Learn Japanese FAQ

Archive for February, 2010

Q:  You know words like ‘kampai’ and ‘tempura’ in Japanese? How would you write them in the Japanese alphabet? Would you put an ‘n’ character where the ‘m’ is? I’ve been wondering for a while now.

Also, do you always have to put and ‘u’ after words like Arigato, and does it matter if you put a ‘u’ or not in the word Sayo’u'nara? The way it says in some Japanese learning books I have, there is no ‘u’ in and after those words. Does it matter when your writing a letter to a friend?

Thanks,
-Ashurii

A:  Good questions!  Yes you’re totally right with putting the ん　n” symbol for the single “m” sound,  kampai is かんぱい　(or 乾杯)  and tempura is てんぷら 。

With the “u” you definitely need to keep it in when you speak.  Miss it off and the whole meaning is changed.  This is one of the main reasons new learners think they are saying something correctly but the Japanese listener has no idea – it’s usually a missed off “u” or “o” or something.   In written Japanese you also definitely have to include it for the same reason.

But in some types of romaji they don’t include it,  this is yet another reason why you never really see romaji outside of product names or Japanese textbooks!

Q: Hey Richard!!
I was just wondering – and this is a pretty wierd question – where would you be able to buy a kimono? I have been interested in buying one but don’t know where to get one from. I just thought maybe you would know a website or something. Thanks!! – Kiarra

P.S. Your site is great, it has helped me so much!!

A: Glad you like the site!  The best place to buy kimono always seems to be ebay, they have quite a few in there.  Or if you are in Japan then the Duty Free stores in Akihabara often have cheaper ones (real kimono can cost as much as a new car!).  Or the very best place to find kimono is in flea markets in Japan – you can pick up some real bargains!

Q: How do you say “Kiss Me Now?” -  Ashley

A: What a good phrase for valentines!  The best phrase to use is probably just キスして！　ki su shi te,  which just means “kiss me!”.   That would certainly get your message across without needing the “now”!

Q: Love your website Richard and your teaching techniques. Thank you for making it so affordable!
My question is this: I work for a fitness gym specifically for women (there’s one somewhere in Japan). Yesterday one of my co-workers signed up two Japanese women who don’t speak very little English. Because of the Toyota Plant in our area, we have a large population of Japanese people. Anyway, I want to help them get the best exercise experience they can get. What would be some useful phrases I could use to help them with this? Also, are fitness gyms popular in Japan like they are here in the U.S.? – Amy

A: Hi Amy, glad you like the site!

Fitness gyms are quite popular in Japan, but nowhere near as in the US or Korea.  Everyone still seems to be really in shape though, even after all the gorgeous cakes we have here!

For the language then I’d say just learn a few greetings and things.  Many of the fitness terms used in Japan are in katakana, i.e. English words spoken with a Japanese accent.

Having said that you might want to have a look at my Classroom Japanese page.  It’s designed for English or Japanese teachers, but many of the words can be used by all teachers – or even students!

Q: Hi richard, Genki Japan helped me a lot with learning japanese! Thanks!  But here’s my question:
I learned that Japan has 3 types of symbols.  Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji.   But when do you use which type of symbol? -  Tinke

A: Hi Tinke, thank you for the nice words!  Here’s the general rule of thumb:

Use kanji whenever you can.

Use hiragana if you don’t know the kanji or if there isn’t one.

Use katakana for words that come from countries other than Japan or China.

That’s  basically it!  In practice though the best thing is just to read lots of Japanese and you’ll naturally learn when to use which ones in just the same why you naturally know when to use “i” or “I” or “twelve” or “12″!

Be genki,

Richard

Q: Can the japanese read romaji? – Nadia

A: Good question!  The answer is yes.  And no.  Yes because everyone has learnt it at school.  But no because quite a few people have forgotten it (or learnt one of the systems that aren’t popular outside Japan) and mainly because it’s just a real pain and really slow to read Japanese in romaji!

With kanji you can just look at a word and instantly know the meaning, but with romaji you have to sound it out then hopefully guess at the correct meaning.   So although you find street signs and company names in romaji, you hardly ever see any real Japanese written in Romaji!