FOREIGN LANGUAGE 2 - JAPANESE

CHAPTER 1 – THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the chapter, the learner should be able to:

a. Discuss the Introduction of Japanese/Nihonggo Language

b. Identify and differentiate characteristics and parts of Japanese syllable with other language

INTRODUCTION:

Without a doubt, the Japanese language is one of the world's most unique and beautiful
languages. Japanese is also an important language because Japan is a major player in the global
market. Its current usage, grammar, and writing system are all as fascinating as its colorful history.
Learn everything there is to know about the Japanese language right here.

There are approximately 128 million native Japanese speakers in the world. In terms of native
speakers, this places Japanese as the ninth most widely spoken language in the world. Japanese
is the official language of Japan and the most widely spoken language there. However, some
Japanese-speaking communities exist in Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.

WHAT LANGUAGE FAMILY IS JAPANESE IN?

The Japonic language family includes Japanese. There were some theories that Japanese and
Korean are related through the Altaic language family, but this is now widely discredited. This
means that it is a language isolate (meaning that it is not directly related to any languages that are
geographically close to it).
Of course, other neighboring cultures continue to have an impact on the Japanese language.
Chinese is the most important of these. The link between the languages is unmistakable.
THE HISTORY OF THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE
When it comes to the origins of the Japanese language, there is definitely a scarcity of evidence.
However, there are a few theories as to how Japan's language came to be. One of these theories
is that the Yayoi people migrated from Korea to Japan around 2-3000 years ago. Alternatively, the
language could have evolved from the Jomon people who already lived in the area. However,
because these languages were not written down, it is impossible to know how they related to
modern Japanese.
 CHINESE INFLUENCE ON JAPANESE
From 300 CE to 900 CE, Japan was culturally and politically intertwined with China. As a result, a
strong Chinese influence shaped the Japanese language in its early stages.
The writing system was one of the most significant of these influences. The Chinese writing system
was adopted by the Japanese language in the fourth century. Because Japanese was not
previously written, Classical Chinese became the first literary language. Then, to describe
Japanese sounds, Chinese characters were used.

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The vocabulary was another area where Chinese had an impact on Japanese. Many Chinese
words have crept into everyday Japanese speech. Kango are these words, and it is estimated that
60 percent of modern Japanese words have Chinese origins.

 MIDDLE JAPANESE
From 1185 to 1600, the Japanese abandoned Chinese in search of their own sound and writing
system. This means it evolved to sound more like modern Japanese. This period comes to an end
with the arrival of European traders in Japan. A few European vocabulary words entered
Japanese, but this linguistic exchange was brief.
Between 1603 and 1853, Japan experienced a period of national isolation known as sakoku.
During this time, foreign contact with other languages was limited. The only viable link to the
outside world was via a Dutch trading post in Nagasaki. As a result, many Dutch loanwords
entered Japanese during this time period.
Some are still recognizable today:

Japanese Loanword from

Romanized Spelling Meaning
Dutch
ランプ ranpu lamp
コーヒー kōhī coffee
ガラス garasu glass

This period is known as the Edo period because the nation's capital was Edo (modern-day Tokyo),
and the Edo dialect was the most prevalent in Japanese.

 MODERN JAPANESE
Japan entered the Meiji period after its isolation ended. This meant more contact with the outside
world and more loanwords in Japanese. Wasei kango was the combination of writing foreign
loanwords with Chinese characters (Japan-made Chinese words).
Since WWII, the Japanese have adopted many foreign words, most notably those from English. A
couple of everyday words in Japanese with English origins are easily recognized:

Japanese Loanword from

Romanized Spelling Meaning
Dutch
コンピューター konpyūtā computer
アニメ anime animation
エレベーター erebētā elevator (lift)

 THE HISTORY OF THE JAPANESE WRITING SYSTEM

The 8th century saw the first written evidence of Japanese. There are two types of writing from that
time frame:

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1. Kanbun: Japanese written in Classical Chinese style, with Chinese characters

representing the meaning of Japanese words. These texts were primarily written in Chinese
but were intended to be read in Japanese as well.
2. Man'yogana: Japanese writing in which Chinese characters were used to represent
Japanese phonetic sounds. A variety of characters could be used to represent the same
sound.
However, using Chinese characters to write Japanese words was time-consuming. Japanese
required a writing system that accurately reflected the sound of the language. As a result, hiragana
and katakana were created.
Originally, kanbun texts were annotated in hiragana and katana. This made it much easier to read
Chinese characters. The meaning was represented by Chinese characters, and the pronunciation
and grammar were guided by hiragana and katana.

THE WRITING SYSTEM OF THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE

The Japanese writing system can be traced back to the 4th century AD, when Chinese writing was
introduced to Japan via Buddhism, as Japan adopted Chinese cultural practices and reorganized
its government according to the Chinese administrative structure.
Because Chinese characters (called kanji in Japanese) could not represent all of the elements of
the Japanese language, two syllabaries, hiragana and katakana, of approximately 50 syllables
each, were created in the 12th century. Japanese is now written using a combination of kanji,
hiragana, and katakana. Additionally, rmaji (Roman script) is used.

 Kanji characters are used to write nouns, including proper names, as well as adjective and
verb stems.
 Hiragana is used to write inflectional endings for adjectives and verbs, grammatical
particles, words without kanji, and some high frequency words.
 Katakana is primarily used for loanwords.
 Rōmaji is used to write Arabic numerals, international units of measurement, and
acronyms. The Internet has accelerated its spread.
Here's an example of the word for 'I' written in each of the three scripts:

KANJI
Chinese characters are called kanji.
Around 1,400 years ago, the Japanese began to use the Chinese writing system. These Chinese
characters, known as kanji in Japanese, are also known as pictographs because they represent
both meanings and sounds. Japanese ingenuity in adapting elements of other cultures to enhance
their own is exemplified by the way they use Chinese pictographs to write their own language.

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Kanj
Meaning Onyomi Kunyomi
i
先 Before, ahead, future sen saki
来 To come rai ku(ru)
半 Half, middle han naka(ba)
毎 Every, each mai —
何 What, which, how many ka nan, nani
人 Person jin, nin hito

HIRAGANA
k s t n h m y r w
さ た
a あ (a) か (ka) な (na) は (ha) ま (ma) や (ya) ら (ra) わ (wa) ん (n)
(sa) (ta)
い き に ひ み り
i し (shi) ち (chi)
(i) (ki) (ni) (hi) (mi) (ri)
す ふ
u う (u) く (ku) つ (tsu) ぬ (nu) む (mu) ゆ (yu) る (ru)
(su) (fu)
せ て
e え (e) け (ke) ね (ne) へ (he) め (me) れ (re)
(se) (te)
そ と
o お (o) こ (ko) の (no) ほ (ho) も (mo) よ (yo) ろ (ro) を (wo)
(so) (to)

KATAKANA
k s t n h m y r w
サ タ
a ア (a) カ (ka) ナ (na) ハ (ha) マ (ma) ヤ (ya) ラ (ra) ワ (wa) ン (n)
(sa) (ta)
イ キ ニ ヒ ミ リ
i シ (shi) チ (chi)
(i) (ki) (ni) (hi) (mi) (ri)
ス フ
u ウ (u) ク (ku) ツ (tsu) ヌ (nu) ム (mu) ユ (yu) ル (ru)
(su) (fu)
セ テ
e エ (e) ケ (ke) ネ (ne) ヘ (he) メ (me) レ (re)
(se) (te)
ソ ト
o オ (o) コ (ko) ノ (no) ホ (ho) モ (mo) ヨ (yo) ロ (ro) ヲ (wo)
(so) (to)

You'll notice that hiragana and katakana look a lot alike. Some letters are unmistakably "twins."
Others, however, are quite different. This is due to the fact that hiragana and katana letters evolved
from kanji characters. Because one sound is frequently associated with several kanji characters,
the hiragana and katakana were sometimes derived from different kanji characters. However, the
pronunciation is identical.
THE DIALECTS
Although Japan is a small country, it has a surprisingly large number of dialects that differ in
pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Many of them are mutually incomprehensible. They are
typically classified into two major groups:
 Eastern Japanese
 Western Japanese

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Two forms of the language are considered standard:

 Hyojungo, - Standard Japanese. It is taught in schools and used on television and in
official communications. Standard Japanese can also be divided into bungo ‘literary
language’ and kogo ‘oral language.’ The two varieties differ in grammar and vocabulary.
Bungo was the main written form of Japanese until the late 1940s and is still important
today for historians, literary scholars and lawyers. Kogo is mostly used today.
 Kyotsugo, - the common language.

The Tokyo dialect is the basis for Standard Japanese, but it is not identical. It is not widely spoken
throughout Japan. Instead, there are various versions of Standard Japanese that are influenced by
regional dialects. In addition to Standard Japanese, many people speak their native language.
However, there are many more regional dialects in Japan. When you visit Japan, you will
undoubtedly notice a difference in the pronunciation of these dialects. Here are the most important
regional dialects in Japan, listed alphabetically by region:
 Kansai: a dialect that is frequently used in comedy shows and sketches.
 Tohoku: the dialect that other Japanese dialects find difficult to understand.
 Okinawa: has endangered indigenous languages known collectively as Ryukyuan.
Okinawan dialect reflects these tongues to some extent.

IS JAPANESE A TONAL LANGUAGE?

Because Japanese was heavily influenced by Chinese, it is reasonable to assume that it is also a
tonal language. If you pronounce a word with two different intonations in a tonal language, it can
have two different meanings. Japanese is not that simple.
Japanese is not officially a tonal language. However, there are some pitch accents to be aware of.
Japanese moral can be either low or high pitched. These pitches represent the accent that you
must use when pronouncing the word. And these can have different meanings at times. However,
while this system appears complicated, mastering Japanese pronunciation is much easier than,
say, Chinese.

HOW TO WRITE IN JAPANESE?

Traditionally, Japanese is written from top to bottom, right to left. However, Japanese is now
written vertically from left to right, just like English.The character is the smallest unit of
measurement in Japanese writing. These can be kanji, hiragana, or katakana characters. These
characters then form a group known as a mora. This isn't a syllable; it's shorter than that.
JAPANESE VOCABULARY
The origins of Japanese words can already be seen in the history of the Japanese language.
These are the three possible roots for these words:
 Native Japanese (wago)
 Chinese loanwords from Chinese characters (kango)
 Foreign, non-Chinese loanwords (gairaigo)

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As previously stated, the Japanese writing system employs three scripts: kanji, hiragana, and
katakana. Katakana is only used to write phonetically non-Chinese foreign loanwords (gairaigo).

IS JAPANESE WORTH LEARNING?

Absolutely. 100% of the time. Without a shadow of a doubt. Despite the fact that it is considered a
more difficult language to learn than others, learning Japanese will benefit your life. In fact, the
difficulty may give you an advantage. Speaking Japanese fluently can help you get a lot of
opportunities. You can advance your career, earn more money, travel to Japan more easily, and
even improve your brain health.
It is worth noting that Japan has the world's third highest GDP. That means Japan's economic
growth and business opportunities are at an all-time high. And if you speak Japanese, you can
take advantage of this opportunity much more easily.
Even if you don't intend to use Japanese professionally, you can learn it for fun. You can use your
Japanese skills to watch Japanese films, listen to music, and gain access to Japan's incredible
entertainment industry.

IS JAPANESE A HARD LANGUAGE TO LEARN?

To be honest, I'm not sure. For a native English speaker, learning Japanese is more difficult than
learning French. However, this does not imply that it is difficult. Only that every Japanese learner
must confront a new writing system, logic, and vocabulary in their studies. However, this does not
make learning Japanese impossible.

According to the US Foreign Service Institute, Japanese is one of the world's most difficult
languages. But they don't know who you are. They have no idea about your motivation,
enthusiasm, or language learning methods. So, if you have the right tools, you can make your
Japanese studies much easier than they give you credit for.

CLASSROOM VOCABULARY

ROMAJI / NIHONGO ENGLISH

Ohayou gozaimasu Good morning
Konnichiwa Good afternoon / hello
Arigato gozaimasu / Arigato Thank You
Sensei Teacher

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Gakusei Students
Kurasumēto Classmates
hai Yes
iie No
Sayonara Goodbye
sumimasen Excuse me
Sugoi Amazing
Wakarimashitaka Did you understand?
hai, wakarimashita Yes, I understood
iie, wakarimasen No, I don't understand
oboete kudasai Please Remember
mouichido itte kudasai Please say it again
Kurikaeshite kudasai Please repeat after me
Yoku dekimashita Good Job
Tatte kudasai Please stand up
Suwatte kudasai. Please sit down
Ki o tsuke Attention

MODULE 1 ASSESSMENT

QYUIZ #1
1. It is a Japanese writing in which Chinese characters were used to represent Japanese
phonetic sounds. – Man’yogana
2. The Chinese writing system was adopted by the Japanese language in the ___________. –
4th Century

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3. Japan experienced a period of national isolation known as ______________. – Sakoku

4. It is used to write Arabic numerals, international units of measurement, and acronyms. The
Internet has accelerated its spread. – Rōmaji
5. This form of language is also called as Standard Japanese. – Hyojungo
6. Okinawa has endangered indigenous languages known collectively as __________. –
Ryukyuan
7. It is a foreign non-chinese loanwords of Japanese vocabulary. – Gairaigo
8. It is used to write inflectional endings for adjectives and verbs, grammatical particles, words
without kanji, and some high frequency words. – Hiragana
9. There are approximately ____________ native Japanese speakers in the world. - 128
Million
10. They migrated from Korea to Japan around 2-3000 years ago. - Yayoi People
11. Japan experienced a period of national isolation known as sakoku between 1603 and 1853.
– True
12. Kango was a style of writing that combined foreign loanwords with Chinese characters
(Japan-made Chinese words). – False
13. Texts in Kanbun were annotated in hiragana and katana. This made reading Chinese
characters much easier. – True
14. Officially, Japanese is not a tonal language. There are, however, some pitch accents to be
aware of. Japanese morality can be low or high pitched. – True
15. The Japanese first used the Chinese writing system around 1,200 years ago. characters. -
False

ACTIVITY #1
Direction: Discuss Briefly your answers in paragraph form.
In your own understanding, write down:
 3 things you didn’t know before about Nihongo / Japanese Language
 2 things that surprised you about this topic
 1 thing you want to start doing with what you’ve learned

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