In the book, it is typed with a solid line, instead of a hat, at the top, and like it is above.
Whats the correct way to write it? Or is the first one i mentioned its radical form?

I also wondered this. It seems in typed fonts it usually has the solid line, but I asked my mom who is Chinese and she said that when you write it you should always use the little drop.

http://ploader.net/files/03aedfb5c1f241e...f612b9.png

oh I didn't draw the lengths of the lines right btw. I'm terrible at drawing with a mouse

I remember for this one, It's written differently then the computer version.

zachandhobbes Wrote:I also wondered this. It seems in typed fonts it usually has the solid line, but I asked my mom who is Chinese and she said that when you write it you should always use the little drop.

http://ploader.net/files/03aedfb5c1f241e...f612b9.png

yes, exactly

Don't copy your handwriting from computer fonts. Use a good handwritten font for your reviews until you know how to write most of the primitives.

Alright, and don't worry i know the computer fonts have a way of looking nothing like the original kanji
For example...
直
Thanks for the clarity

Unicode fonts http://www.wazu.jp/gallery/Fonts_Japanese.html

Just curious, what fonts do you guys use?

I'm using MS Mincho

here's another list of fonts
http://cooltext.com/Fonts-Unicode-Japanese

zachandhobbes Wrote:Just curious, what fonts do you guys use?

I'm using MS Mincho

what font is the best one to use? Anything close to real handwriting?

I always thought "EPSON 正楷書体M" from the first list you posted looked a lot like real handwriting, but then again I don't know what 'real handwriting' looks like so...

You can check on here the way to hand write kanji here - http://sp.cis.iwate-u.ac.jp/icampus/u/ak...=%E7%9B%B4

I think it's a good idea to get the kanji practice books for Japanese kids if you want to hand write properly, like Kumon one's... these will pretty much sort out your hand writing

http://www.kumonshuppan.com/reference/index.html

zachandhobbes Wrote:I always thought "EPSON 正楷書体M" from the first list you posted looked a lot like real handwriting, but then again I don't know what 'real handwriting' looks like so...

hmm, anything that's not computer writing or traditional writing I guess?

It's like this in English too to an extent. For example, compare "a" or "1" with how you actually write it out. Since there are a lot more kanji than letters in our alphabet, there just happens to be a lot more differences in handwritten versus typewritten characters.

There are a lot of good fonts for handwritten kanji, but I haven't found one that I like or would recommend. I recommend this site for looking up how kanji are written.
http://www.saiga-jp.com/kanji_dictionary.html

yeah, I noticed that sometimes english printed characters are like that too. for instance, "Q"

GinRyuu Wrote:Alright, and don't worry i know the computer fonts have a way of looking nothing like the original kanji
For example...
直
Thanks for the clarity

What's wrong with that one? That's how I write it...

hereticalrants Wrote:Don't copy your handwriting from computer fonts. Use a good handwritten font for your reviews until you know how to write most of the primitives.

Sorry for asking an Anki-specific question, but can I get some howtos?
1) How to find/install a handwriting font for Japanese. Are there free ones available?
2) How to set Anki to use a certain font when displaying Japanese

I only ever handwrote stuff for my Japanese homework, and finger tracing on my desk for my Heisig reviews (though I started with actual writing). But yes, I write 言 the way Heisig shows in the book...that's how I know it should be written this way.

yudantaiteki Wrote:

GinRyuu Wrote:Alright, and don't worry i know the computer fonts have a way of looking nothing like the original kanji
For example...
直
Thanks for the clarity

What's wrong with that one? That's how I write it...

Highlight it and it looks closer to the handwritten version.
You can see the whole "fish hook" as opposed to a bolded line at the bottom

GinRyuu Wrote:

yudantaiteki Wrote:

GinRyuu Wrote:Alright, and don't worry i know the computer fonts have a way of looking nothing like the original kanji
For example...
直
Thanks for the clarity

What's wrong with that one? That's how I write it...

Highlight it and it looks closer to the handwritten version.
You can see the whole "fish hook" as opposed to a bolded line at the bottom

I've been looking at some fonts that really do look like how people write kanji as oppose to computerized ones. I guess maybe people should use that in terms of writing practice

Y.Oz handwritten font is pretty good i think.

http://yozvox.web.infoseek.co.jp/

GinRyuu Wrote:

yudantaiteki Wrote:

GinRyuu Wrote:Alright, and don't worry i know the computer fonts have a way of looking nothing like the original kanji
For example...
直
Thanks for the clarity

What's wrong with that one? That's how I write it...

Highlight it and it looks closer to the handwritten version.
You can see the whole "fish hook" as opposed to a bolded line at the bottom

The problem here is that your computer might use a Chinese font (at least mine does).

Here's how it's written in Chinese nowadays: See also this.
Compare with Japanese:

Compare this with how it's written in Japan, and how it used to be written: http://www.zdic.net/zd/zi/ZdicE7Zdic9BZdicB4.htm (click on 字源字形)

This is one reason why many Japanese are unhappy with Unicode. E.g. the trivial variants "匀" (simplified chinese) and "勻" (traditional chinese) are separate in Unicode, but the quite different-looking Chinese and Japanese "直" are not separate (and which one you see depends on if your system is using a Chinese or a Japanese font).

It gave me a huge headache trying to figure out why they were different. As did the one with enter/person, and drops of water primitive. After a while I sort of just gave up on getting the written style right. I figure there will be very few situations where I will not have to type it in this day and age, and if it really does become a problem it would only take a day or two to sort out. I wish Heisig would have mentioned a bit about this in the book and especially explained it on the kanji like the one in the OP and on enter/person, though. Without this site going through this book would be hell. Well, even more hell.

thanks