Anxiously Awaiting

Okay, this would be the first in a number of posts where I explain: me. This should be good, so hang tight. Warning, this post requires Asian fonts be installed on your computer. See this article for help.

I love the japanese language. No, I’m not an Anime nerd. I simply enjoy listening to my sensei speak in class, and moreover I am elated when I understand what she is saying. This love for the language has gradually developed during my quest for free or easy A’s at Georgia Tech. Cooincidentally, JAPN 1001 and 1002 were both 4 hour classes, and rumored to be “Easier than M-Train” classes. I’m all about that.

So I took the first two (A, B), and I was hooked. Unfortunately, JAPN 2001 and 2002 have turned out to be significantly harder than the first two, but I have grown fond of my sensei and I put in the necessary work. Over the 2 years that I have been speaking this wonderfully complex and confusing language, I have picked up a couple of language substitutions. For instance if you ask me a yes or no question, the answer will come in one of two forms:

はい (hai)
or
いいえ (iie)

The first word, which is the word for yes, is pronnounced like hi in english, but with a slightly pronnounced long e sound at the end. The second one, the word for no, sounds like an elongated short i sound with a short e sound at the end. In addition to this, there are a couple of general responses that japanese people say to let the other person know that they are paying attention.

Formal

そうですか。 (soo desu ka)
そうですね。 (soo desu ne)

Plain

そうだ (soo da)
そうだね (soo da ne)

Since Japanese is l33t, it actually has two different ways of speaking. Formal speech and plain speech. Plain speech is more or less used between equals. For instance, if I used plain speech while talking to my sensei, I would probably get thumped.

The first formal phrase, depending on tone, can mean a range of things. Most of the time when I use it I intend for it to mean “Really?” or something like that. The second formal phrase is more or less a confirmation or reinforcement of what was just said.

The first plain phrase is another way of saying yes, but it is often used when confirming your state or an action. The second plain phrase is just another way of saying the second formal phrase.

That’s it for the first class. Now you know some basic Japanese phrases. Class dismissed.