his book presents some very basic words and phrases along with some that are not usually considered "basic" at all. In fact, some of the material in this book is not typically presented until the student is well into his or her study of the Japanese language—and even then, it can be confusing without a skilled explanation. The Mangajin method, however, makes even this advanced material "basic" and accessible to students at all levels. | MANGAJIN BASIC JAPANESE through comics Contents introduction 7 Translating Japanese Manga into English 8 A discussion of some of the problems facing Japanese-to-Enghsh translators and some of the methods Mangajin uses to handle those problems. The Manga Market 10 Manga account for over one third of all the books and magazines published in Japan This is the rich source of the material presented in Mangajin. Politeness Levels Pronunciation Guide and Punctuation Notes 13 A word about the dimensions of politeness in Japanese and notes about our style of reconciling Japanese and English punctuation. 1 Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu 14 It s one of the most useful expressions in the Japanese language but you need a little cultural background. 2 Sumimasen 1 t S ft A 20 This versatile expression can be used to express sentiments ranging from I m sorry to Thank you. 3 Feminine Speech cZtlf 26 Some specific examples of the distinctive speech of Japanese women. 4 Gaijin Bloopers t 7 JI t 32 Potential pitfalls for the non-native speaker of Japanese laugh and learn. 5 Hiragana Katakana and Manga 34 A brief introduction to written Japanese at the phonetic level. 6 Ohayd Gozaimasu Omedeto Gozaimasu 42 Two idiomatic expressions. 7 Creative Kan l Readings A 0 Bi A i u -5 48 A device known as furigana makes it possible to be creative in assigning readings to kanji. Manga artists take full advantage of this technique. 8 Dome the All-Purpose Word i f Z t If F if 7 J 54 A polite easy-to-pronounce word that can be used in almost any situation. 9 Dozo 0 60 It means please. but only in certain situations. 10 Baka the Basic Insult F If A J 66 Even if you never plan to insult anyone it s good to know something about the concept of baka. 11 Shitsurei fell 72 It means rudeness or impoliteness and it s used especially by people with impeccable manners. 12 the Good Word 7 Fk t J 78 A handy word but it can sometimes cause confusion even among native speakers. 13 Yatta the Exclamation T j Zz J 84 This
