phrases in romaji

[QwertyJPC]

like..


watashi wa baka gaijin des.

[Steve Bildermann]

watashi wa baka gaijin des.

Ahooooooooga!!! Ahoooooooooooga!!Red Alert, Red Alert ---- Nippongo Grammar Nazis to the forum....

[QwertyJPC]

oh c'mon... my grammar is wrong?


c'mon!

[Steve Bildermann]

oh c'mon... my grammar is wrong

[cstaylor]

Yes, you need a 'na' between baka and gaijin.

[kotatsuneko]

! !

[QwertyJPC]

so it's ..

watashi wa baka na gaijin des!

Yay! I gots it right!

[Andocrates]

watashi sounds a little girly, use boku or ore. And the sentence is awkward. It sounds like you're state is one of idiocy (like you live in a home) :-/

Why did you forget her name?
boku ha baka nan da/desu (because I'm an idiot)

Hey you, why can't you read hiragana?
baka nan gainjin da/desu

Not only do you not need a personal pronoun but often the pronoun is already in the phrase.

[yakinoumiso]

Why not just "baka desu/da/yo"? I mean, this isn't exactly the kind of reply you'd give to your bucho, even if he were Taro sama. Though, I suppose the answer to why not is probably obvious (baka desu?).

Why did you forget her name?
aa, baka da, though for added effect, I'd let the final a trail off and put my head down on the table.

Hey you, why can't you read hiragana?
baka da kara

Wassamata U?
baka yo

Though, it's probably worth mentioning that a lot of nihonjin may react with more shock than amusument towards your perfectly plausible explaination.

watashi sounds a little girly, use boku or ore.

Really? My Japanese teacher's been trying to stop me from using 'ore', and instead using 'boku' in more casual setting and 'watashi' in a less. Hrumph, I think she's a bit batty though.

[Taro Toporific]

watashi sounds a little girly, use boku or ore.

Really? My Japanese teacher's been trying to stop me from using 'ore', and instead using 'boku' in more casual setting and 'watashi' in a less. Hrumph, I think she's a bit batty though.

American Oyaji and I are on opposite ends of this question: he's totally 'ore' --- I'll be "boku" till age ninety. It depends on your personality type.

Although they are over forty years old, my landlady is called "Rika-chan" by everyone and so is my buriko-to-tears graphics lady "Mari-chan."

[Andocrates]

:oops: Why not just "baka desu/da/yo"? I mean, this isn't exactly the kind of reply you'd give to your bucho, even if he were Taro sama. Though, I suppose the answer to why not is probably obvious (baka desu?).

Why did you forget her name?
aa, baka da, though for added effect, I'd let the final a trail off and put my head down on the table.

Hey you, why can't you read hiragana?
baka da kara

Wassamata U?
baka yo

Though, it's probably worth mentioning that a lot of nihonjin may react with more shock than amusument towards your perfectly plausible explaination.

watashi sounds a little girly, use boku or ore.

Really? My Japanese teacher's been trying to stop me from using 'ore', and instead using 'boku' in more casual setting and 'watashi' in a less. Hrumph, I think she's a bit batty though.

Well, it would be fine to say "baka da kara." I was trying to set the poster up for a lesson.on the magical n that turns facts into explanations.

atama ga itai desu
I have a headache
atama ga itain da kara (kaeru)
I have a headache (so I'm going home.)

P.S. Your teacher doesn't want you to use boku/ore because that makes you an "uppity gaijin." You're supposed to speak soft gaijin english so that we all sound alike.

[kotatsuneko]

imho "boku" grates on the ears and sounds weak, almost apologetic

its ore for me all the way , tho as Taro says, its all about preference

[cenic]

Pimsleur's Japanese Language CDs:

fuji genko no diane jackson toi masu
I am Fuji Bank's Bitch, Diane Jackson.

kyo wa ii otenki desu ne
today good weather, no?

chinpoko o taberu koto ga suki desu
I like to eat sauage.

[Steve Bildermann]

A Japanese guide to Japanese grammar

This is a website that explains Japanese grammar in a systematic step-by-step process, released under the Creative Commons License (2.0). It is a good resource for those who want to learn Japanese grammar in a rational, intuitive way that makes sense in Japanese. The explanations are focused on how to make sense of the grammar not from English but from a Japanese point of view. To find out more about this guide, go to the introduction page and start learning this intriguing and unique language

http://www.geocities.jp/nihongoguide/index.html

Tom's Links for Studying Japanese

SUPER LINKS TO Japanese WEBSITES - Everything you ever wanted to know and lots of stuff you didn't know and quite possible lots of stuff you don't need to know

[Charles]

...The explanations are focused on how to make sense of the grammar not from English but from a Japanese point of view...

That's the standard pedagogical method nowadays, and of course the eventual goal is to "think in Japanese" so you have to learn how to think about grammar in Japanese, not English, otherwise you're just mentally translating words into Japanese, which is not going to lead to fluency.

But the bigger problem is that native speakers of English are usually poorly trained in grammar, and aren't even capable of thinking about grammar in English. That's one of the primary reasons that universities have foreign language requirements, they don't have any expectation that you'll become fluent in a typical 2 year required course. Rather, they expect you to come to grips with English grammar, by studying a foreign grammar and dealing with grammar constructs from a whole different angle.
I discovered a rather fascinating book that is based on this approach, "English Grammar for Students of Japanese"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0934034168/
It's intended as supplementary material for a full Japanese course, it's not going to teach you all of Japanese grammar on its own, but it might be invaluable for struggling students.

[Andocrates]

A Japanese guide to Japanese grammar

This is a website that explains Japanese grammar in a systematic step-by-step process, released under the Creative Commons License (2.0). It is a good resource for those who want to learn Japanese grammar in a rational, intuitive way that makes sense in Japanese. The explanations are focused on how to make sense of the grammar not from English but from a Japanese point of view. To find out more about this guide, go to the introduction page and start learning this intriguing and unique language

http://www.geocities.jp/nihongoguide/index.html

Tom's Links for Studying Japanese

SUPER LINKS TO Japanese WEBSITES - Everything you ever wanted to know and lots of stuff you didn't know and quite possible lots of stuff you don't need to know

So many links so little time. The first one looked interesting.

[kotatsuneko]

"But the bigger problem is that native speakers of English are usually poorly trained in grammar, and aren't even capable of thinking about grammar in English"

an excellent point, Charles.

[QwertyJPC]

Ok i'm gonna try two phrases in romaji:

Ore wa baka nan gaijin desu.


scoshi wakari mas.

[FG Lurker]

Romanized Japanese hurts my brain.

No, really. Maybe I'm not smart enough to interpret it!

[Andocrates]

[tatsujin]

"But the bigger problem is that native speakers of English are usually poorly trained in grammar, and aren't even capable of thinking about grammar in English"

an excellent point, Charles.

I agree also Charles, I'm currently studying English Literature and I find the grammar especially difficult. Why was I not told of this growing up???

Rather funnily, one of my Japanese friends studying English asked me to help her out on one of her Advanced classes. I honestly couldn't answer the majoirty of questions the book posed!

I'll be sure to have a look at the book you suggested. Thanks!

[QwertyJPC]

Here's another...


E Otenki des ne?

And another...

Shinjuku ecki doko des ka?

[puargs]

Qwerty, I honestly think the best way for you to learn these things is to sit down and learn the kana BEFORE you start with the romanization. You're not understanding the fundamental way these sounds are formed, or what characters they relate to- therefore you can't fully understand the grammar behind them.

Find a teacher, sit down, and take 2 weeks to learn the kana. It won't take you longer (it won't be faster, either), and I guarantee your ability to grasp the grammar will shoot out the roof. It builds from the basics, and choosing the proper starting point should be priority #1, if you want to get a full understanding. (shit, I sound like a fuckin stroke-order kanji nazi)


eg.

E Otenki des ne?

And another...

Shinjuku ecki doko des ka?

Should actually be romanized as (in your exact context, I'm not commenting on your grammar)

ii otenki desu ne?

shinjuku eki doko desu ka?
----------------

I know all this sounds asinine, but I'm not trying to discourage you- the best way to learn is really starting from the basics.

[QwertyJPC]

[jingai]

Not quite. wa the particle is は　(same as "ha")　

ばか な

[bruce_a]