Please help me back-translate and write in Romanji?

Question

One of my students wrote a paper using examples in Japanese, with English glosses. The problem is that I want to give him feedback, but I don't understand Japanese script! Please help me by translating the following phrases/sentences into Japanese and writing them in romanji.
older brother (one word)
younger brother (one word)
older sister (one word)
younger sister (one word)
It is not impossible for me to think that he did not come to school yesterday. (Please translate literally, with two negative phrases.)
I am going to give sweets to children who will wake up early tomorrow.

Answer 1

Kuriyama's done the sentences for you, so I'll do the siblings..!

Older brother = お兄さん / 御兄さん / おにいさん / oniisan.
Younger brother = 弟 / おとうと / otouto (san / さん is optional after this - it depends on the context.)
Older sister = お姉さん / 御姉さん / おねえさん / oneesan.
Younger sister = 妹 / いもうと / imouto. Again, san can be added.

In all of those, san can be replaced with 'chan' - either to make it less formal, or to be insultingly casual with an older brother!
; )

You didn't say whether or not you actually wanted Japanese text, but it's there anyway - just in case you need it.

Answer 2

I don't quite understand your situation... A student of yours has written some Japanese... which you don't understand.... I have to assume this wasn't in a Japanese class ! Just explain the situation honestly... that you can't read Japanese... and use his language ability & interest as an extension and aid for the other students.

There are many Romaij translation programs out there but to be honest, they are uniformly terrible. They will usually give you one-word translations accurately, but fall down badly in sentences; especially in Romaji ! As a hint to translating Japanese, remember that the phrasing is basically reversed, so "It is not impossible for me to think that he did not come to school yesterday." could become (inc 3 negatives!)

"Kare wa kino gakko ni konakatta koto wa kangaerarenakute mo nai."

Kare > He
wa > subject marker
kino > yesterday
gakko > school
ni > to
konakatta > didn't go
koto > objectifier (sim. to E 'thing')
kangaerarena- > unthinkable
-kute mo > conjunction (expressing negative possiblity !?)
nai > not

and "I am going to give sweets to children who will wake up early tomorrow." could become:

"(Watashi wa) ashita hayaku okiru ko ni ame ageru."

( ) > typically understood / not stated
Watashi > I
ashita > tomorrow
hayaku > early
okiru > get up / wake up
ko > kids
ni > to
ame > sweets
ageru > give

These are just my interpretations and are not what you'd find in any textbook. I only speak Japanese, and I certainly would never presume to teach it.

As for feedback for the student, I would be full of praise, but honest in the fact that you can't read Japanese. (I also assume that he isn't Japanese.) So ask him where he learned, what he wants to do with his skills, and if he would like to take his studies further... really encourage that little spark of delight in learning that he obviously has and do everything in your power to fan it into something special.

Good luck

Answer 3

There is a web site called Babelfish that may help you- it translates word for word into many languages.