Give me an assignment and help!

Riette · 4 Jun 2007

I thought of a way that you guys can help me learn faster. At least, I can have people who can check whether I'm doing well or not. So let's see, how far have I gone? Not actually very far. I'm reading about sentence constructions, patterns. The articles used. Verb conjugations. Adjective conjugations. I can't read any Hiragana, Katakana or Kanji yet, although I'm working on my Hiragana.

This is how. Can you give me simple sentences in either:
a. Japanese that I'll translate to English (to see how I understood the context)
b. English to Japanese (to practice my construction)

Minna, tasukete kudasai. Arigato~

PS. I've heard before that keeping a journal written in Japanese is going to help alot.

The7thSamurai · 4 Jun 2007

Riette said:
I thought of a way that you guys can help me learn faster. At least, I can have people who can check whether I'm doing well or not. So let's see, how far have I gone? Not actually very far. I'm reading about sentence constructions, patterns. The articles used. Verb conjugations. Adjective conjugations. I can't read any Hiragana, Katakana or Kanji yet, although I'm working on my Hiragana.

This is how. Can you give me simple sentences in either:
a. Japanese that I'll translate to English (to see how I understood the context)
b. English to Japanese (to practice my construction)

Minna, tasukete kudasai. Arigato~

PS. I've heard before that keeping a journal written in Japanese is going to help alot.

Riette · 5 Jun 2007

"I promise learning Hiragana and Katakana quickly."

I hope it's right. I'm not familiar with the use of 'koto', and transforming an adjective to an adverb so I had to look it up before I got it translated. I'm sorry if I did bad on this one as I'm not entirely sure of my answer, but please correct me.

Elizabeth · 5 Jun 2007

Riette said:
"I promise learning Hiragana and Katakana quickly."

I hope it's right. I'm not familiar with the use of 'koto', and transforming an adjective to an adverb so I had to look it up before I got it translated. I'm sorry if I did bad on this one as I'm not entirely sure of my answer, but please correct me.

"I promise to learn hiragana and katakana soon." might be closer with the kanji
早く。It usually means early, but 速く is the hyaku character for quickly.

Riette, you did great on the answer. I hope mine too didn't confuse things even more...

The7thSamurai · 5 Jun 2007

Riette said:
"I promise learning Hiragana and Katakana quickly."

I hope it's right. I'm not familiar with the use of 'koto', and transforming an adjective to an adverb so I had to look it up before I got it translated. I'm sorry if I did bad on this one as I'm not entirely sure of my answer, but please correct me.

Nice one! 習うこと can mean 'learning' (as your wrote) or 'to learn'. In this situation in English you should say 'to learn'. But you understood the meaning 100%.

And remember, as Elizabeth said, the adjective 'hayai' can mean either 'early' or 'quickly', depending on the kanji. Still confuses me.

Riette · 5 Jun 2007

I didn't try using other words yet aside from 'quick' from what the dictionary says. But I'm so glad I got it right (if not completely). Thank you!

Bucko: I had second thoughts on whether I should use 'to learn' or 'learning', but I decided on the latter. I'll try my best next time!

Elizabeth: Thank you! I'll keep those kanji notes~ Don't worry, I still understand.
Please continue helping me.

Elizabeth · 5 Jun 2007

Riette said:
I didn't try using other words yet aside from 'quick' from what the dictionary says. But I'm so glad I got it right (if not completely). Thank you!

Bucko: I had second thoughts on whether I should use 'to learn' or 'learning', but I decided on the latter. I'll try my best next time!

Elizabeth: Thank you! I'll keep those kanji notes~ Don't worry, I still understand.
Please continue helping me.

If you don't want to worry yet about mastering the ことを part, there is another, more casual way of saying the same thing :

早く（速く）ひらがなとかたかなを習うと約束します。

と is the "quotative form" which comes in place of ことを and is used to tell clearly and directly what it is you are promising to do （習うと。。。）。

Literal translation with と： I promise to learn hiragana and katakana soon.

Literal translation with ことを： I promise that I will learn hiragana and katakana soon.

You can see which one might be easier.

The7thSamurai · 5 Jun 2007

Thank Elizabeth. I'm still trying to learn when you can use the quotative と as well. I've seen it with 思う、考える、感じる、言う、呼ぶ plus some others.

Riette · 5 Jun 2007

Guys, can I ask you to write the romaji too? I still can't read hiragana, katakana & kanji yet. There are parts of your explanation I don't understand. Sorry for so much trouble.

Elizabeth · 5 Jun 2007

早く（速く）ひらがなとかたかなを習う（ことを）と約束します。

Hayaku hiragana to katakana o narau (koto o) to yakusoku shimasu.

Thank Elizabeth. I'm still trying to learn when you can use the quotative と as well.

I only mentioned it in this case because I couldn't remember the last time I heard or saw koto o yakusoku shimasu (ことを約束します） conversationally. That's the problem extrapolating from written Google documents where it actually shows up more...

The7thSamurai · 5 Jun 2007

Elizabeth said:
That's the problem extrapolating from written Google documents where it actually shows up more...

If only there was a site where you could search for voice recordings so you can learn how to sound not so textbooky.

Anyone want to get one going?

Riette · 5 Jun 2007

Elizabeth: Hm, does that mean that the other one would be like, "conversational" while the other one would be in a textbook?

Bucko: Yes please~ I'm looking forward to the next one! Actually I got too excited when I somehow figured the first one out. But that's it right? To enjoy the learning.

Damicci · 6 Jun 2007

Hasn't this been thought of...........wait it has.

JREF Lessons | Japan Forum

Breath life into it! My Japanese is much better since then I think, can stop using romaji.

Riette · 6 Jun 2007

Damicci: Interesting! Thank you, but I don't think I can do it for now. I think it's still beyond what I know now. But I can keep the exercises there for practice in the future though. Thank you!

Riette · 10 Jun 2007

I have a question. How do you say 'even though'?

ex. We enjoyed it even though we got lost.

The7thSamurai · 10 Jun 2007

Riette said:
I have a question. How do you say 'even though'?
ex. We enjoyed it even though we got lost.

Couple of ways. You can use the 'temo' version of a verb, or 'noni' or 'kedo'. For that sentence I'd probably use 'noni'. 道に迷ったのに楽しかった (michi ni mayotta noni tanoshikatta). Some people might say to use 'kedo' though

Riette · 11 Jun 2007

ooh wow. thank you! i'd probably use your name with -sama attached to it now.

i was trying to practice the other day and i got stuck with 'even though' because i don't know what to use for it. i thought 'kedo' means 'but'.

Kyo Trinoma ni ikimashita.
Kazoku to ikimashita.
Atarashii mall desu.
Kurokute shiroi sokkuso o kaimashita/kaita.
Honto ni tanoshikatta desu.

and i don't know what to use for 'lost' & 'even though'. the last sentence was supposed to be, "it was really fun even though we got lost.' does 'michi ni mayotta' mean 'lost'? or i can just say 'mayou?'

and on another note, is my use for 'ni' in trinoma ni ikimashita correct? i'm really confused with 'ni' and 'e'.

did i use 'kurokute shiroi' right? i meant to say, "black and white".

thank you so much for your help so far. these sentences were just about the few i tried writing as a 'diary' for my learning. please correct me.

shikyo · 11 Jun 2007

Riette said:
and on another note, is my use for 'ni' in trinoma ni ikimashita correct? i'm really confused with 'ni' and 'e'.

In the use of goal of movement both に (ni) and へ (e) can be used.
Both
学校に行きました (gakkou ni ikimashita)
And
学校へ行きました (gakkou e ikimashita)
Are correct.

Damicci · 12 Jun 2007

I would say Ni would be used for more specific locations 学校に行きます。 Maybe more common to use then へ行きます。

Now you could say しぶやへ行きます。 Since your going to shibuya with no specific mention of where in shibuya.

Elizabeth · 12 Jun 2007

Damicci said:
I would say Ni would be used for more specific locations 学校に行きます。 Maybe more common to use then へ行きます。

Now you could say しぶやへ行きます。 Since your going to shibuya with no specific mention of where in shibuya.

It may be more common, but certainly either is no problem for school and Shibuya.

thank you so much for your help so far. these sentences were just about the few i tried writing as a 'diary' for my learning. please correct me.

I'll start correcting when you learn the kanas and begin writing in Japanese. Until then, this exercise to me is a huge waste of time and effort, not only yours but everyone you are asking for help. Please don't come back until you've finished the first assignment.

Riette · 14 Jun 2007

Elizabeth said:
I'll start correcting when you learn the kanas and begin writing in Japanese. Until then, this exercise to me is a huge waste of time and effort, not only yours but everyone you are asking for help. Please don't come back until you've finished the first assignment.

hai hai, elizabeth-san. i promise to learn hiragana & katakana soon. the next time i post, i'll make sure i can read the characters.

Give me an assignment and help!

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