Words, phrases or anything else wanted? Ask here!

[Ryukon]

Yes, that's the Kanji for "nani".

[Pyrokinetic Singer]

Wakatta!=^_^=

[loderian]

when looking up words in a dictionary, why is there 2 copies of a word, yet one simply has an accent over a single letter, and it completely changes the meaning?

What determines if the word has an accent or not?

[Ryukon]

...wait a sec, you mean the lines? The lines above a letter?

Like this?: ā

If it is, it's symbolizing a stressed sound, meaning for something like for "congratulations", it's read as "omedeto" in the book, but there's a line over the last "o" letter, so if one would write it out in roomaji, it would be "omedetoo". In hiragana, there'd be a "u" symbol after the "to". The line over the letter doesn't exactly change the meaning though.

Um...is that what you mean?

I'm so stupid...forgive me if you're getting frustrated with my answers. I think I'll do better if I have a visualization...

[Pyrokinetic Singer]

What does:
ichiba
Tano
yume
kote
kana
kita

mean?

[Ryukon]

Ichiba = market

Tano = I didn't find any translation...is there another word for this?

Yume = dream

Kote = did you mean "kotei"? If so, it's "fixation".
No meaning I found for "kote"

Kana = Hm...there's about 2 translations for this. "Kana" as in an interjection of "Alas! How!" kind of thing, and then the other is the Japanese writing "Kana", which is a bled of kanji and hiragana

Kita = north

[loderian1]

...wait a sec, you mean the lines? The lines above a letter?

Like this?: ā

If it is, it's symbolizing a stressed sound, meaning for something like for "congratulations", it's read as "omedeto" in the book, but there's a line over the last "o" letter, so if one would write it out in roomaji, it would be "omedetoo". In hiragana, there'd be a "u" symbol after the "to". The line over the letter doesn't exactly change the meaning though.

Um...is that what you mean?

I'm so stupid...forgive me if you're getting frustrated with my answers. I think I'll do better if I have a visualization...

My question about the accents(lines over letters) is asking: what determines what word has an accent, and what letter?

[Ryukon]

Yeesh, I had to ask someone else to help me on this one...I'm such an idiot

You're probably looking dictionary that has no kana, right?

[loderian]

possibly

[Ryukon]

possibly

Kana's a blend of Japanese writing of kana and kanji. The dictionary should also have katakana.

If you don't have a dictionary with those, then it changes the story.

For instance:

Sento = cent (money)
Sentō = public baths

So with your case, yes, the lines over the letters (or more properly called "macrons"), it does change the meaning of the word. What determines which one has what, there's no definate answer for that.

I don't really suggest you use that dictionary anymore. It's better if you find one with all the forms of Japanese writing in it so it'll be easier to understand (roomaji is starting to be evil...).

Try getting one by Random House by Seigo Nakao. It'll explain some things that I probably can't and it's a good Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionary. It'll also give you a hiragana and katakana chart along with blended sounds, and more.

I use it whenever I'm stuck on a few words or need a review of the kanjis and such.

[OniKira]

IN the future, Loderian, in order for someone to best answer your question, it is helpful if you answer their questions to you so they can answer yours. This is only advice, but for Ryukon, if he asks you if you're looking in a dictionary that has no kana and you answer, "Possibly", not only is it disrespectful but it also doesn't helo Ryukon any more or any less in answering your question. You may not even get the answer you wished for in the first place. Just some advice.

[Kurokasai Senshu]

can someone give me links and instructions and stuff as to how to type in japanese? ill be starting classes next year and i figure it would be useful if i could type

[Soulstealingangel]

How do you say "What's your name?", "I don't know". Or maybe just some basic questions. I already know "how are you" and "please" and "thank you very much" and a few other random words...any ideas?

[Tsukasa]

how do you say Leiko?

i know no Japenese

[Lemon]

Soulstealingangel: what is your name = anata no (o)namae wa nan desu ka
I don't know = shiranai
how are you = ogenki desu ka
please = onegai shimasu
thank you very much = doomo arigatoo gozaimasu

Straw Hat: Leiko = Reiko

a word of advice for beginners: there's no "L" letters in Japanese, so replace them with "R"s and roll it like how sophisticated people do sometimes or you'll make people wince.

[Pyrokinetic Singer]

I'm so dim.What are the different ways to say "hey" or "good bye"?