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はじめまして!Let’s learn a new language!

joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class TraitorSmoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
edited January 2019 in Social Entropy++
Guten Tag! Hola! こんにちわ!

While the Holiday Forums were up we had a really cool thread about our efforts to become polyglots. I still remember a bit of my German from my high school days. I took it for four years, but working at a Lutheran church really put it into practice. As with most things, proficiency comes from a combination of study and application!

Which is why this thread exists. Some of us are native speakers looking to help those who want to learn, some of us just think we sound ridiculous while we try to learn. But actually, making the effort is a laudable goal!

And not just for cultural reasons! Knowing multiple languages can land you a real cool job in another country or at home, and looks awesome on a resume regardless!

I’ve started to learn Japanese this last year. With four kids in the house, I don’t have a lot of time to study! But I’ve always wanted to do this. Even knowing the hiragana and katakana feels good. I can watch Japanese shows or play Japanese games and know how to read (some of the) characters!

Please use this thread to practice, ask for help, encourage each other in our endeavors, and be a little closer to our worldly neighbors.

I’m sure we can get a Discord channel started to practice more regularly as well!

joshofalltrades on
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    ChicoBlueChicoBlue Registered User regular
    This is the year.

    Let's all finally do it.

    Let's all learn Esperanto.

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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited January 2019
    ChicoBlue wrote: »
    This is the year.

    Let's all finally do it.

    Let's all learn Esperanto.

    *fires up Duolingo*

    *selects Valyrian*

    joshofalltrades on
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    godmodegodmode Southeast JapanRegistered User regular
    Speaking of Duolingo, I booted it up to check out Japanese again and it has improved immensely since I first tried it over a year ago.

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    BrainleechBrainleech 機知に富んだコメントはここにあります Registered User regular
    I really do want to work on my Korean aka hangul this year and still keep up on Japanese and others
    I still find it funny and interesting that Korean uses the same adverbs/ some adjectives the same or similar to Japanese it kind of speed up the process for me

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    sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    Language families are real, dogg.

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    PlatyPlaty Registered User regular
    Altaic isn't real

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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    godmode wrote: »
    Speaking of Duolingo, I booted it up to check out Japanese again and it has improved immensely since I first tried it over a year ago.

    What’s different? My big complaint is that it doesn’t really teach, it just immerses.

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    Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Yeah I started the Duolingo thing and I kinda want some teaching so I can actually learn the Hiragana. Right now I am just giving some of the shapes names and even then I can barely identify some.

    I don’t think “little cross playing the tuba” is a long term strategy.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    Mnemonics are pretty useful tho

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    BrainleechBrainleech 機知に富んだコメントはここにあります Registered User regular
    sarukun wrote: »
    Language families are real, dogg.

    I really want to learn the indo European one but there is a lot of pseudo science about it so that squashes that plan

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    Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Little cross playing the tuba is either ya or yo. I think it’s yo.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    や: ya
    よ: yo, I’ve got a tuba

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    Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Bah, it was Ya,

    See how the cross look like he is just waiiiiiiling on that tuba?

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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    Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Oh I have a good mnemonic for it now.

    Yaya playing a stupid tuba.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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    sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    Brainleech wrote: »
    sarukun wrote: »
    Language families are real, dogg.

    I really want to learn the indo European one but there is a lot of pseudo science about it so that squashes that plan

    Pseudoscience? Like what?

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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    One thing I did was change my Siri to Japanese

    If I want her to help me I’ve got to learn how to ask

    今日の天気はどうですか
    (kyo no tenki wa dou desu ka)

    What’s the weather today?

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    joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    I expect interest in this thread to spike and slowly and sadly decrease as the year goes on

    Prove me wrong!

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    KaplarKaplar On Google MapsRegistered User regular
    Despacito

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    Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    I expect interest in this thread to spike and slowly and sadly decrease as the year goes on

    Prove me wrong!

    I mean, I am extremely goal oriented and I have a lot of free time.

    So.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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    GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    I promise to post monthly in this thread no matter how dead it is.

    Is it crazy to learn two at once? Id like to learn a language with forumers but it'd only be a side thing for me.

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    Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    That sounds like insanity but I only speak English and not well.

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
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    DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    Quiero practicar español más en 2019.

    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
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    Theodore FlooseveltTheodore Floosevelt proud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelo dorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered User regular
    I’ve been using duolingo off and on for a bit in a bid to become conversational in Spanish. I never had any reeeeeal firm grasp on the language before, but i took enough up through college to not be entirely clueless, and I always kinda kick myself for not being braver when I worked with 80% Mexican and Salvadoran folks in LA to just give it a go and sound look a ding dong for a while

    now I mostly repeat vegetable names to my kid while he shoves them in his mouth. ¡tienes zanahorias! las zanahorias son anaranjadas.

    anyway I’m really hoping that I’ll have some opportunities to work on it more often now, living in Texas. Duolingo feels like good fuel for practice but I need something less sterile, too! also if I ever try some nonsense in Spanish that doesn’t make sense please for the love of god tell me

    f2ojmwh3geue.png
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    Crimson KingCrimson King Registered User regular
    i started dating a peruvian woman a few months ago, so i've been trying to pick up some spanish

    the biggest obstacle at the moment is figuring out what all the prepositions do

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    DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    Looking at what you said: "you have carrots, carrots are orange". But isn't the color orange just "narajas" like the fruit?

    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
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    sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    edited January 2019
    No, as in English, Spanish uncountable nouns do not take the plural marker. "naranja"

    Edit: and I'm pretty sure there it's used as an adjective anyway, which means, still no plural marker.

    sarukun on
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    Crimson KingCrimson King Registered User regular
    edited January 2019
    what i want to do is follow some spanish language news sites on twitter so i'm forced to stop and try and read them when i'm scrolling through

    ideally i would like to get to the stage where she can speak to me slowly en espanol and i have at least some idea what she's saying, but we'll get there. need to build some vocabulary first

    edit: also i need to practice talking more and not just interpreting

    Crimson King on
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    Theodore FlooseveltTheodore Floosevelt proud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelo dorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered User regular
    yo creo que puede usar “naranjado” o “anaranjado” describir el color de una cosa. El primero más in españa, y el segundo más en las Americas?
    sarukun wrote: »
    No, as in English, Spanish uncountable nouns do not take the plural marker. "naranja"

    Edit: and I'm pretty sure there it's used as an adjective anyway, which means, still no plural marker.

    so would it be “naranjada?”

    f2ojmwh3geue.png
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    JragghenJragghen Registered User regular
    I really need to pick up Tagalog again.

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    sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    edited January 2019
    yo creo que puede usar “naranjado” o “anaranjado” describir el color de una cosa. El primero más in españa, y el segundo más en las Americas?
    sarukun wrote: »
    No, as in English, Spanish uncountable nouns do not take the plural marker. "naranja"

    Edit: and I'm pretty sure there it's used as an adjective anyway, which means, still no plural marker.

    so would it be “naranjada?”

    Dictionary suggests both are aceptable adjective forms, though I have never personally ever heard anyone actually say “naranjado/a”.

    sarukun on
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    Goose!Goose! That's me, honey Show me the way home, honeyRegistered User regular
    I've been doing Duolingo Spanish for a couple days. I'm remembering a bunch of the stuff I learned in school

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    Crimson KingCrimson King Registered User regular
    we did chinese in school and i remember absolutely fuck all of nothing about it

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    Theodore FlooseveltTheodore Floosevelt proud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelo dorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered User regular
    edited January 2019
    sarukun wrote: »
    yo creo que puede usar “naranjado” o “anaranjado” describir el color de una cosa. El primero más in españa, y el segundo más en las Americas?
    sarukun wrote: »
    No, as in English, Spanish uncountable nouns do not take the plural marker. "naranja"

    Edit: and I'm pretty sure there it's used as an adjective anyway, which means, still no plural marker.

    so would it be “naranjada?”

    Dictionary suggests both are aceptable adjective forms, though I have never personally ever heard anyone actually say “naranjado/a”.

    ¿tú escuchabas anaranjado/a usualmente?

    (I am definitively in the wilderness the moment I step out of the present tense)

    Theodore Floosevelt on
    f2ojmwh3geue.png
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    KnobKnob TURN THE BEAT BACK InternetModerator mod
    I was gonna come in here to make an Esperanto crack, but the very first reply had it covered. Good job team.

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    WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    I used to be somewhat conversational in German when I was a kid, due it being mandatory while being an army brat over there, and people keep telling me to practice it again. Kinda useless in the PNW, though.

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    Theodore FlooseveltTheodore Floosevelt proud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelo dorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered User regular
    in blade 2, whistler briefly speaks esperanto to an extra. one of the many reasons why blade 2 is the best blade

    f2ojmwh3geue.png
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    #pipe#pipe Cocky Stride, Musky odours Pope of Chili TownRegistered User regular
    A friend and I are planning on taking an intro Japanese class starting in a couple months.

    I'm excited to finally understand what the hell Chiitan is up to
    https://youtu.be/ylMfW9Ovkpk

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    GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    Sharing counts as learning right?

    So here's the V A O of Māori.

    Some of this is stuff I don't fully understand yet so it may be a little inaccurate. But here goes.

    The basic unit of Māori is phrases, not words. I guess this is because tense and plurals are handled by words.

    A basic phrase might be:

    Kei te inu au.

    Tense verb agent

    I am drinking

    If you wanted to include what you're drinking, ie the object, you would add another phrase

    Kei te inu au/ i te miraka. (/ is for your benefit it is not there irl)

    The 'i' connects the two and the 'te' is a singular 'the' and miraka is milk.

    Unfortunately I chose a bad example to show plurals. You can say "ngā miraka" in some contexts but I don't know what those are.

    So instead...

    Kei te inu au te kurī i te miraka.

    The dog is drinking the milk.

    Kei te inu au ngā kurī i te miraka.

    The dogs are drinking the milk.

    So there is "te" for a definite single the and "ngā" for a definite plural the. And there is also the indefinite "he" which can be either plural or singular. I dont get it.

    Oh geez. I should not be trying to type all this up on my mobile. I haven't even gotten to location words! Oh well, in for a penny.
    So there's location words as well. They're a fairly basic part of the language as well but from my example sentence you might be able to guess that you don't always need them. In fact, depending on context you can drop a lot off a sentence, someone who uses every potential part of a sentence is going to sound very formal. Kind of like someone who doesn't use abbreviations.

    Nei na ra

    Te rākau nei.

    The tree near me (or just "this tree")

    Te rākau na.

    The tree near you (or "that tree (near you)")

    Te rākau ra.

    The tree yonder (or "that tree (not near either of us)")

    I may be awry with the spelling of the location words. For a while there was much debate over how to represent long vowels. With the two sides being double vowels vs macros. aa or ā
    One of my books is by a guy who was in favour of the double. He takes an academic approach to learning the language which I find useful but his vowel method is outdated. So theres a few blind spots I'm trying to correct. E.g. I have been spelling "ngā" as "nga" for a while which is not quite right and I'm trying to change that.

    His concern was that a macron was not easily typed on a PC but nowadays it's very easy to do and you can even do it on your phone. Plus there are times when you have two vowels touching (e.g. a compound word) and using a macron for long vowels means that those two touching vowels don't get mistaken for a double vowel.

    Whew. A little more than I meant to write but I guess it is a little more complicated than it seems. There's a lot of stuff I have left off! And that's just the stuff that I know which is kind of a morale booster. I'm usually looking forward at the mountain of stuff I'm yet to learn and it was kinda nice to look back at the stuff that I have a pretty good grasp on (even if I did need to double check my books while writing this).

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    sarukunsarukun RIESLING OCEANRegistered User regular
    sarukun wrote: »
    yo creo que puede usar “naranjado” o “anaranjado” describir el color de una cosa. El primero más in españa, y el segundo más en las Americas?
    sarukun wrote: »
    No, as in English, Spanish uncountable nouns do not take the plural marker. "naranja"

    Edit: and I'm pretty sure there it's used as an adjective anyway, which means, still no plural marker.

    so would it be “naranjada?”

    Dictionary suggests both are aceptable adjective forms, though I have never personally ever heard anyone actually say “naranjado/a”.

    ¿tú escuchabas anaranjado/a usualmente?

    (I am definitively in the wilderness the moment I step out of the present tense)

    En mi familia decimos “naranja”.

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    Endless_SerpentsEndless_Serpents Registered User regular
    I’m learning sign language at a pretty rapid rate. My subbing in finger signing (the alphabet) I can get a lot done already.

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