failing to learn Japanese language last minute

[Regenmeneer]

Ma Le, could you arrange a Japanese girlfriend for me so I can study eh..... Japanese

Never heard someone from Holland complain that English is difficult German is much worse due to the grammar!

Regenmeneer

[mynamy1]

Hi Brian, maybe it was my "tone" that trigger your response? shall I be friendlier in the new tone?

You stated : " Knowing Chinese isn't much help in learning to speak or read Japanese." That statement is not true and unfortunate. If I tell you that a person who is a master in Latin and this background does not help him/her learning English an faster that anybody else .... any truth in this statement? obviously, none. Latin is the backbone of the English language and, to an same extend, Chinese is the backbone of several east Asian languages, Japanese included but in an awkward way. As my ability to explain and to teach is my weakness, it would take forever to explain and make you understand. Why don't I leave you with a few facts for thoughts? (1) Japanese college entrance requirements included the master of 2,000 Chinese words. (2) Kyoto is the exact copy of Chiang An, streets by streets and city blocks by city blocks!

Regenmeneer, that's is exactly the point I try to convey that Dutch, English and (modern) German are in the same Germanic language group. You guys should be able to absorb each others language-wise much faster that of a Slavic based guy. Same rule applies here for myself: I would master Chinese, Korean and Japanese faster than , say, Brian! Assuming that Brian and I have the same intelligent, language skills and motivation. What to do with that capability is another matter!

Back to your very personal request, here is the website to explore: www.destinajapan.us. Tell the lady that the first lesson to learn is anatomy101. BTW, has the smow melted yet? and when are you gonna ship the chagoi soon? MA Le

ps. cha is another Chinese word for "tea".

[swordfish]

Brian,
Knew 'Japanese at a glance' was too good to be true. It certainly takes more than that.

Quote: Originally Posted by Brian Swordfish, 1,600 hours of study, but don't let that put you off!

Wow consider 8 hrs a day it takes approximately as long as I get to graduate from law school.

Sayonara
SF

[Steve Nguyen]

Although thousands Chinese words and expressions have been incorporated into the Vietnamese language, it still not a valid reason to say that Vietnamese language was derived from Chinese. why? apply the same logic, there are thousand of French words and expressions have been incorporated into the Vietnamese language as well but no one will claim that Vietnamese language was derived from French language. Although it might seems more logical to say that Vietnamese language was derived from French language because Vietnamese lauguage uses alphabet lettering, not characters such as in Chinese, Japanese, Korean,...,etc.

from what I've read, there seemed to be a consensus a agreement that Vietnamese lauguage was dirived from Mon-Khmer linguistic family.

Steve

Quote: Originally Posted by mynamy1 Dinh, please read a few below examples and tell me they coming from? Chinese: long (dragon) Vietnamese: long, ro^`ng Japanese: ru (as in kumonru) Korean: yu/ju Chinese: kinhdai/shiendai Vietnamese: hie^n dai Japanese: kindai (in kindai showa) Korean: huyndai Shall I continue? MA le

[Regenmeneer]

Ma Le

Holland is indeed a very small country on the map, and very much dependant on trade for it's income. Therefore we are very internationally oriented, learning multiple foreign langauges from early age on.

Germany and England are less internationally oriented because of their size and international importance. The percentage of people speaking and writing a foreign langauge is much lower. But I must admit that Germans are getting better at English, both in quality and quantity of people able to speak and write.

Dutch is a West Germanic langauge, with many influances from German, English and also French (because of the French occupation a few centuries ago). This also makes it easier for Dutch people to learn those langauges.

But I do agree that commitment and practice are the most important in learnig/mastering another language.

I've tried some Japanese from a book myself, but have no clue if my pronunciation is correct. Internet courses with pronunciation as a wav file are way better, but very limited.

Chinese: long (dragon)
Vietnamese: long, ro^`ng
Japanese: ru (as in kumonru)
Korean: yu/ju

Chinese: kinhdai/shiendai
Vietnamese: hie^n dai
Japanese: kindai (in kindai showa)
Korean: huyndai

The Kindai part I can see the resemblance between the words in different langauges, but in the dragon part I don't see it. Is there supposed to be one?

As for the weather, it started snowing again on 2nd Christmasday, it's still freezing and more snow is expected the rest of this week.

Regenmeneer (who's going to start anato.. eh, Japanese 101 )

[mynamy1]

Congratulation for your complete Americanization in such a short time! Do you also develop the taste for instant coffee, instant cycled biofiltration and instant democracy too?. Learning another language must be also the inclusion of literature and history. Without them, the ability is known as soulessness and shalowness.

The current romanization of the written Vietnamese was a Portugese-based, not French. The French borrowed and introduced this system as so to ease the colonization and forced Christianity. The romanization is so good that I read newspaper to my father even before elementary school! The bad news is that I've lost my root! I can no longer tell the words' origin! The discovery of a Vietnamese-Chinese dictionary shocked and angered me: so many many Chinese root words here! How sick! Further the understanding with reading and learning history .... now I know to accept and broaden my knowledge and understanding. About 80% of Vietnamese words have their root from China, and that is the fact! Nothing one can do anything about it.

So, Steve, why don't you write a simple "all-Vietnamese" sentense for the board to see. Then I shall tell you which words have Chinese root! Don't feel bad, as 50 to 55% of "English" is directly or indirectly derives from Latin. Don't believe me? Try to open any "American" dictionary!

I think I rest my case. MA Le

[mynamy1]

It is very difficult for me to explain as I don't know how to import Chinese characters in here to esase the confusion. The key to your understanding is in the below song:

" .....lolling! lolling on the liver! lolling ...."

If you break the code I will personally send the pictures of my fish to your email addy as a gift! MA Le

ps. JR, please don't help him!

[Brian]

Quote: Originally Posted by mynamy1 Congratulation for your complete Americanization in such a short time! Do you also develop the taste for instant coffee, instant cycled biofiltration and instant democracy too?. Learning another language must be also the inclusion of literature and history. Without them, the ability is known as soulessness and shalowness. The current romanization of the written Vietnamese was a Portugese-based, not French. The French borrowed and introduced this system as so to ease the colonization and forced Christianity. The romanization is so good that I read newspaper to my father even before elementary school! The bad news is that I've lost my root! I can no longer tell the words' origin! The discovery of a Vietnamese-Chinese dictionary shocked and angered me: so many many Chinese root words here! How sick! Further the understanding with reading and learning history .... now I know to accept and broaden my knowledge and understanding. About 80% of Vietnamese words have their root from China, and that is the fact! Nothing one can do anything about it. So, Steve, why don't you write a simple "all-Vietnamese" sentense for the board to see. Then I shall tell you which words have Chinese root! Don't feel bad, as 50 to 55% of "English" is directly or indirectly derives from Latin. Don't believe me? Try to open any "American" dictionary! I think I rest my case. MA Le

Wow! This is getting interesting...you kind of remind me of the father from the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" that was always challenging people to give him a word in English so that he could prove to them that the root of the word was Greek!

Anyway, I see your point, even though I don't agree with it. If you're up for it, I'll put a sentence up in Japanese for you. I've studied both languages (even though my Mandarin never got beyond beginner level) so I know that there are many differences that exist that don't make the languages compatible.

[mynamy1]

Hi Brian, not sure since when you learn Japanese? Do you remember the several first time in Japan, when being called "gaizin"? Well, nothing wrong with it because you're a gaizin to the Japanese!.

Both words gai and zin are Chinese! Gai means outsider, and Zin means person. All I try to say is the Chinese influence to her neighbor counties is real and deep rooted into our culture. The Japanese accepted this fact and know very well the origin of kanji. It was the Korean and Vietnamese that get screwed here.

Go ahead and ask your wife, how many Kanji she mastered before college? MA Le

Happy New Year!

[Brian]

Quote: Originally Posted by mynamy1 Hi Brian, not sure since when you learn Japanese? Do you remember the several first time in Japan, when being called "gaizin"? Well, nothing wrong with it because you're a gaizin to the Japanese!. Both words gai and zin are Chinese! Gai means outsider, and Zin means person. All I try to say is the Chinese influence to her neighbor counties is real and deep rooted into our culture. The Japanese accepted this fact and know very well the origin of kanji. It was the Korean and Vietnamese that get screwed here. Go ahead and ask your wife, how many Kanji she mastered before college? MA Le Happy New Year!

Yes, I know the word gaijin very well indeed. Nouns translate from Chinese rather easily, but they are but one part of the language. Customs and culture also affect language, and these influences indeed make the languages very different.