Here is a collection what I consider to be my best posts for those of you new to this blog. My earliest posts often cover what I think are the most important because they were the things I most wanted to talk about. Unfortunately, the blog format places more importance on what’s new and hence older posts tend to get hidden under a pile of other posts. So this page is here as a permanent place to show case what I consider to be the best of each category. I will keep it updated as the content in the blog continues to grow.<\/p>\n
The difference between \u300c\u306f\u300d and \u300c\u304c\u300d<\/a> Repeat after me, there is NO such thing as a subject<\/a> I\u2019m soooo boring! Hee hee *snort*<\/a> Debunking the Japanese sentence order myth<\/a> Bet you didn\u2019t know it even existed, well\u2026 it doesn\u2019t<\/a> \u7684\uff1a A very useful ally<\/a> Wait, so it\u2019s the same word but not? When does the madness end??<\/a> The NEW \u5e38\u7528\u6f22\u5b57 and why we shouldn\u2019t give a damn<\/a> For those completely new to Japanese<\/a> Tae Kim\u2019s Language Studying Tips<\/a> Do I need to take a class to learn Japanese?<\/a> Using the shortest letter \u300c\u3093\u300d for slang<\/a> Oh crap, it’s \u300c\u3084\u3070\u3044\u300d<\/a> It’s like, like \u300c\u306a\u3093\u304b\u300d<\/a> You think Japanese is hard?<\/a> And then\u2026 (scroll\u2026 scroll\u2026 scroll\u2026) \u2026never mind<\/a> It started with a language requirement<\/a> Going through all my posts (it took like two minutes), it was striking how little I actually wrote in these 3 years. I dunno… I feel<\/em> like I worked hard at it. But all of my posts AND comments in a xml format only comes to 105k. \uff08\uff34_\uff34\uff09<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Here is a collection what I consider to be my best posts for those of you new to this blog. My earliest posts often cover what I think are the most important because they were the things I most wanted … Continue reading
\nWritten in February of 2005 apparently, this was my first real post and also the first thing I wanted to get off my chest. It was so simple I couldn’t believe nobody else had realized it. We were all so confused about the difference between \u300c\u306f\u300d and \u300c\u304c\u300d because nobody ever explained what they actually mean. All you had to do to really learn the difference was to understand the ideas \u300c\u306f\u300d and \u300c\u304c\u300d expressed.<\/p>\n
\nThis post is similar to the previous one but with a different approach of looking at what \u300c\u306f\u300d and \u300c\u304c\u300d are not<\/em>, namely the subject. In fact there is no such thing as a subject in Japanese. Of course, you have the concept of a subject but it is always deduced from context. There is no exact equivalent to what we consider the subject of a sentence in English and there is definitely no such thing<\/em> as a subject particle.<\/p>\n
\nHere’s another post about the difference between \u300c\u306f\u300d and \u300c\u304c\u300d using an amusing anecdote that I actually witnessed.<\/p>\n
\nThe SOV sentence order is another unfortunate attempt to fit Japanese into the English way of thinking. I find the stubbornness of this teaching idea incredibly curious when the real sentence order is so much easier to understand. Also, it’s so easy to disprove just by creating an OSV, SV, OV, or V sentence. Of course, there is no such thing as a subject to even begin with as I just mentioned so this whole exercise is moot.<\/p>\n
\nThis post isn’t very useful in the practical sense but I put it here because the topic of the empty particle is so interesting to me personally. It’s something you never really think about until somebody points it out to you. It also shows why using particles all the time is not always correct and the importance of realizing what kind of nuances you’re adding with your choice of particles.<\/p>\nKanji<\/h2>\n
\nThis kanji is so useful, it’s almost a crime that it’s usually not taught in most classes and textbooks. I mean, you can change any noun into an adjective! You can then change that<\/em> into an adverb! You can also clean your toilet with it. It’s just that useful!<\/p>\n
\nJapanese: You see Mr. Bond, things would be too easy if a word had only one kanji. Behold! \u300c\u3068\u308b\u300d can be written in 9 different ways! Muwhahaha!!
\nBond: You’re insane! Do you expect me to memorize all that kanji?!
\nJapanese: No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.<\/p>\n
\nWho or what determines whether a Kanji is often-used or not? And really, who cares anyway?<\/p>\nLearning Japanese<\/h2>\n
\nA broad overview of the Japanese language as a whole for those who are completely new to the language.<\/p>\n
\nI know there are other websites that tell you very specific methods on how to study Japanese but I don’t really think it matters so much as your attitude and willingness to practice the language. I just can’t understand why people take classes, buy software, and come up with these elaborate methods while not going out and actually using the language. If you want to learn how to speak, talk to people. If you want to learn how to read, find something to read. And actually, those two things are probably the most difficult things to do for language learners. I’m completely for any technology that aids those activities such as Skype, Mixxer, or www.amazon.co.jp. But all the other websites and tools, I’m not so sure about. Think about whether your “methods” aren’t just an excuse to avoid having to actually use the language.<\/p>\n
\nTaking a Japanese class can be very helpful but in most cases it seems to do just the opposite. It really depends on the teacher and of course, you really have no idea what kind of teacher is good until you’ve already learned the language when it’s already too late. Learning a foreign language is one of the most difficult endeavors I can imagine and the rewards are so great. Mastering a new foreign language can open up a new world of opportunities and exploration. Yet people think they can just stick a native speaker in front of a class and you’ve got a teacher. People need to wake up and realize how rare and valuable good<\/em> language teachers are.<\/p>\nSlang<\/h2>\n
\nOh man, I really wished somebody taught me this stuff when I was learning Japanese. Going through a whole year of Japanese class dying to know how to talk informally is just not right. It’s worse that I eventually had to learn it on my own.<\/p>\n
\nI remember my first experience with real Japanese people (exchange students from \u4e2d\u592e\u5927\u5b66) and their attempts to explain \u300c\u3084\u3070\u3044\u300d. Them: It means… (frantically looking in an electronic dictionary) dangerous! Me (confused): Huh? Is something dangerous going on?<\/p>\n
\nPeople really do say this ALL THE TIME and eventually you will too just like I did. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE!<\/p>\nHumor\/Misc<\/h2>\n
\nThis is arguably my oldest post since I jacked it from my first blog<\/a> on Blogger. It still amuses me to read it, which is a good sign. Why don’t I just go back to my first blog? I dunno except I feel like that part of my life has ended and I don’t feel like picking up where I left off more than 2 years ago. Plus, I’m scared to import two blogs into one.<\/p>\n
\nI have to confess, I copied the idea for this post from another blog (can’t remember where) but it’s just so cute I couldn’t resist. (Sorry)<\/p>\n
\nHere’s the full scoop on when I started learning Japanese and how I got where I am through the years. I think it’s a fairly balanced account and hope to illustrate that yes, you too can become proficient in Japanese<\/em>. You just need a little elbow grease and some years to dedicate depending on how good you want to get.<\/p>\n