Is it just me ?

[Mr. Meogii]

I've learned so many new words from reading translated visual novels. For someone accustomed to the English language this comes a surprise to me. Is it a question of the Japanese dialect being so broad or the work of the translators? 

Either way I still think it's amazing :3 ^.^

[Nosebleed]

Pretty sure it's everyone. I pick a ton of vocabulary from both anime and vns. It's natural no matter what the language, not just English.

[Stanleys]

You can pick up vocabulary from anywhete. It just happens that we all read VN's and watch anime so thats where we get most of it from.

[Down]

Maybe a few technical terms here and there in sci-fi VNs. But I was already fluent in english when I started playing.

 

You can pick vocabulary from anywhere though, few VNs are really well translated but that doesn't mean you won't pick up stuff from them - depends if you were already used to read books in english before I think.

[Mr. Meogii]

Well not trying to sound arrogant, but I'm a native English speaker and no I haven't really learned any new words from anime/VNs. Of course there are words I don't know, but most of the "new words" I see in VNs/Manga are not really even words, but made up ones. Like the name of a sword, or the name of some character's attack, etc.

 

I could see how if you weren't native how you would be learning new words though.

 

One could argue that even a native English speaker would not know all the words within the English language , However this could be due to the language's evolution. I guess you are just "literature buff" :3

[Chocolat]

Well, I learned some basic words and expressions from anime and visual novels,

but I still need to take classes to learn more vocabulary.

 

But I have to say that a big part of my japanese skills come from anime and stuff.

[Flutterz]

I picked up quite a few words before I started actually studying it, albeit slowly.

[Mr. Meogii]

Well, I learned some basic words and expressions from anime and visual novels,

but I still need to take classes to learn more vocabulary.

 

But I have to say that a big part of my japanese skills come from anime and stuff.

 

That's natural, well at least i'd like to think so. Most of the Japanese people encounter comes from anime.  

[Tenkuru]

Didn't really learn any new English words from VNs or anime but I realize that they did expand my vocabulary of Japanese words. I'm not saying that I can form coherent sentences in Japanese but I can understand the general meaning of a simple spoken sentence. Funny that I actually found this out when I was watching an anime and my monitor suddenly went black on me for a few moments. 

[Mr. Meogii]

Didn't really learn any new English words from VNs or anime but I realize that they did expand my vocabulary of Japanese words. I'm not saying that I can form coherent sentences in Japanese but I can understand the general meaning of a simple spoken sentence. Funny that I actually found this out when I was watching an anime and my monitor suddenly went black on me for a few moments. 

 

That has happened with me too but only to a certain extent. I still need to learn Kana and kanjii properly. But in time I guess:p

[shcboomer]

You learn vocabulary as you go, it's a natural fact. Even TLs find different ways to express things.

[Dark Ariel7]

I find it to be the opposite. The actual japanese in the Vns is pretty simple vocabulary but the translators use the best words in english. In japanese everything is about context. In english we have different words for different nuances.

[Okami]

As someone who learned English by watching movies, TV shows and played games my whole life I would say that it is only natural that when you listen to allot of some language you will start picking up words.

[Berilium]

That is exactly how I started to learn English at first. The basic grammar lessons came from school and most of the vocab from watching movies/series.

[Mephisto]

I haven't learned any new english words from translated VNs, but I learn pretty much all my japanese vocabulary from them. I used to read a lot before reading VNs though, so there's that. 

 

 

I find it to be the opposite. The actual japanese in the Vns is pretty simple vocabulary but the translators use the best words in english. In japanese everything is about context. In english we have different words for different nuances.

Context is important, but I can't agree with this statement. It's easy to argue that Japanese has nuances in words that exceed english, especially since they have the added benefit of Kanji. 

[Down]

 

Context is important, but I can't agree with this statement. It's easy to argue that Japanese has nuances in words that exceed english, especially since they have the added benefit of Kanji.

It's two different kinds of nuances. Nuances in Japanese due to context and kanji shenanigans are more plays on words and such, whereas English has an immense repertory of words to choose from and pick the right one to convey what you want to say.

 

I think that makes Japanese more suited to poetry, whereas English is better for essays. But it would only matter at a high degree of literacy, I suppose.

[Zakamutt]

I had to look up "effervescent" for the tl of True Remembrance, though I probably have guessed its meaning fairly well. Can't remember anything else, I've read a wide variety of articles and books; my favorite genre, fantasy, has a tendency to use more antiquated language... I think.

[Darklord Rooke]

Hmmm, the english in translated VNs, and especially fan-translated VNs, tends to be quite limited. So I haven't picked up any new english words.

 

I haven't read that many though.

[HappyCat]

I learnt a bunch of words when I started to watch fansubs. The I got actual vocabulary explosion when university lessons required to read fiction in original.

Since then I don't read Rex Stout anymore))

 

So, it's not just you, but impact is limited.

[Freestyle80]

Its a small amount but i did find out about some words or the synonyms of some words through reading VN/manga or watching anime

[Mr. Meogii]

Its a small amount but i did find out about some words or the synonyms of some words through reading VN/manga or watching anime

Its a small amount but i did find out about some words or the synonyms of some words through reading VN/manga or watching anime

Chilled vibes. Even if It was small we all learned new things

[Mephisto]

It's two different kinds of nuances. Nuances in Japanese due to context and kanji shenanigans are more plays on words and such, whereas English has an immense repertory of words to choose from and pick the right one to convey what you want to say.

 

I think that makes Japanese more suited to poetry, whereas English is better for essays. But it would only matter at a high degree of literacy, I suppose.

That's the misconception, that the Japanese don't have a large pool of words to describe what they want to say, as well as that it's merely plays on words. I'm not referring to Kanji puns due to words sounding the same or how they're written or anything. The easiest example would be 遭う. Japanese words have as many connotations as english words have, as well as a larger pool of words than one might think (you could always just make new words sticking kanji together too). 

[zoom909]

That's the misconception, that the Japanese don't have a large pool of words to describe what they want to say, as well as that it's merely plays on words. I'm not referring to Kanji puns due to words sounding the same or how they're written or anything. The easiest example would be 遭う. Japanese words have as many connotations as english words have, as well as a larger pool of words than one might think (you could always just make new words sticking kanji together too). 

This is true.  At the beginning, I thought, how many words could you make from just a few thousand ideographs.  But the number of words you can make is immense, because they use them over and over with different meanings and readings.

 

I also thought, it seems like I keep having to use different words for the same Japanese word based on context, English is so much more precise.

I was wrong, though.  Japanese writers can be very precise when they want to be, and have a large arsenal of words to use.

 

It is possible to narrate a VN basically in a way that is not much different from the way you would speak if you were telling a story.  Explore further and you will soon hit a VN that has a large number of words you've never even seen before...

[astro]

Yeah but too bad you won't be able to actually read Japanese with this method.

[Mr. Meogii]

Yeah but too bad you won't be able to actually read Japanese with this method.

That's true. I would actually have to go and learn Japanese but with my finals ahead I think that can wait