"Random" Japanese.
 

...So I'm curious about the usage of Japanese among non-Japanese users on the Internet. To be specific, I'd like to know about what people think about:

• What do you think of people who use Japanese in their posts, messages, e-mails, etc.?
• What do you think if these people are using it incorrectly?
• Do you ever use Japanese in your posts, messages, etc.?
• If so, in what manners (for humor, poking fun, emphasizing, etc.)?
• Where and with whom do you use it?
• If you use Japanese, have you had any sort of studies in the language? How much?

These are the only things I could think of at the moment, but feel free to contribute any other thoughts you have on the subject.

Also, I can vaguely remember a good post someone made here ages ago on picking screen names, which touched on the whole "random Japanese" issue. Can anyone point me to it?

And yes I know of the irony of my screen name here.

Anywho, thanks in advance!

EDIT: Okay, no homework now.

IN BEFORE YAMAMAN.... oh.

Anyways, NIHONGO is only used when you talk to NIHON-JIN. Aside from that, it's STUPID.

I thought about that, but the point is that I'd like opinions on the subject, so it'd be okay in a forum. Like, if I phrased it more casually and left out the fact I was doing a paper, would there be a problem? (Or maybe I should just edit the post...?)

I've no problem with people using Japanese (or any other language) in their daily speech, but there has to be a bit of context to it. Using Japanese vocabulary, like ofuro instead of bath, is fine, but if they start going "this was really sugoi" or "did you see that kawaii nee-chan" is awkward and annoying usually.

I use it in my posts and speech (written, not verbal) on occasion, but only in a jocular manner, and only with people I am friendly with. I don't think I could ever in any seriousness sprinkle Japanese in my everyday speech without looking bad.

I have had some studies in the language and visited the country once, but that's really all I can say about that.

Wai~

No I don't use Japanese in my speech. I dont really mind it most of the time. It can get annoying when people continually mix Japanese and English (or any other language) over and over again when it doesn't match at all. My youngest sister is an example of this. She's constantly peppering her speech with Japanese words. (Yes, she has gone Oh god that's so KAWAIII!)

If I use any Japanese I attempt to actually speak it. If I ever do mix the two languages it's done when making fun of those who do. Which is normally only when around a certain few friends. Who really hate people you would call wapanese.

I've yet to encounter anyone I know in real life who used "random" Japanese in their speech. I don't use Japanese words when I type online except if I know that those who read it will understand the humor behind it.

The only time I hear random Japanese is always on an anime convention and boy, it is creepy.

I only use Japanese on the net and the words are those used to death already (like kawaii~ or similar) just for poking fun.

One of the ten nerdiest things you can do is to want to learn and use Japanese for any sort of percieved chic, or 'show' factor. It's not chic, it's entirely the opposite. Anyone who dropped a word like 'kawaii' into real life conversation would be met with similar revulsion from me as would meet anyone who said the word 'lol'. They are both displays of that person losing touch, becoming entirely un-self concious, and slipping into some alternate geek reality.

It's little better using it on the internet, but there is more license to do so and less room for scorn because at least the internet already occupies that alternate geek reality.

A particular point I want to mention are indeed those -chan style suffixes. When a westerner uses one they're just being a cringeworthy Japophile, but what about when someone with a Japanese background uses one? Why do that? It's so in-your-face. Is it important for them to have a big arrow pointing at their ethnicity and culture? Are they bragging about being Japanese?

The only time I've ever had someone insert random Japanese into English conversation was with my Japanese professor, who is a native Japanese speaker, and also in a position of trying to encouraging me and others of her students to make Japanese a part of their natural thought process, which ultimately takes grueling repetition. In this case, inserting Japanese into conversation is perfectly legitimate since it encourages learning and, more importantly, is actually done correctly so that the correct things are being learned as a native Japanese speaker would naturally speak.

In situations outside of this, I generally agree with Kolba, although I do of course sometimes try so speak Japanese with other English speakers also learning the language (and of course, when granted the opportunity, with actual native Japanese speakers). But randomly saying sugoi, kakkoii, kawaii, and other such phrases that anyone who's watched a couple fandubs should know is just annoying.

Back in high school there was a group of girls who would drop random Japanese words into their sentences while talking, and it was incredibly annoying. I don't have a problem with it when written, especially since it's usually joking, but it just sounds awkward when spoken. It would have been nifty if they had actually been interested in learning the language rather than just showing off what huge anime fans they were.

I've only ever met one person who interjected random bits of Japanese into daily speech. However, he was a raging otaku faggot, so I tried to distance myself.

I'll say "kawaii" or the like out of irony, though.

It is unacceptable. If you cannot hold a conversation in Japanese with a native speaker of the language, or some fluent equivalent, you have no right to butcher the language. This goes for any language, except since Japanese culture is so popular, it really applies only to this.

People who do butcher the language, add things like "-chan" or give themselves Japanese names, say "kawaii" or "sugoi" without knowing how utterly disgusting it sounds, these are the people that should burn in a fire and die.

I'm lucky enough to be able to speak with a lot of native speakers, and a few of my friends are near-fluent. Most of the time with these people, touchy subject get talked about in Japanese (Because sometimes its easier to communicate that way). I have a friend and we constantly butcher Japanese, constantly, but its so exaggerated that its obvious its for humor purposes.

The point here is if you don't know the language and you just say shit you (may think you) know to be cool, you actually are not cool at all. You just look like an idiot. I happen to know people who suffer from severe japanofaggotry and its a very sad sight to see.

I'm very unforgiving.

edit//Yama, for the record, you're disgusting and need to die in a fire, too. I don't want you to feel left out.

日本語を正しく使えなければ、使わないでください。恥ずかしく, 気持ち悪いと思います。えひひ。＞＿＜

If you can read and understand that, you're ok, I guess. The rest of you; JUST FU***NG STOP! YOU'RE EMBARRASSING YOURSELVES AND THIS COMMUNITY!

Since I don't speak much Japanese and don't know very many Japanese people (Because the majority of them only stay in Canada for a short time), I don't have random Japanese language tendencies.

But, I know much more in Korean and I have been known for randomly speaking Korean, such as swears or saying hello, and when I am with Korean friends I speak it even more. As for writing, I know very little of the written, so I don't do any of that, Korean or otherwise.

Japanese culture doesn't exist much where I live. Many just stay for short exchanges, while Chinese, and Korean stay for longer periods of time.

The only thing more annoying than white people acting black is white people acting Japanese. Just stop. Do you people not realize how ridiculous you are. Okay, so Japanese girls are cute, but stop the god damn obsessing. Learning Japanese so you can watch anime is more retarded than those Star Trek nerds learning Klingon. Here's a hint. There is very good reason why the Japanese point and laugh at white people trying to be like them.



Also people who clearly cannot speak Japanese yet spatter their English with the three Japanese words they picked up from their anime need to suffocate.

I have a couple of friends who are Japanese/Asian Studies majors and they do this all the time. It's little things like replacing "Umm..." with "Etto..." or using "chotto matte" or "sou desu ne" and general smalltalk. I've studied a little Japanese in highschool but I don't plan on making a career with it (so I haven't taken any classes in college, though I plan to take some elective classes eventually), but I know enough of the language that when I'm with certain friends, there's lots of Japanese words/sentences and phrases thrown about in our conversation.

I definitely agree that it is helpful in an educational setting because of the whole "Use it or Lose it" deal. I found that after 2 years of not studying Japanese I still remember quite a bit of it having to keep on my toes when certain friends speak to me. Unfortunately, I've forgotten things like Kanji (most of it) and some Katakana. I'm really out of practice, and the opportunities outside of a classroom setting to write in Japanese are virtually non-existant.

With that, I can definately tell when someone is obviously a Japanese student and is trying to use that technique in improving their proficiency w/ the language, and the people who watch too much Anime. I personally will never walk around going "OMG KAWAYUSU LOLOL SUGOI!" and use the suffix -chan on everyone's name. And I would refrain from speaking any Japanese in a Anime Convention or any Anime related event. I find that sort of thing awkward and grating.

That's pretty much how I feel. If I said throwing any bits of the language in normal speech annoyed me I'd be a pot calling a kettle black; After 3 years of high school French I can't speak the language, but I do throw random bits of the language in when I speak, but only to friends.

Typical deviantArt anime-art comment style japanese "sprinkling," however, annoys the crap out of me.

＞＿＜　（えひひ）

その文が分かるに字典を使えば、まだいい?

Yeah, I find that occasionally going on Wikipedia and trying to read bits and pieces of the Japanese articles, as well as just reading other Japanese stuff online can help to an extent, but you're definitely right. Retaining kanji can be really difficult (even for the Japanese).

Babel fish Japanese? It looks weird, please stop ^___^. But seriously, I don't really care. I just like to bitch since I've studied Japanese for a long time, but it doesn't make me an expert and certainly not any authority on the subject. ^__^

I am guilty of randomly throwing out "kawaii!" with a select few of my girl friends and pinching their cheeks. As well as my more recent use of the phrase "Taihen, desu ne?" However, I don't randomly sprinkle it in my everyday talk with normal people or excessively with the people I say those phrases to.

I'm currently taking Japanese and hope to minor in it or go teach English in Japan one day, and have moved out of the fanboy phase for the most part. I know that I wouldn't want my friends coming up to me saying "mite mite!" or "Sasuga da yo...fufufufu~".

No, not Babelfish, just my limited knowledge of grammar and vocabulary making itself known to all.

Even if you've studied Japanese for a long time (presuming upwards of 4 years), any respect I may have had for you is nullified by your use of ^_^ faces.

What do you think of people who use Japanese in their posts, messages, e-mails, etc.?
As long as they are using it correctly and for a reason that's fine. I usually IM people saying "konnichiwa" or "konbanwa" depending the time of day. If I'm talking to my sensei via email I use as much Japanese as I can because he doesn't speak good english.

What do you think if these people are using it incorrectly?
God it bothers me SO much! If you are going to speak a language, take the time to learn it!

Do you ever use Japanese in your posts, messages, etc.?
If so, in what manners (for humor, poking fun, emphasizing, etc.)?
I had it once in my sig. It was lyrics from a song by Ayumi Hamasaki. But sometimes I'll use it randomly BUT I use it correctly. I may say "jya ne" or "hai" or "iie" randomly just because I like speaking Japanese when I get a chance.

Where and with whom do you use it?
I use it a lot online talking with people just because the can see that I'm using another language whereas at times I say a random Japanese word and people are like "What?" I'll use it with friends who know it, my dad, and sensei. In the Japan house at the university I'll try to speak some around there with any Japanese people I see.

If you use Japanese, have you had any sort of studies in the language? How much?
I've taken Japanese I and II. I really miss those classes. I may have to audit both before going into III or independent study or ask sensei to tutor me.


Honestly, one thing that bothers me that I saw a lot in high school with the cliche... well it's not that I hung out with them but I was friends with friends who liked them so we just knew each other. Anyways they watched anime obsessively and were manga nerds and they would say things in Japanese and not even know what it means or say a phrase that was fine in the situation on the show they got it from but not appropriate when they said it. Then romanji... I got tired of seeing it once I could write in hiragana. I like reading hiragana. It's fun!

In my english class (in my senior year) our teacher let us put our names on this slip (pretty big slip) of paper to put on the wall. I had put "konnichiwa" in hiragana and at the end of the year when they were brought down a friend of mine told me she wrote on it (hoping I would take mine home) saying I spelled it wrong and it was "konichiwa". I stared at her and asked her after 2 Japanese classes, does she really think I spelled konnichiwa wrong? I'm not saying I'm perfect but that's a really frequent word spoken and written in my classes. That bugged me and may have hurt her pride. She always seemed prideful and tried to outdo my Japanese knowledge. I was the only one in my group of friends that was taking a course and actually getting good and I think some got jealous because I knew what to say and how to say it.

why does everyone in this topic have an anime avatar.

Boy was a retard back in the day. I'd frequently cuss in Japanese and use it in conversation without realizing how big of an ass I looked. Thankfully that faded in 8th grade (began in 7th) and since then I've still been an anime fan, but I don't worship Japan and it's strangeness like I used to.

I find "random" Japanese annoying and I hope it burns in hell.

Four years plus now, just for the record. But wow. I lost YOUR respect? And who the fuck are you, again? =)

Why is using "^___^"-smileys so bad, anyway? I kinda use them automatically nowadays from talking to japanese people on MSN.

FUCK YOU, DAMN SMILEY RACIST! t^___-

Yeah, I hate those guys, too. There's one in particular who has studied the language long enough and should have already realized that talking like an idiot(because whatever some may think, "anime talk" usually isn't appropriate) isn't acceptable. He calls his teachers Omae(お前、very very VERY informal personal pronoun）and spews out all sorts of ancient phrases that shouldn't be used in normal speech. Not cool.

By the way, it's "romaji"(ローマ字), not "romanji".

If you haven't noticed it already, this can be applied to any and all of the the threads of these forums and isn't limited to this single thread. It's forum of nerds, you see, and I certainly am one of them. :)

Yes, you lost my respect, and as a newer member you shouldn't look to piss off people who have been around longer than you. Remember respect your elders? Judging from your arrogance, you probably are not even very skillful when it comes to Japanese either, although I may be wrong. What level JLPT have you passed?

Furthermore, I'm sorry, but guys using ^_^, >_>, -_-, and all of the anime-related faces is just gay and immature. Its not just you, but every male that does. Girls can, sure, its "cute." Guys don't need to be cute. Hell, even gay guys have masculinity.

It was a joke, man, cool down. (I did use smileys, you know ^__-)

But you're actually doing it. You're pissing me off right now. You're judging who's "older" by the level of my avatar, or what? How do you know how long I've been or not been on these here forums? If you add the levels I had before the crash I should be about level 30+ by now, but I haven't bothered bitching about it because, quite frankly, it doesn't bother me to start over. It's just a number. Maybe the one who should have a little more respect is none other than yourself, hmm?

You can judge my Japanese level from the "Arrogance of my posts"? Hahaha, you're a funny guy, Mr.Ultima. Do you always go around assuming things like this?

For the record, I cleared level 2 of the JLPT, easily, last year and I was going for the JLPT level 1 last sunday, but I had other plans so I couldn't go(which was a pity, since I had already paid the fee). However, majoring Japanese for four years(one year in Gifu, Japan and three years in Lund, Sweden), I have the confidence to say that I outclass MOST on these here forums in the terms of Japanese skills. How long have you studied, again?

And about the smileys: I did not learn them from anime. These are standard(and quite basic forms) of the smileys used by most japanese people(yeah, even university students use them). I'll keep using them for now. I see nothing bad about it at all. If anything I'll use them to defy you. You'll have no respect from me from now on.

You came off as arrogant then, you come off as arrogant now. You aren't really doing anything to change that, and until you do, I don't like you. Maybe you are better than everyone else, but don't be a conceited ass and go declaring it to glorify yourself. For your information, I've studied two and a half years in a class in high school, which ended in June. I took the Level 3 JLPT last Sunday with expectations of passing fine. Furthermore I'm younger than your average high school senior. If we're going to be arrogant asses here, I could make a hell of a lot of assumptions about skill and potential, but I won't.

People use emoticons, whatever. If you're using them just to spite me now, I'll have you know I really don't care that much. It just makes me think lower of you, which wouldn't change even if you stopped using them because of your head being so far up your ass.

Also, if you want to get technical, add up my levels from the past crashes and I'm level 50-60 or so.

If you weren't so arrogant, you'd be fine. You also need to know not to take anything anyone says on the internet seriously. Because to be completely honest, I really don't care. I never did. You've been entertaining though!

I really don't see I reason as to why I should. You're the one bitching about trivial matters such as "respect for the elderly" or "proper use of emoticons".

You're the one who doubted my level in the first place, smartass. If you had read one of my previous posts, though, you might have noticed that I don't, in any way, assume to be an authority on the language, at least not regarding people who are studying the language actively.


"Babel fish Japanese? It looks weird, please stop ^___^. But seriously, I don't really care. I just like to bitch since I've studied Japanese for a long time, but it doesn't make me an expert and certainly not any authority on the subject. ^__^"

Then where is your head?

My point being that it doesn't matter to me if you've been here one day or 100 years, you won't earn any respect from me for being an idiot.

For the record, although I knew you were joking from the smilies, having my attempt at using Japanese to reply to your comment in Japanese, after having previously stated that I'm an actual student of it (granted, only 1 year in at this point) referred to as "Babel fish Japanese" was a bit insulting.

On the other hand, I really don't see a reason to make such a big deal about this, arguing over who's more mature, who's been here longer, and so on, certainly not on account of my attempting to practice Japanese in this thread (granted, a definite mistake on my part in retrospect).

Weeaboo piss me off. Liking Japan, Japanese culture, the language, etc. is fine, but goddamn, so many of 'em think that Japan is some holy perfect island with streets flowing with pocky(which is not that good, they really need to expand on their foreign snack intake) and anime.

Besides, most of 'em don't even spell their Japanese properly in ANY form, or use it right in ANY context. They usually only know enough slang, and maybe some common adjectives, to form fragmented Japanglish... or... um.

<_<
>_>

俺は、本当に あいつらが 大嫌いさ。

It was an insult, albeit a friendly one, or so I thought. I apologize if I in any way offended you by saying it.

Double Post:
俺も、そういう人があまり好きじゃないな。何か、もっと勉強してくれない？うざいよ。って言いたいんだけど 、言ってもちゃんと聞いてくれない気がする。。。まぁ、仕方ないな。そういう人も人間だからさ。ただシカト した方がましかもしれない。

I like how this Sword Familiar character is the ultimate weeaboo.

Why hasn't he killed himself yet.

*hugs*

学日语有什么特别？我也会打出几句古里古怪的汉字，人家看不懂，难道代表自己有什么特殊本领吗？还有，猜一 猜有多少人分辨不出华语和日语（几乎全部吧）

I am better than all of you because I can write random chicken scratches

I'm better than anyone else who thinks they dislike seeing random Japanese, because I haven't even bothered to have my browser support Japanese characters, and I just see a lot of rectangle blocks instead of chicken scratches.

I like how the real point of this thread is less about disdain for people misusing Japanese and more about people using it, period.

なんか憎さ…… There is so much hate going on here.

この悪い気持ちじゃないって思った。でも、言語学の授業で「ランダム・日本語」は妥当な言語……「AAVE 」(イーボニックズ）のようそうです。多分、「コード・スイッチ」ですよね……

（ごめん、実はアタシは日本語をちょっと勉強していました。^^;;）

While I like Ridan Krad's point... I asked for opinions so I guess I'm getting them... @_@

In truth, I am actually studying Japanese as my major. :P That's why I get pissed at all these kids who have an idealistic view of Japan. I met a bunch of those in Japanese class, the type that think learning kanji is too hard, so they quit after the first year.

It's a shame I'm outta practice though. :/

I feel it depends on the context and if the words have been accepted in mainstream English. Words like sushi sound fine because they're already in vernacular speech.

In other words, I'd feel equally stupid if I said "Oh, that girl is so kawaii" as if I said "Oh, this little rice cake with a piddly piece of raw fish is so delicious dabbed with that spicy greenish horseradish paste."

Using random Japanese is still stupid. If you're gonna use Japanese, you should either be in a Japanese environment or with Japanese-speaking individuals, wherein using the Japanese language will make a lot sense.

I think it's just pretentious. The same as if I started dropping random french or italian into conversation just so I could seem, I don't know, worldly to the people around me. It makes you come off either as pathetic or arrogant. Either way, it's not a good approach.

Just using it around your friends as an esoteric act is acceptable, especially if you're all into it. But if you're using it to someone who doesn't know what it means it's just pathetic. It's like saying "lol" in real life(pathetic even as an esoteric act). Also, I'm not very fond of incorrect usage due to fandom, as in the case of Japan/ese. It just sounds silly when people are trying to make others believe they can use a language they really don't comprehend.

snag is whatever the hype is people will follow. if they are politically correct with their language it is a different matter and we can hate them all we want but these people won't change.

speaking a different language is nothing special. knowing when and how to speak it is great. ie political discussions in foreign languages.

it really is annoying when people go around adding -chan, -kun. and randomly dropping the common annoying anime words.

i've studied basic jap for a semester and its a bit easy memorizing the katakana and hiragana, it's just a bit hard to read as fast as i would like. practice i guess.

i speak basic sentences of japanese in the right contexts, basically just practicing what i learned. use it or lose it.

that being said, does anyone here have links to sample jlpt level x tests? i'd like to give them a whirl. also with chinese proficiency tests as well :D

thanks

really funny though when a friend of mine, who also took up basic jap pointed at me accusingly and said (after declaring that he had enjoyed his first day in jap class) watashi wa gay des!

hahaha

chicken scratch post is chinese lol. yeah i can tell apart jap from chinese mcnugget