Would anyone be interested in playing Pokemon sword or shield in Japanese along with me?
We can use it for translation practice and post questions that we have here.
Looking for interested parties!
I would love to!
It may be inactive recently, but you may want to use/read this thread:
こんにちは！
I’m so happy to hear back so quickly. Okay I just start my game over. I am at the part where ウールー has broken down then gate. I talked to ほップ and he’s said:
ほらほら ライアン
ポケモンを 助けないとだぞ
Which using google translate means: Come on Ryan, We need to save the pokemon.
Learning. ほらほら is like come on. 助ける is “to save”, pronounced tasukeru adding naitodazo transforms it into “have to save”. I’ll ask me tutor about this tomorrow.
Thank you!
I wonder if it would be best to use that thread, or use this one. I plan to post regular findings in my translating the game.
Do you plan on using Google Translate for all dialog? 
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Depends. I won’t do it for all dialogue. Last night I was just reading along, with what I could understand. Tonight I’m picking out sentences that I almost understand, and using translate to get me the extra way there. I don’t want to make this a chore though. Hopefully just a fun way to expand what I do know.
A couple of tools I recommend to use instead of Google Translate:
Similar to Google Translate, but usually gives better results.
This is a “see the forest, miss the trees” approach, because you’re seeing the overall meaning, but not the individual words.
Breaks the sentence down into words and particles, and gives an English counterpart for each.
This is a “see the trees, miss the forest” approach, because you’re seeing the individual meanings, but that doesn’t help you understand the overall.
If you use ichi.moe, and cannot understand the meaning of a sentence with just the words alone, ask about it here, and I or someone else can break down the grammar for you. If you keep at it, you’ll eventually start to recognize the same grammar being used over and over, and you’ll get faster and recognizing and understanding it (although that takes a long time).
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I’d say if you don’t understand a sentence after ichi.moe (and not using a translator) and you already spent 5 minutes or more trying to figure it out, move on. Unless it really, really bugs you or you think it’s crucial for further plot comprehension. But you could read a couple more, easier sentences in the time you spend on one that’s too hard. One thing with Japanese imo is that you need to learn to be comfortable with ambiguity.
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@ChristopherFritz, Amazing! Thank you. This is so useful!
@Kappa420, yes I totally agree. I’m not looking to make this a chore.
I’m hope to just practice my reading skills in a way that doesn’t lose all interest. If translating gets boring I can just putz around in pokemon camp for a bit. If translating gets boring when you reading a book, you put in down and never pick it up again. I’m very concerned with not making this too tedious. Thank you everyone!
Could anyone explain what the 「とだぞ」means? If I’m not mistaken だぞ is like a forceful way of telling someone to do something but what purpose does the と have here? My biggest issue right now is understanding all the nuances of casual Japanese.
Also I’m interested in joining! Should there be a schedule that we follow? 
I think I can add something to this.
I asked this same question on another thread.
助けなと is shortening of 助けないといけません。
You are probably correct that adding だぞ is forceful. The full sentence, 助けないとだぞ, is a forceful way of saying, if you don’t save the Pokemon… which probably would feel like, “You HAVE to save the Pokemon!”
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Cool thanks for the cross-post! It was really helpful
I’ll start playing tomorrow and post here. 
Welcome! I’m happy to have you! Feel free to post questions (and someone smarter than me can help) and also feel free to post any mini lessons for other members. I’m noticing a lot of kanji from early wanikani levels already.
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