Difference between revisions of "Learn Japanese"
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| − | + | Konnichiwa (こんにちは)! Japanese is a great language to learn, whether you plan to use it to conduct business, absorb your favorite Japanese media, such as manga, or to talk to a friend in Japanese. At first, learning Japanese can seem intimidating, since it's not related to western languages like English. The writing system and formalities are complicated, but grammar, pronunciation and basic conversation are actually quite straightforward. Start by learning some useful phrases, then dive into Japanese sounds and writing systems. | |
| − | [[Category:Japanese]] | + | [[Category: Japanese]] |
== Steps == | == Steps == | ||
===The Basics=== | ===The Basics=== | ||
| − | #Learn the Japanese writing systems. Japanese language has four writing systems, each of which is composed of different characters. This may sound like a lot to learn, but every word in Japanese, regardless of which writing system it comes from, is pronounced with some combination of only 46 basic sounds.<ref>http://www.omniglot.com/writing/japanese.htm</ref> Sorting out the different writing systems and their uses is an important part of learning Japanese. Here's a brief overview: | + | #Learn the Japanese writing systems. Japanese language has four writing systems, each of which is composed of different characters. This may sound like a lot to learn, but every word in Japanese, regardless of which writing system it comes from, is pronounced with some combination of only 46 basic sounds.<ref name="rf16104">http://www.omniglot.com/writing/japanese.htm</ref> Sorting out the different writing systems and their uses is an important part of learning Japanese. Here's a brief overview: |
#*Hiragana is a Japanese syllabary, phonetic characters that make up one Japanese writing system. Unlike the English alphabet, each character stands for one syllable, which may include a vowel and a consonant sound. | #*Hiragana is a Japanese syllabary, phonetic characters that make up one Japanese writing system. Unlike the English alphabet, each character stands for one syllable, which may include a vowel and a consonant sound. | ||
#*Katakana is also a syllabary, most often used for foreign words or onomatopoeic sounds (like bang or squeak). Together, hiragana and katakana account for the entire range of sounds in the Japanese language. | #*Katakana is also a syllabary, most often used for foreign words or onomatopoeic sounds (like bang or squeak). Together, hiragana and katakana account for the entire range of sounds in the Japanese language. | ||
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#*Hard consonant sounds are pronounced with a hard stop in between two sounds. | #*Hard consonant sounds are pronounced with a hard stop in between two sounds. | ||
#*Long vowel sounds, pronounced by holding the vowel sound for an extra beat, are distinguished from short sounds, indicating a different word. | #*Long vowel sounds, pronounced by holding the vowel sound for an extra beat, are distinguished from short sounds, indicating a different word. | ||
| − | #Get to know Japanese grammar. Knowing a few basic grammatical rules will help you start understanding Japanese and creating your own sentences. Japanese grammar is simple and flexible, so it's easy to string words together in a way that makes sense.<ref>http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar</ref> | + | #Get to know Japanese grammar. Knowing a few basic grammatical rules will help you start understanding Japanese and creating your own sentences. Japanese grammar is simple and flexible, so it's easy to string words together in a way that makes sense.<ref name="rf16105">http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar</ref> |
#*The subject is optional and may be omitted. | #*The subject is optional and may be omitted. | ||
#*The predicate is always at the end of the sentence. | #*The predicate is always at the end of the sentence. | ||
#*Nouns do not have gender. Most also don't have separate plural forms. | #*Nouns do not have gender. Most also don't have separate plural forms. | ||
| − | #*Verbs do not change according to the subject (he/she/it). They also don't change according to number (singular/plural, like I/we or he/they).<ref | + | #*Verbs do not change according to the subject (he/she/it). They also don't change according to number (singular/plural, like I/we or he/they).<ref name="rf16105" /> |
#*Particles, which mark words as subject, object, etc, always follow the word to which they relate. | #*Particles, which mark words as subject, object, etc, always follow the word to which they relate. | ||
#*Personal pronouns (I, you, etc) differ according to the level of politeness and formality that is needed in each situation. | #*Personal pronouns (I, you, etc) differ according to the level of politeness and formality that is needed in each situation. | ||
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#*Don't be discouraged if you do not understand everything that is said to you or you can't read or write as well as you expected. It takes many years to become fluent in another language. The intricacies and nuances of the Japanese language make it difficult to master, but they are also part of its beauty. | #*Don't be discouraged if you do not understand everything that is said to you or you can't read or write as well as you expected. It takes many years to become fluent in another language. The intricacies and nuances of the Japanese language make it difficult to master, but they are also part of its beauty. | ||
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== Tips == | == Tips == | ||
