Japanese for All Occasions

Author: Taeko Kamiya
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 4770031513
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
In Japanese, register--the way you change your words depending on who you are speaking to--plays a key role. The rules of register in Japanese are far more complicated than they are in English, but until now there hasn’t been a book that lays it all out in an accessible format. Japanese for All Occasions is a much-needed introduction to this bewildering aspect of the language, aimed at intermediate students and above. Through 57 dialogues, veteran teacher Taeko Kamiya shows learners how the Japanese change their way of speaking according to the social setting or their relationship with the listener, with examples ranging from casual to superpolite. Chapters are organized by function ("Introducing People," "Identifying Things," etc.) so that learners can absorb the most common sentence patterns used in daily life at the same time that they study casual, polite, and honorific styles. Each chapter presents three similar dialogues that show contrasting styles of speech. Detailed notes explain the grammar or usage at work in the dialogues, and quizzes at the end of each chapter allow learners to test their understanding. Best of all, the book comes with a free CD containing all the dialogues, narrated by professional Japanese actors.

Japanese for All Occasions

Author: Anne Kaneko
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462917445
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 248

Book Description
At last. A book of useful Japanese, offering the language you need to handle a wide variety of situations. Through hundreds of example sentences and dialogues, you'll learn what to say and do when: Setting up a business appointment Opening a bank account Making a wedding speech Reserving a place to stay Renewing a visa and much more Included is an additional chapter on writing cards and letters, featuring examples of New Year cards, thank-you notes, and normal letters. No other book covers colloquial Japanese as thoroughly as Japanese for All Occasions. Whether you're a student, traveler, or businessperson, you'll find that this book offers any easy and enjoyable way to improve your Japanese.

Musashi

Author: Eiji Yoshikawa
Publisher: Vertical, Inc.
ISBN: 1568364512
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 1547

Book Description
The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman. Miyamoto Musashi was the child of an era when Japan was emerging from decades of civil strife. Lured to the great Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 by the hope of becoming a samurai—without really knowing what it meant—he regains consciousness after the battle to find himself lying defeated, dazed and wounded among thousands of the dead and dying. On his way home, he commits a rash act, becomes a fugitive and brings life in his own village to a standstill—until he is captured by a weaponless Zen monk. The lovely Otsu, seeing in Musashi her ideal of manliness, frees him from his tortuous punishment, but he is recaptured and imprisoned. During three years of solitary confinement, he delves into the classics of Japan and China. When he is set free again, he rejects the position of samurai and for the next several years pursues his goal relentlessly, looking neither to left nor to right. Ever so slowly it dawns on him that following the Way of the Sword is not simply a matter of finding a target for his brute strength. Continually striving to perfect his technique, which leads him to a unique style of fighting with two swords simultaneously, he travels far and wide, challenging fighters of many disciplines, taking nature to be his ultimate and severest teacher and undergoing the rigorous training of those who follow the Way. He is supremely successful in his encounters, but in the Art of War he perceives the way of peaceful and prosperous governance and disciplines himself to be a real human being He becomes a reluctant hero to a host of people whose lives he has touched and been touched by. And, inevitably, he has to pit his skill against the naked blade of his greatest rival. Musashi is a novel in the best tradition of Japanese story telling. It is a living story, subtle and imaginative, teeming with memorable characters, many of them historical. Interweaving themes of unrequited love, misguided revenge, filial piety and absolute dedication to the Way of the Samurai, it depicts vividly a world Westerners know only vaguely. Full of gusto and humor, it has an epic quality and universal appeal. The novel was made into a three-part movie by Director Hiroshi Inagai. For more information, visit the Shopping area

The Everything Conversational Japanese Book

Author: Molly Hakes
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1605504521
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 699

Book Description
A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.

NIHONGO ZATSUDAN MASTER [YELLOW];Mastering Japanese Small Talk

Author: SAIGO Hideki
Publisher: BONJINSHA Co., LTD
ISBN:
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : ja
Pages : 160

Book Description
This book was created with the intention of helping learners who want to have fun conversations in Japanese. 60 expressions that are often used in everyday conversation, especially in small talk, are organized by category so that you can learn them in 12 weeks (1 expression per day 5 days a week) (for those who are not good at keeping a fixed schedule, you can also read the pages as you like in your free time!). Also, for each weekend, we explain “secret tips” that are useful when chatting in Japanese (of course, just reading these “secret tips” first is also okay!). The features of this book are (1) a collection of “words and expressions that do not appear in Japanese textbooks, but that sound like natural Japanese when used in everyday conversation (small talk)” and (2) conversation examples that are not written in the easy-to-understand (but unnatural) way that is typical for Japanese learners, but rather they are left in natural Japanese just as they would be spoken by office workers and university students who speak native Japanese. Therefore, you can learn not only words and expressions, but also the characteristics of casual speaking styles that native Japanese speakers use. There may be many words and expressions that you do not know, but please think about the meanings of the expressions and words that you see for the first time while looking at the parallel translations of English, Chinese, or Korean. Finally, some advice from the two authors: Don’t just take our word for it. Try using the words and expressions you learned in this book in conversations with native Japanese speakers. And don’t worry if you use them incorrectly! It’s fine! The conversation will definitely be fun!

Japanese Respect Language

Author: P. G. O'Neill
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462917488
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 161

Book Description
This is a concise and user-friendly book for learning polite spoken Japanese or written Japanese. Respect language—the special style of polite spoken or written Japanese—is involved almost every exchange of Japanese between one person and another, including the simplest phrases of greeting. An understanding of its forms is therefore essential to any serious student of the Japanese language. This programmed course is carefully designed to teach the basic and correct forms which the learner should master for his or her own use, by first looking at the various typical situations to see when respect should and should not be shown in Japanese, and then going on to see how respect is expressed in special forms of speech. In this way, the learner is shown how to identify the type of respect for used, the person to whom respect is being shown, and the equivalent form in colloquial language. The insights into both Japanese culture and language will help any student or businessperson traveling to Japan or speaking Japanese on a regular basis. Understand which situations require respect language. Identify the most suitable grammar, honorifics, and more for a wide range of situations. Self-tests to help you master what you learn. Valuable quick-reference appendices.

A Discourse Analysis of Japanese Speech Styles in Initial Contact Situations

Author: Jamila Mohd
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Japanese language
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description

Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication

Author: 神谷妙子
Publisher: Kodansha International
ISBN: 9784770029836
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
"Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication presents 142 essential sentence Patterns for everyday conversation - all that is needed to get by in most uncomplicated social situations. These patterns represent the basic building blocks of sophisticated speech, and are mastered by all intermediate students. Each is given first in the form of a full-length English sentence, so that one can quickly understand its meaning and intent, then is followed by a Japanese translation, a short, precise explanation, several example sentences, and a practice section that allows one to test one's comprehension. By familiarizing oneself with these patterns and practicing them out loud, and inventing new sentences with them, one will quickly gain the skills necessary to effectively communicate one's thoughts in Japanese." "With page after page of sentence-pattern practice and straightforward explanations of grammar, this book is ideal for ambitious beginning-level students who wish to up their oral proficiency quickly. But it will also usefully serve intermediate and advanced students in need of solid review material, or anyone with an interest in the workings of the Japanese language."--BOOK JACKET.

Basic Connections

Author: Kakuko Shōji
Publisher: Kodansha Amer Incorporated
ISBN: 9784770019684
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 152

Book Description

Colloquial Kansai Japanese

Author: D. C. Palter
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN: 1462901689
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 180

Book Description
This is a compact and convenient guide to learning the Kansai dialect of the Japanese language Maido, maido and welcome to the Kansai region of western Japan. Whether visiting or living in this area, you will quickly notice the locals aren't speaking standard Japanese taught in textbooks and classrooms. The language on the streets is Kansai-ben: a dialect said to be earthier and more direct, but with its own polite language. With clear explanations of grammar, a Kansai-ben dictionary, and a helpful index, Colloquial Kansai Japanese is an indispensable guide to the rich speech of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. Hundreds of sample phrases, sentences and conversations show how the dialect works in everyday situations, ranging from shopping to dealing with the boss. And while you're leaning about the nuances of Kansai-ben, you will have fun reading about Kansai cuisine, sports and specialties. So open your mouth when you speak, roll your r's, and try out this colorful dialect. With your copy of Colloquial Kansai Japanese, you will soon be among friends in Kansai.