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Profile
Hey! I'm Cai from North Carolina, USA. Currently I'm learning conversational Japanese. I learned Spanish as an adult. It took me about two years. I tell everyone it was easy, and that’s because I believe EVERYTHING is easy—all the time! I sing, compose, play instruments and am a voice actor. I love music, language and making people laugh. My main reason for being on italki is to help people to speak comfortably and naturally.
Learning
Japanese
Chinese (Mandarin)
French
German
Hindi
Portuguese
Russian
Language Skills
EnglishNative
Spanish
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Teacher reviews
Moe
Japanese
Feb 17, 2016
Thank you!
Deleted
Japanese
Feb 14, 2016
Sorry, this content has been removed by its author.
Deleted
Japanese
Jan 24, 2016
Sorry, this content has been removed by its author.
Kanako
Japanese
Jan 12, 2016
Cai is very eager to learn Japanese and knows what works for him the best. It was very engaging lesson, and I'd love to have more lessons with him!
Activities
  • Posted
    tada vs. dake / dakedemo Moe taught me the subtle difference between 'tada' and 'dake'. I already knew that they both could be translated 'just' or 'only' in English, but here is the main difference: tada: comes before a word and is a generic word with no inate positive or negative connotation Ex: tadakore wo tabereba ii yo = Eating this would be just fine. dake: follows a word and has two basic meanings, the generic one and ALSO a limiting or negative one. Ex: koredake tabereba ii yo = Eating just this is fine. (I don't want/need anything else.) demo: adding this particle to a word opens it up for other possibilities. Ex: koredakedemo tabereba ii yo = I'm fine with eating just this, but if There's something else added I'm fine with that too. Comment: I really like how these particles give subtle but important shape to the character of speech! It's like playing Mario Kart when you know how to power slide (drift)--it makes things so much more interesting. I welcome any and all corrections as long as they are constructive and helpful. Thanks everyone. -Cai
    February 17, 2016
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  • Posted
    The difference between "tai" and "hoshii" I am studying spoken informal Japanese only. Today I learned the following: •the 'tai ending of verbs is used when the subject wants to do something. •The word "Hoshii" expresses a desire for someone else to do something, or for something to occur. Examples: bokuha sorega tabetai = I want to eat that anataha sorega tabete hoshii = I want you to eat that minasan moshi chigatara naoshite kudasai. hontoni arigatou gozaimasu.
    February 14, 2016
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  • Corrected
    0 voted
    August 17, 2015
    0
  • Corrected

    I went to Kinki university

    I went to Kinki university for eight years.
    I don’t study at Kinki university anymore,but there is a reason why I went there today: it is closer to my house than Kyoto university.
    I occasionally, no frequently, wish my university were closer to my house!
    My university is in Kyoto, so I usually have to go there by train, which takes about 90 minutes! I think the travel expense is a bigger problem for me than the time it takes to get there.
    The prefectual library is closed on Mondays.
    If I want to go to Kyoto university, I have to pay about 2,000 yen round trip.If I had 2,000 yen, I could spend it at a nice cafe, eat or buy some books necessary for my studies!
    But I have to study when I have enough time. When is there enough time?
    Of course during the summer vacation.
    My vacation  will finish soon.
    So I chose Kinki university. It is relatively near my house and they have enough books for what I'm studying. Also it only takes about 50 minutes to get there.
    I guess if I go to Kinki university, I can save enough money, even though I won't have much left over!
    I couldn’t use the library because I am not a student at that school!
    When I gave up on trying to use it I found a nice cafe nearby.

    Students from different schools go there, so I was able to use it for my studies today.

    0 voted
    August 17, 2015
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  • Commented

    These are all great tips. Another one I like to give new students is to pretend they're in a movie playing a character that speaks the target language. It doesn't feel natural at first, but with time it becomes natural.

     

    Talk soon,

    -Cai

    0 voted
    February 5, 2015
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  • Corrected
    0 voted
    January 19, 2015
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  • Corrected

    La Nieve Parte 1

    Muchos de mis amigos y conocidos jamás han visto la nieve. Estoy asombrado que algunas personas vivan toda su vida sin verla nunca. He visto suficiente nieve en mi vida para no querer verla otra vez. A lo mejor la mayoría de las personas que vayan a leer esto nunca han visto la nieve. Intentaré describirla a ustedes lo mejor que pueda.

    Primero les explicaré por qué la nieve es nieve y no hielo. Como el vapor de agua nunca está en forma líquida y se congela directamente, se cristaliza y ese cristal llega a formar un copo de nieve. Otras formas de precipitación, como el aguanieve y el granizo, sí existen en forma líquida antes de tornarse en nieve. El aguanieve es lluvia que se congela mientras cae. ¿Y cómo se forma el granizo? Es complicado, pero en general pasa eso en la primavera cuando no hace tanto frío.
    La nieve tiene una textura mullida como plumas o algodón. Por supuesto está fría. La Nieve fresca es muy suave. Si hay mucha nieve amontonada, como a la altura de su estómago, uno podría brincar desde el techo de su casa y no lastimarse. Cuando la nieve se comprima un poco entonces se pone más dura. Nieva cuando la temperatura está a 0°C (32°F) o menos y se endurece cuando la temperatura está un poco más alta. La textura de la nieve se afecta por la temperatura--lo más frio que se ponga a la hora de nevar más finos saldrán los copos. Este tipo de nieve es más como un polvo muy seco. Es muy bueno para esquiar, pero eso es para personas ricas. No he hecho mucho esquiar. Siempre prefiero ir en trineo.

     

    0 voted
    January 19, 2015
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  • Answered
    Well Pelin, let's look at each sentence one at a time. 1. I'm glad of my present job. Is it correct? No. Here are a few good alternatives: I'm glad to have my present job. I'm glad to be at my present job. I'm happy with my present job. I'm happy at my present job. Notes: "Happy" can be used in place of "glad". Also, "current" can be used instead of "present". 2. I was unhappy of my ex-job. Is it correct? No. Why not? You don't normally hear "... of my job", that just sounds weird. Also it sounds strange to say "ex-job", at least in the part of the United States where I live. Here are some suggestions: I was unhappy with my old job. I was not (wasn't) happy with (or at) my previous job. 3. I was unhappy of my former job. Is it correct? No. Why not? The "of" doesn't work here. Use "with" or "at" instead. Example: I was unhappy at my former job. I hope this helps you. Talk soon, -Cai
    0 voted
    January 14, 2015
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  • Answered
    Fernanda, THIS significa ESTE, ESTO y ESTA. THESE significa ESTOS y ESTAS. En inglés no hay diferencia entre "este, esto y esta'... todo es THIS. He aquí algunos ejemplos: este libro = this book esta tarde = this afternoon ¿Qué es esto? = What is this? Lo mismo aplica a THESE. Por ejemplo: estos días = these days estas cosas = these things ¡Espero que ESTO le ayude! XD Talk soon, -Cai
    0 voted
    January 14, 2015
    1
  • Answered
    Anisa, here are a few of my favorite ways to increase vocabulary in all the languages I'm learning: 1. Live Practice: I find that the words that really stick in my mind the best are ones that I learn WHILE talking with native speakers in person and on Skype. You can do this via free language exchange if you are willing to spend half your time helping the other person to learn your language. If you'd rather spend a bit of money you could schedule speaking practice sessions with teachers and tutors such as myself so that the entire focus is on improving your vocabulary in a certain area--that's what I personally prefer. I used to do language exchange with my Japanese friends, but for me it just took more time than I was willing to spend. Now I focus on entire sessions with native speakers that are all about ME and MY learning--that's giving me much faster progress. 2. Podcasts & Audiobooks: Free podcasts are great because you can listen when you want and play them over and over. Try to find podcasts that tell a story or let you listen in on a situation that involves something you're interested in. The higher your enjoyment of the podcast, the better you'll remember new vocabulary. The same goes for audiobooks. If you listen to a book about something that you're very interested in you'll surely find lots of new words and phrases to use. Don't worry if you don't understand everything you hear--that's part of the learning process. As your vocab improves you'll understand more and more. 3. Reading & Flashcards: Neal's suggestion is very good too, and I'd like to add that when you find new words you like it is a good idea to write (or type) them out so you can practice them again and again. Don't just READ new vocab, SAY it out loud. Even better, record yourself and listen to yourself--that's a super-effective way to improve pronunciation! I hope these suggestions help you. Talk soon, -Cai
    0 voted
    January 14, 2015
    1