What's The Difference?

[cowie165]

Whislt driving to work each day I usually run a learn japanese CD. Guys could you please help me with the difference between (pardon the romanji, this is just a guess) 'wakari mas' and 'wakari mashita' as I've watched anime that uses the latter and heard it on some CDs however Pimsleur uses the former.

Is one more formal than the other?

Thanks guys.

[Rezz]

No no no man ... it's quite simple:

'Wakarimasu' is the polite form for the *present tense* of '(I) understand'.

'Wakarimashita' is the polite form for the *PAST tense* of '(I) understood'.

'Masu' and 'Mashita' verb stubs merely indicate the tense in the polite form. If you want to express '(I) understand' in a casual present tense way you'd just say 'Wakaru', and in casual past tense 'Wakatta'.

It's probably one of the more difficult things for beginners to understand, with all the polite language (as used in business dealings for example) as opposed to the casual language used in the home. I'm afraid that you need to master both and understand the correct situations on when and where to use these forms of Japanese in order to progress to an intermediate stage.

good effort though Mark if you have any more questions just ask

[cowie165]

Rezz thanks very much for an informative post! That makes a lot of sense and it is reassuring to know both are right and I was mixed up (wasn't sure who to trust! ).

I'll keep at it, thanks again for your help. Learning via CD is great fun and much easier & practical than a book, but it's hard to ask questions!

Cheers

[Yorik]

Pimsluer uses that latter once you get further into the lessons. I am up Lesson 16 of the First Section, and I am definitely using both of them..

Hoping to get a bit more under my belt, I am there in under three weeks now. :scared: Hopefully my very poor, very limited Japanese will help me get by for the 5 weeks I am there.

[aozora]

The varying levels of politeness, especially when making requests always gets me confused/mixed up in conversations... not easy!

Apparently it's one of the few languages in the world to actually implement degrees of politeness so extensively?

[cowie165]

Pimsluer uses that latter once you get further into the lessons. I am up Lesson 16 of the First Section, and I am definitely using both of them..

Hoping to get a bit more under my belt, I am there in under three weeks now. :scared: Hopefully my very poor, very limited Japanese will help me get by for the 5 weeks I am there.

Yorik you were up to that lesson WEEKS AGO! Thanks again for helping me out mate, it is a lot of fun and it avoids the drive to work being a waste of time. Do you just run through each one once? I've been doing them a few times each until I'm happy with what is being said. I'm at lesson 1-8 or so I think.

I studied Indonesian years ago and I'm just remembering how strange it feels to think in a different language, rather than think English and convert as you start speaking.

I'd like to think that even just making the effort will be appreciated when you travel! Love to hear how things went once you come back.

[Yorik]

Not a problem at all Mark, it is great to know that you are getting some use out of it aswell.

Yeah, I have been slack, I had a bit of a problem with my MP3 Player (I dropped in a large glass of JD and Coke overnight.. ) and then my server died, so I couldn't access the MP3's anymore. Only got them back about 2 weeks ago (thank god for raided hard drives.) Now I have copies, on my phone, my new MP3/4 Player, on the PSP, my work pc and a few other places..

I usually listen to each one about 5-10 times. For example my schedule would look like this..

11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 11, 12, 12, 13, 13, 12, 11, 13, 13, 14... And so on.. I find that if I listen to one a couple of times, then move to the next lesson that they re-inforce things from earlier lessons quite well.. Going back to the earlier lessons is then like a quick revision.

I usually listen to at least one a day. I find that sometimes I drift off while I am trying to concentrate.. So repeating them, a lot is my only tactic. I am no where near where I wanted to be by this time, but I sure have got a lot more than if I had used any other system.

Learning another language is definitely not that easy, sure the first few lessons weren't too hard, but it is now getting complicated rapidly.

I will be sure to post up a heap on information and pics from my trip, as long as no one objects to this of course... Not long to go now. I made some counters Click Here, lame hey... I am hoping that I can get a bit of a grounding in my first week on my guided tour, 'cos after that I am on my own for 4 weeks.. I am panicking a little bit, but at the same time, I have made all of my bookings over the internet at places that say they have english speaking people, all accept a night I am staying in a Capsule Hotel in Ahkihabara.. Hope I will be okay, if not, I have rented a mobile phone through Go Mobile, who offer a Concierge service, which can act as a translator for you, for Y100-Y150 per minute, which in my book will be a god send I am sure.. Especially when looking for a taxi in Nihommatsu, when I am trying to get to Ebisu circuit for D1GP...

[Rezz]

Are you guys just using the CD's only? Are you studying hiragana/katakana/kanji aswell (reading and writing)?

もしこの文を読めたら、あなたの日本語をうまいと思いますよ。

[cowie165]

ermmm verbal only I have a few books. The best one I've found is titled "Japanese in Mangaland". As I'm not going to Japan anytime soon, I take great pleasure in picking up pieces of conversation in anime.

for GunGrave

Rezz any good tools for understand reading and writing? cause I have no idea what you wrote.... except for the part

Yorik those counters are cool because I can tell you're excited about going mate! I would be too! I've never been however what I've seen fascinates me. The people, the stores, the language, the culture, everything.

Hey I wonder if an exchange student would be a good way to improve my language skills! We could teach each other!

[Rezz]

Mark: The Japanese I typed says: 'If you can read this sentence then I think your Japanese is pretty good y0!'... lol

I don't know of an *easy* way to learn the Kana's, but a good start is to get a chart of all the Hiragana/Katakana and practice reading them first, then writing them down on your OWN HADWRITTEN chart, then use you handwritten chart for future reference. I recommend this because each time you refer back to your chart, you're reminded of the characters that you wrote... kind if reinforcing through your mind the actions you did to write each character.... it helped me alot, and I got satisfaction of actually writing something in another language for the first time.

[Beer Baron]

:wavey:

I am. Have done a fair bit of hiragana, and now doing katakana. me not very good though. not doing enough study, just learning in the classes at uni.

to add to the japan master Rezz on masu/mashita. to confuse further you have masen/masen deshita.

lot's of different particles to worry about too.

but overall it's not too bad. i just need to practice and study more.

justin: what is 語

[akeenan]

beerbaron 語 in rezzs sentence is go. nihon = japan , nihongo = japanese

[sewid]

:wavey:

I am. Have done a fair bit of hiragana, and now doing katakana. me not very good though. not doing enough study, just learning in the classes at uni.

to add to the japan master Rezz on masu/mashita. to confuse further you have masen/masen deshita.

lot's of different particles to worry about too.

but overall it's not too bad. i just need to practice and study more.

justin: what is 語

Download this: http://www.dreambreed.com/download/DreamKana.exe

It can help you waste away the days at work learning Katakana and Hiragana... Its like flash cards but in software.

[Beer Baron]

they have the internet on computers now?

hmm dreamkana is sweet. thanks Kris. I am ok at pronunciation, and sentence construction but not so good with hiragana and less good at katakana. but i'm getting there. this will be a good thing to practice.

[Laurence]

For online stuff check out this link http://www.manythings.org/japanese/links/#kana

Also I used this book Kana pict-o-graphix

But the best place to practice Katakana is Yahoo Auctions!!!

Also it means you learn the Katakana that you need to know to be a car nerd!

Currently I am looking for an インタークーラー for no particular reason.

My Japanese is awesomely fantastic, according to everyone... おせじ

Edited August 2, 2006 by Laurence

[Rezz]

Laurence what have you done to your beloved S14??? You love that car man!!!

Don't forget to email either...

[cowie165]

Rezz: I love the idea of putting a chart up. Easy reference, easier to remember. Same goes for replacing it with your own work. Nice

Sewid: Thanks Kris! I wonder if it'll work on my PDA. Make meetings more interesting

BB: Richard what course are you studying? Is it an elective or a separate Cert IV or something?

[qikstagea]

ore wa ninenmae, nihon de ryuugakusei shimashita.

douyatte pasokon ni nihongo de taipu shimasuka?

its too hard to read without kanji... roomaji is hard to read, its like a sentence full of hiragana...

if any of you guys have dramas ill help lol my jpanaese isnt perfect, but its pretty good i think. sometimes a bit too colloquial.. i can understand the polite forms no worries, its all logic, but im slow to speak in polite forms.

basically, i spent a year there as an exchange student, and bought my car off my host family :-) love knowing its got genuine kms.

Anyone planning a trip over there?

Edited August 2, 2006 by qikstagea

[Rezz]

ore wa ninenmae, nihon de ryuugakusei shimashita.

douyatte pasokon ni nihongo de taipu shimasuka?

its too hard to read without kanji... roomaji is hard to read, its like a sentence full of hiragana...

Ok you asked for it

最初にマイクロソフトのホームページからＭＩＣＲＯＳＯＦＴ　ＩＭＥ　（Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ）をダウンロードして、「インストールしないといけないかどうか分からない」そのあとでインターネットのウインドウを開いて、ウインドウの右下のところで　’ＥＮ’　をクリックして、’ＪＰ’　を選んでね・・・　意味分かった？　そのあとでもう１つあるよ　 ウインドウの右下のところで　’Ａ’　をクリックして、メニュから　’ひらがな’　を選んで。　そのあとで日本語でタイプできるよ！

Hahaha that was fun...

[Beer Baron]

lawrence, I think one of your hose clamps is damaged, appart from that it all looks normal...

cowie: I'm currently doing level 2 japanese at sydney uni. Just completed level 1 and skipped begginer classes.