Lesson #9 - Learn Japanese Using Japanese With This Unbelievably Simple Phrase
June 20th, 2007Learn Japanese travel phrases with SurvivalPhrases.com! A little Japanese can go such a long way! Whether you’re traveling to Japan for business or pleasure, these phrases will help make your trip much more pleasant and meaningful!
Today, we’ll go over “Can you say it again?” and “Please speak slowly,” so that you can beef up your listening comprehension skills while in Japan. Like with any other language, the more you listen to Japanese, the more you’ll pick up. So take advantage of the full exposure you’ll have to Japanese and access to native Japanese speakers. And be sure to comb through SurvivalPhrases.com before setting out on your trip to Japan. When you do, be sure to leave us a post!
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This is great! Now we’ve covered several conjugations of hanasu.
話す - はなす - hanasu - to speak
話します - はなします - hanashimasu - will speak (or do speak)
話せます - はなせます - hanasemasu - can speak
話して - はなして - hanashite - speak
Here are some more:
話しました - はなしました - hanashimashita - spoke
話しません - はなしません - hanashimasen - don’t speak
話しませんでした - はなしませんでした - hanashimasen deshita - didn’t speak
話したい - はなしたい - hanashitai - want to speak
話せません - はなせません - hanasemasen - can’t speak
話せませんでした - はなせませんでした - couldn’t speak
Please feel free to correct me if I made any errors. I am still learning.
Thanks for the excellent lessons. These lessons are helping me put it all together.
Daniel
Konnichi wa! Could you please clarify the difference between using “kudasai” and “onegai shimsasu.” Are they equivalent, is one more polite than the other, or are they used in different grammatical ways? I’ve heard them both used when ordering in restaurants and other circumstances.
Arigato gozaimasu!
I think Onegai shimasu is more polite. I also think you use onegaishimasu when you get or want something physical. More like “may I have it” and kudasai ismore like please. I have done some of Pimsleur’s Japanese and they teach very very politeness. Of coarse, this site gives a more detailed description http://japanese.about.com/blqow15.htm