Japanese Riddles

<Skill Levels: Beginner, Intermediate>

なぞなぞ(nazonazo): Riddles
＜動物, どうぶつ, doubutsu, animals>　

(1) 小さな鳥が落っこちました。さて、どんな音がしたでしょう。
     ちいさなとりが、おっこちました。さて、どんなおとがしたでしょう。
     Chiisana tori ga, okkochi mashita. Sate, donna oto ga shita deshou?
     (A small bird fell off. What kind of sound did it make?)

(2) タコはタコでも、人気者のタコは何でしょう。
     たこはたこでも、にんきもののたこはなんでしょう。
     Tako wa tako demo ninki  mono no  tako wa nan deshou?
     (What kind of TAKO is very popular? )

(3) 苦しいことが嫌いな動物は何でしょう。
     くるしいことがきらいなどうぶつはなんでしょう。
     Kurushii koto ga kiraina doubutsu wa nan deshou?
     (What animal doesn't like to suffer?)


Link to: [Answers]

Quiz: The Golden Week

<Skill Level: All>

今年（２０１１年）のゴールデンウィークはいつでしょう？
When is the Golden Week this year?

Answer - 

The end of April through the first week of May is called "ゴールデンウィーク: Golden Week" in Japan, since there are many national holidays during the period. Many people plan to go on vacations and/or visit their families.

If you take days off on May 2nd and the 6th, you can enjoy up to 10 consecutive holidays this year.

<THE GOLDEN WEEK, 2011>
* 4/29/11 （Showa Day: 昭和の日）
* 4/30/11 （Saturday）
* 5/1/11 （May Day: メーデー・Sunday）
* 5/２/11 （Weekday）　<---- This is just a regular weekday.
* 5/3/11 （Constitution Memorial Day: 憲法記念日)
* 5/4/11 （Greenery Day: みどりの日)
* 5/5/11 （Children's Day: こどもの日)
* 5/6/11 （Weekday） <---- This is just a regular weekday.
* 5/7/11 （Saturday）
* 5/8/11 （Sunday） 

祝日（しゅくじつ, shukujitsu): national holidays


昭和の日: しょうわのひ, Shouwa no hi
憲法記念日:けんこうきねんび, Kenkou kinenbi
みどりの日：みどりのひ, Midori no hi
こどもの日：こどものひ, Kodomo no hi

Kanji Quiz 1

<Skill Level: Beginner>

Spring (春, haru) is full of flowers (花, hana). Although my cherry tree has lost all the flowers, azaleas (つつじ, tsutsuji) and other flowers have just started to bloom.

azalea: つつじ

tulip: チューリップ

Let's take a look at the word "花 (flower)"  today.

There are 2 ways to read this character (花): (1) hana or (2) ka


花:はな/か, hana/ka 

Which ones belong to (1) hana?
Which ones belong to (2) ka?

(a) a flower: 花 <answer: (1)>
(b) a petal: 花びら
(c) a pressed flower: おし花
(d) a flower shop: 花やさん
(e) a vase: 花びん
(f) a bouquet: 花たば
(g) a flower bed: 花だん
(f)  flower viewing: 花見

Link: Answers

Dialect Quiz 2: Birthday

Spring is the time to celebrate.

Unlike the school systems in other countries, Japanese schools start in April and often end in early March.

One of the common words you hear often in April is: Omedetou (gozaimasu).

<Skill Level: Never Learned Before, Beginner>

Congratulations

Casual: 
おめでとう。Omedetou.

Polite:
おめでとうございます。Omedetou gozaimasu.
( gozaimasu adds politeness )

<Skill Level: Intermediate>

卒業（そつぎょう）：Graduation
Casual: 卒業おめでとう。
Polite:ご卒業おめでとうございます。
Congratulations on your graduation.

入学（にゅうがく）：Entrance to school
Casual:入学おめでとう。
Polite: ご入学おめでとうございます。
Congratulations on entrance to school

Other Occasions: Birthday.

Casual：
お誕生日おめでとう。
おたんじょうびおめでとう。
Otanjoubi omedetou.
Happy Birthday.

Polite:
お誕生日おめでとうございます。
おたんじょうびおめでとうございます。
Otanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu.

Online posts:
誕生日オメ　
誕生日おめ
誕生日おめ～
オタオメ
オタオメ～

<Skill Level: Advanced>

Kyoto Dialect:
おたんじょうび、おめでとうさんどす。（Otanjoubi omedetousandosu.）
Kyoto Dialect often adds さん to a noun.
どす(dosu) is a classic (old fashon) way to say です(desu)  in Kyoto.
..............................................................
<Skill Level: Advanced>

Dialect Quiz 2: Birthday

Translate.
 2 guys are talking with dialects.

A　「さぁーて、今日はいったい何の日でしょう。」　
B.　「何の日って、別に祝日でもないし、ふつーの月曜日やん。」
A　「もっかい、よーかんがえてみぃ？」
B 　「そんなんゆうてもなぁ。あ、そや、わかったわ。」
A　「で？」
B　「月曜て、ごみ出しの日や。しもた、今朝出すの忘れてたわ。」
A　「それもそやけど、他にもあるやろ。」
B　「古本屋でセールやっとる日や。」
A　「あぁしんきくさい...もうええわ。」
B　「自分の誕生日に、そんなすねてどないすんねん。」
A　「なんや、しってんやったら、はよ言わんかい。」
B　「なにゆうてんねん。あほ、ケイタイみてみぃ。」
A　「あ、電池きれとったわ。すまん。」
B　「ほんま、やってられんわ。」

Link to Answers

Kanji: 1st Grade (1)

<Skill Level: Never Learned Before, Beginner>
 
Kanji are Chinese characters used in Japanese language. These characters have their own meanings unlike Hiragana and Katakana alphabets, which are phonetic symbols. (Unlike Chinese Characters, each Japanese Kanji has multiple ways to read it, generally 2-3 ways.)

Here is a list of some 1st grader level Kanji, which look alike. 

one: 一 / two: 二 /  three:　三

left: 左 / right:　右

enter: 入 / person: 人

big: 大 / fat: 太 / dog: 犬

tree: 木 / forest: 森 / woods: 林

hundred: 百 / white:　白

moon: 月 / eyes: 目/ day: 日 / mouth: 口

..........................................
<Kanji Quiz for today>


Translate the flowing Kanji characters:

(1) 森　(2) 白　(3) 太　(4) 入　(5) 日　(6) 一　(7) 木　(8) 犬　(9) 口　(10) 林　
(11) 三　(12) 月　(13) 右　(4) 人　(15) 百　(16) 大　(17) 二　(18) 目　(19) 左

Kansai Dialect - Quiz 1

Kansai Dialect

<Skill Level: Advanced>

The following dialogue is in Kansai dialect.  
A is  a child, and B is his/her mother.  They live in Kyoto in Kanai region.

Can you translate this?

A:　えらい びしょびしょになってしもた。
B:　そんなん、いまごろゆうてもあかんわ。
B:　そやから、いきしに　かさもってかなあかへんてゆうてたやないの。
A:　そやけど、いそいでてんもん、しゃあないやん。なんか かわかすもん あらへんの？
B:　ちょっと　そこいてて。いまさがしてくるさかい。
A:　はよして、さむうなってきた。
B:　はいはい、おまちどうさん。
A:　そんなぎょうさん　いらんて。
B:　もんくばっかりゆうてんと　はよかわかしよし。

Answers: 04/15/11

Use the Google Translate tool

Hiragana - Part I (b)

<Skill Levels: Never Learned Before, Beginner, Intermediate>

I have added the "Google Translate" tool on my blog today. You will see it under my Greetings on the right column. I set the default direction to translate from Japanese to English, but you can change it to the language of your choice. If you speak Spanish, then change English to Spanish.

Now, let's find out what the following Hiragana means. If you have never learned Japanese before, copy my Hiragana letters and paste them onto the translation box. If you are a beginner and above, type the Hiragana letters yourself to practice typing. If you are an intermediate, write in Kanji + Hiragana.

1: あさ
2: てんき
3: あめ
4:がっこう
5: きょう
6: にほんご
7: えいご
8:べんきょう
9: かんたん
10: むずかしい

Now, let's translate short Japanese sentences.
1: にほんごは、かんたんです。
2: にほんごを、べんきょうしています。
3: あさごはんをたべました。
4: いいてんきですね。
5: きょうは、さむいですね。

Ok, I tested these words to translate with this tool. When I typed "あめ" (ame), the English translation came out to be "candy."  Yes, it is correct, but I wish it displayed "candy or rain." 飴(あめ):candy & 雨(あめ) rain are homonyms (that pronounce the same but have different meanings).  When I typed "にほんご" then the English translation was "Nihongo." It is fine for Japanese people and those who have been learning the language for a while, but it shows how limited the tool can be.  Nihongo means Japanese (language). I wish such a basic word could be perfectly translated.  Nevertheless, the tool is very useful. Use it at your leisure, and don't forget to cross reference.

Hiragana - Part I (a)

<Skill Level: Never Learned Before, Beginner, Intermediate>

Hiragana (ひらがな) is a set of Japanese phonetic alphabets.

Take a look at this chart and see if you can pronounce and write them.

Can you change the following hiragana words into Roman alphabets, then translate it?

Example: おはよう ---> OHAYOU
It literally means "Early" and stands for "Good morning."

The last う(u) elongates よ(yo). Some textbooks may suggest you to write a small bar on top of the last vowel next to う(u): OHAYO with a bar on top of the last O, or to spell OHAYOO or OHAYOH instead. If you are taking Japanese lessons at school, please follow their instructions. Sometimes people say おはよ (Ohayo). To make it more polite, add ございます (gozaimasu): おはようございます (Ohayou gozaimasu).

Question 1: いぬ
Question 2: かわ
Question 3: はる
Question 4: みかん
Question 5: あか
Question 6: やま
Question 7: おいしい
Question 8: たのしい
Question 9: うれしい
Question 10: はしる

If you are intermediate, don't forget to write them in Kanji+Hiragana.