Teach me Japanese

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What about when you add cchi to the end of a name.

In "Testament of Sister New Devil", one of the characters calls their 'friend' Basacchi, where his real name is Basara. What does this mean?
 
Ah, that variation. Espie-sensei can explain~

So, the suffixes can have many variations to it, making it more childish, cute or both. Depending on who is addressed, the speaker, situation and relation the implications may vary.
They are as follows:
-tan, follows the same rules as a suffix like -chan, a childishly cute way to call a child.
-tama, similar rules as -sama, but I advice against anyone older than 10 using that one.
-chama, same as -tama, including the advice.
-cchi, a suffix used together with a shortened name, ex: Hinako -> Hinacchi, it's a cute way to call someone

Those are the ones I can think of on the top of my head. Similarly -chan can be used the same way, ex: Yukiko -> Yucchan.
They go more along nicknaming and occasionally teasing so they're highly informal.
 
Thank you, Espie-Sensei ^^
 
Minibit said:
fair warning; doing what you're setting out to do is commonly termed as "being a weeaboo/weeb", and those who require translations or prefer their stories to be all in one language will be annoyed.

also Iwaku is an english site so if you're doing more than the odd "Kawaii" or "hai", you'll need to post translations.

"Dai suki" = to like/love

"Ichigo" = strawberry

Watashi/boku/ore = me/I/myself. It is more acceptable for women to use watashi, whereas boys and men can use any of the three, with "ore" considered being the most coarse one.

There are lots of like "connector" words too like "no/na/ga/wa" etc.

"Watashi daisuki Ichigo" doesn't work, it would translate like "Me liking strawberry"

"Watashi wa ichigo daisuki" might work better.

"moshi moshi, Minibit desu" (Hi, I'm Minibit)
"hashimemashite, watashi no namu wa Minibit desu" (It's nice to meet you, my name is Minibit)

"Abunai" - danger/it's dangerous, a word of warning

"Tomodachi" - friend

"Tanashi" - fun/enjoyable
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There are a few corrections that should be noted to the above.

Tanashi =/= Fun. Chotto chigaimasu. This isn't quite right.

Tanoshii = fun

When you're expressing that you like something, it can be done as simply as: x ga suki desu.

For example, someone might ask you: "Donna tabemono ga suki desu ka." What kind of food do you like?

And you can respond by saying: "Ichigo ga suki desu." I like Strawberries.

Moshi Moshi is used when answering the phone. Don't use that as a casual greeting, people will look at you funny.

"hashimemashite, watashi no namu wa Minibit desu." Chotto chigaimasu. This isn't quite right.

When introducing yourself, you can say: "Hajimemashite, watashi no namae wa (insert your name) desu! Nice to meet you, my name is...

Or

"Hajimemashite, (insert name) to moushimashu." It's nice to meet you, my name is...

This greeting can get progressively more casual depending on who you are talking to and the occasion.
 
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AetherDream said:

There are a few corrections that should be noted to the above.

Tanashi =/= Fun. Chotto chigaimasu. This isn't quite right.

Tanoshii = fun

When you're expressing that you like something, it can be done as simply as: x ga suki desu.

For example, someone might ask you: "Donna tabemono ga suki desu ka." What kind of food do you like?

And you can respond by saying: "Ichigo ga suki desu." I like Strawberries.

Moshi Moshi is used when answering the phone. Don't use that as a casual greeting, people will look at you funny.

"hashimemashite, watashi no namu wa Minibit desu." Chotto chigaimasu. This isn't quite right.

When introducing yourself, you can say: "Hajimemashite, watashi no namae wa (insert your name) desu! Nice to meet you, my name is...

Or

"Hajimemashite, (insert name) to moushimashu." It's nice to meet you, my name is...

This greeting can get progressively more casual depending on who you are talking to and the occasion.
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/me reiterates that she is not an expert, just an ex-weeb :P

I LEARNED STUFF!
 
Good luck, there's a huge gap between English and Asian languages.
 
Asuras said:
Just... take some legit Japanese courses so you're not going just full weeb? That's my best advice. Learning a language is fun anyways, so why pass it up?
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I was kind of thinking the same thing, especially with the 2 preceding anime conversations the OP started in the same day.

You're not going to learn anything substantial asking people on an English speaking site for how to speak a language. Put some actual money down on a course, and there's a lot of online programs out there if you're actually serious about learning a language and don't just want a few phrases to throw around from time to time.
 
Dervish said:
just want a few phrases to throw around from time to time.
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This is pretty much what I wanted. A beginner's knowledge. I just needed to know some proper phrases so I can throw them in during a RP. But I may also be looking towards a Japanese course. However, unemployed as I am, waiting till I'm 18 to start working towards my GED, I have $0 that I can put towards it right now.
 
It's also good to watch and listen to a lot of anime and Japanese songs by hearing them (no subs) and writing down what you hear then going to www.jisho.org to learn some new words~
 
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Kentsuki Tayousen said:
This is pretty much what I wanted. A beginner's knowledge. I just needed to know some proper phrases so I can throw them in during a RP. But I may also be looking towards a Japanese course. However, unemployed as I am, waiting till I'm 18 to start working towards my GED, I have $0 that I can put towards it right now.
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Took me like, a minute of searching.

Also, try not to overdue foreign languages in RPs. A few words here and there's one thing, but entire sentences and constant use can be alienating to people. It becomes less, "Oh look how cultural this character is!" and more "I'm skimming over this gibbly gook because I don't understand it and it's kind of patronizing that he keeps throwing it in my face."
 
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Dervish said:
Took me like, a minute of searching.

Also, try not to overdue foreign languages in RPs. A few words here and there's one thing, but entire sentences and constant use can be alienating to people. It becomes less, "Oh look how cultural this character is!" and more "I'm skimming over this gibbly gook because I don't understand it and it's kind of patronizing that he keeps throwing it in my face."
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Well, I make it a point to tell my partners how I got the information for the foreign languages, such as google translate. So that they don't think I'm rubbing it in their faces like "Oh lookie me, I know this language and you don't, good luck reading tehehehe". I also always (Unless it's a single, identifiable word) leave the translation in parentheses. I usually use japanese in large sentences only when I'm doing a chant or something. Otherwise, I only use it for when my character is being slightly formal like: Sean took the Taiyaki with a smile "Arigato, sir." He smiled and walked away with his friends.
 
I agree with Dervish. There's a difference between using a word here and there and directly flaunting what you know.

Go for any kind of course, youtube or otherwise if you want to learn.
 
Seiji said:
Japanese uses three primary "alphabets": hiragana, katakana, and kanji. You mostly see hiragana and kanji, with kanji "subtitles" usually in newspapers and magazines called furigana.

The alphabet is actually a system of sounds with a base of "a" "i" "u" "e" "o". Almost like vowels, but not really. From these sounds, you derive sounds like "ka" or "ji" or "ku" or "shi" or "chi". There's a chart for that.

hiragana-stroke-chart.png





For shit's a giggles, here's the katakana chart. It works similarly to hiragana, except katakana is used for foreign words (i.e. you'd spell "ice cream" with katakana, and spell it out as "aisukurimu")

katakana_chart.jpg





There's something like 4000 kanji characters out there, and yes, you memorize them. Not all of them, of course, which is why furigana is used occassionally. But for the most part, you memorize them. Here are some examples.

kanjifirst.gif




SOURCE: 4 years of Japanese.
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There's also Romaji, which is the common Latin Alphabet. It's called Romaji, because it is the Latin Alphabet which was started by the Romans. Hence the term Romaji.

Source: A Paper I did on Japan.
 
Kentsuki Tayousen said:
A beginner's knowledge.
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A few words and phrases is not beginner's knowledge. I can throw out a number of Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Bengali phrases/words, but that doesn't make me a beginner in the slightest. What it means is I heard them a couple times and remembered their meanings; not how the grammar works, etc. When it comes to Japanese, calling it as such is almost certainly being a weaboo, FYI.
 
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Asuras said:
is almost certainly being a weaboo
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I am NOT a weaboo, nor am I Otaku. I am simply a fan of Japanese culture. It in no way influences the fact that I watch anime or that I RP with Japanese characters. I just enjoy having the basic knowledge. And it is very insulting to be called Weaboo or otaku just because I want to learn a little japanese. For just a slight moment I wish people would stop using those terms.
 
Kentsuki Tayousen said:
I am NOT a weaboo, nor am I Otaku. I am simply a fan of Japanese culture. It in no way influences the fact that I watch anime or that I RP with Japanese characters. I just enjoy having the basic knowledge. And it is very insulting to be called Weaboo or otaku just because I want to learn a little japanese. For just a slight moment I wish people would stop using those terms.
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I understand. I enjoy Asian Art of all types.

I've been called a Weeaboo because I want to learn Japanese for the Job I want to have! (Airline Pilot. I want to learn an Eastern, and Western, and Japanese seemed easiest.)
 
❖Silver Paladin❖ said:
I understand. I enjoy Asian Art of all types.
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Like seriously. yeah, I had a friend who was definitely identifiable as an otaku, she kept spouting off Kawaii at everything she watched, even if it had nothing to do with japan or anime (She'd do it at Pewdiepie and Joey Graceffa videos (That weren't supposed to be watched in school))
But I seriously just enjoy the culture. I don't identify myself as Japanese, or a "reverse banana". I just like to learn more about it so that I can more accurately use Japanese language and culture in my writing.
 
Kentsuki Tayousen said:
Like seriously. yeah, I had a friend who was definitely identifiable as an otaku, she kept spouting off Kawaii at everything she watched, even if it had nothing to do with japan or anime (She'd do it at Pewdiepie and Joey Graceffa videos (That weren't supposed to be watched in school))
But I seriously just enjoy the culture. I don't identify myself as Japanese, or a "reverse banana". I just like to learn more about it so that I can more accurately use Japanese language and culture in my writing.
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Heck, I go to Art Museums just for their exhibits on Asia!

Though the European Stuff is also cool.
 
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