JLPT4: 51 Important Expressions: Review of WA

This is the rule set I'm working on at the moment, extracted from Unicom's JLPT4 book.

[2-1]　Part A

• 〜は　〜です
• 〜は　〜（し）ます

Rule:  おだいの　ことばの　あとに　《は》を　つかう。

[2-1]　Part B

• 〜を　〜（し）ます＝ 〜は　〜（し）ます

Rule:  を→は。

[2-2]　Part A

• 〜は　〜ない
• (negative sentence)

Rule:  《が》《を》→《は》。

[2-2]　Part B

• Xは　〜が、Yは
• (contrastive sentence)

Rule: 「バナナが　すきです。」＋「メロンがきらいです。」→
　　バナナはすきですが、メロンはきらいです。

These are some words or related kanji:

• 説明　　せつめい　　explanation
• 掃除　　そうじ　　　cleaning, sweeping, wiping
• 洗濯　　せんたく　　washing clothes
• 覚える　おぼえる　　to commit to memory
• 全部　　ぜんぶ　　　all, the whole, total

JLPT4: 51 Important Expressions: Review of GA

This is the rule set I'm working on at the moment, extracted from Unicom's JLPT4 book.

[1-1]　Part A

• 〜が　〜（し）ます
• 〜が　〜です

[1-1]　Part B

• 〜が　ほしいです
• 〜が　すきです
• 〜が　すきです
• 〜が　きらいです

Rule:  「ほしい」「すき」「きらい」の前に、《が》をつかう。

[1-2]　Part A

• 〜が　できます
• 〜が　わかります

Rule:  「できる」「わかる」の前に、《が》をつかう。

[1-2]　Part B

• 私は写真を撮りました。→　私が撮った写真です。
• I took a photograph. → This is a photograph taken by me.

Rule: 名詞を説明する文の中で：《は》→《が》

These are some words or related kanji:

• 旅行　　りょきょう　trip, travel
• 空　　　そら　　　　sky
• 地下鉄　ちかてつ　　subway
• 野菜　　やさい　　　vegetables
• 作る　　つくる　　　to make, to create
• 作文　　さくぶん　　composition
• 撮る　　とる　　　　to take photo
• 写真　　しゃしん　　photograph
• 重要　　じゅうよう　important

Beginning JLPT Studies

My finals are over for Spring 2010, and now I am free to study anything.  I chose to  review Japanese form the basics and iron out all the pieces I am missing.  I will review for the JLPT Level 4 (the most basic level).

I found an awesome book in Japan titled 実力アップ!日本語能力試験4級入門総まとめ 文法・漢字・語彙, or in English The Prepartory Course for The Japanese Language Proficicy Test, Level 4 - Basic Japanese - Grammar, Kanji & Vocabulary.

Though is the really basic material, and some would probably laugh that I'm even bothering with it, there's still some minor subtle areas that are worth reviewing, and this book is a really good start to review.  After this, you can move onto Level 3, or take the test for 4 to get a sense of acomplishment and encouragement.

The Forgotten Hanja

Before, Korea mixed both Hanguel (Korean alphabetical letters) with Hanja (Chinese Characters).  Later the Korean government removed Hanja from usage for various, probably nationalistic bent, reasons.  I always chose to learn the Hanja, as it helps me learn extra meaning to the words, and how it relates to both Japanese and Chinese.

Where I live, I signed a contract with the elderly owner, and I was so excited that he did the contract in traditional old style true Korean culture, with mix-script (that is both Hanja and Hanguel).  This is the contract he wrote out.

Learn Korean From Spanish?

Most languages books are in English. For Korean language books, you also get Chinese and Japanese due to the popularity of Korean in those countries, and even in Russian due to popularity of Korean in Russia. But seldom you see other languages like French and Spanish, but this series has all of those languages. The Spanish in this book, First Step in Korean for Spanish (ISBN: 89-387-011-9) is a bit formalized, like book Spanish, but it is still useful to see the Spanish to Korean connection, especially in order to get a deeper meaning to the words and their usage.  Many English words can be vague or ambiguous, at least with most Korean-English dictionaries.

I like the overall organization of the book, it is well put together, and is a great initial overview of the Korean language, and great for conversation.

Grammar Snippet: Negative Copula 아니다

A while back, wrote out this lesson from the Yonsei Level 1 text book (Lesson 1.3) and filed it away.  The purpose of this is to make something negative, which is English it would mean something is not equal or equivalent to something, e.g. Her name is not Cindy.

The format in Korean when conjugated is this:
  (subject) 이 or 가 아닙니다.
And the format in Japanese is this:
  (subject)  じゃありません。

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Here's the Korean in mixed script with particles highlighted:

저는 日本사람이 아닙니다.

jeoneun ilbon-sarami animnida. 

I am not Japanese.

존슨 씨는 醫師가 아닙니다.

jonseun-sshineun euisaga animnida.

Johnson is not a doctor.

린다 씨는 先生님이 아닙니다.

rinda-sshineun seonsaengnimi animnida.

Linda is not a teacher.

우리어머니는 한국사람이 아닙니다.

Uri eomeonineun hanguk-sarami animnida.

Our mother is not Koeran.

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And the same in Japanese with the particles highlighted:

私は日本人じゃありません。

Watashi wa nihonjin ja arimasen. 

I am not Japanese.

ジョンソンさんは医者じゃありません。
Jonson-san wa isha ja arimasen.

Johnson is not a doctor.

リンダさんは先生じゃありません。

rinda-san wa sensei ja arimasen.

Linda is not a teacher.

私達の母は韓国人じゃありません。

Watashi-tachi no haha wa kankoku-jin ja arimasen.

Our mother is not Koeran.

Grammar Snippet: 하고 Particle

Here's a little snippet of the Korean particle HAGO, which is the same as the particle TO in Japanese, and means "and" in English.  This material is derived from Yonsei Level 1 textbook (Chapter 1.4).

It's fascinating how some words are similar, like kutsu vs. kudu, kaban vs. kabang, and ban vs. bbang in the samples.

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Here's the Korean in mixed script with particles highlighted:

冊하고空冊이 있습니다.

chaek hago gongchaegi itseumnida.

There's a book and notebook.

빵하고김밥을 먹습니다.

bbang hago kimbabeul meokseumnida.

I eat bread and kimbap.

아버지하고 아머니가 계십니다.

abeoji hago ameoniga kyeshimnida.

Father and Mother are there.

가방하고 구두를 삽니다.

kabang hago kudureul samnida.

I buy a bag and shoes.

韓國말하고 日本말을 工夫합니다.

hangukmal hago ilbonmareul gonbu hamnida.
I study Korean and Japanese.

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And the same in Japanese with the particles highlighted:

本とノートがあります。
hon to nooto ga arimasu.
There is a book and notebook.

パンとのり巻きをたべます。
ban to nori-maki o tabemasu.
I eat bread and sushi-roll.

父と母がいます。
chichi to haha ga imasu.
Father and Mother are there.

かばんと靴をかいます。
kaban to kutsu o kaimasu.
I buy a bag and shoes.

韓国語と日本語を勉強します。
kankokugo to nihongo o benkyoo shimasu.
I study Korean and Japanese.