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Mimetic Words | Onomatopoeia Hey guys, today we’re gonna talk about mimetic words and onomatopoeia in Japanese! Mimetic words, just like onomatopoeia, are words that phonetically resemble the source of sound that they’re describing – they mimic sounds, feelings, and senses! You will often see these mimetic words and onomatopoeia in either ひらがな or カタカナ! It doesn’t really matter which one you use. Animal and Human Sounds・擬声語・ぎせいご: Bear・ガオー・Roar Bee・ブーン・Buzz Cat・ニャー・Meow Cow・モーモー・Moo Dog・ワンワン・Woof Duck・ガーガー・Quack Fox・コンコン・??? Frog・げろげろ・Ribbit Horse・ひひいん・Neigh Monkey・ウキウキ・Oo-oo-aa-aa Mouse・チューチュー・Squeak Pig・ブーブー・Oink Sheep・めーめー・Baa Child crying loudly・うわーん Chuckling secretively・ウフフ・(´∀｀*)ｳﾌﾌ Clearing your throat for attention・おほん Loud laugh・アハハ Speaking a foreign language fluently・ぺらぺら Surprised scream・うぎゃー Unable to contain laughter・クスクス Inanimate Objects and Nature Sounds・擬音語・ぎおんご: You will often see 擬音語used in manga! Bursting into flames・メラメラ Heavy rain pouring down・ザーザー Rock tumbling down a hill・ゴロゴロ Running at full speed・タタタタ Stepping on dirt or sand・サクサク Thunder rumbling・ゴロゴロ Water bubbling gently・こぽこぽ Movement and Motion・擬容語 ・ぎようご: Asleep・ぐっすり Fast paced walking・すたこら Joints shaking・がくがく Nodding off・うとうと Trembling from cold, fear, or anger・ブルブル Wandering aimlessly・ウロウロ Feelings・擬情語・ぎじょうご: Excited from anticipation・わくわく Fascinated by something beautiful・うっとり Happy, full of hope・うきうき Running around hurriedly・あたふた Throbbing pain・ずきずき Worrying about the past・くよくよ Worrying or wondering what to do・もやもや Onomatopoeia・オノマトペ: Banging・ごんごん Chubby・ぽっちゃり Grass rustling・わさわさ Gushing water・ごぼごぼ Knocking・こんこん Loud snoring・ぐーぐー Long yawn・ふわ～ Moving slowly・のそり Rough・ざらざら Rustling・ばらばら Smooth / Silky・さらさら Strong cough・ごほん Suddenly waking up・がばっ Tapping・とんとん Vomiting・げっ Wandering around aimlessly・のらりのらり

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Test your listening proficiency

Here’s another test from LanguageTrainers.com, which tests elementary and intermediate listening levels in the following languages:

Arabic

Chinese

Danish

Dutch

English

French

German

Greek

Hebrew

Italian

Japanese

Korean

Norwegian

Portuguese

Russian

Spanish (European)

Spanish

Swedish

Turkish

They also have a written, multiple choice test available here, which I talk about here.

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After years and years (or better said, weeks) I have finally gotten around doing my Japanese language masterpost. All links listed are resources that I have used to study for (and pass!) the N5 exam, but they are great for beginners as wel! I would also like to thank lovely Julie @designstudy for giving me the inspiration (and motivation) to finish this mp! So here we go:

►Books

→ here are the books I’ve used to study and fully reccomend to others as well (all are great for beginners too)

Genki

Minna no Nihongo

Kanji Challenge

Japanese for busy people: I, II, II

►Mnemonics!

→life is hard, Japanese is harder, do yourself a favor and use mnemonics

Hiragana

Katakana

Kanji

►Kanji, Vocabulary and Grammar

→even if you don’t plan to take the N5, knowing these will definitely give you a better grasp of the language

Kanji List for N5

Vocabulary List for N5

Grammar List for N5

►Practice, practice, practice!

→I cannot stress this enough. If you want to make any progress in studying this language or getting good scores on your exam, practice is vital! 

Reading exercices for N5

Grammar exercices for N5

Kanji exercices for N5

Listening exercices for N5

►Grammar help

→because the internet has a lot to offer and it’s a shame not to take advantage

Useful Youtube channels: here, here, here, here and here

Useful websites for grammar: here and here

The coolest Japanese dictionary out there

►Music

→some of my favorite Japanese artists, beacuse let’s face it: studying a new language is 900% better when you also listen to music in that language

Kenshi Yonezu

Daoko

Utada Hikaru

Mondo Grosso

Ichiko Aoba

Galileo Galilei

►Fun stuff

→for when you want to chill but also learn

Read short stories in Japanese with translation

Read raw manga 

Watch literally any anime out there

Watch J-dramas

Watch Ghibli movies

Watch Japanese movies

►Some tricky stuff

→these are actually very useful w o w

Wa vs ga

Shi or tsu?

All you need to know about counters

Ya vs to vs mo

►Cool Japanese studyblrs:

 → these are definitely worth to stalk/follow!!

@japanese-randomstuff @japanese-langblr @glotpoly @atejapan @japaneseblr @learnjp @aringoaday @ilostmyheartintokyo @nodoyodobenkyou @playwithletters

…and on a final note, some tips:

Be consistent. From my experience, Japanese is a language that if not studied constantly, can be easily forgotten

Use separate notebooks/folders for grammar and vocabulary. You will thank me for this one later.

If you want your kanji/katakana/hiragana/whatever it is that you are writing to look neat, follow the stroke order ! ! !

Quizlet is your best friend when it comes to remembering vocabulary

Hope this helped someone!! Also if you have any questions/need some advice on where to begin, please don’t hesitate to hmu @sttudy

-Claudia☆☆

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諦めないで｜あきらめないで｜don’t give up

- softer, often used by women

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PREFACE: This is a nine part series of some important things to keep in mind while studying Japanese grammar. It’s very different from English, so try not to study it through an “English lens.” To understand grammar points better, it’s really beneficial to learn the characteristics behind Japanese grammar. These notes are taken from A Dictionary of Japanese Grammar. To see the other parts, click here. 

PS: I’ve decided to skip part 6 (politeness and formality).

7. Sentence Final Particles

Placed at the end of a main clause, sentence final particles indicate the function of the sentence or expresses the speaker’s emotions. Some are used exclusively by male or female so these particles can also express masculinity or femininity. 

か: makes the sentence a question

山田さんは先生ですか。やまださんはせんせいですか。

Is Yamada is a teacher?

ね: used to ask for confirmation or to soften requests/invitations

山田さんは先生ですね。やまださんはせんせいですね。

Yamada is a teacher, isn’t he?

一緒に行きましょうね。いっしょにいきましょうね。

Let’s go together, shall we?

な: used as the negative imperative marker when used with informal nonpast verbs; sometimes used like ね when used with informal declarative/invitational sentences (this function is only used with men)

こっちへ来るな。こっちへくるな。

Don’t come this way.

一緒に行こうな。いしょにいこうな。

Let’s go together, shall we?

よ/ぞ/ぜ: used for assertion (”you know” “believe me” “I’d say”); ぞ and ぜ are exclusively for males; よ and ぜ can be used in invitational sentences

私は知りませんよ。わたしはしりませんよ。

I don’t know, believe me.

おれは負けないぞ。おれはまけないぞ。

I won’t lose!

今晩は飲もうよ。/今晩は飲もうぜ。　こんばんはのもうよ。/こんばんはのもうぜ。

Let’s drink tonight!

わ: used in declarative sentences to give a feminine flavor and sometimes express a light assertion (used in both formal and informal speech); can be used with ね and よ but not か

私はまだ十八ですわ。わたしはまだじゅうはちですわ。

I’m still eighteen.

私も行くわよ。わたしもいくわよ。

I’m going too.

ね/な/わ: used in exclamatory sentences; ね can convey the idea of confirmation; な is usually used by men but can be used in conversation by young women; わ is used only by women

きれいだねえ。(male) きれいだわねえ。(female)

Isn’t it pretty!

かい/だい: かい is used to mark yes/no questions and だい is used to who/what/when/where/why/how questions; both used in informal male speech 

これは君の本かい。これはきみのほんかい。

Is this your book?

これはだれの本だい。これはだれのほんだい。

Whose book is this?

の: replaces んですか/のですか; used in informal female speech as a question marker

パーティーに行かないの？ パーティーにいかないの？

Aren’t you going to the party?

かしら/かなあ: expresses speaker’s uncertainty about a proposition; かしら used by females and かなあ used by males

あしたは雨かしら。(female) あしたは雨かなあ。(male) あしたはあめかしら。あしたはあめかなあ。

Will it rain tomorrow, I wonder?

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Everyone: you can't just have a language made up entirely of loanwords

Japanese: ಠ_ಠ

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Independence Day Vocabulary

American Independence Day　アメリカ独立記念日 「アメリカどくりつきねんび」

You can also say　インデペンデンスデイ but some people might think of the movie instead

National Holiday　祝日　「しゅくじつ」

American Revolution　アメリカ独立革命 「アメリカどくりつかくめい」

United States Declaration of Independence　アメリカ独立宣言　「アメリカどくりつせんげん」

Declaration of Independence　独立宣言　「どくりつせんげん」

National Anthem　国歌　「こっか」

The Star Spangled Banner 星条旗　「せいじょうき」

Flag　 旗「はた」

Bald Eagle　 ハクトウワシ

Tradition　伝統 「でんとう」

Parade　パレード

Barbecue　バーベキュー

Summer　夏　「なつ」

Summer Vacation　夏休み　「なつやすみ」

July　七月　「しちがつ」

Fireworks　花火「はなび」

Sky Rockets 打ち上げ花火「うちあげはなび」

Festival　祭り　「まつり」

Hot Dog　ホットドッグ

Hamburger　ハンバーガー

Potato Salad ポテトサラダ

Corn　トウモロコシ

Salad　サラダ

Beer　ビール

Strawberry Shortcake　いちごショートケーキ

Pie　パイ

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諦めないで｜あきらめないで｜don’t give up

- softer, often used by women

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Gems in Japanese

Gems - 宝石 (ほうせき)  (hōseki)

Ruby - ルビ― (rubī)

Amethyst - アメジスト (amejisuto)

Jet - ジェット (jetto)

Opal - オパール (opāru)

Moonstone - ムーンストーン (mūnsutōn)

Garnet -　ガーネット (gānetto)

Topaz -トパーズ  (topāzu)

Aquamarine - アクアマリン (akuamarin)

Jade - 翡翠 (ひす) (hisu)

Emerald - エメラルド (emerarudo)

Sapphire - サファイア (safaia)

Tourmaline - トルマリン (torumarin)

Diamond - ダイヤモンド (daiyamondo)

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きっとうまくいくよ。

I’m sure things will go well.

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Gradually understanding these two adverbs

だんだん something increases slowly and constantly, little by little. This acutally uses kanji sometimes, 段々, and the kanji is for “stairs.” So if you know the kanji for this, you can remember that this is for graudual and consistant change like stairs!

だんだんと暖かくなってきた

だんだんこの人がいい人に思えてきた

日本語の勉強を続ければ、だんだん上手になる

どんどん something increases quickly and rapidly, has more of an aggressive connotation. A good way to remember this as being faster and bit more aggressive is to remember that ドンドン is the onamonapia for a loud sound or a knock on the door. Since they both are spelled the same, think of something knocking on the front door! It’s a bit aggressive, and usually fast.

朝からの雪が、どんどん積っていく 

発明品が売れて、お金がどんどん入ってくる

物価がどんどん上昇してきてる

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How do you say “I’m hungry” in your language?

Korean

Hangul: 배고파 Romanization: Baegopa ■Today’s vocab lesson: Learn animal sounds in Korean

Japanese

Kanji: お腹空いた。 Romaji: Onakasuita. ■Today’s vocab lesson: Learn animal sounds in Japanese

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Japanese Transitive-Intransitive Pairs 他動詞と自動詞

Verbs in Japanese come in pairs: and transitive verbs, which take direct objects, and intransitive verbs, which do not. The difficulty in learning this is that in English, we usually use the same verb for both transitive and intransitive, for example:

I grow beans in my yard.

Beans grow in my yard.

In Japanese, you simply have to memorize the pairs of verbs, for example:

庭に豆を生やす。Niwa ni mame wo hayasu.

I grow beans in my yard.

豆が庭に生える。Mame ga niwa ni haeru.

Beans grow in my yard.

While there is no definite rule to memorizing these, there are patterns.

All verbs ending in す are transitive. All verbs ending in ある (including other kana from the あ row) are intransitive.

Transitive verbs tend to end in -える with their intransitive counterpart ending in -あす (i.e. でる、だす).

Vocabulary (tra.、intran.)

生やす、生える  - to grow, to (be) grown　（はやす、はえる）

痛める、痛む  - to hurt, to (be) hurt　（いためる、いたむ）

見付ける、見付かる  - to find, to be found　（みつける、みつかる）

増やす、増える  - to increase, to increase or be increased　（ふやす、ふえる）増やす is also written 増す（ます）

燃やす、燃える  to burn, to burn or be burned　（もやす、もえる）

入る、入れる  - to enter, to add　（はいる、いれる）

暖める、暖まる  - to warm, to warm up or be warmed　（あたためる、あたたまる）

負かす、負ける  - to defeat, to lose　（まかす、まける）

落とす、落ちる  - to fall, to fall (be dropped)　（おとす、おちる）

[japaneselanguagestudygroup-blog]

Friend: What's the Spanish word for grandad?

My brain: Grand-père

My brain: 할아버지

My brain: 爷爷

My brain: aBUELO FOR THE LOVE OF-

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“suffering passive” or why japanese is hilarious

 in japanese there is not one but two types of passive voice! 

formation is quite simple, you have to add -れる to the informal negative form  for verbs of I group and -られる to the stem for the verbs of II group. 

exceptions change like this:  来る　ー＞　こられる　 する　ー＞　される

first one - similar to english, for example: 

そのマンションは去年に建てられました。ー　That apartment house was built last year. 

私は猫に掻かれました。ー　I was scratched by a cat. 

For every passive sentence there is a corresponding active sentence. 

猫は私に掻きました。ー　A cat scratched me.  

The other type of passive describes a situation when an action made by something/someone affected another person, who had no control over said situation.

So, if we use past tense, we simply state a fact. 

姉は私のお菓子を食べました。ー Elder sister ate my sweets. 

She did it, I know about it, but..uh, whatever. However, if we use passive voice the emphasis is that I’m very much pissed off that my sister stole my food. (As in my samurai honor has been abused by that treacherous act).   

私は姉にお菓子を食べられました。ー　I was annoyed by elder sister eating my sweets. 

Person who experienced some kind of impact - topic marked by the particle 「は」, agent, making said action, marked by 「に」. 

Another (sad) example, if your favorite hamster dies you may say: 

私はハムスターに死なれました。ー　My hamster died (and I’m suffering). 

Here are some words to use with passive voice (and to be unhappy with): 

踏む　「ふむ」ー to step on (foot) // наступить (на ногу)

殺す     「ころす」ー　to kill // убивать

撃つ　「うつ」ー　to shoot (at) // стрелять (в)

刺す　「さす」ー　to stab // резать ножом

噛む　「かむ」ー　to bite // кусать

轢く　「ひく」ー　to run somebody over (with vehicle); to knock someone down​ // переехать 

撥ねる　「はねる」ー to have a car hit someone //　сбить машиной

衝突する　「しょうとつ」ー　to collide // столкнуться

追突する　「ついとつ」ー　to have a car hit from behind // врезаться сзади

盗む　「ぬすむ」ー　to steal // украсть

誘拐する　「ゆうかい」ー　to kidnap // похитить

ハイジャックする　ー　to hijack // захватить самолет

墜落する　「ついらく」ー　to have plane crashed // упасть (самолету)

爆発する　「ばくはつ」ー　to explode  // взорвать

殺人者　「さつじんしゃ」ー murderer // убийца

殺し屋 「ころしや」ー　professional killer, hit man // киллер

泥棒　「どろぼう」ー　thief // вор