Kanji.

[Rockuman]

Okey dokey. I've learned a few Kanji, and how to write them and stuff, but my question is, how do you know when to use them? How would you know when to simply type "hon" in Hiragana, rather than draw the little thing that looks like a house? Is there anything I should keep a lookout for? How do I know when I should use what?

[Scrivener]

I guess the rule would be "if there is a kanji for something, then use it".

Exception: If it's too archaic, and has been replaced by hiragana in the last few decades.

The only way to learn about this exception is through study. But you don't need to worry too much about this exception when you are starting out, because you are unlikely to come across anything archaic in the course of your study until you at least hit intermediate level, and maybe not even then.

For example there are kanji for verbs like "suru" 為る and "iru" 居る, but these days they are not often used. If you use them, people will understand them, though. Some people might have trouble with words like 手強い (tegowai, tough) where the kanji have unusual pronounciations and aren't often used these days, but that is really their problem!

[vorpar]

Generally, Kanji is used for nouns and verbs, and Hiragana for conjugation and other word types.

[Soren]

Okey dokey. I've learned a few Kanji, and how to write them and stuff, but my question is, how do you know when to use them? How would you know when to simply type "hon" in Hiragana, rather than draw the little thing that looks like a house? Is there anything I should keep a lookout for? How do I know when I should use what?

Kanji are generally used for nouns, and the root form of adjectives and verbs. So with the example you gave, you'd normally use the kanji 本 rather than hiragana. The inflections of adjectives and verbs are generally written with hiragana: consider 見る miru - to see - a Kanji is used for the root, and then a Hiragana for the ending, which will change with tense, etc: 見た,　見ない, 見ます, etc. It isn't always entirely obvous which part of the verb or adjective is written in Hiragana, and which in Kanji - Kanji dictionaries or learning books should make this clear though, for example by bracketing the part to be written in hirakana: e.g. mi(ru) (this part is the okurigana).

Particles are generally written with Hiragana (は, の, に, etc.).

Pronouns: some are normally written with Kanji (e.g. 私 watashi), others normally with Hiragana (e.g. あなた). The same can be said for interrogatives: 何 (nan/nani - what) is normally written with the Kanji - but いつ (when) is normally written with Hiragana, although it has Kanji (何時). There are also some words that are commonly seen in both Hiragana and Kanji, for example　出来る/できる, to be able (judging from a google search, the Hiragana is more common, but the Kanji are still frequent).

[Kamisama]

i would like to suggest getting the japanese ime for the computer. That thing will spit out kanji for you in a sentence half the time. The thing is you have to know when to use kanji right. a simple example is watashi. watashi wa baka desu.

you would use the kanji for watashi and perhaps baka if you can pull one out.
i would like to say that many words have a few kanji that compose it. many single words that are the importance of a sentece are composed of kanji rather than of katakana/hiragana.

[Rockuman]

Okay. I've had IME since before I joined the board in the first place. I just didn't know when it was the right time to make a word a kanji. :)

But, here's another question. The Kanji itsself, is each word actually character by character? Or does a group of Kanji make up it's own word? For example: I've read that "Hito" is the "Jin" symbol, (which also confuses me, since that would mean that the Jin symbol can have two meanings). Whenever you do the "Hitori" kanji, however. The LINE becomes "Hito" and the Jin symbol becomes "ri". Now, if I should start remembering the kanji by the whole combination, then that'll be more learning, but at the same time be a lot easier on me. If there's something I'm not seeing however... help. :(

[BamaFan2989]

yeah i have a similar question, are hiragana and kanji used in like the same sentences, can they be grouped together?

[TwistedMac]

yeah i have a similar question, are hiragana and kanji used in like the same sentences, can they be grouped together?
yup

rocku is however further along than i am and i have no idea what he's talking about XD

[Rockuman]

Uh..... "similar question"?

[PaulTB]

But, here's another question. The Kanji itsself, is each word actually character by character or does a group of Kanji make up it's own word?
Yes. Each word is character by character or a group of kanji (and possibly hiragana) makes up it's own word.
For example: I've read that "Hito" is the "Jin" symbol
This is where you need to start using kanji in your posts.

The kanji 人 has readings of JIN, NIN, hito, -ri ...
The kanji 一 has readings if ICHI, ITSU, hito ...

So the word hitori has the kanji 一人.

Hito in that word is from 'one' not from 'person'!