A new guy has come

[flamedragon]

Hello there, I am new here in this forum, and I like to learn the Japanese language, but I see it's so hard when you are learning alone...
I mean, now I know the katakana, hiragana and kanji (oh boy)

but :

1-which one to started to learn,

2-and what words do you writing now? Because when I read a Japanese sentence, I see katakana and kanji both in one sentence...

3-if I learn only katakana and hiragana without kanji it's that enough
to learn Japanese, or do I have to study all?

4-in japan, now what all people like writing now: katakana, hiragana or kanji to connected with other people ???

I hope you all help me because I really want to learn this language...

Thank you all and goodbye...........

 

[SacredBlue]

元気？

<1-whiche one to started to learn ,>
1. Start learning Katakana and Hiragana together, but be able to know which is which without having to think about it. I recommend flashcards and repeated usage. Saying the syllables out loud while writing helps greatly.

<2-and what words do you writing now , because when I read Japanese sentences I see katana and kanji both in one sentence...>
2. Most if not all serious Japanese sentences are a mixture of Hiragana and Kanji. Katakana is used when necessary for the phonetical spelling of foreign words.

<3-if I learning only katana and hiragana without kanji its that enough
to learn Japanese ,or do I have to study all ?>
3. Kanji is essential, but very tedious to learn. There are no shortcuts. It is a labour of love. Once you learn a few hundred Kanji, you will know how much easier it can make reading and writing. The best way to learn Kanji is by writing them properly and saying the readings out loud. Everyday review and usage is key to engraining them into your brain. I'd recommend memorizing a few a week, but remember, don't overdo yourself and be consistent in your study or don't study at all. Kanji are beautiful, develop a love for them, and your mind will never forget them.

<4-in japan now what all people like writing now : katana, hiragana or kanji to connect with other people ???>
4. You will see all three. There is a minimum of 1945 Kanji (called 常用漢字 or Jouyou Kanji）that one should learn to live in Japan and read Japanese. Yes, this is a good amount of Kanji. But I hope you're not in a hurry *smile*

And some additional tips:
-Avoid Romaji like the plague. Enough said.
-There is nothing worth learning that doesn't take time.
-Listen to some Japanese music. It's not a great way to learn, but it will tune your ears. I would guess Manga & Anime might help, but I never liked Anime, so I never tried.
-Learn the proper way to pronounce " ra ri ru re ro ". Avoid "la li lu le lo"
-If you're not learning Kanji, start learning vocabulary. This will give you something to write in Hiragana and help comprehension.
-Think in Japanese. You may not understand now, but remember this.
-Don't burn out. You can't learn the language in a month.
-Keep your chin up. As you will see, the path is a hard one at times, as you will see, but I guarantee that it's worth it.
-I suggest picking up a book to help you. I recommend the Japanese For Young People Student Book. It will teach you the ropes. As for Kanji, the Tuttle Kanji Cards are pocket-sized and of excellent quality.

Japanese certainly isn't for the faint of heart or the lazy, but it's far from an impossible language to learn. Knowing only one language is like sitting in a room with no windows. Learning a different language opens up your mind, and you will come out a better person.

And lastly, don't let people get you down. These days, there is so much talk these days of people moving to Japan to "get some fucks and make some bucks". These are the people who live in Japan for a year or two, give gaijin a bad name, and spend the rest of the time complaining about message boards. Respect the culture, Respect the people, and you will be shocked.

If you have any more questions, just post them!
がんばってね！ (ganbatte ne)

 

[flamedragon]

Thank for your support me ,yes I have a question:

Start learning Katakana and Hiragana together
After learned Japanese how to make the transfer from Japanese to English word or litter on my own (like when I make the transfer from English into Arabic) because I learn English when I was young from programs and cartoon with subtitles into Arabic,........
I hope I am not bothering you really, and thank you again ........

 

[SacredBlue]

Hmm, I'm not sure what you're asking but I'll try to answer. To put Japanese words into English spelling (Romaji) you write out the syllables the words are made of. Each Hiragana and Katakana character is composed of two letters each. So for example:
ゆめ （夢）
ゆ＝yu (pronounced 'you')
め＝me (pronounced 'may')
yume = dream

and

さくら （桜）
さ＝sa (almost pronounced like 'sa' in 'saw')
く＝ku (pronounced like the 'coo' in 'cool)
ら＝ra (hard to explain how to pronounce, but try using 'da')
sakura = cherry blossom

For writing foreign, non-Japanese words into English you will use Katakana;
セーター
セ = se (pronounced "say")
タ = ta (pronounced "ta")
seta = sweater
The ー following each character means you should give the sound an extra beat.

As for putting Japanese words into real English meanings or learning the English equivalent of Japanese words, you'll learn mostly by experience and hearing the words or reading them, just like you did when you were young. Using a dictionary for Japanese words you don't know will help build your vocabulary.

Good luck!

 

[Inu Yasha]

Originally posted by SacredBlue
Avoid Romaji like the plague. Enough said.

Why?

 

[Keiichi]

I've never read a definite reason why to avoid romaji. I think it's good only when you're learning hiragana and katakana just to get the pronounciation right. Once you've learned those, don't use romaji anymore. You won't need it and it'll sometimes only confuse you more whether you use romaji as "how it's pronounced" or "how it's written in Japanese."

For example, even for a simple sentence:
watashi wa terebi o miru.
(I watch TV)

A hiragana 'ha' is generally written as the pronounced 'wa' here.
A hiragana 'wo' is generally written as the pronounced 'o' here.
It's sometimes harder to tell what 'terebi' is, but if you use kana (katakana, since TV is a foreign term), it is easier to tell what 'terebi' is.

Some books use a direct kana character conversion, like:
watashi ha terebi wo miru.

That is harder to read. So as you see, the first example might have you write Japanese incorrectly by being familiar with romaji, and the second example might have you reading it wrong.

Stuff like that. Avoiding romaji will only making learning easier and it'll mean you'll have to get katakana and hiragana down well enough first, which is important to do anyways.

 

[SacredBlue]

Romaji

I would say that while you're learning to read and write Hiragana and Katakana you should avoid Romaji as much as possible. Simply because you'll learn faster with less confusion. Using Romaji for a pronounciation aid is ok, but can also be misleading; for example there is no "r" sound in Japanese like the Romaji "ra ri ru re ro" would lead you to believe. And some beginners may be misled by Romaji's way of writing, such as "arigatô" which isn't arigatoo or arigato, but is actually ありがとう (arigatou) And remember ri isn't pronounced 'ree'. So you can see how it can get to be confusing for beginners.

And outside of the major cities you're not likely to see Romaji anywhere, the same goes with Japanese books and magazines.

Oh and Learning and Teaching Japanese is a very good site for beginners. Check it out for almost anything you need help with.

 

[MtoM]

Welcome
yoroshiku onegai shimasu

That makes 2 Saudi in the Forums
Nice

Enjoy the forums

 

[bakadesu]

About "wo":

I've actually seen it romanized as "wo" and "o." I've also seen the particle "e" romanized as "he" and "e"..

but in general, there are three romanization systems, all of them sprinkled with inconsistencies and not nice things...

One of my textbooks even spelled さようなら wrong. *twitch* It left out the う.