February 28, 2010

東京マラソン 2010 Tokyo Marathon 2010

   

みなさん、こんにちは!


We will read a news today.
Tokyo marathon which has started in 2007 is a very popular race so there are ten times people apply to its quorum.


今日はニュースを読んでみましょう。
2007年から始まった東京マラソン、とても人気のある大会で定員の10倍もの人が応募するそうです。

- words & phrases -

読(よ)んでみましょう: let’s try to read a news
始(はじ)まった: started
人気(にんき)のある: very popular
大会(たいかい): race (in this context)
定員(ていいん): quota, quorum
10倍(ばい): 10 times
応募(おうぼ)する: to apply


<東京マラソン>雨の中のレース 3万182人が完走
2月28日20時48分配信 毎日新聞

 「東京マラソン2010」(東京都など主催)が28日開かれ、市民ランナーや国内外の選手約3万5000人が都心の繁華街や臨海地区を駆け抜けた。
 銀座、浅草などを通り東京ビッグサイト(江東区)をゴールとするフルマラソンには3万2080人が参加。
雨の中、午前9時過ぎに石原慎太郎都知事の号砲で都庁前(新宿区)をスタートした。
7時間の制限時間内に94.1%に当たる3万182人が完走した。

- words & phrases -

3万(まん)182人(にん): 30,182 people
完走(かんそう): run the whole course
東京都(とうきょうと): The Tokyo Metropolitan Government
主催(しゅさい): host
市民(しみん): citizen
国内外(こくないがい): in and outside of Japan, from home and abroad
選手(せんしゅ): (sports) player, runner (in this news)
都心(としん): central of Tokyo
繁華街(はんかがい): busy downtown area, entertainment district
臨界(りんかい)地区(ちく): 東京都お台場地区(Tokyo Odaiba Area
駆(か)け抜(ぬ)けた: ran through
銀座(ぎんざ): Ginza (Shopping district)
浅草(あさくさ): Asakusa (Old downtown)
東京ビッグサイト: Tokyo Big Sight
江東区(こうとうく): Koto ward
石原(いしはら)慎太郎(しんたろう)都知事(とちじ): Shintaro Ishihara, the governor of Tokyo
号砲(ごうほう): signal gun
都庁(とちょう)前(まえ): in front of Tokyo Metropolitan City Hall
新宿区(しんじゅくく): Shinjuku ward
制限時間(せいげんじかん)内(ない)に: within the time limit


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Tokyo Marathon - 30,182 people could run 42.195km -

Tokyo Marathon 2010 (hosted Tokyo Metoropolitan and others) has been taken place on 28th, there are about 35,000 people from inside and out of Japan ran through central Tokyo.
It is a full-marathon course, they started from Tokyo City Hall with the gun signal by Shintaro Ishihara, the governer of Tokyo, ran through Ginza, Asakusa and Tokyo Big Sight which is its goal.
30,182 people, 94.1%, ran within 7 hours which is the time limit.

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Belly Dance Cheering Group
     

February 27, 2010

JLPT 読解のコツ Reading Comprehension knacks/tricks/techniques

     

みなさん、こんにちは!

来週からもう3月ですね!
7月にJLPT(N1-N3)を目指している人はあと4カ月!
がんばってください。
今日から読解(N1-N2レベル)のコツを紹介します。


①早く読む

早く読むトレーニングをしましょう。
これは訓練です。
練習すればできるようになります。
テストの中の1番長い文なら5分、中文を3分ぐらいで読めるようにします。
(アラームをセットしましょう!)

わからない漢字や語彙がたくさんあっても気にしないで最後まで読みます。
読み終わって何について書いてあるのかわかれば大丈夫。

例えば「完全マスター2級読解問題対策」のP24の例題なら「砂糖の消費量について」「国による違い」「年による違い」の3つが書かれていることがわかればOK。
何年のこと、データの数字などは覚えなくてもいいです。


②答えは消去方式

みなさんの言語でも同じ方法で読解問題を解くと思います。
1~4の答えの中で、絶対に違うものを消します。
多分2つはすぐに消すことができると思います。



③どっちを選ぶ?

残った2つのうち、
(a)どちらも正しいと思わない 
または
(b)どちらも100%間違っていない
という時があります。
そのときは「間違っている程度の少ないと思う方」を選びましょう。

例えば、1~4の答えのうち1と4は絶対違うとわかったけど、2と3で迷った。
両方正しいと思わないけど、2は30%違う、3は60%違うと思ったら答えは2です。
100%正しいと思う答えがすぐにみつからない場合があります。
もちろん時間がたくさんあって何回も読めばわかると思いますが、テストでは時間がありません。
ですから「間違っている程度の少ないと思う方」を選びましょう。

--------------------------------------------------


March starts from next week!
There are 4 months to go for one who targets JLPT (N1-N3) in this July.
Gambatte kudasai!
I will write about Reading Comprehension (N1-N2 Level) knacks/tricks/techniques from Today.



① read fast/quickly

Train yourself to read fast.
It’s an exercise, you will be able to do it if you practice.
5 minutes for the longest one, 3 minutes for middle ones.
(set your alarm clock!)

Don’t worry about if you have lots of Kanji or vocabularies that you do not know/understand, just read it to the end.
It is ok if you know what it is about roughly.

For example, “Kanzen Master Series Dokkai” textbook on page 24, it is ok if you understand 3 items are written which are : (a) sugar consumption (b) differences between countries (c) differences between year.
There is no need to memorize/know about which year or each data/numbers at this stage.


②Elimination method

I think you would answer with the same technique in your own language reading comprehension.
Delete answers that you think incorrect.
I assume you can choose two of them from the 4 answers.

 ③Which one do you pick?

The remaining two answers :
(a) you do not think the two are not correct
(b) you think the two are not 100% incorrect
In that case, choose the one which has “less incorrect degree”.

For example, #1 & #4 are definitely not right answers and you are not sure between #2 & #3.
You do not think either one of them (#2 & #3) are correct, but the answer is #2 if you think that 30% wrong in #2 and 60% wrong in #3.
There are not always you can find 100% correct answer.

Yes, of course, you will know if you have plenty of time.
Unfortunately you do not have much time in the exam.
So, pick one that you think less incorrect degree.

  

February 25, 2010

"Thank you" is also used for the past in Japanese

     

みなさん、こんにちは!

I will write about “Thank you” today.
“Thank you” is also used for the past in Japanese, i.e. used for someone who has done something for you before.
For example, A-san gives you some cookies.
Of course, you say “thank you” at that time.
And you have a chance to meet A-san again about a week later.
Then “Thank you for the cookies. (They were very delicious.)” is often said.
A-san feels good if you say “thank you” again some days later which shows you still remember about what he/she did before.
Why don’t you try to use it?

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今日は「ありがとう」について書きます。
「ありがとう」は過去についても使われます。
つまり前に誰かに何かをしてもらったときです。
例えばAさんがクッキーをくれました。
そして1週間ぐらいしてからまたAさんに会いました。
そのとき「先日はクッキーありがとうございました。(とてもおいしかったです)」のように言います。
友達なら「この前クッキーありがとう。(おいしかった!)」のように言います。
少したってから「ありがとう」と言われたら、Aさんはこの前のことをまだ覚えてくれていたとうれしくなります。
みなさんも是非使ってみましょう!

- words & phrase -

過去(かこ): past
つまり: in short
誰(だれ)か: someone, somebody
何(なに)か: something
先日(せんじつ)は: the other day
少(すこ)したって: some days/hours later
言(い)われたら: if one would be said
覚(おぼ)えて: to remember
うれしくなる: become happy
是非(ぜひ): by all means

     

February 23, 2010

22.2.22

    

みなさん、こんにちは!

Yesterday was February 22bd, year Heisei 22.
Date is printed on each train ticket so it was said “22.2.22” on the yesterday’s one.
Tokyu Corporation and others sold a set of memorial tickets and all of them were sold out in 2 hours.
It is very rare, lots of train fans queued to buy it.

Photobucket
Tokyu Memorial Train Tickets Set


昨日は平成22年2月22日でした。
電車の切符には日付が印刷されますので、昨日は”22.2.22”となっていました。
また東急電鉄などではこの日を記念した切符セットが発売され、2時間で売り切れたそうです。
珍しいので電車ファンの人が並んで買ったそうです。

- words & phrases -

平成(へいせい): Heisei which is the current era name in Japan.
切符(きっぷ): tickets, which is now used only for train tickets
          (i.e. not used for movie or concert tickets)
印刷(いんさつ)される: be printed
東急電鉄(とうきゅうでんてつ): Tokyu Corperation which is one of the private rail ways companies
記念(きねん)した: commemorate
発売(はつばい)され: is sold
売(う)り切(き)れ: sold out
珍(めずら)しい: rare
並(なら)んで: line up
~そうです: I heard/read that ~

    

February 21, 2010

さくら 桜 Sakura (Cherry Blossoms), 2/21/2010

   

みなさん、こんにちは!

It has been a cold week last week, we got some snows also.
But Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) season is just around the corner!
It seems like some drinks which reflect image of Sakura are sold at Starbucks.
Wish spring is coming soon!

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Starbucks

先週1週間、東京地方では雪が降ってとても寒かったです。 
でももうすぐ桜の季節ですね。
スターバックスではもう桜をイメージしたドリンクが販売されているようです。
早く春になるといいですね!

- words & phrases -

東京地方(とうきょうちほう): greater Tokyo
雪(ゆき)が降(ふ)って: snowed
桜(さくら)の季節(きせつ): Cherry Blossoms season
販売(はんばい)されている: it has been sold
~ようです: seems like


     

February 18, 2010

how to make your Japanese sound better

     

みなさん、こんにちは!

I had a discussion with a new student about his study plans.
He spoke very beautiful Japanese.
Why I said “beautiful” is there was no mistakes in his Japanese.
Even if someone who is at 2kyu or 1kyu level but has lots of mistakes, it would ruin everything and degrade his Japanese.
For example, talking about trips “~wa kirei katta”  "~wa oishii datta” or “ookii no otera o mimashita” and so on are common mistakes.
Probably it would be like wearing fine cloths with lots of soy-sauce spots.
If you would like to improve your Japanese, it is very important to study difficult grammars and vocabularies, however, it is also quite effective to correct your current mistakes at your level now.


先日新しい生徒さんとレッスンの相談をしました。
彼はとてもきれいな日本語を話していました。
なぜ「きれい」だったかというと、間違いがなかったからなんです。
2級や1級レベルの生徒さんでも、間違いがたくさんあると下手に聞こえてしまいます。
例えば、旅行の話をしていて「~はきれいかった」「~はおいしいだった」や「大きいのお寺を見ました」など。
多分、素敵な服を着ているのに、しょうゆのシミがたくさんついている感じだと思います。
日本語が上手になりたかったら、難しい文法やことばを覚えることも大切ですが、今のレベルで間違っているところを直すこともかなり効果的です。


- words & phrases -

先日(せんじつ): shortly before
相談(そうだん)する: to consult
なぜ~かというと: why (I) say it is ~
間違(まちが)い: mistakes
下手(へた)に聞こえる: it sounds not so good
~てしまいます: negative connotations
例(たと)えば: for example
旅行(りょこう)の話(はなし)をする: talk about a trip
多分(たぶん): probably
素敵(すてき)な: fancy, wonderful, great
~のに: even though
シミ: spots
効果的(こうかてき): effective

   

February 17, 2010

Sweet Chocolates on Valentine's Day 



    
みなさん、こんにちは!

14th was St. Valentine ’s Day.
Did you have a romantic day?
People often give Chocolates as a Valentine’s Day present.
However, these chocolates are probably not so happy to receive.
Looks creepy!

Photobucket
Komatsuya

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Photobucket

14日はバレンタインデーでしたね。
みなさんロマンチックな日を過ごしましたか?
バレンタインデーのプレゼントによくチョコレートを贈りますが、
こんなチョコレートはあまりもらいたくないかもしれません。
ちょっと気持ち悪いですね。。。

- words & phrases -

日(ひ)を過(す)ごす: spend a day
贈(おく)る: to give
あまり+ Verb negative : not really
かもしれない: probably
気持(きも)ち悪(わる)い: feel sick

  

February 14, 2010

JLPT 2010 New Information

     

みなさん、こんにちは!

JLPT 2010の新しい情報です
JLPT 2010 New Information.

Publishing "New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Guidebook", "New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Guidebook: An Executive Summary (Japanese/English version)", and "New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Sample Questions"


The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (JEES) are pleased to inform you of the publication of the New JLPT.
We have released the following materials to indicate what the new JLPT will be like.
The following items are available on this JLPT official website.
Please freely download and make use of them, according to your needs.

(1)"ATARASHII NIHONGO NOURYOKU SHIKEN Guidebook" (Japanese only)
(New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Guidebook)

(2)-1 "ATARASHII NIHONGO NOURYOKU SHIKEN Guidebook GAIYOOBAN"
(New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Guidebook: An Executive Summary, Japanese version)

(2)-2 "New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Guidebook: An Executive Summary, English version)

(3) "ATARASHII NIHONGO NOURYOKU SHIKEN MONDAIREI SYUU"
(New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Sample Questions) (Japanese only)


The (2)-1 and (2)-2 "New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Guidebook: An Executive Summary" provides a brief overview of the New JLPT.
The (1) "New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Guidebook" is for more details about New JLPT.
In addition, sample questions for each level, for each type of test items are released in the (3) 2New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Sample Questions".
In addition, the new JLPT booklets below have been recently published by BONJINSHA:.

* "New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Guidebook:
An Executive Summary, and Sample Questions for N1, N2 and N3" with a CD of the Listening Section.
Price: 945 Japanese Yen, tax included.

* "New Japanese-Language Proficiency Test Guidebook:
An Executive Summary, and Sample Questions for N4 and N5" with a CD of the Listening Section.
Price: 840 Japanese Yen, tax included.

As for the above-mentioned material (3), a new collection of sample questions will be available in 2012 which includes test items taken from actual tests conducted in 2010 and 2011.
It will have the same number of test items as the actual tests.
After that, a workbook will be published periodically, consisting of past conducted test items.

JLPT

新(あたら)しい「日本語(にほんご)能力(のうりょく)試験(しけん)」について、その全体像(ぜんたいぞう)を次(つぎ)のとおりお知(し)らせいたします。
これまで試験(しけん)問題(もんだい)は非(ひ)公開(こうかい)との方針(ほうしん)で検討(けんとう)してまいりましたが、受験者(じゅけんしゃ)・教育(きょういく)関係者(かんけいしゃ)のご要望(ようぼう)も考慮(こうりょ)し、問題(もんだい)例(れい)集(しゅう)も作成(さくせい)いたします。

・ 『新(あたら)しい「日本語(にほんご)能力(のうりょく)試験(しけん)」ガイドブック』、同(どう)ガイドブック『概要(がいよう)版(ばん)』、及(およ)び『問題(もんだい)例(れい)集(しゅう)』を本(ほん)ウェブ上(じょう)に掲載(けいさい)いたします。必要(ひつよう)に応(おう)じてダウンロードし、ご利用(りよう)ください。

・ 現行(げんこう)試験(しけん)との比較(ひかく)を含(ふく)め、新(しん)試験(しけん)について詳(くわ)しくお知(し)りになりたい方(かた)は『ガイドブック』を、新(しん)試験(しけん)の概要(がいよう)をお知(し)りになりたい方(かた)は『概要(がいよう)版(ばん)』をご覧(らん)ください。
具体的(ぐたいてき)な試験(しけん)問題(もんだい)例(れい)についてお知(し)りになりたい方(かた)は、『問題(もんだい)例(れい)集(しゅう)』をご覧(らん)ください。

・『新(あたら)しい「日本語(にほんご)能力(のうりょく)試験(しけん)」ガイドブック概要版(がいようばん)と問題(もんだい)例(れい)集(しゅう)』は、N1-N3編(へん)(税込(ぜいこみ)945円(えん))とN4-N5編(へん)(税込(ぜいこみ)840円(えん))をそれぞれ(株(かぶ))凡人社(ぼんじんしゃ)より販売(はんばい)しています。

2012年(ねん)には、2010年(ねん)と2011年(ねん)に出題(しゅつだい)した問題(もんだい)の一部(いちぶ)をこの『新(あたら)しい「日本語(にほんご)能力(のうりょく)試験(しけん)」問題(もんだい)例(れい)集(しゅう)』に加(くわ)えて、試験(しけん)1回(かい)分(ぶん)の問題数(もんだいすう)に相当(そうとう)する形(かたち)で新(あら)たに問題(もんだい)例(れい)集(しゅう)として発行(はっこう)します
その後(ご)は一定(いってい)期間(きかん)ごとに、実際(じっさい)に出題(しゅつだい)した試験(しけん)問題(もんだい)を使(つか)って問題集(もんだいしゅう)を発行(はっこう)していく予定(よてい)です。

February 13, 2010

Panda パンダ


    
みなさん、こんにちは!

Pandas will be back to Tokyo Ueno Zoo next year!
Shintaro Ishihara, the governor of Tokyo, announced that Panda couples lease contract has been signed for 10 years costs 9.5 M dollars per year, on January 12th.
“Kan-Kan” and “Ran-Ran” came to Japan first time in 1972, Panda had been a symbol of Ueno Zoo.
However, there has been no Pandas since “Rin-Rin” died in 2008 April, the number of visitors has been decreased.
NHK News


Photobucket
Zoo Net

来年東京上野動物園にパンダが戻ってきます。
2月12日の石原東京都知事が会見で、来年中に中国からつがい1組を年間95万ドル(約8550万円)で10年間借りる契約をしたと発表しました。
1972年に初めて「カンカン」と「ランラン」が来てからジャイアントパンダは上野動物園のシンボルでした。
でも2008年4月に「リンリン」が死んでからずっとパンダがいなかったので、入園者数が減ってしまいました。
NHK News

- words & phrases -

来年(らいねん): next year
上野(うえの)動物園(どうぶつえん): Ueno Zoo
戻(もど)ってきます: will be back
石原(いしはら)東京(とうきょう)都知事(とちじ): Ishihara, the governor of Tokyo[
来年中(らいねんちゅう): by the end of next year, during the next year
中国(ちゅうごく)から: from China
つがい: brace, breeding pair
年間(ねんかん)95万(まん)ドル: 9.5 Million Dollars per year
借(か)りる契約(けいやく): a contract for rent
発表(はっぴょう)しました: announced
入園者数(にゅうえんしゃすう): the number of visitors
減(へ)ってしまいました: has decreased


Ueno Zoo Panda

February 11, 2010

General features of Japanese sentence structures + grammars - 3

     

みなさん、こんにちは!

Today's entry is about Verbs and Adjectives and the last one of Japanese grammar basics.


(8) Verbs

* three groups
 Group 1 (70%), Group 2 (30%), Irregular (two verbs)

* basic verb conjugations
 ①Masu-form, ②Nai-form, ③Dictionary-form, ④Conditional-form,
 ⑤Volitional-form, ⑥Te-form and ⑦Ta-Form
 Ex. (to go) ①Iki-masu, ②Ikanai, ③Iku, ④Ikeba, ⑤Iko, ⑥Itte, ⑦Itta.

* tenses
 ①present form : habitual action and future
 Ex. Tanaka san wa mainiti kaisha ni ikimasu. (Mr. Tanaka goes to the office every day.)

 * For expressing present on-going action, different verb conjugation “te-form” is used.
 Ex. Kare wa ima hirugohan o tabete imasu. (He is having lunch now.)

 ②past form : past and present perfect
 Ex. Kare wa senshu Kyoto ni ikimashita. (He went/has been to Kyoto last week.)



(9) Adjectives

* two groups :
 ①i-adjective(Japanese origin words) and ②na-adjective(foreign words origin).

 ①I-adjectives end with “i”. 
 Ex. Kyo wa atsui desu. (Today is hot. = It is hot today.)

 ②Na-adjectives do not end with “na” when they modify a noun, they must be followed by na.
 Ex. Kyoto wa yumeena machi desu. (Kyoto is a famous town.)

 * conjugation : Japanese adjectives have conjugations
(present affirmative, present negative, past affirmative, past negative)
Ex.  i-adjective  "kawaii (cute)” -> kawaii, kawaikunai, kawaikatta, kawaikunakatta
    na-adjective “shizuka (quiet)” -> shizuka, shizuka janai, shizuka deshita, shizuka janakatta


* present form : present
Ex. Kyo wa atsui desu. (Today is hot. = It is hot today.)
* For expressing future tense, different form which conveys inference is used.
Ex. Ashita wa atsui desho. (It will (probably) be hot tomorrow.)
* past form : past
Ex. Kino wa atsukatta desu. (Yesterday was hot. = It was hot yesterday.)

     

February 9, 2010

General features of Japanese sentence structures + grammars - 2

   
みなさん、こんにちは!

I will write about Japanese grammar basics again today.

(6) Particles

Japanese particles are similar to English prepositions, such as “in” and “at”.
As you see below, English prepositions precede the noun, clause or phrase they modify.
Japanese particles are postpositions come after the noun, clause or phrase.

Ex. Kare no heya de bangohan o tabemashita. = I had dinner in his room.

Although particles themselves do not carry any meaning, they provide an important role in sentence formation.
The particle determines how the noun or clause functions in a sentence.

Ex.
Heya o soji shimasu. = I (will) clean my room. -> room is an object
Heya ga kirei desu. = My room is clean/beautiful. -> room is a subject
Heya de yasumimasu. = I (will) take a break in my room. -> room is a place for the action


 (7) Function and conjugation of “desu”

When “desu” is placed after a noun, it expresses the speaker’s polite attitude as well as tense.

Kare wa                 John-san      desu. (present)
He (as for him)       John                is

Kare wa               kashu          deshita (past)
He (as for him)      a singer        was

 Kyo wa                           Kaze ga     tsumetai       desu.
Today (as for today)          the wind     is cold          (add politeness)


    

February 8, 2010

General features of Japanese sentence structures + grammars - 1



みなさん、こんにちは!



Today I will write about very basics of Japanese grammars and structures.


(1) Word order
A predicate (verb or adjective) comes at the end of a sentence.
Tense and whether it is affirmative or negative are revealed only when the last word of the sentence is spoken.
This is the reason that one must listen to the very end of a Japanese sentence to know whether it is negative/affirmative or question.


(2) omission
Words or phrases are often omitted if they are understood from the context.
Even the subject and object of a sentence are often omitted.


(3) Three basic structures
Japanese sentences can be divided into the following three patters.

① Noun sentence : (topic) wa (Noun) desu.
Ex. Watashi wa Suzuki desu. (I am Suzuki.)

② Adjective sentence : (topic) wa (Adjective) desu.
Ex. Kono inu wa kawaii desu. (This dog is cute.)

③ Verb sentence : (topic) wa (Verb).
Ex. Watashi wa arukimasu. (I (will) walk)
* “desu” has a similar function to “to be” in English, and comes at the end of Noun and
Adjective phrases.


(4) Negative Sentence
Negative Sentences are made by modifying the end of a predicate.
Ex. Kyo wa ame desu. -> Kyo wa ame dewa arimasen.
   (Today is rain. = It is raining today.)


(5) Question sentences
Attach “ka” to the end of a Declarative Sentence to create a question sentence.
Ex. Kore wa oishii desu ka. (Is this tasty?)

    

February 7, 2010

Tokyo sightseeing - your luck will get better ! -



みなさん、こんにちは!


Meiji Shrine, near Harajuku station on JR Yamanote line, is also a popular tourist spot for one from overseas.
It is a very beautiful and quiet greenish area.

The well in Meiji Shrine is broadcasted in last December as a “power spot”, there are many people come and visit it.
It is said that luck will improve to place its photo on a cell phone idle display.
It would be better to get there early because seems like you need to wait for 2-3 hours.

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Meiji Jingu

 JR山手線 原宿駅近くの明治神宮は海外からの観光客にも人気の場所。
緑が多く静かで、とてもきれいなところ。
この明治神宮の中にある井戸がパワースポットとして去年の12月ごろテレビで紹介されてから、たくさんの人が見に来ているそうです。
携帯電話で写真を取って、待ち受け画面にすると運気があがるそうです。
2~3時間並ばなければならないようですから、早く行った方がいいでしょう。
asahi.com news



- words & phrases -

JR山手線(やまのてせん): JR Yamanote Line
原宿駅(はらじゅくえき): Harajuku station
明治神宮(めいじじんぐう): Meiji Shrine
海外(かいがい)からの観光客(かんこうきゃく): tourists from overseas
人気(にんき)の場所(ばしょ): popular place/spot
緑(みどり)が多(おお)い: greenish, lots of green
井戸(いど): well
テレビで紹介(しょうかい)された: broadcasted on TV, introduced in a TV program
携帯電話(けいたいでんわ): cell phone
待(う)ち受(う)け画面(がめん): idle display, standby screen
運気(うんき)があがる: luck is improved
並(なら)ぶ: queue

Photobucket  Photobucket
清正井

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Meiji Shrine
    

February 5, 2010

JLPT N3

   
みなさん、こんにちは!

2009 Dec JLPT result has been sent, I thinkg everybody has started to move for this year’s JLPT.
The problem is we still do not know (1) its pass line and (2) N3 details.

Regarding the pass line, each skills such as grammars, reading and listening comprehensions is required to above the certain line not only pass total score.
Therefore, it could be said the new JLPT gets more difficult to pass because of it.

Ok, then, what will we do for preparing N3?
Before talking about N3, let’s see old 3kyu.
When your level is at around finished textbooks, Minna no Nihongo 1&2, Japanese for Busy People 1-3, or Genki 1&2, you could pass 3kyu.
However, 3kyu did not focus on some difficult parts like Keigo, Ukemi (passive), Shieki (causative) or Shieki-Ukemi (causative-passive).
We, the teachers at our school, did actually give some advice if someone struggled with those difficult parts said that just ignored them if it was too difficult because there were only one or two questions.

It used to be for one who passed 3kyu then moved to 2kyu, those parts would become small matters comparing to study about 1000 Kanji or over 170 grammar points.
Like someone who aimed 3kyu, the particles were not special grammar points anymore which were the main grammar points for 4kyu.
So we presume that Keigo, Ukemi or Shieki and so on which are usually in a latter half of Minnano Nihongo 2 or JBP 3 would become important grammar points.

I came across a study book for N3 in Amazon site, have not checked it yet though.

N3 study book
Amazon


-> additonal information :  http://japanesewithmie.blogspot.com/2010/04/jlpt-n3-textbooks.html


  

February 2, 2010

雪 雪 雪!  snow snow snow!

    
みなさん、こんにちは!

We had snow last night (Feb 1st).
It has been 2 years since the last time.
People who live in cities do not get used to it, there are some people suffer fractures.


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MSN News
I took some photos myself but they were not good at all unfortunately…


昨日(2月1日)の夜、雪が降りました。
東京地方では2年ぶりの積雪となりました。
都会の人は雪に慣れていないので、転んで骨折する人もいます。


- words & phrases -   
昨日(きのう): yesterday
雪(ゆき)が降(ふ)りました: it snowed
2年(ねん)ぶり: it has been two years since
都会(とかい): city
慣(な)れていない: not get use to it
転(ころ)ぶ: fall down, slip
骨折(こっせつ)する: fracture