AnimeSuki Forums

fanty · 2011-10-06, 03:52

Watching anime taught me enough Japanese to able to watch anime without subtitles. Which makes perfect sense, when you think about it.

Also, when I was a little girl, I learnt Lithuanian and Russian solely from watching TV. So if you're five years old, then you very much could become fluent in Japanese by watching Japanese TV (limiting yourself to cartoons in not recommended, you'll miss out on too much vocabulary).

poweranime · 2011-10-06, 17:59

Well to be honest, I have learned some words thanks to anime, but nothing much really.

HurricaneHige · 2011-10-06, 19:20

I've been watching anime for...almost 15 years now.

I can understand basic sentences, and point out where subs are bad (mistranslated), but otherwise nothing.

My 4 days of cramming Japanese before I visited the land of the rising sun did more good than 15 years of anime watching. So no, watching anime is not recommended as a source.

Hooves · 2011-10-07, 00:00

I agree with HurricaneHige on this case. Trying to understand words with occasional mistranslated sources will lead you down the wrong path to understand Japanese. Where studying it from other sources (not the brain-wrecking cramming though

) is much more resourceful in my opinion.

Anime is good though, to understand the greetings/farewells/etc or atleast in my case on when to use them.

serenade_beta · 2011-10-07, 02:56

I learned all my Japanese from anime. I didn't know Japanese before, but all of a sudden, one day, I realized I could understand the anime I watched without subtitles!
How good am I right now? Enough to understand conversations and read light novels.

So yeah, pretty good, and it is all thanks to watching anime.

Well, I did spend about 30 minutes to understand how to read furigana though, so there was a little bit of actual studying.

Nina.Wolken · 2011-10-07, 09:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

Enough to understand conversations and read light novels.

By watching anime? I don't see how that is possible unless you know Chinese beforehand.
You can definitely get the basics to speak watching anime (if you have a mean to practice), but certainly not learn how to read...

Hooves · 2011-10-07, 15:55

That's a scary fact that you can read Kanji just by watching anime...

Random32 · 2011-10-07, 18:53

I think a lot of LN's give a lot of furigana. They are sorta aimed at younger people.

larethian · 2011-10-07, 20:30

For the record he played VNs as well. VNs are better geared for learning Japanese than anime. But sometimes, we can't tell whether he's being sarcastic to the topic of discussion or not

NoemiChan · 2011-10-08, 01:06

The only Japanese terms we learn usually are those oftenly use. I know everyone knows whats nani, doushite, baka, kawai, ureshii, so-so, hatsuii, watashi, ore, boku....etc " because they're oftenly use. And without subtitles we tend to get the point just hearing these words being said, which oftenly, not what the dialogue really (hountoni") meant....

serenade_beta · 2011-10-08, 01:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nina.Wolken

By watching anime? I don't see how that is possible unless you know Chinese beforehand.
You can definitely get the basics to speak watching anime (if you have a mean to practice), but certainly not learn how to read...

It is true that I understand Chinese, but I don't think it was that important. At the most, it helps when I find a word I don't know how to read but know what it should mean. But there could have been other benefits. I don't remember.
And like I said:

Quote:

Well, I did spend about 30 minutes to understand how to read furigana though, so there was a little bit of actual studying.

(´・ω・｀)
Actually bought a book on furigana and a Japanese dictionary.
The dictionary was a waste of money though.
I could have looked up furigana on the web, so that other book was probably a waste too.

Steps:
1. Learn how to understand Japanese (watching anime)
2. Learn how to read furigana
3. Read manga with furigana (Able to pronounce word --> Able to understand word), I recall reading Seto no Hanayome
4. Get used to kanji and start reading light novels

ArrowSmith · 2011-10-08, 03:29

Hey after 6+ years of anime watching, I know a few words!

cleffa3000 · 2011-10-08, 08:45

i will have reached N4 JLPT level, yet i still can only understand around 40% of what they're saying.
normally they'll use informal jap, which normally u have not learnt in classes one

NoemiChan · 2011-10-10, 21:16

How often is informal Japanese used compared to formal Japanese?

Pink Cow · 2011-10-11, 05:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goggen

^ QFT. Lol. (I love tofugu!)

My bestfriend has been watching subtitled anime for 11 years now (way longer than me). And at one point, he told me he knew some Japanese as long as they were simple enough. Then just 2 years ago, I started self-studying Japanese. Got myself a dictionary, some online sources, ebooks, iPhone apps...

Then one day, we were talking and we got to the subject of Japanese language and I randomly asked him "nani wo shiteiru?" (what are you doing?). He was like, "what?"

And I thought what I said was pretty simple too.

Long story short, 11 years of watching anime can't beat 2 years of actual study.

Not saying anime can't be a good source. Like most people already said, it can be a good supplement. Just not a SOLE learning source.

Raiga · 2011-10-11, 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by genjichan

How often is informal Japanese used compared to formal Japanese?

As often as you're in informal situations compared to formal ones.

Kirito · 2011-10-13, 01:56

By watching the subtitles I understand the terms and actions depending on the situation. Sometimes I would purposely watch the episode raw just to interpret what they'd say on the situation.

After watching the raw, I'd go to watch the subbed version of an anime episode to see what I got correct and what I missed/got wrong.

Aaerul · 2011-12-05, 11:13

[Guide] How to read Japanese in 2 years time ― by watching anime

lol I wrote a guide on this very topic.
http://visualnovelaer.wordpress.com/...h-vn-or-anime/

the post has got a visual novel spin to it, that's because it's a visual novel blog but yea anime people can use it too

Hooves · 2011-12-05, 19:59

^ Ah! I read this guide once! It certainly was interesting and might actually work. But something as long term as that will eventually hurt my brain

. But still useful for people who will use it in the future Aaerul

But visual novels are certainly helping me study the Kanji, and Hiragana while Katakana is being delayed a bit.. After watching about 200+ animes, I've caught many sentences, expressions, etc. So my Japanese is getting there

LunarMoon · 2011-12-05, 22:13

As the basis of your course? No. As supplementary material? Definitely. In terms of immersion, reading books or watching movies in the language that you’re trying to learn in the next best thing from actually traveling to another country and staying for several weeks. That’s why most foreign language courses in high school require you to watch movies in French or Spanish. A lot of people who are trying to learn a foreign language, any foreign language, will also read children’s books with relatively simple grammar and syntax. Others will watch shows such as Sesame Street to gain a basic handling of the language. My high school required us to do the former and to answer a series of reading comprehension questions afterwards; I’d imagine that watching anime, or movies, or TV dramas, would be similarly useful if you actually had a handle on what you were doing.

2011-10-06, 17:59	Link #42
poweranime Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2011	Well to be honest, I have learned some words thanks to anime, but nothing much really. __________________ I hate cartoons, but i love anime Free Anime Episodes has many anime episodes added by me.

2011-10-06, 19:20	Link #43
HurricaneHige Uguu~ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Canada	I've been watching anime for...almost 15 years now. I can understand basic sentences, and point out where subs are bad (mistranslated), but otherwise nothing. My 4 days of cramming Japanese before I visited the land of the rising sun did more good than 15 years of anime watching. So no, watching anime is not recommended as a source. __________________ Sig's coming soon ~_~ (since 07....) My rant blog (omg i'm blogging now, and not just anime)

2011-10-07, 02:56	Link #45
serenade_beta そのおっぱいで13才 Join Date: Dec 2006	I learned all my Japanese from anime. I didn't know Japanese before, but all of a sudden, one day, I realized I could understand the anime I watched without subtitles! How good am I right now? Enough to understand conversations and read light novels. So yeah, pretty good, and it is all thanks to watching anime. Well, I did spend about 30 minutes to understand how to read furigana though, so there was a little bit of actual studying. __________________ -Blog --> http://tdnshumi.blogspot.com/ (Mainly about video games) -R.I.P. Hiroshi Yamauchi, Gaming wouldn't have been the same without you (9/19/13)

2011-10-08, 08:45	Link #53
cleffa3000 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2011	i will have reached N4 JLPT level, yet i still can only understand around 40% of what they're saying. normally they'll use informal jap, which normally u have not learnt in classes one __________________ Janryumon JP mj rank: 1st dan(初段）

2011-10-13, 01:56	Link #57
Kirito Enjoying Snack Time! Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Where It's Legal to Marry Clara and Alice Age: 35	By watching the subtitles I understand the terms and actions depending on the situation. Sometimes I would purposely watch the episode raw just to interpret what they'd say on the situation. After watching the raw, I'd go to watch the subbed version of an anime episode to see what I got correct and what I missed/got wrong. __________________

2011-10-06, 03:52	Link #41
fanty STARVING ARTIST Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: 永遠の冬の国 Age: 33	Watching anime taught me enough Japanese to able to watch anime without subtitles. Which makes perfect sense, when you think about it. Also, when I was a little girl, I learnt Lithuanian and Russian solely from watching TV. So if you're five years old, then you very much could become fluent in Japanese by watching Japanese TV (limiting yourself to cartoons in not recommended, you'll miss out on too much vocabulary).

2011-10-07, 18:53	Link #48
Random32 Also a Lolicon Join Date: Apr 2010	I think a lot of LN's give a lot of furigana. They are sorta aimed at younger people.

2011-10-07, 20:30	Link #49
larethian Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010	For the record he played VNs as well. VNs are better geared for learning Japanese than anime. But sometimes, we can't tell whether he's being sarcastic to the topic of discussion or not

2011-10-08, 01:06	Link #50
NoemiChan Banned Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Philippines Age: 36	The only Japanese terms we learn usually are those oftenly use. I know everyone knows whats nani, doushite, baka, kawai, ureshii, so-so, hatsuii, watashi, ore, boku....etc " because they're oftenly use. And without subtitles we tend to get the point just hearing these words being said, which oftenly, not what the dialogue really (hountoni") meant....

2011-10-08, 03:29	Link #52
ArrowSmith Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009	Hey after 6+ years of anime watching, I know a few words!

2011-10-10, 21:16	Link #54
NoemiChan Banned Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Philippines Age: 36	How often is informal Japanese used compared to formal Japanese?

2011-12-05, 11:13	Link #58
Aaerul Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009	[Guide] How to read Japanese in 2 years time ― by watching anime lol I wrote a guide on this very topic. http://visualnovelaer.wordpress.com/...h-vn-or-anime/ the post has got a visual novel spin to it, that's because it's a visual novel blog but yea anime people can use it too

2011-12-05, 22:13	Link #60
LunarMoon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Age: 33	As the basis of your course? No. As supplementary material? Definitely. In terms of immersion, reading books or watching movies in the language that you’re trying to learn in the next best thing from actually traveling to another country and staying for several weeks. That’s why most foreign language courses in high school require you to watch movies in French or Spanish. A lot of people who are trying to learn a foreign language, any foreign language, will also read children’s books with relatively simple grammar and syntax. Others will watch shows such as Sesame Street to gain a basic handling of the language. My high school required us to do the former and to answer a series of reading comprehension questions afterwards; I’d imagine that watching anime, or movies, or TV dramas, would be similarly useful if you actually had a handle on what you were doing.