This blog is for chronicling the progression of my skill in the Japanese language. I started serious Japanese study on February 18th 2009 and have studied everyday since. My ultimate goal is near-native level fluency.
Example Japanese sentences 十二
金魚のフン
きんぎょ の フン ＝ This refers to the annoying hangers-on to a beautiful or important person. Literally “gold fish excrement” hanging on… 爆笑
競争は激しいけど,
きょうしょう は はげしい けど。。。 ＝ ”The competition is fierce but….”
漢字は中国から来ました
かんじ は ちゅうごく から きました ＝ ”Kanji came from China”
大人になったら板前になりたい
おとな に なったら、 いたまえ に なりたい ＝ ”When I grow up, I want to become a chef”
笑いすぎて涙出た
わらい すぎて なみだ でた ＝ ”I laughed so hard, tears came out”
カレーが飛び切りうまい
カレー が とびきり うまい ＝ ”Curry is extremely delicious”
一 本の歯を失うと、
いっぽん の は を うしなう と。。。 ＝ ”After I lost a tooth…”
肉と魚と、どちらが好き？
にく と さかな と、 どちら が すき？ ＝ ”Meat or fish…which do you like?”
The meat in this case would refer to something like pork, beef, etc… fish is given its own category.
Today marks the 1 year anniversary of me starting serious Japanese study. I’ve done at least some study every single day, some days less than others due to University.
So far, I’ve done 2240 SRS sentences of the 10,000 sentence project. Lately, I’ve been doing a 10 sentence a day pace to make sure I’m making progress with my Japanese skill every day. Doing Heisig last summer made me slow down on my sentence progress, but it also gave me the skills to write almost any kanji I see by breaking down the radicals. Also, Heisig gave me the skill to make up mental pictures using the radicals to better remember new kanji I come across.
I estimate that I’ll be able to take my Japanese to the next level this year. If I keep up a constant pace, I’ll be able to more than double my vocabulary, increase my reading speed, and make my speaking skills more fluid. Right now, I can read basic manga with the aid of looking up some words and some furigana.
Some people have asked me what my plans are concerning taking the JLPT. Unlike a lot of people in the Japanese language learning community, I’ve not really worried about the JLPT. I plan to only take it once I’m confident I’ll pass JLPT level 1. I don’t really wanna mess with the other levels. I live far away from a testing center and don’t have any spare money right now for the other levels.
今年も頑張りましょうね。
とうとう more sentences have arrived. 行くぞ。
育てたスイカを収穫しました
そだてた スイカ を しゅうかく しました = “The raised/reared watermelon was harvested.” I think I found this one in a Japanese gardening blog or something.
帰宅した。疲れた
きたく した。 つかれた = “I returned home. I’ve become tired.”
鯨がくしゃみをした
くじら が くしゃみ を した = “The whale sneezed.” I found this one is a picture book. I think it’s strange that I’ve never seen the Japanese word for “sneeze” until now.
雪が舞っている朝
ゆき が まって いる あさ ＝ ”The morning where the snow is fluttering about.” This one is kind of neat as it’s another use of 舞う [まう」 which mean’s “dance.” You can picture the snow dancing down to earth from the clouds.
