Comments on: Lesson #8 - Can You Speak English?

by: ayakashi

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:13:16 +0000

yo!..i like this lesson..it really helped me a lot..domo arigatou gozaimashita ^_^

by: amanda

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:26:57 +0000

there IS a difference between hanashimasu & hanasemasu…one is polite & the other isn’t….believe me would know my mom is korean so yeah, im half korean

by: Jerold S

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:49:29 +0000

Thanks Sachiko,
I also have had questions about “can speak, “to speak” and the Amercan/British English issue. This clarification was helpful.

by: Sindy

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:23:22 +0000

Sachiko-san

Thank you for your reply, it was very useful, Keep up! S_R_C

by: admin

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 04:19:58 +0000

Hey, thanks for those comments.

To answer Rubens’ question:
hanashimasuka would be fine. The literal translation of hanashimasuka is “do you speak”
whereas hanasemasuka would be “can you speak.”

As for Sindy’s questions:
You could say “beigo” for American English. But the younger generation may not be familiar with that word. Most under-40 Japanese consider “Eigo” as the English in America as well as other countries. And I think many Japanese prefer to learn American English because they are familiar with it. American English is what they learn in school and what they hear in Hollywood movies. (People interested in British culture, would of course, prefer to learn British English.)

Sachiko

by: Sindy

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 23:38:59 +0000

Salchiko-san

I agree with Rubens-san

I also would like to know if I can use vego agasemaska instead of ego because my english is American not British.

What English do Japanese prefer to learn American one, British one or both? S_R_C

by: rubens

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:30:38 +0000

what happen if I use hanashimasu instead of hanasemasu … what’s the difference?
DOmoU