I only know 8 hiragana off by heart, but I want to know if I have the sentence right.

[Neko_Shiroi]

I want to known if I got this sentence right. I'm learning the words from a combination of maktos.jimmyseal.net/jip.html and anime in japanese with english subtitles. I want to be able to say that I intend to buy something. Before entering the shop. Is this the way (water is an example):
Mizu wa kau.
BTW: The hiragana I know are "a", "i", "u", "e", "o", "ka", "ki" and "ku".
Hardly enough to write sentences, hence the Romanji. How do you type japanese on these forums anyway?

 

[yukio_michael]

mizu wa kau isn't correct in and of itself, because you would probably prefer to use 'ga' instead of 'wa' since the subject water isn't known yet.

If someone asks you what you wish to drink, you can answer 'mizu onegai shimasu', or simply 'mizu desu' or 'mizu da'...

To say that you want to buy water to someone else, you could say mizu ga kaitai (I wish to buy [some] water.)

There are probably better ways to say the very last thing, but the examples previous are pretty natural.

 

[Neko_Shiroi]

What do 'onegai shimasu' and 'kaitai' mean?

Is Kaitai an informal version of Kau, and does onegai shimasu mean please?

 

[Homerduff]

indeed 'onegai shimasu' means please.

'kau' already is an informal version, the formal version would be 'kaimasu'. Whenever you say you 'want' something, you must use the -tai form. Simply drop the -masu and add -tai.

Another example:

Gakkou ni ikimasu - I go to school
Gakkou ni ikitai - I want to go to school

 

[nice gaijin]

I must strongly recommend at least getting a good textbook on the subject; relying on anime and internet sources will guarantee a scattered knowledge at best. Jumping into more complicated verb conjugations without a good foundation of basic Japanese is ill-advised.

 

[Neko_Shiroi]

Thanks for the help and advice. I'll get the book I saw at Blackstones (a bookshop at Hallam University.

 

[nice gaijin]

Might I inquire as to what book that was?

 

[Neko_Shiroi]

I've forgotten what it was called... but I'd know it if I see it... I'll check on monday and let you know, so you can see if it sounds good. BTW, I want to make friends with someone at Uni who can speak japanese, preferably as a first language, but there are many different eastern languages used, such as cantonese. How would I find out without creating offence, just ask if they speak Japanese?

 

[Supervin]

Without having to go into all that random trouble, just join your uni's student Japanese society.

 

[Neko_Shiroi]

Arigato, I'll try to find out about it.

 

[dark_secrester]

A very good book to learn is Japanese for Busy People. It has provided me with a firm base to furthur my Japanese learning, as the blurb says, to skip all the Classroom only Japanese and learn what is need as an adult.
If you then want to go back and learn the 'classroom only' japanese, It is easier to do so.
Really though, don't do what you are doing.
If you don't want to buy a book, use
Learning and Teaching Japanese
A very good site for learning Japanese, gives the same base as Japanese for Busy People (Although I prefer a book, you can take it anywhere )
じゃまた

 

[nice gaijin]

(After) Japanese for Busy People 2 | Japan Forum
Studying Japanese by yourself? | Japan Forum
So, I've learnt the Kana... | Japan Forum
textbook recommendations | Japan Forum

Just a few of the search results. There's not much love for Japanese for Busy People.

 

[yukio_michael]

Yes. I looked over those links provided, and I've contributed at least one or two negative reviews of Japanese for Busy People.

Here are the Three I recommend....

Japanese for Everyone (a good book, but arguably dated... well done though)
Minna no Nihongo
Genki

end of story... There used to be, in the 1902's quite a lot of praise for "Situational Functional Japanese", but this is probably going to be hard for anyone to get--- though at one point in time it was considered the best.

 

[dark_secrester]

Japanese for Busy People is good for a firm base without getting all the stuff you don't need.
Although there are some things not explained easily in vol. 2, and it misses out some important aspects of japanese.
Don't blame me, I got it for £2.50 no P&P off ebay. I was short of cash at the time.