- 1). Learn the basic Japanese words used in greetings. Politeness and formality is crucial to Japanese communication. Purchase a book of basic Japanese and study the basic words for saying "hello," "good bye," "thank you" and "good to meet you." As an alternative, if you really just want to test your interest in Japanese, try some online Japanese tutorials for free (see Resources below).
- 2). Practice speaking common phrases. Put the words together into short phrases and practice with a friend. Here are some examples: O’hai yo go zai masu–good morning.Kon’nichi wa–good afternoon. Kon’ban wa–good evening.Sa yo na ra–good byeHisa shi bu ri (Place “O” at beginning for politeness)–long time no see. A ri ga to u--thank you.
- 3). Study sentence structure. The subject always proceeds the verb or action in Japanese grammar. For example, in the middle of a group in conversation replace “O’ Hisa shi bu ri” (long time no see) with “Shi ba ra ku, desu ne.” Include “desu ne” at the end of a statement when ever you wish to emphasize, “don’t you agree?” This lets other know that you care what they think. In Japanese culture, consideration for others is extremely important in conversation.
- 4). Practice speaking Japanese with native Japanese speakers. Look at some of the links provided here, or go to your community college/university and ask about Japanese clubs. Speaking with Japanese people will help you recognize any errors in the text books on the subject. Literal translations are not always accurate. For example, people in Japan do not say “Doo itashi mashite” to someone who is apologizing.
- 5). Learn to read Japanese characters through books and interactive games. Tape Japanese alphabets on the back of the bathroom door if you are really serious about learning the language. Do not rest. Read in the morning, afternoon, and before bed. The trick to learning Japanese is the same method employed to get into Carnegie Hall--practice, practice and practice. By far, the best way to learn a language is to learn to read it. Once you have mastered the basics of a language you can expand far beyond your current knowledge by reading. Learn the Japanese characters by playing computer games like Japanese bingo, or by using flashcards with the English equivalent of a Japanese character on the backside of each card.
- 6). Drill through the basic Hiragana and Katakana characters before you learn Kanji. Kanji is more complex and will seem too alien a system of writing to any one using the Latin alphabet. Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, and it is mostly used by adolescents. Adults in Japan use Kanji. Katakana is used for anything that is a foreign word to Japan, such as coffee or beer. The best way to learn the Hiragana and Katakana characters is to play games that test your memory, as well as practice with flashcards.
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