Can you teach me how to speak japanese

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

So I borrowed a couple of Japanese language CD's from the library. One of these is a quick and dirty course aimed at travelers that you can listen to while on the airplane. It would be better if they repeated the phrases more than once each, but on my computer after ripping the CD it's easy enough to just rewind and Fast forward.

Anyway, after listening to the lesson on numbers, I listened to the one on days of the week and months. I suddenly realized that the Japanese language doesn't actually have any special words for January, February, etc .... They literally use "first month", "second month", etc....

Also why did Roku name their streaming player "six"?

[Dante69]

I noticed that the number 4 (shi, yon), and 7 (shichi, nana) both have two names. Can anyone tell me when each are used? Example: Is nana only for counting, or something?

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I don't know about 7, but I know that one form of the number 4 (shi) is considered bad luck because it sounds like the word for death, hence the alternate form.

[Strange Wings]

I noticed that the number 4 (shi, yon), and 7 (shichi, nana) both have two names. Can anyone tell me when each are used? Example: Is nana only for counting, or something?

"shi" is the chinese pronunciation (on-reading), while "yon" is the Japanese one (kun-reading). Same for "shichi", which is chinese, and "nana" for Japanese reading. Kanjis in combination usually are getting pronounced in on-reading, while single kanjis with okurigana are getting pronounced in kun-reading.

Exemple:
早速 (sassoku) meaning "immediately": Chinese pronunciation
早い (haya.i) meaning "early, soon": Japanese pronunciation
速い (haya.i) meaning "fast, quick" i.e. for vehicles: Japanese pronunciation

It's pretty complicated, I hope it does make some sense to you. (if not so, don't worry. I had trouble myself to understand this at the beginning)

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I didn't get the bit about On-reading and kun-reading, so I found this:
"On-reading is usually used when the kanji is a part of a compound (two or more kanji characters are placed side by site). Kun-reading is used when the kanji is used on its own, either as a complete noun or as adjective stems and verb stems."

Compound Kanji? Well the example I'm most familiar with, of course is 鉄腕 . I guess that would be on-read?

[Strange Wings]

I didn't get the bit about On-reading and kun-reading, so I found this:
"On-reading is usually used when the kanji is a part of a compound (two or more kanji characters are placed side by site). Kun-reading is used when the kanji is used on its own, either as a complete noun or as adjective stems and verb stems."

That's exactly what I was trying to say, but expressed more clearly.

Compound Kanji? Well the example I'm most familiar with, of course is 鉄腕 . I guess that would be on-read?

Correct.
However not all kanji compounds are getting strictly read the On-reading way, a lot of exceptions do exist.
As for example: the kanji compound "悪者" (meaning "bad person") can be read the Kun-reading way ("waru-mono") as well as in On-reading ("aku-nin"), so both readings can be applied here.

Also, some kanji compounds are getting strictly read the Kun-reading way. It can become very confusing in the initial learning phase. :d oh:

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I used google to look up how to write my user name in Japanese. Tetsuwan is obvious(!). Penguin translated as ペンギン which appears to be a 'borrowed' word due to the script used.

Hey, do we have any users here that HAVE entered their user names in Japanese characters?

[Windswept Cloak]

"Windswept Cloak" translated by Google to Japanese: 吹きさらしのマント

I don't know how accurate it is.

[Windswept Cloak]

[QUOTE=Tetsuwan Penguin;228069]I didn't get the bit about On-reading and kun-reading, so I found this:
"On-reading is usually used when the kanji is a part of a compound (two or more kanji characters are placed side by site). Kun-reading is used when the kanji is used on its own, either as a complete noun or as adjective stems and verb stems."

That's exactly what I was trying to say, but expressed more clearly.

Compound Kanji? Well the example I'm most familiar with, of course is 鉄腕 . I guess that would be on-read?

Correct.
However not all kanji compounds are getting strictly read the On-reading way, a lot of exceptions do exist.
As for example: the kanji compound "悪者" (meaning "bad person") can be read the Kun-reading way ("waru-mono") as well as in On-reading ("aku-nin"), so both readings can be applied here.

Also, some kanji compounds are getting strictly read the Kun-reading way. It can become very confusing in the initial learning phase. :d oh:[/QUOTE]

In addition, 悪魔 (aku-ma) would mean "devil" :d evil: in the Japanese language.

[Moonlit Flower]

Well, I'm in the middle of studying Japanese, so I do know a few words. And I'm starting to pick up on reading it too.

fuyu = winter
natsu = summer
tantei= Detective
nazo = mystery (puzzle)
neko = cat
inu=dog
aka=red
shiro=white
kuro=black
ao = blue
Yoroshiku = Nice to meet you.
Hachi = (eight, bee)
Chou = butterfly
watashi = I, I'm
mirai = future
megane = glasses
Orange = Orenjii
Ongaku - Music
Color = iro
no = of, and
Jiken = Case
Shoudou = Evidence
Shounen = boy
Shoujo = girl
Onna = woman
Otoko = man
Kimi tachi = you guys (or something like that.)
Boku = This saying is usually only used by males when they introduced themselves.
Bozu = brat
Kanpai = Cheers
Suki - Like
Ai = Love
Kawaii - Cute
Sou desu ka - Is that so
wakarimasen - I don't understand
Sugoi - Amazing, cool, awesome

I don't know how accurate Google translate is, as I have heard many rumors about how poor it is, but I don't have a Japanese setting to translate my sentences to Japanese, so I have no choice but to use it.

冬 - Fuyu (Winter)
夏 - Natsu (Summer)
探偵 - Tantei (Detective)

There's even a few that I know that I can't seem to spell correctly. One was ii ne, or something like that, another was I think ma saka (could it be). I'm not sure how to spell these, and I'm not entirely sure what ii ne, means either. I thought it could mean "May I", or "like, right", but this doesn't sound right to me.

(btw, sorry for all the translations. My post is a bit long due to these.)