learning japanese @jp-hurts - Tumblr Blog

First Post!

Hey guys, this is my first post on this account. To get started as a brand new blog, I'd like to talk about how I am currently learning the language.

#language #japanese #日本語 #日本 #言語 #英語 #langblr

moshimoshibe

Halloween Fern

jp-hurts

Brother in Buddha I didn't even know what this meant in English. Basically practices that relinquishes worldly desires.

haru-dipthong

I see this word quite a lot in pretty casual contexts, I’m pretty sure it just means heavy/dedicated training. This is a terrible dictionary definition that only refers to its original archaic meaning

dokushoclub

This is interesting! I found 修業(しゅうぎょう) with a long first sillable as a rather common word meaning srudying, training, discipline. But then I also got 修行(しゅぎょう) with a short first syllable as very uncommon meaning the above ascetic practices. So a case with the same kanji and different meaning based on the reading, I think?

tokidokitokyo

体

音読み　おんよみ　タイ、

訓読み　くんよみ　からだ

英語　えいご　① body, substance, object, reality; ② counter for images

何よりも、お体を大切に。なによりも、おからだをたいせつに。 Above all, take care of yourself.

jp-hurts

It can also sometimes be テイ as in 体裁(ていさい)

#reading 体裁 for me is usually hit or miss

nihongonotabi

About how to say "to try" in Japanese

In English, the verb "to try" can have different connotations depending on the context. Among its various meanings are the following:

Experimenting or testing something: this implies attempting to do something to see what happens, often with an open mind and no guarantee of success. For example, "I'll try this new recipe" suggests that you're testing out the recipe, perhaps for the first time, to see how it turns out.

Attempting with effort: this implies making an effort to accomplish something, even if the outcome is uncertain. For example, "I'll try to finish this project by tomorrow" suggests that you're putting in effort with the hope of succeeding, but there's a possibility you might not.

In Japanese, these nuances of "to try" are expressed using different grammatical forms:

1. ～てみる (te miru) This form is used when you want to "try" something in the sense of experimenting, testing, or doing something for the first time to see the result. You use ～てみる when you're not sure about the outcome and want to see what happens, often in a casual or exploratory sense. For example, you use it when trying a new food or testing a new activity: 初めて寿司を食べてみる (hajimete sushi o tabete miru) - I'll try eating sushi for the first time; テニスをしてみる (tenisu o shite miru) - I'll try playing tennis.

2. ～ようとする (yō to suru) This form is used when you're making an effort to do something, with the understanding that the result is uncertain or difficult to achieve. You use ～ようとする when you're expressing your intention to make an effort, especially in situations where success is not guaranteed. For example, you use it when you're attempting something challenging or you're making an effort with uncertain results: 明日早く起きようとする (ashita hayaku okiyou to suru) - I'll try to wake up early tomorrow; 宿題を時間通りに終わらせようとする (shukudai o jikan dōri ni owaraseyou to suru) - I'll try to finish my homework on time.

In the ～てみる (te miru) form, the use of 見る (miru), meaning "to see," suggests that the speaker is metaphorically "seeing what happens" by performing the action. It implies a lower level of commitment to a specific outcome; the action is undertaken with curiosity or a desire to experience something new. The result is not the primary focus; rather, the process of doing or experiencing something is emphasized. In contrast, the ～ようとする (yō to suru) form uses the volitional form よう (yō) to signal a strong intention or will to carry out the action, and する (suru), meaning "to do," emphasizes the attempt. This form conveys a higher level of personal involvement and responsibility, focusing on the effort required to reach a desired goal. While the outcome is uncertain, the focus is on the attempt itself, with an underlying hope or expectation that the effort might lead to success.

In conclusion, we can say that in English "to try" is a verb that must rely on context or additional modifiers to convey whether the action is exploratory or effortful. On the other hand, Japanese uses separate constructions to encode these nuances directly within the verb forms, reflecting a more fine-grained linguistic approach to expressing different types of attempts.

#great post #but here i thought this post was going to be about 試す

I ended up not doing Anki yesterday because I was so lazy so I lost my streak. So my reviews piled up and I ended up spending like 15 more minutes than I needed to.

#日本語 #langblr

Brother in Buddha I didn't even know what this meant in English. Basically practices that relinquishes worldly desires.

#日本語 #japanese #language learning #japanese langblr #japanese learning

Current words that are the bane of my existence is:

追う　おう

培う　つちかう

拾う　ひろう

誓う　ちかう

覆う　おおう

This has mainly been a toss-up between 培う and 拾う and 追う looking somewhat similar. The first two being the worst. And I'm just forgetful on the last two. I need these cards matured for my sanity.

#日本語 #langblr #japanese #language learning

daily-hyosatsu

In celebration of my potentially going swimming today, a water name! The surname 濵渦 is read Hamauzu.

The first character is actually an archaic variant only used in proper nouns; the standard character to remember is 浜. It means beach, seashore, or seacoast. It's read はま or ヒン. The radicals are 氵 water and 兵 soldier, which itself is made up of 斤 axe and 八 eight.

浜 has two variants: 濵 and 濱, both with the same readings. There are about 1000 Hamauzus who write their name with 浜, and 170 with 濱, while 濵 is uncommon enough that data is not available. Could even be just this family!

The second character, 渦, means whirlpool, eddy, or vortex. It's read うず (as in 渦巻 [うずまき] whirlpool or maelstrom) or カ.

jp-hurts

Anki progress if you care

troublewithregeneration

wooo! Anki buddies 🥳

(idk where to view longest streak though)

jp-hurts

I believe I have Review Heatmap on Anki, your stats do look a little different from mine but man at least 90 days is sick good job.

jp-hurts

Anki progress if you care

righteousdelusions

where do you find these stats? I have Anki droid

seherstudies

@righteousdelusions On the desktop version you have to download the Review Heatmap add-on. I am not sure how you can get it on ankidroid though, sorry

jp-hurts

Not at my computer currently but I have the Review Heatmap like @seherstudies said!

Anki progress if you care

#i know you dont #and i kind of do #日本語 #japanese #japanese langblr #language learning #japanese learning #langblr #日本 #anki

daily-hyosatsu

Today, a name I'd never seen before! 宍戸 is usually read Shishido (but potentially Shishito, Shindo, or Shijito). There are about 28,100 people with this name in Japan.

宍 means muscles or meat. It's read しし, ニク, or ジク. Its radicals are 宀 roof and 六 six. It's somewhat uncommon, but can be used in newspapers without furigana.

肉, the more common kanji for muscles/meat, 肉, shares the readings しし and ニク. Its radicals are 冂 the upside-down box and 人 person ×2.

戸 means door, and it's also a counter for houses. It's read と or コ. The radicals are 一 one and 尸 flag/corpse.

Coincidentally, it is also not really used when talking about doors. That would be ドア, generally, unless you're talking about traditional Japanese architecture doors, in which case it's 扉. That's read とびら or ヒ. The 非 radical underneath means un-, non-, or negative.

nihongonotabi

Why do i-adjectives and na-adjectives conjugate so differently?

In Japanese, adjectives are categorized into two main types: i-adjectives and na-adjectives. These two types differ in their forms and the way they conjugate.

I-adjectives end with the syllable "い" (i) in their base form and they can directly modify nouns without needing any additional particles. This is how they conjugate:

Base Form: 高い (takai) - "high" or "expensive"

Negative: 高くない (takakunai) - "not high" or "not expensive"

Past: 高かった (takakatta) - "was high" or "was expensive"

Past Negative: 高くなかった (takakunakatta) - "was not high" or "was not expensive"

Na-adjectives usually end with a consonant followed by a vowel other than "い" in their base form. When directly modifying a noun, they must be followed by the particle "な" (na). They do not conjugate in the same way as i-adjectives; instead, their conjugation often involves the copula "です" (desu) or "だ" (da). This is how they conjugate:

Base Form: きれい (kirei) - "beautiful" or "clean"

Negative: きれいではない (kirei dewa nai) / きれいじゃない (kirei ja nai) - "not beautiful" or "not clean"

Past: きれいでした (kirei deshita) - "was beautiful" or "was clean"

Past Negative: きれいではなかった (kirei dewa nakatta) / きれいじゃなかった (kirei ja nakatta) - "was not beautiful" or "was not clean"

The differences between i-adjectives and na-adjectives in Japanese stem from their historical and linguistic origins. I-adjectives are part of the native Japanese vocabulary, known as "和語" (wago), and their conjugation pattern can be traced back to classical Japanese. In contrast, many na-adjectives originated from Chinese loanwords (known as "漢語" or kango) and nouns. When Chinese words entered Japanese, they often carried descriptive qualities but did not fit neatly into the existing adjective conjugation system. As a result, they were adapted in a way that treated them more like nouns that required a particle ("な") to function adjectivally. Na-adjectives can be considered "nominal adjectives" because they behave similarly to nouns. They need the copula "です" or "だ" to form predicates, and they use "な" to modify nouns, indicating their grammatical status is closer to nouns than to i-adjectives.

In conclusion, the distinction between i-adjectives and na-adjectives in Japanese is rooted in historical and logical reasons: this division not only reflects the historical integration of foreign elements into Japanese but also maintains a logical grammatical structure that differentiates between native and adapted forms.

aloisjirasekbignaturals

Nagasaki Infodump

I’m being emotional over the city of Nagasaki because I love it

Whenever I see Nagasaki I reblog it. Whenever I see a chance I post my pictures of Nagasaki.

I bet you’re thinking “oh the atomic bomb city”. I can't blame you guys. I mean when I see the name Srebrenica I think about the massacre, not the town before or after it. I was thinking “the atomic bomb city” before I visited there.

But there is a lot more. It was and is known for its high Christian population which people maintained during the nationwide ban on the religion which lasted more than 200 years. It is a city with a lot of slopes. The iconic view attracts the tourists, while elderly locals remember that it was the hills which protected some of the city from fatal heat waves on a summer day in the year 1945.

It was a city before the tragedy, which emphasize the terror of the event. It once again became a city after the tragedy, which emphasize the indomitableness of human being.

And I see a chance so here is my Nagasaki pictures

Bus stop signs that reads “Heiwamachi/Peace Town”, an area near the Ground Zero renamed in memory of the victims.

Bulletin board at a church calling for prayers for Ukraine, saying “Let’s pray for Ukraine” with Mark 15:34 quoted. When the bomb exploded, there was a mass held in this church which stood very near from the Ground Zero. None of the attenders survived.

Hele ho. Spotted at a local museum.

A statue gifted by ČSSR to the city of Nagasaki.

Local food called Toruko Raisu (“Turkey Rice”)

sushi time

⚠️the next caption involves a memorandum of a victim (no explicit description of dead people etc)

“I felt thirsty so badly. On the water there were oil-like things covering the surface. I desperately craved some water, and finally drank it with the oil on it. — a girl’s memorandum from the day”. Many survivors said that they felt extremely thirsty and that they watched vainly as people died craving for water. In the city there are cups filled with water devoted to the victim seen even today.

larryhaylik

Nagasaki is a gorgeous, gorgeous place. There are many traditional parts, but also, as the historically only foreigner-trading city in Japan, you can see many instances of foreigner presence there. My favourite is Dejima, a small island/town quarter where foreigners were allowed to live. You get the most peculiar mix of traditional Japanese and Western architecture and decour.

And the Gunkanjima/Battleship Island! It was a mining town and for a time, a place with the highest population density on earth. At it's peak, 5.300 people lived on an island that's cca 500m x 150m, and everything has been abandoned in the 1970s and is basically a ghost town now. Visiting it is... I cannot describe it. You can see the ruins of a school, of a shrine, of a hospital, and it's all empty and crumbling not because of conflict or war, but because the people simply - left.

But my absolute top is probably the Nagasaki Seaside Park. After seeing the Peace Museum and Peace Park, the crumbling Gunkanjima and a-bomb burnt statues in front of Urakami Cathedral, all the greenery and life and picnics gain a completely different meaning. It's beautiful and relaxing and lively.

So yeah. Nagasaki. Brilliant.

daily-hyosatsu

Some VERY interesting character design at a Nepalese restaurant! The text on the left clearly says 東京 Tōkyō, but in a stylized way inspired by Nepalese script. Neat.

Then, on the right, there are two lines of text. The tiny bottom text, which reads 本場ネパール家庭料理【ほんばねぱーるかていりょうり】, or Authentic Nepalese Home Cooking. The top line, I assumed, was actually in Nepalese, and was either the restaurant name or a translation of the bottom line. But then I looked closer!

Look to the right of the middle, at the tiny little 3....... or maybe it's more of a Russian Э. Could that actually be a katakana ヨ? And then, if you squint a little......

Can you see it? Is it just me? Let's try something.............

I was never good at those Magic Eye pictures, but this must be what that feels like. Amazing! The restaurant is called 東京カリンチョーク, and if their food is half as interesting as this design, I am excited to eat there.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find how they're romanizing カリンチョーク and don't know what it means. It seems that they've just recently changed names so maybe they'll update their online presence soon, but in the meantime, please chime in if you do know!

daily-hyosatsu

Have we ever done a first name before? Or a hiragana name? ゑみ is functionally read Emi, but technically, it's really Wemi because it uses the mostly obsolete kana character ゑ we.　

In modern Japanese, the W sound can only be combined with the vowels A or O, but this wasn't always the case. There used to be characters like ゑ we (katakana: ヱ) and ゐ wi (ヰ) that have fallen out of popular use but still appear sometimes, which is always VERY exciting for me. If you want to type them on a Japanese keyboard, enter 'wye' or 'wyi,' respectively.

And since this is ostensibly a kanji blog, remember that ゑ is derived from the kanji 惠, meaning blessing, grace, favor, kindness, etc. Which today is read megu.mu, megu.mi, kei, or ei.

daily-hyosatsu

And look at this! It’s a building name, not a human name, but it’s an instance of katakana ヱ we in the wild! You love to see it. I would feel classy as hell living in this complex.

The sign reads ヱリゼ Y•R, or Welize Y/R. And I don’t know what Y/R means, but googling ヱリゼ or エリゼ, the top results are for Élysée Palace, so there you go! Classy.

daily-hyosatsu

Once again!

A katakana first name this time! Either read Yae or Yawe. This is an unusual name today, but I found several Japanese men from the last century who used it, including the aviator 及位ヤヱ Nozoki Yae and the children's author and children's song historian 阿部ヤヱ Abe Yae.

Katakana first names often mean foreign/mixed/nissei/etc., but they're also not uncommon among older people. This dates back to when katakana was used the way that hiragana is today, as the main kana script. These names do feel old-fashioned now; both of the men mentioned above were born in the 1930s, if that gives you an idea.

Finally, given the Yawe pronunciation, I had to wonder how to write Yahweh in Japanese! Seems there are two main options: the less common ヤーウェ, which is intuitive for English speakers (at least for this one), and the more common ヤハウェ. The ハ is often used to render guttural sounds, like the German "ch"; for example, バッハ is Bach. Fun fact to help you decode non-English katakana loanwords!

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