What Languages Can You Speak?

[Barracuda]

I'm a native English speaker. I can also speak a fair amount of Spanish. I can read and write Spanish alot better than I can speak it though.
I have always wanted to learn Inuit which alot of my relatives speak but I've never found the time.

[Gooseberrysoda]

I'm fluent in english and I know some Hungarian and Spanish... so I guess 2.

[sputnik]

As a Canadian, I'm pretty fluent in both English and French. I've taken classes in Old English, which are completely useless. My knowledge in Germanic and Romance languages usually gets me by in reading German and Spanish, though I can't speak them at all.

[Breetai]

"両新" means "new" as in "あただし” for kunyomi.

You mean 「あたらしい」? (^_^);

Yup! That's what happens when you learn everything vocally and not by studying from a text. I really can't spell to save my life. Unless the local dialect where I live actually does say あただし... but I doubt it, as I live in Kanto.

[Josh]

I speak predominantly English, but I'm taking some Spanish classes, so I put down Bilingual.

[Inazuma]

"両新" means "new" as in "あただし” for kunyomi.

You mean 「あたらしい」? (^_^);

Yup! That's what happens when you learn everything vocally and not by studying from a text. I really can't spell to save my life. Unless the local dialect where I live actually does say あただし... but I doubt it, as I live in Kanto.

Wow. It makes sense now. あたらしい　would sound like あただし　if you weren't familiar with the sounds you make in Japanese. If you can't spell Japanese, you can't speak Japanese either since they are one and the same. For example, I learned mostly from text but I know exactly how to pronounce everything since it's the same as how it's written. You are living in Japan but you haven't learned the language that well yet? How long have you been there?

One last question for Breetai only:
What's the Japanese word for "dragon" and can you explain how you pronounce it? I'm interested to find out the answer. Thanks.

[Breetai]

It makes sense now. あたらしい　would sound like あただし　if you weren't familiar with the sounds you make in Japanese.

I am 100% familiar with the sounds. I am not 100% familiar with the spelling. Say it quickly... it sounds almost the same. If I say this word to a Japanese person, they 100% understand me.

If you can't spell Japanese, you can't speak Japanese either since they are one and the same. For example, I learned mostly from text but I know exactly how to pronounce everything since it's the same as how it's written.

You're wrong. Well, your text is. On paper, it should sound the same... but does all English sound the same? Of course not. Kids speak differently, adult do, farmers do, salarymen do, etc. Some speak quickly, some speak slowly. On and on.

You are living in Japan but you haven't learned the language that well yet? How long have you been there?

Like I said, I can speak it just fine. I've NEVER formally studied it or used a text book. I can read (including quite a few kanji), but I don't spell well at all.

One last question for Breetai only:
What's the Japanese word for "dragon" and can you explain how you pronounce it? I'm interested to find out the answer. Thanks.

[/quote]It's ryu (ryuu). That's probably onyomi. I have no idea what kunyomi would be and I don't feel like looking it up. The kanji is 龍. At first I thought it was "ryu", but it's "ryuu" that brings up the correct kanji on the windows menu.

The "r" is a very lazy sounding "r". If you haven't lived here or spoken with many Japanese people, you probably can't pronounce it correctly.

Did I pass your test?

[Inazuma]

It's ryu (ryuu). That's probably onyomi. I have no idea what kunyomi would be and I don't feel like looking it up. The kanji is 龍. At first I thought it was "ryu", but it's "ryuu" that brings up the correct kanji on the windows menu.

The "r" is a very lazy sounding "r". If you haven't lived here or spoken with many Japanese people, you probably can't pronounce it correctly.

Did I pass your test?

Ryuu is the correct answer. I picked this one in particular because of the long vowel and how difficult it is to pronounce. The correct way sounds almost exactly like the English word "you" but it has light "r" sound before it. There shouldn't be any pause after the "r" either. I haven't been to Japan but I watch a ton of Japanese TV so I've heard it spoken many times. I had to practice it a lot on my own before I could say it correctly.

If you wanna hear the incorrect way to pronounce "ryuu", just listen to any random American talk about the Ryuu from Street Fighter. They will either say "rye you" or "ree you", both with hard sounding "r"s.

Knowing which words have long or short vowels is important. For example, しゅじん　主人　and しゅうじん　囚人. You are right about both being understood correctly based on the context but I still think it's important to learn the correct pronunciation.

*edit*
Oh also, I am sorry if it sounded like I was saying you suck at Japanese. What I meant to say was, your ability to speak correctly is not as good as it could be since you aren't exactly sure of the pronunciation.

[Breetai]

Ryuu is the correct answer.

Ummmm... I didn't really need your help on that. The double う is what brought up the correct kanji. I already knew the kanji to choose. Would you know it without reference?

I picked this one in particular because of the long vowel and how difficult it is to pronounce.

It's easy to pronounce for me, as I've been surrounded and immersed in the language for years. Have you?

The correct way sounds almost exactly like the English word "you" but it has light "r" sound before it. There shouldn't be any pause after the "r" either.

Thanks for the lesson... BTW, it's not an "r" sound. English doesn't have the same sound as ら、り、る、れ、ろ produces.

I haven't been to Japan but I watch a ton of Japanese TV so I've heard it spoken many times. I had to practice it a lot on my own before I could say it correctly.

I worry about which pronouns you might use to address people if you actually came here.

If you wanna hear the incorrect way to pronounce "ryuu", just listen to any random American talk about the Ryuu from Street Fighter. They will either say "rye you" or "ree you", both with hard sounding "r"s.

Again, why are you trying to teach me this? I speak conversational Japanese... with Japanese people in Japan! I also hear how foreigners mispronounce just about everything. I guess I should go hunt for random Americans to talk about Street Fighter with... but I'd rather not.

Knowing which words have long or short vowels is important. For example, しゅじん　主人　and しゅうじん　囚人. You are right about both being understood correctly based on the context but I still think it's important to learn the correct pronunciation.

*edit*
Oh also, I am sorry if it sounded like I was saying you suck at Japanese. What I meant to say was, your ability to speak correctly is not as good as it could be since you aren't exactly sure of the pronunciation.

Yeah, you said exactly that I suck at Japanese. I know how to pronounce things just fine, as I have said already. I've also said that I'm not good at writing, and I have no interest in writing Japanese fluently... at all. I have no need to take any of the JLPT tests. I can read alright, and that's enough.

Are you going to keep going telling someone who's been speaking Japanese, in Japan with Japanese people daily, for years what you've learned from your textbook and anime? How do you think I converse with my in-laws who don't speak barely a word of English?

I know you're trying to be nice and help (I'm really not trying to be an ass), but to be honest I most certainly have more experience with real colloquial Japanese than you do. That's a far cry from what you hear in Anime. If I walked around speaking like Maruko-chan, Shin-chan or Naruto, I'd be laughed at. Talking like Sazae-san is fine, though. It's on TV every Sunday at about 7.00pm, right after Maruko on NHK. Check it out. There will be no sub-titles to help.

[wakeup]

So, Breetai, how did you end up in Japan? Must have been hard learning a foreign language.