How can I translate the Kanjis I see in Videogames, on Youtube etc.?

Hey there,

I´ve learned most of my French by playing videogames and watching Youtube…

Step 1 - play videogame / watch video
Step 2 - look up the words and phrases that “look important” in a dictionary
Step 3 - save them on LingQ or Anki
Step 4 - repeat the first three steps until you can speak the language

I´d love to do the same thing in Japanese but there´s a huge problem…
In French, I can just read the word and type it into a dictionary…but I don´t know how to do this with Japanese Kanji.

Do you know a way to solve this problem?

PS: I´m asking about things that I can not copy´n paste, though. I can´t copy´n paste the road sign I see in a youtube video, for example.

Wow. You should really consider starting a blog called ‘Three Months Stoned to Fluency’

I think Heisigs method would be reccomended for you. Do that, then do the other stuff.

The joke is slightly an inside one between Paul and I

“The rational order brought to the kanji in this book is only intended as an aid to get you close enough to the characters to befriend them, let them surprise you, inspire you, enlighten you, resist you, and seduce you.” (“Remembering the Kanji”, Page 10)

It seems like Heisig is quite stoner-compatible :wink:

@Paule89 This is a great resource. http://ejje.weblio.jp/
If you can copy and paste the word here,it will give you the reading as well as the english meaning and countless of examples and Japanese synonyms.

I’ve relied on it alot when I’m reading blogs,wikipedia,newspapers,or other such things in Japanese.

@sutoeben

Thanks for the Link :slight_smile:

I´m asking about things that I can not copy´n paste, though. I can´t copy´n paste the road sign I see in a youtube video, for example.

What technology have you available? There should be smartphone apps that allow you to point the camera at some character and have it read in.

By the way, are you a big Anki user? I remember before I used LingQ, I would do an hour or more of Anki a day for learning German vocabulary. After starting with LingQ, I gave it up, but it was rather effective.

I have a smartphone with Android, maybe I´ll find an app somewhere. :slight_smile:
I´m still using Anki, but mostly to memorize stuff from school, birthdays…etc.

PS: I think I´ve found what something…http://jisho.org/kanji/radicals/

I think the Google Translate app for Android somewhat recently added the ability to take pictures of Japanese text and translate it. I haven’t tried it but that might help you get the text needed to copy and paste. You might also find this page helpful:
http://www.lltvg.com/wiki/Main_Page

When trying to find the script for a movie, I find it helpful to search the movie name + 全セリフ to find the script. You could also try just セリフ or 台詞. Those terms term might be useful for video games as well.

Good luck.

That´s awesome, thank you soo much :slight_smile:

@Paule89
Hello, if you are a Windowns use, try it:
1- Enter in Control Panel.
2- Click at Region and Languages.
3- Go to Keyboards and Languages.
4- Click at Change Keyboards…
5- In Installed Services click in Add.
6- Choose Japanese (Japan) and mark Japanese and Microsoft IME.
7- Click in Ok.
8- Click Apply and Ok.
9- In the language bar, in the TaskBar, select JP - Japanese.
10- In the same language bar, select “Show the Language Bar”
11- Click in the IME Pad, in the Language Bar.
12- Draw the Kanji, and choose the Kanji in the Central List.

I know it is annoying, to draw all kanji that you don’t know, but maybe it can work for you.
Good luck, and if you don’t understand some steps, please, contact me.

@Danilobito

That´s perfect! I didn´t even know that Windows can do that Ô.ô
Thanks man :slight_smile:

Not at all! ^^