Conversational Japanese by Naoya Fujita, Ph.D. A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Conversational Japanese by Naoya Fujita, Ph.D. A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. This book is dedicated to: My wife Naoko and son Hayato (Ken) for their love and support, My parents, Akio and Shigeyo Fujita for helping me become who I am, The Tabuse and Kito families for their encouragement, and finally but not least important, All my students, who have taught me how to teach Japanese! ALPHA BOOKS Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. Penguin Group (Canada), 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2 (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), cnr Airborne and Rosedale Roads, Albany, Auckland 1310, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Copyright © 2002 by Naoya Fujita, Ph.D. All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information, address Alpha Books, 800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240. THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO and Design are registered trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. ISBN: 1-4406-1446-6 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2002106351 Interpretation of the printing code: The rightmost number of the first series of numbers is the year of the book’s printing; the rightmost number of the second series of numbers is the number of the book’s printing. For example, a printing code of 02-1 shows that the first printing occurred in 2002. Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a competent professional should be consulted. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book. Publisher: Marie Butler-Knight Product Manager: Phil Kitchel Managing Editor: Jennifer Chisholm Senior Acquisitions Editor: Renee Wilmeth Development Editors: Alex Kent, Michael Thomas Senior Production Editor: Christy Wagner Copy Editor: Rhonda Tinch-Mize Illustrator: Chris Eliopoulos Book Designer: Trina Wurst Indexer: Brad Herriman Layout/Proofreading: Angela Calvert, John Etchison Contents at a Glance Part 1: Before You Get Started: The Basics 1 1 Can I Really Learn Japanese on My Own? 3 Of course you can! Learn the Five Golden Rules for successful mastery of Japanese. 2 Behind the Language 11 Learn about Japan, its people, and its culture. 3 Japanese Sounds: As Easy as A, I, U, E, O 19 Only 14 consonants and 5 vowel sounds make it easy for any beginner to sound Japanese. Part 2: The Survival Skills: Grammar 31 4 Speak Like Yoda: Basic Sentence Structure 33 Keep the verb at the end of a sentence. The rest of the word order is flexible. 5 Everything You Need to Know About Conjugation 45 Complete mastery of conjugation is the key to success. 6 Other Grammar Essentials 61 Learn how to describe something and ask questions. 7 Numbers 81 Numbers and counting are essential to daily life! Part 3: Getting to Know People 91 8 Greetings 93 Greetings are the first step to communicating with Japanese speakers. 9 Meeting People 103 Learn self introduction protocols and useful conversation starters for meeting people. 10 Talking About Yourself 113 Learn how to talk about your family, hobbies, and occupation. 11 Extending Invitations 129 Secrets to make your invitations tempting. iv The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Conversational Japanese Part 4: The Essentials for Traveling 143 12 In the Airplane 145 Here is the first opportunity to try out your Japanese! Learn how to ask for a favor. 13 Is the Flight on Time? Time Expressions 157 When will the plane arrive? How long is the flight? Let’s read the clock! 14 At the Airport 167 Essential phrases that will help you get through Immigration and Customs at the airport. 15 Getting to and Around Town 179 Take advantage of Japan’s state-of-the-art transportation system and save time and money. 16 At the Hotel 195 Make a reservation by yourself, enjoy a traditional Japanese inn, and relax in a hot spring! 17 At the Bank 209 Learn how to exchange money and cash your traveler’s checks in Japanese. Part 5: Japanese for Fun 221 18 Let’s Go Shopping! 223 Buy only what you really want to buy and don’t compromise because of the language barrier! 19 More Than Just Sushi: Dining Out in Japan 239 Practice your Japanese while enjoying the food! 20 Touring a Japanese House 255 A home stay experience is an excellent way to learn the Japanese language and culture. 21 Spending Leisure Time 267 Make a travel plan by yourself and enjoy great traditional events. Part 6: Troubleshooting 281 22 Talking on the Phone 283 Learn how to use a payphone, make a collect call, and engage in a simple telephone conversation. Contents at a Glance v 23 I’m Sick! Call 911? No, Call 119! 295 Explain your symptoms to the doctor or pharmacist. 24 I Lost My Wallet! Nonmedical Emergencies 307 Tips for dealing with various problems, such as losing something or getting lost on the street. 25 Making Complaints 321 Get the best possible service at a hotel, restaurant, and shop— don’t compromise! Appendixes A Written Japanese: A Brief Introduction 331 B English to Japanese Dictionary 343 C Japanese to English Dictionary 373 Index 401 Contents Part 1: Before You Get Started: The Basics 1 1 Can I Really Learn Japanese on My Own? 3 The Five Golden Rules ................................................................3 Rule 1: Be Confident! ..................................................................4 Rule 2: Be Brave! ........................................................................5 Rule 3: Be Persistent! ..................................................................6 Rule 4: Be Creative! ....................................................................6 Rule 5: Be Japanese! ....................................................................7 How to Use This Book ................................................................8 The Top Ten Reasons to Learn Japanese ....................................9 2 Behind the Language 11 Geographic Facts About Japan ....................................................11 Who Are the Japanese? ..............................................................14 The Japanese Society ..................................................................15 Communication for Peace and Harmony ..................................16 Principle 1: No Matter Whom You Talk to, It’s Safe to Be Polite ..................................................................................16 Principle 2: Be Humble When Talking—a Good Listener Is a Better Communicator ........................................................17 Principle 3: Know the TPO! ......................................................17 3 Japanese Sounds: As Easy as A, I, U, E, O 19 Keep Your Mouth Open, Please: Syllabication ..........................20 All the Possible Japanese Sounds ................................................21 The Two Standalone Consonants ................................................23 Tricky Sounds ............................................................................23 My Husband Is a Prisoner? Importance of Long Vowels ..........26 Japanizing English Words ..........................................................27 Japanese Is a Calm Language ......................................................28 Part 2: The Survival Skills: Grammar 31 4 Speak Like Yoda: Basic Sentence Structure 33 Godzilla Ate John, or John Ate Godzilla? ..................................34 A Quick Grammar Review ........................................................34 Particles ....................................................................................35 viii The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Conversational Japanese Particles: Tiny but Mighty! ........................................................36 -ga: Subject Marker ..................................................................37 -o: Object Marker ......................................................................38 -ni: “toward”; “in” ....................................................................38 -mo: “also” ................................................................................39 -kara: “from” / -made: “up to”; “until” ....................................39 -de: “by means of”; “at” ............................................................40 -to: “together with” ..................................................................40 The Concept of “Topic” ..............................................................41 Simple Is Beautiful ......................................................................42 Answers ........................................................................................44 5 Everything You Need to Know About Conjugation 45 Conjugation Is No Headache! ....................................................45 Verb Predicate Conjugation ........................................................46 Adjective Predicate Conjugation ..................................................50 Noun Conjugation ......................................................................53 Answers ........................................................................................56 6 Other Grammar Essentials 61 TE-Form ......................................................................................61 Continuous Action ......................................................................62 Connecting Predicates ................................................................65 Other Instances When You Want to Use the TE-Form ..............68 How to Describe Something or Someone ..................................69 Adjectives ..................................................................................69 Nouns ........................................................................................70 Na-Adjectives ............................................................................71 Asking a Question ........................................................................73 ka ..............................................................................................73 Wh-Questions ..........................................................................74 Review ..........................................................................................76 Answers ........................................................................................77 7 Numbers 81 Basic Numbers ............................................................................81 10 to 99 ....................................................................................82 100 to 9,999 ..............................................................................83 Beyond 10,000 ..........................................................................86 Really Big Numbers ..................................................................87 What Is a “Counter”? ..................................................................88 Answers ........................................................................................90