Japan Nakama
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
  • Anime
  • Creativity
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • TV & Film
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Gaming
  • Language
  • Travel
  • Music
NAKAMA SHOP
Cart / £0.00

No products in the cart.

Japan Nakama
NAKAMA SHOP
Japan Nakama
No Result
View All Result

Home » Language » 5 Unusual Ways To Master The Japanese Language

5 Unusual Ways To Master The Japanese Language

Nakama Secrets!

Wayne Daniels by Wayne Daniels
20 November 2021
in Language, Lifestyle, Travel
0
🔖 3 min read

130 million people in the world speak the Japanese language, making it the 9th most spoken language around. Although there are countless sources out there these days that help you further your knowledge, mastering the Japanese language ain’t that straightforward.

Not to mention the 3 levels of ways that the Japanese language expresses politeness: the plain form (“kudaketa”), the simple polite form (“teinei”), and the advanced polite form (“keigo”)

Despite all this, the trick to learning any language, amongst others, is to have fun with it. We’ve compiled a list of 5 unusual and quirky ways that we used to Master the Japanese Language!

1. Talk to yourself… in Japanese “HITORIGOTO”

Yes, it’s the first sign of craziness, we know. But it’s so effective!
You won’t always have a chance to practice your Japanese every day, and just like a sword, if not constantly sharpened, will become dull.

Everyday life is full of opportunities to ‘talk to yourself’ or ‘Hitorigoto’ as the Japanese call it.

Ok, imagine this. You’re in Sainsbury’s looking for bread, in this scenario we’d usually talk to ourselves.

“Ok, next is bread. Um… which isle was on again?”
instead think it in Japanese,
“Yosha, tsugi wa pan da ne. Eto… michi wa doiitsu dake?”.

Or getting your day plan together
“Alright, first I’ll hop in the shower, then have a quick breakfast… but just before that I should go for a  jog. Ah but today’s so cold >.<”

“Sa-te-to, saishou kara showa shite, asa gohan tabete… demo sonno mai ni chotto jyoggu shiyou ka na. Ah sotto wa samui dakedo >.<”

Do you see? All that practice! Practical situations too!

2. Anime and J Drama Schooling

Master the Japanese language while you entertain yourself, you can’t go wrong with this one!

The great thing is that most Anime that you can watch online, is that they’re subtitled.
If you pay close attention to what is being said while reading the subtitles, it’s the ultimate (Animated) flashcard game!

Do be aware that most dramatic Anime use the same words repetitively, so the translation team tries to find more creative English translations.

So, a simple Usotsuki “Liar” can become “You lying scumbag!”

3. Practice your Japanese with others who are ACTUALLY LEARNING JAPANESE

Master the Japanese language with others who’re studying Japanese! Here’s a great counterintuitive that most people studying Japanese don’t realise, ready for it?

Japanese people here don’t want to speak Japanese, they want to practice their English!

Mind-blowing isn’t it?

If you think about it if you went to Japan, wouldn’t you want to speak Japanese rather than English? So, it’s the same for Japanese who come to the UK or other western countries.

Although the Japanese are a polite people, they will play along, hoping you’ll eventually snap out of your KY mode (aka Kuuki Yomenai – Can’t read the situation).

Find others who are studying Japanese, practice to your heart’s content! Check out our article about where to meet people who want to practice their Japanese in London, here.

4. Make speaking Japanese a Necessity Not an Option!

Most of us Nakama forced ourselves into situations where we HAD to speak Japanese!

We worked in Japanese companies in London where the majority of staff were Japanese. Being surrounded daily by a language forces you to learn it!

That’ll give you a chance to hear a real conversation between two or more native speakers in a realistic scenario. A chance to jump into the conversation and have practical use of language!

Of course, you’ll have the sympathetic advantage of being a non-native speaker, it’d be easier to forgive mistakes… like accidentally mixing up Gindara (Black Cod) and Kintama (…Testicles).

5. Change your device’s language from English to Japanese!

This will through you in the deep end of trying to master the Japanese language for sure! Go to the options setting on your mobile phone, tablet or laptop and change the language to Japanese! – No, seriously!

Most of use our devices every day, so, that’s a chance to practice every day!
Mobile phones like iPhones even have a “Voice Over” option in accessibility settings. Meaning your iPhone will speak to you in Japanese!

This includes Siri and Google Voice Search which recognises Japanese speech. We’ve often blown other Japanese people’s minds when we spoke to our phone in Japanese while on the tube!

selecting romaji
Tags: japanese languagelearn japanese
Previous Post

The new Japan Center is bringing Depachika back to London!

Next Post

Tokyo’s Newest and Hottest Kamikaze on Japanese Fashion

Wayne Daniels

Wayne Daniels

Entrepreneur, Designer, Japanese Linguist, Dance Enthusiast and all-round Naruto fan.

Related Posts

Dylan Senpai: A New Teacher for New Students of Japanese
Language

Dylan Senpai: A New Teacher for New Students of Japanese

Learning a new language is exciting, it allows you to communicate in a new way with a whole new group of people. But it can...

by Japan Nakama
japanese store
Language

A Beginner’s Guide to Learning Japanese

Enrol in a course Follow a workbook Learn the difference between characters Find a language partner Listen to podcasts Learning a language is an extremely...

by Simon Martin
man doing japanese calligraphy
Culture

Beautiful Japanese Words that Don’t Exist in English

Five months or so since we were trapped inside our homes, the global pandemic left us all in a state of wanderlust -- having a...

by Kathy Wu
japaneseparty
Language

5 Irresistible Parties to Meet Japanese People in London

1. The London Japanese Language Meetup Group 2. Fly Jam London 3. Everyday Japanese Conversation 4. Bunkasai Club 5. The JLCE – Japanese Language Culture...

by Wayne Daniels
Next Post
neogal2

Tokyo’s Newest and Hottest Kamikaze on Japanese Fashion

Kamon---High-Quality

Japan Nakama is an online lifestyle and culture magazine. We explore our love for Japan by writing about food, art, fashion and style and anime. We also champion and promote small businesses inspired by Japan. Check out our curated Japanese product marketplace.

Nakama Newsletter

 

Help & Support

For order, product or support queries - please email [email protected]

Order Online

  • Clothing
  • Gifts
  • Artwork & Prints
  • Home & Kitchen

Follow us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

© 2022 Japan Nakama - Exploring All Things Japan

  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shipping Policy
  • Refunds and Returns
  • Terms and Conditions
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • 🛒 NAKAMA SHOP
  • Anime
  • Creativity
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • TV & Film
  • Fashion & Beauty
  • Gaming
  • Language
  • Travel
  • Music

© 2022 Japan Nakama - Connecting people through the spirit of Japan

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.