Some basics that might be helpfull

How to butcher a language - American Style
User avatar
Suriko
Kitten
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2004 1:00 am

Post by Suriko »

Just thought I'd pass along some of my own experiences and studies ^_^

*** ga arimasu ka? - "Is there a/any ***?" - This has many uses. You can use this to ask if someone has a certain item. Address the person first, and they will understand what you mean. ("Name-san, (Apple Pie) ga arimasu ka?" - Do you have applie pies?). You can also use it to ask if there are any mobs available to pull or whatnot, though the verb "arimasu" must be changed to "imasu" for living things (mobs, pets, people, etc.) "Crab ga imasu ka?" (Are there any crabs? Note that there is no plural in Japanese. It has to be assumed by context ^_^)

*** ii desu ka - "Is *** alright?" - Ii means "good" so in today's vernacular, it quite literally translates to "Is *** good?" or something like, "I would like to ***, is that good?" Example: (name)-san, (/examine) ii desu ka? "Is it okay if I (/examine) you, (name)-san? You can respond positively with, "Hai, ii desu" (That's fine)

matte kudasai - "Please wait." - "Matte" means to wait, and "kudasai" means "please" when making a request (in the manner of "if you please"). If the JP party is suggesting a pull target, use this phrase to ask them to hold off a bit ^^ You can amend this with "chotto" (a little) if you like. "Chotto matte kudasai" means "Please wait a moment."

Chigau yo! or Dame yo! - "No way!" - A more forceful way of expressing your disagreement ^_^ Note that "yo" just acts to emphasize whatever precedes it. It's like a word that means an exclamation point, but not as much emphasis (subjective). I'm sure Chigau and Dame have different uses, but in this case, they both should get that point across.

iie, zenzen - "No, it's nothing" Ever had a JP party member that picks up on some key words in your speech and tries to assume what you're saying? For example, if you're talking about crabs and flies, and he asks, "(Fly) (Pull Back.)?" I've found this phrase useful to let them know not to heed what you're saying. Can also be used when they compliment you or thank you. Japanese are very modest people by nature, and while they love to give compliments, they also downplay nearly every compliment they receive ^^ "Ah, it was nothing!" "Not at all!"

shinpai shinaide - "Don't worry" - Pretty self-explanatory =)

***-san ga hanasu kudasai - "Please speak with ***-san" - I use this in conjunction with the auto-translator term (Invite to join party) when I have a JP member and would like for them to invite another JP player. I'm almost certain it's the wrong form of the verb "hanasu" that I'm using, but I'm not far enough in Japanese study to know which is appropriate ^^; The point should get across. It has before at least ^^

Those are some of the more useful phrases I've used. If I can remember any more, I'll update the post. Here are some other tidbits that may or may not be useful ^_^

Yoroshiku, Dozo yoroshiku, yoroshiku onegai shimasu - It's a set phrase that equates to "Nice to meet you" in English, but more literally translates to, "Please treat me favorably." "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu" is also used when you actually ask a considerable favor of someone.

w - Ever seen that? ^_^ It's the Japanese version of "lol"

ome - I haven't seen this myself, but some people claim to have. Short for "Omedetou" which means "Congratulations!"

pro - I've seen this written in katakana before. In case you see it in romanji, it's just short for Protect.

desu ka? - "Is it?" - You may have seen "desu" a lot, it's the verb "to be" and is as common (in polite speech) as you'd see the words "is, are, am" in English. "Ka" is a particle at the end of a sentence that makes it a question. Example: "Clipper (Found It!)" "(Incredibly Tough) desu ka?" (Is it IT?)

Watashi - "I, me" - Pretty self explanatory. Note: "Watashi wa" does NOT mean "I am." "Wa" is a particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, so if you say, "Watashi wa," you're only stating that you're *going* to be referring to yourself in the rest of your sentence, and is not a complete sentence itself. "Watashi wa desu" is a complete sentence, and means "I am." Possibly useful application, "Watashi ka?" ("Me?" in a manner of, "Who, me?" or "Do you mean me?" or "Are you talking to me?")

Anata - "You" - Another one you may have seen, and also self-explanatory. However, there are some ethical rules that apply before you use this word freely. The Japanese almost never use this word, unless they are addressing someone whose name they do not yet know. Using it can sound arrogant or rude if you do know the the name of the one you're addressing. Since you can see the names of all players in FFXI, there is probably no reason at all to use it in-game. If you want to address someone, just use their name, repeatedly if required. (Sakuraba-san, Sakuraba-san wa kawaii desu ne! May sound silly, but they talk that way when they're really trying to be polite ^_^)

Sou desu ka?, sou desu ne? - Similar, but different. "Sou desu ka?" means "Really?" said in a manner that you're sincerely interested to confirm specifically what they said. "Sou desu ne?" is more like how we would say, "Ah, really?" in English, not to request the speaker to elaborate on what they are saying, but more of a confirmation on the listener's part that he/she is indeed listening to the speaker. Many times it's simply written as "Sou desu ne" because it's not really intended as a question. "Ne" is quite literally like saying, "Isn't it?" in English. Not a real question, but seeks a confirmation from the listener. "Baka mitai da yo ne?" (Foolish, isn't it?) "Tohru-san wa kawaii desu ne!" (Tohru-san is cute, huh?)

And random tidbits, a small lesson that I'm typing so that it can even help me remember ^_^ Here's a simple example of verb conjugation for present postive, present negative, past positive, and past negative responses

wakarimasu - I understand. Present-positive. You can understand, or are in process of understanding. Don't use it to reply to a singular statement that has already been spoken. If someone asks if you can understand Japanese, and the answer is yes, then you can say "wakarimasu." You can also use it to respond "I know."

wakarimasen - I don't understand/I don't know (Do you speak Japanese?). You can reply, "Iie, wakarimasen" Present-negative form.

wakarimashita - Understood. If someone makes a singular statement and you wish to reply that you have understood what they have said, you would use "wakarimashita." It is the past-positive form.

wakarimasen deshita - I didn't understand/I didn't know. Past-negative form.

Using this formula, you can generate the needed responses if you know the verb.

I'm really tired ; ; I'd love to read more from you guys, who have real Japanese training and/or experience ^_^ Tah
Last edited by Suriko on Tue Dec 14, 2004 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Eviticus
'Insignificant Adventurer'
Posts: 1178
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 5:43 pm
Location: South Western Illinois, USA

Post by Eviticus »

:shock:
[/clap] [You can have this.]
In the end, I'm just talking out of my ass. So take it all with a grain of salt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[b]Rank 10 Bastok. Rank 2 Sandy.[/b] Pup 75, Drg 72, Brd 71, Thf 37, War 39, Sam 38, Blm 40, Rdm 22, Whm 40, Mnk 37, Nin 14, Pld 38, Bst 15, Drk 30, Smn 15, Blu 19, Rng 13, Dnc 24, Cor 11.
Paragon of Dragoon Excellence.
Paragon of Bard Excellence.
Paragon of Puppetmaster Excellence.
[quote="Keavy"]Evi still winnarz.[/quote]

[img]http://e.1asphost.com/AJSB1986/wyv-burn.jpg[/img]
User avatar
Kitsurabami
Kitten
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:09 pm
Location: Peoria, IL

Post by Kitsurabami »

Thanks Suriko, that helps a lot-

Swipe, if you're still checking these, I'd like to get those mp3's from you. My email is CorsJanson@hotmail.com if you'd be so gracious as to send me some info/link on getting them. Thanks!

btw Ohayou- Good Morning!
xaresity
Queen Cat
Posts: 6692
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:46 am

Re: Some basics that might be helpfull

Post by xaresity »

Post Reply