Japanese just got a bit harder...

[kirakira]

This is old news but looks like Joyo Kanji, the list of characters used for daily use has just been expanded by another 191 characters (but also got rid of a couple too). Now, Japanese learners both in Japan and overseas would need 2131 instead of the old 1900.

What this means is that newspapers would be able to use the new 191 characters without putting ruby text and also reduces Mazekaki.





Just want to get what everyone's opinion is, any thoughts or cursing?

I can see some nasty ones in there like...

鬱・ウツ

I can hear the screams now...

[Harold]

頃 is a new one? No way, I always thought it was one of the original ones...

[Nyororin]

鬱 isn`t a bad one at all. It`s actually REALLY common - it means "depression". So when someone writes "I`m so depressed about such and such" it`s what you use.

But I find it really hard to believe that most of those weren`t already in the joyo. I mean, some of those are everyday terms. How on earth could 箸 have not been included?!?

Honestly though, most of these are already in common use. Japanese didn`t get any harder - you`d still have to know most of these to read anything (perhaps other than newspapers). I mean, I can`t think of any novel or even manga that doesn`t use 俺 at least once. :P

[kirakira]

Originally Posted by Nyororin

鬱 isn`t a bad one at all. It`s actually REALLY common - it means "depression". So when someone writes "I`m so depressed about such and such" it`s what you use.

But I find it really hard to believe that most of those weren`t already in the joyo. I mean, some of those are everyday terms. How on earth could 箸 have not been included?!?

I'd hate to write 鬱 in a dictation test though. Anybody can type Utu and hit space bar .

There are definitely some common ones in there like 俺、凄い（すごい）、阪（さか） but I see some problem ones for learners.

憚る、箋

Parts of these characters are from the old character set. 單 in 簡單（かんたん） but written now as 簡単、the bottom part of 箋 is the same as 殘 in 殘酷（ざんこく） but now written as 残酷.

So Japanese learners will need to familiarise themselves with old Kanji body parts as well as the simplfied body parts. Confusion anyone?

[SceptileMaster]

Damn I haven't started to learn Kanji (I know the meaning of about 25 of them but not anything about reading them) yet and it's just got more difficult . Although, strangely, one of the ones I already knew the meaning of was 呂. Does it mean spine? Anyhoo I suppose this is going to make it better in the end, I'm just gonna have to put a few weeks extra learning in.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by kirakira

I'd hate to write 鬱 in a dictation test though. Anybody can type Utu and hit space bar .

Maybe I`m just strange, but I really like writing out 鬱. There are a lot of strokes, but it`s not all that hard to remember.

憚る、箋

Parts of these characters are from the old character set. 單 in 簡單（かんたん） but written now as 簡単、the bottom part of 箋 is the same as 殘 in 殘酷（ざんこく） but now written as 残酷.

So Japanese learners will need to familiarise themselves with old Kanji body parts as well as the simplfied body parts. Confusion anyone?

The thing is, you`re likely still going to have to learn almost all of these at some point in normal life anyway. The only big difference is that they are now included in the list. (I have to admit though, while I can read 憚 in a compound, I didn`t know it alone. )

[chryuop]

Oh well, very thoughtfull of them!!! They added 拳 only now, after they drove me crazy for years. Seeing in the manga the writing 北斗の拳 and wondering what it was, cause in my kanji dictionary there was not!!!!

[james1254]

wow some of those are surprising. I knew quite a few and I dont know any where near 2000 kanji! i thought they were already joyo kanji :P

[hennaz]

OH FUCK NO!!!!!! NOW how am I supposed to memorise every single Joyo Kanji now?! It's the hardest part of the Japanese language, why do they have to add more?!

[SamuraiAlchemistNinja]

I know a few of those, but I'm not too good with my Kanji since I haven't really practiced it in more than half a year, so... One looses things such as kanji memorization, sadly. But I don't think this change is all that bad; like the others were saying, these are common kanji anyway, and it appears as though the general consent about adding them to the list is: "It's about time" lol