田

田 - Rice Field

Level: Grade 1
Meanings: Rice Field, Rice Paddy
Kun Readings: た
On Reading: デン
Example Vocabulary:
     Kun
          田 (た) - Rice Field
          田畑 (たはた) - Fields          
     On                         
          田園 (でんえん) - Country (ie Rural area)
          田楽 (でんがく) - Rice Dance, Rice Festival, Ritual Dance & Music

Notes: I am fine with the Kun readings but never learned the On reading.

Denshi Jisho Example Sentences

玉

玉 - Ball

Level: Grade 1
Meanings: Ball, Sphere, Globe, Orb, lense, bulb
Kun Readings: たま,  たま-, -だま
On Reading: ギョク
Example Vocabulary:
     Kun
          玉 (たま) - Ball
          玉ねぎ (たまねぎ) - Onion
          玉子 (たまご) - Egg
          ビー玉 (ビーだま) - Marble
     On                        
          玉兎 (ぎょくと) - Moon
          玉音 (ぎょくおん) - Emperor's voice

Notes: I am fine with the Kun readings but never learned the On reading.

Denshi Jisho Example Sentences

Introduction

For a couple years now I have been attempting on my own to learn Japanese. This is not an easy thing to do. Not only is difficult to learn its odd grammar, but you also have the great difficulty in dealing with 3 different written languages. Two of which, Hiragana and Katakana, are relatively easy. However, Kanji proves to be quite cumbersome and difficult. This really becomes evident when you start to learn that a single kanji can have multiple readings (On & Kun).

To assist me in my journey to learning Kanji I am using a product known as WaniKani. The basis of the WaniKani system is a SRS(Spaced Repetition System). With Wanikani you are taught a Kanji with mnemonics, and then quizzed on it over spaced intervals. You get it right, the time  for your next quiz increases, wrong it decreases. As you progress through the intervals you start to receive vocabulary items for that kanji that also are quizzed at spaced intervals. Eventually, you get to the level of completing a Kanji and no longer require quizzing as at this point it should be ingrained into your memory.

To make WaniKani simplified the developers had to select the reading for the Kanji based on what vocabulary they would be presenting. Unfortunately, at times this can come up short as some readings may not be quizzed, yet are still useful to be learned. So the point of this blog is a learning tool for me, for each day, seek out one of the Kanji I have completed and make sure I know all the common reading and meanings for the it. I plan to detail the readings, meanings, and examples for that Kanji.

Though this blog will be tailored to my needs, if it helps other great. Also I highly suggest giving WaniKani a try, it is a great resource for learning Kanji. And no, I am not receiving anything for saying that.