Couple of fun kanji catchphrases! Attempts anyways...

[Neko_Shiroi]

I'm using kanji that I know. I only know 23... Currently memorising them. The phrases that I have in mind are:
1) Don't put yourself out: (self)wa(put out)nai
2) two's company: (two)wa(company)desu

Hope I got them right. If not, maybe it could launch a game:

Kachu furaise!

Catchphrase!! Nihon-jin edition!

[Mike Cash]

Idiomatic expressions don't lend themselves well to direct translations.

[nice gaijin]

Idiomatic expressions don't lend themselves well to direct translations.
Quoted for truthiness. Japanese in general doesn't work well in direct translation.

[akai ken]

Is it ok to use wa after saying two?

I mean the number "two" doesn't seem to me like a topic of the sentence that much. Wouldn't it be appropiate to use the particle "no" instead?

And finally in the "two company's" sentence wouldn't be better to use arimasu instead of desu ? I'm guessing it dependes in the context.

[Glenn]

Aside from trying to translate idiomatic phrases literally being a huge mistake, you seem to be thinking that kanji are always words in and of themselves, which is also a mistake.

For example, "self" is 自分 or 自ら or 自分自身, not 自. Also, "company" (the kind people go to to do work and get paid) is 会社, not 社. Note that the reverse, 社会, means "society."

[yukio_michael]

Have you gotten any proper learning materials yet, or are you just putting it together piecemeal? Go West, er, Get a book, young man!

[Neko_Shiroi]

Today at uni, I'll get the volume of Kanji de Manga #1 that I found in the uni library. That might aid understanding.

[Glenn]

By the way, as it seems no one has pointed this out to you yet, your screen name says "cat is white." If you wanted "white cat," it would be "shiroi neko."

[yukio_michael]

By the way, as it seems no one has pointed this out to you yet, your screen name says "cat is white." If you wanted "white cat," it would be "shiroi neko."http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/D_oh.jpg

[leonmarino]

By the way, as it seems no one has pointed this out to you yet, your screen name says "cat is white." If you wanted "white cat," it would be "shiroi neko."Maybe, just maybe it's a clever joke, similar to the "omosiroi" joke.. I don't know if anyone is familiar with it, but tis a story about a girl who has a white kitten sitting on her lap. She's watching tv and her mother asks: "is it fun?" Then the girl points to the tail of the cat.. 「尾も白い」　"the tail is also white", which is pronounced the same way as 「面白い」　"funny"..

Then again, maybe not.

[Glenn]

I'm guessing not, given the person in question's level of Japanese. At any rate, what would the joke be?

[leonmarino]

I'm guessing not, given the person in question's level of Japanese. At any rate, what would the joke be?What I just wrote was the whole joke. I know, it's lame. But I guess the Japanese were never good at telling jokes. :blush: It's the same kind of joke as the mother making a salad, and she's cutting the cucumber. She cuts the upper tip of the cucumber and eats it. Her kids sees that and asks: "mom, why do you eat that?", to which the mother replies: 「下手だからよ」 (because I'm not good at it), which is the same pronounciation as 「蔕だからよ」 (because it's the stem).. These are very lame forms of 駄洒落 (dajare) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dajare) really.. :relief:

[Glenn]

No, I got that joke; I meant what would the "neko shiroi" joke be?

[leonmarino]

No, I got that joke; I meant what would the "neko shiroi" joke be?Don't ask me!! :relief:

[Neko_Shiroi]

It wasn't a joke, just a mistake. Thanks for the correction. ^____^