Learn Kanji Effectively using Spaced Repetition: WaniKani Explained | How I Learn Japanese

[@omgnowairly]

What an absolute gem of a video ! Content, pacing, editing, value.. I wish I saw this when I started learning.

[@AliviasNook]

Wow, thank you! 💕😭

[@kschumacher5533]

"KAHN - gee" = yay "CAN - gee" = o0^0o

[@taesthetic6598]

Finally I found a channel for Japanese learners that doesn’t give obvious tips. Watching your videos I really realised how much I can change in my studying system to actually progress. Thanks ✨

[@AliviasNook]

I’m so happy to have helped!!

[@kouryukami4686]

Along with just memorizing kanji its also important to focus on the sound of each word in Japanese like the "a" in "ka" will have a particular sound that differs from the English "A" sound. so its not kAnji its kanji. this way it sounds more natural. Working on this in the beginning will be very helpful later on because once the accent settles in, its really difficult to remove/rectify it later on. Kanji might seem intimidation but once you start learning, use them in words or start reading Japanese you will find it easy to identify them and recall what they mean.

[@AliviasNook]

Really great tips, thanks!

[@levilexi]

I've never heard "kanji" pronounced "CAN-gee" before. I knew I couldn't be the only one, so thanks for your comment.

[@weedlechu]

Thanks for pointing that out! Maybe I have some sort of issue but I was physically cringing every time she said canji.. I couldn’t even get through the video, I feel so bad 😭

[@johannadrisdale413]

Why do you pronounce it CAN-G? It’s KAAN-JEE.

[@xRadiantOne]

The tips provided were really good but it irked me every time she pronounced it way weird.

[@AP-uk4di]

@@xRadiantOne yeah, its kinda rough deciding if i wanna take her advice when she can't pronounce the word shes talking about O_O

[@TheSonnyEclipse]

@@AP-uk4di I don't know if she has actaully ever studied Japanese or is just a paid salesperson. On another video she sayns Anne-Oh for あの .

[@batgirlp5561]

I cringed every time

[@anti-baka]

When she says "kanji" wrong... **Pain**

[@TheSonnyEclipse]

Why are you saying CANji instead of Kanji if you have studied Japanese?

[@madmax8620]

Can i do this??... ...Yes I "CAN--GEE"whiz!

[@masamangtao6417]

I've been learning Japanese for 2 years, with no focused kanji study yet. I just picked up probably ~100-200 common kanji from reading and writing practice, but my focus has been a lot more on spoken conversation practice. So I can actually have long conversations and communicate a lot, but there are many words that I wouldn't recognize the kanji of. Now I am thinking I will try to level up my kanji more systematically over the next ~year. WaniKani looks like it might be a good fit for my personality as well, compared to some other kanji approaches I've seen.

[@AliviasNook]

Thanks for watching! What method are you using for your kanji study and how is it going?

[@saqibjnu]

I practice every day

[@saqibjnu]

I make short story on every kanji,

[@AliviasNook]

@@saqibjnu That's great! Consistency is super important and those stories really help with memory!

[@omgnowairly]

I'm using Anki (free software for spaced repetition) at the moment with one of the popular decks.

[@flashgordon6510]

I love WaniKani - and best of all, you can link it to Satori Reader so that the kanji you know show up in your reading. I was terrified of the prospect of learning kanji, but now I'm totally seeing how it actually makes reading and comprehension easier and I'm having a lot of fun learning it. It's really cool the way symbols are used together to make other words. It is a lot of memorization, but the mnemonics help a lot, even if they seem silly at first - it's their very silliness that makes them stick in your head.

[@kix_l.m]

Did she just say kanji? As in can-ji?

[@thatomarymokhothu203]

I know right? And she said it so many times, could've played a really good drinking game. She needs to fix that though. Its rather intrusive to an otherwise good video

[@benvella1728]

I thought they would light you up for mispronouncing the entire subject of this video six thousand times throughout but hey, turns out I was wrong and this community is very nice :)

[@TheSonnyEclipse]

if by light up you mean, but cringes.... Ya i got hose cringes...

Hi Alivia! I find it truly amazing that you have been able to learn the *readings of so many kanji in such a short time :) Congrats! I have decided to stick to Heisig´s RTK and Anki and I´m focusing on recognition only. I´m curious to know how you make yourself study everyday and what your study routine looks like. Keep it going!

[@AliviasNook]

Thanks for the kind words! How are you finding RTK? I found initially learning kanji with Anki a bit difficult. And I’ll definitely be making videos covering those topics 😁

@@AliviasNook RTK, just like everything, demands discipline. This is probably my fifth or sixth attempt to learn them all and it is hard, because at the end of the day it is a very long race and if you miss a week or two you have to start all over again. And I agree, Anki is complicated. 🙈 Looking forward to more videos of yours!

[@AliviasNook]

Yes consistency is key and being realistic with yourself on how much time you can commit, not taking off more than you can chew. And next video going up later today!

[@martynsutherland3170]

This is a brilliant video. I have just started on this course and this has really helped to explain it in a lot more detail. Thanks 😀

[@NerdPanic]

say "kenji" one more time....

[@MrCookieDu]

Awesome review Alivia. Thank you for doing this😁

[@thatomarymokhothu203]

The way you pronounce kanji though. disturbed me throughout. But the content s good. Just for your future videos, its kanji not can gee.

[@carloscorona3143]

Same lol

[@user-jd9sj1mq2b]

It's an investment in yourself. Besides, considering most japanese students spend like 12 years learning 2000+ kanji, doing it in a fraction of the time for like a hundred bucks is beyond worth it.

[@AliviasNook]

Couldn't agree more!

[@xtb3215]

Your name is absolute gold lmao

[@user-jd9sj1mq2b]

@@xtb3215 英語上手

[@adamw2342]

You pretty much covered most of what Wanikani entails and who it is catered towards. Great job Alivia!!! However, I would like to add 2 things: 1) Around the 8 minute mark you said that Wanikani restricts the amount you can do so that you wont be overwhelmed in the future. This is sort of true. In the beginning in the free levels (1 to 3), you are heavily restricted in the amount of lessons you can do and it is easy to clear them all in one go. This usually gives the unaware user the impression that it is okay to continue to do all the lessons as they become available. If you continue to do this, around level 7-9 you will likely drown in reviews because your apprentice items (the lessons that show up very frequently) will overlap so much that it will not be odd for you to have 300+ reviews every single day. A good way to remedy this is to make sure you have 100-150 apprentice items and

[@AliviasNook]

Great tips, I completely agree! I had gone into point 1 when I was filming, but I was rambling for so long I figured I'd put it in a separate video 😂 I went too fast when I first started WK and was totally drowning in reviews and now follow the guidelines you gave, they're super useful!

[@cyberheter0]

or you can get a lifetime wanikani once a year for new year if im remember it's around 180euros if i remember that the one i got , it's worth it .

[@AliviasNook]

Yeah the lifetime membership goes on sale at $100 USD off every winter! If you're planning on using WaniKani for more than 2 years it's definitely worth it

[@raulsuhett]

I think KZbin knows that I'm really struggling with my kanji because I didn't search for this video, but it's amazing! I'm using Heisig's 'Remembering the Kanji' and a Anki set that follows it. They are great systems, but they don't come with the readings and this frustrates me a lot. Sometimes I do know what the kanji means, but I have no idea of the readings. I still haven't visited WaniKani, but it sounds great. Thank you for the tip!

[@AliviasNook]

Haha that's so funny! Yeah I tried Heisig too but it didn't work for me for that reason, I felt weird being able to read things that I didn't know how to say out loud. I can't recommend WaniKani enough!

[@MrKristian252]

0:54 wow this is cool to know. I looked through and I'm proud to atleast be more than the N5 area ^^

[@steverayner500]

I link my WaniKani to Satori reader. It's a great way to use what you've learnt.

[@AliviasNook]

It’s such a great feature! Makes it a really smooth experience to start reading

[@EmmaAustin_369]

towmorrow it will be two weeks since i started with wanikani and I'm almost finished with level 3, i just need to get one kanji to guru level and i can start with level 4. I'm loving wanikani so much, it was my first contact with kanji and is working really well. Even though i wish i could learn more common kanjis, I'm happy learning kanjis that are easier to read than those that have a really complicated look. The way the page works with the mnemonics is really helpful so im staying with wanikani. However, is not as easy for me cause is only in English and well, my first language is Spanish so it gets complicated when the meaning are words that i don't know, but it also helps me to learn a bit more of Englsih, so is not always bad. One of my goals with japanese is to be able to read the language so i can read mangas and books in japanese and also be able to understand spoken japanese, you know, to watch anime.

[@batgirlp5561]

Hey... instead, let's all learn CAN-GEE!!

[@malvikark124]

Okay wooow thanks for making this video.. very very useful ✨

[@UAL320]

Appreciate the video. Would you consider please doing it all over again with the correct pronunciation? That would make it much more credible as a long term resource for your channel.

[@jammydoughnuts]

Apparently, stroke order isn't toooo difficult to learn if it's something you do want to study in the future! Somewhere on tofugu, they mention the fact that most of our communication is done on devices anyway, so it's better to focus on recognition and understanding, rather than trying to write every single kanji you learn perfectly. Btw, how many lessons do you do on wanikani each day? I'm on my last free level so have been able to handle doing all the reviews at once, but I don't want it to get too chaotic when I level up haha

[@AliviasNook]

Yeah learning stroke order is actually pretty fun! The Genki workbooks have space where you can practice them and I liked doing them, but I don’t think I remember any of them anymore 😅 Like you said, recognition is more of a priority for me so I let the writing practice slip. For lessons, a good rule of thumb is to keep your “apprentice” words under 100, and so do new lessons whenever it drops below that. It should be a manageable amount and will make sure your reviews in the future are consistent. I didn’t do that when I started so I have all these big random spikes of ‘master’ and ‘enlightened’ words that make my review levels all over the place. Currently I do 0-14 lessons depending on the day 😁

[@SofiaLopez-we6lq]

hey! it’s pronounced KAAnji not CANji, apart from that great video thank u!

[@janski1476]

Can you make a video on how to use wanikani better, I did some calculations and it would take me 4 years to learn every level. I'm wondering how some people can manage it in a year like do they use other apps and full immersion and how do they use wanikani?

[@Cinderrellie]

I’m just now starting out and I only memorize hiragana here and there however I’m struggling with the kana and now I’m nervous about getting this kanji down

[@ShinzoUchihaX]

I am stunned that within seconds I know better then to listen to this person lol

[@mollyf5616]

I appreciate this video but the mispronounciation of "Kanji" is very distracting. It is pronounced like a crow's "caw" not like an aluminum "can." That is simply basic Japanese vowel pronounciation. It made me wonder about the value of the rest of the video and is an easy fix!

[@zacharymorales4344]

Do I right the radicals left to right? I’m not really new to learning Japanese but I never made it past the kanas

[@AliviasNook]

Each kanji/radical has its own stroke order that you will have to look up to know how to properly write them. Many beginner textbooks and online dictionaries can show the stroke orders.

[@trevor6704]

So I just started using Wanikani 2 days ago and I’m at level 1, know 26 radicals. As of today I started with kanji. Is there anything I should have in conjunction with wanikani based on where I’m at?

[@AliviasNook]

Amazing! It’s not necessary to do anything else at the moment unless you really want to and have the time. Once you’re in the level 10-20 range I would recommend adding more because you’ll have enough kanji under your belt that when you use other resources the kanji won’t be an issue and you can focus on everything else. Kanji can be a big hurdle, so if you could only choose one thing to start with it would be kanji!

[@trevor6704]

@@AliviasNook Thanks! I’ll keep you posted on my studies. Thanks for all your help.

[@KillerofGods]

How's it going?

[@adjoint6142]

No one pronounces kanji like that

[@MaryAnnSweetAngel]

nah my spotify is very less compared to 712 inr T_T

[@kayracan3663]

kanji, not kenji

[@PieDivide]

how the HELL do people finish wanikani in 1-2 years, like i know my memory isn't great (thanks, ADHD), but i've been doing it for 4 months and i'm at level 6, which seems pretty fast to me. i'm not wanting to compare myself to others, i just don't know how the hell some of you do it!! it's very impressive to me lol

[@madmax8620]

All you really need is some bit of autism or full blow assbergers to be able to do it 😃

[@MaryAnnSweetAngel]

some people are majoring in japanese so they have a lot of time to study. I have a full time job and other responsibilities so is difficult to find time to study.

[@sipsteaunsweet7564]

what about the kun and on readings? are they important to memorize?

[@AliviasNook]

Yes! WaniKani will teach you the on and kun readings for all the kanji, as well as different vocabulary which is why I really like it! Some people choose to just learn the meanings first and the readings later on, but I preferred doing both at the same time. Readings are important so that you know how to pronounce the kanji out loud

[@sipsteaunsweet7564]

@@AliviasNook is it something i should stress over learning?

[@AliviasNook]

Nah no stress, many people learn them later on, just personal preference. What are you using to learn kanji?

[@sipsteaunsweet7564]

@@AliviasNook i believe it’s called “Tuttle learn Japanese kanji” it’s a blue book. im just struggling with learning vocab/kanji and it’s just confusing and difficult

[@AliviasNook]

Ok cool, yeah learning new vocab is tough. I found that using an Spaced Repetition System like Anki really helped because it gave me a structured routine to learn and review new words everyday, instead of feeling overwhelmed by only reading them in a book. A little revision every day will help it stick in your head better

[@thailerZAP]

Is Kanji really pronounced like that?

[@ncertaudiobooks127]

Where can I learn kanji for free

[@matthewnugent2107]

Do you have social media like Instagram or something?

[@AliviasNook]

I don’t have a public account right now, but you’re the second person to ask me. Should I make an Instagram for my channel? I’m just not sure what I’d post there 🤔

[@meowrx33]

why do you say it like that? can-gee?

[@chaiborg733]

You know you're saying Kanji wrong and it's not even a hard correction to make. It's honestly disrespectful to the language.

[@iclicklike3397]

You lose all credibility in terms of talking about learning Japanese if you butcher the word Kanji right at the start.

[@armyveteran69]

i cringed everytime you said Kanji

[@dai4358]

same CAN JEE

[@meowrx33]

how are you giving tips if you can't even pronounce "kanji" 😀

[@dai4358]

why the hell you say kanji like can jee

[@tasha6151]

I love your videos -- great help! But come on! The word isn't kanji (pronounced close to CANDY), its kanji (as in, your pronunciation of that word is AWFUL). Hurts your credibility to get this one so completely wrong. Sorry! I do think your videos are great!

[@madmax8620]

Its actually super hot and sexy every time you say kanji!!! 🔥 🥵 ♨️ ☕️