Have you ever tried to write Japanese on Genkouyoushi?
Genkouyoushi げんこうようし is Japanese squared writing paper. Japanese kids use it in school for composition.
Some Japanese exams provide Genkouyoushi for writing test. It raises interest among Japanese learners in Genkouyoushi.
But, unfortunately, not many people know how to use Genkouyoushi, this Japanese style squared paper properly.
It is because most Japanese textbooks are written in horizontally, and they don’t show you how to write on Genkouyoushi. You don’t have many opportunities to see examples of Genkuyoushi writing.
As a Japanese teacher, I found several common mistakes people made. Once you read this article, you can easily avoid them!
Mistake 1 Starting Point
Start writing from the top left, not the top right.
The Japanese language has two versions of writings, horizontal and vertical, which not many languages have.
Many people know that, if you write horizontally, you write from left to right. If you write vertically, you write from top to bottom.
But some people don’t know when you write vertically, you start from the right top corner and write to the bottom. When you write the following line, it should be on the left of the previous line.
It looks like this.
Mistake 2 Paragraph
Miss one blank line to start a new paragraph.
This is also a common mistake.
When you start a new paragraph, the top cell of a new like should be blank. Your writing starts with a second cell.
Mistake 3 Comma and Period (Full-stop)
Write a comma or a period in the same cell as a letter.
This is a tricky part. In most cases, you need to give one cell to write a comma, called 読点（とうてん）or a period, called 句点（くてん）.
However, you cannot put a comma or a period into a top cell of a new line; you need to put it into the last cell of a previous line.
See the example below.
Mistake 4 Small letters
Write a small letter, such as ぎゅ, in one cell.
Small letters, such as ゃ、ゅ、ょ、っ should be in one cell.
Look at the example.
If these letters come to a top cell, it’s OK. But if you’d like, you can place them in the last cell in a previous line.
Mistake 5 Quotation mark
Write a quotation mark and a letter in the same cell
Please give one cell for each quotation mark.
At the end of a quote, a period and a quotation mark are in the same cell.
If it’s happened in the last cell, please write a letter, a period and a quotation mark in the same cell. Quite crowded!
Write Japanese composition on Genkouyoushi with confidence!
Now you know how to avoid these sinful mistakes and write Japanese on Genkouyoushi better than before.
If you’d like to step forward to write Japanese with confidence, I recommend my Nihongo Notebook series.
This notebook series is NOT just another genkouyoushi notebook.
It includes useful information such as the rules of vertical writings (did you know the difference between horizontal writings and vertical writings?), the Genkouyoushi exercises to write accurately, the checklists to revise your composition and more!
Chose your favourite cover, and click the button to order on Amazon.
It will help your Japanese composition to the next level!
Have you ever tried written Japanese on Genkouyoushi? What is your biggest problem?