Japanese Practice・日本語の練習

New Content: Japanese Event = 日本語のイベント

2020年03月22日「日」第17週

日本語の練習第17週 Japanese Practice Week 17

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

日本語のイベント

A new segment that I would like to start from now on. I will discuss an event or two in only Japanese.

最近はゲームをたくさんしていました。ペルソナ、ポケモン、逆転裁判。ゲームが好きけど、色々物したいから、時間があまりありません。先週の少年ジャンプを読みませんでした。そして、アニメをあまり見ませんでした。

一昨日、ツイッターで日本人と日本語で話しました。かれは質問がありました。「bathing is for the birds.

お風呂(ふろ)に入(はい)ることは、鳥(とり)のためにある

is it ok??」と言った。

僕は『「鳥のためにある」は英語のイディオムです。

「鳥のためにある」っていうのは、「Unimportant・大切じゃない・大切ではありません」って言う意味です。』と言った。

そして、彼は「なるほど！理解できました。ありがとうございます」と言った。

彼に手伝いました。すごく嬉しかったです。そして、僕たちはポケモンが好きです。

Progress

I slacked off a bit this week in my studies. I study Japanese every day, so perhaps I should try to shorten the time I study every day. I usually study up to 3 hours a day. However, lately I have been getting into tougher material. So, it is harder to retain the information. So, for now on, I think I will slow down the pace and focus on retaining what I learn. Thus, providing a better post.

Still have 152 JLPT N5 vocabulary words to get through. I still plan on having these all done before March is over. Haven’t been able to get to the speaking lessons. Hopefully, I can get through a good chunk of them this week.

I have noticed while watching anime and reading manga, I have been able to understand more things without reading the subtitles, make out kanji and (of course) kana. This is the beauty of learning a language. As you progress, you get to enjoy more out of the content and have fun nit picking at the subtitles being used for a certain phrase (You’ll be surprised by how many forms English subtitles have to take on to accommodate Japanese [especially when it comes to puns… 洒落が好きです。]). I wonder if there is documentary on this subject. Hmm…

Grammar Notes

なるべく

This is the more polite version of “as much as possible・できるだけ”. So, that means that it has the same grammar placement as well. However, the meaning can be a bit different. Due to its politeness, this grammar is often used for making requests than talking about limits.

手紙をなるべく書いてください。　　　　　　　　　

（Please write a letter if possible.）

僕はなるべくネタバレを避けています。　　　　　　

（I avoid spoilers as much as possible.）

彼は照れ屋なので、なるべく人だかりを避けています。

（He is shy, so he avoids crowds as much as possible.）

やはり・やっぱり

This can mean “as expected” or “nonetheless”. For instance, you had a feeling something would happen you would use the “as expected” form of やはり・やっぱり. When you feel like something won’t change or has not change even if something new occurs use the “nonetheless” form of やはり・やっぱり.

あの彼女は変わったけど、やっぱり、彼女がまだ怖いだ。

（That girl has changed, but, nonetheless, she is still scary.）

試験のあと時、やはり合格しました。

（After the test, as expected [I knew], I passed.）

Dialogues

ペルソナ２はリメイクがほしいです（Mixed）

レイは友達とゲームをしました。

レイ:ペルソナが好きですか。

友:はい。ペルソナ５だけです。

レイ:え。本当。ペルソナ3とペルソナ4をぜんぜんしませんでしたか。

友:はい、しませんでした。

レイ:わー。すごい。じゃ、そのゲームをしましょうか。

友:いいね。

レイ:ペルソナ２をしたいですか。

友:いいえ。けっこうです。

レイ:え？なんで？

友:すごく古いんです。したくないです。

レイ:したくないですね。さ、ペルソナ３しましょうか。

友:はい、しましょう。

Persona 2 needs a remake

Rei played a game with his friend

REI: Do you like Persona?

FRIEND: Yes. I only played Persona 5.

REI: Eh? Really? You haven’t played Persona 3 and Persona 4?

FRIEND: Yes, I haven’t played them.

REI: Wow. Amazing. Then, let’s play that.

FRIEND: That sounds good.

REI: Want to play Person 2?

FRIEND: No. No thank you.

REI: Eh? Why?

FRIEND: It is very old. I don’t want to play it.

REI: It can’t be helped, huh. Well, let’s play Persona 3.

FRIEND: Yes, let’s.

入試はすごく苦しいですね（Casual）

A:　あの、シノブーちゃん、大丈夫ですか。

B:　ハナーちゃん～　T_T。ううん、大丈夫じゃないだよ。緊張するんだよ。

A:　今日は入試があるね。

B:　うん。

A:　私たちは毎日勉強しました。なぜ緊張するの？

B:　兄は入試に3度失敗したと言っているから。

A:　しかし、彼はぜんぜん勉強しませんでした。

B:　え？

A:　しのぶーちゃんのお兄さんはしのぶーちゃんをじらしていましたと思います。

B:　ゴゴゴゴゴ　そのあほう！

A:　えと、しのぶーちゃん、顔が怖いだ。落ち着いて。

B:　あ、ごめん。

A:　私たちは絶対に合格しますね。

B:　うん。あたしは入試を合格すると、兄に「ざまみろ」と言うよ。

Entrance exams sure are stressful

A: Um, Shinobu, are you okay?

B: Hana~ T_T. No, I’m not okay. I’m nervous.

A: There is an entrance exam today, right?

B: Yeah.

A: We studied every day. Why are you nervous?

B: My brother says he failed the entrance exam three times.

A: But he didn’t study at all.

B: Huh?

A: I think your brother was teasing you.

B: (ゴゴゴゴゴ = onomatopoeia for rumbling or a menacing presence) That idiot!

A: Um, Shinobu, your face is scary. Calm down.

B: Ah, sorry.

A: We’ll definitely pass, right?

B: Yeah. When I pass this entrance exam, I’ll tell my brother “Serves you right”!

ヒビキのにっき

3ばんどうろに行きました。リーリエどこだっけ？Mankeyをつかむつもりけど、そのポケモンは倒れました。Meadowに来ました。リーリエを見つけったけど、ホシグモちゃんがいません。どこ？あ、あそこだ。それから、船でAkolaしまに行きました。Hehea市のお店で新しくて黒くて高い靴を買いました。

4ばんどうろに行きました。木の下から木の実を手に入れました。にわかに、Crabrawler飛び出した！このポケモンをつかむつもりくせに、僕のポケモンが強いすぎるので、Crabrawlerが早く倒れました！。ごめんCrabrawler.　Paniola町に届きました。ハウーをたおした。ハウーは僕のライバルですか。彼はもっと強くになりますか。たぶん。しかし、ハウーはまだポケモンが2引きいました。（彼は無造作すぎるだと思います。）。Paniola RanchでMudbrayをつかみました。こちゃまというあだ名でした。

Hibiki’s Journal

I went to Route 3. Now where is Lillie? I intended to catch a Mankey, but it fainted. I came to the Meadow. I found Lillie, but Hoshigumo-chan isn’t here. Where is it? Oh, over there. After that, I went to Akola Island by boat. I bought new, black, and expensive shoes at a shop in Hehea City.

I went to Route 4. I got berries from under the tree. Suddenly, a Crabrawler jumped out! I was planning on catching this Pokemon, but Crabrawler quickly fainted because my Pokemon were too strong! Sorry Crabrawler. I arrived at Paniola Town. I defeated Hau. Is Hau my rival? Will he become stronger? Maybe. However, Hau still has two Pokemon. (I think he is too careless.). I caught a Mudbray at the Paniola Ranch. I nicknamed it Kochama (Her name is a mixture of Child = こ Brown = ちゃいろ　Horse = うま).

In conclusion, I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until then… また来週！

Slice of My Life + Progress Report

2020年 03月15日「日」第16週

日本語の練習第16週 Japanese Practice Week 16

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

昨日は姉の誕生日でした。姉はここに住まないので、一緒に祝わいません。残念ですね。あ、昨日もホワイトデーでした。そして、パイデーでした。面白い日ですね。さらに、私たちはおばあさんの家に行って、家を掃除しました。あの家は汚いでちょっとボロボロでした。しょうがないですね。おばあさんのためならば、僕はもしかしたら何でもします。四時間にかかりました。さらに、おばあさんの家は部屋一つだけがあります。すごいですね。。。僕はミニマリストになりたいです。

Progress

JA Sensei

I am down to 262 Vocabulary words now. I am reviewing all the N5 and N4 Kanji as well. This week has been a bit more manageable so I might do 30 words each day instead of doing only 20. My deadline should be around March 24^th to finish all the N5 Vocabulary. That way I can work on the N4 Vocabulary.

LingoDeer

Still working on my speaking skills. I bit off more than I could chew with those lessons, so I’ll review more while working on the speech modules. Reminder: fluency is not a race. Go at your own pace. Otherwise, a hard truth hit you hard. That truth is haste makes waste.

How to Introduce Yourself

Other than grammar notes, I thought that these kinds of situational segments would be helpful as well. Introductions usually start with はじめまして, which means “Nice to meet you”. Then you go in this kind of order (some things can be omitted depending on your preference or what you would like to share):

Name (私はアイザイアです。／アイザイアです。／アイザイアと申[もう]します。)
- Either of these can be used. The first one is simple, second one is bit more casual, and the third is formal. I usually use the last one, due to how formal I am in general to others.
Age (私は25歳[さい]です。)
- Age is important when introducing yourself because of how hierarchy are dependent on age in Japan. You can leave it out of your introduction, but someone may ask later.
Where are you from (ロンドンに来[き]ました。)
- This is especially good if you are new in town or (as a whole) to the country.
Hobbies (私の趣味[しゅみ]は．．．)
- This is a great ice breaker for later conversations with people who enjoy the same hobby as you. So, share away if you like.
And finallyよろしくお願[ねが]いします。
- This phrase is used in a way to say, “I’m looking forward to working with you” or “I’ll be in your care”.

Grammar Notes

実（じつ）・　本当（ほんとう）

実は・本当　＝　Actually／The truth is

I remember my first time seeing this grammar in an anime title called 実は私は。（Actually, I am…）

It is used when you want to give someone the correct information or want to correct someone or to use to say, “To tell the truth,”.

本当 can also be used by itself to mean “really”.

Ex:　実は、私はドイツ人です。(Actually I’m German.)

本当は、ジブリの映画をぜんぜんみませんでした。(The truth is, I have never watched a Ghibli movie.)

できるだけ

できるだけ　＝　“As much as possible”

This is used when you want to talk about your own limits or of others or of things. It can also be used to make a forceful command.

Also, the “much” in できるだけ‘ｓmeaning is replaced if an adjective is involved.

Ex: 僕はできるだけちょっとのドリアンを食べます。(I eat as little durian as possible.)

　家にできるだけ早く帰って下さい。(Please return home as soon as possible.)

Dialogues

実は、私は．．．(Polite)

A:アニメで日本語を勉強します。

　　 B:本当ですか？

　　 A:冗談ですよ。

　　 B:お、よかった。

　　 A: 実は、教科書で日本語を勉強します。

　　 B: え。どんな教科書ですか。

　　 A: 「ワンピース」という教科書です。

　　 B: おい！そのマンガではありませんか。

Actually, I… (Polite)

A: I study Japanese with anime.

B: Really.

A: I’m joking.

B: Thank goodness.

A: Actually, I study Japanese with a textbook.

B: Oh. What kind of textbook.

A: A textbook called “One Piece”

B: Hey! Isn’t that a manga?

ヒビキのにっき

Deliberdに会いました。Deliberdは僕にBerry Fieldへ行かせられました。は～またスコル団。おいおい。時間がありませんから、早くたおした。そのあと、あのおじいさんにOran Berryをもらいました。甘いそうな。彼女としょうぶの後にじゅうこをしんかをとげた！すごい！しまった。僕のポケモンがボロボロになりました。ポケセンへ早く行きました。ワっ、ハウだ。今しょうぶするができないです。よっかた、ハウのポケモンもボロボロので、かれはしょうぶしたくない。一緒にポケセンに行きました。そして、ハウにReviveを3個まらいました。。。お前は。。。これは冗談でしょうか。どうでもいい。売りました。今ポケモン元気になりました。

Verdant Caveに入りました。このcaveはRattataがたくさんいます。きびだんごとじゅうこ、よろしく！は～またスコル団。彼らはすごく弱いですね。きゃ～大きいRaticateは穴に飛び出した！え？！このRaticateが大きすぎるだよ！きびだんごとじゅうこがあるので、このしょうぶはちょっとやさしいです。やった！きびだんごの勝利だ！ビヤコがしんかをとげた！Normalium Z手に入れた。（Illiamがまだ怪しい見たい。かれはいつも僕を見ていたりと笑います）

Hibiki’s Journal

I met a Deliberd. It made me go to the Berry Field. Sigh… it’s the Skull Gang again. Since I don’t have time, I defeated them quickly. After that, I got an Oran Berry from the old man. It looks sweet. After a pokemon battle with a girl, Jyuko evolved! Awesome. Crap. My pokemon are tattered. I have to get to a Pokemon Center fast. Wow, it’s Hau. I can’t battle right now. Thank goodness. Hau’s Pokemon are also in tatters, so he doesn’t want to battle. We went to the Pokemon Center together. And I got 3 Revives from Hau… You are… Is this a joke? [I’m only stating this because in a Nuzlocke, you cannot use revives, so after losing Yakusatuki last time… it’s better to just grin, bear it, and accept the gift.] It doesn’t matter. I sold them. My Pokemon are now fine.

I entered Verdant Cave. This cave has a lot of Rattata. I’m counting on you, Kibidango and Jyuko! Sigh… Skull gang again. They are very weak. Ahhh! This big Raticate jumped out of the hole! Eh?! This Raticate is too big! Since I have Kibidango and Jyuko, this battle was a little easy. Yay! It’s Kibidango’s victory! Biyako evolved! I obtained Noramlium Z. (Illiam still looks suspicious. He always looks and laughs at me.)

In conclusion, I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until then… また来週！

Talking about Shogi + Has My Japanese Got Any Better?

2020年03月08日「日」第15週

日本語の練習第15週 Japanese Practice Week 15

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

The Shogi Book for Beginners

I have finally gotten my hands-on Shogi for Beginners by John Fairbarn. This book is expensive on Amazon and I did not nowhere else I could buy it. Unfortunately, it can cost up to 50 dollars for a used book and up to more than 200 dollars for a new copy. Luckily, it seems Amazon is doing a monthly sell of this book in paperback for $15. At first, I thought it was too good to be true and cancelled it. Afterwards, I decided to take the risk and it paid off.

I’ve been wanting this book since I started playing back in 2017. Now that I have it perhaps, I can get a better start at how to strategize and play the game. Hidetchi’s videos are helpful but I like to learn through reading or doing it myself rather than watching someone else show me how to do a task.

Progress

JA Sensei

I have 402 new words to learn on the JLPT N5 Vocabulary and 23 new kanji to learn on the JLPT N4 list. I plan on finishing all the N5 vocabulary before this month is over. 20 new words each day should keep me at a steady and bearable pace. As for the JLPT N4 Kanji, I should be able to complete the rest by tomorrow. That way I can review both N5 and N4 Kanji (289 Kanji in total). After I am done with N5 vocabulary, I can start working towards N4 Vocabulary next.

I have recently reached the next rank Orange Belt 3^rd Kyu. It seems possible that I will be able to get to green belt this year. Here are how my results are looking now on JA Sensei’s stats:

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From what I can see from here, I have been neglecting writing kanji lately. I know that I won’t need to know how to write the kanji on the JLPT. However, I think that it is best that I know how in case of writing and helps me recognize each kanji better. Therefore, I will add reviewing kanji (from both N5 and N4 kanji) to my goals for this week.

LingoDeer

The goals set out for this week were completed. I reached 75% for the Japanese 1 Lessons and I have gone through all the fluent Japanese Beginner 1 segments. At first, I thought I was biting off more than I can chew (especially since there were 44 different segments). It was hard but it was manageable. I will be taking it slower this week with LingoDeer. Thus, I will do some review and speaking lessons to reinforce what I have learned this week.

On another note, I will start working on Kanji from Zero to get more practice.

Grammar Notes

とおり

Usually used to express your opinion (your way of doing something or thinking).

It can also be used to agree with someone else’s opinion.

Ex: A: 一緒に戦うぜ！

B: そのとおりにしよう！

こうして彼らは力を合わせて敵と戦った。

A: Let’s fight together!

B: Let’s go with your plan!

Thus, they combined forces to fight the enemy.

或る（ある）

It is a homonym to 有る（ある）[You will find these kinds of homonyms quite frequently in this language. Which is why it is important to learn Kanji. This also makes for great wordplay when you have a better understanding of this language.]

This grammar is used to place attention to a specific thing… or should I say a “certain” thing. Yes. It roughly translates to “A certain”

Ex: と或るのたんていは「真実はいつも一つ」と言っていました。

A certain detective said, “There is one truth”.

さらに

Can mean either “additionally”, “moreover”, “even more so”

日本語は難しいです。さらに、英語より日本語の方が難しいです。

Japanese is difficult. Moreover, Japanese is more difficult than English.

Dialogues

弟と姉　（casual）

弟は姉と昼ごはんを作ってあげますけど。。。

A little brother cooks lunch with his big sister but…

弟:　痛い！

姉:　どうしたの？

弟:　指は切った。

姉:　痛いそう。ばんそうこうはどこにあるだっけ？

弟:　要らない。指に唾するの方がいいだろう。

姉: 　ダメですよ！そうしたら、さらに痛くなるよ。

弟:　じゃ、ばんそうこうを探しましょう。

姉:　そうよ。さ、行こう。

高いですね (formal)

クラスの後に、アンディさんは新しい喫茶店に行きます。

ウェイトレス:　ご注文はお決まりでしょうか。

アンディ:　アイスコーヒーを一つください。

ウェイトレス:　はい、かしこまりました。

２分後。。。

ウェイトレス:　どうぞ。

アンディ:　あの、氷はどこにありますか。(“これは暑いコーヒーばかりです。”)

ウェイトレス:　氷はさらに５００円かかります。

アンディ:　じゃ、「アイスコーヒー」はいくらですか。

ウェイトレス:　２０００円です。

アンディ:　。。。けっこです。

Little Brother and Big Sister (casual)

A little brother is helping his big sister cook lunch but…

Little Brother: Ouch.

Big Sister: What happened?

Little Brother: I cut my finger.

Big Sister: That looks painful. Where are those band-aids?

Little Brother: I don’t need it. It would be better to spit on my finger, right?

Big Sister: No good! If you do that, it will hurt even more.

Little Brother: Then, let’s look for a band-aid.

Big Sister: That’s right. Now, let’s go.

Expensive, huh?

Andy goes to a new café after class.

Waitress: Are you ready to order?

Andy: One iced coffee please.

Waitress: Understood.

Two minutes later…

Waitress: Here you go.

Andy: Um, where is the ice.

Waitress: Ice costs an additional 500 yen.

Andy: Then, how much is the “iced coffee”? (“This is just hot coffee”)

Waitress: 2000 yen.

Andy: I’m fine.

ヒビキのにっき

何か草にいました。にわかに、Makuhitaは背の高い草の中僕のほうへ走って来た！びくりだったけど、つかみました。きびだんご「きび→厳しい　だんご→団子」というあだ名でした。僕たちのチームへようこそ、厳団子！さ、訓練の時間です。

はかちに歩きました。Zubatは草に飛び出した！つかみやすいだよ。やくさつきというあだ名でした。。。。やくさつきもう死んだT_T。このはかちは罰当たりだよ！やくさつき、さようならT_T。やせいてきなMeowthはやくさつきを殺した。僕のせいだ！僕はポケモンが切り替わるべきだった！今からもっと気を付けます。

Hibiki’s Journal

There was a shadow in the grass. Suddenly, a Makuhita ran towards me in the tall grass. I was surprised, but I caught it. I nicknamed it Kibidango (I took kibi from the kanji kibishii which means strict or in this case relentless [because of how she ran towards me.] and dango from just dango which means dumpling. [So, we have two meanings here she is a sweet dango but a relentless dumpling.]). Welcome to our team, Kibidango! Well, it’s training time.

I walked into a cemetery. A Zubat appeared from the grass! It was easy to catch. I nicknamed her Yakusatsuki (Since Zubat is a flying type, I thought that Yakusatsu = killing by poison, was a perfect fit. Plus, it also sounds close to Yakuza.)…Yakusatsuki is already dead T_T. This cemetery is cursed! I’m sorry, Yakusatsuki T_T. She was killed by a wild Meowth. It’s my fault! I should have switched Pokémon! I will be more careful now.

In conclusion, I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until then… また来週！

Japanese Podcasts + How is My Japanese?

2020年03月01日「日」第14週

日本語の練習第14週 Japanese Practice Week 14

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

PODCASTS I LISTEN TO

Easy Japanese NHK World Japan

Out of curiosity, I checked this podcast out. It gives 10-minute lessons on basic grammar and phrases. They also have skits that can help you with your listening comprehension. Don’t worry. They do have translations of the skits. Hence the title “Easy Japanese”, if you are a more advanced Japanese student then, this would not be worth your time. They do have another component called Easy Japanese News. Now this can be more helpful after you have a good foundation in vocabulary, grammar and the writing systems (kana and kanji).

Abroad in Japan

Just found out about this podcast this week. I watched a few of this YouTubers videos on his channel called by the same name. Chris shows us many interesting sites in Japan, gives a few tips on how to understand Japan’s culture and how to learn the language. So, with his podcast, I’m sure that I can find more interesting things about Japan that I did not know before.

Learn Japanese Pod

I have been listening to this podcast for about a year. Hosted mainly by Alex and other co-hosts. They do skits, phrase of the week, and walk you through everyday topics that you may run into in Japan. For instance, you want to show someone around your city or talking about movies, etc. They also have the dialogues on a separate episode so you can practice. Unfortunately, they haven’t been uploading any new episodes since December. Perhaps they might pick this series back up.

PROGRESS

JA Sensei

Still have work to do on the JLPT N5 vocabulary set (552 new words to learn). Although I haven’t reviewed them all I am confident that I know almost all of them. However, I must power through so I can prove that I know them. I have mastered majority of the Kanji for the N5 (16 of them still give me some trouble). For the N4 list of Kanji, I still have 168 new Kanji to learn. Goal: Get that N4 Kanji list down to at least 110 before next week.

LingoDeer

I am currently reviewing the N5 material that the app has provided. I am currently on colors. Planning on getting through at least 75% of this course before next week (currently at 40.7%). I should look at their “Fluent Japanese” segment to get more practice. Goal: complete all the Beginner I material they have on the app currently.

TalkinJapan

I plan on starting the N4 course videos that TalkinJapan has provided on YouTube. I am confident in my ability on N5 material, so the next step is taking on N4 material. I should consider taking there full 20-hour course on their website. It’s $14/month so it may be worth it to stay on their website for 2 months.

GRAMMAR NOTES

まさか

This expression is used when something unexpected happens. It’s sort of akin to “No way” or “That can’t be”. You will frequently hear this in anime or dramas.

Ex: まさかの日に友達に信じますよ。(I believe in a friend on an unexpected [rainy] day.)

いったい

This expression is also used when something unexpected occurs or when you are utterly confused or shocked by something that has occurred. It can be translated as “What the heck” or “What in the world?!”. Careful, this is usually used in a rude manner.

Ex: コラお前、いったい誰だ？(Hey, you, who the heck are you?)

まちがいない

This expression is used when you have no doubts that something is right or true. Think of it as you are saying “I’m certain that…”

Ex: この映画を見たことがあるのはまちがいない。(I’m certain that I saw this movie.)

だっけ

Does this statement sound familiar: “Now where did I put that…”? This expression is used when you used to know something and are trying to remember what it was or where it is. This expression replaces theです and だ.

Ex: あの、君の名前は何だっけ? (Uh, what was your name again?)

DIALOGUES

友達の家

A:　彼の家は一体どこにありますか。ハウスの名前は何だっけ？サクラハウス？

B:　ねえ。

A:　はい？

B:　サクラハウスは行きたいですか。

A:　はい、そうです。友達はサクラハウスに住んでいます。

B:　あれ。僕もサクラハウスに住んでいますから、一緒に行きませんか。

A:　ありがとうございます。

B:　じゃ、行きましょう。

このゲームを楽しみにしています

A:　今日は何月何日ですか？

B:　三月一日です。なぜ？

A:　わあ、忘れちゃった。今月ペルソナ５ロイヤルはリリースしました。

B:　え？！本当？！やった！いつ？

A: 　3月31日です。

B:　そんな、あと30日は待つには長い時間ですね。

A:　我慢しましょう。

B:　ずるい。日本に10月31日にゲームをリリースしましたんですよ。

A:　しょうがないね。日本はこのゲームをつくったんです。日本のコーピーを買いたいですか。

B:　いいえ、ダメです。まだ日本語を勉強しているから、買いたくないです。

A:　じゃ、しょうがないですね。

B:　ですね。

A Friends House

A: Where the heck is his house? What was the name of the House again? Sakura House?

B: Hey.

A: Yes?

B: Are you trying to get to Sakura House?

A: Yes, that is right. My friend lives at Sakura House.

B: Huh? I also live at Sakura House, so would like to go together?

A: Thank you.

B: Well then, let’s go.

I’m looking forward to this game

A: What is today’s date?

B: It’s the first of March. Why?

A: Oh, I forgot. Persona 5 Royal is released this month.

B: Huh?! For real?! Alright! When?

A: March 31^st.

B: Oh no, 30 days is a long time to wait.

A: Let’s be patient.

B: It’s not fair. The game was released to Japan on October 31^st.

A: It can’t be helped. Japan created this game. Want to buy a Japanese copy?

B: No, that’s no good. I am still studying Japanese, so I don’t want to buy it.

A: It can’t be helped, right?

B: Right.

ヒビキのにっき

さいごのしょうぶは難しかったです。Grimerのどくガスは僕のポケモン毒をもらいました。僕たちはそのこんなに打ち勝つことができました。エメリー先生は僕にポケモンしょうぶを挑みました。（エメリー先生はすごくきれいな人だな）。IImaに会いました（怪しい人だと思います。）。（ちょっと待って。。。卒業しましたか。マジで❢　やさしすぎ。）

Hau’oli City に行きました。リーリエにLens Caseをもらいました。（使わないと思います。しかし、ありがとう、リーリエ）新しいシャツを買いました。Rattataをつかみました。くろひげというあだ名でした。それに、またIImaを見ました。彼は僕にポケモンしょうぶを挑みました。ギリギリかったな。それから、スカル団が来ました。またしょうぶしました。また僕の勝利でした。（えと、スカル団はすごく弱いだな。）今、２ばんどうろにいきます。

HIBIKI’S JOURNAL

The last battle was difficult. Grimer’s poison gas got my Pokémon poisoned. We were able to overcome that. Teacher Emily challenged me to a Pokémon battle (Teacher Emily is a very pretty person). I met Illma (I think he is a suspicious person). (Wait a minute… Did I graduate? Seriously too easy.)

I went to Hau’oli City. I got a Lens Case from Lillie. (I don’t I’ll use it, but thanks, Lillie). I bought a new shirt. I caught a Rattata. I nicknamed it black beard. Afterwards, I saw Illma again. He challenged me to a Pokémon battle. We barely won. Then, the skull gang came. We battled again. It was our victory again. (Um, the skull gang is very weak.) I am going to Route 2 now.

In conclusion, I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until then… また来週！

Wondering About Immersing with Japanese

2020年02月23日「日」第13週

日本語の練習第13週 Japanese Practice Week 13

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

Advice on Learning the Language (maybe?)

Anime, manga, and video games. These can be ways to learn the language and work on your reading and listening comprehension. It can also be an immersive and engaging way to learn. However, these media are usually set in a very casual setting. Sure, you will be able to learn Japanese, but it is best to have a foundation before diving into these media as full immersion tools.

I am playing Pokémon Y in Japanese right now and there is quite a lot of casual and colloquial phrases being used. I understand majority of what is being said (sometimes I must break out the dictionary to understand a word or two). In casual settings, this is great when conversing with friends or family. Although that is true in casual settings, it is not the same as in formal situations. You don’t want to use this type of speech in these type situations (interview, meetings, meeting someone for the first time, etc.). That is the reason why politeness and understanding of grammar is important first and foremost.

So, it is fine to test your comprehension skills on this media. Just take note that you must start with the formal speech and develop your foundation first. So what counts as a good foundation. I have completed 3 volumes of Japanese From Zero, 2 volumes of Genki, 1 volume of Fluent in Japanese in 90 Days (quarter way into the second volume where they get into more casual colloquial speech), JA Sensei, and LingoDeer. Besides there may be some Japanese media that has majority of it’s Japanese in a formal setting. Such as articles on EasyNHK maybe the anime called Detective Conan.

Progress

I am still doing the journal entries for Pokémon Moon Nuzlocke. I am studying for JLPT this year so that I can take it next year. At that time, I would like to be able take at least the N4. With the time I have, I should be able to get through the listening comprehension, grammar, kanji, and vocabulary needed for the exam. I am confident that I can pass the N5. However, I have some things that I must tend to before attempting to take a test that is nowhere near me now.

Bought the Unlimited Samurai Access for JA Sensei, so I am also working on the N5 and N4 Vocabulary. Reading comprehension is fine, but my speaking needs more work. It might be a good idea to start adding audio to these posts.

Grammar Notes

Place へ Verb-drop ます-stem and/or Noun に：

行きます　➔ 映画館へ映画を見に行きます。
来ます　 ➔　映画館へ出かけに友達の家に来ました。
帰ります　➔　友達の家へ出かけにうちにかえりました。

(I will go to the movie theater to see a movie.)

(I left the movie theater and came to my friends house.)

(I left my friend’s house and returned home.)

ヒビキのにっき

ククイ博士は僕に教えてくれるので、Pikipekをつかみました。じゅうこというあだ名でした。しょうぶがたくさんありました。僕のポケモンがもっと強くになりたいです。まつりでまたハウおしょうぶしました。ハウのPichuはかわいかったね。しかし、僕たちの勝ちでした。

りりぇと一緒にククイ博士の研究室等に行きました。ククイ博士にRotomDexをもらいました。このRotomDexはちょっとウザイだと思いますけど、衙門します。それでも、べんりです。それに、スクールに行きました。あ、もういいよ。行きたくないけど。。。とにかく、4人トレーナーとポケモンしょうぶで4人トレーナーを負かしましたなければなりません。さ、しょうぶしましょう。Meowthをつかみました。ねこうというあだ名でした。しまった。PikipekとMeowthは同じルートに来ました。さようなら、ねこう！T_T

Hibiki’s Journal

Because Professor Kukui is teaching me, I caught a Pikipek. I nicknamed it Jyuko (can be thought of as the counter for small things [10 small things] then Jyu can also be translated as gun and ko as child [supposedly this bird Pokemon can spit seeds from its mouth like a gun.]) I had many battles. I want my Pokemon to become stronger. I had another battle with Hau at the Festival. Hau’s Pichu was cute. However, we won.

I went to Professor Kukui Research Lab with Lillie. He gave me a RotomDex. I think this RotomDex is a bit annoying, but I will endure it. Even so, it is convenient. Afterwards, I went to school. Ah, I’ve had enough. I don’t want to go but… Anyways, I must beat 4 trainers in a battle. Now then, let’s battle. I caught a Meowth. I will call it Nekou (A play on words here: Neko = cat Ou = King, so Meowth’s nickname has a double meaning. Gotta love the Japanese language.) Crap. Pikipek and Meowth came from the same from the same route. Goodbye, Nekou! T_T

In conclusion, I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until then… また来週！

Tried Playing Pokémon in Japanese + The Start of Hibiki’s Journey

2020年02月16日「日」第12週

日本語の練習第12週 Japanese Practice Week 12

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

Progress

As expected, playing Pokémon in Japanese is bit too much for me now. Sure, it is a children’s game. However, considering this is their native language, they will know more about how the language works in a casual manner. In most textbooks, they usually only show how to talk and write in a politely and/or professional standard. Pokémon is very casual. I can follow a good chunk of dialogue, understand the gist of the some of the other dialogue in the game, and not know where to start to understand last bit of the dialogue in the game.

This was great for immersion experience and shows me that I at least have a good foundation in my basic understanding of Japanese. However, I am not at the level of playing in Japanese yet. I still plan on doing a nuzlocke challenge (in English) and make journal entries on my travels through the Alola region. Of course, I will try to write it all in Japanese at the best of my ability. Not sure if I’ll use the Japanese Pokémon names or the English ones. Still debating on that. Wouldn’t hurt to learn them.

Speaking of Pokémon, I have started to take an interest in the Japanese dub Pokémon Diamond & Pearl. Hoenn region was the last region that I can say I saw most of. So, I’ll start with this series. I think that this will also help me on my journey to learning Japanese and about one of my favorite game franchises.

On another note, I have recently been doing SRS study tactics on vocabulary, JLPT N5 and N4 Kanji on JA Sensei. SRS stands for Spaced Repetitive System. This system is great for when you want to remember a lot of things (especially great for learning a new language). The app keeps a record of my progress on these items through quizzes. If I get something wrong, it will put that in the review from 3 days category. If I get it right practically always then I will review that word or Kanji 10 days from now. This system also comes with a in between (where I get it right just as much as I get it wrong. It’s like a 40% – 70% range of correctness.).

Furthermore, I have started fresh from zero with the LingoDeer app. I plan on doing all the speaking lessons this time as well. I think it will help me in the long run if I get used to doing verbal Japanese instead of writing and typing everything down. Perhaps I will request a partner to assist me with speaking as well.

Grammar Notes with Examples

Note: Majority of these particles are used on more casual basis than formal ones.

Particleわ

This particle is used to draw attention or to show strong emotion.It is mostly used by women or people that have Kansai dialect (aka かんさいべん、関西弁) It can sometimes be extended with a small あ for more of a strong effect. This particle is like よ and sometimes it follows わ. Note: I sometimes hear this particle is used by rich girls in anime (aka おじょうさま、お嬢さま).

このテレビは高いわ。

This television is expensive.

行かないわ！

[I said] Don’t go!

勉強しますわ！

I will study, [okay]!

私たちは勉強しなければなりませんわよ！

[I’m tell you] We must study!

Particle　ぞorぜ

This is a rougher way of ending a sentence. Think of it as です but a more casual and/or authoritarian way of ending a sentence. This particle is usually used by men. Note: I usually here this frequently from One Piece’s Luffy (Luffy: 行くぞ！やろうども！).

数を引かないぜ！

[Hey] Don’t catch a cold!

あそこはあぶないぞ！あそこに行かないぞ！

[Hey] It’s dangerous over there! [I’m telling you] Don’t go over there!

Particle　さ

This is the equivalent to the English word “like” (Ex: Isn’t Japanese like, hard to learn. It has like, so much to know compared to other languages.). This particle is usually used by teens. In other words, it’s a slang term. If used with あの as in あのさ、it means hey or yeah, well.

それはさ、君のせいじゃない？

Isn’t that like, your fault?

あのさ、それは聞いた！

Hey, I heard that!

Particle　における・において

This particle usually used formally. It can mean a few things: in, at, and for. It can also represent intangible things such as the sky or emotions or tangible things such as the earth or a book.

科学部の会議は教室において行かなわれます。

The science meetings are held in the classroom.

生物において少女は専門家です。

She is an expert in Biology.

Note: おける is used for a non-specific time.

難しいにおける家族と友達は重要なものです。

In difficult times, family and friends are important.

僕：アンサム、人生において一番素晴らしいことはなんですか？

Me: Ansem, what is the most wonderful thing in life?

アンサム：くらやみだ！

Ansem: Darkness!

ヒビキのにっき

Welcome to Hibiki’s Journal or ヒビキのにっき. This new segment will feature Hibiki’s journey through the Alola region. This will be a Nuzlocke. This means if his Pokémon faint in battle they are considered deceased and he can only catch one different Pokémon from each different location in this region. These journal entries will be mostly in Japanese. However, I will translate them after the main Japanese text. I will only write one or two entries a week. With that being said, let’s begin Hibiki’s journey in the Alola region.

エントリ1・ENTRY 1

アローラ地方に届いた。Meowthは僕に起きてくれました。ククイ博士は僕の家に来た。ククイ博士と一緒にりりィタウンに行きました。あの時、金髪の少女を見ました。金髪の少女は怪しいかばんが持ちました。あのかばんの中で一体何ですか。橋まで少女について来た。不思議なポケモンはかばんに飛び出した！にわかに、Spearow　はあのポケモンを攻撃した。あのポケモンを早く守りました。そうしたら、その強い光に目がくらんだ。

橋が崩壊した。僕と不思議なポケモンが落ちました。運良く、私たちは助かった。もう一つ不思議なポケモンが私たちが助けってくれた！金髪の少女のお名前はリーリェです。リーリェの不思議なポケモンのお名前はホシグモです。その助けているのポケモンに不思議な石をもらいました。

リーリェとホシグモと僕は町に帰りました。島のハクナを会いました。ハクナにポケモンをもらった！ニャビ（Litten）を決めた！ビヤコというあだ名でした。あとで、ハウーに出会いました。僕の初バトルを勝ちました。日永だな。疲れた。うちに帰って、寝ます。

I arrived in the Alola region. Meowth woke me up. Professor Kukui came to my house. I went to Lily Town with Professor Kukui. At that time, I saw a blonde girl. She had a suspicious bag. What the heck is in that bag? I followed her to a bridge. A mysterious Pokémon jumped out of the bag! Suddenly, Spearow attacked the Pokémon. I quickly protected the Pokémon. Then, I was dazzled by a strong light.

The bridge collapsed. The mysterious Pokémon fell with me. Luckily, another mysterious Pokémon helped us! The blonde girl’s name is Lillie. Lillie’s mysterious Pokémon is called Hoshigumo. The Pokémon that saved us gave me a strange stone.

Lillie, Hoshigumo, and I returned to the town. I met the island’s Hakuna. The Hakuna gave me a Pokemon! I chose Nyabi (Litten)! I nicknamed it Biyako. Afterwards, I met Hau. I won my first battle. Been a long day. I’m tired. I’m going home and going to sleep.

In conclusion, I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until then… また来週！

I Listened to Japanese Audiobooks So You Don’t Have To

2020年02月09日「日」第11週

日本語の練習第11週 Japanese Practice Week 11

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

Audiobooks I have used to learn Japanese

Audiobooks can help you with your listening comprehension. So, when I find an interesting summary of an audiobook, I pick it up and listen to it. I usually use Genki for listening comprehension but there is other relatively good material out there as well.

For instance, Dr. Blairs Japanese in no time. It has some basic vocabulary expressions, and grammar, so it is easy to follow. However, since I am at higher level than this, the learning process only became review for me. In other words, the learning process became rather tedious. I did enjoy the story though.

It takes the listener to an amusement park where fans of a tv show has taken the park over. A police officer has chosen the listener of this book to stop this situation from going bad to worse. It is up to the listener to learn some Japanese from a pocket watch provided by the police officer. With these lessons you can get by somewhat with the dialogue provided in the audiobook.

I have a few more audiobooks I am trying out. However, there not as interactive as Dr. Blairs book. It’s just “repeat after me” phrases and vocabulary. Perhaps listening to these are not the right way for me to learn Japanese. These books may help with review. They are called VocabuLearn Japanese Level One and Learn in Your Car Japanese.

I should try out the JA Sensei audiobook. The app does have a few listening comprehension modules, but I have learned that I am not at a level to understand what is going on just yet in later modules.

Progress

I have taken a few JLPT N5 practice tests and I am doing very well. Almost perfect scores. I could do better on the listening comprehension, but I still pass those just fine as well. I am thinking about studying for the N4 instead. The only thing that is holding me back is more advanced vocabulary grammar and Kanji.

I attempted to play Pokémon Moon in Japanese. In the very beginning, I was already looking up words. So, I went to the internet and found out that at my level (where I can understand most N5 material), these games are difficult for me. While I was also searching these words on japandict.com, some of these words were N2 level (yikes!). I must be at least at N3 level to understand most of this game.

I’m doing a Nuzlocke challenge on this game, so I didn’t feel too bad about restarting a new game to test out my Japanese (I wish that these games came with multiple save files). Thankfully, they do have a kana option so I could read it just fine. It was just comprehending the words that was the problem. It is funny how these games are geared towards children, but they are so advanced compared to where I am in my Japanese.

With that in mind, I began to wonder “what is the JLPT level equivalent to a native speaker”. I would think that N5 would be at least 1^st grade considering you have to know about 80 kanji from the 1^st year jouyou kanji. I will look further into this as I progress. In the meantime, I will keep my games on the English captions/subtitles for now.

Grammar notes with examples

株式会社＝かぶしきがいしゃ＝Stock Company or incorporated company

This vocabulary word talks about a big company such as a big media company or a company like Google. The company name can go before or after this word.

Ex: 株式会社グーグル

Ex: 株式会社インフェルノブールで働きます。= I work at Inferno Blue Co.

Ex: モンスターズ株式会社へよこそう。＝Welcome to Monster’s Inc.

に／へ電話をかける＝To make a phone call

Ex: あした、母に電話をかけます。＝ I will call my mom tomorrow.

電話に出る＝ To answer the phone

Ex: 僕は家にいない時、電話に出ないでください。＝When I am not home, do not answer the phone.

べき＝should, must, or you ought to.

This grammar point refers something you or someone else should or ought to do have done.

For the most part, you must keep verbs in the dictionary form. For るand うverbs, you keep it as you see the verb. However, this is not the case with するverbs. You’ll see an example of this exception in the dialogues for this week.

Ex: 彼女たちにあやまるべきだと思います。＝I think you should apologize to the girls.

Dialogues

ちゃんと準備しておけ

A: 日本語能力試験N3を合格するのために、勉強しましたか？

B: はい.僕はツとシの違いを知る必要があるだけです。

A:え？あの。。。その文字は必要じゃないですか。

B:そうです。あー、僕もあと５４漢字も知る必要があります。明後日勉強します。

A:その試験は今日です。

B:え？！(◯Δ◯||)

A:本当に大丈夫ですか。

B: 時間を止まらないと。

A:え？！一体何を言っていますか。無理ですよ。あなたは勉強すべきでした。

B:ザ・ワールド❢❢

A:おい！いい加減に現実を見つめろ！

鬱陶しい天気？ノー問題ですよ。

A:　昨日の天気が悪かったですね。

B:　梅雨ですから、今日の天気も悪いです。

A:　鬱陶しい天気ですね。

B:　そうですね。

A:　買い物したくせに。家で映画を見るだと思います。

B:　どんな映画を見ますか。

A:　名探偵コナンのムービーマラソンを見ます。

B:　わあ、見たい、見たい。

A:　じゃあ、一緒に見ましょう。

B:　どうですか？

A:　デジタルビデオコレクションがあります。このコレクションは私のワンドライブがあります。

B:　じゃあ、見ましょう。

Be Properly Prepared

A: Did you study for the JLPT N3?

B: Yes, I just need to know the difference between tsu and shi.

A: What? Um… those characters are necessary, aren’t they?

B: That’s right. I also need to know 54 more kanji. I will study the day after tomorrow.

A: That exam is today.

B: What?! O_O

A: Are you going to be all right?

A: I must stop time.

B: Huh?! What the heck are you talking about? That’s impossible. You should have studied.

A: The World!!

B: Hey! Face reality!

Gloomy weather? No problem.

A: Yesterday’s weather sure was bad, huh?

B: Because it is the rainy season, today’s weather is also bad.

A: The weather is gloomy.

B: Isn’t that so.

A: And I was going to go shopping. I think I’ll watch a movie at home.

B: What kind of movie will you watch?

A: I’ll watch a Detective Conan Movie Marathon.

B: Wow, I want to watch, I want to watch.

A: Well, let’s watch it together.

B: How?

A: I have a digital collection. I have this collection on my OneDrive.

B: Then let’s watch it together.

In conclusion, I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until then… また来週！

Learning About the JLPT

2020年02月02日「日」第10週

日本語の練習第10週 Japanese Practice Week 10

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

JLPT (日本語能力試験)

The Japanese Learning Proficiency Test or the JLPT is an exam that occurs every year in the USA at major locations such as Atlanta Georgia and Washington, DC to name a couple in the beginning of December. However, it is held twice a year in Japan. This exam all started in 1984. There are 5 levels in this exam system. N5 is the easiest level to obtain while the hardest to obtain is the N1. However, N3 is the level where you can work in Japan.

So, why go for the N5 or the N4? I think these are best used to show that you have interest in the Language and the culture. This shows that you are willing to learn more about the language and someday progress even further in your proficiency in Japanese.

The exams consist of reading, listening, and knowledge of the language (such as grammar and conjugation of verbs and adjectives). In the past they did have only 4 levels (N4, N3, N2, and N1). Luckily, once you do get certified you never have to renew your certification. Plus, the pass mark can be easy to get over once you study and practice hard enough.

All the tests are based on a 180/180 score. You must at most approximately 56% of the test correct for N1 and it decreases all the way down to approximately 44%. That is the overall pass score. The lowest test N5 takes about 250 – 450 hours to prepare for (if you are familiar with Kanji such as speakers of the Chinese language) or 325 – 600 hours to prepare (if you have no prior knowledge of Kanji). For the N5 approximately 45% of overseas test takers passed and were certified. For some odd reason there were about 68,000 people who applied to take it but only about 55,000 people took it.

Status Update

Since I am discussing the JLPT, I would like to set the exam as my goal for this year. I have gotten comfortable with a few practice exams for the N5. However, I think that by the time the exam is available, I think the N4 would be the right pace. Then again, it is $60 to take the exam so I might want to stick with N5 first and work my way up to the next level and the level after that and so on and so forth.

Lingo Deer and JA Sensei can help out quite a lot. Then Karl Marx’s book Fluent in Japanese in 90 Days and Japanese from Zero Series can both be of help for self-learning for the N5. I am also watching a JLPT N5 playlist from YouTube channel called TalkinJapan and LIGHT for practice test materials.

On another note, I have got a lot of work to do in my Japanese. My past dialogues need to be revised because they are most likely awkward and entirely wrong. It is best for me to set a certain pace and triple check my Japanese for now on. At first when my errors were addressed to me, my first action was to drop everything I know and start from zero once again. However, that would be unproductive. So, it best to keep moving forward and study for the N5. The N5 is my goal and if I see fit, I can change that goal to the N4 when I am confident enough in my skill.

The plan for now is to try to provide simpler dialogues. That way I can still practice, and I am not leading people down the wrong path of learning this wonderful language by giving them incorrect Japanese language knowledge.

Grammar Notes

一番＝いちばん＝most

この町が一番おもしろいだと思います。

I think that this city is the most interesting.

Among these = Noun + の中で

兄弟の中で姉が一番強いです。

Among my siblings my big sister is the strongest.

もっとも＝most/extremely -> This is usually used for formal speech and writing

ワンピースがもっとも盛んなアニメです。

One Piece is the most popular anime.

Dialogue

サッカじゃなくて。フットボールですよ。（Polite）

A: ねえ、ジョン。サッカー試合はいつですか。

B: え？サッカーではありませんよ。フットボールです。僕たちはスーパーボウルを見ています。

A:　え？スーパーボウル？フットボールは何ですか。

B:　。。。

A:　。。。冗談ですよ。

B:　あ、そうですか。

A: 僕はフォーティー・ナイナーズは応援しています。

B:　マジですか！このスーパーボウルはチーフの勝ちですよ。

A:　じゃ、見てましょうか。

B:　いいですよ。チーフは負けません。

アレクスとアスコ　（Polite）

A:　アスコ、日本語のクラスはどうでしたか。

B:　ちょっと難しかった。でも、すごく楽しかった。カズコ先生はいい先生です。

A:　そうですか。試験を準備していますか。

B:　はい。そうです。ねえ、アレクス。

A:　はい。

B:　私のアパトで一緒に日本語を勉強しましょうか。

A:　いいよ。ですが、カズコ先生より僕の方が厳しいですよ。

B:　それはいいだと思います。

A:　じゃ、4時半ちょうどに行きます。いいんですか。

B: 　いいよ。ありがとう。

A:　どういたしまして。またね。

B:　また。

It’s not soccer. It’s football. (Polite)

A: Hey, John. When is the soccer match?

B: What? It’s not soccer. It’s football. We’re watching the Super Bowl.

A: What? Super Bowl? What is football?

B: …

A: … I’m kidding.

B: Oh, is that so?

A: I’m rooting for the Forty Niners.

B: Are you serious? This Super Bowl is the Chief’s victory.

A: Well, shall we see?

B: That’s fine. The Chiefs will not lose.

Alex and Asuko (Polite)

A: Hey, Asuko. How was your Japanese class?

B: It was a little difficult. But it was a lot of fun. Ms. Kazuko is a good teacher.

A: Is that so? Are you preparing for the exam?

B: Yes, that’s right. Hey, Alex.

A: Yes.

B: Shall we study Japanese together in my apartment?

A: Sure. However, I am stricter than Ms. Kazuko.

B: That’s good.

A: Well, I’ll be there at exactly 4:30. Is that all right?

B: That’s fine. Thank you.

A: You’re welcome.

In conclusion, I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until then… また来週！

Karaoke + The 3 Japanese Writing Systems + Tips to Learn Kanji

2020年01月26日「日」第9週

にほんごのれんしゅう(日本語の練習) 第9週 Japanese Practice Week 9

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

Karaoke (カラオケ)

Karaoke is a special past time in Japan where people can unwind while also expressing themselves without any judgement. They were most prominent in bars but now people rent out rooms with the equipment set up called karaoke boxes. I recall watching an episode of “僕は友達が少ない” when everyone went to a karaoke box. One character found the pricing a bit deceptive because you must pay for each person for only one room. An entrance fee if you will. Unfortunately, that character (and a character who agreed with that person) ended up in separate rooms by themselves while the others got a room together. You must pay for the time you are using the room as well. Fortunately, this comes with a drink bar for those who are in the room. However, the price range and the drink limits can vary.

The basic layout of a karaoke room would be a TV, a few microphones, a remote control to pick the song you want to sing, coffee table, one or two sofas. There is also a phone where you can request for more time if your time has run out or you want to place an order. Don’t worry about going over time, they will let you know and ask if you want more time. Some karaoke boxes have equipment that comes with a scoring mechanism that will rank how well you did compare to other people on that specific song. Think ranking scores at an arcade.

Image result for ã«ã©ãªã± — A general set up of a karaoke box.

On another note, it doesn’t matter if you are bad at singing or even good. This is all done in good fun. However, if you are a good singer, it is best not to hog the mic and let others have their fair shake at a song.

Hiragana (ひらがな) Katakana (カタカナ) and Kanji (漢字)

With practice the first two can be completed within a week or two. However, Kanji is a bit more complex. I would like to provide a few ways to make it easier to not only learn how to read Kanji but write it as well.

There is an app I use to practice writing and learn Kanji called JA-sensei. It has flashcards you can learn from and when you write Kanji the app checks your stroke order on a 0-100 grade scale. It is available for Android and IOS. I am taking the Jouyou route instead of the JLPT route. The Jouyou route is where you follow the amount of Kanji Japanese schools teach each year. Considering I want to learn at least 300 Kanji this year, I should be able to learn as much Kanji as an average 3^rd grader in Japan (after this grade they will have learned up to 440 Kanji). After this, I will most likely have enough Kanji under my belt to take the JLPT N3.

I would also recommend George Trombley’s book “Kanji from Zero” where it teaches you 240 Kanji in a textbook/workbook format. That will get you almost enough Kanji to take the JLPT N4 (N5 (110) + N4 (179) = 289 Kanji ).

I have joined a Japanese learning group a few months ago. I have had a few conversations there about how to learn and what to use to learn (books, apps, anime [笑] etc.). The most prominent questions are “Do I need to learn Kanji” and “How do I learn so many Kanji”. One of the moderators shared his idea on how to do so and I think it is very helpful. So, I’ll share some of that here. Music. Yes, that is correct. If the song has Japanese use it to learn kanji. I like to do a sing a long sometimes to my favorite anime openings and endings (You’ll see a reference to one of my favorite songs in the dialogue).

So, choose and listen to about 10 Japanese music tracks and find lyrics for them (Here is one website that I use: https://www.lyrical-nonsense.com). There are some furigana extensions on browsers such as Chrome to ease you into reading the Kanji. Not only will you learn Kanji, but you can also learn grammar as well. Add more songs to your leisure and dissect away at the kanji and grammar while also practicing your speaking (singing?).

And lastly, practice making sentences as soon as possible while these Kanji are still in your head. Best of luck and I hope that this was helpful.

And now here are some grammar notes with examples.

Comparisons (くらべる(比べる)ーTo compare) – のほうが (の方が)、より

Better ➔ のほうが/の方が

英語の方が上手ですが、

I am good at English but,

Worse ➔よりも

日本語よりも上手です。

I am better at it than Japanese.

Note: の方がcan be replaced with は, but よりcannot do so.

EX:英語は上手ですが、日本語よりも上手です。

I am good at English but, I am better at it than Japanese.

To compare something or someone else – 比べる

Compared to A, B is (adjective) ➔ Aに比べてBの方が(adjective)です。

“In comparison to A, B is (adjective)”

EX: 姉に比べて、僕の方が冷たいです。

In comparison to my older sister, I am colder./I am colder than my sister.

Note: 冷たいdoes not mean temperature wise but personality wise when it is said about a person.

もっと+ (adjective) ➔ (adjective)+er

誰もより、僕はもっと強くになりたいです。

I want to be stronger than anyone.

Or you can use より+(adjective)

この酒は水より弱いだ！

This alcohol is weaker than water!

DIALOGUE

エマたち・カラオケ

パーティーのあと、エマたちはカラオケボックスにいきました。

エマ：ねえレイくん、歌いましょう。レイくんのスコアに負けていませんよ。

レイ：よしゃ。こい！レヂィーズファースト！

エマ：わあ、これはジェントルマンがあるのか。素敵な。じゃ、私の番です。

♪頭がぐるぐるしてまた

私は君に甘えてた

So Goodbye

Darling Darling Darling♪

ヒビキ：凄い。エマさんは歌が上手です。ハルさんー

ハル：そんなに丁寧な言葉を使わなくてもいいんですよ。ハルがいいです。

ヒビキ：じゃ、ハーハルは歌が好きですか？

ハル：実は。。。私、歌が下手なんです。

ヒビキ：ええ、僕の方が歌が下手だと思います。それに、ハルの歌を聞きたいです。

ハル：じゃ、歌います。

レイ：ヒビキとハルは二重唱をしましょうか。

ヒビキとハル：えと~。

エマ：ねね、レイくんの番ですよ。

レイ：分かった。95点？！俺は負けない。

ハルとヒビキ：二人の負けん気が強すぎる。え？（二人は一緒に笑っています。）

エマ：頑張って。

レイ：じゃ、歌がどれですか？

ハル：ヒビキーくん、ウイスキーのお替わりいる。(ウイスキーをグラスに注ぎています。)

ヒビキ：いいです。お茶と一緒に酒が好きです。

ハル：何とかウーハイですか？

エマ：LiSAがあるよ。

レイ：ナイス！

ヒビキ：はい、そうです。

ハル：はい、これをどうぞ。

ヒビキ：いただきます。わあ、これは本当においしいです。

ハル：嬉しい。私はバーテンなんです。

ヒビキ：凄い。知りませー

レイ：♪一人きりでも平気。と、こぼれ話落ちた強がり❢♪

ヒビキ：（“ヤバイ！レイの歌ことがわすれました❕オフキーをすぎる。”）

ハル：すみません。ヒビキーくんのことを聞こえません。外で行きませんか。

エマ：ゴ！　レイ！

ヒビキ：はい、行きましょう。

ハル：エマ。私たちは戻ります。

エマ：いいよ。頑張ってハルーちゃん。ファイト！そして、ヒビキ。。。

ヒビキ：はい？

エマ：ハルを傷つけないでよ。なれば、ヒビキーくんをゆるすないよ。

ヒビキ：え？

ハル：エマ！！（ドアを閉めた）エマーちゃんを聞き捨てましてください。（やっぱり、エマは酔っ払うね。）

つづく？

Emma and friends: Karaoke

After the party, Emma, Rei, Haru and Hibiki arrive at the Karaoke bar.

Emma: Hey Rei, let’s sing. I won’t lose to your score.

Rei: Alright. Bring it. Ladies first!

Emma: Wow, is this a gentleman? So wonderful. Well, it’s my turn.

♪My head spins round and round again

I was dependent on you

So Goodbye

Darling Darling Darling ♪

Hibiki: Amazing. Emma is good at singing. Ms. Har-

Haru: You don’t have to use such polite words. “Haru” is good.

Hibiki: Then, does H-haru like singing?

Haru: Actually… I’m not good at singing.

Hibiki: I think I’m a worse singer than you. Besides, I want to hear you sing.

Haru: Well, I’ll sing.

Ray: Shall Hibiki and Haru do a duet song?

Haru and Hibiki: Um-

Emma: Hey, it’s Ray’s turn.

Ray: All right. 95 points?! I won’t lose.

Haru and Hibiki: They’re too competitive… eh? (they both laugh)

Emma: Good luck, Ray.

Ray: So, which song should I pick?

Haru: Do you want another cup of whiskey, Hibiki? (pours a glass of whiskey)

Hibiki: Thank you. I like alcohol with tea.

Haru: Something like a Oolong tea highball?

Emma: They have LiSA’s new song.

Ray: Nice!

Hibiki: Yes, that’s right.

Haru: Here you go.

Hibiki: Thank you. Wow this is really good.

Haru: I’m glad. It’s because I’m a bartender.

Hibiki: Amazing. I didn’t kno-

Rei: ♪ I’ll be fine by myself. An empty assurance escapes my lips again❢ ♪

Hibiki: (“Crap! I forgot about Rei’s singing. He’s too off-key.”)

Haru: I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you. Would you like to go outside?

Emma: Go Rei!

Hibiki: Yeah let’s go.

Haru: Emma, we’ll be right back.

Emma: Okay. Good luck, Haru. Fight! And Hibiki…

Hibiki: Yes?

Emma: Don’t hurt Haru. If you do, I won’t forgive you.

Hibiki: Eh?

Haru: Emma! (Closes door) Please ignore Emma. (As expected, she’s drunk, huh?)

To Be Continued?

In conclusion, I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until then… また来週！

My Favorite Japanese Singers

(日本語の練習) 第8週 Japanese Practice Week 8

Hello everyone! Kyuusei here to teach you Japanese and show what I find interesting about Japan. With that being said, let’s continue.

歌手 – singer

歌 – song

手 – hand

This week’s topic will be about a few of my favorite Japanese singers and a couple of songs that I would recommend.

LiSA (Unlasting, Merry Go Round)

I was introduced to LiSA when I first watched Sword Art Online. Ever since I have been taken aback by her powerful and emotional voice. I loved her voice on the new ending song of Sword Art Online: Alicization War of the Underworld. I really should consider listening to her non-anime songs.

Hikaru Utada (Chikai, Distance [I like the remix more than the original.] )

This woman is my childhood. Has songs in English and Japanese. There is a major sense of nostalgia when I hear her voice. I think it is fair that could go for many others due to her songs being on Kingdom Hearts (Perhaps she is another reason why I wanted to learn Japanese). Last year, I started to buy and listen to more of her songs. Looking forward to branching out more into her repertoire.

Miyuna (Boku to Kimi no La La Lullaby, Gamushara [heard this song a while ago. Just found out that it’s the fifth opening for an anime I’ve never watched, Black Clover])

A new comer to the scene. First introduced to her from the ending song on Fairy Tail’s final season. I like how clear you can hear her voice. Her voice can get rough and then smooth out on the next word. I’m looking forward to hearing more of her songs. Some of her songs have a 90s R&B feel to them (like “Guru Guru”).

Kenshi Yonezu (Lemon, Peace Sign)

Voice of a soft-spoken man. His song “Orion” was the first song I heard. Of course, that song was a ending song for my favorite anime 3-gatsu no lion. I see him pop a few times on anime. So, last year I picked up more of his songs. Must say “Lemon” is great. I would like to take that song and “Orion” and translate them personally one day.

UVERworld (ODD FUTURE, Itteki no Eikyo)

A classic group that I have heard plenty of throughout my time watching anime. Love their songs that have the sax playing like in Blue Exorcist’s first season opening called “Core Pride”. Whenever I hear it, it just sounds like that they are having tons of fun.

Mrs. GREEN APPLE (Inferno, Naniwo Naniwo)

I must thank Fire Force for leading me to this band with their first opening called “Inferno”. And boy is it indeed fire. Ever since I’ve listened to more of there songs from their older albums such as Progressive. The singer can sing in a fast and energetic way and then suddenly drop into a soft and slow pace before he picks back up. Will have to look out for more of their songs.

Fortunately, these songs can be listened to on YouTube on the artist’s respective channels and/or be bought through websites such as google play music, iTunes, or amazon. Unfortunately, not many songs are available to buy and support these and more artists as necessary. Hopefully, one day there will be a way to buy more Japanese music here in other countries.

On another note, here are some grammar notes and examples.

To become (for い-adj) ➔ い-adverb + なる➔ い-adj take out finalい and addく+なる

僕は強くなりたいです。

風邪ひくので、からだが重くなります。

I want to become strong.

My body is heavy because I am sick.

To become (forな-adj) ➔ な-adverb + なる ➔　な-adj + replace なwithに+なる

アパートは静かになりました。

The apartment became quiet.

Adjectival noun ➔ い-adjective + さ or for な-adjectives ➔ な-adjective + さ

この壁の細さは30センチ。

The width of this wall is 30 centimeters.

Most な-adjective follow the same pattern as い-adjective to make an adjectival noun

For some な-adjective ➔ な-adjective + さreplaces な

Questions:

誰– だれ – Who

何-なに – What

いつ – When

どこ – Where

なぜ/なんで– Why

どうして – a more polite way to ask why

ですか。– used at the end of sentences asking a question. Think of it as a question mark.

どんな – Which (used for one or two items)

どれ– Which (used for more than two items)

Don’t worry. There will be examples of how to use these in this week’s dialogues.

DIALOGUE

意地悪なジジイ👴 と 珍しい男の子 (mixed)

A young boy is walking into a quiet library and sees an old man in a chair. He approaches the old man out of curiosity of what he is hearing in that direction. Could it be the old man’s voice? But how can he hear the old man? The library is silent.

男の子:あなたは誰ですか。
お爺さん:茂です。(茂さんは本を読んでいます。)
男の子:何をしていますか。
お爺さん:(“ぼけの質問を答えています。”)　本を読んでいます。
男の子:ぼけじゃないよ！僕はあなたの心を読むことができます。

お爺さん:まさか。あなたは一体何よ？化け物か？！

男の子: 超能力があるんだよ。意地悪なジジイ。

The Mean Old Man and the Strange Boy

Boy: Who are you?

Old Man: I am Shigeru. (Shigeru is reading a book)

Boy: What are you doing?

Old Man: (“Answering a fool’s question”) I’m reading a book.

Boy: I’m not a fool! I can read your mind.

Old Man: No way! What in the world are you? A monster?!

Boy: I have ESP. You’re mean, old man.

間違った粒子 <- (間違った単語)➔間違った助詞←失礼。舌を噛みまみた。(mixed)

I really like the Monogatari series. Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to make a dialogue for one of my favorite series. I present to you Hachikuji and Araragi.

八九寺:レストランを食べました!

阿良々:え？！ちょっと待って下さい。。。いま、何と言ったか。

八九寺: あ、失礼。舌を噛みました。レストランで食べました。ねね、どうだったか。

阿良々:完璧だ。

Hachikuji: I ate a restaurant!

Araragi: What?! Wait a minute… What did you say now?

Hachikuji: Oh, excuse me. I bit my tongue. I ate at a restraint. Hey, how was that?

Araragi: Perfect.

買い物をしています(polite)

A young woman goes to a store to buy more pens. She just got paid from her job. She is a bit of coin pincher, so she doesn’t want to spend so much because she has to get back home by train (her train ticket is 450 yen). However,…

A:このぺんはいくらですか。

B:１０００円です。

A:(“ヤバい！私の財布はどこですか？！１０００円だけポケットにあります。でも、ぺんがほしいですよ。”) じゃ、買います。

B:あ、すみません。このペンは今セールです。２００円です。

A:(“よかった！”)　２本（ぼん）をください。

B:４００円です。

Shopping

A:How much is this pen?

B: It is 1000 yen.

A: (“Oh crap! Where is my wallet?! I only have 1000 yen in my pocket. But I want that pen.”) Well, I’ll buy it.

B: Oh, Sorry. This pen is on sale. It is 200 yen.

A: (“Thank goodness!”) I’ll take two please.

B: It’ll be 400 yen.

１００キロ？！(polite)

A man is tying his shoes at the door entrance with a fire in his eyes. What is he about to do? His girlfriend is wondering the same.

A:公園にいきます。

B:いつ行きますか。

A:あと５分に行きます。ランニング１００キロをします。

B:１００キロ？！なぜ？！

A: I’m going to the park.

B: When are you going?

A: I’ll go in another 5 minutes. I’m going to run 100 kilometers.

B: 100 kilometers?! Why?!

私はだめだと言わなかったのよ? (casual)

お姉ちゃん：氷柱を舐めてはだめよ。

弟：まに。すいたかうごかね。なしゃんちゃ、すけれ。

(What he is trying to say: なに？舌を動けない。お姉ちゃん、助けて。)

お姉ちゃん：はあ～　いいよ。助けてあげるよ。

Big Sister: Don’t lick the icicle.

Little Brother: Rhat? I kwan knove hy tung. Sishta hep be.

(What he’s trying to say: What? I can’t move my tongue. Sister, help me.)

Big Sister: Sigh~ okay. I’ll help you.

I hope that this series is helpful with your journey to learning Japanese and/or taking an interest in the country’s culture. Until thenまた来週！