Learn Japanese @ Japancast.net

This week we’re still getting this set with our new microphone, so please excuse any noise you might hear. I haven’t quite got the levels set right.

We continue our series of useful phrases for exchange students. We also answer listener questions.

LESSON #23

I mentioned a podcast about Buddhism. You can listen to Issues Etc. by downloading this podcast:

CLICK HERE

The first part of the podcast is about the protection of marriage amendment here in the United States, but after that he starts talking about Buddhism. The woman he interviews doesn’t talk specifically about Japanese Buddhism, but she touches on it as well as Tibetan Buddhism. It’s about an hour long and I thought it was very interesting.

She shownotes are available here: Shownotes

Visit our FORUMS for links to Japanese TV, anime and other links.

ラジオ昔話

http://www.t-step.jp/t-wave/

Noah san’s pictures

http://www.flickr.com/photos/noahsan

If you’re wondering why the podcast shows a longer time than it actually is, it’s because some people were having a problem where the podcast was ending too soon. By adding some blank space at the end, I seem to have fixed it for them. It doesn’t add anything to the file size, but it does make it look like the podcast is longer than it really is.

きょうは、”はなきん”ですね。
みなさんは、このしゅうまつ、どんなよていがありますか？

このところ、”おこのみやき”にハマっています。
にほんにいたときは、あまりすきではなかったのですが・・・ふしぎですね。

というわけで、これがきょうのわたしのおひるごはんのしゃしんです。

For those of you who already know some Kanji.
Here is the same diary, but with Kanji.

今日は、”花金”ですね。
皆さんは、この週末、どんな予定がありますか？

このところ、”お好み焼き”にハマっています。
日本にいた時は、あまり好きではなかったのですが・・・不思議ですね。

という訳で、これが今日の私のお昼ごはんの写真です。

Here is an informal version of this diary.

きょうは、”はなきん”だね。
みんなは、このしゅうまつ、どんな予定がある？

ここんとこ、”おこのみやき”にハマってんだ。
にほんにいたときは、あんまりすきじゃなかったんだけど・・・ふしぎだよね。

ってなわけで、これがきょうのわたしのひるごはんのしゃしんだよ。

You can listen to this diary HERE.

Today’s characters are ば、び、ぶ、べ、ぼ　and　バ、ビ、ブ、ベ、ボ.

They are pronounced as “ba”, “bi”, “ bu” “be” and “bo” .

Click HERE for pronunciations.

You have already learned how to write は、ひ、ふ、へ、ほ　and ハ、ヒ、フ、ヘ、ホ so all you have to do is to put two small lines on the top right hand corner of each character.
Simple, isn’t it?

There, you have learned 10 new characters. すごい！Sugoi!
Here are some words using these characters.

ばいきん＝bacteria; germ(s)
いびき＝snoring
しぶしぶ＝reluctantly; unwillingly
べんとう＝box lunch
ぼうし＝hat

バナナ＝banana
ビンゴ＝bingo
ブルース＝blues
イベント＝event
ボーナス＝bonus

That’s it for today’s lesson. Please practice writing these 10 characters. がんばってね！
If you have any questions, please let me know!

みなさん、おげんきですか？
おひさしぶりです。
このところ、とてもいそがしくて、なかなかレッスンをアップデートできませんでした。
ごめんなさい。

みなさんは、このなつ、どんなよていがありますか？
かぞくでりょこうですか？それとも、いえでゆっくりとすごすのでしょうか？
おしえてくださいね。

For those of you who already know some Kanji.
Here is the same diary, but with Kanji.

皆さん、お元気ですか？
お久しぶりです。
このところ、とても忙しくて、なかなかレッスンをアップデート出来ませんでした。
ごめんなさい。

皆さんは、この夏、どんな予定がありますか？
家族で旅行ですか？それとも、家でゆっくりと過ごすのでしょうか？
教えてくださいね。

Here is an informal version of this diary.

みんな、げんき？
ひさしぶり。
ここんとこ、すっごくいそがしくって、なかなかレッスンをアップデートできなかったんだ。
ごめんね。

みんなは、このなつ、どんなよていがある？
かぞくでりょこう？それとも、いえでゆっくりするのかな？
おしえてね。

You can listen to this diary HERE.

Today’s characters are だ、ぢ、づ、で、ど　and　ダ、ヂ、ヅ、デ、ド.

They are pronounced as “da”, “ji”, “zu” “de” and “do” .

Click HERE for pronunciations.

You have already learned how to write た、ち、つ、て、と　and タ、チ、ツ、テ、ト, so all you have to do is to put two small lines on the top right hand corner of each character.
Simple, isn’t it?

There, you have learned 10 new characters. すごい！Sugoi!
Here are some words using these characters.

いただきます＝Thank you for the food. (We say this before meals.)
はなぢ＝nosebleed
つづく＝to be continued
でんわ＝telephone
どんぶり＝porcelain bowl; bowl of rice with food on top

ダンス＝dance
ドッヂボール or ドッジボール＝dodge ball 　　
ユヅコ＝Yuzuko (Girl’s name)
デート＝date; go on a date
ドル＝dollar

That’s it for today’s lesson. Please practice writing these 10 characters. がんばってね！
If you have any questions, please let me know!

Today’s characters are ざ、じ、ず、ぜ、ぞ and ザ、ジ、ズ、ゼ、ゾ.

They are pronounced as “za”, “ji”, “zu” “ze” and “zo” .

Click HERE for pronunciations.

You have already learned how to write さ、し、す、せ、そ and サ、シ、ス、セ、ソ, so all you have to do is to put two small lines on the top right hand corner of each character.
Simple, isn’t it?

There, you have learned 10 new characters. すごい！Sugoi!
Here are some words using these characters.

いざこざ＝trouble; quarrel; difficulties; complication; tangle
じしん＝earthquake or self-confidence
ずるい＝sly; cunning
ぜいたく＝luxury; extravagance
なぞなぞ＝riddle

キザ＝affectation; conceit; snobbery
ジンクス＝jinx
サイズ＝size
ゼラチン＝gelatin
オゾン＝ozone

That’s it for today’s lesson. Please practice writing these 10 characters. がんばってね！
If you have any questions, please let me know!

Today’s characters are が、ぎ、ぐ、げ 、ご and 　ガ、ギ、グ、ゲ、ゴ.

They are pronounced as “ga”, “gi”, “gu” “ge” and “go” .

Click HERE for pronunciations.

You have already learned how to write か、き、く、け、こ and カ、キ、ク、ケ、コ, so all you have to do is to put two small lines on the top right hand corner of each character.
Simple, isn’t it?

There, you have learned 10 new characters. すごい！Sugoi!
Here are some words using these characters.

がいこく＝foreign country
ぎんこう＝bank
こぐま＝cub; young bear
げんき？＝How are you?
ごはん＝rice (cooked); meal

マンガ＝manga, comic, cartoon
イギリス＝England
グルメ＝gourmet
ゲリラ＝guerrilla
ゴリラ＝gorilla

That’s it for today’s lesson. Please practice writing these 10 characters. がんばってね！
If you have any questions, please let me know!

This week you get to listen to Paul go on and on and on about Christianity in Japan. Most people agree that Paul’s voice is a natural sleep aid, so we recommend listening to his part right before bedtime.

As mentioned in the podcast, the difference between a podcast and traditional radio is that a podcast is a 2 way street. Without you guys interacting with us, it makes this project a lot tougher to do. So please take a moment to visit the FORUMS.

Also, as mentioned in the podcast, our listener Skate_Mate has written an excellent article. Read it HERE.

Finally, Paul mentioned Asian Access. You can visit their site HERE.

Japanese Lesson #22

Shownotes

So we have just finished learning all the basic Hiragana and Katakana. Congratulations!
I am very excited that you have learned so much in such a short time! Great job, everyone!
I am very proud of you!!! As I promised a while ago, I wrote a short message for you guys to read in my own handwriting.

Were you able to read everything? You didn’t recognize some of the characters?
Well, besides the basic Hiragana and Katakana, we have other characters like が、ざ、だ、ば、ぱ、ゃ、っ、etc… for additional sounds. Don’t worry! You have already learned the basic characters, so these should not be hard to learn. So in the next few weeks, we are going to learn these additional characters.

がんばろうねー♪

P.S. You can listen to the message HERE.

Well after posting an advance lesson and a beginners lesson, it’s time to get back to our regular program. Please take a moment to join our forums, post some comments and questions and also please put yourself on our Frappr map. All the links are on the right side of our blog page.

Japanese Lesson #21

Show Notes