Basic question (in romaji)

[Kriffix]

Hey guys, I'm new to learning Japanese although i'm giving it a shot since my dream is to become a Manga-ka!
But the reason i come to you kindly folks here today is because of this...
I've heard phrases such as "Neko desu" and "Hon desu". Although i've also heard phrases such as "Neko ga imasu" and "Hon ga arimasu" which i gather mean pretty much the same thing.
So my question is this: What's the difference and why would someone use one over the other?
Thanks for your time! :)
(I grasp the difference between Imasu and arimasu btw)

[Buntaro]

"Neko desu"

--> It is a cat.

"Hon desu"

--> It is a book.

"Neko ga imasu."

--> There is a cat (over there).

"Hon ga arimasu."

--> There is a book (on the table).

[Kriffix]

ah i see!
So imasu/arimasu is used to draw attention towards something? awesome!

Thanks very much, it may be basic to you guys out there but it's a heavy load off of a small mind such as mine. :)

[nice gaijin]

no, they denote that something exists. imasu for animate things like people and animals, arimasu for inanimate objects.

[mika_r]

I got a question!! what's the difference between "asoko" and "soko" ?

thanks :D

[Kriffix]

I think soko is when refering to something close to the listener, whilst asoko is when refering to something close to neither you nor the listener. :)

[Damicci]

Yeah what Kriffix said
soko = there
asoko = over there, away from both parties.

[mika_r]

Thanks! with my mother we had a huge debate because of this xD!

[__shrink]

no, they denote that something exists. imasu for animate things like people and animals, arimasu for inanimate objects.

Agreed.


Ahh sugoi. :D Manga-ka! What kind of manga are you wanting to write? :-)

[Kriffix]

Ahh sugoi. :D Manga-ka! What kind of manga are you wanting to write? :-)
Thanks. :)
Most of my favourite Manga are shonenesque titles such as One Piece, Eyeshield21 and Death Note etc. (the list goes on XD). So I aspire to go for something in this category. Luckily i've recently gained a few achievements in the UK manga scene such as being a winner in 'TOKYOPOP's Rising Stars of Manga UK' and also a winner in 'Manga Jiman' Hopefully if i keep this up i'll be doing it proffesionally in Japan someday. (farfethced i know, but a guy's gotta have his dreams, it's the basis of any Shonen manga). One of the main reasons other than love of Japan that i'd like to learn Japanese is so that I can atleast learn enough to become an assistant to a real Japanese Manga-ka in order to start out.
I also have a deviantart account under the user "kriffix" ^__^
Hmmm i wonder how many posts before i'm aloud to use links~

[__shrink]

Thanks. :)
Most of my favourite Manga are shonenesque titles such as One Piece, Eyeshield21 and Death Note etc. (the list goes on XD). So I aspire to go for something in this category. Luckily i've recently gained a few achievements in the UK manga scene such as being a winner in 'TOKYOPOP's Rising Stars of Manga UK' and also a winner in 'Manga Jiman' Hopefully if i keep this up i'll be doing it proffesionally in Japan someday. (farfethced i know, but a guy's gotta have his dreams, it's the basis of any Shonen manga). One of the main reasons other than love of Japan that i'd like to learn Japanese is so that I can atleast learn enough to become an assistant to a real Japanese Manga-ka in order to start out.
I also have a deviantart account under the user "kriffix" ^__^
Hmmm i wonder how many posts before i'm aloud to use links~

:0 Keep it up and I'm sure you'll make it nee.!

I loved Death Note, Manga that makes you think are awesome. xD
I havent got around One Piece though, I've seen some episodes of the anime. The stuff at your deviantart, you drew it? They're really good!!

Read Kurosagi if you can. It's sort of like Death Note, but not.. Mhm.

Ahh I wish I could speak Japanese fluently. I need to rely on subtitles when I watch Jap shows. :(

[Kriffix]

:0 Keep it up and I'm sure you'll make it nee.!
I loved Death Note, Manga that makes you think are awesome. xD
I havent got around One Piece though, I've seen some episodes of the anime. The stuff at your deviantart, you drew it? They're really good!!
Read Kurosagi if you can. It's sort of like Death Note, but not.. Mhm.
Ahh I wish I could speak Japanese fluently. I need to rely on subtitles when I watch Jap shows. :(

Thanks very much ^__^
I'd reccomend the One Piece Manga over the anime tbh, it just seems funnier at times. And also no fillers!
I havn't heard of Kurosagi before, but i'll keep an eye out for it, so thanks. :)
I have to read subtitles too, but i pick up the occasional sentence or phrase every now and then. I was once told by a very wise guy that it's dangerous to learn Japanese souly through anime haha.(mainly because alot the dialogue can be very informal and so to repeat it would be quite rude in many instances xD)

Oh btw, i have another basic (i think) question, if anyone knows please do post.
What's the significance of using "___ n desu" as opposed to saying the full version. Is it just a matter of formality? would it still make sense if the full version was used in its place? any examples?

thanks ^__^

[__shrink]

I mainly watch dramas and read manga. :'D
So I pick up words from the drama, and dramas usually tend to use informal as they talk between friends. xD

Erm. I think, usually when people say
" ___ desu " as a statement? I actually don't know what the question really is. =_='
It can be used as formal/informal though. Then again, my Japanese is really limited so I might be wrong.

[Kriffix]

Sorry i should have explained better, I meant for example...

"Yonda n desu" in place of "Yomimashita"
or "itta n desu" instead of "Ikimashita"

What's the significance of using one over the other? is it formality or something to do with the context? if context then what?

Thanks :)

[__shrink]

Words such as Yomimashita and Ikimashita are formal.
So I'm guessing Yonda n desu and Itta n desu are informal.

xD Sorry.

[Charles Barkley]

Sorry i should have explained better, I meant for example...
"Yonda n desu" in place of "Yomimashita"
or "itta n desu" instead of "Ikimashita"
What's the significance of using one over the other? is it formality or something to do with the context? if context then what?
Thanks :)

-n desu / no desu indicates that someone is asking for or giving an explanation. n/no can be used before da, desu, or deshou, depending on level of formality, and itself has nothing to do with formality.

-The desu/masu form really should not be described as 'formal.'

-I applaud your determination to write manga, but hopefully your ultimate goal is to write it in English, not Japanese. It is hard enough to write something that people really want to read in your native tongue--its next to impossible in another. Learning Japanese for the purpose of coming to Japan and studying with japanese manga writers (to eventually become a creator of English manga), however, seems a worthy goal.

I was once told by a very wise guy that it's dangerous to learn Japanese souly through anime haha.(mainly because alot the dialogue can be very informal and so to repeat it would be quite rude in many instances xD)

Rude words, anachronistic words, useless words, strange intonations--learning from manga/anime can help create just about any bad habit you could imagine. It's best used for study (note that I say nothing about reading for fun) only when one is exposed to a lot of real Japanese.

[Elizabeth]

"Hon ga arimasu."
--> There is a book (on the table).
Alternate definition/translation : Have a book (We have that book -- likely to be heard in a bookstore etc).

Where you end up with this is more than the OP asked but, in short order, that
-masu can be more polite than desu, change the meaning entirely, OR be grammatically acceptable/unacceptable in certain set phrases...

The "neko" and "hon" examples falling into the second category.

And one other thing : It's helpful not to assume too much in Japanese before asking the question...:)

[Kriffix]

Thanks for the explainations guys, i found them very helpful.

-I applaud your determination to write manga, but hopefully your ultimate goal is to write it in English, not Japanese. It is hard enough to write something that people really want to read in your native tongue--its next to impossible in another. Learning Japanese for the purpose of coming to Japan and studying with japanese manga writers (to eventually become a creator of English manga), however, seems a worthy goal.

I'd like to work in Japan for a while as an assistant of sorts. And maybe in a group effort submit a pilot chapter to Shonen Jump. And to indeed take what i learn and incorporate it over here.
I've learnt from people that in the west it's very hard to survive as an english/OEL manga-ka as a full time job at this time. especially since it's really only Tokyopop offering close to decent jobs within it. However I hope that in the future if it becomes easier to survive as a Manga-ka in a western country then i'd love to be making Manga here instead. I'd be willing to study as hard as i can to benifit as much as i can whilst working in Japan, and see where it goes from there.
That's my plan anyways.:)