What do you native japanese think of your language?
-
- Posts: 208
- Joined: Fri 11.21.2008 2:21 am
- Native language: English
What do you native japanese think of your language?
I'm just curious, do you native japanese out there think your writing system is lame because I know I hate the English writing system unless it's written in calligraphy or something. Do you guys think kanji in interesting or boring. Do you think some are a little ridiculous because of how complex they are? Also ignoring the fact that learning english is important and essential, what do you think of english? Do you think our spelling is interesting because it's so random? Or do you find our writing boring. Give me you opinion I'm curious XD
- keatonatron
- Posts: 4838
- Joined: Sat 02.04.2006 3:31 am
- Native language: English
- Gender: Male
- Location: Tokyo (Via Seattle)
- Contact:
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
I'm not a native Japanese, but during my studies I have found that many Japanese people claim that English is "exotic and cool" while kanji is "old and boring".
In fact, I think they feel the exact same way about English that us Westerners feel about kanji
In fact, I think they feel the exact same way about English that us Westerners feel about kanji

- shin1ro
- Posts: 499
- Joined: Fri 07.21.2006 10:37 pm
- Native language: Japanese
- Gender: Male
- Location: Shijonawate
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
Kanji is interesting to me.
I can immediately understand if many words are listed in kanji.
If the list is written in alphabet, I need much more time to read and understand what words are written in the list. Kanji is much like a picture and recognized as a whole image (not detail) and instantly gives meaning.
Japanese people have learned kanji since 1st grade elementary school. Learning kanji may be hard but once you learned basic kanji, you can understand even words you first met by kanji meanings.
I recently read a funny manga and it shows:
- Japanese) 先天性胆道閉鎖症 = 先天的(inborn) + 性(to make a modifier) + 胆道(bile passage) + 閉鎖(closed) + 症(disease)
- English) congenital biliary atresia
- Japanese) 解毒剤 = 解く(release) + 毒(poison) + 剤(medicine)
- English) antidote
-shin1ro
I can immediately understand if many words are listed in kanji.
If the list is written in alphabet, I need much more time to read and understand what words are written in the list. Kanji is much like a picture and recognized as a whole image (not detail) and instantly gives meaning.
Japanese people have learned kanji since 1st grade elementary school. Learning kanji may be hard but once you learned basic kanji, you can understand even words you first met by kanji meanings.
I recently read a funny manga and it shows:
- Japanese) 先天性胆道閉鎖症 = 先天的(inborn) + 性(to make a modifier) + 胆道(bile passage) + 閉鎖(closed) + 症(disease)
- English) congenital biliary atresia
- Japanese) 解毒剤 = 解く(release) + 毒(poison) + 剤(medicine)
- English) antidote
-shin1ro
英語がおかしければご指摘ください(日本語も...)。サンキュ〜 

Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
You're conflating the language and the writing system. Your subject asked about the language and the body of your post gives the impression you think the orthography is the language.kentaku_sama wrote:I'm just curious, do you native japanese out there think your writing system is lame because I know I hate the English writing system unless it's written in calligraphy or something. Do you guys think kanji in interesting or boring. Do you think some are a little ridiculous because of how complex they are?
Never underestimate my capacity for pettiness.
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
.
Last edited by 血まみれ剣術師 on Mon 07.04.2011 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
What prompted that?血まみれ剣術師 wrote:Off-Topic Note: Let's not let this thread go into an aggressive state. :|
Never underestimate my capacity for pettiness.
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
.
Last edited by 血まみれ剣術師 on Mon 07.04.2011 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- two_heads_talking
- Posts: 4137
- Joined: Thu 04.06.2006 11:03 am
- Native language: English
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
while that is an understandable concern, let the moderators take care of that..血まみれ剣術師 wrote:There was a similar thread that went somewhat out of control. I'd hate to see this one get locked next.

-
- Posts: 208
- Joined: Fri 11.21.2008 2:21 am
- Native language: English
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
I do that, it's for my manga I'm doing.I'm not Native Japanese, but I find many things about English that are annoying. No language is perfect. Most people think another language is cooler/neater than theirs. Both Japanese and English are not perfect languages, but good languages nonetheless. I've always been fascinated with human language and it's nothing new to me. People even create engineered languages and constructed scripts. There's a lot of history backing every language (even engineered languages have some history). Did you know Korean Hangul was a constructed script? Overall, I think Japanese is a good language and [like most] has benefits over English [and vice versa].
Mäbäi övafda mänga äk't. / I like manga very much. Written in my conlang zhunäji

- chikara
- Posts: 3577
- Joined: Tue 07.11.2006 10:48 pm
- Native language: English (Australian)
- Gender: Male
- Location: Australia (SA)
- Contact:
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
Exactly. There were many hundreds of Indigenous Australian languages before European settlement and not one of them had a writing system but that doesn't make them any less languages.Mike Cash wrote:You're conflating the language and the writing system. Your subject asked about the language and the body of your post gives the impression you think the orthography is the language.
Do you see many Japanese people with "Spirit Child" tattooed on themselves?keatonatron wrote:..... I have found that many Japanese people claim that English is "exotic and cool" while kanji is "old and boring".
In fact, I think they feel the exact same way about English that us Westerners feel about kanji

For the 2005 movie The Interpreter staring Nicole Kidman an entire language called Ku was created by Said el-Gheithy, the director of the Centre for African Language Learning in London.kentaku_sama wrote:I do that, it's for my manga I'm doing.
Mäbäi övafda mänga äk't. / I like manga very much. Written in my conlang zhunäji
kwambu

Don't complain to me that people kick you when you're down. It's your own fault for lying there
- furrykef
- Posts: 1572
- Joined: Thu 01.10.2008 9:20 pm
- Native language: Eggo (ワッフル語の方言)
- Gender: Male
- Contact:
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
That's just 'cause they don't like tattoos at all. As you're surely aware, they'll happily get shirts saying "AGREE: Getting jewel from her seizure operation!!".chikara wrote:Do you see many Japanese people with "Spirit Child" tattooed on themselves?
Founder of Learning Languages Through Video Games.
Also see my lang-8 journal, where you can help me practice Japanese (and Spanish, and Italian!)
Also see my lang-8 journal, where you can help me practice Japanese (and Spanish, and Italian!)
- chikara
- Posts: 3577
- Joined: Tue 07.11.2006 10:48 pm
- Native language: English (Australian)
- Gender: Male
- Location: Australia (SA)
- Contact:
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
Isn't the "jewel" from a seizure operation a baby?furrykef wrote:That's just 'cause they don't like tattoos at all. As you're surely aware, they'll happily get shirts saying "AGREE: Getting jewel from her seizure operation!!".

Don't complain to me that people kick you when you're down. It's your own fault for lying there
-
- Posts: 208
- Joined: Fri 11.21.2008 2:21 am
- Native language: English
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
Honestly, who cares? I don't mean to sound rude but When I say language I mean as in general writing system is part of a language and Japanese's to me is the coolest on earth. Mixed script is what makes it so cool!You're conflating the language and the writing system. Your subject asked about the language and the body of your post gives the impression you think the orthography is the language.
- furrykef
- Posts: 1572
- Joined: Thu 01.10.2008 9:20 pm
- Native language: Eggo (ワッフル語の方言)
- Gender: Male
- Contact:
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
That's pretty much my opinion of this thread.kentaku_sama wrote:Honestly, who cares?
Founder of Learning Languages Through Video Games.
Also see my lang-8 journal, where you can help me practice Japanese (and Spanish, and Italian!)
Also see my lang-8 journal, where you can help me practice Japanese (and Spanish, and Italian!)
- chikara
- Posts: 3577
- Joined: Tue 07.11.2006 10:48 pm
- Native language: English (Australian)
- Gender: Male
- Location: Australia (SA)
- Contact:
Re: What do you native japanese think of your language?
That may not be your intention but that is certainly how it comes across to me.kentaku_sama wrote:Honestly, who cares? I don't mean to sound rude ......
However, based on;
and;kentaku_sama wrote:.... it's for my manga I'm doing. .....
I expect that you can't see how Mike-san could possibly take offence at your response.kentaku_sama wrote:... Japanese's to me is the coolest on earth. Mixed script is what makes it so cool!
Don't complain to me that people kick you when you're down. It's your own fault for lying there