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jaystak
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Joined: 19 Oct 2008
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 Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 9:09 am Post subject: List of the kanji used in names |
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I'm looking for a list of the kanji which are used in people's names or place names. I still have a lot of difficulty reading names because a lot of these kanji aren't in the joyo kanji list and I simply haven't learned these other ones. Does anyone have any information on where to find such a list? |
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Landei
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Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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Location: Germany
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Osaka
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Joined: 21 Nov 2008
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Location: see above
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| Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 1:31 am Post subject: |
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Most of the kanji used in names that aren't in the joyo set can be found in the set of Kanken2 kanji. There are also a couple of lists of all abnormally-pronounced town names floating around... if I remember correctly, one is on Wikipedia. |
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jaystak
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Joined: 19 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:48 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info. I'm having trouble with the Wakan dictionaries. When I type in Japanese, it just looks garbled. Any ideas? |
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jaystak
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Joined: 19 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:59 am Post subject: |
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| Osaka wrote: |
| Most of the kanji used in names that aren't in the joyo set can be found in the set of Kanken2 kanji. There are also a couple of lists of all abnormally-pronounced town names floating around... if I remember correctly, one is on Wikipedia. |
Thanks, that's very useful to know. I have the Kanken DS software, so maybe there's a list in there. |
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Landei
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Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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Location: Germany
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| Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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| jaystak wrote: |
Thanks for the info. I'm having trouble with the Wakan dictionaries. When I type in Japanese, it just looks garbled. Any ideas? |
Probably a font problem. Did you try to switch to another font? |
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Sakura Fubuki
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Joined: 31 Oct 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 4:42 am Post subject: |
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I'm just going to add a little bit before you get too worked up. (Sorry if you already know this!)
There is no 100% way of knowing hot to read a Japanese name. Native speakers have problems as well, especially since the trend currently is to pick a name you like regardless of the Kanij and then FORCE kanji into making those sounds to get the names you want.
Due to me being a traditionalist, I personally don't like this form of "ate-ji" (当て字) names, but since the new millenia, more and more kid's names are being ridiculous to read... The few examples I can think of now is:
- さあら = 沙流羅 (I can't remember the 3rd kanji correctly...)
- ゆな = 優奈
- じいな = 慈菜
These are all perfectly fine Japanese names, but the Kanji are usually not the regulars for these names.
Yeah...once again, sorry if you didn't need me to butt it in but I thought you might like it on the table for you to see just in case. |
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jaystak
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Joined: 19 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Landei wrote: |
| jaystak wrote: |
Thanks for the info. I'm having trouble with the Wakan dictionaries. When I type in Japanese, it just looks garbled. Any ideas? |
Probably a font problem. Did you try to switch to another font? |
I emailed the Wakan website. It's not a font problem. Wakan only accepts romaji input for the dictionary. That's why I was having trouble. |
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jaystak
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Joined: 19 Oct 2008
Posts: 47
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| Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Sakura Fubuki wrote: |
I'm just going to add a little bit before you get too worked up. (Sorry if you already know this!)
There is no 100% way of knowing hot to read a Japanese name. Native speakers have problems as well, especially since the trend currently is to pick a name you like regardless of the Kanij and then FORCE kanji into making those sounds to get the names you want.
Due to me being a traditionalist, I personally don't like this form of "ate-ji" (当て字) names, but since the new millenia, more and more kid's names are being ridiculous to read... The few examples I can think of now is:
- さあら = 沙流羅 (I can't remember the 3rd kanji correctly...)
- ゆな = 優奈
- じいな = 慈菜
These are all perfectly fine Japanese names, but the Kanji are usually not the regulars for these names.
Yeah...once again, sorry if you didn't need me to butt it in but I thought you might like it on the table for you to see just in case. |
Yes, I see what you mean. Nonetheless, there are certain kanji which are regularly used in names. And rather than learn thousands of different readings for all the kanji, I was hoping to find a frequency based list of the most common kanji and readings used in names. The DS route seems like the best way so far. |
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aneki
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Joined: 22 Mar 2009
Posts: 52
Location: Redondo Beach
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| Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:49 am Post subject: |
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| Sakura Fubuki wrote: |
I'm just going to add a little bit before you get too worked up. (Sorry if you already know this!)
There is no 100% way of knowing hot to read a Japanese name. Native speakers have problems as well, especially since the trend currently is to pick a name you like regardless of the Kanij and then FORCE kanji into making those sounds to get the names you want.
Due to me being a traditionalist, I personally don't like this form of "ate-ji" (当て字) names, but since the new millenia, more and more kid's names are being ridiculous to read... The few examples I can think of now is:
- さあら = 沙流羅 (I can't remember the 3rd kanji correctly...)
- ゆな = 優奈
- じいな = 慈菜
These are all perfectly fine Japanese names, but the Kanji are usually not the regulars for these names.
Yeah...once again, sorry if you didn't need me to butt it in but I thought you might like it on the table for you to see just in case. |
Yup, a global trend that is a new challenge  After all, the English speaking countries do almost the same thing, by finding new and..er.."creative" ways to spell out traditional names. Kaytlynn, Aymee, Krystyna -or- introduce foreign names like Schuyler that nobody really knows what to do with (yet). |
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naruru
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Joined: 04 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 7:22 am Post subject: |
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Just out of curiousity, will there be furigana on top of the Japanese names that aren't recognizable to foreigners or not? And are they mostly used in 2kyuu and 1kyuu? My Japanese friend said it's also hard for them to read a Japanese person's name unless they say how their name is pronounced. |
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Osaka
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Joined: 21 Nov 2008
Posts: 129
Location: see above
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| Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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| naruru wrote: |
| Just out of curiousity, will there be furigana on top of the Japanese names that aren't recognizable to foreigners or not? And are they mostly used in 2kyuu and 1kyuu? My Japanese friend said it's also hard for them to read a Japanese person's name unless they say how their name is pronounced. |
As far as the test is concerned, they will never ask you for the reading of a name as a test question. Actually, I can't recall seeing any first names on the test at all. So as long as you know that something is a name, you're all set. |
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jpatokal
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Joined: 21 May 2009
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Osaka wrote: |
| As far as the test is concerned, they will never ask you for the reading of a name as a test question. Actually, I can't recall seeing any first names on the test at all. So as long as you know that something is a name, you're all set. |
Yup. Even in 1-kyuu, any last names that pop up are always of the "totally obvious" Yamatanaka 山田中 type; even Sato, Suzuki and other common names with complex kanji seem to be avoided. |
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Sakura Fubuki
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Joined: 31 Oct 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 5:37 am Post subject: |
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| jaystak wrote: |
| Yes, I see what you mean. Nonetheless, there are certain kanji which are regularly used in names. And rather than learn thousands of different readings for all the kanji, I was hoping to find a frequency based list of the most common kanji and readings used in names. The DS route seems like the best way so far. |
Yeah, notably. Common readings are still around (especially if they were born before the new millenia) so it won't hurt. Usually the norms can allow you to read say...70% (i.e. average) of Japanese native names.
Its really the other 30% (most likely less) that you need to prepare yourselves for.
Names are funny...I guess... >.>
| aneki wrote: |
| Yup, a global trend that is a new challenge After all, the English speaking countries do almost the same thing, by finding new and..er.."creative" ways to spell out traditional names. Kaytlynn, Aymee, Krystyna -or- introduce foreign names like Schuyler that nobody really knows what to do with (yet). |
Oh god...yes...don't remind me... *lol* I don't wanting to be a teacher helps much either... *prepares for angry children whose names were mispronounced*
It seems more and more people want unique names and in order to do that they want to modernise it by making their own equation...
What happened to returing to retro names that no one seems to have any more??
| Osaka wrote: |
| Actually, I can't recall seeing any first names on the test at all. |
I think I recall a couple...but they were always written in Hiragana as not to confuse people. =P
But definately, nothing to get worked up on. They even avoid uncommon names in the exams of native speakers cause of the reading problems. *sigh* |
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