Great podcast, as ever!

I have a question. As an insider to the Japanese language, do you ever find yourself forgetting kanji characters?

Actually your physical status does affect your voice, like if your dieing your voice gets some what groggy and hoarse. So yes being naked, we may not see you but we can tell in your voice!!!

Nice podcast lesson!

I also have a question. I hear the gang from downtown gaki no tsukai say something like 'itai' often when they get hit or endure pain.
Is this the normal way in Japan to shout if you are in pain? I do not live in japan, and the only thing i can shout when i'm in great pain is 'aaaauw'

i think the best way to describe a pig sound is a snorting sound. can't really figure out how to write that. i say no winner. its a draw this week.

There aren't any English words that cause you to breath in and using onomatopoeia isn't helpful either. The best language to achieve a perfect pig noise should be ... ?

thanks a lot for answering my question about sakE ^_^

and yea i agree with lucky13jesse that it's a draw this week concerning the pig sound :)
"snorting" was closer than bu bu or oink oink

me likes to know how the japanese do HORSE sounds

lovin the podcast by the way

Bumper

Three things:

1) I like hearing the cat because it's so funny when they do it during random moments.

2) I think another suffix people use is "sama", and I think that is used when referring to someone wealthy or in government, probably the president of Japan or a president of a corporation, something like that, so it's a very formal suffix, if I'm remembering it right.

3) Neither the Japanese or American sounding for the pig seems to me as the definitive sound, but I think the American sound is closer mainly because "oink oink" takes into account the actual sound the pig makes, like a snorting sound, and "bu bu" doesn't really do that, so I think America wins that one.

Good work guys, been a fan for a long time.

For a question: When I was in Japan, a couple of times i was in the situation where someone was talking about a recently deceased dear one. I didn't know an appropriate reply for this situation. In English we could say 'my condolences' or something of the like. Sorry if I'm bringing the mood down, but it was really awkward not knowing how to deal with it and I'd appreciate knowing for the future.

As for the pig sounds, definitely the English version - especially if you say 'oink' whilst breathing in!

nice work, shibata, and nice website design. you are definitely moving up the coolness scale in my book.