Japanese For Dummies - Softcover

The fast and easy way to learn to speak Japanese

Want to feel comfortable with conversational Japanese? Then this hands-on, friendly guide is the book for you. It's filled with the essential grammar, vocabulary, verb conjugations, and pronunciations you need to know to start speaking like a native.

• Japanese 101 — learn to recite the alphabet; pronounce words and phrases; and meet, greet, and exchange pleasantries with other Japanese speakers
• It's as easy as ichi, ni, san (1, 2, 3) — hone your small-talk skills and discover how to ask for directions, order food, and more
• Happy trails — take your Japanese on the road and find out how to plan a trip, make arrangements for a place to stay, discuss transportation, and handle emergencies while you're away
• Take care of business — grasp the essential Japanese language skills you need to talk on the phone and perform everyday tasks at the office

Audio CD Includes

35 real-life conversations that reinforce lessons from the book

Japanese pronunciation, pitch, and intonation guide

Please see CD appendix for details.

Open the book and find:

• How to pronounce Japanese sounds
• Common words and phrases in Japanese scripts
• Japanese grammar basics
• A guide to addressing others respectfully
• Information on numbers, time, and measurements
• Pointers for describing everyday activities in Japanese
• Fun exercises to help you practice your Japanese skills
• Expanded Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionaries

Learn to:

• Speak conversational Japanese with ease
• Master basic grammar, verb conjugations, vocabulary, and pronunciations
• Identify kana and kanji

CD includes real-life conversations by native speakers

Eriko Sato, PhD, is Director of the Teacher Certification Program for Japanese and the Pre-College Japanese Language Program at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.