What is the name of the Japanese language. Japanese

Borrowed Japanese words, Japanese notation and pronunciation in Wikipedia articles are given in a special format, for example:

Tokyo (jap. 東京 To:kyo:) ((nihongo|"""Tokyo"""|東京|To:kyo:))

"Tokyo" is the word of the Russian language, 東京 is the word of the Japanese language, "To: kyo:" is a transcription that reflects the pronunciation of the word in Japanese. Please note that although the transcription is written in Russian letters, it is read differently (see).

Names are usually written like this:

First Name Last Name(jap. hieroglyphs Last name First name, date of birth or other information) ((nihongo-no-namae|"""First name Last name"""|hieroglyphs|Last name First name|date of birth or other information))

If we are talking about a historical figure (born before 1868 - the first year of the Meiji era), then the article itself uses the order Last name First name and therefore the transcription is written like this:

Last name First name(jap. hieroglyphs, date of birth or other information) ((nihongo-no-namae|"""Last name First name"""|hieroglyphs||date of birth or other information))

Separately, I would like to remind you that on Wikipedia, the names of articles about personalities are almost always written according to the “Last Name, First Name” standard.

Japanese writing

Japanese texts are written using kanji characters and two syllabaries- hiragana and katakana. Most of the kanji were borrowed from China, in most cases with the same meaning. For example, in the entry of the word 日本語 ( nihongo"Japanese") are kept literal Chinese meanings and borrowed from the old Chinese dialects reading all the hieroglyphs that make it up: 日本 ( nihon"Japan" = 日 neither"sun" + 本 hone"root") + 語 ( th"language"). At the same time, one kanji character often has several reading options, both borrowed Chinese and native Japanese. For example, in the word 物語 ( monogatari, "story") the character 語 is read as gatari, but not th.

Hiragana is intended to convey grammatical indicators that are not included in the root of the word expressed by the hieroglyph. So in 高い ( takai"high") い ( and) indicates the type of adjective and can change, for example, when forming an adverb - 高く ( takaku"high"). Katakana is used to write words borrowed from other languages.

Japanese pronunciation

VP: POLIVANOV
WP:KIRIJI

In Russian Wikipedia, it is customary to use the Polivanov system to transfer Japanese pronunciation Cyrillic alphabet. Below are a few simple rules use of this system.

Vowels

Moraic N

Consonants

Most Japanese consonants correspond to Russian, with some exceptions described below.

Tonic stress

In Japanese, there is no power stress characteristic of Russian, toning (or tonic stress) is used instead. Words are pronounced evenly and most syllables are of the same length (with the exception of long vowels), while stress is indicated by a change in voice tone. In Russian transcription, toning is not displayed in any way.

Reduction

In Japanese, reduction (loss) of vowels is common at and and between voiceless consonants. For example, the word hito(人 "man") is often pronounced almost like [hto], the word kutsu(靴, "shoes") is pronounced as [ktsu]. Reduction also often occurs at the end of words if words end in a syllable -su す: desu(です linking verb) is pronounced as [des]; verbs in polite manner on the -masuます, for example, arimasu(あります, from the verb aruある "to be, to exist") is read as [arimas], yomimasu(読みます, from verb to him読む "to read") as [yomimas]. Reduction usually does not depend on the pronunciation speed and is the norm in Japanese, however, pronunciation without reduction is found in some regions of Japan, in most cases the word pronounced without reduction is understandable to native speakers. In songs, as a rule, vowels are pronounced without reduction.

AT foreign words to be more similar to the original pronunciation, syllables that are not reduced in Japanese words are sometimes reduced. For example, by the day(ポスト "mailbox", English post box) can be read as [post]; soup: tonic(スプートニク "satellite",

For a long time, Japan was a closed country: for many millennia, the Japanese did not want to contact other peoples, especially European ones. Therefore, it is not surprising that official language in Japan - Japanese, and the majority of the population of this country speaks it. However, the Japanese language is heterogeneous - linguists distinguish at least seven common dialects in its composition. But still official language Japan is Japanese - none of the dialects has such a status in the country.

Japanese as the state language

Although National language in Japan - Japanese, this is not recorded either in the Constitution of the country or in other official documents. However, for local residents, this goes without saying and does not require confirmation. As of 2019, 126 million people live in the state, the vast majority of whom know Japanese at the level school curriculum. And we are talking not only about phonetics and grammar - both in public and private schools, children are also taught calligraphy.

Of course, the official language of Japan cannot be called easy to learn - in the United States it was even recognized as the most difficult, because just to master the alphabet and counting system, a migrant will have to spend about a year. However, the Japanese note that many foreigners who diligently study hieroglyphs begin to understand the language even better than the average local resident after a few years.

What dialects are common in Japan

In the country rising sun exist different dialects slightly different from the common language. Spreading different options adverbs leads to the fact that, for example, a native inhabitant of the island of Hokkaido may simply not understand a resident of Nagasaki. Therefore, when meeting Japanese people living in different parts of the country, they speak generally accepted Japanese. literary language officially approved by the state.

Speaking about what languages are spoken in Japan, it should be noted that the most common dialects are:

hakata (a dialect of Fukuoka and the surrounding area);
Osaka dialect;
Kamigata (dialect of Kyoto, sometimes combined with Osaka);
Hiroshima dialect;
Nagoya dialect;
Sendai dialect;
dialect of Hokkaido.

Japanese dialects mainly differ in pronunciation, the need to use particles, as well as the number of word forms, inherent in that or a different style of speech (official business, colloquial, etc.).

In some regions of the country, news and TV shows are broadcast in "native" dialects. In addition, these adverbs are actively used in cinema.

Other popular languages in Japan

Majority Japanese schoolchildren from the age of 12 begin to learn at least one foreign language, predominantly English. Moreover, teaching of English language as a foreigner in Japan quite often becomes a matter for migrants. This is because it is difficult to get the job of your dreams in this state, so many visitors, faced with high competition, forced or studying at a university, are temporarily employed by teachers in private schools or language courses.

The popularity of migrant teachers is due to the fact that the Japanese are not prone to learning foreign languages.

Of course, every school graduate knows at least 2,000 words in English and will be able to keep up a conversation, but in principle, English (like French or German) is not really needed by the average Japanese and is quickly forgotten after school.
Many interested Eastern culture wondering how widespread Chinese is in Japan. It would seem that hieroglyphs are used in both countries, moreover, the Japanese once adopted them from the Chinese. However, on this moment these languages are fundamentally different: the alphabets, pronunciation features, and vocabulary differ. Therefore, the Chinese language in Japan is poorly spoken (mainly among employees of international companies and Chinese migrants themselves).
Language courses

As already mentioned, Japanese is considered one of the most difficult languages to learn, but this does not mean that trying to master it is useless. According to statistics, there are at least 15 million people in the world who have learned Japanese on their own as a hobby. Many were prompted to this by acquaintance with Japanese cinema and anime.
And yet, if you are going to approach the study of the language thoroughly, it is better to do it in special institution in Japan. Fortunately, there are many in the state, as well as training programs. You can find yourself a group based on:

the planned period of stay in the country (from 14 days to two years);

age (there are courses for schoolchildren, students, adults, pensioners);

city of residence and financial opportunities (in Tokyo, schooling and renting housing will cost almost twice as much as in the outback).

By the way, if you are going, it is better to “settle down” in a school at one of the universities to which you plan to apply. In this case, you will be helped to master not only the language, but also professional terminology.

A bit about life in Japan

Since Japan is considered one of the most closed countries in the world, migrants from any state will have to get used to the peculiarities of the local mentality for a long time. However, this applies to immigrants from the CIS in lesser degree. Local residents in Japan study Russian at institutes and universities, which is caused, among other things, by the proximity to Kuril Islands, and in principle they are very friendly towards the Slavs.
And yet, if you come to Japan and join your diaspora, you will have to get used to the typical Japanese style life. In doing so, it must be taken into account that locals are extremely polite, but at the same time closed people, most of all appreciating stability in everything - from career to personal life.
Is it difficult to learn Japanese: Video

Japan is one of the most developed countries peace. The population of Japan is about 125 million people. Approximately 2.5 million Japanese citizens live in Brazil, North and South America, London, Paris and New York. That is why the Japanese language is considered one of the most important languages in the world.

1. Learning Japanese is more difficult than other foreign languages.

Japanese can be a little tricky to learn, but if you are planning to visit Japan or even want to get a job in one of the big Japanese companies then it is definitely worth the effort. In Japanese, the verb always comes at the end of a sentence. That is why it is important to listen carefully to Japanese speech in order to correctly establish the subject of discussion.

Certain aspects make spoken Japanese easier than others: no gender for a noun, no definite article, and a total of 48 sounds, consisting of 5 vowels and 11 consonants. Written Japanese can be more difficult because there are 4 ways of writing, such as kanji and katakana. Some of these methods use Chinese characters.

2. The Japanese love tongue twisters.

The Japanese love tongue twisters. Here is one of them: "Nama mugi, nama gome, nama tamago" . It means: "Raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg" .

3. The Japanese language has its own quirks.

The Japanese are renowned for their politeness and are often hesitant to speak their mind. There are very few in Japanese. kind words. Therefore, the Japanese take twice as long to say something.

4. Japanese is spoken in various countries.

In addition to the population of Japan, Japanese is spoken all over the world: in Brazil, the United States, South America, and in some Asian countries. Canada and Australia also have significant numbers of Japanese citizens, immigrants, students or temporary workers. In 2001, there were 44 Japanese in Ukraine.

5. The Japanese language is famous for its rich history.

The history of the Japanese language goes back to the 3rd century AD. Japanese is similar to Korean, but grammatically different from Chinese. Japanese writing developed in the 18th century AD.

6. Some words in Japanese are best avoided.

Many people sometimes say "chin-chin" while raising their glass for a toast. It’s better not to say this in a Japanese bar, because Japanese children use this word to call manhood.

7. Japanese poetry is one of the most famous uses of the Japanese language.

The most famous form Japanese poetry- haiku. It is characterized by a rigid construction: the first line consists of 5 syllables, the second - of 7, the third - again of 5. One of the most famous poems The haiku was written by Matsuo Basho:

furu ike i
Kawazu Tobikomu
Mizu no oto.

This poem has hundreds of translation versions. Here is the literal translation:

ancient pond
The frog jumps into
The sound of water

8. There are several Japanese dialects.

There are many different dialects of the Japanese language depending on factors, the main one being - territorial location. The two main dialects are Tokyo-shiki (Tokyo type) and Keihan-shiki (Kyoto type). Third, less common colloquial dialect- Kyushu type. With the development of the Internet and other means mass media, in the process of standardization of education, in common use today a standardized dialect of Japanese.

9. It is important to know the forms of appeal.

Japanese is spoken by 140 million people on the planet, with 125 million native speakers, making it the ninth most spoken language in the world. The true origin of the Japanese language is still big mystery. Experts identify two main lexical layers in it, correlating with the Austronesian and Altaic languages, and, in recent times, most researchers come to the conclusion that, most likely, it is Altaic languages in more influenced the development and, in fact, are the progenitors of Japanese.

The Japanese language has its own script, which combines both syllabic writing and ideography, the principle of writing, in which the unit graphic symbol is the word.

Two Japanese language names
The Japanese language has two names - nihongo and kokugo.
Story
The history of the emergence of the Japanese language is the subject of heated scientific discussions. Adherents of the most popular theory about the Altai origin, it is believed that its formation began after the conquest of the Japanese islands by the Puyo tribes. However, it is almost impossible to trace historical stages the emergence of the Japanese as a nation in connection with total absence writing before the use of Chinese characters.

Dialects
Literary Japanese is called kyotsugo or hyojungo, which means “ common language” and has its origin in the ancient Tokyo dialect, but in modern Tokyo they speak completely differently.

Writing

Nihongo is used in the meaning of "Japanese" to distinguish it from the list of all other languages of the world, Nihongo is the name of the Japanese language for foreigners.

Kokugo, on the other hand, literally translates as “national language” and can mean any other language depending on the context, but without specification, it means Japanese. The word kokugo is used mainly by the Japanese themselves.

Around the 6th century BC, Japan entered into diplomatic relations with China and Korea, which served as a powerful impetus for the penetration of elements of the culture of these countries into the life of the Japanese, at the same time, the first written works appeared in Japan, mostly consisting of Chinese characters.

Over the next eight centuries, the prototypes of both modern alphabets were created and the majority of dialects appeared, the differences between which were constantly increasing.

In the 16th century, the Portuguese brought technological progress and European religion to Japan, as a result, the Japanese language is richly enriched with borrowings from Portuguese, which have successfully existed to this day and are still actively used, for example, arigato is the Japanese version of the Portuguese obrigado, which is translated means "thank you", before the appearance of this word in Japanese there was no special term to express gratitude.

In the same period, the first printing press was brought from Korea to Japan, which contributed to the emergence of printed publications, the rapid development of literacy among the Japanese and smoothing out the differences between huge amount Japanese dialects.

In 1603, the Japanese ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu imposed a ban on the practice of Christianity and declared Japan a closed country, forbidding the population to maintain relations with representatives of other countries, with the exception of merchants from Holland, after which there were no fateful interventions in the development of the Japanese language from the outside.

In the northeast of the island of Honshu, the Tohoku-ben dialect is used, called by the Japanese lazy tongue thanks to the peculiarities of pronunciation. Tohoku-ben is so different from all other Japanese dialects that ordinary Japanese have to use subtitles to watch movies made in northeastern Honshu.

The dialect of the inhabitants of Hokkaido, hokaido-ben, is in many ways similar to both literary Japanese and Tohoku-ben. Its main differences are the decrease in the importance of separating words by gender and the abundant use of abbreviations.

We gave only three examples, however, in the territory modern Japan There are so many different dialects that many books and studies have been devoted to the subject. Dialects mix with each other, borrow from each other lexical norms, pronunciation features and form new and new subspecies. The population of various prefectures speaks special dialects inherent in these areas, both similar to literary Japanese and possessing large quantity original language norms.

The three main components of Japanese writing are kanji, hieroglyphs borrowed from Chinese, and two syllabaries that have already appeared in Japan itself: katakana and hiragana.

Katakana is mainly used for transmission in writing words borrowed from other languages, so, for example, the word Russia in spelling will look like this: Russia. Katakana does not accurately convey the original sound of words, which is due to the peculiarities of the phonetics of the Japanese language. Another use of katakana is to highlight a part of printed text, just as in Russian we use bold or italic for this purpose.

Hirogana is most often used to write suffixes, as well as Japanese words that do not have special characters for their designation, in addition, all Japanese station names railway written using chirogana.

The classic Japanese way of writing texts is in columns of characters going from right to left, with the characters in the columns being written from top to bottom. This method was used everywhere until 1959, when it was officially approved western way horizontal writing from left to right. However, Japanese fiction and some printed periodicals still use the traditional way of typesetting.

Teacher's advice:

Learning a foreign language becomes easier when you practice it a little every day. Each language has its own special sound. The more you listen to the language, the easier it is given. Reading helps to strengthen grammar and your vocabulary so read every day. It doesn't matter if you listen to the news or music, whether you read a book, a magazine or a website, the most important thing is to do it a little every day.

Learning a language becomes easier when you practice a little every day. Every language has a different sound and the more you listen the easier it gets. Reading improves your grammar and vocabulary so read a little every day too. It doesn't matter if you listen to the news or music, or read a book, magazine or website, the important thing is to a little every day.

VP:YYA

Borrowed Japanese words, Japanese notation and pronunciation in Wikipedia articles are given in a special format, for example:

Tokyo (jap. 東京 To:kyo: ? ) ((nihongo|"""Tokyo"""|東京|To:kyo:))

"Tokyo" is the word of the Russian language, 「東京」 is the word of the Japanese language, "To: kyo:" is a transcription that reflects the pronunciation of the word in Japanese. Please note that although the transcription is written in Russian letters, it is read differently (see).

Names are usually written like this:

First Name Last Name(jap. hieroglyphs Last name First name ? , date of birth or other information) ((nihongo-no-namae|"""First name Last name"""|hieroglyphs|Last name First name|date of birth or other information))

Last name First name(jap. hieroglyphs ? , date of birth or other information) ((nihongo-no-namae|"""Last name First name"""|hieroglyphs||date of birth or other information))

Separately, I would like to remind you that on Wikipedia, the names of articles about personalities are almost always written according to the “Last Name, First Name” standard.

Japanese writing

Japanese texts are written using kanji characters and two syllabic alphabets - hiragana and katakana. Most of the kanji were borrowed from China, in most cases with the same meaning. For example, in the entry of the word 日本語 ( nihongo"Japanese"), the literal Chinese meanings are preserved and the readings of all the hieroglyphs that make up it are borrowed from the old Chinese dialects: 日本 ( nihon"Japan" = 日 neither"sun" + 本 hone"root") + 語 ( th"language"). At the same time, one kanji character often has several reading options, both borrowed Chinese and native Japanese. For example, in the word 物語 ( monogatari, "story") the character 語 is read as gatari, but not th.

Japanese pronunciation

In Russian Wikipedia, it is customary to use the Polivanov system to convey Japanese pronunciation in the Cyrillic alphabet. Below are a few simple rules for using this system.