【Language and Culture】Mastering the Basics of Kanbun!
Hello everyone! When you hear the word "Kanbun" (Classical Chinese), you might think, "It’s all kanji—this looks tough..." or "Is this Chinese or Japanese?" Don't worry! Kanbun is actually a very creative reading method devised by ancient Japanese people to "apply puzzle-like rules to Chinese text and read it as Japanese."
In these notes, I’ll break down the basics of Kanbun and the points that often appear on tests in an easy-to-understand way. It might feel difficult at first, but once you learn the rules, it can actually turn into a strong subject that's a great source of points! Let’s work on this together.
1. What is Kanbun? (The Mechanics of Kundoku)
Kanbun is the written language of ancient China. Ancient Japanese people rearranged this text into Japanese word order and added particles and auxiliary verbs to read it. This process is called "Kundoku" (Japanese-style reading).
Key Point: Think of Kanbun as a "Puzzle"!
It is the process of taking the original Chinese text (known as "Hakubun") and adding symbols ("Kaeriten") and "Okurigana" (furigana suffixes) to transform it into a Japanese sentence.
● The Three Sacred Treasures of Kundoku
To read Kanbun as Japanese, you need these three things:
- Okurigana: Small katakana written to the bottom-right of a kanji. They supplement Japanese particles and verb endings.
- Kaeriten (Return marks): Symbols written to the bottom-left of a kanji that indicate the reading order, such as "Re-ten" or "Ichi-ni points."
- Kudouten: Punctuation marks like "。" and "、".
Fun Fact: It is said that the reason Okurigana in Kanbun are in "Katakana" is that, long ago, monks and scholars used them as quick shorthand notes.
2. Mastering the Reading Order! The Rules of "Kaeriten"
This is the trickiest part of Kanbun, but the rules are simple. The basic rule is "reading from top to bottom." However, if there is a symbol, you jump!
① Re-ten (Return mark)
When you hit a "Re," you go back up from the character below it by exactly one character.
Example: 「見レ君」 → You read it in the order of "Kimi o" (the character below) then "Miru" (the character above).
② Ichi-ni-san points (One-two-three points)
You skip the character marked "Two" to move forward, and after reading the "One," you return to the "Two." If there is a "Three," you return to it after reading the "Two."
Example: 「不二飲一酒」 → First, read "Sake" (One), then return to "Nom" (Two), and finally read "Fu" (the last part).
③ Jo-chu-ge points (Upper-middle-lower points)
These are used when you need to return across a section that already uses Ichi-ni-san points. Think of them as a "powered-up version" that lets you jump over a whole block of Ichi-ni-san points.
Key Point: The Priority of Kaeriten
If you are confused, just remember: process the "Re-ten" before the "Ichi-ni points!"
【Common Mistake】
A frequent error is reading a kanji with a return mark on it as you come down from the top. Remind yourself: "If there is a return mark (like a Re-ten or a 'Two' point), hold your horses and pass it by for now!"
3. "Saidokumoji": Characters with Special Reading Rules
There are greedy kanji in Kanbun that "do the work of two characters at once." These are called Saidokumoji (re-read characters). You have to memorize these, but it's easier if you associate them with an image!
Representative Saidokumoji
・「未」（Ima-da ~ zu）
Meaning: Not yet ~.
How to remember: Think of the "Mi" in "Mikansei" (incomplete). It means "not yet complete."
・「将 / 且」（Masa-ni ~ su）
Meaning: Just about to ~, intending to ~.
How to remember: Think of the "Sho" in "Shorai" (future). It represents something that is about to happen.
・「当 / 応」（Masa-ni ~ beshi）
Meaning: Naturally should ~, will surely ~.
How to remember: Think of the "To" in "Tozen" (natural/obvious). It carries the nuance of "of course."
Key Point: How to Read Saidokumoji
You read it as an adverb the first time using the right-hand Okurigana, and as an auxiliary verb the second time (when you return via a return mark) using the left-hand Okurigana. It’s like getting two bites of the cherry from one character!
4. "Okiji": Characters You Don't Read
In Kanbun, there are strange characters that "exist in the text, but are not read in Japanese." These are called Okiji (omitted characters).
- 「而」（Ji）： A conjunction connecting phrases (and, but).
- 「於・于・乎」（O, U, Ko）： Indicates a location or object (at, in, to).
- 「矣・焉・也」（I, En, Ya）： Added to the end of a sentence to set the tone (it is..., indeed!).
Analogy: Think of them like the English word "to," or the exclamation mark "!" used at the end of an email. They have meaning, but you don't need to pronounce them out loud.
5. Summary: Steps for Reading Kanbun
When reading Kanbun, don't rush—just follow these steps:
- First, look at the Okurigana to get a sense of the Japanese sound.
- Follow the rules for Kaeriten to move your eyes back and forth.
- Check for any Saidokumoji or Okiji.
- Finally, piece it together as a standard Japanese sentence (Kakikudashibun).
★ Important Summary ★
・Kanbun is read as Japanese using "Kundoku"!
・For Kaeriten: "Re-ten goes back immediately," "Ichi-ni points skip ahead and return!"
・Saidokumoji are special characters that you read twice!
・You only need to look at Okiji; you don't read them out loud!
The world of Kanbun is packed with famous quotes from historical heroes and funny stories of their blunders. Once you master the rules and can decode the messages left by people of the past, your Japanese class will become much more fun. Practice slowly at first, like you’re solving a puzzle!