Get your Japanese Interpreted here :)

[sashimi]

peapot:

Aiyo!! Schellen you know how to speak Japanese? Wa!! Sifu!!!


Ok, I understand the first 2. Where did you learn your Japanese? I want to learn....

Konbanwa! schellen told me about this new topic. I happened to have this little blurb ready, so quickly posting here in case it helps.

Japanese Language Level 1 Course @ Tenrikyo
The school where I've been learning Japanese for the past 3.5 years will begin its Level 1 (Beginner) Express Course on 25~26 Jan 2010. Express because it's a 6-month course, starting in the middle of the school year, for what is usually a 12-month course, allowing students to join Level 2 in August 2010.

Lessons are twice a week 6.30pm - 8.30pm - there are two paths A (Mon+Thu) and B (Tues+Fri). Normal courses are only once a week - perfect for busy people.

Fees are $224 for the first half of the course, and $200 for the second half, totaling a mere $424 which is very affordable by Singapore standards.

The teacher for the Level 1 Express Course this year is the indefatigable, bubbly and adorable Morimoto Michiko. This is your last chance to learn from this vibrant personality as she will be ending her stint in Singapore come August 2010.

My school is at Tenrikyo Mission Centre, International Plaza (just above Tanjong Pagar MRT). Tenrikyo (天理教 Tenrikyō) is a monotheist religion originating in revelations to a Japanese woman named Miki Nakayama, known as Oyasama by followers. Tenrikyo's worldly aim is to teach and promote the Joyous Life, which is cultivated through acts of charity and mindfulness called hinokishin. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenrikyo

Rest assured that the school does not oblige you to any religious practices. It is nevertheless, in my opinion, a very amiable culture and the people are kind to a fault. (FYI I am not religious).

For more details, you can call Lucian at 6221-4035 during the hours 2-8pm Mon-Fri, 2-4pm Sat.

[schellen]

ChiefKiasu:

Ah... so...


Watashi wa pengin desu. Hai. Many arigato for anata's Japanese pointers here, schellen-san. Watashi no nihongo learnt from Kill Bill wan.

Wah! Then I must kow-tow to you as shifu already. m(_ _)m Watch Kill Bill can learn such powderful Jap one! http://www.msnrules.com/emoticons/onion/onion25.gif\">

[carebear]

schellen:

3. Koko ni aoi pengin ga arimasu ka? Iie, arimasen. = Are there blue penguins here? No, there aren't.



Note that in Japanese, speakers and writers tend to exclude the objects and/or subjects in their sentences if both parties already know what they are talking about.

Arimasu is for inanimate objects.
Imasu is for living things.
So in this case, i tot it should be : Koko ni aoi penguin ga imasu ka?

[peapot]

Can I just check one must go through how many lessons before one can actual converse in Jap? Will you forget your Jap if you haven’t got a chance to converse in Jap? If this is the case, can I converse with you? Ha…very demanding right?

[carebear]

peapot:

Can I just check one must go through how many lessons before one can actual converse in Jap? Will you forget your Jap if you haven't got a chance to converse in Jap? If this is the case, can I converse with you? Ha...very demanding right?

The best is converse with the locals.
Sure way to learn.
Most of my friends got A1 or A2 for O level japanese, but when they went for exchange program in japan, most of them had difficulty conversing!

I am learning japanese on my own.
I go to the china websites to learn.
I find it easier when I learn japanese through chinese, as the sentence construction appears to be quite similar.

[peapot]

Oh carebear, do you mind to share the link? Can I converse with you to practise? Not now of course since I just started. Maybe after 1 month lesson or something.

[carebear]

peapot:

Oh carebear, do you mind to share the link? Can I converse with you to practise? Not now of course since I just started. Maybe after 1 month lesson or something.

For start, you can try :
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/MmnHbP6AsAE/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/tOLJQ7KrLZg/
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/E3ld36MB0D8/


From youtube :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t58Hblk8xQM

Cheers!

[sashimi]

peapot:

Can I just check one must go through how many lessons before one can actual converse in Jap? Will you forget your Jap if you haven't got a chance to converse in Jap? If this is the case, can I converse with you? Ha...very demanding right?

You definitely have to find some means of using the Japanese in order to improve and keep it working, so to speak. In my case, for example, I read Japanese magazines pertaining to my hobby and watch Japanese anime regularly. Whatever suits you!

In my experience, after taking 2 years of Japanese at Tenrikyo, I find that I can conduct a simple conversation in Japanese (which I did in Kyoto with the proprietors of our ryokan for a whle week )

Basic Japanese is also surprisingly very useful when shopping in Japan(ese). Eg. a knowledge of the katakana alphabet used to write foreign words, even in your initial year, is very useful.

[BigDevil]

schellen:

By right, it should be \"Irrasshaimase\" but S'pore service being S'pore service (i.e., non-existent), they always say \"Maseiiiii\" which sashimi and I and our friends have no idea what they're saying.

They never fail to irk DW with that, and she will go shaking her head. :roll:

[peapot]

Hi sashimi,


A few questions.
why is it a boy would start with " Boku wa sega hikui desu"? Shouldn’t it be "watashi wa sega hikui desu?"

When would use Kare wa, Kanojo wa and Kono?


Also, when you say $224 for first half, what does first half means? 6 months or 10 weeks?