Indeed. I can read Japanese (somewhat sorta) in Romaji but can only differentiate kana characters in written Japanese. But I think many people find it easier to be functional speaking a language than reading and writing in it.Originally Posted by ToomuchStuff
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington
I am pretty good at languages and began learning Spanish in the sixth grade; still intermediately fluent. HOWEVER, I tried to learn Japanese, and it confounded me.
My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished two bags of M&Ms and a chocolate cake. I feel better already!
Merriam-Webster: Definition of oriental
1 or Oriental : of, relating to, or situated in the orient
2 or Oriental : of, relating to, or coming from Asia and especially eastern Asia oriental food oriental art —now sometimes considered offensive especially when used to describe a person
3 Oriental : of, relating to, or constituting the biogeographic region that includes Asia south and southeast of the Himalayas and the Malay Archipelago west of Wallace's line
4 a : of superior grade, luster, or value
b : being corundum or sapphire but simulating another gem in color
My children are Korean and we only used "oriental" to refer to objects - not people. We always referred to people as "Asian" in general, or the specific ethnicity (i.e. Korean) if known.
Again, that's just how we used it.
To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." Mahatma Gandhi
Be nice whenever possible. It's always possible. HH Dalai Lama
In a world where you can be anything - be kind. Unknown
I speak a moderate amount of Japanese.
It is not similar to Romance languages (much), but it isn't terribly difficult to learn in an immersive environment, at least to be able to speak at the level of a child or barbarian. The "real" language is quite a bit more nuanced, but you are not generally expected to understand or be able to use the subtleties - for instance, there are ~15 first personal singular pronouns.... It has some really fascinating features.
I'd think an English speaker with a good ear could become proficient enough to order food/find the restroom/apologize/ask for directions without much trouble. It's the effort of trying that seems to count - pretty much everyone my age or younger in Japan, in the urban areas, speaks much better English than I speak Japanese. The younger folks also seem to be dispensing with much of the overly formal parts of the Japanese language.
Have fun!
This is my experience as well. I actually took two classes (at work) in Japanese and found it very different from English. The alphabet, sentence syntax, the whole relative-pronoun thing (often the difference between singular and plural is determined by conversational context; there's the ways of numbering items based on their shape [flat, cylindrical, etc.]), and more.
Fortunately, basic Japanese follows a fairly consistent form, so if you learn how to ask where the JR station is, you also know how to ask for the post office, the sushi-ya, etc. We got along decently in Japan (three visits) making a little effort to find English-language subway maps, staying at hotels at which English was spoken, and learning a few key phrases ("Sumimasen!" "Excuse me!"). We got lost a few times and, as long as we could point to the address or the name of the place we wanted (in Japanese) people were very happy to help. Doesn't hurt to learn a few social customs, either, like using both hands to hand something to someone (or receive an item from someone) or finding out how to say "That was delicious" after omakase.
(can you tell going back to Japan is my bucket-list trip?)
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington
Has anyone studied Yiddish? I have an opposite concern. I took German classes before. Would the languages be so similar that I would confuse the two?
I don't think so - I know several Germanic languages, and it has only been helpful to have more, not terribly confusing at all.
Well despite Askenazi surnames amongst her ancestors my mother's DNA test turned up no Jewish ancestry, and I have lost my motivation to learn Yiddish. But Dado Potato's borscht post did get me thinking about the language. I associate Russia with borscht, but he wrote "schmecht" which is German, and maybe Yiddish too? The Borscht Belt is Jewish.
I can't address the Yiddish/German thing, but I studied Spanish and Italian, and only rarely got them mixed up. In fact, I had four distinct language classes in a row on a daily basis and was able to switch pretty readily.
Good to know Jane.
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