Katakana Challenge #1 - Things in my refrigerator ・カタカナチャレンジ＃１

This is an introduction into the magical world of katakana. If you're studying Japanese, or if you want to start studying Japanese, katakana is one of the things you'll have to know. Additionally, if you're a tourist coming to Japan or an individual planning on moving to Japan, knowing katakana can save your butt (literally?).

There are 5 basic vowel sounds in Japanese: a (like the "a" in "father"), i (like the "ee" in "see"), u (like the "oo" in "moon"), e (like the "e" in "elephant"), and o (like the "o" in "post"). Master these five sounds, stick 'em with a consonant, and there you go. Katakana.

I chose 6 things from my refrigerator for you guys. Can you guess what they mean?

１．トマト
２．コーヒー
３．アイスクリーム
４．プロセスチーズ
５．パルメザン
６．キャベツ

Leave a comment with your guesses, and then head over to my new blog to see if you got the answers right.. Don't forget to vote in the poll on the homepage while you're there! Good luck!

Sorry about my crappy annotation at the end there - totally didn't know you can't link to offsite stuff. The link for the answers can be found HERE:
http://www.arishaintokyo.com/japanese-language/katakana-challenge-1-answers/

Music is "Imperfect world - Funk Mix" and comes from the awesome Jeris/VJ Memes from CCmixter.org again. Find it here: http://ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/32008

Category:

Education

Tags:

• katakana
• katakana challenge
• japanese
• japanese language
• japanese writing
• things in a refrigerator
• katakana food
• food in japanese
• teaching japanese
• tokyo
• japan
• education
• lesson

[bedonking]

Very interesting japanese instruction video and nice background music, thanks!

[MurdocLC]

@MartinSL1994 XD Yeah but still kinda true. T_T

[MartinSL1994]

@MurdocLC Seinfeld?

[MurdocLC]

Tomato

Coffee

Ice cream

Processed cheese

Parmesan

Cabbage

[MurdocLC]

You wear fake glasses? That's like using a wheelchair being able to walk. T_T I have glasses... JK. ^^'>

[YouveStolenMyEyes]

1. tomato. 2. coffee? 3. icecream 4. processed cheese.. 5. parmesan cheese 6. carrots?

[RainyDarkForest]

Ok there was processed cheese and Parmesan in there for sure. The last one, I will guess cabbage or ketchup.

[Durpize]

I think everyone is over thinking this.RELAX PEOPLE! Anyways, cool video and the glasses are kind of sexy.lol my answers

1. eye of newt

2. chicken

3. I think carrots?

4. and something to do with a volkswagon

Right? Lol

[HypX2]

@zazenzach Not all of them. Some are from Portuguese, Dutch, German (roughly in historical order I think). A few of them are from other languages.

I don't think they knew orange before that, but there's a word for mandarin (orange) it is みかん[mikan]. So it is みかんの汁[mikan no shiru].

[zazenzach]

so are those words with similar soundings to english, in fact based on english? like orange juice?

if so, what did japanese call orange juice prior to contact with western culture?