Japanese Core Words and Phrases


Book Description

Some Japanese words and phrases, even though they lie at the core of the language, forever elude the student's grasp. They are not explained satisfactorily in dictionaries or textbooks for the simple reason that they cannot be conveniently defined. Japanese Core Words and Phrases brings these recalcitrants to bay. The book is divided into two parts, each of which is arranged in alphabetical order. The first part is devoted to words indicating physical as well as psychological distance—roughly equivalent to "this," "that," "that over there," and "where," but quite different in usage. Physical distance is covered in most textbooks, but psychological distance—every student's nemesis—is not. The second part of the book covers a variety of idiomatic expressions, many of which appear in Japanese proficiency tests. Each entry word or phrase is not simply explained but exemplified in sentence form, clarifying its meaning (in the case of many students) for the very first time. Japanese Core Words and Phrases has a great deal to offer the beginning student and much to offer the intermediate student. Little more can be asked of a book on the Japanese language. Previously published in the Power Japanese series as Core Words and Phrases: Things You Can't Find in a Dictionary.




Fluent in 3 Months


Book Description

Benny Lewis, who speaks over ten languages—all self-taught—runs the largest language-learning blog in the world, Fluent In 3 Months. Lewis is a full-time "language hacker," someone who devotes all of his time to finding better, faster, and more efficient ways to learn languages. Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World is a new blueprint for fast language learning. Lewis argues that you don't need a great memory or "the language gene" to learn a language quickly, and debunks a number of long-held beliefs, such as adults not being as good of language learners as children.




Learn Japanese: Must-Know Japanese Slang Words & Phrases


Book Description

Do you want to learn Japanese the fast, fun and easy way? And do you want to master daily conversations and speak like a native? Then this is the book for you. Learn Japanese: Must-Know Japanese Slang Words & Phrases by JapanesePod101 is designed for Beginner-level learners. You learn the top 100 must-know slang words and phrases that are used in everyday speech. All were hand-picked by our team of Japanese teachers and experts. Here’s how the lessons work: • Every Lesson is Based on a Theme • You Learn Slang Words or Phrases Related to That Theme • Check the Translation & Explanation on How to Use Each One And by the end, you will have mastered 100+ Japanese Slang Words & phrases!




Japanese Vocabulary


Book Description

This pocket-size book lists approximately 6,000 words in English with translations into Japanese. Words are divided into several different categories and listed alphabetically within each category. Categories include greetings, numbers, measurements, moods and emotions, driving situations, travel situations, sports, foods, shopping, phoning, and many others. All titles in Barron's foreign language Vocabulary Series include pronunciation guides and a bilingual and alphabetical quick Wordfinder section. Barron's Vocabulary books are useful students' classroom supplements as well as handy travelers' aids.




A Frequency Dictionary of Japanese


Book Description

A Frequency Dictionary of Japanese is an invaluable tool for all learners of Japanese, providing a list of the 5,000 most commonly used words in the language. Based on a100 million word corpus, composed of spoken, fiction, non-fiction and news texts in current use, the dictionary provides the user with a detailed frequency-based list, as well as alphabetical and part-of-speech indices. All entries in the frequency list feature the English equivalent and a sample sentence with English translation. The dictionary also contains 25 thematically organised lists of frequently used words on a variety of topics such as food, weather, occupations and leisure. Numerous bar charts are also included to highlight the phonetic and spelling variants across register. A Frequency Dictionary of Japanese enables students of all levels to maximise their study of Japanese vocabulary in an efficient and engaging way. It is also an excellent resource for teachers of the language.




Travelflips Flashcards (English - Japanese)


Book Description

Travelflips flashcards empower travelers and language enthusiasts with useful words and phrases they can master in just a few days. This pocket-sized flashcard kit includes everything you need to quickly build essential vocabulary for your upcoming voyage.




Remembering the Kanji 2


Book Description

Following the first volume of Remembering the Kanji, the present work provides students with helpful tools for learning the pronunciation of the kanji. Behind the notorious inconsistencies in the way the Japanese language has come to pronounce the characters it received from China lie several coherent patterns. Identifying these patterns and arranging them in logical order can reduce dramatically the amount of time spent in the brute memorization of sounds unrelated to written forms. Many of the “primitive elements,” or building blocks, used in the drawing of the characters also serve to indicate the “Chinese reading” that particular kanji use, chiefly in compound terms. By learning one of the kanji that uses such a “signal primitive,” one can learn the entire group at the same time. In this way, Remembering the Kanji 2 lays out the varieties of phonetic pattern and offers helpful hints for learning readings, that might otherwise appear completely random, in an efficient and rational way. Individual frames cross-reference the kanji to alternate readings and to the frame in volume 1 in which the meaning and writing of the kanji was first introduced. A parallel system of pronouncing the kanji, their “Japanese readings,” uses native Japanese words assigned to particular Chinese characters. Although these are more easily learned because of the association of the meaning to a single word, the author creates a kind of phonetic alphabet of single syllable words, each connected to a simple Japanese word, and shows how they can be combined to help memorize particularly troublesome vocabulary. The 4th edition has been updated to include the 196 new kanji approved by the government in 2010 as “general-use” kanji.




Japanese Phrase A Day Practice Pad


Book Description

This page-a-day Japanese language pad teaches a new Japanese phrase each day—useful vocabulary that comes in handy for everyday situations when visiting Japan. Although more people are studying the Japanese language than ever before, others are still wary of starting because they believe, "it's too difficult." But A Japanese Phrase A Day will show absolute beginners that Japanese is in many ways much easier than other languages and it will help intermediate Japanese learners review and improve upon their past studies and practice Japanese everyday. Japanese is a fascinating language that uses Chinese characters (kanji) as well as two other alphabets (hiragana and katakana). After a few weeks of gradual progress your ability to read Japanese, write Japanese and speak Japanese will grow tremendously. This calendar like desk companion is divided into monthly topics and builds upon itself, one day at a time. Japanese phrases are kept short, simple and functional. Each of the 365 pages include these four components: The phrase or dialogue in Japanese characters A transliteration using English letters (romanji), which gives English speakers a guide to pronunciation The English translation A related note about the phrase, Japan, or Japanese culture to add context. Audio for all of the Japanese Phrase A Day entries is available online. Listening and repeating after the native speakers in the audio files will help you to practice Japanese regularly and polish your spoken Japanese and Japanese listening comprehension. To get started, turn to Day One and begin studying the phrase, its meaning, pronunciation and cultural context. Then tear off the sheet and practice writing it a few times. In a matter of days you'll be on your way to reading and writing Japanese!




An Introduction to Japanese - Syntax, Grammar & Language


Book Description

Starting at the very basics and working its way up to important language constructions, "An introduction to Japanese" offers beginning students, as well as those doing self-study, a comprehensive grammar for the Japanese language. Oriented towards the serious learner, there are no shortcuts in this book: no romanised Japanese for ease of reading beyond the introduction, no pretending that Japanese grammar maps perfectly to English grammar, and no simplified terminology. In return, this book explains Japanese the way one may find it taught at universities, covering everything from basic to intermediary Japanese, and even touching on some of the more advanced constructions.




How to Sound Intelligent in Japanese


Book Description

The areas covered in the book are ideas and theories; philosophy and religion; politics and government; the fine arts, humanities, and social sciences; science and technology; law and justice; and business and economics. Beginning students can pick up individual words and put them in sentences of their own making, no matter how simple, and advanced students can get a better understanding of context by reading the sample sentences in the book. Suitable for self-study, building vocabulary, and improving speaking and reading skills.