For me memorizing kun yomi is no problem. I tend to ignore on yomi most of the time or try to pick it up as and when I come across a new word. These days as my knowledge of kanjis is getting broader, I find myself incapable of guessing the onyomi.

Is my method wrong?

How do you prefer to do kanji?

I feel like this topic has been coming up a lot this past week or two. At any rate, I personally ignore the hard distinction between "kunyomi" and "onyomi". I learn words. I don't care that 教える uses the kunyomi reading of 教 and 教室 uses the onyomi reading. I learn 教える as its own word, and then 教室 as another word, and then memorize how the Kanji are pronounced in each usage. If I see something like 教育 then I already know that 教 is pronounced きょう from 教室. I might see another word that uses the Kanji another way that I don't know (like 教わる おそわる), but that just becomes another word I need to learn and I probably would've had to look up the pronunciation the first time to make sure I got it right anyway, because knowing all of the readings doesn't mean I know exactly which is used in that particular word without double checking.

With enough practice/big enough vocabulary, you start to pick up on the most common pronunciations for a particular Kanji and also how to pronounce similar (but different) Kanji based on radicals even if you've never seen it before.

(2016-02-01, 8:24 am)zx573 Wrote: I feel like this topic has been coming up a lot this past week or two. At any rate, I personally ignore the hard distinction between "kunyomi" and "onyomi". I learn words. I don't care that 教える uses the kunyomi reading of 教 and 教室 uses the onyomi reading. I learn 教える as its own word, and then 教室 as another word, and then memorize how the Kanji are pronounced in each usage. If I see something like 教育 then I already know that 教 is pronounced きょう from 教室. I might see another word that uses the Kanji another way that I don't know (like 教わる おそわる), but that just becomes another word I need to learn and I probably would've had to look up the pronunciation the first time to make sure I got it right anyway, because knowing all of the readings doesn't mean I know exactly which is used in that particular word without double checking.

With enough practice/big enough vocabulary, you start to pick up on the most common pronunciations for a particular Kanji and also how to pronounce similar (but different) Kanji based on radicals even if you've never seen it before.

Thank you. Then I suppose I can continue the way I've been studying.

(2016-02-01, 8:37 am)fanytic Wrote: Thank you. Then I suppose I can continue the way I've been studying.

If your study method is working for you for the most part, even if you run into words you don't remember, then I say stick with it. The most important thing is if you are learning new words/Kanji. No one knows every word in the Japanese language (or any language for that matter) or has a perfect memory so don't fret if you need to look up some things multiple times until it sticks.

At the end of the day, it's the WORDS you want, not the readings, right? I mean, you can memorize all the lists of on and kun you want, but even after all that I'd imagine you'd run into situations where you're wasting time going through lists in your head and pretty much have to rely on sight-reading the word from memory anyway, right?

I use the traditional method of emblazoning each kanji atop morsels of delectable treats. Upon consumption the individual kanji work their way into the very fiber of my being, conferring me with their ancient knowledge and becoming one with me just as I am one with the universe itself. It is a sacred union that can never be broken, "a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips," as it were.

(2016-02-02, 4:44 am)Roketzu Wrote: It is a sacred union that can never be broken, "a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips," as it were.

Very sacred indeed.

Reminds me of this interesting ruby:

I more or less agree with zx573
except that I noticed that on and kun readins are actualy prety much synomymuos so either is good for conveying meaning
for example both yama and san means mountain where "san" is prefix like Mt. and "yama" is independent word mountain.
most likely japanese people make right quess from ther expierince as you will usualy say "great chinese wall" not "big chinese wall"

so in that regard both kun and on readings are desirable to learn, but there is no need to care much on which one to use in specific situation.