Thursday, February 20, 2014

Let's learn Japanese from a comedy show!

Have you ever seen Japanese comedy show?


This is one of my favorite. :)
They speak in natural speed, so it might be a little difficult to catch up with what they're talking about. I'm gonna write down their words and translate them into English. I hope it'll help you studying Japanese, and good work for me to practice writing English. If you have any questions about the words I wrote, feel free to ask me. And If you have any corrections/suggestions about my English, please let me know...!


--- First Part ---
A man wearing a blue jacket is waiting for an interviewer of a part time job.

あ~、バイトの面接(めんせつ)緊張(きんちょう)すんな~!
Agh, I get really nervous for my job interview!
--> 緊張すんな is a very casual and frank way of 緊張するな. It's way of young men speaking. The last letter "な" doesn't have meanings, but we often put it at the end of the sentence when we talk to someone or talk to ourselves. It's not the prohibition form, witch is also written and spoken as ~するな (= do not~).

ここで待(ま)ってろって言(い)われたんだけど遅(おそ)いな~
I was told to wait here, but he's late.
--> Did you find that the man said "おせえな", not "おそいな" as I wrote? As I wrote before, he speaks in very casual, frank way. It sounds a little rude.


--- Second Part ---
A store manager came, and he's talking on the phone.

え?!また万引(まんび)き?!
What? A shoplifter again?!

おお、副店長(ふくてんちょう)が捕(つか)まえたのか!
Oh, our vice store manager has got him!

で、どこ連(つ)れてったんだ?
So, where did he take the shoplifter to?
--> This "で" is the shortest form of "それで". It urges somebody to continue speaking.

どの部屋(へや)連(ど)れてったかわかんない?
Don't you know where he took the shoplifter to?

あー、わかった!探す!
Agh, all right! I will search for him!

・・・ったく、どの部屋(へや)だ?
Shoot, which room is that?
--> たく is also the shorten form of まったく. He's very irritated.

この部屋(へや)か?
Is this room right?


--- Third Part ---
君か!!
That's you!

はい!
Yes!

店長だ。
I am  the store manager.

あ、どうも。
Well, nice to meet you.
--> どうも is a very frank greeting. You shouldn't use this in business, though.

座りなさい!
Have a seat!

私(わたし)ぐらい長年(ながねん)経験(けいけん)あるとね、
As I have a long experience,

だいたいわかっちゃうんだよ。
somehow I can see it.
--> He suggests that he could tell who is a shoplifter or not. You know, he's misunderstanding, though. :P

君(きみ)は見(み)るからにやりそうだな!!
You are obviously the one who does it(shoplift)!

ありがとうございます!!
Thank you very much!
--> He thought the shop manager looks him as a person who does a good job.

ほめてないよ!!何(なに)が「ありがとうございます」だお前(まえ)!
I do not applause you! How dare you say "Thank you", YOU?!
--> お前 is a very informal way of  "you".

あ、すいません。
Uh, sorry.

すいませんじゃないよ!!
Don't say "sorry".
--> Oppressive people often repeat someone's words, and add "じゃないよ" to blame him/her.

なに君(きみ)、こういうことするのうちの店(みせ)が初(はじ)めて?
Hey you, is it your first time to do(shoplift) like this in my shop?

いえ、以前(いぜん)コンビニで5年ほどやってました。
No, I had been doing it(part time job) in a convenience store for five years.

5年も?!!!一軒(けん)のコンビニで?
For five years?!!! At one convenience store?
--> We use 軒(けん) to count the number of shops, houses, and buildings. Like 一軒(いっけん)、二軒(にけん)、三軒(さんけん)、四軒(よんけん)・・・

はい。
Yes.

ずーっとその店(みせ)だけ?
Only that store for such a long time?

はい。
Yes.

なんてやつだお前(まえ)は・・・。
What the hell are you...

名前(なまえ)は?
Your name?

あ、えー、「こじま かずや」です。
Uh, well, I'm Kojiza Kazuya.

こじまね・・・、年(とし)は?
Kojima, okay... and how old are you?

(年)は~、25です。
 It's.. 25.

25。住所(じゅうしょ)は?
25. What's your address?

あ、すいません。履歴書(りれきしょ)持ってきたんですけど。
Well, excuse me, but I brought my personal resume.
--> In Japan, we usually bring our personal resume for a job interview. Not only your name, phone number, address, job experiences, but also you have to write your appeal points, your favorite subject (if you are student) or the reason why you chose this job, etc. How is it like in your country? :)

なんで持(も)ってんだそんなもん?!
Why do you have a such thing?
--> 持ってんだ is an informal verbal form of 持っているんだ.

なんで履歴書(りれきしょ)なんか持(も)って来(き)てんだよ!!
Why do you bring your personal resume?!
--> 持って来てんだよ is also an informal verbal form of 持って来てるんだよ!

いや、こう言(い)う時(とき)のために。
Well, just in case.

こうなること想定(そうてい)してたのか君(きみ)は?!
Did you expect this situation?


--- Fourth Part ---
The shop manager was further irritated and snatched the man's resume.

あれ?これ嘘(うそ)ないだろうね?
Hmm? Aren't there any lies?

いや、嘘(うそ)ないっすよ。
Nope, there aren't any lies.
--> ないっすよ sounds less formal than ですよ.

わぁ、君(きみ)高校(こうこう)時代(じだい)ラグビーで全国(ぜんこく)大会(たいかい)出てるのか!
Wow, you've attended the national rugby competition in your high school!

い、そうなんすよ!
Yes, I have!

ですから、ぼくどんな重(おも)い物(もの)でも素早(すばや)く運(はこ)べます!
So I can carry anything away very quickly, no matter how it's heavy!
--> He wanted to appeal his ability to get the job but...

なんのアピールだよ!!!状況(じょうきょう)わかってんのかお前(まえ)な?
What are you appealing for!! Do you understand this situation?



Okay, that's all for today!
This weekend I'm gonna go back to Japan, and stay for a week. I hope it's not so cold. Perhaps I cannot connect the internet in Japan, so I won't be able to update this blog. X(

See you again!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Japanese Onomatopoeic Words (2)

Hey guys, how was your weekend? :)

It got really cold recently. My hometown was also covered with deep snow. Now I'm in Taiwan, but it's also cold even though it doesn't snow here.


My hometown, Kanazawa city in Japan
When I'm cold, I feel like to take a bath in a hot spring. I'd say 温泉でぬくぬくしたい.
It literary means "I want to do Nuku-nuku in a hot spring."
※温泉 /onsen/ hot spring bath
※~したい /...shitai/ I want to...
Yep, ぬくぬく /nuku-nuku/ is a onomatopoeic word in Japanese. ;)

We usually write those words in ひらがな or カタカナ letters, but this ぬくぬく can be written as 温温. I think even Japanese people don't know how to write it in Kanji, though.

This Kanji "" has several meanings; warm, comfortable, peaceful, cozy.
You probably got the picture of what 温温(ぬくぬく) means, right?



Okay, now let's have a look at the rest words in Japanese onomatopoeic song.



トコトコ /toko-toko/ is just a sound of walking. テクテク /teku-teku/ is also the same.

ガラガラ/gara-gara/ is like "rattle", "clatter" in English. We also use this word when we describe the sound of a gargle. And, it also means "nearly empty".
映画館(えいがかん)はガラガラだった。
/eiga-kan wa gara-gara datta./
The movie theater was nearly empty.

ニャー /nyaa/ Meow!

スッテン/sutten/ The sound of slipping and falling down.

ヒリヒリ/hiri-hiri/ It expresses prickling pain, smarting or stinging.
There're lots of onomatopoeic words to describe a pain. A study found more than 82.8% people in Japan use onomatopoeic words to describe their pain when they see a doctor.
顔(かお)がヒリヒリする。日焼(ひや)けしたみたい。
/kao ga hiri-hiri suru. hiyake shita mitai./
My face hurts and tingles. I think I got sunburned.
※~みたい /...mitai/ It seems..., it looks like...
Please click here to see the example of みたい I wrote before.


ヒョコヒョコ/hyoko-hyoko/ sounds like someone or something is walking bobbingly.
It can express something is moving consistently up and down.

グー/guu/ is the stomach growling noise you make when you're hungry.


Now my stomach is actually growling. XO
Oh it still remains some words! I will write about them next time. (Perhaps!)
Thank you for reading! Bye :)

Friday, February 7, 2014

Japanese Onomatopoeic Words

If you study Japanese, you will notice that there are many onomatopoeia words in Japanese. Actually, we often use those words in our ordinarily conversations.

Do you remember the words which express how it rains like?
Rain Rain, Go Away!


I found an interesting song of Japanese onomatopoeia.
This song doesn't have lyrical lyrics. It consists of only onomatopoeia words.

In the first part of it, you can see only animated words to music.
Can you imagine what's happening by listening (or seeing) these words?
Well, I could somehow. I could have a rough idea of it.



ゴロゴロ /goro-goro/
The sound of something is rolling on the ground.
コロコロ /koro-koro/ is also used to express rolling things, but it sounds lighter or smaller than ゴロゴロ. A baseball rolls as コロコロ, but if you make a big snowman and roll a big snow ball, it would sound ゴロゴロ.
Also this word ゴロゴロ is used to express someone is lying around or laze around at home.

休日(きゅうじつ)はいつも家(いえ)でゴロゴロしてるよ。
/kyujitsu wa itsumo ie de goro-goro siteiru/
I always lie around at home on my day off.
※してる: している's informal (conversational) way.
※よ: We often put よ at the end of the sentence when we talk to someone.
It makes the sentence friendly.


トントン /ton-ton/
The sound of knocking or tapping on something. If you say ドンドン /don-don/ it sounds stronger.
トントン also means "to go on without a hitch".

彼(かれ)の計画(けいかく)はとんとん拍子(びょうし)に進(すす)んだ。
/kare no keikaku wa ton-ton-byoushi ni susunda/
His plan went on swimmingly.

エッヘン /ehhen/
Ahem! The cough-like sound which is made in an arrogant act.
To show confidence in one's own worth.



Okay I'll introduce the other words in this song next time.
By the way, my husband sometimes makes funny onomatopoeic words.
For example, パヤパヤ/paya-paya/. Say it loud if you ain't commuting or in class now. It sounds really funny and cute for me. Guess what this word expresses about!!


It seems interesting to make new onomatopoeic words by myself, isn't it?
Do you have any ideas? :D

Let me know interesting onomatopoeic words in your language!
Or, which of Japanese onomatopoeic words sounds strange for you?

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

For the First Time In Forever

Last week we had a Chinese New Year's holiday.
My husband also had 6 days off and we hanged out a lot. =)
We enjoyed hiking, cycling, karaoke, shopping, and, and ... so on!

We also went to see a movie! Frozen!!
It was.. just... AMAZING!! Awesome! I love it! haha
It didn't have Japanese subtitles but Chinese subtitles.
Well, I was worried about it, but I could somehow understand the story in English without reading the subtitles. The movie theater I went doesn't have 3D models,
but it was brilliant on 2D, too.



I love the songs in this movie.


I wanna pick one phrase from the lyrics as today's *Japanese Word of the Day* !!

For the first time in forever, I finally understand.
生(う)まれてはじめて、やっとわかった。
/umarete hajimete, yatto wakatta/

*生まれてはじめて literally means "for the first time in one's life"

For the first time in twelve years : 20(にじゅう)年(ねん)ぶりに
※We never say 20年にはじめて
For the first time in a week : 1週間(いっしゅうかん)ぶりに
※We never say 1週間にはじめて

We usually say 久(ひさ)しぶりに~する/した to express "do/did something for the first time in many days".
久(ひさ)しぶりに、すしを食(た)べました。
/hisashiburi ni sushi wo tabemasita/
I ate sushi for the first time in a long time.

明日(あした)久しぶりに彼(かれ)と話(はな)します。
/ashita hisashiburi ni kare to hanashimasu/
I'm going to talk with him for the first time in a while.


Or just say 久しぶり! when you met someone whom you hadn't seen for a long time.
This is an informal word which is used between close friends or family. If you want to say it to your boss or older people, then you should say お久しぶりです instead.



今朝(けさ)、久(ひさ)しぶりに早起(はやお)きしました!
I woke up early this morning for the first time in  ages!! =P

But now I'm gonna go to bed again. Do you remember the word 二度寝する