Basic Japanese for Travel

[lapucelle]

and why use 話し

not できます

best of both worlds:

Use 話せます (can speak) which is the potential form (可能形) of 話します. More natural in speech than (話すことが)できます.

 

[dimitri_can]

できます means can. I am not sure if it is appropriate in this context as it will sound like I can a little Japanese.

Maybe can use 知ります or 分かります (understand/know).

日本語が少し知ります or 日本語が少し分かります

日本語が少し分かります / 日本語が少しできます
->O

日本語が少し知ります
-> X

 

[cpuer]

すごいな、みんな！

 

[huiling25]

I wouldn't say that は points to the subject... cos が is the one that points to the subject.

Some concepts that would be helpful:
- Transitive vs intransitive verbs
- Subject, direct object and indirect object

Let's use an English equivalent: "The ball fell". "fall" is intransitive because the verb does not act on an object (the ball is just the subject). In other words, you can't "fall" something. In Japanese, this would be ボールが落ちた. Hence, ボール (subject) is marked by が (subject marker).

On the other hand: "He took the ball". "took" is transitive because it requires a direct object. You can't just say "he took". The ball here is the direct object. を is the direct object marker so you get the sentence: 彼はボールを取った. "He" is the topic of the sentence and marked with は.

As mentioned earlier by zhirong, が can also be used to identify a subject (hence emphasize it). So 彼がボールを取った is grammatically correct too, but means something along the lines of "it is HE who took the ball".

Indirect object is basically used when there are 2 objects in question. You cannot have an indirect object without a direct object. So by simple logic, indirect objects can only come with transitive verbs and direct objects.

For example, "he threw the ball to her". We know that the ball is a direct object because "throw" is transitive (you must throw SOMETHING). The indirect object here is "her". Putting it together: 彼は彼女にボールを投げる。Here, we are introduced to に which is the indirect object marker.

Hope I'm not confusing anyone.

I got what you mean. But transitive and intransitive grammer is quite advanced for basic Japanese. That's what I think. =x though this grammer is included as early as in N5 exam.

 

[dimitri_can]

For more info on が, visit my blog
「は」と「が」の使い方　・The usage of [wa] and [ga] | Dimitri_can & Hayashi 日本語ブログ

 

[yukari_san3]

I got what you mean. But transitive and intransitive grammer is quite advanced for basic Japanese. That's what I think. =x though this grammer is included as early as in N5 exam.

wow that was long

just to make sure if i learnt correctly and to keep it simple

if u want to say you like someone/something or refer to something. then use ga:

あなたが好きです！
I like you

whereas wa refers more to the person and sets him as the main topic:

あなたは好きです!
you like X



that's my understanding as a beginner ヾ(＠⌒ー⌒＠)ノ

 

[yukari_san3]

すごいな、みんな！

why すごい behind has a な? does it change anything?

Japanese sentence structure wise,

should みんな be in front instead of the back?


Maybe みんなは、すごい ?


that's all the question I have lol

 

[cpuer]

why すごい behind has a な? does it change anything?

Japanese sentence structure wise,

should みんな be in front instead of the back?


Maybe みんなは、すごい ?


that's all the question I have lol

HAHA, please don't use mine as any reference, i just kind of remembering the folks there shouted like this when they praises something in the colloquial way.

 

[lapucelle]

why すごい behind has a な? does it change anything?

Japanese sentence structure wise,

should みんな be in front instead of the back?


Maybe みんなは、すごい ?


that's all the question I have lol

think its fine for 話し言葉. colloquial spoken Japanese is sometimes grammatically wrong haha. An example is 「ら抜き言葉」 (words omitting 'ra'), my colleagues occasionally say 食べれる instead of 食べられる, even though the latter is the 'correct' one.

Edit my typo. Should be -ru and not -tai

 

[cpuer]

think its fine for 話し言葉. colloquial spoken Japanese is sometimes grammatically wrong haha. An example is 「ら抜き言葉」 (words omitting 'ra'), my colleagues occasionally say 食べれたい instead of 食べられたい, even though the latter is the 'correct' one.

wow,cool lessons for me. I like to listen to the local. So very likely I only picked up the slangs and colloquial ways then the standard way.

 

[huiling25]

why すごい behind has a な? does it change anything?

Japanese sentence structure wise,

should みんな be in front instead of the back?


Maybe みんなは、すごい ?


that's all the question I have lol

Lol. "な" can be said like it's a sound (e.g. leh, loh, lah etc) in singlish? That's how I remember it. haha. Though it might not be correct.

I think the sentence structure for Japanese need not be necessary to be at the front or back.

Japanese is interesting as always. ^_^

 

[cpuer]

The best greetings I learned from my ex Japanese bosses are their Kansai: Ozzzz. They said its the short form of Ohayo gozaimasu. Not sure how true.

 

[cancer81]

I only heard that being used in Lucky Star anime...

dun think that show is based in Osaka...

 

[cpuer]

I only heard that being used in Lucky Star anime...

dun think that show is based in Osaka...

LOL, don't know, they claimed its their home town slang. They were from matsushita electronics, based in Matsusaka, Mie.

 

[huiling25]

Kansai dialect? By the way, I recently watched an anime "Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha" and this anime is fully in Osaka dialect! It's so interesting!!

 

[lapucelle]

Ama-chan is a good drama to watch for Tohoku-ben

 

[kifo]

Ama-chan is a good drama to watch for Tohoku-ben

Too cheam for me... I am still figuring out Kansai ben ...

 

[cpuer]

Osaka infor has a quick guide:
OSAKA DIALECT | DISCOVER | OSAKA INFO -Osaka Visitors' Guide

 

[MisterLim001]

Osaka infor has a quick guide:
OSAKA DIALECT | DISCOVER | OSAKA INFO -Osaka Visitors' Guide

this is useful...thank you

 

[saycheese]

how to say in japanese

'where would you recommend to visit in japan?'