Current Events > Update on my Hiragana/Japanese learning thread.

(+) Yeah! (+)

M3sterybumper posted...

YonicBoom posted...

How long have you been studying in total?

Hasn't he lived there for almost a decade?

4 years, lol. Still, there's a difference between using Japanese in a practical sense, and going the extra mile to improve your ability such that you can comfortably pass N1. I read a lot of articles in business and science magazines (which is why I had enough time to comfortably read each reading section twice), and I've done countless hours of vocab and kanji drills. And I practice both reading and writing by copying newspaper articles. I also did explicit JLPT N1 studying, such as many sample problems, especially for grammar and reading. Still, the N1 requires that you either study exclusively for what shows up on the test, or expose yourself to the sorts of topics that you don't experience in everyday Japanese life. It's like asking a foreigner learning English to answer questions on how the author of an editorial feels about some scientific discovery. They could only do it if they studied that subject for that question, or if they'd exposed themselves to more than normal life in America, the UK, etc.

But anyway, took the N1. Honestly, I think I passed. Not a sure thing by any means, but I was confident enough in all sections that I think I scored well enough. Of course, I won't know until the end if January.

Do you have to pass N5 to go to N4? I kind of regret not doing it but just found out today the test was happening. I might have been able to pass N5.
---

Dragonblade01 posted...


Any resources you'd recommend using to prep for N1 now that you've taken the test?

Sayoria posted...

Do you have to pass N5 to go to N4? I kind of regret not doing it but just found out today the test was happening. I might have been able to pass N5.

Pretty sure you can sit for any test you pay for, no necessary

Dragonblade01 posted...


This seems to be true of almost everything in the language overall, you have to "just do" whatever and get used to it, and that's the only way to get good, though some parts will surely enhance others as a side effect. Mostly, reading.

Hell, the difference between watching an Anime and reading its respective light novel is a huge gap. You don't realize how seriously your English teachers wanted you to read until you start trying to do it in a different language and realize how much good stuff there is to learn from it. All grammar problems sort themselves out if you just read more, I'm convinced, then you just end up learning so much useless vocab that never gets used that listening becomes a breeze, on average.

Yeah, because I don't know where I will be this time next year with my Japanese. I have taken a few online N5 tests and average around a 70. So I am getting there, but I am not sure if I will be N4-able this time next year, so that's why I am curious. But this is good to know.
---

So how are you guys going about learning Japanese?

Advice for a noob with a hearing impairment(though not so deaf that I HAVE to have hearing aids.)

kayoticdreamz posted...

So how are you guys going about learning Japanese?

Advice for a noob with a hearing impairment(though not so deaf that I HAVE to have hearing aids.)

I am learning through an actual Japanese class.
---

kayoticdreamz posted...

So how are you guys going about learning Japanese?

Advice for a noob with a hearing impairment(though not so deaf that I HAVE to have hearing aids.)

Reading, watching, listening

Flash cards are boring but necessary early on...

Sayoria posted...

Do you have to pass N5 to go to N4? I kind of regret not doing it but just found out today the test was happening. I might have been able to pass N5.

You can take any level as long as you pay the fee.

CoolMaskGuy posted...

Dragonblade01 posted...

Any resources you'd recommend using to prep for N1 now that you've taken the test?

A lot of the practice books are perfectly fine and get the job done, but what I used specifically was:

N1 - This is just the official practice test that they release every year. Just one mock test, exactly like the real thing, and pretty cheap. So it's good to use to get a baseline of where you're at and what you should focus on.

N1 - This is a collection of three mock tests with simple explanations for the answers. Good for when you're approaching the test day and you want some comprehensive review.

500 N1 - This is a great book for drilling the language knowledge points (as opposed to reading or listening). It's a collection of 500 problems, and each page has three questions (one for pronunciation, one for vocab, and one for grammar phrases). It's not good for getting a feel for the whole test, since the types of questions aren't as varied as what you'll get on the real thing, but on the back of each page of questions is a clear and concise explanation of the answers.

TRY! N1 - This is the book I used to review the grammar topics. It provides an explanation for all of the many grammar phrases that crop up in N1. The explanations can be a bit obtuse at times; but to be fair, the way the JLPT handles grammar can be pretty obtuse in general. It has tons of practice questions and divides the topics into chapters over some short reading, which is very helpful.

N1 - This is the book I used to practice reading. It offers multiple sample readings for every style of reading problem that appears on the test. It also contains practice reading tests that are exactly how they would be organized in the real thing.

kayoticdreamz posted...

So how are you guys going about learning Japanese?

Advice for a noob with a hearing impairment(though not so deaf that I HAVE to have hearing aids.)

The key thing about starting is you need to find something that works for you (and that you can tolerate) until you establish a foundation of basic understanding. Once you have that, you can more easily start practicing using methods that are more interesting to you (such as reading comics, or playing games, etc.).

Personally, I'm pretty academically-minded, so a formal classroom setting was the perfect way for me to learn the basics.

YonicBoom posted...

Mostly dumb stuff like the moon symbol on blocks/mirror shield being replaced, the chanting in the Fire Temple music being replaced, Ganondorf coughing up green rather than red blood upon beating his first form, etc. Nothing earth-shattering.

Dialog was basically unchanged. Some of it definitely reads better in Japanese, while other parts read better in English. Localization crew did a nice job, you're not missing anything by playing it in English.

I see. Still though, it is interesting what is left out or changed from the original. I really should get to learning Japanese with so many games being changed for localization. I already know some kanji.

bump so I can look through this thread again.

Just the same old same old "studying"

Been reading some harder material and have thusly had to resort to carding words again, until I'm acclimated.

But then I go back and read easy stuff and it's like nothing.

Decided I want to play Final Fantasy VIII, so I fired up Steam and.... found out that the Steam version only comes with every language BUT Japanese!

:/ a real pain in the ass, this.

kayoticdreamz posted...

So how are you guys going about learning Japanese?

Advice for a noob with a hearing impairment(though not so deaf that I HAVE to have hearing aids.)

I picked up a copy of the Genki 1 textbook, and use Anki (flash card app) on the go
---

YonicBoom posted...

Decided I want to play Final Fantasy VIII, so I fired up Steam and.... found out that the Steam version only comes with every language BUT Japanese!

:/ a real pain in the ass, this.

this is an extremely common situation with releases of originally JP games on steam. really gotta make sure and check the store page for supported languages before you buy
---

---

Anti-245 posted...

CiIantro posted...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/438270/Learn_Japanese_To_Survive_Hiragana_Battle/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/554600/Learn_Japanese_To_Survive_Katakana_War/

holy shit, they asked me money for a rpg maker game?

Playing Judge Eyes myself. Love this studio's titles.

Everyone in this thread needs to watch Sabagebu! Seriously, watch it. It's the most hilarious and criminally underrated anime ever.
---

undertale wasn't made in rpgmaker lol

that said, rpgmaker is a game engine that you do have to pay to use so I don't see what's so weird about charging for games made with it
---

Winter Sale on WaniKani lifetime subscription. Ended up getting it.
---

Anti-245 posted...

(chi)(ka)(sa)(Te?)(Su)(ka)

Albel-Nox posted...

Anti-245 posted...

(chi)(ga)(ki)(de)(Su)(ka)

fix'd.
---

I see. I was thinking that lil circle was important.

Albel-Nox posted...

I see. I was thinking that lil circle was important.

The little circle is a period
---

Interesting. Assuming ka and ga depends on sentence placement then? (Btw, not tryna derail the thread or get into a long-winded convo)

Looking back, I can see how i mistook Sa, for Ki.

Albel-Nox posted...

Interesting. Assuming ka and ga depends on sentence placement then? (Btw, not tryna derail the thread or get into a long-winded convo)

Looking back, I can see how i mistook Sa, for Ki.

No. Look at them side by side. Ka::Ga. Ga has a pair of diacritics (dakuten) which change the consonant sound. In the k-line of kana the diacritic changes the k-sound to a g-sound. In the t-line the diacritic changes the t-sound to a d-sound. So ta() becomes da(). The h-line of kana also has handakuten (half-diacritic), more colloquially known as maru (circle), which changes the h-sound to a p sound. Compare hi(), bi(), and pi(). .
---

Beginner here who has only just been using Duolingo!

Tae Kim, Nihongoshark, Genki... what are you guys all talking about? Could someone enlighten me please?
---

tae kim is a relatively detailed grammar guide. it doesn't walk you through a ton of example sentences or drill vocab like a normal textbook might but it makes up for that just by hitting on a lot more grammar points than a textbook its size. It's more for setting up a foundation to learn from other sources and also just works nicely as a reference for pieces of grammar you find elsewhere. http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar

genki is a series(?) of textbooks. I don't know much about it and have never used them myself but they seem fairly popular and are generally the first recommendation I see when people ask for textbooks to learn japanese. Actual intro japanese courses at universities and etc sometimes use this textbook. https://www.amazon.ca/GENKI-Integrated-Course-Elementary-Japanese/dp/4789014401

nihongoshark I have not heard of before but a quick googling shows it's a course, which I'm naturally a little distrustful of. I feel like the big benefit of courses is getting actual in-person speaking/listening/conversation practice, which you don't really get in an online course, and then it being a course means you're sort of restricted to a certain speed and order of progression that might not work best for you. It also has this really overly catchy homepage and stupid peppy terminology ("Hacking Japanese Supercourse"? Seriously?) which makes me think they're more about selling themselves than being an effective repository of information. Then again I've never used it so I could be totally wrong! https://nihongoshark.com/
---

The best grammar guide I ever used when I first started out was "Japanese the Manga Way".

The title makes you think of those lame "how to draw manga" books but it's a really good grammar guide that uses examples from actual manga (mostly 80s and older stuff).

I have a book called Japanese for Busy People that I really liked back when I was full blown teaching myself. For grammar, I have a book called Master the Basics from Barron's. Not sure how that is. This one:

http://a.co/d/0GnKd8t

When I dipped my toes in kanji, I remember really liking Heisig's Remembering the Kanji.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/1484-the-omniglot

So I made this board.

YonicBoom posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/1484-the-omniglot

So I made this board.

Cool shit. Might want to add links to the common free resources.
Anki, Tae Kim, Wasabi, Subs2SRS, kitsunekko, Kanji Koohii, Jisho, weblio, KanjiTomo, rikaichan/rikaikun, the Core10k deck on rtkwiki, AJATT/MIA, and all that good stuff.
---

YonicBoom posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/1484-the-omniglot

So I made this board.

Added to favorites. I'll try to be active on there as a way to remind myself to stay on course with my language studies.

Gonna be really difficult though, as I'm starting Calc 2, physics, and a programming class next semester...probably linear algebra, electromagnetics, and statics after that :|
---

Spyro is a strange experience in JP

On the one hand, the translation is solid and the voice acting is at least as good as the EN version

On the other hand, the mechanics are nerfed hard... Charge speed is slower, you can't charge around underwater all the time (it's more of a single tackle charge now), and Sparx is always green rather than changing colors.

Can't recommend.

From what I heard they fucked with the camera too. Apparently all these changes to Spyro came about because the Japanese playtesters were complaining about motion sickness.
---

Was either that or something with Babel somewhere in it, or something incredibly lame like "GAMEFAQS LANGUAGES"

Either way, it exists, someone (not me) should make the JAPANESE thread over there
---

YonicBoom posted...

Either way, it exists, someone (not me) should make the JAPANESE thread over there

Been considering it. Might even do it at some point, but the difficulty I'm having is that I'm lazy and tired all the time and making a good write-up takes work. I'd make a thread explaining the sentence-mining process starting with mining textbooks and proceeding to native materials, linking to the popular/good free resources, linking and naming popular/good paid resources, giving ideas for video games to play in Japanese, discussing immersion and mentioning popular total immersion methods like AJATT/MIA for those interested, all that good stuff.
---

Done with Special Expressions section of Tae Kim. Only Advanced Topics left. Looks like it's gonna be tough.
---