#onigiristudies

[onigiriforears]

Vocab pt. 1 | 「伝える力」が伸びる! 12歳までに知っておきたい語彙力図鑑

I've recently started reading 「伝える力」が伸びる! 12歳までに知っておきたい語彙力図鑑 (or what I only refer to as "Words You Ought to Know as a 12-year old") as a means to up my vocab game before the JLPT.

I'll probably post a review about the book once I actually finish it.

But in the meantime, here are some of the words that I learned just from reading the sections about how to use the book and all 5 of it's sections. I was quite pleased at the amount of words that I've already learned (and how many of them were N2 words).

語彙力 (ごいりょく)- (the extent of) one's vocabulary

図鑑 (ずかん)- field guide; illustrated reference book

目指す (めざす)- to aim at (for; to do; to become); to try for

各 (かく)- each, every, all [prefix]

繰り返す (くりかえす)- to repeat; to do over again

基礎 (きそ)- foundation; basis

言い換える (いいかえる)- to say in other words; to put another way; to rephrase

言い換え (いいかえ)- putting in other words; paraphrase; rephrasing; rewording

状況 (じょうきょう)- state of affairs; circumstances; situations; conditions

鍛える (きたえる)- to drill; to train; to discipline; to forge; to temper

変換 (へんかん)- change; transformation; conversion

観察眼 (かんさつがん)- observing eye

目の付け所 (めのつけどころ)- focus of one's attention; what one is looking for; viewpoint; point one is trying to make

文豪 (ぶんごう)- literary master

候補 (こうほ)- candidate; contender; prospect; pick; choice; list

まつわる- to be related; to concern; to be associated with

登場 (とうじょう)- entrance; appearance; arrival

表現 (ひょうげん)- expression; representation; description; representation (of a group)

解決 (かいけつ)- settlement; resolution; solution

ワンパターン - following a single pattern; conforming to the same pattern; repetitive; stereotyped; predictable [Wasei-eigo]

Hopefully, I'll be able to consistently post some of the vocab lists that I continue to compile for this. I'm in the Step 1 section of the book where it gives you synonyms and explains the connotations behind them/situations in which to use them. The first section I read was for やばい~

[tokidokitokyo]

February 2024 Seitokai Bookclub | レーエンデ国物語

This month our first book club read of the year kicks off! We are reading レーエンデ国物語 (which is around middle school level, with a lot of fantasy type vocabulary).

Join us in the Seitokai Discord Server and grab the Japanese bookclub role to get started! Message me with any questions you might have!

Bookclub FAQ (courtesy of @onigiriforears)

What if I've never read a book in Japanese yet? I'm not confident in my skills.

That's fine! Not only do we always have a group vocab sheet that we collectively add to (anonymously), but we have ongoing discussions about whatever book we're reading. That means you're free to ask questions, send screenshots, rant about a character or anything like that. You'll definitely find me asking about certain grammar points or if using a particular set of kanji for a word changes the nuance in a particular sentence.

What's the goal of your bookclub?

We're interested in fostering confidence in reading in your target language without feeling that you have no one to turn to. Our server has people of all levels of fluency, meaning that there's always someone who can answer your question. And if we can't, we have people we can reach out to ask. We won't leave you hanging!

You don't seem to choose books I'm interested in--how can I change that?

We take suggestions and vote as a bookclub for what we'll be reading next. If your book doesn't win the first time you submit it, try, try again!

Where can I get this book?

I got a digital copy on bookwalker.jp but you can also get it on other Japanese book websites, like Kinokuniya or Amazon. Ask in Discord for more information!

We hope to see you there! Seitokai Discord Server

[burgeoning-ambition]

What Kinds of Content Do People Want?

Since I'm trying to get back into posting more regularly, I thought I'd go directly to the people who'd be seeing my posts and ask: What sorts of things are you looking for?

I know having to pick a top choice is kinda difficult, so if people want to rank several of them or add further comments in the notes please do! I just want to see what people are looking for more of, I (and I'm sure others!) want to make posts that people feel like they aren't seeing enough of

Also, I'm not including challenges on the poll (I feel like even the number of options on it now is a little bit too many, haha) but I know those are always fun as well!

Tagging a few people I chatted with about this! (Aka tagging the people I couldn't find tracked tags for, lol)

@tokidokitokyo @chouhatsumimi @kanpeki-bekki @languagesandfrens

[coco-study]

~16 Feb 2018~ Hello💕 Long time no see! I’m back with my biggest enemy trigonometry preparing for my test :) (Wow look at me I’m not procrastinating for once) Hope everyone had a nice valentine’s day single or not <3  🎶Falling for u - SVT Joshua & Jeonghan

[onigiriforears]

やばい Alternatives | Vocab

Step 1 of 「伝える力」 が伸びる! 12歳までに知っておきたい語彙力図鑑 focuses on teaching you synonyms for words you would typically use to describe your emotions. There are synonyms for words like やばい, エモい, and the like. This particular post will focus on the information that they've given about やばい。

The book also ranks the words' difficulty level, with 1 star being an "of course you know this" to 5 stars being "even adults probably don't know this and you're about to blow them away with your vocabulary and make them pull out their dictionary." Because of this, you may see words that you encountered quickly as a Japanese learner (that a native speaker 12 year old may not have encountered yet) and vice versa on the list below.

やばい

Because やばい is a word that can be used to express nearly any emotion (much like how OMG can be used in many contexts in American English), the book did also make sure to put the contexts in which the alternative word would be appropriate.

危うい (あやうい)- dangerous; in danger; facing imminent danger ❖This is to be used when dangerous situations are imminent. The way they described it was "危険が迫っている状態" ▶︎Their example: 危うい所でピンチを脱出した。

危険 (きけん)- dangerous; risky; uncertain; precarious; in danger ❖This is to be used when a situation may lead to not-so-good/dangerous outcomes. ▶︎Their example: そんなに高い所からジャンプしたら、危険だよ。

驚異的 (きょういてき)- wonderful; astounding; marvelous ❖This is to be used when something passes a level of surprise that you can express. ▶︎Their example: 大谷選手の達成した記録は驚異的だ。

最高 (さいこう)- best; supreme; wonderful; highest; maximum; supreme ❖This is to be used when describing something of the highest status/dignity/ranking. (This is relative in comparison to other things.) ▶︎Their example: 夏休みに友達と見に行った映画が、最高に面白かった。

素晴らしい (すばらしい)- wonderful; splendid; magnificent ❖ This is used to describe something that's elegant/praiseworthy/splendid, things that are desirable, and things that admirable. ▶︎Their example: 富士山の山頂から眺める景色は、息をのむほどに素晴らしい。

Yojijukugo (四字熟語)

This section also includes four-character compound idioms (yojijukugo) that can be associated with the word we're focusing on expanding our vocabulary from.

絶体絶命 (ぜったいぜつめい)- desperate situation with no escape; being driven into a corner; being cornered; last extremity ❖ You would use this when you find yourself in a situation that there's no conceivable way you could think of making it out in the way that you truly desire. ▶︎Apparently you can use it in phrases like this 「絶体絶命のピンチ」 BONUS: I found an example online that also uses it to mean "stalemate" and the example is a cop and a suspect both pointing a gun at each other.

最上無二 (さいじょうむに)- there is nothing else like it in this world; it's an unparalleled marvel ❖They listed this one at 5 stars (aka, the adults are gonna be surprised that you know this and also go look it up) and I can certainly see why--I couldn't find any official English translations of it. Here's the definition the book gave: この世に二つとなく、最もすばらしいこと。「最上」は最もすぐれていること、「無二」は同じ物がないことを意味するよ。

SOMEONE PLEASE CORRECT ME IF MY UNDERSTANDING OF THIS LAST YOJIJUKUGO IS INCORRECT SO THAT I CAN LEARN IT PROPERLY!! I BESEECH THEE!! I IMPLORE YOU!!

Anyways, the next post will be alternatives words for かわいい and エグい

[tokidokitokyo]

March 2024 Seitokai Bookclub | 花野井くんと恋の病

Our second book club read of the year is underway - 花野井くんと恋の病 - this manga is about an N3 level.

Join us in the Seitokai Discord Server and grab the Japanese bookclub role to get started! Message me with any questions you might have!

Bookclub FAQ (courtesy of @onigiriforears)

What if I’ve never read a book in Japanese yet? I’m not confident in my skills.

That’s fine! We have ongoing discussions about the book we’re reading. That means you’re free to ask questions, send screenshots, rant about a character or anything like that. You’ll definitely find me asking about certain grammar points or if using a particular set of kanji for a word changes the nuance in a particular sentence. There is also a READING PACK with Vocabulary for this volume available on @onigiriforears shop (for a reasonable price) if you'd like a little cheat sheet.

What’s the goal of your bookclub?

We’re interested in fostering confidence in reading in your target language without feeling that you have no one to turn to. Our server has people of all levels of fluency, meaning that there’s always someone who can answer your question. And if we can’t, we have people we can reach out to ask. We won’t leave you hanging!

You don’t seem to choose books I’m interested in–how can I change that?

We take suggestions and vote as a book club for what we’ll be reading next. Submit a book or manga you would like to read (but please nothing X-rated). If your book doesn’t win the first time you submit it, try, try again!

Where can I get this book?

You can get this manga wherever you normally buy your manga. Ask in Discord for more information!

We hope to see you there! Seitokai Discord Server

[onigiriforears]

reminder that i track the tag #onigiristudies 🤗

[onigiriforears]

COME JOIN US! WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Also, listening to the audiobook is valid! The Tsubasa Bunko version (with furigana and some illustrations) is also valid. All forms of this are valid and we'd love for your participation.

If you're having difficulty obtaining this book and you'd like a digital copy, message me either on insta at @/onigiristudies or on our discord (bc tumblr has quit giving me DM notifications ngl)

Seitokai's February Japanese Book Club

This month we're reading ペンギン・ハイウェイ by Morimi Tomihiko

A fourth grade boy who takes notes about everything in his daily life in a Japanese suburb is suddenly thrown into a mystery when penguins suddenly appear one day in his hometown. Winner of the 31st Japan Science Fiction Grand Prize.

Join us for this read in Seitokai's Discord!

Feel free to message me or @onigiriforears for information!

[onigiriforears]

Recommendation: Apps for Japanese Learning

Over the years, I've downloaded and tested many apps. Though my favorite app was discontinued (I miss you, mindsnacks Japanese), there are still others that I don't think I'll be removing from my phone any time soon. In light of duolingo's horrible update causing a large migration and search for other apps, I thought I'd share some of my favorites. Also, some of these apps have websites or discords for you to interact with other users or to ask support questions.

For those who cannot use/don't like the graphics, the written out version is below the break.

Lingo Legend

RPG-based language learning game that I was a beta tester for. It also offers Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, German, Italian, and Portuguese. Uses spaced repetition.

Offers beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels.

User can jump between lessons and difficulty levels.

Available on ios and android

Manabi Reader

Caters to all JLPT levels and offers reading options on an array of topics (including news, games, reddit). Can hilight words and look up in-app. User can also paste a link within the app to read.

Companion app available (Manabi Flashcards).

Available on ios

TODAI: EASY Japanese News

Aggregates news from various sources.

Offers practice JLPT exams in-app.

Offers grammar resources and in-app dictionary that can generate flashcards from words saved in notes.

Offers audio listening, as well as videos with transcriptions.

Available on ios and android. Also has a website.

Shirabe Jisho

Offline dictionary app.

User can favorite words, make lists, take notes, make flashcards, etc.

User can search for words in kana, romaji, drawing, or through radical (or radical building).

Available on ios

Renshuu

Think quizlet, but solely for Japanese. You can create your own lists, use others, play shiritori, earn prizes and interact on forums.

You can study grammar, kanji, vocab, flashcards, learn and submit mnemonics. You can also friend people.

Available on ios and android. Also has a website (of which I am an avid user).

Connect with me: Ko-fi Shop & Tips | Discord | Studygram | Ask Box

↳ psst! my ko-fi shop has learning resources on it. try to check back for new things bc im always working on something to add in there

[onigiriforears]

my tags are not tracking for some reason, so if i'm missing your tags for the reading challenge or just for me to reblog in general, im so sorry! instead, just actually mention/@ me...i haven't a clue why the hashtags aren't updating for me despite me clicking "follow"

[onigiriforears]

Target Language Reading Challenge

I'm starting a new reading challenge for myself and I'd like to invite the rest of the tumblr langblr and studyblr community (and I may repost on my studygram) to participate. Honestly, while I made this with the intentions of the langblr community using it to strengthen reading skills in our target languages, I think anyone who loves reading or wants some encouragement reading may enjoy participating.

Make sure to use the tag #onigirireadingchallenge so that I can see and reblog.

If you want a higher quality of the image, it's available here.

[onigiriforears]

Come join us! By chance, we actually have a digital copy of this available FOR FREE. So, if you're having difficulty obtaining this book and you'd like a digital copy, message me either on insta at @/onigiristudies or on our discord (bc tumblr has quit giving me DM notifications ngl)

Seitokai's February Manga Book Club

This month we're reading SPY×FAMILY 1

The popular manga that is also an anime. The master spy codenamed 「Twilight」 has spent his days on undercover missions, all for the dream of a better world. But one day, he receives a particularly difficult new order from command. For his mission, he must form a temporary family and start a new life?! A Spy/Action/Comedy about a one-of-a-kind family!

Join us for this read in Seitokai's Discord!

Feel free to message me or @onigiriforears for information!

[onigiriforears]

JLPT N4 Grammar & Kanji Checklist

5/15/22 UPDATE

N4 Kanji & Grammar Checklist also available in the shop. Follow the link to check it out. This list consists of 202 must-know kanji, as well as 70+ grammar points. The kanji of each checklist are categorized for easier learning, with their onyomi and kunyomi included. As usual, these lists are not exhaustive because the JLPT is always subject to change.

★ While the JLPT is cumulative, these lists are NOT cumulative and/or exhaustive. That's almost an impossible feat for these list to be exhaustive when I do not have access to the test makers. These lists are compiled after researching current trends in what has previously been on the exams, practice exams, textbooks, etc. As these lists are not cumulative, if you're interested in what's on the N5 Kanji & Grammar Checklist, please purchase that as well.

N3-N1 are coming soon.

N5 Checklist

N4 Checklist

Sample photos beneath break:

[onigiriforears]

Let's Learn Natively (TL :Japanese) | Reading

Why it's important to read as much native materials as you possibly can in your target language and where/how to start.

※ When learners first embark on their journey of picking up a new language, the first thing we do is familiarize ourselves with the alphabet, pronunciation, and other important innerworkings on the language. With Japanese, the first step is to learn hiragana and katakana. A lot of people stop in the middle of that because they feel that it's not worth learning the language if they have to learn that many letters. But what if you've made it past that point? Where do you go from there? Of course, we move on to basic grammar and sentence structure so that you can begin to understand why sentences are formed the way that they are. (and, of course, vocab words).

※ However, while textbooks and workbooks do teach us the way that sentences are formed, it's stiff. Of course, the purpose behind that is to make sure that you understand the basics before you move on to more native/nuanced versions of the structures. But once you're ready to do that, where do you go? Click below to keep reading:

★If you're ready/interested in reading native material, and you don't know where to start, I highly recommend trying out Natively. Think of this as a goodreads for Japanese learners.

★If you're concerned about picking a book or series that's too difficult or too long for you, the website has already taken that into account. The website is structured so that all of the books and series that are on there are added, graded, and reviewed by fellow Japanese learners. The grading system that is utilized goes from Level 0 to Level 41; the grades roughly correspond with JLPT levels (if you're preparing for the JLPT and are trying to prepare for the reading comprehension section). You can learn more about the grading system by clicking here.

★The website includes all sorts of books: textbooks, graded readers, light novels, manga, novels, children's books, short stories, and other kinds of books. When you click on a title or see it in the search results, the color coded grade will pop up next to it. These grades are user-determined. When users finish reading a book, we're prompted to grade the difficulty level in comparison to other books that we may have already read. In doing so, the difficulty level of the book might change when calculated in with other reviews. The point of this is to help fellow learners gauge what types of reads you find find difficult and which ones you find to be easy. Here's an example photo:

☞Caveat: don't feel discouraged if you found a book to be difficult even though it didn't seem like it would be. Everyone thrives in different areas and different subjects. Just because something was graded at N5 and you had difficulties with it at N3 doesn't mean anything--it might mean that it wasn't something to your liking. There are some series that I have difficulty with because of pacing or because I lacked interest in it. ❀ If you're worried about reading a book or series on your own and you're looking for friends to read and discuss about it with, come join us over on the discord and propose it as an option in the bookclub. ㉄ Can't find a particular book or series that you're looking for on the website? You can request for it to be added here.

★ The website is also equipped to let you "organize" your library into categories and track your reading progress. Additionally, you can make your library and reading progress private if you don't want anyone to see. As I'm currently using this blog to be as open as I can possibly be on my language learning journey, mine is made public. Feel free to check me out on the website.

★This is not sponsored, but if you receive a welcome message from Brandon, the owner and creator of the website, tell him that maobuchou sent you (that's me! ☺️). Brandon is really nice, so if there's anything that you're confused about or if you have suggestions for the website, he has an option for you to contact him.

★If you're interested in seeing what I'm currently reading, what I'm interested in reading next, and what I've graded thus far, click here to follow me (I'll follow back). Following other users allows you take a peek at what books they're reading. I also update my profile to say what book is also being read in the discord bookclub.

There will be more posts to come in the future about ways to become comfortable with reading in your target language.

[onigiriforears]

Trivia Night

Hi friends! One of our server members (Bambi) will be hosting Japanese trivia this Wednesday, April 13, at 7:00 PM EST (19:00 EST)! It'll be questions consisting of Japanese culture, food, history, and more! Come join us for a fun time at https://discord.gg/vpuf7XHmyj!

[onigiriforears]

help about korean

hi! i'm helping a friend set up a place/list of korean learning resources, but since she's a native speaker, she doesn't know what resources learners are using. if anyone has any suggestions, please either comment, DM, or reblog this post with it. I'd like to give her a list of suggestions (possibly with pros and cons?).