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Densetsu Hoshi
This page was last modified on 04/2003
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いらっしゃいませ！
This page will be used as an introduction to written Japanese.
The first thing you have to know is the Japanese language has three distinct
writing systems: hirigana（ひりがな）, katakana（カタカナ）, and kanji（漢字）. (Actually there are several other systems: romanji, using roman letters to transcribe a japanese sentence; arabic numerals, using regular numbers: 1,2,3,... instead of kanji)
Another good thing to know is the order of a Japanese sentence. English is a SVO language meaning in english first we have our subject, then verb, and finally the object.
For example take the sentence
"Jill threw the ball."
Jill is the subject, threw is our verb, and ball is the object.
However, in Japanese the order is SOV, meaning our sentence becomes
"Jill the ball threw" or in romanji: jiru wa boru wo nagemashita.
I will continue to use the sentence above for the next few lessons, just to show how it changes after learning the new material.
Finally, be aware that the Japanese naming system is Last/Family name first, First/Given name last, and unless you are really close to someone DO NOT use their first name unless they tell you otherwise. It is considered rude and makes it seem like you are trying to bring the relationship closer than what it is.
Now that the introduciton is out of the way on to lesson 1 and the introduction of the first writing system hirigana.
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