Learn Japanese Pod

These are the show notes for podcast #19 “How to eat Takoyaki”. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you various ways to say ‘must’ in Japanese. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this lesson you are going to learn how to say “must” in Japanese. Here’s the problem. There are a confusing number of ways to say it. Just look at this list of phrases which all mean the same thing: しなければなりません Shinakereba narimasen しなければいけません Shinakereba ikemasen しなくてはいけません Shinakute wa ikemasen しなくちゃいけません Shinakucha ikemasen しなきゃいけません Shinakya ikemasen しないといけません Shinai to ikemasen しなくちゃ Shinakucha しなきゃ Shinakya しないと Shinai to Not only that but each way of saying “must” in Japanese has a different level of politeness associated with it for different social situations. It’s also quite common for Japanese schools and textbooks to only teach the formal way of saying of “must”. However, in daily life in Japan, you will notice that most of the time, people tend to use the casual form. But fear not dear student of Japanese, Learn Japanese Pod will help you to navigate this linguistic confusion. We are all about teaching you the most useful and natural Japanese for daily life in Japan. Therefore, this lesson will exclusively focus on the casual form which in my experience is the most useful form to know. But before we do, let’s briefly study the grammar and a little of the culture behind this. Grammar: How to say “must” in Japanese One of the most formal and common ways you will be taught “must” in Japanese is: しなければなりません Shinakereba narimasen This is made from two parts “Shinakereba” which means “If I do not” and “Narimasen” which means “It is not allowed”. So this literally means, “it is not allowed if I do not do it” or “It will be bad if I don’t do it”. This two part form is used for most levels of politeness If I don’t do it It will not be allowed Shinakereba Narimasen Shinakereba Ikemasen Shinakya Ikemasen There is no direct way of saying must in Japanese so this indirect double negative form is used. This roundabout way of saying “must” in Japanese perhaps reflects the way Japanese shy away from direct language and confrontational statements. The most common way to say “must” in Japanese As you will discover when you come to Japan, most people in daily conversation use the common form. Instead of using the tongue twisting “Shinakereba narimasen” you can drop the -nakereba narimasen and simply add -kya to give you shinakya – I must do something. The formal way of saying I have to clean the house is: 掃除しなければなりません – Sōji shinakereba narimasen – I have to clean (the house) However, the more common and easy way to say that is 掃除しなきゃ – Sōji shinakya – I have to clean How to construct the casual form of “must” in Japanese To say you must do something using other verbs using the casual form, simply follow these steps: Step 1) Take the negative casual form of a verb, for example: しない Shinai Don’t do 行かない Ikanai Don’t go 食べない Tabenai Don’t eat 買わない Kawanai Don’t buy Step 2) Replace the -i at the end of the verb with -kya しなきゃ Shinakya I must do (something) 行かなきゃ Ikanakya I must go (somewhere) 食べなきゃ Tabenakya I must eat (something) 買わなきゃ Kawanakya I must buy (something) Finally, there are three common casual forms: 1) しなきゃ Shinakya 2) しなくちゃ Shinakucha 3) しないと Shinai to Sometimes people will add いけない to the end of these forms to make: しなきゃいけない しなくちゃいけない しないといけない You can use any of these forms in a casual setting to say you must do something. This lesson will focus on using just shinakya. Main Dialog A: ごめん、もう行かなきゃ。 Gomen mō ikanakya. Sorry, I have to go. B: え？なんで？ E? Nande? Eh? Why? A: 明日早く起きなきゃ。 Ashita hayaku okinakya. Tomorrow I have to wake up early. B: 何かあるの？ Nani ka aru? Do you have something? A: 明日色々しなきゃいけないんだよね。 Ashita iroiro shinakya ikenain da yo ne. Tomorrow I have to do various things. B: 何を？ Nani o? What? A: まず部屋が汚いから掃除しなきゃ。後、彼女が来るから料理作らなきゃ。じゃあ… Mazu, heya ga kitanai kara sōji shinakya. Ato, kanojo ga kuru kara ryōri o tsukuranakya. Jaa… First, as my room is dirty I have to clean. Then because my girlfriend is coming I have to make some food. Right… B: ちょっと待て、お会計は？ Chotto matte, okaikei wa? Wait, what about the bill? A: そうだった、お金払わなきゃね。 Sō datta, okane harawanakya. Oh right. I have to pay! Other examples of saying I must in Japanese Here are some more examples of how you can say you must do something: １） 明日5時に起きなきゃ、めどくさい。 Ashita goji ni okinakya, mendokusai Tomorrow I have to wake up at 5am, what a hassle. ２） まずいけど薬飲まなきゃ。 Mazui kedo kusuri nomanakya It doesn’t taste good but I have take (drink) this medicine ３） あ、買い物忘れちゃった、買わなきゃ！ A, kaimono wasurechatta, kawanakya! Ah, I forgot the shopping. I have to buy something! ４） もう時間だ。行かなきゃ！ Mo jikan da. Ikanakya! It’s time. I have to go. ５） この部屋超汚い、掃除しなきゃ！ Kono heya chō kitanai, sōji shinakya. This room is super dirty, I have to clean it. ６） 明日テストがあるから勉強しなきゃ。 Ashita tesuto ga aru kara benkō shinakya. Tomorrow I have a test so I have to study. ７） 東京がゴジラに攻められてるから逃げなきゃ。 Tōkyō ga gojira ni semerareteru kara nigenakya. Godzilla is attacking Tokyo so we have to run! Random Phrase of the Week 飯テロ Meshi Tero This is used to make fun of people post pictures what they are e

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #18 “How to say ‘must’ in Japanese” For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In the latest Fun Friday podcast Tomo Akiyama is back by popular demand. We mostly talked about various aspects of Japanese culture including the question “Why do Japanese people wear masks?”. This discussion came up through the questions people most commonly ask about Japan on Google. Therefore we took a stab at answering this popular query. We also talked about how Katakana is used in Japanese and the rules for writing foreign words in this script. We also answered listener questions including how to improver your Japanese listening skills. The guest on this week’s show is Tomo Akiyama, a corporate communications specialist and linguist. He is a gourmet, advocate of Japan and expert in destroying cultural stereotypes and myths. He’s an absolutely fascinating individual full of mind-blowing facts about the Japanese language and the culture of Japan. You can follow him on Twitter here @tomoakiyama

In this episode, Ami and I talk about our favorite Japanese TV shows. Watching Japanese TV shows regardless of you Japanese level is great way to improve your understanding of Japanese culture. It also gives you a common frame of reference to have more interesting conversations with Japanese people. Although Japanese TV is not so accessible outside of Japan, you can usually find extended clips on Youtube. You can also find some Japanese TV shows that have English subtitles. Here is a list of some of the shows we talked about in the podcast: Japanese TV Shows 1. 水戸黄門 Mito Kōmon This is a samurai drama set in the Edo period featuring the hero Tokugawa Mitsukuni who roams Japan fighting injustice. 2. 空耳アワーSora Mimi Awa Sora mimi awa is part of the Tamori Club TV show where listeners submit foreign songs that have sections that sound Japanese. 3. Smap x Smap Smap X Smap is the long running variety show featuring the boy band Smap. One of the most popular sections of the show was Smap Bistro where the members would compete to cook the most delicious dishes for famous visiting celebrities. 4. ダウンタウンのガキの使いやあらへんで Dauntaun no gaki no tsukai ya arahende “Dauntaun no gaki no tsukai ya arahende” A.K.A “Gaki Tsuka” is hosted by one of Japan’s most famous comedy duo “Downtown” who are Hitoshi Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada. 5. 紅白歌合戦 Kōhaku Uta Gassen This is the famous singing contest held by NHK as Japan celebrates the new year. This show is perhaps one of the most watched programs on Japanese TV and features famous singers from across Japan. 6. ナイトスクープ Naito Sukuupu (Knight Scoop) Knight Scoop is a famous TV show from Kansai (Osaka) which features requests from viewers who need help with various random problems. The show is hosted by comedians and actors who visit viewers and try to help them out with their request. Invariably, hilarity ensues. 7. 関ジャニ-クロニクル Kanjani Kuronikuru This variety show features the boy band Kanjani and their funny exploits. One section is the Dengon game know as Chinese whispers in English. Native English speakers whisper phrases to the band who usually mess us the message leading to some pretty funny results. 8. アメトーク Ame Tōku Ame Talk is a weekly show that invites comedians to talk on various subjects.  

In this lesson Ami and I teach you how to ask and give your opinions on various topics using the verb 思う Omou – To think. This is usually used to say “I think that…”. 思う is a very useful phrase you use all the time in conversation in Japanese. The main grammatical structure we will be using is this: Something or someone…どう思う？Dō omou which means what do you think about so and so… For example: 彼女どう思う？ Kanojo wa dō omou What do you think of her? 彼どう思う？ Kare wa dō omou What do you think of him? Then to answer you could say your opinion plus と思う which means I think so and so. So, for example you can say 可愛いと思うよ Kawaii to omou yo which means I think she’s cute or カッコイイと思うよ Kakko ii to omou which means I think he’s cool.

In this lesson Ami and I teach you how to ask and give your opinions on various topics using the verb 思う Omou – To think. This is usually used to say “I think that…”. 思う is a very useful phrase you use all the time in conversation in Japanese. The main grammatical structure we will be using is this: Something or someone…どう思う？Dō omou which means what do you think about so and so… For example: 彼女どう思う？ Kanojo wa dō omou What do you think of her? 彼どう思う？ Kare wa dō omou What do you think of him? Then to answer you could say your opinion plus と思う which means I think so and so. So, for example you can say 可愛いと思うよ Kawaii to omou yo which means I think she’s cute or カッコイイと思うよ Kakko ii to omou which means I think he’s cool. Here are the example conversations in the podcast:   Dialog 01 A: 君のなはってどう思う？ Kimi no na wa dō omou? What do you think of “Kimi no na wa”? B: 面白いと思うよ。 Omoshiroi to omou yo. I think it’s interesting. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: ストーリーがロマンチックだからね。 Sutoorii ga romanchikku da kara ne. Because the story is romantic. Dialog 02 A: ねぇ、iPhoneってどう思う？ Nee, iPhone te dō omou? What do you think of the iPhone? B: まあまあだと思うよ。 Maamaa da to omou yo. It’s so so. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: 便利だけど高いからね。 Benri dakedo taki kara ne. Because it’s useful but expensive.   Dialog 03 A: ねぇ、この髪型ってどう思う？ Nee, kono kamigata dō omou? What do you think of my hairstyle? B: 似合うと思うよ。 Niau to omou yo. It suits you. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: 君は顔が小さいからね。 Kimi wa kao ga chiisai kara ne. Because you have a small face.   Dialog 04 A: ねぇ、彼女ってどう思う？ Nee, kanojo te dō omou? What do you think of her? B: 可愛いと思うよ。 Kawaii to omou yo. She’s cute. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: おっちょこちょいだからね。 Occhokochou dakara ne. Because she’s so clumsy. Dialog 05 A: ねぇ、彼ってどう思う？ Nee, kare te dō omou? What do you think of him? B: いい人じゃないと思うよ。 Ii hito ja nai to omou yo. I don’t think he’s a good person. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: 浮気ばかりしてるからね。 Uwaki bakari dakara ne. Because he’s always cheating (on girls).   Dialog 06 A: ねぇ、このレストランってどう思う？ Nee, kono restoran te dō omou? What do you think of this restaurant? B: イマイチだと思うよ。 IImaichi da to omou yo. It’s a little disappointing. A: なんでそう思うの？ Nande sō omou no? Why do you think so? B: 食べ物は美味しいけどサービスが悪いからね。 Tabemono wa oishii kedo saabisu ga warui kara ne. Because although the food is good the service is bad.   Extra Grammar Notes Casual and polite ways to say “I think…” Casual Polite どう思う？ Dō omou?What do you think? どう思いますか Dō omoimasu ka?What do you think? …と思う。…to omouI think… …と思います。…to omoimasu.I think …   Random Phrase of the Week A: 最近どう？ Saikin dō? How have you been recently? B: 相変わらずだよ Aikawarazu da yo Same old, same old…

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #17 “How to express your opinion in Japanese”. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

I hung out with Niko, the creator of Nihongo Shark for my latest Fun Friday podcast. We talked about how he started Nihongo Shark which is a website crammed full of resources for students of Japanese which is well worth a look if you have’t seen it. We also talked about how to overcome feeling overwhelmed when learning Japanese, translation and the horrors of English education in Japan.

In this podcast Ami and I talk about what to do if you lose your wallet or other personal items when in Japan. The good news is that Japanese people are generally very law abiding and honest. Therefore, if someone finds your lost item, there is a good chance they will hand it in to the police and you will get it back. If you do lose something, the best idea is to ring the place you think you left it and ask if it has been found. If you lose something on the train it’s best to go to the station master’s office and ask there. If you drop something in the street then you should go to a Koban or police box. This lesson focuses on how to call the last place you were at to ask the staff if they found you things.

In this podcast Ami and I talk about what to do if you lose your wallet or other personal items when in Japan. The good news is that Japanese people are generally very law abiding and honest. Therefore, if someone finds your lost item, there is a good chance they will hand it in to the police and you will get it back. If you do lose something, the best idea is to ring the place you think you left it and ask if it has been found. If you lose something on the train it’s best to go to the station master’s office and ask there. If you drop something in the street then you should go to a Koban or police box. This lesson focuses on how to call the last place you were at to ask the staff if they found you things. Study the vocabulary list and dialogs below to learn how to do it. Vocabulary featured in the podcast もしもし Moshi moshi Hello (On the phone) 一番寿司でございます Ichibanzushi de gozaimasu This is Ichiban Sushi すみません Sumimasen Excuse me 昨日 Kinō Yesterday そちら Sochira There (Polite) 財布 Saifu Wallet カバン Kaban Bag 携帯電話 Keitai denwa Mobile phone 忘れた Wasureta Forgot 何色 Nani iro What colour 少々お待ちください Shōshō omachi kudasai One moment please 届いてますよ Todoitemasu yo It is here (Someone found it) ありがとうございます Arigtō gozaimasu Thank you Dialog 01 A: もしもし幕張メッセでございます。 Moshi moshi, Makuhari Messe de gozaimasu. Hello, this is Makuhari Messe. B: すみません、昨日そちらで財布を忘れたのですが。 Sumimasen, Kinō sochira de saifu o wasureta no desu ga. Excuse me, I left a wallet there yesterday. A: 何色のお財布ですか。 Nani iro no osaifu desu ka What colour is the wallet? B: 黒い革の財布です。 Kuroi kawa no saifu desu It is a black leather wallet. A: 少々お待ちください。届いていますよ。 Shōshō omachi kudasai. Todoite imasu yo. One moment please. We have it. B: ありがとうございます。 Arigatō gozaimasu. Thank you very much. Dialog 02 A: もしもし一番寿司でございます。 Moshi moshi, Ichibanzushi de gozaimasu. Hello, this is Ichiban Sushi. B: すみません、昨日そちらでカバンを忘れたのですが。 Sumimasen, Kinō sochira de kaban o wasureta no desu ga. Excuse me, I left a bag there yesterday. A: 何色のおカバンですか。 Nani iro no okaban desu ka What colour is the bag? B: 赤い革のカバンです。 Akai kawa no kaban desu It is a red leather bag. A: 少々お待ちください。届いていますよ。 Shōshō omachi kudasai. Todoite imasu yo. One moment please. We have it. B: ありがとうございます。 Arigatō gozaimasu. Thank you very much. Dialog 03 A: もしもし六本木ヒルズでございます。 Moshi moshi, Roppongi Hiruzu de gozaimasu. Hello, this is Roppongi Hills. B: すみません、昨日そちらで携帯電話を忘れたのですが。 Sumimasen, Kinō sochira de keitaidenwa o wasureta no desu ga. Excuse me, I left a mobile phone there yesterday. A: 携帯電話の機種はなんですか。 Keitaidenwa no kishu wa nan desu ka. What type of phone is it? B: iPhone8です。 iPhone hachi desu. It’s an iPhone 8. A: 少々お待ちください。届いていますよ。 Shōshō omachi kudasai. Todoite imasu yo. One moment please. We have it. B: ありがとうございます。 Arigatō gozaimasu. Thank you very much. Extra Phrases Let’s study some other phrases related to lost items: 1) 申し訳ありませんが財布は届いてないようです。 Mōshi wake arimasen ga saifu wa todoite inai yō desu. I’m very sorry but it seems your wallet hasn’t been handed in. 2) 連絡先を教えていただけたら見つかり次第ご連絡します。 Renrakusaki o oshiete itadaketara mitsukari shidai gorenraku shimasu. If you give me your contact details we’ll contact you the moment it is found. 3) 忘れ物 Wasuremono Lost items 4) 紛失届け Fun shitsu todoke A form to fill out at the police station for lost items Cultural Points The Japanese are generally quite law abiding and honest. Most times, if found, your lost items will be returned. If you lose something on the train go to the nearest 駅長室 Eki Chō shitsu – Station master’s office and tell them what you lost and on which train it was on. They’ll ring ahead to the next station or terminal station to see if they can locate your items. You can also go to any 交番 Koban police box to report lost or stolen items. For lost items you would write out a form called a 紛失届け Fun shitsu todoke Random Phrase Of The Week あたまが真っ白 Atama ga masshiro When you mind goes completely blank or you are lost for words.   留守番電話を残す時いつもあたまが真っ白 Rusuban denwa o nokosu toki ni atama ga masshiro When I leave a message on an answering machine my mind goes completely blank

These are the PDF show notes for podcast “What to do when you lose your wallet in Japan” For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this Fun Friday edition of the Learn Japanese Pod podcast, I interviewed Tomo Akiyama who is a fascinating expert linguist and well known Twitter user from Japan. We discussed a wide range of topics including the difficulties of learning Japanese and common mistakes non-native speakers make. We also talked about common English phrases Japanese people use, the words they say and they real meaning behind them. As Tomo said, the biggest take away from this discussion is Japanese and English do not exactly translate into one another as they as such different languages.

In this podcast, Ami and I (Alex) teach you how to talk about your favorite movies in Japanese. Listen to the podcasts and read the dialogs below to get an idea of what these phrases and dialogs mean. You can also download the PDFs too! Enjoy!

In this podcast, Ami and I (Alex) teach you how to talk about your favorite movies in Japanese. Listen to the podcasts and read the dialogs below to get an idea of what these phrases and dialogs mean. You can also download the PDFs too! Enjoy! Dialog 01 Japanese Pronunciation English A: 「君の名は」見た？ “Kimi no na wa” mita? Did you see “Kimi no na wa”? B: 見たよ！ Mita yo! I saw it! A: どうだった？面白かった？ Dō datta. Omoshirokatta? How was it? Was it interesting? B: うん、すごく面白かったよ。 Un, omoshirokatta yo. Uh huh, it was interesting. A: 私も見ようかな？ Watashi mo miyō kana I guess I should go and see it. B: うん、すごくおすすめだよ。 Un, sugoku osusume da yo. Yeah, I highly recommend it   Dialog 02 Japanese Pronunciation English A: 「ミニオンズ」見た？ “Minions” mita? Did you see “Minions”? B: 見たよ！ Mita yo! I saw it! A: どうだった？面白かった？ Dō datta. Omoshirokatta? How was it? Was it interesting? B: 面白かったけど、声優がイマイチだった。 Omoshirokatta kedo seiyuu ga imaichi datta. It was interesting but the voice actors weren’t so good. A: 私も見ようかな？ Watashi mo miyō kana I guess I should go and see it. B: そうだね、もし週末時間があったら見に行ってみればいいよ。 Sō da ne, moshi shuumatsu jikan ga attara mi ni itte mireba ii yo. Well, if you have time at the weekend, you should go and see it.   Dialog 03 Japanese Pronunciation English A: 「スターウォーズ」見た？ Sutaauozu mita? Did you see Star Wars? B: 見たよ！ Mita yo! I saw it! A: どうだった？面白かった？ Dō datta. Omoshirokatta? How was it? Was it interesting? B: 全然面白くなかった。ストーリーがつまらなかった。 Zenzen omoshirokunakatta. Sutōrii ga tsumaranakatta. It wasn’t interesting at all. The story was boring. A: 私も見ようかな？ Watashi mo miyō kana I guess I should go and see it. B: 止めた方がいいよ。 Yameta hō ga ii yo. You shouldn’t.

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #15 “Talking about your favorite movies in Japanese” For more podcasts go to http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, Ami and I, teach you some fun conversations you can have with your friends in Japanese. The first thing you need to know when speaking on the phone in Japanese is the word Moshi moshi which is hello but used exclusively for the phone. You can use this for both casual and polite conversations. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, Ami and I, teach you some fun conversations you can have with your friends in Japanese. The first thing you need to know when speaking on the phone in Japanese is the word Moshi moshi which is hello but used exclusively for the phone. You can use this for both casual and polite conversations. Listen to the podcast and read the dialogs below to get a better idea of how to have a conversation on the phone in Japanese with your friends. Phone Dialog 01 Dialog 01 Japanese Pronunciation English A: もしもし Moshi moshi Hello B: もしもし、あみ元気？ Moshi moshi, Ami genki? Hello, how are you Ami? A: 元気だよ Genki da yo I’m good. B: 最近どう？ Saikin dō? How have you been recently? A: 最近は仕事漬けの毎日! Saikin wa shigotozuke no mainichi! Recently, I’ve been so busy at work. B: そうなんだ……大変だね。 Sō nan da…Taihen da ne. Oh really…that’s tough. A: 全然平気！ Zenzen heiki! I’m totally fine! Phone Dialog 02 Dialog 02 Japanese Pronunciation English A: もしもし Moshi moshi Hello B: もしもし、あみ元気？ Moshi moshi, Ami genki? Hello, how are you Ami? A: 元気だよ Genki da yo I’m good. B: 最近どう？ Saikin dō? How have you been recently? A: 最近、彼女ができたよ Saikin kanojo ga dekita yo Recently I got a new girlfriend B: そうなんだ！良かったね！ Sō nan da! Yokatta ne! Oh really? That’s great! A: 毎日楽しすぎる！ Mainichi tanoshisugiru! It’s so much fun everyday!   Phone Dialog 03   Dialog 03 Japanese Pronunciation English A: もしもし Moshi moshi Hello B: もしもし、あみ元気？ Moshi moshi, Ami genki? Hello, how are you Ami? A: 元気だよ Genki da yo I’m good. B: 最近どう？ Saikin dō? How have you been recently? A: 最近、ジムに通い出したよ Saikin jimu ni kayoidashita yo Recently I started going to the gym. B: そうなんだ！良いね！ Sō nan da! Ii ne! Oh really? That’s good! A: 毎日筋肉痛がやばいよ！ Mainichi kinnikutsuu ga yabai yo! The muscle soreness is really bad everyday!   Extra Phone Phrases 携帯電話 – Keitai denwa – Mobile phone 携帯番号 – Keitai bangō – Mobile number メアド – Meado – Mail address 待受画面 – Machiukegamen – Standby screen (for phone) 写メ – Shame – Mobile phone picture スマホ – Sumaho – Smart Phone ガラケー – Garakeh – Flip phone   Polite Phone Phrases 田中さんはいらっしゃいますか – Tanaka san wa irasshaimasu ka Is Tanaka san there? / Can I speak to Mr. Tanaka?   田中は出かけております – Tanaka wa dekakete orimasu. Tanaka is out right now.   伝言をお願いします – Dengon o onegaishimasu. Can I leave a message please?   折り返しお電話いただけますか – Orikaeshi odenwa itadakemasu ka? Could you ask them to call me back please?

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #14 “Talking on the phone in Japanese” For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, I talk to Andy, a great friend of mine whom I have known for over 10 years here in Japan. As we are both long term residents of Tokyo, we wanted to record a podcast outlining the best and the worst of life here in the capital city of Japan. We decided to look at the good, the bad and the ugly to give an honest and balanced discussion of what it is really like to live here. If you are thinking about moving to Tokyo to live or just want to come for a brief visit, we hope there is some useful information for you here. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

In this podcast Ami and Alex discuss in detail everything you need to know about becoming fluent in Japanese. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

Everything You Need to Know to Speak Japanese Fluently My speaking fluent Japanese…sort of… One of the most common questions I get at Learn Japanese Pod is “How do I learn to speak Japanese fluently?”. The usual problem I hear is that although students study lots of vocabulary and grammar, they can’t seem to put it together to hold even a simple conversation. Fluency seems out of the question. Well, I hear you because I used to be in the same situation. I was really frustrated. However, after a lot of trial and error… and coffee, I eventually began to discover some effective study techniques, strategies and the mindset that actually worked. Now, fluency didn’t happen overnight but my ability to hold natural flowing conversations with my Japanese friends got noticeably better and my progress definitely sped up. So if you are feeling confused, frustrated and your motivation is crumbling, it’s time to get your Japanese back on track. So this is why I decided to make this podcast and guide to show you absolutely everything you need to know to speak Japanese fluently. You can listen to the podcast here where Ami sensei and I discuss this topic in detail. Then keep reading below for more in-depth information with links to useful resources. Podcast Dialog – How to Speak Japanese Fluently Japanese Pronunciation English A: 先生、質問しても良いですか？ Sensei, shitsumon shite mo ii desu ka. Teacher, may I ask a question? B: はい、どうぞ。 Hai dōzo. Sure, go ahead. A: どうすれば日本語を流暢に話せるようになりますか？ Dō sureba nihongo o ryuuchō ni hanaseru you ni narimasu ka? How can I become fluent at speaking Japanese? B: そうですね。やっぱり教材はもちろんですが、日本のテレビを観たり、日本の音楽をたくさん聴いてみてください。 Sō desu ne. Yappari kyōzai wa mochiron desu ga, nihon no terebi o mitari, nihongo no ongaku o takusan kiite kudasai. Let me see. Well of course you need study materials but you should watch Japanese TV, listen to a lot of music, stuff like that. A: なるほど。 Naruhodo. I see. B: 私の友達は、日本に住んだことはないですが、そうやって日本語を結構覚えましたよ。 Watashi no tomodachi wa nihon ni sunda koto ga nai desu ga sō yatte nihongo o kekkō oboemashita yo. I have a friend who never lived in Japan. However, he learned a lot of Japanese that way. A: 他に何かアドバイスはありますか？ Hoka ni adobaisu ga arimasu ka? Do you have any other advice? B: 日本語が話せる友達を作って、積極的に日本語で会話をしましょう。 Nihongo ga hanaseru tomodachi o tsukutte, sekkyokuteki ni nihongo de kaiwa o shimashou. Make Japanese speaking friends and proactively try to have conversations in Japanese. A: 分かりました。頑張ります！ Wakarimashita. Ganbarimasu. I understand. I will do my best. The Secret to Speaking Japanese Fluently Here’s the brutal truth. There is no secret to speaking fluent Japanese. And if anyone tells you there is a magical course that teaches you how to speak perfect Japanese in 3 days, buy a fire extinguisher because someone’s pants are on fire. It takes time, commitment and hard work…and coffee…I mentioned coffee right? Anyway, I can’t give you a magic pill BUT… And this is a big but… I can tell you the dumb things I did so you don’t have to. And that’s going to save you a LOT of time and frustration. Plus there are more efficient and effective ways to study that will further save time. But what do we actually mean by “fluency”? What does “fluent Japanese” mean? Fluent doesn’t necessarily mean native speaker level. To me, fluency simply means you can express what you want to say, clearly, easily and quickly without getting stuck or stumbling over your words. If you can order sushi or do a simple self introduction in Japanese, you have a basic level of fluency. No, you’re not native level but you could survive in Japan with a limited number of phrases. So don’t feel overwhelmed. Remember fluency isn’t how much you know, it’s how well you use it. So, let’s move to the first step you need to take on your journey to Japanese fluency. 1. Set Specific Goals Perhaps the biggest mistake students of Japanese make is not being clear about what they want to achieve. You need to set clear, specific goals, broken down into small achievable steps with deadlines. And here are my personal reasons: Set it and forget it – This avoids stress and decision fatigue worrying over what you should study next. It keeps it simple. Focus equals momentum – A focused goal gets you to where you want to go more quickly. Goals avoid waste – If you get super specific about what to achieve you avoid wasteful and irrelevant study Deadlines make it real – Set a date to increase the chances of success. A deadline further focuses you and makes your goals more concrete. Breaking things into small steps with many deadlines can help to avoid feeling overwhelmed. What’s a good Japanese Study Goal? So what’s a good goal? If you say “I want to speak kick ass, ninja level Japanese” that’s all well and good but it’s too vague and lacks a clear goal. Something better would be “I want to be able to say 100 travel related phrases fluently for my trip to Japan in three months”. Now you know the following: Exactly what you will study Exactly how mu

These are the show notes for podcast #13 “Everything you need to know to speak Japanese Fluently” For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com  

Learn Japanese Pod Fun Friday: Our Favourite Japanese Bands In our latest Fun Friday Podcast, Ami and I talked about our favourite Japanese bands and other recent news that has been happening in our lives Welcome to Learn Japanese Pod and the Fun Friday episode where we temporarily put down our Japanese textbooks and talk about Japanese culture and anything else to do with Japan that floats into our heads. In this episode, Ami sensei and I talked about our favorite Japanese bands. I kinda showed my age with some of my selection with some old classic Japanese bands most older people know. But Ami Sensei also likes some of those old classics too so we have a lot of music in common that we like. So here is a break down of some of the music we talked about. 1. Utada Hikaru – Fantome If you don’t know who Utada Hikaru is, you must have been living in a cave. She is a diva megastar of Japanese pop and has a long career spanning all the way back to the late 90s. Her latest album is Fantome and features quite an eclectic range of styles on the album. It’s definitely worth a listen and for me Utada is one of those go-to classic J-Pop stars you should have in your Japanese music collection. 2. Kick The Can Crew – Super original I hadn’t heard of Kick the Can Crew until Ami introduced them to me on the podcast. And on the first listen I really liked them. Japanese are masters of importing foreign culture and recreating it with their own unique interpretation. And rap is no exception. Japanese rap has come into its own and is considered to be a unique and innovative genre. If you like Kick the Can Crew and want to check out more great Japanese rap bands then you won’t go wrong with Rip Slyme and Dragon Ash. 3. Super Fly – Ai O Komete Hanataba O Super Fly is often called the Janis Joplin of J-Pop. She sings a mix of J-pop and rock and has a wide range and present vocal stle which is a refreshing break from your typical female Japanese singer. She has some pretty solid albums and songs out there and one of my favorites is 愛をこめて花束を Ai o komete hanataba – a song that really showcases some great song writing and powerful singing. That’ll definitely get your toes tapping. 4. Wednesday Campanella – Diablo Wednesday Campanella is a Japanese pop group headed by the super talented KOM_I, a singer and rapper with an hilarious sense of humour and a very original and creative style. In terms of genre it mixes rap, hop hop, electronic music and J-pop. Their videos are also pretty funny and worth a listen. 5. Okuda Tamio – Marshmallow Okuda Tamio is a singer song writer, guitarist and producer. He was formerly in a band called Unicorn which was pretty famous in Japan. He later quit to follow his own career. If you ask most Japanese people they will have heard of him and is also known for producing the hit band Puffy. The reason I like him is simple. In a word: guitar. As a nerdy guitarist I love the way he produces rock and gets an incredibly fat guitar sounds. Worth a listen! 6. Dry and Heavy – New Creation Back in the 90s, reggae hit Japan in a big way and the Japanese reggae scene was born. Today you have some really big reggae music events in Japan including the Reggae Sun Splash festival. One really solid Japanese reggae band I love is “Dry and heavy” which has an incredibly well produced and tight sound. One thing I have found is their albums age really well so they are always a good go to band of summer parties and something to listen to on the beach. 7. Urufuruzu – Osaka Strut ウルフルズ Urufuruzu are a rock band from Osaka and “Osaka Strut” is one of their big hits. The band is headed by the charismatic Tortoise Matsumoto who has also tried his hand at acting. They enjoyed their biggest initial success with the song “Guts Da Ze”, a song you should attempt only when you have achieved your black belt in Karaoke. 8. Southern All stars Southern All Stars are perhaps one of the most, if not, the most famous band in Japan. They have a long career stretching back to the late 70s and are still active now performing live and having their music featured in adverts and on TV. They have over 15 number one hits and, in short, are a legendary band. Go check them out, there’s a lot of music to choose from! 9. Begin Begin are one of my favorite bands for their great song writing and singing. Their music is influenced by the culture and history of Okinawa. You can hear the traditional San Shin in a lot of their music. It’s a 3 stringed guitar unique to Okinawa. Their most well known songs are “San shin no hana” and “Shimanchu nu takara”. 10. Mr Children Mr. Children (ミスターチルドレン Misutā Chirudoren)is rock group from Japan who are another mega group with a career going back to the early 90s. Known more commonly as “Misu-Chiru” (ミスチル), they are a band just about everyone has heard of in Japan. They have a large discography and an impressive share of number one hits. All I can say is, do a google search and see where that takes you as they have a fair

In this podcast, Ami Sensei and I teach you how to describe people’s personalities in natural Japanese. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com  

Talking about Personality in Japanese In this podcast, Ami Sensei and I teach you how to describe people’s personalities in natural Japanese. Listen to the full podcast and the dialog only audio underneath. So we thought we would have look at how to discuss people’s personalities in this week’s podcast. However, instead of only teaching a list of phrases, we wanted to give some conversational examples of how you might talk about people’s characters. Talking about people’s personalities in Japanese In this podcast, Ami sensei and I talk about how to describe people’s personalities in Japanese and how to talk about your favorite “type” of person for dating and romance. The first two dialogs show you how you can talk about people’s ideal boyfriend of girlfriend in terms of their personality. Podcast Dialog 1.1 A: ねえ、どんな人がタイプなの？ Ne, donna hito ga taipu na no? Hey, what kind of person are you into? B: そうだね。やっぱり優しくて、気が利いて、陽気な人かな。 Sō da ne. Yappari yasashikute, ki ga kiite, yōki na hito kana. Let me see. Of course kind, thoughtful and outgoing. A: 本当？それだけ？ Hontō? Sore dake? Really? That’s it? B: え？どういう意味それ？ E? Dō iu imi sore? Eh? What do you mean by that? A: 今までの彼氏みんなイケメンだったし、本当は面食いなんでしょう？ Ima made no kareshi ikemen datta shi, hontō wa menkui nan deshō? All your boyfriends until now have been really good looking. You’re just into looks aren’t you? B: うるさいなぁ、もう！ Urusai na mō! Oh shut up!   Podcast Dialog 1.2 A: ねえ、どんな人がタイプなの？ Ne, donna hito ga taipu na no? Hey, what kind of person are you into? B: そうだね。やっぱり優しくて、気が利いて、陽気な人かな。 Sō da ne. Yappari yasashikute, ki ga kiite, yōki na hito kana. Let me see. Of course kind, thoughtful and outgoing. A: 本当？それだけ？ Hontō? Sore dake? Really? That’s it? B: え？どういう意味それ？ E? Dō iu imi sore? Eh? What do you mean by that? A: 今までの彼女みんな美形だったじゃん、本当は見た目重視なんでしょう。 Ima made no kanojō minna bikkei datta shi, hontō wa menkui nan deshō? All your girlfriends until now have been really good looking. You’re just into looks aren’t you? B: うるさいなぁ、もう！ Urusai na mō! Oh shut up! In the next set of dialogs we look at how to compare people’s personalities in Japanese. These dialogs also contain a nice technique for expanding your vocabulary which is learning a adjective and it’s exact opposite. So if you learn the word 優しい Yasashii which means kind, you could then learn a word such as 気が短い Ki ga mijikai which means short tempered or bad tempered. This is a really nice way to group relevant vocabulary together which will double the amount of words you know and improve your fluency if you drill them. Here are some examples: Podcast Dialog 2.1 A: 彼氏はどんな人なの？ Kareshi wa donna hito na no? What’s your boyfriend like? B: そうだね。優しい人だよ。 Sō da ne. Yasashi hito da yo. Let me see. He’s a kind person. A: いいなあ。私の彼女は気が短いんだよね。 Ii naa. Watashi no kanajo ga ki ga mijikain da yo ne. I envy you. My girlfriend is short tempered.   Podcast Dialog 2.2 A: 彼女はどんな人なの？ Kanojo wa donna hito na no? What’s your girlfriend like? B: そうだね。優しい人だよ。 Sō da ne. Omoshiroi hito da yo. Let me see. She’s an interesting person. A: いいなあ。私の彼氏はつまらないんだよね。 Ii naa. Watashi no kareshi wa tsumaranain da yo ne. I envy you. My boyfriend is short tempered.   Podcast Dialog 2.3 A: 彼氏はどんな人なの？ Kareshi wa donna hito na no? What’s your boyfriend like? B: そうだね。社交的な人だよ。 Sō da ne. Shakōteki na hito da yo. Let me see. He’s a social person. A: いいなあ。私の彼女はおとなしいんだよね。 Ii naa. Watashi no kanajo wa otonashiin da yo ne. I envy you. My girlfriend is shy.   Podcast Dialog 2.4 A: 彼女はどんな人なの？ Kanojo wa donna hito na no? What’s your girlfriend like? B: そうだね。勤勉な人だよ。 Sō da ne. Kinben na hito da yo. Let me see. She’s a hard working person. A: いいなあ。私の彼氏は怠け者なんだよね。 Ii naa. Watashi no kareshi wa namakemono nan da yo ne. I envy you. My boyfriend is lazy.   Podcast Dialog 2.5 A: 彼氏はどんな人なの？ Kareshi wa donna hito na no? What’s your boyfriend like? B: そうだね。頭がいい人だよ。 Sō da ne. Shakōteki na hito da yo. Let me see. He’s a social person. A: いいなあ。私の彼女はちょっと天然入ってるんだよね Ii naa. Watashi no kanajo wa chotto tennen ga haitterun da yo ne. I envy you. My girlfriend is a bit of a space cadet. In the next set of dialogs we talk about personality as it relates to blood type. In Japan, it is widely believed that a person’s blood type is linked to or influences your personality. Although this is utter nonsense that has absolutely no scientific basis at all what so ever, it’s worth knowing about this cultural phenomenon. And it’s a great way to get a conversation going in Japanese and increase your vocabulary.   There are a couple of ways you can ask about bloody type and personality including the following:   A型の人ってどんな人が多い？ A gata no hito te donna hito ga ooi? What is a common personality for people with A type blood? Or 典型的なA型の人ってどうなの？Tenkeiteki na A gata no hito te dō na no? What is the typical personality of someone with A type blood? Here are some example dialogs as featured in the podcast:   Podcast Dialog 3.1 A: A型の人ってどんな人が多い？ A gata no hito te donna hito ga ooi? What’s

These are the PDF show notes for podcast #12 “Talking about personality in Japanese” For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, Ami sensei and I teach you about using the verb 食べる in the casual form which is used between people who know each other well in an informal situation. This is how you conjugate the verb taberu in plain form or “dictionary form”.

In this podcast, Ami sensei and I teach you about using the verb 食べる in the casual form which is used between people who know each other well in an informal situation. This is how you conjugate the verb taberu in plain form or “dictionary form”. Plain form verb – Taberu Positive Negative Present 食べる Taberu (To eat) 食べない Tabenai (Not eat) Past 食べた Tabeta (Ate) 食べなかった Tabenakatta (Didn’t eat) Japanese Verbs – Taberu Dialog A: ね、食べる？ Ne taberu? You wanna eat? B: 食べない Tabenai. I don’t want to eat A: 食べないの？ Tabenai no? You don’t want to eat? B: もう食べたから。食べなかったの？ Mo tabeta kara. Tabenakatta no. Already ate. You didn’t eat? A: うん、食べなかった。食べようよ Un Tabenakatta. Tabeyō yo. I didn’t eat. Let’s eat! B: いらない、ひとりで食べて！ Iranai, hitori de tabete. I don’t want any. You eat by yourself. Grammatical Breakdown of Dialog Rule 1 – You can drop the subject before a Japanese verb The dialog starts with ね – Ne which means “Hey” and used to get attention to start a conversation. Then the next word is 食べる？ Taberu with a rising intonation. This literally means “Eat?”. One important thing to remember is that you don’t need to use the subject of the sentence as the meaning is understood from the context of the situation. If someone is looking at you and simply says “Taberu” with a rising inflection. You can be pretty sure that they mean “Do you want to eat”? which is what it means in this situation. In fact, this entire dialog is completely devoid of sentences with the words you or I in them. And this because… Rule 2 – You have to guess the meaning from the context As we continue to the next line in the dialog we have 食べない tabenai which means “not eat”. Again, from the context, you can guess this means “I don’t want to eat”. And context is everything here. This aspect of Japanese can make it easier for you to say more with less because minimalism is the key. It can also make it devilishly hard to understand what is being said because if you don’t understand the situation you won’t understand the conversation. Continuing we have 食べないの？Tabenai no which is literally “Not eat” + のno which signifies a question. This means “Not eat?” or “Don’t you want to eat?” Next we haveもう食べた Mō tabeta kara – This literally means “Already ate because” or “No because I already ate”. Then 食べなかったの Tabenakatta no – which means “didn’t eat” with the の question marker so “Didn’t you eat?”. Rule 3 – Yes means no and no means yes The answer to the question “Didn’t you eat” is うん 食べなかった Un Tabenakatta – Yes, I didn’t eat. This might be confusing as in English you would usually say: A: Didn’t you eat? B: No, I didn’t However in Japanese you have to say “Yes, I didn’t eat”. This is because in Japanese, when you say yes, you are agreeing directly with the statement that was just made so you could think of it as “Yes, it is true that I didn’t eat”. Rule 4 – Verbs ending in ō mean “Let’s do something” Next we hear 食べよう Tabeyō. This form of the verb is used to suggest or propose an idea. So it means “Let’s eat”. Theよ Yo at the end emphasizes the meaning more. Here are some more examples: 飲もうよ Nomō yo – Come on, let’s drink! 行こうよ Ikō yo – Come on, let’s go! やろうよ Yarō yo – Come on, let’s do this! Rule 5 – Verbs ending in “Te” can be an order to do something The last line of this dialog is いらいない Iranai – Not needed or more naturally “I don’t want any”. Finally we have 一人で食べて Hitori de tabete. Hitori means one person or in this case by yourself. 食べて Tabete is what’s called the “Te” form of the verb and is an order or request to do something so Tabete means “Eat!”. In this case the speaker is saying, “I don’t want any, you go ahead and eat by yourself”. What is Japanese plain verb form? In Japanese, there are various forms of politeness from very direct to extremely polite. Plain form verbs are considered to be less formal and are often used in casual conversation between friends and people of similar social rank in society. When looking up verbs in the dictionary, you will always find the plain form of the verb which is why they are also know as “dictionary form” verbs. The more formal and polite form is the -masu form which is conjugated for the verb Taberu like this: -Masu form verb – Taberu Positive Negative Present 食べます Tabemasu (To eat) 食べません Tabemasen (Not eat) Past 食べました Tabemashita (Ate) 食べませんでした Tabemasendeshita (Didn’t eat) The -masu form of the verb is used in more formal situations when to talking to people of senior rank. You will often here service staff use the -masu form of verbs to customers. Why study Japanese plain form verbs? When studying Japanese for the first time it is quite common to study -masu form verbs first. This may be because of tradition and perhaps Japanese teachers would rather give you all the polite Japanese first before you go out and offend people with the wrong level of politeness. This is not necessarily a bad idea and I would advise you to definitely learn polite -masu form verbs. However, in my experience, after studying almost exclusi

These are the show notes tp podcast #11 “Japanese Verbs – Taberu”. For more Japanese learning podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast Ami and Alex go through the top 10 most common questions you will be asked by Japanese people on your first visit to Japan. Enjoy! For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

These are the dialogues from podcast #10 “The top 10 questions you will be asked in Japan” After living in Japan for over 20 years as a foreigner, I have noticed a clear pattern of questions I am often asked. As well as being very hospitable, the Japanese are inquisitive people who are genuinely interested in why people visit or live in their country. Therefore students of Japanese who are planning a trip to Japan will find it extremely useful to study those questions and how to answer them in Japanese. In this podcast, Ami Sensei and I go through the top 10 most common questions Japanese people ask and the cultural reasons behind them. So if you are slightly surprised or shocked by what you are asked, it’s usually due to a cultural difference which we discuss in the podcast. 1: お名前はなんですか Oname wa nan desu ka – What is your name? Although obvious, this is the first question you should learn. To reply, simply say your name + desu. アレックスです – Arekkusu desu – I am Alex. The other thing you should keep in mind is that Japanese say their surname first and first name last. So, if you want to say I am John Smith you would say スミスジョンです – Sumisu Jon Desu. Finally, saying your name using a Japanese accent or Katakana sounds might will make it a little easier for Japanese to understand you name. 2: お国はどちらですか Okuni wa dochira desu ka – Where are you from? Japanese people are always very interested in where you are from. To answer this question you could simply say アメリカです Amerika desu – America or イギリスです Igirisu desu – The UK. You can also say アメリカから来ました Amerika kara kimashita – I come from America. 3: お仕事は何をされていますか Oshigoto wa nani o sarete imasu ka – What do you do? This is a very common question that might be asked anywhere in the world. However, there is an added cultural dimension to this. When meeting people for the first time, Japanese people tend to ask questions that give them an idea of the social status of the person they are speaking to so as to communicate with an appropriate level of politeness or respect. To answer this question simply say your job + desu. For example 学生です Gakusei desu – I am a student. サラリマンです Sarariman desu – I am an office work (only for men). Women might say OLです – Oh Eru desu – I am (a female) office worker. 4: なんで日本へ来たんですか Nande nihon e kitan desu ka – Why did you come to Japan? This is the perhaps the most commonly asked question foreigners get when visiting or living in Japan. In fact there is a very popular show on TV entitled “Youは何しに日本へ” You wa nani shi ni nihon e – Why did you come to Japan? Japanese people are fascinated in why people take the trouble to travel to Japan. Perhaps this is something to do with the fact that Japanese people are interested in how their country is perceived abroad and what might be interesting or attractive to foreigners. When replying say your reason + tame which means the reason why you did something. For example: はじめて日本に来た時は日本語を勉強するためでした Hajimete nihon ni kita toki wa nihongo o benkyō suru tame deshita – I first came to Japan in order to study Japanese. 5: おいくつですか/ 何歳ですか Oikutsu desu ka – How old are you? This is one of those questions that some visitors to Japan might find a little surprising or rude. However, when Japanese ask what your age is, what they are really saying is “I want to know your age so I don’t speak to you with an inappropriate level of politeness”. At the same time, you are under no obligation to give your age if you feel it is too personal. Deflecting with humour usually works and you can say something like 秘密です Himitsu desu – It’s a secret. If you don’t mind giving your age, say your age + sai desu. For example ２５歳です Nijuugo sai desu – I am 25. 6: 箸使えますか Hashi tsukaemasu ka – Can you use chopsticks? For a cosmopolitan westerner who is used to eating Chinese or Vietnamese food at home, you might be surprised if Japanese people ask you if you can use chopsticks. Your answer might be a slightly irritated “Well of course I can dammit!”. However, Japanese are trying to be polite and are showing you their hospitality in making sure you don’t have any problems with their food. You can simply say 箸使えますよ Hashi tsukaemasu yo – I can use chop sticks If you can’t you could say ちょっと難しです Chotto muzukashii desu – It’s a little difficult (for me) 7: 納豆食べられますか Natto taberaremasu ka – Can you eat natto? If you didn’t know, natto is a Japanese delicacy which is made from fermented beans. It has quite a strong smell which can put off people new to the food. But don’t worry if you don’t like it, don’t worry, it’s one of those foods that divides Japanese people into natto fans and natto haters. If you like natto you can say 納豆食べられます Natto taberaremasu – I can eay natto. If you don’t like it you can say 納豆食べられません Natto taberaremasen – I can’t eat natto. Alternatively you can say ちょっと口に合わないです Chotto kuchi ni awanai desu – I don’t like eating it. 8: 結婚していますか Kekkon shite imasu ka – Are you married? This is another one of those questions

These are the downloadable PDF show notes for podcast #10 “The Top 10 Questions you will be asked in Japan”. For more Japanese language learning podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this week’s Fun Friday Podcast I talked with my good friend Niko who is the creator of Nihongo Shark, a website for learning Japanese. Niko is a Jedi master of online language self-study techniques which he developed while trying to teach himself Japanese. If you were ever frustrated with your Japanese studies, Niko understands, as he used to struggle too. And that’s what makes him such a great teacher and Nihongoshark such a great Japanese language learning resource. His philosophy is about teaching people how to teach themselves Japanese more effectively and quickly. This is opposed to wanting to curl up in a ball and cry every time you see a Japanese textbook. Niko is a prolific creator of great online Japanese lessons and some pretty hilarious blog posts. His website has a wide variety Japanese lessons, advice on language learning, a newsletter and language courses for motivated Japanese students. In the podcast I talked to Niko about his recent travels in Thailand, his experience and advice about language learning and of course how to suck less at speaking Japanese. For more Japanese language learning podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this week’s podcast Yoshiko and Alex discuss useful Japanese vocabulary and cultural points and advice for ordering sushi at a Japanese restaurant like a native. The good news is you don’t have to learn a huge amount of vocabulary to order your your favorite dishes if you learn just a few useful key phrases. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

These are the dialogues for podcast #09 ““How to order Sushi at a Japanese Restaurant” In this week’s podcast Yoshiko and Alex discuss useful Japanese vocabulary and cultural points and advice for ordering sushi at a Japanese restaurant like a native. The good news is you don’t have to learn a huge amount of vocabulary to order your your favorite dishes if you learn just a few useful key phrases. Sushi Vocabulary 大将 Taishō – (Sushi) chef サーモン Saamon – Salmon マグロ Maguro – Tuna たまご Tamago – Egg 雲丹 Uni – Sea urchin いくら Ikura – Salmon roe 貫 Kan – Counter for sushi 一貫 Ikkan – 1 piece of sushi 二貫 Nikan – 2 pieces 三貫 Sankan – 3 pieces 一貫ずつ Ikkan zutsu – One piece of each お願いします Onegaishimasu – Please さび抜き Sabinuki – Without wasabi あがり一丁 Agari ichō – Tea できますか Dekimasu ka – Can you make it? お冷や Ohiya – Cold water お椀 Owan – Soup 茶碗蒸し Chawan Mushi – Egg and custard dish えんがわ Engawa – Fin of flounder (flatfish) ごちそうさまでした Gochisōsama deshita – That was delicious 回転寿し Kaitenzushi – Conveyor belt sushi お腹いっぱい Onaka ippai – I’m full 刺身 Sashimi – Slices of fish 寿司 Sushi – Slices of fish on rice つまみ Tsumami – Used when ordering just the meat of the fish rather than sushi ガリ Gari – Slices of ginger in sweet vinegar Main Dialogue A: 大将！サーモン２貫ください Taishō! Saamon Ni Kan Kudasai – Chef, 2 pieces of salmon please. B: はいよ Hai yo – Yes A: 雲丹といくら１貫ずつできますか Uni to ikura Ikkan zutsu dekimasu ka – Can you do 1 sea urchin and 1 salmon roe? B: はいよ Hai yo – Yes A: さび抜きでお願いします Sabi nuki de onegaishimasu – Without wasabi please. B: はいよ Hai yo – Yes A: お腹いっぱい。大将あがり一丁 Onaka ippai. Taishō agari ichō – I’m full. Chef, 1 tea please. B: はいよ Hai yo – Yes 10 Cultural Tips for Ordering Sushi Here are 10 useful cultural points that will really help you when ordering sushi in Japan. 1. Call the Sushi chef “Taishō” When you order from a sushi chef it is custom to refer to them as 大将 – Taishō. This means various things including general, boss, cheif etc. but in this context is used specifically to adress a sushi chef. 2. Use “Kan” counter to order sushi. When counting pieces of Sushi you usually use the counter “kan”. For example: 一貫 – Ikkan – One piece of sushi 二貫 – Nikan – Two pieces of sushi 三貫 – Sankan – Three pieces of sushi 四貫 – Yonkan – Four pieces of sushi Japanese Pronunciation English 大将サーモンを一貫下さい Taishō saamon o ikkan kudasai One piece of salmon please chef 大将マグロを二貫ください Taishō maguro o nikan kudasai Two pieces of tuna please chef 大将たまごを三貫ください Taishō tamago o sankan kudasai Three piece of egg please chef 大将雲丹を四貫ください Taishō uni o yonkan kudasai Four pieces of sea urchin please chef An important thing to remember is it is not so common to order more than 2 or 3 pieces of the same type of sushi at the same time. The most common is ２貫 Nikan – two pieces of sushi. It is possible to say something like this: たまごを二貫、サーモンを二貫、マグロを二貫ください Tamago o nikan, saamon o nikan, maguro o nikan kudasai 2 pieces of egg, 2 salmon and 2 tuna please. 5) Use the word “agari” to order green tea When you want to order tea say あがり一丁 agari ichō. This is a special way to order green tea that is particular to sushi restaurants. When you order, they usually bring it to you in a cup. However, in many conveyor belt sushi restaurants it’s common to make your own tea by putting green tea powder in a cup and adding hot water from a tap at the counter. 6) It is OK to use your hands when eating sushi Believe it or not it is acceptable to use your hands when eating sushi. There is no decidedly proper way to eat sushi. However, when in doubt just copy what every one else is doing in the restaurant. 7) How to dip sushi in soy sauce The proper way to eat sushi is to very lightly dip the meat of the fish in the soy sauce and not the rice. If soy gets on the rice it can start to fall apart and is not considered the most tasty way to eat it. Some people even turn the sushi upside down in their mouth when eating so that the tongue touches the meat first. Also, go easy on the soy sauce and the ginger. Japanese people tend not to drown each piece of sushi in soy sauce. Ginger is supposed to be eaten just to cleanse the palate between dishes. 8) Not all sushi is raw It is in fact possible to order broiled versions of your favorite sushi which is called 炙り aburi. One particular favorite is 炙りサーモン Aburi saamon or broiled salmon. The chef will take a torch to the Sushi which gives it a delicious seared and smokey taste. 9) Say Gochisōsama when you finish eating ごちそうさま Gochisōsama means “that was delicious” and you usually say it at the end of a meal. It’s common to say it either eating at a restaurant or at someone’s house after eating a meal with them. 10) To get the bill say Okaikei kudasai To get the bill say お会計ください okaikei kudasai. The staff will come to the counter or table where you ar

These are the downloadable PDF show notes for podcast #09 “How to order Sushi at a Japanese Restaurant” For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast, Yoshiko and I (Alex) talk about etiquette for eating out and drinking with friends at an Izakaya, Hanami party or similar events. If you listen to this podcast you will learn some insider cultural knowledge which will help you to give you your black belt in partying with your Japanese friends. For more podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast Yoshiko and I teach you how to talk about your likes and dislikes. Check out the PDF show notes and podcasts to see all the examples. For more Japanese language learning podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com

These are the dialogues for podcast #08: Talking about your likes and dislikes in Japanese Dialog 1 Yoshiko: ねぇ、ところで食べ物は何が好き? – Ne, tokoro de tabemono wa nani ga suki – Hey, by the way, what food do you like? Alex: そうだな、やっぱりお寿司かな? – Sō da na, yappari osushi kana – Hmm, let me see…well for me I guess it is Sushi. Yoshiko: 何のネタが一番好き? – Nan no neta ga ichiban suki – What topping do you like? Alex: 鮪が一番好きかも – Maguro ga ichiban suki kamo – I suppose it’s tuna. Dialog 2 Yoshiko: ねぇ、ところでスポーツは何が好き? – Ne, tokoro de supōtsu wa nani – Hey, by the way, what sport do ga suki you like? Alex: そうだな、やっぱり野球かな? – Sō da na, yappari yakyuu kana – Hmm, let me see…well for me I guess it is baseball. Yoshiko: どこのチームが一番好き? – Doko no chiimu ga ichiban suki – Which team do you like? Alex: ジャイアンツが一番好きかも。 – Jaiantsu ga ichiban suki kamo – I suppose it’s The (Tokyo) Giants. How to express how much you like or dislike things 寿司が大好きです – Sushi ga dai suki (desu) – I love sushi 寿司が好きです – Sushi ga suki (desu) – I like sushi. 寿司がまあまあすきです – Sushi ga mama suki (desu) – Sushi is OK. 寿司があんまり好きじゃない – Sushi ga amari suki ja nai – I don’t like sushi very much. 寿司が嫌いです – Sushi ga kirai (desu) – I don’t like sushi. 寿司が大嫌い – Sushi ga daikkirai (desu) – I hate sushi.    

These are the download about PDf show notes for podcast #8 Talking about your likes and dislikes in Japanese. For more Japanese learning podcasts visit http://learnjapanesepod.com    

2016 in Japan in Review Fun Friday is back, Hoorah! And if you don’t know what Fun Friday is, it is a podcast where we temporarily put down our textbooks and talk about life, the universe and everything related to life in Japan. In this episode, Yoshiko joined me to review 2016. We talked about our experiences and the major news events of the last year in Japan. I added links to the topics we covered in the podcast. Enjoy! Topics and links mentioned in the podcast Time / Topic 02:00 Myojinkan Hot Spring 03:08 Nokogiriyama 04:01 Coffee House – Cafe Edomonzu 05:20 Warayakiya Japanese restaurant 06:43 Learn Japanese Pod Dojo – New online Japanese Course area 07:13 Learn Japanese Pod 5 Day Japanese Challenge 09:13 Why do you want to study Japanese Survey results 21:14 2016 Japanese Buzzwords

This is podcast 07: How to ask for help in Japanese. Asuka and Alex will teach you lots of useful phrases on the topic of asking your friend to help you.

Today’s Key phrase If you only learn one thing from this podcast, learn today’s key phrase which is: て を 貸して くれる？ Can you lend me a hand? TE O KASHITE KURERU This phrase literally translates as “Could you lend me a hand?” and it has the same meaning. This is a casual level phrase used between people of similar social standing. It’s fine to use this at work with your coworkers but you might not want to use this with your boss. Even if you are a beginner in Japanese and don’t understand everything in the following dialogs don’t worry. Just try to listen out for the key phrase to get a feel of how it is used in daily conversation. You can also memorize the phrase and try to use it in real life when the opportunity arises. Even if you can’t describe exactly what it is you want help with, you can just say 手を貸してくれる and depending on the context the listener should probably be able to understand what you want. If you wanted to ask someone of high social status for help you might say something like: 手伝っていただけますか Would you help me please? Tetsudatte itadakemasu ka If you want to ask someone if they need help politely you might say: なにかお手伝いしましょうか Do you need help with anything? Nani ka otetsudai shimashōka Dialog 1 Asuka: ちょっといい？ Chotto ii? Can I bother you for a minute? Alex: うん。どうした？ Un. Dō shita Sure, what’s up? Asuka: このパソコンを全部会議室 へ運びたいんだけど手を貸 してくれる？ Kono pasokon o zenbu kaigishitsu e hakobitain dakedo te o kashite kureru? I want to take all these PCs to the meeting room. Could you lend me a hand? Alex: うん、いいよ。 Un, ii yo. Sure. Dialog 2 Asuka: アレックス、ちょっとい い？ Arekkusu, chotto ii? Alex, can I bother you for a minute? Alex: どうした？ Dō shita What’s up? Asuka: 週末引越しするんだけど手 を貸してくれる？ Shuumatsu hikkoshi surun dakedo te o kashite kureru? I’m moving this weekend. Could you lend me a hand? Alex: あの、今週末ちょっと髪の 毛洗わなきゃいけない Ano, konshuumatsu chotto kaminoke arawanakya ikenai Well, I have to wash my hair this weekend… Asuka: まじでお前？週末しか洗っ てないのかよ Maji de omae. Shuumatsu shika arattenai no ka yo Are you kidding me? You only wash on the weekends?! Alex: 手伝うよ Tetsudau yo I’ll help you Asuka: ありがとう Arigatō Thanks Dialog 3 Asuka: アレックス、ちょっとい い？ Arekkusu, chotto ii? Alex, can I bother you for a minute? Alex: うん。どうした？ Un. Dō shita Sure, what’s up? Asuka: 廊下の電球とりかえたいん だけど手を貸してくれる？ Rōka no denkyuu torikaetain dakedo te o kashite kureru I want to change the lightbulb in the corridor. Could you lend me a hand? Alex: あの実は暗いところは ちょっと怖いんですけど Ano jitsu wa kurai tokoro wa kowain desu kedo Well, the thing is I’m afraid of dark places. Asuka: まじかよ？！ Maji ka yo Are you serious?! Dialog 4 Asuka: アレックス、ちょっとい い？ Arekkusu, chotto ii? Alex, can I bother you for a minute? Alex: うん。どうした？ Un. Dō shita Sure, what’s up? Asuka: 宿題でわからないところが あるんだけど手を貸してく れる？ Shukudai de wakaranai tokoro ga arun dakedo te o kashite kureru There’s something I don’t understand in my home work. Could you lend me a hand? Alex: いいよ Ii yo Sure Asuka: 本当わかるのか？ Hontō wakaru no ka Do you really understand? Alex: あの、とりあえずわかるふ りをする Ano, toriaezu wakaru furi o suru Well, for now I’ll pretend to understand Dialog 5 Asuka: アレックス、ちょっとい い？ Arekkusu, chotto ii? Alex, can I bother you for a minute? Alex: うん。どうした？ Un. Dō shita Sure, what’s up? Asuka: 部屋を片付けたいんだけど 手を貸してくれる？ Heya o katazuketain dakedo te o kashite kureru? I want to clean up the room, could you lend me a hand? Alex: 絶対やだ！ Zettai yada Absolutely not! Asuka: 大きソーファがあってうご かせないの！ Ōkii sōfa ga atte ugokasenai no There’s a big sofa I can’t move Alex: なんでいつもいやな仕事？ Nande itsumo iya na shigoto Why is it always these sucky jobs? Asuka: アレックス手を貸してくれ るかな… Arekkusu te o kashite kureru ka na… I thought you might be able to help… Asuka: ぎっくり腰なんですよ！ Gikkuri koshi nan desu yo I’ve got a strained back. Asuka: わかった、わかった、ごめ ん。違う人に聞いてみる Wakatta, wakatta, gomen. Chigau hito ni kiite miru OK, OK, sorry. I’ll try asking someone else. Random Phrase – Mottainai – It’s a waste やみつき Yamitsuki To be completely addicted to something / To be hooked on something you can’t stop Examples: Pokemon Go にみんなやみつき Pokemon Go ni minna yamitsuki Everyone is hooked on Pokemon Go ぱちんこにやみつき Pachiko ni yamitsuki I’m hooked on Pachinko ロスアンゼルスのみんなラーメンにやみつき Rosuanzerusu no minna raamen ni yamitsuki Everyone in Los Angeles is hooked on ramen noodles

These are show notes for podcast #07 How to ask for help in Japanese.

In this podcast, Asuka and Alex will teach you some useful classroom Japanese phrases. These phrases will help you to interact with your teacher and ask and answer questions. For more Japanese language learning podcasts go to http://learnjapanesepod.com

These are just the Japanese dialogues taken from podcast #06 “Useful Classroom Japanese Phrases” In this podcast, Asuka and I teach you some useful classroom Japanese phrases so you can interact with your teacher and understand more. We teach you how to ask questions about vocabulary and sentences. In fact, I wish I had known all this when I started to study Japanese in Tokyo all those years ago. It would have helped me learn vocabulary a lot more quickly. We also teach you how to speak in a respectful way to your Sensei. And of course you can catch up with the rest of our random banter about what’s been going on with Asuka and I recently. Japanese Pronunciation English 先生 Sensei Teacher ちょっと Chotto A little 質問 Shitsumon Question どうぞ Dōzo Please go ahead …てどういう意味ですか …te dō iu imi desu ka What does … mean? …という意味です。 …to iu imi desu It means… …でどんな文章が作るんですか？ …de donna bunshō ga tsukurun desu ka What kind of sentence can you make with… 食事 Shokuji Food 残す Nokosu To leave something 彼女 Kanojo Girlfriend 振る Furu To shake / to dump someone 使える Tsukaeru To be able to use something 君 Kimi You (casual) 指輪 Yubiwa Ring Main Dialog 1 (Japanese) Student: 先生、ちょっと質問があります。 Sensei, chotto shitsumon ga arimasu. Teacher: はい、どうぞ。 Hai dōzo. Student: 「もったいない」ってどういう意味ですか？ Mottainai tte dō iu imi desu ka. Teacher: それはtoo good to wasteという意味です。 Sore wa too good to waste to iu imi desu. Student: 「もったいない」で、どんな文章が作れるんですか？ Mottainai de donna bunshō ga tsukurun desu ka. Teacher: 食事を残すなんてもったいない。 Shokuji o nokosu nante mottainai. Student: そのように使うんですね。わかりました。ありがとうございます。 Sono yō ni tsukaun desu ne. Wakarimashita. Arigatō gozaimasu. Main Dialog (English) Student: (Teacher) Could I just ask a question? Teacher: Yes, go ahead. Student: What does “Mottainai” mean? Teacher: “Mottainai” means too good to waste. Student: How do you use “Mottainai” in a sentence? Teacher: Leaving food is a waste (mottainai). Student: That’s how you use it! I understand. Thank you. Random Phrase – Mottainai – It’s a waste Here are some extra examples of this week’s random phrase which is “Mottainai” which means it’s such a waste. 1) 彼女を振ったなんてもったいない！ Kanojo futta nante mottainai It was such a shame (waste) that you dumped your girlfriend! 2) もう新しいパソコン買うの？もったいないな、まだ使えるのに。 mō atarashii pasokon kau no. mottainai na, mada tsukaeru noni. You’re buying a new PC already? That’s a waste, you can still use the old one. 3) 君にその指輪はもったいないよ。 Kimi ni sono yubiwa mottainai yo That ring is wasted on you. For more Japanese language learning podcasts go to http://learnjapanesepod.com

These are the downloadable PDF show notes for podcast #06 “Useful Classroom Japanese Phrases” For more Japanese language learning podcasts go to http://learnjapanesepod.com

In this podcast we reveal our top 10 tips for studying Japanese more efficiently. For more Japanese language learning podcasts go to http://learnjapanesepod.com