Japanese for “Cool People”
Was at the local Chapters today, searching for some beginner Japanese books for a friend of mine (Melvy). Came across this fantastic book that I won’t be picking up anytime soon, and remembered the one no-name youtube viewer who commented on one of my videos, in regards to learning some “REAL” Japanese swear words.
I didn’t get the name of the author in the picture, but it is by a man named Jack Steward, I believe. Who would want to take advice from someone like this? I don’t really know. I flipped through the book and found words like スケベ (sukebe : lecher) and of all words ボケ (boke : idiot) to be categorized under “offensive swear words.” Are pervert and idiot even swear words in english? Nope. That much alone is almost laughable, and just goes to show that anyone can write a book and have it stuck in some bookstore nowadays.
A general tip to anyone learning Japanese: Stay away from rubbish like this please. It will do nothing but make you look like a fool. Japan is a country based on humility and respect, and learning stuff that might be considered “cool” to someone like Jack Steward (who clearly isn’t Japanese, and therefore holds little insight as to what Japanese words really mean or stand for), is most definitely a waste of time on your part.
If you want to make it in Japan, learn how to say everything in the utmost polite and humble way possible. It will save your ass, and in many cases make you look like a respectable foreigner who isn’t just there to chill with some home fries, ‘naw mean?
Many posts in the future will be dedicated to how I’ve learnt Japanese, and what I consider some of the better ways to more “correctly” pick up the language, and of course enjoy it and be liked/respected by Japanese people.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:53 am
thats how i’d be learning it
“japanese for dummies” for me 
May 20th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
The fact that it says “abunai nihongo” seems a little ridiculous, not to mention… why is nihongo in hiragana but abunai in kanji? This obviously was not thought out very well.
May 20th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Vas: I’ll buy it for you for your birthday.. next year hahaha.
Lisa: I didn’t even think about that! haha, I was gunna comment on how stupid the title was but not about the fact that nihongo is in hiragana and abunai is in kanji. That makes absolutely no sense!
May 21st, 2008 at 5:53 am
That’s stuff you’ll eventually learn after spending enough time in Japan. I don’t think it’s a good idea to learn slang or stuff like that from a book (if you really need it at all), it’ll be outdated when you get there, everyone will be like “OMG you’re soo 2007!!” lol.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Flipping through the book, we actually came across enough things that no one in the 21st century says anymore. Mind you, I didn’t really take notice as to when the book was published. =D but who cares haha.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Most foreigners here seem to have a hard enough time using appropriate Japanese for a given context (I include myself here).
Anyway, we had some pretty big blow-ups, but I can’t remember things ever getting bad enough to use really harsh language. Even when I have confrontations in train stations or other public places (it happens sometimes when you live in a crowded city), I can still express my thoughts using fairly standard language.
I spent a year living with a woman who didn’t speak any English and that’s what I credit for my conversational fluency (still speak like a woman sometimes, though)
I’d say if one finds using such harsh language on a regular basis appealing, that person is probably an annoying a-hole anyway, whether it’s in Japanese or his/her own native tongue.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:49 am
Billy,
I believe it is difficult for ANY foreigner unless they have been living in Japan since a young age to be able to read situations and use the appropriate response. There is just so much to know.
Living with someone that doesn’t speak a word of your most comfortable language is a huge helper. But of course there is a downfall when you start picking up feminine speech patterns haha. You not only have to be mindful of what you say, but how you say it =) so people don’t start to assume the wrong things about you.
Your final point is a really good one, that I never really thought of but makes complete sense. Thanks for the input.
September 30th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
hey lisa.. どうでもいいよ 笑 面白い本だから皆買ってるからさ、あまり考えすぎないように・・。 なんで危ないと書いてあるというと、日本の社会ではあほな人間しかその本に書いてある表現を言わないからだと思います＾＾