I-RO-HA, 5th special part.
•
by Kyonkyon
Today I write why it is difficult to translate Japanese in English and English in Japanese.
Japanese is difficult to any other language.
For example English is quite close to German or French.
But Japanese is differnent.
They say Korean is similar in grammar.
But there are differnt letters, so Japanese can not read Korean.
The most difficult is to get used in Japanese way of thinking.
In English you think different way and speak different way.
That is normal. Cultures are different.
Many foreigners try to speak Japanese, but they still think it their own language.
Correct is to think and speak in Japanese way.
For example in English you do not care about position.
So you use always I.
But in Japanese you care about position.
For that there are many words for I.
私
わたくし
わし
あたし
あたい
俺
僕
我
吾
朕
Meaning is different. If you talk with friends you use 俺 but not to foreigners.
In Japanese do not use pronouns often, so many times, we do not say, when easily
understood.
So when you have to translate from English to Japanese, it is difficult because you must think which word may be better for I every time.
But also if you read English translation of Japanese, you lose some meaning.
The same is with sister or brother.
In English there is only one word for sister or brother.
But in Japanese the is one word for older sister and one word for younger sister,
one word for older brother and one word for younger brother.
So it is difficult to translate English word sister in natural Japanese, because you must also now if it is older sister or younger sister.
One more problem is polite language or 敬語 keigo in Japanese. In Japanese, polite language is complicated. It is difficult to learn and even Japanese make often mistakes.
I do not like it very much. But if you want to speak to foreigner it is good to use it.
Because in English there is not polite language it is difficult to translate.
It is good to try learn Japanese if you like Japanese culture.
If you read in English translation you can not understand full meaning.
Facebook
Twitter
Discord
Comments
I know what you mean about thinking in English- it's especially true for reading.
This is very useful article. Voted.
Yes, I like Japanese since it is such a different language. I have yet to learn it very well though. But I want to be able to think in more than just a single language. (I actually know German, and have "thought in German" at times before, particularly the two times I have visited Europe. As you mention though, German is not all that different.)
- "But I want to be able to think in more than just a single language" (Sophia Forrester).
It is very difficult. I wish you to achieve your goal.
It's sad. I speak English far better than I speak Japanese. Such is the curse of the 日系人.
I haven't even tried to figure out 尊敬語. I probably will try someday, but right now it is a mystery to me.
Sometimes, many ask.
How do we say this in Japanese.
But the problem is.
Do we say this in Japanese.
I want to say.
Sometimes culture is different.
Sometimes you want to say something that do not say in other language.
For example in Japan you say いただきます itadakimasu before you eat. It is difficult to translate this in English, because this custom does not exist.
Keigo is difficult.
It is part of Japanese culture.
Usually Japanese people are very humble.
Kyonkyon,
I understand what you mean.
Sometimes people will say "Let's eat!" before eating in the US, but this is always casual, and "itadakimasu" can be either casual or formal. So, in many cases, there would not be an easy translation for "itadakimasu."
It has long been considered polite in America to say a prayer before eating ("aaying grace") to offer thanks for the food, but there is no standard form for the prayer, and in the past few decades the custom has fallen out of use. As I was growing up, we said grace when visiting my grandparents, but never at dinner in my own family's home.