Learning Japanese!

[Dukat]

Hey everyone

I'm pretty sure that atleast one or two people here know a little japanese, judging from threads in the past, and I was wondering if there were any tips for learning the language? where to start? I'm mostly interested in the speaking/listening side for a start.

I've been looking at various websites trying to get an overview of the language, and I feel like I've made a start, but it does seem like its going to be a pain learning all the new words etc.

I'm quite good with computer languages, and that natural ability does seem to translate across to spoken languages more than I'd expected at first.

Anyway, I just wondered how many people have managed to get to grips with the language, and if there are any good resources about that I should be looking at

 

[Heta]

Jouzu means "to be good at; well done," and Heta means the exact opposite

now you know that

 

[old.Tohtori]

You're so awesome for wanting to learn new languages and trying to broaden your horizon! Go man go!

About learning it, just pick up a english-japanese book and start using it in every day.

Sounds silly, byut don't worry sunshine! It's how you learn it! Use it in the shop, the work, busstop, just throw some word in there and if they want to hit you, just smile and hug them!!

Basically act like an inverse japanese tourist for a while.

 

[Thadius]

I taught myself Japanese, get a decent jap-eng dictionary(Borders do a good one, small and pink) and waterstones do a green book on Learning Japanese(can pay extra for the tape)

Think its made by the BBC

 

[Sharma]

If you're gonna learn japanese, don't watch anime.

Anyone who says you can learn japanese from anime is a fucking idiot.

Best thing I can reccomend is finding a course on it at a local college/uni, if you're just reading on it chances are you won't be able to speak japanese to save your life but your writing skills will be somewhat decent.

A teacher can pick out your flaws, just remember, you can't ask a book a question it doesn't have on it's pages.

Plenty of places up and down the UK that will teach japanese, it's just a matter of money and time.

 

[Blackjack]

Been thinking about trying seriously myself. I know some day to day japanese but not near good enough for conversations yet.
However Japanese is an Altaic or Austronesian language as opposed to a germanic based language like english and most european languages. (Finnish is closer to japanese )
But since they have borrowed alot of words from other languages some things are easy to make out. Since they change the word to a sound like the english counterpart. Like Aishīrudo (eyeshield) mostly with the o or u, (then again u is often prounounced like the scandinavian Y. etc etc etc.) Sound at the back like Cloud Strife from Final fantasy is called Kuraudo Sutoraifu.

You could try Rosseta Stone aswell for learning by yourself at home

 

[Blackjack]

If you're gonna learn japanese, don't watch anime.

Anyone who says you can learn japanese from anime is a fucking idiot.

You are not completely right there, anime and manga is a great source to learn from. It's like educational movies and text you actually want to read. You will however have to have supplementing for it to make more sense than certain sentences.

 

[Lamp]

get a 1-2-1 teacher. I was self taught for a year and had 2 years 1-2-1 lessons with a japanese teacher

 

[Heta]

Cloud Strife from Final fantasy is called Kuraudo Sutoraifu.

haha, nice one this, I've always thought they said Cloud Strife just they sound it a bit odd, but seeing that typing makes it all clear, very easy to sound it right they way they say it when reading Kuraudo Sutoraifu

 

[Sharma]

You are not completely right there, anime and manga is a great source to learn from. It's like educational movies and text you actually want to read. You will however have to have supplementing for it to make more sense than certain sentences.

Manga maybe.

Through my time playing on FFXI I learned that the japanese think the "Gaijin otaku" (I think) are weird due to them coming over and trying to talk to them in japanese that they've learned from Anime, for the most part they find it hilarious.

One part reason is that in Anime they rarely use proper words/pronounciations and their grammar is awful.

It's the equivalent of a japanese bloke coming over to england and protesting he's a woman.

Anime uses a lot of feminine ways of talking, for example a lot of males in countless anime use "watashi" instead of "boku" which to my knowledge is inherantly feminine.

Of course the odd word is learnable etc, typical 1 to 3/4 word statements are usually accurate but the sentences and such in Anime apparently use really buggered up/massively slang grammar.

 

[Lamp]

You can't learn to speak Japanese from watching Manga, you idiots.

 

[Heta]

specially as manga are comic books...

 

[Overdriven]

You can't learn to speak Japanese from watching Manga, you idiots.

You can learn basic Japanese words from watching Manga (Also having people who know basic Japanese..) So you're wrong

Never wanted to learn it, I just use "baka" and "yatta" alot IRL.

 

[Bahumat]

SIng this Japanese song to help your pronounciation.

Ive got your picture of me and you
You wrote I love you I love you too
I sit there staring and theres nothing else to do
Oh its in color your hair is brown
Your eyes are hazel and soft as clouds
I often kiss you when theres no one else around

Ive got your picture, Ive got your picture
Id like a million of them all round my cell
I asked the doctor to take your picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
Youve got me turning up and turning down
And turning in and turning round

Im turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Im turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so

Ive got your picture, Ive got your picture
Id like a million of them all round my cell
I want the doctor to take your picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
Youve got me turning up and turning down and turning in and turning round

Im turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Im turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so

No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women
No fun, no sin, no you, no wonder its dark
Everyone around me is a total stranger
Everyone avoids me like a psyched lone-ranger everyone

Thats why Im turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Im turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so

Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so
(think so think so think so)
Turning japanese
I think Im turning japanese
I really think so

 

[Heta]

Anime uses a lot of feminine ways of talking, for example a lot of males in countless anime use "watashi" instead of "boku" which to my knowledge is inherantly feminine.

Makes me think of the Kevin Costner movie Dances with wolves, when they showed the movie for some real indians they were about to laugh there ass of when Costner started to speak the indian language they used in the movie, don't remember which it was as it was ages ago since I saw it... but anywho... he had been taught what to say by a female

 

[Blackjack]

Manga maybe.

Through my time playing on FFXI I learned that the japanese think the "Gaijin otaku" (I think) are weird due to them coming over and trying to talk to them in japanese that they've learned from Anime, for the most part they find it hilarious.

One part reason is that in Anime they rarely use proper words/pronounciations and their grammar is awful.

It's the equivalent of a japanese bloke coming over to england and protesting he's a woman.

Anime uses a lot of feminine ways of talking, for example a lot of males in countless anime use "watashi" instead of "boku" which to my knowledge is inherantly feminine.

Of course the odd word is learnable etc, typical 1 to 3/4 word statements are usually accurate but the sentences and such in Anime apparently use really buggered up/massively slang grammar.

Learning the difference between male/feminine, slang and the likes, is up to the person. Take the time to learn it from the start and you'll spare yourself a headache. I'd compare it to learning "there from their", and "it's from its" which is something ALOT of english speakers use incorrectly.

For example;

Watashi makenai
Boku wa makenai
Makerenai
Makenai

Is being translated as exactly the same. When, or if, it'd be ok to use the different versions is not specified. And if you use the wrong one.. a japanese person will probably feel you just spewed a nice pile of reverse engrish

 

[Nate]

Watch Heroes you idiots!(theres a lot of sarcasm there)

found a web-site a few days ago Learn Japanese - Free Japanese Lessons!

 

[Dukat]

found a web-site a few days ago Learn Japanese - Free Japanese Lessons!

Hehe yea been looking at that site from work, cheers.

I've found quite a few sites about, some of them talk more about the pronounciation of each word - for example;

Here is a list of the sites I've been looking at mainly:

Learn Japanese - Learn to Speak the Japanese Language Online Free | Japanese Language
Maktos: Japanese Is Possible!
TheJapanesePage.com - Learn Japanese for FREE -- How to Wow! with language, culture, kanji, and grammar
Top-level concepts in Japanese grammar
Learn Japanese - Free Japanese Lessons!
Nihongo o Narau - Pronunciation

I'm looking at getting a few of these CD's that are supposed to help, I dont expect they'll get me very far, just looking to get a start in it, then going for a course at some point.

I watch anime occassionally, and my initial interest in japanese was so I could watch it and really listen to it, but obviously I'm years away from being at that level - I've always been interested in japan, I've done quite a bit of reading about feudal japan over the last few years and find it all really fascinating going to japan is one of my big long term goals, and being able to speak the language would be pretty smart.

From what I've seen so far it really does look like an interesting language, seems more than a language really, because of the subtleties involved. I dont expect to master it overnight anymore than I expect to master anything that I go into on the first try heh, always impatient but I can appreciate it will take time, I just intend to do as much as I can as often as I can.

Cheers for the advice though everyone.

 

[crispy]

Play some jap roleplay games, forces you to learn to read it in order to complete

Probably also a very good motivator

 

[UndyingAngel]

You can learn basic Japanese words from watching Manga (Also having people who know basic Japanese..) So you're wrong

Never wanted to learn it, I just use "baka" and "yatta" alot IRL.

I think you have missed the point

 

[Overdriven]

I think you have missed the point

Just a LITTLE bit