I mean, a little... Usually like a general topic area...
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The Big Ass Superior Thread of Learning Japanese
- Thread starter RevenantKioku
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I mean, a little... Usually like a general topic area...
Yoo I was thinking about doing that with 僕のヒーローアカデミア 　and the 真女神転生4 manga, but there are soo many words I don't know lol
TheSporkWithin
Member
よつばと！ is absolutely the easiest starting place. It uses almost entirely everyday vocabulary, and the dialogues are simply constructed AND natural. The only potential snag is that the characters speak a bit colloquially and may use some dialectical forms which you won't have learned in a textbook. If you actually subvocalize as you read (imagine the voices speaking in your head), it should be pretty apparent how this all works out and shouldn't present much trouble.
Other good, readable manga I've come across (though still quite a bit more difficult than Yotsuba), include School Rumble (high-school romantic comedy with a lot of slapstick action and puns), Shirokuma Cafe (a polar bear runs a cafe, he discusses life and cracks jokes with his friends), and, of course, Doraemon (the classic story of the world's biggest failure and his robot cat from the future).
As for novels, the easiest I've read was ココロ屋, a book about an elementary school student who takes his teacher's instruction to "change his heart" literally and buys a new one. A bit more challenging (and with a lot of good dialogue and vocabulary) is チョコレートと青い空, about a farming family who has a young man from Ghana come to live with them for a while while he works on a research project. It's got a nice message to it too. Also, I haven't read much of it, but 魔女の宅急便 (Kiki's Delivery Service) seems to be very easy to read.
Porcile
Member
It's a little bit basic, and the English translations underneath make a bit too easy, but this website has some kids folklore stories:
http://life.ou.edu/stories
I think it only uses Grade 1 kanji which negates it's usefulness though, but there still might be some useful vocab in there.
http://life.ou.edu/stories
I think it only uses Grade 1 kanji which negates it's usefulness though, but there still might be some useful vocab in there.
Yes, there was an entire joke which I didn't get at first but later understood the word play on rereading.
I need to read some novels, thanks for the recommendations.
Hey guys,
I don't know if it's been mentioned but there's this app called HelloTalk. You type in your main language and the language you want to learn and it matches you with people who can teach you their language and you teach them yours. It has its own translation software and reads out sentences too so you know how they sound like. It's pretty amazing and there's shitloads of Japanese people on it, including teachers.
Just thought I'd put it out there. It's really been helping me to practice some daily conversations.
I don't know if it's been mentioned but there's this app called HelloTalk. You type in your main language and the language you want to learn and it matches you with people who can teach you their language and you teach them yours. It has its own translation software and reads out sentences too so you know how they sound like. It's pretty amazing and there's shitloads of Japanese people on it, including teachers.
Just thought I'd put it out there. It's really been helping me to practice some daily conversations.
Too bad it doesn't have a desktop version. I don't own any smart devices.
There's a web version, I think.
EDIT: Ah, no, thought we were talking about HiNative, sorry for the misinformation.
just signed up. there's a user in my inaka town!
hope I use this more than the website letter exchange thing I was using for a while
Watch Da Birdie
I buy cakes for myself on my birthday it's not weird lots of people do it I bet
Haven't had much time to practice hardcore with Genki, but I think I'm starting to get back on the upward slope after hitting a bump after getting the basics down---starting to be able to pick out more and more Kanji, grammatical structure is becoming easier for me to parse into the English equivalent, and I've begun to understand more and more dialogue when I've been watching Tokusatsu and such.
Speaking myself though and constructing sentences---not too much. But maybe learning to understand others first though, and that'll come naturally...
Speaking myself though and constructing sentences---not too much. But maybe learning to understand others first though, and that'll come naturally...
There's one on 中学生漢字 as well. I found it through the 'more apps' section.
I'm on that app as well. It definitely seems to have a really big userbase. I have 15+ people I talk to on a regular basis from Saitama prefecture alone, and there seems to be people no matter what location you look for.
I really wish there was a website version for when I type out longer letters, but yeah, other than that, it's great.
How would you say "SMB is a game where you play as Super Mario."?
SMBというのは、スーパーマリオとして(?)ゲームです。
I feel like something along these lines would work, but I'm not feeling too comfortable with it. I also don't quite know what would fit within the parenthesis to complete the sentence either.
SMBというのは、スーパーマリオとして(?)ゲームです。
I feel like something along these lines would work, but I'm not feeling too comfortable with it. I also don't quite know what would fit within the parenthesis to complete the sentence either.
There should be several ways to say that, but this is my contribution:
スパーマリオをコントロールするゲームの一つはSMBです。
Which roughly means: One of the games where you control Super Mario is SMB.
Aizo
Banned
Isn't your GF French? That's odd.
Also, thanks for explaining "草に." I should've known that your 2chan knowledge would come in handy.
Porcile
Member
Any tips for getting over motivation dips? I've been keeping up with my kanji and vocab every day but haven't been able to force myself to open the textbook and study some grammar for a while now. I'm trying to get a teaching job in Japan for next year, and as a result I've been thinking far too much about Japan and Japanese, and all the possible implications of not getting a job, so its been stressing me out a fair bit. I'm just in the middle of a horrible waiting game at the moment. Probably not ideal studying conditions. I can tell I'm stressed because I spend far too much time on GAF arguing with people about stupid things like Star Fox Zero - haha.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Find something you're really interested that requires you to improve your Japanese skill.
Human interests are probably the strongest motivator, but it might be a book, movie, or game, too. I think for most people who learn a language to extreme levels of proficiency, the primary motivation wasn't simply wanting to learn that language--it was wanting to do something that required that language.
Human interests are probably the strongest motivator, but it might be a book, movie, or game, too. I think for most people who learn a language to extreme levels of proficiency, the primary motivation wasn't simply wanting to learn that language--it was wanting to do something that required that language.
Well think about it like this, you're gonna have to do this eventually. Just being a teacher in Japan won't do much if you don't put keep up the same amount of effort. And it's easier now when you're cozy and comfortable
Also you gotta find something you can do even if you don't feel like doing formal studying, something that runs on energy from another part of your brain. For me that's translating for example
Aizo
Banned
I think this is true. I really want to be able to read literature casually and understand lyrics completely and easily, because I listen to a lot of Japanese music, and that is a big motivator. What was it for you?
If it's any consolation, if you're planning on being an English teacher, a great deal of the schools in Japan specifically request that you don't talk in Japanese at all. This is also true of pretty much every eikaiwa. They let Japanese teachers handle the grammar and boring bits that native speakers are generally weak at, and have the English teacher primarily for speaking practice and helping students become more natural with the language.
However, any and all Japanese you can learn, the better. It'll obviously be incredibly valuable in Japan.
Porcile
Member
I do have a lot of interest in learning Japanese outside of whatever potential professional and social benefits that may exist. I do a lot of (bad)writing about Japanese cinema, so my end goal is to ultimately be able to watch obscure films from Japan which will never be translated to English. I can't say lack of a goal is a problem. I have lots of goals relating to Japanese.
Right now I'm just more curious how people keep going when their life/mental state is not conducive to studying and that desire to learn further feeds into that fuzzy mental state. But maybe that is not so easily answered. The thing is, I haven't tried to learn anything with this intensity since, erm, ever. Learning 3D animation was a piece of cake compared to learning Japanese.
Right now I'm just more curious how people keep going when their life/mental state is not conducive to studying and that desire to learn further feeds into that fuzzy mental state. But maybe that is not so easily answered. The thing is, I haven't tried to learn anything with this intensity since, erm, ever. Learning 3D animation was a piece of cake compared to learning Japanese.
TheSporkWithin
Member
When I'm feeling really burned out I'll just shift completely into review only mode for a pre-defined period of time. Don't add anything new to my anki decks, don't try advancing on a new grammar point, just enough reviews to keep things from rolling downhill for 3 days to a week. Maybe set a daily review limit in Anki and only reviewing half of what's due on each day as well depending on how burnt out I am. Play some games or read some books in English, just take some time off and release some pressure. When I come back after my daily review count in Anki will be markedly lower and it's easier for me to get back into the swing of things.
shanshan310
Member
Once you have basic grammar and vocab down, try to start using Japanese in context more. It's easy to get bored if all you have is a textbook and rote learning. You need to have positive reinforcement that what you are doing is useful, and working for what you want to do with the language. If you can't speak to anyone, try watching films, reading etc.
Just study everyday. You're at the very beginning, you're going to hit walls every few weeks as you start learning the N4 level grammar, then you need to move onto N3 etc. while learning kanji, expanding your vocabulary and your conversation skills.
Basically, you just have to constantly study even when you feel like it's useless. It's not useless, that feeling is you likely giving up on it because it's not coming to you easy anymore. Of course, when you learn basic kana and sentence structure you feel like a genius, but this is a language - it takes years to learn and master.
Basically, you just have to constantly study even when you feel like it's useless. It's not useless, that feeling is you likely giving up on it because it's not coming to you easy anymore. Of course, when you learn basic kana and sentence structure you feel like a genius, but this is a language - it takes years to learn and master.
stump sock
Member
it's interesting and reinforcing for me to go back and revisit something I watched or read six months or a year ago and realize how much better I understand it now, or can understand large chunks without having to look anything up. but everybody's motivations will be different.
something I find helpful is to follow people- anyone you're interested in- on social media, twitter or instagram or what have you. since it's neogaf, find some game industry people journalists and read through your feeds daily.
something I find helpful is to follow people- anyone you're interested in- on social media, twitter or instagram or what have you. since it's neogaf, find some game industry people journalists and read through your feeds daily.
Yup, this. I follow 750 accounts on Twitter and more than half of this number is bands and musicians. Seeing Japanese tweets everyday is really useful. Also a good way to read "real" Japanese, not textbooks Japanese.
Also have an Instagram account where 90% of my posts are in Japanese.
I think with your sentence, you'd just want to change the として to とする (so it can connect to ゲーム after it). However, I've never used とする in a として situation, so I'm not sure.
I'd personally just say SMBはマリオでやるゲーム, but that is perhaps more simple than what you were going for.
Zoe
Member
Wikipedia uses 操作する a few times.
マリオが1プレイヤーキャラクター、ルイージが2プレイヤーキャラクターとなり、どちらか一方が操作する。操作中のプレイヤーがミスした場合は、操作者が交代となる。
2人交代プレイの場合は、コントローラIでマリオを、コントローラIIでルイージを操作することになる。
マリオが1プレイヤーキャラクター、ルイージが2プレイヤーキャラクターとなり、どちらか一方が操作する。操作中のプレイヤーがミスした場合は、操作者が交代となる。
2人交代プレイの場合は、コントローラIでマリオを、コントローラIIでルイージを操作することになる。
Oh, I never thought about using コントロールする as a verb in such a sentence (or probably at all, even). I think I keep getting too stuck on wanting to directly translate meanings, so when I though that I wanted to say "play as Super Mario", I kept wanting to use として when it might actually sound better to write it in another way.
Interesting. It never ocurred to me that として could be conjugated and used as とする in such an instance. So I guess that "SMBというのは、スーパーマリオとするゲームです。" would basically mean "SMB is a game where you assume (control of?) Super Mario"?
So if one were to use 操作する, it would basically be as in "SMBというのは、スーパーマリオを操作するゲームです。", or would "スーパーマリオとして操作するゲーム" work (I find my last example to sound like you are playing a game as Super Mario where HE is controlling)?
Thanks for the help, all!
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Definitely を操作, meaning you control Mario.　として would mean "as Mario, control." Control what? Unclear!
If you aren't, try downloading an electronic dictionary to your smartphone. The one I'm using, if I don't know the verb, I can search (in Eng) for related words (in your example I would've searched execute, control, manipulate), then find the relevant verb, add it to a flashcard set and learn it from then on. It would've been handy for what you were trying to do!
stump sock
Member
dicks everywhere
What about 操る　（あやつる）? Feels like you could use it to me.
TheSporkWithin
Member
I think you could use it, but it might be a little bit strange. Its usage is closer to "manipulate" than "control." It's a bit fancy and implies a large degree of precision/skill. You might use it if you were talking about a specific player controlling Mario very well in a speed run, for example.
It's also used when talking about things like manipulating the government (like in organized crime).
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Spot on explanation, Mr. Spork.
Had no idea, and that's an amazing explanation.
Anyone got a tip of softening how severe it sounds when I say "I shouldn't complain"?
なければならない makes it sound too severe (ひょっとすると, when I really just want to say it in a joking/relaxed tone.
So far I've got ~でも、たくさん訴えなければいけません。
Is this Eng to Japanese translating weird (with tone), or am I dumb? Criticise me pls.
For context, just trying to that the situation wasn't very bad, so I shouldn't complain about it a lot.
なければならない makes it sound too severe (ひょっとすると
, when I really just want to say it in a joking/relaxed tone. So far I've got ~でも、たくさん訴えなければいけません。
Is this Eng to Japanese translating weird (with tone), or am I dumb? Criticise me pls.
For context, just trying to that the situation wasn't very bad, so I shouldn't complain about it a lot.
TheSporkWithin
Member
I don't think 訴える is the best word. You probably want つぶやく (grumble, mutter to oneself) or the phrase 文句を言う (say a complaint/objection). As far as I know, 訴える is for a formal complaint, like a class-action suit or a motion in the UN.Anyone got a tip of softening how severe it sounds when I say "I shouldn't complain"?
なければならない makes it sound too severe (ひょっとすると
So far I've got ~でも、たくさん訴えなければいけません。
Is this Eng to Japanese translating weird (with tone), or am I dumb? Criticise me pls.
I'd probably say 「つぶやくはずはないが…」 (I shouldn't complain/grumble but...) or 「文句をいうほどじゃないけど…」(it's not to the point of complaining [being justified] but...)
Thanks, はずはない should have been my go to but I forgot about it. I get a bit stuck in the patterns I'm used to using/better at, and stuff like はずはない that I don't use a lot, gets neglected.
As for the verb, it had to do with a complaint that I was making, that I was complaining about, so I thought 訴える fit, but I should maybe use a combination of 訴える and つぶやく to get the point across better. Thanks for your help!
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Really hard to comment without more context, honestly.
Also, I don't think I've really ever seen つぶやく be used in a "complain" context before. Even more so after the rise of Twitter.
Maybe something like, "文句を言っても仕方がないのはわかっているのですが・・・"
But that's more along the lines of "no point in complaining." Without knowing what you think you shouldn't complain, what the the complaint is, who is the target of the complaint, and who you are saying this to, it's kind of hard to give a proper opinion, though.
edit: I don't think はずはない/はずがない is getting across what you want, either. That's more a "would never" as in "彼は文句を言うはずがない" meaning something more along the lines of "He would never complain!" "There's no way he would complain!"
Also, I don't think I've really ever seen つぶやく be used in a "complain" context before. Even more so after the rise of Twitter.
Maybe something like, "文句を言っても仕方がないのはわかっているのですが・・・"
But that's more along the lines of "no point in complaining." Without knowing what you think you shouldn't complain, what the the complaint is, who is the target of the complaint, and who you are saying this to, it's kind of hard to give a proper opinion, though.
edit: I don't think はずはない/はずがない is getting across what you want, either. That's more a "would never" as in "彼は文句を言うはずがない" meaning something more along the lines of "He would never complain!" "There's no way he would complain!"
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