Sound to Symbol

[Robster]

I have run into a spot of bother, I can translate 30 Hiragana from sound to symbol, however no matter how I try I cannot seem to do more, I can do around 35/40 Hiragana via flashcards, but when I need to write them, I can't remember them. Does anyone have any tips on how to remember the Hiragana for writing?

 

[Homerduff]

I used to learn hiragana in order of the vowel. So I started off with A and worked all the way down to WA/N. So I wrote them down by heart, and every time I learned another row I started back with A up to RI/RU/RE/RO(WO). I must say though that you should also practise it in a more random way. Im able to write down in hiragana but it can take me some time before figuring out the right hiragana, cause in my mind I sometimes have to think over the whole procedure.

Anyway I think writing in hiragana isnt that important yet for me (and maybe also not for you, you may move on to katakana or some basic vocabulary). If you want to write emails in japanese you actually dont have to be able to do so..

 

[Robster]

Thats the method I am using, however after I reach "Ho" my mind goes blank, I do need to think of a more random way, though I am not sure what that is, also I thought that Hiragana was used much more than Katakana....

 

[Homerduff]

hiragana is more used because it mainly has a grammatical function. Katakana is only used for foreign words, though Japanese consists of a lot of these so called loaned words mainly from english.

Anyway, a lot of these loaned words are kinda easy to figure out what they mean (they sound like how a japanese person would pronounce them). So if you know katakana, you will be able translate a lot of words without even having a big amount of vocabulary. So its nice to get to know them asap..

 

[akai ken]

Write tons of stuff in hiragana. Try getting some sentences in romaji and write them in hiragana.
I did that way too so its the only way I can think of other than the one homerduff mentioned.

 

[Robster]

Could anyone recommend some romanjo scenetences that I could do? I don't acctualy know any yet

 

[akai ken]

You could use some introductory sentences such as.

Hajimemashite. Robusuteru desu. Onegaishimasu. (Is the japanised name ok?)

That would be something like "How do you do? I am Robster. Nice to meet you"
Your name would be written in katakana but if you want to focus in hiragana now then just write it in hiragana.

Here I found a conversation you could use.

Sumimasen, menyū o misete kudasai.
Hai, dōzo.
Nomimono wa nani ni nasaimasu ka.
Bīru o onegaishimasu.
Sangaa: Sukiyaki ni shimasu.
Weruzu: Bīru o ni-hon to sukiyaki o kudasai.
Sangaa: Dezāto wa meron ga ī desu.
Ueitoresu: Hai, kashikomarimashita.


And another one:

Yamada: Sumimasen.
Kyokuin: Hai.
Yamada: Kore koukubin de onegaishimasu.
Kyokuin: Kanada desu ne.
Yamada: Ee.
Kyokuin: 450 en desu.
Yamada: Sorekara 80 en no kitte o go-mai to hagaki o san-mai kudasai.
Ikura desu ka.
Kyokuin: Zenbu de 970 en desu.
Yamada: Ja, kore de onegaishimasu.
Kyokuin: 30 en no okaeshi desu.
Yamada: Doumo.
Kyokuin: Doumo arigatou gozaimashita

Just look for Japanese Dialogue in google and you'll eventually find some conversations or whatever.

 

[Robster]

There good, thanks, I will just use Robert for my name ('caus thats what it is) which I beleive is Robaato

 

[dark_secrester]

I have exactly the same problem as you.
The reason seems to be that I mix up the hiragana. What I would do is get a piece of plain A4, draw squares on it all the same size, photocopy it about 60 times. Then write and write and write and write the symbols up to Ho until you have them so deeply ingrained into your brain, then start to do rows of symbols. Do a row of, say, ra, then a row of ri, then ru etc.
Then do about five sheets of the R +vowels.

It works a treat, and got up to No into my head so much that I cannot forget them. I haven't had much time recently for any Japanese, due to Exams, but it does work.
I got the idea from my local Chinese takeaway. A girl in there was using this method to learn the chinese characters and to perfect them.
It does help to write really good symbols, getting you used to writing symbols almost perfectly.
Hope I have helped.
じゃまた
ジョー

 

[Glenn]

Not sure this would be the ideal solution for you, but I found a book of 原稿用紙 (genkôyôshi) on Amazon Japan.

 

[Robster]

Heh, thanks but it's not a problem anymore, I can know remember all the Hirigana up to ろ (ro) . Though I somtimes faulter on the correct drawing method of ゆ (yu). But it seems to be getting better

 

[Glenn]

I still have problems writing some of them. ゆ is actually one of them, and や gives me problems from time to time too. ほ I always want to write as は, then I have to go back and add that stroke I missed. あ and お are a pain to write as well. Or maybe I just don't like my handwriting.

 

[Robster]

I don't have many problems like that at the moment, but I don't have that many to remember as of yet, I expect I will get problems like that in the end