9593 - 間
Meaning: time, time span
Onyomi: KAN, KEN
Kunyomi: aida
Strokes: 12 (click on pic to start video)
Vocabulary:
間 – aida – period of time
時間 – jikan – time
週間 – shuukan – a full week
人間 – ningen – human being, person
Expressing a position in Japanese
March 28, 2011 by 3 Comments
Description
In Japanese positions are expressed by putting position-noun behind the noun whose position is being described. Both nouns are connected using the particle の (no). In addition the Particles に (ni) or で (de) used behing the position-noun indicated that it is about a location.
The general structure of the description of a position is as follows:
[Noun] + の (no) + [position noun] + に (ni) or で (de)
Example
This example gives you an idea on how a sentence explaining a position looks like.
Position-nouns
| Kanji | Furigana | Romaji | Translation |
| 上 | うえ | ue | above, on, over |
| 下 | した | shita | under, below |
| 前 | まえ | mae | in front of |
| 後ろ | うしろ | ushiro | behind |
| 右 | みぎ | migi | right hand of |
| 左 | ひだり | hidari | left hand of |
| 先 | さき | saki | before |
| 横 | よこ | yoko | next to |
| 隣り | となり | tonari | next to |
| 側 | そば | soba | next to |
| 中 | なか | naka | inside |
| 辺 | へん | hen | around here |
| 角 | かど | kado | at the corner of |
| 隅 | すみ | sumi | in the corner of |
| 奥 | おく | oku | inside the building |
| 外 | そと | soto | outside |
| 内 | うち | uchi | |
| 間 | あいだ | aida | in between |
| 近く | ちかく | chikaku | close to, near to |
Calendar days in Japanese
March 28, 2011 by 1 Comment
The expression of calendar days requires the Japanese as well as the Chinese basic numbers systems. Japanese numbers are used from the first to the tenth as well as for the 14th and 24th day. All other days use the Chinese numbering system. Be careful for the 20th day, which is irregular.
| Day | Kanji | Furigana | Romaji |
| 1 | 一日 | ついたち | tsuitachi |
| 2 | 二日 | ふつか | futsuka |
| 3 | 三日 | みっか | mikka |
| 4 | 四日 | よっか | yokka |
| 5 | 五日 | いつか | itsuka |
| 6 | 六日 | むいか | muika |
| 7 | 七日 | なのか | nanoka |
| 8 | 八日 | ようか | youka |
| 9 | 九日 | ここのか | kokonoka |
| 10 | 十日 | とおか | tooka |
| 11 | 十一日 | じゅういちにち | juuichinichi |
| 12 | 十二日 | じゅうににち | juuninichi |
| 14 | 十四日 | じゅうよっか | juuyoka |
| 15 | 十五日 | じゅうごにち | juugonichi |
| 20 | 二十日 | はつか | hatsuka |
| 21 | 二十一日 | にじゅういちにち | nijuuichinichi |
| 24 | 二十四日 | にじゅうよっか | nijuuyokka |
| 31 | 三十一日 | さんじゅういちにち | sanjuuichinichi |
List of Japanese classificators
March 28, 2011 by 4 Comments
When counting in Japanese certain special counters need to be applied depending on the objects or subject, which is being counted. Below you will find a list of the most commonly used counters.
Objects
| Subject |
|
|
|
Examples |
| books |
冊 |
さつ |
satsu |
一冊 (issatsu), 二冊 (nisatsu), etc. |
| buildings |
軒 |
けん |
ken |
一軒 (ikken), 二軒 (niken), etc. |
| cups |
杯 |
はい |
hai |
一杯 (ippai), 二杯 (nihai), etc. |
| flat objects |
枚 |
まい |
mai |
一枚 (ichimai), 二枚 (nimai), etc. |
| floors |
階 |
かい |
kai |
一階 (ikkai), 二階 (nikai), etc. |
| machines, cars |
台 |
だい |
dai |
一台 (ichidai), 二台 (nidai), etc. |
| small objects |
個 |
こ |
ko |
一個 (ikko), 二個 (niko), |
| Yen |
円 |
えん |
en |
一円 (ichien), 二円 (nien), |
Living things
| Subject |
|
|
|
Examples |
| people |
にん |
nin |
一人(hitori), 二人 (futari), 三人 (sannin) etc. | |
| small animals |
匹 |
ひき |
hiki |
一匹 (ippiki), 二匹 (nihiki), etc. |
| birds & rabbits |
わ |
wa |
一羽 (ichiwa), 二羽 (niwa), etc. | |
| large animals |
とう |
tou |
一頭 (ittou), 二頭 (nitou), etc. |
Occurrences & ranking
| Subject |
|
|
|
Examples |
| stays over night |
泊 |
はく |
haku |
一泊 (ippaku), 二泊 (nihaku), etc. |
| times |
回 |
かい |
kai |
一回 (ikkai), 二回 (nikai), |
| times |
ど |
do |
一度 (ichido), 二度 (nido), | |
| rank |
番 |
ばん |
ban |
一番 (ichiban), 二番 (niban), |
| book, newspaper issue |
号 |
ごう |
gou |
一号 (ichigou), 二号 (nigou), |
Time
| Subject |
|
|
|
Examples |
| seconds |
秒 |
びょう |
byou |
一秒 (ichibyou), 二秒 (nibyou), |
| minutes |
ふん |
fun |
一分 (ippun), 二分 (nifun, etc.), | |
| clock hours |
時 |
じ |
ji |
一時 (ichiji), 二時 (niji, etc.), |
| hours (duration) |
じかん |
jikan |
一時間 (ichijikan), 二時間 (nijikan, etc.), | |
| weeks (duration) |
週間 |
しゅうかん |
shuukan |
一週間 (isshuukan), 二週間 (nishuukan, etc.), |
| months (duration) |
ヶ月 |
かげつ |
kagetsu |
一ヶ月 (ikkagetsu), 二ヶ月 (nikagetsu, etc.), |
| years (duration) |
年間 |
ねんかん |
nenkan |
一年間 (ichinenkan), 二年間 (ninenkan, etc.), |
| years (age) |
才 |
さい |
sai |
一才 (issai), ニ才 (nisai, etc.), |
| years (age) |
歳 |
さい |
sai |
一才 (issai), ニ才 (nisai, etc.), |
What is furigana (ふりがな)?
March 28, 2011 by 15 Comments
Furigana 振仮名 indicate the correct pronunciation of Japanese kanji characters. In principle they consist of Hiragana or Katakana which are written next to the Kanji.
At Nihongo Ichiban we decided to use Hiragana only since most foreigner are more familiar with these.
NIHONGO ICHIBAN 