Comments on: Hiragana - DONE!! http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/ The adventures of an American living in Japan. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:49:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: ジェイソン (Jason) http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-726 ジェイソン (Jason) Fri, 16 May 2008 12:18:50 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-726 Congrats on the hirigana, now it's time for some katakana! Perhaps by the next time I leave a comment, you can read my katakana name :P You'll find that quite a few things are easier to understand in Japan when you can read hirigana and katakana. That said, it will also increase your desire to learn some kanji, since most of the signs and advertisements are a combination of all three character sets. Ganbatte! Congrats on the hirigana, now it’s time for some katakana! Perhaps by the next time I leave a comment, you can read my katakana name :P

You’ll find that quite a few things are easier to understand in Japan when you can read hirigana and katakana. That said, it will also increase your desire to learn some kanji, since most of the signs and advertisements are a combination of all three character sets.

Ganbatte!

]]> By: Steve http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-719 Steve Mon, 12 May 2008 10:02:46 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-719 <i>jyankee</i> - Studying hard seems like the only option. That's some solid advice. <i>Brandon</i> - Thanks! <i>Dani</i> - Sounds exciting! I think learning hiragana and katakana before trying to learn a lot of vocabulary is a good idea. I plan on studying vocabulary using the characters instead of Romaji. <i>billywest</i> - LOL! Sweeeeeeeeet... jyankee - Studying hard seems like the only option. That’s some solid advice.

Brandon - Thanks!

Dani - Sounds exciting! I think learning hiragana and katakana before trying to learn a lot of vocabulary is a good idea. I plan on studying vocabulary using the characters instead of Romaji.

billywest - LOL! Sweeeeeeeeet…

]]> By: billywest http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-718 billywest Fri, 09 May 2008 23:18:16 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-718 Keep up the studies, man! Before you know it, you'll be reading so many kanji characters that Japanese people will think you're a bit of a weird foreigner and will find you less interesting than when you were just an innocent little gaijin. Haha. Ok, I'm not that cynical... Keep up the studies, man! Before you know it, you’ll be reading so many kanji characters that Japanese people will think you’re a bit of a weird foreigner and will find you less interesting than when you were just an innocent little gaijin. Haha.

Ok, I’m not that cynical…

]]> By: Dani http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-716 Dani Fri, 09 May 2008 03:47:59 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-716 Hey! Yes moving to Japan is very exciting and a FABULOUS motivation for learning the language as fast as poss! We will be living in Nagoya - we are off for a week's house hunting on the 18th of this month! We have a couple of days to ourselves in Nagoya around the house appointments and my husband's meetings at his company I can't wait!! Hey! Yes moving to Japan is very exciting and a FABULOUS motivation for learning the language as fast as poss! We will be living in Nagoya - we are off for a week’s house hunting on the 18th of this month! We have a couple of days to ourselves in Nagoya around the house appointments and my husband’s meetings at his company I can’t wait!!

]]> By: Brandon http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-715 Brandon Thu, 08 May 2008 23:58:33 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-715 I'm glad the book was helpful! Good luck with your studies! I’m glad the book was helpful! Good luck with your studies!

]]> By: Amanda http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-714 Amanda Thu, 08 May 2008 22:56:19 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-714 I have no experience learning Japanese, but having learned another alphabet, you'll soon recognize the characters and sounds without thinking. I remember when I first got here I thought I'd never be able to read subtitles on TV because they go so quickly. Now I can read most of them (even if I don't know all of the words) and sometimes I even find mistakes in the subtitles! Congrats! I have no experience learning Japanese, but having learned another alphabet, you’ll soon recognize the characters and sounds without thinking. I remember when I first got here I thought I’d never be able to read subtitles on TV because they go so quickly. Now I can read most of them (even if I don’t know all of the words) and sometimes I even find mistakes in the subtitles!

Congrats!

]]> By: jyankee http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-713 jyankee Thu, 08 May 2008 10:41:37 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-713 oh yeah...you're learning really quickly... i dont know HOW long it took me to learn all that...even now..if i had REALLY buckled down and studied hard..i would be SO much farther than i am right now...but i think i do well enough...so i am content where i'm at... LOL keep it up! oh yeah…you’re learning really quickly… i dont know HOW long it took me to learn all that…even now..if i had REALLY buckled down and studied hard..i would be SO much farther than i am right now…but i think i do well enough…so i am content where i’m at… LOL keep it up!

]]> By: Steve http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-712 Steve Thu, 08 May 2008 05:47:03 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-712 <i>Killer Porkchop</i> - Thanks for checking out the site! Welcome back to Japan. Conbini food tastes okay but it's cheap and fatty I'm sure. I have no idea where to find fiber information. <i>Vincent</i> - Japanese grammar likes to do a flip flop swip swap and conveniently drop a few words here and there that you're supposed to assume exist. Being in the country while learning the language is really nice. Let me know if you start to tackle grammar and vocab. <i>Nomadic Matt</i> - No. I'm too tall. <i>Dani</i> - Moving to Japan in June? Whoa cool! Do you know where? I agree that knowing Hiragana helps with pronunciation. And now I understand why certain English words sound strange (like McDonalds)... there's no "Dah" for example. It takes some time to learn the Romanji form (like oo and aa) and I think it's okay if you're going to visit for a week. And I can't believe you learned Katakana in just three days! Good job. Thanks for sharing your crazy side effects from lack of sleep and extreme concentration, I'll make sure to space my studying out, lol! Killer Porkchop - Thanks for checking out the site! Welcome back to Japan. Conbini food tastes okay but it’s cheap and fatty I’m sure. I have no idea where to find fiber information.

Vincent - Japanese grammar likes to do a flip flop swip swap and conveniently drop a few words here and there that you’re supposed to assume exist. Being in the country while learning the language is really nice. Let me know if you start to tackle grammar and vocab.

Nomadic Matt - No. I’m too tall.

Dani - Moving to Japan in June? Whoa cool! Do you know where? I agree that knowing Hiragana helps with pronunciation. And now I understand why certain English words sound strange (like McDonalds)… there’s no “Dah” for example. It takes some time to learn the Romanji form (like oo and aa) and I think it’s okay if you’re going to visit for a week. And I can’t believe you learned Katakana in just three days! Good job. Thanks for sharing your crazy side effects from lack of sleep and extreme concentration, I’ll make sure to space my studying out, lol!

]]> By: Dani http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-711 Dani Thu, 08 May 2008 04:16:56 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-711 I started learning Japanese intensively (well, lessons twice a week)about 3 mths ago because we are moving to Japan in June. I had learned Hiragana years ago during a previous attempt and I have to say that knowing Hiragana from the start is a HUGE help with pronunciation. Even though I'm still fairly slow reading it I find that I can be more sure of pronunciation than with romaji which sometimes leads me astray. I also feel as though it helps me to grasp it better on a more subtle level, because I'm not "translating" my own alphabet into theirs I'm simply reading Japanese - if that makes any sense. There is such a thing as too much though - I finally determined to learn katakana last week and did so in the three days between lessons. I woke up at 2 am the morning of my next lesson and got up to get a wash cloth to clean off the katakana I totally believed was all over my bedroom walls!! I started learning Japanese intensively (well, lessons twice a week)about 3 mths ago because we are moving to Japan in June. I had learned Hiragana years ago during a previous attempt and I have to say that knowing Hiragana from the start is a HUGE help with pronunciation. Even though I’m still fairly slow reading it I find that I can be more sure of pronunciation than with romaji which sometimes leads me astray. I also feel as though it helps me to grasp it better on a more subtle level, because I’m not “translating” my own alphabet into theirs I’m simply reading Japanese - if that makes any sense.

There is such a thing as too much though - I finally determined to learn katakana last week and did so in the three days between lessons. I woke up at 2 am the morning of my next lesson and got up to get a wash cloth to clean off the katakana I totally believed was all over my bedroom walls!!

]]> By: Nomadic Matt http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-710 Nomadic Matt Wed, 07 May 2008 23:17:16 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-710 now that ur learning japanese are you going to be turning japanese lol now that ur learning japanese are you going to be turning japanese lol

]]> By: Vincent http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-708 Vincent Wed, 07 May 2008 09:10:42 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-708 Congratulations! You should be able to learn all the Katakana and Hiragana characters in a week. You are already in Japan, so I think your brains will be forced to develop new skills faster. The professionals are really strict with this rule, because they will not translate. And if they do, you would hardly understand. lol! I learned other languages too, but German, French and Italian are all written in alphapets, with a few special characters. So it was very stressful to learn japanese at the beginning. First we have to learn the 3 system of writing, including Kanji. Before we can even start building vocabulary and learning grammar. I had fun, but I stopped after 1 week of learning Katakana and Hiragana. Anyway, we´ll wait for your updates on your learning the language!!! Congratulations! You should be able to learn all the Katakana and Hiragana characters in a week. You are already in Japan, so I think your brains will be forced to develop new skills faster. The professionals are really strict with this rule, because they will not translate. And if they do, you would hardly understand. lol!

I learned other languages too, but German, French and Italian are all written in alphapets, with a few special characters. So it was very stressful to learn japanese at the beginning.
First we have to learn the 3 system of writing, including Kanji. Before we can even start building vocabulary and learning grammar.
I had fun, but I stopped after 1 week of learning Katakana and Hiragana.
Anyway, we´ll wait for your updates on your learning the language!!!

]]> By: Killer Porkchop http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-707 Killer Porkchop Wed, 07 May 2008 08:29:56 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-707 Nice blog you got going. I myself used to live in Japan and came back. Currently I am keeping an eye on what I eat as convini food can get a little fattening. I was wondering if you know where can I find the fiber information on convini food. Nice blog you got going. I myself used to live in Japan and came back. Currently I am keeping an eye on what I eat as convini food can get a little fattening. I was wondering if you know where can I find the fiber information on convini food.

]]> By: Steve http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-705 Steve Tue, 06 May 2008 20:57:40 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-705 <i>Goddess Carlie</i> - Thanks. Repetition seems to work best for me too. Goddess Carlie - Thanks. Repetition seems to work best for me too.

]]> By: Goddess Carlie http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-704 Goddess Carlie Tue, 06 May 2008 20:20:12 +0000 http://www.japanitup.com/hiragana-done-421/#comment-704 Congrats on learning hiragana! Just keep using it in every way you can and it gets easier and easier. I need to take my own advice with katakana - I often forget that. Congrats on learning hiragana! Just keep using it in every way you can and it gets easier and easier. I need to take my own advice with katakana - I often forget that.

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