Saturday, October 31, 2009

野菜コーナーと、バナナコーナーの間

"It is between vegetable section and banana section."

やさいコーナーと、バナナコーナーのあいだ
yasai koonaa to banana koonaa no aida

I was talking to my husband on the phone. He asked me where I got the wasabi snack which he loves and enjoys feeding his coworkers because they spit and cry! (Does that sound evil?)
Anyway, I was explaining where the snack is.

The polite form is 野菜コーナーと、バナナコーナーの間にあります。

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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

便利そうで、便利じゃない

"Sounds convenient, but is not convenient"

べんりそうで、べんりじゃない
bennri soude, bennri janai

My husband alarm automatically adjusts the time. It changed the time last Sunday, because it used to be the end of daylight saving. But you know what, the date changed! We are still in the Summer Time! The alarm is one hour behind!

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Saturday, October 24, 2009

たまに、ガンガン聞きたくなる曲

たまに、ガンガン ききたく なる きょく
tamani gan gan kikitaku naru kyoku

"The song I want to listen SO MUCH sometimes!"

「ガンガン」is a loud sound like "Boom!" But that is the literal meaning. I mean, it means literally too, because I want to listen to it loudly. But I think ガンガン also means "very much." Anyway, my "tamani gangan kikitaku naru kyoku" is "Runner" by 爆風スランプ (Bakufuu suranpu).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OngzM63UGxM


Runner

あめ を さけた ロッカールーム で
きみ は すこし うつむいて
もう もどれ は しない だろう と いったね

ひとみ の なか かぜ を やどした
かなしい ほど せいじつな
きみ に なに を いえば よかった の だろう

かげり の ない しょうねん の きせつ は すぎさってく
かぜ は いつも つよく ふいている

はしる はしる おれたち 
ながれる あせ も そのままに
いつか たどり ついたら
きみ に うちあけられるだろ

グランド に しのびこんで
しばふ の うえ ねころんで
ほし の かず を かぞえて ねむった あのころ

かかえきれぬ おもい を むね に
きみ は かるく ほほえんで
ふりかえらず この へや を でてゆく のか

かざり の ない しょうねん の こころ は きりさかれて
ゆめ は いつも とおく みえてた


はしる はしる おれたち
ながれる あせ も そのままに
いつか たどりついたら 
きみ に うちあけられる だろ

たとえ いま は ちいさく よわい たいよう だと しても
ことば も ない おれたち
ひどく あつかった ひ の ゆうだち

かげり の ない しょうねん の きせつ は すぎさってく
かぜ は いつも つよく ふいてる


はしる はしる おれたち
ながれる あせ も そのままに
いつか たどりついたら
きみ に うちあけられる だろ

たとえ いま は ちいさく よわい たいよう だと しても
ことば も ない おれたち
ひどく あつかった ひ の ゆうだち


はしる はしる おれたち
ながれる あせ も そのままに
いつか たどりついたら
きみ に うちあけられる だろ

たとえ いま は ちいさく よわい たいよう だと しても
ことば も ない おれたち
ひどく あつかった ひ の ゆうだち

Friday, October 23, 2009

終わった!

"I'm done!"
「おわった!」
owatta!

Don't you feel good when you are done with something big? That's how I feel now.

Monday, October 19, 2009

右を、見てください

"Look at the right side"
「みぎを、みてください」
migiwo, mitekudasai

I noticed that I got some comments! I did not know that! It is very nice to see the feedback. I really appreciate that!

One of the comments said that he wants me to show the pronunciation. I understand everyone has different level of studying Japanese, so I decided to write Romaji. I hope that would help you.

Anyway, today's phrase is about the right side of this blog! Have you noticed I added new section, "Easy Japanese Verb Conjugation, Learn the Native Speakers' Verb Conjugation!" You know what, this is really great. I wrote the verb conjugation Japanese native speakers learn in their high school. This is different from your textbook. Trust me, what I wrote is way more effective, logical and easy! And you will need to know it anyway if you want to speak Japanese like a native speaker. It will train your brain to think like a native speaker when you speak Japanese.

When I was studying linguistics in American college, I observed Japanese classes and noticed that the verb conjugation taught to non-native speakers is different from what I learned in Japanese school. You know why? Because they (Your Japanese teachers) do not believe you can understand it! That is SUPER ridiculous! I can say that to anybody (even the authorities of Japanese language education!) because I did research. More than 80% of my interviewees said native speaker's way is easier than non-native speakers' way! I tutored 16 year old American high school student with native speakers' way. She had NO PROBLEM to understand it! It is ridiculous to hide it from you. So I wrote the book "Speak Like Native Speakers Japanese Verb Conjugation I." I am pretty much sure this is the first English book to write about Japanese verb conjugation in native speakers' way. At least I have never seen it. At the top of right section of this blog, I explained the native speakers' conjugation. Just check it out. It is really worth it!

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

ほっといて!

"Leave me alone!"

My husband woke me up at 5:30 in the morning and said,
"Let's go to have a breakfast! Do you want to go to IHOP?"
No, I Don't!! Instead, he made ma a waffle! Thanks!

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

この人、誰?

"Who is this guy?"
「このひと、だれ?」

Do you know "Scott Murphy"? Yesterday, I found his music, どんなときも。on YouTube. I knew this song with another singer 槙原敬之 (actually 槙原 wrote the song), but not with this American guy! You know what, I would have no idea the singer is not Japanese if I did not see the video! He speaks perfect Japanese! (At least in the video.) I guess he lives in Chicago. I want to go to his concert!

Here is the lyrics of どんなときも。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlEo6q4Yhb8


ぼく の せなか は じぶん が
おもう より しょうじき かい
だれか に きかなきゃ
ふあん に なって しまうよ

たびだつ ぼく の ために
ちかった あの ゆめ は
ふるぼけた きょうしつ の すみ に おきざり の まま
あの どろだらけ の スニーカー じゃ おいこせない の は
でんしゃ でも じかん でも なく ぼく かもしれない けど

どんな  とき  も、どんな とき も
ぼく が ぼく らしく ある ために
すきな もの は すき と いえる きもち だきしめて たい

どんな とき も、どんな とき も
まよい さがし つづける ひび が
こたえ に なる こと、 ぼく は しってる から

もしも ほか の だれか を 
しらずに きづつけても
ぜったい ゆずれない ゆめ が ぼく には ある よ
むかし は よかったね と 
いつも くち に しながら
いきて ゆく のは ほんとう に いやだ から
きえたい くらい つらい きもち かかえて いても
かがみ の まえ わらって みる
まだ へいき みたい だよ

どんな とき も、どんな とき も
ビル の あいだ きゅうくつ そう に
おちて ゆく ゆうひ に
あせる きもち とかして いこう
そして いつか だれか を あいし
その ひと を まもれる つよさ を
じぶん の ちから に かえて ゆける ように

どんな とき も、どんな とき も
ぼく が ぼく らしく ある ため に
すき な もの は すき と
いえる きもち だきしめて たい

どんな とき も、どんな とき も
まよい さがし つづける ひび が
こたえ に なる こと 
ぼく は しってる から

Saturday, October 10, 2009

それって、「ウィー・フィー」じゃないの?

Isn't that "ウィー・フィー"?

I am not a computer person. I do not know technical terms. When I went to Best Buy with my husband, he and a Best Buy guy were talking about "Wi Fi." I thought it was "ウィー・フィー". They laught at me! You know what, I just googled and found out that other Japanes people read it ウィー・フィー too! I am not alone!

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Friday, October 9, 2009

なんだったっけ?

"What was that?"

I was driving and there was a big truck in front of me. The truck was dropping small rocks! They could break my windshield! In the morning, I just watched a commercial of windshield repairing company, but I could not remember the name. That is why I said this phrase.

っけ sounds like "I know it, but I cannot remember it. What was that!" It sounds very conversational.

Polite form: なんでしたっけ?
But use the phrase below if you are supposed to be more polite: なんでしたか?
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

寒くなってきたね

"It's getting chilly!"
「さむくなってきたね」

It is getting cold in Kansas City. When I was heading for the office from the parking lot, I saw some people smoking. So I said that to them.

The polite form is 寒くなってきましたね. ね sounds conversational. So for more formal speech, use 寒くなってきました.

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Monday, October 5, 2009

仕事、決まったのね!

"You got the job!"
「しごと、きまったのね!」

My friend got laid off. She was lookign for a job and took an interview last week. I met her today. So I asked her about the interview.
"I will start the job tomorrow."
So that's why I said this phrase.

You know it is hard to say "this is the polite form" sometimes. You can trasnlate it to many different ways. Here are the examples.

仕事が決まったのですね。(しごとがきまったのですね。)(A little sounds written to me though. Like a phrase in a drama script. Japanese written language is a little different from spoken language. So when people write a conversation, there is a gap. I think that is why it sounds a little strange sometimes.)

仕事が決まったんですね。(しごとがきまったんですね。)(It is more natural to me.)

You hear the word "polite form" in Japanese. You know what decide whether it is a polite form or plain form? It is the verb. Verbs tell you the relationship between a speaker and a listner, man or woman, public speech or private speech or many other aspects.

Okay, I am a woman. I speak like a woman. 仕事、決まったのね!sounds feminine. 仕事、決まったんだ! is acceptable for both a man and a woman, I think.
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Sunday, October 4, 2009

そしたら、車、押さなくてもいいでしょ

"So we don't have to push the car"
「そしたら、くるま、おさなくてもいいでしょ」

Maybe you are wondering what I am talking about. Okay, my car's reverse does not work very well. Maybe it is impossible for some people to believe that such cars exist in 21st century. But they do! You just need to be careful to choose the street and a parking lot. Yesterday, my husband and I went to a Blockbuster store. I wanted to park in a big parking lot instead of the small one in front of the Blockbusters. I am glad my husband listened to me! (Sometimes he doesn't.) It is not cool to push your car and to see people are laughing at you!

The polite form of this is そうしたら、車を押さなくてもいいですよね(そうしたら、くるまをおさなくてもいいですよね). I should explain this more. そしたら is more casual than そうしたら, but you can hear it all the time. In the polite form, I added を after くるま or "a car." 押さなくてもいい(おさなくてもいい) is "not necessary to push." I wrote about なくてもいい in my book "Speak Like Native Speakers Japanese Verb Conjugation I":

"Nakutemo ii expresses that the action is not necessary, and literally means 'it's ok if you don't'" (158).

でしょ is more casual than ですよね which sounds like "is that right?" or "don't you think so?" Don't use でしょ if you are talking to somebody you don't know very well, or older than you. It is rude. And I should say that でしょ sounds a little feminine. If you are a man talking to your close friend, use だろ. So it would be そしたら、車、押さなくてもいいだろ? That sounds a man to me.

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お腹すいた~!

"I'm hungry!"
「おなかすいた~!」

I say this every day, wheh I leave my office. Usually I am starving!

The polite form is お腹がすきました(おなかがすきました)

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Friday, October 2, 2009

だと思った

"That's what I thought"
「だとおもった」

My friend has two brothers and one sister. I thought her sister was the youngest, but she sounded like the younger brother was the youngest. So I said "I thought your sister was the youngest one." Then she said, "Me, Brother 1, Brother 2, and Sister." Year, that's what I thought.

The polite form (or full expression) for だと思った is 「そうだと思いました(そうだとおもいました)」. That sounds more polite.


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