Japanese Proverbs - Examples

The Japanese language is filled with proverbs of all sorts, many from classical references from ancient Chinese to modern versions of English proverbs, all used in every aspect of the language. Whether you are traveling to Japan for fun or on business, or are living there, you'll find proverbs indispensible to understanding and using the daily language. Browse below to find the ones you want or simply explore the many possible ways to express yourself in Japanese.

合縁奇縁

[あいえんきえん, aien kien] shared bond, mysterious bond (lit.: shared/mutual fate/destiny/bond, strange/mysterious fate/destiny/bond. This phrase is a classical yojijukugo (a four-character idiom in the style of classical Chinese) used to refer to the mysteries of attraction and relationships between men and women; perhaps also between men and men, or women and women, though no such usage has been seen classically).

挨拶は時の氏神

[あいさつはときのうじがみ, aisattsu wa toki no ujigami] arbitration during a quarrel is a gift from the gods (lit.: a greeting is a a local diety who turns up at the right time). Note that here the word 挨拶 is used to mean arbitration rather than its usual meaning of greeting. The word 氏神 refers to a local diety, usually of a town or village.

空いた口に牡丹餅

[あいたくちにぼたもち, aita kuchi ni botamochi] an unexpected windfall; a sudden gain (lit.: a bean-jam cake[falling] into an open mouth)

相手のない喧嘩はできぬ

[あいてのないけんかはできぬ, aite no nai kenka wa dekinu] you cannot have a fight alone; it takes two to tango (lit.: a fight without a partner cannot be had; i.e.: conflict requires other people, though perhaps this ignores internal conflict; Japanese culture places great emphasis on group harmony, so often an individual will walk away from a possilbe conflict, which is the embdiment of this proverb)

会うは別かりの始まり

[あうはわかりのはじまり, au nowa wakari no hajimari] to meet is the beginning of parting (n.b.: this sentiment expresses a Buddhist idea common in Japan about the transience of all things)

秋茄子は嫁に食わすな

[あきなすはよめのくわすな, akinasu wa yome ni kuwansuna] do not let your daughter-in-law eat autumn eggplants (n.b.: this refers to the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, a traditionally poor one, and that a mean mother-in-law would not share one with her dauhter-in-law)

悪因悪果

[あくいんあっか, akuin akka] you reap what you sow (lit.: bad causes bring bad results; n.b.: this is a Buddhist sentiment, one that emphasizes the idea of karmic retribution)

悪妻は六十年の不作

[あくさいはろくじゅうねんのふさく, akusai wa rokujuu-nen no fusaku] a bad wife is a shipwreck of the house; a bad wife is the ruin of her husband (lit.: a bad wife is a poor harvest for sixty years; note that this proverb is also used with 100 years as well)

悪事千里をはしる

[あくじせんりをはしる, akuji senri o hashiru] bad news travels fast; bad new has wings (lit.: bad new runs one thousand "ri" [about 2.44 miles], a traditional measure of distance in Japan)

朝起きは三文の得

[あさおきはさんもんのとく, asaoki wa sanmon no toku] early rising makes three mon of profit; early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise

朝起きは七つの得あり

[あさおきはななつのとくあり, asaoki wa nanatsu no toku ari] the early bird catches the worm; early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise (lit.: early rising has seven advantages)

朝茶柱がたつと縁起がいい

[あさちゃばしらがたつとえんぎがいい, asacha-bashira ga tatsu to engi ga ii] a tea leaf floating upright in a cup in the morning means good fortune (an ancient Japanese superstition; recall that even today Japanese make tea using leaves, not tea bags, and that reading tea leaves is still a common practice among fortune tellers worldwide)

朝爪を切れば日に恥をかく

[あさつめをきればひにはじをかく, asa tsume o kireba hi ni haji o kaku] if you trim your nails in the morning, you will be put to shame that day (an ancient Japanese superstition )

朝の紅顔、夕べの白骨

[あさのこうがん、ゆうべのはっこつ, asa no kougan, yuube no hakkou] a rosy face in the morning, white bones in the evening; today red, tomorrow dead (this expresses the frailty of life)

明日のことをいうと天井の鼠が笑う

[あしたのことをいうとてんじょうのねずみがわらう, ashita no koto o iu to tenjou no nezumi ga warau] if you speak of tomorrow, the rats in the ceiling will laugh (i.e.: prediction is difficult, especially about the future, as Niels Bohr said)

明日は明日の風が吹く

[あしたはあしたのかぜがふく, ashita wa ashita no kaze ga fuku] tomorrow is a new day (lit.: on the morrow the winds of tomorrow will blow)

足の裏が痒いのはいい前兆

[あしのうらがかゆいのはいいぜんちょう, ashi no ura ga kayui no wa ii zenchou] an itch on the bottom of your foot is a good omen (an old Japanese superstition whose origins remain elusive)

明日は明日、今日は今日

[あすはあす、きょうはきょう, ashita wa ashita, kyo wa kyou] tomorrow is tomorrow, today is today (i.e.: focus on this day now, and think or worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes)

明日は雨、人は泥棒

[あすはあめ、ひとはどろぼう, asu wa ame, hito ha dorobou] tomorrow will see rain, and people are thieves (i.e.: be careful with people and things; they can be unpredictable)

遊び人暇なし

[あそびにんひまなし, asobi-nin ni hima nashi] pleasure seekers have no leisure (i.e.: their time is consumed by all their activities)

頭隠して尻隠さず

[あたまかくしてしりかくさず, atama kakushite shiri kakusazu] partly hide one's faults, to; make like an ostrich, to (lit.: hide the head but not the buttocks)

頭の大きい人は運がいい

[あたまのおおきいひとはうんがいい, atama no ookii hito wa un ga ii] destiny awaits a man with a big head; a person with a large head will have good fortunate (an ancient superstition in Japan, akin to European phrenology)

頭の休養、目の正月

[あたまのきゅうよう、めのしょうがつ, atama no kyuuyou, me no shougatsu] very interesting, intriguing, fascinating (lit.: a vacation for the head and New Year's celebration for the eyes)

当たるも八卦当たらぬも八卦

[あたるもはっけあたらぬもはっけ, ataru mo hakke, ataranu mo hakke] fortune telling is random (lit.: getting it right is fate, and getting it wrong is also fate; i.e.: the future is uncertain, and fortune telling will sometimes be right and often be wrong)

仇は恩で奉ぜよ

[あだはおんでほうぜよ, ada wa on de bouzyo] return good for evil (lit.: repay your enemy with a favor)

暑さ寒さも彼岸まで

[あつささむさもひがんまで, atsusa samusa mo higan made] both heat and cold last only until the equinox (n.b.: the equinox is the boundary between the warmer and colder halves of the year, so this proverb implies that summer heat, which can be stifling in Japan, and winter cold, which can be brutal, both will pass with time)

痘痕も笑窪

[あばたもえくぼ, abata mo ekubo] love is blind; pimples become dimples [when in love] (n.b.: the entire sayings goes 惚れてしまえば、痘痕も笑窪 [horete shimaeba, abata mo ekubo], meaning that when one is smitten, pockmarks or other defects become dimples or something else appealing)

危ない事は怪我のうち

[あぶないことはけがのうち, abunai koto wa kega no uchi] to knowingly flirt with danger invites injury (lit.: dangerous things are harm to oneself; i.e.: you have to take responsiblity for attempting something risky)

虻蜂取らず

[あぶはちとらず, abu hachi torazu] fail by being too eager, to; he that grasps too much holds fast nothing (lit.: catch neither the horsefly nor the wasp)

甘いものに蟻

[あまいものにあり, amai mono ni ari] what brings profits attracts people; you can attrack more flies with honey than with vinegar (lit.: ants go to sweet things; i.e.: you have to draw people in with something appealing)

余り物には福がある

[あまりものにはふくがある, amari mono ni fuku ga aru] one man's garbage is another man's treasure (lit.: leftovers can bring good fortune; i.e.: you never know what use something may eventually have)

阿弥陀の光も金次第

[あみだのひかりもかねしだい, amida no hikari mo kane shidai] no penny, no paternoster (lit.: the light of Amida Buddha is given in proportion to the gold offered by the supplicant)

網の魚

[あみのうお, ami no uo] a fish in a net (i.e.: a person who will be captured soon)

雨降って地固まる

[あめふってちかたまる, ame futte chi katamaru] the calm after the storm; strength through hardship; what does not kill you makes you stronger (lit.: after rain falls, the ground hardens; i.e.: difficulties and challenges can lead to greater strength than before they started)

争いには声高の者が勝つ

[あらそいにはこわだかのものがかつ, arasoi niwa takagoe ga katsu] in a quarrel the louder person wins (in other words, reason and right have nothing to do with winning an argument; shouting and screaming determine the victor)

あるはなきに勝る

[あるはなきにまさる, aru wa naku ni masaru] anything is better than nothing (lit.: to have[something] is better than nothing)

合わせもの、離れもの

[あわせもの、はなれもの, awase mono, hanare mono] what may be joined may be separated. (this is a Buddhist view of the world, commenting on the transience of all phenomena, including human relations)

案じるより生むはやすい

[あんじるよりうむはやすいむ, anjiru yori umu wa yasui] giving birth is easier than when planned; all things are difficult before they seem easy; the paralysis of analysis (lit.: bringing something forth is easier than planning it; i.e.: doing something often turns out to be easier than it seemed beforehand)
  
From: www.languagerealm.com

Accent: How to develop a Japanese accent

Q: I have a question how do u develope the Japanese accent? u sound so cool when you speak japanese   - rika

A: Thank you!  It just depends how you learn.  If you learn from a book or use roman abc letters then there’s a very good chance you’ll have a horrible accent.  It’ll probably sound good to you or your friends, but not so in Japan!

I guess the key is to just listen to lots and lots of real Japanese and learn to speak it by copying what you hear, rather than trying to read and speak it.

One other really fantastic trick I use is to really mickey take the accent of the language I’m learning.
For example, speak an English phrase, but then say it in the thickest most stereotypical Japanese accent you can possibly imagine.  Really, really go over the top.   Then try saying it in Japanese with the same ultra thick accent. You’ll think it sounds silly, but it really, really works!

Having said that unlike say Italian or French where the stereotypical accent is still current, be careful you don’t copy a Japanese “samurai style” accent because no-one speaks like that anymore, as I found from experience!
Instead get a favourite anime character, or even better a Japanese TV comedian, and really try and imitate their accent.

When you speak, speak like you are that person, really get in their head and speak just like they do.  Copy their face and body language as well  This will really, really help!

Be genki,
Richard
From: learnjapanesefaq.com

Accent: Katakana - Part 1

Surfing the web, just came across "Richard's website" and found this great fun for listening enhancement.

Have fun:

I suggest you to have a look at my "Katakana posts" for more information...

Japanese Proverbs - An Intro

Kotowaza
 
A Japanese proverb (諺, ことわざ kotowaza) may take the form of:

• a short saying (言い習わし iinarawashi),
• an idiomatic phrase (慣用句 kan'yōku), or
• a four-character idiom (四字熟語 yojijukugo).

Although "proverb" and "saying" are practically synonymous, the same cannot be said about "idiomatic phrase" and "four-character idiom". Not all kan'yōku and yojijukugo are proverbial.

For instance, the kan'yōku 狐の嫁入り kitsune no yomeiri (Literally: a fox's wedding. Meaning: a sun-shower) and the yojijukugo 小春日和 koharubiyori (Literally: small spring weather. Meaning: Indian summer – warm spring-like weather in early winter) are not proverbs.

To be considered a proverb, a word or phrase must express a common truth or wisdom; it cannot be a mere noun.

Usage

The Japanese love proverbs and use them frequently in their everyday life, often citing just the first part of a well-known phrase in an effort to be brief. For example, one might say I no naka no kawazu (井の中の蛙 a frog in a well?) to refer to the proverb I no naka no kawazu, taikai o shirazu (井の中の蛙、大海を知らず a frog in a well cannot conceive of the ocean).

The heavy employment of proverbs enables Japanese language to be compact, quick and simple. Evidence might be found in Japanese animation and manga, but also appears in news and cultural programs, and in much fiction.

Examples of Japanese proverbs

Sayings

• 案ずるより産むが易し。
  • Anzuru yori umu ga yasushi.
  • Literally: Giving birth to a baby is easier than worrying about it.
  • Meaning: Fear is greater than the danger. / An attempt is sometimes easier than expected.
• 出る杭は打たれる。
  • Deru kui wa utareru.
  • Literally: The stake that sticks up gets hammered down.
  • Meaning: If you stand out, you will be subject to criticism.
• 知らぬが仏
  • Shiranu ga hotoke.
  • Literally: Not knowing is Buddha.
  • Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. / What you don't know can't hurt you.
• 見ぬが花
  • Minu ga hana.
  • Literally: Not seeing is a flower.
  • Meaning: Reality can't compete with imagination.

Idiomatic phrases

• 猫に小判 neko ni koban
  • Literally: giving money to a cat
  • Meaning: casting pearls before swine / Giving something of value to a recipient that does not value it

• 七転び八起き nanakorobi yaoki
  • Literally: fall seven times and stand up eight
  • Meaning: When life knocks you down, stand back up / Keep trying.

• 猿も木から落ちる Saru mo ki kara ochiru
  • Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees
  • Meaning: Anyone can make a mistake.

Four-character idioms

• 十人十色 jūnin toiro
  • Literally: ten persons, ten colors
  • Meaning:　To each his own. / Different strokes for different folks.

• 悪因悪果 akuin akka
  • Literally: evil cause, evil effect / bad causes bring bad results
  • Meaning: Sow evil and reap evil. / You reap what you sow.
  • Note: this is a Buddhist sentiment that emphasizes the idea of karmic retribution.

• 弱肉強食 jaku niku kyō shoku
  • Literally: The weak are meat; the strong eat.
  • Meaning: Survival of the fittest.

Source: Wikipedia

Tsukimi - Moon Viewing

Tsukimi is an annual Japanese event in appreciation of the full moon. It falls on the night of August 15 (of the lunar calendar), as the full moon in the clear autumn sky is quite beautiful.
The date changes every year in the solar calendar, this year it falls on September 22nd.
Tsukimi-dango (rice dumplings), susuki (Japanese pampas grass) and autumn fruits are offered to the moon. When the Japanese see the full moon, they see an image of a rabbit making rice cakes (mochi).

Macdonald's in Japan has been offering a, "tsukimi-burger," which has an egg inside and represents the moon, as a seasonal menu item since 1991.

By Namiko Abe, Japanese Language Guide.

Godan Verbs - 五段動詞

Now, before you can start making up sentences of your own, you need to learn how to conjugate verbs. Verbs are the most important part of the Japanese sentence. Often times Japanese people will leave out everything but the verb.

They are very big on leaving out the obvious and sometimes not so obvious which
can get confusing at times. There are only 3 types of verbs in the Japanese language and they each follow a pattern that is very simple and very rarely has any exceptions. Most Japanese verbs fall into the first group, the Godan (五段) verbs.

These verbs always conjugate the same way with only one exception. These verbs have five changes that follow the order of the Japanese vowels, hence the name Godan (meaning 5 levels or steps), and then the "te" and "ta" forms that are common to all verbs. Here's an example: 

漢字 - Kanji ひらがな - Hiragana Romaji (English Letters) Verb Base 話す はなす hanasu (to speak) 話さ はなさ hanasa Base 1 話し はなし hanashi Base 2 話す はなす hanasu Base 3 話せ はなせ hanase Base 4 話そう はなそう hanasou Base 5 話して はなして hanashite Base "te" 話した はなした hanashita Base "ta"

Base 1: Base 1 can not be used by itself but becomes the plain form negative simply by adding -nai. (ex. hanasanai - I won't say anything.) If the verb ends in う (u) then the end for Base 1 becomes わ (wa).
(ex. au (Base 1) -> awa)  

(Plain form is what people use when talking to a friend. It would not be proper to use in a business environment. We will go over the polite form in lesson 8.)


Base 2: Base 2 is, in most cases, a noun when used by itself  but is primarily used with the polite form of the verb.


Base 3: Base 3 is the main form (the one that would be found in the dictionary) and is also the plain form present/future tense.


Base 4: Base 4 is most often used as "if verb" by adding -ba. (ex. hanaseba - If he'd just say something.) It can also be used by itself as a command form but it is extremely rude and I recommend not using it at all.


Base 5: Base 5 is used by itself as the "let's" form. (ex. hanasou - Let's talk.) We will get into other ways it's used in later lessons.


Base "te": Base "te" can be used by itself as a plain form command. It is not rude but should only be used with close friends and children. By adding kudasai it becomes the polite form command. Base "te" can also be used in other ways that we will get into in later lessons.


Base "ta": Base "ta" is merely Base "te" with an "a" sound on the end instead of an "e" sound. It is mainly used by itself as the plain form past tense. (ex. hanashita - I talked.) We will get into other ways it's used in later lessons.

Notice: There is one thing that you'll need to learn in order to conjugate the "te" and "ta" forms correctly. Basically, for all Godan verbs ending in う (u), つ (tsu), or る (ru); the う (u), つ (tsu), or る (ru) becomes って (tte) in the "te" form and った (tta) in the "ta" form. (ex. katsu (to win) -> katte (Win!), katta (We won!))


For all Godan verbs ending in ぶ (bu), む (mu), or ぬ (nu); the ぶ (bu), む (mu), or ぬ (nu) becomes んで (nde) in the "te" form and んだ (nda) in the "ta" form. (ex. yomu (to read -> yonde (Read it.), yonda (I read it.))


For all Godan verbs ending in く (ku), the く (ku) becomes いて (ite) in the "te" form and いた (ita) in the "ta" form. (ex. aruku (to walk) -> aruite (Walk!), aruita (I walked here.)) The only exception to this rule is for the verb iku (to go) which becomes いって, いった (itte/itta).


For all Godan verbs ending in ぐ (gu), the ぐ (gu) becomes いで (ide) in the "te" form and いだ (ida) in the "ta" form. (ex. oyogu (to swim) -> oyoide (Swim!), oyoida (I swam.))


For all Godan verbs ending in す (su), the す (su) becomes して (shite) in the "te" form and した (shita) in the "ta" form. (ex. hanasu (to talk) -> hanashite (Say something!), hanashita (I talked (to him).)) 

Here are some Godan verbs. Try conjugating them on a piece of paper using what you have just learned.

漢字 - Kanji ひらがな - Hiragana Romaji (English Letters) English Meaning 会う あう au to meet 勝つ かつ katsu to win 売る うる uru to sell 遊ぶ あそぶ asobu to play 飲む のむ nomu to drink 死ぬ しぬ shinu to die 歩く あるく aruku to walk 泳ぐ およぐ oyogu to swim 消す けす kesu to erase, turn off 行く いく iku to go (Remember the exception for Bases "te"and "ta")

The Day and Months in Japanese Language

This lesson will list the names of the months and the days of the weeks.
You also will notice that the Kanji has been added after the hiragana.
The reason I have added kanji to this section is that one should get familiar with these kanji as they will been seen often when in Japan because of the importance of the days of the week and months.


Weekdays

• Sunday - Nichiyoubi
  .
• Monday - Getsuyoubi
  .
• Tuesday - Kayoubi
  .
• Wednesday - Suiyoubi
  .
• Thursday - Mokuyoubi
  .
• Friday - Kinyoubi
  .
• Saturday - Doyoubi
  .

Months

• January -  ichigatsu
  .
• February - nigatsu
  .
• March - sangatsu
  .
• April - shigatsu
  .
• May - gogatsu
  .
• June - Rokugatsu
  .
• July - shichigastu
  .
• August - hachigatsu
  .
• September - kugatsu
  .
• October - jyuugatsu
  .
• November - jyuuichigatsu
  .
• December - jyuunigatsu
  .

Number days of the week

• 1st of the month - tsuitachi
  .
• 2nd - futsuka
  .
• 3 - mikka
  .
• 4 - yokka
  .
• 5 - itsuka
  .
• 6 - muika
  .
• 7 - nanoka
  
• 8 - youka
  .
• 9 - kokonoka
  .
• 10 - tooka
  .
• 11 - jyuuichicinichi
  .
• 12 - jyuuninichi
  .
• 13 - jyuusannichi
  .
• 14 - jyuuyokka (exception)
  .
• 15 - jyuugonichi
  .......
• 20 - hastuka
  .21
  - nijyuuichinichi
  
  ...
• 24 - nijyuuyokka
  ...
• 30 - sanjyuunichi
  .

Example:

January 9.  ichigatsu kokonoka

Using "Looks Like"

In this lesson we will learn how to say something looks like or seems to be so by using (sou　そう). This is very useful and you will use it often.

NOTE: It is important that you learn this correctly because (sou そう) is used in a similar way with a meaning that you heard information form somewhere.

First I teach how to use (sou そう) with (i い) Adjectives.

To say some food looks delicious using the word (oishii おいしい). What you do is take of the last (i い) and add (sou desu そう です). The important part is that you take of the final (i い) and add (sou そう).
Like this:
This Sushi look good!
Kono osushi wa oishisou desu.この おすし は おいしそう です。

That looks heavy
sore wa omosou desu.  (omoi おもいheavy Sou そう form is Omosou おもそう).
そ れは おもそう です。

Exception：
 ii desu い い ですbecomes yosasou desu よさそう です and Nai ない becomes nasasou desu なさそう です．

So practice this with other (i い) adjectives.
Now I will explain it for (na な) Adjectives.
For these kind of adjectives you just add sou desu そう です。

Masa looks Kind.
Masa san wa shinsetsu sou desu。まささんは しんせつ そうです。
Looks pretty．
kirei sou desu。きれい そう です。


Now for Verbs:
For verbs you make the (masu ます) form then take (masu ます) away and add (sou そう).

It looks like it will rain.
Ame ga furisou desu.
あめ が ふりそう です。　
( So here the (masu ます) form of (furu ふ る) becomes (furimasu ふります) so take (masu ます) away and you get (furi ふり) and then you add (sou desu そう です)。

Body Vocabulary

This will be an easy vocabulary lesson. We will learn names of the parts of the body! I have aslo added the kanji for each.

• Body- Karada  からだ　体
• Hair- Kami　かみ　髪
• Face- Kao　かお　顔
• Eye- Me　め　目
• Nose- Hana　はな　鼻
• Mouth- Kuchi　くち　口
• Ears- Mimi　みみ　耳
• Throught- Nodo　の ど 喉
• Neck-Kubi　くび　首
• Head- Atama　あたま　頭
• Shoulder-Kata 　かた 肩
• Arm- Te　て　手
• Leg- Ashi　あし 足
• Upper back-Senaka　せなか 背中
• Lowerback- Koshi　こし 腰
• Belly- Onaka 　おなか
• Belly Button- Heso　へそ
• Wrist- Te kubi　て くび 手首

Weather Phrases

This lesson will be fairly easy and will teach some ways to talk about the weather.

Today the weather is good. kyou wa ii tenki desu.きょう　は　いい　てんき　です。
kyou (today), wa (topic marker), ii (good), tenki (weather), desu (is).

Today the weather is bad. kyou wa warui tenki desu.きょう　は　わるい　てんき　です。

Yesterday the weather was bad. kinou wa warui tenki deshita.きのう　は 　わるい　てんき　でした。

It's raining.
Ame ga futte imasu.あめ　が　ふって　います。
Ame (rain), ga (subject marker), futte imasu (is raining).

Yesterday it rained. kinou wa ame ga furimashita.きのう　は　あめ　は　ふりまし た。

It's snowing yuki ga futte imasu.ゆ き　は　ふって　います。

It's windy.
kaze ga fuite imasu.
かぜ　が　ふいて　います。

It was windy. kaze ga fukimashita.かぜ　が　ふきました。

Tomorrow the weather will probably be good.
ashita wa tabun ii tenki deshou.あ した　は　たぶん　いい　てんき　でしょう。
ashita (tomorrow), wa (subject marker), tabun (probably), ii (good), tenki (weather), deshou (will be).

Tomorrow it may rain. ashita wa ame ga furu deshou.あした　は　あめ　が　ふる 　でしょう。

How to "Tell Time"

This lesson will cover how to tell time. It will be a short and easy lesson. The next lesson will be an expansion on this lesson.

Here are the hours starting from 1:00 to 12:00.
ichi ji, ni ji, san ji, yo ji, go ji, roku ji, shichi ji, hacji ji, ku ji, jyuu ji, jyuuichi ji, jyuuni ji.

Here are the minutes.
ippun, nifun, sanpun (pronounced sampun), yonfun or yonpun (pronounced yompun), gofun, roppun, nanafun, happun, kyuufun, jippun or juppun.
 
To ask what time it is you say:
 
What time is it now?
ima nanji desu ka?

ima (now), nanji (what time), desu (is), ka (question marker).

Then to answer:
It is 3:00.
ima sanji desu.
 
To ask what time it is you say: (question marker). Then to answer:To say half past an hour you put "han" after the time.

For example:
3:30
san ji han.
 
  To say 10 after 3 you say:
sanji jippun sugi.

sanji (3 o'clock), jippun (10 minutes), sugi (after).
To say 10 after 3 you say:.To say 10 to 3.
san ji jippun mae.

san ji  (3 o'clock ), jippun (10 minites), mae (before).

"To Want" something...

In the previous lesson we learned how to say that we wanted to do an action, in this lesson we will learn how to say we want something.  This is very easy to do. So let's start!


To say I want something you use the word hoshii ほしい. 
I want a TV.
Watashi wa terebi ga hoshii desu.わ たしは　テレビ　が　ほしい　です。
 
Do you want a friend?
Anata wa tomodachi ga hoshii desu ka.あなたは　ともだち　が　ほしい　です　か。 
I want money.
Watashi wa okane ga hosii desu.わたしは　おかね　が　ほしい　です。


As you see this is very easy!

Now to say you don't want something:


The word hoshii ほしい works like an i い adjective, so you say hoshikunai desu　ほしくない です or hoshiku arimasen　ほ しく ありません.

I don't want a camera.
Watashi wa kamera ga hoshiku nai desu.わたしは　カメラ が ほしく ない　です。


Now like the previous lesson when talking about a 3rd person wants, you have to use gatte imasu がって います.

Keiko wants a car.
Keiko san wa kuruma o hoshigatte imasu.
けいこさん は　くるま　を ほしがって います。

Negative sentence

Hiromi does not want a pencil.
Hiromi san wa enpitsu o hoshigatte imasen.ひろみさんは　えんぴつ　を　ほしがって いません。

Written by: Aaron, from japaneselearning.com

"Want" to do something...

In this lesson we will learn how to say that we want to do something. This is very easy and a very useful thing to learn. You will use it all the time.  Basically what you do is add tai desu たい です to a verb sentence.

I want to go to Japan
Watashi wa nihon e ikitai desu.わたしは　にほん へ いきたい　です。
Here tai desu た い です is added to the verb ikimasu いきます. All you do is take off the masu ます and put in tai desu たい です.

*NOTE:  you can not use this for third person.

Also verbs that use the particle o を like in ocha o nomimasu お ちゃ をのみます(to drink Japanese tea) change to ga が  like ocha ga nomitai desu おちゃ が のみたい です (I want to drink Japanese tea).

Here are some more examples:
I want to eat sushi.
Watashi wa osushi ga tabetai desu.わたしは おすし がたべたい です。

Now to make the negative of this like you don't want to do something you change tai desu たい です to takunai desu たくない です.

I don't want to swim.watashi wa oyogitaku nai desu.わたしは およぎたくない です。

I don't want to go to Japan.
Watashi wa nihon e ikitakunai desu.わたしは にほん へ いきたくないです。

Now for a third person instead of tai desu た い です you use tagatte imasu たがっています. It is very important that you use third person this way as it will be tested often when you study Japanese in school.

Keiko wants to go to Japan.
Keiko san wa Nihon e ikitagatte imasu.けいこさんは　にほん へ　いきたがっています。

Masahiro wants to eat sushi.
Masahiro san wa osushi o tabetagatte imasu.まさひろさんは おすし　を たべたがっています、

*NOTE Notice how in third person o を does not change to ga が.

Now to say someone does not want to do something you add tagatte imasen　たがっていません.
Mika does not want to swim in the ocean.
Mika san wa umi de oyogitagatte imasen.みかさんは うみ で およぎたがっていません。

Written by: Aaron, from japaneselearning.com

Using "When..."

This lesson will teach how to say when something happened.

For this we used the word toki とき.
To say "When I was in Japan i did/went to..) You take the sentence:
nihon ni imashita and turn it to plain form nihon ni ita にほん に いた now to make it "when" you just put toki とき after:
Nihon ni ita toki.にほ ん に いた とき。

So now to make a full sentence like:
When I was in Japan I went to a Hot spring.
Nihon ni itta toki, onsen e ikimashita.にほん に いった とき、 おんせん へ いきました。

To say when something happened  in different situations you use plain verb past tense or plain form depending on the situation.

For example:

When I go to Japan I will buy luggage
Nihon e iku toki, nimotsu o kaimasu.にほん へ いく とき、 にもつ を かいます。
To make it more polite add niwa には after toki 　とき.
Gohan o tabeowatta toki ni wa gochisosama to iimasu ( After Eating you say gochisosama).
ごはん　を たべおわった とき　には ごちそうさま と  います。

Quizzes on Japanese Words - Part 1

About the Quizzes

• There is one quiz for each kanji that is used in more than 5 words marked as "priority words" in EDICT.
• First-time visitors should probably read the explanation about these quizzes. 

---

• 一 one
• 二 two
• 三 three
• 四 four
• 五 five
• 六 six
• 七 seven
• 八 eight
• 九 nine
• 十 ten
• 百 hundred
• 千 thousand

Office Visit Conversation

Vocabulary

Shikyuu - As soon as possible Ousetsushitsu - Reception room Aite gawa - Other side party Dairinin - Representative Joken - Condition Annai suru - Show ( someone) to Settai - Entertain Daitai - More or less

Expression

Nani ka goyo desu ka? - May I help you? Raikyaku ga aru - Have an office visitor Youken o tazuneru - Ask about the purpose of the visit Meishi o koukan suru - Exchange business cards Ocha o dasu - Serve tea Raikyaku o miokuru - See off a visitor

Model  Conversation

Mary: Uketsuke desu ga , tada ima gaijin times no Castro-san ga omieninattemasu Sato: Souka.. jaa ousetsu-shitsu ni annai shite Mary: kashikomarimashita. Sato: Castro-san wa Nihon-go ga dekiru no kane? Mary: iie. Spain-go dake desu. Sato: nani? souka..komatta na.. Mary: dewa watashi ga otetsudai shimashou ka? Sato: souka! tasukaru yo!

Model  Conversation

Mary : Hai, nihon shinbun desu Suzuki : itsu mo osewa ni natte orimasu. Tokyo TV no Suzuki desu ga Brown-san wa irasshai msau ka? Mary : taihen moushiwake arimasen ga Brown wa ima gaishutsuchu de gozaimasu. Suzuki : sou desu ka. wakarimashita. dengon onegai dekimasu ka? Mary : hai, douzo Suzuki : Ashita no kaigi wa 3ji ni henkou shita to otsutae kudasai. Mary : kashikomarimashita Suzuki : dewa shitsurei shimsau

This article was used with permission from:

e-Japanese.jp

Proverbs - Part 3

Japanese

English translation

Exists in English?

佳人薄命 かじんはくめい)	The fairest flowers soonest fade	*
影の形に添うが如し かげのかたちにそうがごとし)	To follow one like his shadow	*
右の耳から左の耳 みぎのみみからひだりのみみ)	To go in at one ear and out the other	*
果報は寝て待て かほうはねてまて)	Everything comes to him who waits	*
羽根が生えたように売れる はねがはえたようにうれる)	To sell like hot cakes	*
火に油を注ぐ ひにあぶらをそそぐ)	To pour oil on the fire	*
火の無い所に煙は立たぬ ひのないところにけむりはたたぬ)	There is no smoke without fire	*
火事場泥棒 かじばどろぼう)	To fish in troubled waters	*
雨が降って地固まる あめがふってじかたまる)	After rain comes fair weather	*
花より団子 はなよりだんご)	The belly is not filled with fair words	*
花より団子 はなよりだんご)	Function before form	*
嘘つきは泥棒の始まり うそつきはどろぼうのはじまり)	He that will lie will steal	*
嘘つきは泥棒の始まり うそつきはどろぼうのはじまり)	Lying and thieving go together	*
嘘も方便 うそもほうべん)	A white lie	*
嘘は一時 うそはいっとき)	Lies have short legs	*
蝦で鯛を釣る えびでかいをつる)	To throw out a sprat to catch a mackerel	*
噂をすれば影 うわさをすればかげ)	Talk of the devil (and he's sure to appear)	*
噂をすれば影 うわさをすればかげ)	Talk of the devil (and he's sure to appear)	*
我が仏尊し わがほとけとうとし)	Everyone thinks his own geese swans	*
我が仏尊し わがほとけとうとし)	Every fool likes his own bauble best	*
我田引水 がでんいんすい)	Every miller draws water to his own mill	*
雲泥の差 うんでいのさ)	As different as night and day	*
燕一羽で春にはならぬ つばめいちわではるにはならぬ)	One swallow does not make a summer	*
猿も木から落ちる さるもきからおちる)	It is a good horse that never stumbles	*
猿に烏帽子 さるにえぼし)	An ape's an ape, though they be clad in silk or scarlet	*
猿の尻笑い さるのしりわらい)	The pot calls the kettle black	*
縁は異なもの えんはいなもの)	Marriages are made in heaven	*
下手の横好き へたのよこずき)	To pursue an artistic discipline with zeal, despite lack of talent
下手の道具しらべ へたのどうぐしらべ)	A bad workman always blames his tools	*
過ぎたらは猶及ばざるが如し すぎたらはなおおよばざるがごとし)	Too much of one thing is good for nothing	*
過ぎた事は水に流せ すぎたことはみずにながせ)	Let bygones be bygones	*
過ちては改むるに憚ること勿れ あやまちてはあらたむるにはばかることなかれ)	It is never too late to mend	*
絵に画いた餅 えにかいたもち)	Pie in the sky	*
外面似菩薩、内心如夜叉 げめんじぼさつ、ないしんにょやしゃ)	A wolf in sheep's clothing	*
学問に王道なし がくもんにおうどうなし)	There is no royal road to learning	*
学問に近道なし がくもんにちかみちなし)	There is no royal road to learning	*
蛙の子は蛙 かえるのこはかえる)	Like father like son	*
蛙の子は蛙 かえるのこはかえる)	Like father, like son	*
蛙の面に水 かえるのつらにみず)	Like water off a duck's back	*
堪忍袋の緒が切れる かんにんぶくろのおがきれる)	The last straw breaks the camel's back	*
金が金を生む かねがかねをうむ)	Money begets money	*
愚考山を移す ぐこうやまをうつす)	Faith can move mountains	*
空き腹に不味い物なし すきばらにまずいものなし)	Hunger is the best sauce	*
空涙を流す そらなみだをながす)	To shed crocodile tears	*
飢えたる犬は棒を怖れず うえたるいぬはぼうをおそれず)	Hunger drives the wulf out of the wood	*
飢えたる者は食を選ばず うえたるものはしょくをあらばず)	Better some of a pudding than none of a pie	*

Proverbs - Part 2

Japanese

English translation

Exists in England?

一人相撲を取る ひとりずもうをとる)	To tilt at windmills	*
以心伝心 いしんでんしん)	To be on the same wavelength	*
一寸の虫にも五部の魂 いっすんのむしにもごぶのたましい)	Tread on a worm and it will turn	*
一寸先は闇 いっすんさきはやみ)	Who can see in the future?
伊達の薄着 だてのうすぎ)	Even in winter a dandy wears light clothes to appear slim
一難去って、また一難 いちなんさって、またいちなん)	Misfortunes never come alone	*
一病息災 いちびょうそくさい)	Cracked pots last longest	*
一文吝みの百失い いちもんおしみのひゃくうしない)	Penny-wise and pound-foolish	*
一鳴驚人 いちめいきょうにん)	Someone who can achieve a lot with almost no effort
一盲衆を引く いちもうしゅうをひく)	If the blind leads the blind, they both fall into the ditch	*
一盲衆を引く いちもうしゅうをひく)	If the blind leads the blind, they both fall into the ditch	*
一利あれば、一害あり いちりあれば、いちがいあり)	Everything has its pros and cons	*
一利あれば一害あり いちりあればいちがいあり)	Everything has its pros and cons	*
一利あれば一害あり いちりあればいちがいあり)	Everything has its pros and cons	*
意思あるところに道あり いしあるところにみちあり)	Where there is a will, there is a way	*
井の中の蛙大海を知らず いのなかのかわず、たいかいをしらず)	People who's living environment is very small and lived there for the whole life's know nothing of the world
案ずるより生むが易し あんずるよりうむがやすし)	Things are not as black as they look	*
井戸の中の独言も三年たてば知れる いどのなかのひとりごともさんねんたてばしれる)	Time will tell	*
因果応報 いんがおうほう)	They that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind	*
阿呆に取り合う馬鹿 あほうにとりあうばか)	It is foolish to deal with a fool
挨拶より円札 あいさつよりえんさつ)	Fair words fill not the belly	*
逢うは別れの始め あうはわかれのはじめ)	To meet is the beginning of parting
悪妻は百年の不作 あくさいはひゃくねんのふさく)	An ill marriage is a spring of ill fortune	*
悪事千里を走る あくじせんりをはしる)	Bad news travels fast	*
悪女の深情け あくじょのふかなさけ)	Ugly women are more possionate
悪銭身につかず あくせんみにつかず)	Easy come, easy go	*
虻蜂取らず あぶはちとらず)	If you run after two hares, you will catch neither	*
虻蜂取らず あぶはちとらず)	If you run after two hares, you will catch neither	*
衣食足りて、礼節を知る いしょくたりて、れいせつをしる)	Well-fed, well-bred	*
可愛い子には旅させよ かわいいこにはたびさせよ)	Spare the rod and spoil the child	*

Words : Colors

kuroi : Black
kasshoku : Brown
akai : Red
enshoku : Orange
kiiro : Yellow
midori : Green
aoi : Blue
murasaki : Purple
haiiro : Grey
shiroi : White
momoiro : Pink
makka : Deep red

Proverbs - Part 1

Japanese	English translation	Exists in England?
籠で水汲む かごでみずくむ)	To draw water with a sieve	*
羹に懲りて、膾を吹く あつものにこりて、なますをふく)	A burnt child dreads the fire	*
驕る者久しからず おごるものひさしからず)	Pride goes before a fall	*
鮑の貝の片思い あわびのかいのかたおもい)	Unrequited love like an abalone shell
薔薇に棘あり ばらにとげあり)	There is no rose without a thorn	*
蝸牛角上の争い かぎゅうかくじょうのあらそい)	A storm in a teacup	*
臍を噛む ほぞをかむ)	To bite one's nails	*
蓼食う虫も好きずき たでくうむしもすきずき)	There's no accounting for tastes	*
やったないよりやった方ましだ やったないよりやったほうましだ)	----
なくてぞ人は恋しかりける なくてぞひとはこいしかりける)	Absence makes the heart grow fonder	*
１オンスの思慮は１ポンドもの機知に値する １おんすのしりょは１ぽんどものきちにあたいする)	An ounce of discretion is worth a pound of wit	*
まさかの時の友こそ真の友 まさかのときのともこそまのとも)	A friend in need is a friend indeed	*
みめより心 めみよりこころ)	Virtue is the only true nobility	*
安かろう、悪かろう やすかろう、わるかろう)	Cheapest is dearest	*
医者の不養生 いしのふようじょう)	Physician, heal thyself (Luke 4-23)
安物買いの銭失い やすものがいのぜにうしない)	Cheapest is dearest	*
一を知りて、二を知らず いちをしりて、にをしらず)	Superficial knowledge
一を聞いて、十を知る いちをきいて、じゅうをしる)	A word is enough to the wise	*
一に看病、二に薬 いちにかんびょう、ににくすり)	First nursing, second the medicine
一押し、二金、三男 いちおし、にかね、さんおとこ)	Ways in order of priority to win a woman
一犬虚を吠ゆれば万犬実を伝う いっけんきょうをほゆればばんけんじつをつたう)	Rumours spread like fire
一言を持って、その賢愚を知る いちごんをもって、そのけんぐをしる)	Recognize wisdom or stupidity from the first word spoken
一将功成りて、万骨枯る いしょうこうなりて、ばんこつかる)	one general succeeds, ten thousand bones wither
一石二鳥 いせきにちょう)	Kill two birds with one stone	*

Words: Bus and Train

How much is a ticket to _____?

_____ までいくらですか (_____ made ikura desu ka?)

One ticket to _____, please.

_____ まで一枚お願いします(_____ made ichimai onegaishimasu)

Where does this train/bus go?

この[電車/バス]はどこ行きですか (kono densha/basu wa doko yuki desuka?)

Where is the train/bus to _____?

_____ 行きの[電車/バス]はどこですか? (_____ yuki no densha/basu wa doko desuka?)

Does this train/bus stop in _____?

この[電車/バス]は _____ に止まりますか (kono densha/basu wa _____ ni tomarimasuka?)

When does the train/bus for _____ leave?

_____ 行きの[電車/バス]は何時に出発しますか(_____ yuki no densha/basu wa nanji ni shuppatsu shimasuka?)

When will this train/bus arrive in _____?

この[電車/バス]は何時に _____ に着きます? (kono densha/basu wa nanji ni _____ ni tsukimasuka?)

How about ...? どう

To ask the state of something (how something is doing) use the useful dou (desu ka).
You can used it with or without the final 'desu ka' in conversation.

最近はどうですか？
saikin wa dou desu ka?
How's it going recently?

コーヒーはどう？
ko-hi- wa dou?
How's the coffee? or it could mean How about some coffee?

天気予報はどう？
tenki yohou wa dou?
How's the weather forecast looking?

Of course when the context is understood you can simply say, 'dou' (Like returning from a doctor's appointment, or after your friend gets off an important phone call)

Source: thejapanesepage.com

Won't you...? ～ませんか？

Why don't we study Japanese grammar?

Ok. Since we have the above construction (using a negative to suggest doing something) in English, this grammar point isn't too difficult to grasp

Construction:
1) ~masu verb - masu + mashou

どこか行きませんか。
dokoka ikimasen.
Why don't we go already?
[notice I have the English as 'we.' It could be 'you' if you are angry at the person and wish him to leave...]

映画を見ませんか。
eiga o mimasen ka .
Why don't we see a movie.

何か飲みませんか。
nanika nomimasen ka .
Wouldn't you like to drink something?
[In this case you are asking someone individually if they would like something to drink. ]

Source: thejapanesepage.com/

Let's... ～しましょう

Maybe this should be bumped up since it is so useful. Let`s start...

Construction:
1) ~masu verb - masu + mashou

Here are a few quick and useful examples:

行きましょう。
ikimashou.
Let's go.

遊びましょう。
asobimashou.
Let's play.

先生と話しましょう。
sensei to hanashimashou.
Let's talk to the teacher.

日本語を勉強しましょう。
nihongo o benkyou shimashou.
Let's study Japanese.

This example uses suru. Another example would be:

スカイダイビングしましょう。 sukai daibingu shimashou. Let's go sky diving.

This construction is very easy if you know the masu (formal) form of the verb. If you are a beginner, you probably want to stick with the ~masu form anyway.

Source: thejapanesepage.com

Slangs Dictionary - Part 9

Japanese slangs (among young people) dictionary - Part 9

ヤ	ya	Meaning
やーさん	yaasan	yakuza
やおちょう	yaochou	fixer,fix game
やく	yaku	drug
ヤフオク	yafuoku	Yahoo! auction
ヤクい	yakui	person who look like yakuza
ヤク中	yakuchuu	person who take a drug regularly
やっぱ	yappa	short for yappari, as expected, after all, as I thought
やばい	yabai	risky, it was close, big in trouble, sometime super cool
やらい	yarai	slang for yarashii , kinky, sukebe
ヤリコン	yarikon	sex match making party
ヤリマン	yariman	girl who have sex a lot
ヤンギャル	yangal	bad girl, ( blond hair + bad fashion etc)