I mean, think of it this way: it comes down to how often you come across words in any language including English (even in ENG: you may forget how to spell words correctly if you don’t use or encounter them often), kind of the same logic with Kanji: a Japanese person doesn’t know all Kanji in the same way English speakers doesn’t know every single word that exists in ENG.

There are over 5000 Kanji but only about half of that is used in Japanese or closer to 2136 while the remainder consist of ones only present within technical jargon (medicine, science, politics, etc.). or certain Kanji only has limited uses in some words (but mostly written in kana). That is also accounting for grammar being “straight forward” more than English or Euro languages.

The “real” hard part is numerous readings (depending whether it’s paired with kana or another kanji, reflected from kunyomi & onyomi plus nanori when applied in people’s names). What I hate about most online translators is that it often gets lost in translation (like words used in the wrong context but on their own it’s correct, however not right for the situation or topic at hand).

  • not_woody_shaw
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    20 hours ago

    I successfully read one recently! I was watching sumo, and they show the wrestlers names first in kanji, than add the romaji later, and I saw that trident looking one at the end of a name and I thought -i know that one, that’s mountain, so could be -yama, or maybe -zan, at the end of the guy’s name, and tried to guess who was coming out next. Turned out it was Kinbozan, so i was right, but also meh.

    • War5oldierOP
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      19 hours ago

      romaji

      Relying too much on romaji is bad, try to read using furigana (which is a hiragana transliteration on top of Kanji).