•Unit II• ( Japanese for Beginners)

[Saga]

 

I finally decided to make an audio. Although I can't use a laptop,I still found a way to record it. The quality is the best I could get. In future though I'll think of something for a better quality. (:

So,basically you'll hear both nothing new and something new. It will lead us to the next important steps in Japanese.

I'll post the link,as well the kana, the romaji and the translation for you.

But I advice you to not look in the spoilers in advance. Try to understand what I am saying. And if you practice your speaking skills,do it more lively. I was a bit annoyed with the program,so the intunation got a bit monotone. You though can do it lively without changing the right spelling and pronouncing I gave you. Whatever you have heard in songs and movies,as well in anime can be a bit different since they bent it to suit the personality of the character.

 

So, I am giving you a polite introduction and keep in mind that as a beginner you'll have to repeat a lot 'watashi' or 'boku'. It's still early to go for overlaying the sentances in one.

Here we go:

 

Please Register/ Sign In, in order to see the links.

Password: yaoiotaku

 

 

Kana:

はじめまして、

わたしははやしです！

わたしはにほんじんです。わたしはにほんごのせんせいです。どうぞよろしくおねがいします！

 

 

 

Romaji:

Hajimemashite,

Watashi wa Hayashi desu!

Watashi wa nihonjin desu. Watashi wa nihongo no sensei desu. Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

 

 

 

Translation:

Nice to meet you,

I am Hayashi!

I am Japanese. I am a Japanese teacher. Please take care of me!

 

 

Nationalities - Words construction

Basically it's a bit of grammar here. The structure of nationalities comes from the country as a steem,right? Well,it's nothing different in Japanese.

You have to know the country in Japanese and add ''jin'' (じん) as an ending. Let's list down a few nationalities. You'll have words to learn and see it's nothing difficult.

 

Samples:

•American => アメリカじん (Amerikajin)

•German => ドイツじん (Doitsujin)

•Japanese => にほんじん (Nihonjin)

•Chinese => ちゅうごくじん (Chyuugokujin)

•Korean (South) => かんこくじん (Kankokujin)

•Korean (North) => きたちょうせんじん/ちょうせんじん (Kitachousenjin/Chousenjin)

 

Note:

- If you take out the 'jin' from the word,you'll get the country.

- Yes, there is a difference between South and North Korea. Please,don't ask what is the difference. It's political and historical one. There are two ways to say North Korea. The 'Kitachousen' is the long way of saying it,simply because 'kita' means 'north' in Japanese. The other is the brief one - 'Chousen'. Keep it in mind that it's with a long 'o' vowel,simplifying it,it's ''choosen'' (No,not the English 'chosen', the 'o' is as ''bo'' in ''boat''.)

 

Languages - Words construction

 

In English the only way to understand we mention the language,but not the nationality is either from the context or if we add 'language',as in, Japanese language. But in Japanese,it's clearly ''visible''. The adding part 'go' stands for 'language'. So,like nationalities you need the country,then add 'go' (ご) and you have the language. Let's do some samples.

 

Samples:

•English => えいご (Eigo) *

•German => ドイツご (Doitsugo)

•Japanese => にほんご (Nihongo)

•Chinese => ちゅうごくご (Chuugokugo)

•Korean (South) => かんこくご (Kankokugo)

•Korean (North) => きたちょうせんご/ちょうせんご (Kitachousengo/Chousengo)

 

*

''Eigo'' is an exception. We won't say ''Amerikago'' or ''Igirisugo'',as it stands for American English and British English.

''Eigo'' is the word for ''English'',so keep this important exception in mind.

 

PARTICLE ''の'' (NO)

 

When it comes to particles in Japanese,many foreigners rather throw themselves out the window. Easy there, as we said before, don't try to memorize a bunch of things. Just read and let the mind take it as an interesting article. When mind is curious it can consume a lot of more information than normal. So,later on,you'll do the recalling process.

For now,I'd like to push aside all other usages of ''no'' ( ''の''). In our case,the short audio I did, it's used as a marker for possession. That's right.

 

Japanese nation Japanese Japanese language Japanese speakers Japanese students Japanese teachers Japanese nation

 

See up there? These are imaginary communities. Take them all in a big box. On the box,a sign of ''Japan'' will be written. You open the box,you see another box with the sign ''Japanese nation''. Then open it and will see the smaller box with a sign ''Japanese''. And so on,following the scheme above. All of them are under the biggest box with a sign 'Japan'. Take them as communities that are related to each other,obviously they are.

The particle 'no' will be the chain that marks they are from the same ''box''.

So, in my sentence #わたしはにほんごのせんせいです#,can you see which is ''the bigger box''?

It's ''nihongo'',the Japanese language. The 'teacher' can be not a language teacher,they can be an art teacher. So,basically the main thing marks the sub-one of what category it is.

''Nihongo no sensei', the teacher is from the ''box'' with ''Japanese language'' sign. Our particle 'no' had to chain them.

The only rule,be careful that the sub-topic will be either a subject or an object. In front of it,the adjective,in a way or two,will stand.

Let's see how ''no'' will work as a personal possession marker.

 

Sample:

わたしのペンです。

(Watashi no pen desu.)

My pen.

 

So,you see how ''no'' gets an important role in a sentence. Be it personal or adjective-like, it marks the next word as ''something''/''someone'' 's possession.

It's not hard,you need to practice. So,I'll give you a few new words with their meaning,and whoever wants can make a sentence with them in this thread. I'll make sure to check your sentences.

As well,you can state as another sentence your own nationality. (:

 

New words:

かさ (Kasa) - Umbrella

くるま (Kuruma) - Car

えんぴつ (Enpitsu) - Pencil [NB: I should remind you a rule,when ''n'' stands in front of a symbol with 'b' or 'p',it's read as 'm'. So,you write it 'n',but pronounce it 'm'.]

ほん (Hon) - Book

おべんとう ( Obentou) - Bentō is a lunch box,Japanese lunch box. The ''o'' in front makes the word polite.

カメラ ( Kamera) - Camera

めがね (Megane) - Glasses

かれ (Kare) - He [NB: To be turned in possessive adjective,it's added 'no' -> Kare no ('His')]

かのじょ (Kanojo) - She [NB: To be turned in possessive adjective,it's added 'no' -> Kanojo no ('Her')]

あなた (Anata) - You [NB: To be turned in possessive adjective,it's added 'no' -> Anata no ('Your')]

 

So,dare to try do a sentence,dears? (:

Feel free,I don't bite.

Practice the recalling process,not the memorizing as a matter of death or life.

 

Saga©

 

[Nena21]

Your pronunciation is awesome! :hamtaro-005 (10): How I'd want to be able to speak like that *_* Thanks for the lessons, you rock!

[Miro]

Thanks a lot for the lesson! Very good idea to post the audio file! It helps a lot with the pronounciation! :leaf3:

[chiakaiyuki]

Is it ok to use the 'no' partical twice in the same sentence? like: わたしのにほんごのせんせいがさがです。 (my japanese teacher is Saga)

[Saga]

Yes,it is okay. And it is correct,if I don't count the 'ga' instead of 'wa' you did as a mistake,lol.

''Watashi no nihongo no sensei wa Saga desu.''

[chiakaiyuki]

Attacks all forms of gramma in every language. Whyyyyyyyyy was such a thing invented?????

 

Oh well, thank you. At least most was correct. ^^

[uruha]

canttttttttttttttttttttttttttt learning :5yoyo21:

[Saga]

If you have questions,ask,Uruha.

[nicicia]

I guess spelling and grammer will be my biggest challenge if I learn Japanese. I am so prone to just let grammer rules fall to the back of my mind, and then I just learn by feeling the flow of the language, just say or write what my gut feeling tells me to. XD

 

Pronounciation is a piece of cake, though, because the way letters are pronounced in Norwegian and Japanese are very similar.

[Chibi-Seme Chidori]

Nice. Thanks for the lesson(s).

They sure helps.

[Nyuchanxx]

omg thank you soo much i can finally start talking back to my friends yay!!