| theDX said: 日本に住んで漢字が書けないの様子はちょっと悲しい |
But I'm really happy to read quickly the 50 mails I get everydays in Japanese, read 100 page long documentations, write mails, being able to talk with a massive vocabulary, avoid misunderstanding.
The last time I needed to write something in Japanese was my name and address for my checkin 2 weeks ago. Before that, I think it was writing my name and address for the administration. And before that, my name and address for a delivery. It happens once a month. My name, and my address.
To add my contribution to the topic, a few site I use a lot:
Because words are not just a translation, especially from/to very different languages. Don't just watch it 3 seconds and say "I got it", feel it, absorb it, because there is a meaning in words that a translation or definition can't give you. That's also a very good way to learn, because it has more impact than a list of words.
Search for God and then for 神様 God is art, magnificient, he lives in cloud, and he has a bear. Kamisama are pluriform, indian gods, egyptian gods, and a collection of funny grand'pa, it's a joke.
おしゃれ (oshare) means elegant, it's hard to translate to something else. But compare elegant people to おしゃれな人 Elegant people are in a formal dress or suit, something expensive, classic. Oshare is modern, urban, a patchwork of styles.
For example, you said 悲しい which translate to sad, but look at it, You'll see dead people, people in pain, because if not used in a joke, it means sad to the point you cry.
Goo dictionary
The point is to be able to copy/paste words and get a definition in Japanese. After a few effort, you will learn not just words, but also the words that define this words, so it's a very simple way to extend your vocabulary. Also, it gives you this dictionary's style "simple, explicit explanation" that helps a lot to explain what word you don't know, or what you are trying to say.
Kindle
It depends of the books, if it really is text, or picture copy of a book, but in most case it's text. So with the integrated dictionary, you can get a very quick understanding. It's like firefox+rikaichan but for books, and it really helps a lot, because paper books are a very big step.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a goldmine for simple, clear and short texts in any genre. Also, you can switch to your mother language and have a clear understanding of the content. I spent hours on "programming", "java", "web", "computer", and I quickly get a massive vocabulary and understanding of my area of work. It's not just about knowing words, it's about getting used to explain something in a clear and simple way.
