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Thread: Learning japanese

  1. #1
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    Default Learning japanese

    I am not fluent in japanese. I am from california. So I am fluent in bad english and ghetto. But I know enough japanese to get by. The biggest obstacle in learning japanese is the grammar. Japanese grammar is really different from english. Since I have already been here for ~6 years I am only beginning to fully grasp the grammar. So I would like to use this thread to help people get a grasp on japanese grammar. I guess the best way to do this is for you to ask me to translate english sentences into japanese and also into its english equivilent. For example:

    I will go shopping in 5 minutes
    watashi wa go pun ato shopping ni ikimasu
    私は五分後ショッピングに行きます。
    I is 5 minutes after shopping to go will do
    私Iはis五分5 minutes後afterショッピングshoppingにto行goきますwill do

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  2. #2
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    The second most frustrating thing to learn in Japanese are the sentence/communication connectors. The connectors serve the same function as "is" "the" to" "a" "on" etc.. in English.
    Japanese have many communication connectors. But the most widely used ones are:
    ha (pronounced "wa")
    ga
    ni
    to
    de
    no
    wo

    desu is not a connector. The term "desu" is just a way to end a sentence.

    For example:
    watashi ha japanpimp desu
    In English, "I japanpimp" sounds funny. So we say "I am Japanpimp".
    In japanese the "am" part is the "ha". Now, "ha" does not MEAN "am". It just serves a similar function.
    The ending "desu" is just a way to finish the sentence so people know you are done.
    Another way "ha" is used is "sore ha okashii" or "That is strange/funny". In this case the "ha" serves the same function an an English "is".

    Hit me up wit some more questionz people and we will get down japanese style...
    Last edited by japanpimp; 03-04-2011 at 05:43 AM.

    Thanks to Boleslav for the Afro Samurai Signature series.
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  3. #3
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    Default

    In your first example...

    Quote Originally Posted by japanpimp View Post
    watashi wa go pun ato shopping ni ikimasu
    Was "shopping" overlooked there or intentionally left as is? As well as "go" for that matter, or is that an actual Japanese word?

    I noticed those things in the translation and became curious about them.

    The biggest obstacle in learning japanese is the grammar. Japanese grammar is really different from english. Since I have already been here for ~6 years I am only beginning to fully grasp the grammar.
    If possible, would you be able to explain why or how the grammar works the way it does? Translating sentences makes for a good example, but knowing why words are ordered in the way they are is important too.

    Lastly,

    You used this in your Japanese shopping sentence, but it's not included in your side-by-side English/Japanese sentence. Is it a period/desu sort of symbol?
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    Itashimashite.

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    Kore wa nan desu ka?

  6. #6
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    I, for one, have a high interest in learning Japanese. To me, the language is more an art than writing But, this is very interesting. Thank you for posting, you'll have an avid studier upon this thread *Rep +!!*
    Last edited by Mistress Kitti; 03-04-2011 at 02:36 PM.
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alusair View Post
    In your first example...
    Was "shopping" overlooked there or intentionally left as is? As well as "go" for that matter, or is that an actual Japanese word?

    Japanese say shopping but it sounds like sho-ping-gu
    The word "go" is a word. It means the number 5. "pun" means minute.
    So "go pun" is 5 minutes.
    But it is actually pronounced "go "foon"


    I noticed those things in the translation and became curious about them.

    If possible, would you be able to explain why or how the grammar works the way it does? Translating sentences makes for a good example, but knowing why words are ordered in the way they are is important too.

    No, sorry. That would be really hard for me to do. But in a nutshell Japanese grammar is "Subject-Object-Verb". But that is not always the case. In the case of saying "I will go shopping" it is not really subject-object-verb because it is literally 'I shopping go will do.' The 'will do' is at the end but the over all structure of the sentence is subject-object-verb I guess....
    Lastly,
    You used this in your Japanese shopping sentence, but it's not included in your side-by-side English/Japanese sentence. Is it a period/desu sort of symbol?
    No, the "。" symbol is called a "maru". Maru means circle or round. It is the same thing as a english period mark.
    Answers inserted above.

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    I have made a few video guides that may help you.
    Please read the link below.
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  8. #8
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    Translate this:

    I am a japanophile with nothing better to do than talk about japan and let people know im living in japan japan japan japan.


    Nippon

    =^.^=

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nesterus View Post
    Translate this:

    I am a japanophile with nothing better to do than talk about japan and let people know im living in japan japan japan japan.


    Nippon

    =^.^=
    Well, according to Google Translate:

    私は日本の話もないし、人々は、日本日本日本日本でIMの生活を教えて良い何も親日家をしてい ます。
    Phonetically:

    Watashi wa Nippon no hanashi mo naishi, hitobito wa, Nippon Nippon Nippon Nippon de IM no seikatsu o oshiete yoi nani mo shin'nichi-ka o ****e imasu.

    And when translated back to english LOL:

    I was not talking about the Japanese people in Japan Japan Japan Japan Japanophile IM is nothing to tell a good life.
    Last edited by Fragsrus; 03-04-2011 at 08:45 PM.

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  10. #10
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    I wasnt talking to you son

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