I hate how people confuse Japan and China!

[Go-ruden Naito]

Sometimes I wonder if people think that China and Japan are the same country. When you tell someone: Hey I'm learning japanese. They say something like: That's cool, I wish I could learn chineese one day or Chineese is complicated.

Its annoying as heck sometimes, but im learning to ignore it. Has this happend to you or is it just me?

[Spaztick]

Yea, if I'm ever writing down Japanese people think it's Chinese, or if I speak Japanese to someone they say "wow I didn't know you knew Chinese."

Annoying, but I wonder how people still think of china when our ties to Japan are closer than China's.

[KRed]

I could forgive someone for thinking that I was writing Chinese seeing as the two languages share alot of Kanji. But Speaking???????

[Schattenjedi]

Ahh...the wonders of unbounded ignorance. But seriously, I can handle it as long as it's not derogatory...then my blood boils.

[Elumi]

I guess people who give comments like that are mostly unaware of the difference. Personally, Japanese sounds sweeter than Chinese. Chinese makes sounds that sounded like the person is complaining. But you should give leeway (sp?) since both language are so similar.

[dreamingxashley]

Ok, the writing I can see being mistaken as Chinese, especially when a set of written Japanese is 3/4's in Kanji, but theres no way you (should) mistake Japanese and Chinese, they dont sound alike. 0.o

[dreamingxashley]

Chinese always makes me think they are speaking with marbles in their mouth or something. lol

[ShinDig]

um...why?!

[Kei]

Yes this really drives me nuts. People always say oh why do you like that chinese stuff or what's that chinese music. Or that girl looks like she's chinese. Arggg silly people.

[wangribing]

i spent two years learning chinese and just switched to japanese. i find there are many chinese loan words.
sometimes when i spoke chinese people would think it was japanese, but i didn't get very angry because everyone in my town is so stupid. my school only teaches spanish and french!

ps chinese rocks

[ShinDig]

i know what you mean...but my school is worse, my school specialises in Languages... french, German, Spanisn, Gujarati, Italian and even Japanese. I picked to study the japanese course, (on top of french) but for some reason, they switched me to Italian!!!! arrrgh! Stupid School...

[wangribing]

what's Gajurati?

[ShinDig]

Gujarati= an asian language

[Gaijinian]

It can be annoying, but then I consider my own ignorance on other subjects, that informed people would find annoying.
Everyone is ignorant to something, and if they have not been studying Japanese or Chinese, how would you expect them to know? A lot of high school girls are pretty "rangey"(sp??) with their tone, so sometimes it CAN sort of cound like Chinese.

Also, Korean sounds very similar to Japanese, no?

[Datadog]

I haven't gotten around to learning Chinese yet, but are the Kanji the same in both languages, or at least have the same meanings?