babyusagiii

[babyusagiii]

[babyusagiii]

calling all active langblr blogs

i need to follow more people! like or reblog if you're active and let's be friends :D

i speak english and portuguese (questionably mandarin) and i'm focusing on improving my mandarin and german rn. i can also speak some spanish, understand some italian and written japanese and have dabbled in thai, korean and cantonese

[babyusagiii]

Hey langblr!

I'm back on tumblr after a break and my dash is dead.

Could you reblog this post so I can find more active langblr/lingblr to follow?

I'm focusing on German, Spanish, Swedish, Mandarin and Italian for now but I'm also interested into all the languages Icelandic, Latin, linguistic and writing tips.

Thank you :)

[babyusagiii]

Reblog this if you’re a langblr that is studying/posts about • Finnish • English • Japanese • Swedish • German • Arabic

[babyusagiii]

やっほー！

Hello! My name is Emi and this is my very new Japanese langblur~

I’m looking for more studyblrs and langblrs to follow, especially Japanese langblrs! Please like/reblog and I will check out your blog ^_^ 

[babyusagiii]

Helpful Books To Learn Languages

French

50 Ways To Improve Your French

Barron’s French Idioms

Learn French: The Fast And Fun Way (This book has tons of great worksheets and everything. It’s great for learning French!)

2,001 Most Useful French Words

Say It Right in French: The Easy Way to Pronounce Correctly 

Streetwise French

Berlitz Hide This French Phrase Book

Italian

50 Ways To Improve Your Italian

Berlitz Self-Teacher Italian (Personally, I don’t really care for these types of books, mainly because I don’t the things you learn in the first few chapters. Unless you have a base in the language, I don’t think this book will work for you.)

Learn Italian: The Fast And Fun Way (This book has tons of great worksheets and everything. It’s great for learning Italian!)

Barron’s Italian Idioms 

Easy Italian Phrase Book: 770 Basic Phrases for Everyday Use 

Correct Your Italian Blunders

Spanish

50 Ways To Improve Your Spanish

Correct Your Spanish Blunders 

Just Enough Spanish

Dirty Spanish - Warning: This is really vulgar.

Barron’s Complete Spanish Grammar Review 

Making Out in Spanish (I think this title is great. I’ve never read this book, but if you’re looking for slang/everyday Spanish, this seems like a pretty good book.)

Ven Conmigo! Grammar and Vocabulary Workbook: Level 1 (This is the actual workbook I use in my Spanish 1 class. It is great and I love it. If you want to teach yourself Spanish, I highly recommend getting a workbook like this.)

Hide This Spanish Book (This has a lot for a small book. Mainly just some basic phrases, along with some that are more vulgar.)

Hide This Spanish Book for Lovers (The title speaks for itself…)  

Mierda! The Real Spanish You Were Never Taught In School

Say It Right In Spanish

German

50 Ways To Improve Your German

Dirty German - Warning: This is really vulgar.

Say It Right In German: The Easy Way to Pronounce Correctly

Easy Way to Enlarge Your German Vocabulary

Barron’s German Idioms

The Tell-Tale Heart - If you want to read in German, this seems like a pretty good book to get. 

German-English Visual Dictionary

Scheisse!: The Real German You Were Never Taught In School - I love all these books. They have them in every language (The title means “Shit”). Although it doesn’t have the pronunciations, its still pretty great for the vocabulary it has. It’s a bit vulgar though, but not too bad.

Portuguese 

Just Enough Portuguese: How to Get by and Be Easily Understood

Portuguese Verb and Essentials of Grammar

Berlitz Portuguese Phrase Books & Dictionary

51 Portuguese Idioms - Speak Like a Brazilian 

Arabic

Arabic-English Visual Dictionary

The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read and Write It

First 100 Words In Arabic

Learn Arabic: The Fast and Fun Way

Making Out In Arabic  

Instant Arabic!

Japanese

Berlitz Concise Dictionary

Essential Kanji: 2,000 Basic Japanese Characters

Colloquial Kansai Japanese: The Dialects and Culture of the Kansai Region

Speak Japanese Today 

Making Out In Japanese - I just bought this book, and it seems pretty great. 

More Making Out In Japanese 

Korean

Say It Right In Korean 

Korean Made Easy

Instant Korean

First 100 Words In Korean

Making Out In Korean

More Making Out In Korean

Korean For Travelers - I think this might only be a Nook book, which kind of sucks.

Dirty Korean -  Warning: This is really vulgar.  

Basic Korean: Workbook

Intermediate Korean: Workbook - I’m not sure if this is worth getting because of the price, but it seems like a helpful book

Korean At A Glance

Teach Me Everyday Korean

Chinese

Making Out In Chinese (I think this title is great. I’ve never read this book, but if you’re looking for slang/everyday Chinese, this seems like a pretty good book.)

Mandarin Chinese - English Visual Dictionary

Survival Chinese 

Get Talking Chinese - This book is so great. It’s kind of like a children’s book, but for learning basic Chinese, it’s great.

Hide This Mandarin Chinese Phrase Book 

Instant Chinese!

Polish

Say It In Polish 

Berlitz Polish Concise Dictionary

Berlitz Polish Phrasebook and Dictionary

Polish: An Essential Grammar

Russian

Learn Russian: The Fast and Fun Way

Say It Right In Russian

Russian Vocabulary

Dermo!: The Real Russian Tolstoy Never Used

Russian At A Glance

Just Enough Russian

General Language Books

Barron’s 501 Verbs (comes in French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Latin, Japanese, Hebrew, Arabic, English and German)

Note: I love Berlitz and Barron books for learning languages. Most are just reference books for verbs, grammar, or basic phrases instead of textbooks. But once you have a base in the language, they help you improve so much. I highly recommend buying any Berlitz or Barron language books. I love the 50 Ways To Improve Your books. They are the best grammar/vocab/correction language books ever. I use the Spanish one to help teach myself Spanish, and I absolutely love it. And it isn’t very expensive either!

[babyusagiii]

Hi nice to meet you all! I’m Hanni and I’m new to studyblr / langblr Native: English (UK) Learning: Japanese and Korean I studied Japanese at university and lived in Kyoto for a year but have forgot A LOT since then and I’m a super super beginner with Korean. I struggle with mental health a lot and thought making a blog and seeing others in a friendly and supportive community would help me keep motivated!  I like Genshin Impact, gaming in general, Kpop (Billlie, Stray kids, BTS, TxT, ITZY mainly,) Art, OCs, anime and anything that has soft, kind and non-stressful energy! I hope we can be friends! I’d appreciate any reblogs to help me find some mutuals or even just accounts to follow as my dash is mostly empty 😭

[babyusagiii]

Hello! Idk if you've made a post about this, but what are some of your favorite Japanese dramas of all time? I've been studying Japanese for years but never really got into dramas and I'd love to start. I love your blog btw, it's very motivating 💞💞

Hello thank you for stopping by!

Here is MyDramaList of all of the dramas I've watched in Japanese so far:

Special mention to the following:

朝ドラ - 15 minutes x 156 episodes, stories inspired by pioneer women in Japan slaying in their careers. You'll passively learn so much about different regions, their culture, and dialects. My favorites so far are なつぞら, あまちゃん, and あさが来た.

イタズラなKiss 1 and 2 - romantic comedy that develops from their high school years up to when they enter the workforce. You'll learn a vast range of useful words from it. I've watched it multiple times and have not gotten tired of it yet!

花より男子 1, 2, and movie - an absolute Asian drama classic and must watch

1リットルの涙 - for the best cry you will ever have

パーフェクトワールド - you won't cry maybe but heartwarming AF

僕のいた時間 - if you want to cry even more

恋はつづくよどこまでも - the cutest romcom in a hospital setting

Code Blue 1,2,3, and movie - flight doctors being metal AF (thank you medical frontliners!)

ごくせん, 3年A組 ―今から皆さんは、人質です―, 家族ゲーム - teachers being metal AF

今際の国のアリス - excellent survival drama

私たちどうかしてる - for food porn romance and the tea in your drama

僕はまだ君を愛さないことができる - the best 親友 young adult romance

逃げるは恥だが役に立つ - fluffiest marriage contract romance

好きな人がいること - even more food porn romance

着飾る恋には理由があって - the best accidentally living together young adult romance

Is it obvious I like romance? (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

Hope you find something you enjoy, and remember, Asian Dramas have a different feel to Western dramas, so please don't give up on them!

[babyusagiii]

🏇Particles🐎

Case markers (格助詞 kaku-joshi) が、の、を、に、へ、と、で、から、より

Parallel markers (並立助詞 heiritsu-joshi) か、の、や、に、と、やら、なり、だの

Sentence ending particles (終助詞 shū-joshi) か、の、や、な、わ、とも、かしら

Interjectory particles (間投助詞 kantō-joshi) さ、よ、ね

Adverbial particles (副助詞 fuku-joshi) ばかり、まで、だけ、ほど、くらい、など、なり、やら

Binding particles (係助詞 kakari-joshi) は、も、こそ、でも、しか、さえ、だに

Conjunctive particles (接続助詞 setsuzoku-joshi) ば、や、が、て、のに、ので、から、ところが、けれども

Phrasal particles (準体助詞 juntai-joshi) の、から

————————————————————– Basic Particles

で at, by means of

Jitensha de ikimashō. 自転車で行きましょう。 Let’s go by bicycle.

Koko de yasumitai. ここで休みたい。 I want to rest here.

Nihongo de tegami o kaita. 日本語で手紙を書いた。 I wrote the letter in Japanese.

kimi ga suki de yokatta. 君が好きでよかった。 You are loved (and so) I am glad. / I am glad that I love you.

でも even, or, but, however, also in

Uchū kara de mo Banri-no-Chōjō ga mieru. 宇宙からでも万里の長城が見える。 Even from space you can see the Great Wall of China.

Ocha de mo, ikaga? お茶でも、いかが？ Would you like tea or something?

Nihon de mo eigo o benkyō suru 日本でも英語を勉強する。 In Japan also, we study English.

De mo, watashi wa sō omowanai. でも、私はそう思わない。 But I don’t think so.

へ to, in [direction]

Nihon e yōkoso! 日本へようこそ！ Welcome to Japan!

が [identifier], is (the thing that ___.), but

Neko ga esa o tabeta. 猫が餌を食べた。 The cat ate the catfood. [Answers:“What ate the catfood?”]

Inu ga suki. 犬が好き。 I like dogs.

wa ga kuni 我が国 my/our country (我= I, me, my)

Fujimi ga Oka 富士見が丘 Fuji View Hill [が=noun connector]

Seki ga hara 関が原 Gateway Plains [が=noun connector]

Inu wa suki da ga, neko wa kirai da. 犬は好きだが、猫は嫌いだ。 I like dogs but I hate cats. [conjuction- connects 2 phrases/words together]

か question, doubt, whether(dō ka- whether or not), conjunction

Kore ka, sore ka, docchika erande yo. これか、それか、どっちか選んでよ。 This or that, choose one of them.

Iku ka [dō ka] wakaranai. 行くか（どうか）分からない。 I don’t know [whether or not / if] he’ll go.

Dokoka de mita koto ga aru. どこかで見たことがある。 I think I’ve seen you somewhere before. (You look familiar)

Wakaru ka? 分かるか？Do you understand? (informal)

Eigo nante wakaru ka! 英語なんて分かるか! Why the heck would I understand English? (informal)

Sate, dekake yō ka? さて、出かけようか？ Right then, shall we leave?

Iku ka to omoimasu ga… 行くかと思いますが。。。 I think he’ll go (but I’m not sure)…

ね [interjection] eh?, hey, huh?

Kimi wa kashikoi yo ne. 君は賢いよね。 You’re pretty smart, aren’t you.

Kakkō ii desu ne. 格好いいですね。 That’s pretty neat, eh?

Ne, ima nanji? ね、いま何時？ Hey, what time is it?

に to, in, at, by, [indirect object], direction, -ly Following a na-adjective, it creates an adverb

Gakkō ni iru. 学校にいる。 I’m at/in school.

Gakkō ni iku. 学校に行く。 I’m going to school.

Ore ni kaese. 俺に返せ。 Give it back to me.

Ka ni sasareta. 蚊にさされた。 I was bitten by a mosquito.

Eiga o mi ni iku. 映画を見に行く。 I’m going to see a movie.

teinei, teinei ni 丁寧、 丁寧に polite, politely

の [possession], noun link, topic marker

先生の車 the teacher’s car

私のコンピューター My computer

anata no shukudai あなたの宿題 Your homework

車のトヨタ Toyota the car

Kare no tsukutta kēki wa oishikatta. 彼の作ったケーキはおいしかった。 The cake that he made was tasty.

Yasui no wa, kore. 安いのは、これ。 This is the cheap[er] one.

食べるのが大好き。 I love eating.

もう、食べたの？ Have you eaten yet?

車なの？ Is it a car?

Kare ni mō ageta no yo! 彼にもうあげたのよ！ I already gave it to him!

を [direct object], through, from, past (motion verbs)

Neko ga esa o tabeta. 猫が餌を食べた。The cat ate the food.

Sora o tobu 空を飛ぶ Fly through the sky

と and, with, as with [preposition], if, quotation

それとこれ that and this

それとこれと that or this

Taiyōkei dasshutsu e to chikazuite itta. 太陽系脱出へと近づいて行った｡ They were getting close to the point of leaving the Solar System.

僕と行きたい？ Do you want to go with me?

勉強すると分かる。 If you study, you’ll understand.

Umi made! to sakenda. 「海まで！」と叫んだ。 “To the sea!” he cried.

は [Topic marker]

や Used to make an incomplete list of things [usually nouns].

私の好きな食べ物はお菓子やパンやミカンなどです。(okashiお菓子=snacks). “I like snacks, bread and tangerines.”

よ Makes assertions, Goes at the end of a sentence. Sometimes used after nouns, as a vocative marker, often used in older speech, poetry, and songs.

Kaeru yo! 帰るよ！ I’m going home!

Saraba, tomo yo. さらば友よ。 Farewell, oh friend!

かな I wonder

Kare wa ayashii hito ka na. 彼は怪しい人かな。 I wonder if he’s a suspicious person.

から from, after, because [Kara may be followed by の to link two nouns.]

Tōkyō kara kaetta. 東京から帰った。 He returned from Tokyo.

zutto mae kara no hanashi ずっと前からの話 a conversation from way back

Owatte kara, kite kudasai. 終わってから、来てください。 Please come by after finishing (after you’ve finished).

Niku o tabenai kara, raamen wa dame da 肉を食べないから、ラーメンはだめだ。 Because he doesn’t eat meat, ramen is bad (a bad idea).

かしら [Like かな, but is used more by women.]

Kare wa ayashii hito ka shira. 彼は怪しい人かしら。 I wonder if he’s a suspicious person.

けど although, but, [short v of けれど/ けども]

Kanojo wa hen da kedo kirei da. 彼女は変だけどきれいだ。 She is strange but pretty.

———————————————————————-

Particle Contrast

はvが は is the topic, while が is the subject.

は gives focus to the action of the sentence- to the verb or adjective, while が gives focus to the subject of the action.  

は is used to declare/ make a statement. が is used for new information, or asking for new information.

にvで Both used to show location in English, their uses are mutually exclusive.

に is used with stative verbs [いる, ある, すむ(to live, inhabit)]. で is used with action verbs to convey the place of action. Gakkō-ni neru. 学校で寝る。 I sleep in/at school. (Gakkō-ni neru/ I sleep to school. is incorrect.)

にvへ Both mean to or at. へ is like ‘towards’.

Gakkō e iku. 学校に行く。 I’m going to school. Gakkō ni iru. 学校にいる。 I’m at school.

友達に会う。I’ll meet my friends. (Incorrect: 友達へ会う。 I’ll meet to my friends.) “Meet” is not a verb of motion, so it’s impossible.

がvを Some cases, they are interchangeable, like with the -tai form.

ご飯が食べたい。 Gohan ga tabetai. I want to eat rice. ご飯を食べたい。 Gohan o tabetai. I want to eat rice.

好き (a な-adj) can take either が or を. 君が好きだ。 Kimi ga suki da. I like you. 君を好きでよかった。 Kimi o suki de yokatta. I’m glad I like you.

にvと [Sometimes interchangeable, like になる and となる]. になる suggests a natural change, whereas となる suggests change to a final stage.

やvと や - used for incomplete lists. と - used for complete lists.

—————————————————————-

ばかり (許り) just, only, full of Tōkyō wa hito bakari da. 東京は人ばかりだ。 Tokyo is just full of people.

Tabeta bakari da. 食べたばかりだ。 I just ate.

Kare wa tabete bakari iru. 彼は食べてばかりいる。 He’s always eating.

ばかりか (許りか) not only, さえ(but also)= 許りかさえ

Sofu bakari ka, sōsofu sae ikite iru. 祖父ばかりか、曽祖父さえ生きている。 Not only is my grandfather living, but so is my great-grandfather.

ばかし (許し) only/ bakashi is another form of bakari.

だけ (丈) only, just, merely [noun] お忘れになっただけかと思いました。 You might have just forgotten.

Rōmaji dake no jisho. ローマ字だけの辞書 a rōmaji-only dictionary

Netai dake nereba ii. 寝たいだけ寝ればいい。 You can sleep as much as you want [to sleep].

だの and, things like This particle is used far less frequently than to ka. Often has negative connotations.

Nattō da no, shīfūdo da no, wasabi da no—nihonshoku ga nigate da. 納豆だの、シーフードだの、わさびだの—日本食が苦手だ。 Natto, seafood, wasabi—Japanese food isn’t my thing.

どころか (所か) anything but, far from

Kare wa keisatsukan dokoro ka, hanzaisha da. 彼は警察官どころか、犯罪者だ。 He’s anything but a policeman; he’s a criminal.

ほど (程) as much as, upper limit

Kare hodo nihongo ga umakunai. 彼ほど日本語がうまくない。 My Japanese isn’t as good as his.

Hayai hodo ii. 早いほどいい。 The sooner, the better.

Aitsu o koroshitai hodo kirai da. あいつを殺したいほど嫌いだ。 I hate him enough to want to kill him.

かい gentle/masculine variant of the question marker ka.

きり (切り) just, only, less used than だけ, Functions as a noun and may be followed by の.

futari kiri no o-mise 二人きりのお店 a shop with just two people [who work there]

っけ What (was it, again?) [Similar to か but recalling for info. of what you used to know.]

Nani wo iou to shiteta no da kke. 何を言おうとしてたのだっけ。 What we’re you trying to say, again?

koro/goro ごろ (頃) around, approximately [Functions as a noun and may be followed by の.]

こそ [emphasis marker] precisely, exactly

Kyō koso, yaru zo! 今日こそ、やるぞ！ Today, I’m going to do it!

Kimi ga suki da kara koso kore dake ganbatte iru n da yo. 君が好きだからこそこれだけがんばっているんだよ。 It’s precisely because I like you that I’m working this hard.

Kochira koso, yoroshiku onegai shimasu. こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。 Nice to meet you, too. (Emphasizes this side or me too)

くらい・ぐらい (位) about, approximately [noun; may be followed by の.]

Juppun kurai kakaru 十分くらいかかる。It takes about 10 minutes.

まで (迄) up to, until, as far as

Kono densha wa, Shimonoseki made ikimasu. この電車は、下関まで行きます。 This train goes as far as Shimonoseki.

までに (迄に) by [a certain time]

Ku-ji made ni kaeru. 九時までに帰る。 I’ll come back by nine o'clock.

め (目) ordinal particle (め only- “damn…”)

Amerika wa nikai me desu. アメリカは二回目です。 This is my second time to America.

Orokamono me! 愚か者め！[You] damn fool!

も（亦） also, Replaces は and が, but may follow other particles.

Watashi ni mo kureta. 私にもくれた。She gave some to me, too.

もの, もん (物) [feminine sentence ender]; a bit cheeky. Verb+物: Creates a noun from the verb (only applies to certain verbs).

Nomimono 飲み物 drink/ Ikimono 生き物 living thing

どうしてこなかったの？ Why didn’t you come? Jugyō ga attanda mon. 授業があったんだもの。 I had class, hah.

もので [Similar to ので/んで] because (of something)___is happening.

ものか, もんか Put at the end of a sentence Used to strongly decline. (More gently : もの/もんですか)

Makeru-monka! 負けるもんか! I will not surrender!

Dare ga anna tokoro-ni nido to iku-mondesuka! 誰があんなところに二度と行くもんですか! Who dares to go to the place like that at the second time!

ものなら (物なら) if (I/we/etc.) could/ if it’s possible

その伝言が重要なものなら彼に電話しなさい。   Telephone him if the message is important.  

ものを Shows feelings for not doing something they need to.

「好きだ」とひとこといってくれさえしたらけっこんできたものお・・・ “好きだ"と一言言ってくれさえしたら、結婚できたものを… If you had said “I like you”, we would have gotten married…

な/なる, なあ/なぁ Adjective, “don’t” な- Used with adj that act like nouns. な-adjectives なる (old)- Used the same way as な-adjectives. Dictionary form verb + な = “Don’t__.” Verb stem + な = “Do___.” な Modifies general nouns before other particles which can’t directly follow nouns (ので).

するな Don’t do (something). 食べな Eat./ Please eat.

hen na hito 変な人 a strange person

Hen da na! 変だな！How strange!

など (等) For example, things like, such as, etc., and so on

Nattō ya kabuki nado wa Nihon dake ni aru. 納豆や歌舞伎などは日本だけにある。 Things like natto and kabuki are only in Japan.

なんか, なんて (何か, 何て) emphasizes disgust/ negative feelings

Jogen nanka iranai. 助言なんかいらない。 I don’t need any (damn) advice.

Oyogu nante dekinai. 泳ぐなんてできない。 I can’t swim.

Ōkiku nanka nai kedo, kirei da. 大きくなんかないけど、きれいだ。 It’s not big [or anything], but it’s clean.

なら if [conditional, hypothetical]

Atsui nara, eakon o tsukete. 暑いなら、エアコンを付けて。 If you’re hot, turn on the air conditioner.

にて Formal version of で/ Functions the same way.

には for, in, to, in order to

Shichimi wa, watashi ni wa kara-sugiru. 七味は、私には辛すぎる。 (辛 = spicy, すぎる = too) Shichimi is too spicy for me.

Kyōto ni wa hana ga aru. 京都には花がある。 There are flowers in Kyōto.

Mizu o mitsukeru ni wa みずをみつけるには In order to find water

ので because, often shortened to んで

Tesuto ga aru no de, ikenai. テストがあるので、行けない。 Because I have a test, I can’t go.

Gakkō na no de, kin'en da. 学校なので、禁煙だ。 Because this is a school it’s no smoking.

のみ only, just, [formal], less common than だけ Unlike だけ, it only means a small quantity/single frequency

Tō-ten de wa, Nihon en nomi go-riyō itadakemasu. 当店では、日本円のみご利用頂けます。 This store accepts Japanese Yen only.

のに despite, although, even though, would have, in order to Nouns and な-adjectives must be followed by な before using this particle. Has a stronger meaning than けど when used to mean “although” Conveys regret when used to mean “would have”.

Benkyō shiteiru no ni, eigo ga hanasenai. 勉強しているのに、英語が話せない。 Although I am studying, I can’t speak English.

Kaette kitara, yokatta no ni. 帰ってきたら、よかったのに。 It would have been nice if you had come home.

Hikkosu no ni torakku ga hitsuyō da. 引っ越すのにトラックが必要だ。 (In order) to move, you need a truck.

さ [Masculine] Indicates obvious facts, softer than よ さあ, さぁ [Feminine] Used like ね

Kanojo ga inai kara, dansu niwa ikanai sa. 彼女がいないから、ダンスには行かないさ。 I don’t have a girlfriend, so I’m not going to the dance.

Kinō saa, gakkō de saa, sensei ni saa, chūi sarete saa, chō mukatsuita. 昨日さあ、学校でさあ、先生にさあ、注意されてさあ、超むかついた。 Like, yesterday, in, like, school, I, like, got fussed at by, like, some teacher, and it totally made me sick.

さえ even, [overlaps with も] Implies emphasis that something is greater than expected. Can be followed by も for extra emphasis.

Kanji sae kakeru. 漢字さえ書ける。 He can even write kanji.

でさえ even, Replaces は and が, like でも.

Sonna koto wa saru de sae dekiru. そんなことは猿でさえできる。 Even a monkey can do that.

さえ…ば/ら (さえ followed by a verb- “if only”)

Kore sae nomeba, futsukayoi ga naoru yo. これさえ飲めば、二日酔いが直るよ。 If you would just drink this, your hangover would get better.

し “and what’s more”

Kirei da shi, hiroi shi, ii ne, kono apaato! きれいだし、広いし、いいね、このアパート。 It’s clean, it’s spacious; this apartment is nice, isn’t it!

しか only, just, [must be followed by a negative verb] でけしか, きりしか, のみしか + the negative verb = Stresses an extremely limited quantity or frequency.

Ichi en dama shika nai. 一円玉しかない。 I have just a one-yen coin.

Yūbin-kyoku ni iku shika nai. 郵便局に行くしかない。 The only thing [to do] is to go to the post office.

すら even, overlaps with も Implies a (usually) negative emphasis that the extent of something is less than expected. Contrasts with さえ.

Kanji sura kakenai. 漢字すら書けない。 He can’t even write kanji.

とか [listing particle], Like のど Often used with なに in the form, なんとか (something or other)

Kani to ka, hotate to ka, zenbu tabeta yo. 蟹とか、帆立とか、全部食べたよ。 We had crab, scallops, [other stuff,] we ate them all.

とも (共) both, all of the とも(w.out kanji)- even if, even though, at the__-est, whether noun + とも + negative verb = “none”

Watashi wa, aitsura ga futari tomo kirai da. 私は、あいつらが、二人とも嫌いだ。 I hate both of those guys.

Zannen nagara, sono kuruma wa san dai tomo irimasen. 残念ながら、その車は三台とも要りません。 Unfortunately, we need none of those three cars.

Dō shiyō to mo amari susumanai. どうしようともあまり進まない。 No matter how we try [to do something], we don’t make much progress.

Sukunaku to mo go-jū mairu aruite kita. 少なくとも五十マイル歩いてきた。 We walked at least fifty miles [to get here].

Osoku to mo itte miyō yo. 遅くともいってみようよ。 Even if it’s late, let’s go and check it out.

Kau to mo kawanai to mo hakkiri shite imasen. 買うとも買わないともはっきりしていません。 It isn’t clear whether they’re going to buy or not.

Waratte ii to mo. 笑っていいとも。 It’s okay to laugh.

行きませんとも。 As if I would go.

って [Casual] Another form of と. Short ver. of という. Present progressive form of 言う/いう (to say). Verbal quotation mark. Sometimes used as a direct quote. Sometimes used for an indirect quote. Used to emphasize a word or concept. To be formal, use いいます instead of って.

Sugu kimasu tte すぐ来ますって。 He said, ‘I’ll come soon.’

Arabiago tte, muzukashikunai? アラビア語って難しくない？ Arabic─isn’t it difficult? (Emphasizing a word; used instead of というものは or　は)

ってば [Emphasis marker] Esp. when speaker is impatient

コーヒーだってば！ I said “coffee”!

わ [Used by both genders] Establishes an emotional connection if used at the end of a sentence.

やら Denotes either uncertainty or listing.

より from, used to make comparisons

Kono densha-wa, Kashiwa-yori saki wa kaku eki-ni tomarimasu. この電車は柏より先は各駅に止まります。 This train will stop at every station after Kashiwa.

Dare-yori-mo kanemochi-ni naritai. 誰よりも金持ちになりたい。 I want to become richer than anyone (else).

ぜ Indicates assertion. [Mostly used by men.] Never polite.

ぞ Indicates assertion. [Mostly used by men.] Less forceful than ぜ.

ずつ at a time, one at a time, 'by’ in 'one by one’, 'each’ in 'one each’. Usually follows counted nouns.

[babyusagiii]

How to study grammar in a foreign language

I have studied grammar in French, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese and Russian, so I’m basing this off of my experiences with that. I’m going to preface this by saying that in order to study grammar fairly quickly and effectively, you’re going to need to put the work in. Yes, you can learn grammar through conversation and making mistakes, but frankly, it will take a lot longer, and will be a lot more confusing. Grammar is hard and often boring, but it’s necessary.

Do practice questions! This is honestly your best option. Get a workbook (you can probably find loads of PDFs online, like on Z-library), and work through the questions without checking your notes.

Make your notes as minimal as you can! Just write down the essentials, which is usually the structure, when you use the structure and some example sentences. It’s tempting to write down what the textbook says word for word, but it’s a waste of time.

Make your own example sentences! Use your own vocabulary, even if it’s limited, to make your own sentences in the language. If you can do this accurately, then that’s a sign that you do know the structure.

Get corrections! You can use HiNative, or ask a native speaker. It’s important to know where you’re going wrong, so you can target your weaknesses later.

Write! This is the best, honestly. Writing is a fairly complex and necessary way of demonstrating your understanding of grammar, and it’s easy to see where you are going wrong when you write. You can use a site like Journaly to get corrections.

Do translations! Get an article or short story, and try translating a paragraph into your target language (make sure to get corrections). Look up vocabulary you don’t know, as that isn’t the most important thing in this exercise.

Drill your irregular verbs! Use flashcards, write them over and over again, however you do it, just get them stuck in your head.

Make a cheat sheet! I did this with French and it worked wonders. I recommend just doing it to review rules that you at least have a vague idea about. 

Ask questions! If you have a teacher, or a native friend, ask them for help understanding grammar. You can also use online forums. 

Use formulae! If you have a fairly logical brain, then it might make sense for you to write your notes using this format.

Read more! Input is EVERYTHING. Reading more books and articles in your target language will expose you more to grammar in it’s natural state, and that will really improve your grammar.

Be aware of when you use certain grammar rules! Ask questions, make your notes and practice loads. It’s really important to be solid in your knowledge of the usage of a grammar rule.

Regularly review! You can look at your notes, or do some online quizzes. Just make sure you’re regularly refreshing your memory.

Thanks for reading this post! I hope it was somewhat useful to you!

[babyusagiii]

Taking a brief pause to just say my heart is with the people of Ukraine right now, and I wish all of you well.

[babyusagiii]

luv this blog!

Do u have any more learning japanese blogs that you recommend ?

Thank you so much! ^.^

Here is a (not complete by any means) list of blogs that I look at regularly:

@warau-okami | chokopan | @aubergine-study | @uni-venture | @studyjapanesewithme | @goodplan-ipromise | @fricativefoxfriend | @onigiriforears | @narz-sensei | @amistudyblr | @benkyoutobentou | @mars-langblr | @onigiriwithambitions | @orenjisupeesu | @zatsugaku

I hope some of these will help you find some more content! If anyone has a Japanese langblr I should follow, please let me know ^.^

[babyusagiii]

Studying languages with a busy schedule

Since university has started back up in person for me, I’ve been struggling to manage my time and get everything done that needs to be done while still keeping up with my Japanese. So, here are some tips that I’ve started implementing to continue making progress in my target language with my busy schedule.

Remember that anything is enough: even only a little bit of progress is progress, even if that progress is just getting used to immersing in your TL.

Embrace audiobooks and podcasts: whether its a grammar podcast or just plain immersion, these are great for in between moments like driving and walking, or even doing chores.

Change things that you have to do into things to do in your TL: for example, if you have to cook dinner, try finding and making a recipe in your TL.

Carry your materials with you: this is especially easy with cellphones. You can read, do flashcards, or otherwise review during times when you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or waiting for a class to start.

Follow native speakers on social media: we all spend just a bit too much time on social media, so why not have it help us learn? If you’re unsure who to follow, I personally follow authors/mangaka that I want to keep up with on Twitter. Now, my Twitter feed is almost entirely in Japanese.

Multitask with simpler tasks: for example, when I’m eating, I like to watch YouTube in Japanese. Neither takes my full concentration, so it makes the most sense to combine the two!

Take baby steps: even if you don’t have the time to study an entire chapter, studying a page or two or even a single exercise is more than nothing.

[babyusagiii]

Mandarin Reading App Recommendation: Decipher

Decipher is a great little app for stretching your Mandarin reading abilities! It’s an interactive graded reader, available for Apple and Android devices. It’s also available online!

The web version.

Readings are available in all levels of the HSK. Vocabulary words within readings are also subtly color coded to indicate what HSK level they belong to. If you’re struggling with a word, Decipher lets you click on it to see Pinyin and a translation. You also have the option to save words to review and hear them pronounced.

Translation on Decipher.

Users can toggle between traditional and simplified, which is invaluable if you’re learning Taiwanese Mandarin. Decipher’s got a lot of useful features, an easy-to-use interface, and best of all, it’s free! I haven’t been using it long, and I love it already. 

It’s not for absolute beginners - Decipher says you need about 100 words of Mandarin to start using their app. But once you’re to that point, check it out! It’s the most painless way to practice reading Mandarin that I’ve found, but it pushes you at the same time.

[babyusagiii]

Websites for Japanese Learners

! click on website name to be redirected !

all websites can be used for free and without subscribtion (thats why japanese101 isnt included)

-> apps for japanese learners (soon)

1. JLPT Sensei

study guides (N5-N1)

includes grammar, kanji, vocabular, adjective, verb and other lists for orientation when studying

free JLPT practice tests

2. Japanese Verb Conjugator

automatic verb conjugator

verb database

kanji database & kanji tester

over 180,000 example sentences with sound

3. Tanoshii Japanese

japanese-english dictionary (with stroke order!)

pratice games & interactive lessons (Kanji Mahjong etc.)

learning resources (japanese novel, textbook, magazine, movie recommendations)

4. Jisho

fast and smart japanese-english dictionary

draw and radical function apart from keyboard search

searching by topic and categories by adding #[topic/category]

JLPT levels, sentences, particles, counters, names included

5. Map Quiz

world map quiz in japanese

divided into continents and north, east, south and west

6. Japanesetests4you

free JLPT N5-N1 reading and listening tests

free JLPT N5-N1 vocabulary, kanji and grammar lists + tests

7. Shiritori Online

Shiritori (しりとり) is a popular japanese word game and is ideal to exercise vocabulary for japanese learners. 2 or more players take turns saying a word that starts with the last kana of the previous word. The game ends when someone answers with a word ending with -n (ん) because there are no words starting with ん.

it is up to the players whether all forms of a hiragana (kana and its diacritics; は,ば and ぱ etc.) are allowed or not (e.g やぎ -> きよう).

example: りんご (apple) -> ごりら (ゴリラ) (gorilla) -> らーめん (ラーメン) (ramen). The last person who said ramen loses because the word ends with -n (ん). Instead the person could have saidらま (ラマ) (llama) (e.g).

[babyusagiii]

do you struggle with ｢ら｣, ｢り｣, ｢る｣, ｢れ｣, ｢ろ｣, ｢りゃ｣, ｢りゅ｣ and ｢りょ｣ sounds too?

@9:48 hitoki-san (onomappu on youtube) explains a technique for improving your pronunciation of the japanese /ɾ/ sound and its palatalized version /ɾʲ/, in simple japanese. it’s honestly so helpful.

the rest of this video is great too. he physically demonstrates how to double consonants (called ‘gemination’ in linguistics) and vowels properly. take a look!

[babyusagiii]

My Japanese Notes Masterpost

Genki 1 Notes

*NOTE: Initially, I was posting lesson sheets and kanji sheets separately. After finishing the Lesson 3 sheets, I decided it was more efficient (and probably easier to find them) if I posted them together. This is why Lessons 1 through 3 have two post links. ごめんね！^_^;;

Lesson 1: lesson | kanji sheet

Lesson 2: lesson | kanji sheet

Lesson 3: here and here

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Lesson 7

Lesson 8

Lesson 9

Lessons 10 through 12 will be posted in the near future!

Grammar Notes

From Lingo Deer:

The Particle の

The Verb ある

The Verb いる

Other Notes:

Qualifying Nouns with Verbs and Adjectives (Relative Clauses)

みんな、日本語の勉強は頑張ろう！！難しいけど、諦めないで！