Japanese language

[Kakaliaha]

Yes 信用する can be used with ni because you could substitute the word "by" or "from"

友達は私に信用します。
Speaking of my friend he is trusted by me.

by being the key word.

[Meowch]

Yes 信用する can be used with ni because you could substitute the word "by" or "from"

友達は私に信用します。
Speaking of my friend he is trusted by me.

by being the key word.

I can be totally wrong but isn't that sentence incorrect? It looks to me like a passive sentence, so shouldn't it be: 友達は私に信用されます。 ?

I asked my teacher and she said to use を　with 信用する (in an active sentence, like あなたを信用しない）. I guess I'll just have to keep asking every time I learn a new verb.

[davis]

I have some old imported manga, and i know a bit of japanese, but im lacking a ton of vocabulary, so when i try to read it, i try to keep a japanese dictionary handy, real or online.

The problems are

A: It's hard to tell words apart since there is no spacing, so i end up having to look up different combinations of letters in a word bubble

or

B: The words arent even in the dictionary at all.

any advice?

[CosmicDebris]

Unfortunately, I don't think there's anything you can do but increase your vocabulary. After a while you start to just know where the words begin and end. If the word isn't in the dictionary, either you're trying to put characters together to make a word when they aren't, or else you might be looking at a modified version of the word (dictionary will only have the "dictionary form")

[Malintex_Terek]

Will someone recommend a dictionary that puts out words in high-lightable text? I've been using Jeffrey's dictionary since 2003, and while a good resource the only failing is putting up characters as images rather than text.

[Cinder]

His dictionary is very much customizable. I suggest looking around on the main dictionary page on any server for the option to do so.

[dirt monkey AL]

I suggest the program, JWPce, for you. Let's you type out in hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Very helpful, and it has a dictionary in it.

[davis]

Yeah, does anyone have a good dictionary to reccomend, so far ive been using freedict, and Webster's Compact Japanese Dictionary.

[dirt monkey AL]

I use Kodansha's Furigana dictionary - if you want a book form. It's pretty pricey though. I got it for sixty bucks, and while I think I was ripped off a bit, it's been nothing but useful since I've had it.

If you want a computer dictionary, there's a program called JquickTrans that I also use. And JWPce has a dictionary built into it.

With all of them together, it takes a really obscure kanji to baffle me.

And just for the record, don't trust dictionaries with Romaji - the only reason I got the Kodansha dictionary is because I hate Romaji so much.

[shadedcircles]

Ok, ummm, this might seem a bit silly, but my friend and I have been debating about tangerines being called oranges. So my friend is taking Japanese, and its called a "mikan" which translates to "orange" right? or is tangerine just not in the Japanese language and tangerines are basically the same things as oranges.
ha ha...like I said its kinda silly to be debating about this...but I kinda want to end this debate once and for all. i have a pit feeling that my friend is right about the whole thing, but I need a bit more clarification than just "no they're satsuma oranges!"

[SaiyaJedi]

Ok, ummm, this might seem a bit silly, but my friend and I have been debating about tangerines being called oranges. So my friend is taking Japanese, and its called a "mikan" which translates to "orange" right? or is tangerine just not in the Japanese language and tangerines are basically the same things as oranges.
ha ha...like I said its kinda silly to be debating about this...but I kinda want to end this debate once and for all. i have a pit feeling that my friend is right about the whole thing, but I need a bit more clarification than just "no they're satsuma oranges!"

A mikan is a specific variety of citrus (Citrus unshiu), closely related to the mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) and its subvarieties, the clementine and the tangerine. It is not a true "orange" (Citrus sinensis), though citrus are quite close genetically and all these fruit appear to have originated in East Asia. It is relatively small, "squashed in" on the top and bottom, with soft, easy-to-peel skin and a comparatively sweet taste. In America, there's no consistent term for them, and I've seen them labeled as "mandarin oranges" or as "tangerines". They're often called "satsumas" in the UK, though.

The word "mikan" can be used more generally in Japanese to refer to any orange-colored citrus (much the same as "orange" in English), but if you really want to get your friend on scientific precision, you could point out that true oranges are properly called "orenji" in Japan.

[davis]

I use Kodansha's Furigana dictionary - if you want a book form. It's pretty pricey though. I got it for sixty bucks, and while I think I was ripped off a bit, it's been nothing but useful since I've had it.

If you want a computer dictionary, there's a program called JquickTrans that I also use. And JWPce has a dictionary built into it.

With all of them together, it takes a really obscure kanji to baffle me.

And just for the record, don't trust dictionaries with Romaji - the only reason I got the Kodansha dictionary is because I hate Romaji so much.

I downloaded jquick trans and i still have alot of trouble.

I cant seem to distinguish many words.

also, i am halfway through a japanese textbook "yookosoo introduction to conversaitional japanese"

So what should i do?
Stop trying to read the manga, and read the second half of the textbook.


Keep trying to slowly slowly SLOWLY build a vocab.

Both?

Or something elese?

[AWB]

What is the Japanese word for surgeon?

[CosmicDebris]

Gekai.

16 surgeons

[KaizokuFan22]

is using a Random House Japanese/English- English/japanese dictonary ok to use in studying the language?

[SaiyaJedi]

is using a Random House Japanese/English- English/japanese dictonary ok to use in studying the language?

It's not a bad starting point; hell, it's what I used to begin with. Just realize that such a format has its limitations, and you're going to quickly want to move on to something else. The main issue, other than the limited number of words within, is that it's no good other than as a vocabulary building device. You'll need another source if you want to work on grammar and other things that will actually help you speak the language.

[Lobolover]

ive been meaning to ask-is there such a word you could write down as "odial"?

[SaiyaJedi]

ive been meaning to ask-is there such a word you could write down as "odial"?

Ending a syllable with a consonant other than "n" is a no-no in Japanese. Or rather, it simply isn't phonologically possible, which is why you get such strange English pronunciation from Japanese speakers at times.

Perhaps you could give a little more context as to what you're referring to?

[Lobolover]

if you go and watch the warship island arc,preferably episode 59 for this,you hear that Nelson keeps ending his sentence with the word "odial"-sounding like "Ima de odial","Hayou guste odial".

heres the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woLdIEDI5EA

[tonitonichopper]

Do you really need to get Hiragana and Katakana down first before learning Kanji?