Yep that's the one I'm watching, I meant I'm watching without english subs.
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The Big Ass Superior Thread of Learning Japanese
- Thread starter RevenantKioku
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Yep that's the one I'm watching, I meant I'm watching without english subs.
Porcile
Member
past tense negative something something. I don't know though, i'm probably talking shit.
It's a combination 行けない + なる at the end there. Meaning "became unable to go". I'm not a grammar wizard or anything so I can't explain it in official terms. But it also seems similar to "無くなった" I guess? Which means that something got lost or you lost something.
So someone had to suddenly go on a business trip and thus became unable to go to Osaka.
Yup, that was the other thing I was thinking.
行く into 行ける is
"Will go" into "can go". This is potential form.
By adding なる at the end it states that that verb became the new state. It's in past form, so your ending is that you became unable to go.
Have you learnt potential form? That's what is probs missing
"Will go" into "can go". This is potential form.
By adding なる at the end it states that that verb became the new state. It's in past form, so your ending is that you became unable to go.
Have you learnt potential form? That's what is probs missing
I have. The naru just threw me off. I kept thinking "cannot go" and that was weird with "become". "became unable to go" was the way to think of it. I have trouble with that sort of thing sometimes. Probably shouldn't even try to think of it in any sort of English terms.
shanshan310
Member
yeah, I have! The language stuff is interesting but the main character is so obnoxious. I can't deal with watching J-dramas honestly lol ><
It's handy having Japanese subs though. I learned a lot of kanji that way.
Porcile
Member
I find myself embracing things I previously had no reason or desire to watch or listen to, simply for the sake of learning. Even if it is terrible. Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo is one such thing...
... and ももいろクローバーZ. It is a slippery slope that's for sure.
I liked the first few manga I think. Although after the first two it seemed like she was scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Splash Wave
Member
Friends in Akihabara sold me a broken Saturn controller (the start button doesn't work), so I'm looking for some advice as to how I should express this. What's the simplest way of getting my point across?
コントローラはだめです <--- the simplest, lol. ("Controller is bad")
Consider also ～は壊れている, "Is broken".　（～は　こわれて　いる）
Consider also ～は壊れている, "Is broken".　（～は　こわれて　いる）
The Saturn controller you sent/gave me was broken.
The Saturn controller you sent/gave me (relative clause: Saturn controller + past tense for "to send/receive") was broken.
Have you learned those concepts before, or do you need someone to write out what to say for you? I'm only asking.
The Saturn controller you sent/gave me (relative clause: Saturn controller + past tense for "to send/receive") was broken.
Have you learned those concepts before, or do you need someone to write out what to say for you? I'm only asking.
おい！ばかやろう！
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
The simplest way may not be the most effective 
Something like
前日このコントローラーをここで買って、自宅で試してみたところ、スタートボタンが機能してないみたいですけど・・・
After that, they should go by themselves and offer a refund or another Saturn controller.
Do you guys do sentence review flashcards?
OP recommends them but OP is like 7 years old at this point. More to the point, the book I am reading (Fluent Forever) recommends them and I'm inclined to take their advice.
(But I'm already doing, like, a lot of flash cards p/day right now. Hopefully the flood will abate soon)
OP recommends them but OP is like 7 years old at this point. More to the point, the book I am reading (Fluent Forever) recommends them and I'm inclined to take their advice.
(But I'm already doing, like, a lot of flash cards p/day right now. Hopefully the flood will abate soon)
how can you learn when the answer is given to you
Nah, I don't. The only flashcards I do are on an outdated app called Japanese Flash. I think I need to get onto a new flashcard app (I only use it for vocab + Kanji). My other study consists of workbooks, reading (attempting to) books, and any lessons I have. If you do end up doing sentence review, let me know which ones and if they're good - I might give them a crack too. I try not to do a lot of flashcards though - usually you do heaps of it but you don't know if what your studying really "sticks" until you see the Kanji/word out in the wild and can tell what it is straight away. Too many flashcards become a drainer, I'd rather just read!
Eh, the problem with just reading is that I don't see a lot of the vocab often enough for it to stick with me unless it's also in my flashcard program. So reading is good for picking up vocab I'm likely to see, but not on a often-enough basis that only reading will keep it in mind.
Excuse me? I didn't think he was trying to learn how to form the phrase by himself based off "hints" or something, but directly asking how to say it.
Some of the other ways people said it are simpler indeed, but if you want to say it at a store you can't just go in like "hey this is broken" and that's it
Excuse me? I didn't think he was trying to learn how to form the phrase by himself based off "hints" or something, but directly asking how to say it.
Some of the other ways people said it are simpler indeed, but if you want to say it at a store you can't just go in like "hey this is broken" and that's it
Lol what's with the "excuse me"? The dude is actively learning Japanese, which is why I said you can't learn when the answer is given, IMO it's better when you try and work it out yourself. That's why my post above is phrased the way it is.
lol I'm the opposite. Words and new kanji stick better for me through reading more, less flash cards. Maybe my app sucks. Like I said I try not to use it too much. More because I hate looking at mobile screens after a day of work ..
lol you should see my books. bent spines, kanji written a million times everywhere. good times. nothing retains doe.
I tried writing a lot for memory before and once enough time passes there's no trace left - doesn't matter how many books I filled with it. Only way I can really hammer something into my brain is seeing it in the wild so I have a context to connect it to. Anki's just a way to keep it in my brain until I get that.
I know I have a kanji down when I see it and I immediately think about a scene from some manga where I saw it used
I know I have a kanji down when I see it and I immediately think about a scene from some manga where I saw it used
I've said this not a long time ago as well, no matter how much you practice, you're liable to forget at some point, what's important is consistency through reading/writing. I only practice a couple of times, don't worry too much about remembering it forever. I can only ingrain it in my memory if I'm consistently reading/writing it.
Not saying consistency means every day but as much as possible, like whenever you are reading a book, website or tweet. That's how it sticks.
Not saying consistency means every day but as much as possible, like whenever you are reading a book, website or tweet. That's how it sticks.
shanshan310
Member
I do! I've been using quizlet recently but I was way into writing out paper flash cards until I discovered that. Still have a box full of them. I like quizlet a lot more than anki honestly.
How's fluent forever? I have been thinking of reading it. I read Barry Farber's "how to learn any language, which was great and I'd recommend it, but it doesn't include using any technological aids as the writer is fairly old. (He learned Chinese by talking to the Chinese navy when they docked in his city in WWII)
Eh, some people come into the thread without any japanese knowledge and just need a quick translation. It's not a biggie to help them out.
I never had good memory, so this might be just me, but even if I try to memorize something consistently for a long time - eventually, everything disappears (I've had this happen on kanji I was memorizing for more than a year). But ironically I can read an interesting news article once and remember it easily with no problem a long time later, and say the article used a certain kanji in the title. Anki helped me read the article but the article is what sealed the deal, otherwise give me half a year and it's 100% gone.
That goes for everyone, the good thing about JLPT kanji is that it's ordered as per most used to least used so usually, if you do any amount of reading you'll notice you remember N5 and N4 kanji better than the rest no matter how complex the kanji reading is. Even though, it's something you learned a long time ago.
That being said, the higher you go in JLPT level, the more you need to read/write to remember them kanji because you're less likely to encounter them.
Porcile
Member
I think a really good idea is to get "fluent" at specific things. I know that when I was learning Maya and After Effects etc (pretty much second languages to me now) then it really helps to build up your knowledge in chunks and get fluent in specific areas. For example, I think a great idea is to buy a volume of manga and get really good at reading that one manga, to the point where you understand everything with ease, even if its coming more from memory, rather than on-the-fly translating. I think once you have a solid foundation down, then it helps to narrow things down and just keep adding in chunks. Otherwise, you end up trying to absorb it all at once.
Kids do this all the time, they re-watch and re-read things over and over, to the point where they can then begin to use those things in everyday speech and comprehension. It's a slow burn I guess, but if you support that with traditional grammar learning, and have a few things going on at once then you can build up a lot in a short amount of time.
Anyway, I am a bit behind on my studies because I've been preparing for a job interview/teaching demonstration. I'll be back on that horse next week though. My plan is to get through all the current Japanese from Zero books by the start of December. There's one more online course not covered in book form, and then like RangerBAD, i'll be looking for some post-beginner/intermediate books.
Kids do this all the time, they re-watch and re-read things over and over, to the point where they can then begin to use those things in everyday speech and comprehension. It's a slow burn I guess, but if you support that with traditional grammar learning, and have a few things going on at once then you can build up a lot in a short amount of time.
Anyway, I am a bit behind on my studies because I've been preparing for a job interview/teaching demonstration. I'll be back on that horse next week though. My plan is to get through all the current Japanese from Zero books by the start of December. There's one more online course not covered in book form, and then like RangerBAD, i'll be looking for some post-beginner/intermediate books.
What are your strengths and weaknesses? Are you gonna take a JLPT test anytime soon? I can list some books buts it's probably better you tell us what you think you wanna learn; grammar, vocab, kanji etc. I've listed some good books 50-200 posts back.
Probably never taking any JLPT tests ever. I know I'm weak in vocabulary, kanji, writing my own sentences, listening and probably speaking. I'm not too bad at reading. I just don't have a large enough vocabulary. When should I start thinking about intermediate books?
Well, I would recommend the JLPT learning path (even if you won't take the test) because it's the closest thing to a "curriculum" that you will get, outside of a set course outline from a teacher/university/tutor.
You've listed that you are weak in everything, which is probably being a bit hard on yourself. If your reading is good, then I suggest:
1. Getting some text books that are predominately written in Japanese.
2. Getting books that can teach you grammar, vocab and kanji at the same time.
3. Getting books that can test you, so you aren't just relying on examples, and provided English translations - it's important to test yourself outside of your comfort zone.
4. Starting some flashcard decks, for vocab, kanji, and a combination of the two.
Others may recommend not following the JLPT path, but as I said before, if you have nothing else, it really is the best thing to follow (it's better than nothing). If you want to follow it I'll link some good books shortly.
I do want to hear more opinions, but I don't see any harm from having your links.
TheSporkWithin
Member
After Genki 2 you're ready to start working on intermediate/JLPT N3 material. I used the textbook Tobira, and was quite happy with how it introduced grammar and vocabulary "naturally" through articles and stories. It also has a pretty nice workbook with a good mix of comprehension and production exercises.
I actually ended up outpacing the book, because at the same time I started using it I also started pushing myself to read children's novels in Japanese. The grammar and vocabulary I had to learn for them ended up being pretty much everything in Tobira, so it became pretty easy past chapter 5 or so, which is wheremy personal learning eclipsed the material the book was presenting to me. The workbook continued to be valuable, though, for the production stuff, and while I haven't finished it I still open it up and do a few pages from time to time as a refresher.
THAT ALL BEING SAID. This is probably the point in your studies where it makes sense to put grammar and vocab in a holding pattern and work on familiarizing yourself with the at least the kyoiku kanji, if not the whole joyo set. I used a really messy self-modified take on RTK, using the order in which it introduced kanji as a base and adding a bunch of information, including Japanese keywords for each kanji using on- and kun-yomi; it was grueling but it worked for me. If you're not a fan of RTK, something like this might be helpful. If you can get comfortable with the kyoiku kanji and retain your Genki 1/2 grammar, you'll be in fine shape to push forward in starting to read native materials, which is very empowering and useful in the intermediate stages of learning.
I actually ended up outpacing the book, because at the same time I started using it I also started pushing myself to read children's novels in Japanese. The grammar and vocabulary I had to learn for them ended up being pretty much everything in Tobira, so it became pretty easy past chapter 5 or so, which is wheremy personal learning eclipsed the material the book was presenting to me. The workbook continued to be valuable, though, for the production stuff, and while I haven't finished it I still open it up and do a few pages from time to time as a refresher.
THAT ALL BEING SAID. This is probably the point in your studies where it makes sense to put grammar and vocab in a holding pattern and work on familiarizing yourself with the at least the kyoiku kanji, if not the whole joyo set. I used a really messy self-modified take on RTK, using the order in which it introduced kanji as a base and adding a bunch of information, including Japanese keywords for each kanji using on- and kun-yomi; it was grueling but it worked for me. If you're not a fan of RTK, something like this might be helpful. If you can get comfortable with the kyoiku kanji and retain your Genki 1/2 grammar, you'll be in fine shape to push forward in starting to read native materials, which is very empowering and useful in the intermediate stages of learning.
shanshan310
Member
+1 for tobira. I got a lot out of that.
I also recommend one called new approach. It's all in Japanese though, unlike tobira, which can be a bit intimidating.
I also recommend one called new approach. It's all in Japanese though, unlike tobira, which can be a bit intimidating.
Sorry, I didn't meant to say "excuse me" in a sarcastic way or anything. I thought he was just asking for a way to go to the shop and say his controller was broken, that's why I posted the sentence. I don't believe there's no way to learn when the answer is given. Maybe this time he doesn't come up with the phrase himself, but he can use it for future cases and maybe learning new expressions.
Quick question - are there any podcasts, radio shows, etc. that I could listen to just so I am able to hear some Japanese outside of my classes? (which only meets twice a week) 3rd year college Japanese student, currently using Tobira for what it's worth.
I've asked my teachers about this but they didn't quite seem to understand why I wanted to. I listen to sports radio shows, gaming podcasts, etc. quite regularly and thought it would be good to put something with a little Japanese in the rotation. Any thoughts?
I've asked my teachers about this but they didn't quite seem to understand why I wanted to. I listen to sports radio shows, gaming podcasts, etc. quite regularly and thought it would be good to put something with a little Japanese in the rotation. Any thoughts?
Tobira does a great job of taking what you learn individually in genki chapters and mixing it all together at once. Genki never did that with the exception of a couple exercises at last chapters, unless you were taking a class.
The intermediate Japan times textbook is pretty good too and less of a leap than tobira.
The intermediate Japan times textbook is pretty good too and less of a leap than tobira.
Question: what's the actual usage of かわいそう？I'm hearing it a lot around the staffroom these days and a few of my kids were using it talking about a teacher, but I couldn't tell if they were insulting the teacher or feeling bad for the teacher. Is it closer to 残念 or something - 'it's a pity' or something like that?
TheSporkWithin
Member
It's usually used for something you feel sorry for, or something that looks totally helpless. The first thing that comes to mind when I hear/think the word is a wet kitten.
Here's the 大辞林 definition: 弱い立場にあるものに対して同情を寄せ，その不幸な状況から救ってやりたいと思うさま。同情をさそうさま。「―な身の上」「―に，またしかられている」→気の毒
So basically, it's the feeling you have when you see something weak and helpless and want to help it out of its pitiable state. Or the thing that evokes that feeling. The phrase 気の毒 (a great pity) is related.
Probably just gotta learn it.
I have the top X most common japanese proper nouns in a custom deck and try and chip away at the damn thing.
shanshan310
Member
If you go into the settings in Itunes and select Japanese you can browse all the Japanese podcasts on there.
I don't have any specific recommendations because I don't really listen to podcasts much now, but depending on your country you might have a Japanese radio program. I usually listen to the Australian SBS one, which is a nice combination of local and international news, current events, special interviews etc. I'm not sure if you can access it overseas but here's a link anyway: http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/japanese
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