Japanese Demystified (Paperback)

Japanese Demystified (Paperback)
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Say sayonara to your fears of speaking Japanese!

Interested in learning to speak Japanese but feel intimidated by the complex characters and pronunciations? No need to worry! Even if your only experience is ordering sushi, Japanese Demystified will have you saying konnichiwa to your new language skills in no time.

Beginning with a review of Japanese writing systems, basic pronunciation, and everyday expressions, this book covers key grammar fundamentals such as particles, nouns, verb forms, and honorifics. You'll build your Japanese vocabulary with essential words and phrases and quickly master this challenging language. Test yourself at the end of every chapter for reinforcement that you're fast on your way to speaking, writing, and understanding Japanese.

This fast and easy guide features:

Clear and straightforward explanations of Japanese grammar fundamentals

Numerous examples of simple and complex sentence structures

Japanese hiragana, katakana, and kanji with phonetic transliterations for all Japanese words

Helpful writing and speaking exercises that bring the Japanese language to life

Coverage of everyday topics as well as conversational expressions

Quizzes at the end of each chapter to reinforce new material

Simple enough for a beginner, but challenging enough for a more experienced student, Japanese Demystified is your shortcut to mastering this complex language.

Product ID: 502418

Category: Learn

Supporting language: Japanese

Platforms/media types: Printed Matter

Table of contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

PART 1 IDENTIFYING PEOPLE AND THINGS

Chapter 1

Pronouncing and Writing Japanese Words

Basic Japanese Sounds and Romaji

The Japanese Writing Systems

Familiar Japanese Words

Chapter 2

Identifying People and ThingsReferring to People

Identifying People and Things

Using Demonstratives

Using Everyday Phrases

Chapter 3 Asking Questions

The Question Particle � ka

Asking Who is it?

Asking What is it?

Asking Where is it?

The Japanese-Speaking World

Chapter 4 Describing People and Things

Some Useful Adjectives

Asking How is it?

Creating a Modifier Using a Noun and the Particle � no

Using Numbers 1-10

Chapter 5

Expressing Existence and Location

The Verbs �� imasu and �� arimasu

Expressing What Exists

Expressing What You Have

Expressing the Location of People and Things

Using Numbers 11-99

TEST AFTER PART 1

PART 2 TALKING ABOUT ACTIONS

Chapter 6 Expressing Coming and Going

Japanese Verb Forms

Verbs of Coming and Going

Making Suggestions and Invitations

Some Useful Particles

Using Numbers 100-99,999

Chapter 7

Expressing What You Do

Verb Conjugation

Verbs of Activities

Verbs of Giving and Receiving

Colors

More About Using Numbers

Chapter 8 Talking About the Past

The Past Tense Forms in the Polite Style

Indefinite Pronouns and Negative Pronouns

Some Useful Particles

Talking about Experiences

Describing People and Things More Specifically

Some Absolute Time Expressions

Chapter 9

Using the Te-Form

Te-Form

Listing Actions and Properties Using the Te-form

Requesting with Te-form + �� kudasai

Giving Directions

Te-Form + �� iru

Chapter 10 Asking for Permission

Permission and Prohibition

Obligation and Discretion

Permissibility and Minimal Requirement

Potential and Ability

Sports and Hobbies

TEST AFTER PART 2

PART 3 STATING FACTS

Chapter 11 Stating Your Opinions

The Plain Forms of Verbs and Adjectives

Embedded Sentences

Embedded Questions

Expressing "Or"

Some Useful Modals

Asking Why

Chapter 12 Creating Adverbs and Adverbial

Clauses

Adverbs Derived from Adjectives

Mimetic Words

Adverbials for Time

Adverbials for Reasons and Causes

Adverbials for Contrast or Contradiction

Adverbials for Purposes

Adverbials for Manner

Chapter 13 Comparing People and Things

Comparing Two Items

Making Superlative Comparisons

Chapter 14 Creating Complex Phrases and Clauses

Auxiliary Verbs and Adjectives that Follow the Stem Form

Creating Complex Modifiers

Creating Sentence-Like Noun Modifiers

Chapter 15 Indicating Changes

Using the Verbs��Suru and ��Naru to Indicate Change

Some Useful Particles

Things You Wear

TEST AFTER PART 3

PART 4 EXPRESSING IMPLICATION, ATTITUDE, AND PERSPECTIVE

Chapter 16 Expressing Implication

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Auxiliary Verbs that Follow the Te-form

Expressing One�s Desire

Listing Actions and Properties

Chapter 17 Expressing Attitude

More Useful Modals

Useful Pragmatic Particles

Expressing Free Choice

Plants and Animals

Chapter 18 Considering and Planning Your Actions

Commands

Using the Volitional Form

Conditionals

More Terms for Occupations and Professions

Chapter 19 Changing the Perspective

Passive Constructions

Causative Constructions

Causative-Passive Constructions

Loanwords

Chapter 20 Using Honorifics

Japanese Honorifics

Honorific and Humble Verb Forms

Honorific/Polite Noun Forms

Honorific/Polite Adjective Forms

Honorific/Polite Question Words

TEST AFTER PART 4

FINAL EXAM

Appendix A: Sentence Predicates in Japanese

Appendix B: Verb Forms

Japanese-English Glossary

English-Japanese Glossary

Answer Key

Index