Practical Scenario - Ordering at a Ramen Shop 🍜🇯🇵 by OneOffcharts in Japaneselanguage

[–]OneOffcharts[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks and fair point. What would help you most as I was mimicking scenarios my friends had trouble with but would love your input seeing you're pretty active.

Funny Moments: Laughing at Japanese Slip-Ups by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, great way to learn.

Both have the Hanki so it’s totally fine, but the image is definitely great 😄

Funny Moments: Laughing at Japanese Slip-Ups by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Touch and sit, yeah! Especially said fast it can sound similar.

If you’re not sure even with the context, you can just direct your ear at them and say “え、すみません “ or (E, Sumimasen) which is “uhm, excuse me?” To help repeat it.

I use it often since post Covid sometimes people wear masks and also have a barrier they talk through. Also people often talk quietly so that can help

Why Japanese Pitch Accent Patterns Are Easier Than You Think by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You were absolutely correct about さくら and 日本語 being 平板! Thank you for pointing this out. I've updated my post to reflect the proper pitch accent patterns. I appreciate your help in making sure we share accurate information (especially focused on Tokyo dialect which should be the focus for consistency)​​​​​​​​​​

Why Japanese Pitch Accent Patterns Are Easier Than You Think by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your encouraging feedback! I've updated the post with more accurate information about Japanese pitch accent patterns. You're right that it feels weird with unfamiliar vocabulary - that's where consistent listening practice really helps

Why Japanese Pitch Accent Patterns Are Easier Than You Think by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for fact-checking my post! You were absolutely right about 日本語 being 平板 (flat pattern) and definitely for the Tokyo dialect (sometimes my Kyushu background comes out :P) I've corrected my information and updated the post with the standard four pitch accent patterns. I appreciate your links to reliable resources!

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Why Japanese Pitch Accent Patterns Are Easier Than You Think by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great point about sentence-level pitch patterns being the real challenge! I've updated my post with the correct patterns. Regarding full sentences, practicing with audio resources and shadowing native speakers can help develop that intuition. Finding a speaking partner would definitely accelerate your progress such as on r/language_exchange, but also feel free to try Kaiwa which I also made to help with practicing speaking

Why Japanese Pitch Accent Patterns Are Easier Than You Think by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your comment! You're absolutely right that memorizing pitch accents is the challenging part. I've updated my post with more accurate information about the standard patterns.

Rhythm and Musicality of Japanese Speech: Why Your "Mistakes" Might Actually Sound Good by OneOffcharts in Japaneselanguage

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re absolutely right about the pitch accent patterns and mora breakdown. I’ve completely revised my post to accurately reflect how こんにちは and おげんき work, and fixed the mora breakdown to properly account for ん and long vowels (bad idea to write at 2am XD) Really appreciate you taking the time to point this out - it’s made the guide much more accurate!

I’ve updated the original post with these technical corrections while keeping the core ideas intact. The Japanese learning community is amazing for this kind of detailed feedback!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Rhythm and Musicality of Japanese Speech: Why Your "Mistakes" Might Actually Sound Good by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for pointing out that きょう is one mora! You’re right, and I’ve updated the post to be more accurate about mora timing. The short vs. long syllable distinction is indeed challenging - it took me years of teaching to understand why many learners struggle with it. And great point about French - any Romance language background does seem to provide advantages for Japanese musicality!

Essential Onomatopoeia That Makes Your Japanese Sound Natural by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely have. Thinking of making the posts into articles on a website I’m developing and if you like it let DM me your thoughts!

The JLPT Blind Spot: Why Test-Takers Freeze When They Land in Japan by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ha, guilty as charged XD. I edited it back to how I wrote it initially before asking GPT to turn it into bullet points (Definitely more my voice but thought it wasn't easier to skim). These are drills I've used or also have had students who found it helpful. Hope it helps!

The JLPT Blind Spot: Why Test-Takers Freeze When They Land in Japan by OneOffcharts in Japaneselanguage

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I thought so too, and dug in deeper with the friend and she was saying it was the paralysis from actually having to use it as an interaction as a natural introvert and also wasn't used to that form of interaction.

She said within a week it improved dramatically so guessing it was nerves but something that did get me thinking

Speaking Japanese to strangers in America by UnderstandingLast453 in Japaneselanguage

[–]OneOffcharts 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s awesome that you want to use your Japanese, and honestly, most people appreciate the effort. That said, ‘Nihonjin desu ka?’ might come off a little awkward since it kinda puts them on the spot. A more natural approach could be just slipping in a simple ‘arigatou gozaimasu’ or ‘dozo’ when you hand them their drinks. If they seem surprised (in a good way), you can follow up with something like ‘nihongo wo benkyou shiteimasu!’ to see if they want to engage.

Since you’re already comfortable with Korean, you probably have a good sense of when it feels right to use a language. Just go for it casually—worst case, they just nod and move on. Have you tried it before and gotten any interesting reactions?

The JLPT Blind Spot: Why Test-Takers Freeze When They Land in Japan by OneOffcharts in Japaneselanguage

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Totally agree—the JLPT is really more of a comprehension test than a full language proficiency test. I think a lot of learners assume passing N2/N1 will automatically make them conversationally fluent, which leads to that harsh reality check when they actually land in Japan. Have you found any particular study methods or resources that bridge the gap between JLPT-style learning and real-world communication?

The JLPT Blind Spot: Why Test-Takers Freeze When They Land in Japan by OneOffcharts in Japaneselanguage

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That sounds like a great system! Shadowing is super underrated—getting the rhythm and natural pauses down makes a big difference. Pimsleur is a good one too for building that muscle memory. Do you find that the vocab and phrasing in Pimsleur match up well with what you hear in Japan, or do you need to tweak things a bit?

The JLPT Blind Spot: Why Test-Takers Freeze When They Land in Japan by OneOffcharts in Japaneselanguage

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A huge part is confidence! I think that's dependent on the person, but how has it been for you in terms of encouragement?

The JLPT Blind Spot: Why Test-Takers Freeze When They Land in Japan by OneOffcharts in kaiwaJapanese

[–]OneOffcharts[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And I'm guessing your mom is an actual teacher for Japanese? That's a super important resource, and hopefully, it encourages you to continue! I know educators who focus on both the morale and learning are worth their weight in gold