Konichiwa, i need a tutor

[tamakilover]

Hello! please, i need a Japanese tutor. I know some Japanese, through the anime i've watched, but could someone please teach me? My friend and i try to speak Japanese at school, but since our knowledge of the language is so limited, we usually stop right at the beginning!

please, i really want to be able to watch naruto and not have to read the sub titles all the time.

[Ertai87]

I will attempt to tell the truth without being a troll. Given that it's 3 am and I'm tired, I might say things a bit bluntly, so I apologize in advance in case anything I say is too harsh, as I don't mean it that way. That said:

If you're trying to learn Japanese to watch anime un-subbed, don't. Especially Shounen, and *ESPECIALLY* Shounen like Naruto. I'll start explaining from the top:

Trying to watch anime unsubbed when learning Japanese in a classroom or tutorial-type setting is like trying to watch English TV having taken ESL classes. It's not gonna happen. I have been studying Japanese for about 1 1/2 years and I can maybe pick up 1 or 2 sentences in an entire episode, and I can't even do that much without the subs. I have a friend who's lived in Japan for an extended period of time (I forget off the top of my head how long but it was at least 4 months) and is going in a couple months to study there and take classes in Japanese, and she can barely understand anime, and she can only understand the anime once she's seen the subs 3 or 4 times, plus she's much more advanced than I am and practises a lot more than I do. You're going to need to put a LOT of work into it and spend A LOT of time doing it to even come close to understanding even the simplest of animes. After 1 1/2 years, I'd say my expertise with the language is maybe equivalent to a native-speaking 5 or 6-year-old, and probably not even that much.

Even more than that, you shouldn't try to learn Japanese to watch Shounen. Shounen like Naruto and Bleach are especially notorious because they teach a lot of bad words. Not swear words (from talking to Japanese natives as well as people very experienced with the language, I've learned Japanese is a language without swear words the same way as we understand them in English), but they teach words you would not use in everyday conversation. Japanese is a language and culture based very much on respect, and this is reflected in the language. For example, you'll often hear Naruto refer to himself as "ore" and Sasuke refer to Naruto as "aitsu". If you say that to someone on the street who you don't know very well, you're likely to get a punch in the jaw. A lot of the vocabulary in Naruto is very specific to the types of things that go on in the show and are words you won't want to use often. Additionally, Naruto's catch phrase "dattebayo" is basically nonsense-talk in Japanese (the same way as the dub uses "Believe it!"), and people will laugh at you if you try to use it.

So basically, if you want to learn Japanese for the purpose of watching anime, here's what I suggest: first, find a language class in your area where you can learn it instead of trying to make it up on the spot with your friends and seeing what the language is all about. Then I suggest trying to meet some Japanese people to practise with instead of other people who know as much as or less than you do (more practise is always good, but practising mistakes is never good). Then, perhaps, after 2-3 years of practise, you may be able to pick up some of Sakura's dialogue (female characters tend to use more "proper" speech than male ones, especially in Shounen anime).

[Rizuchan]

Some more that I'd like to add.
"I want to learn this language so I can understand ____"
The correct answers here are "the people", "the culture" etc. Incorrect answers would be "a tv show" "a song" etc.
If you want to learn Japanese to understand Naruto, there's no point. You'll lose interest, you'll forget all you know, and it'll be a waste of time. That's not to say that anime is a bad way to be introduced to a language and culture and gain more interest, but if your interest lies purely in Naruto you'll be sorely dissapointed. By the time you're good enough to understand it, Naruto's gonna be long gone and over (God, at least I hope so. )

If you really are interested in learning it though, asking for a tutor isn't going to help much. A person over the internet is only going to be able to teach you a couple words here and there, maybe some basic grammar, but unless you happen to become really good friends with someone who has decent Japanese skills you're not going to find a person who will devote that kind of time to teaching you Japanese. I would advise finding a class somewhere. If your school doesn't offer one, you might be able to take one at a local college during the summer or for a language credit if your school accepts that sort of thing. If that's not possible there's plenty of study material on the internet and introductory books at bookstores, if you have that kind of self discipline.

[Datenshi]

By the time you're good enough to understand it, Naruto's gonna be long gone and over (God, at least I hope so. )

Oh yes. Quoted for truth.

Though, I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing to be drawn to a language because of a particular song or series. The important thing is to have the perspective and motivation to explore different genres and mediums. My mother teaches Japanese to foreign exchange students and there are all sorts of people in her class with very particular interests (a kanji nut [heck, even I can't spell 薔薇 off to top of my head], a gothic-lolita fan, you name it).

The original poster is still in school, yes? You have a lot of options to explore, like taking a class (if available) in or out of school. There are some very helpful self-teaching websites available on the Internet as well. Just keep in mind learning a language is no easy thing and not something some random dude can teach over the Internet.

[Goodlookinguy]

Hello! please, i need a Japanese tutor. I know some Japanese, through the anime i've watched, but could someone please teach me? My friend and i try to speak Japanese at school, but since our knowledge of the language is so limited, we usually stop right at the beginning!

please, i really want to be able to watch naruto and not have to read the sub titles all the time.

I have to point this out, you say you know a tad bit of Japanese, yet, you spelled the simplest word meaning good afternoon wrong (Konnichiwa/konnichiha.). Now, not only that, but you write with lower case I's telling me that you lack the time to spend on clicking a shift button when typing. Your grammar is poor as well. Do you really think that you have what it takes to learn Japanese? I think you need to learn English better before that. I'm only 16 living in California, so it is possible to learn a lot of Japanese in this time, but you would have needed to have started earlier. I learned from a younger age, so it is more natural to me.

Just a heads up, the best way is to start with a class that teaches basic phases, hiragana, and katakana. Then go on to a basic Kanji class, such as what first graders learn.

[LavaBug]

I have to point this out, you say you know a tad bit of Japanese, yet, you spelled the simplest word meaning good afternoon wrong (Konnichiwa/konnichiha.). Now, not only that, but you write with lower case I's telling me that you lack the time to spend on clicking a shift button when typing. Your grammar is poor as well. Do you really think that you have what it takes to learn Japanese? I think you need to learn English better before that. I'm only 16 living in California, so it is possible to learn a lot of Japanese in this time, but you would have needed to have started earlier. I learned from a younger age, so it is more natural to me.

Just a heads up, the best way is to start with a class that teaches basic phases, hiragana, and katakana. Then go on to a basic Kanji class, such as what first graders learn.

I think the point has been made clear, no need to slap minor grammar issues too imho -_-"

Also, as has been stated, there are a lot of possibilities to get in touch with the language. If you cannot find a class, there still are books and other learning stuff (both in real and the internet).
You might wanna take a closer look at those before you decide
on whether to continue learning Japanese or not.

[Ertai87]

I have to point this out, you say you know a tad bit of Japanese, yet, you spelled the simplest word meaning good afternoon wrong (Konnichiwa/konnichiha.). Now, not only that, but you write with lower case I's telling me that you lack the time to spend on clicking a shift button when typing. Your grammar is poor as well. Do you really think that you have what it takes to learn Japanese? I think you need to learn English better before that. I'm only 16 living in California, so it is possible to learn a lot of Japanese in this time, but you would have needed to have started earlier. I learned from a younger age, so it is more natural to me.

Just a heads up, the best way is to start with a class that teaches basic phases, hiragana, and katakana. Then go on to a basic Kanji class, such as what first graders learn.

Sorry, but I just have to point this out: Romaji is very prone to modifications. For example, as you said, こんにちは can be "konnichiwa" or "konnichiha" depending on if you go phonetically or by spelling. Similarly, one of the TAs in my Japanese class is named Yuta in English, but ゆうた in Japanese (don't know the Kanji for his name unfortunately). Albeit this occurs more with proper nouns, but for things like double-ns or double-us, it's not very productive to berate people over it. Heck, I didn't know the Japanese word for "melancholy" (as in "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya") has 3 u's in it back-to-back until I looked it up; had you asked me about it a few months ago I would have told you it was only 2 (for reference, the word is ゆううつ, or "yuuutsu". To my knowledge, it's the only word in Japanese which, when translated to Romaji, has 3 of the same character back-to-back)

[Wio]

Also, I didn't notice any grammar errors either, unless you're counting punctuation and capitalization...


I don't understand why so many of you guys are being discouraging. It's not gonna hurt anyone if they try, but crash and fail. If anything it'd be a good lesson.


@tamakilover
I'm willing to share with you the few things that I've learned so far, but there's only so much that I know for sure. Add me on MSN/Yahoo/AIM if you're willing

[Vagrere]

Rizuchan, that's simply not true at all. The reason I first got interested in learning Japanese was, embarrassingly enough, because of hentai doujinshi. I hadn't even seen any anime outside of Dragonball, Pokemon, and the WB version of Cardcaptor Sakura at the time. Well, probably a couple of other things over the period of time that I'd watched cartoons to that point, but you get the idea.

Of course it went slowly at the time, because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, and because the nature of... well, that, doesn't particularly encourage understanding very much when you have no idea how the grammar of the language works. But I happened to have a couple of friends at that time interested in anime, and soon after I picked up my first dictionaries and grammar, I got access to Cartoon Network, which piqued my interest in anime, and, through that, (non-pornographic xP) comics, which is where my interest in the language really started to pick up. Honestly, I'm a lot more interested in learning the language for the sake of learning the language, and for the sake of being able to understand popular media, such as anime and video games, than I am in the culture. Oh, sure, I mean, I'm definitely interested in the culture, but that in itself probably springs more from my interest in what the culture produced than any other reason. After all, I do have some remnants of the Chinese prejudice against Japan, being a halfie.

Myself, I actually did pick up the majority of my ability to understand spoken Japanese from anime and songs, and the majority of my ability to read from trying to read and translate doujinshi scans and song lyrics—which does, as Ertai pointed out, frequently leave me unsure about just how ridiculously rude I might come across if I ever were to try speaking to someone; and of course, my ability to understand things like newscasts is particularly low—they speak too fast on the one hand, and on the other they use a completely different kind of vocabulary than you find in the sort of stuff I'm used to. At the same time, I can kind of pick up the gist of what's being said in certain anime, and I've gotten a pretty good feel for casual speech in general.

Of course, you have to understand I've been at this very passively for nearly some seven years now, and I've always been rather good at picking up language (top of my german class for my entire career at high school). If you want to actually learn Japanese in a practical enough manner to be able to (relatively) quickly understand a variety of things, then taking a good class is almost essential, and it's always a good idea to immerse yourself in both written and spoken Japanese, and from a variety of places, too—anime or radio dramas would be one such source for spoken, but looking into audio books, newscasts, and especially commercials will give a wider range of understanding. Of course, this is basically true of any language. It's primarily going to be how interested you are in the language itself, and how good you are with learning languages in general—you don't need the latter, but it sure helps to have it if you haven't got a lot of the former. Speaking from my experiences with French and ancient Greek.

Also, GLG, way to be a jerkface.

[Goodlookinguy]

Also, GLG, way to be a jerkface.

I was dubbed a grammar nazi. I have no issues with people replying in this manner anymore.

[LavaBug]

We'll SOME mods, COULD find it...bothersome if forum members start calling each other names...

[Goodlookinguy]

Alright, but I am questioning why you spelled, "well," as, "we'll?"

[LavaBug]

Because you have too much free time ...

[Goodlookinguy]

Doubtfully, I am always busy. Running a website, going to school, learning 3 languages, and learning 7-different programming languages. I just happen to come here, and other forums, when I am taking a break.

[LavaBug]

...Anyway, it's still not nice to be picky about minor spelling/grammar mistakes people make...
It always leaves the (bad) impression the one who's correcting wants to gain self-esteem by showing that he/she is better or more proficient...

P.S. if you find some issues with the text above, you are free to keep them all for yourself...find them, keep them, love them...courtesy by your humble forum staff...

Unrelated to that, if no more answers to the original question (the one this thread started with) are coming up, I'm gonna close this thread soon...

[Ertai87]

learning 7-different programming languages.

Which ones, out of curiosity? I'm a CS major myself.

[LavaBug]

Ok, since noone actually seems to care what I say I close this thread now,
please ask further programming related questions via pm...