Essential Kanji: 2,000 Basic Japanese Characters Systematically Arranged for Learning and Reference

by P.G. O'Neill

Essential Kanji is an integrated course for learning to read and write the 2,000 basic Japanese characters. It introduces the kanji that are now in everyday use, a mastery of which makes it possible to read most modern Japanese. Devised for either home or classroom use, the book has been tested and refined by years of use in university classes taught by the author.

Genres: Reference, Japanese Literature, Language, Nonfiction, Japan, Education, Linguistics

325 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1973

Reviews

[mj durocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning Kanji is not necessary to using Japanese, but learning them adds a whole new dimension of appreciation for the poetics of the language. Essential Kanji is a useful reference book to learn new kanji and review old ones. It is arranged differently than other books on the subject and can cause slight confusion at times because of it. Most books on the subject are arranged by grade or year. It can be useful to see them in a different order because it can spark new memories.

The book features a very useful index and can easily double as a dictionary.
The book also features stroke order and all readings.

I recommend Essential Kanji for anyone interested in the Japanese language. It is a good primer for kanji but more study will be required to begin using the language because there are no kanji compounds, which is where the real language begins to shine.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2000 most often used kanji presented in the traditional learning order with stroke-order and often used compounds. Doesn't address radicals or the thousands of other kanji and compound words you will need to be able to read, but its a great start. Highly recommended to beginner through intermediate.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so so much~<3 It's so awesome and helpful. I've used it to look up kanji many times and I've used it to learn the simpler kanji (I'm lazy, otherwise I'd have learned more). It's so thorough, I really couldn't ask for anything more from it. It's a beautiful little book and it smells like candy! (for some reason, but don't look a gift horse in the mouth) :D

[Jean-Marc Rocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

After 16 years in Japan and all the advances in online dictionaries and translators, this book still gets regular use. I would even say that the more familiar you are with kanji, the more useful this guide becomes, since looking up unfamiliar ones becomes even faster.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding book on learning to read and write Kanji. It covers the 2,000 basic Kanji that are the foundation of studying Japanese. When I first started to study Japanese, my ability to read and write it was greatly enhanced by the usage of this book.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't finished this book yet (it's going to take me a long time to work through all 2,000 characters and learn them properly), but I've seen enough of it to know it's helping me learn. The layout is clear and the information is concise.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Useful when it came out but made obsolete by modern apps and browsers.

[Jennifer]

I've skimmed this book, but don't really need it yet. However, it's the only kanji book I will ever need to purchase, because it contains the most commonly used 2.000 characters and the stroke order.

[Amber Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is perhaps a book I own. I think the publish date is incorrect here, though. My hardcover volume has a pink dust jacket and I bought it in Tokyo in 1970.

[Ataru Moroboshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

very good book

[Abdullah Al-uthman · Rating 5 out of 5]

a really good book to review the kanji and learn the onyomi and kunyomi of each kanji