Oh-oh

I liked the book "Vocabolarietto italiano" I wrote about the other day.

Sigh...

I remember I glanced over the book on the train coming back from work.

I got off, bought bread, got on a bus, and took a seat.

Then I realized I did not have the book.

A mystery..

Or may be I was too relaxed...


--To read this post in Japanese, click here. 

A walk in the snow

It is fun to walk in the snow, if it is a short distance.

It has snowed a lot in Tokyo today.

We Japanese say "snow falls" instead of "it snows."

<with formal subject>

English: it snows

Dutch: het sneeuwt

German: es schneit

French: il neige

<without subject>

Spanish: nieva

Italian: nevica

<snow + falls>

Japanese: 雪が降る (yuki ga huru)

Korean: 눈이 내린다

Chinese: 下雪

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

consonant cluster

When I first started to learn English,
I was confused to find that some consonants lie side by side
in a English word without sandwiching a vowel between them.
For example, "s," "p," and "r" lie side by side in "spring."
This scarcely occurs in a Japanese word.

Such a group of consonant sitting side by side is called

"consonant cluster."

They say that Italian language is easy for Japanese people
to pronounce.
I guess one of the reasons is a consonant cluster in an Italian
word is shorter than that in an English word.

In Italian word, sometimes,
a consonant is skipped with staccato rhythm.
And sometimes,

English: n + s + t  (constitution)
Italian: s + t   (costituzione)

English: n + c + t  (instinct)
Italian: n + t   (istinto)

a consonant just disappears without a word.
Sad, though easy...

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert

Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert was conducted by
Mr. Welser-Möst.

First I got an impression of him as an elegant serious type.

In a middle of a tune, he took a stuffed animal from a box and
handed it to a performer who had just played a solo part.
He continued with a goose, an elephant, a viking cap, a wood spoon, etc.
He finished the tune with a chef cap on his head and
a wood spoon in his hand.

It was fun.

Japanese: ぬいぐるみ Nuigurumi

Korean： 봉제　인형 (縫製人形)

English: stuffed toy

Chinese： 充填玩具

French: peluches
"peluche" means plush.

Italian: animali di peluche
animals of plush

German: Kuscheltiere
"kuscheln" means to snuggle.

Dutch: knuffeltje
"knuffelen" means to hug.

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

Italin 5 week boot camp Part 2: Result

I started "Italian 5 week boot camp　Part 2"
on October 29th, with rather relaxed attitude.
Why it took two months for 5 week training ?
Because I took a break for a while.

Although I have not finished two text books,
nor spent 10 hours per week,
which were my targets at first,
I am amazed what during 5 weeks I have made.

I read "Vocabolarietto Italiano" to page 90.
Now I am thinking of reading the entire book (to page 210).
And I am also thinking of taking an exam for a diploma.

In short, I am quite satisfied with the fruits.


--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 35 look-alike

Something Italian language has which English does not is "gender".
There is a wide variety of conjugations of nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

As a result, completely different words sometimes look alike each other.
For example,  like this.

Here is another look-alike:
faccia (face, noun); and
faccia (do, verb, conjunctive, first/second/third person, singular, present form).

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 31 Iron Road

Italian:  "ferrovia"
ferri=iron, via=road

Japanese: 鉄道
鉄=iron, 道=road

Korean: 철도
철=iron , 도=road

Chinese：铁路
铁=iron, 路=road　

French：chemin de fer  
chemin=path, fer = iron

Spanish：ferrocarril
carril=path, (ferro) = iron

German：Eisenbahn
Eisen=iron, Bahn=road

<wallflowers, or going my wayers>

English: railroad

Dutch: spoorweg
spoor=trace, weg=road

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 22: The champion of monsters

Dutch: monster

Of course, it also means "monster"

Italian: campione
Of course, it also means "champion"

Japanese: 見本、試供品、サンプル

English: sample

Well, English and Japanese seem boresome.

Italian time last week：6.5 hours.
Maybe I am too relaxed ?

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 19 At a check out counter in a supermarket Vol. 3

At a check out counter in a supermarket
I realized that I had not brought a discount coupon


Then I suddenly recalled when I was an elementary school pupil,
almost all of the teachers at the school were strongly against the introduction of English language classes for us.


I have totally no idea what made me recall that.


At a check out counter in a supermarket Vol. 2

At a check out counter in a supermarket Vol. 1

Italian time yesterday and today: about one hour each in a train and a bus.

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 17 in a supermarket

When I went to Rome,

in a supermarket in Termini station,

a young man at a check out counter said,

"Annyonhaseyo"  (hello in Korean)

So I said

"Annyonhaseyo, Konnichiwa"

Then he switched to Japanese and started talking.

Well, I was impressed.


Italian time yesterday and today: about  one hour each in a train and a bus.

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 15 poco a poco

Suddenly, I realized I have just three weeks to go
by the end of this year.

So I decided to restart the 5-week Italian boot camp,
poco-a-poco.

Italian time today 1 hour in a train and a bus.

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 14 two weeks in un attimo

(11th Nov 2012)
Japanese:あっという間 "Attoiuma" (instantly)

Doesn't it sound like...

Italian:attimo (moment) ?


Italian time this week 2 hours.
Oh-oh.
Well, I am going to take a break for a while.

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

Crazy pizza

pizza (pizza)

Does't it sound like...

piazza (square)   ?

Does't it sound like...

pazza (crazy) ?


--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

Bitter Love

According to Google translate,

"zucchine amare " (Italian) means

"love zucchini"

lol...

Of course

"amare" means "to love"

though it also means "bitter."


--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 3 : Targets

ITALIAN 5 WEEK BOOT CAMP DAY 3

Here are my targets for next five weeks.

Achieving a level where I can easily read "Cuore"
with parallel translation.
I bought "Cuore" several months ago.
Even with paginal translation, I still do not feel
like to read the book with pleasure.

More specifically, I would like to
(1) complete a text book
(2) complete another text book
(3) read through  2200 basic words
(4) spend 10 h/w for Italian.

Let's see how it is going.

Italian time today 1 hour. .
Italian time yesterday 30 min.
--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

Different ATM

From Linate airport to Milano central station,
I took what Japanese call "limousine," which is actually a shuttle bus.

Usually they sell bus tickets at a kiosk (tabacchi)
But a tabacchi in the airport closed already.

Conveniently, I found an automated ticket-vending machine.
But a man passing by told me that I had to buy a bus ticket directly
from the bus driver and he showed also me the bus to take.
So I went to the bus and offered 5 Euro to the driver.

 The driver did not receive my 5 Euro and explained something passionately.
I caught the word "ATM" and guesed that I had to buy a
ticket at the automated ticket-vending machine.
O.K.
I went back to the vending machine and bought a 5 Euro ticket.

When I came back to the bus with a ticket in my hand,
the driver smiled first But then he waggled his head.
He again explained something passionately to me, pointing a logo "ATM"
on his polo shirt.

I understood.

There are two bus companies running a shuttle bus between the airport and 

the central station,
The man worked for "ATM" but I had bought a ticket of the other company.

Oh Oh. 

OK. he said, and gave me a lift to the station.

Grazie mille !

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.



Brava!

I was shopping in a supermarket in Rome Termini station.
At a check out counter, I took my items from the basket and put them on a conveyor belt.
I tried to put my empty basket on the stack of empty baskets underneath the counter.
But I couldn't make it because the shape of my basket is different from the one on the top of the stack and there was not enough space.

So I just sorted out the stack of basket  re-stacked them, and put my basket on the top of it, successfully.
Done!

Then..

"Brava!"
A cute old woman waiting on the line behind me clapped her hands.
"Brava" is the feminine form of "Bravo."

It is nothing really... I thought for a moment.
But it made me flattered and happy.

"Grazie mille." (Thanks very much)

Oh I love this cheerfulness and friendliness of Italian people.

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

A vest for swimming

I took KLM and found out that they call a life vest "zwemvest."

There is no such thing as a heroic resolution,　but just a vest for swimming.

In other languages,,,

Japanese 救命胴衣　vest for saving life

Chinese　救生衣　cloth for saving life

Korean　구명 조끼　vest for saving life

Italian　　"salvagente"
"Salvare" is "to save."

Spanish　"chaleco salvavidas"　 vest for saving life

French　　"gilet de sauvetage" vest for saving life

Well, then only in Dutch..?

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 35 completed !

ITALIAN 5 WEEK BOOT CAMP DAY 35 completed.

(25 July)
The last week has brought me many to-do’s and passed like a rabbit.

I bought two Italian books though.

(1)  "Vocabolarietto italiano"

I had borrowed this green book at a library.

Then I found one in a bookstore and I thought it is worth having my own.


(2)   Giorgio Vasari "GIOTTO, BRUNELLESCHI"


Italian time in 5th week about 7.5 hour.

Actually, I have not achieved any one of the targets I declared.

Maybe, may plan was too optimistic...

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.

giorno 28 four weeks completed

ITALIAN 5 WEEK BOOT CAMP DAY 28 (yesterday)

Here is What I did this (last) week.

Passive voice, imperative form, gerondif.

There is a dialogue between mamma and her son in a text book.
I felt like.. perhaps, my son thinks I am a snappy mamma.

"Vocabolarietto italiano" (Book)
I have read 27 pages of 220 pages so far.
I am not trying to memorize word by word but keep reading example sentences.
It may be a good way to get used to Italian.

Italian time today: 1.5 hour
Italian time the day before yesterday: 2 h

Italian time this week 12h.  It is a half of the target 25 h/w.

I had a lot to do and was less active in learning.

--To read this post in Japanese, click here.