Spanish and English are similar enough in their punctuation that a beginner might look at something in Spanish and not notice anything unusual except for a few upside-down question marks or exclamation points. However, there are a few differences, some of them subtle, in the way the two languages are punctuated. As already mentioned, the most common difference is the use of inverted question marks and exclamation points, a feature that is almost unique to Spanish. (Galician, a minority language of Spain and Portugal, also uses them.) The inverted punctuation is used at the beginning of questions and exclamations. They should be used within a sentence if only part of the sentence contains the question or exclamation.

• ¡Qué sorpresa! (What a surprise!)
• ¿Quieres ir? (Do you want to go?)
• Vas al supermercado, ¿no? (You're going to the supermarket, aren't you?)
• No va ¡maldito sea! (He's not going, darn it!)

Another difference you're likely to see often is the use of a dash — such as the ones separating this clause from the rest of the sentence — to indicate the beginning of dialogue. The dash is also used to end dialogue within a paragraph or to indicate a change in speaker, although none is needed at the end of dialogue if the end comes at the end of a paragraph. It isn't necessary to start a new paragraph with a change in speaker as is customary in English. These dashes are used by most writers instead of quotation marks, although the use of quotation marks isn't uncommon. Less common still is the use of angular quotation marks, which find more use in Spain than Latin America.

• —¿Vas al supermercado?— la preguntó. —No sé. ("Are you going to the store?" he asked her. ¶"I don't know.")

A third difference you'll see in writing from Spanish-speaking countries is that comma and period usage in numbers is reversed from what it is in English; in other words, Spanish uses a decimal comma. For example, 12,345.67 in English becomes 12.345,67 in Spanish, and $89.10 becomes $89,10. Publications in Mexico and Puerto Rico, however, generally use the same number style as is used in the United States.

Other less common or less significant differences in punctuation between Spanish and English are detailed in a more advanced lesson on punctuation.

Spanish uses significantly fewer capital letters than does English. Whenever Spanish capitalizes a word, the corresponding word in English is capitalized, but the opposite is far from true. There are numerous instances where English capitalizes that Spanish does not.

What Spanish does capitalize are proper names for people, places, newspapers and magazines; abbreviations of personal titles such as Dr., the equivalent of the English "Dr.," and Sr., the equivalent of "Mr."; and the first word in the titles of books, plays, movies and similar works.
Here are the most common cases where English capitalizes that Spanish does not:

 Calendar: Names of the days of the week and months of the year use lower-case letters. Hoy es martes. (Today is Tuesday.) México celebra su independencia el 16 de septiembre. (Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16.)

Composition titles: In formal written Spanish, titles of movies, books, plays and similar works capitalize only the first word and proper nouns. La guerra de las galaxias ("Star Wars"), Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal ("Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone") Note: In informal written Spanish, and on book covers and movie posters, it is not unusual to see such composition titles capitalized as in English.

Personal titles: Introductory titles are not capitalized, although common abbreviations of them (such as Sr. for señor, Dr. for doctor, D. for don and Srta. for señorita) are. ¿Conoces a la señora Wilson? (Do you know Mrs. Wilson?) ¿Conoces a la Sra. Wilson? (Do you know Mrs. Wilson?) La reina Victoria fue mi abuela. (Queen Victoria was my grandmother.)

Religions: Names of religions and their adherents aren't capitalized. Mi madre es católica. (My mother is Catholic.) Estudio el cristianismo. (I'm studying Christianity.)
Ordinal numbers: When an ordinal number is used after a name, it isn't capitalized. Luis catorce (Luis the Fourteenth), Carlos octavo (Charles the Eighth)

Place names: Although the given name of rivers, lakes, mountains and other geographic features are capitalized, the place identifier is not. No vimos el río Amazonas. (We didn't see the Amazon River.) Vivimos cerca de la montaña Rainier. (We live near Mount Rainier.)

Nationality: Although names of countries and cities are capitalized, words derived from them are not. Soy inglés. (I'm English.) Prefiero los cocos puertorriqueños. (I prefer the Puerto Rican coconuts.)


Languages: Names of languages aren't capitalized. Hablo inglés. (I speak English.) Quiero estudiar alemán. (I want to study German.)

One reason many people pick Spanish as their choice for a foreign language is because they've heard that it's easy to learn its pronunciation. Indeed that's the case — even though some of the sounds can be difficult for foreigners to master. Its relative ease in pronunciation stems from the phonetic nature of Spanish: By knowing the spelling of a word, you can almost always know how it's pronounced. The biggest exception is recent words of foreign origin, and it that case you have a head start if you know English, because most of the words in this category - words such as camping, tweet and sport (yes, those are Spanish words) — come from English.
The key, then, to learning Spanish spelling is to learn how each letter is pronounced. You can find guides to each of the letters on the following pages:

• Pronouncing the vowels: A, E, I, O, U, Y
• Pronouncing the easy consonants (ones pronounced roughly like they are in English): CH, F, K, M, P, Q, S, T, W, Y
• Pronouncing the difficult consonants (ones pronounced differently than in English): B, C, D, G, H, J, L, LL, N, Ñ, R, RR, V, X, Z

Here are some general principles of Spanish pronunciation that you may find helpful:

• The vowel sounds of Spanish are usually purer than those of English. Although the vowel sounds of English can be indistinct - the "a" of "about" sounds much like the "e" of "broken," for example - that isn't the case in Spanish.
• It is very common for words of sounds to blend together, especially when a word ends in the same latter that begins the next word. For example, helado (ice cream) and el lado are pronounced identically. This process is known as elision.
• Sounds of consonants tend to be softer or less explosive than they are in English. One notable example is the sound of the h, which has become so softened over the centuries that it is become silent in modern speech.
• The rules of which syllable is stressed is clear and ambiguous in Spanish. If a word has a nonstandard stress, an orthographic accent can be placed over a vowel to indicate the correct stress.

Unfortunately, although you can tell how a word is pronounced by its spelling, the reverse isn't always so. In fact, native Spanish speakers are often poor spellers. That's because Spanish has a fair number of homophones, words that are spelled differently but pronounced alike.

The list below shows most of the everyday Spanish abbreviations. Most of those listed here are common in both formal and informal Spanish.

Unlike in English, where most abbreviations are capitalized, many Spanish abbreviations are not. Generally, abbreviations that are capitalized are personal titles (such as Sr. and Dr.) and those derived from proper nouns. But there are exceptions.

This list is far from complete; Spanish has hundreds of abbreviations. Among those not listed here are those that are common in only one country, including acronyms for government agencies such as JUJEM for Junta de Jefes del Estado Mayor, the Spanish Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Note also that, as in English, some abbreviations are used with or without periods varying with the style of writer or publication. The points of the compass usually aren't abbreviated in running text.
This list shows the Spanish abbreviation in boldface, the Spanish meaning and the corresponding English abbreviation or translation.

• a.C., a. de J.C., a.J.C., a. de J.C. — antes de Cristo, antes de Jesucristo — B.C. (before Christ), BCE (before Common Era)
• a.m. — antes del mediodía — a.m. (before noon)
• apdo. — apartado postal — P.O. Box
• aprox. — aproximadamente — approximately
• Av., Avda. — avenida — Ave. (avenue, in addresses)
• Bs. As. — Buenos Aires — Buenos Aires
• c.c. — centímetros cúbicos — c.c. (cubic centimeters)
• Cía — compañia — Co. (company)
• cm — centímetros — cm. (centimeters)
• c/u — cada uno — apiece
• D. — don — Sir
• Da. — doña — Madam
• d.C., d. de C., d.J.C., d. de J.C. — después de Cristo, después de Jesucristo — A.D. (anno domini), CE (Common Era)
• dna. — docena — dozen
• Dr., Dra. — doctor, doctora — Dr.
• E — este (punto cardinal) — E (east)
• EE. UU. — Estados Unidos — U.S.
• esq. — esquina — street corner
• etc. — etcétera — etc.
• FF. AA. — fuerzas armadas — armed forces
• f.c., F.C. — ferrocarril — R.R. (railroad)
• Gob. — gobierno — Gov.
• Gral. — general — Gen. (military title)
• h. — hora — hour
• Ing. — ingeniero — engineer
• kg — kilogramos — kg (kilograms)
• km/h — kilómetros por hora — kilometers per hour
• l — litros — liters
• Lic. — licenciado — attorney
• m — metros — meters
• mm — milímetros — millimeters
• m.n. — moneda nacional — sometimes used to distinguish the national currency from others
• N — norte — N (north)
• no., núm. — número — No. (number)
• O — oeste — west
• OEA — Organización de Estados Americanos — OAS (Organization of American States)
• ONU — Organización de Naciones Unidas — UN (United Nations)
• OTAN — Organización del Tratado del Norte — NATO (North American Treaty Organization)
• pág. — página — page
• P.D. — postdata — P.S.
• p.ej. — por ejemplo — e.g. (for example)
• p.m. — post meridien — p.m. (after noon)
• Prof, Profa. — profesor, profesora — Professor
• q.e.p.d. — que en paz descanse — R.I.P. (rest in peace)
• S — sur — S (south)
• S.A. — Sociedad Anónima — Inc.
• S.L. — Sociedad Limitada — Ltd.
• Sr. — señor — Mr.
• Sra. — señora — Mrs., Ms.
• Srta. — señorita — Miss, Ms.
• s.s.s. — su seguro servidor — your faithful servant (used as salutation in letters)
• tel. — teléfono — telephone
• Ud., Vd., Uds., Vds. — usted, ustedes — you
• v. — véase — go see
• vol. — volumen — vol. (volume)
• W.C. — water closet — bathroom, toilet

If you know the alphabet in English, you can easily learn it in Spanish.That is because the Spanish alphabet is very similar to the alphabets of most other western European languages, including English. According to the Real Academia Española, which is considered the arbiter of what's official Spanish, the following letters make up the Spanish alphabet:

a, b, c, ch, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, ll, m, n, ñ, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z

The following chart shows the capital letters along with name of each letter.

A: a B: be C: ce CH: che D: de E: e F: efe G: ge H: hache I: i J: jota K: ka L: ele LL: elle M: eme N: ene Ñ: eñe O: o P: pe Q: cu R: ere S: ese T: te U: u V: ve W: uve doble X: equis Y: i griega Z: zeta

It may interest you to know that not all authorities (or at least not all textbooks) agree on which letters make up the alphabet. Some lists don't include W (sometimes referred to as doble ve) and K, which exist almost exclusively in words of foreign origin, such as kilowatt. And some lists count RR (erre), which isn't pronounced the same as R.

It used to be that dictionaries would place ch after c, so, for example, the word achatar would be listed after acordar. But that is no longer the case. In most modern dictionaries, the words are alphabetized as they would be in English (except that the Ñ comes after the N).

Note also that the letters B and V have exactly the same pronunciation, and their names are pronounced exactly alike. Some colorful expressions are used to indicate which letter is being used, such as B de burro and V de vaca (roughly, "B as in burro" and "V as in vaca"). Sometimes B is referred to as be grande ("big B") and the V as uve or ve chica ("little V").

You will find as you learn Spanish that vowels are often written with accents, as in tablón, and the U is sometimes topped with a dieresis or umlaut, as in vergüenza. However, vowels with such diacritical marks are not considered separate letters as they can be in some other languages.
Note also that the letters of the alphabet are feminine: la a, "the 'a'"; la b, "the 'b.'"

Employment opportunities: If you work in one of the helping professions including medicine and education, you'll find your opportunities expand by knowing Spanish. And wherever you live, if you're in any occupation that involves international trade, communications or tourism, you'll similarly find opportunities to use your new language skills.

It's fun: Whether you enjoy talking, reading, or mastering challenges, you'll find all of them in learning Spanish. For many people, there's something inherently enjoyable about successfully speaking in another tongue. Perhaps that's one reason children sometimes speak in Pig Latin or device secret codes of their own. Although learning a language can be work, the efforts pay off quickly when you finally get to use your skills.

For many people, Spanish offers the most rewards with the least effort of any foreign language. It's never too late to begin learning.

If you've never studied Spanish before — or if you're just brushing up on what you've learned before — you're about to learn a skill and pick up some knowledge that will enrich your life.

This series of lessons is designed to help beginning Spanish students or any one else learning the language with the fundamentals needed for further learning and study. This series of lessons requires no supplementary material other than perhaps a dictionary for reinforcing vocabulary. But any other resources you can provide, especially some tapes or CDs to help you with pronunciation and intonation, as well as other lessons in books or in audio, will help you learn faster and better.

The format of this series is simple: Each lesson is brief, outlining the concept and providing examples. You probably will be able to read each lesson in 5 to 10 minutes. Each of the lessons is designed to stand alone.

Finally, make sure you take advantage of whatever opportunities you have to use what you're learning. If you travel to a Spanish-speaking area or have friends or acquaintances who speak Spanish, practice your conversational skills. Nearly always, you will find that Spanish speakers appreciate your efforts to learn their language.

By now you should be able to speak Japanese and understand Japanese quite well. For the Japanese writing part, try to practice hiragana and katakana several times until u can write and read in Japanese without need to refer to the translation. It is very good if u plan to learn kanji also, but u should know even Japanese find it hard!!!

Like hiragana, the Japanese put two dashes or one circle on the top right hand corner of some Katakana, so that they can represent more sounds. When added to the symbols, the pronunciation changes. There are also combination of katakana which form another new sounds.

The Japanese put two dashes or one circle on the top right hand corner of some Hiragana, so that they can represent more sounds. When added to the symbols, the pronunciation changes. There are also combination of hiragana which form another new sounds.

The difference between written language and conversational language in Japanese is much greater than in English. Japanese letters often use classical grammar patterns which are seldom used in conversation. Although there are no particular rules when writing to close friends, there are many set expressions and honorific expressions (keigo) used in formal letters. A conversational style is not usually used when writing formal letters.

Opening and Closing Words

The opening and closing words in letters, which are similar to English's "Dear" and "Sincerely" etc., come in pairs.

• Haikei （拝啓） - Keigu （敬具）
  The most common pair used in formal letters. Women sometimes use "Kashiko（かしこ）" as a closing word instead of "Keigu."
• Zenryaku （前略） - Sousou （草々）
  This pair is less formal. It is usually used when you don't have time to write a long letter, so that the preliminary greetings are omitted. "Zenryaku" literally means, "omitting the preliminary remarks."

Preliminary Greetings

Ogenki de irasshaimasu ka.　(very formal)
お元気でいらっしゃいますか。
Have you been doing well?

Ogenki desu ka.
お元気ですか。
Have you been doing well?

Ikaga osugoshi de irasshaimasu ka.　(very formal)
いかがお過ごしでいらっしゃいますか。
How have you been?

Ikaga osugoshi desu ka.
いかがお過ごしですか。
How have you been?

Okagesama de genki ni shite orimasu.　(very formal)
おかげさまで元気にしております。
Fortunately I'm doing well.

Kazoku ichidou genki ni shite orimasu.
家族一同元気にしております。
The whole family is doing well.

Otegami arigatou gozaimashita.
お手紙ありがとうございました。
Thank you for your letter.

Nagai aida gobusata shite orimashite　moushiwake gozaimasen.　(very formal)
長い間ご無沙汰しておりまして申し訳ございません。
I apologize for neglecting to write for such a long time.

Gobusata shite orimasu.
ご無沙汰しております。
I'm sorry I haven't written for a long time.

These expressions or seasonal greetings can be combined in a variety of ways to form the preliminary greeting. The Japanese have long admired the seasonal changes, therefore it seems too abrupt to start a letter without the proper seasonal greeting. Here are some examples.

Gobusata shite orimasu ga, ogenki de irasshaimasu ka.
ご無沙汰しておりますが、お元気でいらっしゃいますか。
I'm sorry I haven't written for a long time, but have you been doing well?

Sukkari aki rashiku natte mairimashita ga, ikaga osugoshi de irasshaimasu ka.
すっかり秋らしくなってまいりましたが、いかがお過ごしでいらっしゃいますか。
It has become very autumn like; how have you been?

Samui hi ga tsuzuite orimasu ga,　ikaga osugoshi desu ka.
寒い日が続いておりますが、いかがお過ごしですか。
Cold days continue; how have you been?

Final Greetings

Douka yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
どうかよろしくお願いします。
Kindly look after this matter for me.

~ ni yoroshiku otsutae kudasai.
～によろしくお伝えください。
Please give my regards to ~.

Minasama ni douzo yoroshiku.
皆様にどうぞよろしく。
Please give my regards to everyone.

Okarada o taisetsu ni.
お体を大切に。
Please take care of yourself.

Douzo ogenki de.
どうぞお元気で。
Take care of yourself.

Ohenji omachi shite orimasu.
お返事お待ちしております。
I look forward to hearing from you.

How to Describe Pain

Here are some expressions to describe physical conditions. Pain is usually described using the adjective "itai (painful, sore)".

When describing your conditions to a doctor, "~n desu" is often added at the end of the sentence. It has an explanatory function. To express "I have a cold," "kaze o hikimashita （風邪をひきました）" or "kaze o hiiteimasu （風邪をひいています）" is used.

Here is how to express degrees of pain.

Onomatopoeic expressionsare also used to express degrees of pain. "Gan gan （がんがん）" or "zuki zuki （ずきずき）" is used to describe headaches. "Zuki zuki （ずきずき）" or "shiku shiku （しくしく）" is used for toothaches and "kiri kiri （きりきり）" or "shiku shiku （しくしく）" for stomachaches.

Useful Vocabulary and Expressions

Here are more useful vocabulary and expressions when you have health problems. There are two types of hospitals: "Iin (private hospitals)" and "sougou-byouin (general hospitals)". A doctor is "isha" and a nurse is "kangofu". Doctors are often called "sensei", the title also used for teachers and professors. In case of an emergency, call 119 for an ambulance (kyuukyuu-sha) or the fire department (shoubou-sho), 110 for the police station (keisatsu).

Hospital Departments

Types of Medicine

Common Phrases Used by a Doctor

How to Consult a Doctor

To ask the doctor if you are permitted to do something, the expression "~ mo ii desu ka (May I ~?)" is used. It is combined with the verb "te~form".

There is no expression in Japanese like "Bless you" when somebody sneezes. In Japan, it is said that if you sneeze, someone is gossiping about you.

When the Japanese measure body temperature (taion), they put the thermometer in their armpit (waki), unlike some countries where people put it in their mouths.

Do you plan to go for a trip to Japan? Learn some useful expressions before you go. Speaking the language of the country you are visiting makes the trip more fun!

Train

Taxi

Bus

Car

Air

Others

Japanese department stores are much bigger than their North American counterparts. Many of them have five to seven, or even more floors, and you can buy almost anything there. Department stores used to be called "hyakkaten (百貨店）," but the term "depaato （デパート）" is more common today.

At the Sales Counter

Department store clerks use very polite expressions to customers. Here are some expressions you are likely to hear.

Here are some useful expressions for shopping.

How to Ask for Advice

"~ kashira （～かしら）" is used only by female speakers.

How to Decline Politely

How to Exchange or Return of a Purchase

Japanese seem to have many formal phrases for certain actions. When visiting your superior or somebody for the first time, these phrases will be helpful to express your gratitude. Here are some common expressions you are likely to use when visiting Japanese homes.

At the Door

"Gomen kudasai" literally means, "Please forgive me for bothering you." It is often used when visiting someone's home. "Irassharu" is the honorific form (keigo) of the verb "kuru (to come)." All four expressions for a host mean "Welcome." "Irasshai" is less formal than other expressions. It should not be used when a guest is superior to a host.

When You Enter the Room

"Douzo" is very useful expression and means, "please." The Japanese use it quite often. "Douzo oagari kudasai" literally means, "Please come up." This is because Japanese houses usually have an elevated floor in the entrance (genkan) and step up to go into the house. Then, a well known tradition --- take off your shoes at the genkan. You might want to make sure your socks don't have any holes before visiting Japanese homes! A pair of slippers is often offered to wear in the house. When you enter a tatami (a straw mat) room, you should remove slippers.

"Ojama shimasu" literally means, "I'm going to get in your way" or " I will disturb you." It is used as a polite greeting when entering someone's home. "Shitsurei shimasu" literally means, "I'm going to be rude." This expression is used in various situations. When entering someone's house or room, it means "Excuse my interrupting." When leaving it is used as "Excuse my leaving" or "Good-bye."

When Giving a Gift

The Japanese customary bring a gift when visiting someone's home. The expression "Tsumaranai mono desu ga ..." is very Japanese. It literally means, "This is an trifling thing, but please accept it." It might sound strange to you. Why anyone brings such a thing as a gift? This is a humble expression. The humble form (kenjougo) is used when a speaker wants to lower his/her position. Therefore, this expression is often used to your superior, in spite of the true value of the gift. When giving a gift to your close friend or other informal occasions, "Kore douzo" will do it.

When Your Host Begins to Prepare Drinks or Food for You

When Drinking or Eating

"Meshiagaru" is the honorific form of the verb "taberu (to eat)." "Itadaku" is a humble form of the verb "morau (to receive)." However, "Itadakimasu" is a fixed expression used before eating or drinking. After eating "Gochisousama deshita" is used to express appreciation for the food. "Gochisou" literally means, "a feast." There is no religious significance of these phrases.

When Thinking about Leaving

"Sorosoro" is a useful phrase for leaving. In informal situations, you could say "Sorosoro kaerimasu (It's about time for me to go home)," "Sorosoro kaerou ka (Shall we go home soon?)" or just "Ja sorosoro ... (Well, it's about time ...)" etc.

When Leaving Someone's Home

"Ojama shimashita" literally means, "I got in the way." It is often used when leaving someone's home.

Even though you start understanding a language better, it is always difficult to talk on the phone in a that language. You can't use gestures which help a lot most of the time. Also, you can't see the other person's facial expressions or reactions. You have to listen very carefully to what the other person says. Talking on the phone in Japanese might be especially harder, since there are some formal phrases customarily used in phone conversations. (The Japanese normally talk very politely on the phone unless talking with a friend.) Let's learn common expressions used on the phone. Don't be intimidated by phone calls. Practice makes perfect!

Phone Call in Japan

Most public phones (koushuu denwa) take coins (at least a 10 yen coin) and telephone cards. Only designated pay phones allow international calls (kokusai denwa). All calls are charged by the minute. Telephone cards can be purchased in almost all convenience stores, kiosks at train stations and vending machines. The cards are sold in 500 yen and 1000 yen units. Telephone cards can be customized. Some companies even use them as marketing tools. Some cards are very valuable, and cost a fortune. Many people collect telephone cards just like postage stamps are collected.

Telephone Number

A telephone number consists of the three parts, for example, (03) 2815-1311. The first part is the area code (03 is Tokyo's), and the second and last part are the user's number. Each number is usually read separately, linking the parts with the particle "no." In telephone numbers 0 is often pronounced as "zero," 4 as "yon" and 7 as "nana" to reduce confusion (as 0, 4, 7 and 9 each have two different pronunciations). The number for directory enquiries (bangou annai) is 104.

The most essential phrase is "moshi moshi." It is used by the caller when connected. It is also used when one can't hear the other person well, or to confirm if the other person is still on the line. Although some people say "moshi moshi" to answer the phone, "hai" is used more often in business.

If the other person speaks too fast, or you couldn't catch what he/she said, say "Yukkuri onegaishimasu (Please speak slowly)" or "Mou ichido onegaishimasu (Please say it again)." "Onegaishimasu" is a useful phrase when making a request.

At the Office

Business phone conversations are extremely polite. The mark * indicates the caller's phrases.

To Somebody's Home

How to Deal with Wrong Number