Lee Hom - Heartbeat

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

BoA - Tokyo Live

Eat you up, Lose your mind



Listen to my heart



MeriKuri

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Japanese Lesson 2

Counting...

Yes, knowing how to count from 1 to 10 is important, isn't it? Nah...

Anyway, for this lesson, let's do counting...

Japanese numbering is just like chinese numbering, it has the denomination of 10s [jyu-u](十), 100s [hya-ku](百), 1000s [se-n](千), 10000s [ma-n](万), 100000000s [o-ku](億). Therefore, learning counting in Japanese will be easier for someone with chinese numbering knowledge.

Let's start with 1 to 10:

1 - ichi [i-chi] いち(一)
2 - ni [ni] に(二)
3 - san [sa-n] さん(三)
4 - yon [yo-n] or shi [shi] よん(四)・し(四)
5 - go [go] ご(五)
6 - roku [ro-ku] ろく(六)
7 - shichi [shi-chi] or nana [na-na] しち(七)・なな(七)
8 - hachi [ha-chi] はち(八)
9 - ku [ku] or kyu [kyu] く(九)・きゅ(九)
10 - jyuu [jyu-u] じゅう(十)

After 10, of course will be 11, 12, 13, ...
Here, if you know chinese, the arrangement is the same, just that you need to read it in Japanese.

11 - jyuu ichi [jyu-u i-chi] じゅういち(十一)
12 - jyuu ni [jyu-u ni] じゅうに(十二)
13 - jyuu san [jyu-u sa-n] じゅうさん(十三)
14 - jyuu yon [jyu-u yo-n] じゅうよん(十四)

20 - ni jyuu [ni jyu-u] にじゅう(二十)
21 - ni jyuu ichi [ni jyu-u i-chi] にじゅういち(二十一)
22 - ni jyuu ni [ni jyu-u ni] にじゅうに(二十二)
23 - ni jyuu san [ni jyu-u sa-n] にじゅうさん(二十三)

You should know the rest, for 30, 40, 50 ...

So, now we will go for 100,

100 - hyaku [hya-ku] ひゃく(百)
101 - hyaku ichi [hya-ku i-chi] ひゃくいち(百一)
102 - hyaku ni [hya-ku ni] じゃくに(百二)

200 - ni hyaku [ni hya-ku] にひゃく(二百)
201 - ni hyaku ichi [ni hya-ku i-chi] にひゃくいち(二百一)
202 - ni hyaku ni [ni hya-ku ni] にひゃくに(二百二)

Now, for numbers from 300 until 399, bya-ku is used instead of hya-ku, keep that in mind and don't ask me why! Please let me know, if anyone reading this knows the reason...

300 - san byaku [sa-n bya-ku] さんびゃく(三百)
301 - san byaku ichi [sa-n bya-ku i-chi] さんびゃくいち(三百一)
302 - san byaku ni [sa-n bya-ku ni] さんびゃくに(三百二)
...

Same for numbers from 600 until 699, pya-ku is used instead of hya-ku,

600 - roppyaku [ro-p-pya-ku] ろっぴゃく(六百)
601 - roppyaku ichi [ro-p-pya-ku i-chi] ろっぴゃくいち(六百一)
602 - roppyaku ni [ro-p-pya-ku ni] ろっぴゃくに(六百二)

Also, for numbers from 800 until 899, pya-ku is used instead of hya-ku,

800 - happyaku [ha-p-pya-ku] はっぴゃく(八百)
801 - happyaku ichi [ha-p-pya-ku i-chi] はっぴゃくいち(八百一)
802 - happyaku ni [ha-p-pya-ku ni] はっぴゃくに(八百二)

Note: Did you notice that there is a small "tsu" (っ) for the above examples? Small "tsu" will be substituted with the same character following it, in romanji. For example, in ro-"small tsu"-pya-ku, "small tsu" will be written as "p" since the next character is pya-ku, which starts with "p".
Another example, mitte(みって), "small tsu" is written as "t" in romanji. In Japanese, small "tsu" appears very often, and you will get used to it, soon.

Now, we will try 1000,

1000 - sen [se-n] せん(千)
1001 - sen ichi [se-n i-chi] せんいち(千一)
1002 - sen ni [se-n ni] せんに(千二)

2000 - ni sen [ni se-n] にせん(二千)
2001 - ni sen ichi [ni se-n i-chi] にせんいち(二千一)
2002 - ni sen ni [ni se-n ni] にせんに(二千二)

For numbers from 3000 until 3999, ze-n is used instead of se-n,

3000 - san zen [sa-n ze-n] さんぜん(三千)

For numbers from 8000 until 8999, notice that it is connected with an extra "s" (the smalle "tsu"), and "chi" from "ha-chi"(8), has been taken out,

8000 - hassen [ha-s-se-n] はっせん(八千)

Now, 10000,

10000 - ichi man [i-chi ma-n] いちまん(一万)
10001 - ichi man ichi [i-chi ma-n i-chi] いちまんいち(一万一)
10002 - ichi man ni [i-chi ma-n ni] いちまんに(一万二)

20000 - ni man [ni ma-n] にまん(二万)
20001 - ni man ichi [ni ma-n i-chi] にまんいち(二万一)
20002 - ni man ni [ni ma-n ni] にまんに(二万二)

100000 - jyuu man [jyu-u ma-n] じゅうまん(十万)
100001 - jyuu man ichi [jyu-u ma-n i-chi] じゅうまんいち(十万一)
100022 - jyuu man ni jyuu ni [jyu-u ma-n ni jyu-u ni] じゅうまんにじゅうに(十万二十二)

200000 - ni jyuu man [ni jyu-u ma-n] にじゅうまん(二十万)

I think you will get the idea for the rest of the number. Now, let's go to the last one that i am going to mention here, o-ku(億),

100000000 - ichi oku [i-chi o-ku] いちおく(一億)
100000001 - ichi oku ichi [i-chi o-ku i-chi] いちおくいち(一億一)

That's all that I know, don't ask me those after o-ku(億), I don't know...

Example れい(例):

123456 - jyuu ni man san sen yon hyaku go jyuu roku [jyu-u ni ma-n sa-n se-n yo-n hya-ku go jyu-u ro-ku] 十二万三千四百五十六

Well, hope you can start counting in Japanese now! Have fun!!

Japanese Lesson 1

Note: I blogged about japanese lesson for a few reasons, 1) to help myself preserve this language that I have learned few years ago, I wouldn't want the hard work of 4 years learning this language vanished, 2) hope that this could be a starting point for others to start learning japanese.

I will be blogging based on the book "shin nihongo no kiso 1", however, whatever I blogged/explained here might not be completely correct, but I will try my very best to give the best guidance in learning the basic of Japanese language. Have fun!!


Learning Japanese is just like learning any other languages that existed in this world. Just like English constructed its words using alphabets starting from "a" to "z", Japanese language, too, has it's own alphabets/characters (whichever you want to call).

To start learning Japanese, one is better off if he/she knows the alphabets/characters. Below are the alphabets/characters available for use in constructing japanese words:

Note that all the characters are inherited from the very basic of "a", "i", "u", "e", "o".

a [あ・ア] (ah); i [い・イ] (e); u [う・ウ] (uu); e [え・ヘ] (eh); o [お・オ] (o);
ka [か・カ]; ki [き・キ]; ku [く・ク]; ke [け・ケ]; ko [こ・コ];
sa [さ・サ]; shi [し・シ]; su [す・ス]; se [せ・セ]; so [そ・ソ];
ta [た・タ]; chi [ち・チ]; tsu [つ・ツ]; te [て・テ]; to [と・ト];
na [な・ナ]; ni [に・ニ]; nu [ぬ・ヌ]; ne [ね・ネ]; no [の・ノ];
ha [は・ハ]; hi [ひ・ヒ]; hu [ふ・フ]; he [へ・ヘ]; ho [ほ・ホ];
ma [ま・マ]; mi [み・ミ]; mu [む・ム]; me [め・メ]; mo [も・モ];
ya [や・ヤ]; yu [ゆ・ユ]; yo [よ・ヨ];
ra [ら・ラ]; ri [り・リ]; ru [る・ル]; re [れ・レ]; ro [ろ・ロ];
wa [わ・ワ]; wo [を・ヲ] (o);
n [ん・ン] (ung);

ga [が・ガ]; gi [ぎ・ギ]; gu [ぐ・グ]; ge [げ・ゲ]; go [ご・ゴ];
za [ざ・ザ]; ji [じ・ジ]; zu [ず・ズ]; ze [ぜ・ゼ]; zo [ぞ・ゾ];
da [だ・ダ]; di [ぢ・ヂ]; du [づ・ヅ]; de [で・デ]; do [ど・ド];
ba [ば・バ]; bi [び・ビ]; bu [ぶ・ブ]; be [べ・ベ]; bo [ぼ・ボ];
pa [ぱ・パ]; pi [ぴ・ピ]; pu [ぷ・プ]; pe [ぺ・ペ]; po [ぽ・ポ];

kya [きゃ・キャ]; kyu [きゅ・キュ]; kyo [きょ・キョ];
sha [しゃ・シャ]; shu [しゅ・シュ]; sho [しょ・ショ];
cha [ちゃ・チャ]; chu [ちゅ・チュ]; cho [ちょ・チョ];
nya [にゃ・ニャ]; nyu [にゅ・ニュ]; nyo [にょ・ニョ];
hya [ひゃ・ヒャ]; hyu [ひゅ・ヒュ]; hyo [ひょ・ヒョ];
mya [みゃ・ミャ]; myu [みゅ・ミュ]; myo [みょ・ミョ];
rya [りゃ・リャ]; ryu [りゅ・リュ]; ryo [りょ・リョ];

gya [ぎゃ・ギャ]; gyu [ぎゅ・ギュ]; gyo [ぎょ・ギョ];
jya [じゃ・ジャ]; jyu [じゅ・ジュ]; jyo [じょ・ジョ];

bya [びゃ・ビャ]; byu [びゅ・ビュ]; byo [びょ・ビョ];
pya [ぴゃ・ピャ]; pyu [ぴゅ・ピュ]; pyo [ぴょ・ピョ];

( ) = pronounced as
[・] = hiragana・katakana

Source: Shin Nihongo no Kiso 1 - 新日本語の基礎1 (しんにほんごのきそ1)

Example (rei) [れ・い](例):

shin = shi.n [し・ん](新)
nihongo = ni.ho.n.go [に・ほ・ん・ご](日本語)
no = no [の](の)
kiso = ki.so [き・そ](基礎)

Hope that the explanation above will give a better picture about Japanese language.

I will blog for Japanese Lesson 2 whenever I have the time. Until then, have fun memorizing the Japanese alphabets/characters!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

DOW @ 16-Jan-2009

Today, DOW rose 68.73 points after the news of the final US$350 billion of TARP funds were approved earlier.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/16/markets/markets_newyork/index.htm

Upcoming Events:

1) President George Bush will be giving his farewell speech tonight.
2) Fourth-quarter earnings report for some 55 companies of the S&P 500 on next week.
3) Next monday, 19-Jan-2009, all financial markets closed for Martin Lurker King Jr. Day.
4) Next tuesday, 20-Jan-2009, Inauguration Day, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.