a blog for learners of japanese

sharing my tips | sharing my mistakes | providing motivation to learn japanese

[learnjp]

Japanese English | 和製英語 Hey guys, so most Japanese learners would know that katakana is used mostly for words that have been borrowed from other languages. However, I’ve come across many Japanese words in katakana that appear to be of English origin, but are in fact not. This is called 和製英語「わせいえいご」, which can be translated as “Japanese English/Japanese-made English”. Below are a list of 和製英語 that I have come across a lot during my studies! If you know of anymore please feel free to reblog this post and add to it! Japanese English・和製英語・わせいえいご: Arcade・ゲームセンター・Gemu senta Autograph・サイン・Sain Apartment Complex・マンション・Manshon Bikini Model・グラビアアイドル・Gurabia aidoru Bread・パン・Pan Celebrity・タレント・Tarento Chips/French Fries・フライドポテト・Furaido poteto Complaint・クレーム・Kuremu Concert・ライブ・Raibu Dress・ワンピース・Wanpisu French Kiss・ディープキス・Diipu kisu Key Chain/Key Ring・キーホルダー・Kihoruda Laptop・ノートパソコン・Notopasokon Office Worker・サラリーマン・Sararii man One Size Fits All・フリーサイズ・Furisaizu Part-time Job・アルバイト・Arubaito Petrol Station・ガソリンスタンド・Gasorin sutando Plug Socket/Power Outlet・コンセント・konsento Reception・フロント・Furonto Roller Coaster・ジェットコースター・Jettokosuta Thong/G-String・Tバック・T-bakku Zipper・チャック・Chyakku

[ohitoyoshi]

Ok, I’ll add some from my anki deck:

アイメイト (eye mate) guide dog アットホーム (at home) cozy オートバイ (auto bike) motorcycle ガッツポーズ (guts pose) triumphant pose, fist pump シスターボーイ (sister boy) sissy スキンシップ (skinship) physical contact  スリーサイズ (three size) bust-waist-hip measurements チャームポイント (charm point) most attractive feature of a person ポリタンク (poly tank) plastic container マイペース (my pace) doing things at one’s own pace レジャーシート (leisure sheet) picnic sheet ワンパターン (one pattern) predictable, repetitive ワイドショー (wide show) talk show

Guess I add some abbreviations too, they are pretty cool.

アメフト American football エアコン air conditioner エンタメ entertainment​ ドンマイ don’t mind ポテチ potato chips マスコミ mass communication ラノベ light novel リモコン remote control

[asiaticfanaticblog-blog]

I’ll add a few too I suppose, some I found, and some I was already aware of.

アイスキャンデー (ice candy) a popsicle

アンチ (anti) a hater

アフターサービス (after service) service under warranty

オムライス (omlette rice, but shortened) an omlette w/ a mixture of ketchup and fried rice as a filling

オーダーメイド (order made) made-to-order/ custom-made

オーライall right, OK

エンゲージリング engagement ring

キャッチホン (catch phone) on hold

キャッチボール (catch ball) to play catch

ベビーカー (baby car) a stroller

レベルアップ get better/ improve (also obviously can be used the same as level up in English)

電子レンジ (electron range) microwave

スレチ ( thread and ???) an off-topic thread on a forum

ラブコメ rom-com

パーカー hoodie

リサイクルショップ (recycle shop) second-hand store

バックミラー (back mirror) rearview mirror

ホチキス stapler

シール (seal) sticker/ seal

シュール(な) surreal

アメリカンドッグ (american dog) corndog

モーニングコール (morning call) wake-up call

サービスエリア (service area) rest stop

ペットボトル plastic bottle

カンニング (cunning) cheating

サマータイム (summertime) daylight savings time

ゼミ seminar

ゲーセン game center (shorter ver.)

オーブントースター(oven toaster) toaster oven

レントゲン写真 (roentgen photograph) an X-ray

Also, as far as I’m aware, アルバイト comes from the German word Arbeit, so it isn’t really 和製英語. Cool list though!

[jpn-langblr]

Quizletでフラッシュカード作ったよ！一緒に勉強で頑張ろう( ´∀｀ )

[jibunstudies]

One of the questions I get asked the most often is “How do I make my Japanese more colloquial?” or “How do I sound more like a native?” There’s also a lot of discussion about “Textbook Japanese” versus Japanese you’ll hear while on the train, in line at the store, or out with friends.

This post is quite long and explanatory, so here is a list of what’s covered under the cut!

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Plain form 2. Dropping particles 3. です to だ 4. Sentence ending particle の 5. 〜ています → 〜ている → 〜てる 6. て form does not always equal command 7. じゃない & じゃん 8. と to って 9. さ 10. なんか 11. なんて

Keep reading

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

i absolutely love this post! the explanations are so good!

[kusetsu]

Just found this on twitter and I can’t breathe

[lotsofdragons]

Okay but let me add:

- sorrymasen

- homodachis

- nosusume

- kokoro is brokoro

- chigau tho

- yabae

- nihongo

- nihongoing

- nihongone (me always)

And…

- kimochi fuck you

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

As a HSC student I think I have one:

- I want to shinidie

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

I’m so glad that there are actually people that used the last structure I posted!!! Here’s another one that I find frequently pops up (this one’s a long post!). This is usually taught to people who learn English as a second language, but it makes more sense in Japanese. 

In English, we have verbs like ‘open’, ‘close’, ‘lose’, ‘stop’.etc. We execute these actions ourselves: “I opened the door” / “I closed the window” / “I lost my wallet” / “I stopped the car”.

Those are called transitive verbs. Things that we do ourselves, we use transitive verbs to describe it. 

Then there are things that happen on its own, things we can’t influence. This could include: “The party started” / “The shop is open” / “The computer broke”.

These are called intransitive verbs. These things happen on its own, naturally. 

Japanese also uses these types of verbs and they’re more prominent since they have their own particular vocabulary. When translating from Japanese to English, many different words have the same meaning in English so it’s difficult to translate back.

Here are some examples:

「パーティーはもう始まりました。」（パーティーはもうはじまりました。）

The party has already started. (intransitive verb)

「私はドアを開けました。」（わたしはドアをあけました。）

I opened the door. (transitive verb)

「薬屋があいています。」（くすりやがあいています。）

The pharmacy is open. (intransitive verb)

「私は風邪が治りました。」（わたしはかぜがなおりました。）

I got over my cold (was healed). (intransitive verb)

Here’s a summary:

Transitive Verbs: describes what we execute/influence. Uses を as the particle.

Intransitive Verbs: describes things that happen naturally. Uses が/は as the particle.

Here’s a list of a few verbs:

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs (written in that order):

あける : to open / あく : to be opened

しめる : to close / しまる : to be closed

こわす : to break / こわれる : to be broken

なおす : to repair / なおる : to be healed/cured

はじめる : to start / はじまる : to begin/start

おとす : to drop / おちる : to fall

だす : to take out / でる : to come out

Note: there’s plenty more but these are some that are more common.

Please tell me if there are any mistakes! 

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

my friends write the most random things >.<

only 8 more days until graduation!! 頑張ろう！

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

my HSC japanese extension speaking exam is in 2 days and graduation is in 10 !! 😱

[learnjp]

Japanese for Total Beginners || How and Where to Start Studying Hey guys, I’m going to try and answer my most commonly asked questions that I continuously receive in the next following weeks so if there’s anything you’d like answered feel free to submit your questions. I’m also going to try and find a new theme as a lot of you guys have mentioned that you’re unable to view my FAQ page while on your mobile devices so once I’ve found a good theme I’ll ask you guys to check it out so that you can let me know if it works or not! This post is going to be regarding how to study Japanese as a total beginner. The single most commonly asked question that I receive (and I get asked this at least once a week since starting my blog back in 2016) is something along the lines of “I’ve never studied Japanese before but I really want to, but I have no idea where to start.” so I’m going to try and answer this question today to the best of my abilities. WHAT SHOULD I LEARN FIRST? I recommend starting off with learning the kana system (hiragana and then katakana). While learning how to read, write, and recognise kana, you should also spend time learning how to properly pronunciate the kana. Learning Japanese pronunciation at this step will help you a great deal as you start progressing into learning the language. Once you’ve learnt kana you can move onto introducing basic grammar structures and basic vocabulary together. If you’re self-teaching I really recommend getting a textbook because most textbooks introduce grammar and vocabulary together in easy to understand ways. If you cannot afford to purchase a textbook there are PDFs floating around online and many websites that offer free Japanese lessons. Once you can use kana, understand some basic grammar and vocabulary, and are able to produce your own basic sentences, I would then introduce simple kanji. This would include numbers, days of the week, months, and the kanji version of some vocabulary you’ve learnt (such as 私・わたし／食べ・たべ). After that it’s just a matter of introducing new grammar, vocab, and kanji which will gradually increase in difficulty as you continue to progress through the language. SHOULD I LEARN GRAMMAR OR VOCABULARY FIRST? Vocabulary for me is mostly memorisation - memorising the meaning and the word/characters - and then simply applying the vocabulary to the grammar structure, which is why I like learning them together because I think that they tend to go hand-in-hand. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I STUDY JAPANESE? This really comes down to the individual as it depends on your own personal schedule and abilities. Some people ate able to study every single day and others can only do it a couple times, or just once a week. The key is finding a routine that works for you and keeping at it to the best of your abilities. They say it takes 21 days for something to become a habit. What works best for me is studying early in the morning after waking up and then I feel I can go about my day without any concerns. I have an entire tag dedicated to immersing yourself into the Japanese language so feel free to check it out.  WHAT’S A GOOD STUDY ROUTINE? I often get asked to provide specific details or give study routines regarding where to begin with studying Japanese so below is my recommendations on where to start. Hiragana:

Begin with learning the 5 vowels in Japanese (A, I, U, E, O) - learn how to read, write, pronounce, and recognise them.

Continue with learning vowels + consonants (K, S, T, N, H, M, R, Y, W) - learn how to read, write, pronounce, and recognise them.

Study the exceptions (SHI, CHI, TSU, FU) - Try to memorise these in particular as they can confuse beginners quite easily.

Katakana:

Study katakana similarly to how you studied hiragana beginning with vowels, and then moving onto consonants and focusing on the exceptions.

Try to create your own flashcards in order to memorise the characters.

There are also a number of apps designed to help you recognise and memorise hiragana and katakana characters as well as to test your knowledge on them.

Vocabulary + Grammar:

I would begin with learning basic expressions such as greetings and self-introductions. I’d use the information from this website to find basic expressions and greetings.

Once you’ve memorised some basic expressions you should move onto basic grammar and vocab. 

I learnt by using the Genki textbook so I recommend following their order of lessons, otherwise you can search on google for Japanese lessons to follow.

Make sure to study Japanese particles very seriously as they can often stump Japanese learners! Don’t be afraid to spend a long time studying them.

Kanji:

Once you’ve mastered kana and are comfortable with creating basic sentences in Japanese, I would start introducing kanji. As I mentioned before I would start with numbers, days of the week, months, and then kanji versions of vocabulary that you’ve already learned.

If you search “Kanji lessons” on google you’ll come across some useful websites like this one.

After this you just have to continue building up your grammar, vocab, and kanji knowledge. Resources: PDFs -

Genki I Textbook

Genki I Workbook

Genki I Answer Key

Genki II Textbook

Genki II Workbook

Genki II Answer Key

Genki I + II and MP3 files

Japanese For Busy People 1

Japanese For Busy People 2

Japanese For Busy People 3

Japanese For Busy People Workbook

Japanese Pronunciation -

Learn Japanese Pronunciation in 14 Minutes

Introduction to Japanese Pronunciation

Top 5 Japanese Pronunciation Mistakes to Avoid

Charts -

Hiragana Chart

Katakana Chart

Hiragana + Katakana Chart Combined

Apps -

Anki (flashcard app)

Memrise (learn Japanese)

imiwa? (dictionary app)

Learn Japanese (introduces phrases and vocab)

Learn Japanese by Mindsnacks (increases vocab)

Hello Talk (talk with native speakers)

TenguGo Kana Hiragana Katakana (introduces kana system)

Kana Quiz (test your kana knowledge)

Website -

Tae Kim’s Guide to Japanese (Study Guide + Lessons)

Jisho (online dictionary)

JapanesePod101 (Japanese lessons)

Tofugu (Japanese lessons + Cultural lessons)

[learnjapanesebod]

Learning Japanese Master Post #02.

Here’s a master post for video lessons #51-#100 in the Learning Japanese video series, all view-able for free on YouTube! That’s right, each topic gets its own episode! All arranged in order and linked below. Check out all 200+ video lessons at the official YouTube channel here and the other Master Posts: 1 3

Conjugations of Desu (です) 

Conjugating い-Adjectives 

Conjugating な-Adjectives 

How-to Say “(I/We) want X” and “Do you want X?” (Xがほしいです) 

How-to Say “X wants Y” (Third Person) (XはYをほしがっている) (cont.) 

“VERBAL NOUN ＋ に(行く/来る)” as “Going/coming to do VERBAL NOUN” 

Using adjectives as adverbs 

How-to say “try to do VERB” (VERB て-Form ＋ みる) 

How-to say “in order to VERB/for the sake of VERBing” (VERB Dictionary Form + ために) 

Potential Form (Verb Conjugation) 

て- Form VERB + いる as “has VERB-ed” (Resultant State) 

X ので Y as “Because X, Y” 

How-to say “VERB while VERBING” with Pre-ますForm VERB + ながら + VERB 

How-to use しまう to emphasize finality of an action (て-Form + しまう) 

How-to say “to VERB2 without doing VERB1” (Negative ない-Form VERB1 + で + VERB2) 

How-to say “it is (easy/hard) to do VERB” with Pre-ます-Form VERB + (やすい/にくい) 

The たり-Form - たり-Form V1 + たり-Form V2 + する (Do VERB1, VERB2, and other such things) 

The て-Form as “and” (CLAUSE1 + て + CLAUSE 2 as “CLAUSE1 and CLAUSE2”) 

X までに as “by the time of X” 

How-to say “become (ADJECTIVE/NOUN)” with (ADJECTIVE/NOUN) + なる 

How-to say “make X (ADJECTIVE/NOUN)” with X を (ADJECTIVE/NOUN) + する 

How-to say “Before CLAUSE1, CLAUSE2” (Dictionary Form C1 + 前に + C2) 

How-to say “After CLAUSE1, CLAUSE2” (た-Form C1 + 後で + C2) 

How-to say “do nothing but VERB” (て-Form VERB + ばかりいる) 

How-to say “VERB nothing but NOUN” (NOUN + ばかり + VERB) 

How-to say “start VERBing” (Pre-ます-Form VERB + 始める) 

How-to say “finish VERBing” (Pre-ます-Form VERB + 終わる) 

(Dictionary/Negative-ない)-Form VERB + ようにする as “make an effort (to/not to) VERB” 

(Dictionary/Potential/Negative-ない)-Form VERB + ようになる as “it has become that” 

How-to say “I think that” (Plain-Form + と思う） 

Volitional Form (Verb Conjugation)

Plain Form + かも知れない as “(may/might/possibly) be _”

(Pre-ます-Form VERB/Stem-Form ADJECTIVE) + すぎる as “(VERB too much/too ADJECTIVE)” 

Volitional-Form VERB + と思う as “I think I will VERB” 

“A (is/isn’t) as ADJ as B” - AはB(と同じぐらい ADJ/ ほど Negative-Form ADJ) 

Plain-Form A + のに + B as “Even though A, B” 

AてからB as “After A, B” 

Plain-Form + でしょう as “probably ___” 

How-to say “should do VERB/it’s best to do VERB” (た-Form VERB + 方がいい） 

How-to say “should not do VERB/it’s best to not do VERB” (ない-Form VERB + 方がいい） 

Conditional ば-Form (Verb Conjugation + Adjective and Noun Conjugation) 

ば-Form CLAUSE1 + CLAUSE2 as “If CLAUSE1, CLAUSE2” 

Negative ば-Form （なければ） CLAUSE1 + CLAUSE2 as “If not CLAUSE1, CLAUSE2” 

たら-Form: C1たらC2 as “After C1, C2” or “If C1, C2” (pt. 1 of 2) 

たら-Form: C1たらC2 as “After C1, C2” or “If C1, C2” (pt. 2 of 2) 

(Pre-ます-Form VERB/Stem-Form ADJ) + そう（です/だ）as “it looks like ____” (pt. 1 of 2) 

(Pre-ます-Form VERB/Stem-Form ADJ) + そう（です/だ）as “it looks like ____” (pt. 2 of 2) 

Plain-Form CLAUSE + (そう/だ) as “heard that ___” 

て-Form VERB + おく as “to do VERB ahead of time” 

How-to ask/allow/deny permission to do something (て-Form VERB + もいいですか） 

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

Learning Japanese is a YouTube video series with the sole purpose of providing Japanese lessons online for free for anyone at any level! Find 300+ videos of various topics including grammar, vocabulary, kanji, culture, anime, and more with the link below! https://www.youtube.com/user/learnjapanesebod

Join fellow learners of Japanese on our Discord server community! You can follow the series on Facebook | Twitter for updates as well!

Support Learning Japanese on Patreon! Please consider becoming a patron to support the continuation of this video series and the development of our curriculum! https://www.patreon.com/learningjapanese

This video series is presented by becauseofdreams http://becauseofdreams.com/

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

~せいで.../〜おかげで...  Because of.../Thanks to.../Due to...

This structure can add a little nuance and sophistication to your speech. I personally use it a lot in Japanese Extension!

This structure can be a little confusing because of the similar translations but each one has a different tone to emphasise the outcome of something.

~せいで... = negative outcome/influence 

~おかげで... = positive outcome/influence

Examples: (Some translations may differ from their literal translations because the literal translations sometimes don’t sound natural)

1. Because of my younger brother, we came late to the party. (negative tone)

弟のせいで、パーティーに遅く来てしまった。

（おとうとのせいで、パーティーにおそくきてしまった。）

2. Thanks to my teacher’s way of explaining, I was able to understand well. (positive tone)

先生の説明仕方のおかげで、私はよく分かりました。

（せんせいのせつめいしかたのおかげで、わたしはよくわかりました。）

3. Because my mum always makes me unhealthy food, I gained weight. (negative tone)

母がいつも栄養のない料理を作ってくれるせいで、私は太りました。

（ははがいつもえいようのないりょうりをつくってくれるせいで、わたしはふとりました。）

4. Due to the advancements in technology, you can easily search for information on the internet. (positive tone)

テクノロジーの発達のおかげで、インターネットで情報を簡単に調べることができる。

（テクノロジーのはったつのおかげで、インターネットでじょうほうをかんたんにしらべることができる。）

5. Due to the advancements in technology, young people nowadays are always on their phones. (negative tone)

テクノロジーの発達のせいで、最近の若者はスマホばかり使います。

(テクノロジーのせいで、さいきんのわかものはスマホばかりつかいます。)

Note: If I made any mistakes, please don’t hesitate to correct me! 

Good luck to everyone in their Japanese studies!

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

japanese stationery = my biggest motivator i'm such a muji hoe

[0-miso]

japanese phrases — explained

こんにちは → hello, good day

a lot of beginners wonder why “こんにちは” is spelled with a は instead of a わ. that is because こんにちは (in kanji, 今日は) is actually the beginning of a sentence, in which こんにち (今日, these days) is the topic, so the particle は is used! this sentence is:

“how are you these days?” 今日はご機嫌いかがですか? (こんにちはごきげんいかがですか?)

this also applies to “こんばんは” (good evening).

おはようございます → good morning

lit.: “it is early”

in casual speech this phrase is shortened to “おはよう”. the phrase “おはよう” is a combination of the honorific prefix お and the adverb 早く(はやく, early).

japanese adjectives used to end -ki. however, the /k/ was dropped during the muromachi period, and -ki adjectives became -i adjectives and their adverbial forms -ku became -u. while adjectives stayed in the -i form, the adverbial form reverted back to -ku, with only some expressions staying in the -u form.

/ohayaku/ → /ohayau/ → /ohayoː/

ございます is ~ ます conjugation of the archaic verb ござる (to be, to exist).

(おはようございます = honorific お + 早く, old adverbial form + polite conjugation of “to be”.)

おやすみなさい → good night

lit.: please rest

in casual speech this phrase is shortened to “おやすみ”. again, the honorific prefix お is used. this this it is combined with the 休みなさい (やすみなさい) which is the polite imperative of 休む (やすむ) “to rest”.

ありがとうございます → thank you

lit.: it is difficult to exist, it is welcome  

in casual speech this phrase is shortened to “ありがとう”. it originated from the  adverb ありがたく (welcome, nice to have). similar to おはよう, this adverb is also one of those expressions where the form with the dropped /k/ is still used. /ariɡataku/ → /ariɡatau/ → /ariɡatoː/

the etymology of the adverb itself can be seen through its kanji 有り難う. 有り (あり) “existence” derived from the verb 有る (ある) “to be” is combined with the archaic adjective 難い (かたい) “hard, difficult”, making it the adjective 有り難い (ありがたい) which is also used nowadays and means “welcome, nice to have”, literally however it would mean “it is difficult for something like this to exist” (which is why you’re thankful to have it :) ) 

this is combined with ございます, the ~ ます conjugation of the archaic verb ござる (to be, to exist).

(ありがとうございます = ありがとう, the adverbial form of 有り難い (ありがたい) “welcome, difficult to exist” + ございます “to be”)

いただきます → thank you for the food

lit.: i receive

this phrase is said before eating and means something along the lines of “let’s eat!” or “thank you for the food”. it is the polite ~ます conjugation of the humble verb 頂く(いただく) to receive.

ごちそうさまでした → thank you for the food, it was delicious

lit.: it was a feast, you ran around a lot

this phrase also means “thank you for the food”, but it’s used after you’ve finished eating. in casual speech this phrase is shortened to “ごちそうさま”. the honorific prefix ご is used in front of the noun 馳走 (ちそう) and the honorific suffix 様 (さま) is attached simply for politeness . the archaic meaning of 馳走 (ちそう) is “running about” and it also means “feast or treat” because someone must’ve worked (ran about) a lot for that. then the past tense of the copula です “to be” → でした  is attached.

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

Hey! I'm also studying Japanese (beginners course) for the HSC :^) got any tips for memorising certain vocab? I always have trouble with 'counters' hehe -,-''

Hey! Thanks for your message! It’s so cool to meet someone who is doing Japanese for HSC as well. 

For HSC specifically I always write set sentences using the specific vocab. Let’s say I want to memorise the words しょうせつ or どくしょ. I would specifically write answers to questions to do with my hobbies or what I do in my spare time. If you have these sentences with the vocab you are trying to memorise already written in advance, it’s really helpful. You can reuse the same sentences when talking to your Japanese teacher or to a friend as well as change it up after you’ve used it on different occasions.

I personally don’t use flashcards often but I think Anki is a great app for memorising long sentences or specific vocab! It’s free on the computer but paid for iPhone users :(  

I always mess up with counters too! This is really helpful, I came across it the other day. (Maybe you have too!) You could print it out and stick it on your wall but I think writing sentences using counters is more helpful. Repetitive practice really helps me so this is the best advice I can give! 

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

how I study languages + small pep talk

Disclaimer: Everyone studies languages differently, so my methods may not match your own individual study habits. Also, this can be applied when studying languages other than Japanese!!

1. How often do you revise/study Japanese?

For me, Japanese is my favourite subject out of all my other subjects so it is easy for me to start. I used to study Japanese everyday but recently it seemed to take a toll on my other subjects so I only study every second day. It doesn’t matter how good or bad you think you are, study is vital. Every minute you spend writing, translating or speaking Japanese is valuable. Do you know those moments when you hear a word that you just learnt the other day and you know what it actually means? I live for those small moments because it keeps me going.

2. How do you study Japanese? 

I think creating good studying habits is the most effective way. For me, I write at least two 400ji essays/tasks per week. I let my teacher or a Japanese friend proofread it and give me feedback. There are times when I receive harsh feedback, but I’ve learnt to accept and use it to my advantage. As long as your study is consistent and repetitive, you will be able to successfully ace that language! 

Of course, textbook work is important, but don’t limit it to only that. I study by the book but I also study through other ways. I talk to people, my classmates, my Japanese friends or any other Japanese person I know. 

Studying a language is different from all the other subjects because there is more ways to study than just putting pen to paper. Pen and paper can only get you so far. When learning languages, it requires you to immerse yourself fully into the culture so you can get the most out of your study. You need to research the language and its country on a regular basis. This could include: watching documentaries, reading news about that particular country, watching their TV shows/movies.etc. 

Textbook Work:

Vocabulary: I make myself learn new vocabulary every time I study Japanese. A set of 15 words which I look, cover, write and then check. Sometimes the most basic method is the most effective. You can write in hiragana but I prefer to learn the kanji as well. Even just recognising the kanji is enough. Don’t limit yourself to the syllabus (if your education system has one), or just the supplementary vocabulary.

Writing: I write two writings per week at the very least. Here’s a useful formula:

Consistent practice = less errors

For me, I’ve reached the point where my grammar is 9/10 accurate and I can easily spot the small mistakes. Don’t let my humble bragging fool you, a lot of time has been invested to be able to reach this point! 

Speaking: Use apps like HelloTalk to connect with Japanese people or other students of Japanese! 

If you hate talking to strangers like me, I recommend getting a tutor. That constant practice will have amazing results. Don’t be embarrassed to get a tutor, money is also a valuable tool! >.< You can pick up so many nuances and touches of sophistication in the way you speak. 

3. Any other useful tips for learning languages?

Don’t be afraid to actually speak the language! Don’t let the fear of making mistakes stop you from speaking the language. That anxiety is unproductive, it’s better to get the most out of a conversation in the language you are studying. It doesn’t matter how many mistakes you make, you can’t get any worse, you can only improve from there! 

If you didn’t know, HSC is based off ranks so I’m a very competitive learner. Like I said earlier, don’t limit yourself to just the syllabus. I like to learn new vocabulary and kanji as well as expressions that make my Japanese sound more natural and help me stand out from the other students.

Don’t just make notes and lists. Sometimes, I give in and make pretty tumblr-worthy notes and then realise after how useless it actually is. It is important to memorise stuff but active learning/revising (actually retrieving the info from your brain in real time) is so much more effective. 

[taisetsu-ni-suru]

Introduction

I’m a senior high schooler from Sydney, Australia. I am currently undertaking Japanese Continuers and Japanese Extension as my electives for the HSC this year (similar to SAT -> in order for me to attend university next year). I would like to share my study tips as well as the lessons I’ve learnt from my mistakes while studying Japanese. 

I would like to connect to other people learning Japanese as I think it’s a great source of motivation.

I study Japanese pretty much everyday and live on the internet while doing so. 

Let’s study Japanese together! UWU