From
yoji.jitenon.jp (march 2023)
This deck is a modified version of the following:
https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/1570290506
I found that the above would sometimes (~16% of cards seem to be affected) fail to include all but the first line of the definition, thus often losing valuable information clarifying usage or explaining the components.
Take, for example, the card for 雨過天晴:
物事の悪い状況や状態がよい方向へ向かうこと。
vs
物事の悪い状況や状態がよい方向へ向かうこと。
雨が止み、雲がなくなり晴れ渡るという意味から。
「雨過ぎて天晴る」とも読む。
「雨過天青」とも書く。
I have re-scraped the data using the current (march 2023) version of the site, making sure all of it is included.
Further changes include:
- include 出典 where available (not on the back of cards; use the note editor or edit the note type to view it)
- create sub-decks based on Kanken level (no longer displayed on the back of cards)
- no index field
*Regarding the accuracy of the data used:*
While jitenon's definitions are, from what I can tell, usually both correct and helpful, there are some errors when it comes to the 類義語 and 漢検級 fields.
Notably, there are quite a few １級 words incorrectly sorted into the lower levels. This is an issue with the site the data was taken from, and there is no easy way for me to fix it. I recommend suspending any cards with words that are obviously obscure, if you are not going for １級.
As for those cards without a specified Kanken level: they are mostly obscure, although a few common ones (like 九分九厘) have made their way into here too. I ignore these.
Questions & Answers
Q: Why did you create this deck? (tl;dr: in order to get a few more points on Kanken)
I initially created this deck when I was studying for ２級. I did some of the past Kanken tests on paper as well as practice tests inside 漢検トレーニング2, and after getting used to the problems, I usually ended up scoring between 155 and 170 out of 200. This is technically enough to pass, but not comfortably so, so I figured I still had to study more.
And when it comes to studying, there actually aren't many options: You'll want to know the radicals. You can go through a list of common 難読, some of which are bound to be on the test. But once that's done, there isn't much to do except learn and review words that you might be asked to read or write on the test. Since memorizing all of the words inside a Japanese dictionary isn't exactly a reasonable thing to do, this means you have to read more books in Japanese.
四字熟語 are, in a way, an exception to this, because they are comparatively few in number while still making up 30 points on the test. Furthermore, the lack of sentence context, combined with the fact that you're only given a list of possible readings, made this section a lot harder for me compared to the normal 書き取り section. Therefore, I decided to focus my studies on the 四字熟語 section.
I've shared the resulting deck, hoping that it will be of use.
Q: Should I use this deck?
If you are going for ２級 or any lower level, probably *not*, unless you are near the passing mark and are desperate to get just a few more points in a comparatively short amount of time. Completing the deck up to ２級 helped me gain half a dozen or so additional points on the yoji section, but I'd be lying if I told you doing so is required or even worthwhile. Most of the words on ２級 are still common(-ish) enough to the point where you can expect to see them inside of your average novel; and acquiring them naturally through reading would be more fun and probably more efficient too.
If you are going for 準１級 or １級, you can no longer hope to avoid dedicated study, since many (or most, if we are talking about １級) of the words on the test are utterly obscure and often only make sense if you have a foundation in Classical Chinese literature. I doubt this deck alone could serve as a replacement for reading said classics, but I intend to use it as a supplement when I come back to tackle the higher levels.
Q: Why is this deck missing cards compared to the old deck?
They're no longer on the site that the data was taken from. The owners seem to have since merged alternative forms into a single entry. 東西古今 no longer has its own article (and consequently card), but is merged into 古今東西 where it is listed as an 異形. All of the missing cards I've checked have been alternative forms similar to the example just listed.
Q: Is it enough for me just to do the sub-deck for the 級 I intend to take?
No, the 四字熟語 I've found on past ２級 tests have been from all of the sub-decks level 5 ~ 2.
Q: Will just having seen a 四字熟語 allow me to write it out as well?
It is easy to forget the spelling if you don't fully understand the meaning or *how the individual kanji make up said meaning*. As long as you pay attention to that, though, it should be possible (most of the time) to remember the spelling even without the use of slow-to-rep writing cards. Depending on the word, it might be helpful to try and 訓読 it to check your understanding.
Q: How do I learn how to write Kanji?
https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/759825185
Finally, here's the deck converted into a mozc user dictionary (it may or may not be compatible with other IMEs):
https://pastebin.com/G7rN138J
UPDATE 2023/05/16: improved ankiweb description; deck unchanged