Can I use a Chinese newspaper to learn kanji radicals and maybe some kanji?


Upon looking for ways on how to start learning kanji, I have found that many
people recommend learning the radicals first.

After exposing myself to the radicals, I plan on practicing by **spotting them
in kanji** in texts. Although I can use the Internet, I prefer things I can
hold (books, newspapers, magazines, etc...), but there are no Japanese "things
I can hold" near where I live!

There is, however, a Chinese supermarket I frequently visit and it has tons of
free newspapers. So my question is, can I use these newspapers for **my
practice on spotting radicals and maybe learning some new kanji** OR is
learning "Japanese" from a Chinese newspaper a bad idea?

EDIT: I know about the ON and the KUN-readings of kanji, but I am not
concerned about them yet. I just want to know whether majority of the kanji in
Chinese texts are also found in Japanese texts.




It is not a good idea to learn Japanese Kanji reading Chinese newspapers. Of
course, a majority of Chinese characters used both in China and Japan have
same or similar meanings, however, the grammar and syntax of Chinese are
completely different from those of Japanese and I don't see any benefit coming
out of reading Chinese newspapers unless you want to get yourself familiarized
with Chinese characters.

According to the Wikipedia article on
[Kanji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji), a lot of Kanji used in Japanese
are simplified Kanji and they look different from Chinese Kanji.

> In 1946, following World War II and under the Allied Occupation of Japan,
> the Japanese government, guided by the Supreme Commander of the Allied
> Powers instituted a series of orthographic reforms. This was done with the
> goal of facilitating learning for children and simplifying kanji use in
> literature and periodicals. The number of characters in circulation was
> reduced, and formal lists of characters to be learned during each grade of
> school were established. Some characters were given simplified glyphs,
> called shinjitai (新字体?). Many variant forms of characters and obscure
> alternatives for common characters were officially discouraged.

The linked article on [The Difference between Japanese and Chinese
Characters](http://www.arc-japanese-translation.com/chinese/04tidbits.html)
explains:

> Many Japanese people think when traveling to a Chinese-speaking region that
> even if they do not speak Chinese, they may be able to get by if they
> communicate by writing. If you are trying to convey something simple,
> written communication might allow you to get by. However, it is important to
> remember that 20-30% of the kanji used have different meanings in Japanese
> and Chinese. What would happen if you wrote a succession of kanji, which
> look the same in Chinese, without being aware that they mean something
> different in Chinese? Not only would your meaning not get across, you may
> also bring about a misunderstanding. Therefore, much care must be taken when
> resorting to writing kanji to communicate with a Chinese-language speaker.




It is not a good idea to learn Japanese Kanji reading Chinese newspapers. Of
course, a majority of Chinese characters used both in China and Japan have
same or similar meanings, however, the grammar and syntax of Chinese are
completely different from those of Japanese and I don't see any benefit coming
out of reading Chinese newspapers unless you want to get yourself familiarized
with Chinese characters.

According to the Wikipedia article on
[Kanji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanji), a lot of Kanji used in Japanese
are simplified Kanji and they look different from Chinese Kanji.

> In 1946, following World War II and under the Allied Occupation of Japan,
> the Japanese government, guided by the Supreme Commander of the Allied
> Powers instituted a series of orthographic reforms. This was done with the
> goal of facilitating learning for children and simplifying kanji use in
> literature and periodicals. The number of characters in circulation was
> reduced, and formal lists of characters to be learned during each grade of
> school were established. Some characters were given simplified glyphs,
> called shinjitai (新字体?). Many variant forms of characters and obscure
> alternatives for common characters were officially discouraged.

The linked article on [The Difference between Japanese and Chinese
Characters](http://www.arc-japanese-translation.com/chinese/04tidbits.html)
explains:

> Many Japanese people think when traveling to a Chinese-speaking region that
> even if they do not speak Chinese, they may be able to get by if they
> communicate by writing. If you are trying to convey something simple,
> written communication might allow you to get by. However, it is important to
> remember that 20-30% of the kanji used have different meanings in Japanese
> and Chinese. What would happen if you wrote a succession of kanji, which
> look the same in Chinese, without being aware that they mean something
> different in Chinese? Not only would your meaning not get across, you may
> also bring about a misunderstanding. Therefore, much care must be taken when
> resorting to writing kanji to communicate with a Chinese-language speaker.

