Introduction to Japanese Language
Basic understanding andinteresting characteristics of Japanese
Yuto Koriyama
Department of Law and Politics

Writing system of JapaneseThree types of symbols in Japanese• Kanji 漢字 (Chinse character)
About 2,000 symbols in elem. and mid. school combined• Hiragana ひらがな
46 symbols for basically about 100 sounds• Katakana カタカナEach Katakana corresponds to a Hiragana
Mostly used for foreign words

Examples of KanjiHiragana chartKatakana chart

Examples of Katakana words• イングリッシュ• ミルク• スマートホン• マクドナルド• ウイルス• ワクチン• アルバイト• デッサン• ズボン• コンセントWriting system of Japanese
Example

今⽇は⾷堂でコーヒーを飲みました。

Writing system of Japanese
ExampleHiragana
Kanji

Hiragana

Hiragana
Kanji

Katakana

Kanji

Hiragana

今⽇は⾷堂でコーヒーを飲みました。
Todayat the cafeteria

coffeedrunkWhat Japanese words do you know?

Japanese words you may know
• Emoji (絵⽂字/えもじ)🤣🤣🤣
• Kawaii (かわいい)• Karaoke (カラオケ)• Tycoon (⼤君/ たいくん)• Samurai (侍/ さむらい)• Macha (抹茶/ まっちゃ)• Tsunami (津波/ つなみ)
• Judo (柔道/ じゅうどう)Japanese words you must know!
• こんにちはkonʼnichiwa
Hello• はじめましてhajimemashite
Nice to meet you.
• わたしは(name)です watashi-wa(name)desuIʼm (name).
• ありがとうarigatoThanks• ありがとうございます arigatou-gozaimasu
Thank you
• さようなら
sayou-nara
See you• バイバイ
baibai
Bye-bye• はい/いいえhai/ iie
Yes/ No• すき/きらいsuki/ kirailike/ dislike

Interestin
gGrammarCharacteristic grammar of Japanese
Flexible word order(S)OV(私は)コーヒーを飲みます。

(S)VO *Emphatic sentence(私は)飲みます、コーヒーを。

(Watashi-wa) koohii-o nomimasu(Watashi-wa) nomimasu, koohii-o(I + ) coffee + drink(I + ) drink

O(S)V
コーヒーを(私は)飲みます。
koohii-o (Watashi-wa) nomimasu

coffee + ( I + ) drink+ coffee

You can also drop particles (or postpositions)(私は)コーヒーを飲みます(Watashi-wa) koohii-o nomimasu

I drink coffee in the cafeteria
⾷堂で(私は)コーヒーを飲みます。 adv+S+O+V(私は)⾷堂でコーヒーを飲みます。 S+adv+O+V(私は)コーヒーを⾷堂で飲みます。 S+O+adv+V
⾷堂でコーヒーを(私は)飲みます。 adv+O+S+V
コーヒーを⾷堂で(私は)飲みます。 O+adv+S+V
コーヒーを(私は)⾷堂で飲みます。 O+S+adv+V(私は)⾷堂で飲みます、コーヒーを。 S+adv+V+O
⾷堂で(私は)飲みます、コーヒーを。 adv+S+V+O(私は)コーヒーを飲みます、⾷堂で。 S+O+V+advコーヒーを(私は)飲みます、⾷堂で。 O+S+V+adv

Grammatical similarity to Chinese
Adjective clausesThis is ramen [that I cooked].

SVO[SV]

これは[私が作った]ラーメンです。

SV[SV]O这是[我做的]拉⾯。

SV[SV]OGrammatical similarity to Chinese
Sentence-final particles

終助詞/⽂末助詞

Particles which are put at the end of sentences. They donʼt havemeaning themselves but change the meaning of the sentences or
put some nuance to the sentences.
This is yours. ⇒ Is this yours? (inversion)
これはあなたのです⇒これはあなたのですか？
这是你的 ⇒ 这是你的吗？
わかってるよ/我知道呀 (I know) The particles milden the tones/nuances
早く来いよ/快来呀 (Come quickly)
The particles tell you a nuance that the speaker is a bit irritated/ urging you to come/etc… (depending on the contexts and the tones of the speaker.)Grammatical similarity to Chinese
Double subject/ topic-based sentences
Topic

象は⼤象

⿐が⿐⼦

⻑い很⻓

The elephants

the noses

are long.

この公園は桜が有名这座公园

樱花

很有名

This parkcherry blossoms

are famous.

S+S+V(Topic+S+V)(S＋[SV]as V)

Japanese phonology, vocabulary, andhistory of mutual influence with ChineseSimple phonetic system• Only 5 vowels and 14 consonants(cf. 21 vowels and 21 consonants in English;
23 vowels with 4 tones and 36 consonants in Chinese )• Each syllable contains one vowel with/without a consonant⇒ Many syllables in a word to differentiate each word.
Ex. ) “あたたかい(atatakai)” (5 syllables) for “hot” (1 syl.)“わたしは あたたかい ぎゅうにゅうを のみました” (18 syl.)(watasiwa tumetai gyuunyuuo nomimashita) for “I drunk hot milk” (4 syl.)• Pronunciation of each syllable is highly regular with the written
system, unlike English.

Hiragana chart

Hiragana chart

Influence from Chinese• After introducing Chinese characters, Chinese characters
were used as a writing system for Japanese. At the sametime, innumerable Chinese words were introduced toJapanese.
• At a much later time, Hiragana and Katakana were invented,derived from Chinese characters.
• Even after the invention of the two, official documents werewritten only with Chinese characters until the 19th c.

Different ways to read a Kanji• 訓読み (Kunʼyomi) meaning reading
The reading based on the pronunciation of a native Japanese word.
Ex.) 開く/hiraku、打つ/utsu、会う/au、読む/yomu、⽔/mizu、⽝/inu• ⾳読み (Onʼyomi) sound(-based) reading or Sino-Japanese reading
The reading based on the historical Chinese pronunciation of thecharacter.
Ex.) 開/kai、打/da、会/kai/e、読/doku、⽔/sui、⽊/moku、⽝/kenCf.) in CH: 開/kai, 打/da, 会/hui, 読/du, ⽔/shui, ⽊/mu, ⽝/quan
Cantonese:開/hoi, 打/daa, 会/wui, 読/duk, ⽔/seoi, ⽊/muk, ⽝/hyunDifferent readings in onʼyomi• The possible ways of onʼyomi (Sino-Japanese reading) differ depending on the time
when a Chinese word was introduced to Japanese, classified into 3 categories.

• 呉⾳/go-on
Introduced before the 7th c. Used especially on terms related to Buddhism.

• 漢⾳/kanʼonIntroduced around the 7th and 8th c.

• 唐⾳/ to-on
Introduced around the 11th to 19th c. Came from a variety of periods and regions.

• Both go-on and kanʼon are based on the classical pronunciations of Chinesecharacters, so many of them sound similar to pronunciations of Southern Chinese
languages such as Cantonese and Min Chinese, which also preserve characteristics ofMiddle Chinese well, and Hakka Chinese, whose phonology was said to be formed
during the Song Dynasty.

Similarity to Cantonese
Kanji

Meaning

Japanese

Cantonese

Chinese簡単

Easy

KantanGaandaan

Jiandan

⾃殺

SuicideJisatsu

ZisaatZisha

了解

OK/ I understandRyoukai

Liugaai

Liaojie

時間

Time

Jikan

SigaanShijian

散歩

StrollSampo

Saanbou

Sanbu

⽬EyeMoku

MukMu

⼒Power

Riki

Lik

Li

Similarity to Mandarin
Kanji

Meaning

Japanese

ChineseCantonese

図書館

Library

Toshokan

Tushuguan

Tousyugun

安⼼Feel at ease

Anshin

Anxin

Onsam

新鮮FreshShinsen

Xinxian

Sansin

修理

RepairShuuriXiuli

Saulei

開始StartKaishiKaishi

Hoici

⾖腐Tofu

Touhu

Doufu

Daufu

困難

Difficulty

KonnanKunnanKwannaanA Kanji with the most ways to read⽣• セイ/sei (Kanʼon)• ショウ/shou (Goʼon)• ジョウ/jou• い(きる)/i(kiru)• う(まれる)/u(mareru)• は(える)/ha(eru)• なま/nama• お(う)/o(u)• き/ki9 ways for ordinary use, but even more

Different forms of the same Chinese characters
Type

MeaningWide, large
JP≠CS≠CT

Sell
Recognize
JP=CT, JP≠CS

Forgive
Change
JP=CS, JP≠CT

Body
CS=CT
JP≠CS/CTIceWindowJapanese

CH (simplified)

CH (traditional)

広売認
許変体氷窓⼴卖认许变体冰窗廣賣認許變體冰窗Words in Chinese characters that have different
meanings from Chinese
Kanji (JP/CH)

Pronunciation(JP/CH)Japanese

Chinese勉強/勉强Benkyo/MianqiangStudy

To force sb to do

⼿紙/⼿纸Tegami/Shouzhi

LetterToilet paper

湯/汤

Yu/Tang

Hot water, bath

Soup

明⽩

Meihaku/Mingbai

Obvious

Understand

愛⼈/爱⼈

Aijin/AirenLover

Loved one, partner

⾛Sou/ZouRun

Walk丈夫

Joubu/Zhangfu

ToughHusband

Kanjis that donʼt exist in Chinese
•峠
•笹•畑
•働•枠
•辻

mountain passbamboo grassfieldwork
frame(used for names)

Similar phenomena happened in Korea and Vietnam as well.

Influence TO Chinese
• 哲学
• 科学
• 物理
• 電気
• 世界
• 思想

philosophy
sciencephysics
electricity
world
thought

• 社会
• 主席
• ⽬的
• ⺠主
• 説明
• ⾃由

society
Chairmanobjectdemocracy
explainfreedomGames and InteractionSelf-introduction
⾃⼰紹介• Name• Home country/ town
• Hobby• Anything you like or know about Japan (if any)

Try to write your name in Japanese
⾃分の名前を⽇本語で書いてみようLetʼs try to write your name in Hiragana, Katakana, and/orKanji with help from your Japanese fellows

カルタKaruta• The reader of your group reads out the name of a card, andthen the players race to find the card.
• You can see the list of names on the cards. If you feel itʼs tooeasy to play with the list, you can also try without it.
• You can also adjust the number of cards

Concentration
神経衰弱• Put all cards upside down.
• When your turn comes, you can open 2 cards. If the two are aname and an image that correspond each other, you can takethe cards.
• After taking cards, you can try again until you fail.
• The player who gets the most cards at the end is the winner.

Try translate your favorites into Japanese
好きなものを⽇本語に訳してみよう• Letʼs try to translate your favorite words(colors, proverbs,etc.), names of animals, something about your hobbies, oranything into Japanese working together.
• You can also translate the phrases that you want to use inJapan or talk about culture or any.