Ikimasu

[Matsuyuu]

2 things:
1. Would saying this be correct? "わたしわだいがくへいきます。"
2. And does anyone know all the United States' state-names in Japanese? (I suppose they'd be almost the same words, except Japanicized :), like "irinoi" for illinois or something).

[Elizabeth]

Do you want to say you are just going or actually attending?

And it is わたしは.....

[avarame]

(Well, actually, it is 私は ;))

Google: irinoi kariforunia
Result: http://www.j-yes.org/lesson4-3.html

[Elizabeth]

Yes, I just don't know how much kanji Matsuyuu reads. At any rate, if you want to say I'm attending a university, I think "Daigaku ni kayotte imasu" (大学に通っています) is best.

[Matsuyuu]

Darn it, I knew it was は but "wa" just comes out when the sound is "wa." Yeah, it would be a good thing to assume that I dont read kanji. I only read hiragana and 5 katakana. (actually, I can read　昨日、but that's it aside from 日本.) Maybe I'll learn kanji in college or something.
K, so I used ikimasu pretty correctly.
Thnx.

Edit: I meant "I'm (physically) going to college."

[Elizabeth]

Originally posted by Matsuyuu
Darn it, I knew it was は but "wa" just comes out when the sound is "wa." Yeah, it would be a good thing to assume that I dont read kanji. I only read hiragana and 5 katakana. (actually, I can read　昨日、but that's it aside from 日本.) Maybe I'll learn kanji in college or something.
K, so I used ikimasu pretty correctly.
Thnx.

Edit: I meant "I'm (physically) going to college."
It's just that Ikimasu sounds more like you are physically walking/driving towards a university. As far as state names, the better English-Japanese dictionaries will have them -- but if not, just put the one you're looking for through any machine translator and my experience has been it'll generally come out OK. :)

[Matsuyuu]

We were both right: I went to an online dictionary and it told me irinoi wa illinois. That's what I originally wrote as illinois :)
Woohoo (thnx)

[Elizabeth]

マツユー,

あなたがイリノイにすんでいますか？　
私のりょうしん(parents) も　いもうと(younger sister) も　Champaign/Urbana という まちに すんでいる ので なんかいか いったことがあります。(Because they live in the cities of Champaign/Urbana I have been several times.) そのうえに、わたしは イリノイに すんでいたことがあります。(Besides, I have lived in Illinois). とても　きれいな　ところですね。

[mdchachi]

I found a page where the states are listed:
http://www.add7.biz/usa/areacode.htm

[Matsuyuu]

Wow, great find! Thanks.

[jspecdan]

could also just say: "Watashi wa daigakusei desu." I am a college student.

[Matsuyuu]

I did NOT mean "attending," I mean physically making the MOTION of moving to a college. Here's a better example:
"わたしは　あひる　へ　いきます。"
I know this means "I'm going to the duck" *quack quack*, but I figured it'd be less confusing than college seems to be.

To Elizabeth:
You've been to Champaign? That's where I live. That's cool. Have you been to the UofI or what? (I'm sorry to say that, although I CAN read what you wrote, I still don't understand it.
:bluush:
ありがとう

[Elizabeth]

Originally posted by Matsuyuu
To Elizabeth:
You've been to Champaign? That's where I live. That's cool. Have you been to the UofI or what? (I'm sorry to say that, although I CAN read what you wrote, I still don't understand it.
:bluush:
ありがとう
Just physically as well :) -- I didn't attend or anything, but I do try to get back a couple times a year to see the folks. Matsuyuu ha Champaign no doko ni sunde imasuka?

[avarame]

(Quick grammar question: What's the difference between " すんでいたことがあります。" and "すみました”？　
ありがとう！)

[Elizabeth]

Just the difference between "I have lived" (I strongly suspect not living there now, but I'm not 100% sure on that) and "I lived."

[jspecdan]

The first is "I have lived there before." the second is "I lived there."

[Matsuyuu]

I was looking through a Japanese dictionary for the translation of a word when I saw that the word, "matsuru," close to my name, means "to deify, worship." Thought I'd share that, although I'm sure some of you KNOW this.

[Matsuyuu]

I tried my best to translate what you said, Elizabeth, but it was to no avail. Could understand neither imasu nor sunde, but thanks for trying
:bow:

[Elizabeth]

Originally posted by Matsuyuu
I tried my best to translate what you said, Elizabeth, but it was to no avail. Could understand neither imasu nor sunde, but thanks for trying
:bow:
I said I wonder where in Champaign you live. "Sunde imasuka" means literally "are you living?" ;).

Trying to explain:

In Japanese you use the te/de form of the main verb, plus the verb iru (to be) to convey something like the "ing" English present progressive, which is what we use to talk about habitual actions or states of being. It can be a little tricky in some cases if the present tense actually translates the same (ie ikimasu --> going). However with "sumu" (to reside or live at an address) you're safe. :relief: Because "sumimasu?" sounds like where will you live, and "Sunde imasu" is where you're living now.

Confusing desune :D