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外国語に想う4
Like many other learners of Japanese,
I believe the Chinese characters ("kanji") constitute
the biggest obstacle for me. It is not the problem of understanding
or even knowing how to write the "kanji" that causes
me the most frustration. Instead, it is the fact that almost
every character has two or more completely different ways of
being "read". Essentially, every new "kanji" I learn comes with two or three or even more "synonyms" that I have to memorize! For example, why do we have to use two different forms ("nen" and "toshi") for exactly the same meaning (year)? If we say "kon-getsu" for "this month" and "sen-getsu" for "last month", why are "kon-nen" for "this year" and "sen-nen" for "last year" not right? I know every language has its "exceptions" to the rule, but in Japanese the problem is not the exceptions. It is the "rule" that every "kanji" has at least two readings, and those with only one are exceptions. If I could change the Japanese language, I would keep the "kanji" but get rid of all the readings except one for each character, Then maybe I could be more than a beginner! 国際学部教授 キャロル・リナート |
To me, Japanese is a fascinating language, and I
enjoy learning something new about it every day. Even though
I have been studying Japanese for more than 12 years, I still
feel like a beginner. Why?