I think I'm turning Japanese...

[Maneki Neko]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkOrchid]I'm not actually turning Japanese, but that is beside the point.
What I really want to know is if there is anyone here who can speak japanese? I can speak a small amount and I was wondering who else can.
I can ask where the cat is...

Neko wa doko desu ka?

...alright then.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Raiyuu]

[font=Trebuchet MS]Boku no kaban no naka ni imasu.

But seriously, I don't know a lot of Japanese - I'm trying to learn so that I can go the Japan when I finish university and not come across as another gaijin tourist. Resources I've found useful, if you're interested, can be found here, here and here. The Kanji-By-Email feature on thejapanesepage.com is proving very helpful with learning kanji, the hardest bit of learning Japanese in my opinion.

And the phrase [i]neko wa doko imasu ka? [/i]is a little more grammatically correct than yours. 'Imasu' is more like 'to exist', whereas 'desu' is 'to be'. Both are right (I think) but the 'imasu' construction is more natural.
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[DBZgirl88]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Raiyuu][font=Trebuchet MS]And the phrase [i]neko wa doko imasu ka? [/i']is a little more grammatically correct than yours. 'Imasu' is more like 'to exist', whereas 'desu' is 'to be'. Both are right (I think) but the 'imasu' construction is more natural.[/font][/quote]I'm no japanese guru, but I believe you are incorrect about that.

"Imasu", used for animate objects, and "arimasu", used for inanimate objects, are indeed used to describe the existance of things, so basically they mean "there is" or "there are". You use them in the case "How many cats are there?" or "there is a cat over there".

"Neko wa doko desu ka?" means "Where is the cat?", while "neko wa doko imasu ka?" actually makes no sense I believe. You could say: "neko wa koko/soko/asoko ni imasu ka?" which would mean: "Is there a cat here/there/over there?"[/COLOR]

[Starwind]

I'm learning it currnetly and I know some of the basic greetings. I'm still kinda starting out and I still have a hard time with the Hiragana and the kanji, but I'm practicing.

[I]O genki desu ka?[/I]=How are you?

Simple I know, but it gets me by in class. WHat else is there?


[I]Genki desu, arigato[/I]= Fine thank you.

The this is something a I learned a little more recently.

[I]Watashi no Oname wa casey desu[/I].= My name is Casey
[I]Anata no oname wa nan desu ka[/I]= What is your name?

I know a few other things. But nothing much more complicated then that.
Oh yes, Chabouchi is right, Imasu is for inanimate and arimasu and desu are animate. Desu is generally an informal way of addressing another person.

[DBZgirl88]

[COLOR=#004a6f][quote name='Starwind']Oh yes, Chabouchi is right, Imasu is for inanimate and arimasu and desu are animate. Desu is generally an informal way of addressing another person.[/quote]No, read my post carefully, I said "imasu" for animate and "[B]arimasu[/B]" for inanimate. These two verbs mean "there is/are". "Desu" is a different verb than these two, and it is used for both animate and inanimate objects, and it is the equivilant of "to be".

Oh and by the way, please try to spell my name right. "Chabouchi", I ask you..... lol[/COLOR]

[Senko]

[FONT=Garamond]i wish i can speak japanese. i even took a class and everything its just that i have no one to practice with oh well the only thing that really stook to me was nuide kudasai... lol that is what my teacher told me on like the third day of lessons its really funny[/FONT][FONT=Garamond]if you dont know what it means i suggest you look it up [/FONT] :D

[KatanaViolet]

[QUOTE=Raiyuu][font=Trebuchet MS]Boku no kaban no naka ni imasu.

But seriously, I don't know a lot of Japanese - I'm trying to learn so that I can go the Japan when I finish university and not come across as another gaijin tourist. Resources I've found useful, if you're interested, can be found here, here and here. The Kanji-By-Email feature on thejapanesepage.com is proving very helpful with learning kanji, the hardest bit of learning Japanese in my opinion.

And the phrase [i]neko wa doko imasu ka? [/i]is a little more grammatically correct than yours. 'Imasu' is more like 'to exist', whereas 'desu' is 'to be'. Both are right (I think) but the 'imasu' construction is more natural.
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CAT THIEF!!!!!
:catgirl:
I also wanted to note that 'imasu' is used for existence with animate objects: people, animals... oh wait, someone allready said that.
I'm in my second semester of introductory Japanese. I'm far from fluent, but when it comes to grammar and vocab I'd say I'm pretty darn good.
My problem comes with speaking it and listening to it. I gotta get used to that!

[Raiyuu]

[font=Trebuchet MS]I don't really want to turn the thread into a complex debate over Japanese semantics, but [i]neko wa doko ni imasu ka? [/i]is a perfectly valid construction. [i]Neko wa doko desu ka? [/i]makes equally as much sense. In question form, either [i]desu [/i]or [i]imasu/arimasu [/i]are allowed.

When [b]answering [/b]it's a little different. [i]Neko wa asoko desu [/i](the cat is over there) works; so does [i]neko wa boku no kaban no naka ni imasu [/i](the cat is in my bag). But you can't use [i]desu [/i]when you're specifying the place, only when you use [i]koko, soko [/i]or [i]asoko, [/i]if that makes sense. So [i]neko wa boku no kaban no naka desu, [/i]while still kind of meaning 'the cat is in my bag', doesn't work, because it's wrong kind of 'to be' verb.

I realise I missed out the [i]ni [/i]particle in my post *slaps own wrist*, and that may be what caused the confusion...? I've been taught that this is correct, anyway, so I guess if I've been taught wrong I'll look a fool in Japan...

Also, I forgot to actually link to anything in my earlier post, so here are the actual links to those online Japanese resources:

[url="http://www.learn-japanese.info"]www.learn-japanese.info[/url]
[url="http://www.kanjistep.com"]www.kanjistep.com[/url]
[url="http://www.thejapanesepage.com"]www.thejapanesepage.com[/url]
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[DBZgirl88]

[COLOR=#004a6f][QUOTE=Raiyuu][font=Trebuchet MS]I don't really want to turn the thread into a complex debate over Japanese semantics, but [i]neko wa doko ni imasu ka? [/i]is a perfectly valid construction. [i]Neko wa doko desu ka? [/i]makes equally as much sense. In question form, either [i]desu [/i]or [i]imasu/arimasu [/i]are allowed.

I realise I missed out the [i]ni [/i]particle in my post *slaps own wrist*, and that may be what caused the confusion...? I've been taught that this is correct, anyway, so I guess if I've been taught wrong I'll look a fool in Japan... [/font][/QUOTE]I also don't want to hijack this thread (sorry), but I must address this one more time. I understand now that it makes more sense with "ni" in it, but wouldn't "neko wa doko ni imasu ka" mean "where do cats exist" or "where can cats be found"?[/COLOR]

[Kitty]

[color=#006aaf][size=1]Though most of the people who have posted so far have given examples of their understanding of and ability to speak Japanese, I think I'll pass on that. I'd embarrass myself too much. xD

I just came home from a Japanese lesson, actually. I was going to take a high school course, but I moved, and my new school doesn't offer that as a language. So now I'm tutored by a kind native Japanese speaking woman who lives nearby. I've been studying for over a year now, and so far developed a decent vocabulary (or enough for me to be able to ask my way around a Japanese city, at the very least), and I've gotten a hang of the different forms ('-te', '-nai', '-ta', and dictionary forms). I'm most eager to learn informal Japanese, since I know a few Japanese transfer students that are willing to practice with me once I learn it. :3[/size][/color]

[Sayuri-sama]

well actually i think im turning japanese too!! LOL!! i can say several phrases and i can even curse you out! lol! even though i know quite a bit i do wish to further expand my "studies". lol!!! but that will have to wait for now i am am currently learning italian.:animesmil

saya suka enkau sekali: i like you very much
wo ai ni:i love you
baka neko/ino: stupid cat/dog:catgirl:
shigo kuni ot su: (like i'l tell you that one heh heh he...)
gomen nasai :im sorry
domo arigato: thank you very much
hikari:light
ketsuikiken:sword of blood

this just a little childrens rhyme that translates to red rolled paper, blue rolled paper, yellow rolled paper
aka maki ga me , ao maki ga me, ki maki ga me

i shall think of more soon enough!!!!:animesmil

[Guest MiyanoShiho]

I speak japanese..and quit fluently too.

Souyueba, yoroshiku onegai shimasu ^^;

[Tigervx]

[FONT=Arial][COLOR=Teal] Warning: Serious Rant on Social Issue ahead.

I never fully understood the whole "I want to be Japanese" trend that is slowly creeping up. I mean don't get me wrong, learning new languages, gaining a better view on other cultures and such is always a good thing. But when one actually wishes to become the culture it just seems a bit far off to me.

I'm gonna admit, I used to be like this. I did indeed want to be Japanese, but now that I look back on it I laugh. I ended up learning up alot more of Chinese history and cultures, and am now learning mandarian. It gives me great pride in my heritage.

Now now, again, I'm not saying learning about other cultures is a bad thing. Just remember you have your own heritage that you shouldn't forget about. Indeed, many places have far richer histories and cultures then japanese because of its isolationism (But then again, that makes it very unique.)

[/rantend]

And as for this matter, I do know alot of friends who take japanese, its a pretty popular language at my school. They tend to say random stuff like "Don't go over there, those boxes are dangerous" How they learn it, I'll never know.
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[Delta]

[COLOR=#656446]^ Noted and signed. You don't have to look far for a culture as rich as the Japanese's. One may not notice it, but even the smallest nuances and no-brainer customs one group of people have may look really exotic to an outsider.

I can speak very little Japanese period. Knowing questions like [i]"Toire wa doko 'su ka?"[/i] means nothing if the answer ain't [i]"Asoko da"[/i] or something simpler. Not to mention many of the sentences I've picked up from years of watching subs really aren't used in a normal Japanese conversation. Imagine if you were lost in Kyoto and could only utter [i]"Yaranaika?"[/i]. :3

[SIZE=1][quote name='Chabichou][COLOR=#004a6f][SIZE=1]I also don't want to hijack this thread (sorry), but I must address this one more time. I understand now that it makes more sense with "ni" in it, but wouldn't "neko wa doko ni imasu ka" mean "where do cats exist" or "where can cats be found"?[/SIZE'][/COLOR][/quote]Perhaps, if we took "doko ni imasu ka?" in the most literal sense. But in the end you'll get more or less the same response if you ask either "X wa doko desu ka?" or "X wa doko ni imasu ka?" (even the more informal "X WA DOKO DA?" we hear so often in anime is acceptable). Goes to show that one can say the same thing in a multitude of ways. ^^[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Sara]

[color=#b00007][size=1]I used to want to learn Japanese for the linguistic broadness it would give my studies. Then I realised that despite my acute sense of superiority to all other people, I didn't particularly care to spend the rest of my college days trying to refute society's persistant visions of "anime fan." I know, I'm a weak person.

Other than the handful of words I know from spending far too much time online in an anime community, the only sentence I know in Japanese is "_______-wa bakana desu."

I am strangely okay with that.[/color][/size]

[KatanaViolet]

That's one of the reasons I'm taking it too. Japan is Canada's 2nd largest trading partner, and it's allways good to be bilingual in any language. Employers like that. And I honestly don't know if I want to get into an anime related occcupation, or just go to Japan and teach ESL for a bit, and then come home and do something totally different.
Hopefully I'll be able to go there on exchange.
I met a bunch of Japanese girls the other day who just got here about a week ago. They were walking around campus interviewing people. Lucky for them, me and a friend were actually preparing for a Japanese interview exam. So we spoke a little bit of Japanese with them. But it's soooo overwhelming, kinda intimidating. I dunno why. But they understood everything I said and even complimented on my Japanese. I was so stoked, haha. Very exciting day

[kagomefruitcup]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Wo ai ni doesnt mean i love you. Aishituro means i love you
Hajijimashite
watashi wa Camille desu.
hai dozo
basically i just said please to meet you
my name is camille
yes...
I dont speak fluent, but i speak it when i need to. I could write it as well.[/COLOR]

[Desbreko]

[QUOTE=Tigervx][FONT=Arial][COLOR=Teal] Warning: Serious Rant on Social Issue ahead.

...

[/rantend][/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE][color=#4B0082]o_O . . . [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turning_Japanese][u]It's a song[/u][/url], you know. I'm pretty sure that's what the title was refering to.

Myself, I've some interest in learning to speak/read Japanese. I was even planning on taking first semester Japanese along with trigonometry last semester until I realized there was no way I'd have time for both along with my normal high school work. (Trig as a three unit class was deceptive; it ended up taking way more actual time than intermediate algebra, which was five units.) And I might still take it once I've graduated and am actually in college.

My motivation for wanting to learn it? To be able to watch anime without subtitles and read the text of imported video games, of course. :p And I guess there's also the fact that it's the only foreign language I've ever had any interest at all in learning. I like my English, I do.

As for what I actually know, that would be only a few words here and there that I've picked up from anime. But I haven't really pursued the interest, so I have no idea how to correctly string them together into phrases/sentences, heh.[/color]

[Sara]

[quote name='Desbreko][color=#4B0082]o_O . . . [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turning_Japanese][u]It's a song[/u][/url'], you know. I'm pretty sure that's what the title was refering to.[/color][/quote][color=#b0000b][size=1]On that note, part of me was expecting this thread to be about something else indeed.[/size][/color]

[Maneki Neko]

[FONT=Verdana][SIZE=1][COLOR=Teal]Alright, glad I could be back, I've been sick :animedepr .

So, anyways, to clear some things up since I've been gone...

Sorry about any confusion with the title, I don't think I'm turning Japanese, I just thought it was a good thread title.
Another thing, I'm not obsessed with turning Japanese. I speak, write, and read the language. I enjoy things that are japanese. I have three siblings who are half Japanese. My dad was stationed in Okinawa, Japan while he was in the Marines and speaks very fluent Japanese. I was learning it before I even wanted to because my dad would just speak it randomly. Trust me, I have many more reasons for learning.
I was just curious if anyone else spoke the language because I was hoping to find someone to speak japanese with via e-mail, and find out other people's reasons for learning.

I speak some french too, but I'm not going around speaking with an accent like I [I]am[/I] french or something... :animesigh
I just want to learn the languages of places I'm planning to travel.
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[ProjektAquarius]

I know little because I don't know verbs other than the forms of da.

However I'm beginning to grasp the grammar and I'm improving basic vocab so who knows.

[xXxiTaChixXx]

[FONT=Book Antiqua]Hajimemashite, Onamae wa nan to osshaimasu ka? Kore wa Itachi desu. Ogenki desu ka? Anata wa nihongo ga dekimasu? Ja mata! Sayonara! [/FONT]:D

[COLOR=Red][B][FONT=Lucida Console][SIZE=2]To those who can understand the above statment, please reply...Thank you[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/COLOR]