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Thread: I guess I am brain dead :(

  1. #1

    I guess I am brain dead :(

    I have been dipping my toe in the waters of learning Japanese by taking a look at Japanese From Zero. I know it isn't the preferred resource but, well, it was cheaper.

    They start out with numbers.

    And just to be confusing, they have multiple names for the same number - crazy Japanese.

    The names for four, it seems, are: shi and yon. According to the book shi also means death.

    It occurs to me that one way to read my Dharma name (Shinshi) is:

    Shin = Heart
    Shi = death.

    Yikes.

    or

    Shin = Mind
    Shi = death.

    which, I guess, makes my name sort of "Brain Dead".

    Well, that is how I feel when I try to learn Japanese so I guess it is appropriate.

    Gassho, Shinshi

    SaT-LaH
    空道 心志 Kudo Shinshi
    I am just a priest-in-training, any resemblance between what I post and actual teachings is purely coincidental.
    E84I - JAJ

  2. #2
    ...or a heart / mind four times bigger than usual, that sounds about right
    I know what you mean about the Japanese, I'm finding it a sort of groundhog day experience, learning the same four words over and over and over.....
    Gassho
    Meitou
    satwithyoualltoday/lah
    命 Mei - life
    島 Tou - island

  3. #3
    Countless homonyms of "shi" (she), all unrelated to each other. Here's 9 pages of examples ...

    http://www.jp41.com/kanji/shi.html

    If we change your Kanji, you could also be Shinshi the "mind / toilet" or "mind / murder one's lord or father"

    In Japan, many hospitals, hotels etc. avoid the number 4 and also 9 (ku sounds like another Kanji for "suffering"), and there are no rooms with those numbers. However, when I had my operation last years, it was in operating room 13 on the 13th of the month. I told the doctor. He said that "13" is fine in Japan.

    Gassho, J

    SatTodayLAH
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    Countless homonyms of "shi" (she), all unrelated to each other. Here's 9 pages of examples ...

    http://www.jp41.com/kanji/shi.html

    If we change your Kanji, you could also be Shinshi the "mind / toilet" or "mind / murder one's lord or father"

    In Japan, many hospitals, hotels etc. avoid the number 4 and also 9 (ku sounds like another Kanji for "suffering"), and there are no rooms with those numbers. However, when I had my operation last years, it was in operating room 13 on the 13th of the month. I told the doctor. He said that "13" is fine in Japan.

    Gassho, J

    SatTodayLAH
    I guess I will learn, but it makes me wonder - how does anyone understand when there are 9 pages of words that all sound the same? Is it purely by context?

    Gassho, Shinshi

    SaT-LaH
    空道 心志 Kudo Shinshi
    I am just a priest-in-training, any resemblance between what I post and actual teachings is purely coincidental.
    E84I - JAJ

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Shinshi View Post
    I guess I will learn, but it makes me wonder - how does anyone understand when there are 9 pages of words that all sound the same? Is it purely by context?

    Gassho, Shinshi

    SaT-LaH
    The nose knows no, and the sea C sees seeping seeds seeming busy.

    Gassho, J

    SatTodayLAH
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    The nose knows no, and the sea C sees seeping seeds seeming busy.

    Gassho, J

    SatTodayLAH


    Gassho, Shinshi

    SaT-LaH
    空道 心志 Kudo Shinshi
    I am just a priest-in-training, any resemblance between what I post and actual teachings is purely coincidental.
    E84I - JAJ

  7. #7
    Eishuu
    Guest
    I also started out with Japanese From Zero and liked it. It is very overwhelming but your brain will start retaining stuff. It's such a struggle to form all the new neural connections but once they are there you can recall them (at least I think that's how it works). I really recommend using flashcards (either electronic or real) - Anki or Memrise are good. The firm Pacon sell cardboard ones in sets of 1000 (you can get them from Amazon). Context seems to be a big part of the Japanese language from what I've seen so far.

    Good luck!

    Gassho
    Eishuu
    ST/LAH

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