漢字を読むことはともかく、書くことは苦手だ。

  1. I can't even write, let alone read Kanji.
  2. Regardless whether i can read Kanji or not, I can't write it.

**Which translation is correct, _1)_ or _2)_?**

The speaker **Confirms** their disability to 書く.

Is it also confirmed that they are able to 漢字を読む or is it left **unclear**????

How can i figure out the answer from the sentence?
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2020-07-27T18:29:22.693
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2020-07-28T23:14:09.417
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question
meaning parsing
Can (Aともかく,B.) be always understood as (Do do you know about A? B.)?
The grammar point is `AはともかくB`, comparing two things but placing more emphasis
on the importance of B in the current discussion. In English, it can be
translated as something like `Whatever about A, B is..`. So the speaker is
making sure that B is what is intended to be stressed at the moment.

> 漢字を読むことはともかく、書くことは苦手だ。  
>  Whatever about reading kanji, (the problem is) I'm not good at writing
> them.

So your translated sentence #2 is accurate (although "can't" is perhaps too
strong).

Check out a more detailed explanation in the links below:

  * <https://jlptsensei.com/learn-japanese-grammar/%E3%81%AF%E3%81%A8%E3%82%82%E3%81%8B%E3%81%8F-wa-tomokaku-meaning/>
  * <https://nihongokyoshi-net.com/2019/02/22/jlptn2-grammar-tomokakutoshite/>
  * <http://www.edewakaru.com/archives/20829461.html>
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2020-07-27T21:14:48.030
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answer