Discussion The Japanese Study Thread

[Iwanin]

Re: The Japanese Language

All these varieties. I think ill refer to myself as ora from now on. I want to see if my japanese teacher thinks it is wierd.

If your teacher's female, she'll probably just think it's funny, but won't let you use it when practicing. You'd sound rude.

 

[NeoShweaty]

Re: The Japanese Language

but i am superior to her > . jk

I try and slip in sama's and the like when i refer to myself but she usually laughs. She is very by the book. I wish she would teach us some of the other slangy stuff but i guess i wont learn much of that till i live in japan

 

[Rampages]

Re: The Japanese Language

Hey I got a great question! If anyone saw Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children, what the hell was Cloud trying to say when he was interrupted by Rufus ?

I'll give the context, don't mind the bad romaji spelling

C: Ore ni nan no yo da ? (what do you want from me ?)
R: Anotoki watashi wa...(at that time I was...)
C: Ore wa oso taatsuramo...(who were the ones who attacked me ?)

What was the complete sentence he was trying to say in japanese ? Please tell me in romaji. Please watch FF7:AC too XD

 

[karasu]

Re: The Japanese Language

uhm...which scene?

 

[Rampages]

Re: The Japanese Language

The scene when Cloud gets sent to a house in the forest for a commission, when he is greeted by Rufus and co. remember ? I know its been a long time

 

[Pazuzu]

Re: The Japanese Language

is ora an actual way to refer to one's self or is that just goku? where in japan do they say that, if it is used, because i would assume it is a dialect thing?

I'm told that it's a country thing, the sign of a hick.

 

[Yoshitsune]

Re: The Japanese Language

I'm told that it's a country thing, the sign of a hick.

Well people do use ora and oira (plural), depending where they are from. So while it is a dialect difference, anyone can use it too. Also, it's used by tough guys who want to sound tough, hence why Goku used it

 

[NeoShweaty]

Re: The Japanese Language

i think ill use it then cause i am as tough as they come

 

[Chidori13]

Re: The Japanese Language

I am not sure if this is the right place to inquire about this, so if it is not I apologize for my mistake profusely.

I was wondering how you would say 'Bright Light' in Japanese, it would be used as a complimentary term towards a person. So far my searches have turned up that bright translates to 'hanayaka na' and light to 'akari'. But in which way would you place the words to form a sentence?

 

[Rampages]

Re: The Japanese Language

I thought light was 'hikari' ?

Btw, if anyone has FF:AC, please anwser my question!

 

[svart_lotus]

Re: The Japanese Language

Hi, anyone here that could help me out? I need some Kanji that i cant find anywhere:

Oban, Ryo, Kamme and Momme. All of theme are coins (never know with kanji, a word can mean 7 things and have different kanji)

Thanx for your help

 

[pocketmofo]

Re: The Japanese Language

Here is a site in Japanese explaining the old Japanese/Asian measuring system:

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/尺貫法

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/両

As a quick answer however:

判 = Ban
小判 = Koban
両　= Ryou
貫 = Kan (Kanme, Kamme)
匁 = Monme (Momme)
文 = Mon
斤 = Kin

etc.

Hope that helps a bit!

 

[svart_lotus]

Re: The Japanese Language

Thanx, realy helps me out. Right now im working on a japanes PnP RPG and im making some coin illustrations, so i need the kanji

 

[pocketmofo]

Re: The Japanese Language

You don't really have to be from the country to use おいら, Pazuzu.

There are many large cities in Japan with their own unique ways of speaking (*cough* Nagoya *cough*) that are often labeled イモ just because their dialects differ from the "norm." **Cue the Pocketmofo and oceanizer-led Nagoya/Aichi support mob...

I wouldn't call the way people from Tokyo speak (so-called 標準語) any less potato-like than the way people from Osaka or Nagoya speak.

In other words, power to the 方言.


Also, we might want to add わい and あたえ to the list of first person pronouns.

わい, わし = Used by old men

あたえ, あてぇ = Used by tough (see scary biker) ladies

 

[Nihongaeri]

Re: The Japanese Language

Also, we might want to add わい and あたえ to the list of first person pronouns.

If you actually start listing FP pronouns, there's almost no end to them once you get into more historic/regional ones... I think I got over 100 when I started to try counting all the ones I could find...

 

[pocketmofo]

Re: The Japanese Language

You have a point, Nihongaeri. If we were to go historic then it would certainly turn into a counting nightmare. However, given that many characters in manga use "wai" (see Yakitate Japan for one) and that "atae" is not uncommon on TV and in manga I'd say it would be good for people to be able to recognize them.

Using them, on the other hand, is another story...

 

[Nihongaeri]

Re: The Japanese Language

Using them, on the other hand, is another story...

Yeah, usage is definitively another story... Although living in Osaka I have heard people use わい and then わて...

...

I'm board, so let's see how many FP pronouns I can list using the dictionaries I have at hand...

(Note: There were still probably a few more FP pronouns to be plucked out of the dictionaries I have available, but I got tired of doing so (there's 129 I have listed here)... I ended up bolding pronouns that I think are significantly important (as first person pronouns, mind you) and then italicizing ones that have had some degree of relevance to me thus far in my life. The others are just there to show that there are a f**k load of FP pronouns in Japanese (the majority of pronouns to be found in dictionaries are more so reflect literary/written/historical/regional usage). And then there's still others to be listed... Also, some of the FP pronouns listed here have a marginally different grammatical "taste" than your average FP pronoun (of particular note would be こちら and 自分)...)

"私" forms...
わたくし
わたし
あたし
あたくし
わし

あたい
わて
わい

あっし
あて
わいら
わっち
わらわ
わちき

"己" forms...
おれ
おのれ
おれさま

おいら
おら
うぬ

おれら
おのれら
おれども
おのら
おらっち
おんら
うら
おの
おい
おいどん
おいらっち
おれっち
おんども

"我" forms
われ
わ（Only particularly important as a FP pronoun in the from 我が）

われら
わぬ
わろ
あれ
われわれ
あ

わぬ

"こ" forms
こちら
こっち

こち
こちとら
こっちとら
こなた
このほう
これ
ここ
ここもと
こっちと
このほう

More pronouns...
僕（ぼく）
自分（じぶん）

内（うち）
拙者（せっしゃ）
某（それがし）
不肖（ふしょう）
余（よ）
余輩（よはい）
吾輩（わがはい）
我輩（わがはい）
ミー（ＭＥ）
朕（ちん）（注：以外にも（？）常用漢字表に載ってる）
愚（ぐ）

僕（やつがれ）
劣生（れっせい）
老生（ろうせい）
吾子（あこ）
迂生（うせい）
迂拙（うせつ）
迂叟（うそう）
寡人（かじん）
下名（かめい）
僕（やつがれ）
愚臣（ぐしん）
愚身（ぐしん）
愚生（ぐせい）
愚拙（ぐせつ）
愚僧（ぐそう）
愚老（ぐろう）
下拙（げせつ）
吾人（ごじん）
吾曹（ごそう）
児（じ）
賤（しず）
妾（しょう）
小官（しょうかん）
小子（しょうし）
小生（しょうせい）
小弟（しょうてい）
小妹（しょうまい）
臣（しん）
生（せい）
拙（せつ）
拙子（せっし）
拙生（せっせい）
拙僧（せっそう）
拙老（せつろう）
乃翁（だいおう）
乃公（だいこう）
手前（てまえ）
手前（てめえ）
手前共（てまえども）
汝（な）
何某（なにがし）
晩生（ばんせい）
貧道（ひんどう）
不佞（ふねい）
某（ぼう）
麻呂（まろ）
身（み）
身共（みども）
自ら（みずから）
野錫（やしゃく）
野生（やせい）
野拙（やせつ）
野僧（やそう）
臣（やつこ）
野衲（やのう）
我が党（わがとう）
我が輩（わがともがら）
我が身（わがみ）
戯奴（わけ）
我儕（わなみ）
翁（おう）
鼻様（はなさま）（注：ＷＴＦ！？）

I think I'm going to start calling myself 鼻様...

 

[lee-nus]

Re: The Japanese Language

that's a pretty bunch, nihongaeri! you did well putting them together! ^^

 

[pocketmofo]

Re: The Japanese Language

Nice job, Nihongaeri (what have I wrought by reviving the topic of first-person pronouns...)! It's been quite a while since I've seen pronouns like "朕" mentioned in any form (let alone the other, even more archaic ones you listed)!

Even many of the slightly old ones are still often used in manga and TV (the infamous 大河ドラマ like the recent Musashi, Shinsengumi and Yoshitsune) so it's great that you posted that list!

Hopefully it won't confuse the hell out of anyone though (or scare them away from trying to learn a language that is so incredibly screwed up...).

 

[zindryr]

Re: The Japanese Language

Japanese isn't as screwed up as English. Not remotely.

In any case, you listed 手前 as a first person pronoun? I've never heard it used in the first person sense.