#japanese studies
お久しぶりですね！
This year, I’m going to be trying to get back into studying Japanese since I haven’t been able to keep up with it for the past two years.
Perhaps a lofty goal I set for myself, but considering current events in that it’s uncertain when testing will open up again, I really would like to get my Japanese to a level where I could pass the JLPT N3 exam.
I might not reach that goal at the end of 2021, but I’m sure that if I can stick to a sort of routine/study plan, I should definitely be ready for it by 2022. I already planned on not traveling in 2021 as well, and hopefully the whole covid-19 situation will finally be under control and I can register for the exam.
To prepare for the sort of studying, I decided I would try using a bullet journal to create and track my studies.
I’ve tried looking up what other people have done with creating bullet journals for studying and sort of base my spreads on those but I expect the whole process to be a learning one and I’m sure a lot of it will be based off of trial and error. Also, like that open ended “Be able to read …” goal? I haven’t decided which of my light novels or manga I want to put there yet. I’m going to look through them later and determine which I might be able to read without much issue by mid-year.
I think the most difficult spreads to create are the progress trackers since a lot of it is self-evaluated.
I’m sort of treating myself as a semi-beginner since I haven’t kept up on much except basic vocabulary when I could. I’m thinking I might mark where I thought I was by the time I completed all the Japanese classes I took at community college.
I have another page set aside to just track kanji proficiency but it’s not quite finished yet since I need to finish coming up with a study plan/routine for that.
And here’s the monthly spread I have set up so far. Eventually I’m going to have more filled in as I figure out more of what I need to keep track of.
I also feel kind of embarrassed that as an artist, I have zero creativity in designing pages. ._. Oh well, I guess it’s more about efficiency than anything.
How about all of you? Are you looking to start learning a language this year or maybe leveling up?
Anyway, looking forward to posting here more frequently again!
丁寧語 - Polite Keigo
敬語 (けいご・keigo) is respectful speech in Japanese. 敬語 is based in the social hierarchy that has carried over into modern Japanese society from ancient times. There are three forms of 敬語 - teineigo,sonkeigo, and kenjougo.
丁寧語 (ていねいご・teineigo) is polite Japanese. This is the simplest form of 敬語, using regular grammar and with a structure similar to casual speech. Thus, this is the form of 敬語 first taught to Japanese language learners. This means using the です and ～ます forms rather than the dictionary forms.
です comes after nouns, adjectives, and adverbs at the end of a sentence.
ます is added to the stem of verbs.
Casual vs. Polite
ます系 ます form
Casual → Polite
する → します to do
行く (いく) → 行きます (いきます) to go
言う (いう) → 言います (いいます) to say
です系 copula です
Casual → Polite
本だ (ほんだ) → 本です (ほんです) (it is) a book
猫だった (ねこだった) → 猫でした (ねこでした) (it was) a cat
暑い (あつい) → 暑いです (あついです) it is hot
Example Sentences
I am going to buy a book.
Casual: 本を買いに行く。(ほん を かい に いく)
丁寧語: 本を買いに行きます。(ほん を かい に いきます)
The mobile phone is broken.
Casual: 携帯が壊れた。(けいたい が こわれた)
丁寧語: 携帯が壊れました。(けいたい が こわれました)
What is this?
Casual: これは何だ？(これ は なん だ)
丁寧語:こちらは何ですか？(こちら は なん です か)
See also: Basic Keigo
This is a summary of mine:
- started studying japanology & art history (bachelors degree) in 2012
- studying japanology (master) from 2016
- semester abroad in Tokyo in 2017 (best time of my life!)
- worked as a student assistant 2018-19
- held talks, events and published articles from 2019 - today
- worked as marketing assistant for an anime company 2019-2021
- 2021 finished my masters degree with 1,3 (1,0 is the best you can have in Germany, hihi)
- 2021 November started freelancing as a Japanese-German translator (exciting!!)
- 2022 starting my Zweitstudium in german language and scandinavian studies. Because why not?
What a wild ride of ten years of learning and writing already!
How about your university or study journey so far? Are you at the beginning of a new chapter in your life? Or are you during your finals? Applying for a PhD position?
Tagging some of my fav blogs (which are still active), because I’m curious!
@studyjapanesewithme@lucelinguist@historiansecrets@learnelle@gaaandaaaalf@galina@earlymoderngothic@selfhelpforstudents@ayumistudies@intellectia@studynostalgic@moonshinestudies@gloomstudy@tokyogems@studywithinspo@foreverlostinliterature
(hope that’s ok, if not pls let me know!)
