Friday, September 28, 2007

Japanese - Because. therefore

Today the subject is because/therefor.
[だ]から : so, therefore; since, because
なぜなら[ば] : because (なぜ meaning 'why')

our examples are:

英:I brought an umbrella because it's raining.
日:(あめ)()ってる - から - (かさ)()って()
日:it's raining - because/so/therefor - [I] brought an umbrella

英:There's clouds - therefor - seems like rain.
英:seems like rain - because - there's clouds
日:(あめ)()りそう - なぜなら - (くも)

This may seem fairly obvious/natural but to emphasis the "head last" nature of Jp here's a sample question answer:

英:Why did you bring an umbrella?
日:(なん)(かさ)()って()たの?
英:Because it's raining.
日:(あめ)()ってるから (raining because)

Now go back and read those examples :)

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Japanese - Head Last Language

Japanese, in my view, is easy to pick up.. ie. the early stages of your Pidgin Japanese shouldn't be too difficult, if you're a native English speaker. The phonetics are not hard and the basic words necessary for essential communication are not too complex.

In later stages you will come across more and more polysyllabic words. This is because of the limited phonetics in the language. Hawaiian is another such language.

As you start to learn more words and make sentences the most challenging concept with Jp (Japanese) is that it is a head last language.

eg. one might say:
Eng: I'm going to the shop, with Tom, at 6.
Jp: with Tom, at 6, to the shop, [I] am going.

Eng: I'll get that, and that, and those, and this. (for instance ordering food)
Jp: that and, that and, those and, this I'll get.

In the next post I'll get a little grittier :)