Like the "Learn Chinese with me" thread, this thread lets folks learn Japanese along with me. Right now I can share what I've learned through about intermediate level or so, then after that it will be me who will be learning whatever I post.

If you know Japanese, you can help too!
If you see any mistakes, feel free to jump in and correct it.

To begin with, I'll put a pronunciation key to learn. Unlike Chinese, Japanese uses katakana and hiragana to express pronunciations. Likewise will I in this thread.

So...

Hiragana is the Japanese script that spells out native Japanese words or aids people in reading kanji (Chinese characters), which appears as furigana above a character.

Katakana is the Japanese script that spells out foreign words and names or new Japanese words like "ka-ra-o-ke" and "pa-chi-n-ko".

Hiragana = red
Katakana = blue
Romaji = purple

Vowels
あ ア A "Ah" as in "watt"
い イ I "Ee" as in "teeth"
う ウ U "Oo" as in "good"
え エ E "Eh" as in "pet"
お オ O "O" as in "more" (not as "oh" sounding as "toe")

"K" consonants
か カ KA Like the "co" in "cob"
き キ KI Like "key" as in "key"
く ク KU Like the "coo" in "cook" (not as "coo" as the word "coo")
け ケ KE Like the"ca" in "care" (not as "kay" as the in word "came")
こ コ KO Like "co" in "core" (not as "oh" sounding as "cold")

"S" consonants
さ サ SA Like the "so" in "sob"
し シ SHI Like the "she" in "she"
す ス SU Like the"su" in "surprise" (Not as strong as in the word "sue")
せ セ SE Like the "seh" in "second" (not as strong as in the word "say")
そ ソ SO Like "so" in "song" (not as "oh" sounding as the word "so")

"T" consonants
たタTA Like the "to" in "top"
ちチCHI Like "chee" as in "cheese"
つツ TSU Like the"tsu" in "tsunami"
てテTE Like the "te" in "text" (Not as "ay" as in "tape")
とト TO Like "to" in "tomato" (not as "oh" sounding as "toes")

"N" consonants
なナNA Like the "no" in "knob"
にニNI Like "nee" as in "knee"
ぬヌNU Like the "ne" in "nerd" (Not as "oo" as in the word "new")
ねネ NE Like the"ne" in "net" (Not as "ay" as in the word "nay")
のノ NO Like "no" in "nor" (not as "oh" sounding as the word"no")

"H" consonants
はハHA/WA Like "ha" in laughter at the beginning of a sentence, like "wa" when used as a marker
ひヒHI Like the word "he", sometimes sounds like a cross between "he" and "she"
ふフFU Like the "fu" in "full"
へヘ HE Like the "hai" in "hair"/ Tends to sound like えmid-sentence
ほホ HO Like "ho" in "home" (not as "oh" sounding as "hold")

"M" consonants
ま マ MA"Ma" as in "mama"
み ミ MI"Me" as in "me"
む ム MU"Mu" as in "murky" (not as "oo" a "moo)
め メ ME"Meh" as in "mesmerize"
も も ME"Mo" as in "more"

"R" consonants
らラRA Similar to saying "la" in "lalala"
りリRI Similar to the surname "Lee"
るルRU Similar to the "lu" in "lure"
れレ RE Similar to the the"leh" in "let"
ろロ RO Similar to "lo" in "lore" (not as "loh" sounding as "low")

"Y" sounds
や ヤ YA "Yah" as in "yacht"
ゆ ユ YU "Yü" as in Chinese "Yü"
よ ヨ YO "Yo" as in "your" (not as "yo" as English "yo")

*Add a consonant ending with "-i" to combine it with "y" sounds to combine them. Ex: き+や = kya, ち+よ = cho, し+や = sha, じ+ゆ = ju

"W" sounds
わ ワ WA "Wa" as in "water"
を ヲ WO Similar to お

"-N" ending
ん ン -N Nasalized like French "-n", similar to "-n" in "croissant"

"G" consonants
が = ga、ぎ = gi、 ぐ = gu、 げ = ge、 ご = go (Just like "K", only with accent marks)

"Z" consonants
ざ=za, [b]じ= ji, ず = zu, ぜ = ze, ぞ = zo (Similar to "S", only shi becomes ji)

"D" consonants
だ = da、ぢ = dji、づ = dzu、 で = de、 ど= do (Similar to "T", only chi becomes dji and tsu becomes dzu)

"B" consonants
ば = ba, び = bi, ぶ = bu, べ = be, ぼ = bo (Just like "H", only with accent marks)

"P' consonants
ぱ = pa, ぴ = pi, ぷ = pu, ぺ = pe, ぽ= po (Just like "B" only with circular stress marks)

*A little tsu "っ" before any consonant indicates stress, it is not pronounced. Example: ひっき = hikki (not "hitsuki"), あった = atta (not "atsuta")

This is a good site to learn how to write the Japanese scripts.
Katakana strokes
Hiragana strokes


Edit: Here are some examples of words in Japanese that use strictly katakana or romaji:

Katakana:
ゲーム geemu = game

コンピューター konpyuutaa = computer

シャツ shatsu = shirt

アメリカ Amerika = America

アニータ Aniita = Anita


Romaji:
ぎっちり gitchiri = tightly

あっさりassari = simply

ぎりぎり giri-giri = barely

ぴちぴち pichi-pichi = lively

-っぱなし -ppanashi = keep -ing, have been -ing

=] hehe seems good. the ones with the two lines on upper right hand corner are called tenten the one with the circle..i think it's called 'maru' i fergot =X

now you should say the adjectives :P and adverbs..

ga, de, wa, o =X

truth is..it's hard to explain...lol X_X

Pretty good, but I have a things to point out.
- う is not the same sound as French "tu". The sound in French "tu" is called a "close front rounded vowel" and it's represented by the IPA as "y". "う" is called a "close back compressed vowel" which, unfortunately, has no IPA symbol although it is often represented by "ɯ" which is a similar sound but not quite the same.
- You messed up on the order in the "S" and "T" lines.
- You made a mistake on the "M" line. You put the "me" link for も

Fixed.

The next thing will be kanji and on and kun readings for basic ones.

Edit: To keep people from having to sift, I am moving the grammar up to this post.

Here is a website if you want to be ahead of the class.
http://www.freejapaneselessons.com/

But I have to warn, websites often only just give a little taste of learning and sometimes don't give a good method of explaining. That's why I'll try to break it down more here.



Similarly to the Chinese thread, before I get into expressions and stuff, I want to give a good idea on basic kanji (Chinese characters) first.

(For information on details of radicals and the symbolic meaning of radicals and a more precise method to learning characters, click this link to the Chinese thread: http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?...&#entry1023814)

Kanji have two pronunciations, the "on" おん (the character pronunciation based on Chinese pronunciations; pronouncing the character itself) and the "kun" くん (the character pronunciation based on native Japanese words; Japanese words with the same meaning of Chinese characters). The best analogy I can make is to our alphabet. Say we have the letters ARE. Saying "ayy, err, ee" would be our "on" pronunciations, but pronouncing them "are" would be our "kun" pronunciation in that the letters themselves are "on" but the word itself is the "kun".

For example, let's say the character 北has "on" readings as ほく(hoku) and kun readings as きた(kita). Hoku is the sound that came from the original Chinese pronunciation for "north" and would be used in word combinations like "北斗" (hokuto = The Big Dipper; literally 'North funnel"). Kita is the native Japanese word for "north" would be used for the actual word for "north".


Now, basic kanji。I'm putting the most common pronunciation first and less common in parenthesis.

PART I: BASIC KANJI

On reading: Red
Kun reading: Purple
* = Specifically Japanese

Pronouns and such:


私 わたくし watakushi/more commonly わたし watashi = I/ me ("On" reading: しshi = self/selfish)

*あたし = a feminine/childish/cutesy way to say 私

僕 ぼく boku = a more boyish way to say I/me ("Kun" reading: しもべshimobe = servant)

俺 おれ (ore) = a more manly way to say I/me ("On" reading:えん en)

貴方 あなたanata = formal "you" (literally "valuable person"); can also mean like "dear"

君 きみ kimi = "you" for someone younger or a lover or such ("On" reading: くんkun = suffix for an older person)

お前 おまえ omae = "you" informal/rude "you"

彼 かれ kare = he ("On" reading:ひhi = that)

彼女 かのじょ kanojo = she ("On" reading:ひhi = that; 女 jo = girl)

-等 ら ra = plural suffix (彼等/彼ら = them, 僕ら= us, etc)
("On" reading: とうtou = class/sort)

-達 たち -tachi = plural suffix ("On" reading: たつtatsu)


Titles:
*-さん -san = respectful title like Ms. or Mr. (like Miss Anita would be Anitaさん)

-君 -くん -kun = suffix for people older than you ("Kun" reading: きみkimi = "you" for younger people)

*-ちゃん-chan = suffix for girls or children a lot younger than you

-先生 -せんせい -sensei = teacher (長谷山先生 Haseyama-sensei = Mr/Mrs Haseyama)

-様 -さま -sama = Mr. or Mrs./high honorific ("On" reading: ようyou = a way)


Very basic random words:
人 ひと hito = person ("On" readings: にん nin/ じんjin)

女 おんな onna = female ("On" reading: にょnyo/ じよjo)

男 おとこotoko = male ("On" reading:だんdan/ なんnan)

事 ことkoto = thing (situation) ("On" reading:じji)

物 ものmono = thing (object) ("On" reading: ぶつ butsu)

者 ものmono = person that... ("On" reading: しゃsha butsu)

家いえ/うちie/uchi = family/home ("On" reading:かka = someone good at something)

車 くるま kuruma = car ("On" reading: しゃsha)

飯 めし meshi = meal ("On" reading: はん han)

心 こころ kokoro = heart ("On" reading:しん shin)

空 そら sora = sky ("On" reading: くうkuu = empty/air)

日 ひhi = sun/day ("On" reading:にちnichi/じつjitsu)

月 つき tsuki = moon ("On" reading:げつgetsu/がつgatsu = month)

今 いまima = now ("On" reading: こんkon/ きんkin)

町 まちmachi= town/street ("On" reading:ちょうchou)

村 むらmura= village ("On" reading:そんson)

国 くにkuni= country ("On" reading:こくkoku)

本 ほんhon= a book/root ("Kun" reading:もと moto = origin)

木 きki = tree ("On" reading: もくmoku)

水 みず mizu = water ("On" reading:すいsui)

気 き ki = air/mood

山 やま yama = mountain ("On" reading:さん)

友達 ともだち tomodachi = friend

日本 にほん Nihon = Japan

日本語 にほんご Nihongo =Japanese

日本人 にほんじん Nihonjin = Japanese

外国人 がいこくじん Gaikokujin = foreigner

Numbers
一 いち ichi = one ("Kun" reading:ひと(つ) hito(tsu)"single/uni-")

二 に ni = two ( "Kun" reading: ふた(つ) futa(tsu)"double/couple")

三 さん san = three ("Kun" reading:みっ(つ) mi(ttsu) = "triple/tri-")

四 し shi = four ("Kun" reading: よっ(つ) yo(ttsu) = "quadruple/quad-")

五 ご go = five ("Kun" reading: いつ(つ)itsu(tsu) = "quintuple")

六 ろく roku = six ("Kun" reading: むっ(つ)mu(ttsu) = "sextuple")

七 しち shichi = seven (Kun reading:なな(つ) nana(tsu) = septuple)

八 はち hachi = eight ("Kun" reading: や(つ) ya(tsu) = "octuple/octo-"

九 きゅう kyuu = nine ("Kun" reading: ここの(つ) kokono(tsu)= ""

十 じゅう juu = ten ("Kun" reading: とうtou = "decuple"

百 ひゃく hyaku = hundred ("Kun" reading [hardly used]: もも momo = "centuple"

千 せん sen = thousand ("Kun" reading [hardly used]: ち chi = "milli-"

万 まん man = ten thousand

Directions:

上 うえ/うわ/かみ ue/uwa/kami= above ("On" reading: じょう jou)

下 した/しも $hita/shimo= below ("On" reading: かka/げge)

中 なか naka = inside ("On" reading :ちゅうchuu = middle)

右 みぎmigi = right ("On" reading: ゆうyuu)

左 ひだりhidari = left ("On" reading: さsa)

東 ひがし higashi= east ("On" reading: とうtou)

南 みなみ minami = south ("On" reading: なん nan)

西 にし nishi= west ("On" reading: せい sei)

北 きた kita= north ("On" reading: ほく hoku)


Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
誰 だれdare = who

何 なに nani = what ("On" reading = か ka)

何で なんで nande = why/how

何時 (characters not often used) いつ itsu = when

何処 (characters not often used) どこ doko = where

如何(characters not often used) どう/いかが dou /ikaga= how

如何して(characters not often used) どうして dou$hite = why

*誰か (だれかdareka), 何か (なにか nanika), and 何時か (いつか itsuka) mean "someone/something/sometime"

*誰も (だれもdaremo), 何も (なにも nanimo), and 何時も (いつも itsumo) mean "everyone/everything/all the time" OR imply "no one/nothing/ never" with a negative

This, that, and which

何れ(character not often used) どれ dore = which (thing of three or more)

此 これ kore = this (thing)

其れ それ sore = it/ that (thing) (a close "that"; neither this nor that)("On" reading:きki)

*あれ are = that (thing) (a far off "that")

**Changed to 何の(どの dono)、此の( この kono)、 其の (そのsono)、 and 彼の (あのano) to mean "which (blank)/this(blank) /that(blank) /that (blank) "
Example: あの人anohito = that person (あの人anohito is actually used more than 彼 kare)

**Changed to 何所(どこ doko) or どちら dochira, 此所 (ここkoko) or 此方 (こちら kochira)、其所 (そこsoko) or 其方(そちらsochira )、彼所 (あそこasoko) or あちら (achira) to mean "where" (doko) or "which way" (dochira)/"here" (koko) or "this way" (kochira) /"there (near)" (soko) or "that way (near)" (sochira)/"there (far)" (soko) "that way (far)" (sochira)

Part II will be grammar particles and verbs....then we can use our new vocabulary in sentences.

Where can i download Japanese Font, anyone have link of Japanese font ??

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downlo...me/install.mspx

GRAMMAR!!! 文法(ぶんぽうbunpou)

While teaching grammar, I'm gonna be using the vocabulary from above so it will stick in the memory!

I) VERBS!!!
The most important aspect of Japanese grammar is the verb conjugation!!!
...Wait! Come back! Don't get scared now! It's not as bad as it seems!

Verbs in Japanese tell a person everything from how much respect or rudeness is being shown to what tense the sentence is in to even how much younger/older a person is (the respect thing again). As a matter of fact, some sentences only consist of verbs, it's that important. Example: 食べましょう！(たべましょうTabemashou!) Let's eat (polite)
It is very important to understand how to conjugate the verb to make sure that you're not being disrespectful.

Don't worry, you'll understand after my nice little explanation. You won't be cussing people out because you don't know the proper conjugation.

Before I show the actual verbs and stuff, I'll show the general endings of a verb.

Regular/impolite conjugations

-る-ru/-く-ku/-す-su/-う-u/-む-mu/-ぶ-bu/-ぐ-gu/-つ-tsu/-ぬ-nu = unconjugated endings of verbs/impolite present form of verbs

-たta = (blank)-ed

-てte = (blank)-ing

-ない-nai = NOT (blank)

-なかった -nakatta = did not (blank)

-たい-tai = want to (blank)

-ちゃった -chatta = went and (blank)-ed (contraction of -てしまった te shimatta)

Polite conjugations
-ます-masu = polite present form of any verb (

-ました -ma$hita =

-まして -ma$hite

-ません-masen= polite present negative form/NOT (blank)

-ませんでした-masen de$hita = polite past negative/ DID NOT

Ok!

All Japanese verbs end in some kind of "u" sound initially before conjugated. T'is the mark of a verb. :genius:
Here, yer gonna learn about which ones are which and how ta conjugate each!

有る/居る あるaru/いるiru = there is/to have
Before we get into "to be", I have to go over these two verbs. Although they both mean "there is", there is a difference between the two.
ある aru = there is (for non-living things and animals you don't care about)
いる iru = there is (for humans and animals you care about)


です/だ desu/da = to be
です desu (formal)/だ da(informal) means "to be", but it actually isn't even a real verb. It's a contraction between で de , a particle (will get to that later) and ある aru , the first verb we've gone over. Although most foreigners learn ですdesu first, it's so that people maintain politeness in oral Japanese; however, である dearu is actually preferred in written Japanese (like essays and such).
Also, だda is the impolite/colloquial version of ですdesu。DO NOT use だda with someone who you're not sure whether you're a peer or not. Otherwise you're just being rude.

Conjugation:

Normal/impolite version:
-だ =

Desu conjugates like a normal verb at first sight, but when you look deeper, it's not even a real verb. It actually can't be negatively be conjugated as the contraction it is. So how do we say "not to be"?

Easy. We have to go back to it's "ある aru" roots.


する suru = to do
Suru is one of the most important verbs you'll ever learn in Japanese. If you speak Korean it's the same as "hada".
Example: 失礼する $hitsurei suru, more politely and usually said "失礼します $hitsurei shimasu" means "to do (する) a loss of manners (失礼)", in other words "I'm losing my manners" which is the equivalent to "excuse me" in English, although 失礼します is normally said toward superiors.

来る くるkuru = to come
Kuru conjugates like suru...The "ru" is completely ignored and conjugated like a "ku" verb.

-る (-Ru) Verbs

-す (-Su) Verbs

-く(-Ku) Verbs

II) Particles:
は(わ) ha (pronounced more "wa")
The best translation for は(actually "ha" but pronounced "wa") would be closest to "as for.../(what) about...". It marks what is about to be spoken about.


私は、


が ga
で de
に ni
へ he
も he
の no


III) Endings
よyo
ねne
わwa
ぜze



AFTER THIS YOU GET TO LEARN EXPRESSIONS!!!!!


WILL FINISH LATER....so incomplete, sorry...

wow, great job

now only 3000 kanji characters to go

great introduction to the language nevertheless

oh boy hahahha :p don't think any of us is gonna have time to do that :P

any volunteers?

I don't plan on introducing 3000 kanji, just simply basics with "on" and "kun" readings and using them in examples (numbers, pronouns, introductions, etc.)

ふフFU Like the "fu" in "full"

I think this one is kinda more like a between fu and hu..

^Yeah, but I can't get an example like that in English.

It seems to depend on the speaker. I've heard some people pronounce it closer to "hu" and others pronounce it closer to "fu".
I've also heard people pronounce "ga" (が) as "nga", especially older people.

It's very misleading as Fu. darn that Hepburn. Truth is, it's just hu without your mouth rounded that much. lol And I have some nisei friends that say ふ as FU with a real F because that's what they think it sounds like, which is wrong.

Maybe it should just be romanized as "phu" or something. "Phu" would seem better.

count me out, im the person who doesnt know his kanji remember?
*hide away in shame* 2
ふふふふふふ~ 2 ,just like laughing from your troath with the silence "f" ne? (that how it sounded like to me when i say it ,maybe its just me )

cute! great work

^^ Isn't that kansai dialect?

Older people's proncation changes because they loose all of thie teeth.

http://www.sf.airnet.ne.jp/~ts/japanese/cover.html

<-- pronounciations in .wav file

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Shrine/7047/hboth.htm

Stroke order in animated GIF

Both hiragana and Katakana

Is う a round vowel or not?

so where do u go once u perfected kana, grammar or vocab =/

but dang sometimes i know some japanese people say Fu as in Full too, but rarely though, and sometimes they roll the R like the spanish R (especially in those enka songs) which i found really annoying.

Vocab then grammar. You need certain vocab in order to form grammar.
I'm gonna put basic vocab first when I get to it.

ーDELETE

alright, meanwhile uh il wait for that lol

does anyone know where we can download primsleur japanese tutorial. its an easy amazing way to learn jpanese. you can't learn a language by discussing it in a thread.. you need teachers or lecturers.

No, it's not the Kansai dialect. I've heard people from all over Japan talk like that.


It's pronounced with "compressed lips", which is a different articulatory gesture from either rounded or unrounded lips: it is unrounded, but with spreading.

Cool can use This for Sure Thx

Edit: On/Kun basic kanji moved up to second post.

Edit: On/Kun basic kanji moved up to second post.

I found this site. http://www.thejapanesepage.com

sore
kore
and are

are most confusing to ppl. lol takes forever for me to explain ^^

I think more confusing is the terms like -san -chan etc.

I guess:
Kore=this
Sore=that
Are=that(far)

Nevermind, learning is always marked with mistakes

ooooo nice, *adds to my favourties*

arigato vanilla darling ^_^

anata wa atsu (mmm, i think its spelt like this, hehe)

FV did you work on Mandarin and Japanese at the same time??????

Yeah, but I took a break from Japanese for 2 years so I only got to like intermediate level or so with Japanese.

FCK ME, im taking a japanese lanugage cuorse next year ^_^

Eh?

ogangishi masu! mina sang

^Nani? I misunderstood.

it wil take years to memorize that list for both onyumi and kunoymi readings! give me a timeline so i dont feel like im doing nothing at all for so long

Years? Nah. Don't focus on what's in parenthesis, only the first pronunciation that I put is important right now.

If you really want to make it easier, memorizing the pronouns, numbers, and "who, what, when, etc." should be the primary thing to do. You don't even have to remember the characters, just the hiragana of how to say them. That way, it will be a lot quicker and you'll be ready for the grammar lesson thingy I'm gonna post.

I'll probably post Part II in a couple of days, unless someone wants it quicker or later. Then I'll use those vocabulary words in sentence examples so it will be even easier to remember.

well the problem is i speak mandrain fluently and i have this habbit i really cant fix of looking at all those characters and saying it in chinese. then again you know t he meaning, and its hard to memroze both kun and on readings, but yea no rush in posting and thx lol

wow I was still confused I think it's mostly the pronounciation, it's easy to speak, but sometimes it seems like there will be something written that's not supposed to be pronounced.

It's usually the ku and the ki in ending.

But speaking Japanese is freaking hard. (it's easy when you're beginner, but if you actually want to to speak it eeehhhhhhhhh...)

I would just think it takes alot of practice

Ohh, are you talking about little "tsu"? It's just there for a emphasis on the next syllable. Like in romaji it doubles the next letter.

no he means like sometimes the words are written are omitted.

Like yakusoku.. sometimes japanese people glide over it and sounds liek yaksok. (bad example though lol)

or desu -> des

Ohh I see the "u".

You're not supposed to put much emphasis on "u" at the end, it's really short.

Sometimes at the end "i" isn't said much and is short too.

i wonder....is it difficult to learn 2 languages simultaneously?

^It depends on how well you distingiush them. I know people who confused 2 languages at the same time.

Me, for some reason I never got confused. People kept telling me I would confuse all of the languages I was trying to learn at the same time into one horrible, confused language, and it never happened.