Detailed explanation on Japanese Verbs

Really good website for Japanese Verb Gammar: http://www.epochrypha.com/japanese/materials/verbs/

Verb Bases

http://oasis.fortunecity.com/labreya/147/verbchart.html

5 Ways to Pass the JLPT at Any Level

Nihongo o Narau Grammar Lessons

Good lessons for beginners;

Intro: http://www.learn-japanese.info/grammar.html

Start: http://www.learn-japanese.info/lesson01.html

Also Vocabulary: http://www.learn-japanese.info/indexv.html

More on words and frequencies

Another useful website: http://www.lextutor.ca/research/

Tim Ferris has good ideas on how to quckly learn any language

Check them out here:

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/01/20/learning-language/

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/11/07/how-to-learn-but-not-master-any-language-in-1-hour-plus-a-favor/

The First 1000 Words

These words are in English but use the dictionary to translate them into the Japanese language: http://www.duboislc.org/EducationWatch/First100Words.html

Fluency

http://www.frenchforlife.ca/images/Fluency%20in%20French.pdf

Desu, Imasu, Arimasu - Expressing 'to be'

Source/Full Article: http://www.studyjapanese.org/content/view/54/61/

In this article you will learn about the words arimasu, imasu and desu; three ways of saying "is" and "are" in Japanese.

The meaning "is" or "are" may be expressed by the word desu, and by the verbs arimasu and imasu.
Desu - is used when one thing is, or equals, another
Arimasu - refers to the existence of inanimate objects (including plants, which don't move about)
Imasu - refers to the existence of animate objects.
The following table showing when to use the different words:

Source/Full Article: http://www.studyjapanese.org/content/view/54/61/

The First 100 Essential Japanese Words

Source/Full Article: http://www.squidoo.com/essentialjapanesevocabulary

This text of the first 100 essential words in Japanese is not scripture, but it gives you a good one hundred words to start your study with.

1. mon - gateway
2. After- ato,go
3. Again - mata, futatabi
4. All - subete,zenbu
5. Almost - hotondo 
6. Also - mo
7. Always - itsumo
8. And -so^shite,ya, ka
9. Because - nazenaraba
10. Before - mae, mae ni
11. Big - okii
12. But - shikashi,ga,keredomo,kedo
13. (I) can - (watakushi wa)dekiru
14. (I) come -(watakushi wa) kuru
15. Either/or - dochira ka
16. (I) find - mitsukeru
17. First - saisho
18. For - no tame ni
19. Friend -tomodachi, yu^jin
20. From - kara
21. (I) go - iku
22. Good - yoi, ii
23. Good-bye - dewa mata, sayo^nara, ja mata ne
24. Happy(happiness) - shiawase
25. (I) have - (watakushi wa) motsu
26. He - kare
27. Hello - konnichiwa (lit. good afternoon)
28. Here - koko
29. How - do^ yatte
30. I - watakushi,ware(old style), ore(male), boku(young male), washi(old man), watashi(female)
31. (I) am - iru(to exist)
32. If - moshi
33. In - naka ni
34. (I) know - shitte iru
35. Last - saigo^
36. (I) like - suki
37.a little -, sukoshi, chikotto
38. (I) love - ai suru
39. (I) make - tsukuru
40. Many - takusan
41. One - hitotsu
42. More - motto
43. Most - mottomo 
44. Much - takusan, ippai
45. My - watakushi no, etc.
46. New - atarashii
47. No - iie, chigau
48. Not - dewa nai
49. Now - ima
50. Of - no 
51. Somtimes - toki doki
52. On - ue 
53. One - ippon, ichidai, 
54. Only- dake
55. Or - ka
56. Other - hoka no
57. Our - watakushi tachi no
58. Out - soto
59. Over - owari
60. People - hitobito
61. Place - tokoro, bashou
62. Please - o negai shimasu, kudasai
63. Same - onaji
64. (I) see, to see - miru, (naruhodo)
65. She - kanojo
66. So - so
67. Some -ikutsuka no
68. Sometimes, occasionally - tama ni, toki doki
69. Still - shizuka na
70. Such - so no yo^ na
71. (I) tell - iu, tsutaeru
72. Thank you - domo arigatou gozaimasu
73. That - sore
74. The - no equivalent
75. Their - karera no
76. Them - karera
77. Then - sore kara
78. There is - aru
79. They -karera
80. Thing - nanika,
81. (I)think - so^ omou 
82. This - kore
83. Time - jikan, toki
84. To - ni 
85. Under - shita
86. Up - ue
87. Us - watakushi tachi, etc.
88. (I) use - tsukau
89. Very - tottemo
90. We - watakushi tachi
91. What - nani
92. When - itsu
93. Where - doko
94. Which - dore
95. Who - dare
96. Why - naze
97. With - to, to tomo ni
98. Yes - hai
99. You - anata
100. Your - anata no

Some words have no basic equivalent in both languages. Next lens will explore why?

Get your vocabulary building Power Word Lists provided free by Japanetics Comes once a week a list of 15 X 7 essential words in Japanese. Starting with Japanese verbs, you will also learn Japanese nouns, Japanese adjectives and Japanese verbs, plus get a bonus Japanese grammar concept with each Japanese words list. Get these Japanese language word lists today by going to Japanese Vocabulary Index on Squidoo

Source/Full Article: http://www.squidoo.com/essentialjapanesevocabulary

VOCABULARY SIZE, TEXT COVERAGE AND WORD LISTS

Source/Full Article: http://www1.harenet.ne.jp/~waring/papers/cup.html

VOCABULARY SIZE, TEXT COVERAGE AND WORD LISTS

Paul Nation and Robert Waring

How much vocabulary does a second language learner need?

There are three ways of answering this question. One way is to ask "How many words are there in the target language?" Another way is to ask "How many words do native speakers know?" A third way is to ask "How many words are needed to do the things that a language user needs to do?" We will look at answers to each of these questions.

This discussion looks only at vocabulary and it should not be assumed that if a learner has sufficient vocabulary then all else is easy. Vocabulary knowledge is only one component of language skills such as reading and speaking. It should also not be assumed that vocabulary knowledge is always a prerequisite to the performance of language skills. Vocabulary knowledge enables language use, language use enables the increase of vocabulary knowledge, knowledge of the world enables the increase of vocabulary knowledge and language use and so on (Nation, 1993b). With these cautions in mind let us now look at estimates of vocabulary size and their significance for second language learners.

Source/Full Article: http://www1.harenet.ne.jp/~waring/papers/cup.html

Anime/Manga Japanese-English Glossary

I came to a website with an Anime/Manga Japanese-English Glossary. Its good for anyone who likes Anime or is learning Japanese partly because of Anime. I was searching for that and found it off Google. The website is: http://www.flame.org/~calger/animedict.html. Here is the introduction:

"Anime/Manga Japanese-English Glossary 

The following Japanese/English glossary is words, phrases and grammar points that are commonly used in anime and manga. This list came about because I like to watch anime in the original Japanese, and over time I started picking up bits and pieces of the language just by listening. One day in a moment of boredom I jotted down what words I could immediately remember (about 100). This glossary really took off when I left to spend a year in Japan, where I studied the language formally and was exposed to the practical everyday use of the language. I learned a tremendous amount, and I've tried to make this glossary as accurate as possible. However I am by no means an expert in Japanese, and so everything in this dictionary should be taken with a grain of salt, as it were. 

This is particularly important because Japanese is a very complex culturally-based language with many built-in levels of politeness. If you haven't studied the language yourself, it's easy to make incorrect assumptions about how Japanese used (e.g. the often-incorrect "Fangirl Japanese" rampant in anime fanfiction). The characters in anime and manga are usually friends (or motal enemies) and so use informal language with each other. That manner of speaking is NOT appropriate for a foreigner visiting Japan to use. So, my cautionary note: don't go around using the material in this glossary without formally studying the Japanese language first! The Japanese are pretty lenient about the butchering of their language where foreigners are concerned, but you still don't want to accidently insult anyone -_-;; 

There are several systems for transcribing Japanese to the English alphabet. Due to font limitations I've had to spell most words as they're said, so the spelling here may look different from Japanese/English dictionaries you buy in the store. For an example, in this glossary "oni" is said with a short "i"; for "onii" the "i" sound is held twice as long. Long "o" sounds are written as "ou". I've been pretty rigorous in checking out these words and phrases for accuracy, but some meanings still elude me (remember I'm not an expert in Japanese) and I'm sure there are still mistakes in here. If you see any blatant errors or have a contribution, please let me know! :)"

Continue on to the dictionary here: http://www.flame.org/~calger/animedict.html

A bunch of common Japanese words in groups

A very good website I have found to know the common words: http://www.languageguide.org/nihongo/ . The words are in groups. The website has over 1000 very common words, it has pictures of the words, the Kana, the Romaji, and its pronunciations all on it. Excellent website.

Strength vs Weaknesses of the Japanese language

Source/Full Article: http://www.kt70.com/~jamesjpn/facts_about_Japanese.shtml

Interesting facts about the Japanese Language

I've lived in Japan about half my life or about 28 years at the time of this post. I have been called a good speaker of what is considered one of the most difficult languages in the world. 

Is there anything easy about Japanese?
No verb conjugation!
No gender of nouns!
No articles (a, the)
Number (singular and plural) not important and barely exists!
Not hard to learn to pronounce as there are only 48 sounds consisting of 5 vowels and 11 consonants!

Syntax or the word order of a sentence, excepting the final verb, is totally free!

Source/Full Article: http://www.kt70.com/~jamesjpn/facts_about_Japanese.shtml

10 Reasons to Learn Japanese

Source/Full Article: http://www.vistawide.com/japanese/why_japanese.htm

Why learn Japanese?
10 great reasons to start learning Japanese
 
Are you considering learning Japanese? But you are not sure why it might be beneficial? In addition to the reasons why everyone should learn a language, here are 10 solid reasons why Japanese might be an excellent choice for you.

1. Japan has the 2nd largest economy in the world.

2. Knowing Japanese brings business opportunities.

3. Japanese is a gateway to other Asian languages & cultures.

4. Japanese-speakers are the Internet's 3rd largest language group.

5. The Japanese are innovators.

6. Japanese cultural exports are exploding.

7. Knowing Japanese will set you apart from the crowd.

8. The Japanese are international tourists.

9. It's not as hard as you think!

10. Japanese is a stepping stone to learning other Asian languages.

Please, read the full article: http://www.vistawide.com/japanese/why_japanese.htm

My plan in studying Japanese

After being involved in studying Japanese on and off a little for years, and now on for almost 2 weeks(as of sept 2009), I came upon good resources and ways to study Japanese. I think I thought good ideas and good plans for me and also for anyone else wanting to learn Japanese. Right now I cannot take Japanese courses and cannot go to Japan. I thought those would be the best and I recommend if you can to do that. With courses, the teachers will guide you right. With immersion, you will learn really quickly. And the resources I write here would be outstanding supplements. If you can't, I still think you can learn Japanese through these methods I will mention a little later.

When learning a language, I think a person should note these things; Vocabulary, Pronounciation, the Writing System, Grammar, and Expressions. Those I think are the most important elements of knowing a language. For vocabulary, I say you need to know 5,000 (common) words to understand most of the dialogue, 10,000 to be fluent, and 15,000+ to be on a native-level language speaker. Grammar is needed to know how to use the words and to understand how the speaking person is using those words (such as past, future, etc...). In the Japanese language, the grammar is relatively easy and flexible. Learning the grammar may be the easiest part of learning Japanese. Maybe not for an English-speaker or so. The expressions are important because sometimes the words of a language might be used cleverly or in a different manner, depending on the language and culture, that are different from the grammar. Its a language and culture thing for each language of a country to have expressions different from the language spoken. Not only that, but also learning expressions will help you know what to say when. So expressions are important. The hard part is learning the writing for the Japanese learner.

There is the Hiragana alphabet of 45 words and Kanji. Hiragana and Kanji are the most frequently used Japanese characters in writing. There are 2,000 Kanji symbols that are used in common writings such as newspapers. That's a lot of letters. But if you work hard, I bet you can learn all 2,000 in just one year. Hey, at least you have a number goal. Japanese students need to learn 1,000 Kanji by 6th grade, and all 2,000 by 9th. The first 1,000 learned in Japanese secondary school consist of 95% of Japanese media, newspapers, and writings. I bet if you set aside an hour to learn 10 Kanji symbols a day, every day, you will learn all 2,000 symbols in just one year. And since each Kanji represents a word, a meaning, you will be learning words AND writing at the same time! I wouldn't recommend doing more than 10 Kanji a day. And would say never go over 20. As in previously made post, this person came upon seemingly good advice to remember the Kanji.

I have listed good resources at the right. I haven't had any experience with most of them, but according to my research, they should really help. Let me write what I know about each of them, I will edit this article when I learn and experience more of these:

1,000 Japanese Words(book): This seems to be an effective way to get you started in Japanese vocabulary. First 1,000 words, that is really good.

About.com: Japanese Language- An excellent grammar reference I have found. One of the best I have seen.

Declan Software: Heard to be a somewhat effective software for vocabulary building. I heard it has some interesting features such as multiple choice etc... It has tens of thousands of words. Hiragana.  Kanji. Depends on what you buy.

EduFire: See for yourself here: http://edufire.com/superpass_alt/?gclid=COXAxLKJlp0CFdFL5QodhDRA1A&v=1&g=spsp&loc=all&sub=j&ct=c

And here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHAmzfRxK5A

English-Japanese, Japanese-English Dictionary: Good dictionary if you want to find a Japanese meaning for an English word or vice-versa. One of the best on the internet.

First 1,000 Kanji: Good reference. Has explanation and Romaji written form too.

Full list of 1,945 Kanji Symbols: All the symbols. Also has explanation and Romaji written form too.

Genki Book 1 and 2: Someone recently recommended this book and book 2 for me to study from. That person said you will learn the language quickly and efficiently from it. I took a sneak peek and it says it has been used on students with good results. I heard it before a few times too. I think its a popular book as well. If you are gonna get this, get Genki book 1, Genki 1 workbook, Genki 1 Answers, and Genki book 2. 

Google Search: Not as much of a resource, of course you can think that it is in a way, but more of a plan. I say use google to look up words you cannot otherwise find. Look up conversations. Search for good resources. Be creative.

Google Translator: A good way to translate dialogues between any languages. I use it to translate something people tell me and some things I want to tell others. Can be useful.

Japanese for Busy People: Used by teachers and students in classrooms to learn Japanese. Really famous Japanese learning book.

Japanese the Manga Way An Illustrated Guide to Grammar and Structure: Seems like a very promising book. This I think is really good for grammar learners.

Lang-8: I had a little experience on this one. This website has a lot of people that are willing to correct your mistakes when writing something in any language. You can also connect to people on Skype and practice speaking with them. Practicing speaking is important and Lang-8 can help find those people you need. I already found some. Lang-8 is a really good tool if you need someone to correct your writing.

Mango: I'm not sure but I know its just another software to help you learn Japanese (or any other language).

Michel Thomas Method: A different approach to learning Japanese. Its an audio. It is effective for grammar and pronounciation, Michel Thomas uses therapeatic environment to teach you Japanese. Instead of repetition and textbook-like learning, this one uses a different way to teach you. The effectiveness is different depending on the person.

My Japanese Coach: I had some experience with this game. How interesting, there is a Nintendo DS game that teaches you Japanese. The My Coach games teach you all kinds of skills. This one teaches you Japanese. For a Nintendo DS game and for only $30, I am quite impressed. It has 10,000 words, like 1000 phrases, it teaches you alphabet, how to pronounce the words, and some grammar. It has games to help you learn and retain your memory. You use your stylus to write on the bottom screen the symbols such as Hiragana and Kanji. It helps you to learn it. It has a dictionary. A place on how to say the words. How to make sentences. How to write differently. Has Hiragana and Kanji. This one might actually be better than any computer software made, and its only a Nintendo DS game! Very impressive for a handheld system mostly kids play. This really is a coach. Its not perfect, but for $30, this is a great investment indeed.

Over 1000 Common Japanese Words(pdf): A PDF file which has 1,000 common Japanese words for building vocabulary.

Pimsleur: A very popular and effective way to learn a language. Its an audio. Very good for grammar and pronounciation. 90 lessons in total but only 500 words altogether. But this is good for grammar, great for pronounciation, and excellent in learning how to get around and do the simple things if you were visiting Japan. Great if you want to learn basic grammar. Up to lesson 15 is perfect if you want to understand how the sentences are structured. The downside of Pimsleur is that it costs a lot of money.

Remembering the Kanji I: A Complete Course on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters: Seems a popular and excellent way to learn the 2,000 Kanji symbols for a foreigner. It uses methods that are different from regular repetion and memorizing to remember the characters.

Rosetta Stone: A popular software in learning languages. I had no experience with this but I think this is just for vocabulary.

Your local Library!: Self explanatory. Go to the library and get a book. Especially the ones I just listed. I have them in my library, maybe you do too. Seek to find anything that can teach you. Find all titles online and choose the best rated one. The ratings you could see on amazon.com.

So I say, if you want to learn Japanese on your own, I recommend the above. Use all resources and strategies that you can. I listed not only resources but plans as well. Read them carefully. Learn 10 of the common essential 2,000 Kanji characters a day. Use the resources to build your vocabulary. Through audio learn how to pronounce and how to say the sentences in proper grammar. Get the programs. Go to your library. Buy books online. Write out each Kanji many times. Google your questions. Write articles on lang-8. Talk with Japanese-speaking people. Learn about the culture through books, through newspapers, through talking to the Japanese, and especially going to Japan yourself! Be creative and think outside the box.

Can you learn Japanese from Anime?

The secret to learning Japanese

A Fun Japanese Lesson

Check out this series. On the youtube link it says

"The lessons here are from: Eiichi Kiyooka. (1953). "Japanese in 30 Hours".
Tokyo The Hokuseido Press. I'm not affiliated with them in anyway, if they see this as an infringement I will remove the videos-- though I will probably post my own lessons, origional ones of course."

Its fun. Continue here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AB457907DC1C4CF2&page=2

Continue here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AB457907DC1C4CF2&page=2

Grammar Explanations

This is the best Japanese grammar lesson I have come to thus far:

Interrogative words:

Learning the Alphabets: Good Advice?

Someone asked for help in learning the Japanese alphabets and one of the answers seemed to, logically, give a really good answer, in my opinion. Here it is:

"Here is how I learned them:

1. Pick a syllabary. I found it is easier to start with Hiragana rather than Katakana. 
2. Pick a series. I found it is best to start with the vowel series, then k, s, t, h, n, m, y, and finally w (which usually includes the standalone n).
3. Practice writing each character in the series individually on a page of paper, saying its sound each time. Also, use this time to really master the proper shape and size of the characters as well as the stroke order.
4. Once you have about a page done of each (or half of a page of the easier ones), begin writing the entire series together.(saying out the sound of each corresponding character). Fill an entire page with this. 
5. Now, devote an entire page to writing out this new series along with all of the previous ones you have learned (if it isn't the first one).

Note that it isn't really necessary to do this with the g, z, d, b, and p series. Just use a couple of lines practicing them along with their corresponding series.

MAKE SURE TO ONLY LEARN ONE OR TWO SERIES PER DAY. You should work for only 1-2 hours a day. After that, not much more will really sink in. Don't get overzealous. It may just end up making it harder for you, and get you discouraged."

The website is http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=950647&topic=49645135 and the post is by someone usernamed "sarevokmb".

Also, on the very same board, someone wrote their study recommendations that seem quite good, sharp, and thorough. This is a guide for grammar, structure, vocabulary, etc... by this person usernamed "Anhk Morpork" and it can be found here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=950647&topic=44131379

Common Japanese Words

Source/Full Article: http://www.japanesewords.net/3/common-japanese-words/

Words are the building blocks of language. In order to have any type of conversation in Japanese, you will need to know a certain amount of Japanese words. The more Japanese words you know, the more you will be able to communicate. However, it’s not just the number of Japanese words that’s important, but also which ones.

When most people think of learning the Japanese language, they think of the years of hard work they will need to put in. The majority of people consider this hard work and the amount of time it will take to reach fluency, and decide it’s impossible. Having studied Japanese and language learning for over 9 years, I have heard quite a few people say they could never do it. However, learning a new language, even one like Japanese, isn’t as difficult and doesn’t take as long as most people think. In fact, with diligent study and the right materials, I believe someone can have a level of fluency within a matter of months.

Source/Full Article: http://www.japanesewords.net/3/common-japanese-words/

A small introduction

Hello everyone. I have made this blog for my own progress in learning Japanese. I want to learn Japanese for several reasons of my own. Some of them are that Japanese pressures the world and America with their culture. They are a big player in technology and inventions. Japanese video games, J-Pop, and anime & manga are very popular here. Not to mention visiting and living in Japan is very interesting and I am looking forward to it. I also like Japanese swords and I like Japanese words. Japanese is a very nice sounding language and has a smooth vocabulary. I thought that by making this blog, I could improve on learning Japanese. I can post new words I have learned, the sessions I have completed, new software I found and installed, writings I have learned, I could post pictures of the symbols, I could post youtube videos helping, I could share online tutoring websites, I could get help, I could help people, I could learn from communicating, and much more! As for me, I have been learning through Pimsleur. But I am not sure I will want to post the words I have learned. Would be quite the task. Anyway, thank you for stopping by. I hope you improve in learning Japanese, if that's what you are doing.

Check this video out:

Tofugu's 10 free online resources for learning Japanese.