Okay. Well to start off with, the language I know uses a mixture of symbols and letters. The letters are usually meant to add clarity where the symbols might be a bit too difficult to parse though.
[He pulls out one of these things because yes I asked the mods if party city had these specifically to use here. And he's writing '人' on the board.]
Like this one here, this means 'person'. But if you wanted to say 'this person', as in a specific person, you would add a couple letters before that symbol to make it clear which person you meant.
Yeah. It makes for much more condensed writing, because you can say a whole sentence in just a few symbols.
[He erases the board and writes a few symbols that say 'my name is Atsushi' but fuuuuck digging out the kanji and hiragana for that.]
That one there is one of the ways we say 'I', and then that one is 'name', and then this one here is Atsushi! And the smaller letters just fill in the gaps to make it grammatically correct.
Pretty much. There's a little more to it than that but it's specific stuff for Japanese.
[Please don't ask me to explain how Japanese grammar works, I only took one year in college have mercy on me.]
-oh! I should say too, a lot of times symbols written for names will have letters written next to it to tell you how to pronounce it. Since each symbol can be pronounced a couple of different ways depending on how it's used in a sentence.
Well I'm still going to say thank you, because you've been nothing but a wonderful friend.
[Yup.
He's also clearing his little board and writing ビン on it.]
This is how I would write your name. We have a special set of letters we use for words that aren't Japanese in origin, and that includes names of foreigners.
I was wondering because if you knew then meaning, then I could show you the kanji with the closest meaning to that. It wouldn't be pronounced the same though, it would just have the same meaning. Although I guess we could find one with a pronunciation close to your name, maybe?
[Suddenly he feels a bit shy, but he'll erase the board and write 敦 again.]
Don't laugh, but it means 'kindness'.
[It's actually a little more complicated than that but he would have to explain how some kanji have to go in pairs to make words and aren't actual words on their own. And he doesn't want to go that in depth right now, so.]
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2022-03-03 02:37 am (UTC)You could show me that, if you wanted to.
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Date: 2022-03-03 02:43 am (UTC)[He considers it.]
I...guess I could, sure. If you want to learn, that is?
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Date: 2022-03-03 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-03 03:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-03 03:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-03 03:51 am (UTC)[He pulls out one of these things because yes I asked the mods if party city had these specifically to use here. And he's writing '人' on the board.]
Like this one here, this means 'person'. But if you wanted to say 'this person', as in a specific person, you would add a couple letters before that symbol to make it clear which person you meant.
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Date: 2022-03-03 03:54 am (UTC)It's so small compared to writing it out in letters...
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Date: 2022-03-03 04:07 am (UTC)[He erases the board and writes a few symbols that say 'my name is Atsushi' but fuuuuck digging out the kanji and hiragana for that.]
That one there is one of the ways we say 'I', and then that one is 'name', and then this one here is Atsushi! And the smaller letters just fill in the gaps to make it grammatically correct.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-03 04:09 am (UTC)[looking over what he's written on the board.]
So, the smaller letters change it from I name Atsushi to my name is Atsushi, basically?
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Date: 2022-03-03 04:27 am (UTC)[Please don't ask me to explain how Japanese grammar works, I only took one year in college have mercy on me.]
-oh! I should say too, a lot of times symbols written for names will have letters written next to it to tell you how to pronounce it. Since each symbol can be pronounced a couple of different ways depending on how it's used in a sentence.
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Date: 2022-03-03 04:29 am (UTC)How long did it take you to learn all this?
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Date: 2022-03-03 04:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-03 04:48 am (UTC)[after a pause, though:]
You see? You have plenty to teach others.
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Date: 2022-03-03 05:10 am (UTC)[He feels a little better about himself now.]
Thanks, Vin. You're really kind, you know that?
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Date: 2022-03-03 01:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-04 01:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-04 01:54 am (UTC)I think I estimate myself perfectly accurately...
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Date: 2022-03-04 02:26 am (UTC)[Yup.
He's also clearing his little board and writing ビン on it.]
This is how I would write your name. We have a special set of letters we use for words that aren't Japanese in origin, and that includes names of foreigners.
no subject
Date: 2022-03-04 02:36 am (UTC)[a tiny bit flustered, before she moves on to focus on the characters he's writing.]
I see... I will do my best to remember.
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Date: 2022-03-04 03:00 am (UTC)What does 'Vin' mean, by the way?
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Date: 2022-03-04 03:04 am (UTC)[she shrugs.]
I am not sure. My half brother and I were on our own for most of my life... I didn't get to ask my mother before we left her home.
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Date: 2022-03-04 03:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-03-04 03:17 am (UTC)[thoughtfully:]
Do most names have meaning where you're from, then? What does yours mean?
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Date: 2022-03-04 03:47 am (UTC)[Suddenly he feels a bit shy, but he'll erase the board and write 敦 again.]
Don't laugh, but it means 'kindness'.
[It's actually a little more complicated than that but he would have to explain how some kanji have to go in pairs to make words and aren't actual words on their own. And he doesn't want to go that in depth right now, so.]
no subject
Date: 2022-03-04 03:47 am (UTC)It suits you, then.
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