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    Learn Japanese - the Basics
    Learn Japanese - the Basics
    Learn Japanese - the Basics
    Ebook193 pages1 hour

    Learn Japanese - the Basics

    By kevin tembouret

    ()

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    About this ebook

    To master the Japanese language, it is necessary to be fluent in grammar and vocabulary. At least to talk! You can always try to express yourself by drawing your ideas on a piece of paper and showing them to a local, but your exchanges will remain limited. Aim further!
    Discover Japanese culture, far from the stereotypes you are told, through real cultural exchanges. Culture is about language, about the way it is used.
    What are the influences of the outside world on the Japanese language? How does his grammar express the future? Is English the language that most influences Japanese?
    With this book, discover the Japanese language while assimilating it as quickly as possible. Each chapter includes a lesson at your fingertips and additional lessons. In particular, a way of learning Japanese writing gradually, without running out of steam, chapter by chapter. Learn a variety of vocabulary related to the Japanese signs you are studying.
    To encourage the awakening of the mind, the exercises encourage you to find new vocabulary words, understand the culture and assimilate what you have studied.
    Ready for the lesson? Hajime!
     

    LanguageEnglish
    Publisherkevin tembouret
    Release dateMay 19, 2020
    ISBN9781393974628
    Learn Japanese - the Basics

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      Book preview

      Learn Japanese - the Basics - kevin tembouret

      Lesson

      Three complementary writings allow us to express ourselves in Japanese:

      -  The Hiragana characters

      -  Katakana characters

      -  Kanji ideograms

      The Chinese influence in Japan made it possible to import kanji from the 6th century onwards. The development of the other two writings took place later: the Katakana appeared in the 9th century thanks to Japanese monks and the Hiragana at about the same time by Japanese women who also wanted to develop their literature.

      The Kanas are alphabets composed of syllables (ma, mi, mu, me, mo...). They are then called syllabaries. As for the Kanji, they are ideograms. That is, they express both an idea and a sound through a symbol.

      The order of the lines varies according to the characters. However, this is usually done from top to bottom, then from right to left.

      Each kana (hiragana and katakana) has 46 characters, many of which can be used to make new sounds:

      For example: は ha ばba ぱpa

      A syllable can have its sound lengthened according to two principles:

      -  A -o: add the kana u (う) just after.

      For example: ありがとう arigatou: Thank you

      -  A consonant: add the kana tsu (っ) in reduced version (つ-> っ) just before.

      For example: いっしょ [issho] together

      Some sounds come from a basic nasalized sound:

      The h becomes p when you add ° to the kana.

      We add " to the following list to create a nasalization:

      Additional courses

      Exercises

      What does あおい mean?

      ________________________________ .

      How is this pronounced?

      ________________________________ .

      What does あい mean?

      ________________________________ .

      How is this pronounced?

      ________________________________ .

      What does うえ mean?

      ________________________________ .

      How is this pronounced?

      ________________________________ .

      What does いいえ mean?

      ________________________________ .

      How is this pronounced?

      ________________________________ .

      What does いえ mean?

      ________________________________ .

      How is this pronounced?

      ________________________________ .

      What does おおい mean?

      ________________________________ .

      How is this pronounced?

      ________________________________ .

      How do you nasalize?

      ________________________________ .

      Who is behind the hiragana?

      ________________________________ .

      What are kanji for?

      ________________________________ .

      Find 5 words with the hiraganas seen:

      -  ________________________________ .

      -  ________________________________ .

      -  ________________________________ .

      -  ________________________________ .

      -  ________________________________ .

      Solution

      What does あおい mean?  Blue.

      How is this pronounced?  Aoi.

      What does あい mean?  Love.

      How is this pronounced?  Ai.

      What does うえ mean?  upwards.

      How is this pronounced?  ue.

      What does いいえ mean?  No.

      How is this pronounced?  Iie.

      What does いえ mean?  Home.

      How is this pronounced?  Ie.

      What does おおい mean?  Man.

      How is this pronounced?  Ooi.

      How do you nasalize? By adding a " above a syllable.

      Who is behind the hiragana? The female gender.

      What are kanji for?  

      To write a word or idea in a character.

      Find 5 words with the hiraganas seen:

      -  Onna.

      -  Otoko.

      -  Aoi.

      -  Iie.

      -  Umi.

      Course 2 - Phrase Syntax

      Lesson

      The structure of a simple sentence in 3 elements:    

      Subject + Supplement + Verb.

      Example:  わたしはMichelです。 

      Watashi ha Michel desu: I am Michel.

      There are two types of grammatical particles:

      -  Simple particles: they allow to create the logic in a sentence (belonging, subject, theme, etc.).

      -  End-of-phrase particles: they give shape to the sentence (questioning, exclamation, disappointment, regret, affirmation, etc.).

      Personal pronouns: there are many personal pronouns

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