bodhisamaya wrote:

You guys are much more advanced than me

When I read anything in Japanese, I have to have a dictionary next to me.  I can not just relax and read without stopping every few seconds to look something up.

2 things:

1)  Give it some time.

2)  Find some really, really easy books.

I'm reading the Yotsuba mangas because I can understand like 2/3 - 3/4 of the stuff in them without a dictionary, and can often infer most of the rest.  It's a great big huge ego boost to actually do something with Japanese.  Plus, my boss saw me the other day and was like 'YOU CAN READ JAPANESE!?'  Hehe.

snispilbor wrote:

I was really saddened when I realized this, but it seems like most Japanese girls (including my GF) would much rather talk in English.  English is sexy and exotic to them.  I used to go up to Japanese girls and try talking to them in Japanese, but now that I'm on the other side of the coin, I see guys constantly trying to hit on my GF on Facebook in everything from ok-but-boring-japanese to embarrassingly-bad-romaji, and I see that for hitting on Japanese girls, English is better every time.

What about Japanese with an English accent?

*sets out to kick you, Tobberoth, and Jarvik in the shins*

kazelee wrote:

*sets out to kick you, Tobberoth, and Jarvik in the shins*

Kanji: 脚

English Meaning: skids/shins

Story: To take a man down, the *part of the body* you want to hurt is the balls. If you can't, kick him in the shins *instead*

If only I had known earlier that picking up Japanese girls was the only legitimate reason to study Japanese . . . Is that really the main reason the guys are studying Japanese?

KristenHolly - I study Japanese so that I can pick up Japanese guys. I have trouble picking up guys in my own country. I suspect that they're probably only with me for my nationality, but that's OK because I have this thing for Asian guys.

-maybe I should add a -

Last edited by Thora (2009 January 30, 12:11 am)

Smackle wrote:

Studying Japanese will also open you up to new customers for your drug selling business.

I heard the shroom market is booming over there.

bodhisamaya wrote:

I wonder what the gender ratio is on this site.  Women seem to be naturally better at conversation but do not to study Japanese as much as men.

every class for the last 3 years: 80% women, 20% men in class.
do you have any proven data or do you just generally like to generalize - as if it were a fact?

frlmarty wrote:

bodhisamaya wrote:

I wonder what the gender ratio is on this site.  Women seem to be naturally better at conversation but do not to study Japanese as much as men.

every class for the last 3 years: 80% women, 20% men in class.
do you have any proven data or do you just generally like to generalize - as if it were a fact?

Everyone I ever met personaly who studied Japanese seriously was a guy.  All of the English teachers I worked with in Japan who studied Japanese were men as well. I have never studied Japanese in a classroom environment. I do not know what the male/female ratio is here in Hawaii.  I have no scientific data.  Only limited personal experience of the people I have met.

I had fun reading a blog called "Get Girls" which chronicled a guy who was a gaijin nanpa in Japan http://amanojack.your-japan.com/ (NFWS). He made a distinction between those that harvested (meaning you hooked up with Japanese ladies that liked gaijin) and those that seduced (meaning you can hook up with Japanese ladies that were not interested in gaijin).

It was an interesting blog as it looked at the psychology of not only the Japanese lady but of ladies in general.

Thora wrote:

KristinHolly wrote:

If only I had known earlier that picking up Japanese girls was the only legitimate reason to study Japanese . . .

Thora wrote:

I study Japanese so that I can pick up Japanese guys. I have trouble picking up guys in my own country. I suspect that they're probably only with me for my nationality, but that's OK because I have this thing for Asian guys.  -maybe I should add a -

timcampbell wrote:

You'd never lack for dates in downtown Vancouver. I'll tell my guy students there's hope for them yet.

tim, after reading your genuine response, I ....I feel quite sheepish having to admit that in my post I was actually playing with the stereotype of the foreign guy in Japan (and the  idea of choosing a lover based on race/nationality).  It was kind of a follow up to the sarcasm in Kristin's post. I thought it'd be more obvious - I guess I was wrong.

So...maybe someone will steer this thread back to the celebratory mood and positive topic of the original post? cheers

Ooops. Swing and a miss on the sarcasm. Sorry. Guess I'll have to tell the lads there's really is no hope.

Anyway, to finally contribute on topic, I really love the sound of the language, and its diversity, from the super cute, to the harshness of samurai and the way yakuza roll their Rs, from the over-politeness of keigo to the really direct and casual Japanese you can use with friends.

Though being semi-fluent in French and speaking basic Chinese, neither language has given me the "Oh my god that's such a perfect word" feeling as often as I get with Japanese. I think 赤ちゃん, roughly translated as "little red guy" is the cutest word for a baby you can come up with. It almost wants to make me have a third child just so I can use it (wells up with emotion).

I love the sound words, how hair flows さらさら、how skin is そんなにつるつる、how frogs jump ぴょこぴょこ、and how you get all ぐちゃぐちゃ in the rain.

And despite other posts on this site despising the use of English loans words, I really love how Japanese, not just as a language, but as a culture, takes what it can use from outside influences, and then converts it into something uniquely Japanese - as it did with Chinese kanji, and now with European loans words - and to adapt it in such a way that foreigners can no longer make the connection with their own language. Like ぱそこん, which wouldn't get you very far here in an electronics shop, or even コンセント、which, if you don't know it and can't guess, is a wall outlet (shortened from concentric plug - which in English we shortened to plug)

And finally, I suppose, the fact that it's so absolutely different from English gives a great sense of wonder and accomplishment once I'm able to crack open the language. Neither French nor Chinese forces you to think in such a different way as Japanese does. I love the thought process in Japanese, and I get disappointed when I have to switch back into English.

So when I tell people I study Japanese for 6-7 hours a day, they say, "Wow, what a hard worker," and I'm like "No, I'm having the time of my life."

Last edited by timcampbell (2009 January 30, 12:04 pm)

It's Saturday. I won't go out and learn Japanese instead. Love it.

Last edited by stoked (2009 January 31, 8:28 am)

About motivations, I wanna read untranslated Manga, watch unsubbed Anime and drama , play Japanese games (specially the Japan exclusive games) read Japanese websites without Google translate (which sux and doesn't help!) and, if I get the chance, work in Japan! Lots of motivation eh?
What I like about Japanese that I didn't find in English or Arabic is the pronunciation or Japanese talking , ever watched a dubed anime after watching the Japanese one? or a game? English version sux lol
But after all Arabic is the best, VERY Eloquent:)

It's funny, someone earlier (albeit, probably jokingly said I ruined the thread when I mentioned J-men) and then someone else mentioned how they have only meet serious learners of Japanese who have been male, and such and such. It's funny but seems that for me, as a women, most people who I meet who seriously study Japanese and (are good!) are women! The guys have it easier because for the ones who are just interested in picking up J-girls, you don't even need Japanese for that. Just blue eyes and all that. But, of all the women I've met in Japan who are good, they all seemed happy. Whereas (both guys and girls who were bad at Japanese) seemed unhappy, but the women more so...

As for my motivation, I wanna study at the University level in Japan this year! That's my motivation!

-lol, and ironically, I wanna add- so many guys, ( and not just Japanese) are shocked and like it when I tell them I speak Japanese! One guy who is a friend's friend was like, instantly in love, thinking I was "smart". I just told him I work hard and study.

Last edited by Diana (2009 January 31, 1:59 pm)