Learning Japanese

[Circular Logic]

Originally Posted by Christine247

in japanese language, are there different words for speaking 'I'?(different ways for each gender?)

I have only heard 'boku'.....

How many types of such differences are there?

http://www.jref.com/language/japanes...pronouns.shtml

[christine_cute]

oh! i never really knew there were so many ways of speaking 'I'......this is surely confusing....

[Yukinokesshou]

Originally Posted by Christine247

oh! i never really knew there were so mant ways of speaking 'I'......this is surely confusing....

That's probably one of the least confusing aspects of Japanese. After all, it's just a few more words to learn. What is more confusing is how grammatical forms change depending on the level of politeness and formality.

[christine_cute]

i have a long way to go.......but it is surely an interesting language^^

[Alchemist007]

Originally Posted by idiffer

ore - male
watashi - both
boku - male

fixxxx0r'd.

[Yukinokesshou]

Don't forget watakushi, ware, wagahai, washi and ore-sama

吾輩は人間である。Wagahai wa ningen de aru. (I am a human.)

[iLney]

Don't use them then

PS: I still want to know how "kisama" is considered rude ....

[Circular Logic]

Originally Posted by iLney

PS: I still want to know how "kisama" is considered rude ....

The short answer: Because it is.
The slightly less short answer: Because it's sarcastic.

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by Yukinokesshou

Don't forget watakushi, ware, wagahai, washi and ore-sama

吾輩は人間である。Wagahai wa ningen de aru. (I am a human.)

And:
Uchi (hearing a lot lately) - both
Atashi -F
Atakushi (obselete) -F
(did a research paper on this many years ago)

@ iLiney.
Sarcasm deary, sarcasm, and until you pointed out the kanji used to make 'kisama' I didn't realise that is one of the best examples of irony from the Japanese linguistic wise, it's class.
- You're asking the same question as if a Japanese person asks:
Why is 'oi' considered rude in replacement of someone's name?

It just is, it's how it's socially used, thus given a negative meaning to the word.

[Raiga]

Originally Posted by Mystique

Uchi (hearing a lot lately) - both

I read somewhere that this is characteristic of Kansai-ben. 'Course I'm no expert on dialects, just what I heard.

[iLney]

今、日本からかえって来たことろなんです.

"I've just returned from Japan." (かえって<=== Lulz. Now I appreciate Kanji so much )

2 verbs but just one action?.... Is it a bit redundant?

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by iLney

今、日本からかえって来たことろなんです.

"I've just returned from Japan." (かえって<=== Lulz. Now I appreciate Kanji so much )

2 verbs but just one action?.... Is it a bit redundant?

You know, I agree with iLiney for the verb 'kaeru' (to return) xD
heard it on tv 2 days ago in a drama, and was like 'that's just redundant!!'

The <te form- verb> + <kuru> its what turns a student from basic 'textbook' japanese to more 'natural, free flowing' kind.
It's a cultural nuance, something that's not in english culture, of doing something but coming back (eventually)
Hence most infamous is:

Ittekimasu!!
(itte + kuru)
I'm off now! (but hope to be back eventually)
Other common ones include

Kaimono wo ittekuru ne (ok, same verb, lol)
Simply translates as 'I'm going shopping' however.

Since I am baffled on the kaete-kuru nuance since kaeru already has a nuance of 'coming back', i await a lovely explaination
modottekuru, i get, but kaete is like...

[iLney]

Thx Mystique.
Bump my last question and:

外は寒そうです

Since there is "そう," would it be unnatural/redundant if I add "ね” in the end?

[Alchemist007]

Adding a 'ne' to 'desu' makes it more conversational. While just desu makes it more formal/statementish.

[ACGalaga]

外は寒そうです

Since there is "そう," would it be unnatural/redundant if I add "ね” in the end?

I'm certainly not the Japanese expert, but you're saying: outside it's winter like.

If you add ね it be more like saying, 'outside it's winter like, isn't it?'

I think it would be ok to use.

2 verbs but just one action?.... Is it a bit redundant?

Not necessarily.

「〜遊びに来て」(~come and play) and 「〜持て帰る」(~take with/return with) are often used phrases, both containing 2 verbs.

[Mystique]

Originally Posted by iLney

Thx Mystique.
Bump my last question and:

外は寒そうです

Since there is "そう," would it be unnatural/redundant if I add "ね” in the end?

Yep, notice that the 'i' has been taken off.
It's not saying 'It's cold outside, isn't it?'
It's saying...
Outside looks (kinda) cold...
samu+sou
There's a bunch of grammar rules to learn with using 'sou' to describe appearance, see if you can track them down.

With the masu/desu one it's
<stem> + sou
ame ga furisou - Looks like it's going to rain.

[Ryuou]

Originally Posted by Christine247

oh! i never really knew there were so many ways of speaking 'I'......this is surely confusing....

Yes it can get kind of confusing, but it's also one of the many extremely interesting aspects of the language. Well, at least to me.

Originally Posted by Raiga

I read somewhere that this is characteristic of Kansai-ben. 'Course I'm no expert on dialects, just what I heard.

Yeah "Uchi" is the fairly standard "I" for the kansai area. Although you can see it used elsewhere often too. Just not in place of the standard "I" like in the kansai area.

Since I am baffled on the kaete-kuru nuance since kaeru already has a nuance of 'coming back', i await a lovely explaination
modottekuru, i get, but kaete is like...

Nuances are often times really hard to explain, since they play more along feel than logical thinking. I would just say to think about it in line with the whole "go do something and comeback" use that "tekuru" is usually used for. Although "kaeru" (also modoru) already has the meaning to return, it's not treated as an exception to this use. I guess when this use was developing, although it's redundant, no one felt the need to change the usage. Maybe someone else has an actual real answer for this.

[iLney]

Ty.
Bump that question again and...:

この道は夜暗いだろうと思います.

(このみちはよるくらいだろうとおもいます。)

Is that reading right? The dictionary I use only has 夜暗, which is read "やあん"

Edit: and

あの二人は幸せそうではありません.
Should I read "二人" "ににん" or "ふたり."

[Circular Logic]

Originally Posted by iLney

Ty.
Bump that question again and...:

この道は夜暗いだろうと思います.

(このみちはよるくらいだろうとおもいます。)

Is that reading right? The dictionary I use only has 夜暗, which is read "やあん"

Edit: and

あの二人は幸せそうではありません.
Should I read "二人" "ににん" or "ふたり."

I believe that there's only 夜暗（やあん）, not よるくらい.

And ふたり, not ににん.

[Rembr]

In that case yoru and kurai should not be combined together like that, they are read seperately. The sentence could be structured in a way to avoid that confusion, but it's not like its meanings are uncertain so whatever.