Exceptions to kanji readings


あなた can be written in kanji as 貴方. However, I noticed that no combination of
the readings of those two characters is at all similar to the pronunciation
they produce together - this is the first time I've seen this.

How common is it that words ignore kanji readings in this way, and why does it
happen?




_As the comments start to get confusing I decided to answer this question._

## TL:DR;

First, 貴方 is **NOT** 当て字 but 熟字訓。

_When you see a word that doesn't fit any pronunciation of the 漢字 while
without 振り仮名, it will be a result of 熟字訓。_

=======================================================

# Point！：

熟字訓 can be understood as means common words kunyomi。

They are **MULTIPLE** 漢字 （instead of a single kanji, in that case it will be
訓読み） that are too commonly used to represent a **japanese word^** so the two
bond strongly together。

**I WOULD SAY THE FOCUS IS MORE ON THE KANJIs**

例：昨日＝きのう vs. 昨日（音読み：さくじつ）、眼鏡＝めがね vs. (訓読み：まなこかがみ)

The thing a bout 熟字訓 is that they always follow Chinese grammar (漢語文法)、fits
the meaning、and _**pretty much everyone knows them**_ 。

If a Japanese sees 昨日 he knows it is actually きのう (the converse is true) and
for most of the time きのう should be written as 昨日。

**If the pronunciation cannot be known at first glance it is most likely to be
宛て字。**

_^Do you know？：Japanese don't have their own words, they created one very
lately which is still a modification of 漢字_

* * *

# Point！：

当て字 literally means "the right words(漢字)"

_People use it because they want to sound cool。（Yep, I am not joking。）_

例：

ドイツ <- Boo~ not cool. ｜ＶＳ｜ ->OMG yesyes Deutchland!!-> 独逸

クラブ <- Meh. ｜ＶＳ｜ ->倶楽部 yes mate!! lets go party at the club!

Honourable mention： 兎に角＝とにかく by 夏目漱石 a famous writer.

**As we can see the 漢字's meaning are disregarded but just to match the
pronunciation of the word, in a narrow sense thats what 当て字 is。**

# However,

in a board sense 当て字 can also mean literally "the right words(漢字)"。

People can decide whatever they thing the corresponding 漢字 should be, and
again usually to sound cool and show off. _（ Thats the whole point of using 漢字
isn't, or why bother learning the thousands of different 漢字s？藁Wwww）_

Some example of these will be,

例： [接吻]{キッス}・[頁]{ページ}・[牛乳]{ミルク}・[憂鬱症]{ヒステリー}・[夜露死苦]{よろしく}・[ＬＯＬ]{ワロタ}<-I made
that up .......

Honourable mention：[寿限無]{寿限無五劫の擦り切れ海砂利水魚の水行末雲来末風来末パイポパイポのシューリンガンシューリンガンのグーリ}

(The above is a famous 落語 about a ridiculously long name, which is just a joke
but it shows that anything can be a 当て字。藁Wwww）

And you will probably see more like this if you read japanese [ＣＯＭＩＣ]{manga}
or [nOvEl]{light novel}。<- A demonstration of 当て字 in English。

===============================================================

I hope you all feel 100% clear about the concepts mentioned here after reading
this!

Sorry for my poor English.




_As the comments start to get confusing I decided to answer this question._

## TL:DR;

First, 貴方 is **NOT** 当て字 but 熟字訓。

_When you see a word that doesn't fit any pronunciation of the 漢字 while
without 振り仮名, it will be a result of 熟字訓。_

=======================================================

# Point！：

熟字訓 can be understood as means common words kunyomi。

They are **MULTIPLE** 漢字 （instead of a single kanji, in that case it will be
訓読み） that are too commonly used to represent a **japanese word^** so the two
bond strongly together。

**I WOULD SAY THE FOCUS IS MORE ON THE KANJIs**

例：昨日＝きのう vs. 昨日（音読み：さくじつ）、眼鏡＝めがね vs. (訓読み：まなこかがみ)

The thing a bout 熟字訓 is that they always follow Chinese grammar (漢語文法)、fits
the meaning、and _**pretty much everyone knows them**_ 。

If a Japanese sees 昨日 he knows it is actually きのう (the converse is true) and
for most of the time きのう should be written as 昨日。

**If the pronunciation cannot be known at first glance it is most likely to be
宛て字。**

_^Do you know？：Japanese don't have their own words, they created one very
lately which is still a modification of 漢字_

* * *

# Point！：

当て字 literally means "the right words(漢字)"

_People use it because they want to sound cool。（Yep, I am not joking。）_

例：

ドイツ <- Boo~ not cool. ｜ＶＳ｜ ->OMG yesyes Deutchland!!-> 独逸

クラブ <- Meh. ｜ＶＳ｜ ->倶楽部 yes mate!! lets go party at the club!

Honourable mention： 兎に角＝とにかく by 夏目漱石 a famous writer.

**As we can see the 漢字's meaning are disregarded but just to match the
pronunciation of the word, in a narrow sense thats what 当て字 is。**

# However,

in a board sense 当て字 can also mean literally "the right words(漢字)"。

People can decide whatever they thing the corresponding 漢字 should be, and
again usually to sound cool and show off. _（ Thats the whole point of using 漢字
isn't, or why bother learning the thousands of different 漢字s？藁Wwww）_

Some example of these will be,

例： [接吻]{キッス}・[頁]{ページ}・[牛乳]{ミルク}・[憂鬱症]{ヒステリー}・[夜露死苦]{よろしく}・[ＬＯＬ]{ワロタ}<-I made
that up .......

Honourable mention：[寿限無]{寿限無五劫の擦り切れ海砂利水魚の水行末雲来末風来末パイポパイポのシューリンガンシューリンガンのグーリ}

(The above is a famous 落語 about a ridiculously long name, which is just a joke
but it shows that anything can be a 当て字。藁Wwww）

And you will probably see more like this if you read japanese [ＣＯＭＩＣ]{manga}
or [nOvEl]{light novel}。<- A demonstration of 当て字 in English。

===============================================================

I hope you all feel 100% clear about the concepts mentioned here after reading
this!

Sorry for my poor English.

