temari temari kai Speak Japanese

Speak Japanese....

So you want a Japanese "language lesson"? Read on...

Remember that Japanese pronunciation does not include accents on any syllables.

First of all - to pronounce Temari, from Sue H:
Regarding how to pronounce TEMARI...... try the following...

TE - (teh) as in TElephone or TElevision
MA - (mah) as in MAma, or "open your mouth and say AHHHH"
RI - (ree) as in tREE (a long 'E' sound) ...( try to flip the "r" if you can)

Sue offers:
Regarding the "plural" of Temari - I can't say I really know. I have heard it both ways (temari and temaries), but since "temari" is really an adjective ("to wind by hand") usually one has the qualifier following the word "temari" - as in "temari ball" / "temari balls". Capitalization is a "western" concept, so I do not believe it is always used when referencing Temari/temari.

And from Sarah, who also has studied in Japan:
I was given to understand by both the Temari Sensei (teacher) and my Japanese teacher (sensei) that the word temari was an adjective and meant " wound by hand", te meaning hand and mari, to wind. Therefore in my book it is perfectly acceptable to say temari ball. However, we shall need expert advice on this and we'll have to await the return of Hayashi-san for final arbitration. I've just checked in the little dictionary I have for the translation of the word ball and it says "boru", but I suspect that there will be many other Japanese words to cover the same word, depending on what sort of ball it is. Not an easy language, Japanese, and hardly surprising when they have 3 different alphabets and countless ways of counting, depending on what it is that you are enumerating.

Thank you = arrigato (ah-ree-gah-toh)

Thanks = domo (doh-moh)

Big thank you = domo arrigato

Thank you very much (present tense)= domo arrigato gozaimas (goh-zah-ee-mahss)

Thank you very much (past tense) = domo arrigato gozaimashita

Please = kudasai (koo-dah-sah-ee)

You're welcome = doitashimashite (doh ee tah she mah she teh)

Excuse me / pardon me = sumimasen (soo-mee-mah-sen)

I'm sorry = gomen nasai (goh-meh-nn-nah-sah-ee)

1st greeting of the day (sort of like "good morning", but not quite) = ohaioh (oh-ha-ee-oh)

Last greeting of the day (sort of like "good night", but not quite) = oyasumi nasai (oh-yah-soo-mee-nah-sah-ee)

Day-time greeting = koinichiwa (koh-ee-nee-chee-wah)

Evening-time greeting = konbanwa (koh-nn-bah-nn-wah)

What is that? = Na ni desu ka? (nah nee dess kah)

Where it is? = Doko desu ka? (doh-koh dess kah)

Bye! = sayonara (sah-yoh-nah-rah)

Very Happy Birthday (really, birthday congratulations very much) = Otanjobi omedito gosaimas (oh-tan-jo-bee oh-meh-di-to go-za-ee-mas)

Don't mention it! = Doitashimashite! (do-ee-ta-shee-ma-shee-te )

(With thanks to Sue Hayashi and Sarah Robinson)