[Article] Kanji vs. Romaji
Discussion: [Article] Kanji vs. Romaji
From the forum: Sam's Essays
This thread was started by: Glowing Face Man.
Discussion start time: 2009-11-14 16:54:45.
From the forum: Sam's Essays
This thread was started by: Glowing Face Man.
Discussion start time: 2009-11-14 16:54:45.
From: heuristic, from the old Blog Comments
Date: Mar 30 2009.
Date: Mar 30 2009.
What is your evidence for the 5:25 difference in reading rates that you claim?
If as you claim the native english speaker learns to scan the "shape" of words while reading, as does the native japanese speaker, then you seem to have undercut your claim that alphabetic writing is slower to read.
If as you claim the native english speaker learns to scan the "shape" of words while reading, as does the native japanese speaker, then you seem to have undercut your claim that alphabetic writing is slower to read.
From: Vincent Hunter, from the old Blog Comments
Date: May 8, 2009.
Date: May 8, 2009.
Hi. i just discovered your blog as wel.. I am planning on going to Japan in 2010. So right now I am studying kanji on my own (using the RtK book by James. I found this book rerenced many places) and I am learning a lot I must say. Thank you for telling that romanji is useless, i can stop studying that.
From: Xunnamius, from the old Blog Comments
Date: Jul 23 2009.
Date: Jul 23 2009.
Although I find English and other alphabet languages (besides Spanish <.<) to be a bit more "logical" and all around "useful" (language of business, language of the internet, language of programming) than Chinese/Japanese and other symbol-based languages (Yes I've learned Chinese and I'm Rosetta Stoning myself into the wonderful world of Japan! Go Manga!), that won't stop me from learning them all! Muahahahahah!!
From: Jake, from the old Blog Comments
Date: Oct 8 2009.
Date: Oct 8 2009.
I understand fully what is explained in this article, but yet a computer keyboard would be useless if it had to accomodate 5000 kanji, plus 40 plus hiragana and katakana and kana chararcters. It appears that in the real world romaji or something similar is necessary when there is no short alphabet as there is in the Roman alphabet.
repectfully.
Jake
repectfully.
Jake
I agree with you, that would be inefficient.... Of course, if the keyboards actually worked like that!
How do you think they input their language into the computer these days?
The keyboard consists of the hiragana, of course. Typing in the hiragana naturally types it. For words that are supposed to be kanji, hit space after typing them and the computer looks into a database of kanji and finds the most likely candidate for what you are typing. This is actually how the Japanese keyboard works. Each letter is instead one hiragana character (or katakana depending on the mode.) For the extra room, the numbers across the top are also hiragana, and hitting shift gives you the numbers.
Interesting? Yes! So romaji is pretty much useless in this situation as well.
I write in Japanese on the computer and I don't need romaji at all whatsoever, so yeah, other then borrowing words into English and helping early learners, romaji is completely useless. (Just to mention, there is a romaji mode on the keyboard, but typing in kana mode is MUCH faster once you learn it.)
How do you think they input their language into the computer these days?
The keyboard consists of the hiragana, of course. Typing in the hiragana naturally types it. For words that are supposed to be kanji, hit space after typing them and the computer looks into a database of kanji and finds the most likely candidate for what you are typing. This is actually how the Japanese keyboard works. Each letter is instead one hiragana character (or katakana depending on the mode.) For the extra room, the numbers across the top are also hiragana, and hitting shift gives you the numbers.
Interesting? Yes! So romaji is pretty much useless in this situation as well.
I write in Japanese on the computer and I don't need romaji at all whatsoever, so yeah, other then borrowing words into English and helping early learners, romaji is completely useless. (Just to mention, there is a romaji mode on the keyboard, but typing in kana mode is MUCH faster once you learn it.)