Ｔｒｏｕｂｌｅ ｒｅａｄｉｎｇ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ － Ｈｅｌｐ？
今日は皆さん！
Ｉ ａｍ ａ ｎｅｗ ＪＣ ｕｓｅｒ ａｎｄ Ｉ ａｍ ｅｎｊｏｙｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｓｉｔｅ ｖｅｒｙ ｍｕｃｈ． Ｉ ｓｔｕｄｉｅｄ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ ｆａｉｒｌｙ ｃａｓｕａｌｌｙ ａｓ ａ ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔ ｉｎ ｙｅａｒ ６ ａｎｄ ｍｏｒｅ ｓｅｒｉｏｕｓｌｙ ｉｎ ｇｒａｄｅｓ ８， ９， ａｎｄ ｎｏｗ ｇｒａｄｅ １０ （Ｉ ａｍ ｃｕｒｒｅｎｔｌｙ ａ ｙｅａｒ １０ ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔ ｉｎ Ａｕｓｔｒａｌｉａ）．
Ｉ ｍｙ ｃｕｒｒｅｎｔ ｓｃｈｏｏｌ ｄｏｅｓ ｎｏｔ ｈａｖｅ ａ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ Ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ ｐｒｏｇｒａｍ ｓｏ Ｉ ａｍ ｌｅａｒｎｉｎｇ ｂｙ ｍｙｓｅｌｆ， ｉｔ ｉｓ ｓｌｉｇｈｔｌｙ ｈａｒｄｅｒ ｆｏｒ ｍｅ ｂｕｔ Ｉ ａｍ ｅｎｊｏｙｉｎｇ ｉｔ ｎｏｎｅ ｔｈｅ ｌｅｓｓ ＝）
Ａｔ ｔｈｅ ｍｏｍｅｎｔ Ｉ ｒｅａｄ ａｎｄ ｗｒｉｔｅ ひらがな ｗｅｌｌ ａｎｄ Ｉ ｋｎｏｗ ｓｏｍｅ ｂａｓｉｃ ｋａｎｊｉ （ｔｈｏｕｇｈ Ｉ ｓｔｒｕｇｇｌｅ ｗｉｔｈ ｋａｎｊｉ ｔｈｅ ｍｏｓｔ） ａｎｄ Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｎｏｔ ｙｅｔ ｌｅａｒｎｅｄ カタカナ．
Ｓｏｍｅｔｉｎｇ ｔｈａｔ ｃｏｎｆｕｓｅｓ ｍｅ ｗｈｅｎ ｒｅａｄｉｎｇ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｉｓ ｗｈｅｒｅ ｔｈｅ ｆｉｒｓｔ ｗｏｒｄ ｓｔｏｐｓ ａｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｓｅｃｏｎｄ ｂｅｇｉｎｓ． Ｃｏｕｌｄ ｓｏｍｅｂｏｄｙ ｐｌｅａｓｅ ｔｅｌｌ ｍｅ， ｉｓ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ａｌｗａｙｓ ｗｒｉｔｔｅｎ ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔ ａｎｙ ｓｐａｃｅｓ ｏｒ ｇａｐｓ ｉｎｂｅｔｗｅｅｎ ｔｈｅ ｗｏｒｄｓ？ Ｉｓ ｔｈｅｒｅ ａ ｔｒｉｃｋ ｔｏ ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄｉｎｇ ｔｈｉｓ ｏｒ ｗｉｌｌ ｉｔ ｃｏｍｅ ｎａｔｕｒａｌｌｙ ｔｏ ｍｅ ｏｎｃｅ Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｉｎｃｒｅａｓｅｄ ｍｙ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｖｏｃａｂｕｌａｒｙ？
ども 済みません 皆さん！
Ｉ ａｍ ａ ｎｅｗ ＪＣ ｕｓｅｒ ａｎｄ Ｉ ａｍ ｅｎｊｏｙｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ ｓｉｔｅ ｖｅｒｙ ｍｕｃｈ． Ｉ ｓｔｕｄｉｅｄ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ ｆａｉｒｌｙ ｃａｓｕａｌｌｙ ａｓ ａ ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔ ｉｎ ｙｅａｒ ６ ａｎｄ ｍｏｒｅ ｓｅｒｉｏｕｓｌｙ ｉｎ ｇｒａｄｅｓ ８， ９， ａｎｄ ｎｏｗ ｇｒａｄｅ １０ （Ｉ ａｍ ｃｕｒｒｅｎｔｌｙ ａ ｙｅａｒ １０ ｓｔｕｄｅｎｔ ｉｎ Ａｕｓｔｒａｌｉａ）．
Ｉ ｍｙ ｃｕｒｒｅｎｔ ｓｃｈｏｏｌ ｄｏｅｓ ｎｏｔ ｈａｖｅ ａ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ Ｌａｎｇｕａｇｅ ｐｒｏｇｒａｍ ｓｏ Ｉ ａｍ ｌｅａｒｎｉｎｇ ｂｙ ｍｙｓｅｌｆ， ｉｔ ｉｓ ｓｌｉｇｈｔｌｙ ｈａｒｄｅｒ ｆｏｒ ｍｅ ｂｕｔ Ｉ ａｍ ｅｎｊｏｙｉｎｇ ｉｔ ｎｏｎｅ ｔｈｅ ｌｅｓｓ ＝）
Ａｔ ｔｈｅ ｍｏｍｅｎｔ Ｉ ｒｅａｄ ａｎｄ ｗｒｉｔｅ ひらがな ｗｅｌｌ ａｎｄ Ｉ ｋｎｏｗ ｓｏｍｅ ｂａｓｉｃ ｋａｎｊｉ （ｔｈｏｕｇｈ Ｉ ｓｔｒｕｇｇｌｅ ｗｉｔｈ ｋａｎｊｉ ｔｈｅ ｍｏｓｔ） ａｎｄ Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｎｏｔ ｙｅｔ ｌｅａｒｎｅｄ カタカナ．
Ｓｏｍｅｔｉｎｇ ｔｈａｔ ｃｏｎｆｕｓｅｓ ｍｅ ｗｈｅｎ ｒｅａｄｉｎｇ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｉｓ ｗｈｅｒｅ ｔｈｅ ｆｉｒｓｔ ｗｏｒｄ ｓｔｏｐｓ ａｎｄ ｔｈｅ ｓｅｃｏｎｄ ｂｅｇｉｎｓ． Ｃｏｕｌｄ ｓｏｍｅｂｏｄｙ ｐｌｅａｓｅ ｔｅｌｌ ｍｅ， ｉｓ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ａｌｗａｙｓ ｗｒｉｔｔｅｎ ｗｉｔｈｏｕｔ ａｎｙ ｓｐａｃｅｓ ｏｒ ｇａｐｓ ｉｎｂｅｔｗｅｅｎ ｔｈｅ ｗｏｒｄｓ？ Ｉｓ ｔｈｅｒｅ ａ ｔｒｉｃｋ ｔｏ ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄｉｎｇ ｔｈｉｓ ｏｒ ｗｉｌｌ ｉｔ ｃｏｍｅ ｎａｔｕｒａｌｌｙ ｔｏ ｍｅ ｏｎｃｅ Ｉ ｈａｖｅ ｉｎｃｒｅａｓｅｄ ｍｙ Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｖｏｃａｂｕｌａｒｙ？
ども 済みません 皆さん！
posted by Marshmallow
Comments 3
This was something that confused me at first as well. Japanese is written without spaces, but it comes naturally as you learn more. You begin to recognise ending of words and so on, so hang in there!
ya sometimes i misread は as wa
like はじめまして becomes wa,jimemashite
If a word contains kanji at all, it usually begins with a kanji (an exception is when it starts with an honorific お or ご. So the first kanji after some kana is often the beginning of a word. を is used pretty much exclusively as a particle, so it is another clear marker for the end of one word and the beginning of another. As you read more, other particles will also start to jump out at you. Also, verb and adjective inflections will become familiar enough both so that you read them as units, and as word endings.
