Learining Japanese Options

[jcdietz03]

How to learn Japanese?

I know a few words from watching anime - All of them are nouns. Verbs are a total engima. Could someone explain Japanese verbs - and maybe give examples of common ones? I am looking for "To be" and "To go" since those are very common.

Also - How would you go about translating Japanese text? How do you enter it into a computer even? Is there a dictionary somewhere that will let you "Look up" Kanji?

Random stuff I feel like posting:
-chan: Not sure what these are called but this one you use with a friend (Informal)
-san: Like Mr. or Mrs. in english (Formal)
-senpai: Senior. Doesn't have an english equivalent.
-sama: Master.
-niichan/kasan - Brother/sister - Not used in english.

I DON'T KNOW JAPANESE BUT I LIKE TO PRETEND I DO!: Cute.
neko: Cat.
nya: The sound cats make. Meow in english.
sugoi: Amazing
inu: Dog
henge: Transform
jutsu: Technique

When viewing subtitle anime the words above are usually used w/ few other words making them easy to pick out. Even when watching multiple times, I can't pick out all the words in complicated sentences (Like the Inuyasha Intro).

That's funny - the board system will replace ka_waii with "I DON'T KNOW JAPANESE BUT I LIKE TO PRETEND I DO!" - Thats pretty funny. Good one, whoever came up with it.

This post has been edited by jcdietz03: Sep 19 2007, 04:43 PM

[Marionette]

It's because people will abuse if and pretend to know Japanese but really don't if we let 可愛いoff the filter.

Uh, anyway.
Start with textbooks. Stay away from anime, learn the basics in writing Hiragana and Katakana. I'd suggest also working on your English a bit more first before diving into Japanese, but that's just me. >_>a;

http://www.thejapanesepage.com/
This site offers great resources. Study it, worship it, learn it.

Don't rely on Anime or Manga for your Japanese. It's not the same.

[Yuka]

Katakana is worlds easier than most other dialects of Japanese, in my opinion. Start with that and move on when you have a mastery over that.

[Marionette]

I wouldn't necessarily call it a dialect... but it's not really an alphabet either. Hiragana and Katakana should be learned simultaneously, it's honestly the easiest way to understand both of them.

[Rhiannon]

SYLLABARY SYLLABARY SYLLABARY

It's definitely not a good idea to rely on them, but I wouldn't stay away from anime and manga and such. I find manga and games quite useful for practicing.

Anyway, I use this site to look up kanji and words when I don't know them.

[Ultimaninja]

Would those Rosetta stone cds on japanese work any better then a book?

[Rhiannon]

I recommend against the Rosetta Stone CDs for Japanese. I tried it a few times, and if you ask me, it wasn't any good. Although, I'm not really normal when it comes to how I learn things, so you should probably wait for someone else to answer.

[Marionette]

SYLLABARY SYLLABARY SYLLABARY

It's definitely not a good idea to rely on them, but I wouldn't stay away from anime and manga and such. I find manga and games quite useful for practicing.

Anyway, I use this site to look up kanji and words when I don't know them.

WHAT WOULD JESUS DO JAPANESE DICTIONARY is what I call that site.
Manga and Anime can be good for practicing... once you get the basics down. Most people just jump in and go WAI WAI WAI ANIMU though D:

[lilcases]

Ah yes hirigana and katakana... Took me at least 6 months to learn and memorize them. >_>;

[Raijinili]

I use several translating devices, such as JWPce, Babelfish, and Google. For the same word.

But that's for translation. I don't care about Japanese much anymore.

[Irysa]

I hate learning languages.

[Frisk]

I would get a game or movie with Japanese audio and listen to it with and without subtitles.

But I'm strange.

[jcdietz03]

Thank you for your suggestions. So the first step is learning the kana. I studied the Hiragana pages at thejapanesepage.com so I know most of them now. I just need more practice to get those last few I keep forgetting. I have problems remembering what is meant by the tenten so I need to work on that still.

I just started on the Katakana (didn't learn them both at the same time like Marionette says...sorry). I ordered this and this (kana flashcards and some kanji flashcards) to help me out with solidifying my knowledge of the kana and starting on the first few kanji.
I still can't read a single word of Japanese! It takes patience to learn...
Are there books (like children's books) that have only hiragana? Or is it better to practice them with flashcards?

Asking for some more advice here... You said get a textbook. On thejapanshop.com the most popular one is the "Genki" textbook. Is that one OK? I think I'll get that and some Kanji books next.

Found this screensaver on thejapanesepage.com. This will help me learn a little faster. I'll install it at home and at work. Hopefully no one from work will give me too many strange looks...

I can type 日本語 (nihongo, or Japanese) characters now. This other board I am on now doesn't support Japanese characters. :-(

This post has been edited by jcdietz03: Jan 20 2008, 01:15 AM

[Miki Trie']

Er, here's something (If y'all don't mind.)

Usagi: Rabbit
Janken: JP style of rock, paper, scissors
kuro: black (sometimes)
Shiritori: y'know, that game when you must come up w/ a word w/ the last 3 syllables. (something of the sort.)
kyoujuu: professor
shisho: one who teaches and knows a particular art ( be it visual or no.)

This post has been edited by Miki Trie': Nov 1 2009, 04:56 AM