Learn How to Say I Love You in Japanese

One of the most popular phrases in any language is probably I love you. There are many ways to say, I love you, in Japanese, but the expression has slightly different cultural meanings than it does in Western nations like the U.S.   In Kansai-ben, a regional dialect spoken in south-central Japan, the phrase suki  yanen is used for I love you. This colloquial phrase has become so popular that its even used as the name of an instant noodle soup. Saying I Love You In Japanese, the word love is ai, which is written like this: æ„›. The verb to love is aisuru (愛㠁™ã‚‹). A literal translation of the phrase I love you in Japanese would be aishite imasu. Written out, it would look like this: 愛㠁â€"㠁 ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£  ¾Ã£ â„¢. In conversation, youre more likely to use the gender-neutral word aishiteru (愛㠁â€"㠁 ¦Ã£â€šâ€¹). If you wanted to express your affection for a man, you would say, aishiteru yo (愛㠁â€"㠁 ¦Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£â€šË†). If you wanted to say the same thing to a woman, youd say, aishiteru wa (愛㠁â€"㠁 ¦Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£â€š ). Yo and wa at the end of a sentence are sentence-ending particles.   Love Versus Like However, the Japanese dont say, I love you, as often as people in the West do, mainly because of cultural differences. Instead, love is expressed by manners or gestures. When the Japanese do put their feelings into words, theyre more likely to use the phrase suki desu (Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã£  Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢), which literally means to like. The gender-neutral phrase suki da (Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã£  Ã£   ), the masculine suki dayo (Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã£  Ã£   Ã£â€šË†), or feminine suki yo (Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã£  Ã£â€šË†) are more colloquial expressions.  If you like somebody or something very much, the word dai (literally, big) can be added as the prefix, and you can say daisuki  desu (Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã£  Ã£  §Ã£ â„¢). Variations on I Love You in Japanese There are many variations on this phrase, including regional dialects or hogen. If you were in the south-central part of Japan surrounding the city of Osaka, for example, youd probably be speaking in Kansai-ben, the regional dialect. In Kansai-ben, you would use the phrase suki yanen (written as Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã£  Ã£â€šâ€žÃ£  ­Ã£â€šâ€œ) to say, I love you, in Japanese. This colloquial phrase has become so popular in Japan that its even used as the name of an instant noodle soup. Another word to describe love is koi (æ â€¹). The primary difference between using the word koi instead of ai is that the former is typically used to express romantic love for one person, while the latter is a more general form of love. However, the differences can be subtle, and there are many more ways to say I love you in Japanese if you want to be particularly eloquent.

ESL Phrases for Performing Well in Business Meetings

One of the most common requirements of business English is holding meetings in English. The following sections provide useful language and phrases for conducting meetings and making contributions to a meeting. Conducting a Meeting These phrases are useful if you need to run  a meeting. Opening Good morning/afternoon, everyone.If we are all here, lets get started / start the meeting / start. Welcoming and Introducing Please join me in welcoming (name of participant)Were pleased to welcome (name of participant)Id like to extend a warm welcome to (name of participant)Its a pleasure to welcome (name of participant)Id like to introduce (name of participant) Stating the Principal Objectives Were here today to ...Id like to make sure that we ...Our main aim today is to ...Ive called this meeting in order to ... Giving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent Im afraid.., (name of participant) cant be with us today. She is in...Unfortunately, (name of participant) ... will not be with us to day because he ...I have received apologies for absence from (name of participant), who is in (place). Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last Meeting To begin with Id like to quickly go through the minutes of our last meeting.First, lets go over the report from the last meeting, which was held on (date)Here are the minutes from our last meeting, which was on (date) Dealing with Recent Developments Jack, can you tell us how the XYZ project is progressing?Jack, how is the XYZ project coming along?John, have you completed the report on the new accounting package?Has everyone received a copy of the Tate Foundation report on current marketing trends? Moving Forward So, if there is nothing else we need to discuss, lets move on to todays agenda.Shall we get down to business?Is there Any Other Business?If there are no further developments, Id like to move on to todays topic. Introducing the Agenda Have you all received a copy of the agenda?There are X items on the agenda. First, ... second, ... third, ... lastly, ...Shall we take the points in this order?If you dont mind, Id like to go in order today.skip item 1 and move on to item 3I suggest we take item 2 last. Allocating Roles (secretary, participants) (name of participant) has agreed to take the minutes.(name of participant), would you mind  taking the minutes?(name of participant) has kindly agreed to give us a report on ...(name of participant) will lead point 1, (name of participant) point 2, and (name of participant) point 3.(name of participant), would you mind taking notes today? Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.) We will first hear a short report on each point first, followed by a discussion of ...I suggest we go round the table first.Lets make sure we finish by ...Id suggest we ...There will be five minutes for each item.Well have to keep each item to 15 minutes. Otherwise well never get through. Introducing the First Item on the Agenda So, lets start with ...Id suggest we start with...Why dont we start with...So, the first item on the agenda isPete, would you like to kick off?Shall we start with ...(name of participant), would you like to introduce this item? Closing an Item I think that takes care of the first item.Shall we leave that item?Why dont we move on to...If nobody has anything else to add, lets ... Next Item Lets move onto the next itemNow that weve discussed X, lets now ...The next item on todays agenda is...Now we come to the question of. Giving Control to the Next Participant Id like to hand over to (name of participant), who is going to lead the next point.Next, (name of participant) is going to take us through ...Now, Id like to introduce (name of participant) who is going to ... Summarizing Before we close todays meeting, let me just summarize the main points.Let me quickly go over todays main points.To sum up, ...,.OK, why dont we quickly summarize what weve done today.In brief, ...Shall I go over the main points? Keeping the Meeting On Target (time, relevance, decisions) Were running short of time.Well, that seems to be all the time we have today.Please be brief.Im afraid weve run out of time.Im afraid thats outside the scope of this meeting.Lets get back on track, why dont we?Thats not really why were here today.Why dont we return to the main focus of todays meeting.Well have to leave that to another time.Were beginning to lose sight of the main point.Keep to the point, please.I think wed better leave that for another meeting.Are we ready to make a decision? Finishing Up Right, it looks as though weve covered the main items.If there are no other comments, Id like to wrap this meeting up.Lets bring this to a close for today.Is there Any Other Business? Suggesting and Agreeing on Time, Date and Place for the Next Meeting Can we set the date for the next meeting, please?So, the next meeting will be on ... (day), the . . . (date) of.. . (month) at ...Lets next meet on ... (day), the . . . (date) of.. . (month) at ... What about the following Wednesday? How is that? Thanking Participants for Attending Id like to thank Marianne and Jeremy for coming over from London.Thank you all for attending.Thanks for your participation. Closing the Meeting The meeting is finished, well see each other next ...The meeting is closed.I declare the meeting closed. Meeting Participation Vocabulary The following phrases are used to participate in a meeting. These phrases are useful for expressing your ideas and giving input during  a meeting. Getting the Chairpersons Attention (Mister/Madam) chairman.May I have a word?If I may, I think...Excuse me for interrupting.May I come in here? Giving Opinions Im positive that...I (really) feel that...In my opinion...The way I see things...If you ask me,... I tend to think that... Asking for Opinions Are you positive that...Do you (really) think that...(name of participant) can we get your input?How do you feel about...? Commenting Thats interesting.I never thought about it that way before.Good point!I get your point.I see what you mean. Agreeing I totally agree with you.Exactly!Thats (exactly) the way I feel.I have to agree with (name of participant). Disagreeing Unfortunately, I see it differently.Up to a point I agree with you, but...(Im afraid) I cant agree Advising and Suggesting Lets...We should...Why dont you....How/What about...I suggest/recommend that... Clarifying Let me spell out...Have I made that clear?Do you see what Im getting at?Let me put this another way...Id just like to repeat that... Requesting Information Please, could you...Id like you to...Would you mind...I wonder if you could... Asking for Repetition Im afraid I didnt understand that. Could you repeat what you just said?I didnt catch that. Could you repeat that, please?I missed that. Could you say it again, please?Could you run that by me one more time? Asking for Clarification I dont quite follow you. What exactly do you mean?Im afraid I dont quite understand what your are getting at.Could you explain to me how that is going to work?I dont see what you mean. Could we have some more details, please? Asking for Verification You did say next week, didnt you? (did is stressed)Do you mean that...?Is it true that...? Asking for Spelling Could you spell that, please?Would you mind spelling that for me, please? Asking for Contributions We havent heard from you yet, (name of participant).What do you think about this proposal?Would you like to add anything, (name of participant)?Has anyone else got anything to contribute?Are there any more comments? Correcting Information Sorry, I think you misunderstood what I said.Sorry, thats not quite right.Im afraid you dont understand what Im saying.Thats not quite what I had in mind.Thats not what I meant. Meeting Format Meetings generally follow a more or less similar structure and can be divided into the following parts: I - Introductions Opening the MeetingWelcoming and Introducing ParticipantsStating the Principal Objectives of a MeetingGiving Apologies for Someone Who is Absent II - Reviewing Past Business Reading the Minutes (notes) of the Last MeetingDealing with Recent Developments III - Beginning the Meeting Introducing the AgendaAllocating Roles (secretary, participants)Agreeing on the Ground Rules for the Meeting (contributions, timing, decision-making, etc.) IV - Discussing Items Introducing the First Item on the AgendaClosing an ItemNext ItemGiving Control to the Next Participant V - Finishing the Meeting SummarizingFinishing UpSuggesting and Agreeing  on Time, Date and Place for the Next MeetingThanking Participants for AttendingClosing the Meeting

Nick Hornby a Long Way Down Free Essays

His first book Fever Pitch was released in 1992. It’s an autobiographical story about his fanatical support for Arsenal Football Club. High Fidelity — his second book and first novel — was published in 1995. We will write a custom essay sample on Nick Hornby: a Long Way Down or any similar topic only for you Order Now The novel was adapted into a film in 2000 and a Broadway musical in 2006. For his second novel About a Boy (1998) Hornby received the E. M. Forster Award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult starred in the 2002 film version. A Long Way Down was published in 2005 in the UK. The book received mixed reviews from critics. Johnny Depp bought the rights to the book before it was even published and has since hired writer D. V. DeVincentis, who previously wrote the script for the film High Fidelity, to write the screenplay. The story takes place in London sometime these days. Martin Sharp – Martin Sharp is a former celebrity. We don’t know his exact age but he is in his 40-s. Martin’s life was perfect: he had a wife and two little daughters, a well-paid job and was successful. He was host of a famous show but Martin made the mistake of sleeping with a 15 years old girl, for which he spent three months in prison. This made him even more popular as his case was stripped in the yellow press. When he is released from prison he discovers that his marriage is ruined. From that point he works for a cable TV channel with low popularity and has an affair with Penny, his former colleague. He does not make an effort to see his daughters or to clarify the tense situation with his wife. He’s very unhappy about his situation and feels that he has â€Å"pissed his life away† and that’s why he wants to end his life. Maureen – Maureen is a 51-year-old single mother of a disabled son named Matty. Her whole life is turning around Matty. She believes that it is her cross she must bear for her mistake (Matty was born out of wedlock). She has led a completely closed-in life for two decades raising him. Before she got Matty she was employed and outgoing. This has changed because she has to care for Matty the whole day. She has no freedom and free time except the services at church she attends every Sunday. She wants to get rid of her problems, which seems impossible to her. That is why she wants to commit suicide. Jess Crichton – Jess is an eighteen-year-old girl. She does not have real friends. Jess is a person who pisses people off very quickly with her direct and rude character because she says everything that comes to her mind. Jess’s father is a local politician and the family is completed by her mother. Her sister Jen, who is really important to her, left the family a few years ago and is thought to have committed suicide. The whole family, especially the mother and Jess, are still very upset about it. She wants to commit suicide by jumping from the tower block because of her family problems and losing her ex-boyfriend though it’s also slightly impulsive. JJ – JJ is an American who came to London with his girlfriend Lizzy. He used to play in a band called â€Å"Big Yellow† and toured across the whole UK. For Lizzy he gave up his dream of becoming a rock star, the band broke up and Lizzy dumped him. Now he earns money by delivering pizza, a fact that he is really unhappy with. He compares his own ambition for suicide with the ambitions of well-known musicians These four strangers happen to meet on the roof of a high building called Topper’s House in London on New Year’s Eve, each with the intent of committing suicide. Their plans for death in solitude, however, are ruined when they meet. After telling their individual stories to the others, they decide to hold off on jumping and to protect themselves. Thus a group of four unfortunate and very individual people forms. Jess’ condition not to jump is that they help her to find her ex-boyfriend Chas. So they take a taxi and drive to the party they suppose Chas to be at. After finding and talking to Chas they decide to go to Martin’s place where they find Penny, who has obviously been crying. After this event the press begins to chase them. The newspapers claim that Martin has slept with Jess and that they concluded a suicidal-pact. Jess suggests that they can try to profit from the suicidal-report in the newspaper. Jess tells a reporter that they saw an angel that looked like Matt Damon, who saved them from jumping. Because of this silly lie their lives get worse. They go on vacation together and then plan next meeting for Saint Valentine’s Day. They meet at 8 o’clock on the roof of Topper’s House on Saint Valentine’s Day. While they have a conversation, they detect a young man who is planning to jump from the roof. They try to stop him from committing suicide but he jumps. They are really taken aback. They decide to go home and to meet the following afternoon. Martin tells them about a newspaper article he read according to which people who want to commit suicide need 90 days to overcome their ambition. So they decide to wait with their decision until the 31st of March. A lot of event happens during these three months. Things improve a bit. Maureen, JJ and Martin have new jobs now. Martin teaches pupils and wants to start a new life, JJ is a busker and is happy to make music again and Maureen works in a newspaper-store. Jess’s relationships with her family come to normal. The ninety days have passed and they meet in front of the Topper’s House again. They decide to go on the roof. On top, while watching the London Eye they realize that their lives are not so bad. They decide to wait with killing themselves for another six months. The book is divided into 3 big parts. And every big part consists of many small ones, each is written in the first-person narration from the points of view of each character. The language differs significantly from one character to another. Jess and JJ use a lot of slang, rude words. It’s interesting to compare British and American languages, thus JJ is an American. Though this is a book about four suicidal people, it is written in rather humorous and witty way. There are a number of laugh-out-loud passages, but also moments of real heartbreak (scenes with Maureen and her son, the suicide of a young man) Ideas Jess, Martin, and Maureen can be seen to represent Freud’s concepts of the Id, Ego, and Superego. The person’s change and development, overcoming difficulties and love for life are the main ideas of the book. Though the changes in the characters appear slight, Hornby shows that such changes are often the ones that lead to real progress in the right direction How to cite Nick Hornby: a Long Way Down, Papers