Yeah, I only made minimal headway before taking a class.
BTW if you haven't seen it already, Livemocha.com is kind of an awesome site. It's like a free Rosetta Stone... and users grade each other's assignments, so native Japanese speakers can correct your assignments while you correct English in return. I've gotten a lot of very good feedback from the people there.
Doko-ni hajiimarimasu ka? The language is incredibly loosely formed in ways one expects to be far more structured, and vice versa, for those used to Romance languages. I'm not even sure I got that question grammatically correct, although I know I definitely wanted to say "Where to begin?" and NOT "Where is the beginning?". What can I say apart from the usual: Gomenasai - baka gaijin desu. - ZM
Sumimasen. Your observation is dead on. It's mind breaking trying to find and comprehend the rules, even with a teacher.
Don't know how you came upon the opening question - Anata wa Nihongo gakusei desu ka. It kind of seems like the question would be formed the same way whether you wanted to begin or find the beginning (of the topic, hence you're looking for a verb-concept not a physical place). Though I think I may have said Doko-ni hajime o shimasen ka. ("Where shall we begin?") to specify action we will hopefully undertake. I think the preferred phrase is simply "Soo desu ne. Nihongo desu ka. *long contemplative sigh*" Heh.
I'm fascinated by how differently the approach of Japanese is to time and speaking of verbs transpires making so much more exist in an ephemeral state of being and actions that may be undertaken. Eh well. I'm only in what I call Japanese Kindergarten. Watashi wa wakarimasu mo wakarimasen.
Now I'm curious. I'll ask my sensei. }:> For tolerating the interruption - <>arigato gozaimasu!
In retrospect, what I was looking for was probably just "Doko-ni hajimaru..." - it's not a complete sentence in English, either, so I'm not sure why I tried to make it one in Japanese.
I took two years of Japanese in college. I have less to show for it than I should. Much like you, I understand enough to know that I don't really understand much at all.
Douzo. (Which, incidentally, is my favorite word in their language.) - ZM
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BTW if you haven't seen it already, Livemocha.com is kind of an awesome site. It's like a free Rosetta Stone... and users grade each other's assignments, so native Japanese speakers can correct your assignments while you correct English in return. I've gotten a lot of very good feedback from the people there.
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Don't know how you came upon the opening question - Anata wa Nihongo gakusei desu ka. It kind of seems like the question would be formed the same way whether you wanted to begin or find the beginning (of the topic, hence you're looking for a verb-concept not a physical place). Though I think I may have said Doko-ni hajime o shimasen ka. ("Where shall we begin?") to specify action we will hopefully undertake. I think the preferred phrase is simply "Soo desu ne. Nihongo desu ka. *long contemplative sigh*" Heh.
I'm fascinated by how differently the approach of Japanese is to time and speaking of verbs transpires making so much more exist in an ephemeral state of being and actions that may be undertaken. Eh well. I'm only in what I call Japanese Kindergarten. Watashi wa wakarimasu mo wakarimasen.
Now I'm curious. I'll ask my sensei. }:> For tolerating the interruption - <>arigato gozaimasu!
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I took two years of Japanese in college. I have less to show for it than I should. Much like you, I understand enough to know that I don't really understand much at all.
Douzo. (Which, incidentally, is my favorite word in their language.) - ZM
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Particles are kicking my butt. However, I vow it will not always be thus. Stupid two-letter half-words will not get the better of me!
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