I worked hard yesterday and finally launched my new blog!
http://language.micarie.com/
The content is the same as this one so far.
I think I'm going to close this blog within a couple of months, so subscribe or bookmark the new one if you like it. ;)
See you there!
April 11, 2016
March 28, 2016
I started Korean!
Inspired by some interviews with polyglots and a story from a Korean friend, who says he mastered Japanese within a month, I decided to learn Korean!
Actually, I have no plan to use it, but I just want to see if it's easier to learn a similar language than it is to learn more distant languages, like European ones.
I hear Japanese and Korean have many similar words and that their word order is the same. Although it will take some time to learn a new alphabet,
these features probably make it easier for Japanese people to learn Korean, and vice versa.
It took me about five or six months to get my Spanish to a daily conversational level.
How will things go with Korean?
I'm curious! :)
Actually, I have no plan to use it, but I just want to see if it's easier to learn a similar language than it is to learn more distant languages, like European ones.
I hear Japanese and Korean have many similar words and that their word order is the same. Although it will take some time to learn a new alphabet,
these features probably make it easier for Japanese people to learn Korean, and vice versa.
It took me about five or six months to get my Spanish to a daily conversational level.
How will things go with Korean?
I'm curious! :)
February 08, 2016
History of Japan in 9 mins
Do you want to learn Japanese history in a short time while having fun?
Here's my most recent favourite video!!
Here's my most recent favourite video!!
Hope you like it, too! ;-)
February 07, 2016
When is "last" and "next"? - ambiguous words to refer to time -
There is an interesting discussion concerning the words "last" and "next".
Suppose it were Autumn now.
When someone said "last summer,"
would you think it refers to the one in the same year or the previous year?
Similarly, would "next winter" be the one in the same year or the next year?
According to some dictionaries, "last" refers to something that occurred most recently, and the "next" one is something coming immediately after the present one.
For this reason, some people insist that both should refer to the ones in the same year; while, others say that they don't use those words that way.
Take another example of days of the week.
When someone says "last Monday" on Wednesday, I presume most people would take it for "Monday last week", not for the one in the same week since we just say "on Monday" for it. It seems, however, that some people take it for the one in the same week for the same reason we saw above.
As you see, the words "last" and "next" are sometimes very ambiguous.
Maybe in those cases we should specify the year or the date to avoid misunderstanding.
Suppose it were Autumn now.
When someone said "last summer,"
would you think it refers to the one in the same year or the previous year?
Similarly, would "next winter" be the one in the same year or the next year?
According to some dictionaries, "last" refers to something that occurred most recently, and the "next" one is something coming immediately after the present one.
For this reason, some people insist that both should refer to the ones in the same year; while, others say that they don't use those words that way.
Take another example of days of the week.
When someone says "last Monday" on Wednesday, I presume most people would take it for "Monday last week", not for the one in the same week since we just say "on Monday" for it. It seems, however, that some people take it for the one in the same week for the same reason we saw above.
As you see, the words "last" and "next" are sometimes very ambiguous.
Maybe in those cases we should specify the year or the date to avoid misunderstanding.
January 12, 2016
Differences and Usages: いきる vs. すむ
I got a question from a Japanese learner about how to use 生きる (ikiru) and 住む (sumu) correctly.
Both can be translated as "to live" in English, but they are not exactly the same in Japanese.
(Old houses in Kawagoe, Japan)
生きる means "to lead a life" or "to survive," and its opposite word is 死ぬ (shinu), "to die".
1) 私たちは生きるために水が必要です。
(わたしたちは いきるために みずが ひつようです)
We need water to survive.
2) 彼は70歳まで生きました。
(かれは ななじゅっさいまで いきました)
He lived to be seventy.
On the other hand, 住む means "to reside" or "to settle."
It is usually used with the name of the place where one lives.
1) 私は日本に住んでいます。
（わたしは にほんに すんでいます）
I live in Japan.
2) 彼は住む場所がない。
（かれは すむ ばしょが ない）
He has nowhere to reside.
If you use 生きる in the place of 住む in the example sentences above:
1) 私は日本で生きています sounds like "I'm surviving in Japan," but it doesn't sound as natural as the English translation.
2) 彼は生きる場所がない sounds like "He can't survive anywhere."
Is everything clear?
I hope this helps!
Both can be translated as "to live" in English, but they are not exactly the same in Japanese.
(Old houses in Kawagoe, Japan)生きる means "to lead a life" or "to survive," and its opposite word is 死ぬ (shinu), "to die".
1) 私たちは生きるために水が必要です。
(わたしたちは いきるために みずが ひつようです)
We need water to survive.
2) 彼は70歳まで生きました。
(かれは ななじゅっさいまで いきました)
He lived to be seventy.
On the other hand, 住む means "to reside" or "to settle."
It is usually used with the name of the place where one lives.
1) 私は日本に住んでいます。
（わたしは にほんに すんでいます）
I live in Japan.
2) 彼は住む場所がない。
（かれは すむ ばしょが ない）
He has nowhere to reside.
If you use 生きる in the place of 住む in the example sentences above:
1) 私は日本で生きています sounds like "I'm surviving in Japan," but it doesn't sound as natural as the English translation.
2) 彼は生きる場所がない sounds like "He can't survive anywhere."
Is everything clear?
I hope this helps!
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