Lets all learn Japanese

[DJ*Chi]

Im in Japanese 1 in my high school so maybe i could teach the stuf that im learning now. first off this is how you say it's nice to meet you(first time)Hajimemashita.
Watashi = I desu= it/she/he/ is
Watashi wa Shinta desu means I am Shinta.wa is a particle it can mean "the" or it may just be there to indicate a subject or noun.

[kukutaru_ookami]

they teahc japanese in your school your so lucky there forcing us to take french and thats it no spainish or japanese nothing but french...and they took our choclate! you know I new that i used to have a site where I was learning japanese but I don't know what its called anymore

[DJ*Chi]

well ill be happy to help teach you japanese(nihongo)

[Aia Maaka]

Oh plz do.

[DJ*Chi]

Doozo yoroshiku is the same meaning as hajimemashita but doozo yoroshiku is for someone you just met and got introduced to.So this is our first mini conversation in nihongo.

Hajimemashita.
Watashi wa (name)desu(<read as des)
Doozo yoroshiku.

and another person can say the same thing to you and then there you go.You are now introduced to one another.
ages:1= is-sai 2=ni-sai 3= san-sai 4=yon-sai 5= go-sai 6=roku-sai 7=nana-sai 8=has-sai 9= kyuu-sai 10=juus-sai or jis-sai 11= juuis-sai 20 is considered adult so it is different 20=hatachi

there are more thin 30 ways to count.

to say how old you are just say:
watashi wa (age) desu.

[Yoda]

I can teach some too.

[Xehanort]

plz teach me.

[Sasami Jurai]

Yeah, teach us more, Yoda-sensei!

[geishaboy]

Urasai! = Shut Up

It's urusai or 煩い。

Doozo yoroshiku is the same meaning as hajimemashita but doozo yoroshiku is for someone you just met and got introduced to.

Well, close.

Hajimemashita means "nice to meet you". It literally translates to "This was the first time". Pretty much like you said.

Douzo yoroshiku is where the translations get tricky.

Douzo means please in an offering sense. As in
"Please have some pie". Yoroshiku is the adverb form of the adjective yoroshii, wich means "good", "nice" and "acceptable". Like, saying "yoroshii desuka?" is saying "is this good?".

So you are offering someone to be nice to you. I know that does not make much sense in english, sorry.The thing is, "douzo yoroshiku" is used all the freaking time over there, and it is normally at the end of a sentance. Basically you are saying something like "Lets get along" or something similar.

For the girls, saying "yoroshiku ne" is like saying "lets be friends". Guys, dont say that, people will think you are queer.

[Sasami Jurai]

Thanks. You're very smart.

[Sailor Venus]

Can you tell us how how to pronounce the words please?

I know some basics, but everyone else will know them.

[geishaboy]

The pronunciation of short vowels is easy:

* a as in f(a)ther
* e as in g(e)t
* i as in macaron(i)
* o as in p(o)lo
* u as in p(u)t or b(ook)

Long vowels (represented here by upper-case letters) should be pronounced twice as long as short vowels:

* A as in dr(a)ma or (ah)
* E as in M(ay)
* I as in kn(ee)
* O as in (ow)n
* U as in c(oo)l

Aslo, this is a good link:
http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~best ... iation.htm

[hosoke]

The pronunciation of short vowels is easy:

* a as in f(a)ther
* e as in g(e)t
* i as in macaron(i)
* o as in p(o)lo
* u as in p(u)t or b(ook)

Long vowels (represented here by upper-case letters) should be pronounced twice as long as short vowels:

* A as in dr(a)ma or (ah)
* E as in M(ay)
* I as in kn(ee)
* O as in (ow)n
* U as in c(oo)l

Aslo, this is a good link:
http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~best ... iation.htm

Very useful indeed. I have a tendancy to pronounce Japanese words like they were french.

[Sailor Universia]

There are hardly ever any silent letters in Japanese. For example, the word tsuki, which means moon, would be pronounced "suki" in typical English dialect. In Japanese, it's "tu-su-ki."

Another main thing to learn is the different ways of writing. The Japanese writing system has three different systems: Hiragana, used for words that have no kanji; Katakana, the simplest to learn, which is used for onomatopeias, foregin words, scientific terms, and emphasis; and kanji, which consists of over a thousand characters.

[hosoke]

There are hardly ever any silent letters in Japanese. For example, the word tsuki, which means moon, would be pronounced "suki" in typical English dialect. In Japanese, it's "tu-su-ki."

Another main thing to learn is the different ways of writing. The Japanese writing system has three different systems: Hiragana, used for words that have no kanji; Katakana, the simplest to learn, which is used for onomatopeias, foregin words, scientific terms, and emphasis; and kanji, which consists of over a thousand characters.

So is Kanji the 'proper' form and Hiragana what has been added since?

[Sailor Venus]

Wow, when I go to college I'm hoping to take japanese classes.