For those who want to learn the Japanese language, Japanese games are an excellent way to exercise learning and contextualize them in different situations. Many Japanese teachers even recommend the practice as a complementary activity to classes and, of course, as a form of entertainment.
Combined with movies, anime and manga, Japanese games can be that ideal mix between study and fun. Therefore, below we list some very cool options so that you can also join the practice. And, of course, we are also going to address some facts and curiosities about the language. Come on!
Japanese language history
There are many theories about the origin of the Japanese language, but the fact remains that its birth remains uncertain. For many scholars, however, the language is syntactically close to Altaic languages such as Turkish and Mongolian. In addition, it is generally agreed that its syntax is similar to Korean.
There is also evidence that Japanese morphology and vocabulary were influenced, during prehistory, by southern Malayo-Polynesian languages. What is definitely known is that the Japanese writing system derives from Chinese, although these languages are completely different nowadays.
Chinese writing was introduced to Japan around the 5th and 6th centuries. Over time, two new phonetic alphabets were added to it: Hiragana and Katakana.
Grammar
The basic structure of Japanese grammar, in a typical sentence, follows the formula “subject – object – verb”. For example: “Taro gar ringo o tabeta”, means, “Taro ate an apple”.
Normally, the language omits the subject and the object when the context can be understood, that is, when the speaker or writer is certain that the receiver of the message already has enough information to understand the situation.
Phonology
The short vowels (a, i, u, e, o) are pronounced very similarly to Spanish and Italian. Long vowels (aa, ii, uu, ei, ee, oo), in turn, are emitted by doubling the length of short vowels. The distinction between long and short vowels is critical, as they can change the meaning of a word.
writing
While Chinese uses its ideograms to write each word individually, the Japanese language has two distinct forms of phonetic transcription, called “kana”, to be used in combination with Chinese characters.
These are called “kanji” in Japanese, and are actually ideograms that each represent a single thing or idea. In Japan, kanji are used to write both Chinese and native words, and it is normal for a single kanji to have more than one sound.
Syllable writing has two forms. Hiragana is the first. Used mostly by women in the past, it consists of 48 characters. The second is Katakana, which also packs 48 characters and is mostly used for non-native and non-Chinese loanwords.
Facts about the Japanese language
If you are going to practice the language from Japanese games, it is also nice to know some facts and curiosities about the language.
One of the most spoken languages in the world
Japanese is the sixth most spoken language in the world, but it is rarely used outside of Japan. This is due to the size of the population, which in 2020 reached 125 million natives. It is among the most homogeneous languages in the world: in its traditional form, 99% of the country’s population understands and uses it daily.
It’s an agender language
We are used to classifying words as masculine and feminine in the Portuguese language. However, this concept does not exist in the Japanese language, and there is no use of different articles to define the words.
One of the fastest languages in the world
According to studies, the Japanese language is one of the fastest pronunciation languages in the world. The research takes into account the average number of syllables expressed per second as a criterion. Japanese people pronounce about 7.84 syllables per second. By comparison, English ranks 6th on this list, averaging 6.19 syllables per second.
Of the 17 languages analyzed in the study, Portuguese does not even appear on the list!
Japanese games to practice the language
So we come to the long-awaited list of games. Check out our recommendations for playing, studying and having fun.
Super Mario franchise
With 23 games, the Nintendo series is among the most famous and historic games of all time. The first game of the most famous mustachioed among geeks was released in 1985, and to this day it continues to be successful with each new release.
If you’re familiar with the story of Mario, Luigi, and the gang, changing the game’s language to Japanese is a good way to practice. After all, the concept behind each word will already be prior knowledge.
Pokemon franchise
Created in 1996 for the Game Boy platform, the Pokémon series games are an intergenerational success, and it has games in the most varied formats. The idea of practicing Japanese while playing Pokémon is the same as in Super Mario: with the familiarity of the story and characters, it becomes easier to practice the language.
In addition, many Pokémon have Japanese names related to their characteristics and powers, which helps to enrich vocabulary.
The Legend of Zelda
Another classic series of Nintendo games, Zelda combines elements of action, adventure and RPG to create an immersive story full of details. With a lot of dialogue between characters, quests and challenges, Zelda (which is not the main character, as some suppose) is one of the most recommended Japanese games to practice reading.
Persona 5
Developed by Atlus, the game is actually the sixth installment in the Persona series, part of the Megami Tensei franchise. It is available for PlayStation 3, 4 and 5, as well as PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox. So, whatever your console, you will probably have the opportunity to enjoy this incredible RPG.
The game takes place in the city of Tokyo in the present day, and follows the story of Joker, a man wrongfully accused of a robbery. Released on parole, he now attends Shujin Academy, where he awakens his Persona powers and becomes a secret vigilante for the group known as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.
Persona 5 is an excellent Japanese game for those who study the language, as it is full of dialogues and conversations. The fact that it is set in Tokyo is a differential, as it inserts you into a very interesting Japanese cultural context.
You
The last game on the list is a pretty special nomination. Funded on Kickstarter, Koe is an RPG created specifically to teach Japanese to foreigners. But make no mistake: it is far from those boring didactic games.
The story revolves around a character who is sent to Japan, but soon at the airport he realizes that he is in a very different place than he imagined. Koe is available for PC via Steam.
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