Three Alphabets?

[RustyK]

I have heard that there are three alphabets in the Japanese language, something like Simple, Advanced, and Very Advanced (in my own invented terms ). The simple one if for everyday use, and the other two are for business use. Is this correct?

[Dartz]

Hardly, all three alphabets are considered everyday use. I gave a little 101 on another thread, but yes, you do have a basic idea of what they're about.

When simple/advanced and the like are mentioned, it usually refers to the Kanji used in the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test), there are four levels, 4 being the basics, and 1 being downright fiendish.

[RustyK]

Thanks Dartz, I can see that you know a lot about this. So how many characters are in the Japanese alphabet(s) altogether? Does every literate person in Japan know them all, like we know our letters?

[Dartz]

The kana symbols have around 50 for both alphabets, but the number of kanji extends into the tens of thousands easily, around 80,000 from my last lookup (The number seems disputed). Most Japanese people will know a good few thousand (around 2000-3000), but I don't think that anyone knows an ungodly amount of them by heart.

I tried to see if someone held the world record, but I couldn't find anything. Would be a good record to hold though.

[Somnilocus]

Dartz already gave you numbers, but...

I wouldn't call them an "alphabet." To sum it up, there are three "alphabets": hiragana, katakana, and kanji, and all are used by all people as part of the Japanese writing system. Hiragana and katakana (which is primarily used for scientific terms/foreign words/to place emphasis on a word) are similar to letters, but represent syllables, sounds.. they're combined to make certain words. All Japanese people know all hiragana and katakana, and you can in fact write without using kanji at all.

However, kanji makes things quicker to write and easier to read (especially since there are no spaces between words in Japanese). Kanji are symbols that represent certain words basically... for example, I'm sure you've heard the word "watashi." You could write this in hiragana (and some people do, but this also has to do with the style and tone you wish to write in, but I won't get into that now), with three symbols: wa-ta-shi, or a single kanji which is also read as "watashi." Same word.

There are around 80,000 kanji but the majority are obsolete. Most Japanese people know between 2000-3000 as Dartz said. That's also not individual kanji, but often combinations of other kanji which makes it more realistic.

[Clodius]

Back when I was first learning Japanese at University, my professor referred to the kana as "Syllabaries" rather than an alphabet. Might help you get your head around it a bit easier if you google that term and see how it relates to Japanese.

[Dartz]

Aye, syllabaries is the best way to put it. I was looking for the world but I couldn't think of it for the life of me.

Decided to check the spaces thing Somnilocus mentioned, small excerpt from the blog of my favorite artist.

タイトルは東方ホイホイ。そう釣りなんだ(´ﾟωﾟ｀)
そういう訳で『悪魔城ドラキュラ・奪われた刻印』を
今まで日記を読まれていた方々の予想通り昨日から遊んでおります。

Not a single space, guess you're right. I tend to use spaces when I write in Japanese though, just a habit of mine. I know it's not needed, but hey, I'm the one writing it.

[Clodius]

The concept of not spacing words out isn't really a new one. Most ancient languages did this, including classical Latin.

[Somnilocus]

To be honest it's a lot easier to read sans spaces. When people start adding them, it slows down reading time. There's really no need for it anyone, just means more time typing.

[RustyK]

OK, now that you've mentioned typing Somnilocus, how do the Japanese people type? Are there special keyboards with 50 characters??

(The 80,000 kanji characters plan scare me...)