1. Introduction
Learning Japanese can be a great way to expand your knowledge of the language, culture, and people of Japan. But with so many different types of Japanese to learn, it can be difficult to decide which one is best for you. In this article, we will explore the various types of Japanese and discuss which one might be the best fit for you.
2. What is Japanese?
Japanese is the official language of Japan and is spoken by more than 125 million people worldwide. It belongs to the Japonic language family and has a long history dating back thousands of years. The written language is composed of three scripts: Kanji (Chinese characters), Hiragana (phonetic syllables), and Katakana (phonetic symbols).
3. Why Learn Japanese?
There are many reasons why someone might want to learn Japanese, from cultural curiosity to professional advancement. Whether you’re looking to improve your job prospects or just want to understand anime better, learning Japanese can open many doors for you.
4. Different Types of Japanese
When it comes to learning Japanese, there are several different types that you should consider. These include Standard Japanese (Kanji), Regional Dialects (Hōgen), and Business Japanese (Keigo). Let’s take a closer look at each one in turn:
5. Standard Japanese (Kanji)
Standard Japanese is the most widely used form of the language and is what most textbooks teach. It’s based on Tokyo dialect but also incorporates elements from other dialects as well as foreign words borrowed from English and other languages over the years. Standard Japanese uses Kanji (Chinese characters) for writing as well as Hiragana and Katakana for pronunciation purposes.
6 Regional Dialects (Hōgen)
Each region in Japan has its own unique dialect known as hōgen (方言). These dialects vary significantly from standard Japanese in terms of pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, idioms, etc., making them difficult even for native speakers from other regions to understand at times! While they may not be necessary for everyday conversation in Japan, studying regional dialects can give you invaluable insight into local culture and customs that would otherwise remain hidden from view!
7 Business Japanese (Keigo)
Business or honorificJapanese(keigo 敬語)is a special formofJapaneseusedinformalorprofessional settings when speaking with superiors or customers/clients/guests/etc.. Keigo consists of two main forms: sonkeigo(尊敬語)and kenjougo(謙譲語). Sonkeigo is used when speaking about oneself or someone else with respect while kenjougo is used when speaking humbly about oneself or someone else with respect.While not essential for everyday conversation in Japan, learning keigo can help you make a good impression in business settings!
8 Conclusion
In conclusion, there are several different types ofJapanese thatyoucanlearn depending on your needsand goals:standardJapanese(Kanji),regionaldialects(Hōgen),andbusinessJapanese(Keigo). Each type has its own unique features that make it useful in various situations so it’s importantto considerwhichoneisbestforyoubeforegettingstarted!
9 Resources and Further Reading
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IfyouareinterestedinlearningmoreaboutthetypesofJapanesetherearemanyresourcesavailableonlineandsomegreatbooksaswell:
• The Handbook Of ModernJapanese Grammarby Miyuki Sasaki et al.(Routledge)
• A Dictionary Of BasicAndIntermediateJapaneseGrammarby Seiichi Makino et al.(Tuttle Publishing)
• The Everything EssentialJapaneseBookby Naoko Chino et al.(Adams Media)
Which type of Japanese should I learn?
First you have to learn hiragana then katakana and kanji. Hiragana looks more cursive than katakana or kanji. It is used to write basic Japanese words with linking endings and grammatical particles. Each character in hiragana is made up of characters that represent a character.
What type of Japanese is most used?
Hiragana
Hiragana is the most commonly used, standard form of Japanese writing.
Which Japanese is easiest to learn?
But picking up hiragana and katakana is easy – you can master them in a day. They are just Japanese characters and each one represents a character. Also pay attention to the language hack we mentioned about Kanji! First learn the kanji that matches your basic 80/20 vocabulary.
Which is better hiragana or katakana?
Katakana is mainly used as phonetic symbols while hiragana is mainly used as grammatical symbols. Various grammatical and functional words such as particles are written in hiragana. When writing in Japanese you should only use hiragana to write grammatical words especially in formal situations.
Is hiragana or katakana harder?
What almost everyone including Japanese people find is that katakana is harder to read than hiragana so dont be discouraged if it takes you a long time to get used to it. It is blocked and does not flow well.
What are the 4 types of Japanese?
What is a different language spoken by the Japanese? Hiragana Katakana Kanji and the Latin alphabet. Above all Japanese uses a Latin-letter keyboard.
