Hello Everyone, thanks for all the support. It gave us a lot of energy for today’s show! Hope it shows. どうもありがとうございます！

Peter

Rafael-san! Thank you for the post. Please keep them coming! And an email is on the way. Chotto matte kudasai.

Joey-san, どうもありがとうございます！Thank you for that すごい post! We’ll be reading this one before lessons! Thank you posting, thank you for the confidence booster, and thank you for listening! Please keep the posts coming, and we have a lot more in store for everyone.

Peter

Heather-san,

Yes! Your friend is technically correct. Please thank him. However, we use the names as more of an indicator to let you know the conversation is about to start. Sakura is Sakura’s first name, so actually it should be Suzuki-san (Sakura’s last name), go-kazoku wa nan-nin desu ka?

We try to keep the show as informal as possible, which conflicts with the formal style of the language……rock and a hard place! This is why we use first names.
Usually when you ask this question there is no need for the name at all as you presumable know the person you are talking to. Again, the name is more of an indicator to let you know the conversation is on the way and who is talking to who. Apologies for the confusion.

Hi!
I can’t remember how I found out about your podcasts (I think it was from a Japanese radio pod cast..) but I’m so glad I found them!
I’m from the UK, studying Japanese at John Moores University in Liverpool, and I download a podcast a day, and listen to them as I walk to class.
So, thank you for helping me out, it’s a really good method of learning!

(P.s, I know in this podcast you say about ‘nin’ but will you ever do more casts on other counting systems, because I never remember which is which!)

Charlie

This show was so helpful to me. I also notice that Japanese people refer to thier family members directly in the same way that they refer to other’s family members. e.g. Otou-san and okaa-san.
Is this normally the case or am I off?

ummmm…. you missed kazoku as a vocabulary word. I only mention it as I’m making flash cards of all the hiragana, and I can go look it up, but thought I’d let you know!
Thanks as always and keep the great shows coming!!

Beth, I’ve noticed that sometimes they miss wordsin the vocabulary list. Usually I have the notes infront of me while listening, and I write in my own notes when this happens.

interesting information on asameishimae: I went out with one of my dear japanese friends last night, and was practicing my japenese from here (YAY! thanks for this amazing site!!).
I am helping her with her english (as she is helping me practice japanese), and i mentioned english will be a piece of cake for her. and then, I said “asameishimae”. She gasped and said ” nooooo. we don’t say that. it’s old phrase. very embarrassing”. (my friend is in her late twenties, like me). so, this lingo is not current.
just thought i’d mention it. wonder if anyone else has tried it and had a problem using it.:???:

polo des,

hi all this was a wonderful lesson
watashi ga dai suki des

but i know i may rush things but can anyone please give the meanings of ( chan,kun,sama,ni-sama, ni-san, oni-san, ni-chan )???

arigatu kuzaimus

hi again

arigatu kuzaimas briggs-san

Hi, (re-Tin Tin’s message & John Briggs)
I’m new here. Just wanted to comment on TinTin’s sentence above:
ane wa san-nin *ga imasu. (three older sisters exist)
*Remember that counters take no particle, so the sentence should be:
ane ga san-nin imasu. (I have 3 older sisters).

Also, John Briggs - are you the John Briggs from Kansai Gaidai back in 1989? - if so, hisashiburi - you probably don’t remember me - Abby McMeekin in the rainbow house.

sugoi lessons
i love them all
gambatte kudasai

sugoi!!!!haahah!!!
since i had an interest in the Japanese language i really want to hear my name by the japanese people hehehe.. very interesting!!(wrong grammar?)

Serena27-san,

When you are married and have children, usually you reply with your spouse, children and yourself, in Japan. If you live in together with your own parents or your spouse’s parents, you can reply including the parents. For your situation, I think you don’t have to reply with all 4 parents.

夏子、桜、

You are really a good teachers ,you made me like the japanese language another time after I had lost the hope to continue learning japanese, I wish you a good luck and god bless you (and Peater and Kazunori too)…….