I just cut out the parts I want to comment on
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Originally Posted by gravitation
++In japanese to signify that its the end of the sentence they have "desu".
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This is wrong! A japanese sentence
always has the verb as the last word in it. That is in the case we are not counting the question mark "ka" or other such words as "yo" "ne" etc ...
So when there is a sentence is which desu is used (desu is a contracted form of the verb "to be" ) it does end the sentence. However not all sentences end with desu : for example : hon o motte kimashita : I brought a book.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by gravitation
*~~::Lets start with simple things::~~*
1 = ichi (some ppl say ich)
2 = ni
3 = san
4 = shi/yon
5 = go (o is pronounced like the "o" in rob...soz thats all i can think of)
6 = roku
7 = nana/shishi it's shichi not shishi, shi and chi are two very different sounds in japanese
8 = hachi
9 = Ku (there is supposed to be a line above the "u"..its pronounced like "q" actually you got it mixed up : it's Ku with a short u or Kyuu with a long u (long u's are indicated with a line above them is some romanji conventions), the difference between the two? It's more natural to use ku for small number and to use Kyuu for larger ones, although both are actually correct.
10 = jyu : it's Juu not Jyu
Notice that 4 7 and 9 have 2 different options, now in alot of cases you can use both but often only one of these two is used, which is a first difficulty when learning how to count in japanese, but this is only one of many as you will learn from my post
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Ok, when learning Japanese : do NOT start with number, they are in fact NOT simple. First of all, I corrected the ones you posted. Second, allow me to explain
What you posted is the chinese set from 1 to 10, the japanese use both a chinese set of numbers (going from 1 to infinity) and a japanese set of numbers (going from 1 to 10 and a few extra numbers beyond that like 20). Now these numbers are not used in normal day conversations. The reason is simple: Japanese uses classifiers to count things : this basically means that you have to add something to these numbers depending on the object you are counting. That is what makes counting from 1 to 10 in japanese a rather tough job. If you do not add such classifiers it will be VERY difficult to know what you are talking about since in japanese it's not explicitly mentioned what they are counting : the classifier is suppose to indicate that.
Now what happens is : when you add this classifier alot of the number change into completely different words.
For example : counting flat objects (for example paper) : add -MAI
to say 1 (flat object) = ichi + mai = ichimai
2 (flat objects) ni + mai : nimai
3 (flat objects) san + mai = sammai -> here there is a sound change from n to m, this is still relatively easy since it's standard for an n to be pronounced m before a b an m or a p
Another more complicated example = counting long, slender objects (trees for example) : add - HON
1 (tree) : ichi + hon does NOT become ichihon but is in fact ippon
3 (tree) : san + hon = sambon
6 (tree) : roku + hon = roppon
To make matters worse : sometimes the numbers are no longer sound contractions like in the above mentioned examples but entirely different words which are sometimes based upon the japanese set of numbers from 1 to 10 (we've been using the chinese set from 1 to 10 up to now)
Counting persons = add -NIN
1 (person) : ichi + nin this is NOT used, the japanese use hitori instead
2 (person) becomes futari and not ni + nin
3 (person) : all you naruto fans will love this one
san + nin becomes Sannin
As you can see these sound contractions are very difficult, since it takes a while to get the hang of them, especially when you realise there are dozens and dozens of classifiers in japanese.
hitori and futari are based upon the
japanese numbers from 1 to ten, the ones I've been using up to now are the chinese ones, which are the ones mostly used.
Now when you are counting objects which do NOT have a classifier, it's more common in japanese to use the japanese set of numbers from 1 to 10
1 Hitotsu
2 Futatsu
3 Mittsu
4 Yottsu
5 Itsutsu
6 Muttsu
7 Nanatsu
8 Yattsu
9 Kokonotsu
10 Too
for numbers above 10, the chinese set is used instead.
Wow, long (and I hope somewhat informative) post. My advice is actually simple : when learning japanese don't start with numbers, they aren't easy at all and can easilly discourage you, learn the numbers when you get the hang of a few simple sentences allready, and slowly introduce the numbers and classifiers a few at a time, in my japanese class everyone agrees that one of the hardest things about learning japanese is in fact learning how to count, since this creates alot of extra vocabulary and it's not always easy to pick up the words when you hear them (that takes quite some practice)
If you are gonna visit japan and you want to learn a few usefull sentences, I believe it's more useful to learn how to ask a shopkeeper to write the price on a piece of paper rather than learning to understand him, japanese numbers get complicating, especially when they surpass 10 000 since the method of counting completely differs then from our own.