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Japanese at home. Effective methods for learning Japanese. How to learn Japanese quickly - tips for beginners

Japanese at home. Effective methods for learning Japanese. How to learn Japanese quickly - tips for beginners

Dear friends! Surely many of those who study foreign languages (in particular Japanese) are faced with the fact that they have some problems and difficulties that prevent them from moving forward. Therefore, in today's article we will talk about how to study effectively Japanese so that you do not stop in one place, but only move forward in your learning.

Set yourself a goal

When you start any business (in in this case- learning Japanese), you need, first of all, to set yourself a clear goal. What do you want to achieve and what specific deadline have you set for yourself to achieve this goal?

What is it for?

First of all, based on your goal, you can make your own schedule, build your own training plan, that is, when, on what day, what do we do.

Systematicity and regularity

Systematicity and regularity in the process of learning any language is also very important.

For many who have decided to take up learning the Japanese language on their own, we can advise the following: choose one main textbook and one additional one. Also, don’t use ten different textbooks and ten different websites.

And as mentioned above, regularity of exercise is very important, that is, a ten-minute lesson will be better and more useful for you than if you exercise once a week or a month at an accelerated pace.

Prescribe - speak

Probably the most terrible thing that those who study Japanese or Chinese encounter are hieroglyphs (kanji).

Do not strive to know the hieroglyphs perfectly, since even the Japanese themselves do not know all the hieroglyphs.
Also, write them down as often as possible so that your hand remembers their spelling and at the same time pronounce the reading of the hieroglyph itself.

Use cards

It will be very good for you if you use thematic cards to memorize hieroglyphs. On one side of the card you write the hieroglyph itself, and on the other - its reading and translation. You need to not only make cards, but also repeat them regularly.

Put the cards that you know well in one pile. As for those that you don’t know well, constantly return to them and repeat them more often.

By the way, cards can be made using special program ANKI - the same cards, but in electronic format, plus you can add pictures and the sound of this hieroglyph.

And most importantly, the better this program is - it has interval repetition - that is, the program shows words exactly with the frequency that is needed for this word to get into long-term memory.

Figurative memorization

The next method of memorizing hieroglyphs is the figurative method. That is, you should see in the hieroglyph not only the order of features, but a specific image.

After all, in fact, hieroglyphs are former pictures, simplified over time (that is, you can find out the history of the hieroglyph and find out what the author wanted to say).

For example, the hieroglyph “mountain” really looks like a mountain.

Can I recommend books for this? “Japanese for the soul” by Alexander Voordov and a book Lena Walsh's Japanese Language Self-Teacher, which describe the origin stories of the most common hieroglyphs.

After all, when you know the history and image of the character you are studying, learning is much easier.

Another important thing when studying hieroglyphs is the correct spelling of strokes. After all, then not only will your hieroglyph look more beautiful and “real,” but you will also easily learn to look for its meaning in special applications and dictionaries.

And finally...

As mentioned above, it is very important to choose the right textbook that will make it easier for you to remember the educational material.

And of course practice: without it it is impossible to learn any language.

Ideally, of course, it is better to take a Japanese language course or individual sessions with a Japanese teacher, but if this is not possible, then you always need a partner to not only practice the Japanese language yourself, but also maintain interest in it. Otherwise, you can quickly give up and quit learning the language.

Let’s also not forget about native speakers, whom you can meet on one of the social networks.

If you've been studying Japanese for a long time, you may have your own secrets and tricks. Share them please!

Right now you have a chance to enroll in the main course "" and start practicing Japanese!

Language is a means of communication. Language allows people to understand each other. At the same time, language can be a serious barrier to understanding, since there are thousands of different languages on our planet.

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You will need

- Hiragana alphabet;
- katakana alphabet;
- Kanji alphabet;
- grammar textbook;
- films in Japanese;
- books in Japanese.

Instructions

Before you start studying, determine for what purpose you plan to master the Japanese language. Some people need the language for work, others want to move to Japan itself, and still others want to learn the language for themselves.

Now, if possible, you need to find a tutor or courses. This is a very important step if selfeducation I can't do it. After all, the speed of learning will depend on how the material is taught. Good teacher must be an excellent methodologist. He must present the material for study in a high-quality and accessible manner. Of course, it’s good if the teacher is a native speaker, but this can lead to some kind of problems. Most often, native speakers, knowing the nuances of the language, cannot correctly explain where they came from and in what situations they are needed. Therefore, the optimal teacher would be one who simply lived in Japan and knew first-hand about the language he teaches.

If for some reason it is impossible to hire a tutor, then you should start learning the language yourself. One of the most difficult elements to learn in Japanese is the alphabet. Therefore, it’s worth starting with him. There are only 46 sounds in the Japanese language, but there are as many as 4 alphabets. Start learning with hiragana. Each symbol in represents a syllable. A similar alphabet is katakana. These are also syllables, but used for foreign words who came to Japan. There are a total of 92 syllables in these two alphabets. Therefore, studying them should not cause problems.

Now start learning the alphabet. Unlike the other two, each character in the kanji alphabet has its own symbol. That is, one hieroglyph is equal to one word. Normal lexicon will appear when the number of studied hieroglyphs exceeds 2000. Study the words that you use in ordinary life. Look at frequency dictionaries and choose the most frequently spoken words to study.

Cards will help you study. Make them for each word and repeat daily. These cards can be taken with you anywhere and in free time repeat words. Make 20-30 cards with words and repeat them for three days in any free time. Then set them aside and make new ones. In order not to forget the words you have learned, take out cards with the hieroglyphs you have studied once a week and repeat the words.

While learning the Kanji alphabet, start learning Japanese grammar. This will help significantly speed up language acquisition. The grammar is quite simple and flexible, so you won’t need to spend a lot of time and effort to master it.

Are you interested in Japan and the Japanese language? Do you want to expand your horizons and learn another language, but the cost of studying at a language school in Japan is not yet affordable for you? Learning a language can be fun and challenging at the same time, but many people are unable or unwilling to invest in courses or classroom lessons. By learning the basics by practicing the language on your own, you can experience the joy of learning a new language.

Method 1: Learn the Basics

Learn Japanese writing systems

The Japanese language uses four writing systems.

Hiragana is the Japanese alphabet. Each symbol represents one sound. Start by learning and memorizing these symbols. Once you learn Hiragana, you will know how to pronounce any word in Japanese.
Katakana is a series of characters used to represent non-Japanese words (such as fast food or California). It's a good idea to learn katakana phrases for the words you usually use.
Kanji are Chinese characters that are used to represent words and phrases in Japanese. While Hiragana characters are more like “letters” (representing simple sounds), Kanji characters represent entire words.
Romaji is a system of use English letters to write Japanese words. A little Romaji will be helpful at first (especially for learning the initial key phrases), but if you rely on it too much, you're unlikely to progress to actually understanding the language. Instead, focus mainly on hiragana, katakana and kanji.

Practice your Japanese pronunciation

The Japanese language has 46 sounds, which are represented by either one of five vowel sounds or a combination of a vowel and a consonant. (There is only one exception - a sound consisting of only a consonant). You can start learning pronunciation by learning how to pronounce each character in hiragana and katakana.

Learn some key phrases

Knowing some key phrases will allow you to start practicing. While romaji shouldn't be relied upon heavily, using it to learn these basic phrases will be helpful for beginners.

Hello - Konnichiwa

Goodbye - Sayonara

I'm fine, thank you - Watashi wa genki desa. Arigato

Thank you very much - Domo arigato gozaimas

Nice to meet you - Hajimemashite

Please (request for something) - Kudasai

Please (offer something) - Dozo

You understand? - Wakarimasuka

Learn the rules of grammar

Japanese grammar is very different from Russian grammar, so try not to apply the rules of your native language's grammar to learning Japanese. Buy a Japanese grammar book and start studying the lessons, or find free online resources (like Duolingo) to learn Japanese grammar. Here are some basic tips for those who cannot yet start studying at a language school in Japan, but really want to learn Japanese:

Nouns have no gender. In addition, most nouns do not have separate plural forms.
The subject is optional and can be omitted.
The predicate is always at the end of the sentence.
Verbs do not change depending on the subject (he/she/it). They also lack the grammatical category of number.
Personal pronouns (such as I or you) vary depending on the level of formality of the situation.

Method 2. Language practice

Strengthen your mastery of writing systems

It is important to spend enough time learning all four writing systems. Hiragana and katakana can be learned in just a few weeks, and you can use them to write whatever you want in Japanese. Learning kanji will take much longer, but it is also important. Start practicing kanji.

good workbook with exercises is a great way to practice reading and writing.
You can also use online resources such as Duolingo.

Talk to someone on the Internet

A fun way to practice Japanese is to video chat with a native speaker. Look for online resources that connect language partners. If you find the right person, start training with him 1-2 times a week. But it is best to practice speech with a native speaker in Japan, for example, while studying at a language school.

Look at My Language Exchange or Mixxer to find an online language partner.

Use flashcards

You can purchase (or make) flashcards for each writing system to help you learn specific phrases and remember them grammar basics. Flashcards can be a fun way to expand your vocabulary in all three writing systems (hiragana, kanji, or katakana).

Place cards around the house to identify items with their Japanese names.
You can ask a friend to ask you test questions on the cards to practice your memorization.
You can use the cards to ask questions of yourself.

Use online resources

You can learn Japanese not only at a language school in Japan, but also using the achievements of modern progress. There are many online language programs to help you learn Japanese, such as Duolingo, Tofugu and Japanese 101. Search free resources and make practicing Japanese part of your Everyday life.

Method 3. Fun ways to learn a language

Read

Look for Japanese books, manga or newspapers. When you read, you learn new words, improve your language skills, and become familiar with Japanese culture.

Movies can provide you with a wider range of terms (including slang) and provide an enjoyable time. You can even use subtitles to help you understand the plot.

Listen to Japanese radio

Just like movies, listening to Japanese radio can be a good way to learn new words and improve your listening skills. Look for Japanese music with lyrics or Japanese radio talk.

Immerse yourself in the language environment

If you have the opportunity to visit Japan and experience an authentic Japanese restaurant, take it! This will allow you to speak to people in Japanese and watch how they speak. Not really the best way study new language than immersion in a language environment, so it is best to go to study in language school in Japan.

Many people who learn Japanese find it quite easy to learn in terms of listening and speaking skills. The hard part is reading and writing, especially Kanji or Chinese characters. It is necessary to learn three alphabets in order to be able to read, for example, the text of a newspaper in Japanese. The difficult-to-learn Japanese writing system consists of two graphic forms of the kana syllabary - hiragana (for Japanese words), katakana (mostly for foreign words) and kanji. How many characters are there in Japanese? There are said to be 50,000 Kanji characters, although between 5,000 and 10,000 are commonly used. After WWII, the Japanese government defined 1,945 core characters, "Jōyō Kanji", which are used in textbooks and official documents. Since 2010, the Joyo Kanji list has included 2,136 kanji.

Although Japanese is not studied in the western part of the world as widely as Mandarin, French, German or Spanish, this does not detract from its important role on a global scale. Learning Japanese, a language spoken by 128 million people, opens up unique world and a real opportunity to get a job in some innovative companies. Learning Japanese enhances professional value in business, social and humanities, technology and science, journalism and tourism.

Historically, Japan, unlike any other country, has succeeded in creating its own unique culture through “sakoku,” which literally means “country on a chain” (self-isolation), an isolationist foreign policy the Tokugawa shogunate, a period that lasted over 220 years. But even in the modern era, known by the so-called Galapos syndrome, Japan offers the world phenomena and products of culture and science, technology and service with its own (isolated) evolution, which differ from world standards. Most foreigners begin to learn Japanese because they are attracted by "nihondokutoku" or unique Japanese things. Actually, the term Galapagos syndrome (garapagosu-ka - ラパゴス化) Japanese origin and refers to the process of isolating the Japanese "Galapagos mindset", linking it to the island mentality.

From an economic point of view, the benefits of learning Japanese are great. Japan is a technology hub of the world and is at the forefront of innovation. Study of any foreign language helps you succeed in business, and by learning Japanese, you can eventually look forward to working in finance, tourism, teaching or translation. There is a huge chance of working with global brands such as Toyota, Honda and Panasonic. With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, you can be sure that if you want, you will find work in Japan itself. Doing business in Japan is difficult if you don't speak Japanese. Although China, with its high growth rate, has surpassed Japan, which is now the third largest economic power in the world, most Chinese can speak English. It's more difficult with the Japanese.

In addition, there are many cultural ideas that you need to know so as not to offend your interlocutor or look stupid. The Japanese have developed a style of honorific language called keigo, which includes many honorifics. The honorific system is extensive: the level of respectful, modest and polite speech. Their use is mandatory in many social situations, and especially extremely important in business. An experienced “keigo” user has a large stock of honorifics, from which one can choose the appropriate degree of respect for the person being addressed. A simple sentence is transmitted to more than 20 different ways depending on the status of the speaker and, accordingly, who is being addressed.

The Japanese are leaders in various technological fields (fermentation processes, industrial robotics, semiconductor manufacturing, electronics, optical media, etc.) and great innovators, as evidenced by the fact that they occupy the top positions in the lists of patent applications in the world (every year Japanese inventors file 420,000 patent applications). If you work in technology, especially robotics, learning Japanese will be incredibly beneficial. You will be able to understand advanced Japanese technology.

Japanese culture is a global phenomenon. It has many unique and interesting aspects. On the one side, Japanese culture steeped in rich history and deep traditions dating back thousands of years; on the other hand, Japanese society is constantly in a state of rapid change and develops with new trends in fashion, technology, and expands the boundaries of what is possible and what is impossible. Currently, Japan stands out as one of the leading and most prominent countries in the world, thanks to its popular culture that has swept the entire world.

Cultural traditions are ingrained in the Japanese, regardless of their age. Traditions dictate how they react, interact, behave. This shows in the way they write, read, listen and speak. The younger generation can demonstrate modern behavior, but nevertheless they follow the traditions taught to them by their elders. The word soul or kotodama in Japanese refers to what mystical powers dwell in words and names. The concept of kotodama suggests that sounds have a magical effect on objects, and ritual use affects the environment, body, mind and soul.

Japanese linguist Haruhiko Kindaichi believes that national character is reflected in language. There are several offensive words in the Japanese language, but the Japanese are too polite to use them in public. Kindaichi believes that local dialects play an important role in shaping a language, making it richer because they fill in gaps that a standard language cannot do.

Without a doubt, learning Japanese will make everyone more interesting person, impressing others with his education.

Where to start, what are the features of the study?

How to learn Japanese? The first step is to decide for yourself what your goal is to learn Japanese. Perhaps to watch anime without subtitles? Or read the text of “Notes at the Bedside” by Sei-Syonagon, “Genji Monogatari” by Murasaki Shikibu, “The Golden Temple” by Yukio Mishimo or enjoy the wonderful stories of Ryunosuke Akutagawa in the original? Setting specific goals will allow you to progress. Many students consider progress one of their main motivators. If you want to learn how to read manga, you can do it almost from the very beginning, but with the help of simple materials designed for teaching children.

For those who want to learn Japanese from scratch on their own, the path to fluency lies ahead. As with other languages, as you get better you realize that colloquial and writing diverge significantly. You will be able to understand philosophical texts, but you still cannot understand what even a toddler is saying. The fact is that the Japanese themselves communicate indirectly. Separate sets of words and phrases are used when communicating with friends, people of high social status and so on.

Foreigners who can speak Japanese well find that it is not so much the language itself that is difficult to learn, but rather the elusive communication between speakers. Memorizing grammatical structures, vocabulary, and kanji lists does not make communicating with Japanese easier. The speaker likes to shorten or slightly change phrases to express meaning, that is, to “contain” many nuances into one word or phrase.

So, you decided to learn Japanese from scratch:

View all available materials. When learning a language, we start with the basics, but also with something fun that motivates us to continue learning.
Learning the alphabet. Start with hiragana and katakana - both are easy to learn. Japanese children begin reading and writing Hiragana before attempting to learn some of the two thousand commonly used kanji.
Hiragana and pronunciation are the basis of learning Japanese. Good pronunciation starts with hiragana. Of course, hiragana alone won't teach you everything, but it is the key to understanding how Japanese words sound. All symbols and pronunciation can be mastered in a couple of weeks, allocating a few minutes a day to study. The great thing is that every syllable in Japanese has a written symbol.
It is important to become familiar with the sounds and rhythms of the language. It has great importance in order to learn the sound of the language and in the future be able to talk with a native speaker. A good way to start your Japanese language journey is to learn some basic phrases. Online educational materials for learning Japanese (level: beginner and intermediate).
You need to not only learn to read Hiragana, but also write each character of the alphabet correctly. It is easier to practice writing techniques using Hiragana scripts (can be downloaded on the Internet).
It is useful, of course, to learn all Joyo Kanji, but 1000 characters will be enough to be able to read a children's book or newspaper. which are taught at elementary courses. Traditional way, which is taught to Japanese schoolchildren - from simple meaning to complex (this has nothing to do with how complex the kanja itself is). When Japanese children learn kanji, they don't just memorize, they are surrounded by new characters and they need to try to do the same for themselves as much as possible.
Try to learn Japanese from scratch at home in a subject-oriented manner. For example, learn a phrase, then a grammatical rule, practice pronunciation, memorize a new hieroglyph - repeat everything. Approximately the same structure (but more complicated) is presented in the legendary textbook by Lyudmila Nechaeva (Japanese for Beginners), which can be used as a self-instruction manual.

Once you have mastered sufficient vocabulary and grammar, you can put your knowledge into practice. You can read articles in the children's newspaper Kodomo Asahi, read fairy tales and ghost stories. NHK's News Web Easy offers a news feed along with audio, using simple kanji and vocab in the text.

Choosing a teaching method

First of all, if your goal for learning Japanese is to read manga or watch anime without subtitles, it is strongly recommended not to use them as a learning resource for beginners. The reason is that even the easiest manga text for adults will actually require an advanced level of Japanese. Facilities mass media often include non-standard grammar, random expressions that will only confuse the beginner. Anime and manga are a great resource for intermediate levels.

Languages are, first of all, a means of communication. It is difficult to learn to speak by talking only to yourself. A good practice is to practice in a group. If there is a good option for learning a language in a group near where you live, then it probably makes sense to take advantage of it. Moreover, the teacher will provide a solid foundation in grammar and will effectively guide you in the future if you later decide to study on your own. But on the other hand, group classes may turn out to be ineffective for some, as a rule, due to heterogeneity between students (in terms of level of perception and motivation).

Individual Study

A personalized course of study is typically tailored to individual needs and learning style. One of the most effective and fastest forms of teaching is one in which the teacher focuses on only one student. Individual courses are conducted before the start of training detailed analysis wishes, evaluate the student’s requirements and, accordingly, the current level of language proficiency, then real goals are set, but each lesson marks progress in achieving them and, if necessary, is revised. In addition, it is encouraged self-study using specific strategies, both during the course and after completion of the training. The final report provides a description of the progress made and recommendations for further study.

Selfeducation

Learning Japanese from scratch on your own can present some challenges that are as unique as the language itself. It is impossible to build a beautiful house without a strong foundation, and the same strategy applies to languages. From now on, every word, grammatical structure or hieroglyph must be spoken out loud and repeated several times.

One of best resources on the Internet Wanikani, here you can learn more than 2000 kanji and more than 6000 words (in several years), using mnemonics and a system of spaced repetition. Consistency will make the learning curve exponential over time! This can be demonstrated with an example:

*In Japanese morphophonology there is such a thing as rendaku or sequential voicing; you will probably encounter it, regardless of your level. A simple example, ひらがな hiragana (hira+kana), when the rendaku is in action. This occurs when two or more words are combined into one word and the initial consonant of the second word is voiced.

Learning vocabulary is necessary, but it is also important to practice grammar so that you can form sentences correctly. The following resources can help:

TextFugu – an online book for self-learners
Wikibooks/Japanese textbook
Online grammar tests

Japanese Grammar: The typical Japanese sentence pattern is subject-object-verb. The verb is always at the end of the sentence! For example, "Taro ga ringo o tabeta", which means "Taro ate the apple." Japanese often omit the subject or object when the speaker is confident that the person being addressed already has some information about the situation in question. In this case, the sentence could be “ringo tabeta” or simply “tabeta”. Word order does not indicate the grammatical function of the nouns in a sentence. Nouns are not declined according to case. Grammatical function is indicated by particles that follow a noun, verb, adjective or clause. Grammatical range indicates different meanings and functions.

Is it difficult to learn Japanese?

It all depends on various factors, such as your native language, how long you study Japanese per day, whether you have the opportunity to travel to immerse yourself in the language. But the biggest factor is motivation. However, Japanese is a fairly logical language and once you master basic reading skills, you will be able to pronounce any word you read.

Japanese grammar is relatively simple. Its main part is verb conjugations. The most difficult thing about the Japanese language is kanji. And it is worth keeping in mind that hieroglyphs will have to be learned and memorized constantly. The more you study kanji, the more effectively you will be able to learn. An excellent tool for learning kanji is the Anki program, based on the principle of spaced repetition (using flash cards).

How long will it take to study?

Don't rely on advertising promises such as "the fastest way" or "the most effective method"to learn Japanese for beginners from scratch. There is no clear answer to this question. To be fair, you should be looking at a period of three to four years to achieve anything resembling fluency or an advanced level, even if you devote a few hours a day to studying. The path to fluency is long, difficult, and full of pitfalls.

Japanese is considered a Category 5 language, which means that understanding is still only a matter of everyday level approximately 88 weeks or 2,200 hours of training will be required. At the same time, you need to find ways to make Japanese a part of this very everyday life; Studying textbooks will not make you a speaker and a listener at the same time. You can work your way up to the highest level of Japanese language proficiency, Nihongo Noryoku Shiken, but still not be able to communicate.

Do you watch anime? Avoid dubbed material and choose versions with subtitles. Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi: Anime adaptations of Japanese folk tales.

Listen to wonderful children's songs

Or how about zai-pop?

“Sunset Melody”, which you can listen to endlessly, performed by Masahiko Kondo.

Basic words to learn

Having learned hiragana, it is useful to learn some words and simple phrases in Japanese that will guide you through countless situations and problems if, for example, you go on a trip to Japan. You will be able to compose different offers using basic vocabulary: Japanese web dictionary:

くにKuni – country (homeland); Wagakuni - our country
Kankoku - Korea
Chugoku - China
Rosiago – Russian; rosiago o hanasu - speak russian
わたし Watashi – I am Wakarimasen – I don’t understand
かれ Kare – he, beloved (boyfriend); Kare wa gakuseida - He is a student; Watashi no kare wa sakka – senshuda – My boyfriend is a football player
かのじょKanojo – she, beloved (girlfriend); Kanojo wa kireida – She is beautiful; Ano ko wa boku no kanojoda - She is my girlfriend. Watashi wa supamoderu to kosai s i te iru - I'm dating a supermodel.
かれらKarera – they; Kare wa gakuseida - They are students.
ぼくBoku – I (in male speech)
あなたAnata – you; Kore wa anata no hondesu ka - Is this your book?
ひとHito – human; Kare wa Tokyo no hitodesu - He is a man from Tokyo.
この Kono – this/this/this Kono ko – this child; Kono michi - this road; Kono kurai is enough; kono tokoro – the other day (recently)
それSore is; sorehanandes u ka - what is this? sore wa honto des ka – is this true? sore wa omoshiroi – this is very interesting!
ここに Kokoni – here (at this time/at this moment/now); watakushi wa koko-ni imas - I'm here
はいHai – yes; hai sitte imas - yes, I know
いいえIie – no; siye wakarimasen - no, I don’t know
たかい Takai – tall (high); expensive (valuable)
やすいYasui – cheap; yasuku - cheap; kore-oyasuku kaimasyta - I bought it cheap; kore wa taihen yasui des - it's very cheap
がくせいGakusei – student
せんせいSensei – teacher
がっこうGakko – school
もじ/もんじmoji/monji – letter ( uppercase letter– oomoji, lowercase letter – komoji)
ほんHon – book; Honwoyom - I'm reading a book
べんきょう/べんきょうする Benkyo/benkyosuru – to study; Nihongo o benkyo suru – learn Japanese
おんなOnna is a woman
つまTsuma – wife
おとこOtoko – male; Ano otoko wa daredesuka - Who is this man?
おっとOtto – husband
おんなのこOnnanoko – girl
だんし Dansi – boy, guy
んしくくせい Danshi gakusei – student (young man)
いしゃIsya – doctor; watashi wa isya desu - I am a doctor
こどもKodomo – child; kodomotachi – children
むすこMusuko – son
むすめMusume – daughter
ともだちTomodachi – friend; Watashi-tachi wa tomodachi do(o)shida – we are friends
おおきいOoky – big
ちいさいTiisai – small
かんたん Kantan – easy (simple)
あめ Ame – rain; Ame ga futte iru - It's raining
あつさ Atsusa – heat; Hido Atsusa des ne! - what a heat!
サムサ Samu-sa-cold; samui – cold; kyo wa sasui – it’s cold today; Watakushi wa Samui - I'm cold
いえIe – house (building); uti – house (dwelling)
へやHeya – room
Toireトイレ– toilet
Tearai – bathroom
Zero - zero

Greeting and introduction phrases

Whether you're learning Japanese from scratch at home or visiting Japan for the first time, the three words you'll first learn are konnichiwa, arigato and sumimasen. Having mastered them, you need to learn jikoshoukai (self-presentation). In theory this is similar in all cultures, although in practice there may be differences and established procedures that must be followed. Jikoshoukai has a standard order and set of phrases:

– Konnichiwa – Hello (good afternoon)

– Hajimemas and te – Nice to meet you

Etymologists are not sure of the true origin of the word Hajimemas and te, but it implies beginning, doing something for the first time. Possibly derived from the verb hajimeru, which means to begin.

It is then customary to be called:

– (Watashi wa) era des u – My name is Ella. Or Watashi no namae wa era des u (my name is Ella). In Japanese, it is customary to say the last name and first name (in that order).

The last piece of the “puzzle” is Yoros and ku o negai simas u. This translates to something like “please be kind to me,” “I’m counting on you,” or “thank you in advance.” In this context - “nice to meet you” or “glad to see you.” In general, the definition of the phrase is complex; one might say it is not translatable. The different ways to use it depend on the situation.

Next, you may be asked about work, and answer briefly, with the exception of business situations. For example, watashi wa kaisindesu - I am an employee of the company. It is not customary to talk about yourself too much. The Japanese may add some mildly self-deprecating things about themselves, which are usually followed by something positive, or at least implying positivity.

A small phrasebook:

O-hayo-gozaimas u - good morning
Ohayogozaimas u. Ii tenkides u ne - Good morning. Good weather.
Ohayogozaimas u ogenkidesuka - Good morning, how are you?
Ohayogozaimas u arigatogozaimas u - Good morning, thank you
Kombanwa - good evening
Oyasuminasai - Good night
Oyasuminasai mataas and ta - Good night and see you tomorrow
Watasi wa Rosia kara kimas i ta – I am from Russia
Ni wa hisashiburi! To tsudzukete iu koto ga arimas u - Long time no see! How are you (How are you doing?)
Mata oaidekiteuresides u - I'm glad to see you again
- Nanika goyo wa arimasen ka? - Can I help you? (usually in stores) – Iie mite iru dakedes u. Arigato. - No, I'm just looking. Thank you
Nihongo igai wa hanasu no o kyohi s i te iru kanji ni naru – Sorry, we only speak Japanese
Oku no rosiahito wa sushi ga suki – Many Russians love sushi

Katakana table

Transcription of signs according to the Polivanov system:

ン	ワ	ラ	ヤ	マ	ハ	ナ	タ	サ	カ	ア
n	va	ra	I	ma	Ha	on	that	sa	ka	A
		リ		ミ	ヒ	ニ	チ	シ	キ	イ
		ri		mi	hee	neither	you	si	ki	And
		ル	ユ	ム	フ	ヌ	ツ	ス	ク	ウ
		RU	Yu	mu	ugh	Well	tsu	su	ku	at
		レ		メ	ヘ	ネ	テ	セ	ケ	エ
		re		meh	heh	re	te	se	ke	uh
	ヲ	ロ	ヨ	モ	ホ	ノ	ト	ソ	コ	オ
	in/out	ro	e	mo	xo	But	That	with	co	O

パ	バ	ダ	ザ	ガ
pa	ba	Yes	dza	ha
ピ	ビ	チ ”	ジ	ギ
pi	bi	dzi	dzi	gi
プ	ブ	ツ ”	ズ	グ
pu	bts	dzu	dzu	gu
ペ	ベ	デ	ゼ	ゲ
pe	bae	de	dze	ge
ポ	ボ	ド	ゾ	ゴ
By	bo	before	Dzo	th

Hiragana alphabet

Hiragana and katakana consist of forty-six basic characters, each expressing mora. The exception to the rule is vowels and the consonant “n”, which can appear in the word one. All other consonants must be combined with a vowel.

ん	わ	ら	や	ま	は	な	た	さ	か	あ
n	va	ra	I	ma	Ha	on	that	sa	ka	A
		り		み	ひ	に	ち	し	き	い
		ri		mi	hee	neither	you	si	ki	And
		る	ゆ	む	ふ	ぬ	つ	す	く	う
		RU	Yu	mu	ugh	Well	tsu	su	ku	at
		れ		め	へ	ね	て	せ	け	え
		re		meh	heh	ne	te	se	ke	uh
	を	ろ	よ	も	ほ	の	と	そ	こ	お
	in/out	th	e	mo	xo	That	That	with	co	O

Characters can be changed with diacritics, in the right corner - ゛ and ゜

ぱ	ば	だ	ざ	が
pa	ba	Yes	dza	ha
ぴ	び	ち ”	じ	ぎ
pi	bi	(ji)	dzi	gi
ぷ	ぶ	つ ”	ず	ぐ
pu	boo	(zu)	dzu	gu
ぺ	べ	ぜ	ぜ	げ
pe	bae	de	dze	ge
ぽ	ぼ	ど	ぞ	ご
By	bo	before	Dzo	th

There are also “curved sounds” (ёon). This feature in which the mora is formed in a palatilized form. The symbol is formed by adding vowels や, ゆ, よ to the main character, which are written in a smaller font. For example, きゃkya (kyariきゃり)きゅ kyu (kyuri きゅうり) きょ kyo (kyōko きょうこ)

Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages - differences

Japanese and Chinese languages- Very different languages. They have no similarities either in syntax or vocabulary. Chinese is a monosyllabic language, which means that Chinese words are usually represented by one syllable, while Japanese words have two or more syllables. Chinese words generally do not change form, while Japanese words do.

Japanese is not a tonal language like Chinese and is grouped into the Altaic group of languages, which includes Korean, Mongolian and Turkish. There are many theories about the origin of the Japanese language. A number of scholars consider it to be syntactically close to Turkish and Mongolian, but syntactic similarities to Korean are widely accepted. There is evidence that its morphology and vocabulary were prehistorically influenced by Malayo-Polynesian languages.

The similarities between Japanese and Korean are similar sentence structures; both languages were influenced by Chinese and include many Chinese words. Proto-Japanese and Proto-Korean are thought to have spread around 6,700 years ago, during the consolidation of power in Japan during the Jomon period (10,000 and 400 BC). Large korean words similar to words in both Chinese and Japanese, such as big English words resemble Latin words in French and Spanish.

Although Japanese is predominantly Altai language, it has some similarities with the Austronesian language group (Micronesia, Melanesia and Southeast Asia). Ural-Altaic languages include Korean, Finnish, Mongolian, Hungarian and Turkish. Languages that are not related to any of the other major language groups in the world and originate from the Altai region (Siberia and Mongolia).

Minohodo Shirazu! – Don’t get ahead of yourself! Learning to speak Japanese and learning to read and write are two completely different categories.

Kana is the basis of written Japanese. It happens that beginners rush to move on to the next stage of learning and do not give importance to these very necessary building blocks of the language. This is a huge mistake! Kana should always be at hand; you need to be able to read, write, form words on it, and pronounce every sound without thinking. Until you memorize kana, there is no point in starting to study Japanese.

And then begins a long, or rather endless, but very exciting and exciting road into the world of kanji, offering constantly new discoveries. For each kanji there are at least two names: on (Sino-Japanese), a transformed Chinese reading, that is, close to the original Chinese sound, and kun (native reading), the sound of a native Japanese word, which is close in meaning to the Chinese character. For example, the kanji 水 means water; it is read as sui (modified Chinese "shui"), kun - mizu, or the character 歌 - song; it is read as ka, kun - uta.

Use Yoko Ikeda's excellent Genki textbooks (Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese) if you plan to study on your own.

In Japanese, sentences are built according to a pattern, along with a variety of situational phrases, such as “itadakimas u”, “otsukaresama”. Memorizing patterns helps a lot in speaking skills. Sentences are built around grammatical markers such as particles. Each particle indicates how the word before it relates to other words in the sentence, usually a verb. The verb comes at the end of the sentence, but the order of the other words may vary, since it is the particles, not the word order, that tell us who did what.

The Japanese language that foreigners learn is what is called "standard Japanese" or Tokyo dialect in Japan. Relatively speaking, Standard Japanese is used in the Tokyo area. Originally, Standard Japanese was largely a product of political considerations during the Meiji period. Standard Japanese, based on the upper-class dialect of Tokyo's Yamanote district, has represented prestige and power since the government adopted it as national language and began to standardize language education in schools. Standard Japanese is still used as a representative language. It is taught in schools and news shows are broadcast on it.

Japanese has many regional dialects. The main differences between them are intonation, vocabulary, and different uses of particles. There are times when they differ even in the way they use vowels and consonants. In general, Japanese dialects are divided into two main groups: the Tokyo dialect and the dialect of the Kansai region, which has flourished and maintained its prestige. The Kyoto dialect (part of the Kansai dialect) is known for its politeness and formality. It was the standard form before the Meiji Restoration, and many speakers of the dialect are very proud of their correct pronunciation. The Osaka dialect (also part of the Kansai dialect) is full of colorful expressions and is the source of entertainment and comedy shows on TV.

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