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What's
the difference between Japanese and Chinese Kanji?
Why
Japanese Kanji look like the Chinese Symbols? |
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Historically,
the Kanji Writing System was imported from China,
but as time the time went by, kanji writing has
evolved into a part of the Japanese Writing System
by using the borrowed ideograms to indicate pronunciation.
Although
we use Kanji characters as much as Chinese people
use, Japanese people use less Kanji characters comparing
to Chinese people.
Even
if you look at some of the Japanese culture, there
are some adoption of cultural and religious materials
from China too.
For instance, Chinese herbal medicine is quite popular
in Japan.
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So,
are they DIFFERENT?
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Many
Western people may be thinking that Japanese Kanji
and Chinese Kanji are exactly the same. They look
very similar.
However, they are very different
to Japanese kanji in structure.

Although
the Japanese adapted Chinese characters into their
langauge, they disregard the original meaning in
Chinese.
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Kanji
Reading
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Wtih
Kanji, there are 2 ways of reading.

- Onyomi
Reading - It is Chinese Reading, and
developed from the original Chinese pronunciation
but as the time went by, the Japanese writing
system has adaopted and became a part of the Japanese
language.
It is often used with the kanji compounds, and
naming English names in Kanji.
- Kunyomi
Reading - It is Japanese Reading, and
usually used with a single kanji character. For
instance, if the following kanji is read, it is
pronounced: "Ki" with Kunyomi Reading.
But,
if it is combined with another Kanji character,
it can be read differently with Onyomi reading.
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