Dmitry

Hey everyone! I continue such a huge theme of Japanese language as idiomatic phrases. Today I`d like to talk about idioms that contain parts of human body.

1) To rest on one`a laures, to be complacent - あぐらをかく [agura o kaku] (literally: to sit crosslegged)

A: どうせもう対立する相手はいないだろうと思って、いつまで社長の座にあぐらをかいていられると思ったら大間違いだ。

[doosemoo tairitsusuru aite wa inai daroo to omotte, itsumade shachoo no za ni agura o kaiteirareru to omottara oomachigai da]

You think you have no competitors; but it`s a mistake to believe that you can sit forever in the company`s president`s position and rest on your laurels.

2) To exploit someone`s weakness in negotiation - 足もとを見る [ashimoto o miru] (literally: to look at someone`s feet)

昨日は大変だったよ。中川と二時間で飲んじゃってさ。帰りのタクシーね。足もとを見られちゃって、タクシー代、随分とられたんだ。

[kinoo wa taihen datta. nakagawa to ni zikan de nonzyattesa. kaeri no takusii ne. ashimoto o mirarwtyatte, takusiidai, zuibun torareta n da.]

Last night was a disaster. I ended up drinking with Nakagawa until two in the morning. And of course, the taxi driver took advantage of my condition and overcharged me like crazy.

3) To start over (after discarding a bad situation) - 足を洗う [ashi o arau] (literally: to wash one`s feet)

一度不良仲間に入ったら、なかなか抜け出せないものだ。やくざの世界と同じで、ある集団に仲間入りしてしまうと人間は簡単には足を洗えないのである。

[ichido furyoo nakama ni haittara, nakanaka nuke dasenai mono da. Yakuza no sekai to onaji de, aru shuudan ni nakamari site simau to ningen wa kantan ni wa asi o araenai mono dearu.]

When a man becomes a member of a gang, it`s very difficult to break away from it. As in the case of the world of yakuza, once you`re a part of it, it is not easy thing to go straight.

Ok, if you need more idioms, please, don`t hesitate ask in comments. Good luck!

Ok, guys, today we`ll talk about how to say you want something in Japanese language. There are couple ways to express desire in Japanese.

1) To express your own desire (1-st person desirative) it is necessary to use たい [tai]. Desire expression is formed by adding たい to a verb of masu-form:

会う＋たいー＞会いたい [auー＞aitai] 'meet'

歩く＋たいー＞歩きたい [arukuー＞arukitai] 'walk'

急ぐ＋たいー＞急ぎたい [isoguー＞isogitai] 'hury'

話す＋たいー＞話したい [hanasuー＞hanasitai] 'speak'

死ぬ＋たいー＞死にたい [sinuー＞sinitai] 'dead'

学ぶ＋たいー＞学びたい [manabuー＞manabitai] 'study'

読む＋たいー＞読みたい [yomuー＞yomitai] 'read'

待つ＋たいー＞待ちたい [matsuー＞machitai] 'wait'

分かる＋たいー＞分かりたい [wakaruー＞wakaritai] 'think'

見るー＞見たい [miruー＞mitai] 'see'

伸びるー＞伸びたい [nobiruー＞nobitai] 'stretch'

食べるー＞食べたい [taberuー＞tabetai] 'eat'

するー＞したい [suruー＞sitai] 'do'

来るー＞きたい [kuruー＞kitai] 'come'

Ok, one more thing about たい. As you can see there is no たい form for ます because using たい to express one`s desire is intrinsically selfish. So, if you want to use たい and make sentence less selfish you can use 'I think/I would like to...' form (と思う[to omou]):

新しい車を買いたいと思います

[atarashii kuruma o kaitai to omoimasu]

I think I would like to buy a new car.

Also, to make sentence more poliite you may add です at the end of a sentence (because たい is an adjective):

新しい車を買いたいです。

[atarashii kuruma o kaitai desu]

I want to buy a new car.

2) 欲しい [hoshii] - to desire something in a particular state. It means that you cannot use the first form to say, for instance, 'I want this door red' because 'red' is a state of a door. To express a state desirative  you need to add verbal adjective て form to the adjective 欲しい：

このドアが赤くて欲しい。

[kono doa ga akakutehoshii]

(I) want this door red.

Important, note that even though these are verbal adjectives, they are still adjectives first hand. That`s why we use the particle が instead of を.

欲しい is also a selfish desire expression. To soften a sentence with 欲しい you can use です as well:

使って欲しいです。

[tsukattehoshiidesu]

I want it made.

3) There are a way to describe desire of second and third person. You just need to add たがる [tagaru] to a verb of た・だ-form:

君子さんが出たがるそうです。

[kimiko san ga detagaru soo desu]

It seams Kimiko wants to leave.

The negative form for たがる is a normal verb negative, being either たがらない or たがりません.

Well, that`s it. Now you can use these particles to express desire. Good luck!

Hello, everyone! Today I`d like to talk about how to construct conditional forms in Japanese language using たら(tara) なら(nara). First, to create conditional form it is necessary to put たら/なら to a verb in the same way as た, て, たり, being added to conjunctive form of a verb (-masu stem):

会うー＞会ったら [auー＞attara]

歩くー＞歩いたら [arukuー＞aruitara]

急ぐー＞急いだら [isoguー＞isoidara]

話すー＞話したら [hanusuー＞hanasitara]

死ぬー＞死んだら [shinuー＞shindara]

学ぶー＞学んだら [manabuー＞manandara]

読むー＞読んだら [yomuー＞yondara]

待つー＞待ったら [matsuー＞mattara]

分かるー＞分かったら [wakaruー＞wakattara]

Note, the exception for the verb 行く (to go)：

行くー＞行ったら [ikuー＞ittara]

And the irregural verbs get their own table:

するー＞したら

来るー＞来たら

あるー＞あったら

ますー＞ましたら

Couple examples:

町を歩いたら、面白いお見物をいっぱい見ます。

[machi o aruitara, omoshiroi omimono o ippai mimasu]

If you walk around town, you`ll see many interesting sights.

2時間したら、勉強します。

[2 zikan sitara, benkyousimasu]

I`ll go study 2 hours from now.

So, basically this form can be translated as 'if', 'when'. Note, that たら also expresses future, so literally the previous examples can be translated as:

町を歩いたら、面白いお見物をいっぱい見ます。

[machi o aruitara, omoshiroi omimono o ippai mimasu]

In a future when you are walking around town, you see lots of interesting sights.

2時間したら、勉強します。

[2 zikan sitara, benkyousimasu]

In a future in which I have spent 2 hours doing (something), I will then go study.

なら [nara] - has the same meaning as たら, but used together with nouns:

先生ならきっと分かる。

[sensei nara kitto wakaru.]

I`m sure the teacher will understand.

Literally it comes as: If the teacher, than he/she will understand

Ok, that`s it for this moment. Expect comment from you. Have a nice evening and good luck!

Hi folks! Today I`m continuing sharing words and phrases that you can hear in Kansai region of Japan. Without next list of words it is just impossible to construct a simple conversation. As usual I`ll give equivalent to modern Japanese:

ぼちぼち（でんな）[bochi-bochi (denna)] - 'so-so', 'not bad', 'fine'

In standard Japanese ぼちぼち is used as a synonym for そろそろ (sorosoro) - 'it`s time to...'. While in Kansai dialect ぼちぼち means both 'so-so' and 'it`s time to...'. Let`s check couple examples:

1: もうかりまっか？

2：まあ、ぼちぼちでんな。

1: [mookahimakka?]

2: [maa, bochibochidenna]

1: How`s the business?

2: So-so.

1: 今の仕事、進んでんの？

2:まあ、ぼちぼちやな。

1: [ima no shigoto, susundenno?]

2: [maa, bochibochiyana]

1: How`s the project progressin?

2: Moving along slowly.

ぼちぼち is totally perfect answer when someone asks you whether you can speak Japanese or not.

ごっつい [gottsui] - 'very', 'big'

ごっつい generally means 'very', which is similar in usage to めっちゃ [metcha] むっちゃ [mutcha]:

ごっついええなあ。

[gottsui ee naa]

Really good.

ごっつう仕事あるわ。

[gottsuu shigoto aru wa]

I`ve got a lot of work to do.

あいつ、ごっついなあ。

[atsui, gottsui naa]

He`s really big

ほな、ほんなら、そんなら [hona, honara, sonnara] - 'in that case', 'if so, then...'

All three of these words have the same meaning of 'it`s true, then...'. Note, that ほな is used more often by women and ほんなら by men:

1:それ、なんぼ？[sore, nanbo?] - How much is that?

2：百六十円や。[hyaku roku zyuu en ya.] - It`s 160 yen.

1：ほんなら、買うわ。[honnara, kau wa.] - In that case, I`ll take it.

もうかりまっか [mookarimakka] - 'How are you?' 'How`s business?'

This word is regularly used as a greeting to a shopkeeper whose store you regularly visit.

おもろい [omoroi] - 'interesting' (equivalent to 面白い [omosiroi] in standard Japanese).

It`s conjucted the same way as other adjectives.

しんどい [shindoi] - 'tired', 'tiring', 'dificult'

It`s also conjucted the same way as ither adjectives

こんな仕事、しんどいわ。

[konna sigoto, sindoi wa]

This type of work is tough.

好きやなあ [suki ya naa] - 'like'

This phrase has the same meaning as standard 好き, but I put here it because it uses generally in this particular form, and because of the difference in prononciation. In standard Japanese people pronounce 好き as 'SKI' without 'U', in Kansai Japanese they say 'SU-ki', with the first syllable accented.

1：この歌好きやなあ。[kono uta suki yanaa] - You really like this song?

2：いつもこれやねん。[itsumo koreyanen] - I always sing this one.

鬱陶しい [uttooshii] - 'gloomy', 'dreary' (especially in reference to the weather)

Note, it`s also used to describe persistent, slimy people:

今日、鬱陶しいなあ。

[kyou, uttooshii naa]

It`s pretty ugly out today.

鬱陶しいやっちゃなあ。

That guy is really slimy!

よう [yoo] - very, much, often, well

よう=よく (in standard Japanese)

よう食った。

[you kutta]

I ate a lot.

ゆう [yuu] - 'to speak' (=言う (いう))

In Kinki (Kansai) Japanese they pronounce yuu. Taking into account this fact and due to conjucted forms, it`s easy to misunderstand the speaker:

ゆうた (いった) [yuuta]　- said

ゆうてん（いった）[yuuten] - said

ゆうてる（いってる）[yuuteru] - saying

ゆうとってん（いってた）- was saying

で [de] - (exclamatory sentence-ending part)

Unlike な, used only at the end of the sentences.

着いたで [tsuita de] - We`ve arrived!

暑いで [atsui de] - It`s hot!

はん [han] - Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss

San in standard language becomes han in Kansai dialect:

宮沢はん - Mr. Miyazawa

嫁はん [yome-han] - wife

な、なあ [na, naa] - (sentence-ending particles) 'don`t you think?'

1：これ、な、分かれへん、なあ。 [kore, na, wakarehen, naa] - This is, y`know, completely incomprehensible, isn`t?

2：なっ！[Na!] - Completely

さん [san] - greeting suffix

San is added to the end of greeting such as 'good morning':

お早うさん [o hayou san] - good morning

おめでとうさん [omedetousan] - congratulations

ありがとうさん [arigatoosan] - thanks

わ [wa] - untraslatable neutral sentence ending

もうええわ。[mooeewa]

It`s good enough

知らんわ。[siranwa]

I don`t know.

Ok, that`s it. Hope you`ll enjoy these words. See ya. Good luck!

Hi everyone! Today I`m going to talk about pretty simple gramm issue (extremely important though) word order. There are no strict word order in sentences of some languages (for instance russian). But Japanese grammar requires definite word order, so that people could understand you.

Every sentence in any language contains such parts of a sentence as Subject (S), Object (O) and Verb (V). So, now I`m going to give you simple and easy to remeber formula that will help you to memorize word order in Japanese language. For instance, in English most sentences are of the form "we do something", where the subject (we) preceds the verb (do), which in turn preceds the object (somsething) for that verb. So, English is SVO language (i.e. Subject, Verb, Object). Japanese, in contrast, follows a different ordering: most sentences are of the form "we something do". The subject preceds the object for the verb, afre which the actual verb comes. Therefore, Japanese is SOV language.

This formula allows to categorise languages. Of course this formula is a general explanation of a word order for languages. Note, that it is ok to say both, "we ate some cake" and "cake; we ate some". But the first example is more acceptable and is commonly used.

In the case with Japanese this rull can be extended as well. Japanese is SOV language, but actually it is an (S)(O)V language. It means that you only need a verb to express your thoughts, but don`t need a subject or an object at all to form a correct minimal sentence in Japanese. If you say "ate" in English it will be considered as lack of information and a person, to whom you`re talking to, would be confused. While in Japanese you can say a verb and competent listeners or readers fill in these blanks themselves, choosing which subject and object make the most sense. In japanese you can ask your interlocutor a question (based on the particular situation and context): 食べるの？[taberu no] - "Are you going to eat this?", while in English by saying "eating" you may confuse interlocutor.

I hope this material was usuful to those of you, guys, who`ve just started learning Japanese and have troubles with the word order. Have question? Don`t hesitate leave a comment and good luck!

Hi everyone. Today I would like to talk about conjunctions in Japanese language. By saying 'conjunction' I mean such words as から[kara]、ので[node]、けれども[keredomo]、ところで[tokorode]、とこらが[tokoroga]. In fact there are much more different conjunctions in the language, although I think the ones I mentioned about are extremely useful and can be used in everyday talk.

1) から[kara] - 'because of', 'the reason is' (this conjunction describes subjective opinion (reason)):

星が出ているから、あしたもきっといい天気だろう。

[hoshi ga deteirukara, asita mo kitto ii tenki daroo]

Tomorrow probably will be good weather as well, because of the stars on the sky.

今日は妻の誕生日ですから、早く帰らなければならない。

[kyoo wa tsuma no tanjoobi desukara, hayaku kaeranakerebanaranai]

Today my wife`s birthday, that`s why I need to come back home early.

明日は忙しいですから、どこも行きません。

[asita wa isogasii desukara, dokomo ikimasen]

Tomorrow I`ll be busy, that`s why I won`t go.

As you can see から can be used with a verb in infinitive (Vる/ます＋から) or a noun + だ/です and adjective (しい/な) + から. Yes, it`s that simple!

2) ので[node] - the same meaning as から 'because of', 'the reason is' (but unlike から, ので describes objective reason).

バスがすぐ来なかったので会社におくれました。

[basu ga sugu konakatta node kaisha ni okuremasita]

I was late for a work, because the bus didn`t arrive on time.

家は安いので買います。

[ie wa yasui node kaimasu]

This house is cheap, that`s why I will buy it.

Note, these sentences are formed only by adding ので to a verb in a form of る/った　(you are not supposed to use ので with verbs of ます), a noun in a form of だ/だった and adjective しい/な.

3)けれども/けれど/けど/けども [keredomo/keredo/kedo/kedomo] - 'but'

2時間待ってけれど、彼は姿を現さなかった。

[ni jikan mattekeredo, kare wa sugata wo awasanakatta]

I had waited for him for 2 hours, but he didn`t show up.

今日は日曜日だけれども、学校へ行かなければならない。

[kyoo wa nichiyoobi da keredomo, gakkoo e ikanakerebanaranai]

Although today is Sunday, I still have to go to school.

4) ところで[tokorode] - 'by the way'

Note, generally used at the beginning of a sentence:

やっと夏休みですね。ところで、今年の夏休みはどうしますか。

[yatto natsuyasumi desu ne. tokoro de, konnen no natsuyasumi wa doosimasuka]

Finaly, it is a summer vacation. By the way, what are you going to do this summer?

「ところでお仕事は？」「電子工学関係なんですよ、実は」

["tokorode o sigoto wa?" "densikoogakukankei nandesu yo, jitsu wa"]

"What do you do, by the way?" "I`m in electronics, actually."

5) とこらが[tokoroga] - 'but', 'although' (this one is generally used at the beginning of the second sentence, contrarying the meaning of a previous sentence).

天気予報では今日は雨になると言っていた。ところが少しむし暑かっただけど、結局は降らなかった。

[tenki yohoo wa kyoo wa ame ni naru to itteita. tokoro ga sukosi musi atsukattadakedo, kekkyoku wa furanakatta]

It was said in the weather forecast that today would rain. Although it was just stuffy a little bit and it didn`t rain eventually.

Ok, hope you`ll find this material useful. As usual you can leave a comment and ask a question if you have one. グッドラック！.

Hey everyone! Recently I`ve been thinking about grammar topics and tips that would be interesting to you as our readers. I think that materials of advanced Japanese are not that interesting, so I decided to give you some notes of pre-intermediate Japanese grammar. This level of the grammar will help you to create fluent sentences in Japanese easily. So, I decided to explain popular and important phrases that often used by native Japanese speakers.

1) ーだと言われている [da to iwareteiru] - 'they say', 'it`s known that...' and etc.

言われている is used when you need mention that some information is a well-known fact or a fact that most people are already familiar with:

この映画は日本映画史上の最高傑作だと言われている。

[kono eiga wa nihoneiga sijoo no saikoo kessaku da to iwareteiru]

They say that this movie is a prominent masterpiece in Japanese cinematography.

ドイツ人は勤勉民族だと言われている。

[doitsunin wa kinben minzoku da to iwareteiru]

It is known that German people are hard-working nation.

2)ーと（は）いえません [to (wa) iemasen] - 'it can`t be said that...'

Note when you use particle は it emphasizes your speech

この問題は分かりやすいとは言えません。

[kono mondai wa wakariyasui to wa iemasen]

It can`t be said that this problem is easy to understand.

3)ーと言う、－と思う [to iu, to omou] - 'someone said' (uses in order to express direct or indirect speech)

美知子さんは「すぐに行きます」と言いました。

[michiko san wa [sugu ni ikimasu] to iimasita]

Michiko-san said: "I`ll come back in no time"

彼は国に帰りたいと言っている。

[kare wa kuni ni kaeritai to itteiru]

He says that he wants to return to his motherland.

と思う - generaly uses when you express your own thoughts:

あの人のやり方はひどいと思います。

[anohito no yarikata wa hidoi to omoimasu]

I think that his behavior is cruel

4)ー何といっても [nani to ittemo] 'whatever you may say', 'after all'

Note this phrase also can be used both at the beginning of a sentence and at the end if it.

何と言っても夏休みは一番好きな時間です。

[nani to ittemo natsuyasumi wa ichiban sukina jikan desu]

Whatever you may say, but summer vacation is the best period.

規律は何といっても規律です。

Discipline, after all, is a discipline.

5)ーNを楽しみにする/－Nが楽しみです [tanosimi ni suru/tanosimi desu] - used to describe a foretasting of something or an excitement of something

私は誕生日を楽しみにしています。

[watashi wa tanzyoobi o tanosimi ni siteimasu]

I`m looking forward to my birthday

旅行の土産を楽しみにしています。

[ryokoo no miyage o tanosimi ni siteimasu]

I`m looking forward to get the presents from the trip.

Ok, hope you enjoyed this material. Have a nice weekend. グッドラック！

Hi folks. In this post I want to talk about special words without which it`s impossible to imagine Japanese language. I`m talking about なる 'becoming', する 'doing' and ある 'being'. These words play important roles in Japanese sentence:

1) なる 'becoming'

In order to understand logic of Japanese sentence and a role of  なる you need to realize that before you can say something 'is' something else, it first has to 'become' this something else. And now we need to use なる. This verb is often used in the language.

Note, that if you need to mention that something will become something else, than use に + なる:

力になります。

[chikara ni narimasu]

(This) will become (our) strength.

If it`s necessary to say that something will be something else, than put と + なる:

力となります。

[chikara to narimasu]

(This) will be (our) strength.

More examples to clearly understand the difference between に + なる/と + なる:

バンドの出演は五月二十四日になります。

[bando no shuutsuen wa gogatsu nijuuyonka ni narimasu]

The band`s performance will be set to May the 24th. (literally the band`s performance become on May the 24th)

バンドの出演は五月二十四日となります。

[bando no shuutsuen wa gogatsu nijuuyonka to narimasu]

The band`s performance will be on May 24th.

2) ある/いる/です/だ 'being'

So, it`s really interesting how these verbs differ from each other as all of then can be translated as 'being'.

Basically, です and だ are used to define something. For instance, you need say in Japanese 'this is a dog'. You need to use です or だ to desribe this 'process':

これは犬です。　or　犬です。

[kore wa inu desu] or [inu desu]

It`s necessary to use ある/いる if you need to say literally 'there is', 'there are':

犬がいる。

[inu ga iru]

There is a dog.

本がある。

[hon ga aru]

There is a book.

As you can see I used both, ある and いる. In fact it ある is used to describe inanimate objects and いる - for animate ones. That`s it, all the difference:

本が美しいです。

[hon ga utsukusii desu]

The book (books) is (are) beautiful.

犬が動物だ。

[inu ga doobutsu da]

Dogs are animals

3)する 'doing'

Well, する should be the easiest verb. As many of you are already familiar with the fact that する refers to an action. In fact, most of the times they translate it as 'do'. Although する also can be used and translated as 'deside' or 'choose':

何をするか。

[nani o suru ka]

What are you doing?

何にするか。

[nani ni suru ka]

What will you pick?

These examples show two principally different meanings. In the first sentence を shows that 何 is direct object to the verb, while in the second one に marks the preceding part as indirect object to the verb.

Also note, that by adding と to する you get the third meaning 'to consider smth..':

これが私が必要なとするものです。

[kore ga watashi ga hitsuyoona to suru mono desu]

This thing that I consider important.

That`s it for now. Any questions? Leave a comment. グッドラック

Hi everyone. Today I would like to talk about different types of kanji. I believe that if you familiar with the  history and the way kanji were created it would be easy for you to memorize them, dividing into different groups.

So, kanji developed through ages and historically they divided into four groups:

1) Pictographs (象形文字 - shookei moji) - hieroglyphic characters that schematically look what they mean: 一、二、三、人 [hito] - a man、大きい[ookii] - big、山[yama] - a mount、木[ki] - a tree、林[hayashi] - a bosket、森 [mori]  - a forest.

2) Ideographs (絵文字 - emoji) - These are the characters that represent things or phenomenon in visual way (reminds of some sort of a scheme or a rebus). They also divided into two subgroups:

      a) Simple ideographs (指事文字 - shijimoji) - 上 [ue] - up、下 [sita] - down

      Compound ideographs (会意文字 - kaiimoji) - 休み [yasumi] - rest (consist of pictographs 人 'man' and 木 'tree')

3) Semantic-phonetic combinations (形声文字 - keiseimoji) - These kanji combine two different characters into one kanji. The principal is - one kanji has a root meaning and the other kanji indicates the reading for a character.

It also must be said that characters can be devided by the way they are actually used:

1) Derivatives (転注文字 - tenchuumoji) - the character the meaning of which is either deriviative or extensive of its original meaning:

楽 [gaku/raku]. When you pronounce 'gaku' you mean 'music', but when you say  'raku' the meaning turns into 'enjoyment' or 'comfort'.

2) Phonetic loans (仮借文字 - kashamoji) - the characters from this category are used purely phonetically, ignoring the original meaning of the kanji:

来 [rai/kuru] - in modern Japanese this kanji translates as 'to come'. But originally (from Chinese language) it translated as 'wheat'. So even Chinese reading of this character remained unchanged, but the meaning totally differs from ancient Chinese meaning.

Ok, I hope this information was interesting and useful to you, guys. Ask questions if you have ones. グッドラック！

You`re so welcome I started realizing that it`s really important to post some information about basic Japanese, here in this forum... Good luck with the study! And never give up! 頑張れ！

Hi folks. Today I want to give couple of Japanese idioms that I think can be usuful in an every day life.

1. Everyone has different tastes

たで食う虫も好き好き [tade kuu mushi mo suki suki] - 'Some bugs prefer bitters'

(means that there is no accounting for tastes and refers to the acknowledgement that people have different tastes)

A: あいつなぜあんないい奥さんと別れて、又変な女と再婚したんだろう。

[aaitsu naze anna ii okusan to wakarete, mata henna onna to saikon sitandaroo]

B: だって、「たで食う虫も好き好き」って言うでしょう。

[datte, 'tade kuu mushi mo suki suki' tte iu deshoo]

A: Why did he divorce such a good woman and remarry such a weirdo?

B: Well, there`s no accounting for tastes.

2. Love is blind

あばたもえくぼ [abata mo ekubo] - 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'

(interesting, that this idiom is generally used with a man who likes a girl, which is not that beautiful but with the finest personality)

A: 昭雄君ね、婚約したんだって。

[akiokun ne, kon`yakusitandatte]

B: へえ、どこのお嬢さんと？きれいな人？

[hee, doko no ojoosan n to? kireina hito?]

A: きれいと言うわけでもないけど、かわいい子よ。それに好きになればあばたもえくぼだからね。

[kirei to iu wakedemonaikedo, kawaii ko yo. sore ni suki ni nareba abata mo ekubo]

A: You know Akio, I hear he got engaed.

B: Really? With whom? Is she pretty?

A: I wouldn`t say she pretty, but she`s cute. You know how they say, love is blind.

3. To be ashamed

あわせる顔がない

[awaseru kao ga nai]

(something like 'not knowing how to face someone')

すみません、今回のプロジェクトがうまくいかなかったのは全部私の不忠によるものです。まったくあわせる顔がない。

[sumimasen, konkai no puroziekuto ga umaku ikanakatta no wa zenbu watashi no fuchuu ni yoru mono desu. mattaku awaseru kao ga nai]

I`m sorry. It was due to my carelessness that the project didn`t go well. I don`t know how to face you.

I would be glad if you had some more idioms. グッドラック！

As I was growing up, the first words I learned in Spanish as a five year old were the curse words that I repeated after hearing my grandfather say them. My grandparents had a laugh of course but that sparked my Spanish learning lessons. So to keep a tradition of my own, I'd like to learn some Japanese curses. Can anyone help me out?

Hi there. Well I can help you to improve your technique . I have some Japanese curses and really bad words with examples:

むこう [mukoo] - bi**ch, as*ole and etc. - as you understand it`s ok to use this word only when someone pissed you off that much:

むこう行け！[mukoo ike] - F**k off! (man`s speech)

むこう(に)行ってよ！[mukoo ni itte yo] (woman`s speech)

やりまん [yariman] - a w**re, a slut:

やりまん！[yariman] - You are the wh*re! (man`s speech)

やりまんおんな [yariman onna] - You are the wh*re! (woman`s speech)

鬼婆 [onibaba] - witch

義理のお母さんは鬼婆だ。

[giri no okaasan wa onibaba da]

My mother-in-law is the devil

キモイ [kimoi] - freak, creep and etc.

あいつは本当にキモイんだから。

[aitsu wa hontoo ni kimoi n dakara]

Oh my god, he/she is so creepy

And couple of really bad words:

きんたま [kintama] - balls

ちんち、まら、ぽこちん [chinchi, mara, pokochin] - dick

ちんけ [chinke] - it`s fu*king bad

うぜーんだよ [uzeendayo] - Fu*k off

貴様 [kisama] - motherf**ker

てめぇー [temee] - ass*ole

しつけーんだよ [sitsukendayo] - leave me the fu**k alone

大嫌い [daikirai] - I hate you

死ね [sine] - go to hell, die

くそくらえ [kusokurae] - eat sh*t

うっせーんだよ [usseendayo] - shut the f**k up

アホカ [ahoka] - what the f**k?

I think that`s enough. Have fun!

Hi everyone. Japanese titles are sort of suffixes that people from Japan use with a name of a person: san, kun and etc. But today I want to show lot more than just san（さん）and kun（くん）. I will give you the list of all the titles in the modern Japanese languages and even slang ones.

先生 [sensei] - generally used for teachers, or someone who has otherwise been connected to teaching

ここだけの話だが戸田先生は健治には甘いすぎるよ。

[koko dake no hanashi toda sensei wa kenzi niwa amai sugiru yo]

Between you and me, Mr. (read 'teacher') Toda is too easy with Kenji.

さん [san] - equivalent of "Mister"; it maintains professional distance.

彼女はブラウンさんと婚約した。

[kanojo wa buraun san to konyaku sita]

She betrothed herself to Mr. Brown.

さま [sama] - equivalent of "Sir/Madam"; used only for highly polite situations

スミス様にお呼び出し申し上げます。フロントまでお越しくださいません。

[sumisu sama oyobidasi moosiagemasu. furonto made o kosikudasaimasen]

Paging Mr. Smith. Please come to the front desk.

先輩 [senpai] - means 'senior', 'superior'; you may use it refering to someone who is a senior collegue

彼女はリン先輩を追い越して昇進した。

[kanojo wa rin senpai o oikosite shooshin sita]

She was promoted over the head of her senior Lin.

後輩 [koohai] - refers to junior; normally they use kun instead

くん [kun] - an affectionate ending for a friend`s name; usually a male friend who is the same age or younger than you; they usually don`t translate it.

ちゃん [chan] - mostly used with girls (equivavelnt of kun), but also can be used with boys when it means that they`re being cute. they usually don`t translate it either; this title also can be used with the babies.

リカちゃんの公式情報サイトです。

[rika chan no kooshiki joohoo saito desu]

Licca`s site of formal information.

ちん [chin] - is the slang form of "chan"

たん [tan] - is even more slangier version of "chan"

ぽん [pon] - is a kind of a silly and fun ending of friend`s name

Ok, I think that it. These are the most commonly used titles. So, good luck with that!　おやすみなさい。　グッドラック！

Hi folks! Today I want to talk about honorific speech in Japanese language. This part of Japanese grammar is inevitably will be used by everyone who ever get to Japan. Honorific speech was formed due to natural social and historical process and today it`s hard to imagine Japanese language without this feature.

You can find such info in the internet easily. But, I`ve made some sort of a verb table using the materials I have cutting off the information that is not relevant. I believe this table will help you to learn main principles of a forming of honorific speech quickly.

Firstly, it`s necessary to remember that infinitive is usually used in books, polite and respectful languages are used when you describe someone`s actions and humble lanuage you use when you`re talking about yourself:

Note, when you use humble language it means that you realize that a social rank of a person you are talking to is higher than yours.

"Do"

Infinitive - する [suru]

Polite language - します [simasu]

Respectful language - される、なさる [sareru, nasaru]

Humble language - いたします [itashimasu]

"Give"

Infinitive - くれる [kureru]

Polite language - くれます [kuremasu]

Respectful language - くださる [kudasaru]

Humble language - - -

"Think"

Infinitive - おもう [omou]

Polite language - 思います [omoimasu]

Respectful language - お思いになる [o omoi ni naru]

Humble language - 存じます [zonzimasu]

"Be"

Infinitive - いる [iru]

Polite language - います [imasu]

Respectful language - いらっしゃる [irassharu]

Humble language - おる [oru]

"Speak"

Infinitive - 言う [iu]

Polite language - 言います [iimasu]

Respectful language - おっしゃる [irassharu]

Humble language - 申し上げる [mooshiageru]

"Hear"

Infinitive - 聞く [kikuu]

Polite language - 聞きます [kikimasu]

Respectful language - 聞かれる [kikaerru]

Humble language - 拝聴する [haichoo suru]

"See"

Infinitive - 見る [miru]

Polite language - 見ます [mimasu]

Respectful language - ご覧になる [goran ni naru]

Humble language - 拝見する [haiken suru]

"Go"

Infinitive - 行く [iku]

Polite language - 行きます [ikimasu]

Respectful language - 行かれる [ikareru]

Humble language - うかがう [ukagau]

"Come"

Infinitive - 来る [iku]

Polite language - 行きます [ikimasu]

Respectful language - いらっしゃる [irassharu]

Humble language - 参る [mairu]

"Meet"

Infinitive - 会う [iu]

Polite language - 会います [iimasu]

Respectful language - 会われる [iwareru]

Humble language - お目にかかる [o me ni kakaru]

"Come back"

Infinitive - 帰る [kaeru]

Polite language - 帰ります [kaerimasu]

Respectful language - 帰られる [kaerareru]

Humble language - 帰らせいただく [kaeraseitadaku]

"Wait"

Infinitive - 待つ [matsu]

Polite language - 待ちます [machimasu]

Respectful language - お待ちになる [o machi ni naru]

Humble language - 待たせていただく [mataseteitadaku]

"Know"

Infinitive - 知る [siru]

Polite language - 知っています [sitteimasu]

Respectful language - ご存知になる [gozonzi ni naru]

Humble language - 存じる [zonziru]

"Read"

Infinitive - 読む [yomu]

Polite language - 読みます [yomimasu]

Respectful language - 読まれる [yomareru]

Humble language - 拝読する [haidoku suru]

"Write"

Infinitive - 書く [kaku]

Polite language - 書きます [kakimasu]

Respectful language - 書かれる [kakareru]

Humble language - 書かせていただく [kakaseteitadaku]

"Send"

Infinitive - 送る [okuru]

Polite language - 送ります [okurimasu]

Respectful language - 送りくださる [okurikudasaru]

Humble language - 送らせていただく [okuraseteitadaku]

"Eat"

Infinitive - 食べる [taberu]

Polite language - 食べます [tabemasu]

Respectful language - 召し上がる [mesiagaru]

Humble language - いただく [itadaku]

I really wonder how do you do with honorific speech in Japanese. What kind of methods do you have to memorize all the rules, because there are a lot of words and phrases that used in honorific speech. I know that for foreigners this might be a challenge. If you have any thoughts or questions, please, ask and leave a comment. And Good Luck!

Hi everyone! Today I want to make a little quiz. People often ask me how to learn Japanese language. Well, the most successful way to become fluent in Japanese (and in any other language) is to just study it. There are no any tools that will help you to learn Japanese and become a pro in this language in couple of months or less. In fact, there are some suggestions that can make this process more interesting and maybe a little easier. It depends on your interesting in Japanese culture (for instance, you can watch anime and/or listen to j-music to learn language, read Japanese books). Moreover, I believe that it is possible to learn any language within very short period. But this period depends on your motivation. So, my question is: what is your motivation in learning Japanese language?

I`ve studied this language for more than 4 years in the university and I`m sure that you must clearly understand your motivation in mastering Japanese. My motivation was that I wanted to visit Japan and I wanted to meet new Japanese friends and I wanted to expand my languages skills. Now I have Japanese friends and etc. So, now I can say that my goal was partly achieved. Therefore, you have to realize what can make you spend your time to become a pro in Japanese. Once my sensei told me that if I wanted to learn how to speak Japanese in 1 year I had to spend 8-24 hours/day studying this language. So, I am going to ask you, are you going to spend so much time learning this language? And if you are, than what does make you so patient and motivated about this?

I want to realize how many of you understand the reason they study this language. The result of this quiz will help me to support this forum and become more usuful to all of you who really want to speak Japanese fluently. Thank you and hope you`ll give some specifics and answers on my questions.

Hi folks. Today I want to discuss such imporant topic as Introducion. There is a whole bunch of rules in Japanese language to introduce yourself to other people. Espeсially it concerns business Japanese. If you were reallocated from your country to Japan, this topic, I think, would be extremely usuful for you.

So, how to introduce yourself? First of all you have to remember to use verbs in a form of ます [masu]. You also have to remember to use special words:

自己紹介する - 自己紹介 [ziko shookai]  - introducing yourself

よろしくおねがいします [yorosikuonegaisimasu] - 'nice to meet you'

申します - もうします [moosimasu] '...is speaking'

参ります - まいります [mairimasu] - to come

こちらこそ - [kochirakoso] '...the same to you'

Example:

A: 本社から参りました加藤と申します。よろしくお願いします。

B: チャンと申します。こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。

A: [honsha kara mairimasita katoo to moosimasu. yorosikuonegaisimasu.]

B: [chan to moosimasu. kochirakoso, yorosikuonegaisimasu.]

A: My name is Kato and I have been transfered here from the head office. I`m very pleased to meet you.

B: My name is Chan. It`s a pleasure for me to meet you as well.

Note, that the translation I gave above is not literal just because there is no anything like that in English. I mean it`s hard to put translation in English, which would be very close to the original text.

So, now I want to put here literal translation, so that you could understand the meaning of the example:

A: Kato is speaking, who`s come here from the head office. I`m very pleased to meet you

B: Chan is speaking. I`m very pleased to meet you too.

Ok, once again, you can use only those phrases from the example just replacing the names. Therefore it would be very easy for you to make good first impression in Japanese company.

If you need to introduce somebody else you can use next phrases:

はじめまして [hazimemasite] - 'I`m glad to meet you'

本店 (ほんてん) [honten] - head office

うちの部 (うちのぶ) [uchinobu] - our department

Example:

A: (C に)　うちの部の山本さんです。

　 (B に) こちらは本店の高橋さんです。

B: 山本です。はじめまして。

C: 高橋です。はじめまして。

A: (C ni) [uchi no bu yamamoto san desu]

    (B ni) [kochira wa honten no takahashi san desu]

B: Yamamoto desu. hazimemasite.

C: Takahasi desu. hazimemasite

A: (to C) This is a member of our department Mr. Yamamoto.

    (to Here is Mr. Takahashi from the head office.

B: I am Yamamoto and glad to meet you.

C: I am Tkahashi and it`s a pleasure for me to meet you as well.

Note, you need to understand that if someone introduces you to the rest of a company you should say はじめまして [hazimemasite] after saying your name instead of よろしくお願いします [yorosikuonegaisimasu].

If you have additional information concerning this topic, please share. Good luck!

Hi Marcel, hope this will help you:

[Where is the closest Metro Station?] - メトロの近くの駅がどこにありますか？[metoro no　chikaku no eki ga doko ni arimasu ka]

[Excuse me, do you know the way to the train station?] - すみません、電車の駅がどこにありますか？ [sumimasen, densha no eki ga doko ni arimasu ka]

[sorry, what's the price for this X ?] - すみません、このXがいくらですか？ [sumimasen, kono X ga ikura desu ka]

[Thank you so much for your kindness] - どうもありがとうございました！ [doomo arigatoo gozaimasita]

[i would like to order some more dishes.] - もっと皿を注文したいです [motto sara o chuumon sitai desu]

[i would like to order some more wine.] - もっとワインを注文したいです　[motto wain o chuumon sitai desu]

[The bill, please] - 付け出しをお願いします [tsukedashi o negaishimasu]

[What's the time now?] - 今は、何時ですか？ [ima wa, nanji desu ka]

[Excuse me, I am searching for a bank] - すみません、銀行はどこにありますか？ [sumimasen, ginkoo wa doko ni arimasu ka]

[How old are you?] - 何歳ですか？ [nansai desu ka]

[We are from Switzerland. My mother is working as a secretary and her boyfriend is a doctor. I am currently studying Chinese and Computational Linguistics at the University of Zurich.] - 私たちはスイスから来ました。お母さんは祐筆です。彼女の恋人は医者です。私は現在はチューリッヒの大学で中国語とコンピュータの語源学を勉強します。 [watashi wa suisu kara kimasita. okaasan wa yuuhitsu desu. kanozyo no koiboto wa isya desu. watashi wa genzai wa chuurihhi no daigaku de chuugoku to konpyuuta no gogengaku o benkyoosimasu]

Have a nice trip!

Hi dear all, I continue sharing usufel info with those who want to pass JLPT level 2. So, today I`ll talk about vocabulary that you must know if you want to pass JLPT N2:

Note: I`m not putting reading of the words in romaji, I suppose that if you want to pass JLPT level 2 you are already know kana.

1. あいかわらず - as ever,as usual,the same

2. アイデア/アイディア - idea

3. あいまい - vague, ambiguous

4. 遭う [あう] - to meet, encounter

5. 扇ぐ [あおぐ] - to fan, to flap

6. 青白い [あおじろい] - pale, pallid

7. あかんぼう - baby

8. 明き [あき] - room, time to spare, emptiness

9. あきれる - to be amazed, to be shocked

10. アクセント - accent

11. あくび - yawn

12. 飽くまで [あくまで] - to the end, to the last, stubbornly

13. 明け方 [あけがた] - dawn

14. 揚げる [あげる] - to lift, to fry

15. 挙げる [あげる] - to raise, to fly

16. あげる = やる - to do for

17. 憧れる [あこがれる] - to long for, to yearn after, to admire

18. 足跡 [あしあと] - footprints

19. 味わう [あじわう] - to taste, to savor, to relish

20. 預かる [あずかる] - to keep in custody, to receive on deposit, to take charge of

21. 暖まる [あたたまる] - to warm up, to get warm

22. 暖める [あたためる] - to warm, to heat

23. あたりまえ - usual, common, ordinary

24. あちらこちら - here and there

25. 厚かましい [あつかましい] - impudent, shameless, brazen

26. 圧縮 [あっしゅく] - compression, condensation, pressure

27. 宛名 [あてな] - adress, direction

28. あてはまる - to be applicable, to come under (a category), to fulfill

29. あてはめる - to apply, to adapt

30. 暴れる [あばれる] - to act violently, to rage, to struggle, to be riotous

31. 脂 [あぶら] - fat, tallow, lard

32. あぶる - to scorch

33. あふれる - to flood, to overflow, to brim over

34. 雨戸 [あまど] - sliding storm door

35. 甘やかす [あまやかす] - to pamper, to spoil

36. 余る [あまる] - to remain, to be left over, to be in excess, to be too many

37. 編物 [あみもの] - knitting, web

38. 編む [あむ] - to knit

39. 危うい [あやうい] - dangerous, critical, grave

40. 怪しい [あやしい] - suspicious, dubious, doubtful

41. 荒い [あらい] - rough, rude, wild

42. 粗い [あらい] - coarse, rough

43. あらすじ - outline, summary

44. 争う [あらそう] - to dispute, to argue, to be at variance, to complete

45. 改めて [あらためて] - another time, again, over again, anew, formally

46. 改める [あらためる] - to change, to alter, to reform, to revise

47. 著す [あらわす] - to write, to publish

48. 有難い [ありがたい] - grateful, thankful, welcome, appreciated, evoking gratitude

49. 在る [ある] - to live, to be

50. あれこれ - one thing or another, this and that, this or that

Note, if you want to comtinue learning Japanese words and grammar to pass JLPT (different levels, not only N2) please, leave comments, ask me to continue this topic, so that I`ll know you need such materials. Thank you and good luck!

Hi everyone. Today I`ll continue sharing kanji of JLPT level 2 (Japanese Language Proficiency Test):

Note: katakana means Chinese reading of a kanji, hiragana - Japanese reading

1. 頼 [ライ, タヨ. , たの.む たの.もしい] - trust/request

2. 覚 [カク , おぼ.える, さ.ます, さ.める, さと.る] - memorize/learn/remember/awake/sober up

3. 船 [セン , ふね, ふな] - ship/boat

4. 倍 [バイ] - double/twice/times/fold

5. 均 [キン, なら.す, なら.し, ひと.しい] - level/average

6. 億 [おく] - hundred million/10**8

7. 途 [ト, みち] - route/way/road

8. 圧 [アツ, エン, オウ , お.す, へ.す, おさ.える, お.さえる] - pressure/push/overwhelm/oppress/dominate

9. 芸 [ゲイ] - technique/art/craft/performance/acting/trick/stunt

10. 許 [キョ , ゆる.す, もと] - permit/approve

11. 署 [ショ] - signature/govt office/police station

12. 抜 [バツ, ハツ, ハイ, ヌ.カ , ぬ.く, -ぬ.く, ぬ.き, ぬ.ける, ぬ.かす] - slip out/extract/pull out/pilfer/quote/remove/omit

13. 便 [ベン, ビン , たよ.り] - convenience

14. 伸 [シン, ノ. , の.びる, の.ばす, の.べる] - expand/stretch/extend/lengthen/increase

15. 留 [リュウ, ル, ルウブ , と.める, と.まる, とど.める, とど.まる] - detain/fasten/halt/stop

16. 罪 [ザイ, つ.み, つみ.する] - guilt/sin/crime/fault/blame/offense

17. 停 [テイ , と.める, と.まる] - halt/stopping

18. 爆 [バク , は.ぜる] - bomb/burst open/pop/split

19. 陸 [リク, ロク, オ] - land/six

20. 玉 [ギョク, たま] - jewel/ball

21. 波 [ハ, なみ] - waves/billows/Poland

22. 帯 [タイ, お.びる, たい.する] - sash/belt/obi/zone/region

23. 延 [エン, の.びる, の.ばす, の.べる, の.べ, の.び] - prolong/stretching

24. 努 [ド, つと.める, つと.めて] - toil/diligent/as much as possible

25. 固 [コ, かた.い, かた.める, かた.まる, かた.まり] - harden/set/clot/curdle

26. 精 [セイ, しら.げる, くわ.しい] - refined/ghost/fairy/energy/vitality/semen/excellence/purity/skill

27. 則 [ソク, のり, のっと.る, すなわ.ち] - rule/follow/based on/model after

28. 乱 [ラン, みだ.れる, みだ.す] - riot/war/disorder/disturb

29. 普 [フ, あまね.く] - universal/wide(ly)/generally/Prussia

30. 散 [サン, バ , ち.る, ち.らす, ち.らかす, ち.らかる] - scatter/disperse/spend/squander

That`s it for today. Have a nice weekend and good luck with kanji!

Hello everyone. Today I want to share the list of very usuful kanji with you. I suppose that you familiar with JLPT (Japanese-Language Proficiency Test), having passed which you can live and even work in Japan. So, today I want to give you the list of important kanji to pass JLPT level 2. If you have level 2 than it means you can fluently speak in Japanese. One more thing, taking into account the fact that this topic is quite capacious I have to divide the topic into couple parts. So, if you find this information interesting, please leave a comment and I will continue posting JLPT 2 kanji. Therefore, if you learned all the kanji from this list that would mean you can pass JLPT level 2 for sure:

Note: katakana means Chinese reading of a kanji, hiragana - Japanese reading

1. 皿 [ベイ , さら] (bei, sara) - dish/a helping/plate

2. 湿 [シツ, シュウ , しめ.る, しめ.す, うるお.う, うるお.す] (sitsu, shuu, shimeru, shimesu, uruosu,) - damp/wet/moist

3. 肯 [コウ , がえんじ.る] (kou, gaenziru) - agreement/consent/comply with

4. 詞 [シ] - (shi) part of speech/words/poetry

5. 枝 [えだ, シ] (eda, shi) - bough/branch/twig/limb

6. 蒸 [ジョウ, セイ , む.す, む.れる, む.らす ] (jou, sei, musu, mureru, muraasu) - steam/heat/sultry/foment/get musty

7. 沸 [フツ , わ.く, わ.かす] (futsu, waku, wakasu) - seethe/boil/ferment/uproar/breed

8. 帽 [ボウ, モウ , ずきん, おお.う] (bou, mou, zukin, oou) - cap/headgear

9. 綿 [メン, ワ] (men, wa) - cotton

10. 涙 [ルイ, レイ , なみだ] (rui, rei, namida) - tears/sympathy

11. 疲 [ヒ , つか.れる, つか.らす] (hi, tsukareru, tsukarasu) - exhausted/tire/weary

12. 恋 [レン , こ.う, こい, こい.しい] (ren, kou, koi, koishii) - romance/in love/yearn for/miss/darling

13. 偉 [えらい] (erai) - admirable/greatness/remarkable/conceited/famous/excellen

14. 胃 [い] (i) - stomack/paunch/crop/craw

15. 域 [いき] (iki) - range/region/limits/stage/level

16. 因 [イン, ちな.み, よ.る] (in, chinami, yoru) - cause/factor/be associated with/depend on/be limited to

17. 羽 [ウ, ハ , はね] (u, ha, hane) - feathers/counter for birds/ rabbits

18. 泳 [エイ , およ.ぐ] (ei, oyogu) - swim

19. 越 [エツ, オツ, こ.す,  こ.える] (etsu, otsu, kosu, koeru) - surpass/cross over/move to/exceed/Vietnam

20. 煙 [エン, ケム, けむ.る, けむり] (en, kemu, kemuru, kemuri) - smoke

21. 奥 [オウ, オク , おく.まる] (ou, oku, okumaru) - heart/interior

22. 察 [サツ] (satsu) - guess/presume/surmise/judge/understand

23. 黄 [コウ, オウ, き] (kou, ou, ki) - yellow

24. 温 [オン, ヌ , あたた.か, あたた.かい, あたた.まる, あたた.める] (on, nu, atataka, atatakai, atatamaru, atatameru) - warm

25. 召 [ショウ , め.す] (shoo, mesu) - seduce/call/send for/wear/put on/ride in/buy/eat/drink/catch (cold)

26. 菓 [カ] (ka) - candy/cakes/fruit

27. 拾 [シュウ, ジュウ , ひろ.う] (shuu, juu, hirou) - pick up/gather/find/go on foot/ten

28. 婚 [コン] (kon) - marriage

29. 式 [シ] (shi) - style/ceremony/rite/function/method/system/form/expression

30. 険 [ケン , けわ.しい] (ken, kewashii) - precipitous/inaccessible place/impregnable position/steep place/sharp eyes

If you want to pass JLPT 2 it`s very importing for you to know all the readings (both, Chinese and Japanese). Good luck!

Hello, everyone! Today I want to share with you words that mean parts of the human body and the human face.

So, let`s get started with the Japanese vocabulary for parts of the body:

男性 [dansei] - male

女性 [josei] - female

首 [kubi] - neck

胸 [mune] - chest

腹 [hara] - abdomen

腰 [koshi] - hip

性器 [seiki] - genitals

脛 [sune] - shin

股間 [kokan] - groin

脚 [ashi] - leg

頭 [atama] - head

乳房 [chibusa] - breast

ウエスト [uesuto] - waist

臍 [heso] - navel

前腕 [zenwan] - forearm

太股 [futomomo] - thigh

膝 [hiza] - knee

足 [ashi] - foot

肩 [kata] - shoulder

腕 [ude] - arm

肘 [hiji] - elbow

手首 [tekubi] - wrist

手 [te] - hand

足首 [ashikubi] - ankle

首筋 [kubisuji] - nape

背中 [senaka] - back

脇の下 [waki no sita] - armplit

背中の窪み [senaka no kubomi] - small of back

尻 [siri] - buttock

脹脛 [fukurahagi] - calf

踵 [kakato] - heel

Japanese Vocabulary — Parts of the human face:

髪 [kami] - hair

皮膚 [hifu] - skin

眉毛 [mayuge] - eyebrow

まつげ [matsuge] - eyelash

耳 [mimi] - ear

鼻 [hana] - nose

黒子 [hokuro] - mole

唇 [kuchibiru] - lip

顎 [ago] - chin

額 [hitai] - forehead

こめかみ [komekami] - temple

目 [me] - eye

頬 [hoo] - cheek

鼻の穴 [hana no ana] - nostril

口 [kuchi] - mouth

顎 [ago] - jaw

Hand:

薬指 [kusuriyubi] - ring finger

小指 [koyubi] - little finger

中指 [nakayubi] - middle finger

人差し指 [hitosashiyubi] - index finger

掌 [tenohira] - palm

爪 [tsume] - nail

甘皮 [amakawa] - cuticle

指の関節 [yubi no kansetsu] - knuckle

拳 [kobushi] - fist

Foot:

足指 [ashiyubi] - toe

拇指球 [boshikyuu] - ball

足裏 [ashiura] - sole

足の甲の内側 [ashi no koo no uchigawa] - instep

土踏まず [tsuchifumazu] - arch

踵 [kakato] - heel

足の親指 [ashi no oyayubi] - big toe

足の甲 [ashi no koo] - bridge

足の爪 [ashi no tsume] - toenail

足の小指 [ashi no koyubi] - little toe

足首 [ashikubi] - ankle

That`s it for this topic. I have more words that describe the human body in the Japanese language. If you find this info useful and interesting, please leave a coment and I will create another topic with Japanese vocabulary concerning the human body. See ya!

Hi, everyone. I continue a cycle of topics concern the problem of Kansai dialect. As many of you knows, Kansai dialect is a type of Japanese language that is used in Kansai (or sometimes they call it Kinki)  - south-west region of Japan. So, today I want to talk about 15 words and phrases, which are commonly used in Kansai.

Ok, let`s start with vocabulary:

1. 阿呆 [ahou/aho] - stupid, fool, foolish - this word is considered as a part of standard Japanese, but in fact it is mostly used in Kansai type of Japanese.

Example:

なんでこの本の一番最初に、こんな阿呆な言葉入れたん？お前ら、阿呆やなあ。

[nande kono hon no ichiban saishoni, konna ahounana kotoba iretan? Omaera, ahou yanaa]

Why did you put such a stupid word at the beginning of this book?

You guys are pretty stupid.

2. あかん [akan] - bad, useless, no, impossible - this word is not vulgar, it`s more impolite expression. In fact, あかん is a very distinctive and highly recognizable feature of Kansai language.

Example (no, impossible meaning):

一千万円、貸してくれへん？ [issenman en, kasitekurehen?]

あかん！ [akan!]

Can you loan me 10 million yen?

NO!

Example (bad meaning):

試験どんないやった？　[shiken donna iyatta?]

あかんかったわ。 [akankattawa]

How was the test?

Miserable.

Example (don`t do that meaning):

ほな、いて来るわ。　[hona, itekuru wa]

あかんよ。 [akanyo]

I`m going out now.

No, you`re not.

Example (must (double negative) meaning):

仕事せなあかん。 [sigoto senaakan] (as you can see verb suru is used in a negative form - senai, but it is also conjugated, so you can see - senaakan)

I`ve got to work.

3. ちゃう [chau] - a) no, different, wrong; isn`t that right? (this form is a reduced version of chigau 違う)

Example (a) meaning)

電車代二百円やな。

ちゃう、ちゃう。二百五十円やで。

The train fare is 200 yen, right?

No, it`s 250 yen.

Example ( meaning)

あれ、望ちゃう？ [are, nozomi chau]

Isn`t that Nozomi?

Note: as you can see chau is equivalent to standard janai じゃない

4. ええ [ee] - good, that`s enough (replaced ii いい in standard Japanese)

Example:

あの車、かっこええなあ。 [ano kuruma, kakkoeenaa]

That`s a pretty car.

5. ほんま [honma] - really (which is equivalent to hontoo 本当)

Fun thing about this honma is that this feature is used to show that the person is still listening to what the speaker is saying.

Example:

ほんまに？ [honmani] - Really?

ほんま、ほんま。 [honma, honma] - Really, really.

ほなまや！ [honmaya] - Really!

ほんまかいなあ。 [honmakainaa] - You`re joking.

6. 毎度 [maido] - hello

Note: this word also mean thank you, translation depends on a context

Example:

毎度、大きに。 [maido, ookini]

Thanks for your patronage.

ああ、まいど、まいど。 [aa, maido, maido]

Hello/Thanks for calling (receiving a phone call)/Thanks for coming

7. めっちゃ、むっちゃ [metcha, mutcha] - very (equivalent of totemo とても, taihen たいへん, sugoku すごく)

Example:

めっちゃおもろい。

Very interesting.

8. なんぼ [nanbo] - how much (equivalent of ikura いくら)

Example:

それ、なんぼ？ [sore, nanbo]

千円。 [sen en]

How much is that?

1,000 yen.

9. 大きに [ookini] - thank you

10. おる [oru] - is, exists (both, for humans and animals)

Example:

明日あられますか？ [asita araremasuka]

すまんけど、明日おれへんわ。 [sumankedo, asita orehenwa]

Will you be in tomorrow?

Sorry, I`m going to be out tomorrow.

And grammatical features:

11. はる [haru] - honorific verb conjunction

Example:

どこへ行きはるんですか？ [doko e ikiharundesuka]

どこへ行きはりますか？ [doko e ikiharimasuka]

どこへ行かはるんですか？ [doko e ikaharundesuka] (Used in Kyoto)

Where are you going?

12. へん [hen] - negative verb conjugation (equivalent to nai ない)

In Kansai dialect negative conjugation hen is formed in the same way as in standard Japanese:

食べる[taberu] - 食べへん[tabehen]　- don`t eat

But:

分かる [wakaru] - 分かれへん [wakarehen] - don`t understand

する [suru] - せえへん [seihen] - しいひん [siihin] - don`t do

13. ねん [nen] - neutral sentence ending

Example:

好きやねん [suki ya nen]

I like it.

14. しもた、もた [simoto, moto] - completely

Example:

もう電車、行ってしもた。 [mou densha, ittesimota]

The train`s already gone.

15. や [ya] - is

Example:

嘘や [uso ya] - you are kidding

Ok, hope this info was useful. Good luck!

Gosh this is really interesting. I've always been baffled by Kansai dialect -- I wonder why it's so different from standard Japanese?

Thank you for posting this introduction! This should make understanding people with this 'accent' a bit easier for me. Thanks again!

You are welcome! I will continue sharing information about Kansai in the next posts. So, please watch for updates. Regards!

Hi, everyone. I believe that all of you are familiar with such a phenomenon as different dialects of Japanese language. So, today I want to give you some specifics about Kansai dialect, which, by the way, is quite popular in Japan. One more thing before starting, I want you to realize that this kind of Japanese is usually spoken in Kansai region (south of the country).

Many words in standard Japanese are contracted:

KANSAI              STANDARD                  Translation

よう [yoo]            よく [yoku]                  well

おもろい[omoroi]    おもしろい[omoshiroi]      interesting

ちゃう[chau]　　　　違おう[chigau]            wrong

こら[kora]　　　　　これは[korewa]            this is

そら[sora]　　　　　それは[sorewa]          that is

But, there are words in Kansai dialect that have nothing in common with standard Japanese:

KANSAI              STANDARD                  TRANSLATION

ぬくい[nukui]　　　暖かい[atatakai]            warm

こそばい[kosobai]　くすぐったい[kusuguttai]  ticklish

こける[kokeru]　　転ぶ[korobu]                fall down

ほかす[hokasu]　　捨てる[suteru]              throw away

"S" sound in standard Japanese is often replaced by "h" sound in Kansai:

KANSAI              STANDARD                  TRANSLATION

はん[han]　　　　　さん[san]　　　　　　　Mr., Ms., Mrs.

まへん[mahen]　　ません[masen]            (negative suffix)

まひょう[mahyoo]　ましょう[mashyoo]        ("let`s do" suffix)

です [desu] and its variations are replaced by や[ya]:

KANSAI              STANDARD                  TRANSLATION

や[ya]　　　　　　だ[da]                        is

やろ[yaro]          だろう[daroo]                don`t you think?

やから[yakara]　　だから[dakara]              therefore

Long vowels at the end of words are often shortened:

KANSAI              STANDARD                  TRANSLATION

行こ[iko] 　　　　　行こう[ikoo]                  let`s go

しょ[sho]　　　　　しょう[shoo]                  let`s do

そや[soya]　　　　そうだ[soo da]              yes

Short vowels at the end of words are sometimes lengthened:

KANSAI              STANDARD                  TRANSLATION

手え[tee]　　　　　手[te]                        hand

毛え[kee]            毛[ke]                        hair

蚊あ[kaa]            蚊[ka]                        mosquito

木い[kii]              木[ki]                        tree

血い[chii]　　　　　血[chi]                        blood

戸お[too]　　　　　戸[to]                        door

And in addition, Kansai-speakers often repeat the same word twice. It`s especially used when showing sympathy or relieving someone`s anxiety:

かまへん、かまへん [kamahen, kamahen] - I don`t mind at all.

ちゃう、ちゃう [chau,chau] - No, that`s not right.

Of course, there are a lot more language sapects in Kansai than I sowed you abowe. This topic is just intro to the whole Kansai dialect subject. If you find this material interesting, please feel free to ask me for more information about Kansai dialect. Good luck!

Quite a helpful post. DO you mind if I print this out to use for study? Plurals have always been a weak point to my learning

Thanks!

Of course you can print this info. Later I`ll try post here some more information about number making in Japanese