Basic
Japanese
For Anime And Manga
Today’s Topics:
•Japanese Writing Systems
•Some Basic Phrases
•How All This Shows Up In Anime/Manga
•Resources (Books, Websites, etc.)
Okay, let’s get started...
Japanese Uses
FOUR Different Writing Systems
Kanji
Hiragana
Katakana
Romaji
Writing System #1
• Kanji
– Imported from China
– each symbol is a
“word”
– some based on
pictures
– Literally thousands!!
– At least 2
pronunciations
down, under, lower
KA/GE/shita, etc.
sun
JITSU / NICHI / ka / hi
mountain
SAN/yama
(as in Fuji-san)
At least TWO pronunciations??
On-yomi=“Chinese reading”
Kun-yomi=“Japanese reading”
When used in combinations: On-yomi
(transcribed using upper case letters & katakana)
When kanji appear alone: Kun-yomi
(transcribed using lower case letter & hiragana)
but, of course, there are MANY exceptions!
For example:
This kanji stands for
“water” in English
It’s On-yomi is SUI It’s
Kun-yomi is mizu
sun
tree, wood
JITSU / NICHI /
BOKU / MOKU / ki
Kanji can
also be
combined
to form
new
characters
ka / hi
east
TO, higashi
This is the first kanji in the name
of the Japanese capitol, TO-KYO
Kanji Can Also Be
Quite Complex & Similar!
read – TOKU/DOKU/yo(mu)
language - GO / kata(ru) / kata(rau) “nihon-go”
way, path – DOU/michi as in “judo”
Writing Systems #2 & #3
• Kana
– sets of syllables
– two are used
• Hiragana
• Katakana
Hiragana
• each symbol is a
syllable
• based on kanji
• Japanese
grammar
• Japanese words
Katakana
• each symbol is a
syllable
• More “angular”
than hiragana
• foreign words
• often used in
manga
More kana sounds
In addition to the basic kana symbols, more
sounds can be made by adding º or ´´
ka + ´´ = ga
ho + ´´= bo
ho + º = po
Finally, Writing System #4
• Romaji/Romanji
– simply the same
letters that we use
in English
– used to
“transliterate”
Japanese to be
spoken by English
speakers
KATAKANA: Kya-t(u) “cat” in English
KANJI: Tou Nin Den literally “groupsecret-legend.” Nin is from ninja.
HIRAGANA:
Te-ya-n-de-e
Yattaro's (Speedy's)
catch phrase. It
doesn't really have an
English translation,
but it means
something like
"Watch out!" or "No
way!".
ROMANJI:
EDOROPOLIS
hometown of Pizza Cats
Kyat-tou Ninden Teyandeh
“Cat Ninja Legend – Watch Out!”
Now, for some phrases...
Let’s practice:
KONNICHI WA “HELLO”
(Your last name) DES(u). My name is (------).
O-NAMAE WA NAN DES(u) KA? What is your name?
O-GENKI DES(u) KA? How are you?
GENKI DES(u). ANATA WA? I’m fine. And you?
HAJIMEMASHITE. Pleased to meet you.
(Only used the FIRST time you meet someone)
So, now you can say...
Nihongo o sukoshi hanashimasu.
I speak a little Japanese.
...and...
Wakarimasu.
I understand.
How Does
All This
Work
In Anime
&
Manga?
This is Manta Oyamada
from SHAMAN KING:
Let’s take it one step at a
time:
His name is written in both
kanji & hiragana.
HIRAGANA:
MA-N-TA on the right
KANJI:
O-YAMA-DA on the left
So, it actually reads:
Oyamada Manta
Again, here’s
Amidamaru from
SHAMAN KING:
His name is also in
kanji & hiragana.
A-MI-DA- (kanji)
-RE (kanji+hiragana)
There is NO “ma” in the
written Japanese!
Okay, now it’s your turn...use the handouts to
figure out what noise the monster is making, the
spaceship, etc. from this page from RAVE
MASTER 7.
GU-SHI-KA
pi-ta
giyaoooooo...
zuzuzouso
do-go-o-----so
FU-GOOOOO!!
Next, the spoken language...
YOU isn’t just YOU in Japanese!!
omae, onore, kisama, anata, anta, kimi, and onushi
Japanese teenagers and young adults are starting to use omae as an allpurpose pronoun analogous to the English "you.“
Omae
Teenagers starting to use as all-purpose “you”
Romantic connotation
Afamiliar form of address (speaker is brash, casual , and
doesn't respect convention)
Use it with caution.
Kisama
Masculine form of address which can be openly insulting.
The Hero uses omae, his villainous counterpart uses
kisama to indicate his distaste for the person.
Onore
Once formal usage, now considered rude and offensive.
Anata
Used when speaking with social inferiors
Can be made insulting by tone of voice,
BUT it also an endearment when a woman uses it to speak
with her husband.
Anta
a variant of anata used by women, not necessarily rude.
Kimi
male speech, speaking to people you have direct authority
over, i.e. a vice-president speaking to the secretary, or a
teacher addressing a student. Kimi is also how a boy refers
to his girlfriend.
Onushi
Archaic polite usage
sounds quaint when used in modern speech.
...and I isn’t just I
watashi, watakushi, atashi, boku, ore, sessha, washi, and atai.
Watashi Polite without indicating deference or formality
Boku Used by young men (and young women actively emulating male
behavior).
Ore
Even more overtly masculine, and implies either that a man is
speaking among intimates (at the least that there are no women
present) or that he is aggressively macho.
Atashi Strictly feminine speech.
Watakushi An older form of watashi. Slightly more formal
Indicates that the speaker is paying conscious attention to
decorum. Watakushi is favored by women, but might also be
used by men, especially in the service industry.
Sessha An older form, and implies courtliness and modesty.
Washi Used by older men in positions of authority.
Atai
Associated with the lower class.
Opening Song from Urusei Yatsura
Ammari sowasowa shinaide.
Anata wa itsudemo kyorokyoro.
Yosomi o suru no wa yamete yo!
Watashi ga dare yori ichiban
Suki yo... suki yo... suki yo!
suki yo... suki yo... suki yo...
suki yo... suki yo... suki yo...
suki yo... suki yo... suki yo!
Don't get so fidgety!
You're always looking all over the place!
Stop looking away from me!
More than anyone else,
I love you, love you, love you the best!
love you, love you, love you!
love you, love you, love you!
love you, love you, love you!
Hoshitachi ga kagayaku yofuke
Yumemiru no anata no subete.
Aishite mo anata wa shiramburi de.
Imagoro wa dare ka ni muchuu.
On nights when the stars are twinkling
I dream all about you.
I love you, but you act like you don't know.
I bet you're crazy for someone else by now!
Aa otoko no hitotte
Ikutsu mo ai o motteiru no ne.
Aa achikochi ni baramaite
Watashi o nayamaseru wa.
Ah! Men all have so many loves.
Ah! You're spreading them all over,
and making me worry!
Ammari sowasowa shinaide.
Anata wa itsudemo kyorokyoro.
Yosomi o suru no wa yamete yo!
Watashi ga dare yori ichiban.
Don't get so fidgety!
You're always looking all over the place!
Stop looking away from me!
More than anyone else, I love you the best!
Aa otoko no hitotte nannin
suki na hito ga hoshii no.
Aa watashi dake aishite yo
Itsudemo hitori dake o.
Ah! How many lovers does a man want?
Ah! Love only me, and me alone, always.
Ammari sowasowa shinaide.
Anata wa itsudemo kyorokyoro.
Yosomi o suru no wa yamete yo!
Watashi ga dare yori ichiban.
Watashi ga itsudemo ichiban.
Anata no subete ga
Suki yo... suki yo... suki yo... suki yo...
suki yo... suki yo... Ichiban suki yo!
Don't get so fidgety!
You're always looking all over the place!
Stop looking away from me!
More than anyone else, I love you the best!
Always the best! Everything about you, I love,
love, love, love, love, love, I love you the best!
Contributed by AnimEigo
http://www.animeigo.com
Selected Internet Resources
100 Most Essential Words In Anime
Kanji: Japanese Characters
www.yale.edu/anime/glossary.html
www.harapan.co.jp/english/japan/kanji.htm
About.com's Japanese Language site
The Kanji Site
japanese.about.com
www.kanjisite.com
Japan Central's Beginner Level Japanese Classes
Nihongo de anata no namae!
home.threeweb.ad.jp/english/jpncntrl/bgnr_s_g.html
(Your Name In Japanese)
Learn Japanese with the Pizza Cats
www.e.kth.se/~e96_dsa/www/nihongo/eng_onamae.html
members.aol.com/PrncssVi/lessons
Tsunami Channel Script Site: Japanese
Reiko-chan's Japanese for Anime Lovers
www.fstream.net/~akira/project/japanese/index.html
physics.uwyo.edu/~brent/jal/jal-home.htm
Anime Cafe
Japanese Kanji Calligraphy
www.abcb.com
http://www5.big.or.jp/~otake/hey/fude00.htm
Anime Lyrics
Kana for Anime Fans
www.animelyrics.com
web.cs.mun.ca/~anime/afs/kana.html
Sayonara