Japanese Society

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Reply 1920

can i ask a quick question to people that can speak japanese? more specifically about hiragana, basically i started learning hiragana on monday starting by learning the alphabet and i've found on two different sites that the symbol for 'ki' was different :s is there any difference?

I know its not the best quality but help would be appreciated :smile:

No difference at all. It just depends on the font and/or the writer's preference.

Reply 1921

BWCW

Original post by pongalo

I know its not the best quality but help would be appreciated :smile:

The first picture is usually how 'ki' is handwritten; the second is general computer output. You see this type of difference with the characters 'sa' and 'chi' too (and others I may have forgotten!)

Reply 1922

pongalo

Original post by Xurvi

No difference at all. It just depends on the font and/or the writer's preference.

Original post by Paramore<3

The first picture is usually how 'ki' is handwritten; the second is general computer output. You see this type of difference with the characters 'sa' and 'chi' too (and others I may have forgotten!)

Thanks guys! :biggrin:

Reply 1923

atheistwithfaith

Original post by pongalo

Thanks guys! :biggrin:

'so' can also be written in two different ways depending on the font and how old the writer is. 'fu' can also be written with the top stroke becoming part of the main central stroke -- so it becomes 3 strokes instead of 4. Also, in some fonts 'ri' becomes joined so it looks like a single stroke.

A few things to be careful of! I remember when I first started learning and thought the exact same thing! Basically, in handwriting, the style in the first 'ki' is pretty much ALWAYS used for ki, chi, and sa.

I work in a school in Japan and so I see a lot of handwriting every day and I have never seen anyone write ki, chi and sa in the second way in your picture (with it joined together). It seems that style is only for computers.

Reply 1924

JamesR1993

I started teaching myself Japanese last December with the desire to become a TEFL teacher over there for a while. I did some work experience in a school of English with Japanese highschool kids so i can read Japanese handwriting fairly well, even though i don't know much kanji yet :tongue:

I am going to study Japanese at university in September as an elective so i can't wait haha

For everyone doing any Japanese studying; がんばってみんな!

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 1925

constantmeowage

今一羽！これわ猫ですか。

And that's all I know. (and it's probably wrong ^^). I wish I knew basic Japanese, but it just seems too difficult for my non photographic memory. :frown:

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 1926

lovers in japan

Original post by constantmeowage

今一羽！これわ猫ですか。

And that's all I know. (and it's probably wrong ^^). I wish I knew basic Japanese, but it just seems too difficult for my non photographic memory. :frown:

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

I presume you mean to say 'Konnichi-wa! Kore wa neko desu ka?' which is written こんにちは！(or 今日は！) これは猫ですか。You weren't far off! When you want to use 'wa' as a particle, it's written as 'ha' or は. And to write こんにちは, you have to write ko-n-ni-chi-ha. :smile:

And hi! You can put your mind to anything you want to, nothing is too difficult, definitely not Japanese! If you want to speak it, focus on the speaking alone to start with :smile:

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 1927

Venomilys

The Japanese produce the best stories :yes:

Reply 1928

constantmeowage

Original post by lovers in japan

And hi! You can put your mind to anything you want to, nothing is too difficult, definitely not Japanese! If you want to speak it, focus on the speaking alone to start with :smile:

ありがとう！

Thanks for the corrections. :smile:

I keep forgetting to remember to type 'ha' and not 'wa'! I would focus on the speech, but I would get much more contact with the written form, so that's why I thought it would be more practical to focus on whatever I can get. :frown:

I just really struggle with the vocabulary. It's okai with the Euro languages I do...I suppose it's just the different writing system that's doing me in. I'm not much of a visual learner. xD

Reply 1929

Michael Locke

I'm starting my Japanese Studies degree in September :biggrin:

Reply 1930

lil-mazie

Kon'nichiwa!
I'm new to this thread (i think i wrote on here once because it's on my watched threads) anyways I love japanese and i really, really, REALLY want to learn it. I have finished my GCSEs and now i'm going in to A-levels I'm doing french AS so if i ever learn how japanese i don't know how to fit it in my timetable
anybody help a girl out?
Thanks in advance or Arigatou :tongue:

Reply 1931

JamesR1993

Original post by lil-mazie

I only started learning last December whilst juggling my A2's :tongue:

So long as you have the drive to study it, i'm sure you will find time for it. Just remember that come exam time Japanese has to take the backstage :smile:

If you look online, i'm sure you'll find somewhere near that tutors Japanese, or you could teach yourself a bit first, which is what i am doing. :smile:

Good luck!

Reply 1932

lil-mazie

Thanks for the encouraging words, i live in east London BTW so I’m sure i can attend evening lessons. I didn't know there were YouTube videos on learning Japanese! :eek:

Definitely going to check it out. :biggrin:

Thanks I’m sure it will be hard but definitely rewarding :smile:

Reply 1933

lovers in japan

Original post by constantmeowage

ありがとう！

Thanks for the corrections. :smile:

I just really struggle with the vocabulary. It's okai with the Euro languages I do...I suppose it's just the different writing system that's doing me in. I'm not much of a visual learner. xD

Since presumably you know katakana and hiragana, then when learning vocab, just recite it to yourself aloud... then you'll learn it, and when you read it later you'll understand it. The way I use is visualisation of what the word represents, then reciting it in Japanese and English alternately, 10 times of both, morning and evening. Then a few days later, recite it 5 times, and you should know it :smile:

Just take it slowly and once you're more used to the writing system, then you'll be able to learn more quicker.

If you don't know any kana, then it is just a case of practice practice practice with flashcards and writing!

Reply 1934

BWCW

Has anyone done the JLPT? I was thinking of doing the N5 this year (or possibly the N4 next year.) Does it have a worthy advantage here/in Japan? It's just £75 that I want to be sure about spending. :s-smilie:

Thank you!

Reply 1935

atheistwithfaith

Until you get to N2 or N1 level then it's not really much more than a personal challenge and a good way to focus your studies. At N2 it can help get your foot in the door outside of English teaching jobs in Japan and N1 is pretty much a prerequisite for a 'proper' job in Japan.

As far as UK companies respecting it -- I suspect most of them won't really have a clue what it is unless it's a field related to Japan. As such, it will properly sounds impressive to say "I'm level 5 in Japanese" on your CV I guess. (they aren't likely to even know whether N5 or N1 is the best)

Also, JLPT tests do not give any indication as to your communicative ability -- speaking.

Reply 1936

Xurvi

N4-3 may be required by universities (some of my friends who also go in exchange to a Japanese university next year were asked for N4), and N2-1 required for jobs, but otherwise it's not really useful as far as I know.

If I were you, I wouldn't spend money on this, especially on N5. It's such a low level that it doesn't really have any usefulness. The programs for the various JLPT levels may be good guides in your studies though.

Reply 1937

BWCW

Original post by atheistwithfaith

Original post by Xurvi

That's what I was thinking, the N5 stuff does seem pretty elementary. I might wait until a higher level then, or see what a university wants (if I end up going down the Japanese route...!)

It is a huge shame there isn't a speaking element, there isn't one at A-level either so it seems to abandoned post-GCSE unless you seek it out. The JLPT listening tapes seem vaguely helpful though. :tongue: