9 comments

1. Does anyone here have experience with the use of the Cold Character Reading (CCR) technique for learning Kanji?

2. As promised, the answer from yesterday’s question:

   ——

   あの人は何かを○より人にさせる方が得意なんですよ。

   1) させる 2) させられる 3) される

   >!2!<

   /u/Scylithe does bring up a good question though. Here’s my reply:

   >!I am unsure if 3 is merely just contextually wrong or completely grammatically wrong. If you boil down the so called suffering passive to its base components in an example, I’d expect the person doing things to be marked with に rather than just a plain は、 like 妹に（は）ケーキを食べられた . I am unsure of the grammaticality of something like 妹はケーキを食べられた used to mean the same thing as “妹にはケーキを食べられた” even with sufficient context. I would interpret that sentence as the sister being the victim, and I don’t think even context could force the opposite meaning. However, は does have a habit of swallowing up particles willy-nilly so I wouldn’t be surprised to find out I’m wrong.!<

3. For listening practice, should one definitely try things like NHK easy in audio form and little kids books, or is there any benefits (as a beginner ) in listening to someone speaking quickly, and just trying to decipher meaning from it piece by piece. This YouTube video is a reference of what I consider someone speaking too fast for a beginner to properly grasp. Is there merit in it though or should one always definitely stick to baby steps?

   https://youtu.be/5PZIsmAQUuI?si=UZQAGSQmRdyA_Mep

   Thank you for reading.

4. This is mostly a venting post, but I’ve been studying casually for about three years, and in a burst of inspiration a few months ago I signed myself up for the N4 this December.

   I’m about halfway through the Genki II and workbook and level 10 on WK (after a bunch of time on Anki as well). From what I’ve read online the N4 is passable after completing Genki II and ~level 16 on WK so reaching those milestones by the start of November was my goal.

   The approaching test did motivate me for a few weeks, but I’ve just attempted my first mock exam and I couldn’t make heads or tails of a majority of the questions. It was a pretty upsetting realization.

   I have 80-something days left and I’m not sure I want to spent it grinding for a goal I’m not sure I can reach. Anyway, feeling pretty down about the whole situation. Wondering if anyone else has been in a similar spot and what they ended up doing.

5. A question about Bunpro! 
   Are all the examples recorded by natives?
   I’ve just started the free trial and the examples read by the male spaeker for N4 ~やすい ~にくい grammar sound like a foreign voice to me. Am I wrong?

6. Any good material for learning keigo? Since I came to Japan I’ve been havimg hard times talking at stores/restaurants/etc. because I can’t catch up with what they talk about in keigo. 

7. Geez, when did the JLPT become so expensive in the US?

8. From Kokoro ch. 25:

   > 今まで大きな問題を空に描いて、骨組みだけはほぼでき上っているくらいに考えていた私は、頭を抑えて悩み始めた。

   The context is that the narrator is trying to finish his (bachelor’s?) thesis for graduation. What does 頭を抑えて mean here?

9. > 「先生はなぜ元のように書物に興味をもち得ないんですか」
   >
   >「なぜという訳もありませんが。……つまりいくら本を読んでもそれほどえらくならないと思うせいでしょう。それから……」
   >
   >「それから、まだあるんですか」
   >
   >「まだあるというほどの理由でもないが、以前はね、人の前へ出たり、人に聞かれたりして知らないと恥のようにきまりが悪かったものだが、近頃は知らないという事が、それほどの恥でないように見え出したものだから、つい無理にも本を読んでみようという元気が出なくなったのでしょう。まあ早くいえば老い込んだのです」

   How まだあるというほどの理由でもないが is understood? I am not sure about the meaning of 理由 here.