Learn the difference between modern Japanese and classical Japanese
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Intro |
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| Michael: Is modern Japanese very different from Classical Japanese? |
| Risa: And what are the differences? |
| Michael: At JapanesePod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Ben Lee, a college student, is trying to read a quote in one of his textbooks, but finds a word written in a way he has never seen before. He turns to his friend, Hana Hashimoto, and asks, |
| "Is this in Japanese?" |
| Ben Lee: これは日本語ですか。 (Kore wa Nihon-go desu ka.) |
| Dialogue |
| Ben Lee: これは日本語ですか。 (Kore wa Nihon-go desu ka.) |
| Hana Hashimoto: はい、でも古文です。 (Hai, demo kobun desu.) |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Ben Lee: これは日本語ですか。 |
| Michael: "Is this in Japanese?" |
| Hana Hashimoto: はい、でも古文です。 |
| Michael: "Yes, but it's in Classical Japanese." |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: In the dialogue, perhaps Ben was looking at a quote from some classical literary work, written in Classical Japanese, or |
| Risa: 古文 (kobun). |
| Michael: This term refers to the literary language used from the Heian Period up to the Meiji era. It differs in many aspects from "modern language," or |
| Risa: 現代語 (gendaigo). |
| Michael: They are so different, in fact, that modern Japanese speakers cannot easily read unadapted classical literary works without having previously studied Classical Japanese. |
| Michael: For a long time, Classical Japanese was the language of literature and administration. It was mostly used as a written language, and it was eventually made distinct from the language actually spoken by the people. It is for this reason that only studying modern Japanese is not enough to easily read classical texts. |
| Michael: Classical Japanese in literature was slowly abandoned during the Meiji era with the help of novelists like Natsume Soseki, or |
| Risa: 夏目漱石 (Natsume Sōseki). |
| Michael: Like many other authors, Natsume Soseki started writing in a style closer to the language spoken by his contemporaries. |
| As for administrative texts, such as law documents, it wasn't until the post-war period following the Second World War that the spoken language was adopted. |
| Michael: This then begs the question, |
| Risa: What are the differences between classical and modern Japanese? |
| Michael: The main differences concern the orthography, which is how words are written, and the grammar. In Classical Japanese, you can find, for example, some kana that are no longer used, such as some of the kana from the W-row, or |
| Risa: ワ行 (Wa-gyō) |
| Michael: As for the grammar, here are just a few of the main differences: First, verbs and adjectives are conjugated differently. |
| Risa: Second, there are specific rules like the 係り結び (kakari musubi), by which the elements of a sentence are organized differently. |
| Michael: Lastly, and this occasionally occurs in Modern Japanese as well, the subject marking particle |
| Risa: が (ga) |
| Michael: is often omitted. |
| Practice Section |
| Michael: Let's review the sample conversation: Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud, and then listen carefully as Risa models the correct answer. Repeat after her, with the focus on your pronunciation. Are you ready? |
| How do you say, "Is this in Japanese?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Risa: これは日本語ですか。 |
| Michael: Did you get it right? Listen again and repeat. Remember to focus on your pronunciation. |
| Risa: これは日本語ですか。 |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Risa: これは日本語ですか。 |
| Michael: Let's move on to the second sentence. How do you say, "Yes, but it's in Classical Japanese." |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Risa: はい、でも古文です。 |
| Michael: Did you get it right this time? Listen again and repeat. |
| Risa: はい、でも古文です。 |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Risa: はい、でも古文です。 |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael: A fun way to feel closer to Classical Japanese is through the traditional memory game called |
| Risa: 歌ガルタ (utagaruta), |
| Michael: which literally means "song cards" or "poetry cards." |
| Michael: This game involves a set of cards showing the second half of a poem. The cards are first laid on a surface, and players are then challenged with matching them with the first half of the poem as it is read aloud. The poems are generally from the |
| Risa: 小倉百人一首 (Ogura Hyakunin Isshu), |
| Michael: which is an anthology of poems compiled in the late Heian period. Even in modern times, the game is still very popular, and there are even tournaments being held to this day. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Risa: またね！ (mata-ne!) |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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