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Saturday, October 18, 2008

Oh yeah, so THIS is why I haven't learned Japanese yet.

How to count to ten in Japanese: ichi, ni, san, yon, go, roku, nana, hachi, kyu, juu.

How to count flat things like paper, Cd's, shirts, plates and pizzas: imai, nimai, sanmai, yonmai, gomai, rokumai, nanamai, hachimai, kyumai, jumai.

How to count books (which aren't included in the flat things): issatsu, nisatsu, sansatsu, yonsatsu, gosatsu, rokusatsu, nanasatsu, hachisatsu, kyusatsu, jusatsu

How to count electronics, appliances and bicycles: ichidai, nidai, sandai, yondai, godai, rokudai, nanadai, hachidai, kyudai, judai.

How to count candy, coins, pencils, furniture, hats, cups, bowls and boxes: ikko, niko, sanko, yonko, goko, rokko, nanako, hachiko, kyuko, juko.

How to count minutes: ippun, nifun, sanpun, yofun, gofun, roppun, nanafun, hachipun, kyufun, juppun.

How to count shoes and socks: issoku, nisoku, sansoku, yonsoku, gosoku, rokusoku, nanasoku, hachisoku, kyusoku, jusoku.

How to count trees, bananas, knives, spoons and forks: ippon, nihon, sanbon, yonhon, gohon, roppon, nanahon, hachihon, kyuhon, juppon.

How to count small animals like dogs, cats and fish: ihiki, nihiki, sanbiki, yonhiki, gohiki, roppiki, nanahiki, hachipiki, kyuhiki, jupiki.

How to count large animals like cows, lions, horses and elephants: ichito, nito, santo, yonto, goto, rokuto, nanato, hachito, kyuto, juto.

How to count people: hitori, futari, sannin, yonnin, gonin, rokunin, nananin, hachinin, kyunin, junin.

How to count coats, jackets, suits, pants and skirts (but not shirts, because those are flat, remember?): ichaku, nichaku, sanchaku, yonchaku, gochaku, rokuchaku, nanachaku, hachichaku, kyuchaku, juchaku.

6 comments:

Maria Elena said...

They say English is one of the easiest languages to learn.
The sad reality is that most Americans can't even come close to speaking fluent English.

Suzie said...

I heard it was one of the hardest to learn...

Debi Hobelman said...

ganbarimashou, ne? :)

Suzie said...

Arigato san!

Anonymous said...

argh...and Korean is even Harder. I'm just glad the koreans tend to speak English a bit more fluently - at least near Seoul.

Samantha said...

I noticed that when we were in Seoul, too, Rick. I remember feeling like that was nice.

I always heard English is one of the hardest to learn too. We have "rules" but none of them make sense and they are inconsistent.

As far as these things about counting go, it kind of makes me mad! Why on earth would you need these things in your language?!?! Well, it makes me mad if I'm trying to learn Japanese, which I'm not. If I were you I'd give up on those counting things and just learn how to say, "Ok, I'm going to count frogs now and use the basic counting" and say ichi ni san. You're American, they'll understand.

I think understanding what people are saying goes a long way so that's better than nothing, even if you can't talk back.

Go to YouMe town and Happy Town for me, I loved those places.