Introductory Japanese Made Easy

Hello! Welcome to Module 3 of this course. This module Jikoshokai is about introducing yourself. There are a total of three parts in this module which are: Name, Country and Occupation Meeting people for the first time Questions and Answers By completing this module, you should be able to introduce yourself and others in Japanese! Let us begin with how to introduce yourself! Introducing Yourself Hajimemashite ( はじめまして) When you meet someone for the first time, you will say " Hajimemashite ". " Hajimemashite " literally means in the beginning, but it is also gives the same meaning as " nice to meet you " Introducing Your Name There are several ways for you to introduce your name: [name] desu - [name]  です As you can see in the video, Keiko introduced herself by saying " Keiko desu ". Watashi wa [name] desu - わたしは [name]  です Keiko can also introduce herself as " Watashi wa Keiko desu " which means "

It's almost the end of this module.  Let's excuse ourselves for leaving and say goodbye.  How do we do it in Japanese?  Let's take a look below. " Osaki ni shitsurei itashimasu " is used to say goodbye in a formal environment.  For example, when it is time to go home after work and your colleagues are still at work, you say "  Osaki ni shitsurei itashimasu " which conveys a message that you apologize for leaving before your colleagues and acknowledge that they are still at work. "Sayōnara" is used to say goodbye as well.  The difference is that " Sayōnara " is used when you are saying " good bye " for a long time.  In reply to that, the other party would answer " Dewa mata " which means " see you again ."

Do you know how to say "take care" in Japanese? There's two ways of saying it.  Take a look at them below. The first is " Odaijini " which means " get well soon " or " take care of yourself ."  This word is more commonly used at hospitals to address patients, or at drugstores when someone comes to purchase medicine.  So the next time you encounter a Japanese patient, remember to say this to brighten their day ;) Another word that represents " take care " is " ki o tsukete kudasai " which means " please be careful ." This word is used in more common situations such as when someone is crossing the road.

You would be hearing the word " Irrashaimase " as you walk through the streets of Japan.  From Department stores right up to Ramen restaurants, they will be welcoming you to visit their shops. What if a customer approaches you and asks you where to find a particular item, for example, a bag?  You should respond with " Dōzo kochira e "   which means " please come this way ." 

The Japanese are very well known for their politeness and well-mannered attitude.  Let's go through a few of them here. " Sumimasen " means " excuse me " and is used when there is a need to interfere in a middle of a conversation or as a start in asking a question. Another usage of " Sumimasen " is to say that you're sorry and in reply to that, the other party would follow up by answering " lie " which conveys that it is okay or that the apology is accepted. I'm pretty sure that many of you are familiar with the word " Arigatō gozaimasu ."  It simply means " thank you ."  Do you know what the reply is?  Whenever someone says "Arigatō gozaimasu" to you, you should reply him / her with " Dōitashimashite " which means " you are welcome ."

Visiting Someone's Home What is the first thing that you do when you plan to visit someone's home?  Raise your hands if you said you'd first give him / her a call!  We think alike! In Japanese, when answering a call, the common word to say is " Moshi moshi ," just like the way we say " Hello ."   Here's what you can say when you arrive.  " Gomenkudasai " is a polite way to inform the person that you are in front of his / her house.  " Dōzo ohairi kudasai " simply means " please come in ."  So this is what you will be expecting the other party to answer when you pay a visit to his / her home.  When you are offered with food or drinks, say " Itadakimasu " which means " let's eat / drink ." Once you've finished your meal or your drink, a good thing to say is " Gochisōsama deshita " to show appreciation towards the meal or the drink and the perso

Most of us greet each other all the time.  It is a show of respect and at the same time, it shows that we acknowledge each other.  In this module, we are going to learn about basic Japanese greetings. We will go through 25 different greetings that are applicable in different situations. Ganbatte kudasai! A Typical Day How do you greet a friend in the morning? What if you pass by your teacher one morning on your way to class? Is there a difference in the way you greet both of them? In Japan, there are different ways of greeting a person whom you know personally and a person whom you do not know personally Just like we greet a close friend with just "Morning!", in Japan, we say “ Ohayō ". On the other hand, “ Ohayō gozaimasu ” is used to greet someone formally, where we say "Good Morning". Although " Konnichiwa " is most often translated as “ hello ", it is also used for greeting someone in the afternoon.  So whe

In the previous lesson, we have listen to the pronunciation of the 46 Japanese characters and learnt how to write the characters from the A-Line, Ka-Line, Sa-Line, Ta-Line and Na-Line. Now let us continue our lesson with the Ha-Line. The characters in the line are: は (ha), ひ (hi), ふ (fu), へ (he) and ほ (ho) Next, let us write the characters in the Ma-Line. The characters are: ま (ma), み (mi), む (mu), め (me) and も (mo) Next, let us write the characters in the Ya-Line. The characters are: や (ya), ゆ (yu) and よ (yo) Next, let us write the characters in the Ra-Line. The characters are: ら (ra), り (ri), る (ru), れ (re) and ろ (ro) Take note of the correct writing of some similar characters like る (ru) and ろ (ro). Most people made mistake at the end of the stroke. While る (ru) has to curve in at the end of the stroke, ろ (ro) do not need to curve in. Next, let us write the characters for  わ (wa), を (wo) and ん (n)

What is Hiragana? Hiragana is a collection of 46 Japanese characters that is used in native Japanese words. Learning Hiragana will help you to learn how to pronounce the words originated from the Japanese language. Each of the Hiragana characters represents different sounds. They are easy to learn because each of the characters is represented by one pronunciation.  In this first module, we will learn to recognize and pronounce all the 46 Hiragana characters. First, let us watch an overview video of all the 46 characters and how to pronounce them:  Now that you have listened to the pronunciation of the characters, let us take a look at the hiragana chart Japanese Hiragana Character Chart Just like the English Language, Japanese Language also have vowel characters and sounds:  a (あ)  i (い)  u (う)  e (え)  o (お) - these is known as the "a"-line in the chart Now, please prepare your pens and papers because we are going to learn how to writ

To new learners, Welcome to the Introductory Japanese Online Module. In this module, we will learn the basics of Nihongo (that is what Japanese Language called in Japan) in a way that is fun and easy to understand. Throughout the module, you will find lessons, activities and extra resources on the language. The introductory module is divided into several topics to make it easier for you to learn and catch up with new phrases. Videos on how to write Japanese characters and pronouncing words will also be included in each chapter to make it easier for you to learn. To benefit from this module, you also need to be a producer rather than a mere consumer. Your sensei (teacher) and fellow course mates are here to help you. Please do not hesitate to ask questions. In fact, questions are most encouraged, for by asking questions, we learn more than we could ever imagine. Throughout the module, you will learn how to do the following in Japanese: How to recognize and read Hirag