journal features

皮 versus 支

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-eight years and a million words

Kokubunji, 2024.08.24

I have been using a kanji learning tool called "wanikani" for a year. I'm at the fifth level (of hell) and struggling with simultaneous pairings of kanji like 皮 and 支. One is "branch" and one is "skin". Another set is 自 versus 白, where the former is "oneself" and the latter is "white".

Another issue I've got is that it uses the same character in 'radical' form, 'kanji' form, and 'vocabulary' form at the same time, but the English meaning changes. For instance, the kanji 気 means "energy", while the vocabulary meaning is "spirit" and it will fail you for entering "energy".

And if you get it wrong even once, it can be weeks or months before you can try again. Which slows down my intake of new kanji. I'm now going along at 1/10th the speed I was when I started.

rand()m quote

Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

—Hermann Goering