February 2012
12 posts
1 tag
Modern Japanese History Midterm
tranceblossom:
That’s why I haven’t been updating, sorry~
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日本じゃ真冬のクリスマス、オーストラリアじゃ真夏のクリスマス！- In Japan,...
日本じゃ真冬のクリスマス、オーストラリアじゃ真夏のクリスマス！(Nihon jya mafuyu no kurisumasu, oosutoraria jya manatsu no kurisumasu) - In Japan, Christmas is midwinter; in Australia, it’s midsummer!
This line comes from one of the silliest J-pop songs I’ve ever heard (which is saying a lot), but it’s also one of the funnest. The song is サンタさん (Santa San, Mr. Santa), from the group Momoiro Clover Z, which is...
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電車は十時に着きます。 - The train arrives at 10 o' clock.
電車は十時に着きます。 (Densha wa juu ji ni tsukimasu) - The train arrives at 10 o’ clock.
電車 (Densha) - Train
は (Wa) - Topic marker
十 (Juu) - Ten
時 (Ji) - Hour marker
に (Ni) - Particle used for time and location
着きます (Tsukimasu) - Formal form of 着く (Tsuku, to arrive)
For all the vocab you could ever need for telling time, check out the site I linked to yesterday here.
Just to clarify what...
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始めまして! 名前はラグです。どうぞ宜しく。 - It's nice to meet you. My...
始めまして!名前はラグです。どうぞ宜しく。 (Hajimemashite! Namae wa Ragu desu. Douzo yoroshiku.) - It’s nice to meet you. My name is Lag. Please take care of me. 始めまして (Hajimemashite) - Interjectory phrase for introducing yourself, coming from the verb 始まる(hajimaru - to begin) (お)名前 ((O)namae) - Name は (Wa) - Topic Marker ラグ (Ragu) - Lag (my name, feel free to use your own) です (Desu) - Formal copula どうぞ (Douzo)...
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私の生年月日は１９９３年８月１７日です。- My date of birth is August...
私の生年月日は１９９３年８月１７日です。(Watashi no seinengappi wa sen kyuhyaku kyuju san nen hachi gatsu jushichi nichi desu)- My date of birth is August 17, 1993.
私 (Watashi) - Formal first person pronoun
の (No) - Possessive marker
生年月日 (Seinengappi) - Date of birth (Birthday = 誕生日, tanjoubi, which can also be used, just don’t give the year)
は (Wa) - Topic Marker
１９９３年 (Sen kyuhyaku kyuju san nen) - 1993...
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Song Lyric "Saturday" - ただ嫌いになるかもしれない
ただ嫌いになるかもしれない (Tada kirai ni naru kamoshirenai) - You might just start hating me.
This line comes from the Japanese version of 2ne1’s song Lonely. This song was originally released in Korean, but was given a Japanese version and even music video, along with a lot of other 2ne1 singles, for their expansion into Japan. Soon they’ll even make their debut in the US with will.i.am from the...
I've been at a retreat
Be back tomorrow afternoon
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祖母に電話したばかりです。- I just called my grandmother.
祖母に電話したばかりです。(Sobo ni denwa shita bakari desu) - I just called my grandmother.
祖母 (Sobo) - Humble term for your own grandmother (for others’, use お祖母さん, obaasan)
に (Ni) - Indirect object marker (“I just made a phone call to my grandmother”)
電話 (Denwa) - Telephone
した (Shita) - Plain past form of する (suru, to do)
ばかり (Bakari) - Attached to the plain past form of a verb to...
1 tag
Some Japanese Self-study Resources! →
robots-regret-nothing:
Tofugu - An excellent Japanese language and culture blog. The majority of entries focus on trivia and bits of culture, but there are a number of very good articles on how to approach learning Japanese that are very useful/motivating no matter your level. It is also tooooo…!
Textfugu - This…
January 2012
20 posts
6 tags
いつかデートしませんか。- Do you want to go on a date...
いつかデートしませんか。 (Itsuko deeto shimasen ka) - Do you want to go on a date sometime?
いつか (Itsuka) - Sometime
デート (Deeto) - Date
しません (Shimasen) - Negative formal form of する (Suru, to do)
か (Ka) - Question marker
In order to invite someone to do something (ie “Do you want to…”), you don’t ask them using any “want” words (like ほしい or ~たい ends on verbs). Instead,...
I apologize for being so sporadic with updates
I’ll try to get better at updating, I blame the fullness of my schedule the first weeks of the semester.
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いつから日本にいますか。- Since when have you been in Japan?
いつから日本にいますか。 (Itsu kara Nihon ni imasu ka?) - Since when have you been in Japan?
いつ (Itsu) - When
から (Kara) - From, since
日本 (Nihon) - Japan (can also be pronounced Nippon)
に (Ni) - Locational particle
います (Imasu) - Polite form of いる (Iru, to exist for animate objects)
か (Ka) - Question marker
The particle から has a lot of uses. It can mean “from” both spatially (out of a place)...
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Song Lyric Saturday - 美しく輝きな星のように
美しく輝きな星のように (Utsukushiku kagayaki na hoshi no you ni) - Like a beautifully shining star
This line comes from the Morning Musume single 気まぐれプリンセス (Kimagure Purinsesu, moody princess).
Watch the subtitled MV for Kimagure Princess here!
美しく (Utsukushiku) - Ku (adverb) form of 美しい (Utsukushii, beautiful)
輝き (Kagayaki) - I form of 輝く (Kagayaku, to sparkle or shine)
な (Na) - Adjective marker
星...
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慎重に考えてください。- Please think over it carefully.
慎重に考えてください。 (Shinchou ni kangaete kudasai) - Please think over it carefully.
慎重 (Shinchou) - Care, caution
に (Ni) - Particle, makes adverb
考えて (Kangaete) - Te form of 考える (Kangaeru, to consider or to think about)
ください (Kudasai) - Attached to te form to form requests.
The te form by itself can also be used to make commands, which are slightly more blunt and informal than adding ください.
...
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もう一杯お願いします。- Another drink, please.
もう一杯お願いします。(Mou ippai onegaishimasu) - Another drink, please.
もう (Mou) - Another, more (can have a lot of other meanings, too)
一杯 (Ippai) - One glass/drink (一 is the kanji for one, and 杯 is the kanji for cups of alcohol. Here it is used as a counter)
お (O) - Honorific Prefix
願い (Negai) - Wish
します (Shimasu) - Formal form of する (suru, to do)
Counting in Japanese is a whole slew of memorization...
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あの子は彼女じゃなくて友達です。- She's not my girlfriend, she's...
あの子は彼女じゃなくて友達です。(Ano ko wa kanojo janakute tomodachi desu) - She’s not my girlfriend, she’s my friend.
あの (Ano) - That
子 (Ko) - Young person
は (Wa) - Topic marker
彼女 (Kanojo) - Can either mean “she” or “girlfriend”
じゃなくて (Jyanakute) - te form of じゃない, meaning “is not”
友達 (Tomodachi) - Friend
です (Desu) - Copula
Whenever you want to connect...
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冷蔵庫の中には何かありますか？- Do you have something in your...
冷蔵庫の中には何かありますか？(Reizouko no naka ni wa nani ka arimasu ka?) - Do you have something in your fridge?
冷蔵庫 (Reizouko) - Refrigerator
の中 (No naka) - Inside of
に (Ni) - Particle for location, see below
は (Wa) - Topic marker
何か (Nani ka) - Something
あります (Arimasu) - Formal form of ある (aru, to exist, ie there is/there are, or to have)
か (Ka) - Question marker
To be honest, the main reason...
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Song Lyric Saturday - 女の子って分かりやすい。
女の子って分かりやすい。 (Onna no ko tte wakari yasui) - Girls are easy to understand.
This line comes from no3b’s latest single ペディキュア・デイ (Pedicure Day). no3b (pronounced ノースリーブス, No Sleeves) is a sub-group of AKB48, consisting of three of its members.
Watch the MV for Pedicure Day here!
女の子 (Onna no ko) - Girl (女, onna, means woman, and 子 can be used for any young person)
って (tte) - A particle...
oh-chaemi asked: hello, can you please translate this? >> "Today, I will discuss about __________." thank you so much. :)
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日本語を練習する必要があります。- I need to practice my Japanese.
日本語を練習する必要があります。(Nihongo o renshuu suru hitsuyou ga arimasu) - I need to practice my Japanese.
日本語 (Nihongo) - Japanese (日本, nihon, Japan + 語, go, which is attached to countries to form the language name)
を (O) - Direct object marker
練習 (Renshuu) - Practice (noun)
する (Suru) - To do
必要 (Hitsuyou) - Necessity (the adjective form, 必要な, hitsuyouna, can be used to mean necessary)
が (Ga) - Subject...
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今夜はパーティーに行きましょう。(Konya wa paatii ni ikimashou) -...
今夜はパーティーに行きましょう。(Konya wa paatii ni ikimashou) - Let’s go to a party tonight.
今夜 (Konya) - Tonight
は (Wa) - Topic marker
パーティー (Paatii) - Party
に (Ni) - Directional particle
行きましょう (Ikimashou) - Polite form of 行く (Iku, to go)
The volitional form is used to express ideas such as “Let’s do something,” “Shall I do something,” etc. The informal form is made by...
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Song Lyric Saturday - その目を好きになったあの日
その目を好きになったあの日 (Sono me o suki ni natta ano hi) - Those were the eyes I fell in love with on that day.
This line comes from a Morning Musume song from a couple years ago, “しょうがない 夢追い人” (Shouganai Yumeoibito - Helpless Dream Chaser). When it was released in May 2009, it hit #1 on the Oricon charts, the first number one for the group since 2006. The song is about a girlfriend coping with...
cottonball asked: How would one use "恋する" (assuming the pronunciation is "koisuru" here?) in a sentence?
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愛してる。- I love you.
愛してる。(Aishiteru) - I love you.
愛 (Ai) - Love
して (Shite) - Te form of する (Suru, to do)
いる (Iru) - Attached to te form to make progressive tense (for formal tense, います, imasu would be used). The い is more often than not dropped in actual speech. Literally, this makes it “(I) am loving (you).”
—-
愛してる, the one phrase you will never say in Japanese.
Is that because learning...
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すしの方が飴よりおいしいです。 - Sushi is more delicious than...
すしの方が飴よりおいしいです。(Sushi no hou ga ame yori oishii desu) - Sushi is more delicious than candy.
(This is a continuation from yesterday’s post, where I introduced comparisons, starting with superlative statements)
すし (Sushi) - The food of the Gods
の (No) - Possessive particle
方 (Hou) -Literally, “way, direction,” used in comparisons. Can be written in hiragana (ほう), too.
が (Ga) -...
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Song Lyric "Saturday" - 誰よりもきっと愛しているけど…
誰よりもきっと愛しているけど (Dare yori mo kitto aishite iru kedo) - Even though I definitely love you more than anybody…
This line is the first line in the chorus of Namie Amuro’s latest single Love Story, currently at #5 on the Oricon charts. Also, I’m aware it’s not Saturday :p
Watch the MV for Love Story here!
誰 (Dare) - Anyone, someone, can also mean “who” in a...
yuumegari asked: I am so glad you exist. I will try to study every day! Thank you for your hard work!
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あの子はあまり心配になりません。- She is seldom worried.
あの子はあまり心配になりません。 (Ano ko wa amari shinpai ni narimasen) - She is seldom worried.
あの (Ano) - That (separate from both speaker and listener)
子 (Ko) - Young person
は (Wa) - Topic marker
あまり (Amari) - Seldom, rarely (or) not very, not much
心配 (Shinpai) - Worry, concern
に (Ni) - Directional particle
なりません (Narimasen) - Polite negative form of なる (Naru, to become)
This phrase has a couple...
2011年にフォローしてくれてありがとうございます！
I look forward to learning more Japanese with you all in 2012.
December 2011
11 posts
7 tags
新年明けましておめでとうございます。今年もよろしくお願いします。- Happy new year!...
新年明けましておめでとうございます。今年もよろしくお願いします。 (Shinnen akemashite omedetou gozaimasu. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.) - Happy new year! Please support me this year as well.
You get two phrases today, often said together to wish someone a happy new year. Let’s look at these one at a time:
新年 (Shinnen) - New Year
明けまして (Akemashite) - Formal te form of the verb 明ける (Akeru), which most literally...
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I'll have the fish and vegetable soup. -...
魚と野菜のスープにします。(Sakana to yasai no suupu ni shimasu) - I’ll have the fish and vegetable soup.
魚 (Sakana) - Fish
と (To) - Particle that connects nouns (“and”)
野菜 (Yasai) - Vegetables
の (No) - Possessive particle, here describes the soup
スープ (Suupu) - Soup
に (Ni) - Directional particle (toward)
します (Shimasu) - Polite form of する (Suru, to do)
This phrase literally means...
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クリスマスが来るので興奮しています。 - I'm excited because Christmas...
クリスマスが来るので興奮しています。 (Kurisumasu ga kuru no de koufun shite imasu) - I’m excited because Christmas is coming.
クリスマス (Kurisumasu) - Christmas
が (Ga) - Subject marker
来る (Kuru) - To come (both physically and temporally)
ので (No de) - Because of
興奮 (Koufun) - Excitement
して (Shite) - Te form of する (Suru, to do)
います (Imasu) - Polite form of いる, attached to Te form to make present progressive....
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(Belated) Song Lyric Saturday - 下手な嘘を君のためにつく - I...
下手な嘘を君のためにつく (Heta na uso o kimi no tame ni tsuku) - I will tell a bad lie for you.
This comes from U-Kiss’s new Japanese single Tick Tack. This boy group is originally a k-pop group, but they’re breaking onto the korean market.
Watch the video for Tick Tack here!
下手な (Heta na) - Poor, unskillful, bad
嘘 (Uso) - Lie
を (Wo) - Direct object marker
君 (Kimi) - You (informal)
のために...
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このレストランでお箸が使ってありますか？- Are chopsticks used at this...
このレストランでお箸が使ってありますか？ (Kono resutoran de o-hashi ga tsukatte arimasu ka) - Are chopsticks used at this restaurant?
この (Kono) - This
レストラン (Resutoran) - Restaurant
で (De) - Particle for the place an action takes place
お箸 (O-hashi) - Chopsticks (The o- is honorific and therefore optional depending on setting)
が (Ga) - Subject
使って (Tsukatte) - te form of 使う (Tsukau, to use)
あります (Arimasu) -...
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気に入って頂けるといいのですが。- I hope you like it.
気に入って頂けるといいのですが。 (Ki ni itte itadakeru to ii no desu ga) - I hope you like it. This is more or less a set phrase that doesn’t conform exactly to the English translation of the individual parts, but it’s something you should know for whenever you offer someone anything. 気に入って (Ki ni itte) - Te form of 気に入る (Ki ni iru, To like, literally means “to enter (your) spirit”). Use...
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私もそうと思います。- I think so too.
私もそうと思います。(Watashi mo sou to omoimasu) - I think so too.
私 (Watashi) - I
も (Mo) - Also, as well
そう (Sou) - “So,” can also be used in agreement
と (To) - Particle used with verbs like to say (言う, iu, to speak) or to think (思う, omou, to think)
思います (Omoimasu) - Formal form of 思う (omou, to think)
Variations:
そうですか？ (Sou desu ka) - Is that so?
何と言いましたか？ (Nan to iimashita ka?) -...
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Song Lyric Saturday - 一度だけ一つだけでいい、美しい光を見たい。
一度だけ一つだけでいい、美しい光を見たい。 (Ichido dake hitotsu dake de ii, utsukushii hikari o mitai) - Just once, just one is enough, I want to see a beautiful light.
This line comes from Eri Nobuchika’s 2004 debut single Lights. This song was used in the film 深紅 (Shinku, Crimson or deep red) and as the ED for the anime FLAG. However, most people might know it from its presence in the PSP game Lumines. The...
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トラフィックのせいで遅れています。 - I'm late because of traffic.
トラフィックのせいで遅れています。(Torafikku no sei de okurete imasu) - I’m late because of traffic.
トラフィック (Torafikku) - Traffic
のせいで (No sei de) - Because of ____
遅れて (Okurete) - Te form of 遅れる (Okureru, to be late)
います (Imasu) - Formal form of いる (Iru, added to te form to make progressive tense)
Okureru is usually used in the progressive tense to show the state of being late as constant.
...
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日本語の音楽だけが好きです。- I only like Japanese music.
日本語の音楽だけが好きです。(Nihongo no ongaku dake ga suki desu) - (I) only like Japanese music.
日本語 (Nihongo) - Japanese (language)
の (No) - Possessive marker, here also makes Japanese an adjective
音楽 (Ongaku) - Music
だけ (Dake) - Particle, emphasizes “only” for what comes before it
が (Ga) - Subject marker
好き (Suki) - Noun that functions like english “to like”
です (Desu) - Polite...
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いつものように睡眠不足があります。 - I'm sleep deprived as usual.
いつものように睡眠不足があります。 (Itsumo no you ni suimin busoku ga arimasu) - I’m sleep deprived as usual.
いつも (Itsumo) - Always, anytime
のように (No you ni) - Like, as (Itsumo no you ni = as usual, like always, etc)
睡眠不足 (Suimin Busoku) - Sleep deprivation (睡眠, suimin, means sleep, 不足, busoku, means shortage)
が (Ga) - Subject marker
あります (Arimasu) - Formal version of ある (Aru, there is/there are, also...
November 2011
17 posts
8 tags
(Belated) Song Lyric Saturday - 始まるの今First Round,...
始まるの今First Round, 何も怖くないから（Hajimaru no Ima First Round, Nani mo kowakunai kara) - The First Round begins now, because I’m not afraid of anything.
This line comes from 4minute’s latest Japanese single Ready Go. Although a k-pop group, 4minute has made its entrance on the Japanese market with many Japanese singles, and Ready Go will hopefully follow this success when it is released...
6 tags
あいにくのお天気ですね。 - Unfortunate weather, isn't it?
あいにくのお天気ですね。 (Ainiku no otenki desu ne) - Unfortunate weather, isn’t it?
あいにく (Ainiku) - Unfortunate(ly)
の (No) - Possessive marker, here used to make あいにく an adjective
お (O) - Respectful marker for nouns
天気 (Tenki) - Weather
です (Desu) - Polite copula
ね (Ne) - Sentence ending marker that seeks agreement
The respectful O marker is used regularly for certain nouns, like お天気 (otenki,...
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Song Lyric Saturday - それでも未来へ風は吹いている。
それでも未来へ風は吹いている。 (Sore demo mirai e kaze wa fuiteiru) - Even so, the wind is blowing toward the future.
This line comes from AKB48’s single 風は吹いている (Kaze Wa Fuiteiru, The Wind Is Blowing). AKB48 is a show group that contains 48 members divided into 3 groups of 16, although lately they’ve had more than 48. According to jpopasia, this is the song’s third week on the oricon charts,...
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トムは悲しがっています。- Tom seems sad.
Yesterday, I posted about the そう form of adjectives to state that an object seems a certain way. Here’s how you do that for people.
トムは悲しがっています。(Tomu wa kanashi gatteimasu) - Tom seems sad.
トム (Tomu) - Tom
は (Wa) - Topic marker
悲し (Kanashi) - root of 悲しい (kanashii, sad)
がっています (gatte imasu) - present progressive form of がる (garu, to seem to be (for people)).
As always, to be less...
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この映画は面白そう。 - This movie seems interesting.
この映画は面白そう。(Kono eiga wa omoshirosou) - This movie seems interesting.
この (Kono) - This
映画 (Eiga) - Movie
は (Wa) - Topic Marker
面白そう (Omoshirosou) - appears interesting (from 面白い, omoshiroi, interesting)
When you replace the い at the end of adjectives to そう (sou), it changes the meaning to “to seem or appear to be ____”
あの服はおかしそう。 (Ano fuku wa okashisou) - Those clothes look...
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もっとゆっくり言ってください。 - Please speak more slowly.
もっとゆっくり言ってください。(Motto yukkuri itte kudasai) - Please speak more slowly.
もっと (Motto) - More
ゆっくり (Yukkuri) - Slow, can also be used to mean like at a relaxed pace/effort
言って (Itte) - te form of 言う (iu, to speak or say)
ください (Kudasai) - Used with te form to make direct commands.
The te form by itself can also be used as a command (もっとゆっくり言って) but should only be used in informal situations with...