日本語会話: The Japanese Conversation Thread

[Firestorm]

(Text about how to type in japanes)

cool, now i just need to find the disc so i can start typing in japanese

That's like "Long time no see," so you'd just reply with something appropriate... like maybe, 「ええ、そうですね。おひさしぶりですね」

Thanks, i knew it meant something like "long time no see" I just wasnt sure how to reply, every class when i arrive i go through the same conversation with my teacher,
Sensei: oo [name]san, konnichiwa
Me: Konnichiwa
Sensei: Genki desuka?
Me: Hai, Genki desu
Sensei: Hisashiburidesune
Me: ..... (i havnt been sure what to answer with)

[GoktimusPrime]

Perhaps you could answer with 「へええ、そんなにおひさしぶりじゃないとおもいますよ。」... cos don't you see your teacher on a regular basis? "ひさしぶり" is something you usually say if you haven't seen someone in ages.

Also, if you're ever stuck on how to reply to someone in Japanese, this will help:
How to speak fluent Japanese without saying a word
Part 2

[GoktimusPrime]

I found the Japanese word for "Blobfish" -- it's ニュウドウカジカ Nyuudoukajika

...now I know the Japanese word for what is probably nature's f'ugliest animal.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yesterday one of my senior students pointed out something rather enlightening that I'd never noticed before -- we were talking about the cinematic technique used in anime, and about how anime, especially Shojo Anime, focuses on the eyes to transmit emotions to the audience. Anyway, this student points out that in her observation, Japanese culture tends to look at the eyes for emotion whereas Western culture looks at the mouth. I looked at her in a perplexed way, and she pointed out the differences between Western and Japanese emoticons -- Western emoticons often alter the mouth whereas Japanese emoticons tend to change the eyes. Holy cow, she's right!!

Western emoticons: :-) :-D :-S :-( >:-( :-O :-/ :-P etc.

Japanese emoticons: (^_^) (O_o) (x_X) (の_の) (「_「) (T_T) (>_>) (>_<) (V_V) (@_@) etc.

...obviously there are exceptions, but generally speaking I think it's a fair observation.

[Bartrim]

A customer of mine owns a sushi bar (claims he is going to be the McDonalds of sushi bars) The business is spelt Mia-Suma. How would you pronounce this Gok?

[gekisou]

A customer of mine owns a sushi bar (claims he is going to be the McDonalds of sushi bars) The business is spelt Mia-Suma. How would you pronounce this Gok?

I'll answer? That ok?

Its Me ah su(as in sushi) ma (as in mother). And really? The Maccers of Sushi?

[Bartrim]

I'll answer? That ok?

Its Me ah su(as in sushi) ma (as in mother). And really? The Maccers of Sushi?

Thats what I thought. This clown always "corrects" me telling me it's pronounced "My-ah Summer"

[GoktimusPrime]

From here...

Here's a question for you Goki, How is Subaru pronounced officially.

I been hearing Subaru as it is in Asian countries and In US/Aus Suburu is used? Which is right?

Simplistically put, it's "Soo-baa-roo."
If you want a more a more proper pronunciation, then consider this approximation guide for pronouncing Japanese vowels.
"a" as in father
"i" as in igloo
"u" as in full
"e" as in egg
"o" as in rock

P.S.: Listen to the way 'Subaru' is pronounced right at the very beginning of this Japanese Subaru Forester commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y73qbUcWdeo

[drifand]

From here...

Simplistically put, it's "Soo-baa-roo."
If you want a more a more proper pronunciation, then consider this approximation guide for pronouncing Japanese vowels.
"a" as in father
"i" as in igloo
"u" as in full
"e" as in egg
"o" as in rock

P.S.: Listen to the way 'Subaru' is pronounced right at the very beginning of this Japanese Subaru Forester commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y73qbUcWdeo

Should I forward this to Subaru australia? It kinds of bugs me when people don't know how to pronounce their own company name.

[GoktimusPrime]

Should I forward this to Subaru australia? It kinds of bugs me when people don't know how to pronounce their own company name.

Umm... that's entirely up to you?

But really, a LOT of people mispronounce words even if it's the name of their company or field of interest etc.
e.g.
* Karate <--- mispronounced as "Kah-rah-tee," but proper pronunciation is "Kah-Rah-Teh."
* Karaoke <--- mispronounced as "Carry-oh-kee," but proper pronunciation is "Kah-Rah-Oh-Keh."
* Juujutsu <--- mispronounced and misspelt as "Jiujitsu" ("Jew-Jit-soo") but proper pronunciation is "Joo-jee-tsoo."
* Mitsubishi <--- mispronounced as "Mit-soo-bi-shi," but proper pronunciation is "Mi-tsoo-bi-shi."
* Toyota <--- mispronounced as "Toh-yoh-tah," or "Toy-oh-tah," but proper pronunciation is "Toyo-tah."
* Nissan <--- mispronounced as "Nis-sən," ("Niss'n") but proper pronunciation is "Niss-Sun."
* Daihatsu <--- mispronounced as "Dye-hat-soo," but proper pronunciation is "Dye-hah-tsoo."
* Nunchaku <--- mispronounced and misspelt as "Nunchucks" but proper pronunciation is "Noon-chah-koo."
* Henkei <--- I've heard this mispronounced as "Hen-kee" and "Hen-kai," but the correct pronunciation is "Hen-KAY."

English speakers frequently mispronounce words from other languages too. Heck, there are people who speak English as their first and only language who mispronounce English words!