Creating New Kanji Today
Ever think to yourself “there aren’t enough kanji to study. I want more!” You were probably disappointed to find out that Japan isn’t still churning out new kanji. New words that come into existence are created either using older kanji (当て字) or katakana. Even if a new kanji somehow magically came into being, computers would not be able to handle them. So you are stuck in a dead kanji world…
You have 2 options.
1. Give up and go practice the existing kanji 100,000 times.
2. Rebel, and create your own new kanji
I choose #2. Kanji is made up of so many parts that allow for unlimited creativity. You want to leave all that possibility behind?
You aren’t alone. There are places in Japan that have 創作漢字コンテスト (create new kanji contests). The goal: show the beauty of kanji… and go wild.
Let the new kanji reign free
What do these new kanji look like? Here are some of my favorites from these two contests. Hopefully they can provide some insight into this fantastical world of unbridled kanji. Check them out here and here.
9. らんし・ふつかよい
Parts: eye + eye
Meaning: distorted vision, hangover
8. うりきれ
Parts: line through + sell
Meaning: sold out
7. カラオケ
Parts: sing + box radical
Meaning: karaoke
6. スマホ
Parts: ス + マ + ホ
Meaning: smartphone
5. バランス
Parts: stand + stand + stand
Meaning: balance
4. サービス
Parts: customer + happiness
Meaning: service
3. まじかよ
Parts: doubt + ears
Meaning: really? No way!
2. もんげん
Parts: gate + father
Meaning: curfew
1. 上には上がある
Parts: top + top
Meaning: there is always someone better than you
Founder of Jalup. iOS Software Engineer. Former attorney, translator, and interpreter. Still watching 月曜から夜ふかし weekly since 2013.
Awesome. もんげん is my favorite.
I think 門 is a great kanji with a lot of possibilities. You could add anything you want inside to make it slightly cooler.
There was actually an entire episode of the old J-drama “Trick” dedicated to this mystical kanji with 火 inside 門, and how finding out the pronunciation would solve the plot of the episode.
http://www.geocities.jp/mania_of_trick/kousatu.html
I love マジかよ haha. It looks legit and it’s such a genius unique way of expressing disbelief.
It definitely adds to the expressiveness of the word!
上には上がある is my favorite. The meaning just makes me laugh.
I already liked the phrase, so I may be partial, but it also is my favorite.
It also looks silly.
I like the ones that replace katakana words. And really, if they can just keep adding emojis, why not new kanji? Provided the kanji start to be used.
I agree. You’re going to have to lead the new kanji movement :)
Wow, カラオケ is def. my favorite and totally should be included in the next Kanji-Deck Upgrade ;)
Actually it’s hard to imagine there are still many words without Kanji. I mean – there are a lot of Kanji outside the realm of newspapers and RTK…
I think it’s pretty cool
らんし・ふつかよい Looks like a 3D kanji
おめでとうございます
So I’m not the only one who got this idea.
I wanna go further and invent my own radicals, too.