Language exchange

[Volvox]

Hai there! Well, since i was a little kid, i wanted to learn Japanese so i figured, why not checking if there is someone interested in teaching me. I learn quickly and can teach Latin or English(tho you could find better teachers for English). Any native speakers would be really appreciated but i don't really care if you know the language perfectly, as long as you can teach me the basics. Thanks in advance for not posting irrelevant stuff.

 

[The_wand_mirror]

How are you going to learn someone english if that person speaks only japanese and wants to learn english but the only two languages you speak are latin and english, so you can't explain it to him that way...

Heh?

And how should someone that wants to learn english read your message

 

[Volvox]

The word is teach, not learn, and under teach, i assume that the person has the basic knowledge of English or else problems which you pointed out would occur.

 

[Restor]

I doubt if some native speaker can teach you his language.

Majority speaks it without thinking, they dont know their grammar's rules etc etc.

 

[Gilles]

I doubt if some native speaker can teach you his language.

Majority speaks it without thinking, they dont know their grammar's rules etc etc.

We have English class in English speaking countries, does that not happen elsewhere?

 

[Nbah]

Yeah, but they can teach him words at least. Or some basic rules, ANYONE knows those kind of stuff about their native language. The very least is that they learn it at school. They should be very retarded not to know at least a little about grammar.

Anywho, I know a few words in japanese, but that's about it and I doubt I'll be of any use or will be able to teach you something significant. But, dude, if you know latin then w0000t, I admire you. That's awesome <3.

Edit: Damn, Gilles, you said it before me But mine was longer (sun).

 

[Volvox]

Thanks Nbah Anyway, it's a lot better to learn language from someone than by learning words and grammar rules by heart. Little kids agree.

 

[Restor]

ehm, of course I had my own language in school, but that dont make you good to teach someone else, many people must learn linguistics in universitys etc.

I also find some strange rule of grammar what I didnt recognise before, many of them are very illogical to understand, for example double negation in one sentense

"Nobody isnt here" mean Everybody is here in eng., in slavic languages it is different. And nobody teached me that.

 

[Volvox]

That's because in slavic languages, words translated as nobody, everyone, someone etc signify subject over quantity so in slavic languages, 'nobody is here' is equivalent to 'subject is here' which assumes there is someone here while saying 'subject isn't here' makes it right. It all makes sense my friend, because just as any living things, language evolved into what it is now and every part of it can be explained.

 

[InfiniteSeven]

I'm Japanese and I can speak Japanese fluently but I can tell you that I dislike teaching people my language... it often goes... rather bad.

However if you have questions I wouldn't mind answering.

Keep in mind however, I have lived outside Japan for a long time and my Japanese is a bit rusty in areas.

 

[Volvox]

I have just completed learning hiragana and i found some free lessons around the internet to begin with. I'll ask you if(more like when) i get stuck, thanks!

p.s.
If you find me an annoyance, don't hesitate to say it.

 

[InfiniteSeven]

Well, I'm more than willing to help and besides, I'm used to being annoyed. (I have siblings, all older but they're much more immature than me...)

 

[Restor]

That's because in slavic languages, words translated as nobody, everyone, someone etc signify subject over quantity so in slavic languages, 'nobody is here' is equivalent to 'subject is here' which assumes there is someone here while saying 'subject isn't here' makes it right. It all makes sense my friend, because just as any living things, language evolved into what it is now and every part of it can be explained.

not a word of you makes sence.

So, can you explain why "two cars are on the street" are translated in Nominativ to slavic sentence(logical), but "five cars are on the street" are translated to Genitiv (english dont have cases as we, but why noun of quantity 2-4 are in nominativ, and 4< are in genitiv)

 

[Volvox]

Of course it makes sense. What's your native language anyway? On mine, if quantity is >1, they're translated as genitive, else it's nominative. Translated 'a car is on the street' and 'two cars are on the street':
'auto je na ulici' - nominative 'na ulici su dva auta' - genitive
This makes perfect sense since genitive form is used to express quantity while nominative is used to express a direct subject.

 

[Restor]

ehm


"dve autá su na ulici" is nominativ (same with three, four)

"pat áut je na ulici" is genitiv (same from five to infinity)
sg. pl.
N auto autá
G auta áut
D autu autám
A auto autá
L aute autách
I autom autami

 

[Volvox]

Seems like it differs ^^ though i think it was same in my language but it changed since the middle ages.

 

[Velmarshal]

Ok now a serious question.
Why would you want to learn Japanese?

 

[wugiboy]

just to say the least middle class kids my age know more english then they do their language(or native dialects), which is a good thing if your looking at it in a global way, a bad thing in a patriotic sense..

 

[Volvox]

Ok now a serious question.
Why would you want to learn Japanese?

Because i like Japan and i always wanted to live there. <sarcasm>So when i grow up and become rich</sarcasm>, i guess i'll need it. I just like the language, that's all.