›
This forum is in permanent archive mode. Our new active community can be found here.

Tools for learning Japanese

OmnutiaOmnutia
edited February 2009 in Technology
For those of you learning the moon language, Rikaichan is a really handy Firefox extension for looking up what the crazy symbols mean. I use it a lot and think everyone learning Japanese should at least try it.

Picture of how it works:
image

Just wanted to share this with everyone.
Any other recommendations?
«13

Comments

  • AndrewAndrew
    A textbook.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    A textbook.
    Care to elaborate?
  • Loganator456Loganator456
    I also use Rikaichan, it's extremely useful and awesome.

    Denshi Jisho is a really handy tool also if you need a good Japanese dictionary. As far as grammar goes, Tae Kim's Japanese guide to Japanese grammar is really helpful, also. But, if you really want to learn, nothing is better than to have someone teach it to you, so take a class.
  • RochelleRochelle
    As Scott mentioned before, get My Japanese Word Coach for those who have the DS. It's pretty good. I would also recommend buying any sort of guide to writing hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Graph paper is a cheap and easy way to practice your writing, along with the internet that can provide you with pdf files of kana practice sheets.
  • ......
    I'm not learning Japanese. I can find my way around NicoNico(-wwwwwwwwwwwww) fine enough without the knowledge. I did try Rikaichan, but Google translate is in general faster and easier. If you want to 'learn' Japanese, and you want to use Rikaichan, use Perapera-kun. It adds some export functions to Rikaichan making it a better study tool according to the author/modder.

    Real learning of Japanese is done with
    A textbook.
  • gomidoggomidog
    Rather than buy a denshi jisho, buy a DS with a import dictionary cartridge. It costs less and is far more versatile, plus it has written input, which only the most high quality denshi jisho have now.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Which one are you using?
  • Alex LeavittAlex Leavitt
    Rather than buy a denshi jisho, buy a DS with a import dictionary cartridge. It costs less and is far more versatile, plus it has written input, which only the most high quality denshi jisho have now.
    Kanji Sonomama is the one to buy if you're an English speaker learning Japanese. Or, you could always go for the R4 and download it. I bought it, while a fellow classmate downloaded it, and you save about 5 - 8 seconds on the start-up time doing the latter.
  • chaosof99chaosof99
    edited March 2009
    I use Rikaichan on occasion just for fun. For example looking up what the names of anime characters mean.
    I'd really like to learn japanese but I think it's almost impossible unless you either have a group of friends and all learn together or actually go to some professional language courses. Unfortunately the ones in my area are way too fucking pricey.

    However, I highly recommend the books by James W. Heisig, especially "Learning the Kanji" and "Learning the Kana". They are excellent to help memorize japanese characters. Unfortunately the Kanji book only helps you to memorize them and write them but doesn't give an annunciation guide so you might want have another book with it.

    I also really like this online dictionary.
    Post edited by chaosof99 on
  • SaraiSarai
    Yep - I have been self-studying Japanese for about 3 years now and I've found that textbooks are very helpful for learning from an academic perspective, but each have quite specific areas of focus in that they tend to be either conversational, or structured towards business, or structured towards learning how to read and write in Japanese. I haven't found a good one that covers all three, so I'm going to check out everyone else's suggestions.

    I couldn't live without Rikaichan - it's how I read Asahi Shinbun! :)

    Learning the Kanakata and Hiragana is pretty damn easy in my opinion. Kanji, though - hot damn. I've found 3 little free apps that I enjoy using, and all can be downloaded via a search on Google:

    JWPCE
    Japanese word processor with tons of search options for Kanji and an excellent dictionary

    KanjiLab
    I really like this for learning all the kun-yomi and on-yomi of the various kanji. It presents you with 10 kanji and you must acheive level of "Mastery" before you can have another 10 kanji added to your practice list. Obviously you can cheat, but it's by far my favourite. Then again, it's damn tedious and frustrating unless you're very committed to learning the kanji.

    Kanji Gold
    Not quite as loveable as KanjiLab, but has some extra functionality like vocab (you're tested on common phrases of different grades), pop kanji (where the kanji appear as pop-ups on your screen) and the ability to turn the hiragana, katakana and english on-yomi and kun-yomi on and off during "tests".
  • kellyn38kellyn38
    I'm slowly learning Japanese although I think I may have better luck sticking with it when I finally graduate this May (finally!). I actually have the weird partial sideways learning of kanji since I grew up in a Cantonese household and so I know a lot of basic Chinese characters. While this helps me with the writing and understanding of the basic meaning of a word, it completely messes me up with the pronunciation; I often find myself reading along and pronouncing the kanji in Chinese instead. It's actually rather irritating and probably contributing to my learning inefficiency at the moment. I also have a feeling that my mother would fall into apoplectic shock when I reverse the situation by learning more advanced kanji and only knowing the Japanese pronunciation; understandably, my mother is of the older generation that is not too enamored of Japan and never will be.
  • chaosof99chaosof99
    ShinKanji for the iPhone is a pretty good tool since it now has a built in drawing capabilities. It used to be free but it's now 5 bucks. A free lite version is also available but I don't have any personal experience with it.
  • GreyHugeGreyHuge

    LEARN SOME FUCKING JAPANESE BITCH.
  • GeoGeo



    LEARN SOME FUCKING JAPANESE BITCH.
    This is quite possibly the meanest and most educational language course I've ever committed to take. I want to learn because of how much I'm being insulted...this is something teachers need to tap.
  • GeoGeo
    I'm not learning Japanese. I can find my way around NicoNico(-wwwwwwwwwwwww) fine enough without the knowledge.
    Don't you want to stimulate your mind and enrich your knowledge of other cultures and the languages they speak? The comment about NicoNico sounds very weeaboo-ish which is pretty sad.
  • GreyHugeGreyHuge
    I'm not learning Japanese. I can find my way around NicoNico(-wwwwwwwwwwwww) fine enough without the knowledge.
    Don't you want to stimulate your mind and enrich your knowledge of other cultures and the languages they speak? The comment about NicoNico sounds very weeaboo-ish which is pretty sad.
    Nine is the one who sent me this video, step off.
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    edited October 2009
    The comment about NicoNico sounds very weeaboo-ish which is pretty sad.
    Is weabooism defined by a love of Japan without an interest in the culture? I always perceived it as just an undo love of Japan from a foreigner. I'm probably going to minor in Japanese Language and Culture; hopefully, I do not get branded with the scarlet W.

    Also, that video was awesome. I'm going to learn some FUCKING Japanese, FUCK YEAH. ORIGINAL RECIPE JAPANESE STOUT. FUCK.
    Post edited by WindUpBird on
  • GeoGeo
    edited October 2009
    I'm not learning Japanese. I can find my way around NicoNico(-wwwwwwwwwwwww) fine enough without the knowledge.
    Don't you want to stimulate your mind and enrich your knowledge of other cultures and the languages they speak? The comment about NicoNico sounds very weeaboo-ish which is pretty sad.
    Nine is the one who sent me this video, step off.
    Okay, okay, fine. I wish I had known that sooner, but my question is why were you being hostile?
    Post edited by Geo on
  • ......
    Don't you want to stimulate your mind and enrich your knowledge of other cultures and the languages they speak? The comment about NicoNico sounds very weeaboo-ish which is pretty sad.
    Fuck it, I'm not going to bother to find the picture, so I'll just write it out: durrrrjokeoverhead.jpg

    Also, I don't care to learn Japanese. I'm not a language person, and I've already learned English, German and French, which is too many. You also don't have to know the language of a country to learn about the culture, sure it might be beneficial in very few cases, but eh, I'm not interested enough in Japanese culture to bother learning that either. But I'm wasting my time writing out this, it still boils down to durrrrjokeoverhead.jpg.
    LEARN SOME FUCKING JAPANESE BITCH.
    That was my TotD you ass! So mean to steal it. Also, "Drink beer, drink it every night!"
  • brad12brad12
    learning japanese with tool is not good idea, I will suggest you, that learn japanese yourself. Today online learning is very famous. learn japanese
  • AriaAria
    This is the most appropriate topic to ask I guess; How would you read a ニ with a dakuten? I saw it in drama.
  • gomidoggomidog
    You yell it! NIIIIII! (I don't know.)
    Like MA! that the guy in Ouran says.
  • WindUpBirdWindUpBird
    Wakarimasen!!
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Dave & Joel: Essential tools for international diplomacy.
  • MattMatt
    Whether you use the spam link above or not, definitely learn some Japanese if you are going to Japan! I studied for a bit and listened to a few podcasts, but it was definitely not enough. I'm here until Saturday and the language barrier is incredibly isolating.
    Overall still having a great time outside of work but it would be great to be able to communicate beyond the basic phrases I learned. Extent of a usual conversation: "hello, I'll have one of those, thank you". I did learn how to say "that was delicious" which made one waitress smile.
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    edited January 2011
    I saw this Japanese movie once where this kid had a tutor who would give the kid a very hard smack on his head if the kid couldn't answer a question correctly. After that, whenever I've had to learn anything, I just imagine that a Japanese tutor is sitting beside me, waiting to smack me if I don't learn it correctly.

    Violence is a good learning tool.
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • AriaAria
    Extent of a usual conversation: "hello, I'll have one of those, thank you". I did learn how to say "that was delicious" which made one waitress smile.
    In the setting I'm imaging, the extent of those conversations in languages I'm fluent in, in countries I know the language of, is "That.", or sometimes, the name of the thing I want.
  • Kaptain KKaptain K
    On behalf of all japanese people I'd like to implore all white people to cut that shit out.
  • gomidoggomidog
    On behalf of all japanese people I'd like to implore all white people to cut that shit out.
    Learning Japanese? I think Japanese people would rather that we learned the language if we are going to muddle around there.
  • ChurbaChurba
    Learning Japanese? I think Japanese people would rather that we learned the language if we are going to muddle around there.
    Worst comes to worst, I've found that most japanese people I interact with appreciate at the least a grin and "I am an enormous gaijin, and I don't speak much Japanese. I'm very sorry, but can you help me out here?"
Sign In or Register to comment.