Wired in Japan - Learning Japanese

Using Memrise to learn Japanese

2011-05-22T12:58:00.003-05:00

I recently came across an interesting new online learning tool called Memrise. You can use it to study a variety of languages, but I have been using it to practice Japanese. Below is a short introduction and preview to Memrise, that I created to show how I use it to study Japanese.

View on YouTube.

So far, I've created a couple lessons of my own, which I will feature here on Wired in Japan. My lessons are focused on learning how to read Japanese in context, where Memrise helps to review vocabulary items and create visual connections between form and meaning.

You can find me on Memrise, here. I have a few lessons available, so sign up and give Memrise a try.

Plant those seeds!

Lend a Hand to Japan

2011-03-12T16:33:00.003-06:00

Everyone I know in Japan is alright, but there still is great damage to Japan and many people have lost their lives. Even though buildings were made to withstand an earthquake the flooding from the resulting tsunami is very bad, especially in the area near Sendai (close to the epicenter).

I donated to the Red Cross to help those in trouble. If you can help, please donate by texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10. Or by visiting this link: http://is.gd/fGUWVE

Last night I made the above poster to help with the situation in Japan. Because I am so far away, I feel like there is not much I can do to help. Hopefully many people will see this poster and they will help by donating as well.

You can view the poster here: http://is.gd/ro3Yjc . Please share it with your friends.

Wired Kana: Lesson 1

2011-01-07T21:08:00.027-06:00

Wired Kana is a series of lessons that will cover the basic Japanese alphabets, Hiragana and Katakana. Wired Kana: Lesson 1 starts with the 5 basic Japanese vowels; あ, い, う, え, お. These characters are the foundation for every other character in the series and vital for learning how to pronounce Japanese words.

To begin learning the Japanese characters, start by watching this instructional video.

Below is an example of each character, audio of its pronunciation, and a helpful way to remember it. Additionally, there's a chart showing each characters stroke order; showing how it looks when written.

How to remember:
The hiragana character あ looks like an apple.
The katakana character ア looks like an ice cream cone.

How to remember:
The hiragana character い looks like two eels.
The katakana character イ looks like an easel.

How to remember:
The hiragana character う looks like a sideways 'U'.
The katakana character ウ looks like the wick of a candle.

How to remember:
The hiragana character え looks like a person exercising.
The katakana character エ looks like an egg stand.

How to remember:
The hiragana character お looks like a surprised face.
The hiragana character オ looks like an old man with a long beard.

Listen to all the characters you learned in lesson 1.

Example audio and handwriting provided by Yuka Nishino.

Japanese Language Tools

2010-11-26T12:09:00.008-06:00

During my time learning Japanese, I've tried many resources and have found that there's not just one magical source, but that it takes a multitude of tools to cover all the bases; and some are better than others. Here's what I am using to learn Japanese:

Language class

I have never learned so much, in such a short amount of time. Not only do you get informed and specialized instruction, but also the opportunity to put what you're learning into practice. The course I took dedicated an entire class period per week to speaking, pronunciation and conversation. The lesson focused not on learning new vocabulary, but on taking what you've already learned that week, and putting it to use. The instructor would give us prompts, and we would give answers aloud, in front of the class. We would also work on conversational skills and dialogues in small groups or pairs.

Genki textbook

The Genki Japanese textbook is well designed and formatted, with a logical and well paced introduction of material. It does a good job at teaching vocabulary and providing the grammar necessary to put it to use. It's good in a classroom setting but can also be used for self-directed study.

Lang-8

Is a social network of language learners that revolves around writing journal entries in the language that you're studying. People who speak that language natively will then correct and comment on your writing. In turn, you are able to assist people who are learning the language you already know.

When I am writing something important like a letter or a blog post in Japanese, I post it on Lang-8 first. Almost immediately, native Japanese speakers will correct my mistakes in spelling and grammar, making my writing more accurate and overall more natural sounding. I am always surprised how quick and generous the users are on this site. Also, anyone can lend a hand because we're all native speakers of some language. Let's help each other learn.

~~Smart.fm~~

I am using this primarily to study kanji and practice the vocabulary I've already learned, but don't know 100%. There are many existing vocabulary lists and users can contribute lists of their own. Lately, I've been making my own lessons, tailored to my method of learning. Let's practice together.

Unfortunately, I am unable to endorse the smart.fm platform. They've decide to shutdown the free service, exploit user-generated content, and charge an unreasonable monthly fee. I suggest everyone to stay away from any future releases from Cerego.

Rosetta Stone

A good tool for learning vocabulary, basic grammar, and to practice pronunciation. It takes a well balance approach and I appreciate that I does not rely on English to teach new material. Although, I find it lacking the human interaction of a traditional Japanese language class.

Conversation group

A place to practice the things you've learned and actually put them to use. It's helpful for understanding practical Japanese and for getting over the anxiety of speaking; it's ok to make mistakes. It also acts as a support group, good for camaraderie and for keeping each other inspired. It's hard to toil away, learning a language on ones own; get out, make some friends and have a good time.

One Thousand Items

2010-11-25T21:51:00.005-06:00

I have finally studied 1,000 words in Japanese on Smart.fm. It has been about 2 and a half years of studying Japanese and I have sure come a long way, far more than 1,000 words could ever begin to express. I think this is a great opportunity for me to reflect on what I've learned and where I've been.

The beginning:

To be honest, like many other Japanese learners, anime got me into Japanese. When in middle school, I watched Dragon Ball Z and Gundam Wing, everyday. It was dubbed in English and I knew it came from Japan, but back then I was more interested in anime than where it came from.

In high school, anything that was animated was clearly uncool. It was just time to grow out of "cartoons".

Some years later, after starting college, I decided to return home for the summer and, bored out of my wits, Naruto happened to be airing on television. It reminded me of the action and dynamics of DBZ, with a whole lot less charging up. Once the reruns kicked in, I wanted more and the only way to get more was to watch them in Japanese.

The subtitles picked my interest and I began trying to match the English text with the Japanese audio. And what are the easiest words to learn? Curse words! When character makes a short exclamation, it's easy to pick words out and gather their meaning. My first words in Japanese? Sugoi, baka, and Ikuzo... valuable to this day. Luckily, it got me into bigger and better things.

Today:

I came to college to study graphic design and I have a passion for the visual arts. With this new found interest in Japan and the language, it only made sense to combine the two. Japan has some incredibly stunning graphic work, and even though I still watch anime from time to time, it is graphic design that enabled me to visit Japan and what keeps my interest in the language.

My school has an exchange program with a design school in Osaka, so I applied and I got accepted. The semester prior to leaving, an introductory language course was required, and I am sure glad I took it. I had unsuccessfully taken Spanish classes in high school and didn't learn a thing, but this on the other hand, was the best educational experience I've ever had. I learned that when one has the will and purpose for learning, they can learn anything. The class gave me the framework that I would later put to use in Japan, making all the difference in the world.

During the spring and summer of 2010, I started school in Osaka. All my courses were taught in Japanese, the students and staff spoke Japanese, my host family spoke Japanese. There were very few people who spoke enough English to have a conversation or even help me when I needed it. With that consideration, I spoke Japanese. I wasn't good or particularly sophisticated, but I could be understood and to my surprise, I could even have entire conversations in Japanese. It is the most satisfying experience to chat with a new person, only to realize afterwards, that you hadn't even used a word of English.

Now that I am back in the States, I have continued my study of Japanese. To prepare for going to Japan, I focused on survival. Now, I have the time to invest into the long-term study of the language. Thus, I've been dedicating time to reading Japanese and learning the kanji, which takes time. In addition, I've established a group to keep up my spoken aptitudes; something that's hard to do outside of Japan. And luckily, a friend I made in Osaka was able to experience the exchange the following semester, at the school I attend in the States. She's been instrumental in keeping up my studies, because she's the only one who's native language is Japanese; like a little piece of Japan, far away from home.

In the future:

I hope to return to Japan one day, and now that graduation is looming, those decisions will soon have to be made. I've met a few people who've had good experience with JET and although it is a consideration, that's not my goal at the moment.

On the other hand, I am using my design skills to create work using the Japanese language. What I've been studying in college is something that could make a path to Japan, either professionally or to continue my studies in grad school.

But lately, I have been expanding my interest in Japanese graphic design and turning it into more formal research (a blog called Gurafiku). A professor of mine was able to conduct research in Japan on a Fulbright scholarship and that is an opportunity I would love to work towards.

Either way, this is only the beginning. I'll make it back one day, on my own terms, when the time is right. Here's to the future and to many thousand new words and new experiences. Banzai!

Wired Kanji - Kyōiku Grade 1

2010-11-25T19:53:00.005-06:00

The Japanese Ministry of Education developed a list of kanji called the Kyōiku kanji, divided into six grades, that children should learn during elementary school. I was familiar with the Jōyō kanji, for high schoolers, but always found it to be way overwhelming. It turns out that the Kyōiku kanji is the foundation that they add characters on, to make the Jōyō kanji list. The Kyōiku list is comprise of many commonly used and basic kanji that are good to know when reading and writing. Since it's an elementary level list, it makes a good place to begin learning kanji.

I looked through the list and found that I already knew many of them. To practice, I made a list of the grade 1 kanji and decided to include other common words that use the same basic kanji; ones that I might run into while reading.

Here are the grade 1 Kyōiku kanji and my own helpful additions.

一　ー　いち　ー　One　

二　ー　に　ー　Two

三　ー　さん　ー　Three

四　ー　し　ー　Four

五　ー　ご　ー　Five

六　ー　ろく　ー　Six

七　ー　しち　ー　Seven

八　ー　はち　ー　Eight

九　ー　きゅう　ー　Nine

十　ー　じゅう　ー　Ten

百　ー　ひゃく　ー　Hundred

千　ー　せん　ー　Thousand

上　ー　うえ　ー　Above

下　ー　した　ー　Below

左　ー　ひだり　ー　Left

右　ー　みぎ　ー　Right

中　ー　なか　ー　Inside

中国　ー　ちゅうごく　ー　China

大きい　ー　おおきい　ー　Large

大好き　ー　大好き　ー　Like a lot

小さい　ー　ちさい　ー　Small

月　ー　つき　ー　Month, Moon

#月　ー　がつ　ー　# Month

日　ー　ひ　ー　Day

#日　ー　にち　ー　# Day

年　ー　とし　　ー　Year

#年　ー　ねん　　ー　# Year

早い　ー　はやい　ー　Quick

早く　ー　はやく　ー　Hurry!

木　ー　き　ー　Tree

木の葉　ー　このは　ー　Foliage

木曜日　ー　もくようび　ー　Thursday

林　ー　はやし　ー　Woods

山　ー　やま　ー　Mountain

川　ー　かわ　ー　River

土　ー　つち　ー　Soil

お土産　ー　おみやげ　ー　Souviner

土曜日　ー　どようび　ー　Saturday

空　ー　そら　ー　Sky

空手　ー　からて　ー　Karate

空気　ー　くうき　ー　Air

田　ー　た　ー　Rice Paddy

稲田　ー　いなだ　ー　Rice Field

田舎　ー　いなか　ー　Country side

天　ー　てん　ー　Heavens

天気　ー　てんき　ー　Weather

生　ー　なま　ー　Raw

生きる　ー　いきる　ー　to live

生む　ー　うむ　ー　to give birth

花　ー　はな　ー　Flower

花火　ー　はなび　ー　Fireworks

草　ー　くさ　ー　Grass

虫　ー　むし　ー　Bug

犬　ー　いぬ　ー　Dog

人　ー　ひと　ー　Person

〜人　ー　〜じん　ー　Denotes nationality

＃人　ー　＃にん　ー　Number of people

人生　ー　じんせい　ー　Life

人間　ー　にんげん　ー　Human

人類　ー　じんるい　ー　Humanity

名　ー　な　ー　Name

名前　ー　なまえ　ー　Given name

名字　ー　みょうじ　ー　Family name

名刺　ー　めいし　ー　Business card

名詞　ー　めいし　ー　Noun

女　ー　おんな　ー　Woman

女の子　ー　おんなのこ　ー　Girl

女らしい　ー　おんならしい　ー　Feminine

男　ー　おとこ　ー　Man

男の子　ー　おとこのこ　ー　Boy

男らしい　ー　おとこらしい　ー　Masculine

子　ー　こ　ー　Child

子供　ー　こども　ー　Child

目　ー　め　ー　Eye

耳　ー　みみ　ー　Ear

口　ー　くち　ー　Mouth

手　ー　て　ー　Hand

手首　ー　てくび　ー　Wrist

手紙　ー　てがみ　ー　Letter

手製　ー　てせい　ー　Handmade

足　ー　あし　ー　Leg/Foot

足首　ー　あしくび　ー　Ankle

足す　ー　たす　ー　to add

見る　ー　みる　ー　to see

見解　ー　けんかい　ー　Opinion

音　ー　おん　ー　Sound

音楽　ー　おんがく　ー　Music

音量　ー　おんりょう　ー　Volumn

力　ー　ちから　ー　Power

力強い　ー　ちからつよい　ー　Powerful

気　ー　き　ー　Spirit

気持ち　ー　きもち　ー　Feeling

気難しい　ー　きむずかしい　ー　Hard to please

円　ー　えん　ー　Yen

入る　ー　はいる　ー　to enter

入れ墨　ー　いれずみ　ー　tattoo

出る　ー　でる　ー　to exit

立つ　ー　たつ　ー　to stand

休む　ー　やすむ　ー　to rest

休み　ー　やすみ　ー　Vacation

休業　ー　きゅうぎょう　ー　Closed

先　ー　さき　ー　Previous

先祖　ー　せんぞ　ー　Ancestors

先生　ー　せんせい　ー　Teacher

夕　ー　ゆう　ー　Evening

夕焼け　ー　ゆうやけ　ー　Sunset

本　ー　ほん　ー　Book

本屋　ー　ほんや　ー　Bookstore

文　ー　ふみ　ー　Writing

文字　ー　もじ　ー　Letter (alphabet)

文学　ー　ぶんがく　ー　Literature

字　ー　じ　ー　Character

字幕　ー　じまく　ー　Subtitle

字体　ー　じたい　ー　Typography

学ぶ　ー　まなぶ　ー　to study

校　ー　こう　ー　School

校長　ー　こうちょう　ー　Principal

村　ー　むら　ー　Village

町　ー　まち　ー　City

森　ー　もり　ー　Forest

正しい　ー　ただしい　ー　Correct

水　ー　みず　ー　Water

火　ー　ひ　ー　Fire

玉　ー　たま　ー　Ball

珠玉　ー　しゅぎょく　ー　Jewel

王様　ー　おうさま　ー　King

石　ー　いし　ー　Stone

竹　ー　たけ　ー　Bamboo

糸　ー　いと　ー　Thread

貝　ー　かい　ー　Shellfish

車　ー　くるま　ー　Car

金　ー　きん　ー　Gold

お金　ー　おかね　ー　Money

雨　ー　あめ　ー　Rain

赤い　ー　あかい　ー　Red

青い　ー　あおい　ー　Blue

白い　ー　しろい　ー　White

For a more interactive lesson, try practicing them on Smart.fm.

Looking for more Kanji lessons?

Try the other Wired Kanji lessons

Still working on Hiragana/Katakana?

Try the Wired Kana lessons

Wired Kanji - Lesson 4

2010-11-20T20:44:00.013-06:00

Dialogue:

すみません。マクドナルドはどこですか。あのデパートの前ですよ。ありがとうございます。

ただいま。おかえりなさい。映画はどうでしたか。見ませんでした。彼は来ませんでした。えっ、どうしてですか。わかりません。だから、一人で本屋とお寺に行きました。人がたくさんいましたか。はい。お寺で写真をたくさん撮りました。デパートにも行きました。お土産てす。ありがとうございます。あっ、メアリーさん、さっき電話がありましたよ。

今日来ませんでしたね。行きましたよ。ハーゲンダッツの前で一時間待ちました。えっ。ハーゲンダッツじゃありませんよ。マクドナルドですよ。マクドナルド…　ごめなさい！

あのデパートの前ですよ。

あの　デパート　の　まえ　です　よ。

In front of that department store over there.

前　ー　まえ　ー　in front

映画はどうでしたか。

えいが　は　どう　でした　か。

How was the movie?

映画　ー　えいが　ー　movie

見ませんでした。

みません　でした。

I didn't see it.

見ませんでした　ー　みませんでした　ー　didn't see

彼は来ませんでした。

かれ　は　きません　でした。

He didn't come.

彼　ー　かれ　ー　He

来ませんでした　ー　きませんでした　ー　didn't come

一人で本屋とお寺に行きました。

ひとり　で　ほんや　と　おてら　に　いきました。

I went to a book shop and a temple by myself.

一人　ー　ひとり　ー　Alone

本屋　ー　ほんや　ー　Book shop

お寺　ー　おてら　ー　Temple

行きました　ー　いきました　ー　Went

人がたくさんいましたか。

ひと　が　たくさん　いました　か。

Were there many people there?

人　ー　ひと　ー　People

お寺で写真をたくさん撮りました。

おてら　で　しゃしん　を　たくさん　とりました。

At the temple I took many photographs.

お寺　ー　おてら　ー　Temple

写真　ー　しゃしん　ー　Photograph

撮りました　ー　とりました　ー　Took

デパートにも行きました。

デパーと　に　も　いきました。

I also went to the department store.

行きました　ー　いきました　ー　Went

お土産です。

おみやげ　です。

Here's a souvenir.

お土産　ー　おみやげ　ー　souvenir

さっき電話がありましたよ。

さっき　でんわ　が　ありました　よ。

A while ago, there was a phone call for you.

電話　ー　でんわ　ー　Telephone

今日来ませんでしたね。

きょう　きません　でした　ね。

Today, you didn't come did you.

今日　ー　きょう　ー　Today

来ませんでした　ー　きませんでした　ー　Didn't come

ハーゲンダッツの前で一時間待ちました。

ハーゲンダッツ　の　まえ　で　いちじ　かん　まちました。

I waited in front of Haagen-Dazs for an hour.

前　ー　まえ　ー　in front

一時間　ー　いちじかん　ー　For 1 hour

待ちました　ー　まちました　ー　Waited

Review:

前　ー　まえ　ー　in front

映画　ー　えいが　ー　movie

見ませんでした　ー　みませんでした　ー　didn't see

来ませんでした　ー　きませんでした　ー　didn't come

一人　ー　ひとり　ー　alone

本屋　ー　ほんや　ー　Book shop

お寺　ー　おてら　ー　Temple

行きました　ー　いきました　ー　went

人　ー　ひと　ー　People

お寺　ー　おてら　ー　Temple

写真　ー　しゃしん　ー　Photograph

撮りました　ー　とりました　ー　took

行きました　ー　いきました　ー　went

電話　ー　でんわ　ー　Telephone

お土産　ー　おみやげ　ー　Gift

今日　ー　きょう　ー　Today

彼　ー　かれ　ー　He

来ませんでした　ー　きませんでした　ー　didn't come

前　ー　まえ　ー　in front

一時間　ー　いちじかん　ー　for 1 hour

待ちました　ー　まちました　ー　waited

For a more interactive experience, try this lesson on Smart.fm.

Looking for more Kanji lessons?

Try the other Wired Kanji lessons

Still working on Hiragana/Katakana?

Try the Wired Kana lessons

Wired Kana - Blank Japanese Practice Sheets

2010-11-16T13:55:00.008-06:00

Download the
Blank Japanese practice sheets (49kb pdf)

A great way to test your ability to recall Hiragana and Katakana from memory, is to try writing the characters without any images for reference. If you're able to completely write the alphabets by hand, you'll be able to read them when you come across Hiragana or Katakana in Japanese writing.

Try using this blank Japanese practice sheet to test your memory. It's best to write out all of characters in order and when you come to a character that you can't remember, skip it and move on to the next one. When you finish the entire alphabet, you can see which characters you systematically forget.

It has been a long time since I've needed to practice Hiragana and Katakana. I've done so many of these sheets that there is no way I'll ever forget these characters. To read about my earlier experiences while learning Hiragana and Katakana, take a look at this old post: Think you know your Kana?

Download the
Blank Japanese practice sheets (49kb pdf)

If your not at this level yet, be sure to use these Hiragana and Katakana practice sheets. Or, if you think Kana are too basic, try Wired Kanji lesson 1.

Wired Kana - Hiragana and Katakana Practice Sheets

2010-11-10T14:19:00.032-06:00

Learning Hiragana and Katakana, the Japanese alphabets, really helped me while navigating Japan and now that I'm trying to learn to read Japanese, they're helping me to understand Kanji. The sooner I was able to stop using romaji, and switch to writing Japanese in Hiragana and Katakana, the more Japanese I was able to understand and read.

To practice Hiragana and Katakana, my Japanese tutor, Rio Sensei, suggested I use practice sheets and write the characters over and over again. After all that practice, there's no way I'll ever forget a character.

Download:
Hiragana and Katakana Practice Sheets
(300kb PDF)

Or get them on the Wired in Japan Flickr.

The handwriting was generously drafted by a native hand, good friend and graphic designer, Yuka Nishino.

Wired Kanji - Lesson 3

2010-10-19T12:48:00.009-05:00

Dialogue:

週末はたいてい何をしますか。そうですね。たいていうちで勉強します。でも、ときどき映画を見ます。そうですか。じゃあ、土曜日に映画を見ませんか。土曜日はちょっと…　じゃあ、日曜日はどうですか。いいですね。

おはようございます。おはよう。早いですね。ええ、今日は京都に行きます。京都で映画を見ます。いいですね。何時ごろ帰りますか。九時ごろです。晩ごはんは？食べません。そうですか。じゃあ、いってらっしゃい。いってきます。

週末はたいてい何をしますか。

しゅうまつ　は　たいてい　なに　を　します　か。

What do you normally do on the weekend?

週末　ー　しゅうまつ　ー　Weekend

何　ー　なに　ー　What

たいていうちで勉強します。

たいてい　うち　で　べんきょうします。

I usually study at home.

勉強します　ー　べんきょうします　ー　Study

ときどき映画を見ます。

ときどき　えいが　を　みます。

Sometimes I watch movies.

映画　ー　えいが　ー　Movie

見ます　ー　みます　ー　Watch

土曜日に映画を見ませんか。

どようび　に　えいが　を　みません　か。

You wouldn't like to see a movie on Saturday, would you?

土曜日　ー　どようび　ー　Saturday

映画　ー　えいが　ー　Movie

見ません　ー　みません　ー　Don't watch

土曜日はちょっと…

どようび　は　ちょっと...

Saturday is a little difficult.

土曜日　ー　どようび　ー　Saturday

日曜日はどうですか。

にちようび　は　どう　です　か。

How is Sunday?

日曜日　ー　にちようび　ー　Sunday

早いですね。

はいやい　です　ね。

You're up early, aren't you.

早い　ー　はやい　ー　Quick, early

今日は京都に行きます。

きょう　は　きょうと　に　いきます。

Today, I'm going to Kyoto.

今日　ー　きょう　ー　Today

京都　ー　きょうと　ー　Kyoto

行きます　ー　いきます　ー　Go

京都で映画を見ます。

きょうと　で　えいが　を　みます。

In Kyoto, I'll watch a movie.

京都　ー　きょうと　ー　Kyoto

映画　ー　えいが　ー　Movie

見ます　ー　みます　ー　Watch

何時ごろ帰りますか。

なんじ　ごろ　かえります　か。

What time will you come home?

何時　ー　なんじ　ー　What time

帰ります　ー　かえります　ー　Return

九時ごろです。

くじ　ごろ　です。

Around 9:00.

九時　ー　くじ　ー　9:00

晩ごはんは？

ばんごはん　は？

What about dinner?

晩ごはん　ー　ばんごはん　ー　Dinner

食べません。

たべません。

I won't be eating.

食べません　ー　たべません　ー　Wont eat

Review:

週末　ー　しゅうまつ　ー　Weekend

何　ー　なに　ー　What

勉強します　ー　べんきょうします　ー　Study

映画　ー　えいが　ー　Movie

見ます　ー　みます　ー　Watch

土曜日　ー　どようび　ー　Saturday

映画　ー　えいが　ー　Movie

見ません　ー　みません　ー　Don't watch

土曜日　ー　どようび　ー　Saturday

日曜日　ー　にちようび　ー　Sunday

早い　ー　はやい　ー　Quick, early

今日　ー　きょう　ー　Today

京都　ー　きょうと　ー　Kyoto

行きます　ー　いきます　ー　Go

京都　ー　きょうと　ー　Kyoto

映画　ー　えいが　ー　Movie

見ます　ー　みます　ー　Watch

何時　ー　なんじ　ー　What time

帰ります　ー　かえります　ー　Return

九時　ー　くじ　ー　9:00

晩ごはん　ー　ばんごはん　ー　Dinner

食べません　ー　たべません　ー　Wont eat

For a more interactive experience, try this lesson on Smart.fm.

Other lessons in the Wired Kanji series:

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Wired Kanji - Lesson 2

2010-10-15T09:23:00.009-05:00

Continuing with my kanji studies, here are some more basic Japanese dialogues. To learn more about they way I'm studying kanji and some extra practice, see Lesson 1.

Lesson 2

Dialogue:

すみません。これはいくらですか。それは三千円です。高いですね。じゃあ、あの時計はいくらでか。あれは三千五百円です。そうですか。あれも高いです。これは千八百円ですよ。じゃあ、その時計をください。

これは誰の財布ですか。私の財布です。ありがとうございます。

いらっしゃいませ。メニューをどうぞ。どうも。これは何ですか。どれですか。ああ、トンカツです。トンカツ？魚ですか。いいえ、魚じゃありません。肉です。美味しいですよ。じゃあ、これをお願いします。

すみません、お手洗いはどこですか。あそこです。

それは三千円です。

それ　は　さんぜん　えん　です。

This is 3,000 yen.

三千　ー　さんぜん　ー　3,000

円　ー　えん　ー　Yen

高いですね。

たかい　です　ね。

Expensive, isn't it?

高い　ー　たかい　ー　Expensive

あの時計はいくらでか。

あの　とけい　は　いくら　です　か。

How much is that watch?

時計　ー　とけい　ー　Watch

あれは三千五百円です。

あれ　は　さんぜん　ごひゃく　えん　です。

That's 3,500 yen.

三千　ー　さんぜん　ー　3,000

五百　ー　ごひゃく　ー　500

円　ー　えん　ー　Yen

あれも高いです。

あれ　も　たかい　です。

That's also expensive.

高い　ー　たかい　ー　Expensive

これは千八百円ですよ。

これ　は　せん　はっぴゃく　えん　ですよ。

This is 1,800 yen.

千　ー　せん　ー　1,000

八百　ー　はっぴゃく　ー　800

円　ー　えん　ー　Yen

これは誰の財布ですか。

これ　は　だれ　の　さいふ　です　か。

Who's wallet is this?

誰　ー　だれ　ー　Who?

財布　ー　さいふ　ー　Wallet

私の財布です。

わたし　の　さいふ　です。

It's my wallet.

私　ー　わたし　ー　My

財布　ー　さいふ　ー　Wallet

これは何ですか。

これ　は　なん　です　か。

What is this?

何　ー　なん　ー　What?

魚です。

さかな　です。

It's fish.

魚　ー　さかな　ー　Fish

肉です。

にく　です。

It's meat.

肉　ー　にく　ー　Meat

美味しいですよ。

おいしい　です　よ。

It's delicious!

美味しい　ー　おいしい　ー　Delicious

これをお願いします。

これ　を　おねがいします。

I'll have this please.

お願いします　ー　おねがいします　ー　Please (polite)

お手洗いはどこですか。

おてあらい　は　どこ　です　か。

Where is the washroom?

お手洗い　ー　おてあらい　ー　Washroom

Review:

三千　ー　さんぜん　ー　3,000

円　ー　えん　ー　Yen

高い　ー　たかい　ー　Expensive

時計　ー　とけい　ー　Watch

三千　ー　さんぜん　ー　3,000

五百　ー　ごひゃく　ー　500

円　ー　えん　ー　Yen

高い　ー　たかい　ー　Expensive

千　ー　せん　ー　1,000

八百　ー　はっぴゃく　ー　800

円　ー　えん　ー　Yen

誰　ー　だれ　ー　Who?

財布　ー　さいふ　ー　Wallet

私　ー　わたし　ー　My

財布　ー　さいふ　ー　Wallet

何　ー　なん　ー　What?

魚　ー　さかな　ー　Fish

肉　ー　にく　ー　Meat

美味しい　ー　おいしい　ー　Delicious

お願いします　ー　おねがいします　ー　Please (polite)

お手洗い　ー　おてあらい　ー　Washroom

For a more interactive experience, try this lesson on Smart.fm.

Other lessons in the Wired Kanji series:

Lesson 1

Lesson 3

Wired Kanji - Lesson 1

2010-10-14T09:23:00.020-05:00

I have been having difficulty learning kanji, as I wrote in my previous post, but this time I have a solution. I want to learn kanji not as isolated characters, but rather how I might see them in a sentence; my goal is to learn how to read. Adam Rotmil suggested that I use paragraphs and dialogues to practice learning kanji in context.

My strategy:

Below is a Japanese dialogue that I am using to learn kanji. I know all the vocabulary, but I don't know any of their kanji. I start with the raw dialogue and read through it the best I can. I usually don't know them all. I then extract the sentences with kanji and subtitle them in hiragana. After, I focus on entire words using kanji, notated with hiragana and given an English translation; NO ROMAJI. And finally, I review the entire list of words used. For more practice, I created a lesson on Smart.fm. Kanji Focus Mode really makes a difference.

Notice that sometimes vocabulary items are repeated. I figure the more they are used, the more frequent I'll see them while reading.

Lesson 1

Dialogue:

すみません。今何時ですか。十二時半です。ありがとうございます。いいえ。

あの、留学生ですか。ええ、アリゾナ大学の学生です。そうですか。専門は何ですか。日本語です。今二年生です。

今何時ですか。

いま　なんじ　です　か。

What time is it now?

今　ー　いま　ー　Now

何時　ー　なんじ　ー　What time?

十二時半です。

じゅうにじ　はん　です。

It's 12:30.

十二時　ー　じゅうにじ　ー　12:00

半　ー　はん　ー　Half

留学生ですか。

りゅうがくせい　です　か。

Are you an international student?

留学生　ー　りゅうがくせい　ー　International Student

アリゾナ大学の学生です。

アリゾナ　だいがく　の　がくせい　です。

I'm a student of Arizona University.

大学　ー　だいがく　ー　College

学生　ー　がくせい　ー　Student

専門は何ですか。

せんもん　は　なん　です　か。

What's your speciality?

専門　ー　せんもん　ー　Speciality

何　ー　なん　ー　What?

日本語です。

にほんご　です。

It's Japanese.

日本語　ー　にほんご　ー　Japanese (Language)

今二年生です。

いま　にねんせい　です。

Now, I'm a sophomore.

今　ー　いま　ー　Now

二年生　ー　にねんせい　ー　Sophmore

Review:

今　ー　いま　ー　Now

何時　ー　なんじ　ー　What time?

十二時　ー　じゅうにじ　ー　12:00

半　ー　はん　ー　Half

留学生　ー　りゅうがくせい　ー　International Student

大学　ー　だいがく　ー　College

学生　ー　がくせい　ー　Student

専門　ー　せんもん　ー　Speciality

何　ー　なん　ー　What?

日本語　ー　にほんご　ー　Japanese (Language)

今　ー　いま　ー　Now

二年生　ー　にねんせい　ー　Sophmore

For a more interactive experience, try this lesson on Smart.fm.

Other lessons in the Wired Kanji series:

Lesson 2
Lesson 3

My Problem with Learning Kanji

2010-10-09T18:28:00.011-05:00

I want to learn kanji. I've already tried and failed a few times. But this time, I know I can do it.

I have a friend taking a Japanese class right now and it frustrates me to see how quickly she's able to pick up kanji. She'll be reading over some Japanese and say, "Oh, I know this one. It means...". Sure, I know the word when she says it, but I could never pull the character out of a sentence.

My problem:

Learning kanji is boring and putting it in use is a challenge.

I find the traditional way of learning kanji, a massive stack a flash cards with a single kanji on each, to be daunting at the very least. This seems strange to me because a single kanji has numerous readings and a multitude of related meanings.

My solution:

Learn kanji, not by the character itself, but by the words that they are used in. To see this in action, view Wired Kanji - Lesson 1.

I am able to have a basic conversation in Japanese and have a large enough vocabulary (with the help of a dictionary) to convey my thoughts through writing (with the help of a computer). I know all these words, their sounds and their meanings, yet I don't know the kanji that represents them.

Working with the words I already know, I can learn their kanji how they appear in a sentence.

For example:

私は新しい雑誌を読んでいます。

わたしはあたらしいざっしをよんでいます。

I am reading a new magazine.

I would learn the kanji for:

私 - わたし (I)

新しい - あたらしい (new)

雑誌 - ざっし (magazine)

読んでいます - よんでいます (reading)

Notice that each vocabulary item has a specific meaning. Some might be a single kanji, others might be multi-kanji pairs or a mix of kanji and hiragana. Yet, this is exactly how I would see them while reading.

I don't think there is a specific tool for learning kanji this way but I could use a list of the most common words used in Japanese writing. I also started a list of all the words I knew in Japanese, when I first began learning and it contains many basic words and phrases (when I went to Japan, I couldn't keep up). And as another tool, I purchased a handful of children's books written in Japanese from Book Off, that are written in kanji with furigana (notation in hiragana).

This is the best strategy, for me. This time, I will learn kanji.

A Measure of Proficiency

2010-08-11T07:48:00.003-05:00

日本語うまい
にほんごうまい
nihongo umai
Your Japanese is good

Today while visting Nara, I popped into a calligraphy shop and picked up all the necessary equipment to do some serious calligraphy. Japanese calligraphy, shodou in Japanese, is something I've been dabbling in since arriving in Japan. After a few months practice, I thought it was time to try the real deal.

It was a small shop in Naramachi, an old part of town, with an elderly gentleman selling his wares. I explained to him, in Japanese, that I like shodou, but that I'm not very good yet (mada jouzu ja arimasen). I've been using a basic brush pen, the Pentel Pocket Brush to be exact (a great pen all around), but I want to buy a beginners set.

Displaying his many years of experience, he proceeded to arrange all the materials I needed. He explained, in Japanese, that I'll need two brushes, one fat (futoi), to write the main characters, and one skinny (hosoi), to write your name. Also, a simple ink stone (suzuri) and a small ink block (sumi). Additionally, it turns out one also needs a writing mat (shitajiki) and a paper weight (bunchin).

I told him that I had been studying graphic design in Osaka and he threw in an extra brush. I thanked him politely (arigatou gozaimashita) and on my way out he complimented my Japanese. It was motivating to hear this. Being able to navigate through everyday situations and to have the ability to learn from and about other people is one of my greatest accomplishments.

It set me back 7000 yen, but it showed me that perhaps there are other ways of measuring ones proficiency in language rather than an exam and a pretty piece of paper. Although, when I get back to the States, I'll give the new JLPT 5 a try.

がんばります

Ganbarimasu

I'll do my best!

Vocab:

書道
しょどう
shodou
calligraphy

筆
ふで
fude
calligraphy brush

Speaking in Japan

2010-08-07T08:45:00.003-05:00

It has been a long time since the last post, over 5 months. During that time, I've been in Japan and haven't mentioned it once. I look back at the previous post and how I said that my weakest area was speaking Japanese. While in Japan, that's all I've been able to do.

As I may have mentioned previously, I am in Japan for a semester to study graphic design. All of my classes have been entirely in Japanese and all the friends I have made speak Japanese. Perhaps the one thing I appreciate most about coming to Japan, in regards to learning the language, is being pressured to communicate in Japanese all the time.

There are times, just after having a conversation with a friend or giving a presentation in class that I think to myself, surprised that I had just been speaking, entirely in Japanese, for the whole conversation. It is becoming a natural process, albeit not the most sophisticated. Although, as time has progressed, I am able to progress into deeper more substantial conversations about the things people have seen and done, what their family is like or things that are important to them.

I've made some good friends, learned many things (good and bad) and regret that I'll be leaving soon, too soon. I hope to write on some of my experiences in hindsight and plan to study the complexities, now that I've gotten over my apprehension of speaking and now knowing that I can be heard and understood.

Rosetta Stone: Japanese Speaking Lesson

2010-03-03T00:24:00.007-06:00

I'm currently using Rosetta Stone as a tool to learn Japanese. The weakest element of my Japanese language skill is speaking it. Thus, the speaking lessons included in Rosetta Stone is quite helpful and fun, albeit a little strange to practice in public. Here's an example of me practicing Japanese with Rosetta Stone's speaking lesson.

As you can see in the video, the lesson goes through basic words, handy phrases, as well as constructing your own sentences. It will first tell you how to say it in Japanese while showing you a relevant photo and writing it out in Japanese text (I have mine set to Japanese with Kanji and Furigana to help me read them). Then it allows you to give your best shot at speaking in Japanese. If you make a mistake, it will show you where, and allow you to say it again until you get it right. Finally it will say the phrase in Japanese one more time and then you're on the way to learning Japanese.

Even though I sometimes trip-up and make some mistakes (you can't drink a book), it's good to start thinking in Japanese and speaking as much as possible.

Japanese Youtube Collection

2010-02-24T21:46:00.003-06:00

I've been collecting Youtube videos that are either in Japanese or about Japan in some way. As it turns out, I've reached the limit for favorite videos; a total of 660 videos. Thus I've decided to clean them up, remove the dead videos, and sort them into playlists.

Watch all the Japanese videos on my Youtube Channel.

It's a great way to practice your listening comprehension skills. It's helpful because you get to hear native speakers talking at full speed. Although, I can't say I understand much of it yet.

Some videos have subtitles, some don't, but I have found that if you give a video without subtitles a chance, there's a lot you can learn, even though you might not understand every word. The next time you run across a video in Japanese without subtitles, take a minute to watch the speakers expressions, mannerisms, and body language. You'll be amazed at how much you really know.

Peter Rabbit in Japanese

2010-02-15T09:04:00.005-06:00

The website Wired for Books has a wonderful selection of Beatrix Potter books translated into Japanese. The most familiar of her writings is of course Peter Rabbit.

Although these books do include some kanji, children's books typically are a great way to practice reading Japanese. It's hard to jump into reading manga in Japanese because the writing level is too high for beginners; you spend more time flipping through the dictionary, rather than the story.

Try starting the classic Peter Rabbit.

Ryan the Wired is going to Japan

2009-11-18T23:15:00.004-06:00

Above: These will be my classmates. I’m in for a wild ride!

I'm going to Japan! The interview to study abroad went really well. I introduced myself in Japanese (a surefire way to impress the panel) and got a lot of good advice. Primarily, be open to new experiences and take advantage of all the resources available to me both at Sozosha (Soh.zoh.sha) and my home school. Also, another student, Tara, who's an illustrator, is going as well. We've form a small band of language learners and speakers, working with a tutor, Rio Sensei, and one of my Japanese obsessed instructors, on the side.

For Japan, I'm planning on going out at the beginning of March, Spend about a month in Tokyo so I can adjust to the culture, and take a language class to really immerse myself in the language to prepare myself for school. I'm going to stay with a host family, rather that trying to navigate a month in hostiles and the like. It will also give me time to scope out the Japanese creative scene. One of my instructors has a connection in Tokyo at a design and animation studio called Tokyo Lab. They don't specifically do what I do but the founders were both educated at American design schools and work bilingually. They'll be a good insight into what its like to be a creative in Japan and help me know who I need to know.

Then I'll head out to Osaka at the beginning of April to start my design classes at Sozosha. There, I'll also be staying with a host family, who will be indispensable in navigating my way through my time there. Let me tell ya, I'm looking forward to some good Japanese eats. I'm going to approach it with an open mind and try as much as possible. A vegetarian open to new things; a flexitarian. Our group went to a Japanese restaurant, the most delicious in town, and Rio taught us manners. I had what is called a Donburi. They vary in ingredients, but mine consisted of a bowl with a bottom layer of rice, with tempura vegetables piled on top. Osaka is known to be the place for food and the place for the arts; a perfect combination. Classes at Sozosha go until August. Then I'll fly back to home and start up classes again at the very end of August.

Hard work is paying off; cant wait to jetset to the other side of the globe.

Asking "how to say" in Japanese

2009-09-18T18:08:00.003-05:00

Today in Japanese class our sensei introduced us to a handy phrase, giving us the ability to ask how to say something, that we don't already know, in Japanese.

__ はにほんごでなんといいますか。
__ wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka?
How do I say __ in Japanese?

Q:
Glassesはにほんごでなんといいますか。
Glasses wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka?
How do you say Glasses in Japanese?

A:
めがねいいます。
megane iimasu.
You say megane.

This phrase is handy, especially when talking to a teacher, because they are able to take your english request and parse it into Japanese.

When in Japan, I know I will be using this phrase all the time, but my Japanese host family probably wont understand English. Thus this helpful modification is appropriate:

Q:
これはにほんごでなんといいますか。
kore wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka?
What is this called in Japanese?

A:
それはほんです。
sore wa hon desu.
That's a book.

The next time you're not sure how to say a word in Japanese, don't be afraid to ask. Just us this valuable phrase.

Elementary Japanese 101

2009-09-08T12:56:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow marks the first day of my institutionally structured journey to better understand the Japanese language. I will be taking Elementary Japanese 101 at a local liberal arts college, in addition to my current education at design school. The course is a requirement in order to study abroad, yet one that I am looking forward to.

We will be using the Nakama Japanese textbook and workbook. Together, they were over $100 used at the bookstore. Hello Amazon.

In my self guided study, as well as working with my Japanese tutor, we worked with the Genki textbook. Genki was accessible and tried to make learning the language fun, overall a good textbook. Solely judging by the cover of Nakama, it looks strictly business. Hopefully as we progress, it will open up a bit.

Looking forward to meeting my fellow classmates and studying hard.

As usual, がんばります！(I'll do my best!)

Think You Know Your Kana?

2009-08-10T18:58:00.010-05:00

While learning the Japanese Language, I've often been asked if I know hiragana and katakana; It is a good way to measure a beginner Japanese learner's skill level. I would always answer that I knew my kana well; I knew the phonetic sounds and how to write Japanese characters on my computer.

Yet when I was asked by my Japanese tutor, Rio Sensei, who is thankfully very specific in regards to learning the Japanese language, I thought, no problem. Yet, there's a twist: write them out, by hand, without any reference. Fail. I knew how to write some of the characters, but many I simply drew a mental blank.

Thus, Rio provided me a handy sheet for practicing hiragana and katakana. Over my time learning Japanese, I've completed over 80 sheets of kana practice. That's approximately 12,300 individually written kana; does your arm hurt after that. This is over a time span of about five months now.

That said, there are a few pesky kana, particularly katakana, that I blank on. While the previous kana worksheets are great for learning form and order, I have devised a new work sheet to help with memorization; unaided recall.

This new sheet has no sample kana to sample from; it is just you and your memory. I like to stream through all the hiragana then katakana, in proper order, then start again on the next line. If I blank, I leave a space and move on. It's good for keeping track of the characters you forget.

Get the blank practice sheet here

Now I know that I frequently forget: め(me), も(mo) in hiragana and ヌ(nu), ネ(ne), メ(me), モ(mo), ル(ru), レ(re) in katakana.

What hiragana and katakana do you seem to always forget?

My Japanese Coach Review.

2009-08-09T15:53:00.003-05:00

Many people seem to be using the Nintendo DS video game My Japanese Coach to learn the Japanese language, so I thought I would give it a play.

I have been learning Japanese, self studying, for some time now. Thus in the placement test, I tested into lesson five.

The placement test gives you a series of, at the most, 50 some questions. If you get two incorrect answers in a row, the test ends and you get placed in the appropriate lesson. The part that I fumbled up on was the days of the week. I should know them by know, so I am glad that’s where I’m starting out. The days of the week are an important thing to know.

The video game My Japanese Coach is a great resource as an introduction to the Japanese Language. It is fun and easy to get into. It starts you out with English spellings of Japanese words (romaji) and as you progress becomes written with Japanese characters (hiragana, katakana, kanji).

My only qualm is about the necessity of romaji for continued learning. It serves its role in making this game accessible, but is a crutch in the long run; if your learning a foreign language, you should use the proper characters. Thus, my word of advice: learn hiragana and katakana as soon as possible and get away from romaji just as quick.

Overall a fun game. がんばって！ (Do your best!)

See more progress on: Learn Japanese

Japanese Designers.

2009-08-09T14:54:00.002-05:00

Japanese designers, architects, engenieers, creatives, and thinkers from Kenya Hara’s book Designing Design
shigeru ban
masahiko sato
kengo kuma
kaoru mende
kosuke tsumura
naoto fukasawa
norihide imagawa
tadasu ohe
akio okumura
kaoru kasai
kanji hayashi
mayumi miyawaki
shin sobue
toyo ito
shuhei hasado
yasuhiro suzuki
shunji yamanaka
keiko hirano
masayo ave
reiko sudo
kazunari hattori
/

See more progress on: Learn Japanese

Wired in Japan: Icon

2009-07-30T16:31:00.009-05:00

The generosity of olliecapehorn (from the Japanese language site, JapanesePortal), was an impetus in the creation of an icon for the Wired in Japan blog.

I designed this mark to evoke the symbology of the Japanese flag;
an immediately recognizable icon in itself. It also plays off the idea of being wired, or connected. There are also formal similarities in the iconography for RSS, broadcasts, transmission, and a worldwide wholeness or globality.

As you will undoubtedly notice, the icon is composed from the Japanese character の (no), which is a particle that "indicates ownership or attribution." The use of a Japanese character was important to denote the focus on learning the Japanese language.
Also, to me, it is representative of my personal experiences,
thus my individual journey to learn about Japan.