Why are there many kanji that are read and mean the same?


My question comes from this case:

  * 会う
  * 逢う
  * 遭う
  * 遇う

I see they all are read あう, and mean "to meet". So, why are there these many
cases? And more important, which one should I use? I knew 会う, and when I read
逢う I thought it was a completely different verb.




The very answer to your question is why I like Japanese so much. As you
noticed a same word can be written with different kanji: that is not limited
to verbs. If kanji changes meaning changes too (that is especially true
concerning verbs, nouns are more subject to _stylistic preferences_ : eg.
かっこいい(casual form)・恰好良い(old form)・格好いい(normal form)). In order to grasp the
different meanings the best is to learn kanji nuances and meanings.

You can find a (short) list of 異字同訓｛いじどうくん｝
[here](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%8C%E8%A8%93%E7%95%B0%E5%AD%97) and
[there](http://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkashingikai/kokugo/hokoku/pdf/ijidoukun_140221.pdf)
but the best place is a 国語辞典 or a 漢和辞典.

Here are some examples:

  * 会う (meet - no nuance)
  * 合う (fit - no nuance)
  * 遭う (meet - meet something bad). 彼はえらい目に遭った。(He ran into troubles).
  * 逢う (meet - fate encounter) 彼は恋人に逢った。(He met his girlfriend)
  * 遇う (meet - coincidence) 彼はAさんに遇った。(He met A by chance)
  * 會う (ancient form of 会う)

  * 見る・視る (see - no nuance)

  * 観る (see - more like watch)
  * 看る (look after) often 面倒を看る
  * 診る (examination by the doctor)
  * 覧る (see - more like to inspect 観覧・観察)
  * 監る (see - look upon, look out) (my IME does not have it ...)

  * 聞く (ask or listen)

  * 聴く (listen (carefully))
  * 訊く (ask)
  * and countless more.

Summary, choosing the right kanji is not only up to stylistic preferences
there are rules but to often those rules are overlooked in traditionnal second
language acquisition because nobody cares!




The very answer to your question is why I like Japanese so much. As you
noticed a same word can be written with different kanji: that is not limited
to verbs. If kanji changes meaning changes too (that is especially true
concerning verbs, nouns are more subject to _stylistic preferences_ : eg.
かっこいい(casual form)・恰好良い(old form)・格好いい(normal form)). In order to grasp the
different meanings the best is to learn kanji nuances and meanings.

You can find a (short) list of 異字同訓｛いじどうくん｝
[here](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%90%8C%E8%A8%93%E7%95%B0%E5%AD%97) and
[there](http://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkashingikai/kokugo/hokoku/pdf/ijidoukun_140221.pdf)
but the best place is a 国語辞典 or a 漢和辞典.

Here are some examples:

  * 会う (meet - no nuance)
  * 合う (fit - no nuance)
  * 遭う (meet - meet something bad). 彼はえらい目に遭った。(He ran into troubles).
  * 逢う (meet - fate encounter) 彼は恋人に逢った。(He met his girlfriend)
  * 遇う (meet - coincidence) 彼はAさんに遇った。(He met A by chance)
  * 會う (ancient form of 会う)

  * 見る・視る (see - no nuance)

  * 観る (see - more like watch)
  * 看る (look after) often 面倒を看る
  * 診る (examination by the doctor)
  * 覧る (see - more like to inspect 観覧・観察)
  * 監る (see - look upon, look out) (my IME does not have it ...)

  * 聞く (ask or listen)

  * 聴く (listen (carefully))
  * 訊く (ask)
  * and countless more.

Summary, choosing the right kanji is not only up to stylistic preferences
there are rules but to often those rules are overlooked in traditionnal second
language acquisition because nobody cares!

