Something I've noticed is that when I'm reading and come across a word I know well in kanji, the kanji looks like that word to me. I don't know how to describe this. For example, 野菜 doesn't just mean "vegetable", the kanji actually LOOK LIKE "vegetable" to me. When I see 物 it means "thing" but also LOOKS like "thing". This is actually pretty interesting, I wonder if it's some kind of visual learning association thing in my brain or something. Has anyone else experienced this?
2013-12-30, 2:57 pm
I probably know what you mean.
When I look at 渥美清 I see a man with a brown suitcase.
When I look at 渥美清 I see a man with a brown suitcase.
2013-12-30, 3:10 pm
Doesn't sound that weird to me. A while ago someone linked to research that shows how Japanese/Chinese people have slightly different areas of the brain active when formulating sentences in their mind. Well don't quote me on it, maybe someone else knows what it was?
To me it sounds rather natural. I don't study Japanese actively anymore, but "thing" is common kanji and I too kind of immediately see "thing" in the character.
That's probably where you are getting very familar with the characters, the visual memory which Heisig cautions against while learning characters, but is probably what you want to happen in the long run especially for common words.
We do also form a visual memory of words in roman script but maybe we don't notice it as much because we form a more direct link between characters and sounds.
To me it sounds rather natural. I don't study Japanese actively anymore, but "thing" is common kanji and I too kind of immediately see "thing" in the character.
That's probably where you are getting very familar with the characters, the visual memory which Heisig cautions against while learning characters, but is probably what you want to happen in the long run especially for common words.
We do also form a visual memory of words in roman script but maybe we don't notice it as much because we form a more direct link between characters and sounds.
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2013-12-30, 4:02 pm
Yeah, that happens to me too, usually when I REALLY learn a word, so that it's engraved in my mind forever. At an instant you recognize it and really know the word. Just like if you see a cat, you immediately recognize it. When you see a kanji you really know, the meaning and essence of the word will come right to you. You don't need to think about it or link it to its English translation. You just know it ^_^ A good sign, if you ask me.
2013-12-30, 5:00 pm
That may not have very much to do with kanji but just reading in general -- even in a letter-based language like English, fluent readers read in "chunks" rather than a letter at a time.
2013-12-30, 9:37 pm
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
2013-12-31, 7:18 am
Heh, yeah. I've occasionally started to explain the origins to kanji to someone, only to realise that the one I've picked as my example doesn't actually look like what I'd somehow come to think it did. I stick to 木 to be safe, now. w
