You know how you listen to things in another language, and they’re nice and all, but they just don’t quite match up to the original version?
This does. Listen to it, you won’t be disappointed ^^
Category Archives: Japanese
Katakana Chart
Here’s the katakana chart in the same layout as the hiragana one I posted earlier.
It’s got the dakuten (ten-ten), and the syllable combos. The hiragana and katakana are the same…the characters are just written differently.
Enjoy~! ^^
Introducing Yourself in Japanese
One of the first things you’ll want to do is be able to introduce yourself to someone.
Here’s what a basic intro looks like:
はじめまして。リンガルイズムです。よろしくおねがいします。
Can’t read it or don’t know what’s going on? Here’s the breakdown:
Basic Structure:
[Your name] + [です・desu]
E.g. Lingualism です。
NOTE: In Japanese, foreign names and words use the ‘katakana’ writing system, which is similar to hiragana.
Using katakana, my blog name becomes: リンガルイズム・ringaru-izumu. Unlike hiragana, katakana often uses 【ー】 to indicate a lengthened sound.
Adding more:
When meeting someone for the very first time only, people say 「はじめまして・hajimemashite」.
NOTE: Don’t say it to someone you’ve already met…they’ll think you’ve forgotten them already =P
Then, they introduce themselves:
eg. はじめまして。 リンガルイズムです。
Closing the introduction:
To end your intro politely, you can add 「よろしくおねがいします・yoroshiku onegaishimasu」。It means “please treat me well”.
よろしく・yoroshiku = well; appropriately etc.
おねがいします・onegaishimasu = please.
Our intro now looks like this:
eg. はじめまして。 リンガルイズムです。よろしくおねがいします。
簡単ね！・かんたん ね！・Kantan ne! = It’s simple! Feel free to introduce yourself in the comments (^_^)/
Saying Sorry in Japanese (Part 4)
おじゃまします translates into ‘sorry for disturbing you’ and essentially means the same sort of thing as しつれいします. It’s more preferred in informal situations, like entering or leaving your friend’s house, because it sounds softer.
NOTE: when entering somewhere it’s おじゃまします (present tense), and when leaving it’s おじゃましました (past tense).
Saying Sorry in Japanese (Part 3)
失礼します・しつれいします (shitsurei shimasu) is a more formal expression that literally means ‘I’m being rude’, but translates into ‘excuse me’. It’s common to use it when interrupting something/someone, like walking into a meeting (and leaving again), interrupting someone’s phone call/needing to take a phone call, or leaving a meeting etc. early – even we=
Saying Sorry in Japanese (Part 2)
ごめんなさい is used in non-formal situations (so probably don’t use this to your teacher or someone older than you in everyday language).
This is a more personal sorry…the kind where you actually want to apologise to someone for something you’ve done (like forgetting to give your friend’s DVD back, or accidentally hurting someone).
あっ、ごめんなさい。大丈夫 ですか？・ah, gomen nasai. Daijyoubu desu ka?
Ah, I’m sorry. Are you okay?
(大丈夫・だいじょうぶ・daijyoubu = all right/okay)
If you want to emphasise that you’re really sorry, you add 本当に (ほんとうに・hontouni):
本当に ごめんなさい。
Between good friends (and if you haven’t really done anything wrong), you often just say ごめんね・gomen ne.
Saying Sorry in Japanese (Part 1)
すみません means:
a) ‘excuse me’
b) ‘thank you’
c) ‘sorry’
…All in one word. You can use it when asking people to move to get on/off a train, the lead in to asking someone something, for catching someone’s attention, or when you didn’t catch something someone said and want to ask them to repeat it (like this):
すみませんが、もう いちど？・sumimasen ga, mou ichido?
OR:
すみませんが、もう いちど ゆっくり
The が at the end of すみません acts as ‘but’. The もう= again, and the いちど=once …therefore you get ‘Sorry, but once more?’ or ‘Sorry, but can you repeat that?’
The ゆっくり = slow (pace). You can tag that at the end to ask someone to repeat something…but slower. You’re going to want to know that phrase (trust me =P )
To be more polite, just add ‘please’:
すみませんが、もう いちど ゆっくり おねがいします・mou ichido onegaishimasu
Saying Sorry in Japanese
Saying ‘sorry’ is a big deal in Japan, so I’ve heard (and watched in dramas and anime =P )
I’m going to be covering four common phrases:
3. 失礼します（しつれいします）(shitsurei shimasu)
They’re in separate posts so it doesn’t end up as a massive eyesore of information in one hit (^-^)/
Hiragana Chart
A nicely laid out hiragana chart for those that are learning! Just click on the image to enlarge, and right click ‘save as’ if you want it.
It shows how the syllable changes when using “ten-ten” (those two little dashes) and syllable combos.
It’s read from right -> left and top -> bottom (like a manga!) =D
The style of the characters seen in this chart is the way they’re commonly represented in printed materials etc. In real life handwriting, there are a couple of “shorthand” versions you might come across.
Source from: http://www.tofugu.com (Check it out!)
Basic Japanese Expressions
Hello and Goodbye:
こんにちは = Konnichiwa = Hello (during the day)
おはよう ございます = Ohayou gozaimasu = Good morning (Polite)
おはよう = Ohayou = Good morning (Casual)
こんばんは = Konbanwa = Good evening
さようなら = Sayounara = Goodbye (for a long period of time)
じゃあ、また（ね）= Ja, mata (ne) = See you later!
Thank you:
どうも ありがとう ございます = Doumo arigatou gozaimasu = Thank you very much (NOTE: only used for your ‘undying thanks’)
ありがとう ございます = Arigatou gozaimasu = Thank you (polite)
ありがとう = Arigatou = Thank you (casual)
どうも = Doumo = Thanks (NOTE: use when someone has done something small for you, ie. moving over a bit to let you through — they haven’t gone very far out of their way to do something for you)
How do you respond to someone saying ありがとう？You say:
いいえ = iie = It’s nothing (in this context.)
The word いいえ literally means ‘no’, but isn’t used very much aside from dismissing a ‘thank you’ or rejecting compliments:
Person A: ああ、<日本語 が 上手 ですね！
Aah, nihongo ga jouzu desu ne!
Your Japanese is good!
You: いいえ。
Sorry:
すみません = Sumimasen = I’m sorry/ Thank you/ Excuse me
(NOTE: すみません means all three at once. ie. you can use it when trying to grab someone’s attention: excuse me, sorry for bothering you and thanks (in advance)…where can I find an ATM? OR when you’re moving through a crowd.)
ごめんなさい = Gomen’nasai = I’m sorry (personal. ie. you’ve done something wrong and you are apologising.)
And now you know some basic expressions that are used all the time~!
Lingualism! 