的

的＝-ic; -li; -al; -like; -ish; -ly

How to use 的
E.g.一般=general, 一般的=generally

So: different ways to use 的
一般的な意見です。（的＋な＋Noun）
It is a generally held opinion.

一般的に普及しています。（的＋に＋Sentence）
It is in general use.

一般的です。（的＋です）
It is general.


Some vocabulary involving 的
主観的（しゅかんてき）- Subjective(ly)
客観的（きゃっかんてき）- objective(ly)
合理的（ごうりてき）- rational(ly)
効果的（こうかてき）- effective(ly)
全体的（ぜんたいてき）- whole(lly)
否定的（ひていてき）- negative(ly)
肯定的（こうていてき）- affirmative(ly)
平均的（へいきんてき）- (on) average
専門的（せんもんてき）- specialized (professionally)
伝統的（でんとうてき）- traditional(ly)
論理的（ろんりてき）- logical(ly)
社会的（しゃかいてき）- social (ly)
精神的（せいしんてき）- spiritual (ly) / mental (ly)
封建的（ほうけんてき）- conservative (ly) / feudalistic (ally)
協力的（きょうりょくてき）- cooperative (ly)
画一的（かくいつてき）- stereotypical (ly)

Source: Pera Pera Penguin Vol. 7

Informal: ～そうです．

～そうです(I heard that~)

そうです→って

小林さんが新しいステレオを買ったんだって。
I heard Kobayashi bought a new stereo.

Special usage of 思う and たい

私は作家になりたいです。＝　私は作家になりたいと思います。
I want/I'd like to become an author. (Does not translate to 'I think I want to become an author')

Informal speech ～と言って

Informal form of ～と言って is just って

智子さんは来年、海外に行くんだって。
Tomoko said that she's going overseas next year.

Further reading: http://www.guidetojapanese.org/quotation.html

Informal speech of てしまう

てしまう→ちゃう
でしまう→じゃう

とか

To break uncomfortable silences while you are searching for words, use とか as filler as follows:

～とか．．．～とか．．．

Example:
友だち：どんな食べ物が好きですか？
Poleさん：えーっと…さかなとか…肉とか…です。Let's see...I like fish...meat...and so on.

As seen from the example, also used to list several items. This is similar to や～など。

Source: Pera Pera Penguin Vol. 7

Difference between なんか、なんて、など

なんて and なんと／など are completely separate from なんか.
なんて is the formal way of expressing yourself. It's almost like a prefix in English (except for the part that it's not thrown in front of a word, but instead it's just put in front of a sentence).
So you could say:
きれいな 女の人 だろうね
That's a beautiful girl.
If you throw in なんて, you only stress the meaning of what you are saying.
So
なんてきれいな女の人だろうね
What a beautiful girl she is!
The meaning is the same; all you've done is stress what you're saying.

That said, you can also throw なんて in the middle of a sentence.
トムがおばけのことなんてしんじられない
Tom doesn't believe in ghosts.
I'd like to note that you are being emphatic when you say this though. Much more so than had you left なんてout.

If なんて is at the beginning of the sentence, you can use なんと instead.
If it comes in the middle of the sentence, you can replace it with など. Simple as that.
Just note, that なんと and など are more familiar, so should only be used in casual situations.

なんか: That is the word that is similar to  "like". That's the word you throw in when you're trying to think of what you're going to say.
Example:
なんか、どうしよう？どこ行くだろう？あのさあ、なんか、この町のおいしいところはどこだろう？
Like, what should I do? Where should I go? Excuse me, but umm... where can I go for some good food around here?"
なんか is basically used for "like" or "umm" as we would English, and I don't think I need to explain to you that it's very informal.


Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100424195808AAGfq7F

ではありません

ではありません is a polite version of じゃない, which is the plain negation of BOTH ある and いる. When you negate in plain form, you don't make a distinction between animate and inanimate.
ではありません is a stock phrase used regardless of the living status of what it describes.

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As79K9A1AsPCbB2hT9BiQWjq1KIX;_ylv=3?qid=20110605101603AAgM4x4

Difference between 持っている and ある

持っている - to hold, carry or have
ある - something is there or present.

Main difference between 持っている and ある: (when used as "have")
持っている is transitive (it can take an object)
ある is intransitive (it cannot take an object, the object being "had" is the subject).

Example:
ぼくは本がある.
I have a book (using subject + ga + aru).

ぼくが本を持っている.
I have a book (using object + wo + motte iru).

If you want to specify that the book is not with you, you're going to have to add another part to the sentence saying so. Like for example:
本がある。たぶんかばんにあるでしょう。
I have a book with me, maybe in my bookbag.



You can say 本がある or 本を持っている for saying you have a book but not with you.
You can only say 本を持っている if you have a book and you are currently carrying it.

Usually though, in conversation, you don't just say this. I can't remember anytime when someone has asked me, "Do you have the book?" without just wanting a simple "Yes, I have it with me right now" or "No, but I do own it" and it's all obvious by context.

Teacher: (You need a book for class) Do you have the book?
Me: Yes, it's right here.
Me: No, it's at home.

You wouldn't say, "Yep, I have it" when you don't have it currently with you without clarifying. Like "Yeah, I have it, but now with me right now."
Same for Japanese.


Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081203203119AADtIoq

どうする

どうする？
What should I do?
What will I do?

どうするの？
What are you going to do?

Source:　http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100804201600AA16o4K
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuJ08l7kQs8ULa1zNggFugIjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20120117173000AANaM74