Do you speak Japanese ?

[Ebu Huzeyfe]

It looks a very nice forum. I try to be active member here.

[neko minikui]

i dont good in japnese but i got a teacher for japanese. so i teach =]
but....... i know good hebrew and all here dont know hebrew^^ nanabanana

[Tomii515]

日本語が 少し 話します。

[sl0thmachin3]

Getting there. Slow and steady does it. I'll master nihonggo eventually.
:-)

[warakawa]

僕は日本語が全然分からない

[RockLee]

@Hachiro: Living in Japan for 20 years and hardly be able to understand the language (writing/reading, I don't know your speaking ability). Hats off !

[Mike Cash]

I can't imagine staying here that long and being content to remain functionally illiterate.

[changedonrequest]

I can't imagine staying here that long and being content to remain functionally illiterate.
I never said I was content; there are extenuating circumstances that you know nothing about that put me into this situation as it is. I learned to speak Japanese as a child growing up would; it’s just that I was over 20 when I started. I learned “practical” as opposed to “classroom” Japanese I would share with you that I was once, not too long ago, refused admittance to a Japanese Language School that I applied to, the reason that was given was that I was too far advanced in comparison to the rest of the new applicants in regards to spoken Japanese.

I cannot give you exact reason how I learned it this way, I just did. I have numerous responsibilities that take up a huge portion of my time. I have work, school activities, and club activities, school PTA and associated activities that I am responsible for. I have community volunteer activities, a number of which are active weekly; oh I also have 3 children and their school activities, their PTA activities, which I am a board member of as well. Plus the school that my children, (ES 2nd Grade, 7th Grade & HS 12th Grade) go to demand that the parents are involved in the daily homework assigned to the children. We, my wife or I, must sign their assignment books daily, otherwise they are not allowed into class. I have to listen to their reading assignments among others as well, so that takes up a bit of my time as well. I also live together with my wife’s parents (78 &79 respectively) helping take care of them. I also need to make time for being Dad as well as husband, oh I forgot I also have been remodeling the house, by my lonesome, just replaced all the flooring in the entire house 6 large rooms over two floors, plus other projects that are currently ongoing, like for example I have just torn out the ceilings and am redoing the interior of the 2nd floor. I probably missed a few activities but…oh well sorry anyway.

What's the point of all of that, only to make the point that if I had time I would like to study some but I need to sleep as well.


@Hachiro: Living in Japan for 20 years and hardly be able to understand the language (writing/reading, I don't know your speaking ability). Hats off !

I am not a good judge of how well I speak Japanese, I asked my wife once when I first replied here and she told me that on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being perfect in spoken Japanese I am a 9. To expand on that all I can say is that I can go into any store or business buy or get what I need with cash or credit, open bank accounts, send mail, pay bills whatever and not have problems with communicating. I also no longer get the “Ahh Hachiro san Nihongo wa totemo jozu desu ney” It is just accepted that I speak the language. To a first time Japanese listener I usually get the 1000 yard blank stare before the brain starts functioning and the mouths start replying in Japanese. Now others do the explaining instead of me as to why I speak Japanese.

I have been an Assistant Homeroom Teacher in a Japanese HS and JHS, I have worked seito shidou (student discipline), I have had a staff of over 40 Japanese people working for me when I was a facilities manager for 3 Japanese hospitals, I had a secretary to handle the reading and writing of Japanese for me. I worked in sales for two different Japanese companies, working 100% with Japanese clients. Among other different jobs and various volunteer activities.

I am not a good judge of my abilities, but I can say honestly that yes I speak Japanese.

I am not directing this next comment at Mike Cash, but in general, before anyone criticizes too much please take a short walk, even if for just a little bit in my shoes.

If I had the time I would sincerely love to go back to school and learn Japanese, right now I do not have the time nor energy to do so. I have not given up either, it will come in time, when I have the time.:relief:

Whew….sorry for the long post…I actually had to write this 3 times as the first 2 times did not post, so I wrote it in Word and now am pasting it to the board….

[changedonrequest]

I wanted to add that this "schedule" of mine has been going on for more than 15 years now. I have always tried to be active in the community I live in. I believe in volunteering for the community that I live in. I have coach Little League Baseball, coached ES and JHS boys and girls basketball teams, I am also involved in helping with the town festival and helping to make the rope for the annual tug of war that we have.

When I came back here I "needed" verbal skills more than reading or written, I had a choice of sinking or swimming, and I choose to swim. In comparison I may be the reverse of the average Japanese person that may be functionally literate in reading and writing English but nearly totally illiterate in spoken English.

I made a conscious effort to learn to communicate in Japanese, I always figured that I could learn the reading and writing part later. When I first got here there were no computers or "internet" to assist in learning the language, that came later. I had no need whatsoever to read or write the language as I had others available to do that for me if it was needed. All I needed to concentrate on was speaking the language, I had a family to look after and that took number one presidence.

I am not sorry that I did it in any other way. Maybe I could have found more time in the past but to continually look to mistakes in the past does me no good in preparing for me and my families future. It may take me until I am 100 to be "functionally fluent" in reading and written Japanese, that is a goal I still have. Notice please that I purposely did not write "dream" because it isn't a dream of mine it is a goal, that I work at, at my pace, every day. I just have too many other things on the platter right now to make it a priority.

I ask this question only, I open this question to any and all which would you choose....."If you had a choice of being able to fluently read and write a language or fluently speak the language which would you choose?"

I will as I always try too as well, respect everyones thoughts and opinions on this question. Thanks for "listening"

Actually I am going to start a new thread and poll asking people to respond to this. Thank you I am going to use this thread as a reference as well.

[Mike Cash]

I started learning Japanese at 19. Practically all self-taught. Most of the time I have been driving trucks and working 12-14 hours per day, 6 days a week. I have put an embarassingly low amount of time and effort into studying Japanese. And still managed to here-n-there pick up enough kanji to be able to enjoy novels and whatnot.

I just don't like the idea of having to rely on anyone else to do my reading for me.

[changedonrequest]

I started learning Japanese at 19. Practically all self-taught. Most of the time I have been driving trucks and working 12-14 hours per day, 6 days a week. I have put an embarassingly low amount of time and effort into studying Japanese. And still managed to here-n-there pick up enough kanji to be able to enjoy novels and whatnot.

I just don't like the idea of having to rely on anyone else to do my reading for me.

Fair enough, unfortunately for me I did not have the time to spend as you did, or should I say prioritize my time to allow me the time to study as you did. I say cheers to you.

Some people have the "knack" so to say of learning languages and remembering them, we may be two peas of the same pod that's all. Thanks for sharing that.

[Mikawa Ossan]

I just don't like the idea of having to rely on anyone else to do my reading for me.
This...what's the right word..."self-reliance" is a great motivator to learn languages. It's the ONLY reason I managed to learn Japanese.

[thistle]

Just out of curiosity here, how many people, foreigners in particular, can speak the language close to native level but can not read or write any kana or kanji?
I have just been reading the posts written by you on this subject. I too speak japanese at a near native level and if I'm on the phone people cannot tell I am not japanese. I have been here 19 years and did actually learn to read and write to intermediate level 17years ago when I was in tokyo, but if you don't write it on a daily basis you just forget. I do read it to a certain level, but I'm not a kanji lover and am too lazy to improve myself anymore.
I actually learned the most kanji when I lived in Tokyo just sitting on the train,
passing the same signs every day, you could pick up a lot. Here in Okinawa
you have to drive everywhere and there is no time to sit down watch the world go by. btw, Hachiro I am also of the same age as you!
where in Okinawa do you live?

[changedonrequest]

I have just been reading the posts written by you on this subject. I too speak japanese at a near native level and if I'm on the phone people cannot tell I am not japanese. I have been here 19 years and did actually learn to read and write to intermediate level 17years ago when I was in tokyo, but if you don't write it on a daily basis you just forget. I do read it to a certain level, but I'm not a kanji lover and am too lazy to improve myself anymore.
I actually learned the most kanji when I lived in Tokyo just sitting on the train,
passing the same signs every day, you could pick up a lot. Here in Okinawa
you have to drive everywhere and there is no time to sit down watch the world go by. btw, Hachiro I am also of the same age as you!
where in Okinawa do you live?

I live near Haebaru JUSCO.:wave: :beer:

[Gaijinian]

I started learning Japanese at 19. Practically all self-taught. Most of the time I have been driving trucks and working 12-14 hours per day, 6 days a week. I have put an embarassingly low amount of time and effort into studying Japanese. And still managed to here-n-there pick up enough kanji to be able to enjoy novels and whatnot.
That is the most un-Mike Cash like post I've ever seen you post...
Chotto bikkuri sita yo

[huayue]

japnese is so interesting ,i hope i could speak well......but ...you know.its hard for me~T_T(and there is no japanese speaker around me):( :( :(

[cpaw88]

I don't know Japanese but I'm learning! :) Only word I know is Canada, (kanada) - カナダ
:(

[Lady Skywalker]

I know the two kana alphabets as well as dozens of kanji (thanks to my Mandarin study) but I'm still a beginner in terms of vocabulary and grammar. I'm close to JLPT 4 level (I think) but I still need to tackle verbs properly and get used to creating my own sentences.

[oliverf]

I read the book Japanese for Idiots (or something like that) last year and last
December, I enrolled in basic japanese class. To my disappointment, I practically learned nothing new. I think I learned more from my Idiot book than from the class. I am currently using Pimpleur audio lessons.

I wish that thru this forum, I can practice reading and speaking/writting japanese.

Domo arigato gozaimasu.:souka:

[Tokyo-monster]

Why are most of you learning Japanese?

[KrazyKat]

Why are most of you learning Japanese?

Look one thread down.
http://www.wa-pedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=503

[persil]

I voted just a few expressions, however, I'm a little farther than that, though not advanced at all.

The thing is I'm concentrating on the spoken language, so I don't even know kanas yet. I can mostly differentiate chinese and japanese text when I see some, but I don't understand a word it says, I'm stuck at Romaji.

My first main goal is to understand what's said in anime and I'll be happy when I reach the point where I could understand child-level talk :) Currently, I grasp some words, expressions, here and there, but I don't understand the main ideas yet.

I'm still happy though, because I feel I'm much better than a while ago before I restarted to learn (self-taught using websites, a tv show (let's learn japanese basics I and II) and soon a book (Japanese Verbs: Saying what you mean) when it finally arrives!!!)

I hope I'll manage to stay an active member here! Ja na!

[Spyder93090]

I can speak, pretty well. But just to get around, been studying for about 3 years and my teacher says I learned really fast. Maybe because I hosted a Japanese bro in my house for 10 months =P

IE:
Hey come over here, I wanna show you something.
Wanna go to the movies later ?

[Wong]

Hi All,

A newbie in this forum. 宜しくお願い致します。

cheers,

[hostilecrayon]

私は少し日本語で話します。日本語の三年生です。おもしろいですが、とても難しいですよ。漢字はたいへんで すね。私は二百五十ごろ漢字を知っています。でも、もっと知りたい。だから、毎日日本語の授業 は行きます。

I apologize for any mistakes...

[Mirai Naza-kun]

Meh. Higher begginer/lower intermediate.

My reading in kana is quite good, but I know only like 20 kanji.

My grammar is okay.

I know about 50-60 words. Or more; I never counted.

I've been teaching myself.

[Tomii515]

Hmmm. I would probably say High Beginner/Low Intermediate.
I know all the Hiragana and probably most of Katakana.
Hmm...I don't know how many words I know...a lot?!??!?
I'm very good at grammer, so that's a big +.
I don't really know a lot of kanji... I only know how to write about 5 - 10 kanji. If I can't remember how to write it, but know what it says... Probabaly 20 - 25 or those... maybe more, IDK. (BTW: what does "JLPT#" mean?)

[Wong]

(BTW: what does "JLPT#" mean?)

JLPT = Japanese Language Proficiency Test. 日本語能力試験でございます。

[j-a-t]

Hiya all,

I'm fairly low level. Can speak japanese ok, well enough to order beer and get myself out of trouble. My comprehension is higher than my speaking but I guess everyone gets that. My main let down seems to normally be vocabulary. As for writing, just getting back into it. ok with the kana's. Sometimes forget one but normally figure it out. As for Kanji, know the meaning of around 50, but that is what I am working on at the moment. Kanji is hard tho, fun but hard. But i guess it is true. Every picture does tell a story :p

[kamaru]

I voted for "Know the kanas, but still pretty much beginner ".Actually I also know many greetings , some grammar and sentence structuring .As for the kanji I know about 15.Does that qualify me to be a "High beginner/lower intermediate (JLPT4)".

[ShimizuChiaki]

Japanese is my native language.

[Katarushuisu~]

voted for "Know the kanas, but still pretty much beginner":blush:
I know all the hiragana and i'm teaching myself katakana because my class moves too slow...
my japanese pronunciation in really bad...:(
i can introduce myself and i can point out objects and tell what they are and thats about it...:souka:

[Cierzo]

I had choose "know the kanas, but..." too.
I did learn all kana quickly (1 week to hiragana, 1 month to katakana because i was "dispersed" with my job), It´s easy I think.
After begin with usual expressions and grammar.
I can compose single sentences (but with a short vocabulary I think) in form masu/desu, use of adverbs and adjetives, etc.

This days, I am learning expressions with -te + iru/aru etc., although I´m quite beginner in verbs declinations and clasification on conjugation groups.

Fortunately I have a japanese friend-penpal who is learning spanish and we do language exchange by mail 3-4 times at month. It´s very useful to correct mistakes.


I´m teaching to myself with text downloaded from the net and a kanji method book, a grammar book and a dictionary, but i´m confused about that way I must take to learn japanese well. Then, I´m "anarchist" in my learning and this limits my progression. Any advice about this?

I have no much time to study, I work 10-14 hours daily as truck driver. I can only stud at some pauses between driving and I can´t concentrate rightly. At home, no much time more. I must sleep sometimes!

Today I learned the #100 kanji, but... I still don´t know how to pronounce the kanjis that I learn. I´m learning kanji with "Remembering tha Kanji" book.
It´s quick and secure to non forget it, but first teach the meaning and writing; the 2nd book will teach the reads. The order is not the most useful kanji, but with common elements.
So, I type in kana without kanji.

Oopss! No more time now

(I´m sorry if my poor english hurt your eyes, hehe)

[psychochou]

はいはい！でも、少しです。
I haven't been studying that long.

[hkBattousai]

I will start reading children's books soon. I'm still learning kanji.

[MrWabu]

I passed JLPT level 2 last year, but if I took it again this year, I'm sure I'd fail due to lack of study.

Regarding preparation, I think studying vocab. and doing plenty of mock tests before hand helped me get the grade. My listening comprehension rose significantly because of regular practice listening questions. Most of the mock stuff came from the "Nihongo Journal", a Japanese monthly publication that includes sample questions for preparation. Yamasa (my language school) subscribed to it so had plenty of old copies for me to use.

I also got a Kanji game for the PS2 (in Japan). I forget the name but allows you to practice for the main Kanji test at various levels. If I remember right, I could get level 6 or 7 on that. Although I did not sit that Kanji exam, I feel it helped a bit with the "Goi" section of JLPT that includes Kanji comprehension.

Regarding children's books... I have a translated version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and although I can follow the story it is quite difficult to fully understand. Reading books (as opposed to manga) should be quite useful for the reading part of JLPT.

[Niedy]

I'm in between Level 2 and 3... i kinda failed my joyokanji exam (in university) recently... you shouldn't try studying 1000 kanji (I already know the other half) in 1 week... ^^;;; well... there'll be another chance soon... I'll be ready than... other than that, as long as I know the vocabs I usually am able to understand anything normal (like newspapers, etc) but when it comes to writing my own stuff or speaking... i really suck... >.< we seldom need it in university, so I lack practice...

[Ahega]

For the language course I'm taking next years February they sended me a test for intermediate level but.. it was way to easy o_&#244;
I guess the biggest problem are the Kanji >_< (even they are a ot of help to make things clearer when it comes to understanding)

@Niedy: xD omg... I found a fellow student! Good luck for the test!!

[Sarah Jane]

I know a ton of words.
Quite a few songs off by heart.
And some phrases here and there.


I want to become as fluent as I can though. :-)

[Tetsu]

Watashi wa nihongo o hanasimasu. Nihongo wa kari masuka?

[justin]

I took a few classes and in a year or so I'm going to take another. Right now I'm practicing on my own.

[CrimsonNataku]

I've studied Japanese for nearly 4 years. I've taken several classes, and at a Japanese Language Immersion camp, I was in the most advanced class.

I don't consider myself by any means an expert, but I do tutor a few students in Japanese.

[Basdlah]

Did three years at college, but didn't learn to say much.

[irish-j-rock-fan]

ok me and japanese learning isnt that good i always wanted to know how to speek in japanese but my mum wont let me she dosnt even want me to go there ( dont know y tho TT__TT) but i know like hello and sorry and cute lol thats it TT__TT but i want need to know more tho.

[Aoi.]

I just know a few words and phrases, stuffs like that. But I'm trying~

[Homerduff]

I know all the hiragana, a big amount of katakana, some usefull expressions and words, basic grammar and basic particles. but I maybe know like a handfull of kanji so I cant read japanese (even if its written in hiragana, I still lack vocabulary). Anyway I started like a month ago, so its pretty normal.

[Ghik]

I can read hiragana and katakana, I know the basic grammar. I also recognize about 300-400 kanji, but I know only their meanings - I can't read them. My vocabulary is rather tiny, though.

[KirinMan]

I can read 'kana and an uncountable number of kanji, but I do not write it very well at all. However I can speak the language rather well.

[midori21]

I only know some phrases. I don't really know how to write in kanji, katana and hiragana^ ^ Only romanji^ ^

[Emy Hashim]

hi there! i'm an enthusiastic beginner in learning japanese...hehe...you know what, i took japanese as one of my subject in my B Ed. TESL degree...frankly speaking, it's quite hard but if u're really inerested to getting know them better then all things will be going smooth...God's willing...=)

now i would like to learn mandarin as well since my grandmother is a chinese...but she don't know how to speak chinese because she was raised by a Malay family before she got married with my handsome grandfather - a Malay man...hehehe...in Malaysia, mixed marriage inter multiracial is a normal matter...

p/s:who wants to learn Malay from me??? -wink-

[dan_j]

i no a greeting or 2 hi/bye and sum other words.... i voted "Just a few words or phrases (greetings, etc)"
dont no how 2 read or write/type it

[Yusupov]

話せることは話せるんですがまだまだだね。もっと練習した方がいいと思うよ。でも、練習すると人がいないん 。

I speak a little Japanese, but there really isn't anyone to practice with so I'm not as good as I'd like to be obviously. I'm taking a language course at school right now though so hopefully that will help remedy the problem somewhat.

[bexchurnside]

@ miyuki
your school board seems quite tough!! but if thats the way its done , then so be it!! I dont know any kanji yet, it frightens me so much I cant discribe it, but maybe if I was brought up in an enviroment that needed kanji things might be sooo different!!!
I find kanji facinating with its meaning and terms of interpretation, and thats the frightening bit, lol

Deborah, it seems tough to us, many of having BA's in Japanese couldn't best them, if we even tried. If these folks go to cram school and work their best in their mother tougue vs us, well, you can guess. But then, you go to Japan, and see that these so called English teachers have a terrible command of the English language. I know many high school students would draw circles over them. So the same is simply reversed. They would think what are we doing with an entire BA with less than what the Japanese get for their minimum educational requirement. These kids have it in their bones to learn.

You know, many envy our English skills that are recongized worldwide. Japanese on the other hand is pretty much useless outside of either Japan or in situations outside of Japan, outside of Japanese corporate environment.
Even in Sao Paulo or Hawai'i, the Nikkeijin do speak English adequately enough that we really don't need to learn Japanese to get around.

The Japanese also do not ever expect us to try taking them on in the language sparing game. I talk here in competitive terms, as that is their way of thinking. Only the Kikokushijo is made to play catch up, and in some cases, the Nikkeijin who have citizenship. Many of them do go through the daunting task of playing catch up, but we need not envy. My boyfriend said that he was forced into the game where he is made to learn to not get socially outcasted, and have a good job. And many of them learn Japanese out of necessity and duty, and not out of interest like many of us do, choosing this culture. Theirs being choiceless, or almost choiceless makes the task while apparently easier to do than for us, less enjoyable, with the love of it more often than not, absent. When your hair is strawberry blond like mine, even slightly unnatural but so so well spoken Japanese is only applauded by them.

So let them be, and we do what we do in our own category.

[Seiryuu]

私はちょっと日本語を分かります。

それに、日本語で書くが難しいです。

[mico]

nobody to practice with. so even i know the basic grammar structures, probably i will no be able to go to higher level :(
just like jackkrone, i mastered hiragana, but i dont understand the rules for katakana. the only problem for learning the kanji and vocabulary is memory matter. can't remember things that fast. must practice everyday. but once again, nobody to practice with so i won't know if i'm making mistakes :?

[YinginSui]

I do not know much of the words, to tell anyone here the truth. It's a fact that I pick up some words and kanji from friends in Nihon, but I never really learned much of the grammar, but indeed relying on replacing words in sentences I somehow memorize when my Japanese friends are talking in their native tongue. I'd love to learn Japanese and go to Japan one day, as well as learn some from several Japanese people here. ^.^

[Ebu Huzeyfe]

I desire to learn at least a basic Japanese so much. It seems no way at the moment. I have some books and dictionaries but need to practice with some Japanese through corresponding.

[LincolnJackson2]

Hi how you guys doing. I desire to improve my japanese conversation skills. I have sub par lvl 4 jplt understanding of grammar, therefore I failed the test by 5&#37;. Plan to take it again this year so if anyone wants to just shot grammar points, vocabulary, questions or just conversation I'm game. Oh and my roma-ji (romanized japanese) is not that great. Ganbatte kudasai.

[Tokyofan25]

just a few basic words,that's all

[ToroMay]

i'm learning korean at the moment.
shall start japanese when i complete my korean courses.

[kiedistidus]

i want to learn japanese but it looks so hard im going next year and i dont want to be a lost tourist

[Goldiegirl]

Beginner even sounds to advanced for me! I know some simple phrases. I know how to spell my last name as well. That's about it. I am learning though. :)

[Riette]

more than greetings, but below sentence constructions. -simple sentences only- i will accept all the help i can take~ domo arigato :D

[82riceballs]

i'm a so/so person. my grandparents speak japanese and claim that my japanese is horrible, but i think i'm improving now that i'm taking lessons from an awesome teacher. i might get a 80% on jlpt 4 test if i'm lucky:p.

[Han Chan]

I speak japanese more or less like a child - thats why people call me Han chan.:wave:

[Soloistic]

Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate? I find that kinda hard to believe. I am just under level 3 with grammar and vocab, but I only know about 120 Kanji so far.

[Charles Barkley]

Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate? I find that kinda hard to believe. I am just under level 3 with grammar and vocab, but I only know about 120 Kanji so far.


Yeah, I thought the same thing. But when you consider that so many of the people who use this site do not live in Japan and are more interested in the culture than serious study, you can see why the poll is heavily weighted towards beginner levels.

I would categorize a low pass of JLPT 3 as lower intermediate. A very high pass as middle intermediate. A just fail of JLPT 2 as high intermediate. And a pass of JLPT 2 as the first step to advanced.

But of course its an entirely arbitrary category.

[Mike Cash]

Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate?

The phenomenon known as "the soft bigotry of low expectations". Goes hand-in-hand with the study of the Japanese language.

[epigene]

Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate? I find that kinda hard to believe. I am just under level 3 with grammar and vocab, but I only know about 120 Kanji so far.
I agree with Mike about how the Levels are assessed, at least in this thread. (Can't someone do something about how the levels are described?)

In terms of functionality and practical usage in the native Japanese-speaking environment, I think Level 3 and lower are regarded rudimentary. Level 2 is basic language usage (maybe intermediate, if the word has to be used), and Level 1 is "nearest to native" but not native level YET (unless you score near-perfect or perfect)... :blush:

[FrustratedDave]

I agree with Mike about how the Levels are assessed, at least in this thread. (Can't someone do something about how the levels are described?)
In terms of functionality and practical usage in the native Japanese-speaking environment, I think Level 3 and lower are regarded rudimentary. Level 2 is basic language usage (maybe intermediate, if the word has to be used), and Level 1 is "nearest to native" but not native level YET (unless you score near-perfect or perfect)... :blush:
I don't consider level 1 near native either, there far more to learn after attaining your level one.

[xFanGirl]

Im bizzy to learn Japans,,
Its a very nice language!!:wave:

Konnichiwa^^Thirsa Desu^^Ogenki desu ka?Sayounara:wave:


(Do i typ it right?:relief:)

[Apheleon]

hmm... I'm learning the grammars...=.= but I know hiragana, katakana and some kanji... that makes I'm teeny weeny bit more of a beginner rite? ^^ Nobody to practice with too.

[HarajukuxBoy]

Well right now,I'm using "Japanese for busy people Volume:I" and Im like 1/4 of the way through that book,and Im still learning my hiragana and katakana.But I got most of the basics down.

[ajmd20]

Level 3 JLPT3 really considered intermediate? I find that kinda hard to believe. I am just under level 3 with grammar and vocab, but I only know about 120 Kanji so far.

If you ask me all of those JLPT levels there are one too high. There's no way JLPT1 level could be considered native level in my opinion. I didn't know how to answer the poll because I've passed 1, but at most I would just about consider myself at advanced level which is marked as only 2.

[tada]

It's not official yet, but I'm at about JLPT 2-kyuu level. Taking the actual test this year. From some mock-tests, I know this is the right level for me; 3-kyuu is way too easy for me, and 1-kyuu is still over my head.

[Minty]

J'ai oubli� comment parler japonais.

[Kour]

Hi there, thought I would introduce myself. Stumbled upon this website and forum today.

Was transferred to Japan by my company about 8 months ago. Struggling to learn the language but loving it here.

Any recommendations on where to go for a quick 4-5 day holiday?

[Paruru]

oh yes I do. (maybe N1 level)
I also sing in Japanese :wave: