There are in fact very strong hints on how to pronounce most Chinese characters, at least their Chinese reading (on-yomi, used in compound words). A vast majori

There are in fact very strong hints on how to pronounce most Chinese characters, at least their Chinese reading (on-yomi, used in compound words). A vast majority of characters are made up of two parts, one giving the (reading and one the area of meaning. When it comes to their Japanese readings (kun-yomi) it sort of follows when you know what the character means and what that word is in Japanese.