Japanese
Let an agent handle the Japanese language: explain its writing systems, grammar and politeness levels, distinguish dialects, support learning and translation, and give sourced information on its use.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Language Structure.
Writing
Writing systems.
Writing
Writing systems.
- How are kanji, hiragana and katakana used together, and how is this word written? definition
- Which readings does this kanji have? provenance
Grammar
Key features.
Grammar
Grammar.
- How does this grammar point work, such as particles or verb forms? definition
- What are common learner errors? provenance
Politeness Register.
Keigo
Honorific speech.
Keigo
Honorific speech.
- Which politeness level suits this situation, and how is it formed? definition
- What are the honorific, humble and polite forms? definition
Dialects
Regional varieties.
Dialects
Dialects.
- How does this dialect differ from standard Japanese, and is it described respectfully? provenance
- Which varieties, such as Hachijo, are endangered? provenance
Learn Learning and using.
Resources
Learning Japanese.
Resources
Learning.
- Which resources and courses suit this learner level? action
- Which JLPT level applies? provenance
Translate
Translation.
Translate
Translation.
- How should this phrase be translated, considering register and context? action
- Is a certified translation needed? boundary
Status Use and history.
Official
Status and policy.
Official
Status.
- What is the official status of Japanese, and which bodies guide its use? provenance
- How are loanwords handled? provenance
History
Development.
History
History.
- How did Japanese develop, according to historical linguists? provenance
- What is known about its relationship to Ryukyuan? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Information and virtual systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- INF
- Domain
- INF.MED
- Other names and narrower kinds
- Hachijō dialects, Japanese as a second or foreign language, Kyūshū Japanese, Modern Japanese, zūzū-ben, Matagi dialect, small kana writing, Eastern Japanese, Amami Japanese, Western Japanese, Legal Japanese, Japanese dialect
What it is Filled
The national language of Japan, a member of the Japonic family, spoken by about 125 million people, written with kanji, hiragana and katakana, with standard Japanese based on the Tokyo dialect and many regional dialects such as those of Kyushu, Tohoku and the Hachijo islands; Japanese is widely studied as a foreign language.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent handle the Japanese language: explain its writing systems, grammar and politeness levels, distinguish dialects, support learning and translation, and give sourced information on its use.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Japonic language
- Three scripts
- Honorific system
- Standard and dialects
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Translate in a way that drops honorifics or politeness that change the meaning or respect shown.
- Mock regional dialects or present them as incorrect Japanese.
- Present machine translation as certified for legal or medical use.
- Ignore the Ainu and Ryukyuan languages when describing language in Japan.
Only with a human decision
- Certifying a translation for legal, medical or official use.
May
- Translate and explain Japanese, stating the register and script used.
- Help learners with grammar, kanji, kana and politeness levels.
Moral aspects Filled
- Mistranslation can cause offence or serious misunderstanding in medical and legal settings.
- Minority languages in Japan have been suppressed; accurate description matters to their speakers.
Who is affected
- Speakers and learners
- People relying on translations
- Speakers of minority languages in Japan
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody owns a language; it is held in common by its speakers.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q33612 - registry parent class
related
- Japonic - category
- Dutch - other language
- Portuguese - historical loanwords
- Agency for Cultural Affairs - guidance body
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.japanese
- Wikidata: Q5287 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5287)
- ISO 639-1: ja language code
- ISO 639-3: jpn language code
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane INF: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Kanji, hiragana and katakana
- Subject-object-verb order
- Chinese uses characters but is unrelated
- Not physical; a language in speech and text.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain writing systems and grammar
- explain politeness and honorific speech
- distinguish dialects
- support learning and translation
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Wrong politeness level
- Confusing scripts and readings
- Treating dialects as incorrect
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Joyo kanji list and official orthography guidance
- Japanese-Language Proficiency Test levels
- CEFR-based frameworks for learners
Context of use required Filled
- Communication in Japan and among learners worldwide.
- standard Japanese
- regional dialects
- historical stages such as Classical Japanese
- Japanese as a foreign language
- Hachijo and other divergent varieties
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q5287: Japanese - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Japanese language - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should each dialect be a separate entry?
- How should dictionaries be linked?
- How should learning resources be graded?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q5287/spec.json