strict and serious teachers WANTED!

[Koir]

Originally Posted by loveskyliemole

haha
I totally agree.
I think your girlfriend is lucky.

Heh heh...eh, I don't *technically* have a girlfriend...but it's close enough. So thank you for your observation

Oh I didn't know that there are good goosebumps!

May I ask you such as...?

The feeling you have when your boyfriend/girlfriend proposes to you, you find out you've won the lottery...or maybe you get that promotion you've been seeking...

Those kinds of situations.

phew (Is this a right expression?)

As an expression of either emotional or physical relief, it is correct.

I wanted to show my feelings: I am happy to know that:I am relieved.

またね～

*nods* If those characters you typed represent something like "yokata" (apologies if I completely miss the meaning, I'm just drawing on anime knowledge), I have learned another new expression

[loveskyliemole]

Originally Posted by StripMahjong

I haven't ever considered getting a Japanese-Japanese dictionary before. I'll definitely think about it. Thank you for the links!

どういたしまして。　You are more than welcome!

To use "wide" here, I would say, "...have a wide variety..."
Or, you could say, "...have many varieties..."

Thank you.
I think I have to study the word Variety again.

Yes, I had ラーメン a few times in Japan, as well as once here in the United States in a Japanese restaurant. I like it a lot. It took me a little while to learn how to properly slurp the noodles, though. The way I used to do it would send broth flying all over the place. Fortunately, I don't have that problem any more.

You made me laugh!
Oh can you?
slurp the noodles!?
I am hopeless! I am very bad at it.

But my husband told me that I should make a good sound whenever I eat
noodles (of course pasta is an exceptional though) otherwise the noodles I am having would look yucky.
Since then I have been practicing and getting better, but still bad enough for a native Japanese!

Actually, it does make sense to say "...friendly to the environment and to our purse!" Well done!

Wow,I will tell my friends about it.
It's interesting.

あ、そうそう！　カツカレーです。　名前が覚えられて いませんでした。　カツカレーは僕の一番好きな和食で す。
まゆみ先生と旦那はベジタリアンですか？

カツカレーは男性に人気のあるメニューですね！

私と夫は　セミ・ベジタリアン（？）みたいなかんじで す。
・・・というと　本格的なベジタリアンの人に失礼かも しれませんね。

牛乳も飲みますし、卵もいただきます。
また海のものを中心にいただくので、ベジタリアンとは 呼べませんね。

でも私のオーストラリアやイギリスの友達の多くはベジ タリアンです。

I don't think so. なんか気持ち悪いってかんじでしょう？

そうでしょう? I am glad that you think so too.
but actually he SAID THAT!
and it WASN'T a joke!
I guess he picked a wrong Japanese girl to say that.

うわ、難しかった！　でも、訳せたかもしれません。　 "He enjoyed doing things like bantering other people and making them feel jealous." どうですか？　そういう意味ですか？

I think you got the idea right and it's the right way to explain it in a natual English.

Let me try to translate it? even I know this may sound un-natural though.
He enjoyed "being teased/bantered" and also enjoyed "seeing people got jealous".



I may sound very silly to keep talking about my ex, but sorry I AM a little drunk!
It's 3 am but I haven't finished my paper work which I have been working on since 9pm!
It's too much!
So, I felt too much stressed and decided to have some drink!
Now I had 1L of Kahlua Milk.

now, back to my stupid stories:

He took me everywhere he thought his friends would be at.

And he goes like

" Oh, what a coincident! I didn't know you would be here!"

and starts talking to that people (his friends) and on purposely he doesn't introduce me to them, untill they ask HIM

"Who is this girl?"(I don't know what they said, maybe more politly)

Then he goes like

"Oh, sorry! This is my girlfriend, Mayumi. She is from Japan!"

If this happened one time or two, then I wouldn't have cared, but...
happened more than a few times!

"what a childish of him" !!!

I've also heard that you should generally use 「ｘｘｘのことが好き」 instead of 「愛してる」 when telling someone you like them, since it isn't as strong and is less direct. But, I could be wrong.
それとも、まゆみ先生はにんじんだから、そういう思い 方があるかもしれません。　
でしょう？　

そうですね、私はにんじんだからね・・・！


StripMahjong san.......
You are...
you know?

I think we should talk on the phone or something and it has to be IN JAPANESE. Your sense of humor in Japanese works! good!

I really like people here (you are one of my favourite people).
I wish we all meet up one day in Japan and have a chat over Soba nooldles or Ramen, and we all would be making a great sounds of slurping!

いいえ、いいえ。　ぜんぜんつまらないじゃありません でした！
そして、僕も一時間以上かかりました。　今、晩ご飯を 食べます！

ぜんぜん　つまらなくありませんでした。

よかったです。

時々私の話は長くなります。

私はとても「早口」なので、喋ると短い時間で済むので すが、

書くと長くなるんですよ。


またね

[loveskyliemole]

Heh heh...eh, I don't *technically* have a girlfriend...but it's close enough. So thank you for your observation

Ok,then let me say that again
your (near)future girlfriend is very lucly!
Please tell her that a Japanese girl said that she is very lucky to have you.

The feeling you have when your boyfriend/girlfriend proposes to you, you find out you've won the lottery...or maybe you get that promotion you've been seeking...
Those kinds of situations.

I see. Interesting.
Maybe my goosebumps haven't come out even when very exciting things happen to me.

As an expression of either emotional or physical relief, it is correct.
*nods* If those characters you typed represent something like "yokata" (apologies if I completely miss the meaning, I'm just drawing on anime knowledge), I have learned another new expression

EXACTLY!

good on ya! (I am not sure if you use this, I learned this in Australia)

[Koir]

Originally Posted by loveskyliemole

Ok,then let me say that again
your (near)future girlfriend is very lucly!
Please tell her that a Japanese girl said that she is very lucky to have you.

I will do so. And let me add that for some reason, your words brought a smile to my face that lasted all day and thoughts I know will not fade away.

I see. Interesting.
Maybe my goosebumps haven't come out even when very exciting things happen to me.

When they do, you'll know.

EXACTLY!

good on ya! (I am not sure if you use this, I learned this in Australia)

I have been know to speak oddly from time to time, and such an expression is well-known to me. Thank you for your positive reinforcement!

[StripMahjong]

Originally Posted by loveskyliemole

You made me laugh!
Oh can you?
slurp the noodles!?
I am hopeless! I am very bad at it.

The way I do it now is by holding my head closer to the bowl as I slurp the noodles. I used to keep my head up at normal height, but the noodles had to be slurped so far that they would toss broth everywhere. By holding my head closer to the bowl (I lean over it), the broth can't go anywhere.

I don't know if this is how I'm "supposed" to do it, but it works!

But my husband told me that I should make a good sound whenever I eat
noodles (of course, pasta is an exception) otherwise the noodles I am having would look yucky.
Since then I have been practicing and getting better, but still bad enough for a native Japanese!

I was told the same thing. I didn't want to slurp the noodles at first because doing that is considered very rude in the United States, but not slurping them apparently shows the cook that you aren't enjoying your meal!

I was so confused when I ate ラーメン here in the U.S.... I was in a Japanese restaurant, but the restaurant was in the U.S.! I was worried that slurping the noodles would upset everyone else in the restaurant, but not slurping them would make the restaurant staff think I wasn't enjoying the meal. I didn't know what to do, so I ended up trying to slurp them quietly.

カツカレーは男性に人気のあるメニューですね！

あれ？　本当ですか？　何でかな・・・　カツカレーは 男っぽいですか？　

私と夫は　セミ・ベジタリアン（？）みたいなかんじで す。
・・・というと　本格的なベジタリアンの人に失礼かも しれませんね。

牛乳も飲みますし、卵もいただきます。
また海のものを中心にいただくので、ベジタリアンとは 呼べませんね。

でも私のオーストラリアやイギリスの友達の多くはベジ タリアンです。

アメリカで、牛乳を飲んでも、卵を食べても人は、牛肉 と鶏肉を食べませんから、まだ自分のことをベジタリア ンと呼びます。　（この文章は間違えたかもしれません 。　文法は難しかった。）　じゃ、そういう人は少ない だけど、たしかにいます。　ちょっと変だと思いません か？　「セミ・ベジタリアン」を使ったほうがいいです ね。

Hmm...that was a lot of hard grammar. I hope that made sense!

Could you explain 「また海のものを中心にいただくので」 for me? I understood what it meant from the context of the sentence, but I don't understand how 「中心」 is used here. My dictionary translates it as "center" or "middle."

I guess he picked the wrong Japanese girl to say that to.

He enjoyed "being teased/bantered" and also enjoyed "seeing people got jealous".

Well, I don't think he would enjoy being teased/bantered, because that isn't something that people would usually enjoy being done to them. But, if he "enjoyed teasing/bantering," that would mean he liked doing it to other people rather than having it done to himself.

Unless he DID like people teasing him. He sounds like a really weird person, after all!

I may sound very silly to keep talking about my ex, but sorry I AM a little drunk!
It's 3 am but I haven't finished my paper work which I have been working on since 9pm!
It's too much!
So, I felt too much stressed and decided to have some drink!
Now I had 1L of Kahlua Milk.

おお、まゆみ先生は酒を飲んで、てつやをしていました ！

なんかワイルドですね！　

ちょっと酔いましたから、まゆみ先生の小さい間違いを 許してあげます。

now, back to my stupid stories:

話は馬鹿じゃありません！

He took me everywhere he thought his friends would be at.

And he goes like

" Oh, what a coincident! I didn't know you would be here!"

and starts talking to that people (his friends) and on purposely he doesn't introduce me to them, untill they ask HIM

"Who is this girl?"(I don't know what they said, maybe more politly)

Then he goes like

"Oh, sorry! This is my girlfriend, Mayumi. She is from Japan!"

If this happened one time or two, then I wouldn't have cared, but...
happened more than a few times!

"what a childish of him" !!!

Instead of "what a childish of him", you could say something like "How childish of him!" or "It was so childish of him!" Or even, "He was so childish!"

I think we should talk on the phone or something and it has to be IN JAPANESE.

僕の日本語はまだまだだから、出来ないかもしれません 。　たぶん、僕はまゆみ先生に「え？　その言葉の意味 は何ですか？　その文法の意味は何ですか？」と聞くば かりだと思います。　めいわくをかけたくありません。

・・・でも、一ヶ月前に、僕は日本語で書き込めないと 思いまして、ただいまそういうことをしています！　や っぱり、電話でも話せるかもしれません。

もちろん、電話よりインタネットを使ったほうが安いで すね。　僕はマイクロホンがありませんけど、ノートパ ソコンはウエブカメラがあります。　スカイプでも使え ると思います。　いつか、してみたいですか？

Your sense of humor in Japanese works! good!

すごい笑わせました！　僕はよく「あなたのじょうだん は変だよ」と言われます。　やっと分かります！　僕は 日本人のユーモアのかんかくがありますから！　

（ユーモアのかんかくは「sense of humor」の意味ですか？　辞書から取りましたけど・・・� ��ょっとおかしい言葉）

I really like people here (you are one of my favourite people).
I wish we all meet up one day in Japan and have a chat over Soba nooldles or Ramen, and we all would be making a great sounds of slurping!

Yes, the people here are very nice, and you are one of my favorites, too! I have already learned a lot from talking with you, and it makes me happy that I get to help you in return with your English (hopefully I'm doing a good job at that).

It would be a lot of fun to meet up with everyone one day and talk over some noodles. We could compete to see who slurps the best!

ぜんぜん　つまらなくありませんでした。

あいかわらず、勉強になりました。　ありがとうござい ます！

時々私の話は長くなります。

私はとても「早口」なので、喋ると短い時間で済むので すが、

書くと長くなるんですよ。

そうですね。　とくに英語で書くのはたくさん時間がか かりますね。　僕も日本語で書くのは難しいから、たく さん時間がかかります。

でも、まゆみ先生と話すのは楽しいから、かまわないで す。　

またね！

[Ronin4hire]

Originally Posted by loveskyliemole

へ～。おもしろいですね。
Kiaora は　どのように　発音　しますか？　like.....key ah oh ra?



mmm, there is nothing I can think of...
especially because I am not from Nagano original,
but I haven't heard any local people say any special sayings.

It's not about greeting, but
once they said something to me but I had no idea what they were talking about was...

"You have ZUKU, Mayumi!"

I went like.... ???? zuku?

She said tha meant that I had some "guts" or"full of power" to do something.

She told me that I can call a person who has no guts (who is too lazy and saying "oh no, no, no, I couldn't do that" "I wouldn't do that" "Oh it's too hard for me" "Why don't you do that I will just watch"... )

ZUKU-NASHI (means person without ZUKU, NASHI means "nothing" or "none of XXX" , but NASHI also means "Japanese pears" mmm yum.)

Hope you enjoyed reading this

はい！　キャオラは言い方です。
(Is there a better way to say this? My mind seems blank right now....)

Interesting... I did enjoy reading this! I'm going to use it with my teacher and tutor! Zuku is my new Japanese word.... ありがとう！

[loveskyliemole]

Originally Posted by Ronin4hire

はい！　キャオラは言い方です。
(Is there a better way to say this? My mind seems blank right now....)

Interesting... I did enjoy reading this! I'm going to use it with my teacher and tutor! Zuku is my new Japanese word.... ありがとう！

maybe キオラ？I am not sure, but I will ask my friend who I mentioned before, the one who lives in Nelson.

You are welcome, but ZUKU... not many Japanese people (except Nagano people)would know so it won't be useful but I think we can enjoy knowing something only limited people know right?

[loveskyliemole]

Originally Posted by StripMahjong

I don't know if this is how I'm "supposed" to do it, but it works!

Maybe you can put your "video" having some noodles, on YOUTUBE!
So me (or not only me, but other Japanese) can watch it and will tell you
what they think!haha

I was so confused when I ate ラーメン here in the U.S.... I was in a Japanese restaurant, but the restaurant was in the U.S.! I was worried that slurping the noodles would upset everyone else in the restaurant, but not slurping them would make the restaurant staff think I wasn't enjoying the meal. I didn't know what to do, so I ended up trying to slurp them quietly.

oh, you sound like a good Japanese person from an old days!
Like caring about how other people would feel/think and then decide what or how to do/act/say!

I am afraid that that kind of lovely attitude has been disapeering little by little
in Japan.

It seems like people have been more selfish and aggressive, looks like "I do whatever/however I like, I don't care what you think or feel about it" .

Well, I don't mean that it's good to be intimidated everytime we do something and care too much about other people's opinions, but I like people who "care" (not too much but right amount!) about others.

So I like how you ate the ラーメン　at the Japanese restaurant in the USA!
If I were the waitress at that restaurant,
I would probably encourage you to slurp them, then
I would say "Wow, you know how to eat Ramen properly, it's amazing!" and
I would say it loud enough to let all the customers hear it to let them know
you were doing the right thing!

あれ？　本当ですか？　何でかな・・・　カツカレーは 男っぽいですか？　

男の人は　ボリュームのあるもの、食べごたえのあるも のが好きだというイメージがあります。
もし、私がレストランで　カツカレーを注文したとして も、たぶん全部食べられないと思います。
すぐにおなかがいっぱいになりそう！
なので、通常男の人は女の人よりもたくさん食べる人が 多いので、
カツカレーのように食べごたえのあるメニューは　男の 人っぽい　イメージがあるのかも
しれません。

but this is only my opinion about カツカレー。
I don't know what other Japanese people think about it.
I never really seriously talk about it, like " ねえねえ、カツカレーについてどうおもう？"

Well, I think I can ask some of my female friends about it,
and will get back to you with their answers!

アメリカで、牛乳を飲んでも、卵を食べても人は、牛肉 と鶏肉を食べませんから、まだ自分のことをベジタリア ンと呼びます。　（この文章は間違えたかもしれません 。　文法は難しかった。）　じゃ、そういう人は少ない だけど、たしかにいます。　ちょっと変だと思いません か？　「セミ・ベジタリアン」を使ったほうがいいです ね。

へ～。そうなんですね。

Your sentense was very good, and maybe I don't have to correct any part, but this is how I would say:
アメリカでは、牛乳を飲んでも、卵を食べても、牛肉と 鶏肉を食べなければ、自分の事をベジタリアンと呼びま す。

I don't quite understand why you used 「じゃ」　there,
you meant "then"?

そういう人はすくないだけど　you don't need だ　there,
so 　　　　　　　　　　「すくないけど」　　ですね。
but to be a strict teacher, I would like you to use polite form there.
I mean

そういうひとはすくないけど　たしかにいます。

「～けど」is a casual form.
「います」is a fomal/polite form.

so if you stick with only one form, either casual or polite,
it would sound more natural.

But even Japanese people would mix them sometimes just by mistake, but sometimes on purpose.

I think it would be good for you to learn formal ways to talk first,
then after, it 's good and fun to start using casual ways as well as slangs and all.

Could you explain 「また海のものを中心にいただくので」 for me? I understood what it meant from the context of the sentence, but I don't understand how 「中心」 is used here. My dictionary translates it as "center" or "middle."

I see.
The basic mean of 「中心」 is center or middle of something.
but in this case, I used it as "mainly"　

「海のものを中心にいただく」　means　"I eat things mainly from the seas/What I eat are mainly something from the sea" I know this might sound "funny" but this is the literally meaning.

Unless he DID like people teasing him. He sounds like a really weird person, after all!

Well then he IS(should I say WAS, right?) a weird person, you can say.
Yes, to me, he seemed to be enjoying (or looked happy)
when some people teased him about having a Japanese girlfriend.

おお、まゆみ先生は酒を飲んで、てつやをしていました ！
なんかワイルドですね！
ちょっと酔いましたから、まゆみ先生の小さい間違いを 許してあげます。

hahaha. お許し　ありがとうございます。

wild? me?
with "kahlua milk"?
I wish I could be a girl who can drink a lot of alcohol like
beer, sake,vodka and all that cool drinks!
but me, I am totally weak!
I could drink it because it's with milk, how weak, how uncool!

話は馬鹿じゃありません！

それなら良かったです。
but I often tell stupid stories when I am drunk, so I have to be careful!

Instead of "what a childish of him", you could say something like "How childish of him!" or "It was so childish of him!" Or even, "He was so childish!"

I knew it (doesn't it sould like just an excuse? but I really knew that grammar!)

I will be more careful.

僕の日本語はまだまだだから、出来ないかもしれません 。　たぶん、僕はまゆみ先生に「え？　その言葉の意味 は何ですか？　その文法の意味は何ですか？」と聞くば かりだと思います。　めいわくをかけたくありません。
・・・でも、一ヶ月前に、僕は日本語で書き込めないと 思いまして、ただいまそういうことをしています！　や っぱり、電話でも話せるかもしれません。
もちろん、電話よりインタネットを使ったほうが安いで すね。　僕はマイクロホンがありませんけど、ノートパ ソコンはウエブカメラがあります。　スカイプでも使え ると思います。　いつか、してみたいですか？

まじめにこたえてもらってありがとう。haha。

Actually I don't know hot to use Skype.
and don't have a web-camera.

but I once tried talking in a chat room somewhere (maybe one in Yahoo?), about Japanese/English and was a lot of fun.
I talked with a few people at the same time.
I only need a microphone for it, but I haven't used it
for a long long time.
What do you think the best way is?

Maybe we can invite the people too,
like having a little "party" using one of the
chat rooms so that we can all actually "talk" each other.

Before that party, you and me should talk and organize it!
and you will have to tell me a lot of jokes!

すごい笑わせました！　僕はよく「あなたのじょうだん は変だよ」と言われます。　やっと分かります！　僕は 日本人のユーモアのかんかくがありますから！　
（ユーモアのかんかくは「sense of humor」の意味ですか？　辞書から取りましたけど・・・� ��ょっとおかしい言葉）

Oopsie, I guess you were born in a wrong county.


mmm, ユーモアの感覚（かんかく）でも　正しいと思います。 でもよくきく表現は
「あなたはユーモアのセンスがある」という言い方です 。

でも若い人たちはあまり　ユーモア　という言葉を使わ ず、シンプルに

「あなたはおもしろい」と言います。

Yes, the people here are very nice, and you are one of my favorites, too! I have already learned a lot from talking with you, and it makes me happy that I get to help you in return with your English (hopefully I'm doing a good job at that).

そのことば　そっくりそのまま　おかえしします

and sure! you ARE doing a great job at that!

It would be a lot of fun to meet up with everyone one day and talk over some noodles. We could compete to see who slurps the best!

Oh! then I have to start practicing it right now!
I am going to beat everyone of you! I am gonna be the champion of slurping, yeay!

あいかわらず、勉強になりました。　ありがとうござい ます！

Cool, I am happy to hear that.

そうですね。　とくに英語で書くのはたくさん時間がか かりますね。　僕も日本語で書くのは難しいから、たく さん時間がかかります。
でも、まゆみ先生と話すのは楽しいから、かまわないで す。　
またね！

How sweet.
I am going to make my husband to come here to read your comment!
haha

[loveskyliemole]

Originally Posted by Koir

I will do so. And let me add that for some reason, your words brought a smile to my face that lasted all day and thoughts I know will not fade away.

How sweet!

You know what?
I typed "sweet" twice in an hour, while reading the comments here.

People here are so nice and gentle and polite and all!

( I know I shouldn't have used "and" that many times, but
this is how I would really say to you if I meet you, so let me)

You are one of my favourites!

Your sweet comment made me smile too!

When they do, you'll know.

OK.　I will wait and see
and when they come up, I will take a picture of them!


Have a good day Koir!

[zoneoni]

I have to agree your English is very good.