Nihonashi #9 - Tango o Narau

(Click the title for the video.)

Nihonashi #9 - Tango o Narau

Watashi: Atashi wa ne, nanimokamo yori tango o benkyoushinakute wa ikenai koto o kidzuita.

Hokano koe: Bunpou yori?

Watashi: Sou. Tango o shiteru hou ga bunpou o narau no wa yasashii shi. Kamo ne.

Hokano koe: Ii yo. Hajimenasai.

Watashi: Mazu ni, benri na apuri ni tsuite oshieru.

Hokano koe: Donna apuri?

Watashi: Manabu apuri. 

Hokano koe: Modokashii!

Watashi: Gomen. Kotoba o manabu apuri. Furashu kaado de tsukatte, kotoba o narau. Nanimokamo tsukaeru kedo, atashi wa nihon no renshuu o tsukatteru.

Hokano koe: Soka. Tsudzuke.

Watashi: “Puroboku” to iu apuri. Hai, kono URL ni ike. Demo, Makku dake desu.

ProVoc (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/17583/provoc) for Mac

Hokano koe: Jaa, mou nanika o naratta?

Watashi: Nandomo tango o haitta, yoku tsumoru sa, atashi mou happyaku ga aru. Eto... hamigaki.

Hokano koe: Hamigaki.

Watashi: Sou yo.

Hokano koe: Benri koto wa dou?

Watashi: Eto... jourashii.

Hokano koe: Jourashii. 

Watashi: Hai. Atashi, jourashii.

Hokano koe: Rashii. 

Watashi: Atari mae da yo.

Hokano koe: Maa, chotto kouman ni natta yo. 

Watashi: Ch, jodan datta, jodan.

Hokano koe: Honki da ka naa, koitsu....

Watashi: Mou, owatta!

Hokano koe: Kechi. Shinmai. Zasshoku. Kimagure. Wasureppoi. Myou. Yabuisha. 

Watashi: Eh? Nanika itta?

Hokano koe: Ijou desu.

Nihonashi #9 - Learning Vocabulary

Me: I’ve realized that more than anything else I need to study vocabulary.

The other voice: More than grammar?

Me: Yeah. It’s easier to pick up grammar when you know the words. Maybe.

The other voice: Ok. Begin. 

Me: First of all, I’m going to tell you about a good, useful (computer) application.

The other voice: What kind of application?

Me: A learning application.

The other voice: Oh come on!

Me: Sorry. It’s a word-learning application. Using flashcards, you learn words. You can use it for anything, but I use it for Japanese practice.

The other voice: Ok. Go on.

Me: It’s called ProVoc. Here, go to this URL. It’s only for Mac though.

The other voice: Well, have you learned anything?

Me: I’ve entered words so many times, it’s really building up, I already have 800. Um... toothpaste.

The other voice: Toothpaste.

Me: Yup.

The other voice: What about something useful?

Me: Um, queen-like.

The other voice: Queen-like.

Me: Yup; me, I’m like a queen.

The other voice: Indeed.

Me: Right on the dot.

The other voice: Well, you’ve become a bit haughty.

Me: Ch, I was joking, joking.

The other voice: Is this person for real?

Me: Jeez, I’m done!

The other voice: Cheapskate. Novice. Omnivore. Fickle. Forgetful. Weird. Quack. 

Me: Huh? Did you say something?

The other voice: That’s all.

Vocabulary:

nanimokamo = anything and everything

yori = more than - A yori B means B more than A -- to remember, I think of the phrase hana yori dango, sweets over flowers.

benkyou = study

kidzuku = to realize

bunpou = grammar

tango = words, vocabulary

narau = to learn

yasashii = easy, it also means kind

hajimeru = to start or begin, -nasai is the command ending

mazu = first

benri = convenient

apuri = computer application

ni tsuite = about...., regarding...

oshieru = to teach

donna = what type of

manabu = study, learn

modokashii = irritating, tantalizing

furashu kaado = flash cards, I couldn’t find an actual name for them

tsukau = to use

kotoba = words, or language

renshuu = practice

soka = I see, a shortening of ‘sou desu ka’, is that so

tsudzuku = to continue, tsudzuke is a command

dake = only

nandomo = often, many times

hairu = to put in, enter

yoku = well

tsumoru = to pile up, accumulate

happyaku = eight hundred

hamigaki = toothpaste

jourashii = queen-like -- jou is queen, ‘rashii’ is like.

atari mae = of course, right on the dot

chotto = a little

kouman = haughty, proud

jodan = joke

honki = serious, real

koitsu = this fellow

owaru = to end

kechi = stingy, cheap

shinmai = novice

zasshoku = omnivore: nikushoku is carnivore, soushoku is herbivore

kimagure = whimsy, fickle, moody

wasureppoi = forgetful; wasureru is to forget, -ppoi indicates a tendency

myou = weird, strange

yabuisha = quack doctor, the term comes from rustling bamboo leaves - I can’t remember why that equals quack...

ijou = nothing further, that’s it

Credits:

Director & Voice & stuff

ShiroiHyou, Mai-chan

Software

Voice recording Garageband

Video editor Screenflow

Text LiveType

Pictures Graphic Converter

Pages

Hardware

MSL USB Condenser Mic

iMac

Resources

Dictionary jisho.org

Application ProVoc

Thank you! 

-ShiroiHyou

Nihonashi #1 - Hajimeta Koto

(Originally posted 6/11/2009)

As promised, I have created a video on YouTube with my 'nihonashi' (nihongo hanashi); click on the title link to get there. (It's working!)

Here is what is being said:

Nihonashi

#1 - Hajimeta koto

Nihonashi ni youkoso! Mai desu!

Nan desu ka to itte imasu. Oshiete moraimasu.
Watashi wa Maira desu. Mai-chan to yonde ne. Amerika-jin no gakusei de, anime ga suki nanode, nihongo o benkyou shimasu. Lesson ga mou inakute, motto renshuu shitai kedo, darenimo watashi to renshuu shimasen. Dakara, watashi to kono hanashi o shimashita.

Hajimeta koto no nihonashi:

Watashi: Ne... blog ni wa nan to kaite ii?
Hokano koe: Eto... takusan kyoumi ga aru ne?
Watashi: Sou yo.
Hokano koe: Kyoumi ga aru koto o kaite.
Watashi: Demo,  atashi no kyoumi ga yondagatteiru hito wa inai. Zettai inai.
Hokano koe: Jaa, yondegatteiru hito ga aru kyoumi o erabinasai!
Watashi: Sou desu ka? Oh... piano no koto?
Hokano koe: Nan no you?
Watashi: Ee... ii piano fu no hon?
Hokano koe: Darenimo sore o yondagatteinai.
Watashi: Eh? Doushite?
Hokano koe: Nan to kaku tsumori?
Watashi: Hmm. Jaa... nihongo no hou wa?
Hokano koe: Hai, ii desu yo. Demo, anta no mokuteki wa nani?
Watashi: Mokuteki? Renshuu hazu da.
Hokano koe: Atari, demo kaku renshuu to hanasu renshuu, douchira demo ii?
Watashi: Hanasu renshuu shitai...
Hokano koe: Dakara, audio toka video toka tsukureba ii deshou?
Watashi: Honto desu ne! Demo, blog wa mada aki.
Hokano koe: Moshi darenimo anata no hanashi o wakaranai. Dou shiyou?
Watashi: Anta ne, atashi no hanasu ginou wa warui tte?
Hokano koe: Kamo ne. Kaki utsusu shite, blog ni kaite.
Watashi: Soka! Sou shimasu! Tensai da!
Hokano koe: Domo.

Owari! Jaa, hajimeta koto o shitteru to, kore o tsukutta riyuu ga wakarimasu ne? Kore kara, iroiro na koto o shaberu tsumori desu. Nihongo wa mada naratteiru kara, yappari machigai shimasu. Nihon o benkyou shite mo, mou shitteiru mo, osewa ni narimasu!


Honto no koto - what I think I’m saying (or close enough):
‘Nihonashi’ (nihongo hanashi) welcome! Mai here. “What is this?” you’re saying. Let me tell you.
I’m Myra. Call me Mai-chan. I’m an American student, and because I like anime, I’m studying Japanese. There are no more lessons, and I want to practice, but no one will practice with me. So I had this conversation with myself.

The conversation that began it:
Me: Hey, what should I write in my blog?
The other voice: Well... you have lots of interests, right?
Me: Yeah.
The other voice: So write about something you’re interested in.
Me: But there’s no one who wants to read about my interests. No one at all.
The other voice: Then choose an interest people want to read about!
Me: Is that right? Oh... what about piano?
The other voice: Like what?
Me: Ee... good piano music books?
The other voice: No one wants to read about that.
Me: Eh? Why?
The other voice: What do you intend to write?
Me: Hmm. Well... what about Japanese?
The other voice: Yes, that’s good. But what’s your goal?
Me: Goal? Should be to practice.
The other voice: Exactly, but do you care if it’s writing practice or speaking practice?
Me: I want to practice talking...
The other voice: In that case, wouldn’t it be best if you did something like audio or video?
Me: That’s true! But the blog would still be empty.
The other voice: Perhaps no one can understand your speaking. What will you do?
Me: Hey, are you saying my speaking ability is bad?
The other voice: Maybe. Transcribe, and write that in your blog.
Me: I see! I’ll do that! You’re a genius!
The other voice: Thanks.

The end! So, now that you know what began it, you understand the reason I made this, right? From now on, I intend to talk about various things. Because I’m still learning Japanese, I’m sure to make mistakes. Whether you’re studying Japanese, or know it already, I thank you for your help!

For those hoping to learn some Japanese here, I’ll list the vocabulary words:
hajimeru = to begin
koto = intangible thing
youkoso = welcome
oshieru = to teach
yobu = to call
gakusei = student
suki = to like
nihongo = Japanese
benkyou = study
motto = more
renshuu = practice
darenimo = no one
watashi = I, me
hanashi = conversation
kaku = to write
takusan = lots
kyoumi = interests
yomu = to read
hito = person, people
zettai = never, always
erabu = to choose
ii = good
fu = sheet music
hon = book
sore = that
doushite = why
tsumori = intention
mokuteki = goal, purpose
hazu = should be
atari = correct, bingo
tsukuru = to make
honto = really, real
mada = still
aki = empty
moshi = if
anata = you
wakaru = to understand
ginou = ability
warui = bad
kaki utsusu = transcribe
tensai = genius
domo = thanks
owari = end
shiru = to know
kore = this
riyuu = reason
kara = from
iroiro = various
shaberu = to talk, chat
narau = to learn
yappari = like I thought
machigai = wrong, mistaken

Discussion
The main things I was unsure about were my uses of aki, ginou, kaki utsusu, fu, and yondagatte (which I think is the way you say someone else wants something -- in this case to read -- but it confuses me). Also, am I using 'hanasu' correctly? Especially when I ask 'kaku renshuu to hanasu renshuu' (writing practice or speaking practice), I had no idea how to say that.
Um... and overall grammar.
And all over, even if what I say makes sense, is there a better way to say it?

Please ask your own questions too, I will try to answer as best I can (or others can help out).

(Right now I'm speaking to an empty room... but it's recorded, so I'll just leave it here and hope people will trickle in.)

Thanks!
This has been Mai, signing off.

technical stuff
video editor: finalcut express
sound recorder: wiretap studio
picture maker: graphic converter
little people maker: pages
text program: livetype