[Japan] Japanese

[Jeff]

I'm wanting to learn how to speak japanese...But I've never done a day's talking in japanese in my whole life! I've set myself the task of learning the basic phrases like Nihongo o hanashimasu ka? and how to say hai and lie... if anyone else wants to learn with me that'd be a great help. of if anyone who can speak japanese could teach me anything that'd be really helpful as well. Arigatou gozaimasu!

[Banpen Fugyo]

I'm wanting to learn how to speak japanese...But I've never done a day's talking in japanese in my whole life! I've set myself the task of learning the basic phrases like Nihongo o hanashimasu ka? and how to say hai and lie... if anyone else wants to learn with me that'd be a great help. of if anyone who can speak japanese could teach me anything that'd be really helpful as well. Arigatou gozaimasu!

writing in kana is different than speaking, i hope your saying AH REE GAH TOH and not AH RI GAH TOW or TOWOO

anyways, i dont exactly know how to teach someone japanese over the internet, perhaps if u asked some specific questions?

I dont know a lot, im prolly equal to a 3 year old in japan, lol, but i'll try to help

[Scarlet Mist]

Watch lots of Anime. I recommend Full Metal Alchemist.

[Johnno]

Kawayi onna = pretty lady.

Now go and practise! ;)

[Cougar_v203]

you should try looking up some websites on the net =\
Thats what I'm doing (for korean btw)

[gedhab]

Kawayi onna = pretty lady.

Now go and practise! ;)

nice one mate i'll remember that one..cheers! :)

[StorDuff]

映画>ドラマ>アニメ

[Sandus]

Watch lots of Anime. I recommend Full Metal Alchemist.

映画 is right.
I've learned a good bit from watching Ozu movies. They speak pretty clearly so it's not hard to pick up.

[Banpen Fugyo]

watching anime shows is fun and all, but a lot of the men characters are really women, so if u try and speak like them, the japanese will think your gay :\ also, in movies sometimes people really roll their R's ... Thats wut like hardcore Yakuza do, and i wouldnt recommend doing that

[oni_sensei]

Watching anime, or any acting production is not a good way to learn proper Japanese. Sure, you'll pick up a few words here and there, like baka, and chotto matte (wait a minute), but just like Western animation, the way that actors talk in character is NOT the way that a normal person would. The scripts of anime often use a very informal and shorthanded version of talking, and if you talked that way to some people, you'd probably get slapped around for showing disrespect.

The best way to learn a language is to take classes, and actually interact in conversation.

[Kwajman]

We have a young lady here named Booksie Girl who is currently in Japan on holiday. I think she's going to be gone another 3-4 weeks. She is learning Japanese and might be a good person to help you or at least give you guidance. Welcome.

[Omittchi]

I'm a univeristy Japanese language student, and though I'm not necessarily as good as a true native speaker, I might be able to help you out with forming sentences and vocab and what not.

I have to agree though, anime is good form somethings but the basics are needed before you can really comprehend how to utilize the vocab used in anime.

[Jeff]

wow, thanks for the response everyone. Right now, I'm learning basic phrases.thank you, good bye. And how to count to 10. I really want to learn, so I'm hoping I'll keep up a fast pace. I love to watch anime, and I watch 'em in english first then I watch them in japanese with english subs. I have a pretty wide ranged collection; akira to vampire hunter d to pretear...I have a fair collection now! It is kind of hard to know how to say words, but I found a great site where you can actually hear how words are pronounced! Thanks again! I'll keep you posted on how I'm getting on!

[TheMightyMcClaw]

I've studied Chinese and Japanese, and I'd say that Japanese is much, much harder. And when compared to a language with four tones, phonetics that defy the English mindset, and 30,000 characters, that's saying a lot.
Japanese Grammar goes on my list of the Seven Horrors of the World. So... many... tenses.... and particles! The particles! I also have a hard time remembering Japanese words.... too many particles.
I've watched massive amounts of subtitled anime, but it hasn't tought me much Japanese aside from a few military terms ( "Yokai," "Kanshou", etc).
Just remember: "Toide wa doko desu ka?" is "where's the W.C.?" ^_~

[Poop-Loops]

Learning basic phrases doesn't ever work. You need to learn the principles of the language, how to formulate sentences, etc. Just like in MA, a few "self-defense" moves won't cut it in a fight. I speak English, Polish, and have taken 3 years of Japanese in High-School. Trust me, you'll want to take a class if you really want to speak it. A few of my friends are anime-freaks who learn to "speak" Japanese from it. They look like fools when they try.

PL

[StorDuff]

There was an anime freak on IRC that said 'wagahai'.

When everyone got done laughing at him he didn't show his face again :D

[Black Dog]

A few of my friends are anime-freaks who learn to "speak" Japanese from it. They look like fools when they try.
PL

Oh my god, that is so very true. It is one of the most annoying things you can hear when a person who thinks they know how to speak japanese from watching anime tries to say lines. They have weird pronunciation and say things that a normal person wouldn't.

In short, use japanese friends, books, and the classroom.

[Jeff]

I want to take classes...it's just that it's a problem to get to any, because they are all on at night! I can only do one during the day! I wish I could. I've only just started with basics...hello/goodbye/counting to 10? I'm not about to learn senence structure! I'll have to take classes for that! http://japanese.about.com/blsoundfile.htm is where I'm learning from right now...for the basics.

[Poop-Loops]

DO NOT learn from a friend of the opposite sex, however. You'll either sound like a manly and rude woman, or a gay guy.

Your profile says you're 17. There aren't any classes in school? Do you even go to school?

PL

[StorDuff]

Most high schools don't offer Japanese, mine is especially <oops> for not even offering German.

No profanity, please.
KT

[Poop-Loops]

Mine did. 3 years of it. Now, since they have 9th graders too, I suppose they have 4 years. :D

But I live on the West Coast, so there is more chance of you running into a Japanese person here than in Wisconsin or Ohio or some other loser state. =/

PL

[Jeff]

no, I'm in college, no japanese classes...I've looked around in town as well, but I can't go to the only one I found...I can't get home after 8 and classes end at 9:30...self study or no study at this rate...

[Cougar_v203]

:cry: why is Hangul (koreas language) so much harder and confusing then Japanese :cry:

[Cougar_v203]

ignore my previous post.

Yea, YOu should stick to self studying for the meantime till you find a school or till you travel..thats what i'm doin.

[Scarlet Mist]

I have some Japanese for you:

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi - Full Metal Alchemist
Inuyasha - Dog demon that flies by night
Sesshomaru - Circle of Life Ender

I can hook you up with some more phrases :D :D :D :D :D

Language training is really hard, I personally hate it. It's frustrating when you wan't to say something but you can't because you lack the fuency. etc.

[Knight_Errant]

Check out this website;
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/
Importantly, learn what words you should use when referring to yourself and other people. 'Oresama' is not a good way to introduce yourself. Referring to somebody you have just met as 'onore' is going to hurt you more than it hurts them.
Learning particles is the key to stringing japanese sentences together.
Don't let romaji become a crutch. Start accustoming yourself to reading hiragana and kanji.

[hanna_do_mulla]

:cry: why is Hangul (koreas language) so much harder and confusing then Japanese :cry:

It is more easy for a westerner to learn how to speak Japanese. The written language is a differend story altogether. Here Korean is a lot easier to learn due to the fact that it is basically an alphabet (24 letters). For Japanese you need to memorize some 3000 or so Kanji in order to read a newspaper.