The NO Particle in Japanese

The no particle の

In Japanese, The no particle indicates possession. Like the dog’s food. Inu no esa. Or like Tom’s car – Tommu no kuruma. You might be asked, “ who’s is this?” to which you could reply its mine or its your’s or it’s his, or its their’s or its our’s. In each case の(no) would be used thus:
it’s mine – Watakushi no
it’s your’s – anata no (plural anata tachi no)
it’s his – kare no
It’s her’s kanojo no
it’s their’s – karera no
it’s our’s – Watakushi tachi no
who’s? - dare no?

ghetto grammar one a day plus iridium

Ganbatte Ne! Do Your Best! Makurasuki Sensei.

Japanese adjectives

Kantan the Japanese adjective which by itself means easy or simple and the shiyasui simpletons. (Or things which are easy to do simple-folk).

In Japanese if you want to express that something is easy to do,  use the following contsruction.

Verb (Base II)  yasui.

Easy to do - suru in base II = shi, shi yasui = shiyasui

Easy to say  -iu in base II = ii, ii yasui = iiyasui.

Easy to read - yomu (to read)  in base II = yomi, yomi yasui = yomiyasui.

Easy to overcome - kokufuku suru (to overcome) *same as the above case with suru, or any verb that includes suru and that is a lot of verbs.

Easy to win - katsu (to win) in base II = kachi, kachi yasui = kachiyasui

Easy to drink - nomu (to drink) in base II = nomi, nomi yasui = nomiyasui

* The 5 pure vowels a, i ,u, e, o in Japanese correspond to the 5 verb bases. The verb nomu - to drink, in the 5 verb bases would be.

Base I - noma, (a. ah as in stick out your tongue and say...)

Base II - nomi, (i, pronounced ee as in meet),

Base III nomu, (u, pronouned ooh as in moo moo here and a moo moo...)

Base IV nome, (e, pronounced eh as in bed),

Base V nomo (o even the Hideo kind).

 

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Japanese Grammar Fun Again

4 Ways to Negate Anything in Japanese
Beginning Japanese Grammar Lesson
How to say “but…” in Japanese.

It is never a wise idea to refute the ideas of others. However, in the normal processes of direct communication between two individuals or any number of individuals or groups of people involved in a discussion, it becomes necessary to use the preposition but. In modern Japanese, the preposition but can be expressed in at least four different ways. By learning these four ways of saying but, you'll be able to negate (In Japanese) anything or anybody you want.

These words are very powerful, so use with caution, especially when talking to someone like say . . . your boss! You wouldn't want to negate your boss no matter how much you wanted to impress him with your Japanese skills. Below I present four ways the preposition but is used in Japanese. After that comes the plug and play Japanese grammar construction samples and the G.A.B. (Ghetto After Blast). So have fun and enjoy the rest of the lesson.

Words for the preposition but

but – ga が

but - shikashi しかし(however)

but - kedoけど, keredoけれど, keredomo けれども

but – demo でも





Example 1 - I want to kiss her; but, she won't let me!

Kanojo ni kissu sasete moraitiai n'da keredomo, sasete moraenai n'da!
かのじょに キッス させてもらいたいの だけれどもさせてもらえないのだ


Example 2. Her English skills are not very good, but she sure can cook though!

Kanojo no eigo wa ammari yokunai da kedo, ryo^ri wa umai n'da!
かのじょの 英語はあまりよくないのだけど料理が甘いのだ


Example 3. He said he was a doctor, however to tell you the real truth, he is just an ordinary dentist!



Kare wa isha da to iutta tai, shikashi honto wa kare. . . tada no haishasan!

re-yaku - Ex. 3. Kare wa isha da tte! Demo honki wa taishita mon ja nai.



Ex. 4. The president has completely died, but his spirit lives on.



Daito^ryo^san wa shinde shimaimashita ga, kare no rei wa mada ikitsuzuite iru no desu.

.

(See ghetto grammar lesson #97 for the plug and play learning system to master the Japanese grammar Base TE shimau- to verb completely)




Example 5. But . . . I wanted the pink one!

Demo, pinku no yatsu ga hoshikatta no da!
でも,ピンクの奴が欲しかったのだ



Ex. 6. I like her, but don't you think she is kind of short?

Ore wa kanojo ga suki nanya kedo, chotto se ga hikui to omouwanai to desu ka?

It is usually easy to tell on hearing the Japanese syllable ga whether it is the participle ga, or the preposition ga. The preposition ga when it is meant to mean but, is usually accompanied by a small pause and its use is more formal than any of the keredemo or demo variations. It is better to remeber shikashi as however and the keredemo variations as but.

Ghetto after blast - GAB 2 point advice. Since the Japanese words shikashi, kedo, keredemo, demo, and ga, all basically mean the same thing, you won't have to remember as much, so beginners might find it helpful to pick just one. Just remember that shikashi and ga sound more formal than the kedo, and keremo. Oh yeah... I almost forgot to mention that the word for ribbit in Japanese is kero, so make sure your pronunciation of kedo doesn't make you sound like you are making love to a frog, unless of course you are a princess!

As always, Ganbatte Ne!
Do your best!
Makurasuki sensei
http://www.saketalkie.blogspot.com or http://japanetics.blogspot.com
http://squidoo.com/ghettogrammar/ or http://squidoo.com/phonesearch

http://spanishjapanese.blogspot.com

Word associaton really works for some Japanese words!

一日中 - ichi nichi jyuu

whether the romanization of the above jyuu should be written as

1. jyuu - 中

2.

2. ju -

3. ju^ - the ^ carat used as the long vowel sound.


美人 - びじん (Bijin)- A babe, a beautiful lady, lit. beautiful person The
first kanji in this kanji compound is the kanji for utsukushii that is read
as Bijin (pronounced bee-jeen). Lot of space in the mouth when pronouncing
this i or the bi or ji or ee to bee or jeen; as in kanojo wa bijin da ne!

人数 ninzu - literally a person number, a count of the people, a census,
population; as in ninzu ga oi.

The word for peacock in Japanese is easy to remember if you had ever seen
the T.V. show Cojak. I always related that show Cojak to the Japanese word
kujaku or peacock. Cojak and kujaku are pronounced very nearly the same.
You want to build your vocabulary from a strong base not a weak one. Through
this and other such cognitives to help me remember all the words in Japanese
even though, I am past the threshold of ever possessing the tongue of a
native, nor the understanding of one. But still in all the endeavors which
ever did stir tal wilkinfield I want to marry her. I hope she is still available.


Strong word associations like these are the keys to long lasting memory.
Strong visual cues, an infinite possibility. Fibonacci88. I have never forgotten
the word for peacock, kujaku, since I first put to it my imagery and unique
way of identifying with a known word and fudging the pronunciation of the
words a little bit and before long, you will have that 6000 word vocabulary..
. but can you wield it correctly? How do you know you are doing it right?

Japanese words

They say that the average American spends 17 hours per week inside their car. That is 884 hours per year or Living in Japan. There are a few words and key phrases in Japanese that, as a tourist in the Land of the Rising Sun, you would think that I could at least learn how to say the time. Since in Japan they use military time on occasion, more frequently than military time is used in America. , had I been acquainted with earlier on, would have saved me a lot of time, and prevented some of the confusion and disorientation for me upon my first adventures in Japan. In Japan, a lot of a persons life is spent at an Eki or train station spent getting on and off at the wrong train stations. Inevitably, tourists in Japan will have to use public transportation. It would be very convenient to know at least the basic words related to how to get around in Japan if you are going to spend any amount of time touring Japan. Some are quite easy for they are gairaigo or foreign borrowed terms which are usually English based (although a certain percentage can be French, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Dutch.) Some are more difficult to get a handle on but are essential to your adventures in Japan. Because one way or another you'll soon see how the Japanese Rail systems are more part of their culture and the Japanese way of life than we might be accustomed to here in America.
First let’s learn the words for major transportation hubs like: bus stop, train station, airport, and subway.

basu tei - bus stop
eki - train station
ku^ko^ - airport

I remember getting on a bus and not knowing much Japanese other than how to say, "what time is it?" and feeling so embarrassed about not knowing where the heck I was going

How to say please In Japanese . . ?

How to really say please… in Japanese.

In another article, I wrote about how to say ‘please’ in Japanese. You can say please, but you will need to know the what in please what? Please what? Look at the words related to please like the verb to please. It means to satisfy someone, or to make them happy about something you did . Pleasure is a word also related to the word please. What’s the magic word? Please! What would be pleasing to say today. Today just as in Japanese to please someone to make them tell you that you did a good job. That you are pleasant to be with can be described as pleasant an adjective. Pleasant isn’t the kudasai but neither is the please. I mentioned earlier that kudasai comes from the verb kudasaru which means to kindly do something for (someone). V It has the kind of fun’iki (atmosphere) that one does this favor for you because you can’t. It is a very honorific word. Kudasaru, to honorably accepting your doing of this for me elegance. There are 3 most basic politeness levels. The highest form of politeness is when you speak to someone that you have much respect for. You speak in Honorifics when you are speaking to someone older, a person with a higher status than you such as your boss, and when speaking to someone who you have as yet to determine their status, someone new to you until you can establish their ranking. IN this sense you can say that in Japan people are typecasting with their language as well as keeping the caste system alive. It is also to be said that After putting verbs into base (TE)

YOKU Verb (Base TA) + koto ga aru

A Brief History of the tradition of the Japanese Genkan.
By Makurasuki Sensei,
Brett McCluskey

During my first stay in Japan, I used to get embarrassed because my American friend’s feet would give off the most putrid of odors, and for long distances too. The smell of his feet could cut through a stable full of horses and cattle chewing their cud. It was hard not to gag on occasion. I mean his feet stunk. I can’t really tell you if the odor emanated from his feet, or his socks, because, well it didn’t matter; they both stunk. I would be embarrassed for him and me, because I thought that I could control the way things smelled on other people or something, but alas I couldn’t.
Can you imagine eating at the dinner table or trying to have candid conversation with some new friends you just met only to find out the friend you had brought didn’t have control on his feet hygiene and the odor most unbearable. How atrocious! How outrageous! I thought to myself, be-gone you foul beast at once! Come back when you can be more civilized, or at least when your feet aren't noticeable to the olfactory senses at the distance of 6 feet.
Let’s imagine we are in Japan at a small gathering of some friends. Because it can get pretty chilly in the winter, are all gathered around a nice, warm, and fluffy kotatsu ((quilted) electric blanket \ table), to play the card game buta no shippo (Pig’s tail) Oh no! Not that smells again. Like incense rising up from the depths of odor hell, your friend subjugates everyone to that wretched, didn’t mean to know you, go home! Take a bath! Wash your feet! That wretched friendly scent of your friend’s sweaty polyester, fibrous odor drip that is by now smelling all too familiar.
In America, we wouldn’t have this problem because Americans go everywhere in their shoes, and it doesn’t matter, because you never have to take them off. You can keep your shoes on all day in America. Not in Japan. Before you step foot inside a Japanese dwelling you must take off your shoes. I am full blooded American and can remember as a kid going to sleep in my shoes a couple of times. They wouldn’t have had that in Japan. Also I remember accidentally stepping on some doggy doo and accidentally walking all over my mom’s carpets and then jumping on my bed. Well that sort of thing wouldn’t happen in Japan. Shoes are great, but in Japan, shoes can become cumbersome due to the limitations on living spaces, but more importantly the act of taking off one’s shoes before entering a home or dwelling is a tradition. A good custom as you shall see.
Like other countries of the East, the Japanese take off their shoes before entering houses, dwellings, apartments, condo’s, etc. When I first got to Japan it was awkward at first to take off my shoes, because I had shoes with laces and it was mendoukusai (tedious) when I left to tie my shoes up again after just un-tying them when I arrived. I followed the custom at first only because every one else was doing it. Yes! This was one of those times that if the whole Japanese country were going to jump off the cliff I was going to jump too. *When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do!* There were places I thought were abnormal for taking off my shoes like kindergartens, eating establishments, bowling alleys, karaoke rooms, lots of weird places you wouldn’t even think of taking your shoes off at in America, even the bathroom at bars and weirder places yet.
I had one friend who was so particular about this custom, he would insist on me taking off my shoes before getting into his car. I was obliged to follow the tradition. *When in Rome Do as the Romans Do!* This friend was a little more gung-ho than your average Akira, but it shows you just how far this tradition extends itself into everyday life. He was a little overly devout or passionate about keeping his car clean but at the same time did it for other beneficial, even religious type reasons which we will explore in the coming paragraphs.
Why do the Japanese take off their shoes before entering a home or other things including cars? Why is it considered rude to stand on a chair, or a table or a sofa or seat etc. with your shoes on? In this lense I am going to share my experiences with the custom of taking off your shoes before entering a house and the traditions of the genkan (place where you place your shoes before stepping into a house.) And we will talk a little bit about the way the genkan has been extended in use in modern Japanese society. We are going to try to answer the reasons behind this strange custom and why this genkan thing exists. Also after relaying as much as I can about this custom, we will continue our JPPGG© or Japanese plug and play ghetto grammar sessions so that you will add one more grammar principle to your growing list of Japanese language weapons.
I’m not prejudice nor am I generalizing that all Americans have stinky feet, but, I know that even my feet have a tendency to get stinky when I sweat, run or wear keep my shoes on for too long to wear my shoes everywhere and anywhere in any situation at all times, even to bed, even jumping on the bed, even standing on chairs, cars, wherever on whatever, it didn’t matter. I, being an American having no background in Japanese customs and not having any tradition similar to taking my shoes off before entering the house, I felt quite comfortable doing as I always had done. It wasn’t until I saw the expression of horror, surprise and shear shock of my Japanese friend that I ever began to take seriously the Japanese tradition of taking off my shoes before entering places. I saw on a man’s face as I simply stood upon a chair to change a light bulb, mind you, I had my shoes on, but he gasped in horror and made me instantly get down from the chair. What on Earth could I have possibly done to make him gasp in horror? All I did was stand on a chair and was attempting to change a light bulb. I thought so what gives
So the tradition of taking off shoes before entering a dwelling has many roots in Buddhism.















This is JPPGG© bunpo principle #87.
Japanese Plug and Play Ghetto Grammar Japanese Language Learning
By Makurasuki Sensei, Brett McCluskey
Towards better Japanese Mastery.

To say in Japanese that you used to ~ verb, (at fairly regular intervals and at some point in the past) use the following construction:

I. (I/You/He/She/They/We/It) used to ~ verb.

I. yoku verb(base TA) mono desu.

The following examples will help you grasp today’s JPPGG construction. After you get a feel for how this grammar is made, just keep plugging new verbs into the verb area in Base TA and then continue playing by making your own unique and interesting sentences. And don’t forget to practice saying all your newly created sentences out-loud. Drilling and killing, or plugging and playing words into the constructions in this way is bound to improve your Japanese conversation skills quickly. You’ll be adding yet another grammar principle to your Japanese language arsenal, for your benefit and use at any time you see fit. Keep plugging and playing until your friends tell you they can’t stand how much you practice your Japanese or until they say stop. But even if you start bugging people because you practice too much just keep telling yourself that the practice that I am doing will surely cause me to improve. Just keep practicing the grammar constructions and saying to yourself new sentences of your own creation until your friends or you go to sleep, whichever comes first. You want to get better at Japanese, don’t you? Well don’t bicker…do quicker! Here are some nice examples with an occasional ghetto phrase sprinkled in here or there to spice up the flavorful fun, so that you can have a good time studying Japanese.

1. When I was younger, I used to ride my bike to school.

Watakushi ga motto wakai koro, jitensha de yoku gakko ni itta mono desu.
{As for I, in the more young time, by bike often school went thing is.}1


2. He used to cheat, but the teacher busted him, and now he is a good boy.

Kare wa mae yoku kanningu shita mono desu keredomo sensei ni barete shimatte ima orikosan desu.



3. I used to play there a lot.

Watakushi wa soko de yoku asonda mono da.


G.A.B. or the Ghetto After Blast – One point advice
The Japanese verb nareru means, “To get used to” which is similar to the used to that you have been getting used to in this bunpo. Nareru is a really cool word, and you will hear it a lot in Japanese conversation.

Ex.1 He is used to that job.
Kare wa sono shigoto ni narete imasu.

As Always, Do your Best! Ganbatte Ne!
Makurasuki Sensei.

The NO Particle in Japanese

The no particle の

In Japanese, The no particle indicates possession. Like the dog’s food. Inu no esa. Or like Tom’s car – Tommu no kuruma. You might be asked, “ who’s is this?” to which you could reply its mine or its your’s or it’s his, or its their’s or its our’s. In each case の(no) would be used thus:
it’s mine – Watakushi no
it’s your’s – anata no (plural anata tachi no)
it’s his – kare no
It’s her’s kanojo no
it’s their’s – karera no
it’s our’s – Watakushi tachi no
who’s? - dare no?

ghetto grammar one a day plus iridium

Ganbatte Ne! Do Your Best! Makurasuki Sensei.

Please Do And Please Don't

Today’s Ghetto Grammar
Lesson #116
The please do and the please don’t bunpo with special guest - verb in base TE

A quick and easy way to say, “Please verb” in Japanese is to put the Japanese verb into base TE and add the word kudasai<1>. (You can use my tips here as to how to put verbs in base TE). So our plug and play grammar for the day will look like this.

Verb (base TE) +Kudasai. = Please Verb.
Verb (base I) + naide + Kudasai = Please Don’t Verb.

kudasai comes from the verb meaning -to be kind enough to do for (me) - More on how to get someone to do something for you or to receive the service of somebody next lesson. For now here are some examples just plug your favorite verb in the place of the following and Practice! Practice! Practice!

Ex. 1. Please listen to this music.
Kono ongaku of kiite kudasai. (verb-kiku (baseTE))

Ex.2 Please don’t touch my handbag.
Wataskushi no handbag o sawaranaide kudasai

Ex.3. Go Ahead, Please eat.
Dozo, Tabete kudasai. (Verb – taberu (base TE))

Ex. 4 Please don’t go
Ikanaide kudasai. (Verb- iku (verb (base I +naide)

Cont… 117

Ganbatte ne! Do your best! Makurasuki Sensei Yori,






<1> On how to put verbs into base TE go to
http://ezinearticles.com/?Learn-Japanese-Gra mmar-To-The-Tune-Of-Silver-Bells&id=493900/

Any language but Japanese maybe

5 Tips for perfecting your Foreign Language fluency

These tips and insights were created to help you start speaking in your target language fluently in less time. As they say, “It is all in our minds.” This seems to hold true just as much in language learning as it does in any other field. The limits we impose on ourselves are our only obstacles to obtaining anything we desire.

Tell yourself always that you will be a more efficient speaker and in no time your SL2 speaking skills will be better than you ever thought possible. Your success in second language acquisition should you accept the challenge and attempt to gain one, is dependant on how much you are willing to commit yourself to memorizing words part3, understanding and applying the basic grammar principlespart4 (as outlined in Part 4 essential grammar )and how much you can adjust physically and mentally to a differing culture and mindset. What are you waiting for? Begin your journey toward Japanese mastery today.

The following is just one way \ example, that any person of average intelligence could realistically accomplish the language goals which they themselves set up for their own betterment and challenge. These language learners set goals which are challenging enough to keep them interested, but not too difficult as to stifle enthusiasm or to wane in the interest of the language. This discourages younger learners from wanting to press forward with their language study and pursuit of fluency.

Let me tell you something about learning a language in less than a year. If it is not your primary or your native language and you are not living in the country where that language is spoken, the chance of you becoming fluent are very minimal unless you possess 3 qualities of the worthy steward of the gift of tongues, or the ability to speak and understand two languages.

You need:
1. An unnatural amount of enthusiasm,
2. Overpowering motivation and desire to learn the language,
3. And the potential learner of Japanese or the second language must be zealous to the point near madness.

To Reiterate, YOU MUST HAVE ENTHUSIASM, MOTIVATION and ZEAL when learning a language because without those 3 traits/qualities, there will develop a lackluster attitude which tends towards fruitlessness.

The tendency for the learner to become complacent, lazy, and uninspired, is always greater than the tendency to succeed in the pursuit of Japanese fluency. You have to want it bad enough else it will not come. If you are older than 13 -14 years of age some say that your tongue and brain areas that process the stuff that languages are made out of are by this age hardened and cannot be retrained to accept different input. If you have those three qualities above and really desire the ability to speak however you can obtain it.

I must say however that true pronunciation and true mastery may never be attained for anybody at any age that studies any language, there is just too much information to absorb and too short a life span to absorb it all. Therefore determine now that you want it! You must want it (the ability to speak in another language. You must want it more than any other earthly thing. You must want it severely else stop reading this page right now. You have not a desire strong enough to obtain fluency and the training will do you no good. However, if you desire this thing to obsession you can have the object of your desire (fluency).

Any old grammar translation teacher of old can say, “Listen and Repeat, or the immortal, "Ecoutez et Repetez” or any Joe Dirt could have learned how to say, “My name is Dirk.” or “This is a pen.”, but not many people can sit down and jam out a whole sew of sentences and rap like a native in a conversation with the natives and in similitude as one, with proper pronunciation, diction, inflection, meaning, or sharing a common message and communicating.

Determine within yourself now that you want to be one of those that possess superior fluency and work on it until you can say it truthfully. Determine within yourself now that you will find a way to harness zeal and enthusiasm and motivation to the betterment of your second language acquisition. Quitters never win, and Winners never quit. Plug away little by little and you will eventually get there. Here is just one set of possible goals that help me acquire that ever elusive second language (In this case Japanese).Convince yourself by saying, “I’ll be speaking like a native in no time!” and really believe it else all is for naught. Here are some example goals that you might set up for yourself if you really wanted to become fluent in another language.

Once you grasp the idea about how much of your passion and desire is involved you will begin to realize this axiom stated by someone, "The more one knows… the less that one can possibly ever know.

So what exactly is fluency anyway?

How do we measure fluency? Rest-assured, there are lots of ways to measure fluency in a language. The one that I am considering here is the amount of vocabulary one has under one’s belt. The amount of words that you know and are able to translate into and out of your native tongue can be a measure of your fluency. . Know the meaning of words so thoroughly that you can interchange them instantly. Also the use of mnemonics I suggest as helpful ways to memorize words, especially in Japanese. Those two techniques are all to be had in my other two lessons Mnemonics and Circumlocution, how to use and apply them in both directions this is taking for granted and assuming that at least one language is known. This could be considered a unilateral understanding.

Just as one can word or phrase or apply any manipulation to the language so that its suits our purpose and the main purpose and reason is to get our meaning across. Sharing a As long as the method we use suffices to get our message across it doesn’t even matter if we can speak Japanese or not. In any language, if you look like you got to go ‘pee’ you don’t have to say a word people will understand you. If you look tired or motion your hands as if you are sleeping, our knowledge of Nihongo lets body language assume the role.

What is the shortest distance between you and getting what you want? You are allowed to use any and all means necessary to get your meaning across. Please see my article on circumlocution for sure fire ways to get your meaning across even if you don’t know the Japanese words for it.

http://squidoo.com/ghettogrammar

An individual's own natural or native tongue, just in mannerisms and the exact vocabulary, grammatical structure which is employed by the speaker gives way to mis-understandings and a certain amount of missed meanings will infiltrate the conversation, clouding the meaning. Japanese could be spoken in any number of differing ways; intelligently, suave, brave, naive, sophisticated, charming, honorifically, stately, manly cunning, feline like, drunk, legendary, moody, kosher, and all sorts of ways to speak like and just as we have the ish to make a noun into -- having the likeness of - You do the same thing in Nihongo(Japanese) the word becomes ~ppoi. Beautifully, wonderfully or bold or any other way you can think of

Noun+ ppoi = noun ‘ish’

The levels keigo kokugo must know how to manipulate verbs, while memorizing and strengthening your store of Japanese words to put into your goal oriented language arsenal. With that arsenal and using all of your faculties to summon together the ability to speak inside of another tongue, and also to be able to open the ears to such an extent that they become even more sensitive to different words, consonants, vowels, any phonemes.

Along with your noun memorization oath, (see appendix) noun don't take for granted any place names that are presented to you on your Japanese quest. You have to commit yourself to a reasonable yet challenging goal.