Part 27

• Intro to Polite Form
  
• Pokémon Sentences
  
• Video Game Words

This week's "Japanese is Possible!" will focus on words and sentences often found in video games. The video game we will concentrate on is Pokémon, since it is so popular these days. However, these words and phrases will be just as useful in other video games.

Intro to Polite Form

You'll notice that many of the verbs in the Pokemon sentences below (next section) often end in -masu. This is called the "Polite Form", and up till now JIP hasn't covered this form. It is used in formal and business situations. Most Anime characters don't use this form, unless they are a princess or a king. That's why JIP hasn't bothered with it up till now. The goal of this course is to help you understand more Japanese Anime and Video Games in as short a time as possible.

Formal endings:

[Present Tense] -masu
Equivalent to: dictionary form.

taberu becomes tabemasu
korosu becomes koroshimasu
shinu becomes shinimasu
kakikomu becomes kakikomimasu


[Past Tense] -mashita
Equivalent to: -ta, -ita, -shita, -nda endings

tabeta becomes tabemashita
koroshita becomes koroshimashita
shinda becomes shinimashita
kakikonda becomes kakikomimashita


There are other forms, but these two will be sufficient for now. You should now be able to understand the sentences in the next section that use the polite form.


Pokémon Sentences

These sentences are all taken from the Japanese version of Pokemon Yellow. If you learn Hiragana (doesn't take too much effort, especially compared to Kanji) you can get pretty far in the game. These sentences serve as good examples of actual Japanese sentences. To a Pokemon fan who wants to play Pokemon Gold or Silver, they serve as walkthrough to help them progress through the game!

As is customary, words written in Katakana (the alphabet used for foreign words) are written in CAPS. All the names of Pokemon are written in Katakana, for instance.


PIKACHUU wo tsukamaeta zo!
pikachuu (who) caught (male ending)!
(You) caught Pikachuu!

SANDO ni NIKUNEEMU wo tsukemasu ka?
sando (for) nickname (what) attach ?
Will you give the Sando a nickname?

NIDORAN wa dareka no PASOKON ni tensou sareta.
nidoran (subject) someone 's computer (into) transfer was done to.
The Nidoran was transferred to someone's computer.

teki no POPPO wa taoreta.
enemy (describes) poppo (subject) fell.
The enemy Poppo fell.

satoshi wa PASOKON no SUICHI wo ireta!
satoshi (subject) computer's switch (what) flipped.
Satoshi flipped the computer's switch!

MINISUKAATO no shoubu ni katta!
miniskirt 's contest (in) won!
Won the contest with the Miniskirt!

pikachuu wa atarashiku denkousekka wo oboetai!
pikachuu (subject) new "lightning quick" (what) wants to remember!
Pikachuu wants to remember a new attack, "Lightning Quick".

shikashi PIKACHUU wa waza wo 4tsu oboeru node sei ippai da!
but Pikachuu (subject) technique (what) 4 (counter for objects) remembers because at the limit is!
But Pikachuu already knows 4 techniques, so he's at his limit!

SANDO mou ii! modore!
Sando already good! return!
That's enough, Sando! Return!

a! yasei no MANKII ga tobidashite kita!
Aaa! wild (modifies) Monkey (subject) jumped out came!
Wooah! A wild Monkey jumped out at you!

boku no PIKACHUU no joutai wa futsuu desu.
my (describes) Pikachuu 's condition (subject) normal is.
My Pikachuu is "normal" right now.

kizu wo naosu kusuri wo katte kita.
wound (what) cure (modifies) medicine (what) bought came.
I just bought some medicine that heals wounds.

yasei POKEMON ga tobidashitara, sugu ni tsukamaeru no sa!
wild Pokemon (subject) if jumps out, right away (I'm) catch it (emphasis)
If a wild Pokemon appears, I'm going to catch it right away!

PIKACHUU wa denki SHOKKU wo oboetara, ore no kachi da ze!
Pikachuu (subject) electric shock (what) if remembers, I 's win is (male ending)!
If Pikachuu learns electric shock, I'll be the winner!

POKEMON ippiki wo GETTO shita n da.
Pokemon 1 animal (what) got.
I caught one Pokemon.


Video Game Words

Nouns

shujinkou - main character
zukan - picture book (used for Pokedex)
PUREI jikan - time elapsed (in a game)
katsuyaku - activity
tensou - a transfer, transmission
PASOKON - PERSonal COMputer
SUICHI - switch
shoubu - match, contest
waza - technique
kusuri - medicine
dougu - equipment
mahou - magic
koumoku - item
mahi - paralysis
kizu - wound, injury
kougeki - attack
kouka - result, effect
joutai - condition


Adjectives

yasei - wild
genki (na) - energetic, healthy
futsuu (na) - normal


Verbs

tsukeru - to attach
kakikomu - to fill in (form, etc)
nemuru - to sleep
tsukamaeru - to catch, seize
sodatsu - to raise (a Pokémon, for example)
taoreru - to collapse, fall
SUICHI o ireru - to flip a switch (in the Poké center)
oboeru - to remember
tobidasu - to jump out, to appear suddenly
nigeru - to escape
yameru - to quit
tatakau - to fight
naosu - to cure
GETTO suru - to catch (Pokemon)


Misc

sugu ni - right away
yatta! - "All right!" (literally, "I did it!")
koko made - up till now, up to here
sei ippai - at the limit
yuke! - go!
-hiki, -piki, -biki - "counter" for animals (depends on number)


Technique Names

denkou sekka - lightning quick
kage bunshin - shadow offshoot
denki SHOKKU - electric shock
kaze okoshi - create wind
tai atari - body blow
hikkaku - scratching
kyuuketsu - suck blood
chou onpa - super sound wave
sunakake - sand trap
tsutsuku - to pick at, poke
nirami tsukeru - to glare at
nakigoe - crying voice

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