Learning Japanese, how do you guys do it?

[Sogeking]

Exception OE,

Check your pm :|

[SegaMark]

I got a Pimsluer course from a torrent. Its absolutly brilliant and I picked it up quite fast. I wish I'd kept it up :-(

I got hold of these too the other day, had a go of the first one a few times, I feel like I'll never learn the bloody language. I don't think I have the mental capacity.

How is everyone else that is learning getting on?

[GluedOnBeard]

I realise this thread is a bit dated but recently really got back into my learning, although having to go over everything as I seem to have had a complete memory lapse

Going well so far but does anyone know of any good books that are a better size for reading on the bus as I only have giant brightly coloured books for home use, its a bit troublesome on the bus

[kryss]

Best grammar book ever.

[Darwock]

For instance, something (god forbid) happens to my wife and i have to call an emergency number (that bits okay) but JUST SAY i had to follow some sort of emergency procedure in the mean time with instructions over the phone... i'd be all kinds of hosed.

I know this is an old thread, but it's a new read for me, so apologies for commenting on an old debate.

The situation DCharlie describes happened to me - I woke up one morning to find my girlfriend doubled up in pain in the toilet, she took pain killers but vomited them back up again. Her condition got worse from there until she was literally screaming in pain, and pretty much incoherent in any language - she asked me to call an ambulance, so I called 119 - I should have had enough basic Japanese to handle this situation, however the operator deviated from the simple set of questions that I had learned in my beginner's nihongo class. That, combined with the panic, meant I wasn't able to respond. So what did I do? Like a complete **** I had to just pass the phone to my girlfriend do she could answer the questions in-between screams. I've never felt like such a useless prick in all my life.

I could take this thread on a tangent about the ridiculous inefficiency of the Japanese ambulance service, but I won't do that - suffice to say that eventually she was admitted to a hospital miles and miles away on the other side of the city (FYI I live five minutes from a hospital).. they gave her a shot to calm her down and the doctor assessed it as unusually strong period pain!!

So yeah, it's very very important to learn Japanese if you live here, unless you manage to live in a gaijin bubble completely isolated from Japanese people and/or culture. Although to be honest, I don't know how anybody could live here for several years and NOT pick up the language to some degree.. you'd have to be incredibly obtuse.

[Mercian]

I know this is an old thread, but it's a new read for me, so apologies for commenting on an old debate.

The situation DCharlie describes happened to me - I woke up one morning to find my girlfriend doubled up in pain in the toilet, she took pain killers but vomited them back up again...

Whoa! That sounds like quite a traumatising experience. I wish you guys all the best and hope your partner is ok.

[MattyD]

Just wondering if one of our resident Nihon-go speakers could answer a question for me?

I was just wondering the significance of why there's three words for 'wife'? I know 'okusan' is for someone else's wife and 'kanai' is for your own but there's a third word, 'tsuma', listed in my vocab book. So what's that for? The definition just says 'Wife (own)'.

Incidentally I got quite into reading (translated) Japanese poetry at one point and remember reading the old word for wife literally translated as 'person from the north', implying they come from Hokkaido where all the demons and beasts live

[DeathAdder]

okusan - respect word, used for other people's wives.

tsuma - used for your own wife.

kanai - also used for your own wife, but more uncouth and gruff. Think of it as meaning " 'er indoors" literally. Most women prefer hearing tsuma.

[jamesy]

I learned the words for wife last year in japanese class aswell, completely forgotte them until now tho. While we are on the subject though I was just messing about in policenauts a few days ago and I noticed the main character say something like "Ore no wife(uaifu?)". Is there any particular good reason why he would have used an english word instead of the proper japanese term?

[Paulos G]

I'm thinking about picking this up when it's released next month:

[Richard.John]

Also yome is another, I think it means bride or similar. My woman basically.

Kanai (家内) is great. Literal translation equals inside the house or household, lol. Sums up the Japanese male mentality perfectly.

[teddymeow]

I'm thinking about picking this up when it's released next month:

Just ordered this. Only ?15 off VGP so surely not that bad a buy?!

My wife (tsuma ) and I are also starting a course at our local college next week. ?80 for 10 weeks. Proper beginners stuff but you have to start somewhere. From that I hope to start more advanced classes in the new year after my next trip to Tokyo.

[Richard.John]

Ganbatte (がんばって) teddymeow. Enjoy the course.

[kryss]

I might have to get that for my mum...

[Friction]

I was looking at that DS one too. I also am thinking of taking courses at the local Uni. I'm pretty keen to learn but a bit overwhelmed with where to start and how much info I would need to take in! Start small I guess?!