Japanese

[Chu]

I recycled this topic because... I don't see the point of making multiple ones.


I'm currently in my fourth year of Japanese and I hope to teach it in the future. I'm not really the typical Japanese student; while I watch anime, read manga and even watch dramas ocassionally, I honestly don't get too involved in them. I used to, but I'm more interested in the society - not the harajuku, games, anime etc. crap - than anything, not to mention the schools. While Japan has plenty of problems that societal moral standings and an excellent education system can't make up for, I do admire how things work in that country and hope to visit it one day.


That's my whole opinion on Japan/Japanese. What do you all think about it?

[Tsemara]

I know a bit of Japanese. I might be able to help out. If all else fails, I can give you a link to my online translator.

[Chu]

I don't trust online translators. Other than a variety of things, they use the "dictionary" form of words, and in class we basically learn the "casual" form, so they really prove to be of very little help at all.

The link is in my first post though. Sorry; I didn't make it very evident. Thanks in advance for the help though!

[Tsemara]

I understand not trusting online translators. I've run into a couple of them that made my head spin.

Outside of not comprehending the quips/idioms(?) the language has, I've found these two to be pretty useful.

http://nihongo.j-talk.com/parser/ This one was actually recommended by a native speaker in my class.

http://www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html I enjpy posting things in English, translating them into another language, and then back to English here.

[Chu]

Those sound a bit promising then. :] I'll be sure try them out at least.

[kaishi]

OKAY. I'm here to help you. XD I'm guessing it's R->L.

テストがよっつあります。みんなはしんぱいそう。

There are 4 tests. Everyone seems worried.

ぼくはテレビゲームをあそびました。
そして、ぜんぶのゾンビーがころしました。

I played video games. And I killed all the zombies.

しゅまつ何でべんきょうしていましたか。
なにもべんきょうしていませんよ。

Were you studying anything over the weekend?
I was not studying anything!


あのう。。。はい、ぜんぶべんようしていました。
きみはなにもできないね。

Umm.... yes, I was studying everything.
You can't do anything, right.


LOL ok so, I tried to translate it as you wrote it. Now, I will make some suggestions. One section at a time. I don't know what level you are, so I'm going to try and keep it simple.

テストがよっつあります。みんなはしんぱいそう.

This part is fine... I wouldn't use "ga" though, in the first sentence, but "ha" instead.. ga is kind of like when you're specifying something. Ex. "Who did this?" "She did." Ha is suitable for everything else.

ぼくはテレビゲームをあそびました。
そして、ぜんぶのゾンビーがころしました。

In most cases, you don't need to specify subjects when you're talking about yourself (or the person you're talking to). You can do without the "boku ha" (as well as the "kimi ha" later). "Asobimasu" is not the proper verb for playing a video game, it's "shimasu." ゲームをする。　
You don't need the soshite either. If you know how to combine sentences, you should. And you should use "wo" instead of "ga" for killing zombies.


しゅまつ何でべんきょうしていましたか。
なにもべんきょうしていませんよ。

The present form of the verbs here isn't necessary or really correct. Use past tense. When he thinks to himself, don't use formal Japanese unless it's a requirement. "なにもべんきょうしなかった。。。”　I'm not sure why you used the yo... is he surprised? I'd add あぁっ　or something to the beginning rather than the yo if that's the case.


あのう。。。はい、ぜんぶべんようしていました。
きみはなにもできないね。

I wouldn't use "anou" in this case... um.. "etto" would make more sense to me... it's just a more natural response. *shrugs* For the second sentence, "Dekiru" doesn't really seem right to me, it suggests that he doesn't have the ability... I'd use "yaru"... Do you know "majime"? Try,” なにもまじめにやれないなぁ。。” It means "you can't do anything seriously.."


Like I said, I don't know your curriculum, but there you have it. I feel like I made a lot of corrections, but really what you wrote is basically correct. I hope you get this in time! XD　頑張れ！　ちゃんと勉強ならきっと上手になるはずです！！

[Chu]

Ah, particles always give me trouble. I need an ultimate particles list or something.

Yeah; I thought I remembered her saying in freshman year that we SHOULD use asobimasu, but I guess I'm mistaken.

We've only learned how to combine adjectives; combining full sentences will be taught sometime later this year, actually. XD Thanks for the tip though.

Ah, that's totally a mistake on my part. DX Darn it.

I see. I literally had to use a translater for that one, so I understand the mistake there. Yours definitely makes more sense though.

Thanks for all the help though! I already turned the manga in but I'm glad to see some type of input for it; sensei doesn't really offer much real feedback. I'm in my third year, by the way.

[kaishi]

Sure thing! I can help anytime you want input or just a proofread. ^_^

Japanese has a wide variety of silly ways to conjugate (as to most languages, except you can combine like 4 ways in Japanese XD) and the particles are confusing, so don't sweat it. If you DO want a particle chart, just ask and I'll write one up for you :3

[Chu]

I actually took my text book home for the weekend so hopefully I'll have time to study the particles a bit. :3 I do a lot better with independent studying. I'll be sure to go to you for future help though!

[kaishi]

I really enjoy independent study too~

[Chu]

That's how my fourth year of Japanese is apparently going to be. ^^ There are so few 3rd/4th year students that our classes are combined. (Two 4th year students, sixteen 3rd year students.)

[kaishi]

lol wow, that does not bode well. XD Are you learning over satellite? I did for my first three years. I remember I had to do a manga project too... haha, it's hideous, and about eating ice cream. My teacher kept it though, lol.

[Chu]

Satelite? o.0 No; it's an average class. Most people leave after their second year because that's all that's required.

Haha, really? I was going to attempt actually drawing but I didn't have the patience or the time for that. XD Raz said that when they have their backpacks on it looks like they have jellybeans on their backs.

[kaishi]

lol, there's a satellite program broadcast from the next county over for most of VA. It was ok, but kind of goofy. XD We just had a person there to watch over us, but they never knew anything worth knowing. I got detention for helping my (one and only) classmate with his homework 'cause our facilitator didn't know what the hell she was talking about and then reported that he was just copying my assignment. There were never more than 5 students in our class, but we were ahead of our time. XD I hear there are like 10+ now. No one ever gets past Japanese 2 because it's so hard. I think a real class with a teacher present would be better. I took it for 2 years in college too, but past that am largely self-taught.. and still learning what feels like the basics. D: I know enough to get by and hold a conversation though, and was everyone's translator in Tokyo xD;;

And yeah, I can show it to you if you want. XD;;;; embarrassing as it is.

[Freshie]

My boyfriend and I have been learning Japanese. ^^
I'm still sucky at it..though I've just started this year. >w<

We're still figuring out if we wanna go to college here, then go over to Japan, or take classes over there and such. We're planning to live in Japan, most likely somewhere in the Kansai region..