I am Mie, teach Japanese at a Japanese language school in Tokyo. My Blog is mainly about Japanese grammars and what's happening in Japan, cultures, news .... a bit of everything! Hope you enjoy it!
My name is Mie, I teach Japanese in Tokyo. This blog is for someone who is interested in the Japanese Language, culture and everyday life. Hope it helps you :-)
There are some people who use “じゃ/ja” in wrong way. It is often written “Well…” or “Well then…” in English for “じゃ/ja”. For example, a conversation with a shop clerk like as follows :
A-san : How much is this? ( Kore wa ikura desu ka?) Shop Clerk : 1000yen. (1000yen desu.) A-san : Well then, please give me that one. (Ja, kore kudasai.)
In this case “じゃ/ja” for “Well” usage is OK. However, the next one sounds odd :
A-san : Did you go somewhere last weekend? (Shumatsu dokoka ikimashita ka?) B-san : Well, I went to a beach with my girlfriend. (Ja, kanojo to umi ni ikimashita.)
B-san was thinking about his weekend a bit then he answered it. “え～と/eeto” is perfect to be used when you are thinking.
"Ja" is also used for "good bye" in a casual conversation. design
Japan Rail Pass is very convenient when you travel Japan. It is a train pass for tourists from overseas which they can ride or get off train at any station and as many as they want. For example, 7days pass is 28,300yen for adults and Shinkansen bullet train can be also used. (“Shinkanesen Nozomi” is not available. Please check for more details as there are also some other conditions.) Cherry Blossoms season is coming soon! We are looking forward your visit to Japan!
Japan Rail Pass 日本を旅行するとき、ジャパンレールパスが便利です。 これは海外からの観光客に発行されているパスで、JRの電車・バスが乗り降り自由に利用できる切符です。 たとえば７日間の場合、大人28,300円で新幹線も乗れます。 （”のぞみ”は乗れません。他にも条件がありますから、確認してください。） もうすぐ桜の季節です。 ぜひ皆さん日本に来てください！
- words & phrases - 旅行(りょこう)するとき： when you travel 便利(べんり)： convenient 海外(かいがい)からの観光客(かんこうきゃく)： tourists from overseas 発行(はっこう)されている： (passive) be issued JR： Japan Railways 電車(でんしゃ)： trains 乗(の)り降(お)り自由(じゆう)： one can enter or leave train at any station as many times as one wants 利用(りよう)できる： can use 切符(きっぷ)： (train) tickets たとえば： for example ７日間(なのかかん)の場合(ばあい)： in case of 7 days pass 大人(おとな)： adults 新幹線(しんかんせん)： Shinkansen Bullet train 乗(の)れます： one can ride 他(ほか)にも： others 条件(じょうけん)： condition 確認(かくにん)してください： please check もうすぐ： soon 桜(さくら)の季節(きせつ)： Cherry Blossoms season ぜひ： by all means
物価高(ぶっかだか)都市(とし)： the cities those cost of livings are high 外国人(がいこくじん)： foreigners 最(もっと)も： the most 物価(ぶっか)： cost of living 発表(はっぴょう)した： announced 同社(どうしゃ)： the company (ECA International, in this context) 不動産(ふどうさん)： real estate 自動車(じどうしゃ)： automobile 学費(がくひ)： school expense 除(のぞ)く： except 商品(しょうひん)： merchandise 価格(かかく)： price 都市(とし)： city 調査(ちょうさ)： research １～４位(い)： from first to third 独占(どくせん)した： dominated
ECA International announced the ranking of the cities those cost of livings are high for foreigners Dec. 3rd 2009. The data is for125 merchandise prices except real estate, automobile and school expense comparing 390 cities. Japan dominate from the first to the forth.
I wrote about McDonald’s Texas Burger yesterday, I will write about how to call McDonald’s today. Australian people called Maccas when I was traveling there. My old American boss called it Mickey D’s when I was working for a company before I became a Japanese teacher. In Japan, it is called either “マクド(makudo)” or “マック(makku)”.
呼(よ)び方(かた)： how to call 書(か)こうと思(おも)います： I am going to write 年末(ねんまつ)： the end of the year ～に行(い)ったとき： when I went to ～ ～と言(い)っていました： they said that ～ (used for third person) 日本語(にほんご)教師(きょうし)： Japanese－language teacher Nounの前(まえ)： before Noun 会社(かいしゃ)に勤(つと)めていたころ： while I was working for a company 上司(じょうし)： boss, superior 呼(よ)ぶ： to call
Today I will write about New JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test).
As you would probably know that its test formats will be revised from this year, 2010. The biggest different point is there are 5 levels for new JLPT, N1- N5 (before 4 levels, 1kyu-4kyu) and N3 is a new level which is in between old 3kyu (N4) and 2kyu (N2).
And the new one requires to get each skills (like grammar, listening, reading) to be above the certain points plus not to mention total score is also need to excess to pass (its details will be informed soon from JLPT organization).
Therefore, probably the new JLPT gets more difficult to pass than before.
Because, with the former exam, you could pass if you got total 60% (70% for 1kyu) which means, for example, even if you got lower score with reading comprehension you could still pass if your listening level was high enough to cover your reading section.
Ok, now here is the biggest problem for new JLPT, especially for N3 :
JLPT organization will not to sell “past exam copies” for any levels from this year. And more over, there are no textbooks or study books for preparing the new exam till this late summer or autumn.
Because publishers need to wait this July’s exam (only for N1-N3) to know what the text will be like. JLPT organization uploaded some samples of each level on its Web Site, but it is not enough of course.
So if you are aiming N3 this July, it is going to be a big challenge! with no information, no books!
がんばって！
I had eaten too much during Christmas and New Year’s holidays, I really need to go on a diet, however, I confess to eat “Texas Burger” which is one of the new McDonald’s “Big America” series hamburgers. I rarely eat at McDonald’s but the photo of its advertisement in the train looked really good so I couldn’t resist…. The cheapest hamburger at McDonald’s is 100yen and this Texas Burger costs 400yen which is very expensive in this recession. I think its taste was better than other regular McDonald’s burgers.
お正月(しょうがつ)： New Year’s Day 食(た)べすぎ： eat too much ～すぎ= too much ～ ほんとうは： actually, truthfully ダイエットをする： go on a diet ～なければならない： have to ～, must ～ ～のに： even ～てしまいました： express speaker’s regret 普段(ふだん)： usually 広告(こうこく)： advertisement おいしそう： looks delicious, ～そう= looks 食べたくなる： become want to eat 不景気(ふけいき)の中(なか)： in this recession 価格(かかく)設定(せってい)： price setting
Today is a national holiday in Japan. Coming of Age Day (成人の日 Seijin no Hi) is a Japanese holiday held annually on the second Monday of January. It is held in order to congratulate and encourage all those who have reached the age of majority (20 years old) over the past year, and to help them realize that they have become adults. Festivities include the coming of age ceremonies (成人式 seijin-shiki) held at local and prefectural offices, as well as after-parties amongst family and friends.
成人(せいじん)の日(ひ)： coming of age day 祝日(しゅくじつ)： national holiday 国民(こくみん)： citizen 関(かん)する： related 法律(ほうりつ)： law 自覚(じかく)する： become aware of みずから： own, 生(い)き抜(ぬ)く： come through, get through 青年(せいねん)： young fellow 趣旨(しゅし)： main point 各(かく)市町村(しちょうそん)： each municipalities 招(まね)く： to invite
It is said that Japanese people are not good at English. According to the Rosetta Stone Japan Internet survey, 80% of people said that “I cannot catch what foreign people say when they talk to me.” Or 8% people have experiences they just run away or pretended not to listen. (This is bad…) Weak points are : speaking (76%), listening (60%), pronunciations (51%), grammars (49%), vocabularies (46%) and reading comprehension (36%). Also 93% people want to be able to speak English. I also feel my luck of vocabulary influenced my speaking and listening ablitliy. And vowels are difficult, I tend to pronounce all “ant, bus, body, father, about” in Japanese ｢あ｣ sound.
Jcast
Q: Do you have an experience that you could not catch what
the foreigner asked who talked to you?
Yes : 80% No: 20%
日本人は英語が苦手と言われています。 ロゼッタストーンの調査で、８割が｢外国人に話しかけられても聞き取れない｣と回答している。 また8％の人が｢道を聞かれても聞こえないふり、または逃げた経験がある｣と言っている。 （これはまずいですね～） 苦手なスキルは、スピーキング(76%)、リスニング(60%)、発音(51%)、文法(49%)、語彙(46%)、読解(36%)。 そして93％の人が｢英語を話せるようになりたい｣と思っている。 私の英語も語彙が少ないことが、スピーキングとリスニングに影響していると感じます。 また発音では母音が苦手です。 特に ant, bus, body, father, about など全部、日本語の｢あ｣で発音してしまいます。
- words & phrases -
日本人は英語(えいご)が苦手(にがて)： Japanese is not good at English AはBが adjective ： as for A, B is (adjective) ex私はコーヒーがすきです。(As for me, coffee is preferable. = I like coffee.) 調査(ちょうさ)： survey ８割(わり)： 80% 話(はな)しかける： talk to, start to talk to 話しかけられる： passive 聞(き)き取(と)る： listen and understand, catch 回答(かいとう)する： to answer 道(みち)を聞(き)く： to ask for direction, 聞こえないふり： pretend not to hear, ふりをする： pretend to do 逃(に)げる： run away, ～の経験(けいけん)がある： have an experience of ～ まずい： not good, bad, bad taste 発音(はつおん)： pronunciations 文法(ぶんぽう)： grammars 語彙(ごい)： vocabulary 読解(どっかい)： reading comprehension 影響(えいきょう)： influence 母音(ぼいん)： vowels 特(とく)に： especially 全部(ぜんぶ)： all, everything
Going out on Christmas and spending New Year’s Day with family is very common in Japan. And also Christmas is one of the biggest commercial events. Strolling in a romantic town with illumination with him/her, have dinner at a fancy restaurant and give present! It would seem that there are some Japanese men spend that Christmas day with 2D girlfriend. Well….. It is a little bit old topic but wrote it as I thought it was interesting.
お正月(しょうがつ)： New Year’s Day 家族(かぞく)と過(す)ごす： spend time with family 一般的(いっぱんてき)： generally, commonly 商業的(しょうぎょうてき)なイベント： commercial event 彼(かれ)／彼女(かのじょ)： boyfriend /girlfriend (in this context) デコレーションされた： be decollated ロマンチックな： romantic 素敵(すてき)な： fancy, wonderful, 食事(しょくじ)する： have a meal, ( ｢食事を食べる｣はまちがい) ちょっとね： is used when you are not comfortable with the idea 話題(わだい)： topic
Our school has started from this week. There are lots of new students come to the school, we have been very busy. Today I will introduce a new Japanese text book which has been published quite recently for someone who are interested in studying Japanese a little bit.
Nihongo Fun & Easy
– Survival Japanese Conversation for Beginners–
- words & phrases - ～が始(はじ)まる： (particle)が＋始まる(intransitive verb) ～てみよう(volition form)： try to ～ then see how it will go よさそう： looks good 出版(しゅっぱん)された： be published ぴったり： just fit, suitable
Susan Boyle who came to Japan for a NHK TV program got 5 million yen grantee! Wow! And she got 2 marriage proposal while she was in Japan. She became a diva of the world in only 8 months since she perfomed in the audition in May last year. May this year bring her wonderful private life.
先日(せんじつ)： before, some days ago 来日(らいにち)した： came to Japan NHK： Nippon Hoso Kyokai = The Japanese public broadcasting corporation TV番組(ばんぐみ)： TV program ギャラ： a guaranteed fee (for an appearance) なんと： it is used for admiration or surprise 500万円(まんえん)： 5,000,000 Yen 滞在中(たいざいちゅう)： during her stay 結婚(けっこん)の申(もう)し込(こ)み： marriage proposal, offer of marriage ２件(けん)： 件 is a counter used for matter or affair 出演(しゅつえん) する： appear on わずか： only 世界(せかい)の歌姫(うたひめ)： diva of the world 充実(じゅうじつ)した年(とし)： fulfilling year,
Happy New Year! I am sure today (Jan.3rd) is the last day of the winter holidays for many people, how was your holidays?
I read “1Q84” which is a new book written by Haruki Murakami and watched 12 DVDs of “24” Season Ⅶ, an American TV drama. Also went to the gym to burn extra calories that I had from Christmas to New Yeas day. (I hope…)
There are lots of people who watch the first sun rise of the year at the beach or on the mountain in Japan. There are about 1000 people saw it around Mt. Fuji on the airplanes.
- words & phrases -
冬休(ふゆやす)み最後(さいご)の日(ひ)： the last day of the winter holidays 読(よ)みたかった本： the books that I have wanted to read 村上(むらかみ)春樹(はるき)： Haruki Murakami, popular author DVD12巻(かん)： 巻 is used for books or films/tapes 余分(よぶん)な： extra, excess 消費(しょうひ)する： to consume さて： it is used when you want to change subjects/topics 初日(はつひ)の出(で)： the first sunrise of the new year 約(やく)1000人(にん)： about 1000 people 飛行機(ひこうき)の中(なか)から： from the airplane 富士山(ふじさん)： Mt. Fuji which is considered the most beautiful highest mountain in Japan ～そうです： I heard/read that ～
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