Sending mails

[francis1989]

Hi,
Francisco-san here,

I guess everyone`s asking how to send an e-mail in japanese, so please,
can anyone tell me
basically, how to start, all the way down towards the end.
and please, tell me how to say Spanish...

yoroshiku o-negai Shimasu

[Jason]

If it's just a casual email, you write it pretty much the same way you would talk to your friend. There isn't really any set way to do it. I don't know about business emails though.

Spanish = スペイン語

[francis1989]

thanks, but how should i start and how should i end
I know i must say hi, but if its a first mail to a jap, then what should i say
Can you write spanish in Romaji, i can`t open hiragana and/or kanji in my internet browser.

Hajime mashite

[Bueller_007]

thanks, but how should i start and how should i end
I know i must say hi, but if its a first mail to a jap, then what should i say
Can you write spanish in Romaji, i can`t open hiragana and/or kanji in my internet browser.

Hajime mashite

Hmmm.

#1 I don't know what you mean by "start" and "end". Do you mean "say hello" and "say goodbye"?

#2 I know English isn't your first language, but you should never, never, never say "Jap" in English. (Or Japanese.)

#3 Spanish is スペイン語 (supeingo). Most languages are usually just "country of origin"+"go".

[Brody]

Just depends on how formal your email is.

If you're writing to a friend, try starting off with genki? or o-genki desu ka? (How are you?) You could end with mata ne (See you later) and then your name.

If all else fails, start it by asking about the weather: o-tenki wa dou desu ka?
Japanese seem to love to talk about the weather.

[francis1989]

thanks
what else do japanese people like to talk about, I Guess not only about weather, but the problem is I`m just beginning my informal japanese studies, and all I know is self introduction, some little phrases, so please help ,me.
I can say I`m just new to this language, but I have one or two japanese friends.
how should I call them
how do say friend in a nice way, because I dont know if tomodachi is somehow nice, or just enough...
I`m really sorry for those native English speakers, I know I don`t have the bases in your language, because at school there`s only one hour of english a week.

#2 I know English isn't your first language

[Bueller_007]

Actually, I knew it wasn't your native language because you asked how to say "Spanish"... I wasn't deriding your English ability.

友達 (tomodachi) is a good word for friend.

[Brody]

It's been my experience that Japanese people my age have the same interests I do.

Music is a good place to start. Try this sentence: donna ongaku ga suki desu ka?
(What kind of music do you like?)

[francis1989]

It's been my experience that Japanese people my age have the same interests I do.

hearing that, makes my expectatives go far away...

so the subjects that people from japan love are:

climate
Music
Technology

Correct me if i`m wrong, please.

do they talk about movies, actors, food, other people
What else do they like

[Brody]

Absolutely. I talk with a Japanese friend about once a week and we usually talk about movies, music, books, etc. He and I also often talk about world events.

Japanese are very similar to any other people in the world. Just think of what you like and broach the subject. It's just like how you would talk to someone in your own language. Just apply those conversation starters to this situation.

Do you like soccer? I know many Japanese people like soccer; that might be a good place to start.

[francis1989]

hey, I was thinking something since i posted, is there any difference about sending a mail to a guy or a girl , you know, some kind of words you can use for him-her, but i think there are some words that cannot be used en girls, and others that cannot be used for boys.

[seanolan]

I wouldn't worry too terribly much about that sort of thing yet. You are a new speaker; the Japanese will make allowances, and generally be thrilled you are trying to learn their language. They may laugh a bit at how you phrase things (I know they do at me, just as you might if I tried my Spanish on you...no es muy bueno!) but they will grant you a LOT of leeway as far as getting offended or having a low opinion of you.

Welcome, and good luck! Ganbatte yo!

Sean

[francis1989]

well, thanks, now i can understand more the japanese society, they're pretty much the same as any other country.
Now that i've started to read a llitle bit, i see i can read, but i just cannot understand what is written down the paper, where can i learn a very large amount of kanji-hiragana-katakana and find the meanings

[Bueller_007]

well, thanks, now i can understand more the japanese society, they're pretty much the same as any other country.
Now that i've started to read a llitle bit, i see i can read, but i just cannot understand what is written down the paper, where can i learn a very large amount of kanji-hiragana-katakana and find the meanings

Flash cards.

Time and patience.

[francis1989]

Is there anything else I need to know before starting to send tons of mails
I think I must learn japanese In a serious way, because I love It, It doesn`t have such a hard structural ideas as many other languages...

I know JPod101.com is excelent in teaching japanese, but theres a problem with me, I'm quite a busy man, I just cannot find time in my schedule to listen to it, please, give me some ideas or something

I Have a nice game, Final Fantasy 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, but from this five, 3 are in japanese, and I still can`t play them, beacause, as I said, I can read, but I don´t understand what the characters are saying.