The study attempts to predict the degree of difficulty encountered when learning Japanese Kanji compound words. There are two subjects of the study:1. How are Japanese Kanji compound words classified into degrees of learning difficulty?2. How can native Chinese speakers use their Chinese literacy during the learning process?The results show1. No patterns of difficulty appear while observing learners at the advanced level. A pattern separating words into three classifications based on degree of difficulty appear while observing learners at the primary and intermediate level2. Learners at the advanced level use Japanese literacy to comprehend compound words. Learners al the primary and intermediate level use Chinese literacy.