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The Derailing Thread

Angel said:
What does no and an no wa mean?
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No has many meanings. In the first example Watashi no it is used as a possessive, turning me into mine. In the second example ichiban suki na no wa it has the meaning of "thing" or "one", so translates to "my favorite one is" etc. I used it in place of the word "movie" as the topic is already known to be about movies. Hence also I used the topic marker wa. It's all kind of interconnected, fascinating language.
 
Angel said:
I know less than you so I'll probably say something stupid
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Actually this is a good segue into one of the main difficulties in learning Japanese. The way you're taught in school is different from the way you actually speak in real life. But you have to learn the textbook way first as a foundation. If you just speak in proper Japanese everyone understands you, but they will look at you funny. (Fortunately I'm used to it.)
 
KevinK said:
No has many meanings. In the first example Watashi no it is used as a possessive, turning me into mine. In the second example ichiban suki na no wa it has the meaning of "thing" or "one", so translates to "my favorite one is" etc. I used it in place of the word "movie" as the topic is already known to be about movies. Hence also I used the topic marker wa. It's all kind of interconnected, fascinating language.
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I like how, when listening to people talk, i think I t sounds rhythmic, has a flow.
 
KevinK said:
Actually this is a good segue into one of the main difficulties in learning Japanese. The way you're taught in school is different from the way you actually speak in real life. But you have to learn the textbook way first as a foundation. If you just speak in proper Japanese everyone understands you, but they will look at you funny. (Fortunately I'm used to it.)
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Haha!
So you can be overly polite?
 
Angel said:
What's your favorite word. For now mine is uma
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My favorite Japanese word is the one in my sigline. Contrary to popular notion, samurai does not mean "warrior" or "solider", it means "one who serves". Not such a foreign idea to good Christianity.
 
Listen to these girls who just took a JLPT. As soon as I heard them speak, I said to myself, "They're N2s". Indeed, they did just take the second-hardest level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (it goes easiest-to-hardest N5-N1).

 
The JLPT is the standard international test for Japanese fluency for any non-native speakers of Japanese (inside or outside of Japan). You can check their website (http://www.jlpt.jp/e/index.cgi) for the test location closest to you (I took mine at SF State). Some countries give it twice a year; others, like the US, only give one once a year, in December. It's only about $60 to register. If you fail, like I'm sure I will this year if I take the N4, you can just take it again the following year.
 
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