently don't live in Japan... I don't really need to learn how to handwrite kanji. I would like to, but it's not a priority for me right now.

Everyone learns differently. If WaniKani hasn't worked for you and Heisig's RTK seems impossible, check out Migaku!

[nyahongo]

I was inspired by @aster-notes study posts so I took some pictures of a study session before work and "labeled" them! I used my iPad and Apple Pencil to add annotations in my own handwriting. It was so fun to do!

My tablet case, wireless mouse, pen pouch, and Apple Pencil "case" (a silicone tube, basically, that functions like a traditional pencil gripper and also protects it while keeping the cap from falling off and getting lost) are all ✨pink✨ Can you tell it's one of my favorite colors? 🩷 (о´∀`о)

My favorites are:

Pentel Energel gel pen, 0.3 mm - the super super fine ballpoint size is amazing for writing kanji!

Kokuyo Fit Curve mechanical pencil, 0.5 mm - I prefer mechanical pencils with a thick squishy gripper area; this reduces strain on my hands.

Zebra Mild Liners - I've amassed quite a collection over several years, but the pastel ones remain my favorite. I use these as highlighters mainly, and sometimes to make colorful headings in my notes on lined paper.

Pilot Kakuno fountain pen - I use this in my journal. I love how smooth this pen writes, and the ink cartridges are easy to replace. Pilot also has an ink converter kit so you can use any pen ink you'd like! At around $20, this is a great fountain pen for beginners, and is fairly priced. The pen caps come in different colors too, so you can get different colors for different nib sizes (makes it easier to tell them apart at a glance). My pink capped pen has an EF (extra fine) nib, for example. Also, the mascot is a nib with a little happy face! So cute!

Uniball Signo pens, 0.7 mm (pink) and 0.5 mm (black) - These are a bit pricier than the Pentel Energel ones, so I don't use them as often. The pink color disappears nicely under a red check sheet!

PaperMate Ink Joy gel pens - These write so smoothly, but the ink tends to smudge on certain papers. I use these primarily for color coding (e.g. pink for new words, blue for grammar, etc.).

[nyahongo]

What does 可 mean?

I just saw this kanji on Migaku today, and underneath the keyword "can" there are additional meanings: mustn't, should not, and do not.

But on Jisho, the listed meanings are: can, passable, and approval.

What's going on here? Can and do not are quite opposite from each other, and the difference is confusing my brain and making it harder to remember this kanji's meaning as can.

[nyahongo]

My ✨Updated✨ Japanese Masterpost

Since I changed my blog name, many of the links on my older masterpost no longer work, and I've posted a lot about kanji (and many diary entries!) since then. So, I decided an updated masterpost was in order!

Below, you'll find many of the same links, just with new blog name (nyahongo) instead of the old one (chokopan). I've also updated the reading practice section, the kanji section, and added a section about the Marugoto material I've already posted (Starter A1 and Elementary A1 levels - I'm still working on Elementary A2 material).

Commonly Used Tags on This Blog

#日記 (Japanese Diary)

#漢字 (Kanji)

#resource

For Beginners

Giant Study Tips masterpost

Kana tips for beginners

Kana Charts: hiragana | katakana

Genki 1

Summary Sheets:

Lesson 1: lesson | kanji sheet

Lesson 2: lesson | kanji sheet

Lesson 3: here and here

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

Lesson 8

Lesson 9

Other Genki 1 posts:

Genki 1 grammar point summary

Genki 1 Lesson 12: ～んです

How I study with Genki

How I take notes from Genki

Marugoto

My review of the starter A1 and elementary A1 courses

Starter A1 level: grammar points | writing prompts (part 1, part 2)

Elementary A1 level: grammar points

Grammar Notes

From Lingo Deer: The Particle の | The Verb ある | The Verb いる

Qualifying Nouns with Verbs and Adjectives (Relative Clauses)

Transitive vs. Intransitive Verbs

How I Study Japanese Grammar

Children's Stories & Other Reading Practice

How to make No-bake Cheesecake (feat. Cardcaptor Sakura!)

Yuru Camp reading practice (anime screenshots) - part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6

はらぺこあおむし (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)

にじいろさかな (The Rainbow Fish) - part 1 | part 2 | part 3

ぐりとぐら (Guri and Gura) - part 1 | part 2 | part 3

チーズスイートホーム (Chi's Sweet Home), Vol. 1 - Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4

Kanji

How to Use the Sumikko Gurashi Beginner’s Dictionary

How radicals work (and here are some examples using the kanji 時)

Kanken level 10 book information (with English translations, grammar, and vocabulary explanations)

Notes from Eve Kushner's Crazy for Kanji, part 1

Writing practice sheets:

part 1 (using 5 different handwritten fonts) |

part 2 (with different grid/box sizes) |

part 3 (with links to different sheet generators) |

part 4 (a "summary sheet" with all different grid/box sizes) |

part 5 (a customizable tracing sheet with grids)

WaniKani (WK)

How to use WaniKani

WaniKani Study Tips

Writing practice sheets: WK level 1

How to come up with mnemonics

[nyahongo]

Notes from Crazy For Kanji by Eve Kushner (Part 1)

Preface

Kanji reveals the deeper meaning of words, the ingredients in an object. Some kanji can be broken down into something like a math equation – simple, poetic, and fun.

火山 (かざん; volcano) = 火 (fire) + 山 (mountain)

氷山 (ひょうざん; iceberg) = 氷 (ice) + 山 (mountain)

氷河 (ひょうが; glacier) = 氷 (ice) + 河 (river) (*Note: “Iceberg” refers to a floating, icy mass, while a glacier is a body of ice moving down a slope or valley, possibly spreading outward on land in a riverlike way.)

玄関 (げんかん; entrance hall) = 玄 (occult) + 関 (barrier, connection) (*Note: What’s occult about an entrance hall? If you think about it, a 玄関 is hidden behind the front door, revealed only to the select few who enter. Also, it locks people out and allows them to enter, capturing the paradox of 関, meaning both “barrier” and “connection.”)

Kanji lends clarity to a language so riddled with homonyms – it makes clear what the ear misses. This is especially true with romanized Japanese (written in romaji). Many words sound the same and are spelled in romaji in the same way, but only the kanji characters show that they're actually different words.

かみ means “god” (神), “hair” (髪), and “paper” (紙).

むし means “insect” (虫) and “selfless" (無私).

じゅしょう means “awarding a prize” (授賞) and “receiving a prize” (受賞).

飲む (のむ; to drink) and 乗る (のる; to ride a vehicle) both have the same sound, の. The の sound in each word is actually a different kanji that has a different meaning.

Introduction: What Are All Those Squiggles?

Breaking down a complex kanji into smaller parts also makes writing easier. However, complex kanji may be illegible if you don’t follow the correct stroke order when writing them.

勝つ (かつ; to win) can be broken down into three parts, like this:

This makes learning how to write kanji much more manageable.

Pictograms vs. Ideograms

Kanji originally represented real-life objects. Unfortunately, only a handful of kanji are pictograms. There’s no real way to symbolize abstract concepts like “life” (生; セイ, いきる) pictorially – this is where ideograms come in.

Pictographic kanji are called 象形文字 (しょうけいもじ). Ideographic kanji are called 表意文字 (ひょういもじ). (*Note: The author uses 指事文字, しじもじ but Jisho doesn’t list it as a word).

The spacing between kanji entirely changes the meaning. Inserting more space between characters means you’d be writing different kanji.

[nyahongo]

I'm almost done with the N5/Kanken 10 kanji! I just have one more kanji left (長) which I'll probably see in Anki tomorrow. So excited to move onto sentence cards! ヽ(* ´▽` *)ﾉ

I recently bought a Kanji Kentei study book on Amazon for level 10, and it has all the kanji I've been studying so far since February. I think going through it will be great writing practice and help me learn readings through vocabulary and sentences, as a supplement to the Anki deck I'm using. It wasn't too expensive either, and it shipped relatively quickly. It's also quite colorful inside, as it's meant for children. So cute!

I've been looking for a kanji writing sheet generator that includes tracing in several boxes and dotted lines with no success, so I decided to make my own.

Linked below is a MS Word document free to download!

Document features:

Boxes: A table with certain cells merged to create a grid layout. Two small spaces underneath the kanji character box on the left side are for onyomi (音) and kunyomi (訓) readings.

Small writing practice: Two columns of small boxes are underneath the large kanji square on the left side. These are for practicing writing smaller. Half of these contain dashed lines and half do not.

Big writing practice: Children start by writing big, so there are plenty of large boxes with dashed lines to practice in.

Dashed lines: Inserted shapes with over-text wrapping. The lines for the larger squares are grouped together, and the lines for the smaller squares are grouped together. Anchoring is used so they don't move around with text.

Fonts: MS Mincho is used in the large kanji square on the left side. The grey kanji to trace use a "Kyokasho" font called UD Digi Kyokasho N (which can be downloaded online for free, or you can find another kyokasho font to use, if you like). Kyokasho fonts mimic handwriting, which is more useful to trace than a computer font.

DOWNLOAD ✨ HERE! ✨

The link expires in 7 days. Please send me an ask if you would like to download it after the expiration. 😊

[nyahongo]

After some fiddling in the original document I shared here, I was able to adjust the blue dotted lines so that they're a bit neater (I decided to use the Table Design and Border Painter feature rather than Shapes). I'm sharing a screenshot of the document zoomed in to 140%; the image is roughly 11" x 14" so it'll print nicely on larger paper, but should still print okay on standard US Legal size paper (8.5" x 11"). Because this is an image and not a MS Word document, it's better suited for handwriting rather than typing.

If you'd like the original MS Word document, here it is, uploaded to Google Drive: ✨DOWNLOAD HERE! ✨

In the same folder, you'll also find the kokugo sheets I made in the past, in .png format, and one other writing sheet (.doc format) that's got smaller boxes than the one above.

[nyahongo]

この週間半は忙しかった。仕事は相変わらず本当にめんどくさって、毎日、帰るの時にとてもガッカリします。毎日毎日、等しい物をして、本当にうんざりしています。でも、大学院のクラス始めた、クラスを楽して、いずれば新しい職業があるの時を来ます。きっと（笑）

色々なタイプの図書館がありますよ。いつか、私は学究的図書館で働きたいです。メディカル図書館もいいです。

日本語の勉強はいい続けています。朝は仕事を始めるの前に、休憩室で座って、10つ漢字を勉強します。眠くて、疲れるもの時にしても、せめて、漢字を勉強するのできます。すこしずつ、もっと漢字を覚えて、もっと日本語を読むのできます。がんばります！

最近、ミガクを使っています。アップはきれいで、使うのは楽しくて、やさしもと思います。漢字の予定順は合理的です。まずは、漢字の構成しを学んで、それで、ホール漢字を学びます。

たとえば：

① 人 = person

② ｲ = walking person

③ 彳= going

④ 行 = go

英語をスイッチします〜

I know that one of Migaku's main functions is to make flashcards from native material, both through video (e.g. YouTube and Netflix) and reading material online (e.g. Matcha). I've tried sentence mining in the past, but found it to be really tedious and frustrating because I felt like making flashcards for random words I don't know was... Kind of pointless? Like, obviously at my current level, there's going to be a zillion words I don't know yet. Making flashcards each time I come across an unfamiliar word because I "gotta learn it" just seems strange. I'd much rather focus on kanji and grammar and build up my vocabulary more naturally instead of trying to brute force it through flashcards. Also, Migaku's flashcard system uses SRS like Anki. So what do you do when your mined vocabulary deck has 1000+ words in it? Review them every day? Why? If all you needed to do was look up a word to understand something in a particular scene of an anime you're watching, what's the point of reviewing that single word every day to reinforce that memory? I feel like if it's an important word, it'll come up enough times that you eventually learn it anyway - without the headache of making a bunch of flashcards. Right?

With that being said, I do intend to use Migaku's "Japanese Academy" course to learn vocabulary that use the kanji I'm learning now in the "Kanji Academy" course. I'm about 2 weeks away from starting the Japanese Academy course.

So far, I've found that learning components followed by kanji that use those components to be really helpful because I have something to build on, rather than just being asked to memorize 行 as "go" right off the bat. The components also help with coming up with mnemonics to remember the meaning of the kanji itself. For example, to help me remember 転 (turn around), I came up with the mnemonic of a mom yelling at her rowdy kids in the backseat, "Don't make me turn this car around!" and included the quotation marks to remember 云 (quote), which I remember with the mnemonic of bending your elbows ム to make two 二 "air quotes." As I've been doing already, I continue to use Kanji Koohi to find mnemonics for kanji when I can't think of one, or as a source of inspiration.

I wonder if how I feel about sentence mining will change as I make more associations between vocabulary I already know and kanji I'm learning. Has anyone here used sentence mining to learn kanji, vocabulary, or grammar? What do you think? Is it helpful, or just a waste of time?

[nyahongo]

前のポストから、とても忙しかったです。仕事は本当にめんどくさくて、大学院のクラスはたくさんの読み物があります。疲れたー(´Д｀)ﾊｧ…

日本語の勉強でちょっと休みしています。今週だけです。

またね〜👋

[nyahongo]

10級の漢字検定の本: まとめ

This post is a summary of the content I shared about the Kanji Kentei Level 10 book I bought last year.

As mentioned in the previous posts, this book divides learning kanji into three steps:

漢字表: The first step is to learn to recognize a given kanji and how to read it (i.e. its readings, or pronunciations). This is done using the 漢字表 page, which compiles all of the kanji from one lesson onto a single page. Check out the breakdown of this page here!

れんしゅう: The second step is to practice writing the kanji, which is done both in the separate practice notebook as well as in the practice questions.

力だめし: The third step is to test your knowledge of how to read and write the kanji taught in the book by answering test questions. The answer key to the test is included at the end of the book.

れんしゅうノートのつかいかた (How to Use The Practice Notebook)

Full Text & Translation

漢字表で学習した漢字を、ノートに書いてれんしましょう。Let's practice writing the kanji you learned from the kanji chart in the notebook.

見本をみながら、書くじゅんばん、とめるところ、はねるところにちゅういして、ていねいに書いておぼえるようにしてください。While looking at the example, pay attention to the stroke order, where to stop, and where to lift up (the pen), writing carefully in order to learn.

なぞって書いてみましょう。Let's trace and try to write.

書くじゅんばんをしめしています。じゅんばんのとちゅうをはぶいているところがあります。This shows the stroke order. Some parts in the middle of the order are omitted. (i.e. Not every stroke shown is drawn out step-by-step.)

書くじゅんばんの5ばんめがはぶかれて、6ばんめがしめされていることをあらわしています。This indicates that 5th step of the writing order has been omitted, and the 6th step is being shown. (i.e. Stroke #5 is drawn, but not numbered, while the next stroke #6 is numbered.)

ととのった漢字を書くためにちゅういするとよいことです。さんこうにしてください。It's a good idea to pay attention to this in order to write well-balanced kanji. Please use it as a reference.

Grammar Summary

～ながら means 'while, during, as' and is usually written in kana only after the -masu stem of a verb. Example: みながら means "while looking" at something.

～ようにする + ください = to make sure that..., to try to…; connected to the verb する to create a polite, actionable instruction out of the dictionary-form verb that comes before it (ていねいに書いておぼえるようにしてください → "Please write carefully so that you will memorize it.")

〜こと = nominalizing suffix usually written using kana alone; it turns an entire clause into a noun phrase so it can be marked with を (...6ばんめがしめされていることをあらわしています。→ "This indicates that the 6th step is being shown...")

〜とよいことです = "it is good to …, it is advisable to …" (This is a soft recommendation. The と at the beginning expresses the general recommendation that "Doing X is good." Like ～ようにする, a dictionary-form verb comes in front (ちゅういするとよいことです → "It's good to pay attention to...").

この本のつかいかた (How to Use This Book)

① 漢字表 (Kanji Chart/Table)

Full Text & Translation

この本は80字の漢字（小学校一年生でならう漢字）を中心に、たのしく学べるようになっています。

This book focuses on the 80 kanji learned in the first grade of elementary school, and is designed so that you can enjoy learning.

漢字の力をつけ、日本漢字能力検定（漢検）10級のごうかくをめざしてください。

Improve your kanji skills and aim to pass the Level 10 of the Japan Kanji Aptitude Test (Kanji Kentei).

たのしい　えを　見ながら　ひらがな・カタカナを　書く　れんしゅうを　しよう (Practice writing hiragana and katakana while looking at fun pictures.)

一ステップに４字ずつ、五十音じゅん（アイウエオじゅん）にならんています。(Each step contains four characters, arranged in alphabetical order.)

カタカナは音よみ、ひらがなは訓よみ（　）の中は、おくりがな。(Katakana represents the on-yomi, and hiragana represents the kun-yomi. The characters in parentheses are okurigana.)

㊥…中学校でならうよみかたで、４級以上で出題対象となります。(This symbol indicates readings taught in middle school. These are included in the test for Level 4 and above.)

高…高校でならうよみかたで、準２級以上で出題対象となります。(This symbol indicates readings taught in high school. These are  included in the exam for Level 2 and above.)

漢字は点や線のくみあわせでできています。(Kanji are composed of dots and lines.)

この点や線を画といいます。(These dots and lines are called strokes.)

この漢字が何画で書かれているかをしめしています。(This indicates how many strokes are written for the kanji.)

ここにあげたもののほかにも、いろいろなことばとつかいかたがあります。(In addition to the examples given here, there are many other words and ways of using them.)

◎上の級のよみかた (Kanji readings at a higher grade level)

中学校または高校でならう　よみかた (Readings taught in middle and high school)

▲ 上の級（９／８／７級など）漢字 (The ▲ symbol indicates kanji that are above 7th, 8th, 9th, etc. grade levels.)

★とくべつな　よみかた (The ★ symbol indicates special (とくべつな) readings.)

じゅくご（漢字が二つ以上　くみあわされて、いみを　もつ　一つの　ことばに　なったもの）の中には、ことばとして　よむ　とき、「下手」のように、とくべつな　よみかたを　する　ものが　あります。

Among compound words (words formed by combining two or more kanji characters to create a single word with a specific meaning), some have special pronunciations when read as a word, such as 下手.

Grammar Summary

～ようになる uses the potential form of a verb (compared to ～ようにする which uses the dictionary form). よう expresses that a particular action has reached the point of being completed/able to be completed. Because of this, ようになる is regularly translated as 'to reach the point that (A)', or 'to turn into (A)'. It does not mean someone is actively trying to do something (～ようにする); rather, it means the state already exists because of planning or design. Here, the focus is on capability provided by the book to make learning fun.

〜ようにする → someone’s ongoing effort; uses the dictionary form of a verb (e.g. 覚える ) and focuses on someone actively making something possible, e.g., "I'll make sure I can go."

〜ようになっている → something has been made; uses the potential form of a verb (e.g. 学べる instead of 学ぶ) and describes a situation that is becoming a certain way, e.g., "I became able to go."

として = as, in the role of; an adverbial particle used to highlight a result (*Note: として presents (A) as the base point from which (B) can be determined. So in the above sentence, として is attached to ことば to emphasize the result of reading a "jukugo" word - that is, when you read such a word like 下手, you have to keep the special readings of each kanji in mind.)

〜もの = something / one / that which; does not mean a physical thing - rather, it acts as a nominalizer and serves as a placeholder noun

〜するもの = ones that, those which (The verb する is not acting independently; it is inside a modifying clause that describes もの.  See above.)

➁ れんしゅう (Practice)

Full Text & Translation

漢字を書いてみましょう。(Let's try writing kanji.)

漢字は、ステップのじゅんばんどおりに、れんしゅうできるようになっています。(The kanji characters are arranged so that you can practice them in the correct step-by-step order.)

ととのった漢字を書くためにちゅういするとよいこと。(It's a good idea to pay attention to this in order to write well-balanced kanji.)

見本をみながら、漢字を書いてみましょう。(Let's try writing kanji while looking at the example.)

もんだいをといてみましょう。(Let's try solving the problems.)

べんきょうした日を書きこみましょう。(Write the date on which you studied.)

＊前のページの漢字表で学習した漢字がたくさん出ています。(Many of the kanji you learned from the kanji table on the previous page appear here.)

答えは、べっさつ（本からとりはずせます）にまとめました。本のさいごについています。(The answers are compiled in a separate booklet (which is detachable from the main book). It is included at the end of the book.)

＊答えには、かいせつ 「ステップアップメモ」 もついています。(The answers also include explanations called "Step Up Notes.")

なくさないようにちゅういしましょう。(Be careful to not lose it!)

Grammar Summary

Vない + ように + ちゅういする → "be careful so as not to do..." or "take care not to..."

③ 力だめし (Proficiency Test)

Full Text & Translation

力をためしてみましょう。(Let's test our abilities!)

ステップ５回分がおわったら、力だめしにチャレンジ。(When you've finished the 5 steps, challenge your skills.)

さいごは、まとめテストにチャレンジしましょう。(Lastly, let's try taking the comprehensive test.)

答えあわせをしたら、とくてんを書き込みましょう。(When you've checked your answers, let's fill in your score.)

クイズであそぼ！(Let's have fun with the quiz!)

力だめしのあとには、たのしいクイズのページがあります。(After testing your kanji skills, there's a fun quiz page.)

Grammar Summary

〜たら is the conditional form of a verb (e.g. おわったら, したら). It can mean "when," "after," or "if" depending on the context of the sentence. It expresses the completion of an (A) action, and then a (B) action that is considered to be the result of (A).

Vない + ように + ちゅういする → "be careful so as not to do..." or "take care not to..."

⁂ Please let me know if there any mistakes that need corrections! ⁂

[nyahongo]

みんな、こんにちは！

今週の晩ごはんのために、美味しいカレーをつくりました！今回は自分のカレールーを入りました。すごく美味しかったです！このレシピを使いましたよ〜ぜひ、作ってみてね！

新しい漬物を食べみました。ピンクにんにくです！ピンクの色はシソをおかげで。おもしろいですね！はじめのうち、味はすっぱいと思いましたが、びっくりしました！少しすっぱいですけど、甘いでパリパリもでした。とても美味しい!!

本当に家で作ってみたいな〜 (*´∀｀*)

でも、アメリカに住んでいますから、シソを買うのところがわかりません。オンラインで買うのできるかな… どこにも知っていますか？

みんな、漬物を食べるのがありますか？どんな漬物ですか？どうでしたか？美味しかったですか？

パッケージのことば

にんにくで毎日元気に!

合成保存料は使用しておりません。

においが気にならないから、 毎日食べても大丈夫。 スタミナ満点!!!疲れ知らず!

にんにく = garlic

毎日 = every day

元気 = healthy

合成 = synthetic

保存料 = preservatives

使用する = to use (more formal than 使う which also means "to use")

におい = smell, odor

気にならう = to worry about; to bother one (i.e. something bothering you)

食べても大丈夫 = it's OK to eat (*Note: This structure seems similar to ～てもいい, but it seems that ～ても大丈夫 is more polite.)

スタミナ = stamina; energy

満点 = perfect; excellent; perfect score (i.e. marks, grades)

疲れ知らず = without getting tired; tireless (*Note: 疲れ means "tiredness; fatigue​" and 知らず means "not having; unaffected by" so put these together and you get "tireless.")

国内で製造しております。

本品は臭いの少ないのが特徴のにんにく漬です。

健康を考えて、うす塩味になっています。

女性の元気をサポート!!

国内 = within/inside the country; domestic

製造しております = manufactures; produces

本品 = this product

臭い = stinking; smelly​

少ない = few; little

特徴 = feature; trait; characteristic

にんにく漬 = garlic pickles (*Note: The entire preceding phrase, 臭いの少ないのが特徴 is attached to this noun by the particle の to describe these particular garlic pickles as having little odor.)

健康 = health

考えて (て-form of the verb 考える) = considering (*Note: Together, the phrase 健康と考える could mean something like "for health reasons" or "considered to be healthy")

うす (薄い) = light or weak (taste)

塩味 = salty taste; saltiness​ (This compound word combines 塩 meaning "salt" with 味 meaning "taste" or "flavor.")

なっています = this is the て-form of the verb なる, but I'm a little unsure what its meaning is in this context. Jisho gives "to do" as a meaning, in the context of polite language.)

サポート = support (*Note: I'm not sure exactly how pickled garlic is supposed to support women's health specifically... Is this a thing? It is good for gut health apparently, but I'd imagine this would be good for everyone, not just women. 😆)

しそにんにくのお召し上がり方

肉料理といっしょに

スライスしてチャーハンや炒め物に

お酒・ビールのおつまみに

お召し上がり方 = how to serve (*Note: お is the politeness marker, often used with 召し上がり to refer to serving food. 方 means "method" or "way" and is the same kanji used in the word 使い方 meaning "how to use")

肉料理 = meat dish; meat-based cuisine​

～といっしょに = with (something)

スライスして = sliced (from the verb スライスする meaning "to slice" - why not use

チャーハン = fried rice

炒め物 = stir-fry; stir-fried food​

お酒 = sake (with お again, the politeness marker)

ビール = beer

おつまみ = a snack (to have with a drink, i.e. what we call an "app" to go with alcoholic drinks)

[nyahongo]

I'm finally caught up with my kanji Anki deck! I had 100+ reviews, but I'm so glad I was able to push through the frustration of having forgotten several kanji so I could relearn them.

I talked about using this kanji deck before (here and here) and my opinion of it hasn't changed. It's a wonderful deck, and a great approach to learning kanji!

Today, I started learning these readings using simple sentences:

つき as in これは月です。

び and にち as in 今日は日曜日です。

き as in 木がある。

つち as in あっ！土〜!!

かね as in お金をください。

What's nice about these kanji is that almost all of them are their own vocabulary words, which I'm already familiar with. For example, I already know that おかね means "money" and that the kanji 金 means gold, which used to be a form of currency, so now I can link the vocabulary word with the kanji to be able to remember the kanji even better.

Similarly, にち means "day" and the kanji 日 means "sun" as well as "day," so this pronunciation can also be linked. As for ようび which means "day of the week," the meaning "day" is the same as the kanji 日. As for the sound difference between ひ and び, I think this is due to rendaku, where the presence of a vowel makes the next sound "harder" or voiced. In the word ようび, the vowel is う and it changes ひ into び. So technically, the reading of 日 in 曜日 is derived from the reading of 日 meaning "sun" (which is pronounced ひ). It's like 日 has different versions of the same reading amongst semantically related words!

...Now I can start catching up with the vocabulary deck reviews 😂

[nyahongo]

Part 1: How to use the detachable practice notebook (which comes with the book)

Part 2: How to use the book, Part 1 (漢字表 section)

Part 3: How to use the book, Part 2 (れんしゅう and 力だめし sections) - this post!

今日も、10級の漢字検定の本はもっとページを見ましょう！

As mentioned in the previous post, this book divides learning kanji into three steps:

漢字表: The first step is to learn to recognize a given kanji and how to read it (i.e. its readings, or pronunciations). This is done using the 漢字表 page, which compiles all of the kanji from one lesson onto a single page. Check out the breakdown of this page here!

れんしゅう: The second step is to practice writing the kanji, which is done both in the separate practice notebook as well as in the practice questions.

力だめし: The third step is to test your knowledge of how to read and write the kanji taught in the book by answering test questions. The answer key to the test is included at the end of the book.

This post is part three about how to use this kanji book, breaking down steps two and three described above.

始めましょう！(∩´∀｀)∩

➁ れんしゅう (Practice)

The first section at the top of this page refers to the detachable practice notebook, which I talked about in this post.

漢字れんしゅうノート

漢字を書いてみましょう。(Let's try writing kanji.)

漢字は、ステップのじゅんばんどおりに、れんしゅうできるようになっています。(The kanji characters are arranged so that you can practice them in the correct step-by-step order.)

どおりに～ = according to, following

れんしゅうできる = to be able to practice (できる means "to be able to do" something, i.e. "can do" something)

～ように なる = to come to be able to do something that you weren't able to do before (we've seen this grammar structure before!)

ととのった漢字を書くためにちゅういするとよいこと。(It's a good idea to pay attention to this in order to write well-balanced kanji.)

ととのった漢字 = well-formed kanji (i.e. properly written)

ために = in order to / for the purpose of

ちゅういする（注意する) = to pay attention, be careful

〜とよいことです = "it is good to …, it is advisable to …" (This is a soft recommendation. The と here expresses a general truth or recommendation that "Doing X is good (in general)." It isn't referring to a hypothetical (たら) or a conditional choice (ば), but rather to the general condition that "When you do X, it’s good."

見本をみながら、漢字を書いてみましょう。(Let's try writing kanji while looking at the example.)

れんしゅうもんだい

もんだいをといてみましょう。(Let's try solving the problems.)

といてみましょう (解く) = try to solve, answer (i.e. a test question)

べんきょうした日を書きこみましょう。(Write the date on which you studied.)

＊前のページの漢字表で学習した漢字がたくさん出ています。

Many of the kanji you learned from the kanji table on the previous page appear here.

出ています (出る) = appear

答えは、べっさつ（本からとりはずせます）にまとめました。本のさいごについています。

The answers are compiled in a separate booklet (which is detachable from the main book). It is included at the end of the book.

まとめました (纏める) = compiled, collected

ついています (付く) = attached, included

＊答えには、かいせつ 「ステップアップメモ」 もついています。

The answers also include explanations called "Step Up Notes."

なくさないようにちゅういしましょう。

Be careful to not lose it!

なくさない = not lose (negative plain form of the verb 無くす, to lose)

～ように = so that / in order to

ちゅういしましょう (注意する） = to be careful, to pay attention

③ 力だめし (Proficiency Test)

力をためしてみましょう。(Let's test our abilities!)

ステップ５回分がおわったら、力だめしにチャレンジ。(When you've finished the 5 steps, challenge your skills.)

〜回分 = some sort of counter... 🤔

おわったら (終わる) = when X is done/finished (〜たら is the conditional form)

チャレンジする = to try; to attempt; to take on a challenge

さいごは、まとめテストにチャレンジしましょう。(Lastly, let's try taking the comprehensive test.)

答えあわせをしたら、とくてんを書き込みましょう。(When you've checked your answers, let's fill in your score.)

まとめ = summary

答えあわせをする = checking answers (e.g. to homework problems)

とくてん = score (e.g. on an exam)

書きこむ (書き込む) = to fill out (e.g. a form)

クイズであそぼ！(Let's have fun with the quiz!)

あそぼ (遊ぶ) = let's have fun (*Note: If this is supposed to be the volitional form, why is the ending う not there? Isn't it supposed to be あそぼう?)

力だめしのあとには、たのしいクイズのページがあります。(After testing your kanji skills, there's a fun quiz page.)

〜あとに (〜後に) = after (The particle に is used to indicate time, i.e. "After doing X..."; あとで with the particle で indicates location, i.e. "After going to X...")

Full Text & Translation

漢字を書いてみましょう。(Let's try writing kanji.)

漢字は、ステップのじゅんばんどおりに、れんしゅうできるようになっています。(The kanji characters are arranged so that you can practice them in the correct step-by-step order.)

ととのった漢字を書くためにちゅういするとよいこと。(It's a good idea to pay attention to this in order to write well-balanced kanji.)

見本をみながら、漢字を書いてみましょう。(Let's try writing kanji while looking at the example.)

もんだいをといてみましょう。(Let's try solving the problems.)

べんきょうした日を書きこみましょう。(Write the date on which you studied.)

＊前のページの漢字表で学習した漢字がたくさん出ています。(Many of the kanji you learned from the kanji table on the previous page appear here.)

答えは、べっさつ（本からとりはずせます）にまとめました。本のさいごについています。(The answers are compiled in a separate booklet (which is detachable from the main book). It is included at the end of the book.)

＊答えには、かいせつ 「ステップアップメモ」 もついています。(The answers also include explanations called "Step Up Notes.")

なくさないようにちゅういしましょう。(Be careful to not lose it!)

力をためしてみましょう。(Let's test our abilities!)

ステップ５回分がおわったら、力だめしにチャレンジ。(When you've finished the 5 steps, challenge your skills.)

さいごは、まとめテストにチャレンジしましょう。(Lastly, let's try taking the comprehensive test.)

答えあわせをしたら、とくてんを書き込みましょう。(When you've checked your answers, let's fill in your score.)

クイズであそぼ！(Let's have fun with the quiz!)

力だめしのあとには、たのしいクイズのページがあります。(After testing your kanji skills, there's a fun quiz page.)

Grammar Summary

〜たら is the conditional form of a verb (e.g. おわったら, したら). It can mean "when," "after," or "if" depending on the context of the sentence. It expresses the completion of an (A) action, and then a (B) action that is considered to be the result of (A).

Vない + ように + ちゅういする → "be careful so as not to do..." or "take care not to..."

⁂ Please let me know if there any mistakes that need corrections! ⁂

[nyahongo]

Part 1: How to use the detachable practice notebook (which comes with the book)

Part 2: How to use the book (漢字表 section) - this post!

今日も、10級の漢字検定の本はもっとページを見ましょう！

This post is part two out of three about how to use this kanji book. There is a lot of new grammar on some of the how-to pages, so I divided up the content across this post and one more (in the queue!).

(*Note: New vocabulary words I've never seen before are highlighted in orange, verbs are highlighted in blue, and grammar constructions are highlighted in pink.)

始めましょう！(∩´∀｀)∩

この本のつかいかた (How to Use This Book)

この本は80字の漢字（小学校一年生でならう漢字）を中心に、たのしく学べるようになっています。

This book focuses on the 80 kanji learned in the first grade of elementary school, and is designed so that you can enjoy learning.

字 = character (esp. kanji)

小学校一年生 = first grade of elementary school

ならう漢字 = learned kanji (ならう means "to learn" esp. from a teacher)

中心に (ちゅうしんに) = focused on, centered on

たのしく (楽しい) = fun (adverbial form)

～ようになっています means "is set up / designed / arranged so that one can..."

～ようになる uses the potential form of a verb (compared to ～ようにする which uses the dictionary form). よう expresses that a particular action has reached the point of being completed/able to be completed. Because of this, ようになる is regularly translated as 'to reach the point that (A)', or 'to turn into (A)'. It does not mean someone is actively trying to do something (～ようにする); rather, it means the state already exists because of planning or design. Here, the focus is on capability provided by the book to make learning fun.

〜ようにする → someone’s ongoing effort; uses the dictionary form of a verb (e.g. 覚える ) and focuses on someone actively making something possible, e.g., "I'll make sure I can go."

〜ようになっている → something has been made; uses the potential form of a verb (e.g. 学べる instead of 学ぶ) and describes a situation that is becoming a certain way, e.g., "I became able to go."

漢字の力をつけ、日本漢字能力検定（漢検）10級のごうかくをめざしてください。

Improve your kanji skills and aim to pass the Level 10 of the Japan Kanji Aptitude Test (Kanji Kentei).

力をつけ = to improve one's abilities (in this context, it means to improve your kanji skills)

日本 漢字 能力 検定 (にほん かんじ のうりょく けんてい) = the Japan Kanji Aptitude Test​, also called "Kanken" (漢検)

～級 (きゅう) = level, grade, rank (in this context, 10級 refers to level 10 of the Kanken exam)

ごうかく = passing grade (of an exam)

めざして (目指す) = to aim at, to try for

Other words/phrases on this page:

たのしい　えを　見ながら　ひらがな・カタカナを　書く　れんしゅうを　しよう (Practice writing hiragana and katakana while looking at fun pictures.)

え (絵) = picture, illustration

ひらがな編 (ひらがな　へん) = compilation of all of the hiragana characters

漢字編 = kanji compilation

れんしゅうもんだい = practice questions/problems

漢字れんしゅうノート = kanji practice notebook

力だめし (力試し) = test of one's ability

This book divides learning kanji into three steps:

漢字表: The first step is to learn to recognize a given kanji and how to read it (i.e. its readings, or pronunciations). This is done using the 漢字表 page, which compiles all of the kanji from one lesson onto a single page. The content on this page is broken down below.

れんしゅう: The second step is to practice writing the kanji, which is done both in the separate practice notebook as well as in the practice questions. The content on this page will be in the next post!

力だめし: The third step is to test your knowledge of how to read and write the kanji taught in the book by answering test questions. The answer key to the test is included at the end of the book. The content on this page will be in the next post!

Each of these steps is described in further detail on their own "how-to" pages, which are full of new vocabulary words and grammar structures.

① 漢字表 (Kanji Chart/Table)

新しく学ぶ漢字

一ステップに４字ずつ、五十音じゅん（アイウエオじゅん）にならんています。

Each step contains four characters, arranged in alphabetical order (according to the Japanese syllabary: A, I, U, E, O, etc.).

字 = letter (esp. a kanji character)

〜ずつ = at a time, each

五十音じゅん (五十音順) = the standard phonetic syllabary order, which is aiueo (usually written in katakana, see below)

アイウエオじゅん = aiueo order

じゅん (順) = order

ならんています (並ぶ) = arranged

● よみ (reading, esp. of a kanji character)

カタカナは音よみ、ひらがなは訓よみ（　）の中は、おくりがな。

Katakana represents the on-yomi, and hiragana represents the kun-yomi. The characters in parentheses are okurigana. 

音よみ (音読み) = on-reading (Chinese-derived reading of a kanji)

訓よみ (訓読み) = kun-reading (native Japanese reading of a kanji)

中 (なか) = inside

おくりがな = kana written after a kanji to complete the full (usually kun) reading of the word

● 中学校よみ・高校よみ (middle school readings・high school readings)

㊥…中学校でならうよみかたで、４級以上で出題対象となります。(This symbol indicates readings taught in middle school. These are included in the test for Level 4 and above.)

高…高校でならうよみかたで、準２級以上で出題対象となります。(This symbol indicates readings taught in high school. These are  included in the exam for Level 2 and above.)

以上 (いじょう) = and above, or more

出題 (しゅつだい) = setting a question (for an exam, quiz, etc.)

対象 (たいしょう) = object (of worship, study, etc.)

なる = to consist of, to be made up of (used with the particle 〜と)

● ぶしゅ・ぶしゅめい

ぶしゅは漢字のぶんるい (なかまわけ) ぶしゅめいはその名まえ

ぶしゅ (部首) = radical (of a kanji character)

めい (名) = name

ぶんるい (分類) = classification, categorization

なかまわけ = grouping (*Note: When typed into Jisho, this word doesn't come up specifically; rather, two separate words appear in the search results: なかま means friend or group, and わけ means division or classification. Put together, I think it's safe to say that なかまわけ is a more kid-friendly way of the more complicated word ぶんるい, but means the same thing.)

名まえ (名前; なまえ)  = name (めい vs なまえ: From what I've read online, it seems that めい is informal and can be used to refer to the name of something in general, while なまえ is more formal and used for people's names.)

● 漢字の画数

漢字は点や線のくみあわせでできています。

Kanji are composed of dots and lines.

点 (てん) = dot (*Note: This same word also means "score" or "grade" of an exam! See below.)

線 (せん) = line

くみあわせ (組み合わせる) = to combine, to put together

できています = made up of (conjugated from できる; usually written in kana alone when this definition of the verb is used)

この点や線を画といいます。

These dots and lines are called strokes.

画 (かく) = stroke (esp. of a kanji character)

といいます = is/are called (*Note: Apparently, this usage is different from the verb 言う (to say), which is used when someone's actually saying something, i.e. like when quoting someone. いう is used in a more relative sense, like in noun phrases that describe "what something is called.")

この漢字が何画で書かれているかをしめしています。

This indicates how many strokes are written for the kanji.

何画 (なんかく) = how many strokes

書かれているか = is written (This is the て-form of the passive form 書かれる. I think the か at the end here is connected to the previous phrase, なんかく, to form なんかく書かれているか meaning "how many strokes is it (the kanji) written with?")

しめしています (示す; しめす) = to indicate, to show

ことばとつかいかた (Words and their usages)

ここにあげたもののほかにも、いろいろなことばとつかいかたがあります。

In addition to the examples given here, there are many other words and ways of using them.

あげた (挙げた) = brought up, given (e.g. topic, example)

もの (物) = thing (in this context, あげたもの seems to refer to "examples of words" that are given)

ほかにも (他にも) = in addition to, even more, other (usually written using kana alone)

いろいろな = various, all sorts of, many (different)

◎上の級のよみかた (Kanji readings at a higher grade level)

上の級 = higher grade or level (上 means "above" and 級 means "grade," "level," or "rank")

中学校または高校でならう　よみかた (Readings taught in middle and high school)

また = and, or (*Note: In this sentence, I think the rest of the sentence - ならうよみかた - is the thing being done in 中学校 and again in 高校, so また means 'repetition of (A)', where (A) is any particular course of action.)

▲ 上の級（９／８／７級など）漢字

The ▲ symbol indicates kanji that are above 7th, 8th, 9th, etc. grade levels.

など means "etc."

★とくべつな　よみかた

The ★ symbol indicates special (とくべつな) readings.

じゅくご（漢字が二つ以上　くみあわされて、いみを　もつ　一つの　ことばに　なったもの）の中には、ことばとして　よむ　とき、「下手」のように、とくべつな　よみかたを　する　ものが　あります。

Among compound words (words formed by combining two or more kanji characters to create a single word with a specific meaning), some have special pronunciations when read as a word, such as 下手.

I struggled to understand this giant sentence! It has a parenthetical clause in the middle, which makes it hard to read. Let's break it down.

First, the stuff in parentheses is defining what じゅくご means. If you're on WaniKani or are studying kanji at all, you've probably seen the term "jukugo" before. Basically, jukugo refers to a vocabulary word that is made up of two or more kanji (i.e. a compound word) and each individual kanji has its own reading. Compound words also exist in English (e.g. toothbrush, sunflower, basketball).

漢字が二つ以上　くみあわされて、いみを　もつ　一つの　ことばに　なったもの

二つ以上 (ふたついじょう) = two or more

くみあわされて = て-form of the passive form of the verb くみあわす (組み合わす) meaning "to combine" or "to put together"

いみ (意味) = meaning

もつ (持つ) = to have

一つのことば = one word

なった = past tense of the verb なる, to become

〜もの = something / one / that which; acts as a nominalizer

So all together, the stuff in parentheses means: "words that are formed by combining two or more kanji characters to create a single word with a specific meaning."

Now for the rest of the sentence, skipping over the stuff in parentheses: 

じゅくごの中には、ことばとして　よむ　とき、「下手」のように、とくべつな　よみかたを　する　ものが　あります。

Some compound words, when read as a single word, have special pronunciations, such as 下手 .

として = as, in the role of; an adverbial particle used to highlight a result (*Note: として presents (A) as the base point from which (B) can be determined. So in the above sentence, として is attached to ことば to emphasize the result of reading a "jukugo" word - that is, when you read such a word like 下手, you have to keep the special readings of each kanji in mind.)

〜とき = when (Attached to a noun in its dictionary form, noun + とき translates to "When doing X")

〜のように = like, as (providing an example, in this case, the jukugo word 下手; we've seen this grammar structure before!)

〜するもの = ones that, those which (The verb する is not acting independently; it is inside a modifying clause that describes もの.  See below.)

Here, もの does not mean a physical thing. Instead, it acts as a placeholder noun, standing in for members of the previously mentioned category (じゅくご). By not repeating じゅくご again, もの turns the long description (the earlier part of the sentence) into a single noun phrase. Everything before もの is a relative clause that modifies もの:

漢字が二つ以上くみあわされて    いみをもつ     一つのことばになった もの → partitive もの "some ones (among compound words)"

じゅくごの中には、ことばとして　よむ　とき、「下手」のように、とくべつな　よみかたをするもの → "something that fits this definition"

Without もの, the description would just be floating.  

もの serves the same core functions in the sentences above:

Placeholder noun

Refers to members of a category

Avoids repeating a specific noun

Common in explanations and definitions

...But with a small nuance difference:

とくべつな よみかたを する もの → partitive もの (“some of them”)

漢字が二つ以上…なった もの → definitional もの (“that which is …”)

So what the heck is する doing in the sentence? Well, it belongs to よみかた, and works like the construction 勉強をする. する is the ordinary "to do" verb, and it's used with the noun よみかた to mean "have / use a way of reading." The whole clause とくべつな よみかたを する describes which kind of もの (ones) the sentence is talking about.

Full Text & Translation

この本は80字の漢字（小学校一年生でならう漢字）を中心に、たのしく学べるようになっています。

This book focuses on the 80 kanji learned in the first grade of elementary school, and is designed so that you can enjoy learning.

漢字の力をつけ、日本漢字能力検定（漢検）10級のごうかくをめざしてください。

Improve your kanji skills and aim to pass the Level 10 of the Japan Kanji Aptitude Test (Kanji Kentei).

たのしい　えを　見ながら　ひらがな・カタカナを　書く　れんしゅうを　しよう (Practice writing hiragana and katakana while looking at fun pictures.)

一ステップに４字ずつ、五十音じゅん（アイウエオじゅん）にならんています。(Each step contains four characters, arranged in alphabetical order.)

カタカナは音よみ、ひらがなは訓よみ（　）の中は、おくりがな。(Katakana represents the on-yomi, and hiragana represents the kun-yomi. The characters in parentheses are okurigana.)

㊥…中学校でならうよみかたで、４級以上で出題対象となります。(This symbol indicates readings taught in middle school. These are included in the test for Level 4 and above.)

高…高校でならうよみかたで、準２級以上で出題対象となります。(This symbol indicates readings taught in high school. These are  included in the exam for Level 2 and above.)

漢字は点や線のくみあわせでできています。(Kanji are composed of dots and lines.)

この点や線を画といいます。(These dots and lines are called strokes.)

この漢字が何画で書かれているかをしめしています。(This indicates how many strokes are written for the kanji.)

ここにあげたもののほかにも、いろいろなことばとつかいかたがあります。(In addition to the examples given here, there are many other words and ways of using them.)

◎上の級のよみかた (Kanji readings at a higher grade level)

中学校または高校でならう　よみかた (Readings taught in middle and high school)

▲ 上の級（９／８／７級など）漢字 (The ▲ symbol indicates kanji that are above 7th, 8th, 9th, etc. grade levels.)

★とくべつな　よみかた (The ★ symbol indicates special (とくべつな) readings.)

じゅくご（漢字が二つ以上　くみあわされて、いみを　もつ　一つの　ことばに　なったもの）の中には、ことばとして　よむ　とき、「下手」のように、とくべつな　よみかたを　する　ものが　あります。

Among compound words (words formed by combining two or more kanji characters to create a single word with a specific meaning), some have special pronunciations when read as a word, such as 下手.

Grammar Summary

～ようになる uses the potential form of a verb (compared to ～ようにする which uses the dictionary form). よう expresses that a particular action has reached the point of being completed/able to be completed. Because of this, ようになる is regularly translated as 'to reach the point that (A)', or 'to turn into (A)'. It does not mean someone is actively trying to do something (～ようにする); rather, it means the state already exists because of planning or design. Here, the focus is on capability provided by the book to make learning fun.

〜ようにする → someone’s ongoing effort; uses the dictionary form of a verb (e.g. 覚える ) and focuses on someone actively making something possible, e.g., "I'll make sure I can go."

〜ようになっている → something has been made; uses the potential form of a verb (e.g. 学べる instead of 学ぶ) and describes a situation that is becoming a certain way, e.g., "I became able to go."

として = as, in the role of; an adverbial particle used to highlight a result (*Note: として presents (A) as the base point from which (B) can be determined. So in the above sentence, として is attached to ことば to emphasize the result of reading a "jukugo" word - that is, when you read such a word like 下手, you have to keep the special readings of each kanji in mind.)

〜もの = something / one / that which; does not mean a physical thing - rather, it acts as a nominalizer and serves as a placeholder noun

〜するもの = ones that, those which (The verb する is not acting independently; it is inside a modifying clause that describes もの.  See above.)

⁂ Please let me know if there any mistakes that need corrections! ⁂