Foreign Student (hereinafter FS): Kanji was imported from China, but I’ve heard that many kanji were created by Japanese people.
How many are there? And what are they?
Teacher (hereinafter, T): They are called kokuji (national characters), and it is said there are about 2,600 of these characters.
For instance, the kanji 峠 touge, which means an elevated spot on the way to the summit of a mountain.
The concept is represented through a combination of 山 yama (mountain), 上 ue (above), and 下 shita (below).
The kanji in 働くhataraku (work) is also a kokuji.
It is a combination of the radical イ with the kanji 動く ugoku (move).
Most kanji in which the radical 魚 sakana (fish) forms part of the kanji are also kokuji and are used in the names of sushi toppings.
For instance, 鰯 iwashi (sardine) is a combination of 魚 (fish) and 弱 yowai (weak).
Conversely, there are many compound kanji that China has adopted from Japan.
FS: What kind of kanji compounds are they?
T: In fact, it is said that the Japanese created the name for both China 中華人民共和国 chuuka jinnminn kyouwa koku (People’s Republic of China) and 共産主義 kyousann’shugi (Communism).
FS: That’s unexpected, isn’t it?
Besides those, what other ones are there?
T: It seems that 改善 kaizenn (improvement), which was promoted by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is now used the world over.
改 kai means “reform” and 善 zen means “good.”
In addition, there are many that deal with life in general, including 政党 seitou (a political party), 政策seisaku (policy), 経済 keizai (economy), 財政 zaisei (finance), 社会 shakai (society), 自由jiyuu (freedom), 民主minnshu (democracy), 信用 shinnyou (credibility), 保証 hoshou (guarantee), 宗教shuukyou (religion), 哲学 tetsugaku (philosophy), 博士 hakushi (doctor), and 弁護士 benngoshi (lawyer).
FS: Why were these compound kanji expressions created in Japan?
T: In the Meiji era (1868-1912), Japan was the first country in Asia to adopt Western customs.
During that time, Western concepts that hadn’t previously existed in Japan were incorporated and given an appropriate kanji.
Besides these kanji, loan words from languages such as English were spelt out using katakana characters sticking as closely to the original pronunciation as possible.
In China, they replace loan words with kanji that have a similar sound and meaning.
FS: Language changes with time. Has kanji also changed?
T: That’s a good question. In China, there were big upheavals each time a new dynasty arose, and this also had an influence on kanji.
At present kantaiji (simplified characters) are used and people are apt to forget previously used scripts.
Since Japan has never been conquered by other countries or races, the old form of kanji that Japan originally adopted has remained relatively unchanged.
Ironically, Japan rather than China has proved to be a better environment for the study of older forms of kanji.
FS: What do you think the future holds for kanji in Japan?
T: Japanese script comprises of hiragana, katakana, and kanji, allowing for a richness of expressive possibility.
Kanji will continue to play an important role.
留学生
ryuugakusei
foreign student
(以後、留):
igo ryuu
hereinafter FS
取り入れられました
toriirerare mashita
was imported
日本人
nihonnjinn
Japanese people
つくった
tsukutta
were created
聞きました。
kikimashita.
(I)’ve heard
あるのですか。
aru no desuka.
are there?
ありますか。
arimasuka.
are they ?
(以後、先):
igo senn
hereinafter T
国字と
kokuji to
national characters
呼ばれ、
yobare,
(they) are called and
2600字
nisenn roppyaku ji
two thousand six hundred (of these)characters
いわれています。
iwarete imasu.
(it) is said
たとえば、
tatoeba,
for instance
山頂の
sannchou no
(the) summit of (a) mountain
途中の
tochuu no
on the way to
あらわす
arawasu
(which) means
「峠」。
touge.
(the kanji) touge
組み合わせ
kumiawase
(a) combination
表現されています。
hyougenn sarete imasu.
(the concept) is represented
人を表す
hito wo arawasu
[which means]
にんべん(イ)
ninnbenn
(the) radical [person]
組み合わせ
kumiawase
(a) combination
寿司のネタ
sushi no neta
(the names of) sushi toppings
使われる、
tsukawareru,
are used and
さかなへん(魚)が
sakanahenn sakana ga
(the) radical fish
つく
tsuku
forms (part of the kanji)
漢字の
kannji no
kanji (in which)
たとえば、
tatoeba,
for instance
「鰯」は、
iwashi ha,
sardine
組み合わせ
kumiawase
(a) combination
導入した
dounyuu shita
(that) have adopted
熟語は
jyukugo ha
compound kanji
熟語が
jyukugo ga
kanji compounds
国名
kokumei
(the) [country] name
「中華人民共和国」
chuukajinnminnkyouwakoku
People’s Republic of China
「共産主義」
kyousann shugi
Communism
日本人が
nihonnjinn ga
the Japanese
いわれます。
iwaremasu.
(it) is said
それは意外です
soreha igai desu
that’s unexpected
その他では
sono hoka deha
besides those
どんなものが
donnna mono ga
what other ones
ありますか。
arimasuka.
are there ?
トヨタ自動車
toyota jidousha
(the) Toyota Motor Corporation
推進し、
suishinn shi,
(which) was promoted
世界的にも
sekai teki nimo
(the) world over
使われている
tsukawarete iru
is used
「改善」も
kaizenn mo
improvement
そうです。
soudesu.
(it) seems (that)
あらためる、
aratameru,
(means) reform
政党、
seitou,
(a) political party
信用、
shinnyou,
credibility
宗教、
shuukyou,
religion
哲学、
tetsugaku,
philosophy
弁護士、
benngoshi,
(and) lawyer
生活全般
seikatsu zennpann
life in general
にわたって
ni watatte
(that) deal with
熟語が
jyukugo ga
compound kanji expressions
つくられるようになったのですか。
tsukurareru youni natta no desuka.
were created ?
明治時代
meiji jidai
(the) Meiji era
いち早く
ichi hayaku
the first(country)
文化を
bunnka wo
customs <culture>
取り入れました。
toriire mashita.
was to adopt
なかった
nakatta
(that) hadn’t previously existed
概念を
gainenn wo
concepts
適切な
tekisetsu na
appropriate
漢字に
kannji ni
a(n) kanji
あてはめたのです。
atehameta no desu.
were incorporated and given
外来語は、
gairaigo ha,
loan words from languages
できるだけ
dekirudake
possible as
原音
gennonn
(the) original pronunciation
カタカナを
katakana wo
katakana characters
あてはめて、
atehamete,
sticking (as)
使っています。
tsukatte imasu.
were spelt out using
外来語に
gairaigo ni
loan words
近い音や意味の
chikai oto ya imi no
(a) similar sound and meaning
漢字を
kannji wo
kanji (that have)
あてはめています。
atehamete imasu.
(they) replace with
変わるのですか。
kawaru no desuka.
has changed ?
質問
shjitsumonn
(a) question
王朝が
ouchou ga
(a) dynasty
誕生する
tannjyou suru
arose
変革が
hennkaku ga
upheavals
影響を
eikou wo
(an) influence
受けました。
ukemashita.
(this) had on
現代では
genndai deha
at present
漢字を
kannji wo
characters
簡単にした
kanntann ni shita
simplified
簡体字が
kanntaiji ga
kantaiji
使われ、
tsukaware,
are used and
忘れられていく
wasurerarete iku
forget
傾向にあります。
keikou ni arimasu.
(people) are apt to
他国
takoku
other countries
征服されたことがない
seifuku sareta kotoga nai
has never been conquered
導入した
dounyuu shita
(that originally) adopted
昔の
mukashi no
(the) old form (of)
そのまま
sonomama
(relatively) unchanged
日本に
nihonn ni
[in Japan]
残っています。
nokotte imasu.
has remained
皮肉なことに
hiniku na koto ni
ironically
研究は
kennkyuu ha
(for the) study
環境に
kannkyou ni
a[n] environment
いわれます。
iware masu.
has proved
今後、
konngo,
(the) future
漢字は
kannji ha
(for) kanji
どうなっていくと
dounatte iku to
what holds
思われますか。
omoware masuka.
do (you) think ?
日本語の
nihonngo no
Japanese
カタカナ、
katakana,
katakana
漢字が
kannji ga
(and) kanji
豊かな
yutakana
(a) richness of
表現が
hyougenn ga
expressive
可能です。
kanou desu.
allowing for possibility
役割を
yakuwari wo
a(n) role
続けると思われます。
tsuzukeru to omoware masu.
will continue