Hip-Pop Palace Forums :: Lesson 1: Hajimemashite/Introduction/Newbie Grammar(Updated)

Nephie15 · Web Headmistress

The most basic Greeting sentence you will learn in a formal Japanese class is:

’はじめまして。　　わたしは(name)です。　どうぞ　よろしく。’

'Hajimemashite. Watashi wa (name) desu. Douzo yoroshiku'

'How do you do? I am ___. Pleased to meet you.'

'どうぞ　よろしく', literally speaking, means 'Please treat me favorably'. '’はじめまして' is supposedly a polite form of the ever-famous ’こんにちは’.

NOTES:

The particle 'wa' is written with the 'ha' character.

The 'u' in 'desu' or other formal version verbs isn't usually pronounced generally. People usually just put an emphasis on it if they are talking to superiors.

YOU WILL ONLY HAVE TO SAY 'HAJIMEMASHITE' AND 'DOUZO YOROSHIKU' ONCE WITH A JAPANESE PERSON. Doing it more than once is overdoing it.

About this sentence:

The 'wa' Particle is equivalent to the word 'is' or 'are' (and anything in between). It is a topic marker and indicates the focus of your sentence. Whatever you put before it means that's what your describing.

But Japanese has MANY particles....don't worry, that's what I'm here for.

'Desu' is the Japanese coupla. It is equivalent to 'to be', and is used for confirmation. And before you ask, no, this is not all the Japanese use, there are verbs just like in any other language, this is just the root for the '-masu' forms, but we'll get to that later. We don't know what that means yet.

Putting Your Name in Katakana

Do you wanna say your name in Japanese? you can transcribe your name into Katakana or get an authentic Japanese name (but then, you'd have to learn the right Kanji for it).

Transcribing is easy. The purpose of Katakana is to manipulate the sounds in the native sound system. Just manipulate the sounds of your own name.

Say, your name was Sarah. The Japanese don't have the way we pronounce it in their sounds, so they take Katakana and transcribe it into the thing closest to it. In this case, it would be 'セーラ (seera)', give or take a long 'a' sound.

Japanese Suffixes:

-san

-san is the most common suffix in Japanese. Normally used for the first meeting with a person or if the person is, say, your boss, or just on a socially higher scale. It is better for you to use it with a persons' last name.

Cultural Note:
At the first meeting with a person, using their first name is considered inappropriate because while you may be comfortable with it, it's most likely not on their end.

-chan

NOW you can use a persons' first name. You normally only use this with close friends or your lover to add a touch of cuteness. It's normally used by girls.

Cultural Note:
Alot of Japanese men like to think of themselves as 'manly', so they don't use '-chan' that much, or eat sweets that much because they tend to think it's not manly to eat sweets. (Though I can think of quite a few Oshare Kei vocalists who love their candy >.> *thinks of Miku and Maya*)

-sama

Okay, this suffix is THE MOST RESPECTFUL THING YOU CAN SAY IN CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE.

I can't think of many cases where it's socially acceptable to use a persons' first name with this suffix.

Cultural Note:
In the olden days, like the Edo period, Japan's 'golden age', this wasn't the most respectful thing you could say, it was knocked down to the line between formal and informal and used much like 'I know you a LITTLE, but I still must show respect'.

Before the Japanese started using '-san' as the most common suffix, there were much more polite titles for people like elite samurai, gang ringleaders, and of course, emperors. Such as '-dono' (lord) and the preceding 'O' suffix, which adds an extra level of respect (it is still used, but not as much).

-kun

This is pretty much the guy version of '-chan'.

Classroom expressions/Vocab:

Sensei - teacher

Cultural Note:
Japanese scholars call their teachers '(last name)-sensei' even if they know them really well. It's socially inappropriate for a younger person to not address an older person with respect in a professional setting either at work or at home as a guest. I call my Japanese teachers 'Brenish-sensei' and 'Terao-sensei'. I even called my old Karate teachers sensei.

'Sensei' can be used to address anyone in authority from police officers to doctors.

Gakusei - student
daigaku - college
daigakuin - graduate school
daigakusei - college student
daigakuinsei - graduate student
chuugaku - middle school
chuugakusei - junior high school student
ryuugakusee - exchange student

ichinensee - freshman (first year)
ninensee - sophomore (second year)
sanensee - junior (third year)
yonnensee - Senior (fourth year)

yonde kudasai - please read
itte kudasai - please say it (or repeat after me)
mou ichido itte kudasai- please say it one more time (the Japanese usually just say 'mou ichido' in a questioning tone)
kiite kudasai- please listen
kaite kudasai - please write (it)
mite kudasai - please look (at it)

(X) wa nihongo de nan to imasu ka? - How do you say (X) in Japanese?
kore/sore/are wa nihongo de nan to imasu ka? - What do you call this/that/that (over there) in Japanese?

General Greetings:

Arigato Gozaimasu - Thank You (you can add 'doumo' at the begining to add 'very much')
Ohayo gozaimasu - Good morning
konban wa - Good evening
konnichi wa - Good Afternoon. THIS DOES NOT MEAN 'HELLO', THAT IS A MYTH AMONG PEOPLE WITH LITTLE OR NO BACKGROUND IN JAPANESE. THE JAPANESE DO NOT HAVE AN ACTUAL SAYING FOR 'HELLO'.
sumimasen - I'm sorry. Excuse Me.
shitsuree shimasu - Goodbye (very polite)
sayonara - goodbye (less polite)
jaa, mata - see you again (polite)
jaa, ne - see ya (casual)
dou, itashimashita - your welcome (polite)

NOTE:
'gozaimasu' is a formality, you can drop it with people you know well, otherwise it'll be awkward, or sometimes just funny to the listener.