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Japanese Class Day 1; ようこそ!
Topic Started: Jun 19 2016, 11:57 PM (22 Views)
Kawaii-Chan
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Kawaii~Chan's Japanese Class
Day 1
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In today's lesson:
-Setting up your keyboard
-Japanese: A Quick Introduction
-Hiragana: Your first steps to success
-Studying Resources
-*Japanese Culture Lesson

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Setting up your Japanese Keyboard

Guide on setting up a Japanese key board on all devices and systems.

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Japanese: A quick Introduction

Japanese, the language of Japan. For many years now this language has been spoken by Japan, and today, we're going to have a little look on how we can speak it ourselves as well. The first thing we should note is that Japanese is made of three writing systems, two of which are essentially the same but serve for different purposes, and the the third is made up Chinese characters...stick with me.

So we have Hirgana which looks like this: ひりがな

Then Katakana: カタカナ

Then finally, kanji: 漢字

Hiragana:
This is our main writing language which makes up the majority of the language; learning this will be one of your biggest step towards mastering Japanese.

Katakana:
This one is used mainly for foreign words and names. For example:
Vintony would become ビントニ (Although it would be pronounced "Bintoni" that's (bee-toe-knee)

Kanji:
Arguably, the final boss of the Japanese language. These are Chinese characters adopted into the Japanese language meant to represent Japanese words, and there are thousands of them.

Without further or due, let's jump right in! Come on! *・°☆
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Hiragana: Your first steps to success

Hiragana Chart:

Posted Image

This chart is your new best friend when it comes to making your first steps to learning Hiragana. The かわいいgirls of Lucky Star are going to help you learn all of this alphabet. First and foremost let's get pronunciation out of the way, below are how they should all sound:

あ(A) = Ah as in the "a" in Father
え(E) = Eh as in the "e" in "Ello!"
い(I) = ee as in the "ee" in seek or Kawaii!!
お(O) = Oh as in the "Oh" in "Oh no I forgot how お is pronounced!"
う(U) = oo as in the "oo" in "goo"

Now that is out of the way, let's move onto the rest of the alphabet! We won't go over ever single one since there is very little need to do so, plus we want to hurry and move onward to greater things! Here we go:

So literally all we are doing here is adding K behind the kana/letters we just learned! How easy is that!? :D

か(ka) = sounds like Kah
き (ki) = sounds like Kee
く (ku) = sounds like koo
け (ke) = sounds like keh
こ (ko) = sounds like Koh

Just Rinse and repeat with the rest of these! There is however, a slight difference in pronunciation in the "R" kana, but I personally find it nitpicking, and as long as you speak clearly enough, I don't think you should run into much trouble. Before I let you loose, let me go over just a few more to really knock this home with you!

や(ya) = sounds like yah
ゆ(yu) = sounds like yoo
よ(yo) = sounds like yoh
わ(wa) = sounds like wah
ん(n) = acts a "n" for example: こにちは (Konnichiwa)
を(wo/o) = sounds like "wah" except when used as a particle, then it sounds like a "oh"
は(ha/wa) = sounds like "ha" except when used as a particle, then it sounds like a "Wah"
つ(tsu) = sounds like "tsu" in "tsunami"

Study each of these kana and try your best to learn to recognize them without the English letters, in doing so you will be able to say that you can read the Japanese Alphabet! Next time we will jump right into basic grammar and you'll make your first sentences.

Exciting!! *・°☆

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Study Resources

Chart without English letters:
Chart

Study Game(s):
Woo! Games!

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トミノの地獄: The Cursed Poem

This poem written in 1919 by Saijou Yaso is said in Japanese urban legend to curse anyone who reads it aloud, (presumably in Japanese). It's been featured by many creepypasta readers and has had some growth in popularity as a result.

Let's take a look shall we! *clears throat*

トミノの地獄
Tomino’s Hell (translated by David Bowles)

Elder sister vomits blood,
younger sister’s breathing fire
while sweet little Tomino
just spits up the jewels.

All alone does Tomino
go falling into that hell,
a hell of utter darkness,
without even flowers.

Is Tomino’s big sister
the one who whips him?
The purpose of the scourging
hangs dark in his mind.

Lashing and thrashing him, ah!
But never quite shattering.
One sure path to Avici,
the eternal hell.

Into that blackest of hells
guide him now, I pray—
to the golden sheep,
to the nightingale.

How much did he put
in that leather pouch
to prepare for his trek to
the eternal hell?

Spring is coming
to the valley, to the wood,
to the spiraling chasms
of the blackest hell.

The nightingale in her cage,
the sheep aboard the wagon,
and tears well up in the eyes
of sweet little Tomino.

Sing, o nightingale,
in the vast, misty forest—
he screams he only misses
his little sister.

His wailing desperation
echoes throughout hell—
a fox peony
opens its golden petals.

Down past the seven mountains
and seven rivers of hell—
the solitary journey
of sweet little Tomino.

If in this hell they be found,
may they then come to me, please,
those sharp spikes of punishment
from Needle Mountain.

Not just on some empty whim
Is flesh pierced with blood-red pins:
they serve as hellish signposts
for sweet little Tomino.

----end----
Woo! I'm still alive! So I really like this poem not only because of it's a part of a Japanese urban legend, which are like 100 times better than ours here in U.S. , but also because of the grim story it tells. If you guys are interested I would be very much willing to go over more urban legends as interesting as this one in future lessons.

Please feel free to share your thoughts, let's get some discussion going!

Also if you need any help with our lesson as a whole today, let me know below and I'll help you to the best of my ability. ありがとう!
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