How to start learning Japanese from scratch. Japanese from scratch

Of course, learning Japanese from scratch does not happen at the snap of your fingers, and it takes a lot of time to devote to it - just like any other foreign language. But although it cannot be learned only after watching the anime, it is easier to learn than it seems at first glance. Why this is so, and not otherwise, and how to learn Japanese step by step - we tell for beginners.

What makes Japanese easy to learn

Time to dispel a few myths about the Japanese language and prove that learning it can be quite easy in many ways. For example:

Learning kanji just got a whole lot easier

What scares Japanese beginners the most is the kanji, or Chinese characters used in Japanese writing. However, now they can be learned much faster thanks to the development of technology and the emergence of smartphones and special applications. One has only to learn romaji - the order of romanization of Japanese syllables - and you can look up kanji on the Internet, an online dictionary and type them on your computer using tooltips.

Japanese writing is not only hieroglyphs

In addition to Chinese characters, each of which can denote a separate word, there are two more writing systems in Japanese, that is, two alphabets - hiragana and katakana. They are symbols with which individual syllables and words are written. At the same time, mostly words of non-Japanese origin are written in katakana, and Japanese words for which there is no kanji are written in hiragana. They are much easier to remember, and subsequently distinguish in the text, read and write.

Lots of borrowings from English

Good news for those who study English: words borrowed from it make up a fairly large group of Japanese vocabulary. For example, wife ("wife") in Japanese was transformed into waifu, news ("news") - into nyuusu, etc. Of course, in Japanese, these words are pronounced a little differently than in English, but the phonetic pattern is very similar. Once you learn the rules of Japanese pronunciation of foreign words, you will notice English borrowings without much difficulty.

Easy pronunciation

And since we are talking about pronunciation, it is quite simple in Japanese. In fact, it contains only 5 vowels and 14 consonants. Many sounds even practically coincide with the sounds in more familiar English, for example, konnichiwa can be translated into English transcription as. Japanese pronunciation is easier to learn because there are no diphthongs - a fused combination of two vowel sounds (like [əʊ] in the English word tone or like in the German word Reich), or a confluence of consonants (like in the word "hello" or the word angsts) . Also, unlike many other East Asian languages such as Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese, Japanese is non-tonal.

Noun gender? Did not hear!

French, Italian and other Romance languages are complicated by the presence of two or even three genders of nouns - masculine, feminine and neuter. But when you try to learn Japanese, you don't have to torture yourself by cramming noun forms.

Syllables are only pronounced one way

Again, let's compare Japanese with English, where the same combination of sounds may differ in pronunciation in different cases, for example: apple, vary, able, where the sound [a] in different syllables is pronounced as [æ], , . Learning Japanese in this regard is much easier, since all of its 45 basic syllables are read in only one way and nothing else.

How to Learn Japanese Fast - Tips for Beginners

If you still do not know how to learn Japanese, or rather, where to start learning it, then pay attention to the following instructions. In it, we briefly described the main steps that will help beginner students who want to learn the language on their own, structure the information received and organize the learning process.

You need to start with writing, namely the syllabary alphabets that we mentioned above - hiragana and katakana. This is how they look:

The most effective way to learn these alphabets is by constant repetition, as we did in school with the multiplication table. Learn spelling, pronunciation, and romaji for each alphabet at the same time.

Choose a Japanese textbook to follow next. It is the textbook that will help you not only randomly learn words and phrases, but gain an adequate understanding of the structure of the language, learn the most common vocabulary, master grammar and other rules.

Try to find a complete Japanese textbook, along with a workbook, assignments, test answers, and audio files to help you practice pronunciation and listening comprehension. Minna no Nihongo is one of the best textbooks to help learn Japanese for beginners.

The next step is to learn kanji. It will not work just to memorize hieroglyphs, so you will have to find good literature that will help you understand the principle of their formation and suggest colorful examples - without context, there is nowhere. Start by studying graphemes - these are the constituent parts of hieroglyphs, the “bricks” that each of them is made up of. Learn them - and memorizing kanji will be much easier.

We advise you to take “1000 hieroglyphs in aphorisms, proverbs and sayings”, “Japanese-Russian educational dictionary of hieroglyphs”, “The path of a tailless bird” by A.I. Talyshkhanova, “Japanese for the soul. Kandzya essays" by A.M. Vurdov. For those who know English, the book by James Heisig "Remembering the Kanji" (James W. Heisig "Remembering the Kanji") in 3 volumes is also suitable.

Continuing to study kanji with new vocabulary and strengthen grammar, start watching anime, films with subtitles - watch first with Russian, and then with Japanese. Read in Japanese: You can start with a children's manga that uses simple phrases and pictures, and then move on to more complex ones. When knowledge begins to allow, go to Japanese newspapers and books. Learn more about manga with which you can learn Japanese in the video:

And, of course, try to find yourself a Japanese interlocutor. If there are none in your city and you cannot go to Japan, use social networks to learn foreign languages, mobile applications, Skype, etc. - there are a lot of opportunities.

We hope this guide has answered the question of where to start learning Japanese and made it easier for you to understand it. We wish you success in your studies!

Take it, tell your friends!

Learning Japanese

How to learn Japanese? This question is asked by everyone who has decided to go on an interesting journey to learn Japanese. About 140 million people speak Japanese, and in the online space of the worldwide Internet, the Japanese language ranks fourth in the world in terms of the number of users.

If a Your goals, dreams, aspirations, interests, plans and activities are related to Japan learning Japanese is essential. Knowledge of the Japanese language will give you tremendous advantages in the Land of the Rising Sun and open up new opportunities for further growth and movement.

Where to start studying? What is the best way to learn Japanese? This article was created specifically to answer these questions. So, let's try to be brief and specific:

1) Teacher.
No need to reinvent the wheel. Learning a language is a laborious process. Therefore, we recommend learning Japanese at the initial stages not on your own, but with a teacher. If you are in Russia, then with a Russian speaker. A good teacher will set the pronunciation, and teach the characters of the Japanese alphabet and hieroglyphs to write correctly, and most importantly, he will be able to explain the grammatical subtleties and features of the Japanese language in nuances. This is extremely important and responsible. Because your further progress in learning the Japanese language depends on the foundation laid.

Studying with a Japanese teacher is also great, but it is desirable when you have already mastered the basic grammar well and what the Japanese teacher will explain to you in Japanese, you can consciously understand and assimilate. I will say from personal practice, I studied at the first stages with a Russian teacher, then with a Japanese teacher, and then by myself.

2) Textbook. This is another important and responsible moment. Our recommendation - Minna no nihongo ("Japanese for everyone") is a very good Japanese textbook, which simply does not have an analogue in the initial stages of learning. The comprehensive package of all Minna no nihongo textbooks is an excellent material for a holistic study of the Japanese language. Minna no nihongo covers all the nuances of the Japanese language: vocabulary, grammar, hieroglyphics, reading texts. The textbook is supplemented by a large volume of audio and video files, training exercises. Minna no nihongo aims to develop communication skills. Minna no nihongo is used by the Japanese when teaching foreigners in language schools. To date, Minna no nihongo is perhaps the best textbook for learning Japanese. The only drawback, in our opinion, is the absence of Russian texts (for reverse translation). But this can easily be compensated by a competent teacher as an additional separate material. Of course, you can use other textbooks in training as additional ones. But in our opinion, there is simply no more universal textbook for the initial stage, not cluttered with scientific linguistic terminology. Minna no nihongo from her first lessons learn to think in Japanese, understand in practice the structure of Japanese speech, the Japanese language and the features of Japanese culture and etiquette ..

3) Additional material and training. You have found a teacher or enrolled in a language school, purchased a good textbook and have already begun to study. It is important to remember: the textbook is the foundation. It is also not rubber and it is simply not able to accommodate absolutely everything.

Therefore, it is important that you have additional media resources on your note, where you can further immerse yourself in the Japanese language, at least every day. After all, surrounding yourself with Japanese is also very important in the learning process. The more of him around you, the faster his mental acceptance will arise, the faster the communication will be. Additional training of the Japanese language implies the opportunity to learn something new (outside the scope of the textbook), consolidate what has been passed, additionally read new texts, see real examples of colloquial speech, etc. And our resource website– is also designed to solve this problem for you. All material that we plan to publish on the site is FREE and for personal use only.

On our website, we give you the opportunity to learn Japanese for free. All materials on the site are copyrighted, written by a practicing Japanese language teacher. The materials of the site will be useful and a good addition to the systematic study of the Japanese language in the textbook for you. The textbook provides a high-quality framework, our task is to “colorize” it, provide you with more examples on a particular topic, tell you about interesting and useful vocabulary, colloquial expressions, grammatical nuances, and simply become a good assistant in learning Japanese. So let's be friends! 友だちになりましょう。

In the near future, the site will be supplemented with content blocks for learning Japanese online. Japanese for free in this format is real. Your system base, framework is a textbook. Your fastest progress in learning Japanese is in the knowledge of additional materials that the textbook simply cannot cover and in the constancy of surrounding yourself with Japanese, at least just a little, but every day. We hope our site will help you with this.

And finally, our first Japanese language learning tips:
In the study of the Japanese language, consistency and consistency are important. And it's important not to break it. I.e. if you take the next step forward or start to master the next topic, this should mean for you a priori that everything that you have gone through before is absolutely clear to you and there are no questions. Good luck with your study!

© Sincerely, Diana Yumenohikari

Many learners of Japanese find that, in terms of acquiring listening and speaking skills, it is fairly easy to learn. The hard part is reading and writing, especially kanji or Chinese characters. It is necessary to learn three alphabets in order to be able to read in Japanese, for example, the text of a newspaper. The Japanese writing system, difficult to master, consists of two graphic forms of the kana syllabary - hiragana (for Japanese words), katakana (mainly for foreign words) and kanji. How many characters are there in Japanese? There are said to be 50,000 kanji characters, although between 5,000 and 10,000 are commonly used. After WWII, the Japanese government defined 1,945 basic characters, "Jōyo Kanji", that are used in textbooks and official documents. As of 2010, the Joyo Kanji list includes 2136 kanji.

Although Japanese is not widely studied in the western part of the world like Mandarin, French, German or Spanish, this does not detract from its important role on a global scale. Learning Japanese, which is spoken by 128 million people, opens up a unique world and a real opportunity to get a job in some innovative companies. Learning Japanese increases professional value in business, social sciences and humanities, technology and science, journalism and tourism.

Historically, Japan, unlike any other country, has succeeded in creating its own unique culture thanks to the “sakoku”, which literally means “country on a chain” (self-isolation), the isolationist foreign policy of the Tokugawa shogunate, a period that lasted more than 220 years. But even in the modern era, known for the so-called Galapos syndrome, Japan offers the world phenomena and products of culture and science, technology and service with its own (isolated) evolution, which differ from world standards. Most foreigners start learning Japanese, attracted by "nihondokutoku" or unique Japanese things. Actually, the term Galapagos Syndrome (garapagosu-ka - ラパゴス化) is of Japanese origin and refers to the process of isolating the Japanese "Galapagos thinking", associating it with the island mentality.

From an economic point of view, the benefits of learning Japanese are great. Japan is the technological center of the world, which is at the forefront of innovation. Learning any foreign language helps you succeed in business, and by learning Japanese, you can look forward to a job in finance, tourism, teaching, or translation. There is a huge opportunity to work with global brands such as Toyota, Honda and Panasonic. With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, you can be sure that if you want to find a job in Japan itself. Doing business in Japan is difficult if you don't speak Japanese. Although China, with its high growth rate, has surpassed Japan, which now ranks third in the world in terms of economic power, most Chinese can speak English. The Japanese are more difficult.

In addition, there are many cultural ideas that you need to know in order not to offend the interlocutor or look stupid. The Japanese developed a style of respectful language called keigo, which includes many honorifics. The honorific system is extensive: the level of respectful, modest and polite speech. Their use is mandatory in many social situations, and especially - it is extremely important in business. An experienced user of "keigo" has a large stock of honorifics, from which one can choose the appropriate degree of respect for the person being addressed. A simple sentence is conveyed in more than 20 different ways, depending on the status of the speaker and, accordingly, who is being addressed.

The Japanese are leaders in various technological fields (fermentation processes, industrial robotics, semiconductor manufacturing, electronics, optical media, and so on) and great innovators, as evidenced by the fact that they occupy the top lines in the lists of patent applications in the world (every year, Japanese inventors file 420,000 patent applications). If you work in the field of technology, especially robotics, learning Japanese will be incredibly beneficial. You will be able to understand advanced Japanese technology.

Japanese culture is a global phenomenon. It has many unique and interesting aspects. On the one hand, Japanese culture is steeped in a rich history and deep traditions dating back thousands of years; on the other hand, Japanese society is constantly in a state of rapid change and is evolving with new trends in fashion, technology, pushing the limits of the possible and the impossible. At present, Japan stands out as one of the leading and most prominent countries in the world due to its popular culture that has swept the world.

Cultural traditions are rooted in the Japanese, regardless of their age. Traditions dictate how they react, interact, behave. This is shown in the way they write, read, listen and speak. The younger generation may exhibit modern behavior, but they still follow the traditions taught to them by their elders. The word soul or kotodama in Japanese refers to the mystical powers dwelling in words and names. The concept of kotodama suggests that sounds magically affect objects, and ritual use will affect the environment, body, mind and soul.

Japanese linguist Haruhiko Kindaichi believes that the national character is reflected in the language. There are several offensive words in Japanese, but the Japanese are too polite to use them in public. Kindaichi believes that local dialects play an important role in shaping the language, making it richer as they fill in gaps that the standard language cannot.

Without a doubt, learning Japanese will make everyone a more interesting person, impressing others with their education.

Where to start, what are the features of the study?

How to learn Japanese? The first step is to decide for yourself what the goal is to learn Japanese. Perhaps to watch anime without subtitles? Or read the text of Sei-Shonagon's Notes at the Headboard, Murasaki Shikibu's Genji Monogatari, Yukio Mishimo's The Golden Temple, or enjoy the wonderful stories of Ryunosuke Akutagawa in the original? Setting specific goals will allow progress. Many students consider progress to be one of the main motivators. If you want to learn how to read manga, you can do it almost from the beginning, but with simple materials designed to teach children.

For those who want to learn Japanese from scratch on their own, the path to fluency is a long one. As with other languages, as you improve, you will find that the spoken language and the written language diverge considerably. You will be able to understand philosophical texts, but you still cannot make out what even a toddler is saying. The fact is that the Japanese themselves communicate indirectly. Separate sets of words and phrases are used when communicating with friends, people of high social status, and so on.

Foreigners who can speak Japanese well find it not so much the language itself that is difficult to learn, but the subtle communication between native speakers. Memorizing grammar structures, vocabulary, and kanji lists doesn't make it easier to communicate with Japanese. The speaker likes to abbreviate or slightly change phrases to express meaning, that is, to “enclose” many nuances in one word or phrase.

So, you have decided to learn Japanese from scratch:

View all available materials. When learning a language, start with the basics, but also with something fun that motivates you to keep learning.
We learn the alphabet. Start with hiragana and katakana - both are easy to learn. Japanese children begin to read and write hiragana before trying to learn some of the 2,000 commonly used kanji.
Hiragana and pronunciation are the foundation of learning Japanese. Good pronunciation starts with hiragana. Of course, hiragana alone won't teach you everything, but it's the key to understanding how Japanese words sound. All symbols and pronunciation can be mastered in a couple of weeks, allocating a few minutes a day to study. The remarkable thing is that every syllable in Japanese has a written character.
It is important to get acquainted with the sounds and rhythms of the language. This is of great importance in order to learn the sound of the language and in the future be able to talk with a native speaker. A good way to start your journey into the world of Japanese is to learn basic phrases. Online learning materials for learning Japanese (level: beginner and intermediate).
It is necessary not only to learn how to read in hiragana, but to write each character of the alphabet correctly. The writing technique is easier to practice using the hiragana script (can be downloaded from the Internet).
It is useful, of course, to learn all the Joyo Kanji, but 1000 characters will be enough to be able to read a children's book or newspaper. that are taught in elementary courses. The traditional way Japanese students are taught is from simple to complex (this has nothing to do with how complex the kanja itself is). When Japanese children learn kanji, they don't just memorize, they are surrounded by new characters and should try to do the same for themselves as much as possible.
Try to learn Japanese from scratch at home. For example, learn a phrase, then a grammar rule, practice with pronunciation, memorize a new character - repeat everything. Approximately such a structure (but more complicated) is presented in the legendary textbook by Lyudmila Nechaeva (Japanese for beginners), which can be used as a self-study.

Once you have mastered sufficient vocabulary and grammar, you can put your knowledge into practice. You can read articles in the children's newspaper Kodomo Asahi, read fairy tales and ghost stories. News Web Easy by NHK offers a news feed along with audio, using simple kanji and vocabularies in the texts.

The choice of teaching methods

First of all, if the goal for learning Japanese is to read manga or watch anime without subtitles, it is highly recommended not to use them as a learning resource for beginners. The reason is that even the easiest adult manga text will actually require an advanced level of Japanese. The media often includes non-standard grammar, random expressions that will only confuse the beginner. Anime and manga are a great source for the intermediate level.

Languages are primarily a means of communication. It is difficult to learn to speak by talking only to yourself. Good practice is group work. If there is a good option for language learning in a group near where you live, then it probably makes sense to take advantage of it. Moreover, the teacher will provide a solid foundation in grammar, effectively guiding you in the future if you then decide to study on your own. But on the other hand, classes in a group may turn out to be ineffective for someone, as a rule, due to the heterogeneity between students (in terms of the level of perception and motivation).

Individual Study

An individual course of study is usually focused on individual needs and learning style. One of the most effective and fastest forms of learning is one in which the teacher focuses on only one student. Individual courses before the start of training conduct a detailed analysis of the wishes, assess the student's requirements and, accordingly, the current level of knowledge of the language, then set realistic goals, but each lesson notes progress in achieving them and, if necessary, is reviewed. In addition, self-study is encouraged through specific strategies, both during the course and at the end of the course. The final report provides a description of the progress made and recommendations for further study.

Selfeducation

Learning Japanese from scratch on your own can pose some challenges that are as unique as the language itself. It is impossible to build a beautiful house without a solid foundation, and the same strategy applies to languages. From now on, every word, grammatical structure or character must be spoken aloud and repeated several times.

One of the best resources on the internet, Wanikani, here you can learn over 2000 kanji and over 6000 words (over several years) using mnemonics and spaced repetition. Consistency will make the learning curve exponential over time! This can be demonstrated with an example:

*In Japanese morphophonology, there is such a thing as rendaku or sequential voicing, you will surely encounter it, regardless of the level. A simple example, ひらがな hiragana (hira+kana) when the rendaku is in action. This occurs when two or more words are combined into one word and the initial consonant of the second word is voiced.

Learning vocabulary is essential, but it's also important to practice grammar in order to be able to form sentences correctly. The following resources will help:

TextFugu is an online book for self-learners
Wikibooks/Japanese textbook
Online grammar tests

Japanese Grammar: A typical Japanese sentence template is Subject-Object-Verb. The verb is always at the end of the sentence! For example, "Taro ga ringo o tabeta", which means "Taro ate an apple." The Japanese often omit the subject or object when the speaker is sure that the person being addressed already has some information about the situation in question. In such a case, the sentence might be: "ringo tabeta" or simply "tabeta". Word order does not indicate the grammatical function of nouns in a sentence. Nouns are not inflected. A grammatical function is indicated using particles that follow a noun, verb, adjective, or sentence. The grammatical range indicates various meanings and functions.

Is it difficult to learn Japanese?

It all depends on various factors such as your native language, how long you study Japanese per day, whether you have the opportunity to travel to immerse yourself in the language. But the biggest factor is motivation. However, Japanese is a fairly logical language and once you master the basic reading skills, you can pronounce any word you read.

Japanese grammar is relatively simple. Its main part is the conjugation of verbs. The most difficult thing in Japanese is kanji. And it should be borne in mind that hieroglyphs will have to be taught and memorized constantly. The more you learn kanji, the more effectively you will be able to learn. An excellent tool for learning kanji is the Anki program, based on the principle of spaced repetitions (using flash cards).

How much time will it take to study?

Don't rely on hype like "the fastest way" or "the most efficient method" to learn Japanese for beginners from scratch. There is no definite answer to this question. To be fair, you need to look at a period of three to four years to achieve something that only resembles fluency or advanced, even if you dedicate a few hours a day to studying. The road to fluency is long, difficult, and full of pitfalls.

Japanese is considered a category 5 language, which means that it will take approximately 88 weeks or 2,200 hours of study to achieve understanding at just a casual level. At the same time, ways must be found to make Japanese part of this very daily life; studying textbooks will not make you both a speaker and a listener at the same time. You can work your way up to the highest level of Japanese language proficiency, Nihongo noryoku shiken, and still not be able to communicate.

Watch anime? Avoid dubbed material and opt for subtitled versions. Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi: anime adaptations of Japanese folk tales.

Listen to wonderful children's songs

Or how about zey-pop?

"Melody of the Sunset", which can be listened to endlessly, performed by Masahiko Kondo.

Basic words to learn

Having learned hiragana, it is useful to learn some words and simple phrases in Japanese that will lead you through an innumerable number of situations and problems if you go on a trip to Japan, for example. You will be able to make different sentences using the basic vocabulary: Japanese Web Dictionary:

くに Kuni - country (homeland); wagakuni is our country
Kankoku - Korea
Chugoku - China
Rosiago - Russian; rosiago o hanasu - speak Russian
わたし Watashi - I'm Wakarimasen - I don't understand
かれ Kare - he, beloved (boyfriend); Kare wa gakuseida - He is a student; Watashi no kare wa sakka - senshuda - My boyfriend is a football player
かのじょKanojo - she, beloved (girl friend); Kanojo wa kireida - She is beautiful; Ano ko wa boku no kanojoda - She is my girlfriend. Watashi wa supamoderu to kosai s i te iru - I'm dating a supermodel.
かれら Karera - they; Kare wa gakuseida - They are students.
ぼく Boku - I (in masculine speech)
あなたAnata - you; Kore wa anata no hondesu ka - Is this your book?
ひとHito - a person; Kare wa Tokyo no hitodesu - He is a man from Tokyo.
この Kono - this / this / this Kono ko - this child; Kono michi - this road; Kono kurai is enough; kono tokoro - the other day (recently)
それ Sore is; sorehanandes u ka - what is it? sore wa honto de ka - is it true? sore wa omosiroi - this is very interesting!
ここに Kokoni - here (at this time / at this moment / now); watakushi wa koko-ni imas - I am here
はい Hai - yes; hai sitte imas - yes, I know
いいえIie - no; shiie wakarimasen - no, I don't know
たかい Takai - high (high); expensive (valuable)
やすい Yasui - cheap; yasuku - cheap; kore-oyasuku kaimasita - I bought it cheaply; kore wa taihen yasui des is very cheap
がくせい Gakusei - student
せんせい sensei - teacher
がっこう Gakko - school
もじ/もんじ moji/monji - letter (uppercase letter - oomoji, lowercase letter - komoji)
ほんHon - a book; Hongwoemu - I am reading a book
べんきょう/べんきょうする Benkyo/benkyosuru - to study; Nihongo o benkyo suru - Learn Japanese
おんなonna - woman
つまTsuma - wife
おとこ Otoko - male; Ano otoko wa daredesuka - Who is this man?
おっと Otto - husband
おんなのこOnnanoko - girl
だんし Dansi - boy, guy
んしくくせい Danshi gakusei - student (young man)
いしゃIsya - doctor; watashi wa isya desu - I am a doctor
こどもKodomo - child; kodomotachi - children
むすこ Musuko - son
むすめ Musume - daughter
ともだちTomodachi - friend; Watashi-tachi wa tomodachi do (o) sida - we are friends
おおきいOokie - big
ちいさい Chiisai - small
かんたん Kantan - easy (simple)
あめ ame - rain; Ame ga fute iru - It's raining
あつさ Atsusa - heat; hidoy atsusa des ne! - what a heat!
サムサ Samu-sa-cold; samui - cold; kyo wa samui - it's cold today; watakushi wa samui - I'm cold
いえIe - house (building); uti - house (dwelling)
へや heya - room
Toire トイレ - toilet
Tearay - bathroom
Zero - zero

Greetings and introductions

Whether you're learning Japanese from scratch at home or visiting Japan for the first time, the three words you'll first learn are connichiwa, arigato, and sumimasen. Having mastered them, you need to learn jikoshoukai (self-presentation). In theory this is similar in all cultures, although in practice there may be differences and established procedures to be followed. The jikoshoukai has a standard order and set of phrases:

– Konnitiva – Hello (good afternoon)

– Hajimemas and tae – Nice to meet you

Etymologists are not sure about the true origin of the word Hajimemas and te, but it implies the beginning, doing something for the first time. Possibly derived from the verb hajimeru, which means to begin.

It is then customary to be called:

– (Watashi wa) era de u – My name is Ella. Or Watashi no namae wa era de u (my name is Ella). In Japanese, it is customary to say the last name and first name (in that order).

The last piece of the puzzle is Yoros and ku o negai simas u. It translates to something like "please be kind to me", "I'm counting on you", or "thank you in advance". In this context - "nice to meet you" or "glad to see you." In general, the definition of the phrase is complex, we can say it is not translatable. Different ways to use it depend on the situation.

Further, you may be asked about work, and answered briefly, except in business situations. For example, watashi wa kaisindesu - I am an employee of a company. It is not customary to talk too much about yourself. The Japanese may add some slightly self-deprecating things about themselves, which are usually followed by something positive, or at least implying positivity.

Small phrasebook:

Oh-hayo-gozaimas u - good morning
Ohayogozaimas u. Ii tenkides u ne - Good morning. Good weather.
Ohayogozaimas u ogenkidesuka - Good morning, how are you?
Ohayogozaimas u arigatogozaimas u - Good morning, thank you
Kombanwa - good evening
Oyasuminasai - Good night
Oyasuminasai mataas and ta - Good night and see you tomorrow
Vatashi wa Rosia kara kimas i ta - I'm from Russia
Ni wa hisashiburi! To tsuzukete iu koto ga arimas u - Long time no see! How do you? (How are you?)
Mata oaidekiteurasides u - I'm glad to see you again
“Nanika goyo wa arimasen ka?” - Can I help you? (usually in stores) - Iie mite iru dakedes u. Arigato. No, I'm just looking. Thanks
Nihongo igai wa hanasu no o kyohi s and te iru kanji ni naru - Sorry, we only speak Japanese
Oku no rosiahito wa sushi ga suki – Many Russians love sushi

Katakana table

Transcription of signs according to the Polivanov system:

ン	ワ	ラ	ヤ	マ	ハ	ナ	タ	サ	カ	ア
n	wa	ra	I	ma	Ha	on the	that	sa	ka	a
		リ		ミ	ヒ	ニ	チ	シ	キ	イ
		ri		mi	hee	neither	ti	si	ki	and
		ル	ユ	ム	フ	ヌ	ツ	ス	ク	ウ
		RU	Yu	mu	ugh	well	tsu	su	ku	at
		レ		メ	ヘ	ネ	テ	セ	ケ	エ
		re		me	heh	re	te	ce	ke	uh
	ヲ	ロ	ヨ	モ	ホ	ノ	ト	ソ	コ	オ
	in / on	ro	yo	mo	ho	but	then	co	to	about

パ	バ	ダ	ザ	ガ
pa	ba	Yes	dza	ha
ピ	ビ	チ ”	ジ	ギ
pi	bi	dzi	dzi	gi
プ	ブ	ツ ”	ズ	グ
pu	bts	zu	zu	gu
ペ	ベ	デ	ゼ	ゲ
pe	bae	de	ze	ge
ポ	ボ	ド	ゾ	ゴ
on	bo	before	zo	th

Hiragana alphabet

Hiragana and katakana consist of forty-six basic characters, each expressing mora. An exception to the rule is vowels and the consonant "n", which can be in the word one. All other consonants must be combined with a vowel.

ん	わ	ら	や	ま	は	な	た	さ	か	あ
n	wa	ra	I	ma	Ha	on the	that	sa	ka	a
		り		み	ひ	に	ち	し	き	い
		ri		mi	hee	neither	ti	si	ki	and
		る	ゆ	む	ふ	ぬ	つ	す	く	う
		RU	Yu	mu	ugh	well	tsu	su	ku	at
		れ		め	へ	ね	て	せ	け	え
		re		me	heh	ne	te	ce	ke	uh
	を	ろ	よ	も	ほ	の	と	そ	こ	お
	in / on	th	yo	mo	ho	then	then	co	to	about

Characters can be changed with diacritics, in the right corner - ゛ and ゜

ぱ	ば	だ	ざ	が
pa	ba	Yes	dza	ha
ぴ	び	ち ”	じ	ぎ
pi	bi	(ji)	dzi	gi
ぷ	ぶ	つ ”	ず	ぐ
pu	boo	(zu)	zu	gu
ぺ	べ	ぜ	ぜ	げ
pe	bae	de	ze	ge
ぽ	ぼ	ど	ぞ	ご
on	bo	before	zo	th

There are also "twisted sounds" (yon). This is a feature in which mora is formed in a palatalized form. The character is formed by adding vowels や, ゆ, よ to the main character, which are written in a reduced font.

Chinese, Japanese and Korean - Differences

Japanese and Chinese are very different languages. They have no similarities either in syntax or in vocabulary. Chinese is a one-syllable language, which means that Chinese words are usually represented by one syllable, while Japanese words have two or more syllables. Chinese words usually do not change form, while Japanese words do.

Japanese is not tonal like Chinese and is grouped into the Altaic language group, which includes Korean, Mongolian, and Turkish. There are many theories about the origin of the Japanese language. It is considered by a number of scholars to be syntactically close to Turkish and Mongolian, but syntactical similarities to Korean are widely acknowledged. There is evidence that its morphology and vocabulary were prehistorically influenced by the Malayo-Polynesian languages.

The similarity of Japanese and Korean in similar sentence structures, both languages developed under the influence of Chinese and include many Chinese words. Proto-Japanese and Proto-Korean are believed to have spread about 6,700 years ago, during the period when Japan was gaining power during the Jōmon period (10,000 and 400 BC). Big Korean words are similar to words in both Chinese and Japanese, just like big English words are similar to Latin words in French and Spanish.

Although Japanese is predominantly an Altaic language, it shares some similarities with the Austronesian language group (Micronesia, Melanesia, and Southeast Asia). The Ural-Altaic languages include Korean, Finnish, Mongolian, Hungarian and Turkish. Languages that are not related to any of the other major language groups in the world and originate from the Altai region (Siberia and Mongolia).

Minohodo Shirazu! - Don't get ahead of yourself! Learning to speak Japanese and learning to read and write are two completely different categories.

Kana is the foundation of written Japanese. It happens that beginners rush to the next stage of learning and do not attach importance to these much-needed building blocks of the language. This is a huge mistake! Kana should always be at hand, on it you need to be able to read, write, compose words, without hesitation to pronounce each sound. Until you memorize kana, it's pointless to start learning Japanese.

And then begins a long, or rather endless, but very exciting and exciting road to the world of kanji, constantly offering new discoveries. There are at least two names for every kanji: he (Sino-Japanese), a modified Chinese reading that is close to the original Chinese sound, and kun (native reading), a native Japanese word sound that is close in meaning to the Chinese character. For example, the kanji 水 is water; it is read as sui (modified Chinese "shui"), kun - mizu, or the hieroglyph 歌 - song; it is read as ka, kun - uta.

Use the excellent textbooks of Genki Yoko Ikeda (Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese) if you are going to study on your own.

In Japanese, sentences are built according to a pattern, along with a variety of situational phrases like "itadakimasu", "otsukaresama". Memorizing patterns helps a lot in speaking skills. Sentences are built around such grammatical markers as particles. Each particle indicates how the word before it relates to other words in the sentence, usually a verb. The verb comes at the end of the sentence, but the order of the other words can vary because it's the particles, not the word order, that tells us who did what.

The Japanese language that foreigners learn is what is called "standard Japanese" or Tokyo dialect in Japan. Conventionally speaking, Standard Japanese is used in the Tokyo area. Initially, standard Japanese was largely a product of political considerations during the Meiji period. Standard Japanese, based on the upper-class dialect of Tokyo's Yamanote district, has represented prestige and power since the government adopted it as the national language and began to standardize language education in schools. Standard Japanese is still used as the representative language. It is taught in schools, news broadcasts are broadcast on it.

Japanese has many regional dialects. The main differences between them are intonation, vocabulary, different use of particles. There are times when they differ even in the way they use vowels and consonants. In general, Japanese dialects are divided into two main groups: the Tokyo dialect and the dialect of the Kansai region, which flourishes and retains its prestige. The Kyoto dialect (part of the Kansai dialect) is known for its politeness and formality. Before the Meiji Restoration, it was the standard form, and many dialect speakers take great pride in their correct pronunciation. The Osaka dialect (also part of the Kansai dialect) is full of colorful expressions and is the source of entertainment and comedy shows on TV.

In contact with

The economic and industrial development of Japan has raised Japan's interaction with other countries to a new level, a huge number of foreigners came to Japan for various purposes and now live there in close contact with the population. This could not but affect the increase in interest in the Japanese language. Whatever your interest in Japan, be it Japanese culture, art, music, manga, anime or bonsai, etc., Lingoust will help you take the first step in learning Japanese thus bringing you closer to your goal.

Step by step online lessons presented on the site will help you learn the basics of the Japanese language from scratch and prepare you for independent more serious study of Japanese. Well consists of initial lessons on learning the alphabet + 10 lessons from the international self-study book Minna No Nihongo. The lessons consist of theoretical and practical material, including audio accompaniment and exercises to consolidate knowledge. To see the answer to the exercise, move the mouse over the key: .

Reasons for learning Japanese

The unique culture of Japan. From sushi and anime to bonsai and origami, she has become part of international culture. Knowledge of the language will open the world of Japanese cinema, animation, and music to you. You can deal with the special terminology of your favorite martial art, or order sushi just like a Japanese does at his favorite Japanese restaurant. Everyone will find something to their liking!
Trip to Japan and communication. Of course, knowing Japanese will make your trip much more enjoyable and exciting. Knowing the language will help you understand the behavior and way of thinking of the Japanese, thereby avoiding embarrassing situations and making new friends.
The road to business and the world of high technologies. The Japanese economy occupies a leading position in the world along with Japanese companies such as Sony, Toshiba, Honda, Mitsubishi, Canon, etc. Knowing the language can help you develop your professional career in areas such as business, information technology, robotics, etc.
Discover a new world! Acquaintance with Asian culture will allow you to see the world with a new look. And Japanese can serve as a bridge to the culture of the Korean language, because. they have similar grammatical systems, and of course into the culture of the Chinese language, from where the writing was originally borrowed.
One last thing: learning Japanese is not that difficult. Yes, they have a complex writing system, but it consists of alphabets that can be learned just like any other alphabet, be it English or Russian. The grammar of the Japanese language is in some respects much easier than the grammar of any European language. There is no gender, no plural, no future tense. So go ahead! To knowledge!

Language is a means of communication. Language allows people to understand each other. At the same time, language can be a major barrier to understanding, as there are thousands of different languages on our planet.

You are reading this because you want to learn Japanese and you want to know how to do it quickly and effectively. Most language learners are bored and frustrated. Keep learning Japanese with the LinGo Play Tutorial and you will learn how to learn Japanese on your own with fun and effectively. Start with the best Japanese learning exercises and you will become fluent in Japanese. The LinGo Play lessons are structured so that you can practice in all areas at the same time. Learn Japanese the way you've never learned it before - with fun and logical lessons and quizzes.

We have a unique method that teaches reading, listening and writing at the same time. Lessons start from the very basics, free Japanese lessons are open to anyone with no knowledge of the Japanese language. Learning a language like Japanese requires a special approach. Each lesson contains many words, stages, exercises, tests, pronunciation and flashcards. You choose which content you want to use. After the initial content for beginners, you can quickly move on to things that interest you more. In the early stages of learning Japanese, you are interested in learning how the language works.

Learn Japanese online on your own easily and successfully with the Japanese learning app LinGo Play. You will find many free Japanese lessons with flashcards, new words and phrases. Once you learn how to learn Japanese from content, you can continue to do so throughout your life whenever you want. You can reach any level of language proficiency you desire. Just as there is no limit to the amount of content available in a given language, there is no limit to how much you can master a language as long as you are motivated. The best way to learn another language is through interesting content, listening, reading and constantly expanding your vocabulary.

Success in language learning depends mainly on the learner, but more specifically on access to learning and interesting content. Success depends more on interacting with interesting content than on a teacher, school, good textbooks, or even living in a country. You have more freedom to choose when and how to learn Japanese. Once you realize that you can learn more languages and enjoy the process, you will want to discover more and more languages.