maya's musings

[mayasmusings]

Hi langblr, I'm Maya! 👋 I'm dedicating this barely-used sideblog to language learning and tracking my progress. Languages have always fascinated me ever since I was little.

About Me:

Perpetually sleepy college student

Video game enthusiast

Theater nerd

Matcha consumer

Languages:

Bisaya (Native)

English (Fluent)

Spanish (B2)

Japanese (Beginner)

Interested in:

Mandarin - I learned a bit when I lived in the Philippines, but I don't remember much of it

Tagalog - I moved before I could learn it

Currently, I'm trying to learn Japanese both for fun and for future job opportunities. I would also like to deepen my understanding of Spanish.

Please feel free to reach out! I love making new friends! (main: @finding-an-angle)

I'm excited to learn with you!

[buchi-to-pichi]

Download our free textbook to learn hiragana here!

[dsm-wannabe-linguist]

Really enjoying Duolingo’s gradual progression from “the blue duck wears a big hat” to “if Matthew doesn’t make good on his alimony payments then I’m calling a hitman”

[lang-culture-is]

language learning culture is not being able to recall the word in you mother tongue while knowing exactly what it is in your target language

[lang-culture-is]

language learning culture is rewatching all your favourite films in your target language

[mayasmusings]

I think it's interesting that my English grammar has gotten a bit better since I started studying Japanese

[bangidlee]

Websites for Japanese Learners

! click on website name to be redirected !

all websites can be used for free and without subscribtion (thats why japanese101 isnt included)

-> apps for japanese learners (soon)

1. JLPT Sensei

study guides (N5-N1)

includes grammar, kanji, vocabular, adjective, verb and other lists for orientation when studying

free JLPT practice tests

2. Japanese Verb Conjugator

automatic verb conjugator

verb database

kanji database & kanji tester

over 180,000 example sentences with sound

3. Tanoshii Japanese

japanese-english dictionary (with stroke order!)

pratice games & interactive lessons (Kanji Mahjong etc.)

learning resources (japanese novel, textbook, magazine, movie recommendations)

4. Jisho

fast and smart japanese-english dictionary

draw and radical function apart from keyboard search

searching by topic and categories by adding #[topic/category]

JLPT levels, sentences, particles, counters, names included

5. Map Quiz

world map quiz in japanese

divided into continents and north, east, south and west

6. Japanesetests4you

free JLPT N5-N1 reading and listening tests

free JLPT N5-N1 vocabulary, kanji and grammar lists + tests

7. Shiritori Online

Shiritori (しりとり) is a popular japanese word game and is ideal to exercise vocabulary for japanese learners. 2 or more players take turns saying a word that starts with the last kana of the previous word. The game ends when someone answers with a word ending with -n (ん) because there are no words starting with ん.

it is up to the players whether all forms of a hiragana (kana and its diacritics; は,ば and ぱ etc.) are allowed or not (e.g やぎ -> きよう).

example: りんご (apple) -> ごりら (ゴリラ) (gorilla) -> らーめん (ラーメン) (ramen). The last person who said ramen loses because the word ends with -n (ん). Instead the person could have saidらま (ラマ) (llama) (e.g).

[studyjapanesewithme]

Japanese onomatopoeic expressions

あつあつ- something that looks piping hot, or a couple who are head over heels for each other.

あっぷあっぷ- someone floundering in water and almost drowning 

いきいき- someone who looks like they are full of life and energetic 

いやいや- reluctantly with a heavy heart 

うとうと- describes someone napping or dozing 

がつがつ- describes someone eating greedily or someone who hungers after something 

がぶがぶ- someone gulping down a large drink thirstily 

くたくた- something that looks withered or someone who looks very tired

くるくる- a  small object spinning around or someone who is quick at moving or coming up with ideas 

けちけち- someone who is stingy and tightfisted. 

ごちゃごちゃ- describes something in a jumble

ざあざあ- the sound of rushing water, often pouring rain, or the sound of static on a tv

じゃぶじゃぶ- the sound and action of splashing in water

すやすや- sleeping peacefully 

ちくちく- a sharp object pricking something 

ちびちび- describes doing something little by little to make it last for as long as possible, like small sips of a drink

[todayintokyo]

And on NHK (Japan’s national broadcaster) this morning, referring to pandemic restlessness and a desire to travel:

うずうず = itching to do something; impatient; sorely tempted

[warau-okami]

People enjoyed the charts for English learners in Japan. Here, as promised, is one for Japanese language learners.

右 みぎ : right, right-hand side

左 ひだり : left, left hand side

横 よこ : horizontal (as opposed to vertical), lying down

side-to-side (as opposed to front-to-back), width, breadth

side (of a box, etc.)

beside, aside, next to

unconnected

側 そば : near, close, beside, vicinity, proximity, besides, while

隣 となり : next (to), adjoining, adjacent

後ろ うしろ : back, behind, rear

下 した : below, down, under, younger (e.g. daughter)

bottom

beneath, underneath

近く ちかく : nearly (e.g. "it took nearly one year"), close to

上 うえ : above, over, up

中 なか : inside, interior

among, within

[gynpie-deactivated20230725]

🌸 日本語 Greetings

こんにちは konnichiwa – Hello formal

もしもし moshimoshi– Hello formal

Used when answering the phone.

やあ yā – Hey informal

ヤッホー ya hō – Hello informal

Used to greet children or close friends.

よぉ yō – Yo informal (“masc”)

おす/おっす osu/ossu – Hey informal

Used to get someones attention.

おーい ōi – Hey informal (“masc”)

Used to get someones attention.

ただいま tadaima – I’m home informal

ようこそ yōkoso - Welcome informal

A common phrase to say after someone arrives after traveling.

いらっしゃいませ irasshai mase– Welcome formal

This is a common phrase you’ll hear when entering convenience stores or restaurants.

(毎度)いらっしゃいませ (maido) irasshaimase – Welcome formal

This version means “Every time, welcome” and is used by many businesses, especially hotels and spas.

おはよう(ございます)  ohayo (gozaimasu) – Good morning in(formal)

こんばんわ konbanwa – Good evening formal

はじめまして hajime mashite – It’s nice to meet you formal

おあいできて こうえいです o ai dekite kōeidesu – It’s an honor to meet you very formal

Used when first meeting a superior, like a professor or employer.

だいじょうぶ (ですか) daijōbu (desuka) – Are you alright? in(formal)

お(元気)ですか o (genki) desuka- Are you okay? (in)formal

This is often translated as “How are you?” but that’s not quite right. You would typically ask this if it’s to someone you haven’t seen in a long time or if someone seems upset, concerned or pensive.

げんき だった genki data – What’s good? informal

だった is a past tense marker for nouns and な-adjectives. It tells us that the word it’s attached to is relevant to the past, similar to “was” in English.

なんか あった nani ka atta – What’s happening? What’s up? informal

どうよ dōyo – How’s it going? informal

Although informal, it’s appropriate for most social situations when following another greeting.

最近どう saikin dō – What’s up? informal

Also implies the phrase “How have you been?”

お(久しぶり)です o (hisashi) buridesu– Long time no see (in)formal

This phrase is the equivalent of “Long time no see” or “It’s been a while” in English.

(大丈夫)ですか (daijōbu) desuka – Are you alright? (in)formal

Usually asked after someones been hurt or embarrassed.

[howdoyoulanguage]

大草原不可避 : Keyboard smashing in Japanese

I explained how keyboard smashing in English expresses laughing really hard and she taught me the Japanese equivalent in return!!

As some of you might know, in Japanese, “w”  from the word “to laugh” 笑う 「わらう」 is basically like “lol” in Japanese so when there’s a bunch of “w”’s together it looks like this wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww 

and it looks like a bunch of grass so one slang word to show something is funny is 草 「くさ」 which is the word/kanji for grass so you don’t have to type out a bunch of w’s.

So the step up from 草 is 大草原　「だいそうげん」 which means prairie since there’s a lot more grass.

And if something leaves you laughing so much that you can’t hold it back you could say 大草原不可避　「だいそうげんふかひ」 which basically means “inevitable prairie”. 

The “inevitable part”, 不可避　「ふかひ」 in this phrase means laughter is inevitable and you can’t help but laugh.

[stelacole]

soft/fluffy starters

﹡ ❝ whatever is going on in your life. i’m here. always﹗ ❞ ﹡ ❝ the minut i laid my eyes on you, i just knew i loved you. ❞ ﹡ ❝ i came here for my daily cuddles﹗ ❞ ﹡ ❝ you look so beautiful/handsome﹗ ❞ ﹡ ❝ i want to have a future with you﹗ ❞ ﹡ ❝ you make me want to be a better person. ❞ ﹡ ❝ how do you always know how to make me smile﹖ ❞ ﹡ ❝ i would follow the ends of the earth to be with you. ❞ ﹡ ❝ loving you, it was the best thing i have ever done﹗ ❞ ﹡ ❝ this world is a much better place with you in it﹗ ❞ ﹡ ❝ i love this. laying here and having you in my arms. ❞ ﹡ ❝ did i made you blush﹖ ❞ ﹡ ❝ my hands are ready to warm your hands up﹗ ❞ ﹡ ❝ i have always needed someone like you in my life. ❞

[bluedietcoke]

book quotes that i will never recover from

"he is half of my soul, as the poets say. " - song of achilles

"write me a letter telling me how to live the rest of my life without you." - how to make friends with the dark

"they were my birthday presents." - shatter me

"she had realized that she had forgotten the precise blue of his eyes and the depth of his laugh." - clockwork princess

"my name is sam cortland... and i will not be afraid." - assassin's blade

"you chose me four years ago. would you choose me still?" - these violent delights

"we were all supposed to make it." - crooked kingdom

"i remember everything." - the invisible life of addie larue

"come home and shout at me. come home and fight with me. come home and break my heart, if you must. just come home." - cruel prince

"i wasted all those yesterdays and am completely out of tomorrows." - they both die at the end

"you hated the idea of me." - the final gambit

"bob says hello." - house of hades

"abuse can feel like love. starving people will eat anything." - nightfall

"i missed you only with an ocean between us. but if death was separating us... i would find you." - queen of shadows

"i loved him. i love him. as best i could." - we were liars

"i'm the villain, even in my own story. but you were supposed to play a different role." - finale

"i will find you again in the next world—the next life. and we will have that time. i promise." - a court of wings and ruin

"i spent half of my time loving her and the other half hiding how much i loved her." - the seven husbands of evelyn hugo

[2soulscollide]

WEBSITES FOR WRITERS {masterpost}

E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

(Also, check my blog if you want to!)

[thespidersfrommarz]

@localbisexualwriter

[corvase]

enemies to lovers ‘later in their life’ prompts

later in their life; post-book things like getting married, living together. feel free to use :)

“can you pass me the s—“ “no.” “………. at what point do you become mature?”

“i’m tireddd.” *in a whiny voice* “i’m tired.” *mocking them*

“hug?” “clingy, much?……” but hugs them anyway

random races. waking up and brushing? i’ll do it five hours before you even begin dreaming. walking to the kitchen to make breakfast? i can flip fifteen pancakes before you can blink.

“you said you loved me first, remember?” “…. did i?”

everything is still a competition. i don’t care if both our families are watching i can and will scarf this all down and beat you

“cant believe we fell in love. i swore i would never become this trope.” “who doesn’t love a good cliche?”

“kiss?” and an immediate joking “no” but they’re already leaning in with a small smile

both being very stubborn and like carbon copies of the other so small domestic things trip them up

^ like they’re both lying down on the couch like “who’s turn is it to do the dishes?” “… i think it’s yours.” “but i did them yesterday.” “no you most definitely did not—“

“i missed you.” and with a small smile, “really?” and an annoyed “no i’m lyin— WHAT DO YOU THINK???”

“must you argue with me about everything?” genuinely annoyed because they just want to choose what to eat for breakfast and the other one just wants to argue

BUT ALSO “must you argue with me about everything?” and it’s with the fondest smile ever as they run a hand through the other’s hair

“where are the onions?” “…. you called me at 2:00pm on a work day to ask me where the onions are??? WHEN YOU BOUGHT THEM LAST?????????” “… if you didn’t know where they were you could’ve just said that but whatever.”

“do you fancy getting married?” “do i f— DO I FANCY????? WE’RE NINETEEN.” “yeah but i love you.”

“did you do the laundry?” “did YOU do the laundry?” “oh splendid i’m married to a seven year old.”

a petty argument and the make-up being all reluctant

^ like “and by the way, i hate your new haircut.” and the other responding with a smile and a “yeah?” because they know with a glance that it’s not true at all

“i love you.” “… yeah. you too, i guess.” “….? say you love me.” “…” “i’m going to call your mom.” “… that is so low.”

it’s also important to have moments where they acknowledge that the enemies part is in the past and as much as they joke they both love each other very much

^“can we be serious for a second?” and an immediate sobering up

“i love you like, a crazy amount, you know.” “i love you even more.” “okay…. just let me have this one maybe.”

them learning each other’s hobbies & things they enjoy doing, going out of their way to learn and enjoy it too

“let’s go stargaze.” “i’d honestly rather do anything else.” but they go and just stare at the other one the whole time (and the other is aware)

[archive-on-jpxfrds]

Love realization prompts:

They don't smile/laugh often, but when they finally do, you feel your heart skip a beat

Waking up and finding yourself snuggled up with them on the couch, when it dawns upon you that maybe you do love them

They're doing something stupid, and somehow, you find yourself thinking that this is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with

They're going to go away soon. You're going through some of your old memories together, which is when the realization hits you (and you don't have much time left)

You find yourself unable to look away after seeing them in a fancy dress/suit for the first time

Reuniting after being separated for a while, realizing how much you missed their presence

Thinking about how they have all the qualities you'd like in a partner

While pretending to be in a relationship with them, you realize how much you wish it was real

Being worried that these new feelings might ruin their friendship

"I think... I'm in love with (Name)" || "Congrats on being the last one to find out"

(X)

[nightprompts]

&. 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

(  various  fluffy  dialogue  prompts  so  soft,  so  sweet,  just  for  you!  )

❛ i just wanted to make sure you’re okay. ❜

❛ there it is, there’s that smile! ❜

❛ you got me flowers? ❜

❛ i’m not afraid of you. ❜

❛ aw, did you miss me? ❜

❛ you’re lucky that you’re cute. ❜

❛ wait, you think i’m cute? ❜

❛ you’re not alone. you never were. ❜

❛ i don’t think i’ve ever seen you smile. ❜

❛ good morning, sleeping beauty. ❜

❛ it’s better with you here. ❜

❛ don’t worry, i’m staying right here. ❜

❛ you’re welcome to stay, if you want. ❜

❛ don’t be a stranger, okay? ❜

❛ i haven’t laughed like this in a long time. ❜

❛ hold still. this might sting a little. ❜

❛ you can hold my hand, if you want. ❜

❛ i knew you would be here. ❜

❛ i just wanted to say thank you for protecting me. ❜

❛ before you do anything, try this and tell me what you think. ❜

❛ wow i really can’t speak, huh? must be because of how pretty you look. ❜

❛ we can order pizza, watch a movie, whatever you want. ❜

❛ what, am i not allowed to look at you? ❜

❛ i’m not giving up on you. ❜

❛ is that my shirt? ❜

❛ this is a good look for you. ❜

❛ pinky promise? ❜

❛ c’mere, you. ❜

❛ honey, i’m home! ❜

❛ you remembered? ❜

❛ you’re my family too. ❜

❛ let’s go somewhere, just you and me. ❜

❛ i’m here for you. don’t forget that. ❜

❛ you’re the only thing that matters. ❜

❛ was that your first kiss? ❜

❛ i was worried something happened to you. ❜

❛ your heart is beating so fast right now. ❜

❛ relationships are built on trust, and i trust you. ❜

❛ you always see the good in people. even me. ❜

❛ do you think the moon is jealous of how pretty you are? ❜

❛ nope, puppy dog eyes aren’t going to work this time! ❜

❛ thanks to you, i know what it means to love again. ❜

❛ how about a kiss before i go? ❜

❛ i’m just glad you’re okay. ❜

❛ here we are, home sweet home. ❜

❛ thanks for being here with me. ❜

❛ seeing you happy is all that matters. ❜

❛ keep it. it looks better on you. ❜

❛ i couldn’t stop missing you if i tried. ❜

❛ you feel like home to me. ❜