Japanese Discussion Thread

[Pagan Hungary]

二千九(kanji for year) に　わたし　は　日本語　を　べんきょう　すこし　しました。　

That translates into: In (year) 2009 I studied a little bit of Japanese.

Do people generally use kanji when writing the year, though?

Always.

[Dakini]

I've visited Japan twice and I'll be moving there later this year.

I've only been to Tokyo, it's a nice place. It's pretty busy and crowded, but the people I've met are nice.

[Arumdaum]

Sort of. >.<

I just learned to read/write kana and some basic stuff for like a month late in the year before giving up, but I still learned some stuff. :>

Ah! Ok. 2009nen ni watashi wa nohongo wo benkyou shimashita. (2009年に私は日本語を勉強しました.)

I would have said that I studied "a little Japanese," but I didn't know how to say that. :<

A little = sukoshi 2009nen ni watashi wa nihongo wo sukoshi benkyou shimashita (2009年に私は日本語を少し勉強しました) or in 2009 I studied a little Japanese.

Ack, completely forgot about 年!

Thank you.

[Arumdaum]

I've visited Japan twice and I'll be moving there later this year.

I've only been to Tokyo, it's a nice place. It's pretty busy and crowded, but the people I've met are nice.

Wait, really?

Where?

[Dakini]

And I do not know why anyone would want to go to radioactive Japan. Yes, parts of Japan are radioactive but which parts since there gov't. will try not to admit that there is a problem.

Just... seriously... where the hell do you get your news from?

I'm guessing Natural News.

That shit's been all over my facebook because some of my fb friends are idiots.

[NERVUN]

Do people generally use kanji when writing the year, though?

Always.

No they do not!

They always use 年 to mark the year and of course documents tend to use the reign name so today's school bulletin was 平成２５年９月５日, but to see the numbers in kanji is rare. Even when using the Western year it's written in numerals. 2013年.

[NERVUN]

Ah! Ok. 2009nen ni watashi wa nohongo wo benkyou shimashita. (2009年に私は日本語を勉強しました.)


A little = sukoshi 2009nen ni watashi wa nihongo wo sukoshi benkyou shimashita (2009年に私は日本語を少し勉強しました) or in 2009 I studied a little Japanese.

Ack, completely forgot about 年!

Thank you.

I do that a lot, usually to get weird looks because otherwise it just doesn't work well.

[Pagan Hungary]

Always.

No they do not!

They always use 年 to mark the year and of course documents tend to use the reign name so today's school bulletin was 平成２５年９月５日, but to see the numbers in kanji is rare. Even when using the Western year it's written in numerals. 2013年.

You're right, I thought Arumdaum was asking if the kanji for year was always in kanji or whether it was used at all. I'm tired.

[Dakini]

I've visited Japan twice and I'll be moving there later this year.

I've only been to Tokyo, it's a nice place. It's pretty busy and crowded, but the people I've met are nice.

Wait, really?

Where?

Just outside Tokyo. I'm taking the "long distance" part out of my long distance relationship.

[Arumdaum]

Wait, really?

Where?

Just outside Tokyo. I'm taking the "long distance" part out of my long distance relationship.

Ooh. x3

Are you going as a fluent speaker of Japanese?

[NERVUN]

Wait, really?

Where?

Just outside Tokyo. I'm taking the "long distance" part out of my long distance relationship.

Hachioji? Tatsukawa? Chiba?

[Dakini]

Just outside Tokyo. I'm taking the "long distance" part out of my long distance relationship.

Ooh. x3

Are you going as a fluent speaker of Japanese?

lol, no.

I know how to get the bartender to recommend me a good sake.

[Dakini]

Just outside Tokyo. I'm taking the "long distance" part out of my long distance relationship.

Hachioji? Tatsukawa? Chiba?

Wakoshi.

[NERVUN]

Hachioji? Tatsukawa? Chiba?

Wakoshi.

Saitama, ah well.

[Dakini]

Wakoshi.

Saitama, ah well.

Oh yeah, prefecture probably would have been good there.

[Arumdaum]

Wakoshi.

Saitama, ah well.

Oh yeah, just wondering, but how was the heat wave in Japan this year?

[Dakini]

Saitama, ah well.

Oh yeah, just wondering, but how was the heat wave in Japan this year?

I haven't been there this year. My partner has mentioned that it's pretty hot.

[NERVUN]

Saitama, ah well.

Oh yeah, just wondering, but how was the heat wave in Japan this year?

86 people lost their lives this year due to the heatwave...

That was how it was.

[Norstal]

I heard Japan is weird and guys do make-up enough to make them look like 100% Japanese girls

"All japanese people are lolicons!" - Ilyasviel von Einzbern

Eh, I'd like to visit it someday, but I wonder how they react to Chinese people. I mean, I'm not from China and haven't even set foot there, but still.

[Orcoa]

こんにちは!

Thank you Google

[Seitonjin]

Konichiwa minna-san, Seitonjin-desu. Ore wa anata no subete o aishite~

Arigatou-gozoimasu.

Yay crappy Japanese language skills >.>

I like Japan's culture and food. Love the history as well.

Government? Not at the moment. Shinzo Abe is a nutter. Anyways, I gained interest in learning Japanese because I want to be able to do song covers and the like in Japanese. And watch anime without subs.

[Seitonjin]

I heard Japan is weird and guys do make-up enough to make them look like 100% Japanese girls

"All japanese people are lolicons!" - Ilyasviel von Einzbern

Eh, I'd like to visit it someday, but I wonder how they react to Chinese people. I mean, I'm not from China and haven't even set foot there, but still.

/is Chinese and frequently goes to Japan

It's fine actually. Expat Chinese perhaps? You'll be fine. Near Ueno in Tokyo there are significant amounts of Chinese people there.

I'm planning to move to Japan in the near future.

[NERVUN]

I heard Japan is weird and guys do make-up enough to make them look like 100% Japanese girls

"All japanese people are lolicons!" - Ilyasviel von Einzbern

Eh, I'd like to visit it someday, but I wonder how they react to Chinese people. I mean, I'm not from China and haven't even set foot there, but still.

MIxed bag I'm afraid. There's a lot of people who are fine with Chinese, there's a number who are not. In general, what Asians of all stripes tend to find is that you guys have it both better and worse than other gaijin. On one hand, you can blend in, which means when you don't WANT to stick out, you don't (And believe you me, there are times when you don't. I don't mind the whole cultural ambassador bit, and I usually don't mind English leeches, but Skuld's Holy Hammer, when I'm in the restroom, I have a singular purpose in mind and striking up a conversation with someone because they have wanted to talk to a foreigner is not it). On the other hand, a lot of Asian friends have reported the problem is that because you are Asian, Japanese are very quick to assume that you are actually Japanese and thus tend to react somewhat badly when their expectations are not met. Japan and Japanese culture likes norms and anything that violates those norms faces a rough time of it. Foreigners can get away with it because we're not expected to know... but if you're Asian, many will assume that you do.

Like I said, it's a mixed bag.

[Novaya Tselinoyarsk]

"All japanese people are lolicons!" - Ilyasviel von Einzbern

Eh, I'd like to visit it someday, but I wonder how they react to Chinese people. I mean, I'm not from China and haven't even set foot there, but still.

MIxed bag I'm afraid. There's a lot of people who are fine with Chinese, there's a number who are not. In general, what Asians of all stripes tend to find is that you guys have it both better and worse than other gaijin. On one hand, you can blend in, which means when you don't WANT to stick out, you don't (And believe you me, there are times when you don't. I don't mind the whole cultural ambassador bit, and I usually don't mind English leeches, but Skuld's Holy Hammer, when I'm in the restroom, I have a singular purpose in mind and striking up a conversation with someone because they have wanted to talk to a foreigner is not it). On the other hand, a lot of Asian friends have reported the problem is that because you are Asian, Japanese are very quick to assume that you are actually Japanese and thus tend to react somewhat badly when their expectations are not met. Japan and Japanese culture likes norms and anything that violates those norms faces a rough time of it. Foreigners can get away with it because we're not expected to know... but if you're Asian, many will assume that you do.

Like I said, it's a mixed bag.

Ha, because you share a "common" ancestry you're just expected to know. Wonderful. I've always just gotten the vibe of the Japanese being particularly xenophobic in their culture.

[NERVUN]

MIxed bag I'm afraid. There's a lot of people who are fine with Chinese, there's a number who are not. In general, what Asians of all stripes tend to find is that you guys have it both better and worse than other gaijin. On one hand, you can blend in, which means when you don't WANT to stick out, you don't (And believe you me, there are times when you don't. I don't mind the whole cultural ambassador bit, and I usually don't mind English leeches, but Skuld's Holy Hammer, when I'm in the restroom, I have a singular purpose in mind and striking up a conversation with someone because they have wanted to talk to a foreigner is not it). On the other hand, a lot of Asian friends have reported the problem is that because you are Asian, Japanese are very quick to assume that you are actually Japanese and thus tend to react somewhat badly when their expectations are not met. Japan and Japanese culture likes norms and anything that violates those norms faces a rough time of it. Foreigners can get away with it because we're not expected to know... but if you're Asian, many will assume that you do.

Like I said, it's a mixed bag.

Ha, because you share a "common" ancestry you're just expected to know.

You misread that, it's more "Because you LOOK Japanese, people assume that you are Japanese and thus know." In many ways, it's akin to the annoying American concept that if you're in the US, of course you're an American or want to be one, and speak English.

Wonderful. I've always just gotten the vibe of the Japanese being particularly xenophobic in their culture.

Not really, I find their level of xenophobia not particularly better or worse than any other nation's. They do tend to be less violent though.