I realize that learning Japanese is a massive undertaking. Personally, I'm considering it a new hobby. Some people collect stamps, I'll collect a language. For the time being, this blog will be a record of what I have done thus far, what I plan to do in the future, and a place to post my work as I go. By the end, I expect this blog will be completely written in Japanese. To be honest, I do not truly foresee this blog amassing a following of any sort. However, you're welcome to prove me wrong.
Begin Here
Remember the Kanji 2 Flashcards
Primitive Flashcards
Primitive Images
Kanji Chart, A 日本語勉強ブログ Exclusive (Coming Soon)
28 December 2010
The Real Folk Blues
27 December 2010
日本語: Nouns
What Are Nouns?
A noun refers to a person place or thing (A thing may be a quality or a concept). Japanese nouns do not express gender. Japanese does not use articles before nouns. There is no English equivalent of a, an or the.
Proper nouns refer to a particular person, place or thing.
For example: 山田さんは東京に行きます。 山田 and 東京 are nouns.
山田さんは月曜日に東京に行きます。 山田, 月曜日 and 東京 are nouns.
A common noun on the other hand does not refer to a specific person, place or thing.
Examples: 本, 男の子, 女の子
The distinction between the singular and the plural in Japanese is non-existent. The same word is used for both.
Examples | |
本 | book, books |
猫 | cat, cats |
車 | car, cars |
家 | house, houses |
電車 | train, trains |
りんごを持っています。 | I have an apple. |
りんごを持っています。 | I have some apples. |
The plural suffix -たち can be used for nouns referring to people however this is not mandatory.
Examples | |||
子供 | child, children | 子供たち | children |
女の子 | girl, girls | 女の子たち | girls |
先生 | teacher, teachers | 先生たち | teachers |
When attached with someone’s name, the plural suffix -たち, generally refers to that person and their family or group.
Example: 山田さんたち Yamada and is family or group.
Names
The Japanese generally use their family names first and their first name last. In most social exchanges, the family name will only be used, even among family and friends. So unless specifically asked to do otherwise, only use the last name. The only exception to this rule is with young children, where their first name is used and the title -ちゃん is attached to the end.
Titles
-さん is the all purpose Japanese title. I relays respect and is equivalent to the English Mr., Mrs, Ms. and Miss. -さん is used both when speaking to a person and referring to them, however it should never be used to refer to one’s self.
Examples | |
山田さんお茶はいかがですか。 | Mr. Yamada, would you like some tea? |
山田さんは今日学校に行きますか。 | Is Mr. Yamada at school today? |
私は山田ようこです。 | I am Yooko Yamada. |
Politeness
Politeness can be expressed by adding the prefix お- to some nouns. The prefix ご- is also used with words of chinese origin. The prefix ご- is most typically used by women in some cases. In other cases, the polite prefix is always used with some words like: お茶 and ご飯. Be sure to use the prefixes with nouns correctly.
Examples | ||
名前 なまえ | お名前 おなまえ | Name |
箸 はし | お箸 おはし | Chopsticks |
手紙 てがみ | お手紙 おてがみ | Letter |
本 | ご本 | Book |
Compound Nouns
The particle の is used to make compound nouns by joining them. Though some compound nouns are formed with out the particle.
Example | |
歴史のクラス れきしのクラス | History class |
英語の先生 えいごのせんせい | English teacher |
アパートのビル | Apartment building |
観光バス かんこうバス | Tourist bus |
Noun Suffixes
A noun becomes the place or shop where that thing is sold or the person that sells is when the suffix や- is added to a noun. The suffix -さん can be added to the noun when referring to the person that sells the noun. When referring to a person that has particular knowledge or expertise with a subject, the suffix -か is added to the noun.
Example | |||
肉 にく | 肉屋 にきや | 肉屋さん にくやさん | Meat Butcher |
本 | 本屋 ほんや | 本屋さん ほんやさん | Book Bookstore clerk |
漫画 まんが | 漫画か まんがか | | Manga Manga artist |
政治 せいじ | 政治家 せいじか | | Politics Politician |
小説 しょうせつ | 小説家 しょうせつか | | Novel Novelist |
26 December 2010
日本語: Word Order
What is a sentence?
A sentence is an organized series of words composed to make a statement, ask a question, express a thought, offer an opinion or shoot the breeze.
Examples | |
Yamada is Japanese. (Statement) | 山田さんは日本人です。 やまださんはにっほんじんです。 |
Is Yamada Japanese? (Question) | 山田さんは日本人ですか。 やまださんはにっほんじんですか。 |
Yamada, be careful! (Exclamation) | 山田さん気をつけてください。 やまださんきをつけてください。 |
English Sentences
Except with questions, English sentences are SVO (Subject, Object, Verb) in word order.
Subject | Verb | Object | ... |
Bob | eats | candy | every other day. |
I | saw | a play | this evening. |
The car | is | out of gas | - |
The subject and the predicate are the two basic parts of the English sentence. The subject is who or what the sentence is about and must consist of a noun or proper noun. Typically in a statement, the subject comes first in the sentence.
Subject | ... |
Bob | speaks Japanese. |
Yamada | is Japanese. |
The part is the sentences that expresses what is said about the subject is the predicate. It typically located directly after the subject, consisting of everything thing in the remainder of the sentence, including the mandatory verb.
Subject | Predicate |
Bob | speaks Japanese. |
Yamada | is Japanese. |
The sky | is blue. |
Japanese Sentences
Japanese sentences are SOV (Subject, Object, Verb) in word order. In Japanese, unlike English, the verb must come at the end of the sentence.
Subject | Object | Verb |
お母さんが Mother | りんごを apple | 買いました。 bought |
山田さんが Yamada | それを it | しました。 did |
お父さんが Father | 映画を movie | 見ませんでした。 did not see |
In Japanese questions, the word order remains the same. And rather than a question mark, the particle か is added to the end of the sentence.
Subject | Object | Verb |
お母さんが | りんごを | 買いましたか。 |
Did mother buy the apple? | ||
山田さんが | それを | しましたか。 |
Did Yamada do it? | ||
お父さんが | 映画を | 見ませんでしたか。 |
Did father not see the movie? |
Subject and Predicate
Japanese sentences must have a predicate, however, the subject and topic are not necessary. Appearing at the end of the Japanese sentence, the predicate is the core of the sentence and must be a verb or come in a verb form. This verbal form may be a noun with copula (is/are) or a verbal adjective.
Subject or Topic | Predicate | Predicate Type |
山田さんは Yamada | 話します。 speaks | (Verb) |
山田さんは Yamada | 日本人です。 Japanese is | (Noun Copula) |
果物は Fruit | 高いです。 expensive is | (Verbal Adjective) |
A Japanese sentence may of course be composed a other elements in addition to the subject or topic: object, indirect object, adverb ect. These elements must come before the predicate and are not considered a part of it.
Where word order is concerned, for Japanese sentences, there are only two constants: The predicate must come at the end of the sentence and a particle must immediately follow the word or words it marks. In all other ways, the Japanese sentence may be flexible. Generally, the subject or topic comes first, however, the adverb may proceed or follow it. Expressions of time generally proceed expressions of place and modifiers generally proceed the words they modify.
彼は毎日家で新聞をたくさん読みます。
かれはまいにちうちでしんぶんをたくさんよみます。
(lit.) he (topic marker) everyday home at newspapers (object marker) many reads
この子供たちは日本人です。
このこどもたちはにほんじんです。
(lit.) these children (topic marker) Japanese are
新聞がテーブルの上にあります。
しんぶんがテーブルのうえにあります。
(lit.) newspapers (sub. marker) table ‘s top on (there) is
今日山田さんは東京から京都に行きます。
きょうやまださんはとうきょうからきょうとにいきます。
(lit.) today Yamada (topic marker) Tokyo from Kyoto to will go
お母さんはおもちゃ屋でおもちゃを買いました。
おかあさんはおもちゃやでおもちゃをかいました。
(lit.) mother (topic marker) toy store at toy (obj. marker) bought
彼女は本屋で本を買いましたか。
かのじょはほんやでほんをかいましたか。
Did she buy a book at the book store?
If a question involves a question word (who, what when ect.) it generally comes after the subject or topic, but this is flexible.
彼女はいつ本屋で本を買いましたか。
かのじょはいつほんやでほんをかいましたか。
When did she buy a book at the book store?
彼女はなぜ本屋で本を買いましたか。
かのじょはなぜほんやでほんをかいましたか。
Why did she buy a book at the book store?
誰が本屋で本を買いましたか。
だれがほんやでほんをかいましたか。
Who bought a book at the book store?
それはどんな本ですか。
それはどんなほんですか。
What kind of book is it?
Incomplete Sentences
As long as the context is clear, in most languages, certain words can be left out. With Japanese, the subject or topic may be omitted, but not the predicate. In fact, if the situation is clear with out the subject or topic, the Japanese tend to leave it out.
これは何ですか。
What is this?
これは本です。Or 本です。
This is a book.
A simple statement of the noun, a book, would be the appropriate answer in English. However, in Japanese, the copula or verb is needed also. Keep in mind that the Japanese sentence must have the predicate or verb form.
あなたは何を買いましたか。
(lit.) you what did buy
Note: This sentence may be grammatically correct, however the Japanese would prefer to omit ‘you’:
何を買いましたか。
What did (you) buy?
本を買いました。
(I)bought a book.
In actuality, these are not incomplete sentences, because in Japanese they make perfect sense.