# I signed up for Japanese lessons! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 30, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529 "2009-06-30T23:41:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/21 "2009-10-26T01:21:03Z")
> [@LouiseE](#): > > …phonetically they are written exactly the same, though the kanji are different. Yes, I noticed this in the dictionary. It never occurred to me that the kanji might be used to distinguish homonymns. But every entry has hiragana, then kanji. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/22 "2009-10-26T01:26:01Z")
> [@\_xiao\_wenti](#): > > I am a student of Chinese and characters…The modern Chinese (zhenti zi) Pay attention to your pinyin, it’s not “zhenti zi,” but “jianti zi,” as in “jiandan,” or “simple,” hence the term “simplified chinese” 简体字 Pinyin counts for alot if you want to learn Chinese (especially typing)! ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/23 "2009-10-26T16:58:16Z")
> [@LouiseE](#): > > Our poor teacher had to explain embarrassing new vocabulary quite a few times when we mistakenly said something that _wasn’t quite what we had probably intended to say_. Also hilarious is _kawaii_/\*kowai \*(cute/scary). A classmate once said that he took a \*kowai \*girl out to dinner at a restaurant, and the teacher and I busted out laughing at the poor guy. I have a riotously funny book I picked up in the bookstore at my univerisity when I was studying abroad in Japan, which lists a series of anecdotes where a non-Japanese messed up a word and changed the entire meaning of their sentence ([Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Made-Funny-Tom-Dillon/dp/4915645215/) | [Amazon.co.jp](http://www.amazon.co.jp/Japanese-made-funny/dp/489684677X/)). ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/24 "2009-10-26T17:53:59Z")
Reading through my course book yesterday evening, I suddenly realized that they’re starting to slip kanji in. Just one or two, nothing major, and if needed there are the little _furigana_ on hand next to them to help me know how they’re pronounced, but… it’s a premonition of the future. The first one was 物 (もの, _mono_ ), which I am currently interpreting as something like ‘thing’. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/25 "2009-10-26T18:03:40Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I have a riotously funny book I picked up in the bookstore at my univerisity when I was studying abroad in Japan, which lists a series of anecdotes where a non-Japanese messed up a word and changed the entire meaning of their sentence ([Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Made-Funny-Tom-Dillon/dp/4915645215/) | [Amazon.co.jp](http://www.amazon.co.jp/Japanese-made-funny/dp/489684677X/)). I just looked that book up on Amazon.ca, and there are used copies starting from CAD 114! WTF? The Japanese one was JPY 1365 (CAD 15.77) and the ones on the US site were used and started from USD 48.46 (CAD 51.62). I sense an arbitrage opportunity. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/26 "2009-10-26T18:10:42Z")
Learning Japanese, I think you’re learning Japanese, I really think so. ---
**Author:** ![cuberdon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@cuberdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuberdon)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/27 "2009-10-26T20:20:26Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Reading through my course book yesterday evening, I suddenly realized that they’re starting to slip kanji in. Just one or two, nothing major, and if needed there are the little _furigana_ on hand next to them to help me know how they’re pronounced, but… it’s a premonition of the future. > > The first one was 物 (もの, _mono_ ), which I am currently interpreting as something like ‘thing’. That is correct. It is used in many contexts to indicate a generic type of item, as in: tsukemono: pickled vegetables (way more kinds than in the US) yakimono: ceramics, iirc Our teacher tried to start out with the simpler, ie, low stroke count characters. However there are a few that have basic and useful meanings that are unfortunately quite high in stroke count. One that sticks in the mind many years later is 曜 (ヨウ,_you_), which means week day. Best of luck, since I don’t think I’ve said so yet. It’s a very cool language. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/28 "2009-10-26T20:21:27Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > The first one was 物 (もの, _mono_ ), which I am currently interpreting as something like ‘thing’. That’s pretty much my mental marker for it, too, except I think of it as “(concrete) thing,” to distinguish it from 事 \*koto \*“(abstract) thing.” > [@Sunspace](#): > > I just looked that book up on Amazon.ca, and there are used copies starting from CAD 114! WTF? The Japanese one was JPY 1365 (CAD 15.77) and the ones on the US site were used and started from USD 48.46 (CAD 51.62). It was only released in Japan, AFAIK, and I’m guessing it’s not like it was a huge thing. Was probably only in my university’s bookstore 'cause the guy who wrote it was a professor there, IIRC. So they’d have to special order it, ship it over, etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![cuberdon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@cuberdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuberdon)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/29 "2009-10-27T03:39:59Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I just looked that book up on Amazon.ca, and there are used copies starting from CAD 114! WTF? The Japanese one was JPY 1365 (CAD 15.77) and the ones on the US site were used and started from USD 48.46 (CAD 51.62). > > I sense an arbitrage opportunity. 🙂 $35.00 on ebay, with free shipping included. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/30 "2009-10-27T18:54:38Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > So it’s not just my imagination that there are a lot of very similar words… Yes, and there are some pretty common ones, which you may have already learned: obaasan - grandmother and obasan - aunt, ojiisan - grandfather and ojisan - uncle, etc…, as well as words with long (or double) consonents, e.g., katta, which is the word “won” as opposed to kata, which is the word “shoulder”. ---
**Author:** ![Ssmell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Ssmell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ssmell)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/31 "2009-10-27T22:05:48Z")
Ha, i alwlays wanted to write a bad english-japanese translation book encouraging people to visit shinjuku district. you totally wont get stabbed! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/32 "2009-10-27T22:41:24Z")
“Do you want to come back to my place bouncy bouncy?” ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/33 "2009-10-28T00:15:27Z")
わたしはべんとをぎんこでたべています。Either my hovercraft is full of eels, or I just has a boxed lunch at the bank. 🙂 (I think I remembered that verb right.) ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/34 "2009-10-28T14:49:55Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > わたしはべんとをぎんこでたべています。Either my hovercraft is full of eels, or I just has a boxed lunch at the bank. 🙂 (I think I remembered that verb right.) Actually, you want: わたしはべんとうをぎんこうでたべました。 _Watashi wa bentou o ginkou de tabemashita._ Note the long vowel on \*bentou \*and _ginkou_, and \*tabete imasu \*is “am eating” while \*tabemashita \*is “ate.” Also, I would personally put \*ginkou de \*before _bentou o_, so that the object is next to the verb. Also, if you were actually speaking conversationally, you’d almost certainly drop the _watashi wa_, since the subject would be understood to be you. FWIW, “My hovercraft is full of eels” would be something like: 私のホバークラフトは鰻が一杯一杯。 _Watashi no hobaakurafuto wa unagi ga ippai desu._ With the caveat that my Japanese is rusty. 😃 ETA: **Ssmell** , what do you have against Shinjuku? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/35 "2009-10-28T16:41:57Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Actually, you want: > > わたしはべんとうをぎんこうでたべました。 > _Watashi wa bentou o ginkou de tabemashita._ > > Note the long vowel on \*bentou \*and _ginkou_, and \*tabete imasu \*is “am eating” while \*tabemashita \*is “ate.” Also, I would personally put \*ginkou de \*before _bentou o_, so that the object is next to the verb. Also, if you were actually speaking conversationally, you’d almost certainly drop the _watashi wa_, since the subject would be understood to be you. Yep, べんとうをぎんこうでたべました (_bentou o ginkou de tabemashita)_ is how I would say it. > [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > FWIW, “My hovercraft is full of eels” would be something like: > > 私のホバークラフトは鰻が一杯一杯。 > _Watashi no hobaakurafuto wa unagi ga ippai desu._ > > With the caveat that my Japanese is rusty. 😃 Hmm, so ホバークラフト is hovercraft, eh? I mean, I know that’s hovercraft, I just thought there’d be a Japanese word for it. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/36 "2009-10-28T16:47:19Z")
私愛長い時間 ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/37 "2009-10-28T16:54:30Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > FWIW, “My hovercraft is full of eels” would be something like: > > 私のホバークラフトは鰻が一杯一杯。 > _Watashi no hobaakurafuto wa unagi ga ippai desu._ I also think you meant: 私のホバークラフトは鰻が一杯です。 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/38 "2009-10-28T16:57:57Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Actually, you want: > > わたしはべんとうをぎんこうでたべました。 > _Watashi wa bentou o ginkou de tabemashita._ > > Note the long vowel on \*bentou \*and _ginkou_… > [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Yep, べんとうをぎんこうでたべました (_bentou o ginkou de tabemashita)_ is how I would say it. So it came out something like ‘I can haz cheezburger’? 🙂 I was posting from my iPhone on the bus without any of my books, and this was the first time I was really trying to remeber it without help, so it actually worked pretty well. But thank you for the help! This course is working quite well. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/39 "2009-10-28T17:06:05Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > 私愛長い時間 Kind of insensitive in an ‘all Asians are the same’ kind of way…even though I know you meant it as a joke as no Japanese person would ever say this. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529/40 "2009-10-28T17:10:18Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Kind of insensitive in an ‘all Asians are the same’ kind of way…even though I know you meant it as a joke as no Japanese person would ever say this. What does it mean? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-signed-up-for-japanese-lessons/501529.md?page=3)