Nico Nico, Douga - Aug. 30, 2009

I was pissed off.= I was really angry. (casual/slang)
I was irate.=I was really angry. (formal)

I was irritated.= I was annoyed.
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Today we are going to practice using plural 複数形.
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I like dog.=I like dog meat.
I like dogs.=I like the pet animals called dogs.

I like chicken.=I like chicken meat.
I like chickens.=I like chicken animals.

1. イルカは小さなクジラです。

Dolphins are small whales.

2. 私は韓国映画が好きです。

I like Korean films/movies.

3. 女性のほうが男性より料理が上手です。

Women are better than men at cooking.
Women are better cooks than men are.
You are good at cooking.
You are a good cook.

You are good at teaching.
You are a good teacher.

We will do this again on Sunday night.

4. このビデオを見て、人間は算残酷だと思いました。

When I saw the video, I thought humans are cruel.

After seeing the video, I thought humans were cruel.

5. ベジタリアンは肉や魚を食べない人のことです。

Vegetarians are people who do not eat meat or fish.

6. 車は地球温暖化の重要な原因の一つです。
Cars are one of the main causes of global warming.

Cow farts are one of the main causes of global warming.

おなら=He broke wind. / He cut the cheese. / He farted.

7. 高知の人はとても友好的です。

People in Kochi are very friendly.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.=
ケーキを持っておき、かつ食べることは同時には成り立ちません。／二つのことを同時に得ることはできません。

BONUS!
We extended the class and learned NEW words for
FRIENDLY!
friendly
affable
amicable
approachable
benevolent
charismatic
debonair
friendly
genial
(Watch the video to understand!)
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We did NOT do the following...


Almost = not
もう少しで終わる。／ほとんど終わっている。

I am almost finished. = I am not finished.

ほとんどの日本人は髪が黒い。

Almost all Japanese have black hair.

私の友達はほとんど皆日本人です。

Almost all of my friends are Japanese.

My friends are almost all Japanese.

My friends are almost Japanese.

Almost all = 90% or more

Most = the biggest percentage
“most” could be 51% or if there are 3 parts, it could be 34% (if 2 other parts are 33% each)

Or it could even be a small number, like 9% if the size or percentage of the other parts are smaller.

Nico Nico Douga Aug. 27, 2009年8月26日

Let’s translate the following into English:

つくづく思う。　
「自分は恵まれている」　と。
何より日本語がしゃべれる。
大学にも通うことができる。

I’m convinced that ~.

to convince sb=説得する

I’m convinced. = I’m sure.

I’m sure that~.

I’m really grateful.

I feel blessed.

I’m so lucky.

I’m so thankful.

Above all, I am grateful that I can speak Japanese.

I am especially grateful that I can speak Japanese.

And I can even go to university.

And that I can go to university.

And that I can go to university as well.
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difficult vs. difficulty
再就職は厳しい。

I’m having difficulty finding a new job.

It’s difficult for me to find a new job.

to have difficulty verb+ing

easy vs. easily

X She is easy to get sick. / She gets sick easily.v

大半が日本語をしゃべれず、
再就職は厳しい。
Almost = not
もう少しで終わる。／ほとんど終わっている。

I am almost finished. = I am not finished.

ほとんどの日本人は髪が黒い。

Almost all Japanese have black hair.

私の友達はほとんど皆日本人です。

Almost all of my friends are Japanese.

My friends are almost all Japanese.

My friends are almost Japanese.

Almost all = 90% or more

Most = the biggest percentage
“most” could be 51% or if there are 3 parts, it could be 34% (if 2 other parts are 33% each)

Or it could even be a small number, like 9% if the size or percentage of the other parts are smaller.

ニコニコ動画­8月26日

I have a runny nose.

My nose is runny.

I have a stuffy nose.

My nose is stuffed up.

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1) I'll handle it.

2) I'll deal with it.

3) I'll take care of it.

All 3 expressions here

basically mean the same

thing.

BUT "deal with st" is

used to deal with

conditions and situations.

For example:

He is dealing with his disease.

a disease=病気

You can only "deal with st"

that cannot be improved or

helped.

You can only "take care of"

something that you can

help or improve or protect.

You can't protect a disease.

Lastly, which one of

these 3 expressions

can be used to say:

"I'll treat you."

"It's on me."

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X I backed to home.

I went home. / I went back home.

Today let's talk

about the word

VERB + "back"

to be back

What time will you be back tomorrow?

What time will you get back tomorrow?

Remember that

"back" is not

usually a verb.

"back" is usually

the second word

in a phrasal

verb. A phrasal

verb is a 2 or 3

word verb.

So what "back"

verbs do you know?

to back sb=

to support sb

Edward Kennedy backed Obama during the campaign.

Back off! = Get back!

Step back.=Take a step back.

to send something back

to give something back

to talk back to someone

to look back at someone

to think back

(to my teenage years)

to write back

I wrote her, but she never wrote back.

She got marrried TO another guy.

She marrried another guy.

X She got married with another man.

Call me back later.

I'll call you back.

Nico Nico Douga, Mixed Class Aug. 21, 2009

Mixed Class:
Nico Nico Douga Aug. 21, 2009
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OFF idioms:
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1) I feel a little off today.=Something is not 100% right today. I feel a little strange.

My tennis was off last Sunday.

My game was a little off.

My serve was a little off.

2) to turn st on/off

Turn off the TV.

3) He went off! =He went crazy mad! (yelling, etc.) =to lose your temper

My boss went off when

I showed up late again.

4) Knock it off!=Stop it!=Cut it out!

Stop it. Cut it out. Knock it off.

5) to see sb off=見送る　

Let me see you off.

Thanks for seeing me off.

6) to cool off=to calm down

Why don’t you go outside and cool off.

to cool off=to chill out=頭を冷やす

7) to polish off=to completely eat or drink st

Daichen can polish off a pizza in 5 minutes.

He polished off the whole pizza by himself.

I can't believe we polished off 3 bottles of wine last night!

8) Piss off! = Go to Hell!

9) Back off!=Get away from me!

10) to blow sb off= to not meet sb
but give them a bad excuse

Some asked me how to say DOTAKYAN in English. The answer is...
She blew me off at the last minute. She cancelled on me at the last minute.

11) to [walk/jog/run/bike/swim/dash/sprint/drive/speed ] off

12) to get off=to excite you (little dangerous)

Whatever gets you off man.

Whatever turns you on. = Whatever gets you off.

Visit us at

ACTION! LANGUAGE ACADEMY

Nico Nico Lesson, Aug. 20, 2009

What is the difference between Japanese bloggers & Western bloggers.

Don’t you wish! / Yeah right!=No way! = I disagree!

Western bloggers KNOW that no one cares about what they write.

Japanese bloggers still believe that someone actually cares about their boring lives.

J bloggers tend to be less confrontational.

He gets on my nerves,

Have you confronted him?

They don't like to be confrontational

anonymous=not giving one's name

proliferation=growing, expanding

worthless opinions

details about their mundane lives

a controversial subject

stereotypical portrayals

Nico Nico Douga Aug 16, 2009 Intermediate to Advanced.

A connnection lessons. Let's see how many connections we can make!?

Stop monkeying around.=Stop horsing around.=Get serious.=Stop playing around.

Language is not logical.

I have a monkey on my back.=I have a burden.

What do monkeys remind you of?

He's more fun than a barrel of monkeys.=He’s a lot of fun.

犬猿= to fight like cats and dogs

It's raining cats and dogs.

= どしゃぶり=It's really coming down.=It's pouring.

Can I pour you a glass of tea?

What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?

=What does that have to do with

the price of tea in China?=Say this when someone says something completely unconnected with the previous sentence.

a non sequitur

意味不明の意見 =cryptic comment

He's like a bull in a China shop.=violent / rough / clumsy

He is clumsy. 不器用=He is all thumbs.=He is clumsy.

He has a green thumb.= He is good at gardening.=He is good with plants.

Don't thumb your nose at me!=バカにするな

記念日

Yesterday was the anniversary of the end of WWII.

WWII=World War 2

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko offer silent prayers before an altar during a memorial service for those who died in the war, during a ceremony marking the 64th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, at Budokan Hall in Tokyo on Saturday.

ニコニコ動画8月13日 2009年

Beginner’s Class

This is what we did in class today!

Welcome back!

Welcome back from the USA!

WB!

Did you hear about the earthquake?

Did you hear about the woman who died?

Can anyone tell me what happened?

Did you hear about the woman

who died in the earthquake?

She was apparently crushed by her books.

She was buried

under her books.

What for?=Why?

How come?

For what?

What is this for?

It's for connecting it to a string.

It's for hanging.

It's for your belt loop.

It’s for writing.

It's for opening envelopes.

What is this for?

It’s for making videos.

What is this for?

It’s for making videos.

What is this for?

It’s for getting a massage.

What is this for?

It’s for eating.

I’m stumped.

acrophobia

I have a fear of ~.

I am afraid of ~.

I am claustrophobic.

I have claustrophobia.

高所峡封書

to tell sb

to say st

I told him that I would be late.

I said that I would be late.

to tell someone something

She was arrested for drugs.

to arrest sb for a crime

What do you think SHOULD happen to her?

What do you think

will happen to her?

ニコニコ動画Aug. 4, 2009

Why is everyone so quiet?
Cat got your tongue!?

could be /
should be/
would beの使い方

If I had not come
to Japan, I would be
in a different country now.

I would be careful
if I were you.

SLEEP IDIOMS

1. You look tired. You should ~ some sleep.

Related: I didn't get any sleep last night.

Did you get any sleep last night?
Could you get any sleep last night?


2. I'm tired. I better ~ the sack.
Related: Time to hit the sack!=Time to go to sleep.
3. I was watching TV and
started to ~ off so I went to bed.
4. Sometimes I just can't sleep. I suffer from ~.

Related: an insomniac

5. I like to sleep ~ on
Sundays and public holidays.
6. Oh, my God! I ~! I'm going to be late for work!
7. MAFIA LINGO: That guy is sleeping with the ~ now.
8. He fell asleep at the ~.
In other words, he's dead.
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1. get.
2. hit
3. doze/drift
4. insomnia
5. in
6. overslept
7. fishes
8. wheel
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He turned 26.
How old are you?
None of your business.
What's it to you?
I'll leave it up to your imagination.
I'll turn (age) this (month).
I'll be turning (age) this (month).
I just turned 26.

Florida --> Floridian

ニコニコ Aug. 3, 2009

Today we talked about these things.
Please watch the video as you review!
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I just saw a car accident.

A car hit a bicyclist.

I just witnessed a car accident.

I just had dinner.

to have vs. to eat

Would you like to ~ dinner with me?
answer: have

I just got married.

I just had a good idea.
I just got a good idea.
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sleep expressions:
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眠い
I’m sleepy.

be vs. feel

I am sleepy. / I feel sleepy?

I am/feel drowsy.

寝ています。

X to be on the chair

O to be in the/a chair

He's on the toilet.

on the sofa

Let me sleep on it.=Let me think about it.

よく眠たの？=Did you sleep well?

Sleep well, sleep tight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite.=(Set phrase) Sleep well!

Cat got your tongue? =Why don’t you speak.

He's fast asleep. = He's sound asleep. = ぐっすり寝ています。

I was just sound asleep.

It is a healthy investment. (good investment)
very similar to
It is a very sound investment. (safe investment)

I slept like a baby. = I slept well.

That was pretty manly of him.=男らしい