At first I found it confusing that the Japanese word "omoshiroi" (おもしろい) could mean funny OR interesting. I mean, how was I to know which was intended in a sentence?
Well context tends to help, but beyond a writer's intent, I rather like suggestion that interesting things are also enjoyable and learning is entertaining.
Is there a fuzziness between those two meanings in usage sometimes? I'm not immersed enough to know.
After reading about Irina’s experiences of not learning Japanese, some people wonder how I learned Japanese correctly. While I can relate to a few experiences. Things such as picking up word immersion and some I can agree with, such as a language learning partner.
However, I disagree with some methods. Yep, it’s Duolingo, as it’s very […]
When I last went to Tokyo and chit chatted at the ear cleaning salon, the staff was very careful to self-correct when talking about foreigners as 外国の方 (Gaikoku no Kata) instead of the usual term I kept hearing and using, 外人 (Gaijin).
It appears that the term is being blacklisted as a slur in recent years by regular people. Did Japan gO wOke? :neocat_confused:
But seriously, it's not like foreigners found the term offensive. At least it's better than the term 'Alien' on the old immigration cards.
Grammar
へ:
(1) indicates a direction or goal
(2) indicates the recipient of an action
Kanji/Vocabulary
青: blue, green, green light
持つ: hold, have
財布: purse
遊ぶ: have fun, play
遊びに行く: to go out to play, to go to visit
案内: to guide
迎える: pick up, greet
連れていく: to take
連れて来る: bring over
動物: animal
汚れる: become dirty
動物園: zoo
パンダ: panda
象: elephant
馬: horse
祭り: festival
緩い: loose
寺: temple
神社: shrine
旅行: travel
五人: five people
準備: preparation
予約: reservation
ホテル: hotel
泊まる: stay over
ロビー: lobby
土産: souvenir
サービス: service
ホームステイ: homestay
町: town, city
Grammar
に:
(1) indicates where a person or thing is: "in", "at", "on"
(2) indicates the location of an action: "in", "at"
(3) indicates time: "in", "at", "on", "every", "per"
(4) indicates movement from a larger to a smaller place: "in", "into"
(5) indicates movement toward a place: "to"
(6) indicates the object of an action: "to"
(7) indicates the recipient of an action: "to", "from"
(8) indicates the result of a change or an impending change
(9) indicates a condition already in existence (equivalent to "to be")
(10) indicates the agent of a passive verb: "by"
(11) indicates the person made to do something in a causative sentence
(12) indicates the agent of a causative-passive verb: "by"
(13) joins nouns: "and"
(14) indicates a pair of people or things that are commonly mentioned together: "and"
(15) indicates the basis on who, or means by which, an action takes place
Kanji/Vocabulary
赤い: red
青い: blue
白い: white
黒い: black
黄色い: yellow
色々な: various
シャツ: shirt
スーツ: suit
履く: wear (below the waist)
パンツ: underpants
子: child
スカート: skirt
靴下: socks
被る: wear (on the head)
色: color
帽子: hat
眼鏡: eyeglasses
為る: wear (ring)
似合う: to match, to suit
指: finger, toe
ネクタイ: necktie
指先: fingertip, toe tip
指輪: ring
時計: watch, clock
靴: shoes
セーター: sweater
コート: coat
着物: kimono
ズボン: pants
ジーンズ: jeans
Grammar
で:
(1) indicates the location of an action: "at", "in"
(2) indicates a means or implement: "by", "with"
(3) indicates materials used: "of", "from", "with"
(4) indicates the greatest (largest, smallest, etc)
(5) indicates amount and scope: "within the space/time of", "in", "for"
(6) indicates the mode or condition of the agent of an action
(7) indicates time or age: "when", "at the age of"
(8) indicates the reason for something: "because of"
Kanji/Vocabulary
桜: cherry blossom
元気: healthy, fine, happy, energetic
ハンサム: handsome
可愛い: cute
格好いい: cool
頭がいい: intelligent, bright
夕食: supper
迚も: very
優しい: friendly
ユーモア: humor
背: stature, height
高い: tall
低い: short
賢い: wise, clever, smart
暑い: hot, warm
御馳走する: treating someone
目: eye
大きい: big
小さい: small
髪: hair
上着: jacket, coat, top
長い: long
短い: short
服: clothes
サイズ: size
試験: text, exam
素敵: fancy, nice
デザイン: design
着る: to wear (above the waist), to put on
脱ぐ: take off
Grammar
か:
(1) indicates a question at the end of the sentence
(2) indicates a choice, doubt, or uncertainty within a sentence
Kanji/Vocabulary
切る: cut
使う: to use
何個: how many (small objects)
一個: one small object
二個: two small objects
三個: three small objects
何台: how many (machines/vehicles)
一台: one machine/vehicle
二台: two machines/vehicles
三台: three machines/vehicles
何時: what time
何分: what minute
1分: 1 minute
2分: 2 minutes
3分: 3 minutes
頃: around
午前: A.M., morning
午後: P.M.
今: now
ぐらい: about
時間: time, hours
花: flower
何時間: how many hours?
から: from
迄: until, up to
どんな: what kind of
1時: 1 o'clock
2時: 2 o'clock
3時: 3 o'clock
半: half an hour
Grammar
など:
(1) indicates that a series of items is non-exhaustive, often used with "ya": "etc", "and so forth"
(2) indicates a tentative suggestion: "or something (somewhere, etc)"
Kanji/Vocabulary
其れ: that (item/person near the listener but distant from speaker)
彼れ: that (item/person distant from both the speaker and the listener)
円: Yen
何れ: which
鞄: bag, handbag, briefcase
金: money
其の: that, the (something near the listener but distant from speaker)
彼の: that, the (something distant from both the speaker and the listener)
貸す: lend
何の: which
何: what
名刺: name card
スマホ: smartphone
鉛筆: pencil
電池: battery
ノート: notebook
紙: paper
手帳: pocket notebook
シャープペンシル: mechanical pencil
消しゴム: eraser
パンチ: hole puncher
ホッチキス: stapler
鋏: scissors
コンピューター: computer
パソコン: personal computer
インターネット: internet
資料: materials
ボールペン: ballpen
携帯: cellphone
セロテープ: cellophane tape
Grammar
とか:
(1) joins nouns, verbs, or adjectives to indicate several representative items from a larger possible listing: "among other things", "such things as"
(2) used after pairs of words of opposite meaning, indicating uncertainty
Kanji/Vocabulary
事務所: office
工場: factory
受付: reception desk
答える: answer, reply
会議: meeting
会議室: meeting room
電話: telephone
電話を掛ける: make a phone call
もしもし: hello
電話番号: phone number
何番: what number?
教える: teach, tell
手伝う: help
作る: make
役に立つ: helpful
仕事: work, job
きつい: tight, difficult
介護士・介護士さん: nurse, care worker
警察官・お巡りさん: policeman/policewoman
駅員・駅員さん: train station staff
お願い: favor
課長: manager
社長: company president
銀行員: bank worker
医者・お医者さん: doctor
看護師・看護師さん: nurse
運転手・運転手さん: car driver
部長: director/senior manager
社員: worker
咖哩ライス: curry rice
Grammar
や:
(1) joins nouns to indicate a non-exhaustive list of items: "such things as", "and... and"
(2) in the idiomatic expression "ya ina ya" (following a verb root): "as soon as, no sooner had"
Kanji/Vocabulary
意味: meaning
頑張る: do one's best
宿題: homework
日記: diary
レポート: report
図書館: library
本屋: bookstore
練習: practice
スピーチ: speech
七: seven
覚える: memorize
忘れる: forget
問題: problem, question
野球: baseball
例: example
答え: answer
質問: question
九人: nine people
見学: observation
会社: company
銀行: bank
働く: work
休む: rest, take a leave of absence
戻る: return, turn back
休み: break
昼休み: lunch break
暇: free, not busy
忙しい: busy
残業: overtime work
出張: take a business trip
I wish I got into Anki earlier than just relying on Duolingo lol. Part of it was hesitation because I felt Anki would be complicated to set up (and it was!), and I didn't really know which decks to use until I came across Tatsumoto's Guide to Learning Japanese. Now I do recognize the Power of the Flashcards.
The review heatmap mod for Anki really does help motivate me to keep going daily. I actually started two weeks ago, but for the first week I was using the isolated Kanji study method using KanjiDamage's Anki deck. Now that I've switched to JP1K it is easier to memorize Kanji (though it doesn't go into the mnemonic details like KanjiDamage). Even so I'm not totally discounting KanjiDamage, maybe I'll pick it up again once I'm done with JP1K.
I just hope I can keep this up because. I don't really have a great track record at being consistent. In other words, I've been lazy all my life and now I'm getting the comeuppance. Thing is I probably have another 30-40 years to live and I'll be sad if I still can't speak another language in what is effectively my second life.
Grammar
とは:
(1) indicates a word or phrase being defined, or for which a definition is being asked
(2) used between two clauses that are opposed in meaning
Kanji/Vocabulary
毎日: everyday
週間: week(s)
ヶ月: month(s)
年: year(s)
回: times
何回: number of times
言葉: word/language
字: alphabet character
語: language
話す: talk, speak
ゆっくり: slowly
言う: say
もう一度: once more
お願いします: please
少し: little
もう少し: a little (more)
良く: well
楽しむ: enjoy
大体: roughly, about, main point, gist
書く: write
聞く: hear
シーディー: CD
駅: railway station
調べる: look up
買う: buy
辞書: dictionary
喋る: chat, talk
漢字: Kanji
片仮名: Katakana
羅馬字: Romaji
Grammar
と:
(1) follows nouns to indicate "and" and "with", and sets off names
(2) used after onomatopoeic adverbs, or follows a word, clause, or sentence and precedes verbs ("iu", "kiku", "omou") to indicate what someone said/asked/thought
(3) follows verbs and adjectives to form a conditional: "if", "unless", "whether or not"
Kanji/Vocabulary
四: four
六人: six people
八: eight
九: nine
十: ten
十一: eleven
十二: twelve
何月: what month?
曜日: day of the week
月曜日: Monday
火曜日: Tuesday
水曜日: Wednesday
木曜日: Thursday
金曜日: Friday
何曜日: what day?
今日: today
明日: tomorrow
昨日: yesterday
1月: January
2月: February
3月: March
4月: April
5月: May
6月: June
7月: July
8月: August
9月: September
10月: October
11月: November
12月: December
Grammar
でも:
(1) used after nouns to emphasize a hypothetical: "even", "even if"
(2) used after nouns for emphasis: "even"
(3) used after an interrogative word for positive emphasis: "any-(one, where, etc)"
(4) used in the form "donna... de mo": "whatever"
(5) used with two or more nouns which serve as examples of a larger list: "either... or"
(6) indicates one possibility: "... or something"
Kanji/Vocabulary
人: person from (country), citizen
瑞西: Switzerland
ケニア: Kenya
先生: teacher
学生: student
大学生: university student
留学生: overseas/exchange student
日本語学校: Japanese school
小学校: elementary school
中学校: junior high school
高校: high school
大学: college/university
教室: classroom
クラス: class
帰る: leave, go home
一: one
電車: train
騒ぐ: make a racket, mess around, make a fuss
子供: child, kid
母親: mother
二: two
英吉利: Britain
加奈陀: Canada
墨西哥: Mexico
伯剌西爾: Brazil
露西亜: Russia
仏蘭西: France
独逸: Germany
伊太利: Italy
西班牙: Spain
Grammar
ても (でも):
(1) "even if", "even though"
(2) after verb, used with interrogatives for emphasis: "no matter who/what/where/when/why"
(3) emphasizes an approximate limit: "at the most"
Kanji/Vocabulary
伝える: convey, transmit, hand down
八人: eight people
十人: ten people
何人: how many people?
女の子: girl
国: country
開く: open
何方: which
来る: to come, to arrive
地図: map
世界: world
印度: India
印度尼西亜: Indonesia
泰: Thailand
捏巴爾: Nepal
比律賓: Philippines
越南: Vietnam
馬来西亜: Malaysia
ミャンマー: Myanmar
土耳其: Turkey
新西蘭: New Zealand
どれ: what, which
四人: four people
亜米利加: United States
二人: two people
三人: three people
女の人: woman
韓国: South Korea
台湾: Taiwan
濠太剌利: Australia
Grammar
も:
(1) two words that are equal: "also", "too"
(2) similar nouns in parallel construction: "and", "as well as", "both"
(3) an addition: "as well as", "in addition"
(4) shows emphasis/absence of doubt concerning time, quantity: "any number of times", "continually"
(5) total negation concerning quality or quantity: "no", "nothing"
(6) emphasizes the extent of a number: "all of", "as much/many as"
(7) approximation concerning number or quantity: "around", "up to"
Kanji/Vocabulary
分かる: to understand, know
学校: school
綺麗: beautiful, lovely
行く: to go
夜: evening
土曜日: Saturday
全然: not at all
見る: watch
山: mountain
方: way (direction/of doing something), side of a conversation
ご両親: parents (formal)
海: ocean, sea
日曜日: Sunday
アルバイト: part-time job
達: group suffix
為る: to do
友達: friend
皆: everyone
家: home
下さい: give me
此の: this
事: thing
何歳: how old
一歳: one year old
中: inside
お母さん: mother
お姉さん: older sister
お兄さん: older brother
妹さん: younger sister
一人: one person
Grammar
が:
(1) indicates the subject of the sentence or object if used with certain verbs or objectives
(2) used between clauses or at the end of sentences, usually meaning "but"
Kanji/Vocabulary
先: front, ahead; first
好き: like
家族: family
大好き: love, being loved (by the speaker)
父: father
両親: parents
母: speaker's mother
妹: younger sister
兄弟: siblings, brothers and sisters
猫: cat
居る: to be, exist (animate objects)
内: one's household, house
お祖父さん: grandfather
勉強: study
お婆さん: grandmother
日本: Japan
埃及: Egypt
日本語: Japanese language
読む: read
本: book
お父さん: father
此れ: this (close to speaker)
平仮名: Hiragana
有る / 在る: have/exists
犬: dog
兄: older brother
姉: older sister
弟: younger brother
会社員: office worker
中国: China
Grammar
は: to set off a topic from the rest of the sentence, which talks about the topic
Kanji/Vocabulary
私: I, me
です: be, is
さん: Mr. or Mrs.
親切: kind, gentle
ちゃん: term of endearment for familiar person
人: person
貴方: you (to someone equal/lower status)
彼: he, him
彼女: she, her
名前: name
はい: yes
御: prefix expressing respect, typically for non-Chinese words
ええ: yes
いいえ: no
そうです: yes, that's right
違う: no, that's not right
お早う: good morning (informal)
お早う御座います: good morning (formal)
今日は: hello/good afternoon
今晩は: good evening
左様なら: goodbye
じゃ、また: see you again
お休みなさい: good night
有り難う: thank you
どう致しまして: you're welcome
有り難う御座います: thank you (formal)
どうぞ: go ahead
どうも: thank you
初めまして: nice to meet you
宜しく: please treat me kindly