NEW!ってなってる所の「日本に住む外国人が好きな日本人」って見た時、一瞬意味分からなかったのよ。で、あぁ俺みたいな人かって思ったけど実際は違う意味だった。笑 みんなは分かる？

これ考え方によって３通りの意味になるよね。「日本に住む外国人、その人たちに好かれてる日本人」と「外国人の事を好きな日本に住む日本人」と「日本に住んでる外国人のを好きな日本人（この日本人は日本に住んでる人限定ではない）」。

外国人男が好きな日本人女とかいるじゃん。だから俺はその意味かと思ったのよ。

Where it has an icon NEW! it says 「日本に住む外国人が好きな日本人」I couldn't understand what it means for a moment as it can have three meanings. I decided it means "Japanese people living in Japan that like foreigners" - it's people like me. But what i

t means was not that, but it was "Japanese people (e.g. historical people) that foreigners living in Japan like."

I believe those who have good understanding of Japanese grammar can see the confusion that the sentence can have three meanings "Japanese people living in Japan that like foreigners," "Japanese people that like foreigners living in Japan," and "Japanse people that foreigners living in Japan like." Explaining it in English, maybe it seems funny for those who don't know Japanese well enough that one sentence can technically (grammatically) have those completely different three meanings.

Let me explain further as to why it happens. To do so, let's break down the sentence. BUT before that, you should know that the expression "~ な ..." in Japanese describes something - an adjective comes at "~" and the thing described comes at "..." For instance, "有名な人" is "person (people) that is/are famous." Note that it's not the same as "famous person/people." In English, adjective describes what comes after the adjective, but in Japanese, unless the adjective ends with ~い (like きれい) sound, the very principle idea is like "[something] that is [adjective]" (although the adjective spatially comes first). So, more simply, "きれいな花" in English would be "beautiful flower," but what "きれいな花" grammatically has as a nuance is more like "flower that is beautiful." Got it? I think it's like French. "room, huge." hah

Having the idea above in mind, you can see "外国人が好きな日本人" as "Japanese people that like foreigners." If you combine "外国人" that with what's before that, "日本に住む" it would mean "foreigners living in Japan." So if you see the sentence divided as "日本に住む外国人" and "が好きな日本人" it means "Japanese people that like foreigners living in Japan."

To mean "Japanese people living in Japan that like foreigners," you see "日本に住む (living in Japan)" and "日本人 (Japanese people)" together as "日本に住む日本人 (Japanese people living in Japan." In this case, you see "外国人が好きな日本人" just as an adjective (describing "Japanese people living in Japan). So, grammatically it's unnecessary information - that those "Japanese living in Japan" like foreigners. To make the sentence clearer to mean "Japanese people living in Japan that like foreigners," you can chance the order of syllables into "外国人が好きな日本に住む日本人." Oh well, now it can mean "Japanese people living in Japan that foreigners like." Now it's "foreigners that like Japanese people living in Japan," not "Japanese people living in Japan that like foreigners." lol Well... But with this sentence "外国人が好きな日本に住む日本人," it has only two possible meanings: "Japanese people living in Japan that like foreigners" and "Japanese people living in Japan that foreigners like."

Okay, lastly, for the sentence to mean what it was meant to mean, "Japanese people that foreigners living in Japan like," you can see ...hmm this is the trickiest (that's why I got the meaning wrong) OK, let's use commas. if you put comma "日本に住む外国人が、好きな日本人" that case it's clear that it means "Japanese people that foreigners living in Japan like."

For the two meanings I wrote above, if I have to keep the words in this order, I would write "日本に住む外国人が好きな、日本人" to mean "Japanese people that like foreigners living in Japan" and "日本に住む、外国人が好きな日本人" to mean "Japanse people living in Japan that like foreigners." But now it can also mean "Japanese people, who are living in Japan, that foreigners like." So... Ichiro, MLB player is not living in Japan currently, I guess, so he will be excluded. lol

*素人の語学的な説明ですが専門的な知識をお持ちの方、何か間違っている所があったら訂正してください。*

*My linguistic explanation is only as an amateur, so if any Japanese linguists or anyone with deeper knowledge finds any mistake in my explanation, please correct me.*

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"Eliminated" Subjects in Japanese Language

If you are reading this blog, you are likely a subscriber of my YouTube channel, I believe.
Thank you, if so.

As I have just recently talked about Japanese language especially on the general idea among those who are learning Japanese and are familiar with Western languages (or English, at least) that in Japanese language, the subjects are often eliminated. (The link: http://youtu.be/GuiGe8nT_os)

Even though I have already TALKED about it in the video above, I decided to give some further examples comparing more real-life, longer sentences both in Japanese and English.

I will try to write the English sentences as natural as possible, so I believe it should sound natural unless you try to nitpick or I make big mistakes. Then, I will write the same thing in Japanese as closely to the English sentences as possible. I will not translate what each Japanese word and sentence means, or I will not write the Japanese sentences again with hiragana or romaji. In today's Internet-based world, you must be able to look up on the Internet like Google or any translator.

I hope you will see some differences between Japanese and English in their natural sentences.

So, here we go.

Yesterday, I decided to go to the cinema to watch "Amazing Spidermam" with my family today, since on every 1st day of a month is a day that we can watch movies for 1,000 yen each. I was looking forward to it because I love wtching movies, and Amazing Spiderman was one of the movies I currently wanted to watch.

To get to the theater early in order to buy the tickets in time, we had to wake up at 8 am. However, when I woke up, it was already 10 am! I checked the living room, but there was nobody. My family had already gone (and actually the movie had already started according to the schedule), and I was so shocked. I thought I had set the alarm on 8:00, but I didn't hear any sound.

But good news is that I will go to the cinema again on the following Wednesday since it's another "special day" when a pairs of people can watch movies for 1,000 yen each. I will go with my mom, and I will have her pay for me!

毎月一日は映画が1,000円で観られるから、今日家族と「アメージング スパイダーマン」を観に行こうって昨日からなってた。今観たい映画の一つだったし、俺映画が大好きだから楽しみにしてた。

早めに映画館に着いてチケットを買うためには朝8時に起きないといけなかった。でも起きたらもう10時だった！リビング見てみたけど誰もいなかった。もうみんな行っちゃってて(実はもう既に映画も始まってた)、かなりショックだった。8時に目覚ましセットしたつもりだったんだけど、何も聞こえなかった。

でも良い事があって、次の水曜日も映画が二人で行けば1,000円で観られる「スペシャルデー」なの。だから母と行って、お金払ってもらおうと思ってる。


Okay, that's it. You know what? Having written those sentences in Japanese, I kind of felt odd with the sentences. Grammatically, there should be not (at least big ones) mistakes, but it just feels odd to write Japanese sentences... I think I would write more casual way if I am to write about this kind of daily event.

Or let me write the same thing in maybe different sentences.
If I try NOT to make the sentence sound closer to the English sentences, I think it will be natural.

一日は毎月映画が1,000円で観られるから、今日家族でアメージング スパイダーマン観に行こうってなってて、俺映画大好きだしスパイダーマンも見たかったから楽しみにしてた。

朝8時には起きないと早めに映画館に着いてチケット買えない感じだったから、朝8時に起きる予定だったんだけど、起きた時はもう10時だった。リビング見てみたらもうみんな行っちゃってたの。マジでショックだった。8時に目覚ましかけといたはずなんだけど、何も聞こえなかった。

でも、次の水曜も二人で行けば映画1,000円で観られるから母と行って、そんでお金も払ってもらって映画観ようと思う。笑


Having written the same ideas in English and Japanese, I've noticed that each requires different ideas, thinking, and techniques. Having to, or trying to, write the same sentences in Japanese and English respectively, it was kind of difficult. I'd rather write only in English or Japanese, or using only some words or phrase that I can't express only with Japanese or English. That works better for me.

Kouhei

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Cup Noodle, Ice Bar, and Lightsaber

Hello. I realized that this Random Japanese Stuff has the fewest posts. lol

Whatever.

So, today I had these for lunch. Cup Noodle Kalbi, ice candy bar called Gari-gari kun, and a Lightsaber!

First, this is Cup Noodle Kalbi, called KalbiST. What? Plus, in Japanese on the packages says, "For those who love salt kalbi from the bottom of heart." Seriously.

And next, this ice candy bar. Look! Obi-Wan Kenobi is on the package! It's collaborated with Star Wars ep. 1 coming up on March 16th in 3D in Japan. So cool.

And then, on the bar has a print of Obi-Wan's lightsaber. This kind of ice candy ガリガリ君 has loto, 当たり (you won the lotto), or ハズレ (if you didn't win, it says nothing). With regular ガリガリ君, if you get an 当たり, you can get another bar for free. But with this Star Wars version, you will get a limited T-shirt. Man, I want one!

For those who were wondering, YES, I had ice candy and cup noodle at the same time for lunch. I had ice candy first, and then cup noodle. What's the matter? NOTHING.

Kouhei

梅干し - Umeboshi

This is a picture of umeboshi, sour/salt/sometimes sweet Japanese food. It's plum.

For those who have tried them before and know what unrboshi is, what it tastes like, an image of it is sour and salty.

No, that's not true. If the kind of umeboshi you get where you live is cheap (usually riiculously red), probably they are all just unbelievablly sour and salty. That, even Japanese can't eat. Well, still some like it though.

However, if you try expensive ones, it's not just sour/salty but it's sweet. Not sweet like sugar, but it's more of sweet/sour.

The one of this picture is not that "expensive" package, but it is not just sour/salty. If you think umeboshi is just sour and you can't eat it, try real ones.


Oh, and I heard that there is the "highest grade" of umeboshi, which is like 500 yen for one body of umeboshi. It's almost as big as 5 cm or so, and it's in a special wooden case individually. Celebrity. lol


Kouhei

Gaijin, Foreigner, Alien?!

I believe you know a Japanese term gaijin and that it means "foreigner, outsider."
Yes, it means "foreigners." But literally, it means "outsider."
Also, we have another word that means the same, gaikokujin. This literally only means "people of outside countries."

I find it interesting and unique about Japanese culture how we use that word to refer to foreigners. You know in Japan, we have, so to speak "pure" Japanese. By which, I mean full Japanese-blood people. Of course, over the history of Japan, there must have been many people coming from outside Japan, especially from nearby Asian regions such as China, Russia, and Korean peninsula, and as a result of that, many Japanese should have non-pure Japanese blood.
But what I mean is that we don't have many immigrants (we do, but they are only immigrants, not citizens, though maybe you think of "immigrants" as people who/whose family originally came from foreign countries but technically are citizens of your country), or Japan is not a nation that was made by immigrants ("immigrants" here I mean people from a foreign "country" to a foreign "country").

The United States, for example, is a country that was made by immigrants originally from the England. However, on the North America continent where it's the US today were native tribes. So, today, there's no such an idea as "pure" American, or "American" only refers to those who have a citizenship of the US, not blood. So, even if a Japanese couple immigrate to the US, they are immigrants (what if they get citizenship, are they still called immigrants?) when they have children, those children are not immigrants, but citizens of the US. Those kids are children of immigrants, but they themselves are not immigrants. Well, that's my definition.

Back to the topic, it's clear when a foreigner, especially from the West, comes to Japan that he is not Japanese but a foreigner. So, when we say gaijin/gaikokujin, I think it means more of "non-Japanese."

One of factors as to why Japanese people use "foreigner" as such a wide meaning is, I think, because Japan was once isolated during the sakoku era. That being simply said, Japanese people are not used to seeing, or what's even more is dealing with, non-Japanese people. Still, when we see foreigners on the streets, they may get attention, if not huge. We may likely at least think "Oh, a foreigner."

I personally don't like using "gaijin" because it sounds a bit too discriminative (separating) toward "foreigners." If I have to say when one is not Japanese, I'd use "gaikokujin" instead, or if I know where he's from, his nationality. Or, even more formally, "外国の人/方" (gaikoku no hito/kata). It means "foreign people." And if you use 方 (read かた), it is even politer because 方 is a polite way to refer to people. (However, when you say 外国の人/方, it can mean "people abroad," like "people in other countries.")

A funny example is, I heard several times when some Japanese people used "foreigner (as in the English term)" and gaijin/gaikokujin (as in the Japanese term) improperly, that they referred the local people by "foreigners" when they went abroad. They said like, "There were a lot of foreigners, so I was so excited that I could try my English with them!"

OH NO. YOU were the foreigner.

Say, if a Japanese sees an American in Japan, he's is (most likely) a foreigner. BUT, if you see Americans in the US, they are not foreigners, but this Japanese is a foreigner.

Yeah.

Kouhei

Japanese Repetitive Words

Hello folks.
This blog about Japanese has the fewest posts. lol That's because I make VIDEOS on Youtube, and that's more efficient to talk about Japanese.


So.

Today's about Japanese words, particularly adjectives that have a combination of the same word.

Just to give you an idea of the kib of words I mean, one word is ベタベタ. It is used to describe the condition of....like when you used glue and it's left on your hands. It's ベタベタ. If something on your hands (not necessarily hands but also body, feet, face, etc.) is oily, it's ヌルヌル.

It's totally onomatopoeiatic words, so you have almost no clue as to know what they mean but by sense or memorizing everything can you know what they mean.

Also, it seems they are written with katakana, not hiragana, but you can still write them with hiragana. The only difference when you write them in hitagana/kanakana is how the word "feels." Hiragana and katakana give different sense. ぬるぬる and ヌルヌル feel different to me, if not completely.

Okay now, here are lists of words with brief sense.

ポタポタ (potapota: like a drop of water dropping).
アツアツ (atsuatsu: very hot, or couples that are excessively showing their love to each other).
もたもた (motamota: someone/thing is being lazy, especially when in hurry, like when you are preparing and it's taking time).
どろどろ (dolodolo: sticky, like mud moving slow on a surface of something).
ビショビショ (bishobisho: soaking wet).
クルクル (kulukulu: curved, like wavey/curly hair).
ピカピカ (pikapika: shiny, glittering, like a new car).
プンプン (punpun: smell is reaching far, or someone is very angry).
and so on.


Got them? haha

Kouhei

My Introduction

Hello.

I think I should have done this at the very first time, but I didn't, so I'm doing it now.

Of course you can check my profile, but here it is.

My name is Kouhei, a 20 year-old Japanese man. I'm currently living in Tokyo, and I'm planning to go study in Canada in months.

I was originally making videos on YouTube (my channel is http://www.youtube.com/user/jp10IamMeNotU if you are interested), and as I wanted to gain more views and subscribers on my channel, I decided to creat blog (originally just one but soon changed my mind to make several).

But I also hope that through my blogs, as well as videos, you can learn something or AT LEAST find it fun/interesting. That'll be my pleasure.

So,THIS blog is kind of an extention of my YouTube channel. So I'm connecting my YouTube channel and this blog. YouTube was the primary place.

Anyways, that's roughly about it.

And to tell you a bit more details --- I hope I could help those interested in Japan/Japanese learn Japanese, things about Japan, or discover new faces if Japan. Also, I hope I can help Japanese people learn English.

As a native Japanese having a fair level of English skills (I dare say it, yes), I believe I can help both Japanese and those who are interested in Japan/Japanese. Also, not using what I have when I can offer them is not what I believe in, so I'm using my abilities if this makes sense.


I may not know what to do or what you want, so if you have a chance, please let me know. I might not be able to (or want to...lol) take your suggestions, requests, claims, etc. but I'll take your feedbacks to myself. I'm only an amateur, not like a "pro" blogger/vlogger, so don't expect anything beyond what I can do.

For your info, I also have Facebook. facebook.com/KouheiSmith

Thank you


こんにちは。

本当は一番最初のポストで書いておくべきだったとは思うのですが、書かなかったので今書きます。

プロファイル見てもらっても少し分かると思います。

僕は20歳の日本人です。今は東京に住んでいて何ヶ月かのうちにカナダに留学します。

元々はYouTubeで動画を作っているのですが、もっとviewsとsubscriberが欲しいなって思ったので今回ブログを作りました。まし興味があったらみてみてください。http://www.youtube.com/user/jp10IamMeNotU です。

もちろん、ビデオを通してみなさんに何かを学んでもらったり、少なくとも面白いと思ってもらえれば嬉しいというのが元々の気持ちです。

このブログは僕のチャンネルの延長といった感じなので、YouTubeとここのブログを繋げてます。一応YouTubeがメインの場なので。


と、大体こんな感じです。もうちょっと話をすると…
日本語や日本について興味を持ってる人がもっとそれらのことについて学べて、もしかしたら新しいことも発見できたらいいなと思ってやってます。日本人の方も英語を少しでも学べて楽しいな、面白いなと思ってくれればいいです。

日本人として、またある程度の英語のレベルを持った者として、日本に興味を待ってる人も日本人も両方の為になれるかなと思っています。また、少しでも使える事があるのに使わないのは俺の思いと違うなとも思うので。


まだ何をやったらいいかとかみなさんがどんなものを知りたいのか分からないので、提案やリクエストや質問など、なんでもあったらお願いします。ただ、それに応えられるか、もしくは応えたくないかも知れないので悪しからず。
僕自身ただの素人のblogger/vloggerなので、あまり高い期待はしないでください。笑

ちなみにFacebookもあるのでよかったら。facebook.com/KouheiSmith Kouhei

About Japanese/Japan in General

Hmm...

So, I think I'll separate my blogs by the types of topics.

The other one called Kouhei's Blog, generally about anything. And this one will be about Japanese and Japan-related things.

Hmmm. lol

I will play by ears.

Let's see. Kouhei