Grow as you go

One of the reasons for this blog is to show how I get along with studying Japanese, and offer some shortcuts (Japanese: chikamichi 近道).  

If you are studying Japanese , and can save time and needless effort by following my path, that would be great.

When I started, I learned verbs by memorising them.  I practiced remembering the stem (like taberu　たべる) and the ~mas form (tabemasu　たべます).

As I gradually switched to Anki for other words (nouns, adjectives and kanji), I also created a deck for verbs.

In the beginning I added the dictionary form and the mas form, and made them available in 2 cards: one where the English meaning is presented (asking for the verb in hiragana), and one with the hiragana (asking for the meaning).

      

Later on, I expanded this with a field for kanji.  Eventhough I didn't learn to study those kanji, I would see them everytime a card is displayed, so some would stick in my memory.

        

As we advanced in class by learning the past tense, the negative, and the ~te form (tabete　たべて), I would also gradually include them in the deck.

So I think this is a good way to learn your verbs if you can use such system from the beginning.

Of course, when you begin learning Japanese, you have no clue what it's all about.  It's only afterwards that you realise how you should have done it.

         

I am now at a stage where we are learning other and also more complex constuctions (tabeta, tabetehaikemasen, tabenakerebanarimasen) and I happily continue to expand my anki deck with more verbs and more forms.

What I don't know is how far more this will continue :)