How to speak Japanese

Introduction:

Learning to speak Japanese can be a very difficult skill to acquire. Having the ability to speak Japanese will prove to be a valuable skill and may come in handy quite a few times in your life.

Level of difficulty: very difficult.

Steps to help you learn to speak Japanese:

1. You should begin by learning some basic Japanese words and phrases that are commonly used. One of these words is "genki" this means "energetic". "A tsu I" means "isn't it hot" and "sa mu I" means "isn't it cold". To ask, "are you ok"? in Japanese, you would say "da I jyo ubu"?

2. Make it a habit to listen to Japanese language CD's daily, every chance you get. Get several different CD's from several different places. By doing this, you will get all the basic phrases, but they will be presented in different ways. "Pimsleur" series is one of the most helpful resources available. It is available in a "quick & simple" starter pack and also available on a more advanced gold course. Another good one is the "Living Language Series".

3. Purchase a Canon Word Tank. This is another great tool in helping you to learn a foreign language such as Japanese. The Canon Word Tank is a personal memory and dictionary data base. Every time you hear a word that is unfamiliar to you, you look it up in the dictionary and then save it to memory. You can then later review the words. The Canon Word Tank also shows the Kanji characters, then you press a button and it brings up the English meaning and how to read the word. This is great for learning both Japanese vocabulary and Kanji.

4. Use your computer. The internet offers you a variety of learning resources and tools. You may want to look into taking an online course or take advantage of Japanese courses that offer free trial periods.

5. Here are some more Japanese words along with definitions, for you to learn. "Kawaii" means "cute". Believe it or not this word is used frequently in the Japanese language. "Suki" means "like". If you say this in the form of a question, it means "Do you like this"? To say "Yes, I do", you can also use the word "suki". What if you want to ask someone in Japanese "Do you like New York" ? You would say "New York, suki"? Remember, you must say it like a question or you will not be asking a question but stating that you like New York. If you taste something good, whether it is food or drink, simply say "o I shi I" which means "delicious". This can often be heard on TV cooking programs. If you want to say "cool" in Japanese, simply say "su go I".

6. Try to learn a new Japanese word or phrase every day. You should not just learn the meaning of the word but also be able to pronounce the word correctly. It may take several attempts to master the correct pronunciation, but practice makes perfect. Within a month, you should be able to speak at least 30 words in Japanese. At this time, you should also be able to know the meanings of at least 50 Japanese words when you hear them.

7. Your next step in learning to speak Japanese, should be learning to greet someone. "O ha you goza I ma su" is a Japanese greeting in the morning. In the afternoon the greeting changes to "kon ni chi wa". Then in the evening, "kon ban wa". Another useful phrase to know is "thank you", in Japanese it is said "a ri ga to u go za I ma su".