Learning the Japanese Language

[Moe]

what does this mean: ゆり

[belowme]

i am currently studying japanologiy, and i'm using a neat book called: a course on/of modern japanese. it was composed by nagoya university, so i guess it is quite accurate. it gives very detailed explanations on grammar, verb conjugation, notes on discours, it also gives examples on how to best use certain combinations of words. in short, thumbs up :)

[Illjwamh]

what does this mean: ゆり

It could mean any mumber of things, but the two definitions that come most readily to mind are "Lily" (the flower), and a slang term for lesbian porn.

[Moe]

how about what does なんでおね mean.

[Bane the ECF]

how about what does なんでおね mean.
The phrase you state is probably a phrase with a country-style accent/pronounciation, since it's not really proper grammar.

なんで = why

So, this phrase probably means something like "Why is it (like it is)?"


Bane

[Bane the ECF]

Aburame shino, I do not think it's legal to be posting extensive excerpts from a book that is not in the public domain. For anyone interested, the book can be purchase here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/4770017111/
Okay, it is legal to post short excerpts from a book if these conditions are met:

1) The content must be used for educational uses.
2) The content must not be used for profit.
3) Proper credit is given to the author and document in which the information was obtained. (i.e. - a proper reference page or appendix.)

I can't remember exactly how much information can actually be used from a book legally, but to my knowledge I've never borrowed more than a sentence or two per page referenced.


Bane

[belowme]

The phrase you state is probably a phrase with a country-style accent/pronounciation, since it's not really proper grammar.

なんで = why

So, this phrase probably means something like "Why is it (like it is)?"


Bane

actually, nandesune is correct japanese.
なんですか = what is it/this?

なんですね = this is used to express it more emotionally. The ね (ne) is also used in so desu ne = そですね , which can be translated as, that is right, with much enthousiasm.

なんですね, this can be negative or positive : what is that/this/it? :eek:
or what is it ?! :vomit:

[Moe]

how about 待って and also what does this mean 会ったしわ

[Bane the ECF]

待って = matte, or "wait".
会った = to have met someone. The しわ part doesn't mean anything by itself.


Bane

[belowme]

if it were to be 会ったい, then it could have been i want to meer someone, but i've never seen this form before :), but hey, i'm just starting to learn

[Bane the ECF]

if it were to be 会ったい, then it could have been i want to meer someone, but i've never seen this form before :), but hey, i'm just starting to learn
That would be 会いたい = "I want to meet someone." There's no such phrase as 会ったい.


Bane

[Illjwamh]

how about 待って and also what does this mean 会ったしわ

This looks to me like you were trying to type ”あたしは” (Atashi wa) and let the kanji converter have its way. If that is the case, it would be the beginning of a sentence, using yourself as the subject, provided you were a girl.

[Moe]

how about 待って and also what does this mean 会ったしわ

This looks to me like you were trying to type ”あたしは” (Atashi wa) and let the kanji converter have its way. If that is the case, it would be the beginning of a sentence, using yourself as the subject, provided you were a girl.


so now your calling me a girl(j/k)

so how would i type that as a guy?

[belowme]

if i'm understanding this correctly, it isn't atashi (but we haven't seen that much etiquette, so it could be that grils use other words) it is watashi wa.

and Bane, excuse me, I was using the -te from, instead of the -tai from. I see the error in my ways now :)

thank you

[Illjwamh]

This looks to me like you were trying to type ”あたしは” (Atashi wa) and let the kanji converter have its way. If that is the case, it would be the beginning of a sentence, using yourself as the subject, provided you were a girl.


so now your calling me a girl(j/k)

so how would i type that as a guy?

There are multiple ways you could say it. ぼくは (boku wa), which is generally used by younger kids,　わたしは (watashi wa), the standard, and can be used by anyone regardless of gender, status or situation, and　おれは (ore wa), which is what you'd hear most of the time if you went to Japan and started hanging out with a bunch of high school or college guys. It's informal, so you wouldn't use it when speaking to a superior or something, but it's quite common in colloquial speech. If you'll notice, a lot of anime characters use it too.

if i'm understanding this correctly, it isn't atashi (but we haven't seen that much etiquette, so it could be that grils use other words) it is watashi wa.


As I said above, watashi is the standard word for "I/me" that anyone can use.

[Moe]

how about if i said お願いします does this mean please.

[MeAndroo]

That's onegaishimasu, which basically means please. Onegai suru means to ask for a favor.

[Tamanegi Sensei]

nani nani turado suru? Give me the skimmy

[Moe]

ｶﾐｻﾏ does this say kami-sama?

[ZeroFrozzel]

Alright, i was watching Naruto, and i relized, then Naruto changes into all the girls, in episode 2, they all say Ebisu-Sama... What does that mean?

[Tatumaru]

Ebisu is a name, and the -sama part means lord or superior. Like in Inu yasha how Jakken calls Sesshomaru "Lord Sesshomaru", and in the sub, he calls him "Sesshomaru-sama"

[hekikuu]

ｶﾐｻﾏ does this say kami-sama?

Yes, but it's katakana. Kamisama is Japanese, so it should be written in hiragana.

[Moe]

ｶﾐｻﾏ does this say kami-sama?

Yes, but it's katakana. Kamisama is Japanese, so it should be written in hiragana.


so should it be like this かみさま

[ZeroFrozzel]

Thanks Himura Kenshin

[Moe]

what does this mean いぇあｋたも

[hekikuu]

so should it be like this ????

That's right. By the way, Moe, where are you picking up all of these words?

[Moe]

i would tell you but you might look at me i n a different way for the rest of your life.

[Illjwamh]

i would tell you but you might look at me i n a different way for the rest of your life.
See, now I'm really confused and even more curious.


what does this mean いぇあｋたも

I can't understand what that's supposed to say. I'm assuming it's a typo. Would you mind typing it again?

[MeAndroo]

I'm wondering if it's supposed to be iie, anata mo. If it were, that would mean, no, you too. Just speculation. The hiragana is a little off...to say the least.

[Moe]

See, now I'm really confused and even more curious.



I can't understand what that's supposed to say. I'm assuming it's a typo. Would you mind typing it again?


how about if i spelled it in english letters

eyaktamou

(i still can't spell)

[Illjwamh]

(i still can't spell)

See, now that doesn't help.:sweat:

[Moe]

it's ok forget that word

how do you say "i'm coming"(as in i'm coming to your house)

[MeAndroo]

Anytime you're talking about going somewhere, you use yourself as a reference point. The verb you'd use for going to someone's house is "iku." Depending on what you're doing, you could say, "ima iku" (I'm coming over now). The typical conjugation of iku is ikimasu, of course.

[Illjwamh]

Anytime you're talking about going somewhere, you use yourself as a reference point. The verb you'd use for going to someone's house is "iku." Depending on what you're doing, you could say, "ima iku" (I'm coming over now). The typical conjugation of iku is ikimasu, of course.
Right. And it's important to remember that iku is the verb for "to go," not "to come." That would be kuru. But you wouldn't use that, because as MeAndroo said, you're using yourself as the reference point and not the destination.

[Moe]

would you use kuru in "are you coming over?"

[Roark]

Moe: don't triple post.

[Illjwamh]

would you use kuru in "are you coming over?"
If you were asking that question from the place you were talking about (i.e. your home), then yes, you would.

[Bane the ECF]

In Japanese, directional language is always 1) referenced in respect to the speaker, or 2) referenced in respect to Tokyo (or Tokyo Station.)


Bane

[Moe]

Moe: don't triple post.


i didn't triple post

[aburame shino]

ya shur diid.

[UZ_white]

No, he didn't. You people should learn to read. He posted, than someone with the same avitar posted, than he did again. Baka...

Anyway, if you are learning Japanese, GET A JAPANESE MINIDICTIONARY! Oxford makes one of the best english to japanese and vice versa available! (The only drawback? You have to know how to read Japanese...)

[Illjwamh]

It's not that difficult. I learned hiragana in less than two weeks, and after that katakana in only a couple of days. It's kanji that's the real bitch, but any good translation dictionary will at least have furigana, if they use kanji at all.

[Bane the ECF]

It's not that difficult. I learned hiragana in less than two weeks, and after that katakana in only a couple of days. It's kanji that's the real bitch, but any good translation dictionary will at least have furigana, if they use kanji at all.

I agree with this, hiragana and katakana is a matter of learning about 100 characters, of which the first half are pronounced exactly the same as the second half (and even resemble each other in many ways.)

[w0lfW00ds_gh0st]

im wondering if anyone knows a place in Toronto that teaches Japanese?? ive been wanting to learn for a while, but my school boards classes arent very regular and my university doesnt have a japanese course T_T so if anyone does know a place where i could learn Japanese then it would be much appreciated
domo arigatou gozaimasu

[Yokuhiro]

japanese is a very interesting language, but when translated it can seem really strange...which tells you it would be hard for an american to learn it

[w0lfW00ds_gh0st]

japanese is a very interesting language, but when translated it can seem really strange...which tells you it would be hard for an american to learn it

not necessarily my friend is canadian and it took him about a year to have a sufficient working knowledge of japanese. it doesnt matter on what culture you are, tho if ur asian or indian or from the general area it makes learning languages a lot easier, as long as u have the drive to learn a new language. for me it comes easily cuz ive learnt many languages since i lived in india and pronouncing stuff comes easily to me. so it all depends on the person rather than where they live

[aburame shino]

not necessarily my friend is canadian and it took him about a year to have a sufficient working knowledge of japanese. it doesnt matter on what culture you are, tho if ur asian or indian or from the general area it makes learning languages a lot easier, as long as u have the drive to learn a new language. for me it comes easily cuz ive learnt many languages since i lived in india and pronouncing stuff comes easily to me. so it all depends on the person rather than where they live

i know cause i learned japanese fluently with in 3 years.
(i wasnt really that hard core into learning it so i'd study every now and then)

[UZ_white]

I agree with this, hiragana and katakana is a matter of learning about 100 characters, of which the first half are pronounced exactly the same as the second half (and even resemble each other in many ways.)

There are 73 characters in each of the 2 alphabets, and there IS a reason that there are 2 alphabets, if you didn't know. One is for borrowed words from other languages (ie basuboru=baseball) That is why they are pronounced the same. They are entirly seperate. And the only 2 I could find that really, TRULY are almost identical is Mo. Or Li, if you draw it wrong...

[Griveton]

I'm also not sure about whether the common prefix of "o-" (as in o-kaasan, o-kane, o-nigiri) has anything to do with politeness. There are times when the prefix is not used, so it makes me think this prefix might be optional. Or is there a set standard by which the "o-" prefix can be applied?


The japanese language, like many others, has a quite intricate politeness system. o- and go- are politeness prefixes. O- is usually for words of japanese origin, and commonly denotates deference to the noun it's added to.

In the case of women, adding o- to some nouns is usually done to denotate she is a refined person. Men usually don't do this.

[mokona]

hi

been a while since i posted here
3 years or so lol

can someone correct my composition ?
there's a couple of words i'm not sure
if they are appropriate in the context
and grammar wise i'm messed up too

thank you

此れがおれの修業だ
魂の表現

経験はおれの知覚を描
此の間おれの環境を分かる
森,空気, 水 , 人間, 地球
全ての世界は関係にありまき
均勢を逸します, 和楽妨げる
けれど俺等が統べ合わせたら
多多力を儲ける
結束は人の静脈
善し結構儲けたら
各部は驥足の潜在能力だ
でも人間を見て取る
国たちは他の国たちの血を盗み出す
俺等演じたら, 自分は肢体を切り取れ

魂の急信だ
おれの修業為続ける

[Kaito-sama]

I was just wondering... When watching anime and stuff I hear a lot of things over and over... One of these things that i'd like to know the usage for is how earlier I saw how to use "sou" but... In other circumstances i've neard "nan" (I think). How would I use it. An example of what i mean is...

Sou desu ka? - Is that so? (I think...?)
Nan desu ka?

Does that have the same meaning? And if so ... how do you differentiate?

[aburame shino]

can someone tell what the 3 symbols after 'NEWTYPE USA' mean?
on the magazine if you dont know.

[Eso]

I was just wondering... When watching anime and stuff I hear a lot of things over and over... One of these things that i'd like to know the usage for is how earlier I saw how to use "sou" but... In other circumstances i've neard "nan" (I think). How would I use it. An example of what i mean is...

Sou desu ka? - Is that so? (I think...?)
Nan desu ka?

Does that have the same meaning? And if so ... how do you differentiate?


"Nan desu ka" means "What is it?" or "What?" This is used in a completely different way than "sou desu ka." And yes, you were right. "Sou desu ka" means "Is that so?"

Some examples for each phrase:

Gakkou e no iki wa fuben desu yo. (Going to school is inconvinient.)
Sou desu ka. (Is that so?)

Anou, Eso-san... (Excuse me, Mr. Eso...)
Hai, nan desu ka. (Yes, what is it?)

Mite kudasai. Asoko ni... (Please look over there...)
Nan desu ka? (What is it?)

I think you get the idea.


Edit:
To aburame shino: The first two words mean "USA."

[Kaito-sama]

Thanks for clearing that up for me... You said that "Nan desu ka" is "what is it" I've also heard "nani ka?" or something. I'm not sure if that's how it's spelled but it sounds like that. What's would be the proper time to use each and why? What is the difference between the two? Thanks in advance. ^_^

[aburame shino]

ahhh....you guys suck. guess ill just go to a kanji site to find out :whine:

edit: SORRY! i didnt read your post all the way. ARIGATOU.
what about the third? :hugyou:
arigatooooooou!!!!!

edit #2: when you put 'mite kudasai asoko ni'
is there really suppose to be a period after kudasai.
cause when you put that, i said it to myself and it didnt sound right with a pause there.

[uremog]

huh... when you say "mite kudasai asoko ni", i wouldn't put a period between the phrases, if anything, maybe a comma.
oftentimes, particularly when speaking casually, things are said in retrospect that clarify the previous phrase.
of course, "asoko ni mite kudasai" also works...

[REB11]

Im just wondering how you guys rate from 1-10 how hard it is to learn Japanese compared to other langues just wondering cause i want to take Japanese next year in highschool

[Bane the ECF]

Im just wondering how you guys rate from 1-10 how hard it is to learn Japanese compared to other langues just wondering cause i want to take Japanese next year in highschool
I'd give it a 5 if you're really talented at memorizing (the characters,) and about a 8 if you're not good at memorizing. But learning the fundamental language structure and base hiragana/katakana characters shouldn't be too difficult.


Bane

[Tatumaru]

I was just wondering... When watching anime and stuff I hear a lot of things over and over... One of these things that i'd like to know the usage for is how earlier I saw how to use "sou" but... In other circumstances i've neard "nan" (I think). How would I use it. An example of what i mean is...

Sou desu ka? - Is that so? (I think...?)
Nan desu ka?

Does that have the same meaning? And if so ... how do you differentiate?
I just want to point out that the japanese don't use question marks. The ka at the end is the question mark.

[REB11]

k thnks just wanted to no what im in for

[UZ_white]

k thnks just wanted to no what im in for

Wait... since when are you learning Japanese? And if I were to grade it for YOU, I'd give it a 7.

[Niner]

I'm convinced that you have to be fairly proficient in your own native tongue to even consider learning another language. The use of "k thnks," and "no" instead of "know" indicates you've probably got a way to go before you can even think about trying to learn Japanese. I'd give you an 8.5.

I wish I took Japanese in high school. At least then I'd've been able to stand a chance of learning more in college. Plus, it probably would have been easier to pick up since I was younger. Oh well. At least I can read hiragana with somewhat decent accuracy. And it always wows my friends when we go out for sushi. :D

[Kaito-sama]

I just want to point out that the japanese don't use question marks. The ka at the end is the question mark.


really? That's interesting... Is there any punctuation in japanese? I never seem to see any in the karaoke's during anime openings and endings or anything.

[Niner]

When writing vertically, the Japanese do use periods to indicate the end of sentences. Then there are the dashes that separate two words or characters and I think I remember learning about a comma as well, though I could be wrong.

[Bane the ECF]

In Japanese, there is the comma, period, quotation, and bar. The bar is used to extend vowels. Kind of like how people use multiple vowels to extend words.

"Yaaaaaaay!" becomes "Ya-------y!" in Japanese. (sorta)


Bane

[Aikawa Aoi]

In Japanese, there is the comma, period, quotation, and bar. The bar is used to extend vowels. Kind of like how people use multiple vowels to extend words.

"Yaaaaaaay!" becomes "Ya-------y!" in Japanese. (sorta)


Bane
U'r right.
And I think, sometimes in manga they also use small つ　.

Example : "Yaaa!!!" becomes " やつつ !! "

[REB11]

Wait... since when are you learning Japanese? And if I were to grade it for YOU, I'd give it a 7.

I'd give it a 5 if you're really talented at memorizing (the characters,) and about a 8 if you're not good at memorizing. But learning the fundamental language structure and base hiragana/katakana characters shouldn't be too difficult.


Bane

wait by this do u mean that out of 10 its a five to learn right. and UZ yes am goin to learn it!!!

[shadothemur]

hey, new here. thers over 7 pages and i dont hav the time to read through all of em, so ill jus say wutever rite now. if i repeat anything, feel free to bash me :bik:

well here's the tricky thing about learnin japanese-- its not really much of a problem to memorize all the kana (92 hiragana and katakana in all), u jus gotta figure out how to work the grammar correctly when ur tryin to speak. the characters themselves are pretty basic since they all take less than 4 strokes to write. when u reach higher levels where u'll need kanji, it starts gettin harder. it also depends on ur dedication and how relaxed u can make urself. i kno some ppl in my skool who are struggling in japanese jus cuz they didnt wana take spanish or french or already knew mandarin.

i'd giv it a 6

[pyokin]

Konnichiwa

I'd like to know
what does
"zen zen" means? Is it something related with the dialogue??
thanking you

[animefreek_CM]

how do you say 'do you have a penis' in japanese? i know that sound weird, but some of us need to know these things

[shadothemur]

zen zen = none, nothing (when counting), no more, etc.

since there's no real word for penis in japanese, i wouldnt kno. or at least thers no real word for penis that i kno of yet :sweat:

[pyokin]

Thanks Shadothemur!
I think it's a quite useful expression.
and...is there someone who knows how to say in japanese
"What would you do if ..."
"I'm half (a nationality)"
Arigatouu.

[animefreek_CM]

lol thx anyways

[shadothemur]

"what would you do if..." (if [something] happens, how would you deal with it?") - ______[insert some sort of event] kara, nande ni taisho suru(informal)/shite(formal) desu ka(formal)/da(informal)/ka(informal)?
e.g.: if your lover died, what would you do?
= koibito o shinimashita kara, nande ni taisho suru ka?

"(im) half/part ____[nationality]" - (watashi/boku/ore/ware/washi (if ur a senior citizen:sweat: ) wa) ippun ______[enter japanese pronunciation or name for a country]-jin to ippun _______(fill in other country)-jin desu.
e.g.:i'm part chinese, part vietnamese, and part cambodian (<--maybe. but im chinese and vietnamese for sure O_o).
= boku wa ippun chuugokujin to ippun betonamojin to ippun kanbojiajin desu.

-jin means a prsn of that country, hence u are that nationality. jus say the country and add jin after it and presto, there u hav it. btw, neglect the word "ban" for half, and jus say "ippun" for 'one part'. this is jus for contextual flow.

did madoka say anything about the japanese not really refering to themselves that much? cuz its true; u'll hardly ever hear sum1 say "watashi wa" or "boku wa" or any other variation of "I" or "me". the thing is, the japanese tend to focus more on themselves as part of a unit, so they wont say "I" that often.

keep askin questions guys, ur helpin out my grammar :hyper:

[animefreek_CM]

ok. instead of 'do you have a penis,' how about 'are you a real girl?'

[shadothemur]

anata wa hontouno onna no hito desu ka.
careful how u use it tho, hahah

[pyokin]

Thanks shadothemur!
And...What about when you finish a work or an acting, you say something to your co-workers. What is that?
It starts with the onorific "o".
Thanks.
(btw, are you japanese or something like that? what about your japanese studies?)
pykn.

[w0lfW00ds_gh0st]

isnt it something like "otskuaresama/otskuaredeshita" (sp??) which means "good work/good job" or smth like that?? my prof used it a coupla times (hes japanese, d'uh =P) and ive heard it in anime a few times

[Aikawa Aoi]

Otsukaresama means 'thanks for u'r hard works...'.... i think.
What about gokurosama??

[shadothemur]

wolfwood's right. jus misspelled it a bit :P. its otsukuaresama/otsukuaredeshita.
and to answer ur question, no im not japanese. that example i made about wut race shows wut i really am (except maybe cambodian, not sure bout that yet cuz my grandma doesnt really talk about her childhood). i jus study japanese on my own and at skool (im in japanese 2 out of 4; 11th grade, jus turned 17), after i can speak fluently, i plan on takin up german or latin.

[shadothemur]

gokurou-sama = thank you for your trouble

[w0lfW00ds_gh0st]

whoa i was right o-0? lol and im not even studying Japanese, i just picked it up while watching anime. damn ur lucky shadothemur u have japanese in school, wish i had that opportunity

[shadothemur]

yea but my teacher cant teach even tho she's japanese and the other one doesn't really help either. thats why im jus learnin on my own XP

<--- getting the highest grade in class, lol

[w0lfW00ds_gh0st]

hahahah lucky you =P

[Aikawa Aoi]

Hi all....
Have u ever heard some words like peko-peko, doki-doki, mecha-gecha, mero-mero??
Somebody help me please... tell me the other words beside that four.
And what is that grammar called??

[pyokin]

those things you want are onomatopoeias.
they're used in mangas for example.
Others:
niku niku : smiling
appu appu: sinking
uyouyo: a lot of things moving on (bugs)
kasa kasa: dryness, litle rustle, (friction of dry leaves)
don don : someone on the staircase going up or down
pata pata : someone running
katan katan : regular noise of a train, tip truck, tram
gata gata : to tremble (because of cold)
and thousands more
I can send you more if you wish

[shadothemur]

thers a whole list of commonly-used and seen onomatopoeia in the back of each volume of Fruits Basket (English release) by Tokyopop. that could help too :D
pyokin's list might be better, the fruits basket one only has around 100 sound effects, still good though :P

[pyokin]

There are other onomatopoeias:
or how to express pain (mimesis):

Your head buzzes or hums as if it would explode: Atama ga gan gan suru (shimasu)
Your head aches on and off with a throbbing pain: Atama ga zuki zuki suru (shimasu)

[wyldchild14]

i wish i can have japanese in my school it sucks....

[Junko]

I've been teaching my club memebers Japanese at my school. Thanks you guys for all these translations. This will really help a lot.

[shadothemur]

u guys hav a japanese club at ur skool? o_o sounds a hell of a lot funner than takin it as a class... especially with my boring ass teachers -__-''....

[Sashi-senpai]

best guide to the language I've ever found: http://genki.yousei-ziploc.com/intro.php

Right now it has 74 lessons and intros to Katakana and Hiragana. I like it alot because it's alot easier to understand that alot of others out there...

[w0lfW00ds_gh0st]

sashi-senpai, thank you for posting that site. its been a major help!!! thanks a lot, now i can teach myself japanese a little faster that learning it via anime =P

[Truten]

Konbanwa, bokuwa truten desu. koko youn nense desu. terebigamu ga sukidesu. pizza ga tabemas. boku wa haha ga sukijanai desu.

i dunno, im currently taking japanese in school and i plan to take it during college hopfully. but those are some of the things ive learned. how to present myself, what i like, what i dislike, and ive learned all of the hiragana and how to put sentences together. but there is still so much more that i need to learn, i am striving to become fluent in the language because i want to live there one day.

[uremog]

:) good luck with learning japanese, here's a few pointers that might help out...

koko youn nense desu.
here, this would be "yo nensei" if you use romaji (romanization)

terebigamu ga sukidesu.
"terebigeemu", you've probly realized that this is a romaization for "television game" (video game), so it will come out as "geemu", otherwise it kinda sounds like TV gum :)

pizza ga tabemas.
this is saying that you eat pizza, maybe try pizza ga suki/pizza mo suki (mo here means 'also')

but don't worry! the more you use the language the more familiar you get with it, it's not like they're big mistakes anyway... good luck

[Mikie]

Very cool. Learning has been going pretty slow for me.

[shadothemur]

my class is unbelievably slow. we've been learning the same chapter (7 pages) for over 3 weeks now!! it took me a month studying on my own with books i got from a friend to cover a semester and a half of material in our class right now!! >__< i think i'm jus gonna quit japanese and study on my own. makes things more convenient

[soundchazer]

:) good luck with learning japanese, here's a few pointers that might help out...

koko youn nense desu.
here, this would be "yo nensei" if you use romaji (romanization)

terebigamu ga sukidesu.
"terebigeemu", you've probly realized that this is a romaization for "television game" (video game), so it will come out as "geemu", otherwise it kinda sounds like TV gum :)

pizza ga tabemas.
this is saying that you eat pizza, maybe try pizza ga suki/pizza mo suki (mo here means 'also')

but don't worry! the more you use the language the more familiar you get with it, it's not like they're big mistakes anyway... good luck

I was thinking that another good way to go to avoid being repetitive would be:

terebigeemu to pizza wo tottemo suki (I love pizza and tv games).

Why change the particle ga to the particle wo? Because the particle を (wo) indicates that the word or wordgroup preceding it is the grammatical object of the sentence.

[Admiral Ackbar]

Actually I believe ga is correct. wo (pronouned o) is more common such as the sentance "Watashi wa itsumo asagohan o tabemasu." But when dealing with likes and dislikes ga is used it has something to do with context.

[soundchazer]

you are right. It should be ga. Therefore the sentence would be:

terebigeemu to pizza ga tottemo suki (I love pizza and tv games).

Thanks for the heads up

[amosmoss]

Dear teachers,

When are the words "ni" and "no" used with nouns that are places? The language book I use says that "ni" is the equivalent of "in" in English (ex. heya ni : "in the room") while "no" is that of "of" in English (ex. heya no kii : "key of the room"). Is this correct? Are there any exceptions?

[shadothemur]

there aren't any exceptions to wut u've said so far. but there are some additional uses for the particles, as in all particles.
the particle "ni" can be used as a direction particle. by that i mean if you were saying something like "I am going to japan tomorrow" you would say "ashita nihon ni ikimasu". you put "ni" in front of the object to assure that it is the object, the finish the sentence with the verb. the same rule can apply to object/verb relationships in general. the pattern goes:
"Time Noun ni Verb".

the particle "no" is much less complex. other than the equivalent of the word "of", it is used as a noun indicator. in the phrase "one fish", "ippiki no sakana", for example, the particle "no" is used to indicate the noun, which would be the fish. technically, it can be used to make the sentence flow after a counter.

hope this helps! i'd make more complex examples, but i hav a lot of work to do -__-''...

[Admiral Ackbar]

even more simple
ni is used after time or place but can occassionally be dropped since it sort of works like the word at (if you wouldn't say at in English don't say ni in Japanese)

no is possessive a possessive article.
Watashi no kutsu = my shoes

[Junko]

Ok I need help with this, Azumanga Daioh fans better be listening (er...reading...)


What the hell doe "Nande O'ne" (hope I spelt that right..") mean?

It was translated as "Why the Heck," but i really want ot know what this means and how it's spelt if not spelt correctly. Thank You. :help:

[Admiral Ackbar]

Well it's like Nan de o ne. Nan is what I have no idea what the de o would be but the ne is like ka, it acts as a question mark.

[shadothemur]

nandeyo nen or nandeyanen is just an expression. its kinda like itadakimasu or gochisou sama where u cant really break it down and get a literal english translation for it.

[M.Baka]

i would love to learn Japanese so if anyone knows a good place to start. Please tell me.

[shadothemur]

best guide to the language I've ever found: http://genki.yousei-ziploc.com/intro.php

Right now it has 74 lessons and intros to Katakana and Hiragana. I like it alot because it's alot easier to understand that alot of others out there...

that should work. props to sashi-senpai! :tup:

[amosmoss]

"Basu wa itsu demasu ka?"

- What does "demasu" mean?

"Nani ga irimasu ka?"

- What does "irimasu" mean?

Does anyone know what "imasu" means?

[shadothemur]

demasu is... are u sure u dont mean "de imasu"? cuz that would make the sentence:
"basu wa itsu de arimasu ka?" --> "when is the bus here?"
or even "de itte"? because that would make the sentence:
it shuold really be "basu wa itsu de itte desu ka?" - "when will the bus be here?"

irimasu is "need". "what do you need?"

"imasu" is the positive form to indicate an animate thing's existence. u use it when u indicate animals, people, or robots that can act on their own. not to be confused with arimasu, which is used to indicate inanimate things.

[Admiral Ackbar]

Nani ga irimasu ka?

that should definitely read Nani ga arimasu ka. (No need for a question mark since ka acts as a question mark) and it is asking what is that most likely (hard to figure out without a subject)

Basu wa itsu demasu ka

I'm not sure what your verb is there. De is a place mark (which denotes where an action is occuring). I'm assuming that there is an implied location of "here". and masu, well that doesn't mean anything. So something has been left out. I would guess it should be arimasu, although that doesn't really work.

[aburame shino]

Nani ga irimasu ka?

that should definitely read Nani ga arimasu ka. (No need for a question mark since ka acts as a question mark) and it is asking what is that most likely (hard to figure out without a subject)

Basu wa itsu demasu ka

I'm not sure what your verb is there. De is a place mark (which denotes where an action is occuring). I'm assuming that there is an implied location of "here". and masu, well that doesn't mean anything. So something has been left out. I would guess it should be arimasu, although that doesn't really work.



that sentence is wrong.
it should be----basu wa itsu de imasu ka??
since bus is an inanimate object, the verb should be 'imasu'
if it were an animate object, like bob, the verb should be arimasu!!

wakarimasu ka?

[shadothemur]

uh, shino?... do you know what the difference is between "animate" and "inanimate" objects?
according to dictionary.com:

an·i·mate Audio pronunciation of "animate" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-mt)
tr.v. an·i·mat·ed, an·i·mat·ing, an·i·mates - adj. (n-mt)
1. Possessing life; living. See Synonyms at living.

inanimate - in·an·i·mate Audio pronunciation of "inanimate" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-n-mt)
adj.
1. Not having the qualities associated with active, living organisms. See Synonyms at dead.

pay attention here if you go to japan and don't wana be arrested during an interrogation: the particle used for animate, or living, objects is "imasu". while the particle for INanimate, or DEAD, objects is "arimasu". know your limits in the language, then learn to go beyong before you try to teach something incorrect.

wakarimasu ka?

[amosmoss]

uh, shino?... do you know what the difference is between "animate" and "inanimate" objects?
according to dictionary.com:

an·i·mate Audio pronunciation of "animate" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-mt)
tr.v. an·i·mat·ed, an·i·mat·ing, an·i·mates - adj. (n-mt)
1. Possessing life; living. See Synonyms at living.

inanimate - in·an·i·mate Audio pronunciation of "inanimate" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-n-mt)
adj.
1. Not having the qualities associated with active, living organisms. See Synonyms at dead.

pay attention here if you go to japan and don't wana be arrested during an interrogation: the particle used for animate, or living, objects is "imasu". while the particle for INanimate, or DEAD, objects is "arimasu". know your limits in the language, then learn to go beyong before you try to teach something incorrect.

wakarimasu ka?


Wakarimasu.

My book gives an example: "Basu ga arimasu ka?" (Is there a bus?)
I suppose this gives further proof that you are right.


About my previous example, "Basu wa itsu demasu ka": maybe the "demasu" is a typographical error in my book.

[Admiral Ackbar]

uh, shino?... do you know what the difference is between "animate" and "inanimate" objects?
according to dictionary.com:

an·i·mate Audio pronunciation of "animate" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-mt)
tr.v. an·i·mat·ed, an·i·mat·ing, an·i·mates - adj. (n-mt)
1. Possessing life; living. See Synonyms at living.

inanimate - in·an·i·mate Audio pronunciation of "inanimate" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (n-n-mt)
adj.
1. Not having the qualities associated with active, living organisms. See Synonyms at dead.

pay attention here if you go to japan and don't wana be arrested during an interrogation: the particle used for animate, or living, objects is "imasu". while the particle for INanimate, or DEAD, objects is "arimasu". know your limits in the language, then learn to go beyong before you try to teach something incorrect.

wakarimasu ka?


Uh if I am not mistaken, imasu applies to people and animals; arimasu to everything else.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

No, demasu is the formal form of the verb deru, to leave.

Thus rendering the sentence: "when does the bus leave?"

Likewise, irimasu is the formal form of the verb iru. Two different verbs rendered iru conjugate to irimasu: to enter and to need.

Thus rendering the sentence either: what do [you] need, since "what do [you] enter"/"what are [you] entering" sounds kinda awkward.

It would really be a lot easier to identify these things if there was kanji involved though.

[shadothemur]

i always thought to leave was "dero". but considering dictionary and casual pronunciations often end with a "ru", i suppose you're right.

[amosmoss]

Do all verbs end in "ru"? I am only familiar with the formal forms: ikimasu, mimasu, kikoemasu, furemasu, ajiwaimasu, etc.

Does this mean that the normal form of the verbs are : ikiru, miru, kikoeru, fureru and ajiwairu?

[MeAndroo]

Do all verbs end in "ru"? I am only familiar with the formal forms: ikimasu, mimasu, kikoemasu, furemasu, ajiwaimasu, etc.

Does this mean that the normal form of the verbs are : ikiru, miru, kikoeru, fureru and ajiwairu?

Unfortunately no. Ikimasu (to go) has a normal form of iku, and many other verbs do not end in -ru. For example, you mention kikoeru, which is the potential form of kiku, to listen. There's pretty much a verb ending in every single -u kana, i.e. u, su, mu, bu, hu, etc etc.

And a small suggestion: as you learn the formal conjugations, you might as well memorize the casual/plain form. You'll be using it way more.

i always thought to leave was "dero".

It is if you're commanding someone to get out. I believe it's called the imperative, and it's one of the most fun forms to use.

[shadothemur]

ooo that clears sumthin up for me then. haha, and yea it is the funnest form to use

[Rei_Kashino]

Ok im just gonna let it be known i know little to no japanese so if any one is willing to take on a student please let me know thank you very much ^_^

[Wicked Hippie]

Does anybody know what "etsu ni iru" might mean in english?

[GODofDEATH1]

sorry for interrupting from across the sea, but I am a student of Chinese, and do any of you try calligraphy? It's a lot of fun, if you havent tried it, just go to a staples or an arts and craft store and get a cheap bottle of ink and paper, even if you have no clue it's a lot of fun to make the strokes.

and to make this more relevant; I don't know much about japanese but is it the same as korean and chinese as it applies to word order? Linguists call chinese an SVO language, meaing the word order is the subject, then the object and the verb? I haven't had the time to read all 25 pages, so my bad if it's been adressed already.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

sorry for interrupting from across the sea, but I am a student of Chinese, and do any of you try calligraphy? It's a lot of fun, if you havent tried it, just go to a staples or an arts and craft store and get a cheap bottle of ink and paper, even if you have no clue it's a lot of fun to make the strokes.

and to make this more relevant; I don't know much about japanese but is it the same as korean and chinese as it applies to word order? Linguists call chinese an SVO language, meaing the word order is the subject, then the object and the verb? I haven't had the time to read all 25 pages, so my bad if it's been adressed already.


Yes, subject object verb (and SVO is subject verb object, not subject object verb).

Mind you, in Japanese, the subject and object can be interchangable, as long as the verb remains at the end of the sentence. You'd just have to change a few particles I think.

[Jun_Inohara]

Does anybody know what "etsu ni iru" might mean in english?

悦に入る 【えつにいる】 to be pleased, to gloat, to glow with self-satisfaction

Ah, dictionary, I love you :P That is to say, I can't take credit for knowing it :P


God of Death- Japanese is an SOV language :) Subject-object-verb (Watashi ha gakkou he ikimasu ===> Watashi(subject, I), ha/wa (particle marking the topic), gakkou (object, school), he/e (particle showing movement), ikimasu (verb, go). I know it's been covered in this thread somewhere, but there it is again :P


Edit: whoops someone was faster than me :)

[GODofDEATH1]

i meant SOV, my bad -_-.

thanks

[Sashi-senpai]

I'm slowly learning to write hiragana (it's hard for me...), is there anyone who knows it and can look at my writing to see if the letters look write? I ending up doing like, nearly a whole page just to learn 'a' ( あ ) lol.
Is there anyone who can tell me if it looks right? >.<

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

I'm slowly learning to write hiragana (it's hard for me...), is there anyone who knows it and can look at my writing to see if the letters look write? I ending up doing like, nearly a whole page just to learn 'a' ( あ ) lol.
Is there anyone who can tell me if it looks right? >.<


I can do it if you can scan it in and put it somewhere. But you can also just look at a computer font in detail (blow it up to say 40-60 pt) and see where your characters differ.

[Admiral Ackbar]

The thing about Hiragana is that with some of the characters there are two different ways to draw them. (ki and sa are two that immediately come to mind). But it sort of the same with our alphabet where the letter a for example can be written two different ways.

[Junko]

I know hirigana and I'll give you a little tip to help you out.

For me the problem was that there are two ways to spell "O"

The first one, the one that looks similar to the "Ah" symbol is used in words and the second one is used only on it's own. if that doesnt make sense try using the book I learned from.

Let's Learn Hirigana and Let's Learn katakana are good resources.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0870117092/103-8204042-6483839?v=glance

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

I know hirigana and I'll give you a little tip to help you out.

For me the problem was that there are two ways to spell "O"

The first one, the one that looks similar to the "Ah" symbol is used in words and the second one is used only on it's own. if that doesnt make sense try using the book I learned from.

Let's Learn Hirigana and Let's Learn katakana are good resources.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0870117092/103-8204042-6483839?v=glance


The fact that there's both a particle "(w)o" and a non particle "o" has nothing to do with whether the letters are being written correctly. (And its hi-ra-ga-na. ひらがな )

[Junko]

My bad, Hiragana. It's hard to explain wuithout pictures. That and I'm not the best at describing.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

My bad, Hiragana. It's hard to explain wuithout pictures. That and I'm not the best at describing.


There's... nothing to explain. You were talking about a completely different topic than the original poster who asked the question.

[Niner]

My bad, Hiragana. It's hard to explain wuithout pictures. That and I'm not the best at describing.

Or spelling either, apparently. The difference between "ri" and "ra" is a pretty big one, especially for someone who purports to know hiragana.

Oh, and the two "o" hiragana are: お and を.

[shadothemur]

another thing u hav to pay attention to is that the particle "wo" is spelled with the "w" in most guide books as well as... well, i dont know any other types of books that use romaji XD. and the character "o" is simply spelled "o" all the time. just watch for the "w". im not sure wut kind of book ur using AOJ.

also, try "Japanese for busy people". dont depend on it too much though, as it's only good for learning how to communicate in the business world and has nothing useful for casual conversation.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

another thing u hav to pay attention to is that the particle "wo" is spelled with the "w" in most guide books as well as... well, i dont know any other types of books that use romaji XD. and the character "o" is simply spelled "o" all the time. just watch for the "w". im not sure wut kind of book ur using AOJ.

also, try "Japanese for busy people". dont depend on it too much though, as it's only good for learning how to communicate in the business world and has nothing useful for casual conversation.


But you know what, any book that uses romanization past the first or second chapter isn't worth a thing. You need to learn to read the kana fluently, because the romanization in Japan varies drastically from location to location, or is utterly nonexistent. So whether you can tell wo apart from o is utterly irrelevant, as long as you can tell を from お.

[shadothemur]

But you know what, any book that uses romanization past the first or second chapter isn't worth a thing. You need to learn to read the kana fluently, because the romanization in Japan varies drastically from location to location, or is utterly nonexistent. So whether you can tell wo apart from o is utterly irrelevant, as long as you can tell を from お.

u got a point there, but i was thinking along the lines of books for a beginner's sake or those who are linguistically challenged, as Sashi-senpai says she is.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

I don't think Sashi has any problems understanding the language, but rather just finds it difficult to produce the characters mechanically. Makes you wonder who's really linguistically challenged.

[Angry John]

Its been very easy to learn to recognize all the hiragana and katakana by sight over the last coupe of days.

What seems strange (but I hope isn't) is that I still have some difficulty writing the characters from scratch. What I mean is, when starting to write a word on a blank sheet of paper, I'll know which character I need to write, but I sometimes can't bring to mind what it looks like.

Practice makes perfect, I'm sure...but did anyone else have this problem and come up with any magic tricks to overcome it?

[Junko]

Or spelling either, apparently. The difference between "ri" and "ra" is a pretty big one, especially for someone who purports to know hiragana.

It was a typo when i was writing it out. I know the difference betweent he kana symbols.

And I'm using the books I recomended. They helped me alot.

[Chichiri Sama]

someone mind explaining -tte to me? I don't really get it and I never found any explanations of it in any of my grammar books.

and if possible, anything else that is similar. isn't there a -tto as well?

[Admiral Ackbar]

no there isn't

when a mini tsu - ( っ )is put between two other hiragana characters (same thing for katakana but I won't bother demonstrating that) it creates a double vowel in the romaji spelling (except with the letter n because that has its own character)

Example なって - natte (not actually a word)

[Chichiri Sama]

i know what it is. my question is what is it exactly, definition and such.

ex: nan datte?
ringo tte nan desu ka?

[Admiral Ackbar]

The double consonants represents a slight pause in pronounciation.

I mean I really don't know how else to explain it. The best I can come up with is that it's like an apostrophe in words like isn't, can't, won't etc.

[Chichiri Sama]

yes, however the thing is that as far as i know, it's not a continuation of the previous word. it's something all on its own.

it could be a slight pause, but from what i gathered it seems like it's somewhat more than that.

[Admiral Ackbar]

well I've never seen tte on it's own unless it's a typo.

Or you're mistaking it for the word tsute

[MeAndroo]

There's a number of uses. Sometimes, datte represents something similary to quote marks. When someone's relaying a message, they may say "chichiri ha ii desu yo" datte (chichiri said it's ok). In the sentence "ringo tte nan desu ka?" it means "what's ringo?" or "what does ringo mean?" and places emphasis on the word ringo. For "nan datte?" it means "what was that?" or "what was it?," often if you're trying to remember something.

As far as its implications regarding verbs, it's the ending for verbs ending in u, tsu, or ru. I forget the exact term, but it can either let the sentence continue after the verb natte is used (samuku ni natte, kaze wo hichatta. - it became cold and I caught a cold), or as a command (rippana ningen ni natte - become a splendid person)...in this case, natte can be followed by kudasai (please) or choudai (casual please).

When iu is added behind tte, it can be used to describe something.
Ex. "kaji wo tatakau tte iu no shigoto" (it's the work of fighting fires). Other people should feel free to add, or I'll do it when I have more time.

[Chichiri Sama]

thanks for the clarification though it added another question.

samuku ni natte = samuku natte, right?

[aburame shino]

sanji wa raishuu kara resutoran de arubaito wo hajimeru sou desu!!!

soshite boku wa sakadachi ga dekiru!!

but nobody cares right!?

[MeAndroo]

samuku ni natte = samuku natte, right?

Right right, my bad. I tend to just write how I would speak, which is rarely, if ever, truly grammatically correct.

[Chichiri Sama]

well, i didn't mean it as a correction. is samuku ni natte correct as well? Or is it just one of those things they say but aren't grammatically correct? i'm not very well versed on being able to say things many ways so i'm just curious.

[aburame shino]

i could help if anyone has a question!

we should start a japanese quiz or somehting.

ya know, like give out a random sentence to see if anybody knows them!!!!
and if they dont get it, the person who gave the sent should explain it to them. sentence structure and what not!!!

[Junko]

Cool idea but I'de start a seperate thread for that.

Meanwhile, what does the phrase "Nande Onen" mena. Sorry if i spelt that wrong but the term comes up in Azumanga daioh several times and I'm not to sure about the translation.

[soundchazer]

I have a word for you guys:

oppai

[Tamanegi Sensei]

I have a word for you guys:

oppai


Breast Pudding? You gotta be sh**in me. Thats even more bizzar than nipple wine. Hey this pocket book is workin out more than I thought

[Tamanegi Sensei]

Oh gawd... oppai...

great, theres another word I probably didnt need to learn about.

ok then

Manzuri

Ooooooook.... This might be a bit too mature for you AOJ. Manzuri is 10,000 rubs. But heh heh... err...geez. You don't want to know what kinda rubs.

[aburame shino]

Cool idea but I'de start a seperate thread for that.

Meanwhile, what does the phrase "Nande Onen" mena. Sorry if i spelt that wrong but the term comes up in Azumanga daioh several times and I'm not to sure about the translation.

i'll start a new thread and answer your ? there!!
come vist the thread, K?

[shadothemur]

nah i think it'll be ok if we jus hav the quizzes here. i think the title is kind of suited for that kind of thing, dont u think? XP

nandeyonen means "why the hell" and its used in a type of play with puppets (i think... doubt it though) where one says something stupid and the other one replies with a bonk with a foam hammer while saying "nandeyonen" or sometimes "nandeyanen". i forgot the name of the puppet show so consult either A) someone who knows/might know, or B) watch Azumanga Daioh.

[MeAndroo]

nah i think it'll be ok if we jus hav the quizzes here. i think the title is kind of suited for that kind of thing, dont u think? XP

nandeyonen means "why the hell" and its used in a type of play with puppets (i think... doubt it though) where one says something stupid and the other one replies with a bonk with a foam hammer while saying "nandeyonen" or sometimes "nandeyanen". i forgot the name of the puppet show so consult either A) someone who knows/might know, or B) watch Azumanga Daioh.

Nandeyanen is kansai-ben. It's often used in comedy teams where the "boke" (stupid, idiot) character does, as Shado says, say something stupid and is hit in the head for it. It's extremely common, and is a mainstay of major comedy teams like Downtown.

[Chichiri Sama]

anyone mind explaining this.

what's the difference between ~ageru and ~yaru?

misete yaru = ill show you.

sore wa tabete ageru = ill eat that for you.

ii deshou? any difference or none? or is it just seem different because of two situations are different?

[MeAndroo]

anyone mind explaining this.

what's the difference between ~ageru and ~yaru?

misete yaru = ill show you.

sore wa tabete ageru = ill eat that for you.

ii deshou? any difference or none? or is it just seem different because of two situations are different?

Technically speaking, they generally mean the same thing, to give. The connotational differences are that yaru is typically used when addressing someone lower than you hierarchichally. It's also often used with pets. Depending on your familiarity with someone, or how casually you speak, you may use them interchangeably at times.

That's how I remember it being anyway.

[pyokin]

konnichiwa
I'd like to know how do you say when you want to greet someone, indirectly. (when you talk to someone and say: Send greetings to X.
is it something with "yoroshiku onegai shimasu"?
thankss

[MeAndroo]

konnichiwa
I'd like to know how do you say when you want to greet someone, indirectly. (when you talk to someone and say: Send greetings to X.
is it something with "yoroshiku onegai shimasu"?
thankss

It depends on where you and this other person lie on the hierarchy, but I suppose "x-san ni yoroshiku wo tsutaete kudasai" should work...maybe "x-san ni mo yoroshiku ne"

[Tenken's Smile]

I have a question: Can "nee-chan" be substituted for "onee-chan", and can "chan" be substituted for "san" in this case???

[shadothemur]

the prefix "o" in front of most words is used as a particle to make the subject more formal. saying "chan" and "san" depends on the speaker's closeness to the subject. for instance, if i were close to my older sister, i would call her "(o)nee-chan", but if i wasn't as close i would stick with calling her by "-san". the -chan and -san suffixes work with pretty much everyone. -san. however, is mainly used to address people in general, and is a sign of respect rather than endearment as -chan is.

[Tenken's Smile]

Thanks for the explanation!

[LadyYuina]

I was wondering between the difference of kudasai and onegaishimasu. Which one should be used for which circumstances??

[Angry John]

I was wondering between the difference of kudasai and onegaishimasu. Which one should be used for which circumstances??

I'm a rank beginner, but for what it's worth:

When "Onegaishimasu" is used to request a concrete item, its a little more high-sounding than than "kudasai".

It can also be used to ask for less concrete things like understanding, explanations, etc.

[LadyYuina]

Oh okay, thanks for the explanation. ^^

[oOyoshinoriOo]

um, i was wondering, how do you formerly greet yourself, to your parents or higher authority? just asking, because i have a tea ceremony next week. ^^;;

[Eso]

i know what it is. my question is what is it exactly, definition and such.

ex: nan datte?
ringo tte nan desu ka?


In that way used, tte == to iu koto

That's what I was told.


Going off on a tangent, but if you wanted to say something like "Just what was it?" as if you were wondering, you could say "nan dakke"

I remember someone asking me where something is and I wanted to say "where... hmm..." but it ended coming out as "doko tte" and it sounded kinda rude. I should've said "doko dakke..." instead.

[ShinoMatrix]

I was wondering between the difference of kudasai and onegaishimasu. Which one should be used for which circumstances??


Kudasai I think can be more simply put as "please" whereas onegaishimasu is more like "I beg of you"... like for example, when buying a newspaper at those train stations, you might say "kore wa shinbun wo kudasai" (this newspaper please)... if you say "shinbun onegaishimasu" it's sounding somewhat odd, I guess, though in a slightly different context it will still make sense.


um, i was wondering, how do you formerly greet yourself, to your parents or higher authority? just asking, because i have a tea ceremony next week. ^^;;


"Konnichiwa. Watashi wa oOyoshinoriOo desu. Doozo yoroshikuonegaishimasu" should suffice ;)

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

um, i was wondering, how do you formerly greet yourself, to your parents or higher authority? just asking, because i have a tea ceremony next week. ^^;;


"Konnichiwa. Watashi wa oOyoshinoriOo desu. Doozo yoroshikuonegaishimasu" should suffice ;)


Maybe not, for something like a tea ceremony, keigo would probably be necessary, and that would mean stuff like "to moshimasu" and such. I don't speak keigo at all, so I can't help you out at all.

[ShinoMatrix]

Looking at her Locations thing (which says Japan, though how accurate that is, I'm not sure), then perhaps you may be right. I initially assumed she was doing this on some cultural event on some other country, and that might have been just enough. Though in this case, my 2nd semester Japanese in uni certainly doesn't make me an expert in this situation either.

My suggestion... whenever anyone says something just say kochirakoso onegaishimasu :p (try not to take me too seriously most days :XD: )

[yami]

i'm a begginer so am i right in saying that to say 'please help me'
would be
'tusukete onagaeshimasu

[flclluva_123]

watshiwa animeacademy ga suki desu :thumbup:

[shadothemur]

@yami:
it would be "Tasukete onegaishimasu"
but you're gettin the hang of it. keep studying and u'll be better in no time!

[The unemployed]

Tasukete onegaishimasu makes sense.
but it is not natural expression for me.
Tasuketekudasai is better.

[LadyYuina]

I've seen an anime where they say doomo arigatou gozaimashita instead of just gozaimasu... what's the difference between that? Isn't mashita like a past-tense term or something...?

[Javer]

I've seen an anime where they say doomo arigatou gozaimashita instead of just gozaimasu... what's the difference between that? Isn't mashita like a past-tense term or something...?

Normally, and it actually does retain that "past" sense in the phrase. "Doumo arigatou gozaimashita" means "Thank you very much for what you've done for me". It implies a great favor that has already been carried out.

[animepeach89]

i have been trying to learn japanese for a while now but it just wont stick in my head

whats does it mean when you say; o ekutsu desu ka??

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

i have been trying to learn japanese for a while now but it just wont stick in my head

whats does it mean when you say; o ekutsu desu ka??


I don't think "ekutsu" is a word. If you mean "ikutsu," it would mean "how old are you?"

[Angry John]

I don't think "ekutsu" is a word. If you mean "ikutsu," it would mean "how old are you?"

Yeah, "Oikutsu desu ka" is a 'polite' way to ask some one's age.

My instructor warns, though <insert accent>, "If you ask a girl's age this way, you will still not be getting her digits."

[Javer]

My instructor warns, though <insert accent>, "If you ask a girl's age this way, you will still not be getting her digits."

Sage advice.

[Hedar]

Could anybody tell me if "Japanese for Busy People" is really a good book?, I mean, will I learn a considerable amount of japanese or will I just waste my money? and I'll also appreciate any book you could suggest me. :gmorning:

[Junko]

No it isnt...

Good books I recomend would be:

Japanese at a Glance (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0764103202/104-4103917-3197535?v=glance)
Teach Yourself Japanese (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0071431578/qid=1125609939/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-4103917-3197535?v=glance&s=books)
Rosseta Stone Japanese (http://www.rosettastone.com/ind/catalog?affiliate=google18&language=jpn)

That last one is a actually a computer thing but it helped me alot so I thought it would be a good idea to post it. I hope this helps :)

[Hedar]

Thank you
I'll try to get them

[Hunter]

Konichiwaaaa mina-saaan,

Just watch a lot of subtitled anime and you will be fine *_*

[LadyYuina]

In Japanese anime I sometimes hear a character (usually a female one) say arigatou gozaima"su". The "su" part is not silent, why do they sometimes say words that end with masu, desu etc... like that?

[hekikuu]

I think it's a way of being very polite -- fully pronouncing a syllable that is often truncated.

[shadothemur]

this is basic stuff, look it up. it's really too hard to explain to someone just learning the language =|
speakin of which: LadyYuina, haven't you explained a lot of the japanese language questions that people have posted in here?? O__=

anyway, i rarely hear people say "arigato gozaima". i usually hear them either pronounce the full phrase or just say arigato. as for desu, it's more common for people to say either da for a casual speaker or desu for a formal speaker.

[Kaito Fujiwara]

what would be some good books or sites for learning kanji? and don't tell me to google it 'cause I tried that already and got crap.

[Finnf00]

Maybe you should learn the language before you start memorizing kanji symbols. Or at least study them side by side. Learning even the most basic kanji is no easy task, and that's like what? 1000?

[Kaito Fujiwara]

....my plan is to learn both side by side, and i've already got something for learning to speak it.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

A Google search on "kanji" gives The KanjiSite as the first freaking link. That site has every single kanji that is tested on the JLPT tests. It gives readings, pronounciations, meanings, and uses kanji in context. It also offers random testing. What else did you freaking want?

この頭が悪すぎて人々全部殺してもいいじゃないか。

[Kaito Fujiwara]

I was mainly looking for books, but that site will help. And that site didn't show up BTW.

[Niner]

Make sure you have a good grounding in hiragana and katakana as well. No point in learning only certain parts of a language.

Edit: You must have issues, because it comes up just fine. (http://www.kanjisite.com/)

[hekikuu]

What might also be helpful once you've got your kana down is getting your hands on some children's manga that has furigana (little hiragana) beneath the kanji.

[sohryu]

Edit: You must have issues, because it comes up just fine. (http://www.kanjisite.com/)
I think he meant the site didn't come up when he searched google.

Taking this particular member's persona in mind, I'm pretty sure he did a search on "learning kanji", in which case that site doesn't appear until the second page. First page results are here (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=learning+kanji&btnG=Search).

I'm also fairly confident that he didn't look past the first page of results before posting here for help. ;)

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

At the middle of the first page, you can see:

独立行政法人 国際交流基金 関西国際センター - [ Translate this page ]
The Kanji SITE:. 日本語能力試験の漢字の練習ができる。 You can learn Kanji for Japanese-Language proficiency test. http://www.kanjisite.com. Web Japanese.com ...
www.jpf.go.jp/j/kansai/link/j_lang.html - 22k - Cached - Similar pages

And actually, just below the link to Wikipedia...

The Kanji SITE - A guide for students of Japanese Kanji
A detailed guide to hundreds of kanji, pictograms of Chinese origin, as used in modern Japanese. Ideal for those studying for the Japanese Language ...
www.kanjisite.com/html/start/jlpt/ - 7k - Cached - Similar pages

[Kaito Fujiwara]

I thank you for the help but I say again i'm mainly looking for books. i'll use the website as a secondary. I prefer to use books.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

Have you considered punching in "Kanji" in the search engine of a web based bookseller such as Barnes and Noble or Amazon, taking down titles, then looking for them at a local bookstore or library?

[Kaito Fujiwara]

The only reason I asked was to get the opinion of the people on this thread on what books would be good to use so I wouldn't waste my money.

but it seems that people would rather step on you than help you.

[Niner]

Your original post asked for books or sites. You never stated books explicitly until afterwards. So don't jump down our throats when we try to help.

Have you considered punching in "Kanji" in the search engine of a web based bookseller such as Barnes and Noble or Amazon, taking down titles, then looking for them at a local bookstore or library?

Kuzu offers a very good suggestion. I think you should take it into consideration. I quoted it, just in case you missed it. ^______________^

/me steps on Kaito's face

Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Apologies. ^______________^

[Ren Saruwatari]

(late post, sorry)
I noticed something odd in my studies. For the number four, you'd say either 'shi or 'yon'. Most people use 'yon' because 'shi' is homonym for death (according to my research). however, the month of april is 'shi-gatsu'. Why is this?

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

(late post, sorry)
I noticed something odd in my studies. For the number four, you'd say either 'shi or 'yon'. Most people use 'yon' because 'shi' is homonym for death (according to my research). however, the month of april is 'shi-gatsu'. Why is this?


Shi is the Chinese reading, Yon is the Japanese reading. Things that tend to be old (terms for planets, days of the week and such) tend to take the Chinese reading. However, nowadays, the language is moving more and more towards Japanese readings, and another good example is how everything is now "nana" rather than "shichi."

[Finnf00]

... example is how everything is now "nana" rather than "shichi."Rather have it that way, shichiji is a real tonguetwister. And no, do'nt get me started with finnish again.

[Ren Saruwatari]

do'nt get me strated with finnish again

what's that supposed to be?

[Finnf00]

what's that supposed to be?
A typo, and a difficult language Kuzu likes to make fun about.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

At least, I hope he was talking about your typo and not the language Finnish.

And yes, 18 vowels in a row is not a language, it's a nightmare.

[Ren Saruwatari]

18 vowels in a row is not a language, it's a nightmare.

Could you enlighten me on this?

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

18 vowels in a row is not a language, it's a nightmare.

Could you enlighten me on this?


だまれなさい。

[LadyYuina]

this is basic stuff, look it up. it's really too hard to explain to someone just learning the language =|
speakin of which: LadyYuina, haven't you explained a lot of the japanese language questions that people have posted in here?? O__=

anyway, i rarely hear people say "arigato gozaima". i usually hear them either pronounce the full phrase or just say arigato. as for desu, it's more common for people to say either da for a casual speaker or desu for a formal speaker.

What I meant was that the "u" part wasn't silent... they usually say it sounding like this, right? "gozaimas..." I'm just saying that the "su" part in the word was really outspoken... like you could actually hear them say "su" clearly...

And, no, I haven't explained anything in this thread before. I don't know where you got that idea from...

[Legend Saber]

だまれなさい。
What's damarenasai? I need to expand my vocabulary. Badly. >.>

Anyhow, I've been studying the site Nihongo o Narau (learn-japanese.info) for a good while, and I'm just about done with the twenty basic Japanese grammatical lessons it offers. What I'm wondering is this: Where should I go after I've mastered all the information on that site? I don't have enough money to purchase books off amazon or anything like that (I do have one book for learning Japanese though, but it's a level two book, still too advanced for a beginner like myself), so I'd need to study online, any advice? Something with basic html would be great, as I don't have internet at home, and everything I see I'd have to download onto 3 1/2" Floppy and download it onto my crappy computer at home. Any advice?

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

Heh.

黙る 【だまる】 (v5r) to be silent; (P) [V][Ex][G][GI][S]

Conjugated into a command with the -re ending.

Now, the nasai form is basically a forceful request, that's stronger than the usual polite kudasai form. Usually nasai as a command is generally used with children.

[Teengamefan]

So I assume this thread is over then sad. I really thought it was good a pity. So I take it no other teacher is gonna resume this class persay.

[Illjwamh]

Usually nasai as a command is generally used with children.
Or in written directions.
So I assume this thread is over then sad. I really thought it was good a pity. So I take it no other teacher is gonna resume this class persay.
It'll pick up again when someone has another question.

[HamtaroIs1337]

i luv japn lol kuwai!

[MetalAlchemist]

Simple question
How do you say
"you look beautiful"
And
"You have beautiful eyes"

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

"kimi wa kirei mitai."
"kimi wa kirei desu" would be "you are beautiful," just as good, but not literal.

"kimi wa kirei na me ga imasu."
(not sure about imasu and arimasu here, is the eye a living thing under these circumstances?)

[The Geomancer]

I apologize in advance if this is the wrong spot about this question.

Anyway, I had heard of a story called "Ogi no mato" however, I havent been able to get much detail on it. can someone help explain what it is?

[Sakito]

Just a heads up for you who are really wanting to learn the japanese language. If it is at all possible try and get this program. Wakan Full it is very helpfull and has a complete english to japanese translation dictionary.



~Sakito~

[[-=[montney]=-]]

is it free or do you have to pay for it?

[MeAndroo]

I apologize in advance if this is the wrong spot about this question.

Anyway, I had heard of a story called "Ogi no mato" however, I havent been able to get much detail on it. can someone help explain what it is?

Lookie here (http://www.komuso.com/pieces/Ogi_no_Mato.html)

"You have beautiful eyes"

Kirei na me da ne. That's definitely the easiest way.

[Sakito]

=-]']is it free or do you have to pay for it?
This program is free in some cases, I was looking for a way to learn how to read and write japanese so all I did was a little searching and I came across this. The only thing I can tell you to do is to look it up and see what you get.
I hope that this is helpful to all of you that want to learn Japanese.



~Sakito~

[Iceinu]

What is the best way to learn Japanese?

[Iceinu]

What does this Charater mean?

JPEG Image

[Saya-biki]

I guess the best way to learn would be from a good teacher...

Iceinu, I don't see a character...
even if I did I doubt I'd be able to translate it for you :p
...unless it's on my list of characters I can regconize...which are Chinese characters...but kanji is chinese characters and most can be identified because of prior knowledge in Chinese
of course I only know a handful :p

*cough*
well I have a small question
"Doshita no"
What exactly would be a fair translation for that?

considering "doshita" can be translated as "whats wrong" (according to my sources)
and if I remember correctly "no" signifies posession...('s)
so, would a fair translation be "what's your problem?"

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

What is the best way to learn Japanese?
Different for each person. Personally, find a school and take a course.

[QUOTE=Iceinu]What does this Charater mean?

A 404 means that the file cannot be found. Oh, double posting = bad.

*cough*
well I have a small question
"Doshita no"
What exactly would be a fair translation for that?

considering "doshita" can be translated as "whats wrong" (according to my sources)
and if I remember correctly "no" signifies posession...('s)
so, would a fair translation be "what's your problem?"

Yes, "no" the particle signifies possession, but in this case, "no" is something that is stuck on at the end of a sentence, so it would just be a speaker nuance. "doushita" is "what happened" which does tend to turn into "what's wrong" on subs given context. "doushitano" would probably be best rendered as "what happened" with the "no" marking (at least to the best of my knowledge) a female style of speaking.

[MeAndroo]

*cough*
well I have a small question
"Doshita no"
What exactly would be a fair translation for that?

considering "doshita" can be translated as "whats wrong" (according to my sources)
and if I remember correctly "no" signifies posession...('s)
so, would a fair translation be "what's your problem?"

Doushita no is an abbreviation of doushitandesuka. The no is the abbreviation of the phrase -no desu. Thus, it asks for an explanation as to what's wrong. When -no is used to end a sentence, like "eki he ikitai no," it has a softer, feminine feel. It isn't unheard of to hear males using no as an ender in questions, but -nda or no ka may be more common.

[kLaUS]

ey, i have a question ,, in japan,, do they really use those titles ( kun - chan ) that many, as i have seen in anime ?¿ is something that i always wanted to know...

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

ey, i have a question ,, in japan,, do they really use those titles ( kun - chan ) that many, as i have seen in anime ?¿ is something that i always wanted to know...

Yes. Perhaps not as much as you see in anime, but it is common usage.

[LadyYuina]

keisoku no deki nai itami to keisoku no deki nai jikan no nagare ga
subete wo umete shimaou shite mo
sore demo watashi ni wa kanjirareru
sora kara ochite kuru no wa ame de wa nakute...

Can someone translate this for me? Thank you in advance.

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

keisoku no deki nai itami to keisoku no deki nai jikan no nagare ga
subete wo umete shimaou shite mo
sore demo watashi ni wa kanjirareru
sora kara ochite kuru no wa ame de wa nakute...

Can someone translate this for me? Thank you in advance.

The pain that cannot be measured and the time that cannot be measured is flowing, burying everything.
Even still I can feel what falls from the sky which is not rain.

I'm not guaranteeing anything as to accuracy though.

[chinezetackeout]

i know a little japanese. I took it in the summer for three months from my mother's friend... like I forgot most of it.... ;) but I still remember some phrases. Thanks for refreshing my memory!*huggles*

[Kyoko Naruko]

I am so interested in learning Japanese. Would someone please teach it to me. ((If that's possible))

[guesswork]

I am so interested in learning Japanese. Would someone please teach it to me. ((If that's possible))

considering that Japanese a category 4 language (approx. 88 weeks of study), it would be kinda hard to teach one the whole Japanese lanuage that easily. But if you want to learn some small key phrases or such, that can be done. :)

[Tamanegi Sensei]

While discussing the translation of Boku no Watashi no Katamari, I asked a guy whos a japanese major about saying "little". I tried to tell him that I only speak a little japanese, but I said chiisai by mistake. He told me that chiisai would be for small melons. What is the correct way of saying little as in I only understand a little?

[guesswork]

use "chotto" for that kind of little, like "nihongo ga chotto wakarimasu".
or maybe sukoshi, "nihongo ga sukoshi wakarimasu".

[shadothemur]

if you want to specifically say "i only speak a little bit of japanese", then you should say "nihongo wa sukoshi dake ga dekimasu/dekimashita."

but wow, been a while since i got an update from this thread. how's it been, everyone? *crickets chirp. someone coughs* ...anyone?

[guesswork]

I may be new, but I could see this is not the most popular page on the forum :P. Anyway, the verb "hanaseru" can also work in replace of "dekiru".

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

Hanaseru works, but from what I understand, when dealing with ability to do something, dekiru is the number 1 verb. Hanaseru could imply that you are fluent in the language but can't speak Japanese in this current circumstance for some reason. Bizarre and rare, but possible.

[guesswork]

oh, but probably when used in the sentence like what shadothemur wrote, it could be acceptable considering that the 'sukoshi dake' was written. And as for dekiru, I usually just use it to express the potentiality towards actions that require suru, like 'unten suru' to 'unten dekiru' because if I believe correctly, you can put practically any verb into potential form within reason (taberareru, okirareru, mieru, etc).

[Kuzu Ryu Sen]

Well, almost all verbs have a potential form, but I guess dekiru is an alternative to it, and you can also indicate ability by verb ga dekiru. Not sure which is more common though.

[guesswork]

I believe the particle 'koto' should follow the plain form of the verb in that usage.

[kyubichan]

I believe the best way to learn Japanese is to learn the kanas first, then some basic Kanji. This will give you an idea of how to pronounce the words (pronunciation is VERY important). Next, learn the basic sentences like "Where is -name of place-?" or "My name is -your name-." As you learn the basics, you'll notice how and when to use the verbs, nouns, etc... and after that move on to the actual conversations (like maybe in anime or a Japanese game show?) to get an idea about the current idoms/figures of speech they use maybe?
I will stress that PRONUNCIATION is very important. Even just saying a Japanese name will either get you a friend or a foe. Take the example below:

My friends and I met a Japanese guy, he said his name was "Tetsuya". My friends pronounced it as "Techuya" and he looked annoyed; thankfully, I pronounced it correctly ^^ whew. "Te-tsu-ya"

[guesswork]

[QUOTE=kyubichan] I will stress that PRONUNCIATION is very important. Even just saying a Japanese name will either get you a friend or a foe.QUOTE]

definately, like there are sometimes a one syllable differences between complete different words. Example biru = building but biiru=beer, or suteki = cool but suteeki = steak.

[Trine]

According to the LDI (Language Difficulty Index) Japanese is the hardest language to learn if you speak english. Next to Chinese, Korean, and Arabian:

www[dot]nvtc[dot]gov/lotw/months/november/learningExpectations

Put dot where it says [dot] (wouldn't let me post -_-)

English and Japanese are pretty much the extremes of language. meaning that after learning both, learning a third language should be somewhat easier.

Hope the information helps.

[kyubichan]

Hmm...it is harder to learn Japanese if your primary tongue is English. It's because most English words sound different from their spelling. Japanese (same as Filipino) is read how it's written and like:
in Japanese - koori is read just that "ko-o-ri"
in English - loud is read as "lawd" ('o' is read as 'a')

[MeAndroo]

Actually I think the main difficulty for English speakers learning Japanese is the wri