Learning Japanese

disneysamurai

I’ve been studying Japanese for about 3 1/2 years. Japanese is labeled as a Category IV language alongside Arabic, Korean, and Chinese, meaning “Languages which are exceptionally difficult for native English speakers.”

Japanese for me is easy but it’s also difficult, if that makes any sense. On the CEFR scale I’m borderline A2 and B1, so upper beginner/intermediate. I find reading and writing Japanese to be easier than speaking and listening.

One thing that’s great is when speaking with a Japanese person in Japanese, even if you know very little, they get excited and will even say “日本語上手！“ (Nihongo jozu - Your Japanese is good). Of course the better you get, you get asked questions like “日本に住んでいますか” (Nihon ni sunde imasu ka - Do you live in Japan?”

I’ve only been to Japan once but hoping to make it out there again in a year or two.

ksb30

Miss japan! I used to live close to dc and air china would do round trip to Osaka Kansai for around 470 round trip ... then covid wrecked it. I went fpur times in one year in 2019. Anyway good luck to you your post brought back travel memories

BlueIris

Language learning is so much fun! Knowing even a few words of another language opens up a new world.

Hope your travel plans materialize.

trysdet

Id be ok being Japanese in my next incarnation

SweetCuddler33

@disneysamurai so amazing that you are learning to speak, read and write the Japanese language.. I love learning .. it’s never too late and you’re never too old to learn something new., I’ve been to Japan a few times to visit a foreign exchange student ( we think of him as a family member) that I hosted at my home for several months about 10 years ago.. I love the Japanese culture.. I understand and can speak the language, though, not, fluently.. I found it easier to learn than Chinese and Arabic..I speak Danish ( Dansk), German, Polish, Italian , Spanish ..a little Russian … would like to learn French..

BearCraft

I miss Japan, I was stationed there for 6 years. Never could learn the language though, I did try, I took even took courses. I was only ever able to retain simple phrases.