Comments for How to Japanese http://howtojaponese.com How to "Get Used to" Japanese Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:05:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Just Read It by robert http://howtojaponese.com/2009/06/05/just-read-it/comment-page-1/#comment-48856 robert Sun, 18 Mar 2012 19:05:32 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/?p=834#comment-48856 Hey Daniel, just wanted to send a little thank-you for this post. Five minutes ago I remembered reading it - years ago - and went to look it up again. I'm now almost halfway through Murakami's 風の歌を聴け and have improved so, so much during the two weeks (I've been a lazy reader) it took me to get there. I have understood so much grammar that was strange to me, internalized a lot of phrases I had a hard time with, became quicker with recognising kanji etc. It is a fantastic feeling. (You may remember I've asked you on Twitter a while ago about which books you recommended for a first-time reading. The Murakami book was a suggestion by David Marx who said it was an easy read back when he began.) Can't really say much about the effect reading had on my speaking skills, as they're mostly nonexistant (lack of practise/partner). I do feel like I can form sentences more quickly and securely now, though, so I would say there's been a change. Hey Daniel, just wanted to send a little thank-you for this post. Five minutes ago I remembered reading it – years ago – and went to look it up again. I’m now almost halfway through Murakami’s 風の歌を聴け and have improved so, so much during the two weeks (I’ve been a lazy reader) it took me to get there. I have understood so much grammar that was strange to me, internalized a lot of phrases I had a hard time with, became quicker with recognising kanji etc. It is a fantastic feeling. (You may remember I’ve asked you on Twitter a while ago about which books you recommended for a first-time reading. The Murakami book was a suggestion by David Marx who said it was an easy read back when he began.)

Can’t really say much about the effect reading had on my speaking skills, as they’re mostly nonexistant (lack of practise/partner). I do feel like I can form sentences more quickly and securely now, though, so I would say there’s been a change.

]]> Comment on 1Q84 English Translation Liveblog by 1Q84: Big Brother From Another Planet « Technoagita http://howtojaponese.com/2011/11/04/1q84-english-translation-liveblog/comment-page-1/#comment-48023 1Q84: Big Brother From Another Planet « Technoagita Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:55:40 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/?p=2635#comment-48023 [...] of the nuance could never be translated, right down to the title. I found a nice post that outlines some of the challenges of translating Murakami.  The writing here doesn’t feel as good to me in writerly terms as the others I’ve [...] [...] of the nuance could never be translated, right down to the title. I found a nice post that outlines some of the challenges of translating Murakami.  The writing here doesn’t feel as good to me in writerly terms as the others I’ve [...]

]]> Comment on That’s What All the Ladies Say by How to Japanese» Blog Archive » Rite? Amirite? http://howtojaponese.com/2009/11/11/that%e2%80%99s-what-all-the-ladies-say/comment-page-1/#comment-47416 How to Japanese» Blog Archive » Rite? Amirite? Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:31:19 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/?p=1350#comment-47416 [...] wrote about でしょう a couple years ago and wasn’t able to give a really good example of the tone that I was trying to [...] [...] wrote about でしょう a couple years ago and wasn’t able to give a really good example of the tone that I was trying to [...]

]]> Comment on Ushikawa by Dave http://howtojaponese.com/2011/09/29/ushikawa/comment-page-1/#comment-46978 Dave Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:27:49 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/?p=2609#comment-46978 Ushikawa might be a more crucial component to the story than many think. Ushikawa, like that second lopsided moon, was attached onto the side of a larger story that was not his own. He stuck with it for a while, helped it come to its conclusion by tightening the circle of Aomame and Tengo, and then vanished after his death. Ushikawa and the second ugly moon were of the same character--a conspicuous, omnipresent observer. Ushikawa might be a more crucial component to the story than many think. Ushikawa, like that second lopsided moon, was attached onto the side of a larger story that was not his own. He stuck with it for a while, helped it come to its conclusion by tightening the circle of Aomame and Tengo, and then vanished after his death.

Ushikawa and the second ugly moon were of the same character–a conspicuous, omnipresent observer.

]]> Comment on 1Q84 English Translation Liveblog by Matt Schley http://howtojaponese.com/2011/11/04/1q84-english-translation-liveblog/comment-page-1/#comment-46663 Matt Schley Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:13:41 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/?p=2635#comment-46663 Hi Daniel, I just finished the book and came back to look at this. I really appreciate the analysis, both of the translation and its literary... merits? On that front, I totally agree with you. This book had some nice moments, but I found myself thinking along the same lines after a while: "I've gotta go back and read a boku novel after this to remind myself this guy can write." Book 3, especially, felt like it had so many threads that were set up and then not followed. In the last (posthumous) Ushikawa chapter, it feels like he's setting up a final confrontation between Sakigake and Aomame/Tengo. But... nope. Hi Daniel,
I just finished the book and came back to look at this. I really appreciate the analysis, both of the translation and its literary… merits?

On that front, I totally agree with you. This book had some nice moments, but I found myself thinking along the same lines after a while: “I’ve gotta go back and read a boku novel after this to remind myself this guy can write.”

Book 3, especially, felt like it had so many threads that were set up and then not followed. In the last (posthumous) Ushikawa chapter, it feels like he’s setting up a final confrontation between Sakigake and Aomame/Tengo. But… nope.

]]> Comment on おかげで vs. せいで by Blue Shoe http://howtojaponese.com/2012/01/20/okagede-vs-seide/comment-page-1/#comment-45741 Blue Shoe Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:37:40 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/?p=2721#comment-45741 Ah, good to note. It's cool to think of it as kind of the opposite as せいで. I forget if I learned it like this somewhere or just had it in my head, but in that context I've thought of お陰で as kind of like "Thank God..." Ah, good to note. It’s cool to think of it as kind of the opposite as せいで. I forget if I learned it like this somewhere or just had it in my head, but in that context I’ve thought of お陰で as kind of like “Thank God…”

]]> Comment on Friday Puzzle – Bugs are Fantastic Answer by Lars http://howtojaponese.com/2008/04/04/p22/comment-page-1/#comment-44778 Lars Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:53:00 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/2008/04/03/p22/#comment-44778 Hello :) I love your blog and i know this post is way old, but i have a question or something i found out. If you say いいです。 you won't get a bag, if you say 袋・レシートはいいです。 you won't get a bag or the recipe, but if you would say 袋がいいです。 it turns into "a bag is (a) good (thing)! so you maybe get a bag :D did you notice the differences in usage by changing into は or が too? (mostly except the convenience store use?) maybe it gets fatal if someone asked you to kiss and you have to decide whether to say ちゅーはいい。 or ちゅーがいい。 sorry for miserable englishskills. Hello :)
I love your blog and i know this post is way old, but i have a question or something i found out.
If you say いいです。 you won’t get a bag, if you say 袋・レシートはいいです。 you won’t get a bag or the recipe, but if you would say 袋がいいです。 it turns into “a bag is (a) good (thing)! so you maybe get a bag :D
did you notice the differences in usage by changing into は or が too? (mostly except the convenience store use?)
maybe it gets fatal if someone asked you to kiss and you have to decide whether to say ちゅーはいい。 or ちゅーがいい。

sorry for miserable englishskills.

]]> Comment on More on お陰様で by Daniel http://howtojaponese.com/2012/01/18/more-on-okagesamade/comment-page-1/#comment-44769 Daniel Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:00:22 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/?p=2717#comment-44769 I just checked in my 日本語文型辞典 and the entry for おかげで is pretty small. There are a bunch of examples, most of the conjunction type usage, and the one idiom example just gets the small comment 慣用的なあいさつ. I just checked in my 日本語文型辞典 and the entry for おかげで is pretty small. There are a bunch of examples, most of the conjunction type usage, and the one idiom example just gets the small comment 慣用的なあいさつ.

]]> Comment on More on お陰様で by Daniel http://howtojaponese.com/2012/01/18/more-on-okagesamade/comment-page-1/#comment-44768 Daniel Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:49:59 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/?p=2717#comment-44768 Yeah, I kind of fell off the planet during the winter holiday. I was still relatively productive (school reading, school writing), so hopefully I'll be able to blog more this semester. I can see how it could easily be used sarcastically. I think so much keigo can be used that way. We've talked about 遠慮 before, but even いらっしゃいませ works well - I used to say that as students walked in the classroom and it always got a laugh. And I'm still not sure about Kansai. The friend who emailed me the example sentence I just posted says he learned お陰様で from his Kansai host mom. I think this would require the research of more than just one columnist. Yeah, I kind of fell off the planet during the winter holiday. I was still relatively productive (school reading, school writing), so hopefully I’ll be able to blog more this semester.

I can see how it could easily be used sarcastically. I think so much keigo can be used that way. We’ve talked about 遠慮 before, but even いらっしゃいませ works well – I used to say that as students walked in the classroom and it always got a laugh.

And I’m still not sure about Kansai. The friend who emailed me the example sentence I just posted says he learned お陰様で from his Kansai host mom. I think this would require the research of more than just one columnist.

]]> Comment on Getting used to お陰様 by How to Japanese» Blog Archive » おかげで vs. せいで http://howtojaponese.com/2012/01/11/getting-used-to-okagesama/comment-page-1/#comment-44767 How to Japanese» Blog Archive » おかげで vs. せいで Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:40:21 +0000 http://howtojaponese.com/?p=2712#comment-44767 [...] the last posts, I got an email from a friend reminding me that there was one more element of [...] [...] the last posts, I got an email from a friend reminding me that there was one more element of [...]

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