Typing in Japanese! Kotoeri and vocabulary

[CaptOblivious]

Want to be able to type searches in Japanese? It's not hard (although I don't know how to do it on a PC—anyone?)

If you own a Mac:
Open System Preferences, and choose the "International Panel"
Pick the "Input Menu" tab at the top.
Check "Kotoeri", and make sure that underneath it, "Hiragana" and "Katakana" are also checked; leave the others unchecked.
Optionally, check "Japanese Kana Viewer", it can be handy, but isn't necessary.
At the bottom of the window, check "Show input menu in menu bar".

Now, click on the flag that appears in your menu bar (it should represent your native language, or something like it, and pick Hiragana or Katakana to start typing!

To type a letter in Hiragana or Katakana, just type it as it appears in English, e.g. to get a キ, type "k-i". So, to get any of the car names detailed here: http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,973.0.html just type them as you see them. E.g., to get オハネフ, just type "o-h-a-n-e-f-u". To get Kanji (Chinese characters), use Hiragana mode, and again just type the word in as it is transliterated into English, then hit spacebar. If the character you wanted didn't show up, hit spacebar again to get a menu of all possible characters that fit what your typed.


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Vocabulary

To type in the car names as documented here: http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,973.0.html
Just type the car name in in Katakana mode, e.g., to get オハネフ (OHANEFU), type 'o-h-a-n-e-f-u'.

To type in the Kanji below, just type, in Hiragana, the transliteration that follows, then spacebar.

English	Kanji	transliteration	notes
Series	系	kei	used with MUs
Shape	形	kei	used with locomotives and freight cars
Number	番台	bandai	used to indicate the roadnumber or sub-type
Station	駅	eki
Line	線	sen
Railroad	鉄道	tetsudou
Local	緩行	kankou
Rapid	快速	kaisoku
Limited Express	特急	tokkyuu
Shinkansen	新幹線	shinkansen	you may have to type the final 'n' twice to get it to stick

Feel free to add more in this thread!

[Tenorikuma]

Good post.

I'd like to add that for the Japanese train enthusiast, knowing the kana (the simple phonetic characters used in Japanese) will be tremendously useful and easily accomplished in a week or two. For starters, it will be easier to read all those train models that use katakana; and for another thing, train station signs always include the station name in hiragana for the benefit of children and anyone else unfamiliar with placename pronunciation.

There are 100 websites that will teach you, but even better is to get an introductory textbook and a few sheets of paper for practicing.

The more complicated kanji, of which the good captain gave some examples above, only need to be tackled if you're especially interested or plan to learn some of the language.

[CaptOblivious]

Thanks, Tenorikuma. Let me add that I learned both sets of kana in four weeks using only homemade flashcards—you don't need anything fancy!

Also, many model railroading terms are loan words from English, which are spelled out in katakana; knowing this set will be of huge help reading instruction sheets!

[Shashinka]

iknow.co.jp

[Tenorikuma]

Thanks, Tenorikuma. Let me add that I learned both sets of kana in four weeks using only homemade flashcards—you don't need anything fancy!

Nope, if you're a flashcard learner, a set of homemade flashcards will do dandy.

Also, many model railroading terms are loan words from English, which are spelled out in katakana; knowing this set will be of huge help reading instruction sheets!

Yes indeed, although there are a few faux amis to watch out for. For example, ローカル which you see on several train station kits and in Japanese modelling magazines comes from English "local" but actually means "rural" in a train context. (Whereas a local or non-express train is called 普通 futsuu, meaning "regular".)

[CaptOblivious]

Yes indeed, although there are a few faux amis to watch out for. For example, ローカル which you see on several train station kits and in Japanese modelling magazines comes from English "local" but actually means "rural" in a train context. (Whereas a local or non-express train is called 普通 futsuu, meaning "regular".)

Good point; also シール ("seal") for "decal" or "sticker" is one it took me a good while to work out.

[scott]

Cool--I just searched for "kumoha" (in katakana) in Flickr and got 25 good hits.

Am I right in thinking that katakana should be used for Japanese terms, including these train "codes", and hiragana is mostly/only for foreign terms?

[Shashinka]

Cool--I just searched for "kumoha" (in katakana) in Flickr and got 25 good hits.

Am I right in thinking that katakana should be used for Japanese terms, including these train "codes", and hiragana is mostly/only for foreign terms?

I think that's backwards, Scott. Katakana is for foreign words and hiragana for Japanese words. Katakana serves to translate the gairaigo.  

Unrelated note, gairaigo girls still creep me out.

[scott]

オオps！テャンksフォrセッチgんメstライght。

I mean, oops! Thanks for setting me straight.

Odd then that katakana is used for kuha, kumoha, etc.

So--gairaigo girls are foreign girls who only *look* Japanese?

[Shashinka]

Those are the girls who tan themselves real dark and bleach their hair blond. It's a real weird subculture in my opinion makes the Gothic Lolita and baby doll thing look normal in comparison. I could go in to more detail but... it's a pretty scary topic.

BTW: This topic just made me notice, my Language Bar in windows is gone. It's how I type in Japanese when I'm in Word or IE. (Stupid Firefox and Thunderbird won't talk to my Japanese JIS fonts right)

[Tenorikuma]

Katakana is used for anything symbolic, scientific, foreign, emphatic, or otherwise unusual. It's sort of like italics and capitals in English, which is why it gets used for serial and model numbers.

[scott]

OK....thanks!