Introduction to Japanese Language

Learning Japanese, like learning any other language, can be difficult and frusterating. I have been at it for only a short period of time but I am seeing positive results. If you are someone who is trying to learn Japanese, here are the basics of the Language,soon to be followed by techniques, materials, links and information on products to help you succeed. 

Alphabets:

Katakana - Used for new English words, basically a more boxy version of Hiragana

Hiragana -  Japanese alphabet, kind of like cursive katakana

Kanji - taken from the Chinese, 2000+ words in everyday use, very difficult, pictographs similar to Heiroglyphics of Egypt

Linguistic etiology:

Not tonally emphasized like most Asiatic languages, when people think of Asian languages the tend to imitate a tonal wave in their head. This is not at all how Japanese sounds.  

SOV vs SVO:

Unlike English the verb always comes at the end of sentence, no exceptions! For example;

          Japanese:                                                      English:

 Ringo      wa     desu.                                It's      an    Apple.

Subject/Object and Verb                        Subject Verb Object

Polite Tense: 

Quite a complex system of honorifics which reflect on the hierarchical natured of Japanese society.Its best to learn polite Japanese and chop it down as you become more comfortable with the language and people.Verb forms and some vocabulary indicate the status of the speaker, and the listener. I've been told foreigners speak Japanese too politely. But better safe than sorry.

Simplification:

Japanese speaker's like to cut down sentences to include many times just an object/subject and verb/ so written Japanese and spoken can be very different. Again, this shortening can be used to reflect the relationship a level of comfort between speaker and listener.