My intro

[nikuman]

I've lurked around for more than a little bit, even posted a couple of times, and I figure I should probably give a formal intro now. My name is nikuman. I am a corporate lawyer/CB spammer during the day (and much of the night). I work in NYC, live in NJ, and should be making a move to Houston within the year. I'm a father of three/two, depending on how you count. I'm an avid outdoorsy type, more of an environmentalist than you'd think, but far less of a "liberal" (whatever that means) than that sounds.

Yoroshiku.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by nikuman

I've lurked around for more than a little bit, even posted a couple of times, and I figure I should probably give a formal intro now. My name is nikuman. I am a corporate lawyer/CB spammer during the day (and much of the night). I work in NYC, live in NJ, and should be making a move to Houston within the year. I'm a father of three/two, depending on how you count. I'm an avid outdoorsy type, more of an environmentalist than you'd think, but far less of a "liberal" (whatever that means) than that sounds.

Yoroshiku.

Irashai...irashai..irashaimase!

Hey, I wouldn't have encouraged you to stop lurking and start posting if I had known you were another attorney. Well, at least you aren't a Ute fan.

Welcome.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Irashai...irashia..irashaimase!

Hey, I wouldn't have encouraged you to stop lurking and start posting if I had known you were another attorney. Well, at least you aren't a Ute fan.

Welcome.

Yes, what he said. We need more Japanese-speaking Cougar Fans here.

Welcome.

[Brian]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

Yes, what he said. We need more Japanese-speaking Cougar Fans here.

Welcome.

boku wa enpitsu desu.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Brian

boku wa enpitsu desu.

You are a pencil or this is your pencil?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Archaea

You are a pencil or this is your pencil?

That's very good, Arch.

Foreigners (gaijins) are quite rare in Japan. When kids see missionaries they like to yell out something in English just to try it out. And they usually yell out the first thing they learn in their english class. Which is typically:

"This is a pencil."

or

"This is a pen."

or

"This is a red pen."

So everywhere you go, you hear kids shouting "This is a red pen! This is a red pen!". It's strange, but quite funny at the same time.

Another common thing you hear is "Buta kao!" which is literally "Pig face!" (referring to our big noses and round eyes).

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

That's very good, Arch.

Foreigners (gaijins) are quite rare in Japan. When kids see missionaries they like to yell out something in English just to try it out. And they usually yell out the first thing they learn in their english class. Which is typically:

"This is a pencil."

or

"This is a pen."

or

"This is a red pen."

So everywhere you go, you hear kids shouting "This is a red pen! This is a red pen!". It's strange, but quite funny at the same time.

Another common thing you hear is "Buta kao!" which is literally "Pig face!" (referring to our big noses and round eyes).

Very funny, Brian.

Now, I've forgotten all but the most basic Japanese, but I though Kore wa enpitsu desu was this is a pencil.

And I would have to insert something like anata no to make it mine. So boku throws me for a loop, but then again, I don't really know Japanese other than to irritate Japanese.

[nikuman]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Very funny, Brian.

Now, I've forgotten all but the most basic Japanese, but I though Kore wa enpitsu desu was this is a pencil.

And I would have to insert something like anata no to make it mine. So boku throws me for a loop, but then again, I don't really know Japanese other than to irritate Japanese.

Technically speaking, you could say "boku wa enpitsu desu" in response to a question as to whether or not you'd like a pen or a pencil. The particle "wa" indicates an "as for" type of feeling (i.e., "as for me, I'd like a pencil" is a perfectly appropriate translation depending on your context). But don't get me started here. I know FAR too much about this kind of stuff and am actually one of the few people I know who not only knows when to use wa versus ga but actually knows why.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by nikuman

Technically speaking, you could say "boku wa enpitsu desu" in response to a question as to whether or not you'd like a pen or a pencil. The particle "wa" indicates an "as for" type of feeling (i.e., "as for me, I'd like a pencil" is a perfectly appropriate translation depending on your context). But don't get me started here. I know FAR too much about this kind of stuff and am actually one of the few people I know who not only knows when to use wa versus ga but actually knows why.

I like this stuff so remind a simpleton when to distinguish between wa and ga, the emphatic subject as I understand it.

[nikuman]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I like this stuff so remind a simpleton when to distinguish between wa and ga, the emphatic subject as I understand it.

Well, you've opened a can of worms there....

With the disclaimer that I'm quite rusty on the book-learnin' behind this, there's about 10 or so uses of wa/ga that are discrete. Ga is used as an object marker instead of wo with certain verbs/descriptive verbs (notably dekiru) (zo wa hana ga nagai, lit. "as for the elephant, [his] nose is long" or, as I would translate it, "elephants have long noses"). Ga is also used when indicating that the stated subject is exclusively doing X (boku ga iku, indicating that only I will go). Ga is also used as a marker for the affected party in a passive/affective setting (boku ga haha ni shinareta). In addition, ga should replace wa in all subordinate clauses.

Wa, on the other hand, can usually be consider a particle that designates an "as for X" sort of idea (see the elephant sentence above). It is also used to emphasize the noun which it follows in order to contrast it to other nouns not used (i.e., boku wa iku can be translated as "I will go [but I make no claim as to you]". Which makes sense in the "as for X" explaination.

There are a few more rules that I've forgotten but still (presumably) use in speech. I'll have to consult my old college notes to remember them all.