はい、難しいです。　時々文法を調べなくてはいけませ んけれど、単語のほうが調べなくてはいけません。　単 語はすごく覚えにくいで、いい覚え方はまだ見つけませ ん。

いつもそうしてみたいだけど、いつも調べなくてはいけ ないことを読みます。

でも、悪いことじゃないかもしれません。　文法か単語 を調べた後のときに、もっと覚えやすくなりますから。

（あ、「直接」を調べなくてはいけませんでした。　:p ）

はい、いつかしましょう。　ジャパンフォーラムはチャ ットがあったらいいですね。

My Chinese co-workers have been out of the country the last few weeks on business. They should be back soon, though. I'll be sure to ask them when they get back and let you know. Sorry to keep you in suspense! ;)

Thank you for the examples!

Hmm...but how do you make kanji for a name that isn't Japanese? Do they make up their own, or do they use existing kanji?

I think there are people like that in every country. In my opinion, if you don't like something about your home country, you should try doing something to change it. Giving their children non-Japanese names is not going to change their country.

Wow... Do a lot of Japanese guys like to date girls who speak English, or was he unique?

Haha, good for you!

I like it when a woman doesn't wear makeup. I feel that's the "real" them.

Hmm, that's exactly what I was talking about! That's why I prefer no makeup.

She must have worn a LOT of makeup for her boyfriend to not recognize her, haha.

Aww, that's kind of a sad story, actually. Not necessarily surprising, though. I think it'd be hard (if not impossible) to keep a relationship going after something like that.

No, I didn't! I wonder why?

To each their own, I guess. :p

ひさしぶり
 

そうですね。　単語は実際使った時が一番印象に残りや すいですよね。

単語を増やすために日記をかいてみてはどうですか？


ちなみに　直接　の反対は　間接（的）　です。

こちらも調べてみて、覚えてくださいね。


本当にそうですね。


Sorry, I didn't mean to rush you or anything.

Recently I meet a few Chinese people who are working at the Chinese restaunrant near where I work.

But, unfortunatelly most of them can't speak Japanese nor English...
So we use KANJI to communicate. Kanji is very usuful!

mmm, how can I explain...

For example,

啞舵夢　
Can you guess how to read this name?
I could guess, but I wasn't sure how to read it, cos
those kanjis are not commonly used　for names.
plus, as you know each Kanji has a few ways to pronunce.
So it makes reading those kanji, especially when it comes to someone's name can be very hard.

The answer is Adam　アダム。

If you want your name in Kanji, I will help you to make it!

I agree.
But that's why that mother is planing to get out of Japan to live in a foreign country.She wont even try to change Japan, cos she seems like she looks down on Japanese people.She has a friend who married to an Australian and now moved to USA, she used to say how wired Japanese are.

People who is able to speak English can be very populer in Japan anyway.
I am not a very beautiful one, but a few Japanese guys asked me out when they found out I speak English.I don't know if there are a lot of them, but I can say there are quite a few of them.

Sorry,
I used "quite a few", but I don't really know if it's a right word,
I am confused about "the quantity".

which is more "a lot" and "lots"?
"many" and " a lot"?
"quite a few" "a few" "some"...

It's very hard.


haha.
I saw a few girls who has no eyebrows, at the gym.
They were trying very hard to draw a new ones.
I thought they were very まめ　to do all that stuff every day.


What does " to each their own" mean?

I couldn't find "each" as a verb in my dictionary.

This could be interesting website for you.

The right words to use here would be "more than a few". They describe a quantity of something (in this case English-speaking Japanese women) that adds up to a number that is not small (for example, seven) , but does not add up to a number that is large (for example, fifty).

It can depend heavily on context. Generally speaking, "lots" is more than "a lot". "Lots" can be described as the plural form of "a lot"

"A lot", perhaps because it has a meaning of an amount of items that is unknown to the speaker but still is more than "many"

In order by my guessing: "quite a few", "some", and "a few". Numerically, it could represent items with amounts of: 8, 5, and 3. Not those exact numbers as I just listed them for comparison.

Indeed.

"Each" is most often used to describe individual items in a group, but it is not used in that way in the sentence.

"To each their own" is a saying that means "Everyone does/feels according to what makes the most sense to them." In context, StripMahjong is saying that boys who use makeup are not judged strange in his view (please feel free to correct me, Strip) as long as what they are doing is something they like doing and experiencing.

おお、いい考えですね！　絶対にします！　フラシュカ ードより、日記を書くのほうが効きそうです。

はい、覚えます。　ありがとうございます！

大丈夫ですよ。　:)

Actually, one of my Chinese co-workers did come back today, so I showed him your name and he immediately remembered the person you mentioned, so you were right! He was very surprised I knew who she was until I explained to him that it was because someone told me about her, haha.

漢字は難しいけれど、すごく面白いと思います。　中国 語と日本語の漢字の読み方は違うけれど、意味は同じで すね？　昔、中国人のりんじんにそうだと言われました 。　(Is this the right grammar? I want to say "I was told that a long time ago by a Chinese neighbor.")

Ah, I understand now. It would be fun to make my name in kanji, but I'm not sure if it's possible since it has a "v" in it. My name is "David." Is there some way to do it?

Hmm, well, I guess she should do whatever makes her and her family happiest in regards to where they live, but she shouldn't look down on anyone simply because of the country they come from, even if it's her own country.

Plus, do you know the phrase, "the grass is always greener on the other side"? It means that things always look better when you don't or can't have them yourself and that, if you end up getting them someday, you may realize that they aren't as good as you thought. Hmm...did that make sense? It may not have been a very good explanation. :o

Yeah, it is, isn't it? If I were to put them in order from the "least" to the "most", I would put them in this order:

(least) "a few", "some", "quite a few", "many", "a lot", "lots" (most)

Of course, this is just my opinion, and someone else may place them a little differently in that list, but this should give you a general idea of the size of quantity each one is talking about.

Koir did a good job of explaining it. I generally think that people should be allowed to do the things they want to do as long as it doesn't negatively affect anyone else's life (such as harming someone else, stealing from them, etc.). While I have no interest in doing it myself (and I have to admit I think it's maybe a little strange, haha), if a guy wants to put makeup on then I see no reason why they shouldn't be allowed to.

I will try translating this tomorrow during my lunch break at work. :) It should be good practice!

Hey StripMahjong and Koir!
 

Thanks for your message and I enjoyed it as always.
I want to write back now but I have to run to bed... it's nealy 4am.
(Because of the big stress I haven't slept well for the past few months...
I can't sleep at night, too much thinking of what had happend at work...)


but I have a question, I am sorry.

Could you tell me-
What is the difference between

Thank you so much
Thank you very much

?

Oh I think I have to go and turn the light off and try to sleep.
I have to work tomorrow. oh no.

"Thank you very much" has a more sincere, respectful tone than "Thank you so much". "Very much" demonstrates more thankfulness in this statement compared to "so much".

For example, having a person giving a needed item, you would use "so much". By comparison, having a person giving a highly desirable item you thought was not available, you would use "very much".

Yikes. Try to get more sleep and perhaps find some way to keep from thinking very much about stressful things. Like watching a favourite TV show, eating a favourite food, or just a cold cloth over the eyes and relaxing in a quiet, dark room.

Don't worry about not responding; go get some sleep! Try your best not to think about the stress so you can get some rest. Have you tried reading a book in bed? That can help me get to sleep sometimes. If you can find a way to get to sleep, then you will be able to deal with the stressful stuff at work better.

体をお大事に！　:)

i love you guys!
 

Thank you very very much!

You guys are best!

I will come back tomorrow or tonight!

I am going to go to bed by 2am tonight.
It's much earlier than usual!

Thank you for the advise, I will try!

Mayumi

Hi, I am back from work!
 

[quote=Koir;569652][quote]

Hello, Koir.

Thank you very very much for the lesson.

it was interesting to know that

"quite a few" > "some" > "a few"

The word "quite" is a poweful one!

I think "quite" is very interesting word to use (for me at least!).

Cos, when you say

A: " How was she?"

B: "She was quite pretty."

B: "She was pretty."

B: "She was very pretty."

They all said she was pretty, but they are different, right?


For me learning English is not easy, but it's fun.
Thank you Koir, you made me want to learn English more!

Hi, I am back from work!
 

How is your diary going?

That's good, haha!

speaking of Chinese people,
I made a new Chinese friend but he doesn't speak Japanese and just a little bit of English. My friend started exchange lessons with him, but funny thing is
that they use a lot of kanji to communicate.I think it's very interesting and funny too!

正しい文法です。

でも、話す時は　隣人（りんじん）よりも　「近所の人 」と言うほうが　わかりやすいかもしれません。

細かい事を付け加えると、　「りんじんにそうだと言われました」　ではなくて　

「りんじんにそう言われました」　のほうが良いです。

なぜかわかりますか？　むずかしかったら　次回説明し ますね:)




Yes there is a way.
You are right we don't have V sound, but instead of V,
Japanese people use B (sorry, it's totally different to you, but they sound similar to us!)

so your name could be デイビッド
or you don't mind to be called デイブ?
then it can be much easier to find kanji for your name.

A question for you,
Do you have any older sibling?

This is one of the idea.
It doesn't sound perfect, but the meaning is good!

弟偉美童

デ（弟）　means younger brother.
There is another kanji sound デ、such as 出　but as you know
it means exit or get out, so it's not good for a name.

イ（偉) probably I should give all the rest for your homework!

ビドウ（美童）

I know it sould be ビッド　but I couldn't think of any good one for now,
so this is just an idea. Let me come back for this later!

Thank you, I totally understood what you said.
I know that saying, from a song called affirmation by Savage Garden.
YouTube - Affirmation

(Songs... it's a good way to learn a foreign language!)


Yeah, it's very very interesting.
What Koir said and you said are the same, so I totally believe it's the right order!

maybe we can do that with Japanese words, but I may not be able to answer ...

たくさん　and 多く

ちょっと and　少し　

Wow, it really depends!



Have you ever put makeup on??

My husband has. (as a joke)
He was very beautiful boy, much beautiful than me!


:)