VERY simple japanese question

CompleteNewb · 25 Jun 2010

I am trying to learn japanese from scratch from online tuts, and I have been working on it for very little time (less than an hour, definitely, just learning basics).
I have come to understand basic sentences such as
watashi wa ringo wo tabe ta, I know this isn't perfect, but I'm learning..
I tried to make a longer combined sentence, which was "I am stupid, but I am also nice", but unfortunately, after the "I am stupid" I am afraid my sentence structure most likely got destroyed, this is what my Hiragana was:

わたしわばかです、でもわたしわまたすばらしいです

Which is
Watashi wa baka desu, demo watashi wa mata subarashii desu.
There are two problems I can guess are wrong with this sentence, one is that the sentences are probably not combined properly, and another is that the "also" and "nice" probably don't fit together. Can you help? Thanks.

Chidoriashi · 25 Jun 2010

CompleteNewb said:
I am trying to learn japanese from scratch from online tuts, and I have been working on it for very little time (less than an hour, definitely, just learning basics).
I have come to understand basic sentences such as
watashi wa ringo wo tabe ta, I know this isn't perfect, but I'm learning..
I tried to make a longer combined sentence, which was "I am stupid, but I am also nice", but unfortunately, after the "I am stupid" I am afraid my sentence structure most likely got destroyed, this is what my Hiragana was:

わたしわばかです、でもわたしわまたすばらしいです

Which is
Watashi wa baka desu, demo watashi wa mata subarashii desu.
There are two problems I can guess are wrong with this sentence, one is that the sentences are probably not combined properly, and another is that the "also" and "nice" probably don't fit together. Can you help? Thanks.

Well, you did ok. except the particle (topic marker wa, is actually written, ha は not わ。

so it should be わたしはばかです。

Next, your adjective choice is a little off I would say. すばらしい, is more like great or wonderful, you would probably want to use やさしい which means easy in some contexts and nice in others.

But please remember something, despite your sentence not being connected fluidly, Japanese people should be able to understand what you mean. And to me that is the most important point, communication. If you get too bogged down with trying to be perfect, you will only slow down your progress I think. So, what I am saying is, do not feel bad about making mistakes.

Anyhow, let me teach you a simple connector. が may be used mid-sentence to create a connecting but. So for the sentences you wrote you could say: わたしはばかですが、やさしいです。

CompleteNewb · 25 Jun 2010

So I don't need the second Watashi wa, and I was using the incorrect "but"?
And wow, ha and ba are almost exactly the same..
Thank you, japanese is a very hard language.. The kanji will probably be hard, but I heard most places use hiragana and kanji in japan, the only problem being that kanji is what most names use..
Also, this hiragana: が, that is a subject particle, is it not? It can also be used to change the subject?

Chidoriashi · 25 Jun 2010

CompleteNewb said:
So I don't need the second Watashi wa, and I was using the incorrect "but"?
And wow, ha and ba are almost exactly the same..
Thank you, japanese is a very hard language.. The kanji will probably be hard, but I heard most places use hiragana and kanji in japan, the only problem being that kanji is what most names use..
Also, this hiragana: が, that is a subject particle, is it not? It can also be used to change the subject?

You will learn the joys of particles and their many uses very soon.

が can be a subject marker, or used as a connective "but" . Basically if が follows a verb it means "but".

And no you do not need the second わたしは in fact many times in Japanese you do not even need to say the subject. For example たべた is a complete sentence, and it is implied that the subject is yourself (わたし） unless stated elsewhere in the context.

the but でも is not incorrect, but you wanted a smoother flowing connected sentence, yes?

And I hate to break it to you, but Kanji is very widely used, and you will be learning around 2000 of them if you plan to become fluent in reading and writing, but don't worry, its a process that you can work at little by little, and if you enjoy learning kanji, it can be quite fun.

Elizabeth · 25 Jun 2010

CompleteNewb said:
I am trying to learn japanese from scratch from online tuts, and I have been working on it for very little time (less than an hour, definitely, just learning basics).
I have come to understand basic sentences such as
watashi wa ringo wo tabe ta, I know this isn't perfect, but I'm learning..
I tried to make a longer combined sentence, which was "I am stupid, but I am also nice", but unfortunately, after the "I am stupid" I am afraid my sentence structure most likely got destroyed, this is what my Hiragana was:
わたしわばかです、でもわたしわまたすばらしいです
Which is
Watashi wa baka desu, demo watashi wa mata subarashii desu.
There are two problems I can guess are wrong with this sentence, one is that the sentences are probably not combined properly, and another is that the "also" and "nice" probably don't fit together. Can you help? Thanks.

This is "I may be stupid but I am kind/nice" as it might look in natural Japanese. 頭(あたま) は悪(わる)い is more like intellectually deficient than a fool or idiot (which I don't think many people will say about themselves).

私(わたし) は頭(あたま) は悪(わる)いかもしれないが, やさしいです。

CompleteNewb · 26 Jun 2010

Of course they wouldn't call themselves a ばか, it was just for a test.

Elizabeth · 26 Jun 2010

CompleteNewb said:
Of course they wouldn't call themselves a ばか, it was just for a test.

Of course you can. Just under your breath. Because it doesn't necessarily sound as self-depreciating as "Gosh, I'm an idiot." in English.

masaegu · 26 Jun 2010

Chidoriashi said:
わたしはばかですが、やさしいです。

Elizabeth said:
私(わたし) は頭(あたま) は悪(わる)いかもしれないが, やさしいです。

Show me a Japanese speaker that would say やさしいです about him/herself, and I'll show you an *****.

The Japanese mind simply doesn't work that way. Ask Ichiro how good he thinks he is at baseball and he'll tell you that he sucks at baseball.

Elizabeth · 26 Jun 2010

masaegu said:
Show me a Japanese speaker that would say やさしいです about him/herself, and I'll show you an *****.

The Japanese mind simply doesn't work that way. Ask Ichiro how good he thinks he is at baseball and he'll tell you that he sucks at baseball.

Oh, that's true. Especially of Ichiro.

Chidoriashi · 26 Jun 2010

masaegu said:
Show me a Japanese speaker that would say やさしいです about him/herself, and I'll show you an *****.

The Japanese mind simply doesn't work that way. Ask Ichiro how good he thinks he is at baseball and he'll tell you that he sucks at baseball.

I am fully aware this does not sound natural, I was keeping it as simple as possible for this person. Thanks.

AJBryant · 26 Jun 2010

masaegu said:
Show me a Japanese speaker that would say やさしいです about him/herself, and I'll show you an *****.

Very true. He might say "but I'm not mean" or "but I'm not a jerk," though.

Elizabeth · 26 Jun 2010

Our OP is not Japanese anyway so this discussion is moot. And the naturalness of the Japanese for a foreigner is a completely different point. ☝

VERY simple japanese question

CompleteNewb

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Chidoriashi

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CompleteNewb

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Chidoriashi

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Elizabeth

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CompleteNewb

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Elizabeth

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masaegu

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Elizabeth

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Chidoriashi

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AJBryant

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Elizabeth

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