Friday, December 16, 2011

What % of the Japanese (adults) play pachinko regularly?

Question:

I remember driving through a small town in the country somewhere in Japan and the streets were pretty empty. But driving past the pachinko parlour I could see many people inside - so I just wondering if there are any statistics ?

Answer:

According to this stats, it is 11.8%, in 2006.
But the rate might be decreasing these days, I feel.

http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/honkawa/7330.html

What is the meaning of the Japanese word kasagimi?

Question:

When someone tells you "i feel a little kasagimi" what does that mean? i guess has to do with flu or something.
How can i write that in Hiragana?

Answer:

that might be "kazegimi".
kaze = cold
gimi < kimi = likely
かぜぎみ　風邪気味

Should I learn French or Japanese?

Question:

Which is more useful in the context of job opportunities across the world?

While I'm considering the marketing or entertainment industry as a potential long-term career, I'm most prolly taking political science as my major in university.

I'm more interested in Japanese, but heard that French is more commonly used especially in United Nations

Please help. Thanks!

Answer:

I would say definitely French. French does a lot for you in regards to your English, to start with. Over 15,000 words come directly from the French into English and they are usually the upper level words (underwear-lower level, lingerie-upper level). It's been proven to increase SAT scores in students who took French in high school.

When it comes to the international scene, French is much more widely spoken. It is one of the official languages of the UN and the Olympics. It is also more widely understood in Europe and Africa than Japanese would be. If you are more drawn to Asian job opportunities, Japanese would be more helpful, though. French is also spoken in Canada, which might be the direction you would want to take for a future job in the industries you mentioned.

You also need to take into consideration your tolerance for differences. Learning French is not as much of a stretch as learning Japanese. The writing characters are the same in French (except they have a few little accents to add in), but Japanese is quite different. Also think about the sounds of the language. Some languages are easier for a person to pronounce than others. Listen to some of each and decide which one sounds better to your ear. If the sounds seem difficult to pronounce, it will be harder for you to master.

Motivation is a large portion of success in learning another language. I knew a couple of students who loved animé of every kind. They loved learning Japanese. However, they had also already learned some basics of language learning by taking 3 years of Spanish. If it's a language you are motivated to learn, you'll learn it much easier.

Also take into consideration the cultures of both languages. Languages are not learned in isolation, but they are part of the culture they are rooted in. It needs to be a culture you are interested in and willing to understand better.

Ultimately, you'll have to look at your own goals and motivations along with your personal preferences to see which will be a better fit for you.

Help me to translate?

Question:

守るもぜむるもくるがねのうかべるしるぞたのみなる
まがねのそのふねひのもとに仇なすくにをせめよかし
いわきのけむりわだつみのたつかとばかりなびくなり
たまうつひびきはいわづちのこえかとばかりどよむなり

Answer:

Your lyrics are cut off, so here are the entire lyrics:

----------
守[まも]るも攻[せ]むるも黒鉄[くろがね]の
浮[う]かべる城[しろ]ぞ頼[たの]みなる
浮[う]かべるその城[しろ] 日[ひ]の本[もと]の
皇国[みくに]の四方[よも]を守[まも]るべし
真鉄[まがね]のその艦[ふね] 日[ひ]の本[もと]に
仇[あだ]為[な]なす国[くに]を攻[せ]めよかし

Defending and Attacking are done very well
By Castles which float very reliable
These castles proudly sail under the rising sun
Protecting our nation, from all four directions
Ships of iron, under the sun, how great they are
They attack when in need, our enemies

石炭[いわき]の煙[けむり]は大洋[わだつみ]の
竜[たつ]かとばかり靡[なび]くなり
弾[たま] 撃[う]つ響[ひび]きは雷[いかづち]の
声[こえ]かとばかり響[どよ]むなり
万里[ばんり]の波濤[はとう]を乗[の]り越[こ]えて
皇国[みくに]の光[ひかり] 輝[かがや]かせ

Smoke of the coal appears in the sky like an ocean God's
Mighty dragon who spews forth in a very wide stream
Cannons sound like the roar of mighty thunder
Their voices, reverberate, quite an awful lot
Thousands of miles, going over, many big waves
The light of our country, may it always shine.
----------

Note that this song is a military march composed in 1897, and is written in Archaic Japanese.

What would happen to the Japanese imperial family if Japan converted to Christianity ?

Question:

instead of banning Christianity in japan during the edo period, what if they converted to christianity and would the catholic hierarchy recognize or supress the venerated status of the Japanese emperor? Remember I'm asking this question from a historically point of view and not in modern context; obviousoly Christianity is legal now but during the edo period it was not so can someone provide me with a legitimate answer that accurately depicts how the church, during that respective time period, would view the emperor and would they fuse or supress traditional, Japanese beliefs as they did with the Chinese regarding ancestor veneration?

Answer:

If Japan converted to Christianity they would be blessed ~!!

I fail to understand why you would want to think in terms of yester century and speculate on something that did not and could not happen ? It seems pointless let alone try and make a conversation about it.

You would be better off thinking of what is going to happen if Iran and Israel start nuking each other.
Think in the here and now even future as that is what really counts.
If Iran nukes Israel , they will kill many muslims in the nearby countries and communities. You could speculate on that how it relates to the Koran and Islam.

Saying "yo" in japanese orally?

Question:

I know if I were writing a japanese sentence, I would need to write "yo" to show the sentence is exclamatory, but if I were speaking japanese and already yelling, would there be a need to say "yo."

Answer:

yo is not exclamatory at all, it just emphasizes the sentence or implies that the speaker is informing the listener of something. so, yes, you can yell yo.

What should I study next in Japanese?

Question:

I know katakana and hiragana perfectly, and my vocabulary is probably around 100 words, but I don't know many verbs, and I'm struggling to figure out which part of Japanese I should focus on. I know some of the particles, but not all of them. Should I learn some more words before I study all of the particles, or would it be best to just start studying verb conjugation?

I started Kanji a few days ago, but I realized I'm still not learning the language the way I want to. I want to move closer to understanding what people say before I learn to read all of the Kanji, but every time I listen to Japanese dialogue, it's way too fast and I only know about 5% of the words they're saying, not to mention the weird phrases and grammar they use.

Sorry to rant, I'm just getting really frustrated. What should I focus on that will help me to start understanding spoken Japanese better?

Answer:

I would recommend studying vocabulary to a comprehensible level before moving on to grammar. Therefore, when you finally do know the grammar (particles, phrases etc), then you would be able to construct sentences around said particles: Using the learned vocabulary.

In terms of what kind of vocabulary you should learn, all of them is the simply answer. I first studied verbs and their conjugations (which are incredible easy to learn, with only two exceptions), and it helped me to understand the basic structure of sentences. Then I learned (some) adjectives, just to accompany the nouns which I learned after. I actually found a '1300 most common words in Japanese' (Mostly nouns) on the internet, which enabled me to understand/write/convey a lot of vocabulary. Amazingly, only 1000 words are needed to understand 87 percent of all spoken language! And a substantial quantity of written language.

Particles should come later, and will likely be learned passively through listening and reading. However, it is of course useful to learn them.

Good luck! <3

How does the japanese language effect a culture and how does it effect people who learn it?

Question:

Answer:

well, it is one of the more difficult languages to learn because unlike french and spanish, Japanese doesn't use english words with accents. instead there's the three writing systems.
(based upon difficulty: at least for me...>>;)
1. Katakana (Easiest to learn quickly. fewer strokes.)
2. Hiragana (a little bit more difficult to learn, about same number of strokes as katakana)
3. Kanji (Many strokes and more complex. many kanji have MANY different meanings and can be EASY to confuse with correct meanings.)

and as for affecting people who use it? it only really effects you in the sense that you now know how to talk in a language other than your native one (whatever that may be) and if you have a love for the culture, it may make it easier and or funner for you to learn the language. i myself have been interested in the culture and that's what made me start studying japanese extensively.

Japanese language question?

Question:

Will somebody tell me how to say this? and please explain the sentence like which words me what and the structure and stuff. I want to say "Hello, I am a student learning Japanese, may I talk to you?" I know a good idea of Japanese I just don't know very much vocabulary and such, so please explain the individual words/kanji.
Also, do you know of a site where I can possibly video chat with a native speaker or tutor person for free?
Here are some small questions too
-What is a causal way to say hello or hi, other than like こんにちは
-When you say hi to a friend in Japanese what do you usually say, i have heard you only say genki desuka when you haven't seen the person in a while and such.
-What is some internet jargon in Japanese (English equivalent: lol, hahahaha, rofl, etc.)
-Where can I get a child's book in Japanese to start reading?
Thanks.

Answer:

始めまして。私は日本語を勉強する学生です。お話してもいいですか？
Hajimemashite. Watashi wa nihongo wo benkyou suru gakusei desu. Ohanashi shite mo ii desu ka?

始めまして
haji(memashite)
Nice to meet you.

私は日本語を勉強する学生です
watashi wa nihongo wo benkyou suru gakusei desu.
I'm a student studying Japanese.

私
Watashi = I / Me
日本語
nihongo + Japanese language
勉強する
benkyou suru = to study
学生
gakusei = student

お話してもいいですか
Ohanashi shite mo ii (desu ka)?
Can we talk?

There is no word for "it," the subject you're talking about can usually be implied and hopefully understood.

But to say "was cool" you'd just conjugate the adjective すごい or かっこいい into the simple past forms by dropping the -i, and adding -katta (desu):
すごかったです
*note this construction is only for i-adjectives.

albeit, never really heard it being used this way. Mostly just hear "sugoi/kakkoii" after the event takes place. However, for grammatical purposes, you can see how it's grammatically constructed.

How do you say this in Japanese?

Question:

My hobbies are martial arts, piano, and violin.

Also, I like to draw, read, and listen to music.

Can you please write both in kanji/hiragana/katakana and romaji?
Thanks a bunch :)

Answer:

My hobbies are martial arts, piano, and violin.
私の趣味は、武術、ピアノとバイオリンです。
watashi no shumi wa, bujutsu, piano to baiorin desu.

I like to draw, read, and listen to music.
私は、絵を描くこと、読書と音楽鑑賞が好きです。
watashi wa, e wo kaku koto, dokusho to ongaku kanshou ga suki desu.

composition:
私の(watashi no) = my
趣味(shumi) = hobby
武術(bujutsu) = martial art
ピアノ(piano) = piano
と(to) = and
バイオリン(baiorin) = violin
私(watashi) = I
絵を描くこと(e wo kaku koto) = drawing
読書(dokuhso) = reading
音楽(ongaku) = music
鑑賞(kanshou) = appreciating, listening, viewing
好き(suki) = like

Question for native Japanese: what do you think of capital punishment's existence in Japanese law?

Question:

Answer:

My understanding is that not having the death penalty in a country is something that started only very recently in human history. The issue is rarely talked about in TV dicussion programs and things like that in Japan, and I assume people in general don't know much about what it is like being without one. Not much information on the issue being available.

Help! nbi clearance for japan visa extension?

Question:

got my local nbi clearance but its for local job application purposes is it valid for extending my visa in japan?

Answer:

Yes it is but you have to get your paperwork in order from you embassy.

I'm going to Japan for 2 weeks - is the Japan Rail Pass worth it?

Question:

Hi there,

I'm going to Japan for 2 weeks and am staying in a hotel in Asakusa. I've been looking up rail fares and find the Japan Rail Pass to be extremely expensive for 14 days, and am not sure if it's worth it. I mostly plan to do exploring within Tokyo (Shibuya, Akihabara, Shinjuku, etc.) and I plan to make a one-off trip to Nagano for a tour. Factoring in the trips from Narita Airport to Tokyo and back again, is the pass worth it, or should I look into this Suica card I've heard of instead?

This is a bit overwhelming, so any help would be appreciated.

Answer:

Hello Joey, if you are just going to Nagano then the JR Pass is probably not worth it for you. The JR Pass is good if you plan to do a lot of travelling on the shinkansen. To figure out if a JR Pass would be worth it or not for you, use Hyperdia’s website http://www.hyperdia.com/ to figure out how much your planned trips might cost, and compare it to the cost of a JR Pass.

For exploring in Tokyo, have a look at the one-day JR train pass for 730 yen (about $9). It allows you to visit most of the hotspots in Tokyo which are accessible via the Japan Rail (JR) Yamanote Line.

Why are eroge's so expensive?

Question:

I download most of my eroge, but I want to buy several for collectional purposes (Majikoi, Muv-Luv Alternative). I was really suprised at the prices though, 7000-10000 yen? I know they have high production values, but how does people afford to buy the eroges at that cost? (I'm gonna buy it anyway, it hurts my wallet a lot though -_-)

Answer:

it's a tough question to answer for ppl like us from overseas. i think it's also a really good question. actually i might try to do some research for it in the near future and write a short post on it bcuz this one is worth investigating. it's pretty much right on topic for my blog visualnovelaer.wordpress.com

for now id say a mix of:
niche market
forces of distribution - eroge companies only get roughly 50%~
sales numbers
insane no. of tokuten hoggers (i.e. big secondhand market + product returns)
piracy
accepted RRP value
high income country (although the young age ppl mostly live in near poverty)

What's the difference between janakatta and dewanaktta?

Question:

Answer:

The meaning is the same, but the first one is quite informal.

Dewanakatta is a bit informal too.

If you're talking to your boss, teacher, etc., you would say, dewa arimasen deshita.

Which do you think is the sexiest accent...?

Question:

Is it French?
Italian?
Russian?
Texan?
Dudley?
Japanese?
Australian?
Dartford?

Which accent lights your candle...?

Answer:

Speaking as a male, I would say Trinidadian, followed by Carioca. I have a true born Englishman's horror of all things French (and if it must be French then please let it be Quebecois), I have an Italian son-in-law, so had best not comment on that language. I have a little Russian (just enough to see nothing sexy about it, though I admit to rather liking the Volga Boatmen sung in a deep base voice), am a trifle irritated by Texan, know nothing about Dudley, think Japanese the worst sounding language on earth, especially if uttered by a middle aged male, I have also lived sometime in Earl's Court (London's Little Australia) and several years in Dartford, but while accepting both these accents as part of the scenery. never got turned on by either. However, my first ever girl friend was from New Zealand so I do have fond memoires of Kiwi..

Which do you think is the sexiest accent...?

Question:

Is it French?
Italian?
Russian?
Texan?
Dudley?
Japanese?
Australian?
Dartford?

Which accent lights your candle...?

Answer:

Who are some famous gay people in Japan? are they any?

Question:

Answer:

There's a trans-gender guy / gal who appears on TV once in a while, but I can't recall his / her name. Saw him / her on Ninja Warrior

How do you convey the idea of a lisp in Japanese?

Question:

In English when a written character has a lisp, to express is people will just replace the "s" with a "th" to represent the sound, however how does this work in Japanese, being that there is no "th" sound to use a representation (in writing)?

Please writ in roumaji or kana, thank you

Answer:

We have no 'th' sound in Japanese, so I do not think we lisp as English speakers do.

Japanese children often use ちゃ, ち, ちゅ, ちぇ, and ちょ where they should be さ, し, す, せ, and そ respectively.

So I believe replacing like that in writing would convey the idea of a lisping speech in Japanese.

How do you convey the idea of a lisp in Japanese?

Question:

Answer:

In which country women's status is lowest, Japan, China or Korea?

Question:

Answer:

They are of legal age. Not underage.

>>Vinegar taster: i meant girls that are in Japanese school girls porn ARE school girls, or young enough to be school girls, sometimes young enough to be under 18(though they ''claim'' all girls are over 18).<<

THEY ARE 18 or older, THEY CANNOT be under 18, since adult material is actually HEAVILY government regulated, they must check and verify the age or you'll have a lot of people IN JAIL.

>>I know Asian women look young, (i'm chinese btw).
but girls in ''school girl porn'' in Europe and USA look way older, sometimes it just looks disgusting to see someone who can be a mom or around 30 yrs old with heavy make up and ''pretend'' to be a school girl. With all the silicon fake boobs it's just disgusting to me.<<

So what? That's how they do porn in America, get some 30 year old to play a 19 year old. In Japan they get a 19 year old to play a 19 year old.

Japan has pretty strict laws concerning the age of the actresses and compliance with the laws, heck you notice they do censor Japanese porn right?

====

Also what does "porn" have anything to do with women's status as being low?

How about China's one child policy and families throwing away baby girls, or how ophanages in China are full of baby girls, because families are often pressured to have a BOY to continue the family line?

What does the Japanese word "Kuni" mean?

Question:

Answer:

Kuni or 国in kanji is a noun, which means country in English.

Can someone please translate these few Japanese sentences for me?

Question:

失恋した女の子が公園で泣いていました。理由を一人の哲学者が知って慰める事はせずに笑って言った。「君は自分を愛してくれな…

Answer:

失恋した女の子が公園で泣いていました。
Shitsuren shita onna no ko ga kouen de naite imashita.
A girl who had fallen in love with someone who did not return her love was crying in the park. (Sorry that the English sentence has become very long. Shitsuren is a word, for which there does not exist a direct translation. I had to describe it)

理由を一人の哲学者が知って慰める事はせずに笑って言った。
Riyuu wo hitori no tetsugakusha ga shitte nagusameru koto ha sezu ni waratte itta.
A philosopher knew the reason for it and said without consoling her:

「君は自分を愛してくれな…
Kimi ha jibun wo ai shite kurena ...
(Sorry, I cannot translate further. You have to insert some roman alphabet between the sentences to make all sentences appear.)

Which Language to Learn: Mandarin or Japanese?

Question:

Hey everyone! I wanted to get a few opinions on which language to learn. I'm having difficulty choosing between the two. I really like Japanese culture, and had Japanese 1 in highschool. I enjoyed that class and know a good bit about Japans history. However, I realize that Chinese is becoming a very important language to learn nowadays, and I have a goldmine of native speakers to help me learn. I don't know much about the culture (which makes me less enthusiastic to learn), and I know it's a very difficult language to learn. I would be interested in hearing what everyone has to say on this matter. And if anyone has anything interesting to share about either culture, I would love to hear that as well! Thank you and Happy Holidays!

Answer:

Mandarin is a popular language which everyone wants to learn and Japanese is easier than Chinese. But since you are already aware of Japanese culture & history so I would suggest learning Japanese. In high school you must have met some Japanese guys so its bit easy to learn it with help of them.

How do you say/write "Sorry, I accidentally throw the box away" in Japanese?

Question:

1) Also sorry, I accidentally throw the box away
2) This is not the actual gift. Had to return the actual gift to the store due to some problems, still waiting to hear from them.

It would be great if you could also include it in romaji. Thanks.

Answer:

THREW

Japanese translation/explanation?

Question:

There's some questions I have about these lyrics.. I know what they mean, but I don't know HOW they mean what they mean.. if that makes sense.

「何がスゴイの？全然わかりません。
それはあなたがした事じゃないでしょ？」

1. 'Nani ga sugoi no?' Why is there a no at the end of the sentence? It's always really confused me.
2. I understand 'wakarimasen' means you don't know/understand, but what does 'zenzen' mean?
3. How do you obtain 'it's not like you did it?' from the last sentence? (I got the translation for this one, since I have no idea how the sentence structure makes that translation, etc.)

Thanks in advance.

Answer:

I can't believe that you are listening to something as sick as that!
I mean really, why would you want to listen to songs supporting child molestation?
You have some serious issues. If I were you I would stop this obsession with this sick, perverted stuff.
Get some help, or burn in hell.

What is "falling forever" in Japanese?

Question:

Kanji and Romanji please? Thanks.

Answer:

落下永遠に

Rakka eien ni ^=^

Does Japanese sound cool?

Question:

Hi there!

Answer:

I personally think Japanese, German, and Romanian sound cool. Really is a matter of opinion though.

Getting Discouraged Learning Japanese and Korean :(?

Question:

I've been listening to Japanese music and watching anime since I was 12 years old (I'm now 16). I grew to love it and love everything about the language! Once in a while I'd listen to a Korean song and enjoy that too. Now almost a year ago, I completely fell in love with Korean music as well! I feel in love with the language, just as I did with Japanese! I've learned all of the Hangeul, and my Korean friend says my pronunciation is pretty good! I've practiced it so much! A couple weeks ago, I decided that I really wanted to become serious about these languages. I finished learning all the Japanese Hiragana and Katakana, and I learned the meaning of almost 100 Kanji. I still listen to Japanese and Korean music every day, and it takes up about 80%, if not more, of the music that I listen to. I know how to say quite a lot of a beginner and Japanese, and when I listen to Japanese a lot sounds "familiar" since I've been listening to Japanese so long. Unfortunately, my high school doesn't offer these languages. I'm in Spanish 3 Honors at the moment, and I do pretty well in it, but I just don't have a passion for it. I know it'd be so useful since I live in the U.S., but I just don't have the drive to become fluent. :/ My dream is to one day become fluent in Japanese and Korean, but recently I've read that these are "useless" languages. :( I don't recall hearing anyone speak Japanese where I live, and there's only a few Koreans. I have my Korean friend at least, but what about Japanese? I have no one to practice with. :( Regarding career uses, I don't plan on running a business or anything, and I don't think I'd make a good English teacher as I feel like being a teacher wouldn't suit my personality. Plus I don't think I'd really enjoy being a teacher. :( Hearing all this negativity about how these languages are pointless to learn has greatly discouraged me. My motivation has dropped, and I feel depressed. Luckily my family supports me, and my mom got my Rosetta Stone Japanese for Christmas! So my question is, will I be able to do anything with these languages? Will I be able to become fluent if I barely know anyone I can practice with? Is this just a foolish dream of mine? Please give me some motivation back. :(

Answer:

Well, its not really pointless if you enjoy the music, it supports a hobby. People learn languages that aren't practical all the time. Try finding people you can talk to online maybe. Skype or some similar voice chat service.

Where can i find a site that will help me learn Japanese without me paying because i am too broke?

Question:

i plan to go to japan one day and i know a little bit of Japanese but not enough to get by. is there any sight to teach me? i will work very hard to learn and try my best.

Answer:

Hello Leanndra , I have been learning Japanese for over 15 years and have really enjoyed the challenge. It has helped me be able to live and work in Japan and has been a wonderful experience.

The best way to learn Japanese is by taking a class, enrolling in a course or investing in a good textbook. If you can't take classes then the self-study method with the correct resources is a good way.

The key to learning Japanese effectively is to work on your grammar, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Its best to think of these as separate categories and focus on each specific category as these require different methods and techniques.

Start by learning the basics through grammar. These books really helped me.

• Shin Nihongo no Kiso I & II
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

• An Introduction to Modern Japanese by Osamu Mizutani & Nobuko Mizutani
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

• Japanese Demystified by Eriko Sato a self-teaching guide
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2011…

These books cover both polite Japanese, which is extremely important to learn in order to speak Japanese effectively and causal Japanese, which is great for everyday conversations.

I also recommend trying to learn a certain amount of vocab or kanji each day as this helps you build up your vocab and kanji ability. I tried to learn 5 kanji per day or about 20 a week and did the same with vocab.

Watching Japanese anime or any Japanese TV program is a good idea for improving your listening skills and also your vocabulary. Keep a notebook and jot down any new words you hear. Then look them up and find out the meaning.

Websites are not always the best way to learn Japanese. Most websites are run by people with no teaching credentials and are not even native speakers of Japanese. Some of them are just interested in making money and not in helping you in what you need to be successful in learning Japanese.

How to Learn Japanese
http://japan-australia.blogspot.com/2010…

Can someone translate this from Korean to English for me>?

Question:

No Google translator or the like. I can do that myself. I want to know what it actually says.

아,오글거리던 일본 보컬애들의 춤을보던 내 안구가 정화되고있어.역시 춤같은건 한류가낫다ㅠㅠ

너무 잘하셨습니다!!감사해요♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Answer:

아,오글거리던 일본 보컬애들의 춤을보던 내 안구가 정화되고있어.역시 춤같은건 한류가낫다ㅠㅠ
Ah, my eyeballs are purifying themselves after watching cheesy Japanese vocalists dance. Hallyu (Korean artists) are better at dancing for sure. ㅠㅠ

너무 잘하셨습니다!!감사해요♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
You did very well!! Thank you so much ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

^_^

When you use である form to write an essay how do you conjugate the verb?

Question:

Do you just stick with the dictionary/plain form?
For example if you were to put 行きます in である form, would you just say 行く、行かない、行って、行ったetc？　or do you need to include ず for negative, and おり for ている？

if this is wrong can you please help me and tell me how to change ます form into である? positive negative past tense etc. And if it applies to passive caustive forms as well. Thanks in advance

Answer:

I think you got it right. I listed up two verbs as examples:

行きます- 行く
行きません - 行かない
行きました - 行った
行っています - 行っている
行きましょう - 行こう

思います - 思う
思いません - 思わない
思いました - 思った
思っています - 思っている
思いましょう - 思おう

「行かずに家に居た。」(I didn't go but stayed home.)
I don't think you ever need to insert ず in form of your question as far as I can think of, plus you don't usually end sentences with -せず。or -へは行かず。in modern Japanese, except for special figures, which are unusual to use in essays.

「私はそう考えるのである。」(I think it that way.)
考える(present) is collocated with の(indeclinable) + で(auxiliary/assertion) + ある(subsidiary verb, present) *This pattern are used in thesis very often and it's useful to stress your logic indeed.

「私はそう考えたのであった/考えたのだった。」(I thought it that way.)
考えた(past) is collocated with の(indeclinable) + で(auxiliary/assertion) + あった(subsidiary verb, past)

「私はこのように考えており、したがって、XはYである。」(I think it this way, therefore, X should be Y.) This is probably the only case you will need -ており form.

What do they say in the beginning of every Jigoku Shoujo (Hell Girl) episode in JAPANESE?

Question:

In the first season, it starts with something like "Hito no yo wa ? to moshimasu. Usunda ito wa karamitsuki...." like that. In the second season, "Yurari Yurari ? no kage. Awarena sadame, mayoi michi..." and so on. In the third season...I really don't know, that one is kinda hard. So anyone out there knows?

Answer:

The first one is:
人の世は縁と申します。HIto-no yo-wa enishi to moshimasu
結んだ糸が絡みつき、脆く哀れな彼岸花。
Musunda ito-ga karamitsuki moroku awarena higan-bana
怒り、悲しみ、涙にくれて午前零時の帳のむこう。
Ikari kanashimi namida-ni kurete gozen-reji-no tobari-no muko
晴らせぬ怨み、晴らします。Harasenu urami harashimasu

The second one is:
ゆらりゆらりと業の影。Yurari yurari to go-no kage
哀れな定め、迷い撃ち。Awarena sadame neraiuchi
憎み憎まれひび割れた、合わせ鏡の二籠。
Nikumi nikumare hibiwareta awasekagami-no futa-komori
時の交わる闇より来たりて、あなたの怨み、晴らします。
Toki-no majiwaru yami yori kitarite anata-no urami harashimasu

The third one is:
三の三叉路、わかれ道。San-no sansaro wakare michi
守りたいのは己か人か、常世の夢か。
Mamoritai-nowa onore-ka hito-ka tokoyo-no yume-ka
襞の乱れは、三鼎。Hida-no midare-wa mitsu-ganae
終わることない、阿鼻の宴。Owaru kotonai abi-no en
時に分け入り、扉が開く。Toki-ni wakeiri tobira-ga hiraku
晴らせぬ怨み、晴らします。 Harasenu urami harashimasu

Japanese translation correction, urinate on someone (not offensive...)?

Question:

I intend to speech about 小便小僧 (shoubenkozou) at my Japanese oral exams in 3 weeks. But I'm not sure how to construct a sentence that says 'he uriniated down on the enemy soldiers...'

This is what I have: ルーバンの部隊が負けそうのとき小便小僧が頭にきて敵部隊に小便した。

btw, ルーバン is the city where the forces fought...

Any help with a correction would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:

ルーバンで部隊が負けそうになったとき、小便小僧が頭に来て敵の部隊に小便をした。

your japanese is great!! (^-^)

While speaking Japanese, should I be making an effort to use "ora/boku" rather than "watashi"?

Question:

I'm starting to learn Japanese, and most resources tell you to use "watashi". However, watashi is a feminine form and I'm a man. I have come across male characters in anime using watashi, but while in Japan I was laughed at for using watashi (I think that's why they were laughing).

So should I be substituting "ora" or "boku" for watashi? Also, are there additional connotations to ora or boku? I read that ora was a "rough" way to say "I". I don't particularly want to sound rough :-P!

I make a long story short, which form would be best to use, and how important is my choice?

Sorry if I've rambled. Thanks in advance.

Answer:

It is true that "watashi" is considered to be more of a feminine form used by girls/women, and I can understand why some people around you made fun of your uttering "watashi". However, if you were a man over 20 years old, which I assume you are, it would be best to stick with "watashi" in a formal conversation/writing.

Actually, it is standard practice for men to opt for "watashi" in formal situations, especially in a business environment. If you are working in an office and should say "boku/ora/ore" instead to your superiors, you are guaranteed to offend them.

On the other hand, you might want to use "boku or ore" when you are holding an conversation among your friends. If a man utters "watashi" in informal situations, he might run the risk of coming across as feminine or pretentious even.

Should I drop french for gcse, to learn japanese instead?

Question:

I have three years to GCSE, so I think thats ample time! But, if I drop french I have more time to study japanese on my own. What do you think?

Answer:

Drop actual classes by a serious teacher so you can spend more time on Rosetta Stone? Doesn't sound like a smart thing to do...

Besides, France is just across the Channel for you, do you have any indication you'll be needing japanese?

Do the Japanese not teach their youth about WW2?

Question:

When in high school Japanese students were not allowd to sit in our history class during discussions of WW2. Can someone please explain?

Answer:

Oh, I thought you were asking about the teaching of WWII in Japanese history clases in Japan. Are you saying in your (unnamed) country they Japanese had to sit out the class? That's not right.

Short answer: No. What they do is spend a great deal of time on ancient Japan. The modern era is, logically enough, at the end of the curriculum. So conveniently they run out of time and never get round to covering it. Privately I've had Japanese history teachers tell me that suits them just fine.

Basically the emphasis is on how the Japanese suffered during the bombings, the hunger and deprivation, the 'sneak attack' using nuclear weapons. In other words, Japanese history of WWII focusses on the Japanese as the blameless victims of white aggression. Their version is that they were liberationg asians (Koreans, Chinese, Indonesians etc) from the domination of white people.

Don't jump all over me for saying 'white people' I'm just telling you what the Japanese told me and it's referring to the time before 1945.

Interestingly, this week the Japanese apologized for their treatment of British/Canadian/ANZAC troops in places like Hong Kong. What interesting is that they waited for all of the vets to die (only 86 survivors left in Canada for example), the Emperor (then Hirohito, now Showa) is long dead and nobody much cares. So they can say they did 'apologize' but I think they did it in a completely meaningless way.

Japanese HELP what is this 2 words?

Question:

2011.12.29 RELEASE 2th Single「LOLLYPOP」
CD収録内容 1 LOLLYPOP CD (Including 2songs) DVD (1video) 2枚組仕様

What mean

CD収録内容 and if the video is 1, why there's the number "2" here? "2枚組仕様"

Please, let me know
thank you!

Answer:

CD収録内容 means the contents of the CD

2枚組仕様 two discs in one set. i think it means one CD+one DVD as a set.

How do you pronounce waraiau?

Question:

Trying to learn a song in japanese (Dango daikazoku) I've learn't most of the words now but im having trouble pronouncing this word because i dont know japanese :p

Answer:

Warai au

Japanese to English translation?

Question:

I was wondering what 'awasetemita' (合わせてみた) meant?
I can't find any translations that make sense for it.. and no google/online translator please.

Answer:

[a conjugative form of verb] + [-temiru] = try to do

Awasetemita = awaseru + -temita (past tense)

Awaseru = put things together.

Awasetemita.
I just tried to put things together.

But the meaning of awaseru, it depends on the context.

History Questions please help!?

Question:

1. Why did Japan establish the Greater Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere?

2.The rising sun flag was the symbol of Imperial Japan.Why was this an appropriate symbol for Japan in the early 1900s?

Answer:

Basically the Greater Asia Co-prosperity Sphere was a Japanese tool so the empire could loot the lands they occupied.Though billed as an organization to better the lot os Asian peoples versus their European overlords, it was the framework of the JApanese occupation army in the conquered nations such as the Philippines. Japan was known (and still is) as the land of the rising sun.

Japanese help translation?

Question:

Hi,
I need native japanese translation,
how to say:

"I wish I could hug you tight at me, but you don't permit me to do so"
"because women likes just the exterior appearance of men,
who have a 'normal' face isn't even considered"

Thank you-

Answer:

"I wish I could hug you tight at me, but you don't permit me to do so"
あなたをきつく抱きしめたいけど、あなたは私がそうすることを許してくれない。
anata o kitsuku dakishimetai kedo anata wa watashi ga sousurukoto wo yurushite kurenai.
私のほうへギュっと抱きしめられたらいいのに、許してくれない。
watashi no ho e gyu to dakishimeraretara ii noni, yurushitekurenai.

"because women likes just the exterior appearance of men,
who have a 'normal' face isn't even considered"
女性はただ男性の外見が好きだから、”普通”の顔は考慮すらしない。
josei wa tada dansei no gaiken ga suki dakara, futsu no kao wa kouryo sura shinai.

Japanese learners : help please with choosing the right dictionary?

Question:

hello people :)

let's get through this ..

I'm confused between two dictionaries : "Kodansha’s Romanized Japanese" by :Timothy J. Vance AND "Random House" by :Seigo Nakao

let me clarify something .. I'm not a beginner student .. I know Kana, basic Kanji + grammar and I could understand half of conversation

which dictionary would be suitable for me?? please help I need to buy it as soon as possible ( I know they're not expensive, but I'll buy it online so the shipping cost + taxes will make them expensive to me if I bought them both , that's why I could afford only one dictionary )

Answer:

Check in the websites where you will find a quick solution for your question.

I would like to know , the training method's of ninjas and samurai in the edo period.?

Question:

O,O
Im a huge fan of anime.
I do not collect dolls or anything
Im four-teen.
And i would like to know the training method's of Ninja's back in the edo period
NO Bullshit okay...

Answer:

Well, in the Edo Period, Japan was at peace during this time. The civil wars were over so interest in the martial arts and training for them started to decline too.

In the Sengoku Jidai Period (Warring States Period 1467-1600) war was everywhere. The samurai trained their children from a very young age in the warrior arts (swordsmanship, archery, unarmed combat, riding a horse, and spearmanship). The samurai had a saying, "Old enough to walk, old enough to train." So a lot of the training started for children around 3-4 years old. There are accounts of children as young as 12 going off to war. Usually their fathers taught them martial arts But if they were wealthy enough, they would hire a renowned swordsman to teach their sons. The actual training curriculum consisted of what a lot of modern Japanese martial arts teach today. The samurai martial arts are very much alive, and well in Japanese society.

Ninja, huh? Well, alot of what we perceive as ninja today is actually myth and folklore. They did not wear a black uniform with a mask, jump up 18 feet and do a somersault, disappear into the mist, or have the abilities of turning into animals or shadows.

They were just medieval Japanese spies. Some samurai were actually ninja, and some were just peasants. Ninja is actually a modern name for them too, in medieval Japan they were called shinobi.
Their primary job was to spy on rival feudal lord's domains and report any activity back to their own lord or person hiring them. They were skilled in disguising themselves, espionage, infiltration, and just blending in with the local population. Throughout their work and experiences, they gradually came up with clever devices, primitive weapons, and used samurai martial arts to help them with their missions. Their is absolutely nothing supernatural about the historical ninja. All the myths we know today are products of Japanese folklore and theater (like Kabuki). Although, I will admit, it is cool to think about ninja as how they are perceived in anime :) (samurai too).

You might be a little too young for it, but I recommend watching the anime called Ninja Scroll (the movie).

Hope I helped answering your question.

Can you disown a child in Japan?

Question:

provided the mother has married someone and the child has a ''new father''

Answer:

There is basically no way to legally "end" the relationship between a parent and a child in Japan. Actually, your question is too short. You need to tell us more because much detail is required to answer this kind of question.

Is this Japanese sentence correct?

Question:

I know in japanese you dont always have to say watashi, so if i said, ”今日は幸せです！” Kyou wa Shiawase desu(btw since im saying "Today" do i put "Ni" instead of "Wa"?), so is this sentence correct? would people understand that im saying, today, im happy, or just , Today was happy/good?

Answer:

correct but it shouldnt be ni

Why Hitler and Nazis didnt seem to have a problem with Ford Motor Company helping the Soviets make factories?

Question:

as didnt Hitler have a potrait of Henry Ford in his Chancellory office? and awarded Henry Ford a Iron Cross? why he didnt have a problem with ford helping the Soviets?

and how much Ford helped both and when? and how?

Answer:

Hitler could Not afford to Complain Because Ford Built Hitlers Trucks as well In fact to secure Hitlers Favour Ford Gave Hitler 50,000 each year from 1933 to 1944 On hitlers Birthday

and The Award was The Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle Germany's Highest award

in Gold with Diamonds to

Benito Mussolini

Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle in Gold

Ion Antonescu, Chief-of-staff of the Romanian army
King Boris III of Bulgaria
Galeazzo Ciano Conte di Cortelazzo, Italy
Francisco Franco, Spanish politician (defacto Regent of Spain and general (last holder of the Grand Cross at the time of his death in 1975).
Dr. Wilhelm Frick, Reichsminister
Heinrich Himmler, Reichsführer
Admiral Miklós Horthy, Hungary
Field Marshal Carl Gustav Emil Mannerheim, Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish armed forces
General Hiroshi Ōshima, Japanese ambassador
Risto Ryti, President of Finland
Constantin Freiherr von Neurath, Reich Foreign Minister
Joachim von Ribbentrop, Reich Foreign Minister
Jozef Tiso, Slovak president 1939-1945 awarded twice: for war with Poland 1939 and for invading into the USSR 1942
Alessandro Pirzio Biroli, Italian general

Other classes

Number awarded unknown.

Emil Kirdof, director of the Gelsenkirchen industrial consortium (awarded by Hitler on 8 April 1937).

Thomas J. Watson, chairman of IBM, 1937. Watson was also president of the International Chamber of Commerce in 1937; the medal was awarded while the ICC was meeting in Germany that year. for the Punch card System on Loan to the NAZIS for 12 (Years Used to round Up the Jews)

Henry Ford was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle on his 75th birthday, 30 July 1938. he loved Hitler

General Olof Thörnell, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle 7 October 1940.

Charles Lindbergh was awarded the Order of the German Eagle with Star 19 October 1938.For Services to the Third reich Millions in Loans and Gifts to the NAZIS Money

James Mooney, General Motors' chief executive for overseas operations, was awarded Order of the German Eagle 1st Class.For Services to the Third reich they Built His Tanks

Ing. Ugo Conte (1884–1951), Rome Chief Engineer, was awarded Order of German Eagle 2nd Class on 16 December 1938 for leading team in the construction of first German motorway.

Swedish explorer Sven Hedin was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle on his 75th birthday on 19 February 1940.so Much for Nutrality

Finnish Minister of Defence Rudolf Walden was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle.

Finnish leader of the Lotta Svärd organization Fanni Luukkonen was awarded the Order of the German Eagle with Star on May 19, 1943. She was the only non-German woman to receive the medal.

and as you can see these American NAZI lovers were in Good Company

Concentration camps in the U.S.A.?

Question:

I heard from someone there were concentration camps located in the U.S.A. back during WW2 era.
Is there any truth to this? Germany sent people in and set up camps?

Give me some real answers

Answer:

For a 'real answer' you first have to define what a Concentration Camp is.

Most people imagine a Concentration Camp as a Nazi creation with gas chambers and systematic killing... but that's not accurate. A Concentration Camp like Dachau housed those a Government felt were undersirable in one place, as opposed to say a Extermination Camp [self explanitory] like Auschwitz–Birkenau or Internrment Camp like those created in the USA and Canada to house citizens of Japanese ancestry.

The closest the USA had to a Concentration Camp to house undesirables was for example Alcatraz prison... back during WW1 and WW2 Alcatraz was a Military Prison that held military personnel that were guilty of courtmartial offenses and citizens that were conscientious objectors.
You could suggest that meets the criteria of a Concentration Camp and be right in some aspects; yes the inmates weren't treated gently and you were sentenced to hard labour. However it wasn't slave labour and you weren't killed outright and brutalized at whim like you could easily be if you were in a German Concentration Camp.
Both Dachau and Alcatraz could be desribed as 'concentration camps' given they serve the same basic function and house who the government deems are political undesirables, but past that they were worlds apart in the treatment of inmates.

German Camps:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_concen…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exterminati…
American Camps:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_Is…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Am…

"Germany sent people in and set up camps?"
The only people Germany sent into the USA during WW2 was a spy network dropped off the coast of NYC by UBoat who lasted about as long as it took me to write this post - they stood out like sore thumbs and were arrested in rapid fashion... either eventually shot as spies or used to feed their German masters misleading intelligence.