Japanese Thread!

[KevinK]

This is kind of funny. A CSI expert detective spends half the episode trying to decipher mysterious Japanese characters. It just says CAT (ネコ) in basic Japanese script (katakana)!! A first grade student could read it. (It's a little odd to see it in katakana vs. hiragana, and the sizing is a little off, but still!)

 

[Angel]

Ha ha ha!!!

 

[Angel]

Reviewing basics tonight.

 

[KevinK]

Do you know the Japanese word for Japanese?

 

[Angel]

Nipon?

 

[jasonc]

Nipon?

hai, Nippon.

I have two Japanese trucks. they will say Nippon on some parts .

 

[KevinK]

Yes, Nippon is the formal name. You will more often see the more informal "Nihon". For example, the word for language is "go". So the Japanese word for Japanese (language) is "Nihongo".

 

[jasonc]

Yes, Nippon is the formal name. You will more often see the more informal "Nihon". For example, the word for language is "go". So the Japanese word for Japanese (language) is "Nihongo".

I have seen both nihon an Nippon on parts. Nippondenso. is a parts maker

 

[KevinK]

Yep, Nippon Denso (now renamed just Denso) is a famous maker of automotive electrical components. "Densou" actually means electrical components.

 

[jasonc]

Yep, Nippon Denso (now renamed just Denso) is a famous maker of automotive electrical components. "Densou" actually means electrical components.

nihon 1,nihon 2, nihon 3. lol a pre kata before pinan, or henian niDan. never saw that before.

 

[KevinK]

I had just the 5 Heian kata (Japan Karate Association).

 

[jasonc]

I had just the 5 Heian kata (Japan Karate Association).

Nihon one two and three are in shotokan.but some schools remove those. I was learning those as a black belt.


Rant of mine.one must understand Kata when working on car from Japan.

 

[KevinK]

日本 = Japan. In Japanese, these characters are read "Nihon". In the original Chinese, they are read "jhe-ben", from whence we get "Japan".

日 A pictogram of the sun.
本 The symbol for origin or source.

From the Asian mainland, the sun rises from an island-nation directly to the east. Japan is the "Land of the Rising Sun". Why the Japanese flag features a red sun...

 

[Angel]

Neat

 

[Angel]

Konban wa Kevink-san. Ogenki desu ka.

 

[KevinK]

Son'na genki desu yo (yeah, sort of healthy). Angel-san mo o-genki desu ka. (Are you also well?)

 

[Angel]

Genki desu

 

[KevinK]

Okagesama de. ("Thanks to you", stock response you can add to "Genki desu.")

 

[Angel]

In my book "Okagesama de" means "Im fine" (polite) Where as Genki desu mean "I'm fine" (neutral)

 

[KevinK]

Often books translate stock phrases according to how it would be used in English, and not necessarily the literal translation. That's why it is so tricky translating Asian languages to European-based language. "Okagesama de" can be translated as "I'm fine" or "Thanks to you" because that's how it would be used in English. The literal meaning is more like "under the gods' shadow".

"Genki desu ka" is usually translated as How are you, but it literally means "Are you healthy?" (That's why I gave a slanted answer, as I can't really claim to be that healthy).