I guess I am brain dead :(

[Shinshi]

I have been dipping my toe in the waters of learning Japanese by taking a look at Japanese From Zero. I know it isn't the preferred resource but, well, it was cheaper.

They start out with numbers.

And just to be confusing, they have multiple names for the same number - crazy Japanese.

The names for four, it seems, are: shi and yon. According to the book shi also means death.

It occurs to me that one way to read my Dharma name (Shinshi) is:

Shin = Heart
Shi = death.

Yikes.

or

Shin = Mind
Shi = death.

which, I guess, makes my name sort of "Brain Dead".

Well, that is how I feel when I try to learn Japanese so I guess it is appropriate.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Meitou]

...or a heart / mind four times bigger than usual, that sounds about right
I know what you mean about the Japanese, I'm finding it a sort of groundhog day experience, learning the same four words over and over and over.....
Gassho
Meitou
satwithyoualltoday/lah

[Jundo]

Countless homonyms of "shi" (she), all unrelated to each other. Here's 9 pages of examples ...

http://www.jp41.com/kanji/shi.html

If we change your Kanji, you could also be Shinshi the "mind / toilet" or "mind / murder one's lord or father"

In Japan, many hospitals, hotels etc. avoid the number 4 and also 9 (ku sounds like another Kanji for "suffering"), and there are no rooms with those numbers. However, when I had my operation last years, it was in operating room 13 on the 13th of the month. I told the doctor. He said that "13" is fine in Japan.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[Shinshi]

Countless homonyms of "shi" (she), all unrelated to each other. Here's 9 pages of examples ...

http://www.jp41.com/kanji/shi.html

If we change your Kanji, you could also be Shinshi the "mind / toilet" or "mind / murder one's lord or father"

In Japan, many hospitals, hotels etc. avoid the number 4 and also 9 (ku sounds like another Kanji for "suffering"), and there are no rooms with those numbers. However, when I had my operation last years, it was in operating room 13 on the 13th of the month. I told the doctor. He said that "13" is fine in Japan.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

I guess I will learn, but it makes me wonder - how does anyone understand when there are 9 pages of words that all sound the same? Is it purely by context?

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Jundo]

I guess I will learn, but it makes me wonder - how does anyone understand when there are 9 pages of words that all sound the same? Is it purely by context?

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

The nose knows no, and the sea C sees seeping seeds seeming busy.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[Shinshi]

The nose knows no, and the sea C sees seeping seeds seeming busy.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Eishuu]

I also started out with Japanese From Zero and liked it. It is very overwhelming but your brain will start retaining stuff. It's such a struggle to form all the new neural connections but once they are there you can recall them (at least I think that's how it works). I really recommend using flashcards (either electronic or real) - Anki or Memrise are good. The firm Pacon sell cardboard ones in sets of 1000 (you can get them from Amazon). Context seems to be a big part of the Japanese language from what I've seen so far.

Good luck!

Gassho
Eishuu
ST/LAH