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You mean I have to learn TWO alphabets?

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 7:04 pm
by Greatchickenman
I'm working on learning Japanese. Its kinda hard considering I'm learning from some "Learning Japanese" software and the theme song to Full Metal Alchemist :? .

But aside from that, TWO ALPHABETS?! AGH! I Think i'll try and learn the one that anime and video games are most in (Hiragana, I think).

Japanese, at first I thought was just confusing. A careful look at the grammer, and I noticed that they use Subject Object Verb, while in the US, we use Subject Verb Object.

For example, I read books, in Japanese would be, I books read. At least thats all i've figured so far. Also Japanese uses feminine in masculine differently from other languages. Words arent separated by a gender, but by the gender of the speaker.

Also, you use two different styles of speaking to be polite.

They also put linking verbs at the end of the setence.

To use adverbs you add suffixes to adjectives.

There are a ton of other rules too. I can't remember them off the top of my head, but I may remember them and post some more later. Just thought I'd share with you guys.

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 7:15 pm
by OverlordBill
Japanese is a fruitless endeavor. You crazy fanboy. Esperanto is where its at.

Lun's learning Japanese.

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 9:37 pm
by Excell
Japanese sucks.

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:05 pm
by Iteroth
Japanese has two kana alphabets of some 40 characters each. If you're worried about that, don't even bother, because Kanji has something like 2000 characters each meaning something different.

And then you have to actually learn the language.

If you like languages, then you might find it rewarding, but a lot of people just find it too much.

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:40 pm
by Impossible
Japanese has three alphabets...

Anime isn't in any alphabet; it's spoken, duh.

Which FMA theme song? I'm guessing Melissa, but RSG and Rewrite are the best.

PostPosted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 11:52 pm
by Teenr0cker
I'm sure You could bother Lun. He's taking Japanese. Japanese sounds like a good topic for all us fanboys and stuff, but if you wanna learn and you know you will learn eventually, learn asap since its easier when you are young. Japanese sounds awesome, but I don't think I could handle that kind of language at all :cry:

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 8:09 am
by Greatchickenman
Hah, I was only learning to pass the time. My parents have restricted everything I have so I figured I'd learn Japanese since I had this software that my parents had bought me.

And yeah, there's that chinese-japanese alphabet, but no one uses it.

Oh yeah, and I meant Manga, not anime. But when words are written in anime. . .

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:51 pm
by Impossible
And yeah, there's that chinese-japanese alphabet, but no one uses it.


Uh... Are you... Sure about that...? :P Good luck in Japan.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:41 pm
by Greatchickenman
Impossible wrote:
And yeah, there's that chinese-japanese alphabet, but no one uses it.


Uh... Are you... Sure about that...? :P Good luck in Japan.


I think its some Japanese alphabet thats adopted from Chinese.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 5:21 pm
by Teenr0cker
I think there's one alphabet for the "old-Dojo" style of Japanese and then There's a "Zhau-ming-Across-the-street-new-dojo" style for the foriegn words.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 7:14 pm
by rangi
Japanese has 3 alphabet:
Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji.
Kanji were imported from China around VII century.
But Japanese language is very different from Chinese (which is monosillabic) so they need Hiragana to write everything.
Katakana is used for non-japanese words (some time for bad words :mrgreen: )

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 8:58 pm
by Greatchickenman
Ack. I hate kanji. all those characters, and they all look the same. At least Hiragana and Katakana look a little bit different...

Which is why i'm learning it and i've stated that I only will learn those two alphabets.

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 10:58 pm
by Teenr0cker
I've heard you need to know a bunch of characters just to read a newspaper. I keep thinking 600, but then I think 2000, so I'm not too sure 8)

PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 7:50 pm
by Sage Of The Wise
http://pepper.idge.net/japanese/

Japanese doesn't sound half as interesting to leard after reading this.

PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:08 pm
by Greatchickenman
Depending on who you are speaking to your politeness level will be very different. Politeness depends on many things, such as age of the speaker, age of the person being spken to, time of day, zodiac sign, blood type, sex, whether they are Grass or Rock Pokemon type, color of pants, and so on. For an example of Politness Levels in action, see the example below


Holy shit. that was the funniest thing i've seen in a LONG time.