I have just completed my course, and I have a few questions that just do not seem to add up here and there, so I am hoping for some help, some clarification.
Watashi wa senshuu kara nihongo wo manabi hajimemashita = I started learning Japanese last week. Two questions for this one, Manabí, why is this different to Benkyou shiteimasu and Kara, I know this means from, so why is it here but not acknowledged. Should it not read, I started learning Japanes from last week.
Watashi wa ikkagetsukan nihon wo benkyou shiteimasu = I have been studying Japanese for one month. Not much to say here, except ikkagetsukan, I expected it to read ichi kagetsu, because I know ichi is one and kagetsu is month, so I am guessing ikkagetsu worsk similar to hutsuka/futsuka, it is its own word, rather than two separate put together. Kan, is for a bit later.
Watashi wa nikagetsu mae ni amerika ni ikimashita = I came to America two months ago…
Watashi wa rokushuukan mae ni nihon ni kimashita = I came to japan six weeks ago…
Ok, main question here, and it trips me up quite a few times, when I review these, above, I some times forget to add Kan. So, why is Kan added to 2 of the sentences that I have used as examples. I understand kan is used to measure time, and all the sentences are about time, what is the trick to add or not use Kan here, so I can stop falling in to this trick.
Om one last question, it has stumped me for a few days now, Tanoshii toki wo motsu = To have fun. Motsu, why is this here, in a previous course I know this as, to hold. I can not see how it fits in this sentence. Tanoshii is fun, I am guessing toki wo is have, or had. Motsu, yeah, that one is a mystery.
I’m still learning myself, but I think I can help with these.
Watashi wa senshuu kara nihongo wo manabi hajimemashita
I’ve thought of manabi and benkyou as synonyms, but with manabi being a bit more serious study. (Which I just get from the Jisho.org definitions of benkyou = “study” and manabu = “To study (in depth), to learn, to take lessons in.”)
As for the “kara”, the literal translation would be “I started learning Japanese from last week” like you said, but it just seems like they translated it to sound smoother in English, like most translators do.
Watashi wa ikkagetsukan nihon wo benkyou shiteimasu
Like you said, you should think of ikkagetsu as its own word. Numbers in Japanese are definitely tricky, and even natives have some trouble using all of the counters right. You should memorize the words for numbers of things individually rather than trying to follow a set of rules, because number pronunciations seem to change everywhere.
And the “kan” does mark a span of time. Ikkagetsu means “one month” and ikkagetsukan means “span of one month” but just looking at the translations, you couldn’t tell them apart because it doesn’t come across well in English.
Watashi wa nikagetsu mae ni amerika ni ikimashita
I think this should be translated as “I went to America two months ago” instead of "I came to"
This is saying that two months prior, an event happened.
Watashi wa rokushuukan mae ni hihon ni kimashita = I came to Japan six weeks ago
But this sentence is saying that “I came to Japan and have been here for the span of six months.”
Tanoshii toki wo motsu
This is just another meaning of the word motsu. It can mean to hold or to have/own.
Hopefully I got that stuff right. But again, I’m not an expert.
Sounds good to me, thank you for the reply.
Not completely sure what I did there, but yes, it is I went to America two months ago, nicely pointed out.
And, I suppose I should have looked up Motsu on the internet, but I got my answer. Cheers 