Japanese Help

[kat-su-chan]

I decided to make this thread because sometimes it's nice to have help when studying or practicing your Japanese. So it can be thread to ask questions and also just to chat in Japanese or practice.
Rules!
You may write using romaji, hiragana, katakana and kanji but I think it's a good idea to write using romaji too if you are going to be writing in hiragana, katakana or kanji so that people who don't know these alphabets can have an easier time trying to figure out what you're saying. It might also be beneficial to write what you have intended or wanted to say in english underneath your japanese too.
For vista users, I know on my laptop there is an easy shortcut to changing from English to Japanese. I can give advice on that. There is also many web-based programs which will translate your typing into hiragana, katakana and kanji. I think the most effective, downloadable program is called NJ Star Japanese. It's also very accessible and fast.
You may also write in english if you aren't sure how to word something. Having a no-english thread is tricky and probably intimidating for beginners. So to avoid unneccesary complications and troubles you may use english.
Feel free to post questions or ask for help!
Also, I think it's good if someone notices an error in someone's japanese to correct it for them in a response (because it's very easy to make errors and it's better to know you're making them than not).

[EricTheFred]

Hajimemashite, Ericthefred Desu.
Nihongo ga sukoshi hanasemasu, demo mada jouzu ja arimasen.

(Please to meet you, I'm Ericthefred. I speak some Japanese, but I'm not so skilled yet.)

I suggest one thread rule. Don't anyone 'correct' somebody's romaji spelling. There's too many systems out there.

I'll be watching this thread. Ja ne!

[jaems-kun]

visuta no sho-tocato o shiete kudasai, kat-su-chan-san.

wow, that looks so wrong in romaji. o shiete... o oshiete... I forget.

Anyway, hows that vista shortcut work?

[kat-su-chan]

こんにちは！どうぞよろしく、　私　は　ケイトリン　です。　みな　は　日本語の話すがんばりますよ。　何歳ですか
konnichiwa, douzo yoroshiku. watashi ha keitorinn desu. mina ha nihon no hanasu ganbarimasuyo.　nansai desuka
(Hello! Nice to meet you, I'm kaitlyn. Everyone, let's do our best at talking in japanese. how old are you (all))

- side note, man writing in romaji is weird! XP

ヴィスタノショートカト　は　ちょっと　むずかしい　ですよ、　だから　英語　を　話します。
bista no sho-tocato ha chotto muzukashii desuyo, dakara eigo o hanashimasu.
(the vista shortcut if a little complex so I will explain(literally talk) in english)


I just got a new laptop with windows vista basic on it. When I started it up, it has a side bar which displays things like weather and whatnot but also a language bar. This link should prove helpful http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/cc452fac-0858-4baf-bc01-005ef3c901751033.mspx
and this as well
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/baf302f4-f157-4e41-a627-6ed68d1352bc1033.mspx

let me know if you need more help,
Ja Matane!

[ShiroiHikari]

Psst-- the particle "wa" is written as "ha", but is pronounced "wa".

[EricTheFred]

[quote="kat-su-chan (post: 1199632)"]こ]

Orewa, yon juu roku sai desu.

[jaems-kun]

なんさいでいったんですか？それはひみつです！＾＾

nansai de ittan desuka? sore wa himitsu desu! ^^

Hope that doesn't sound too awkward, I didn't feel like hitting the quote button.

[EricTheFred]

nansai de ittan desuka?

I got the second sentence, 'That's a secret', but the first sentence has me stumped. "de ittan" for me means 'went to', such as, "Nichiyoubi, kyoudan de ittan." ('Sunday, I went to the church', if I put it together right and used the right word for 'church', and if I have the right word for 'went to', I suppose.)

I'm not so good at translation, though, so I'm guessing it's me, not you. What am I supposed to read there?

[jaems-kun]

i might be mistaken on the "de" part. Perhaps the kanji would make it clearer:　言った

ケイトリンさんは何歳で言いました、ね

I should have just used the quote button instead of saying something weird.

And don't assume its you, not me, because I take tons of shots in the dark when it comes to japanese >.<

[kat-su-chan]

[quote="ShiroiHikari (post: 1199654)"]Psst-- the particle "wa" is written as "ha", but is pronounced "wa". ]

I totally know, but I neeeever have to write romaji so I think that's why it turned out that way XP
--

本当に！　私　は　十七歳, でも　私の誕生日　は　三月　むいっか　です。ほとんど　十八歳　です。
hontouni! watashi wa juunanasai, demo watashi no tanjoubi wa sangatsu muika desu. hotondo juuhassai desu.
(really! -- that it's a 'secret' -- I am 17 but my birthday is on march 6th. Almost 18!)
日本　に　行きましたか　
nihon ni ikimashitaka
何年　日本語　を　勉強していますか
nantoshi (not sure about that romaji but whatever) nihongo o benkyoushiteimasuka)
(have you been to Japan - to anyone)
(how many years have you been studying Japanese - to anyone)

[kat-su-chan]

[quote="jaems-kun (post: 1199689)"]i might be mistaken on the "de" part. Perhaps the kanji would make it clearer:　]

Uhm, are you saying kaitlyn said how old are you (ne) ?
if so use the particle と always with - to say or to think.　also you must put the 'desu' into short form of 'da' not just exclude it.

ケイトリンさんは何歳だと言いました、ね

keitorinnsan wa nansai da to iteimashita, ne
another example might make this more clear. I think cats are are cute.
ねこ　は　こわいい　だ　と思います。
neko wa kowaii da to omoimasu.
When you say it, it actually ends up sounding like neko wa kowaii dato omoimasu. because the short form da and to kind of go together.
this gets tricky when you use negatives though XP

[jaems-kun]

わかった、ありがとうございます

[EricTheFred]

[quote="jaems-kun (post: 1199689)"]i might be mistaken on the "de" part. Perhaps the kanji would make it clearer:　]

You forced me to dive into my "Japanese verbs at a glance" book. Turns out "Itta" is the -ta form of both "iku" (what I read) and "iu" (what you meant.) The Kanji cleared it up. Thus I learn something new!

Also:
歳
Don't know this kanji (one of my worst subjects). Nan desuka?

It's out of your statement that I managed to read as:
"Keitorin-san wa, nani (blank) de iimashita, ne?"
Where blank is the the kanji I didn't know.

Ano, kat-su-chan!
What do you prefer,
ケイトリンさん
あるいわ
かっちやん (trying to transliterate your login name)
あるいわ ... ?

I will personally respond to 陸さん... or りくさん ... provided I can recognize my own name.
(The name under my avatar, 'Furitani Riku', is one a Japanese lady gave me, constructed out of my Norwegian-American name.)

Ano, Jaems-kun!
You have a preferred transliteration for that?

[EricTheFred]

[quote="kat-su-chan (post: 1199692)"]ね]

Umm. You're scared of cats?

Okay, I can already tell your Japanese is better than mine, so I'm in no position to tease, but... こわいい is not a word, although to me it looks more like こわい (scary) than かわいい (cute)

By the way, answering a question in a different post. I've been to Japan twice, but never as a tourist. Very long story, and probably boring. I'll get back there some day, and stay long enough for the jet lag to wear off, this time.

I've studied Japanese gradually for perhaps three years. I learned a number of phrases and words before that, just from anime and such, but I'm referring to the actual attempt to learn the language.

Over the years, I've picked up smatterings of Norwegian, German, French, Spanish, Latin (classical), Greek (koine) and Tagalog, with French being the closest to fluency at any point. I'm almost as far along in Japanese now as French, though, and well past the others. It's weird, but... I find that Japanese bears a lot of grammatical similarity to Latin and Greek. Not the vocabulary, just the way ideas are expressed and sentences put together.

[kat-su-chan]

ah, I did mean かわいい　or maybe it was こわい　either way you are right =P　Oh and it's just an example but for the record - ねこ　は　かわいい　と　こわくない　と　思います。　neko ha kowaii to kowakunai to omoimasu. (I think cat's are cute and not scary)
as far as a name...my teacher calls me ケイトリン-さん。　でも　けいと､ ｹｲﾄ is fine too. I have too many names =) toto, kaito, kat, kat-su-chan =P though my full name is kaitlyn.　
the kanji is for sai さい from nansai or なんさい　－－　何歳　－　similarily 八歳　or はっさい　
わかりました？

also, James' literal translation is wakatta わかった　which is the shortest positive informal form of the verb 'wakaru' - in masu form, wakarimasu　わかる - to understand.
食べる　たべる　taberu
for example becomes
食べった　たべった　tabetta
because the る verb drops off the final る and adds ’かった'
in the same sense わかる　becomes わかった.
　

other verbs such as u and irregular of course have different endings.　－－I　just finished learning all the short forms and a buunch of conjigations of verbs
わかりました？ちょっと　むずかしい　ですね？

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]ちょっと人! それは花である。会えてうれしい。 私は日本語で実際に悪いおそらくが、ここにいる! 私はこれが正しい... ことを望む実際に本当に。 私が不正確、どんな方法かで私に言いなさい! 私は公正な勉強の日本語(自分自身によって) 、あらゆる混乱のために残念なあるポインターを... 必要とする!

(Chotto hito! Sore ha Hana de aru! Ae te ureshii. Watashi ha nihongo de jissai ni warui osoraku ga, koko ni iru! Watashi ha kore ga tadashii... koto o nozomu jissai ni hontouni. Watashi ga fuseikaku, donna houhou ka de watashi ni ii nasai! Watashi ha kousei na benkyou no nihongo [jibun jishin niyotte], arayuru konran no tame ni zannen na aru pointaa o... hitsuyou to suru!)

Erm...I think...

Yosh! Watashi wa Juushi!
Watashi no umare tsuki ha Shichigatsu de aru. Juusannichi!

Yorosh Onegaishimasu!

...I think. *BIG sweatdrop*[/font]

[kat-su-chan]

O.o
むずかしいいいいい　＞。＞

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]Erm...h-honto ni?

(I think I understood you correctly. Maybe. I have a hard time reading Kanji...*^*)[/font]

[kat-su-chan]

I said muzukashii - difficult.
Wanna gimme a literal translation of your paragraph? O.o I'm not familiar with a looot of those words. >.>

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]E-Erm, don't laugh or get mad, but I had to use BabelFish a lot with the words and some phrases ^_^;. I'm not sure they're correct, though...*is very nervous/embarrassed*

TRANS (I think): "Hey there! My name is Hana. Nice to meet you! I am not so good at Japanese. I really hope I am correct. I'm really inaccurate with this method. I regrettably need help with my study of Japanese (I'm not very confident with this).

Yeah! I am 14.
My birth month is July. The 13th of the month!

It's nice to meet you!"

If I'm incorrect, please point it out! I really would like some constructive criticism!
Arigato gozaimasu...[/font]

[kat-su-chan]

I'm going to do my best to go through this and hopefully help you out (or I could also just confuse you :S because i am confusing, but hopefullly not!!!). Also if anyone has any other ideas about what Hana should say feel free to correct me or put your input in...I am by no means 100% correct -- I'm just a student too ^^
First of all, I think it's kind of safe to say never use babel fish? Or any online translator that will translate in chunks. O.o Because it's always so confusing.
And it's ok if you use it I have a little hand held dictionary that I am using cooonstantly looking up kanji and re-checking words and stuff to make sure I'm right. The program I mentioned called NJ Star Japanese also has that same kinda thing aaand I have textbooks (Genki I and Genki II) for looking up stuff

Anyways, to what you wanted to say.
first of all,
ちょっと　means like a little or a bit and 人　means ひと which is person. So I really have no idea where Babelfish popped that one out because it was totally random XD!!
I think it would be easier to use a phrase like こんにちわ　konnichiwa or hello. You could also say え！　maybe which is just kind of like hey!
to say my name is hana you can say
私　（わたし）　の　名前　（なまえ）　は　花　（はな）　です。　watashi no namae wa hana desu. Or you could simply say hana desu where the 'my name is' is implied (note in the Japanese language I or watashi is often left out because it's assumed that you are talking about yourself and so forth.).

The common phrase for nice to meet you is どうぞ　よろしく or dozo yoroshiku but you would say this at the end of your speech where you put yosh onegaishimasu. I think you would say instead, douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu - most polite and more common than yosh onegaishimasu (ive never heard anyone say that). You can just say douzo yoroshiku (adding the onegaishimasu makes it more polite).
You can say はじめました which is hajimemashita to say it's nice to meet you (literally it's like how do you do kind of).
It's also common and easy to say this for I am not very good at Japanese:
私（わたし）　は　日本語　（にほんご）　が　上手じゃりません（じょうずじゃありません）literally this means I am not so good at the Japanese language (Japanese).
You can also say
わたし　は　にほんご　が　へた　です。
which means literally I am clumsy or poor at Japanese.　
For these next few sentences I am not entirely sure because my Japanese isn't quite that advanced yet...
for I regretably need help with my Japanese study you can say
私（Watashi）　の　日本語（にほんご）　を　勉強（べんきょう）が　てつだう　を　ください　
which literally means... Please help with my Japanese study(ing). Maybe that's the best I can do (ha ha ごめねさい　私　は　上手じゃりません　でも　がんばります！　（Sorry　[B]my[B] Japanese isn't so good but I am doing my best！）

Your Yosh! is just fine ^^ But you would say for your age Juuyonsai - じゅうよｎさい　or 十四さ　and don't forget です.
Lastly there is any easier way to say when your birthday is. You would say
watashino tanjyoubi wa nanagatsu, juusan desu.
(for others if 13th is a special number and i forgot, please correct me -- im lazy and dont want to look it up ^^;;)

私の (わたしの) 誕生日 (たんじょうび) は 七月 (なながつ) 十三 (じゅうさん) です。

and then you would say your dozou yoroshiku onegaishimasu
どうぞよろしくおねがいします

だいじょうぶ ですか (daijyoubu desuka - are you alright)
えと。。。わかりますか (eto - uhmm ... wakarimasuka - do you understand)

I hope this was helpful to you!!
Please let me know and I am happy to explain something further even if it's just a term that you don't know - also if I made a mistake please correct me ^^

--
疲れたあ と眠い ですよ。。。おやすみなさい!
(tsukareta to nemui desuyo ... oyasumi nasai!)
I am exhausted and sleepy ... good night!

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino linotype"]Ahh, gomen nasai.
Hmm. I really need to study more.

Jaa. Ohaiyo gozaimasu minna-san! Daijobu desu ka?
(That I do know! XD)[/font]

[kat-su-chan]

ohayou gozaimasu ^^

Sorry to criticize again, but it's more meant to be helpful. You can also say instead of daijobu desuka (which is fine ^^ ) o'genki desuka which means are you healthy or are you doing well literally, -- how are you. It's more colloquial to say when asking how everyone is. And then you can say back genki desu. or whatever you wanted to.
^^ and I need to restart, for some reason after typing that out last night my japanese conversion...changed and it doesn't type out the same way it used to (waa >.>)

[Hana Ryuuzaki]

[font="Palatino Linotype"] Nah, I need all the help I can get!
...O'genki desu ka, right?

Thanks. Now I can use that! ^_^[/font]

[kat-su-chan]

^^ very welcome, I'm happy to help out all I can

[Aka-chan]

あぁ、自己紹介か？はは、赤ちゃんといっても、ちょっと年をとっている。日本語を七年間ぐらい勉強していたけどまだ習わなきゃならない事がた〜くさんある。よろしくお願いします！
aa, jiko shoukai ka? haha, aka-chan to ittemo, chotto toshi wo totteiru. nihongo wo nananenkan gurai benkyou shiteita kedo mada narawanakya naranai koto ga ta~kusan aru. yoroshiku onegai shimasu!

This is really informal Japanese, so I'll provide a translation, too:
Ah, self-intro, huh? Haha, I'm Aka-chan, but I'm a little old. I've been studying Japanese for about seven years, but there are still lots of things I need to learn. Nice to meet you!

[kat-su-chan]

Self into?
...
I can only imagine what that's supposed to mean...
>.>

[Aka-chan]

Haha, typo! That's supposed to be "self-intro." I'll fix that.

[kat-su-chan]

bahahhaah XD I was like *Sobsob, goes and lurks off into the dark corner* HA HA HA. oh dear. ^^;;
glad that's resolved! <33

[Dante]

... hmmm... looks back and forth... this is likely a good place to test out my PHET designs ... and to practice Japanese!

Ahem, I'm trying to translate programs from English to Japanese for PHET so that I can help kids in Japan learn physics! (My nobel cause that supports the following deviant digression) >_>. Therefore, I was wondering if anyone could point out any bad translation errors that I made in my translation list below !

(Pascal you idiot, no one is going to look over that list, but they'll likely hit you in the head with a frying pan for asking... Pascal: Weelll I may as well try... hey now everyone's looking at me for talking to myself O_o)

Japanese-English
塩と溶ける =　Salts & Solubility
強いな塩と少しな溶けるな塩に関してKspがします。=　Highly- and slightly-soluble salts, a how they relate to Ksp.

# Modules
塩 = Table Salt
少し溶けるな塩 = Slightly Soluble Salts
塩を設計します = Design a Salt

# Controls
塩 = Salt

イオン = Ions
全部 = Total
させりました = Dissolved
イオン結合 = Bound

陰イオンの荷電 = Anion charge
陽イオンの荷電 = Cation charge
Kspの最大限 = Max Ksp
水 = Water
ボリューム = Volume
リットル = liters
全部物をリセットします = Reset All

# Ions
陰イオン = Anion
陽イオン = Cation
ナトリウム = Sodium
鉛 = Lead
クロム = Chromium
銅(I) = Copper(I)
銀 = Silver
タリウム = Thallium
ストロオンチウム　= Strontium
水銀(II) = Mercury(II)
リン酸 = Phosphate
臭化 = Bromide
ヒ酸塩 = Arsenate
硫化 = Sulfide
塩化 = Chloride
ヨウ化 = Iodide
水酸化 = Hydroxide

# Salts
臭化銀 = Silver Bromide
銅　(I) ヨウ化 = Copper(I) Iodide
タリウム　(I) 硫化 = Thallium(I) Sulfide
ヒ酸塩銀 = Silver Arsenate
リン酸ストロオンチウム = Strontium Phosphate
水銀　(II) 臭化 = Mercury(II) Bromide

# Misc
どうぞ振るをください！ = Shake me!

Just in case anyone was interested, here is how the above translations look on the prototype program.



(I realize its a bit odd, but I was wondering if anyone on here would see any blatant Japanese Errors, I'm also going to run it by my Japanese Sensei from back when I was at ASU)

-Pascal