日本語は話せます 🇯🇵

just on menus, i would recommend checking restaurant websites / gurunavi pages before going into a place that might have a confusing menu. you can translate things at your own pace and look polished and professional when ordering!

kanji-heavy menu like that, might be best just to learn to say: "what's this one?" the scribbly menu below it, your basic katakana and some deduction will get you there, you're going to notice everything is ハイ and hey it must be a 酎ハイ menu! you don't need to translate it, just go ahead and order your favorite chuhai and it's going to be okay.

ありがとうございます y'all for the menu tips

would those of you using it recommend duolingo for a vocab builder? I've never touched it but could use something to poke me daily on that front.

Based on other languages, it's not great as a vocabulary builder once you actually know something. If you are a beginner or rusty intermediate it is great for starting or getting back on track.

ah, gotcha. thanks! but sounds like it's not quite what I'm looking for then. 私の日本語はすごく下手ですけど、単語をちょっと知っています。

I just know a handful of kanji really, so I was thinking of just memorizing a new one a day and some words that use this new character. (and since memorizing the 'readings' has been pointless for me because the way they're actually implemented is so inconsistent.) this requires some discipline, unfortunately :-|

My wife is using Memrise as a vocab builder, she did Japanese at university and is filling in gaps whereas I am using duolingo for the basics.

I've been using Skritter for 漢字 learning. I was using the Chinese version for 汉子 and thought is was good, there are less useful lists in he 日本語 version but it's relatively easy to build your own. The Chinese version had some great food lists for example. What I like about skritter is that you have to draw the 漢字 which works really well for me from a learning perspective.

Finally Japanese is a useful dictionary with a flash card function; however I just use it for favouriting thugs I look up, creating lists for importing into skritter.

My wife is using Memrise as a vocab builder, she did Japanese at university and is filling in gaps whereas I am using duolingo for the basics.

I've been using Skritter for 漢字 learning. I was using the Chinese version for 汉子 and thought is was good, there are less useful lists in he 日本語 version but it's relatively easy to build your own. The Chinese version had some great food lists for example. What I like about skritter is that you have to draw the 漢字 which works really well for me from a learning perspective.

Finally Japanese is a useful dictionary with a flash card function; however I just use it for favouriting thugs I look up, creating lists for importing into skritter.

My wife is using Memrise as a vocab builder, she did Japanese at university and is filling in gaps whereas I am using duolingo for the basics.

I've been using Skritter for 漢字 learning. I was using the Chinese version for 汉子 and thought is was good, there are less useful lists in he 日本語 version but it's relatively easy to build your own. The Chinese version had some great food lists for example. What I like about skritter is that you have to draw the 漢字 which works really well for me from a learning perspective.

Finally Japanese is a useful dictionary with a flash card function; however I just use it for favouriting thugs I look up, creating lists for importing into skritter.

will check out memrise, thank you!

I briefly tried out skritter but not really long enough to have anything interesting to say. but I def agree about drawing the 漢字, there's something about writing (and, for me, esp. writing on paper) that helps to smash things into your brain. also, I just find writing pleasant and ~relaxing~.

I really like the midori dictionary app. it also has lets you turn your bookmarks into flash cards, which I sometimes flip thru to kill time on the subway. works offline too, which is good for traveling. tho I suppose google translate does that not too.

jisho is also nice for a the web.

*does that now too 😣
*nice for the web 😳

So I finished Duolingo and feel like I have both learned and not really learned anything. Like I said on the other thread it feels like I have beat a game but in doing so I've learnt a bit about the language. I'm doing busuu now which is better as it has more sophisticated exercises, particularly in listening and it has the added bonus of exercises corrected by native speakers; people trade corrections. It does cost though.

What it lacks though is any explanation of grammar so I'm now looking for a good grammar textbook, or textbook that is good at explaining grammar. We have the Japan Times Grammar dictionary which is only useful if you know what you are looking for.

haven't really shopped around but the genki textbooks (eri banno) do a p good job with this. and also have funny cartoons.

Now I have two upcoming trips to Japan! So I need to work again in earnest on my language. I will have a look at the Genki textbooks when I am there, or if I can find them here (don't just wanna order blind online).

But have any of you tried https://minato-jf.jp ? They are run by the Japan Foundation, and are free. I have good experience with online courses so maybe I'll do this instead of duolingo, where I share some of Ed's concerns.

I'm enjoying Buusuu a lot - the social element, having your little texts and speeches corrected is really good.

Question - How do you type the small versions of や、よ and　う?

I wrote this on the train this morning and was very pleased with myself:

毎日六時に起きます。お茶を淹れます。奥さんのために朝ごはんを作ります。今日私たちはスクランブルエッグや海苔や唐辛子七味を食べました。七時シヤワーを浴びます。七時半電車で会社に行きます。

Busuu sent me a limited time half price offer. Wonder if I should take the bait.

I wish I could get the social elements of Busuu without Busuu. The language learning is built on a framework for a european language, even the dialogues talk about Euros not yen. Very little has been done to localise it and I think it is teaching me bad habits in japanese eg. people correcting my japanese say that 彼　and 彼女　are rarely used in favour of name-さん　and その人。I'm worried its not very tuned in to japanese idiom and someone just programmed it with a dictionary. Persevering though because people are very generous with their corrections.

I found another app which solves my grammar guide need for now without paying for Genki - Human japanese which is structured like a classroom course would be with nice explanations of the actual mechanics of japanese. Well written too. $13.99 for both the beginner and intermediate courses as a bundle and no subscription fees which is good in my book. Covering a lot of stuff I have 'learnt' in duolingo and busuu and it's really helping.

I️ can’t tell from what you are saying what the app is called, is it Genki?

Oh sorry, I️ see, Human Japanese, and you bought the bundle.

Must have been using variant keyboard

そです

My writing is far from clear.

Busuu is now really getting on my wick.

It is using ‘May I...’ and ‘Can I...’ as translations for 。。。していいますか。This may be true but passing the test means not only matching true words but he daft pictures as well. Rapidly falling off this wagon.

Dude! I just hitched onto it last night based on your prior recommendation.

Sorry, the social aspect is really good, though.

I complained about Buusuu through the medium of App Store reviews and did get a response saying that they were reviewing their Japanese course.

I also signed up for their Turkish course, which seems somewhat unidiomatic to me, based on what little I know, but yeah, as a result three people corrected my exercise and seven people almost immediately wanted to be my "friend," Haven't accepted any such requests yet, do you think that will hurt me?

そです

My writing is far from clear.

― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Monday, November 6, 2017 10:19 PM (two days ago)

そうです

;-)

Okay, Ed, I have two pieces of advice for you.

Also, social aspect for corrections and such on busuu is useful. Corrections can come back within seconds.

I'm thinking of getting the Genki book & workbook when I'm Tokyo in January. I find typing Japanese characters really puzzling so far and I'd rather just work by hand for now I think. But I dunno. Really what I want is to be able to speak, listen, and read, in about that order; writing is less important but should come in time as well.

Standing in front of Kinokuniya. Saw one book I resisted buying and one I will recommend to you soon

nice! that's probably where I'll buy the Genki book in January. at the Shinjuku branch probably so that I can skulk into Kabukicho afterwards. are you in Japan then?

４年間で大学の博士に日本語を学ばれたが、日本に行ったことじゃないし、もうたくさん間違います。教科書に自分を勉強はいいんですけど、本当は大学のコースに入っておいてと勧めます。もちろん、僕の意見だけです。

No, Euler, NYC

shit, so many errors in that. 久しぶりです、すまん

頑張って ください！

Ha. Just used the romaji keyboard to type that (and then used the Linguee thingee to double check the Kanji) instead of the kana keyboard, which I had been using.

So:
One book I have held onto through prior purges is Jack’s Halpern’s Kanji Learners Dictionary, which seems really appealingly organized, although I never really dig into it, and my knowledge of Kanji is still not very good.

Book I looked at in store yesterday was a Japanese verb book which cut right to the chase, as far as I can tell. I may get it soon. Also think Tae Kim’s material could be helpful, it’s on the web but he also put it in a book. There are videos as well.

Finally, I became a recent convert to the Pimsleur approach. They really work you over the coals with their example sentences, so you do get the pronunciation, as well as the relevant grammar, as close to perfect as is possible for you. They also vary their attack, mix up the sentences and give you alternatives so you are in more of the mindset of thinking on the spot instead of just parroting a script.

As far as busuu, as concerned, at first glance there is a lot of stuff in there courses, but it is not clear how well done or well organized it is. For instance when they ask you to do an exercise it hasn’t always taught you enough to do the exercise correctly, at least by my lights. The social aspect does seem useful. Just corrected a lot of exercises and it seems there are a lot of people out there to correct mine.

I forgot to add that I believe Momus got his start in Japanese with Pimsleur, fwiw.

Tae Kim’s material was available in handy app form but it hasn’t been updated to 64bit so it doesn’t work any more.

*sigh*

Is the book Euler wants to buy Kanji in Context?

no, it's GENKI I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese
but I think I heard of it from someone on here!

Just learned from DL that どうぞよろしくおねごいします literally means “Please take care of me.”

Also like how voiced consonants are deemed “muddy.”

Okay, so 75% of the Redd household is now learning Japanese so just went to Kinokuniya NYC and bought hiragana and katakana workbooks for kid and Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Guide for adults.

Ah ee u eh oh

Otm

Kah kee koo keh ko

I’m learning kanji recently and musing on the following.

Why is ごはん almost always spelled out in kana when there is a perfectly serviceable Chinese character 飯。Just one of those things I guess.

Cool.

Found something weird about the etymology of 馬鹿 (ばか)

なんですか？

Supposedly some transliteration from Sanskrit?

直

this is weird. I was trying to type a different kanji

直

Again. Shows up okay but after I post

It’s because of Chinese, which doesn’t have the L shape on the left.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%9B%B4

Still going on the Wanikani restart. Have a mountain of reviews it will take me many months to get through.

Try not to look at it all after a certain hour at night. Also tinker with the review order preferences.

One thing that can be crazy making is all the things that have similar definitions, all the single kanji and kanji strings that mean law and rule for example.

Also, to return to this thing from earlier:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%A6%AC%E9%B9%BF
Japanese
Kanji in this term
馬 鹿
Etymology
Probably originally a transcription of Sanskrit मोह (moha, “folly”), used as a slang term among monks.[1][2][3]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiHp7TSgjIY

https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/baka-meaning/

it's such a useful word that i've come to use in english too. nice to have a non-ableist light insult word

My wife thought that the Chewbacca character in Star Wars was named with this in mind.

Still back on wanikani, trying not to get overwhelmed.

I’m trying it but the site seems really hard to navigate and use

Don’t use the site! Use the app instead. Oh but you need an iPhone, I think.

Where the app is called Tsurukame.

Ahh thx

apparently i have a complete inability to remember these:

引き取る
引き返す
引き受ける
引き止める
取り上げる

generally i've been able to pick up words over time without having to single them out and come up with mnemonics or whatever, but i'm so sick of getting these wrong for months

Should I take advantage of Satori Reader cybersale?

Went back to Wanikana for the first time in years

Wanikani

Thinking I should just study one character a day

Wonder if Ed is still around

おはよう。子供が生まれたために日本語の勉強を終わってしまったけど、日本語を話せることはどんどん安いになりました。実は毎日新しい漢字とかぷんぽとか単語とかを勉強はあまり有益くない。日本語で考えてことはのほうがいいよ。

今は雑誌を読むことは続けてにくい。赤ちゃんといしょ図鑑ほんで童謡を歌っては楽しし優ししそれでも、日本語を話せ得ることはどんどんペラペラにならう。

!