Japanese Word of the Week- April 12- 19, 2009

This weeks word: acceleration, encouragement
Pronunciation: sokushin
Kana: そくしん
Kanji: 促進

Japanese Word of the Week- April 5- 12, 2009

This week's word: tendency, movement, attitude
Pronunciation: doukou
Kana: どうこう
Kanji: 動向

Notes on Learning Japanese

Here are some notes that will help you learn Japanese that you might find interesting (even if your not learning Japanese or even if you can't understand them)

~Japanese uses 4 alphabets, Romaji which is the English alphabet and used for mainly pronunciation (like on the words of the week), Hiragana which is used to write native words such as "sushi" and has 46 characters that aren't letters, but sounds like "ka", "ki", or "ku" except for the 5 vowels and the letter "n", Katakana which are the same sounds as the Hiragana but look different and are used for cognates such as "terebi" (television) and are more angular than Hiragana characters, and Kanji which are from Chinese origin and are used to tell apart words that are the same.

~There are believed to be over 50,000 Kanji but they only teach 2,500 in school because that's how much you need to know to read a newspaper

~The word "desu" goes at the end of a sentence and can mean either "is", "am" or "are" ~The Japanese have no different words for present and future tense- ex. 私は食べる can either mean "I eat" or "I will eat"

~"desu" can be changed to "masu" if there is a verb at the end of a sentence ~Japanese don't use spaces

~The word order in Japanese is SVO (English is SOV)

Wow!

What is the only place in Massachusetts that you can watch a chef cook your teriyaki chicken on a grill in front of you with 4 foot flames, and an onion volcano? It's Marlborough's very own Fuji Steakhouse. As you sit in the row of chairs with your chopsticks in hand you see your very own Master Chef come to your grill with his spatula and ready to amaze you. He then starts banging his spatula against the grill and flipping it around, making you think that it's got to be an illusion... but it's not. You then realize that this is not your ordinary Japanese restaurant. The chef next spills oil on the grill, lights a match and before you know it, 4 foot flames appear on the grill. A bright orange light fills the room and the intense heat covers your face but before you know it the flames are gone. You now wonder how the chef keeps the flames so under control. Now is when the chef starts cooking. He spins and raw egg on the grill and bounces it around on his spatula and after he shows off a little he gives it a toss and cracks it on the side on his spatula. After he has thrown some fried rice on your plate he takes the rings of onions and stacks them like a volcano. You start to imagine what kind of trick he'll do now, when 1... 2... 3... he pours oil into the center and lets it on fire making an onion volcano! The chef has now left you with a full plate of food, an empty stomach and very enjoyable experience.

Japanese Word of the Week- March 15- 22, 2009

This Week's Word: to hear, to listen, to ask
Pronunciation: kiku
Kana: きく
Kanji: 聞く

Word of the... week?

Yes, you people who have been following my blog must know that I (used to) do the "Japanese Word of the day", But frankly everyday, that's pretty hard. From now on I'm going to do the "Japanese Word of the Week" (because that's much easier to handle). And anyway, unless your a freak-a-zoid, geeky, "still lives with his mother" kind of guy your probably not going to go to my blog everyday to see the word of the day. So overall this is better for me, because I can easily find time once a week to do a "Japanese Word of the Week" and it's better for you because you can probably find time once a week to catch up on my blog and extend your knowledge with another Japanese vocabulary word... (especially if your a geeky, "still lives with his mother" kind of guy).

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 28 2009

Today's Word- indemnity, compensation
Pronunciation- baishou
Kana- ばいしょう
Kanji- 賠償

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 27 2009

Today's Word- victory or defeat, match, contest, game, bout
Pronunciation- shoubu
Kana- しょうぶ
Kanji- 勝負

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 26 2009

Today's Word- importance, stress, serious concentration
Pronunciation- juushi
Kana- じゅうし
Kanji- 重視

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 25 2009

Today's Word- understand
Pronunciation- wakaru
Kana- わかる
Kanji- 理解する

Facts about Japan

Here are some facts about Japan if your interested:

• Japan has 192 volcanoes, of which 58 are still active.
• Japan has an area slightly smaller than California and has a population of 126 million, making this country the fifth most populous in the world.
• The five main islands of Japan are Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, Hokkaido and Okinawa.
• English-speaking policemen wear a red armband.
• Shintoism, Buddhism and Christianity are the main religions practiced in Japan.
• The three largest corporations in Japan are 1) Mitsubishi, 2) Sumitomo, and 3) Itoh.
• Japan's unemployment is about 3 percent.
• Tradition says that the eldest son and his wife have the major responsibility for caring for his parents.
• Most Japanese have studied English in school, but their studies were geared toward passing exams, not holding conversations. As a result, many hesitate to speak English, but may understand more than most Americans give them credit for. They may therefore be offended if spoken to in broken English.
• There are approximately 250 colleges in Japan, with 80% of them located in the Tokyo area.
• Very few Japanese appreciate being called mama-san or papa-san, so forget what you've seen in the movies.
• The Japanese consider it inappropriate to show affection in public.
• The average female marries at age 24 and the average male at age 27.
• In most homes and some restaurants, you'll have to remove your shoes before entering.
• Green tea is the national drink of Japan.
• Japanese drive on the left side of the road.
• Water is safe to drink, except in the most remote areas of the country.
• Hashi (chopsticks) are the normal eating utensils. Using them is easier than you might think.
• Some restaurants and nightclubs might be closed to foreigners; it's best to check before you enter.
• It's not unusual to hear Japanese slurp as they eat ramen or other noodle dishes; but, it is impolite to smack your lips, speak with your mouth full, or use a toothpick in public.
• Many Japanese restaurants have plastic or wax food on display in windows or cases to show passersby the types of food served.
• Bar snacks are not usually free.
• Japan is the largest importer of food in the world.
• Tipping is not an accepted practice in bars, restaurants, taxis, etc.
• Travelers checks and credit cards are not accepted in many restaurants.
• Bargaining in Japan is not generally accepted. The price listed is the price you pay.
• Japanese do not use personal checking accounts, so personal checks are not acceptable payment outside of U.S. facilities. U.S. dollars must be exchanged on base or in a Japanese bank prior to making purchases off-base.
• Stores are usually closed Jan. 1-3 to celebrate the New Year.
• Sumo is the national sport of Japan, despite the popularity of baseball. Sumo wrestlers are often 6 feet tall and weigh more than 300 pounds.
• If you visit a public hot bath, remember the tub is for relaxing, not cleaning. Shower before entering the tub.

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 23 2009

Today's Word- middle school
Pronunciation- chuugaku
Kana- ちゅうがく
Kanji- 中学校

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 22 2009

Today's Word- noon, mid- day
Pronunciation- shougo
Kana- しょうご
Kanji- 正午

Japanese Word of the Day- Feb 21 2009

Today's Word- Stone
Pronunciation- ishi
Kana- いし
Kanji- 石

Who is Robert Veale?

Konnichiwa bloggers. This is the first blog I've done so it's probably not going to be the best blog you've ever read (Hopefully I'll get better at it as I write more). Anyway, as you know my name is Robert Veale. I'm a 12 year old boy who was born in Wales and moved to America at a very young age. Now, you might be wondering why instead of the basic "Hello" or "Welcome" I put "Konnichiwa" at the beginning of my blog. That's because I'm teaching myself Japanese. I've just always wanted to go to Japan (and I can guarantee that some day I will go). I think I'm getting pretty good at it. I could probably have a very basic conversation with someone in Japan just to figure out how to get places or to tell how much something is or even read a menu. There is actually an article on how I'm learning Japanese on my Mom's blog. http://www.heatherveale.blogspot.com/
My other family members are my younger sister, Emma, and my Dad (and my two cats), but that's enough about me for now. Be sure to look for my other posts coming soon (as soon as I can think of something else to write about). ~Robert