nr.10 : マイペースでいこう。ファイト！

It seems that many Japanese language learners have difficulty with Katakana words.

Some of them said difficult to write, others said hard to understand.

Brand-new Katakana words often came from English nowadays, but older-generation words came from various languages.

If you have learned Japanese history, then easily understand why some of them came from Chinese and Portuguese. Russian, Ainu language, French... A variety of origin of Katakana words words.

So, modern Japanese's Katakana words are foreign origin, right?

If so maybe it's easier to learn, however sadly, not everything. There are Japanese-made Katakana words.

Often they are called as "Wasei-Eego (EN: Japanglish, Japanese-made English)".
Like you see, the words came from English, but Japanese people mean differently or the word doesn't exist in English.

I believe that probably some Japanese doesn't know about it, and thinks it's "pure" English words.

There are many Wasei-Eego, so I picked up only few as examples.

• Hai ten shon (i.e. high + tension) : The animated object (normally, human being) is excited for something. It uses as positive meaning.

e.g.) ディズニー映画の『アラジン』に出てくるジーニーはいつもハイテンションだ。

• Mai peesu (i.e. my + pace) : Someone doing something as his own pace. Describing personality/character. Often use in positive way.

e.g.) 焦らなくて良いよ。マイペースに頑張ろう！

• Ryukku sakku (i.e. Rucksack in German) : This word is "Katakana-written-version" of Rucksack in German. So actually this is the different "type", and actually exist in other language. However, I believe that many Japanese people think it's English word. “Ryukku sakku” means "backpack" in English.

e.g.) 今日は教科書をたくさん持って行かないといけないから、リュックサックに入れていこう。

At last, as you see in this blog post title, Japanese people use ファイト to encourage others. Not recommend to fight with or beat someone.

Katakana words are a little bit "too complicated"?
If think so, as a Japanese mother tongue speaker, also a Japanese language teacher, I totally agree with you.

nr.9 : 挨拶の時間

If you study Japanese using a textbook, then very often you learn greetings first.


Because almost same greetings are exist, so I think Japanese greetings translate into English is not difficult.


However for example Icelandic language has only one greeting phrase for “daytime”, which is “Góðan daginn”.
It means there is no exactly same idea greeting, which is homologized for Ohayoo (gozaimasu) and/or Konnichiwa.

So, when we speak Icelandic, we can use “Góðan daginn” while we see sun. (To tell the truth, it's not correct to say so, because the sky doesn't getting darker during summer, on the other hand, in winter we hardly see sun here in Iceland...!)
However when we speak Japanese, when should we change greetings between Ohayou gozaimasu, Konnnichiwa and Kombanwa?

Of course there is no written rule, so it depends on the person.
I personally start to use Ohayou gozaimasu around 4 o'clock in the morning, change to Konnichiwa around 11:00 A.M., and Kombanwa from ca. 17:00.

For information, I want to introduce NHK website's “Q&A” summary below.

Q: On broadcast, until what time is acceptable to use "Ohayoo gozaimasu"?

A: It seems that not many people have objections if it is used up until 9:00 A.M..

Q: When shall we start to use "Kombanwa" on broadcast?

A: It seems that it's strongly related to "how the sky is dark". So "what time" depends on generation, region and season.

How do you think?
Which time do you want to switch greetings?

nr.8 : 日本製の漢字

As you know, Kanjis are imported from China.
We don't know exactly when Kanjis came, yet B.C. 100, already Chinese money which is written Kanji characters arrived to Japan.

I haven't learned Chinese, so unfortunately I don't know well about it. However, I know Modern Chinese has two types of Kanjis.
In Japanese, we call them Hantaiji and Kantaiji. Some characters are same, but now often Kanji (Japanese), Hantaiji and Kantaiji (Chinese) are different. (Like you see above.)

Thus, in Chinese looks different, but most of Kanjis are exist in Chinese, too.

However, Japanese has some original Kanjis, that not exist in “ancestor” of Kanji.

For example, 畑 (Kun reading: Hata, Hatake / On reading: -), 働 (Kun reading: Hatara / On reading: Dou) and 榊 (Kun reading: Sakaki / On reading: -).

Agriculture is absolutely strongly connected to Japanese culture and history, working hard is important in Japanese way of thinking, and Sakaki is one of the strongest connected plant with Shintoism.
“Made in Japan” kanjis are very likely nessesary to have for Japanese people.

One last example Japan-made-kanji 鱈 (Kun reading: Tara / On reading: Setsu) is probably Icelandic people also needed.
Because this kanji means "cod fish", which is very important word when we talking about Iceland and their culture.

I found it's interesting that the Kanji which means important fish for Iceland, where I felled in love is made in Japan.

nr.7 : どんな鳴き声？

Keigo, Causative-passive, Ageru&Morau&Kureru... There are many characteristic grammars in Japanese language.
And I believe that we cannot forget “onomatopoeia” if we talk about what can be a “significant” grammar of Japanese.
(By the way, the origin of the word “onomatopoeia” is Ancient Greek language, then Japanese import from French language. Japanese words for onomatopoeia are; Gion-go, Gitai-go and Gisee-go. On means sound, Tai in this case can be translated as situation/condition/state, and See means Voice.)

There are millions of onomatopoeia in Japanese, and they describe a lot, like sound, voice and even situation.

I cannot talk about all of them in one short blog, so this time, I focus on “voice (/call /cry...)” of animals.
Because I believe that many language have this kind of onomatopoeia.

Dogs barking in English: Bowwow. In Japanese, they say Wan Wan.
Cats are Nyaa or Nyan.

I listed some “voices” below. Please guess what animals' voice are they.
The answer is the last part of this blog post.

Do you agree the Japanese sounds? Or do you think they are too strange?

1. Mee
2. Moo
3. Hi hii n
4. Chuu
5. Gaoo
6. Piyo piyo
7. Pa oo n
8. Ko ke ko kkoo