ＨＥＬＬＯ！ Ｉ　ＡＭ　ＱＵＩＺＢＯ™！Welcome to Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! Online’s Word of the Week! On Mondays and Fridays, Kiki and Koko create new and helpful lessons for you to learn more Japanese language and culture. This allows you a couple of days to reflect on the lessons and revise/study. However, with busy schedules and human nature, it is very easy to forget to revise/study your Japanese language and culture lessons. We cannot all be robot computers that instantly download new information and adapt to new information quickly. But, as a possible human, you have the benefit of enjoying food and being organic. So, that is a fair trade for visiting lessons a few more times in order to learn. But, in order to do so, it is important to be reminded. You can think of Wednesday’s Word of the Week as a reminder to take a look at previous lessons and return to older ones to make sure they are still fresh in your mind. There have been over 100 lessons so far, so you can either surprise yourself with how much more you know, or realise that you may need to go back and reread them more thoroughly. 

However, this benefits those who are already well-versed in the previous lessons, as this is meant for people of any level. During Japanese Word of the Week Wednesday, I will provide you a shiny new Japanese word, and sometimes, a special bonus word. After which, I provide for you a few examples of how to use the word within sentences. Using the word in multiple contexts should assist you in grasping the word and creating new associations in your mind.

Beginners will benefit from being introduced to new words, and seeing how they are written in Japanese, as well as how they are pronounced. Intermediate and even advanced learners will benefit from the kanji and grammar. And native level speakers may simply enjoy knowing how to read them and having someone else be able to read them to their non-Japanese-speaking friends.

It is my hope that these sentences and this segment will assist you in your Japanese language learning. And, as today, we will be learning one verb, and another bonus verb, I will be joined with Kiki+Koko who will be here to tell you how to say these words politely!

Because this is a shorter segment, we will also have a few bonus Japanese sentences from a few interesting characters from the SpeRaToBo HQ contributing a sentence. So, without further ado: Let us NihonGO!!

Word(s) of the Week:

教える 【おしえる】 
oshieru
verb, ichidan, transitive
1. to teach/instruct
2. to tell/inform 
3. to preach

Bonus Word(s) of the Week:

覚える 【おぼえる】 
oboeru
verb, ichidan, transitive
1. to memorise; to remember
2. to learn/acquire 
3. to feel
4. to think (of)/regard

※「勉強」is used mostly in the context of studying, but it is also useful to know the other less ‘common’ contexts? It is still labelled as a common usage, but it might be better to think of it as a basic usage.

※Helpful Hints with Kiki+Koko

Photo via @kikikokoNihonGO on Twitter

Hello, there!

We’re Kiki and Koko from Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! (╭ರᴥ•́ )(╭ರᴥ•́ ) The dream duo directing daddios dabbling dialectally. This Word of the Week Wednesday, we’re here only briefly, as we have quite a bit we’re preparing for– And, because these words don’t need much explaining, or else believe you us, we would drop everything and make sure to give you the most thorough explanation anyone on the internet hath ever lain eyes upon. And, there’s always a lot to explain even with simple things, so we’ll get back to that in a moment. Also, it’s too early to say what we’re working on, but rest assured, it will be an experience. But, today, we’re here to give you a quick and important helpful hint!

‘If you would like to learn how to apply these words to your own basic sentences, feel free to take a look at a few of Kiki and Koko’s articles on this subject in Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! Japanese Language Learning Essentials.‘ -♡QUIZBO™

Of course, with each of these, you’ll have to know the particles to use with these, and for that, we recommend that you have a look at our previous particle lessons in the ‘Essentials’ section, however there are other particles that are also useful that we will cover in future lessons. But, for now, it’s best to focus on the current lessons and memorise those a little more thoroughly before getting in too deep.

So, as we mention in every verb Word of the Week, the form we give you is the dictionary form which is casual speech, but important for when you delve further into conjugation. But, if you’re a beginner and you want to start using these with a basic sense of politeness, you’ll want to know their basic polite forms.

教えます【おしえます】
oshiemasu

覚えます【おぼえます】
oboemasu

Of course, you’ll see these verbs in different forms in the examples below, but it’s important to get a basic and outright version of it so you can start using it yourself in your everyday practise and speech!

Again, there are quite a few associated particles that are VERY important, so for now, it’s important to look at the context of the words, but in future, we will have to go indepth with them. It’s much to much for a Word of the Week segment, but these examples should be helpful.

We hope that helps!! Until the next lesson!
♡Kiki+Koko

Thank you, Kiki+Koko! That is true, it is important to have such words more blatantly shown. Whilst inference and context is important, there is definitely a benefit to having clearer references. Speaking of which, I think that is is time to present the example sentences! I hope you enjoy the bonus examples as this is a rare occasion.

Example Sentences:

The first row is in Japanese with Kanji. The Next row is in hiragana, then romanised using rōmaji with the final row translated into English.
(Japanese→Hiragana→Rōmaji→English)

Example #1:

[basic polite speech]
彼女は　大学で　学生に　日本語を　教えています。
かのじょは　だいがくに　にほんごを　おしえています。
kanojo wa daigaku ni nihongo wo oshieteimasu.
She is teaching Japanese to the students at the university.

Example #2:

[basic polite speech]
車は　ガソリンが　切れてしまったんだと　教えてあげました。
くるまは　がそりんが　きれてしまったんだと　おしえてあげました。
kuruma wa gasorin ga kirete shimattandato oshiete agemashita.
I informed him that the car was out of petrol.

Example #3:

[basic polite speech]
飛行機で　初めての　海外旅行のことを　覚えます。
ひこうきで　はじめての　かいがいりょこうを　おぼえます。
hikouki de hajimete no kaigai ryokou wo oboemasu.
I remember travelling internationally for the first time by aeroplane.

Example #4:

[basic polite speech]
技術的に言えば、情報科学に、プログラミング言語を　記憶させなくてもいいで、使い方だけを　覚えるのが　必要です。
ぎじゅつてきに　いえば、じょうほうかがくに、　ぷろぐらみんぐ　げんごを　きおくさせなくてもいいで、つかいかただけを　おぼえるのが　ひつようです。
gijutsuteki ni ieba, jouhoukagakuni, puroguramingu gengo wo kioku sasenakutemo ii de, tsukaikata dake wo oboeru no ga hitsuyou desu.
Technically speaking, in computer science, you don’t have to memorise programming languages, you just need to learn how to use them.

BONUS Example Sentences:

These are just a few extra example sentences from the SpeRaToBo HQ for your learning and bonus edutainment:

ぼんやり覚えている夢は、ボウタイを　締めて　黄色い水玉模様だらけで　ピンクな小塊に　ついてです。
ほんやり　おぼえている　ゆめは、　ぼうたいを　しめて　きいろい　みずたまもようだらけで　ぴんくな　しょうかいに　ついて　です。
honyari oboeteiru yume wa, boutai wo shiete kiiroi mizutamamoyou darake de pinku na shoukai ni tsuite desu.
A dream I vaguely remember is about a yellow-polka-dot covered pink blob with a bowtie.
ーKiki (嬉嬉)

教えていることを　実践するに、第3言語を　覚え始めた。
おしえていることを　じっせんするに、　だいさんげんごを　おぼえ　はじめた。
oshieteiru koto wo jissen suru ni daisangengo wo oboe hajimeta.
I’ve started learning a third language, so I can actually practise what I preach.
ーKoko (興子)

小学二年に（Year 3)、鳥の種類と　葉の種類の　ほとんどを　覚えなければならなかった。本当の　話だわ。
しょうがくにねんに (Year 3)、とりの　しゅるいと　はの　しゅるいの　ほとんどを　おぼえなければならなかった。　ほんとうの　はなしだわ、
shougakuninennni (Year 3), tori no shurui to ha no shurui no hotondo wo oboenakereba naranakatta. hontou no hanashi da wa.
In year 3 (second grade), at my school, we had to memorise almost every type of bird and almost every type of leaf. True story.
ーIndigo (インヂゴ)

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♡QUIZBO™