Post Nano

こんにちは！

元気ですか？ (Basically, are you well? Are you healthy?)

A breakdown of the kanji: 元 - げん 気 - き = 元気 - げんき (healthy, lively, full of spirit)

です = copula. I still don't exactly know what that means...  But the VERY simplified explanation is that it is the 'to be' verb in English. It is a linking verb. Sort of. This is the best explanation I found in a couple of google pages. です. It is used frequently. One last thing about the word. The 'u' is either silent, or extremely soft. When we get to ます, the same thing happens. The 'u' is dropped. But we will talk about that later.

か = in this case, is the particle for question. The question marker.
And that is EXACTLY how easy it is to make a question in the Japanese language.

Sentence + か = question.

Examples:

いちごですか = Is it a strawberry?
いちごです = It is a strawberry.
As you may have guessed, いちご = strawberry

犬ですか = Is it a dog?
いぬです = It is a dog.
犬 = いぬ = dog
(Yes, I mean to use 漢字 (かんじ）kanji where I can. I don't think it it ever to soon to start learning it. If I had started when I started my studies, I think I would be a lot further along.

猫ですか = Is it a cat?
ねこです = It is a cat.
猫 = ねこ = cat

But what if you have no idea what "it" is... ?
なに/なん = what.
なんですか = What is it?
There are rules for when to use なん vs なに. This explains it very well なん vs なに

This may all seem daunting at first, but the more you walk around talking to yourself, the easier it gets.
And I definitely recommend talking to yourself. No matter the stares you may get!

Okay, so, that wraps up my impromptu lesson for today. Please feel free to comment with any questions. If I don't know the answer, I will find it. Let us learn together!

がんばってください　(Do your best, please)

P.S.
I almost forgot to link to this. It is a fantastic collection of words. It has come in very handy for learning new vocabulary! 1000 words. Have fun!

NaNoWriMo

こんにちは！

Hey, just wanted to say that I haven't forgotten about this page.
I am a writer first and foremost and this is NaNoWriMo. A writers month of pleasure and pain.

Write 50,000 words in a month. Sounds pretty easy, right? Well, it's not always. Especially when it comes to internet being worked on, illnesses, (I have been sick) and just life in general.

I just wanted to drop in and let you know how much I miss this, and that as soon as I am able, I will be returning to it. I owe you guys some words. And Kanji, which is not as terrifying as it seems. In some ways, anyway.

I have recieved conflicting opinions on how best to go about studying this, so I might try a mixture of both. I don't know.
I can say this. I know all of grade 1 Kanji on sight, and I USED to know the readings to about 70 of the 103. That has been awhile though. I did these through flashcards.

Then I found this awesome Kanji deck for Anki. I will post the link in my next post, due to time constraints now. I have to take my sick self to work. Anyway, the idea behind the Kanji deck is to learn the 2200 Kanji approved for everyday use, through news papers and whatnot, in 97 days. This is ONLY knowing what they mean. NOT the readings. And honestly, I love the idea.

The hardest part is remembering what the darn things mean. So, let's get that out of the way, then, you can go back and learn the readings.

I will kick this around in my head tonight while I am working, see if I can find a good way to explain it. The readings part can get confusing, as reading can change with the combination of Kanji. I will try to come up with some examples.

Anyway, I hope to be able to post again tonight, ot tomorrow. It depends on how deep the hooks of the story I am writing are sunk in.

じゃまったね！

こんにちは！

げんきですか  
はい、げんきですよ！

Sorry it has been so long. This time I have a fairly valid reason or two.
I went to visit my ex father-in-law. While I was there, I left my charger for my laptop. Oops! It was a few days before I could get it back. Then, during the time I DIDN'T have my charger, my laptop SOMEHOW came down with a virus. It took some time to finally get rid of it. But, I did it.

Okay, enough with that.

I hope during the break you reviewed everything, because today is going to be packed.

Today, we start with, in my opinion, the most important kana.

You remember 'tsu', right? つ = (tsu). Well, THIS kana has a special purpose. When you see it in it's smaller form, you double the consonant that follows it. ONLY THE CONSONANT! Do NOT double the complete kana.

Example: saka = さか = hill. sakka = さっか = author. See the difference in the sizes of the kana? The  っつ.  When inputting the romaji for writing it on the IME keyboard, you simply double the consonant.

Now, the slightly harder part, READING the sokoun (small tsu). Keeping in mind that Japanese is a stress-less language, this little thingy seems to add stress. What you do when reading it is to add a slight pause (VERY SLIGHT) before reading the rest of the word. Doing this makes it a hard consonant.

Examples: いった = itte = this is the te-form of 'say'. You read it like い(pause)て. The て will have a hard t sound.

もうゆっくりいってください。 There are two in that sentence. Let me break it down for you.
もう = mou = again. ゆっくり = yukkuri = slowly. いって = say. ください = kudasai = please.
Please say again slowly.

まって = matte. This again is the te-form of to wait. ま(pause)て.

I honestly believe that the sokoun is probably one of the most fun things to use. I enjoy the sound it makes, lol. I am a nerd.

Okay, now, strap in. This are going to get... interesting. I have to admit I still have problems with these sometimes. I have to think about them way to hard when using them. But, like everything else, they come with time.

The glides.

The 'y' kana you learned before? These are what are used to make the glides. You combine the smaller form with the 'i' kana. And here is where I get confusing. When I refer to the 'i' kana, I don't mean い. I mean all of the others. The き and the し and the り and ALL of the others...

Here we go!

き + (small や) = きゃ = one smooth sound of kya. NOT kiya. Kiya would be きや (notice the sizes of the や)

Actually, I have  a better idea. You can see the way they are written AND how they sound. This will also be less confusing than me typing them out and trying to explain how they sound.

Here you go!

And with that, we wrap up the Hiragana. Congratulations! おめでとう! (Congratulations)

I will not be giving out vocab this time as this is quite a bit to take in. I will return in a couple of days with words for you!
I will also be adding kanji to these lessons. At least the ones I know, lol. Until then, じゃまったね!

みなさん、こんにちは

おげんきですか。
はい、げんきですよ

And we have reached the end of the regular Hiragana kana. Just ご (5) more. Crazy, right? Okay, let's get to it! But of course, the recap first.

あ = (a) ah    か = (ka)   が = (ga)   さ = (sa)    ざ = (za)   た = (ta)   だ = (da)
い = (i) ee    き = (ki)     ぎ = (gi)    し = (shi)    じ = (ji)   ち = (chi)  ぢ = (ji)
う = (u) ou    く = (ku)    ぐ = (gu)    す = (su)    ず = (zu)  つ = (tsu)  づ = (zu) (dzu or du)
え = (e) eh    け = (ke)   げ = (ge)   せ = (se)    ぜ = (ze)   て = (te)  で = (de)
お= (o) oh    こ = (ko)    ご = (go)   そ = (so)    ぞ = (zo)   と = (to)   ど = (do)

な = (na)     は = (ha)    ば = (ba)     ぱ = (pa)     ま = (ma)     ら = (ra)
に = (ni)     ひ = (hi)     び = (bi)      ぴ = (pi)      み = (mi)      り = (ri)
ぬ = (nu)     ふ = (fu)     ぶ = (bu)    ぷ = (pu)     む = (mu)    る = (ru)
ね = (ne)     へ = (he)     べ = (be)     ぺ = (pe)     め = (me)   れ = (re)
の = (no)     ほ = (ho)     ぼ = (bo)    ぽ = (po)     も = (mo)     ろ =(ro)

The last five are in two groups. They are the 'w' kana and the 'y' kana.

や = (ya)
ゆ = (yu)
よ = (yo)
わ = (wa)
を = (wo) *This is really only used as a particle. You will rarely (if ever) see it used any other way.

Tomorrow will be interesting. We will be going over glides. The 'i' kanas combined with the 'y' kana. But that is tomorrow.
For now, vocabulary for the new kana.

やさい = (yasai) = vegetable
ゆき = (yuki) = snow
よん = (yon) = four
やすい = (yasui) = cheap (inexpensive)
やさしい = (yasashii) = easy, simple
およぐ = (oyogu) = to swim
よむ = (yomu) = to read
やすむ = (yasumu) = to rest, take a break
ゆ = (yu) = hot water
ゆげ = (yuge) = steam

じゃまったね！(jamattane) See you later!

Lesson 13 (The 'R' Kana. How fitting )

みなさんこんにちは！


This is the last group of five. This is also the one that most people have trouble pronouncing. The dreaded 'r'.  This sound isn't 'r'.
A lot of people want to compare it to an 'L', but it isn't quite that either. It's more of a 'd' 'r' and 'l' all rolled into one. But we will get to that. First, let's review.


あ = (a) ah    か = (ka)   が = (ga)   さ = (sa)    ざ = (za)   た = (ta)   だ = (da)
い = (i) ee    き = (ki)     ぎ = (gi)    し = (shi)    じ = (ji)   ち = (chi)  ぢ = (ji)
う = (u) ou    く = (ku)    ぐ = (gu)    す = (su)    ず = (zu)  つ = (tsu)  づ = (zu) (dzu or du)
え = (e) eh    け = (ke)   げ = (ge)   せ = (se)    ぜ = (ze)   て = (te)  で = (de)
お= (o) oh    こ = (ko)    ご = (go)   そ = (so)    ぞ = (zo)   と = (to)   ど = (do)

な = (na)     は = (ha)    ば = (ba)     ぱ = (pa)     ま = (ma)
に = (ni)     ひ = (hi)     び = (bi)      ぴ = (pi)      み = (mi)
ぬ = (nu)     ふ = (fu)     ぶ = (bu)    ぷ = (pu)     む = (mu)
ね = (ne)     へ = (he)     べ = (be)     ぺ = (pe)     め = (me)
の = (no)     ほ = (ho)     ぼ = (bo)    ぽ = (po)     も = (mo)


And now for the 'r' kana

ら = (ra)
り = (ri) *you will see this one written another way as well. Just letting you know so you don't freak out like I did. My keyboard will only type it the way shown.
る = (ru)
れ = (re)
ろ = (ro) Be careful with this one, as it is very similar to る (ru).

As for pronunciation, give this a listen. The 'r' sounds

And now for some words.

あびる = (abiru) = to take a shower
はじまる = (hajimaru) = to start, begin
くる = (kuru) = to come. *This is an irregular verb
する = (suru) = to do. *This is the other irregular verb
きる = (kiru) = to cut
たべる = (taberu) = to eat
あたたまる = (atatamaru) = to warm up; to get warm
しる = (shiru) = know
かす = (kasu) = lend
みる = (miru) = to see

Learn these well. Tomorrow is a big day. The last of the regular kana. Yay!

じゃまったね！(ja mattane) See you later!

Lesson 12

こんにちは！

I am back today with the 'm' kana.

But of course, start with the review.

あ = (a) ah    か = (ka)   が = (ga)   さ = (sa)    ざ = (za)   た = (ta)   だ = (da)
い = (i) ee    き = (ki)     ぎ = (gi)    し = (shi)    じ = (ji)   ち = (chi)  ぢ = (ji)
う = (u) ou    く = (ku)    ぐ = (gu)    す = (su)    ず = (zu)  つ = (tsu)  づ = (zu) (dzu or du)
え = (e) eh    け = (ke)   げ = (ge)   せ = (se)    ぜ = (ze)   て = (te)  で = (de)
お= (o) oh    こ = (ko)    ご = (go)   そ = (so)    ぞ = (zo)   と = (to)   ど = (do)

な = (na)     は = (ha)    ば = (ba)     ぱ = (pa)
に = (ni)     ひ = (hi)     び = (bi)      ぴ = (pi)
ぬ = (nu)     ふ = (fu)     ぶ = (bu)    ぷ = (pu)
ね = (ne)     へ = (he)     べ = (be)     ぺ = (pe)
の = (no)     ほ = (ho)     ぼ = (bo)    ぽ = (po)

55 Hiragana kana. Isn't it amazing? Let's make it an even 60.

ま = (ma) *Please don't confuse this with ほ. It is fairly easy to do.
み = (mi) Remember the sound is different. This reads like 'me'
む = (mu)
め = (me) Remember the sound difference. This reads like 'meh'
も = (mo)

I hope that you are not relying too heavily on the romaji. It is easy to read the romaji words as English and that is not always right. If you haven't yet, please take a listen to the link I posted a couple of lessons back for the sounds.

I wish I could post more verbs, because in the Japanese language, a verb is all you need sometimes to form a complete sentence. But a lot of them end with 'ru' and we haven't gotten that far yet.

But the good news is that we are almost done with the Hiragana chart. In fact, tomorrow's lesson with finish it off. There are still a few special things to cover, very important things. But those will come the day after.

But here are some words to play with in the meantime!

こだもの = (kudamono) = Fuit, for eating.
あめ = (ame) = rain, or candy. Again, this is where kanji comes in.
みなみ = (minami) = south
にし = (nishi) = west
ひがし = (higashi) = east
みず = (mizu) = water
みせ = (mise) = store
まど = (mado) = window
めがね = (megane) = glasses
みち = (michi) = road

じゃまったね (ja matta ne) See you later!

Lesson Something

こんばんはみなさん。

And right to it, shall we?

A recap.

あ = (a) ah    か = (ka)   が = (ga)   さ = (sa)    ざ = (za)   た = (ta)   だ = (da)
い = (i) ee    き = (ki)     ぎ = (gi)    し = (shi)    じ = (ji)   ち = (chi)  ぢ = (ji)
う = (u) ou    く = (ku)    ぐ = (gu)    す = (su)    ず = (zu)  つ = (tsu)  づ = (zu) (dzu or du)
え = (e) eh    け = (ke)   げ = (ge)   せ = (se)    ぜ = (ze)   て = (te)  で = (de)
お= (o) oh    こ = (ko)    ご = (go)   そ = (so)    ぞ = (zo)   と = (to)   ど = (do)

な = (na)     は = (ha)    ば = (ba)
に = (ni)     ひ = (hi)     び = (bi)
ぬ = (nu)     ふ = (fu)     ぶ = (bu)
ね = (ne)     へ = (he)     べ = (be)
の = (no)     ほ = (ho)     ぼ = (bo)

And now we are going to learn a new symbol.

This is called the Handakuten, or easier to remember, まる (maru). The word まる is in fact, circle. Adding this to the 'h' kana gives you the 'p' kana. Easy peasy!


The hardest part to this is remembering that circle means 'p'. Repetition will help with this.


ぱ = (pa)

ぴ = (pi)

ぷ = (pu)

ぺ = (pe)

ぽ = (po)


And now for some words!


ばん = (ban) = evening

おめでとう = (omedetou) = congratulations. Often combined with birthday, but we can't do that one yet.

おんな = (onna) = female

ち = (chi) = blood

へび = (hebi) = snake

ひ = (hi) = fire

ほん = (hon) = book

ひくい = (hikui) = low

かたい = (katai) = hard

はなす = (hanasu) = to let go of


Ten brand new words! (I hope there are no repeats. I tried to look.) I promise no more gaps.


I will return tomorrow with the 'm' kana :)


じゃまったね！(ja matta ne) See you later

こんばんは。

がんきですか？

I know it has been a while and you have my apologies. I am horrible.

あ = (a) ah    か = (ka)   が = (ga)   さ = (sa)    ざ = (za)   た = (ta)   だ = (da)
い = (i) ee    き = (ki)     ぎ = (gi)    し = (shi)    じ = (ji)   ち = (chi)  ぢ = (ji)
う = (u) ou    く = (ku)    ぐ = (gu)    す = (su)    ず = (zu)  つ = (tsu)  づ = (zu) (dzu or du)
え = (e) eh    け = (ke)   げ = (ge)   せ = (se)    ぜ = (ze)   て = (te)  で = (de)
お= (o) oh    こ = (ko)    ご = (go)   そ = (so)    ぞ = (zo)   と = (to)   ど = (do)

な = (na)     は = (ha)
に = (ni)     ひ = (hi)
ぬ = (nu)     ふ = (fu)
ね = (ne)     へ = (he)
の = (no)     ほ = (ho)

Now, for more dakuten!

Watch as I wave my magic wand and turn the 'h' kana into 'b' kana!
Voila!

ば = (ba)
び = (bi)
ぶ = (bu)
べ = (be)
ぼ = (bo)

Let's learn some vocabulary! I am trying my best to not repeat words, though I might fail. Please forgive me!

こんばんは = konbanwa = Good evening. Okay, I know. は = ha... BUT! when used as a particle, it is read 'wa'. こんばんは used to be part of a longer sentence, but that part was dropped over time. The は was a particle in that sentence and was kept.

あそぶ = (asobu) = to play
もつ = (motsu) = to have
まつ = (matsu) = to wait
たつ = (tatsu) =  to stand
いつも = (itsumo) = always
たぶん = (tabun) = probably
わかい = (wakai) = young
かたい = (katai) = hard
せいけつな = (seiketsunai) = clean (That was a long one!)

Have fun with these words and I will be back とても (totemo) soon!

おはよございます！ (good morning)

My apologies for being late with this lesson. I was actually doing some writing for once.
But, without further delay, the 'h' kana.

First, the review.

あ = (a) ah    か = (ka)   が = (ga)   さ = (sa)    ざ = (za)   た = (ta)   だ = (da)
い = (i) ee    き = (ki)     ぎ = (gi)    し = (shi)    じ = (ji)   ち = (chi)  ぢ = (ji)
う = (u) ou    く = (ku)    ぐ = (gu)    す = (su)    ず = (zu)  つ = (tsu)  づ = (zu) (dzu or du)
え = (e) eh    け = (ke)   げ = (ge)   せ = (se)    ぜ = (ze)   て = (te)  で = (de)
お= (o) oh    こ = (ko)    ご = (go)   そ = (so)    ぞ = (zo)   と = (to)   ど = (do)

And adding a second row, yay!

な = (na)
に = (ni)
ぬ = (nu)
ね = (ne)
の = (no)

Now, before moving on to the 'h' kana, I am going to post this. This has the remainder of the kana that we have not gone over, but pronunciation is VERY important in the Japanese language. Once you master the 'base' sounds, the vowels, the rest is easy. You can also easily see the pattern stays consistent throughout. And you can also hear what I mean when I say short sounds.

It's a very short video. Listen here.

Now, the 'h'.

は = (ha)

ひ = (hi, pronounced he)

ふ = (fu, though the 'f' is almost silent)

へ = (he, pronounced hea, like in heather)

ほ = (ho)

Pay attention to the は and the ほ. Notice the second line. 

As we learn more kana, more words open up to us! Some of them being my favororites.

はな = (hana) = flower

ながい = (nagai) = long

はし = (hashi) bridge, or chopsticks

はなす = (hanasu) = to say, to tell, to talk

はる = (haru) = spring

Okay, I have to get to work.

Happy studying!

こんにちは

How is everyone?

Today, we are going to learn the 'n' kana. But first, let's review.



あ = (a) ah      か = (ka)      が = (ga)      さ = (sa)      ざ = (za)      た = (ta)     だ = da
い = (i) ee       き = (ki)        ぎ = (gi)      し = (shi)      じ = (ji)      ち = (chi)    ぢ = ji
う = (u) ou       く = (ku)       ぐ = (gu)      す = (su)      ず = (zu)    つ = (tsu)    づ = zu (dzu or du)
え = (e) eh      け = (ke)      げ = (ge)      せ = (se)      ぜ = (ze)     て = (te)     で = de
お= (o) oh      こ = (ko)       ご = (go)      そ = (so)      ぞ = (zo)     と = (to)      ど = do




Thirty-five of them. :) Now, moving on, let's make it 40.




な = (na)
に = (ni)
ぬ = (nu)
ね = (ne)
の = (no)




Now, when learning these, I had the hardest time with ぬ and ね. I really don't know why. I hope you guys don't have the same problem.




Here are some words!


あなた = (anata) = you (polite)
なに = (nani) = what (can also be said as なん (nan)
さかな = (sakana) = fish
たのしい = (tanoshii) = fun, interestingながい = (nagai) = long
おか = (oka) = hill
に = (ni) = two
きのう = (kinou) = yesterday
その = (sono) = that (descriptive, such as 'that pen')
どの = (dono) = which

Have fun!

Lesson 7

こんにちは。

げんきですか？
がんきですよ。

A review, if you please?

あ = (a) ah     か = (ka)     が = (ga)     さ = (sa)     ざ = (za) た = (ta)
い = (i) ee      き = (ki)      ぎ = (gi)      し = (shi)     じ = (ji)     ち = (chi)
う = (u) ou       く = (ku)     ぐ = (gu)     す = (su)     ず = (zu)    つ = (tsu)
え = (e) eh      け = (ke)     げ = (ge)     せ = (se)     ぜ = (ze)   て = (te)
お= (o) oh       こ = (ko)     ご = (go)     そ = (so)     ぞ = (zo)     と = (to)

And now for more dakuten fun! we are going to turn the 't' into 'd'!

だ = (da)
ぢ = (ji) There are a few of these, though, in my studies, じ is far more common.
づ = (dzu or du) Again, in my studies, this is rare. This and the above are not found on basic charts.  
で = (de)
ど = (do)

This really is easy. If you are having troubles, I recommend making flashcards. You can learn five in a matter of minutes.

And now for some words:

です = (desu) = This is called a copula.. Not sure what that is, but ですmeans 'am, is, are'
どうぞ = (douzo) = Please, go ahead, by all means.
どこ = (doko) = Where
した = (shita) = Down
ちず = (chizu) = Map
たすけて = (tasukete) = HELP
どうした = (doushita) = What happened?
どうして = (doushite) = Why
いつ = (itsu) = When
ちいさい = (chiisai) = Small

Have fun with these and I will see you next time!

さよなら (sayonara)

こんにちは！

ごめんなさい。(I'm sorry)

Sorry it has been so long since the last lesson. I, in all my adulting brilliance, forgot to pay the internet bill...

So, in review. Again, keep in mind the romaji is in parenthesis. The pronunciation is NOT the same as English. And make sure you keep the sound short.

あ = (a) ah     か = (ka)     が = (ga)     さ = (sa)     ざ = (za)
い = (i) ee      き = (ki)      ぎ = (gi)      し = (shi)     じ = (ji)
う = (u) ou       く = (ku)     ぐ = (gu)     す = (su)     ず = (zu)
え = (e) eh      け = (ke)     げ = (ge)     せ = (se)     ぜ = (ze)
お= (o) oh       こ = (ko)     ご = (go)     そ = (so)     ぞ = (zo)

Awww, aren't they so pretty, all lined up in a row? And you can read them! It's okay, do the happy dance in the chair. I'll wait.

Done? A little more?

Okay.

The 't' kana.

た = ta
ち = chi (Another tricksey one. There is no 'ti' in the Hiragana. There is in the Katakana.)
つ = tsu (Another one! This kana is going to be very important in words so pay attention to it!)
て = te
と = to (For some reason, I had the hardest time with 'te' and 'to'. Hopefully, you won't have the same.)

Now for some vocabulary.

とおい = (tooi) = far.  This is a long 'o' as you can see from the romaji.
あつい = (atsui) = hot (air)
とき = (toki) = time, when used by itself.
たかい = (takai) = expensive
いたい = (itai) = hurt, painful (physical)
あたたかい = (atatakai) Warm. (That is a fun one to say!)
あつい = (atsui) thick, flat object. (I know, it also means hot, that is where kanji comes in.)
うすい = (usui) thin, flat object
おいしい = (oishii) = tasty, delicious.
ぎんこう = (ginkou) = bank

さよなら！ (sayonara)

Number 5

こんにちは！

Right to it, shall we?

あ = (a) ah     か = ka     が = ga     さ = sa
い = (i) ee     き = ki      ぎ = gi       し = shi (tricky one, there is no 'si' in the Japanese language)
う = (u) oo     く = ku      ご = gu      す = su
え = (e) eh     け = ke     げ = ge      せ = se
お = (o) oh     こ = ko     ご = go      そ = so

Now, for more dakuten fun! The one's we learned yesterday and going to don them, and hello! 'Z' kana!

ざ = za
じ = ji (except this tricky one) gee
ず = zu
ぜ = ze
ぞ = zo

Now, for some vocabulary!
Unfortunately, I can't find any vocabulary that doesn't include kana that we haven't gone over.
So, just some more basic words.

かお = (kao) face
き = (ki) tree. I know, I said before that it was soul, spirit. And it is! This is where Kanji comes in. And the context in which the words is used...
じかん = (jikan) time. I FOUND ONE! This じ was one we learned today!
あさ = (asa) morning
そこ = (soko) there (close to the person being spoken to)
あそこ = (asoko) over there (away from speaker and listener)
じ = (ji) letter, character
すうじ = (suuji) numbers
かぎ = (kagi) key, door bolt
おいしい = (oishii) delicious, tasty.

And ten new shiny words to use!
Have fun with them! Say them! They are going to feel awkward and strange, but trust me, you do get used to it. And using them will make them stick. Well, will help anyway, lol.

And if anyone has any question, please feel free to ask. IF I mess something up, please point it out! I am still learning this too!

さよなら！ (sayonara)

Lesson 4

こんにちは！

ごめん！ (gomen)
Sorry I skipped yesterday, but I hope you had time to review and go over the dakuten. We will be using it again tomorrow.

But for now, let's review.

あ = (a) ah          が = (ga)
い = (i) ee           ぎ = (gi)
う = (u) oo           ぐ = (gu)
え = (e) eh           げ = (ge)
お = (o) oh          ご = (go)

か = (ka)
き = (ki)
く = (ku)
け = (ke)
こ = (ko)

Awwww, look, 15 bright and shiny kana! And you know them! You can read them! Woot!

Time to add 5 more!
Here are the 's' kana.

さ = (sa) sah
し = (shi) (oops! it broke the pattern... ) she
す = (su) sue
せ = (se) like 'set' without the t.
そ = (so) so

Bam! An even twenty!

Now for some words...
さく = (saku) = to blossom (pretty, right?)
すし = (sushi) = sushi (see what I did there? Hehe)
すき = (suki) = like or love (not THAT love)
せんせい = (sensei) = teacher (School teacher is different)
さか = (saka) = hill, slope
すごい = (sugoi) = Wow! or Awesome! BUT (kicker here) it can also mean awful, depending on the context. Most common as awesome, however.
せい = 9sei) = cause, or reason
そくそく = (sokusoku) = keenly, or heartily.

Okay, I have to call it a night as work calls.
See you tomorrow!
さよなら！(sayonara)

Lesson 3

こんにちは！

Again, my computer is acting goofy, so hopefully, I will get this done today.

So far, we have done the 5 base sounds, the exception, and the 'k' sounds. But a quick review:
Romaji is shown before the pronunciation.
あ= (a) ah
い = (i) ee
う = (u) oo
え = (e) eh
お = (o) oh

ん = (n) the 'n' sound in sung. Don't forget, this is a back of the tongue sound.

か = ka
き = ki
く = ku
け = ke
こ = ko

Yeah! Progress!

But now for something tricky. We are going to learn the dakuten also known as tenten.
With this tenten, we are going to make 'g' sounds. To write the 'g' form of a kana, you add the tenten to the 'k' kana.

Thus...

か + dakuten = が

And I will make all of these larger so you can see the placement. The placement is important because, and I know this from experience, when you are writing Hiragana, if it's wrong, it can make it difficult to read.

が = ga
ぎ = gi
ぐ = gu
げ = ge
ご = go

Noticing a pattern with the sounds? Pretty easy huh?

Let's learn some words.

えがお = egao = smile, or a smiling face
ごご = gogo = afternoon
えいご =eigo = English language.
ご = go = five
げんき = genki= healthy, lively. But, really it's more than that. It something that has no English translation. More like a feeling of positiveness. This is part of a common Japanese greeting. The longer version is げんきですか？ Genki desu ka? Basically, "Are you well?"

Okay, that is it for the vocabulary today. The dakuten the five there should keep you busy until tomorrow.

Happy learning!

Lesson 2

こんにちは！

I mean to have this posted before I go to work, but my computer is acting flakey when I switch to the Japanese keyboard, so... we will see.

Last lesson we learned the 'base' kana. Remember, every sounds ends with these sounds, except the exception.

Quick review.
あ= ah (read as'a'in romaji, but pronounced as 'as')
い = ee (reads as 'i' in romaji, but pronounced as 'ee')
う = oo (read as 'u' in romaji, but pronounced as 'oo')
え = eh (read as 'e' in romaji, but pronounced as 'eh')
お = oh (read as 'o' in romaji, but pronounced as 'oh')

I realized I should include the romaji reading, and there is quite a bit of it in the US. But keep in mind, in Japan, you would rarely see it. And it is NOT like reading in English as the sounds are so different.

Now, on to the 'k' sounds. Remember what I said about the above Kana.

か = 'ka'
き = 'ki'
く = 'ku'
け ='ke'
こ ='ko'

And there are 5 more! And in the list there, are more vocabulary words.

か = ka = mosquito.
け = ke = fur
ここ= koko = here
かく = kaku = to write (one of my favorites)
き = ki = soul, spirit. (It actually has quite a few menings, but those are just a couple.)
あか = aka = red
あき = aki = fall, autum
えき = eki = station
きく = kiku = to listen
かう = kau = to buy.

And there you go! Another 10 words.

Please keep in mind, the verbs up there ( the to words) are in dictionary form. To be used in a sentence, they need to be conjugated to the correct form. It's surprisingly easy, but we will wait until after the Hiragana.

I hope that after a couple of days, I will be able to upload pronunciation clips, but in the meantime, you can find videos all over Youtube.

Happy learning and さよなら！(sayonara)

A tiny lesson.

おはようございます！

I meant to do this earlier, but I figured that post was long enough.

I was considering something based on a conversation I was having with someone who was curious about Japanese.

I was thinking I could give lessons as I was learning them. Not anything heavy, more like just the hiragana.

Now, I know what you may be thinking. There are so many sites out there that will teach what I know. But, heck, I may do something different or explain something in a different way that might help. Or, maybe this will just help me. Who knows.

First, in this post, just the base sounds. I say base, because every Kana (hiragana and katakana) will end with these sounds. All but one. Yes, there are exceptions to everything. But in this, there is only one exception. Let me go ahead and get this out of the way.

ん = n. Easy enough, right? When you see ん, you make an 'n' sound. There is a trick to this sound however. and if you mess it up, it's fine. I think it only helps to sound more native, but you will never be laughed at if you don't do it. When you make the sound, you say it like the 'n' in sung. As in, you use the base of the tongue. It take practice to get it, but believe me, if a southerner, such as myself, can get it, so can you!

Now, on to the base sounds.

あ = a. Pronounced like "ah" but short.
い = i. Pronounced like 'ee' like the sound in see, but short.
う = u. Pronounced like 'oo', like the sound in pool, but short. (Seeing a pattern here? All sounds are short.)
え = e. Pronounced like the 'eh', in egg, but, of course short.
お = o. Pronounced like 'oh', but... you guessed it, it's a short sound.

There, that wasn't so hard, was it?

And what is better, is that with those few Hiragana, you can already start working on your vocabulary. RIGHT?

Here are a few:

え = Picture. WHAT? THAT? Yep! It can be used for anything drawn or painted. A photograph is different.
いう = To say, to tell, to talk.
あい = Love. Well, there is more to it that than, but we will get into that later. ai means love. Let's just go with that for now.
いえ = House, as in household. Not the actual HOUSE house, but what it contains. Or home.
いい = Good. When you see two of the same base hiragana together, it makes the long sound. いい would be read or said as 'eeee'
いいえ = No.
あう = To meet.
ええ = A less formal yes. Everyone knows Hai.
うえ = Up, Above.
One last one. You can do it!
うん = Ah ha! There is that ん！ This, dear friends, is the even LESS formal yes. Essentially, it means 'yeah.'

There, that wasn't too hard, was it?

10 words from 5 kana. Imagine what can be done after another 5 tomorrow?

Happy learning!

こんにちは！

げんきですか？

It's been a while, no? Sorry about that. I found a few amazing tools to help me with learning. 

One being this site. Memrise. 

It's amazing! 

In a few days, I learned so many new words. There are TONS of courses for Japanese, and if you are learning a different language, I am sure there are tons from that language as well. The lessons are created by users and they way it's done makes the learning seem very natural. I pushed myself, like I always do, and I went through the Introduction into Japanese course in a couple of days. 

Probably not the smartest thing I could have done, but a lot of is was Hiragana, which I already know. I do think that it helped with the speed at which I read, so....

I have only used the PC website. I know they have mobile apps, but I have never used it. I have no idea if there is a fee or not.

But I HIGHLY recommend it!

And for listening practice, I found this on Youtube. It's kind of addicting. And the hour flies by! It's easy to hear the rhythm and it so rewarding when you hear things you know, and I hear a surprising amount that I know.

And of course, everyone knows about Anki, the amazing SRS flashcard program. I don't think I would be where I am without it....

Now, on to my most favorite part. This guy! He is simply amazing. I got verb conjugation SO fast. the polite for anyway. But that is all I have really watched. And it's really the most important, in my opinion. I would rather speak politely to my friends then casual to my boss... I will learn the others next, but ます is SO easy!

Now, I need to learn more verbs, lol. 

I am considering creating a Youtube channel to document my progress, also, I need practice speaking. I would use one of those sites that let you Skype call with someone, but I am INCREDIBLY shy. Maybe one day I will have a couple of drinks and try it. Once I learn how to make longer sentences than わたしはねくすきです。<---- I like cats. 

So, anyway, what are some things that you use to help learn this?

さよなら！

こんにちは！

げんきですか？

Yeah, so, I still don't have conversation skills yet, but I think I will work on that next.

I am up to about 百 Kanji. So, maybe I should start using them. Once I learn how. I need vocabulary. I need particles. I need so many things.

No, I am not frustrated, because everyday brings me that much closer to speaking this beautiful language.

On the Kanji front, I know that most of the time, when you have too or more, you use the Onyomi reading, but my question is what if there is more than one Onyomi? That's where the vocabulary comes in handy, I believe.

I know, mostly, how to conjugate verbs. Next up is nouns.

So, this is going to be my new game plan.

いち: Learn two Kanji. Review the ones I know.
に: Learn three particles.
さん: Learn 5 verbs.
よん: Learn 5 nouns.

In theory, as I do this, I increase my vocabulary, right? And I think it is particles holding me back in forming sentences. I am terrified of making a mistake. And I don't know why. Why be terrified?

I am learning a language! I am going to make mistakes!
Hell, even Japanese people mess up!
I speak English and I still mess that up.
I am a writer, and I mess up.

Don't be afraid.
Don't let fear hold you back.
Acknowledge that you WILL make mistakes and learn from them.
Be fearless in moving forward!

Now, it's time to take my own advice!

またね！

こんにちは！

I haven't posted lately because, well, while I have been learning a lot, I really don't have the conversation skills that I want.

I know that will come in time and while I am in a hurry to be able to speak the language, I want to be able to do it correctly.

Slow and steady wins the race, right?

So, I did find the really long instructional video on Youtube that I believe is helping with my listening skills. It is also helping boost my speaking speed. But I think what I really need now is just more vocabulary and Kanji.

My reading is very slow.

Or, what I consider to be very slow.

Which I am sure is slow.

I do have to keep reminding myself that it has only been a few months, and I do have a tiny bit of life outside of studying. I also have no idea what to study first. This is where a classroom setting could (maybe) be beneficial.

Alas, I do not have the funds for that, and I do kind of enjoy the freedom to choose when and how I am going to study.

I also have no text books. Everything I have learned so far has been free of charge. Aside from the cost of paper, ink, and notebooks.

I learn best by writing things down. And I have written a LOT!

I claim to have about 150 vocabulary under my belt, but I only realized just last night, that I can recognize far more.

I can listen to interviews and pick out many more that I know. So, there is that. And the same is true for Kanji. I recognize more that I 'know'. I know what they mean, though I don't know the readings. So, I don't feel so bad now.

Unfortunately, I cannot do the immersion thing, but I am doing what I can. The previously mentioned interviews and songs are the best I can do. I don't read anime or manga, I don't even know the difference. But I do what I can, and surprise, I feel like it is working!

Anyway, that is my update!
I hope you are still enjoying your journey!

こんばんは！

21 days is what it takes to make a habit, right? At least that's what studies say.

Well, here is to trying.

I really don't have to much to add today, except this.

I know 70 Kanji! Woot! When I say know, I mean the meaning, the kunyomi, the onyomi, stroke order, and everything else I can think of to learn about it. Granted, they are very basic, but at this rate, I MIGHT be able to take the JLPT 5 test in November, IF I can find a place around me that offers the test.

Now, I just need to learn how to use them...

I did figure this one out myself.

I know the Kanji for train. And I figured it out by myself, lol. Yes, I patted myself on the back. No, I did not break out the champagne. I am saving that for particles.

So, this was what I did.

I already knew that densha or でんしゃ meant train. (Thank you Cloud Rider, which are the lyrics through which I learned densha and ありがとうございます、Ars Magna  for dancing to it. Here is the video if anyone is interested. Good grief, the talent.)

So, in my studying, I came across 車, which means car. The kunyomi is くるま, or kuruma. But the ONYOMI, which I knew from other lessons, when you have two kanji together, you almost always use the onyomi. The ONYOMI is しゃ, or sha. Hmmm, Sha... No matter.

Then, the switch that turned on the light, and I kinda find it hysterical, light... electricity... you will see.

The next day, I came across this kanji. 電 That one I will never forget. Electricity. It doesn't hurt that it only has one reading. Onyomi. The onyomi is でん or den. Den... den... NO... It CAN'T be!

Den... sha...

Yes, it was.

Densha = 電車 = train.

Holy crap!

I know that this is a very simple and basic kanji. I know that the others will probably NOT be that easy to figure out, but it was very inspirational anyway.

What are your light bulb moments?

こんにちは！

げんきですか？
はい！げんきです！

I am trying to write more and more in にほんご。

That the way to get better at it, right? And that's what this blog is about, sort of.

Today, I thought I would share the motivating factor with me learning this language. And yes, it is a silly reason, but has led to a deeper reason.

I am a writer, my writing blog is here.

I was using my son's computer on day while he was away, and my boyfriend was on mine. Much to my dismay, there was nothing on his computer to facilitate my writing, so, I dove into Youtube.

Hours later, I was watching an interview with my then, and now, favorite dance group. Ars Magna. (This is the video they are best known for. They have many many more.) It was entirely in Japanese, as one might expect. I wished that I knew how to speak it, as it is beautiful and I really REALLY wanted to know what was being said, as everyone was laughing and even Izumi smiled.

And it hit me.

This is 2015. I have the internet. Why not learn? Oh, but it will be so hard... I have heard that. And to borrow words from John F. Kennedy, "Not because it is easy, but because it is hard." Not exactly what he said, or meant. Can't really compare landing on the moon the learning a language, but in the same vein, why not do it?

I have time. Or, if it is something that I care about, then I will make time.

And I do care.

I care passionately.

Because the desire to learn to listen to an interview or two (or 300), pales in comparison to the things I have learned about a place I have always wanted to visit.

And I will go.

And I will be able to speak the native language.

I will be able to show respect to a culture that has always fascinated me.

So, no matter the reason, you CAN do it! The mind in a tremendous thing. Use it to it's fullest potential!

Hello!
こんにちは！

I have started this as a diary of sorts into my learning of what I consider to be one of the most beautiful languages in the world.

I started this journey a couple of months ago. Maybe as long as three months. I feel as if I should have marked the day in some way, but I didn't. And I know that I will regret it as I look back in maybe 9 months and want to celebrate the distance I have traveled. Oh well.

So, to date, I can read the Hiragana, or ひらがな really well. Still not as fast as I would like, especially once I run into something like しょ or ちゅ or the worst... りゅ. I tend to have to pause a bit more and flip it around in my head. But it will get there.

The カタカナ , Katakana, I can read as well, but not as fast. I haven't used that one as much. Though that is about to change.

One of the things that I do to help the Kana stick in my head is find romaji lyrics to my favorite Japanese songs and then transcribe then into the Kana. Well, in addition to using them to help learn the songs, which in turn, I THINK helps with pronunciation.

I have about 150 words in my vocabulary, which isn't a lot, but it grows everyday. It would be more, but I am at a crossroads. Focus on Kanji, or new vocabulary?

I am pretty proud of my Kanji knowledge. I know about 120 on sight and know what they mean. And of those, I know the Kunyomi and Onyomi of about 50 of them.

I am hoping to make friends with those on this journey as well, and to be inspired and to inspire others. Maybe we can trade tips on remembering or things that worked for them.

What do you find to be your most difficult challenge? For me, for what ever reason, it is particles. Not wa, or は (in this case). That one is easy enough. But others give me fits. I find Kanji easier than keeping the particles straight in my head.

Please feel free to comment! But what ever you do, enjoy your journey into the language!