It seems to me that more kanji than I'd like have been given keywords that aren't exactly correct. For example, 堅 "strict" seems like it should be more like firm or something, 没 "drown" doesn't seem like it has much to do with "drown" at all other than the fact that it is used with a kanji meaning "sink" to make the word sinking, and 頒 "partition" is really distribute. I've been making my own keywords, but is this the right way to go?

Making your own keywords is fine; just check your keywords in the index (or here) because you might end up duplicating a keyword Heisig has used for another kanji.

Yeah, the keywords aren't supposed to be precise as much as they're supposed to be *unique* for each kanji. Consider all of the different radicals/graphemes for hand. (There are a ton of them.) Now, you can be etymologically correct and call them all "hand," or you can maintain your sanity and get through the kanji at a decent clip, and futz with the etymology later on when you have a firmer grasp on the language.

Same goes for learning the "real" meanings. The keywords are just unique identifiers. That they convey a meaning is merely coincidental. It's like a barcode for your brain to hang on to. It's just a barcode you can remember easily, because it already has meaning to you.

You'll learn the real meanings over time, and the barcodes will fade.

Well, I second both advices. Take special attention to warehouse and storehouse. You might change one of these keywords to something more unique.

Quote:Well, I second both advices. Take special attention to warehouse and storehouse. You might change one of these keywords to something more unique.

There's also "godown". Apparently the Japanese have quite a rich vocabulary for rooms used for storage.