Japanese Beginner

[japanesebeginner]

So I have been trying to read Japanese manga, I downloaded some apps and have been attempting. It is a very slow process - because I have to look up everything!

The one I really like and have been using is ComicWalker, there is an app and a website, you just have to adjust the settings so you can see the manga in Japanese.

[travelermarc]

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各自。かくじ。Each person. Kakuji. 各自運転する時は気をつけなければいけない！Each person has to be careful when driving.

[japanesebeginner]

My brain has been needing some break time from Japanese. I uv been using Anki to study the ones I already know and I know the pronunciations really well, just the actual drawing of the kanji is difficult for some! I have been reading up on Japanese history in the mean time and trying to figure out which mangas I can read or anime I can watch. I want to really immerse myself in the culture and hopefully with reading and watching things in Japanese it will be more natural.

[japanesebeginner]

Genki Lesson 2 Part 2

だれの - used to as ‘whose’ item it is

これはだれの帽子ですか。これわだれのぼうしですか。Whose shoes are these?

も - is used like the words too, or also

メアリーは大学生です。めありいわだいがくせいです。Mary is a student.

ジョンも大学生です。じょんもだいがくせいです。John is a student, too.

The word after は and も are the shared property and before it what is different about them, so in the case above the fact they are students is the shared property and Mary and John are the distinctions.

じゃないです - used to negate statements, very colloquial

じゃりません - more conservative for speaking

ではありません - formal and more appropriate for writing (は is pronounced わ in this scenario)

これは鉛筆じゃないです。これわえんぴつじゃないです。This is not a pencil.

ね - put at the end of sentences to seek confirmation or agreement

よ - put at the end of sentences to assure the listener what has been said; makes it an authoritative decree

[japanesebeginner]

Genki Lesson 2 Part 1

これ  それ  あれ   どれ

These words are used to describe things we do not know the names of.

これ - refers to something that is right by you (the speaker) ‘this one here’

それ - refers to something that is close to the person you are talking with ‘that one by you’

あれ - refers to something that is distant both from you and the person you are talking with ‘that one over there’

どれ - used when you do not know “which” item it is ‘which one is it?’

この  その  あの  どの

More specific than the words before, when we know the name of what is being spoken of. These words must always be before a noun.

この -  refers to something that is right by you (the speaker) ‘this .... here’

その -  refers to something that is close to the person you are talking with ‘that .... by you’

あの -  refers to something that is distant both from you and the person you are talking with ‘that .... over there’

どの -  used when you do not know “which” item it is ‘which .... is it?’

ここ  そこ  あこ  どこ

These words are used for places, to be used when giving directions or pointing something out.

ここ -  refers to something that is here, by you (the speaker) ‘here it is’

そこ -  refers to something that is there, close to the person that you are talking with ‘there by you’

あこ -  refers to something that is over there, distant both from you and the person you are talking with ‘it is over there’

どこ -  used when you do not know “where” a place is ‘where is ....?’

[japanesebeginner]

Conjugating U-Verbs

Here I will conjugate just 3 u-verbs using just the present conjugation. In later posts I will go more into them (as I learn them).

行く - To go

Present affirmative - 行きます

Present negative - 行きません

話す - To speak

Present affirmative - 話します

Present negative - 話しません

聞く - To listen

Present affirmative - 聞きます

Present negative - 聞きません

In u-verb conjugations you find letters shifting in the same hiragana row. From く to き and from す to し. Other u-verbs can also end in む, る and so forth following the same pattern.

[japanesebeginner]

30 June Vocab

映画　[ えいが] : Movie

音楽　[ おんがく] : Music

雑誌　[ ざっし] : Magazine

お酒　[ おさけ] Alcohol/Sake

家　[ いえ] : House

うち : Home

コーヒー　[ こうひい] : Coffee

いつ : When

話す　[ はなす] : To speak (u-verb)

聞く　[ きく] : To listen (u-verb)

[japanesebeginner]

29 June Vocab

朝ご飯　[ あさごはん] : Breakfast

昼ご飯　[ ひるごはん] : Lunch

夜ご飯　[ よるごはん] : Dinner

水　[ みず] : Water

お茶　[ おちゃ] : Tea (usually green)

朝　[ あさ] : Morning

今晩　[ こんばん] : Tonight

毎日　[ まいにち] : Every day

毎晩　[ まいばん] : Every night

行く　[ いく] : To go (u-verb)

[japanesebeginner]

私の名前はサーラです。これは私の日本語のブログです。大学生ですか。選考ですか。

My name is Sarah. This is my Japanese blog. Are you a college student? What is your major?

Let me know what you think of my sentences. They are very basic and I tried to utilize some of my vocab words.

Thanks!

[japanesebeginner]

Japanese Seasons v2.0

For the visual learners, like myself.

[japanesebeginner]

I found this Japanese song and think it is really nice. I have to figure out what it means now. :)

[japanesebeginner]

27 June Vocab

明日 [ あした ] : Tomorrow

今日 [ きょう] : Today

右 [ みぎ] : Right

左 [ ひだり] : Left

夏 [ なつ] : Summer

春 [ はる] : Spring

秋 [ あき] : Autumn

冬 [ ふゆ] : Winter

花 [ はな] : Flower

なぜ : Why

[japanesebeginner]

I've changed how I'm doing the vocabulary, instead of practicing each kanji by itself, I practice the whole word. Then I put it into StudyBlue and practice like that.

My work schedule has been kind of crazy so I haven’t been as strict with learning the vocabulary, but I am constantly looking at them and reviewing them on StudyBlue.

Tomorrow I plan on reviewing all of the words from the week (70 words total). I am not going to add on another 10 words until Monday.

[japanesebeginner]

26 June Vocab

トイレ [ といれ ] : Toilet

傘 [ かさ ] : Umbrella

自転車 [ じてんしゃ ] : Bicycle

この : This...

その : That...

あの : That... (over there)

鉛筆 [えんぴつ] : Pencil

どこ : Where

だれ : Who

どれ : Which one

[japanesebeginner]

25 June Vocab

時計 [ とけい ] : Watch

財布 [ さいふ ] : Wallet

本 [ ほん ] : Book

喫茶店 [ きっさてん ] : Coffee shop

いく ら : How much?

銀行 [ ぎんこう ] : Bank

帽子 [ ぼうし ] : Hat

こ れ : This one

そ れ : That one

あれ : That one (over there)

[japanesebeginner]

Genki Lesson 1

です pronounced as ‘des’, the ‘u’ is silent. Used at the end of sentences and is used like the English ‘it is’.

学生です。 「 がくせいです。」   (I) am a student.

It is very common for sentences in Japanese to not have subjects.

は　pronounced as ‘wa’ when it is used as a particle. This particle identifies the topic of the sentence.

XはYです。

私はセーラです。「わたしはせいらです。」　I am Sarah.

私 is the topic (X) and セーラ is the ‘item’ (Y). 

Forming questions in Japanese is very simple, you just add the particle か  to the end of the sentence.

学生ですか。「 がくせいですか。」　(Are you) a student?

の  is a particle that connects two nouns to indicate possession.

X のY where Y equals the main idea and X equals the further restriction.

高校の先生。 「 こうこう のせんせい。」  A high school teacher.

These are just the basics of the lesson. I’ve gone over the lesson a few times and done the practice exercises.

[japanesebeginner]

So yesterday I managed to get through all 20 words!

I’m still don’t know how to write a couple of them, but I know how to say them and what they look like.

On to today’s words and I will finish up Lesson 1 of Genki today.