Follow: japanese_language_mlc on Instagram

Instagram is a great way to learn Japanese. This account is from Meguro Learning Center in Meguro-ku area of 東京.

They do really well at explaining Particles with simple sentences and graphics as well as post about using Verb Conjugations and building your vocabulary.

This explains the difference of using に and と when meeting with someone.

Examples: 

When you are going to your friend's house you say:

友達の家に行きます。

友達 (ともだち) - Friend

家 (いえ) - House, Home

行きます (いきます) - To go

If the two of you have decided to meet at a nearby coffee shop you say:

コーヒ屋で友達と会います。

屋 (や) - Store, Shop

会います (あいます) - To meet

Meguro Learning Center also has a YouTube channel and a website where you can sign up to take Skype or Zoom lessons to prepare for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test or just practice Japanese with a native speaker.

You can link to their website HERE---> Meguro Learning Center

I don't know how the currency exchange works when signing up with MLC, so please be mindful of that aspect when signing up for their services.

Hopefully one day soon we will all be using Cryptocurrency to pay and buy things all over the world and not have to worry about currency exchange and transaction fee. But until then, watch your wallet!

じゃ、またね。

ジョシュア

中止会見

I saw these 漢字 in the background of the anime Akiba's Trip, a very fun series about the world famous Otaku heaven of 秋葉原 (Akihabara) that only lasted for one season, but also had a Nintendo Switch spin-off game that doesn't seem to have any of the characters from the anime. I don't know what that's all about, but I don't have a Switch so I can't play it anyway.

Let's take a look at the 漢字 meaning,

r

中止 (ちゅうし) - Stoppage, interruption, discontinuance, suspension

会見 (かいけん) - Interview, meeting, viewing party

Translation: Discontinuance Meeting

Based on the situation, the translation can be different between. For this, in Akiba's Trip there was a press conference to make breaking news so the translation makes sense as Discontinuance Meeting.

I'm being vague so to not give away any spoilers in case anyone wants to get their friends together for a 会見.

Actually, you should go watch it right now. 今すぐ見に行く！早くよ！

ジョシュア

仮眠室

On most days this is the room I need to go to in the afternoon.

仮眠室 (かみんしつ) - Nap room

A common compound with the 名詞 (めいし - noun) 仮眠 is the 動詞 (どうし - verb) 取る (とる) - To Take: 仮眠を取る - Take a nap, Catch some Z's

A 仮眠室 in a school or office can also be translated as a break room. You might see this too in a hospital where doctors and nurses go to rest during long shifts.

If you ever do see this sign, you should peek in and see if I am there for a quick 仮眠を取る.

わあああ！お休みなさい (つ﹏-).o○

ジョシュア

かにちゃんとちびりべ

Since tuning into Twitch, I have seen a lot of interesting channels of people, virtual tours --> See Virtual Japan <-- games and people in hot tubs. Yes, hot tubs.

Anyway, on Twitch you can watch anyone in the world, including people from Japan. It's a great way to build listening skills and if you brave enough, speak to them through their chat.

One streamer I watch is かにちゃん. かに is 日本語 for Crab. Which is why she uses a lot of crab imagery on her stream. This below is one of her screens during stream.

かにちゃん - Kanichan (~chan is a name honorific used for endearment with friends and children)

休憩中 (きゅうけいちゅう) - Rest, break, intermission

(つ﹏-).o○ - A punctuation emoji meant to represent taking a break

Translation: Kanichan is on break (つ﹏-).o○

休憩中 is a great 漢字 to memorize and remember as many offices and stores use it to tell you they are away at the moment or might be closed for lunch.

Yes, some 会社 (かいしゃ) close during lunch and don't accept visitors or customers during certain hours of the day.

During one of かにちゃん`s streams she was waiting for Apex Legends to download and decided to watch YouTube videos in the meantime. One of the videos she played was ちびりべ a short (2 mins+) anime promoting the larger series 東京リベンジャーズ (Tokyo Revengers), except in this the characters are ちび (small, cute; toddlers or children are often called ちび).

I've posted episode 1 below. If you like it, you can go to YouTube and continue watching the rest of the series.

This series kind of reminds of かよーチュウ that I posted last week.

楽しんで！

ジョシュア

王子動物園 Instagrammer: beingkansai

I follow this account beingkansai on Instagram. They share wonderful photos from the Kansai (関西), nicknamed Kinki, area of 日本 consisting of:

大阪府、兵庫県、京都府、三重県、奈良県、滋賀県、和歌山県。

Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, Mie, Nara, Shiga and Wakayama Prefectures.

Let's see where beingkansai was visiting in this photo-->

ようこそ - Welcome!

王子 (おうじ) - Prince

動物園 (どうぶつえん) - Zoo

へ - Particle used to express movement, going, this way

Translation: Welcome! Oji Zoo is this way.

Even though 王子 is translated as Prince, in the context of a place name we keep it as Oji Zoo rather than Prince Zoo. And when you google, Oji Zoo, it will be the top result and found in Kobe in 兵庫県.

Go on Instagram and follow beingkansai to see more wonderful pictures from the 関西 region of 日本.

以上です。

ジョシュア

トイレットペーパー以外は流さないで下さい！！

Somehow I fell into watching this YouTube anime series かよえ！チュー学 or かよチュー for short a while back, about 12 years ago...ずっと前にね。

It's a really funny show and a good series to learn Japanese from because of the short skit-like episodes or 四コマ (four panel comic) slice of life style anime similar to Lucky Star or Azumanga Daioh.

This sign comes from one of the episodes, which I have embedded below.

トイレットペーパー - Toilet Paper

以外 (いがい) - With the exception of

は - Subject particle

流さない (ながさない) - Don't flush

で - Preposition particle at, in

下さい (ください) - Please

Translation: Please don't flush anything other than toilet paper.

💩バカ！- Stupid!

Watch the full episode here:

完

Today's 漢字 lesson is:

完 (かん) - Perfect

This 漢字 is used in the な adjective 完璧 (かんぺき) meaning Perfect, Complete, Flawless.

例:

完璧なアイデア - Perfect idea

先生は英語を完璧に話す。- The teacher speaks perfect English.

完璧というのはちょっと退屈(たいくつ)の物なのである。- Perfection is a bit boring.

When you want to use a noun, use 完全 (かんぜん) meaning Perfect, Complete.

例:

彼は完全にマスターしていた。- He has complete mastery over it.

僕は完全だなんてとんでもない。 - I am far from perfect.

宿題: Translate the conversation.

生徒：先生、完璧な日本語を話すにはどうすればですか？

先生：練習が完璧にする。

じゃ、email your answer to deathbykanji@gmail.com or leave it in the comments.

またね。

ジョシュア

Watch Virtual Japan on Twitch.tv

Do you Twitch.tv?

If you do, check out the channel Virtual Japan <--Click Here!!

It is a 24/7 channel stream of recorded video of people walking through city streets, parks, festivals and other tourist hotspots in Japan (mostly Tokyo) while a Chillbeats soundtrack plays over top of it.

It's relaxing to watch and you see some interesting places in Japan and see some people being weird or strange occurrences of people not paying attention and walking into other people, and can be nerve racking when they are on bikes with cars driving down the road almost hitting them, yet that is how it is to live and travel there. Everyday is a near death experience.

It is 24/7 so there are a lot of repeated video, but you might see something you didn't see before.

And your challenge is to read the 漢字 on signs and posters as they go by the screen.

楽しむよ！

ジョシュア