Juan 🍁 on Nostr: Just completed my 12th hour with my Japanese language instructor. Here's a few of the ...

Just completed my 12th hour with my Japanese language instructor.

Here's a few of the quirky/intriguing things I've come across so far:

1- If you can count to 12 and say the word がつ (gatsu) you know all the months of the year.

いちがつ (ichigatsu) にがつ (nigatsu) and so on.

2- There is a different word for existing/having something, depending on whether that thing is sentient or not.

います (imasu) vs あります(arimasu)

3- There is no past, present and future tenses. Only past, and non-past.

4- You tweak the verb depending on what you're trying to say.

I will watch a movie
えいがをみます
eiga o mimasu

I want to watch a movie
えいがをみたいです
eiga o mitaidesu

Shall we watch a movie?
えいがをみましょか
eiga o mimashou ka

Would you like to watch a movie?
えいがをみせんか
eiga o mimasen ka

5- You use a different word depending on what your counting. For example:

2 people
2 dollars
2 pens
2nd day of the month

there's a different word for <2> ... 🤔

*grain of salt please. I'm very early in my journey