congrats on learning Nihongo
i can pass on a few tips. some of which u likely already know.
1) men and women DO NOT speak the same language, literally. when gaijin used to go over to Nihon in droves in the 80s, they'd hang out with their GF and her female friends (genders generally don't mix in Japan) and learn from them. WOMEN'S language. so then they'd go out and speak to ordinary Japanese, who wd just assume the gaijin was gay. nowadays, they know the drill, but u still won't be speaking MALE Japanese. if u really want to sound like a Japanese male, best bet is to join some athletic activity like kendo or karate or wherever will have u, then imitate the guys, down to the grunts and other non-verbalizations. to hang out with Japanese men, it's best if u smoke 60 cigarettes a day, drink yrself half to death every nite and try to leave yr brain at home.
2) the verbs are crucial in Nihongo, but they change according to situation. for example: "to give" changes according the recipient: superior, peer, or inferior. we're not talking different conjugations, but different WORDS. yr teachers will tell u that, but they won't veer from second-level politeness (the "-masu/-mashita " form). this is understood, and is fine when asking directions from strangers, but if u develop J-friends u'll notice they don't speak like that AT ALL. they use common forms, u cd say first-level politeness, and while they'll understand you, they'll find it odd that you're speaking to them with absurd politeness.
also, verbs change the sentence-listening structure: often the crucial info is at the END of a sentence. a lot of what they teach you in structured classes, while important, is a form of the language you'll use SOMETIMES. i'm not getting into slang yet either! or dialects: there are several, but it's not like China where there are dozens. still, people from northern Honshu speak Tohoku -ben and Tokyoites can't understand them! there's Kansai -ben from the Osaka region but Kansai ppl can understand standard Japanese. tho, as u've guessed, that's not clear-cut.
3) watching movies seems like a good idea to pick up the lingo, but realize that native speakers will decode nuances yr not aware of. if u can get a copy of MINBO by Juuzo Itami, u will hear plenty of yakuza -ben. u don't EVER want to speak it, but it shows u how ordinary Japanese react to yakuza and the way they speak. it's a pretty good film tho (Itami got the ultimate reviewwhen some real yakuza slashed his face with a razor as they objected to the film!).
better to watch TV, and listen to tapes of language lessons. there are slang-dictionaries (usually with useful/innocuous intimate stuff) and some are worth it. it's also good to practice with fellow students, and to do language-exchange with Japanese people if possible. esp males, if u can find one, because they will teach u male-language. do NOT imitate J-girl speech! i don't need to tell u not to raise yr voice an octave, but never say "so yo " or many other phrases they'll use constantly. for example, forget that "watashi " they taught u, refer to yourself as "boku ," women are "kimi "...so the phrase "kimi/boku " means you and yr date. the kimi-boku is what guys want, and plenty of gals too.
so, see if u can decode the following short convo cuz this is a snippet of the real thing:
"Kimi wa genki?"
"Eh!" (positive)
"Yosh. Onnaka ga suita?"
"Sukoshi dake."
" So da na...ja, isshoni tabe ni ikitai?"
"Ehhhhhh...betsu ni."
she's asking u to take out for a snack without ASKING u. get it? at this point, it's over to u...suggest a meeting place. maybe u wanna drink, but if u do want to meet her at the local kissaten , i suggest "Boku de wa peko-peko dayo" (I'm starving) so she won't feel it was HER idea to eat that perfectly triangular 280-yen piece of cheesecake u bought her. if u go on enough kissaten dates, u will definitely want to watch Takashi Miike's AUDITION (1999). one hell of a film, but much better if u've been on dates with J-gals who act catatonic. it happens. it's weird. i'm speaking from an in-Japan perspective here, YMMV. overseas Japanese are sometimes, but not always, more outgoing and open-minded. if yr serious, be persistent.
4) don't date girls that smoke cigs. unless they're really hot.
JtB
[ Last edited by JackTheBat at 8-2-2011 01:39 ]
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neoalpha64
8-2-2011 07:17 Acceptance +1
sugoiiii!!!