Japanese For Dummies

Japanese is a wonderful language, very different from European languages. It is also the gateway to the rich culture of the exciting and complex island nation of Japan. Some people get intimidated by the prospect of speaking Japanese—worried that it’s just too complex and different—but these fears are unfounded. While you can devote a lifetime to the study of this or any language, picking up the basics of Japanese doesn’t require any more than an interest and a willingness to try something new. Japanese For Dummies has everything you need to get off the ground with speaking the language. Author and Professor of Japanese Eriko Sato starts you off with the essentials of grammar and pronunciation, giving you a working sense of the language, before showing you Japanese in action. You’ll then explore vocabulary and expressions through dialogues taking place in situations such as: Introductions and greetings Eating and drink ing Shopping Exploring the town Talking on the telephone Asking directions Getting around Staying at a hotel You’ll also discover social customs, formalities, and manners, from how and when to bow to how to unwrap a present. Whether you simply want to introduce yourself to the Japanese language, say a few words to a neighbor or coworker, or you’re planning a major trip or study abroad in Japan, Japanese For Dummies will enable you to get the basics fast and work towards your own goal at your own pace. You’ll also find out about: How to use karaoke to help you learn Japanese Movies that will introduce you to Japanese culture and language Learning Japanese the “gourmet” way When ignoring “no, thank you” shows good manners Proper table manners Proper body language How to sound fluent And much more! With helpful vocabulary summaries, a mini-dictionary at the end, and an audio CD full of conversations and pronunciations, Japanese For Dummies assumes no prior knowledge of Japanese on your part—providing the perfect guide for a quick-but-thorough, lighthearted-but-not-lightweight introduction to the language.

Learn to write 100 Japanese characters If you want to join the ranks of more than 128 million speakers of Japanese worldwide, this book should be your first stop! Whether studying for school, business, or travel, learning to write the Japanese Kanji characters is essential to gain a working knowledge of this language. Japanese is considered to be the most complicated writing system in the world, with tens of thousands of characters. But with Japanese Character Writing For Dummies, you’ll find easy step-by-step instructions for writing the first 100 Japanese Kanji characters with ease. Includes online bonus content featuring videos, downloadable flashcards, and printable writing pages Offers easy-to-follow instruction for writing 100 Japanese characters Helps you take your understanding of the language to a new level Shows you how to use the written word to communicate with native speakers Learning to write Japanese Kanji characters is fun — and now it’s fast and easy too!

A quick easy reference to pick up and reinforce key Japanese phrases Japanese is the fifth most studied language in the U.S., with over 40,000 college students enrolled in Japanese courses every year, and Japan ranks as the eighth most popular international destination for American travelers. Focusing on real-world language skills that people can put to use right away-from asking directions to talking numbers-this phrasebook is a must for travelers and students. Eriko Sato, PhD, is a native Japanese speaker and Professor of Japanese at SUNY Stony Brook.

Learn to speak Japanese Japanese language enrollment is up by 27.5 percent since 2006, making it the sixth most popular language studied on college campuses. Whether studying for school, business, or travel, Japanese For Dummies provides complete coverage of all Japanese language essentials including grammar, usage, and vocabulary. Complete with free conversational audio tracks online, this handy book offers everything you need to learn the Japanese language to get ahead in class or on a trip to Japan. In no time, you’ll make sense of the language well enough to communicate with native speakers! Includes expanded coverage of grammar, verb conjugations, and pronunciations Provides a refreshed mini-dictionary with even more essential vocabulary Offers useful exercises and practice opportunities Helps you learn to speak conversational Japanese with ease Whether for work, school, or fun, Japanese For Dummies is the fast and easy way to add this language to your skillset!

Japanese for Beginners is a straightforward learning guide which enables beginners to pick up a functional knowledge of spoken Japanese very quickly and easily. This complete Japanese language package has helped many thousands of people learn to speak colloquial Japanese. It is designed for busy people who wish to pick up a working knowledge of Japanese on their own in just a few days, rather than a few years. Japanese for Beginners makes this possible by providing a firm grounding in grammar and sentence structure using dialogues and vocabulary that reflect authentic Japanese situations and manga comic strips to emphasize contemporary culture and humor. Key features of Japanese for Beginners: Practical Japanese phrases help you converse with ease. Comic strips (Japanese manga) and dialogues bring Japanese to life. Exercises help you to practice speaking and listening. Drills and exercises are included in each chapter to help you practice the sentence patterns and vocabulary. About this new edition: Japanese for Beginners is now expanded to include IT, Social Media, mobile phone conversations and texting!

This is an invaluable study guide and practice book for learning basic Japanese kanji. Learning Japanese Kanji Practice Book is intended for beginning students, or experienced speakers who need to practice their written Japanese. Kanji are an essential part of the Japanese language and together with kana (hiragana and katakana) comprise written Japanese. This book presents the kanji characters that are most commonly used. All the kanji and related vocabulary words in this book are those that students are expected to know for Level 5 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. (JLPT). Characters that appear in the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam are flagged. Readings, meanings, and common compounds are presented. The correct method of writing each character is clearly indicated and practice boxes with strokes that can be traced are provided, along with empty boxes for freehand writing practice. Lots of exercises are included to give students the opportunity to practice writing sentences containing the Kanji. Indexes at the back allow you to look up the characters by their readings and English meanings. This kanji book includes: Step-by-step stroke order diagrams for each character. Special boxes with grid lines to practice writing characters. Extra printable practice grids Words and phrases using each kanji. Romanizations (romanji) to help identify and pronounce every word.

A great story can lead a reader on a journey of discovery—especially if it's presented in two languages! Beautifully illustrated in a traditional style, Japanese Stories for Language Learners offers five compelling stories with English and Japanese language versions appearing on facing pages. Taking learners on an exciting cultural and linguistic journey, each story is followed by detailed translator's notes, Japanese vocabulary lists, and grammar points along with a set of discussion questions and exercises. The first two stories are very famous traditional Japanese folktales: Urashima Taro (Tale of a Fisherman) and Yuki Onna (The Snow Woman). These are followed by three short stories by notable 20th century authors: Kumo no Ito (The Spider's Thread) by Akutagawa Ryunosuke (1892-1927) Oborekaketa Kyodai (The Siblings Who Almost Drowned) by Arishima Takeo (1878-1923) Serohiki no Goshu (Gauche the Cellist) by Miyazawa Kenji (1896-1933) Reading these stories in the original Japanese script--and hearing native-speakers read them aloud in the accompanying free audio recording--helps students at every level deepen their comprehension of the beauty and subtlety of the Japanese language. Learn Japanese the fun way—through the country's rich literary history.

Essential Japanese Grammar is an indispensable study guide for students of the Japanese language at all levels. Long the standard in Japanese language education, it provides clear, jargon-free explanations of how Japanese grammar works and offers hundreds of example sentences. It is an essential handbook for self-study or for the classroom and should be a valued resource for years to come. A strong foundation in grammar is vital to those wishing to learn Japanese as a whole. Essential Japanese Grammar presents a number of unique features. First, grammatical terminology has been kept to a minimum so that extensive prior knowledge of grammar is not required. Second, abundant example sentences written in Japanese characters (kana and kanji) followed by romanji and English translations. Third, the authors have tried to reveal aspects of grammar that may not be found in comparable grammar books such as rare Japanese verbs, adjectival nouns, clauses adverbs, etc. This Japanese grammar book contains: parts of speech. sentence constructions. conjugations forms. speech styles and tones. accentuation rules. essential words and functional elements. an appendix for referencing and cross-referencing Japanese words.