Some Cool and Useful Japanese Phrases, Words or expressions of the day
1. Ton demo nai とんでもない- It is no thing at all, no big deal
2. Taishita mon ja nai 大したもんじゃない- It ain't no big thing, nothing special
3. tabun 多分- probably
4. sono to^ri desu その通りです- That's it watson!, That is it exactly, precisely etc.
5. tashika ni たしかに- for sure, surely, definitely
6. mochiron もちろん- of course
7. sonna koto nai yo!そんなことないよ - no way jose! That ain't right! It ain't like that at all
8. naruhodo 成程- I see...
9. yappariやっぱり, yahari やはり- as you would think, I thought so, or after all, naturally, obviously.
As Always,
Ganbatte ne!
Do Your Best!
Makurasuki
Saturday, December 13, 2008
grammar and Japanese Phrases
P.F. + Ka do^ ka - Whether or not...
Basic Japanese grammar plug and play for "Whether or not...p.f."
In Japan, I always would hear Do^ ka na when I questioned someone about something for which they were uncertain of... Like I might ask, "Do you think the Hanshin Tigers will win? A simple not too complicated question to which may be replied, "I'm not sure really", or "Heck if I know, I wonder who will win too." etc. So that we would have
Hanshin ga katsu to omou? - Do you think Hanshin will win?
Do^ ka na. - "Heck if I know" or "I wonder...who..." or "Ummm, thats a tough one."
So in our Japanese grammar construction for today we have P.F. + ka do^ ka Whether or not A, B. Where A and B could be verbs or adjectives in plain form. It is in plain form because it is actually two questions nested nearby one another. Do^ ka is a question in itself meaning, "How is it?" In Japan you will hear Do^ by itself when someone wants to know the state or condition of somebody or something. If I say do^ with a certain inquisitive inflection you would be saying, "How are you" etc.
P.F. + ka do^ ka - Whether or not
Plain form verbs -
iku ka do^ ka shirimasen - I don't know whether he is coming or not.
Whether or not you know something or do something ka do^ ka is the question doubled Japanese grammar. This Japanese grammar
Basic Japanese grammar plug and play for "Whether or not...p.f."
In Japan, I always would hear Do^ ka na when I questioned someone about something for which they were uncertain of... Like I might ask, "Do you think the Hanshin Tigers will win? A simple not too complicated question to which may be replied, "I'm not sure really", or "Heck if I know, I wonder who will win too." etc. So that we would have
Hanshin ga katsu to omou? - Do you think Hanshin will win?
Do^ ka na. - "Heck if I know" or "I wonder...who..." or "Ummm, thats a tough one."
So in our Japanese grammar construction for today we have P.F. + ka do^ ka Whether or not A, B. Where A and B could be verbs or adjectives in plain form. It is in plain form because it is actually two questions nested nearby one another. Do^ ka is a question in itself meaning, "How is it?" In Japan you will hear Do^ by itself when someone wants to know the state or condition of somebody or something. If I say do^ with a certain inquisitive inflection you would be saying, "How are you" etc.
P.F. + ka do^ ka - Whether or not
Plain form verbs -
iku ka do^ ka shirimasen - I don't know whether he is coming or not.
Whether or not you know something or do something ka do^ ka is the question doubled Japanese grammar. This Japanese grammar
Monday, December 8, 2008
Japanese pronunciation
Intermediate Japanese pronunciation for beginning Japanese learners
RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ
This article is on how to pronounce the unfamiliar sounds of this line of syllables and which parts of Japanese pronunciation might give foreign speakers of Japanese trouble we be our focus.
Japanese pronunciation tips – Japanese Grammar Plug and Play #102
These tips are my lazy explanations for an inadequate knowledge of the correct technical terms for what I will be describing in English which describes so gomen ne! Forgive! I am a born American and English is my native language. I did not start my journey towards Japanese language mastery, until I was 19 years of age. It has been said in something I came across in my University linguistics class that after the age of 12, the part of the brain that handles the understanding of languages hardens and solidifies to the point that certain aspects of a language become immovable so that true and native pronunciation cannot be acquired. So that means technically that I won’t sound like a real native speaker of the Japanese language, because I started my study of Japanese later in life. That is to say that I started studying aspects of the language too late in my own physical development to acquire an ability to speak in Japanese and sound like a true native. I must concur,
My advice to anybody who wants to be understood in Japanese is that you must make a concerted effort to pronounce your words correctly. Without good, understandable pronunciation, it will be impossible to get your message or meaning across. Japanese pronunciation is pretty straight forward, but there are 2-3 obstacles that prevent English speakers from sounding more Japanese. As beginning language speakers have less knowledge of vocabulary and less skill with making sentences, how much worse will it be if the pronunciation is not correct also? First understand how the English letters L, R and D are pronounced in English, then experiment with variations and cross-mixes of the letters L, R, and D as you would adjust the colors on your monitor screen’s red, blue, and green. Then we just fine-tune the color or warmth of a television set like we do our pronunciation.
The areas of Japanese RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ are pronounced by lightly flicking your tongue on the roof of your mouth at the hard palette area. The tongue it seems to me is softer and wider when flicking and flattening it at the top of your mouth. D is stiff, but “RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ" pronunciation is more flexibly soft when struck against the rooftop of your mouth than a “D” pronunciation.
Do you remember making a taco out of your tongue when you were a kid? Make a taco toward the tip of the tongue. It is a smaller taco than the one you played with as a kid. The taco is more towards the tip of the tongue and then flapped in directions as to lay the tongue back down into its normal location in the mouth. Ra is jaw dropping wide from nose to chin. Re is made with a cheeks wide smile, Ru is rounded lips in a circle, ro is both the dropped jaw of ra + ooh lala.
Here is more insight I give to serious Japanese wanna' speak it correctly soon Japanese language learners, in a non- technical manner. I hope you can bear this, because I am sure any linguist out there would kill me for shame and spite, thank you in advance for your understanding. After making a canyon in your mouth or by pushing the tongue, forward to the upper harder palette at the roof of your mouth, pretend as if the walls of your mouth are too hot to touch with your tongue, now with this in mind practice saying the ra RI Ru re ro line in the syllabary and that your tongue must come quickly off the roof of your mouth because it is hot.
The r’s in Japanese, of which there are but five are usually difficult for foreigners or non-native Japanese speakers to get correctly. You can simulate actual native pronunciation by pronouncing the - RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ- line to yourself like gooey l's or softened d's. The r’s are often miss-heard as d’s in English. I was saying some words to a junior Japanese language-learning apprentice and she heard the Japanese r’s at first as d’s. So go figure. Instead of promoting more pronunciation confusion, get out their and practice!
One note of caution: before you even attempt the - RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ- line of the Japanese syllabary, master the first five syllables of their Hiragana or Katakana. The first five vowels are also the first five letters or syllables in Japanese. 46 syllables which constitute the Japanese vowels.
In pronunciation:
Ah,
ee,
ooh,
eh, and
oh,
In short hand:
a,
i,
u,
e, and
o.
In Hiragana:
あ - a
い – i
う – u
え - e
お – o,
in Katakana:
ア - a
イ - i
ウ - u
エ - e
オ - o
Remember, the first five syllables or morae as they are known in Japanese, are the five vowels used in the Japanese language. If we first master the first five Japanese vowels correctly, then pronunciation for all the rest of the syllables shall fall into place in due time and learning hiragana and katakana should be a little easier to understand and memorize quicker.
The following is a link to the International Phonetic Alphabet or the IPA http://www.unc.edu/underling/images/ipachart.gif/ here you can see all about vowels as seen from the ears and mouth of international phonetic champions.
How to pronounce the 5 Japanese vowels –
a - あ ah - like when the dentist tells you, “Say ah.”
i - い ee - as in “leech” or me.
u - う not exactly ooh, but for beginning pronunciation masters
Stick with pronouncing “u - う” like ooh as in “ooh lala,” or the pooh part of “Winnie the Pooh”.
e - え eh as in bed-head. (Edges of mouth as when smiling corners
of mouth stretched outward.)
And,
o - お oh as in “boat”, or “note” (long, long, closed mid-back)
It is interesting to note that as we have in English the “e” at the end of the word “note”, that if it weren’t there, it would simply be - “not”. However, with the addition of the “e” at the end, it somehow takes the “o” of the word, which was pronounced as “ah”, and pulls on it, through the letter “t” forcing a long – “oh” pronunciation.
*It is interesting to note that in, the plosive bilabials, “pa - ぱ”, and “ba -ば” come from the aspirated “ha -は” in written kana in this order:
HA à PA à then BA.
はà ぱ ( then ば.
Or, ha -は then ha - は with the degree symbol ° (ぱ), then ha - は with the ten ten marks (ば) or a single quotation mark – “. The order in the dictionary also follows that pattern in its other dignified grouping like that of "ta -た" going to "da -だ"; and "ka -か" going to "ga -が" in the velar group.
Makurasuki says “Ganbatte Ne!” 頑張ってね but needs to edit this weird take on Japanese pronunciation, I hope you enjoyed it….
Ganbatte ne!
頑張ってね
Do Your Best!
Makurasuki
RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ
This article is on how to pronounce the unfamiliar sounds of this line of syllables and which parts of Japanese pronunciation might give foreign speakers of Japanese trouble we be our focus.
Japanese pronunciation tips – Japanese Grammar Plug and Play #102
These tips are my lazy explanations for an inadequate knowledge of the correct technical terms for what I will be describing in English which describes so gomen ne! Forgive! I am a born American and English is my native language. I did not start my journey towards Japanese language mastery, until I was 19 years of age. It has been said in something I came across in my University linguistics class that after the age of 12, the part of the brain that handles the understanding of languages hardens and solidifies to the point that certain aspects of a language become immovable so that true and native pronunciation cannot be acquired. So that means technically that I won’t sound like a real native speaker of the Japanese language, because I started my study of Japanese later in life. That is to say that I started studying aspects of the language too late in my own physical development to acquire an ability to speak in Japanese and sound like a true native. I must concur,
My advice to anybody who wants to be understood in Japanese is that you must make a concerted effort to pronounce your words correctly. Without good, understandable pronunciation, it will be impossible to get your message or meaning across. Japanese pronunciation is pretty straight forward, but there are 2-3 obstacles that prevent English speakers from sounding more Japanese. As beginning language speakers have less knowledge of vocabulary and less skill with making sentences, how much worse will it be if the pronunciation is not correct also? First understand how the English letters L, R and D are pronounced in English, then experiment with variations and cross-mixes of the letters L, R, and D as you would adjust the colors on your monitor screen’s red, blue, and green. Then we just fine-tune the color or warmth of a television set like we do our pronunciation.
The areas of Japanese RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ are pronounced by lightly flicking your tongue on the roof of your mouth at the hard palette area. The tongue it seems to me is softer and wider when flicking and flattening it at the top of your mouth. D is stiff, but “RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ" pronunciation is more flexibly soft when struck against the rooftop of your mouth than a “D” pronunciation.
Do you remember making a taco out of your tongue when you were a kid? Make a taco toward the tip of the tongue. It is a smaller taco than the one you played with as a kid. The taco is more towards the tip of the tongue and then flapped in directions as to lay the tongue back down into its normal location in the mouth. Ra is jaw dropping wide from nose to chin. Re is made with a cheeks wide smile, Ru is rounded lips in a circle, ro is both the dropped jaw of ra + ooh lala.
Here is more insight I give to serious Japanese wanna' speak it correctly soon Japanese language learners, in a non- technical manner. I hope you can bear this, because I am sure any linguist out there would kill me for shame and spite, thank you in advance for your understanding. After making a canyon in your mouth or by pushing the tongue, forward to the upper harder palette at the roof of your mouth, pretend as if the walls of your mouth are too hot to touch with your tongue, now with this in mind practice saying the ra RI Ru re ro line in the syllabary and that your tongue must come quickly off the roof of your mouth because it is hot.
The r’s in Japanese, of which there are but five are usually difficult for foreigners or non-native Japanese speakers to get correctly. You can simulate actual native pronunciation by pronouncing the - RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ- line to yourself like gooey l's or softened d's. The r’s are often miss-heard as d’s in English. I was saying some words to a junior Japanese language-learning apprentice and she heard the Japanese r’s at first as d’s. So go figure. Instead of promoting more pronunciation confusion, get out their and practice!
One note of caution: before you even attempt the - RA - ら, RI - り, RU - る, RE - れ, and RO - ろ- line of the Japanese syllabary, master the first five syllables of their Hiragana or Katakana. The first five vowels are also the first five letters or syllables in Japanese. 46 syllables which constitute the Japanese vowels.
In pronunciation:
Ah,
ee,
ooh,
eh, and
oh,
In short hand:
a,
i,
u,
e, and
o.
In Hiragana:
あ - a
い – i
う – u
え - e
お – o,
in Katakana:
ア - a
イ - i
ウ - u
エ - e
オ - o
Remember, the first five syllables or morae as they are known in Japanese, are the five vowels used in the Japanese language. If we first master the first five Japanese vowels correctly, then pronunciation for all the rest of the syllables shall fall into place in due time and learning hiragana and katakana should be a little easier to understand and memorize quicker.
The following is a link to the International Phonetic Alphabet or the IPA http://www.unc.edu/underling/images/ipachart.gif/ here you can see all about vowels as seen from the ears and mouth of international phonetic champions.
How to pronounce the 5 Japanese vowels –
a - あ ah - like when the dentist tells you, “Say ah.”
i - い ee - as in “leech” or me.
u - う not exactly ooh, but for beginning pronunciation masters
Stick with pronouncing “u - う” like ooh as in “ooh lala,” or the pooh part of “Winnie the Pooh”.
e - え eh as in bed-head. (Edges of mouth as when smiling corners
of mouth stretched outward.)
And,
o - お oh as in “boat”, or “note” (long, long, closed mid-back)
It is interesting to note that as we have in English the “e” at the end of the word “note”, that if it weren’t there, it would simply be - “not”. However, with the addition of the “e” at the end, it somehow takes the “o” of the word, which was pronounced as “ah”, and pulls on it, through the letter “t” forcing a long – “oh” pronunciation.
*It is interesting to note that in, the plosive bilabials, “pa - ぱ”, and “ba -ば” come from the aspirated “ha -は” in written kana in this order:
HA à PA à then BA.
はà ぱ ( then ば.
Or, ha -は then ha - は with the degree symbol ° (ぱ), then ha - は with the ten ten marks (ば) or a single quotation mark – “. The order in the dictionary also follows that pattern in its other dignified grouping like that of "ta -た" going to "da -だ"; and "ka -か" going to "ga -が" in the velar group.
Makurasuki says “Ganbatte Ne!” 頑張ってね but needs to edit this weird take on Japanese pronunciation, I hope you enjoyed it….
Ganbatte ne!
頑張ってね
Do Your Best!
Makurasuki
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Work on Japanese grammar to get good Secrets
Japanese Language Mastery in less time.
Japanese plug and play - The bunpo of Intentions
How to say Intend to Verb
In Japanese, it’s not hard to say, “I intend to _______”, where _______ is any verb in its infinitive form. By the end of this small Japanese grammar lesson, you should be able to tell anybody in your favorite L2 (Japanese) what you intend to do. I will show you how to use this plug and play Japanese grammar system, all you have to do to practice with it. It involves a little ‘drill and kill’ to fortify your Japanese conversation. The sure way to retain words in the here and now, when you are short on time, I always use the drill and kill method for learning the vocabulary. Repeat words over and over again, then work on words for the sake of pronunciation practice.
In order to learn an L2 as difficult as Japanese, one has to overcome the fear of speaking words incorrectly. Say as many as you can whenever and however you can. This is the only way to get Native speakers to give you modified input. Modified input is good and helps you take your first language steps on your own, so that later you can tell your mom,” Look, Ma!… No hands!”
By saying sentences over and over correctly you are preparing yourself for conversation. At first the conversations may be a little one sided, but you will get there. Just keep plugging away, a little at a time. 12,000 words isn’t so bad, one word at a time. Don’t ever go to fast just a comfortable speed at which you work best at. Trying to memorize too many words will result in poor overall retention of the vocabulary.
I would shoot for 10 to 15 words every two days We know that repetition works. Plug a verb into the bunpo, say the sentence in both English and Japanese out loud and repeat. o make learning Japanese a snap; helpful and fun. Your Japanese skills are sure to improve.
To construct sentences that tell others what you intend to do, use the following plug and play formula –
Verb (Base III[1] or Base I + nai[2]) + verb
in either
Base III (plain infinitive form) + tsumori desu or
Base I + nai + tsumori desu. (i.e. iku or ikanai) and add tsumori desu.
As long as the locutor has a handle on the pronunciation of the tsu syllable (see pronunciation tips #13), then his/her spoken intentions in the second language(L2) will be more easily understood. Tsumori is the word used to show an intention. Putting tsumoru into Base II[3] gives you tsumori. By the end of this lesson you should be a champion of the grammar or bunpo of intent.
We can understand more about the bunpo of intentions (today’s grammar principle) by taking a closer look at the meaning of the word tsumori and/or its etymology. Of course never neglect to listen to your surroundings especially when you are blessed with an immersive environment. If you are not already in Japan, try listening for words you have learned via Japanese T.V. or from any other means to feel the way in which those words are used by native Japanese speakers.
Pay attention to how words are used in the real world. Tsumoru is the verb to accumulate; to be piled or stacked up. Also note that tsumeru means to stuff, pack, or cram, and although the kanji is not exactly the same, they both seem to have stemmed from one common language source. Tsumori is also related to the widely used common term tsumaranai which is the word for something that is worthless or, trivial or something that is not worth your time worrying about.
Japanese plug and play drill and kill Japanese language lesson 115 – Intend to verb
English
Japanese
- intend to + verb
verb (Base III) + tsumori desu[4]
- no intention to + verb
verb (Base I) + tsumori wa nai desu[5]
You must add the polite form of the verb to be (de aru) after tsumori to show politeness as well as to show whether the intention was a past or present, negative or positive intention. A few examples will show you how to use this bunpo principle.
ex.1 - I intend to win.
- Watakushi wa katsu tsumori desu.
Practice Tip – Take all the Japanese verbs you know and put them into the tsumori bunpo. Have fun with words like fart, choke, drown, dumpster dive etc.
Remember Japanese plug and play grammar is not only useful,…its fun.
Be careful not to get too ghetto. Make sure to always use polite form Japanese for as many verbs. as you can. Its always right to speak polite. Steer clear of using verbs or any language element that uses verbs in the plain form or lower.
ex.2 - He intends to speak with her.
- Kare wa kanojo to hanasu tsumori desu.
ex.3 - I don't intend to go.
- Ikanai tsumori desu. (Rarely used)
ex.3a - I have no intentions to go.
- Iku tsumori wa nai desu. (More frequently)
- Iku tsumori wa arimasen. (More polite)
ex.4 - It was my intention to do the dishes.
- Sara o arau tsumori deshita.
ex.4a - I had intended to go
- Iku tsumori deshita.
-
Most often literal translations of Japanese to English rarely come out in a comprehensible fashion. Usually they are so far from what we really are saying that they are anything but true or correct interpretations. In studying a language it is sometime good, however, to learn about word etymology if possible.
Try listening for other uses of the same term. By getting use to hearing a certain phrase more than one way, you are setting the stage for solid language acquisition. In our tsumori bunpo we would want to know how meanings would affect our usage.
Since tsumoru means to accumulate, to be piled or to be stacked up, when we literally translate example 1 above it becomes something like this - I have accumulated much the act of winning, Or, - I have a lot of winning put aside, the winning is all piled up over there. I hope you get my point here. It may sound a little wacky but remember… this is ‘ghetto’ grammar baby! Intentions are like a stack of things piled so high that the shear weight of it gives Japanese verbs and our Japanese grammar principles intentional potential.
This lesson brought to you by Makurasuki Sensei, Brett McCluskey who wishes you all the best in your work toward improving and progressing in the Japanese language.
Ganbatte ne!
Do your Best!
Ja Mata Kondo!
If you found this article helpful and want to really get good at Japanese or any language for that matter look for my articles at squidoo.com and also check out http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-2328430-10446709/ for the best dictionary in the galaxy.
[1] Plain form infinitive like iku, nomu, taberu, iru etc.
[2]
[3] For more about how verbs are put into bases in Japanese see
[4] use of desu here is for polite levels of speech, other forms of the verb
to be (de aru) may be used including the past tense.
[5] or tsumori wa arimasen
Japanese plug and play - The bunpo of Intentions
How to say Intend to Verb
In Japanese, it’s not hard to say, “I intend to _______”, where _______ is any verb in its infinitive form. By the end of this small Japanese grammar lesson, you should be able to tell anybody in your favorite L2 (Japanese) what you intend to do. I will show you how to use this plug and play Japanese grammar system, all you have to do to practice with it. It involves a little ‘drill and kill’ to fortify your Japanese conversation. The sure way to retain words in the here and now, when you are short on time, I always use the drill and kill method for learning the vocabulary. Repeat words over and over again, then work on words for the sake of pronunciation practice.
In order to learn an L2 as difficult as Japanese, one has to overcome the fear of speaking words incorrectly. Say as many as you can whenever and however you can. This is the only way to get Native speakers to give you modified input. Modified input is good and helps you take your first language steps on your own, so that later you can tell your mom,” Look, Ma!… No hands!”
By saying sentences over and over correctly you are preparing yourself for conversation. At first the conversations may be a little one sided, but you will get there. Just keep plugging away, a little at a time. 12,000 words isn’t so bad, one word at a time. Don’t ever go to fast just a comfortable speed at which you work best at. Trying to memorize too many words will result in poor overall retention of the vocabulary.
I would shoot for 10 to 15 words every two days We know that repetition works. Plug a verb into the bunpo, say the sentence in both English and Japanese out loud and repeat. o make learning Japanese a snap; helpful and fun. Your Japanese skills are sure to improve.
To construct sentences that tell others what you intend to do, use the following plug and play formula –
Verb (Base III[1] or Base I + nai[2]) + verb
in either
Base III (plain infinitive form) + tsumori desu or
Base I + nai + tsumori desu. (i.e. iku or ikanai) and add tsumori desu.
As long as the locutor has a handle on the pronunciation of the tsu syllable (see pronunciation tips #13), then his/her spoken intentions in the second language(L2) will be more easily understood. Tsumori is the word used to show an intention. Putting tsumoru into Base II[3] gives you tsumori. By the end of this lesson you should be a champion of the grammar or bunpo of intent.
We can understand more about the bunpo of intentions (today’s grammar principle) by taking a closer look at the meaning of the word tsumori and/or its etymology. Of course never neglect to listen to your surroundings especially when you are blessed with an immersive environment. If you are not already in Japan, try listening for words you have learned via Japanese T.V. or from any other means to feel the way in which those words are used by native Japanese speakers.
Pay attention to how words are used in the real world. Tsumoru is the verb to accumulate; to be piled or stacked up. Also note that tsumeru means to stuff, pack, or cram, and although the kanji is not exactly the same, they both seem to have stemmed from one common language source. Tsumori is also related to the widely used common term tsumaranai which is the word for something that is worthless or, trivial or something that is not worth your time worrying about.
Japanese plug and play drill and kill Japanese language lesson 115 – Intend to verb
English
Japanese
- intend to + verb
verb (Base III) + tsumori desu[4]
- no intention to + verb
verb (Base I) + tsumori wa nai desu[5]
You must add the polite form of the verb to be (de aru) after tsumori to show politeness as well as to show whether the intention was a past or present, negative or positive intention. A few examples will show you how to use this bunpo principle.
ex.1 - I intend to win.
- Watakushi wa katsu tsumori desu.
Practice Tip – Take all the Japanese verbs you know and put them into the tsumori bunpo. Have fun with words like fart, choke, drown, dumpster dive etc.
Remember Japanese plug and play grammar is not only useful,…its fun.
Be careful not to get too ghetto. Make sure to always use polite form Japanese for as many verbs. as you can. Its always right to speak polite. Steer clear of using verbs or any language element that uses verbs in the plain form or lower.
ex.2 - He intends to speak with her.
- Kare wa kanojo to hanasu tsumori desu.
ex.3 - I don't intend to go.
- Ikanai tsumori desu. (Rarely used)
ex.3a - I have no intentions to go.
- Iku tsumori wa nai desu. (More frequently)
- Iku tsumori wa arimasen. (More polite)
ex.4 - It was my intention to do the dishes.
- Sara o arau tsumori deshita.
ex.4a - I had intended to go
- Iku tsumori deshita.
-
Most often literal translations of Japanese to English rarely come out in a comprehensible fashion. Usually they are so far from what we really are saying that they are anything but true or correct interpretations. In studying a language it is sometime good, however, to learn about word etymology if possible.
Try listening for other uses of the same term. By getting use to hearing a certain phrase more than one way, you are setting the stage for solid language acquisition. In our tsumori bunpo we would want to know how meanings would affect our usage.
Since tsumoru means to accumulate, to be piled or to be stacked up, when we literally translate example 1 above it becomes something like this - I have accumulated much the act of winning, Or, - I have a lot of winning put aside, the winning is all piled up over there. I hope you get my point here. It may sound a little wacky but remember… this is ‘ghetto’ grammar baby! Intentions are like a stack of things piled so high that the shear weight of it gives Japanese verbs and our Japanese grammar principles intentional potential.
This lesson brought to you by Makurasuki Sensei, Brett McCluskey who wishes you all the best in your work toward improving and progressing in the Japanese language.
Ganbatte ne!
Do your Best!
Ja Mata Kondo!
If you found this article helpful and want to really get good at Japanese or any language for that matter look for my articles at squidoo.com and also check out http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-2328430-10446709/ for the best dictionary in the galaxy.
[1] Plain form infinitive like iku, nomu, taberu, iru etc.
[2]
[3] For more about how verbs are put into bases in Japanese see
[4] use of desu here is for polite levels of speech, other forms of the verb
to be (de aru) may be used including the past tense.
[5] or tsumori wa arimasen
Romaji Japanese grammar practice
A Brief History of the tradition of the Japanese Genkan.
Bunpo #87: Used to ~ verb
By Makurasuki Sensei,
Brett McCluskey
During my first stay in Japan, I used to get embarrassed because my American friend’s feet would give off the most putrid of odors, and for long distances too. The smell of his feet could cut through a stable full of horses and cattle chewing their cud. It was hard not to gag on occasion. I mean his feet stunk. I can’t really tell you if the odor emanated from his feet, or his socks, because, well it didn’t matter; they both stunk. I would be embarrassed for him and me, because I thought that I could control the way things smelled on other people or something, but alas I couldn’t.
Can you imagine eating at the dinner table or trying to have candid conversation with some new friends you just met only to find out the friend you had brought didn’t have control on his feet hygiene and the odor most unbearable. How atrocious! How outrageous! I thought to myself, be-gone you foul beast at once! Come back when you can be more civilized, or at least when your feet aren't noticeable to the olfactory senses at the distance of 6 feet.
Let’s imagine we are in Japan at a small gathering of some friends. Because it can get pretty chilly in the winter, are all gathered around a nice, warm, and fluffy kotatsu ((quilted) electric blanket \ table), to play the card game buta no shippo (Pig’s tail) Oh no! Not that smells again. Like incense rising up from the depths of odor hell, your friend subjugates everyone to that wretched, didn’t mean to know you, go home! Take a bath! Wash your feet! That wretched friendly scent of your friend’s sweaty polyester, fibrous odor drip that is by now smelling all too familiar.
In America, we wouldn’t have this problem because Americans go everywhere in their shoes, and it doesn’t matter, because you never have to take them off. You can keep your shoes on all day in America. Not in Japan. Before you step foot inside a Japanese dwelling you must take off your shoes. I am full blooded American and can remember as a kid going to sleep in my shoes a couple of times. They wouldn’t have had that in Japan. Also I remember accidentally stepping on some doggy doo and accidentally walking all over my mom’s carpets and then jumping on my bed. Well that sort of thing wouldn’t happen in Japan. Shoes are great, but in Japan, shoes can become cumbersome due to the limitations on living spaces, but more importantly the act of taking off one’s shoes before entering a home or dwelling is a tradition. A good custom as you shall see.
Like other countries of the East, the Japanese take off their shoes before entering houses, dwellings, apartments, condo’s, etc. When I first got to Japan it was awkward at first to take off my shoes, because I had shoes with laces and it was mendoukusai (tedious) when I left to tie my shoes up again after just un-tying them when I arrived. I followed the custom at first only because every one else was doing it. Yes! This was one of those times that if the whole Japanese country were going to jump off the cliff I was going to jump too. *When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do!* There were places I thought were abnormal for taking off my shoes like kindergartens, eating establishments, bowling alleys, karaoke rooms, lots of weird places you wouldn’t even think of taking your shoes off at in America, even the bathroom at bars and weirder places yet.
I had one friend who was so particular about this custom, he would insist on me taking off my shoes before getting into his car. I was obliged to follow the tradition. *When in Rome Do as the Romans Do!* This friend was a little more gung-ho than your average Akira, but it shows you just how far this tradition extends itself into everyday life. He was a little overly devout or passionate about keeping his car clean but at the same time did it for other beneficial, even religious type reasons which we will explore in the coming paragraphs.
Why do the Japanese take off their shoes before entering a home or other things including cars? Why is it considered rude to stand on a chair, or a table or a sofa or seat etc. with your shoes on? In this lense I am going to share my experiences with the custom of taking off your shoes before entering a house and the traditions of the genkan (place where you place your shoes before stepping into a house.) And we will talk a little bit about the way the genkan has been extended in use in modern Japanese society. We are going to try to answer the reasons behind this strange custom and why this genkan thing exists. Also after relaying as much as I can about this custom, we will continue Japanese plug and play ghetto grammar sessions so that you will add one more grammar principle to your growing list of Japanese language weapons.
I’m not prejudice nor am I generalizing that all Americans have stinky feet, but, I know that even my feet have a tendency to get stinky when I sweat, run or wear keep my shoes on for too long to wear my shoes everywhere and anywhere in any situation at all times, even to bed, even jumping on the bed, even standing on chairs, cars, wherever on whatever, it didn’t matter. I, being an American having no background in Japanese customs and not having any tradition similar to taking my shoes off before entering the house, I felt quite comfortable doing as I always had done. It wasn’t until I saw the expression of horror, surprise and shear shock of my Japanese friend that I ever began to take seriously the Japanese tradition of taking off my shoes before entering places. I saw on a man’s face as I simply stood upon a chair to change a light bulb, mind you, I had my shoes on, but he gasped in horror and made me instantly get down from the chair. What on Earth could I have possibly done to make him gasp in horror? All I did was stand on a chair and was attempting to change a light bulb. I thought so what gives ...?
The word genkan is made with two kanji, gen and kan. Kan meaning wide opening gate or simply gateway, and gen the string-like kanji whose meaning although impossible to translate fully can simply mean the the road of qualities, of ill or of a good disposition or continuing in the tradition of the ancestors (fathers), following in the footsteps on the road to the qualities The samurai when building their castles and homes copied the idea of the genkan from the use of it as entrances to the Buddhist temples The tradition of taking off shoes before entering a dwelling
This is Japanese grammar plug and play bunpo principle #87. To say that you used to do something fairly regularly in the past, use the following construction:
used to ~verb – yoku verb(base TA) mono desu
Once you get the hang of these examples, plug and play your favorite verbs into the construction where verb(base TA) is any verb you know. You will be able to improve your Japanese if you keep plugging and playing until your friends tell you they can’t stand how much you practice your Japanese forcing you to stop, or until they are all asleep, whichever comes first. You want to get better at Japanese, don’t you? Well don’t bicker…do quicker! Here are some nice examples with an occasional ghetto phrase sprinkled in here or there to spice up the flavorful fun, so that you can have a good time studying Japanese.
1. When I was younger, I used to ride my bike to school.
Watakushi ga motto wakai koro, jitensha de yoku gakko ni itta mono desu.
{As for I, in the more young time, by bike often school went thing is.}1[1]
2. He used to cheat, but the teacher busted him, and now he is a good boy.
Kare wa mae yoku kanningu[2] shita mono desu keredomo sensei ni barete shimatte ima orikosan desu.
3. I used to play there a lot.
Watakushi wa soko de yoku asonda mono da. [3]
G.A.B. or the Ghetto After Blast – One point advice
The Japanese verb nareru means, “To get used to” which is similar to the used to that you have been getting used to in this bunpo. Nareru is a really cool word, and you will hear it a lot in Japanese conversation.
Ex.1 He is used to that job.
Kare wa sono shigoto ni narete imasu.[4]
As Always, Do your Best! Ganbatte Ne!
Makurasuki Sensei.
[1] Given here in a literal translation; It is easy to see from the corruption of the sounds and form why one should be careful when translating literally.
[2] From the English adjective cunning.
[3] Non-polite plain form of the copula de aru, desu, da
[4] See JPPGG© Ghetto Grammar #88: ‘Verbing’ –verb (base TE) + iru or the Japanese Gerund.
Bunpo #87: Used to ~ verb
By Makurasuki Sensei,
Brett McCluskey
During my first stay in Japan, I used to get embarrassed because my American friend’s feet would give off the most putrid of odors, and for long distances too. The smell of his feet could cut through a stable full of horses and cattle chewing their cud. It was hard not to gag on occasion. I mean his feet stunk. I can’t really tell you if the odor emanated from his feet, or his socks, because, well it didn’t matter; they both stunk. I would be embarrassed for him and me, because I thought that I could control the way things smelled on other people or something, but alas I couldn’t.
Can you imagine eating at the dinner table or trying to have candid conversation with some new friends you just met only to find out the friend you had brought didn’t have control on his feet hygiene and the odor most unbearable. How atrocious! How outrageous! I thought to myself, be-gone you foul beast at once! Come back when you can be more civilized, or at least when your feet aren't noticeable to the olfactory senses at the distance of 6 feet.
Let’s imagine we are in Japan at a small gathering of some friends. Because it can get pretty chilly in the winter, are all gathered around a nice, warm, and fluffy kotatsu ((quilted) electric blanket \ table), to play the card game buta no shippo (Pig’s tail) Oh no! Not that smells again. Like incense rising up from the depths of odor hell, your friend subjugates everyone to that wretched, didn’t mean to know you, go home! Take a bath! Wash your feet! That wretched friendly scent of your friend’s sweaty polyester, fibrous odor drip that is by now smelling all too familiar.
In America, we wouldn’t have this problem because Americans go everywhere in their shoes, and it doesn’t matter, because you never have to take them off. You can keep your shoes on all day in America. Not in Japan. Before you step foot inside a Japanese dwelling you must take off your shoes. I am full blooded American and can remember as a kid going to sleep in my shoes a couple of times. They wouldn’t have had that in Japan. Also I remember accidentally stepping on some doggy doo and accidentally walking all over my mom’s carpets and then jumping on my bed. Well that sort of thing wouldn’t happen in Japan. Shoes are great, but in Japan, shoes can become cumbersome due to the limitations on living spaces, but more importantly the act of taking off one’s shoes before entering a home or dwelling is a tradition. A good custom as you shall see.
Like other countries of the East, the Japanese take off their shoes before entering houses, dwellings, apartments, condo’s, etc. When I first got to Japan it was awkward at first to take off my shoes, because I had shoes with laces and it was mendoukusai (tedious) when I left to tie my shoes up again after just un-tying them when I arrived. I followed the custom at first only because every one else was doing it. Yes! This was one of those times that if the whole Japanese country were going to jump off the cliff I was going to jump too. *When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do!* There were places I thought were abnormal for taking off my shoes like kindergartens, eating establishments, bowling alleys, karaoke rooms, lots of weird places you wouldn’t even think of taking your shoes off at in America, even the bathroom at bars and weirder places yet.
I had one friend who was so particular about this custom, he would insist on me taking off my shoes before getting into his car. I was obliged to follow the tradition. *When in Rome Do as the Romans Do!* This friend was a little more gung-ho than your average Akira, but it shows you just how far this tradition extends itself into everyday life. He was a little overly devout or passionate about keeping his car clean but at the same time did it for other beneficial, even religious type reasons which we will explore in the coming paragraphs.
Why do the Japanese take off their shoes before entering a home or other things including cars? Why is it considered rude to stand on a chair, or a table or a sofa or seat etc. with your shoes on? In this lense I am going to share my experiences with the custom of taking off your shoes before entering a house and the traditions of the genkan (place where you place your shoes before stepping into a house.) And we will talk a little bit about the way the genkan has been extended in use in modern Japanese society. We are going to try to answer the reasons behind this strange custom and why this genkan thing exists. Also after relaying as much as I can about this custom, we will continue Japanese plug and play ghetto grammar sessions so that you will add one more grammar principle to your growing list of Japanese language weapons.
I’m not prejudice nor am I generalizing that all Americans have stinky feet, but, I know that even my feet have a tendency to get stinky when I sweat, run or wear keep my shoes on for too long to wear my shoes everywhere and anywhere in any situation at all times, even to bed, even jumping on the bed, even standing on chairs, cars, wherever on whatever, it didn’t matter. I, being an American having no background in Japanese customs and not having any tradition similar to taking my shoes off before entering the house, I felt quite comfortable doing as I always had done. It wasn’t until I saw the expression of horror, surprise and shear shock of my Japanese friend that I ever began to take seriously the Japanese tradition of taking off my shoes before entering places. I saw on a man’s face as I simply stood upon a chair to change a light bulb, mind you, I had my shoes on, but he gasped in horror and made me instantly get down from the chair. What on Earth could I have possibly done to make him gasp in horror? All I did was stand on a chair and was attempting to change a light bulb. I thought so what gives ...?
The word genkan is made with two kanji, gen and kan. Kan meaning wide opening gate or simply gateway, and gen the string-like kanji whose meaning although impossible to translate fully can simply mean the the road of qualities, of ill or of a good disposition or continuing in the tradition of the ancestors (fathers), following in the footsteps on the road to the qualities The samurai when building their castles and homes copied the idea of the genkan from the use of it as entrances to the Buddhist temples The tradition of taking off shoes before entering a dwelling
This is Japanese grammar plug and play bunpo principle #87. To say that you used to do something fairly regularly in the past, use the following construction:
used to ~verb – yoku verb(base TA) mono desu
Once you get the hang of these examples, plug and play your favorite verbs into the construction where verb(base TA) is any verb you know. You will be able to improve your Japanese if you keep plugging and playing until your friends tell you they can’t stand how much you practice your Japanese forcing you to stop, or until they are all asleep, whichever comes first. You want to get better at Japanese, don’t you? Well don’t bicker…do quicker! Here are some nice examples with an occasional ghetto phrase sprinkled in here or there to spice up the flavorful fun, so that you can have a good time studying Japanese.
1. When I was younger, I used to ride my bike to school.
Watakushi ga motto wakai koro, jitensha de yoku gakko ni itta mono desu.
{As for I, in the more young time, by bike often school went thing is.}1[1]
2. He used to cheat, but the teacher busted him, and now he is a good boy.
Kare wa mae yoku kanningu[2] shita mono desu keredomo sensei ni barete shimatte ima orikosan desu.
3. I used to play there a lot.
Watakushi wa soko de yoku asonda mono da. [3]
G.A.B. or the Ghetto After Blast – One point advice
The Japanese verb nareru means, “To get used to” which is similar to the used to that you have been getting used to in this bunpo. Nareru is a really cool word, and you will hear it a lot in Japanese conversation.
Ex.1 He is used to that job.
Kare wa sono shigoto ni narete imasu.[4]
As Always, Do your Best! Ganbatte Ne!
Makurasuki Sensei.
[1] Given here in a literal translation; It is easy to see from the corruption of the sounds and form why one should be careful when translating literally.
[2] From the English adjective cunning.
[3] Non-polite plain form of the copula de aru, desu, da
[4] See JPPGG© Ghetto Grammar #88: ‘Verbing’ –verb (base TE) + iru or the Japanese Gerund.
About tame ni in Japanese
Tame ni can also be used in past tense to mean because of something; for example byo^ki ni natta tame - because he got sick etc otherwise I always considered tame ni more to mean for the sake of; for example gakko no tame ni - for the school's sake okaasan no tame - for mom
Yoku mono shita - Often verbed in the past
A Brief History of the tradition of the Japanese Genkan.
Bunpo #87: Used to ~ verb
By Makurasuki Sensei,
Brett McCluskey
During my first stay in Japan, I used to get embarrassed because my American friend’s feet would give off the most putrid of odors, and for long distances too. The smell of his feet could cut through a stable full of horses and cattle chewing their cud. It was hard not to gag on occasion. I mean his feet stunk. I can’t really tell you if the odor emanated from his feet, or his socks, because, well it didn’t matter; they both stunk. I would be embarrassed for him and me, because I thought that I could control the way things smelled on other people or something, but alas I couldn’t.
Bunpo #87: Used to ~ verb
By Makurasuki Sensei,
Brett McCluskey
During my first stay in Japan, I used to get embarrassed because my American friend’s feet would give off the most putrid of odors, and for long distances too. The smell of his feet could cut through a stable full of horses and cattle chewing their cud. It was hard not to gag on occasion. I mean his feet stunk. I can’t really tell you if the odor emanated from his feet, or his socks, because, well it didn’t matter; they both stunk. I would be embarrassed for him and me, because I thought that I could control the way things smelled on other people or something, but alas I couldn’t.
Can you imagine eating at the dinner table or trying to have candid conversation with some new friends you just met only to find out the friend you had brought didn’t have control on his feet hygiene and the odor most unbearable. How atrocious! How outrageous! I thought to myself, be-gone you foul beast at once! Come back when you can be more civilized, or at least when your feet aren't noticeable to the olfactory senses at the distance of 6 feet.
Let’s imagine we are in Japan at a small gathering of some friends. Because it can get pretty chilly in the winter, are all gathered around a nice, warm, and fluffy kotatsu ((quilted) electric blanket \ table), to play the card game buta no shippo (Pig’s tail) Oh no! Not that smells again. Like incense rising up from the depths of odor hell, your friend subjugates everyone to that wretched, didn’t mean to know you, go home! Take a bath! Wash your feet! That wretched friendly scent of your friend’s sweaty polyester, fibrous odor drip that is by now smelling all too familiar.
In America, we wouldn’t have this problem because Americans go everywhere in their shoes, and it doesn’t matter, because you never have to take them off. You can keep your shoes on all day in America. Not in Japan. Before you step foot inside a Japanese dwelling you must take off your shoes. I am full blooded American and can remember as a kid going to sleep in my shoes a couple of times. They wouldn’t have had that in Japan. Also I remember accidentally stepping on some doggy doo and accidentally walking all over my mom’s carpets and then jumping on my bed. Well that sort of thing wouldn’t happen in Japan. Shoes are great, but in Japan, shoes can become cumbersome due to the limitations on living spaces, but more importantly the act of taking off one’s shoes before entering a home or dwelling is a tradition. A good custom as you shall see.
Like other countries of the East, the Japanese take off their shoes before entering houses, dwellings, apartments, condo’s, etc. When I first got to Japan it was awkward at first to take off my shoes, because I had shoes with laces and it was mendoukusai (tedious) when I left to tie my shoes up again after just un-tying them when I arrived. I followed the custom at first only because every one else was doing it. Yes! This was one of those times that if the whole Japanese country were going to jump off the cliff I was going to jump too. *When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do!* There were places I thought were abnormal for taking off my shoes like kindergartens, eating establishments, bowling alleys, karaoke rooms, lots of weird places you wouldn’t even think of taking your shoes off at in America, even the bathroom at bars and weirder places yet.
I had one friend who was so particular about this custom, he would insist on me taking off my shoes before getting into his car. I was obliged to follow the tradition. *When in Rome Do as the Romans Do!* This friend was a little more gung-ho than your average Akira, but it shows you just how far this tradition extends itself into everyday life. He was a little overly devout or passionate about keeping his car clean but at the same time did it for other beneficial, even religious type reasons which we will explore in the coming paragraphs.
Why do the Japanese take off their shoes before entering a home or other things including cars? Why is it considered rude to stand on a chair, or a table or a sofa or seat etc. with your shoes on? In this lense I am going to share my experiences with the custom of taking off your shoes before entering a house and the traditions of the genkan (place where you place your shoes before stepping into a house.)
And we will talk a little bit about the way the genkan has been extended in use in modern Japanese society. We are going to try to answer the reasons behind this strange custom and why this genkan thing exists. Also after relaying as much as I can about this custom, we will continue our Japanese plug and play ghetto grammar sessions so that you will add one more grammar principle to your growing list of Japanese language weapons.
I’m not prejudice nor am I generalizing that all Americans have stinky feet, but, I know that even my feet have a tendency to get stinky when I sweat, run or wear keep my shoes on for too long to wear my shoes everywhere and anywhere in any situation at all times, even to bed, even jumping on the bed, even standing on chairs, cars, wherever on whatever, it didn’t matter. I, being an American having no background in Japanese customs and not having any tradition similar to taking my shoes off before entering the house, I felt quite comfortable doing as I always had done.
It wasn’t until I saw the expression of horror, surprise and shear shock of my Japanese friend that I ever began to take seriously the Japanese tradition of taking off my shoes before entering places. I saw on a man’s face as I simply stood upon a chair to change a light bulb, mind you, I had my shoes on, but he gasped in horror and made me instantly get down from the chair. What on Earth could I have possibly done to make him gasp in horror? All I did was stand on a chair and was attempting to change a light bulb.
The word genkan is made with two kanji, gen and kan. Kan meaning wide opening gate or simply gateway, and gen the string-like kanji whose meaning although impossible to translate fully can simply mean the the road of qualities, of ill or of a good disposition or continuing in the tradition of the ancestors (fathers), following in the footsteps on the road to the qualities The samurai when building their castles and homes copied the idea of the genkan from the use of it as entrances to the Buddhist temples The tradition of taking off shoes before entering a dwelling
This is Japanese plug and play bunpo principle #87. To say that you used to do something fairly regularly in the past, use the following construction:
used to ~verb – yoku verb(base TA) mono desu
Once you get the hang of these examples, plug and play your favorite verbs into the construction where verb(base TA) is any verb you know. You will be able to improve your Japanese if you keep plugging and playing until your friends tell you they can’t stand how much you practice your Japanese forcing you to stop, or until they are all asleep, whichever comes first. You want to get better at Japanese, don’t you? Well don’t bicker…do quicker! Here are some nice examples with an occasional ghetto phrase sprinkled in here or there to spice up the flavorful fun, so that you can have a good time studying Japanese.
1. When I was younger, I used to ride my bike to school.
Watakushi ga motto wakai koro, jitensha de yoku gakko ni itta mono desu.
{As for I, in the more young time, by bike often school went thing is.}1[1]
2. He used to cheat, but the teacher busted him, and now he is a good boy.
Kare wa mae yoku kanningu[2] shita mono desu keredomo sensei ni barete shimatte ima orikosan desu.
3. I used to play there a lot.
Watakushi wa soko de yoku asonda mono da. [3]
G.A.B. or the Ghetto After Blast – One point advice
The Japanese verb nareru means, “To get used to” which is similar to the used to that you have been getting used to in this bunpo. Nareru is a really cool word, and you will hear it a lot in Japanese conversation.
Ex.1 He is used to that job.
Kare wa sono shigoto ni narete imasu.[4]
As Always, Do your Best! Ganbatte Ne!
Makurasuki Sensei.
[1] Given here in a literal translation; It is easy to see from the corruption of the sounds and form why one should be careful when translating literally.
[2] From the English adjective cunning.
[3] Non-polite plain form of the copula de aru, desu, da
[4] See Japanese plug and play Ghetto Grammar #88: ‘Verbing’ –verb (base TE) + iru or the Japanese Gerund. http://squidoo.com/ghettogrammar88
This is Japanese plug and play bunpo principle #87. To say that you used to do something fairly regularly in the past, use the following construction:
used to ~verb – yoku verb(base TA) mono desu
Once you get the hang of these examples, plug and play your favorite verbs into the construction where verb(base TA) is any verb you know. You will be able to improve your Japanese if you keep plugging and playing until your friends tell you they can’t stand how much you practice your Japanese forcing you to stop, or until they are all asleep, whichever comes first. You want to get better at Japanese, don’t you? Well don’t bicker…do quicker! Here are some nice examples with an occasional ghetto phrase sprinkled in here or there to spice up the flavorful fun, so that you can have a good time studying Japanese.
1. When I was younger, I used to ride my bike to school.
Watakushi ga motto wakai koro, jitensha de yoku gakko ni itta mono desu.
{As for I, in the more young time, by bike often school went thing is.}1[1]
2. He used to cheat, but the teacher busted him, and now he is a good boy.
Kare wa mae yoku kanningu[2] shita mono desu keredomo sensei ni barete shimatte ima orikosan desu.
3. I used to play there a lot.
Watakushi wa soko de yoku asonda mono da. [3]
G.A.B. or the Ghetto After Blast – One point advice
The Japanese verb nareru means, “To get used to” which is similar to the used to that you have been getting used to in this bunpo. Nareru is a really cool word, and you will hear it a lot in Japanese conversation.
Ex.1 He is used to that job.
Kare wa sono shigoto ni narete imasu.[4]
As Always, Do your Best! Ganbatte Ne!
Makurasuki Sensei.
[1] Given here in a literal translation; It is easy to see from the corruption of the sounds and form why one should be careful when translating literally.
[2] From the English adjective cunning.
[3] Non-polite plain form of the copula de aru, desu, da
[4] See Japanese plug and play Ghetto Grammar #88: ‘Verbing’ –verb (base TE) + iru or the Japanese Gerund. http://squidoo.com/ghettogrammar88
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