learning japanese

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I just found out that two other cousins are taking jlpt....

It isn't that long a paper right? So no need to worry abt the toilet...Not like a typical 3hr continuous exam. But in a girls sch it will be hard to find a guys toilet.

dimitri>> What procedures?
 

dimitri_can

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The paper is usually 2.5hrs.

Procedures
"In case if anyone wants to borrow, this is my library of books. Terms & conditions apply (like a deposit). PM me with your MSN if interested. I think i can run a small library le. lol"
 

PingJun

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Can let me know where to get year 2007 JLPT 3 & 4 exam papers?

I would like to buy them.

Thanks....
 

ahmahippo

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may i ask,
All the Kanji words got hiragana / katakana?

meaning like eg: got two hiragana words but I dont put that and replace it with a Kanji word that it belong to. Wonder is it like that?
 

terraj

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Hiragana/katakana just represent syllables. So yes, all Kanji can be replaced by hiragana/katakana. Usually it's replaced by hiragana because it's Chinese characters; except in cases of emphasis in text it could be replaced by katakana, or situations when the word is actually of non-Chinese origin (it's not compulsory to write in katakana though).

The thing you have to be careful about is how you replace the Kanji.

Japanese use Kanji often for representation of a meaning, so the same Kanji could be pronounced in various ways, depending on whether it's used as a verb or a noun.

You have to be particually careful for compound kanji verbs. Usually in verb form, for example 検査する (kensa-suru), the compound kanji is pronounced similar to chinese + suru. However there are exceptions when the verb containing a compound Kanji does not end with the suru.

One example I can think of is 狼狽, which has similar meaning in Chinese.
狼狽 can be used by itself, so it would be pronounced Roubai which is similar to Langbei. That's the Kun pronounciation.
狼狽える on the other hand is pronounced as uruta-eru, so the hiragana representation is completely different and the compound kanji uses the On pronounciation.

Also, not all Kanji are pronounced in the Chinese form even if they are nouns. For example, cigarettes, can be written as 煙草 or タバコ but it's pronounced Ta-ba-ko (tabacco). Or like, Velvet which in Japanese is pronounced as Biroudo and can be written as ビロード or 天鵞絨, supposedly originates from Spanish "Velludo". In such cases if you replace the kanji with Japanese characters you usually use Katakana because they're of non-Chinese origin. This is not a hard and fast rule though. For example, Tempura, is usually written as hiragana てんぷら or 天麩羅 yet it's actually a word of Portugese origin.

In summary, the syllable representation of Kanji is a function of when the term was adopted for use in the country. Typically, newer foreign words do not have a Kanji representation. But, old foreign words, even if it does not have a Chinese origin, may have a Chinese representation for it. Note that net speak is actually changing a lot of that. For example if you look at my signature, 自鯖 actually looks like Self-Saba (Mackerel) but the reason why the Kanji Saba was used was because it sounds like Server, and actually originates from 自宅サーバー which means Home Server.
 
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rendoodles

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hi guys, i'm new here.

i used to learn japanese at JCS two years ago until intermediate level and have taken JLPT4 only. after such a long break, i feel like taking japanese again. after reading several pages here, i'm considering between Bunka and Ikoma. i understand there'll be a placement test, but i would like to know if Pre-advanced classes at JCS and Ikoma are about the same level of difficulty? how about Bunka's Pre-advanced class, how is it like? anyone here can advise me?

also, if i were to miss the registration for Ikoma's Pre-advance classes commencing this dec, how soon will there be new classes again? i hope it's not annual registration like JCS. many thanks in advance :)
 

terraj

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For JCS, for classes at later levels, you can actually enter anytime of the year as long as there is space.
 

ahmahippo

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Hiragana/katakana just represent syllables. So yes, all Kanji can be replaced by hiragana/katakana. Usually it's replaced by hiragana because it's Chinese characters; except in cases of emphasis in text it could be replaced by katakana, or situations when the word is actually of non-Chinese origin (it's not compulsory to write in katakana though).

The thing you have to be careful about is how you replace the Kanji.

Japanese use Kanji often for representation of a meaning, so the same Kanji could be pronounced in various ways, depending on whether it's used as a verb or a noun.

You have to be particually careful for compound kanji verbs. Usually in verb form, for example 検査する (kensa-suru), the compound kanji is pronounced similar to chinese + suru. However there are exceptions when the verb containing a compound Kanji does not end with the suru.

One example I can think of is 狼狽, which has similar meaning in Chinese.
狼狽 can be used by itself, so it would be pronounced Roubai which is similar to Langbei. That's the Kun pronounciation.
狼狽える on the other hand is pronounced as uruta-eru, so the hiragana representation is completely different and the compound kanji uses the On pronounciation.

Also, not all Kanji are pronounced in the Chinese form even if they are nouns. For example, cigarettes, can be written as 煙草 or タバコ but it's pronounced Ta-ba-ko (tabacco). Or like, Velvet which in Japanese is pronounced as Biroudo and can be written as ビロード or 天鵞絨, supposedly originates from Spanish "Velludo". In such cases if you replace the kanji with Japanese characters you usually use Katakana because they're of non-Chinese origin. This is not a hard and fast rule though. For example, Tempura, is usually written as hiragana てんぷら or 天麩羅 yet it's actually a word of Portugese origin.

In summary, the syllable representation of Kanji is a function of when the term was adopted for use in the country. Typically, newer foreign words do not have a Kanji representation. But, old foreign words, even if it does not have a Chinese origin, may have a Chinese representation for it. Note that net speak is actually changing a lot of that. For example if you look at my signature, 自鯖 actually looks like Self-Saba (Mackerel) but the reason why the Kanji Saba was used was because it sounds like Server, and actually originates from 自宅サーバー which means Home Server.


wow... me not yet start my basic class yet
wonder for JLPT 4 level do they learn a lot of kanji words?
 

terraj

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Ikoma doesn't teach kanji period; you have to learn it yourself. They do use kanji though and expect you to recognise it. Most of my kanji knowledge is acquired through reading novels.
 

PingJun

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wow... me not yet start my basic class yet
wonder for JLPT 4 level do they learn a lot of kanji words?

For basic level / JLPT 4 level, Not much Kanji words are needed to know.....

For JLPT 4, it seems like the words will be in Hiragana / Katakana forms rather than in Kanji... Except for the parts where Hiragana to Kanji & vice versa to be tested.....
 

ahmahippo

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Ikoma doesn't teach kanji period; you have to learn it yourself. They do use kanji though and expect you to recognise it. Most of my kanji knowledge is acquired through reading novels.

For basic level / JLPT 4 level, Not much Kanji words are needed to know.....

For JLPT 4, it seems like the words will be in Hiragana / Katakana forms rather than in Kanji... Except for the parts where Hiragana to Kanji & vice versa to be tested.....


oh ok thanks :D
me not at Ikoma but Hougang Jap Sch.
from the first book i got, so far no Kanji.
 

fox1

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hi dimitri, wonder any gd books or site on Kanji to intro where i could learn more :D

I think before tackling kanji, it would be better that you memorise hiragana and katakana.
That is how Japanese students learn; from the basics.
 

dimitri_can

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I think before tackling kanji, it would be better that you memorise hiragana and katakana.
That is how Japanese students learn; from the basics.
agree with fox1.

Start your Hiragana first, then Katakana. Last is Kanji.
 
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