Do you plan to learn Kanji soon in the future? Are you looking for a good Kanji book to study?
In this post, I’m going to share my honest reviews of three books. These are the Kanji books I personally feel are good and helpful.
Good Books to learn Kanji
No book is perfect. Each one has its pros and cons. Please read the review and choose the one that serves your needs.
Book #1
- Japanese Kanji for Beginners (430 Kanji)
This book comes with a CD that contains printable flashcards and audio recordings of all 430 kanji with their related vocabulary.
- The book is smaller and compact
- CD (Flashcards & Audio materials)
- It introduces Kanji according to the topic (House, Nature, Family, etc.)
- The description of the pictograph is in English only
- ON-reading is in Katakana
- 4 to 7 example Vocabulary for each Kanji
- Small exercises after each lesson
- Only one Index at the end (English-Japanese Glossary)
Each Kanji table looks like this.
Out of the three books, this one Japanese Kanji for Beginners is smaller than the other two as you see below.
Book #2
2. Nihongo Challenge にほんごチャレンジ N4-N5 (310 Kanji)
The book is specifically designed for the JLPT exams. (Japanese Language Proficiency Test). It provides you the necessary Kanji vocabulary that you need to know for the N4 and N5 levels.
It provides you with lots of exercises for the exam.
- Normal textbook size
- It introduces Kanji according to their origin or function
- The description of the pictograph is in 4 languages (Japanese, English, Korean, Portuguese)
- ON-reading is in Katakana
- 2 to 4 example Vocabulary for each Kanji
- Small exercises after each lesson
- Test Practice for JLPT after every three lessons
- Two Indexes at the end (ON-KUN Reading Index & Japanese Vocabulary Index)
Each Kanji table looks like this.
Book #3
3. KANJI Look & Learn (512 Kanji)
This book introduces you most Kanji out of the three books. (512 Kanji).
The book itself doesn’t offer any exercises. You will have to purchase the workbook for practicing Kanji you’ve learned. So, this is the most expensive option if you buy both the book and the workbook.
However, you’ll get to practice Kanji most extensively because the workbook provides tons of exercises. As a result, you will deepen your understanding of Kanji the best with this option.
- Normal textbook size
- It introduces Kanji in the order of difficulty and functions
- The description of the pictograph is in 2 languages (Japanese & English)
- ON-reading is in Hiragana. The black arrow indicates it. (See the image below)
- 5 to 10 example Vocabulary for each Kanji (Most thorough among the three books)
- Exercises are put together in the workbook
- FOUR Indexes at the end. The easiest book to look up a Kanji later. (Stroke Count Index, ON-KUN Reading Index, Kanji Shape Index, Japanese Vocabulary Index)
Each Kani table looks like this.
Other Suggestions?
Do you have a Kanji book that especially helped you? Then, please leave them in the comment area. That will be helpful information to other learners. I may even take a look at it myself and add the review here. ?
Not ready for Kanji yet?
No need to rush to Kanji if you are still learning Hiragana & Katakana. Those two are most essential for your Japanese learning journey.
The Complete Hiragana Lesson HERE.
The Complete Katakana Lesson HERE.
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Looking forward to having you as my student! では、また。?
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