Uniqueness of Japanese

Compiled by:
Farhan Azhar Destiawan (0304181008)

Lecturer: Dr. Solihatul Hamidah daulay, S.Ag,

M.Hum.

English Education Department

Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teaching Training
Islamic State University of North Sumatera
2020/2021
 FOREWORD
First of all, I grateful because Allah swt allow me to make this assignment.
With his effort and his might, we can made this assignment with the title
Uniqueness of Japanese.
If I have a mistake in my assignment, please forgive me. Because, as a
human-being, we still have a mistake in many aspects.

Sincerely

Writer

i
 CONTENS

Foreword………………………………………………………………i
Contents…………………………………………………………...….ii
Chapter I Introduction............................................................................1
A. Background of Paper............................................................................................1
B. Problem Formulation...........................................................................................1
Chapter II The Uniqueness of Japanese……………………………….2
A. Short History of Japanese…………………………...…………………………..2
B. Unique Aspects of Japanese…………………...………………………………..2
Chapter III Closing…………………………………………..……...…9
A. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...…9
B. Suggestion………………………………………………………………………9
References…………………………………………..……………….10

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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of Paper
Commonly, Japanese known from the pop culture of Japan itself. Like J-
pop, drama, anime, tokusatsu, and game. But where was originally Japanese come
from? How Japanese people can communicate each other? Our curiosity with those
questions will be answered with this paper

B. Problem Formulation
1. Where was the Japanese come from?
2. What is the uniqueness of Japanese?
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CHAPTER II
The Uniqueness of Japanese
A. Short History of Japanese
Originally, Japanese was adopted from Chinese alphabet at 711 AD and that
record of that adaptation has written in a book titled Kojiki and written by Oho no
Amiyasumaro in Wadou era. Kojiki itself had three different volumes. Each volume
had three different topics such as:
1. Kamitsumaki, developed a story related to some Gods called Kami of
Japanese religion.
2. Nakatsumaki, developed a story related to 1st emperor of Japan, Emperor
Jimmu until 15th emperor of Japan, Emperor Oujin.
3. Shimotsumaki, developed a story related to 16th emperor of Japan, Emperor
Nintoku until 33th emperor, Emperor Suiko1.
At 804 AD, a Buddhist named Kuukai traveled to China and borrowed a
new religion called Zen Buddhism. Not just borrowed a new religion, Kuukai also
modified a Japanese alphabet and divided it into two types; hiragana and katakana
which still being used by Japanese people until now2.

B. Unique Aspects of Japanese

1. The Shape of Letter
a. Hiragana and Katakana
These types of letter are the original letter from Japanese literature. As
explained before, hiragana and katakana introduced firstly by Kuukai at 804. The
usages of hiragana and katakana are completely different.
Hiragana is used to develop an original vocabulary of Japanese and explain
how to read some kanjis in correct order. Meanwhile, katakana is used to develop
a foreign vocabulary (commonly English) and adopt those foreign vocabulary into
Japanese pronunciation. For further explanation:

1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh5LY4Mz15o&ab_channel=billwurtz minute 1.31
2
Ibid minute 1.39
3
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The left is how to use hiragana and the order to read it and the left is katakana
and the order to read it3. For further explanation, let’s see these examples:
1) As explained before, hiragana used for develop the usage of kanji and the
original Japanese vocabulary. The usage for explain kanji such as:
か
a) 書く kaku means to write, to draw

はし
b)走る hashiru means to run

し
c) 死ぬ shinu means death

When has a function for kanji explanator, the name of hiragana changed into
furigana. This function commonly used in childish book which the readers
are the children who can’t read kanji correctly.
2) As explained before, katakana used for develop the foreign vocabulary
which adopted in Japanese. When transformed into Japanese vocabulary,
the pronunciation of those vocabulary completely changed. For the
examples:

a) アウト auto, originally “out” in English

b) レストラン resutoran, originally restaurant in English

c) レンタル rentaru, originally “rental” in English

b. Kanji
As explained before, Japanese letter is originally adopted from Chinese
letter. But it just occurred just in kanji. Moreover, some of Japanese kanjis have
similar meaning to Chinese letter even some Chinese letters have same meanings
with Japanese kanji. These are some examples related to that incident:

3
Obenkyou app, from PlayStoreTM
 5

1) 牛 in Chinese read by “niu,” meanwhile in Japanese it read by “ushi.”

Means cow.

2) 年 in Chinese read by “nian,” meanwhile in Japanese read by “toshi.”

Means year.

3) 子 in Chinese read by “zi,” meanwhile in Japanese read by “ko.” Means

child.

4) 死 in Chinese read by “si,” meanwhile in Japanese read by “shi.” Means

dead.

5) 車 in Chinese read by “chee,” meanwhile in Japanese read by “kuruma.”

Means car.

2. The Formal and Informal Sentence

In speaking, Japanese language can divided into two types; keishiki-kei for
formal situation and futsuu-kei in informal situation. Keishki-kei also has two sub-
division; sonkei-go which used when we respect the older people and kenjo-go
which used by the servants of rich people and very formal situation.

a. Keishiki-kei
The main identity of this type is when the verb of the sentence from
dictionary or Jisho-kei changed into masu-kei and if there is no verb at the end of
the sentence, the end of the kesihiki-kei end by “desu” and “gozaimasu” if that is
kenjo-go sentence. In Japanese, the past and present continuous verb also existed.
But in keishiki-kei, in end of the past word masu changed by mashita. In present
continuous one, the original verb changed into te-kei and add imasu at the end of
sentence. Te-kei is also used to ask someone to do something for asking something,
the end of sentence added by “kudasai.” If the sentence has an adjective, the end of
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sentence is desu if that is present and deshita if that is past. When asking a question,
there is a Japanese particle; “ka.” For the examples:
え か
a) わたし は 絵 を 書きます

Watashi wa e wo kakimasu
Means I draw a picture
え か
b) わたし は 絵 を 書きました

Watashi wa e wo kakimashita
Means I drew a picture
え か
c) わたし は 絵 を 書いています

Watashi wa e wo kaiteimasu
Means I am drawing a pitcure
え
d) その 絵 を 書いて ください

Sono e wo kaite kudasai

Means please draw that picture
え きれい
e) その 絵 は 綺麗です

Sono e wa kirei desu

Means that picture is beautiful
え きれい
f) その 絵 は 綺麗でした

Sono e wa kirei deshita

Means that picture was beautiful

g) 絵 を 書きますか

E wo kakimasu ka
Means do you draw a picture?
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h) その 絵 は 綺麗ですか

Sono e wa kirei desu ka

Means is that picture beautiful?
For further explanation, let’s see the table below about the modification of
Japanese verb:

Jisho- Masu-kei Te-kei Ta-kei Meaning

kei
Tsukau Tsukaimasu Tsukatte Tsukutta To use
Tatsu Tachimasu Tatte Tatta To stand
Tsukuru Tsukurimasu Tsukutte Tsukutta To make
Yobu Yobimasu Yonde Yonda To call
Yomu Yomimasu Yonde Yonda To read
Shinu Shinimasu Shinde Shinda Deaty
Kaku Kakimasu Kaite Kaita To write, to
draw
Oyogu Oyogimasu Oyoide Oyoida To swim
Hanasu Hanashimasu Hanashite Hanashita To talk
Taberu Tabemasu Tabete

b. Futsuu-kei
The futsuu-kei one or the informal sentence used when the interlocutor has
the same age with us or younger than us. This type of sentence usually used when
the boundaries of Japanese grammar is “disappeared.” When using futsuu-kei, the
verb is back to jisho-kei. When the adjective is the type two, the desu replaced by
“da” then if that past it’s replaced by “datta” and if that is type one, the desu is
completely disappeared. When the sentence has past verb, the verb modified into
ta-kei. When asking a help, the word “kudasai” is disappeared. When asking a
question, the ka replaced by “no.” For the examples:
え か
a) わたし は 絵 を 書く

Watashi wa e wo Kaku
Means I draw a picture
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え か
b) わたし は 絵 を 書いた

Watashi wa e wo kaita
Means I drew a picture
え か
c) わたし は 絵 を 書いている

Watashi wa e wo kaiteiru
Means I am drawing a pitcure
え
d) その 絵 を 書いて

Sono e wo kaite
Means please draw that picture
え きれい
e) その 絵 は 綺麗だ

Sono e wa kirei da
Means that picture is beautiful
え きれい
f) その 絵 は 綺麗だった

Sono e wa kirei datta

Means that picture was beautiful

g) 絵 を 書くの？

E wo kaku no
Means do you draw a picture?

h) その 絵 は 綺麗？

Sono e wa kirei?
Means is that picture beautiful?
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CHAPTER III
Closing
A. Conclusion
Originally, Japanese has brought from Chinese at 711 AD. Some hundred
years later, Japanese Buddhist named Kuukai made a revision from that adaptation
with a new letter named hiragana and katakana which still being used until now.
Some of the uniqueness of Japanese are the Japanese letter; hiragana,
katakana, and kanji which adopted from Chinese. Then, the formal and informal
sentence depending the conversation situation.

B. Suggestion
I need some suggestions because it will be useful as a guidance for another
assignments.
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REFERENCES
Asomiyasumaro, Oho no. 712. Kojiki. Unknwon writing place.
Ajat,S, dkk 2001. Tata Bahasa Jepang Lengkap. Bandung, CV. Pionir Jaya
Corporation, 3A. 1998. Minna no Nihongo I. Surabaya, IMAF Press.
Corporation, 3A. 1998. Minna no Nihongo II. Surabaya, IMAF Press.
Chandra, T 2009. Nihongo Nyumon Bahasa Jepang Untuk Pemula. Jakarta.
Evergreen Japanese Course.
Dahidi, A dan Sudjianto. 2004. Pengantar Linguistik Bahasa Jepang. Jakarta,
Kesaint Blanc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh5LY4Mz15o&ab_channel=billwurtz
Kinsui, Satoshi. 2020. Handbook of Historical Japanese Linguistics. Berlin, De
Gruyer Mouton.
Matsuura, Kenji. 1994. Kamus Jepang- Indonesia. Kyoto, Sangyo University
Press.
Nelson, Andrew. 2001. Kamus Kanji Modern Jepang-Indonesia. Jakarta, Kesaint
Blanc
Sudjianto. 1996. Gramatika Bahasa Jepang Modern Seri A. Jakarta, Kesaint Blanc.
Sudjianto. 2000. Gramatika Bahasa Jepang Modern Seri B. Jakarta, Kesaint Blanc.
Sugihartono. 2001. Nihongo no Joshi Partikel Bahasa Jepang. Jakarta, Humaniora
Utama Prees.