さくぶん３

二じゅうねんごの　せいかつは　とても　にぎやかです。　かいしゃいんで　おくさんで　おかあさんです　から。わたしは　こどもが　さんにん　います。むすこは　サッカーを　します。むすめは　ダンスを　します。一か月に　にかい　いっしょに　えんぶを　みます。まいにち　わたしの　むすめは　バレエを　します。そして　まいにち　わたしのむすめのために　くるまのうんでんを　します。たいへんです。そして　うちに　たくさん　ようじが　あります。　でも　わたしの　かぞくが　すきです。　わたしの　かいしゃも　すきです。　わたしは　けんちくかです。しごとで　いそがしいですが　たのしいです。

Katakana Analysis Final

Most of the Katakana my group and I found were loan words on Japanese products.  I think more onomatopoeia would be found in anime.  

Here are two katakana I found:

1. Loanword, コンピューター, computer, Daily Sun Japanese newspaper
This might be written in katakana because scientific and technical terms are often written in katakana.  Also, I realize wikipedia isn't always the best source, but it says, "Katakana were used for telegrams in Japan before 1988, and for computer systems—before the introduction of multibyte characters—in the 1980s. Most computers in that era used katakana instead of kanji or hiragana for output." 

2. Loanword, コーラ, Cola, Coca Cola-flavored hard candy
The purpose of writing this in katakana might be because Cola is a foreign invention, a foreign word, and a name. Katakana is often used for transcribing words from foreign languages.

Some words are transcribed into katakana because it does not make sense to change a foreign name.  It would not have a kanji alternative if the Chinese were not introduced to the foreign word.  The katakana show that the word is foreign or unusual, which helps readers know that they aren't looking at traditional Japanese word.

Each textbook is different in explaining katakana because there are exceptions to why certain words are in katakana.  Some names are in katakana; some are not.  "Computer" could have been written in hiragana or kanji (it's not a loanword, name, or onomatopoeia), but somehow it's in katakana.  Textbooks don't give strict rules for what words are in katakana because there are none.  In general, most katakana are foreign or unusual sounding words, onomatopoeia, words for emphasis, or names.

According to Let's Learn Katakana, by Yasuko Kosaka Mitamura, some katakana has replaced disused or complicated kanji.   Mitamura also adds that katakana was used for all computer work until the 1980's, most likely for its legibility and simplicity.  Furniture, companies, animals and plants, and colloquial expressions are sometimes in katakana.  I have deduced that there are many different reasons for writing certain words in Katakana.

Katakana Literary Works

Katakana Literary work 1: Poem

Katakana Work number 2 

さくぶん２

やまださんへ

こんにちは。わたしはまやです。おげんきですか。

わたしは　バーナードのがくせいです。バーナードに　しんせつなひとが　います。だいかくは　たのしいですが、たくさん　しゅくだいが　あります。

じゅうはっさいです。そして　テネシーから　きました。でも　わたしのははは　にほんじんです。そして　わたしの　そふぼは　よこはまに　すんでいます。　まいねん　にほんへ　いきます。

わたしは　ダンスと　アートが　すきです。いま　いちねんせいですが、さらいねん　けんちくの　せんこうを　します。

アメリカの　たべものが　すきですか。わたしは　にほんの　たべものが　すきです。せんしゅう　ははと
ラーメンの　レストランへ　いきました。

じゃ、また。しち月　ついたちに　きます。でんわを　かけます。

よろしくおねがいします。

麻綾　より

きのうの しゃしん

きのう　チケン　かつを　つくりました。
そして　ごはんと　みそも　たべました。おいしかた。

The Amazing Tetsuya Kumakawa

彼は世界の宝！なりたいです！

Katakana Analysis Draft

Most of the Katakana my group and I found were loan words on Japanese products.  I think more onomatopoeia would be found in anime.  

Here are two katakana I found:
1. Loanword, コンピューター, computer, Daily Sun Japanese newspaper
This might be written in katakana because scientific and technical terms are often written in katakana.  Also, I realize wikipedia isn't always the best source, but it says, "Katakana were used for telegrams in Japan before 1988, and for computer systems—before the introduction of multibyte characters—in the 1980s. Most computers in that era used katakana instead of kanji or hiragana for output."

2. Loanword, コーラ, Cola, Coca Cola-flavored hard candy
The purpose of writing this in katakana might be because Cola is a foreign invention, a foreign word, and a name. Katakana is often used for transcribing words from foreign languages.

Some words are transcribed into katakana because it does not make sense to change a foreign name.  It would be unrecognizable to the foreigners who are familiar with the word.  There also aren't kanji that stand for foreign words because kanji were developed before these words were known.  The katakana show that the word is foreign or unusual, which helps readers know that they aren't looking at traditional Japanese word. 

Each textbook is different in explaining katakana because there are exceptions to why certain words are in katakana.  Some names are in katakana; some are not.  "Computer" could have been written in hiragana or kanji (it's not a loanword, name, or onomatopoeia), but somehow it's in katakana.  Textbooks don't give strict rules for what words are in katakana because there are none.  In general, most katakana are foreign or unusual sounding words, onomatopoeia, words for emphasis, or names.

あした テスト！

I've been studying for the exam for the past 5 hours!

I'm almost finished memorizing katakana.  I just need to remember ソ (そ)、チ（ち)、ワ (わ）、and ヲ（を）.

Time Expressions I Need to Remember:
day before yesterday　おととい
day after tomorrow　あさって
this morning けさ
a.m. ごぜん
p.m.　ごご
this year　ことし
2nd day of the month: ふつか
6th day of the month: むいか
20th day of the month: はつか
weekend:しゅうまつ

I still need to review れんしゅう(Exercise) B&C and もんだ い (Questions) and translate “Sentence Patterns” “Example Sentences” and “Conversation” for lessons 1 through 5.

たくさん　しゅくだいが　ある!
In my computer science class, I have 7 chapters to read in the textbook to be caught up.  I need to finish the 2nd homework assignment for that class, and get started on the 3rd homework assignment.
I'm working on three essays in other classes.
 こんばん しちじからくじまで　ダンスのrehearsalがあります。

わたしの ともだちと あねに てがみをもかきたい。(I also want to write a letter to my friend and little brother...not sure that に is the correct particle here. )

It's going to be a long night. （；_・）
これは ながいと退屈なのポースト。ごめんなさい。m(_ _)m 
(Sorry for the long and boring post.)

Funny Signs in Japanese

New Slang Word

One of my friends had this picture as his profile pic on Facebook, and someone commented, "Did the tree bend by your weight?" He responded, "I'm not that debu."  I think "debu" is Japanese slang for a fat man.  
He's not Japanese, but he lived in Japan for a year working at Disney Sea as a dancer and actor, playing multiple characters!

たれぱんだ, きもの、とけっこんしき

みんなは　ブログに　ペットの（pet)　しゃしんを　のせています。でも、 いぬも　ねこも　かっていません。(But I don't have dogs or cats.)

わたしの　おきにいりの　どうぶつは　パンダです。（My favorite animals are pandas.）  I used to have so many たれぱんだ (Tare Panda) things when I was じゅうにっさい (12 years old)。Tare Panda タオル (Towels), ほん、セーターとTシャツ (sweaters and T-shirts),　かばん、弁当箱 (べんとばこ, or bento boxes), and much more.  By then, Tare Panda merchandise could only be found online since I discovered it about 10 years after it was popular, so my mother (おかあさん) spent a lot of time searching on eBay Japan for me.

Shopping on eBay Japan is my mom's hobby.  きもののショッピングはだいすきです。(She loves shopping for kimonos.)   

ほとんどの場合(Almost always) にちようびに きものをきる。(She'll wear a kimono on Saturdays.) She has so many (around 100, I think)!  I have about 13 kimonos.  Some are summer kimonos (yukata).  I had a pink one for my shichi-go-san.  My favorite kimono now is あか（red) with long sleeves.  Traditionally girls who turn 20 years old (はたち）wear kimonos with long sleeves, but I wore it to my uncle's wedding a few summers ago.  

Japanese weddings （にほんごのけっこんしき）are beautiful.  I love that the bride gets to wear a white kimono (with the wig and everything), a colorful kimono, and a traditional white wedding gown later.  The tea ceremony is cool, too.  I've been to 2 of my uncles' weddings, and I've seen pictures of my parents' wedding.  Someday I dream of having a Japanese wedding and being as pretty （きれい）as my mom was on her wedding day.


I wish I had しゃしん (pictures) of some of my kimonos or weddings I've been to to share, but I'm at college and they're all at home.

きのはわたしの１stにほんごのExamできました。
Actually, I just looked in my Nihongo Notes book, and the correct expression would be "しけんおうけました”。（I took a test.)

わたしのあとさんがごさつにほんごのほんくれました、でもにほんごはまだむずかしいです。

I hope I did okay on the exam.  いまたくさんしくだいあります。べんきょうします。

わたしはおどりがすきです。 よんさいからじゅはっさいまでだんすしました。いままでまいにちだんすします。いち(reason)わたしNew YorkきましたからAmerican Ballet Theaterみたい。

にほんごのげえむしょう

これはおもしろい。
Human Tetris

Why I Want to Study Japanese

I am studying Japanese because I want to speak fluently with my parents and my mother's side of the family.  She is Japanese, and my father is an (American) interpreter and translator for Japanese.  As a child, I went to Japan almost every summer.  I was bilingual, but unfortunately I have lost most of my speaking, reading, and writing abilities in Japanese.  I am excited about learning the language better.  Remembering Japanese words to speak has been the most challenging, while listening comprehension has been pretty simple so far. This is my favorite class at Columbia University.

いちばん

はじめまして。わたしのなまえはまやです。にほんはすばらしいです。わたしのおかあさんはよこはまからきました。にほんにはおいしいたべものがあります。おだんごとおもちがすきです。