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Can't find a verb to match this object 「このさわぎを」
> ****
> Sekiguchi, who had noticed teacher Togawa and even the students on the other side holding their breath and staringonce again scowled hard at Maruko and teacher Kamiya.
I can't fit into my translation. There seems to be no verb that matches with "this uproar".
|
You can parse it this way:
> **** **** **** ****
= "S1 and even S2 are V-ing O"
is the object for .
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "parsing, reading comprehension"
}
|
What's きます in 持ってきます?
What does mean here? Also I'd like a translation for this sentence.
****
|
**** is some sort of compound verb, and as many of these verbs it is best understood when reading it's conforming verbs in sequence.
1. .
2. & .
3. take/have & come.
4. **Finally we understand it is the transitive verb:** to bring.(because you take something and come someplace)
There are a lot of this kind of words and you can even make your own as needed:
**-verb1 + verb2**.
e.g. I forgot my umbrella and left(without it).
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "verbs"
}
|
The meaning of し
I didn't understand after
>
>
|
**** is used to emphatically add information to a statement, implying that something **is** among other things(that may be not mentioned as well). The simple formula is as follows:
* **Verbs:** Informal termination +
* **i-Adjs:** i-Adj+: → .
* **na-Adjs/nouns:** na-Adj/noun + : →
e.g.
The food on that restaurant is delicious( **among the next facts** ), **also** the prices are low, and what's more, they **also** have parking.
We can see the emphatically adding of information here with the rough translations for ****.
* * *
This **** pattern is normally written or spoken with more than 1 **** on the sentence, however, you can have only one **** on the sentences and end with it (although is sometimes not seen as correct).
- Hey Tom, have you gotten yourself a girl already?
… Girlfriend?! I don't have time for that( **among other reasons** ).
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "words, particle し"
}
|
What does ずっと前から mean?
I couldn't understand this structure, so I would like an explanation for this and a translation
****
|
Translated it means: this.
And you can break up the parts:
- for a long time
- from before
Put it all together --> Since a long time ago
> I've studied Japanese from a long time ago, but ended up stopping.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": -1,
"tags": "meaning, syntax"
}
|
Does a question using じゃないんじゃない exist?
For verbs:
> ()
>
> ()
For -i adjectives:
> ()
>
> ()
For nouns and -na adjectives, the negative is :
> ()
So if I want to ask "isn't that he is not a student?", can I use this:
> ()
I saw a question that said in plain form. If I change it into polite speech, will it be ?
Does that mean : verb/i-adj(na-adj/noun) + () + + + existed?
|
To answer the titular question: yes.
A google search will immediately get you a few examples.
From ”” (emphasis mine):
> ****
>
> * F. Scott Fitzgerald
>
* * *
> If I change it into polite speech, will it be ?
Sounds sound to me. However, you might want to phrase it differently depending on how formal you want to, or need to, sound. "" is commonly used as a less formal version of "". Similarly, "" is a less formal version of "".
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, questions"
}
|
Is there a generic word for a band/orchestra to "play" a song?
Since different instruments use different verbs for "play" (even ), is there one nice word to wrap them up? []{} and its variants () sound too formal to me.
The scenario would be interviewing the members of the band, asking their most/least favourite of their songs to play.
> <The "play" verb> []
|
doesn't sound overly formal to me, but you can also say or . The generic word you can use with is (i.e., ). A drummer won't complain if you ask this to multiple members in a band simultaneously. When you want to include a vocalist, too, probably is the only possible choice. would sound needlessly poetic when an interviewer asks something like this.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 8,
"tags": "words, verbs, music"
}
|
Understanding んじゃないでしょうか
A teacher was too nice, lost control of her class and then slapped one of them. Another teacher is trying to comfort her:
>
> Because I also spoil them too much the children learnt a lesson, didn't they?
I always get confused with endings like . My translation makes no sense. I assume he is saying that the kids didn't learn a lesson because he spoils them too much, but I don't see how this can mean that they **didn't** learn a lesson.
What is the actual meaning of this sentence and how do I parse it correctly?
|
Your translation of seems perfect to me. It does say "the children learnt a lesson, didn't they?"
I agree that the first half of the sentence does not serve as the _direct_ reason for what's said in the last half, but this sentence would make sense if you understand the context. This was used referring to something shared by the two teachers but unsaid in this sentence -- being too nice is not good, and sometimes children need to be physically disciplined.
You can interpret this sentence like this:
> (As a teacher, **being too nice is a bad thing**. But) I also tend to spoil them too much. _Therefore_ , I think the children learnt a (necessary and valuable) lesson (from _you_ ).
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, questions"
}
|
Meaning of adjective + にする
When you say
>
You mean "Clean the room" (make it so that the room becomes clean).
On the other hand, when you say
>
You mean "Be quiet".
If these meanings are right, would the sentences
>
>
>
mean, respectively, "Everything is quiet" and "Make everything quiet" ?
Lastly, what would be the difference in meaning between the following:
>
>
>
|
>
> "Clean the room" (make it so that the room becomes clean).
>
>
> "Be quiet".
The in means "to make", and the in means "to behave".
>
as "to behave~~" is (usually) used for animate things. So you can say , "Everyone stays quiet", "All the students stay quiet" etc., but sounds a bit unnatural. For "Everything is quiet", you'd say *, , etc.
>
means "make everything quiet". **** sounds more natural to me but it'd probably depend on the context.
>
is grammatically incorrect. You'd say * or .
So, for example for "All the students are quiet," you could say:
>
> /
The former is like "All the students are being/staying quiet now", and the latter "All the students are quiet (now, or always)".
* sounds more literary/formal than .
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "grammar, meaning, particle に, adjectives"
}
|
Particle で before もちきり
I recently learnt the word . It always seems to preceeded by a word with particle e.g.
>
> Rumours about you are a hot topic at the moment.
I can't understand why is used. Which type of is this?
|
The word can be literally translated like "full loaded" or "loaded all the time", that figuratively describes a topic totally occupies people's tongues.
So, this **** should be taken as _instrumental_ "with", as in:
> **** _learn Japanese **with** anime_
> **** _busy **with** work_
* * *
![enter image description here](
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "grammar, particle で"
}
|
Please help me understand more about intransitive verb and transitive verb
I will give a sentence as an example:
>
The first question: Could things like book or door or etc... become **subject** of a transitive verb ?
The second question: Could a transitive verb work **without an object** ?
|
sounds unnatural and hardly makes sense to me. In casual conversations, we usually say, for example, instead, with "I" as the implicit subject.
Your first question is covered in this question: In Japanese, can we say an object asks a question?
As for your second question, yes it's sometimes possible to omit an object. For example, you don't have to repeat the same object again in a conversation like this:
> A: Did you read the book?
> B: No, not yet.
> A: Then please read _it_.
However many transitive verbs would make little sense if they completely lack the object. You don't usually say "I say" without specifying what you say. It's better to use an intransitive verb which have a similar meaning (e.g., there is a word "to chat" which does not require an object)
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "transitivity"
}
|
それにしても日本人と変わりませんね - this sentence seems to make no sense
I have been doing exercises from Nihongo so-matome n3 grammar book, when I stumbled upon this question, and the answer seems to make no sense to me (Nihongo so-matome n3 grammar pg. 59, ex. 14)
> 10
>
>
the correct answer is supposedly 4) but it seems to make no sense, so I must be misunderstanding something. Doesn't it mean "He has been speaking japanese fluently for the past 10 years. Even so he is no different from a Japanese [in his language ability]"?
|
> 10
> Your Japanese is good and it's because you've been in Japan for 10 years. (___) you are no different from Japanese people.
I believe 3) and 4) are both acceptable depending on the context. If this was said to a teenager, I would certainly choose ("If that's the case, ..."). If I know this was a conversation between two people in their forties, I would not choose .
Unlike which is followed by some contrastive statement, can work as "anyway, ...", "at any rate, ..." or even "by the way, ...". It's a word used to break a logical link with the previous context and tell what the speaker is feeling at the moment.
>
> Okay, the deadline is tomorrow. By the way, this room is hot, isn't it?
Regarding this question, using means the speaker is impressed by the other person's Japanese ability _anyway_. Ten years is a long time, but it may not be long enough to speak like a native speaker. _Either way / The point is_ , his Japanese is really good.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "grammar, translation"
}
|
Natural pauses when reading and speaking
For example in a sentence like this which I found online looking this up:
As a native speaker where would you naturally pause? I am not sure where to mentally pause when reading and that kind of mess with my ability to comprehend sentences in one go.
|
I would read it like this:
> (pause)(small pause)
or maybe like this, when reading very slowly:
> (small pause)(big pause)(small pause)(pause)
I read it this way because I parse the sentence this way:
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, usage"
}
|
Why でも is used rather than も in this sentence?
> ****
Why is the particle used? With time expressions the particle expresses time limit. So it's weird to see the with . seems better(?). here can be the "even though/even/but" meaning. But sounds better(?).
|
One way to think of it, which I found in the Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, is:
## -form of /
verb meaning “to be” particle meaning “even”*
** is the / version of the grammatical pattern ** , which we use when asking for permission to do things. By putting the verb / in its -form, we can then ask if the thing itself (a noun) is permissible.
* **** / May I go to the bathroom? [literally: Is even going to the bathroom OK?]
* **** / Is the bathroom OK? [literally: Is even it being the bathroom OK?] You’d say this if you’re doing something and asking if it’s OK to do it in the bathroom.
I recently wrote a blog post on this actually! Rescheduling appointments without sounding like a jerk… …?
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "grammar, particle でも"
}
|
What is the role of imperative form in this sentence?
> ? ****
Please help me understand why they used imperative form () in this sentence. I thought it is only used to give out order, request... and rarely used in writing language ?
|
This isn't imperative form but causative. is imperative form of causative. is causative and it means "to make someone stand".
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, conjugations, causation"
}
|
Words for computer: パソコン or コンピューター
What is the difference between vs ?
|
Generally, what Faily Feely said in comment is all:
> is thought to be an abbreviation for (personal computer).
When used as , I'd imagine a (home) desktop PC.
When used as , its meaning is generally the same as English _computer_ , I suppose.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "word choice, loanwords"
}
|
Please help me understand 注がれた in this sentence and its conjugation
> ****
Why did they use passive form in this sentence and what does it mean when coming after noun + ?
|
> **** ****
The subject for the is ().
/ is a set phrase to mean "to watch/look/stare (at~)".
Here it's used in the passive voice: , literally "The eyes were focused intently on the scar on his forehead", i.e. "(The owner of the eyes) stared/gazed at the scar on his(=Harry's) forehead."
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, passive voice"
}
|
Meaning of ことする in this sentence
> ****
> Shut up! It's alright to give one or two blows to the kind of idiots who **decide** not to understand the reason.
I'm unsure about the part of this sentence. Is is just meaning "decide to ..." with the dropped, or is there some other meaning?
|
It is . is omitted. And I think you left out a letter and means "A guy who do nonsense".
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
How to say "He went to bed without taking a shower, brushing his teeth, removing his contact lenses"?
I want to say
> He went to bed without taking a shower, brushing his teeth, removing his contact lenses.
Do I have to repeat the negation for every verb as follows?
>
|
He went to sleep without showering or taking off his glasses.
→ ※
→
※
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, negation, coordination"
}
|
なく suffix and ていたら suffix
So I was talking to this girl and she typed a really weird sentence(at least it felt weird for me lol):
[]
So first what means? Something like "if I was watching" or "when I was watching"?
Then [ is ] right? I looked it up for the suffix and it seem to be the negative form, but used in honorific words only, is it right?
Now the translation for that sentence would be "I didn't sleep because I was watching anime"? Or what?
One last thing, is this a really badly casual sentence or what? It feels sooo weird.
Thank you!!!
|
is a "past conditional" marker, which can be used like this (from here):
> The past conditional is the only type of conditional where the result can be in the past. It may seem strange to have an "if" when the result has already taken place. Indeed, in this usage, there really is no "if", it's just a way of expressing surprise at the result of the condition. This has little to do with conditionals but it is explained here because the grammatical structure is the same.
>
> *
> When I went home, there was no one there. (unexpected result)
> *
> As a result of going to America, I got really fat. (unexpected result)
>
Here is the version of the potential form of .
("to sleep")
→ ("to be able to sleep")
→ (nonstandard _ra_ -nuki)
→ (negation, "can't sleep")
→ (continuative form)
She did not finish the sentence "properly". This is in the same vein as this.
So the sentence says "I can't sleep because I was watching anime".
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
What does this fish market banner say?
A friend has at home this banner from an old fish shop in Sapporo. I suppose it's a souvenir from Japan. It intrigues me a lot!
What's this with an upper stroke and the ten-ten? What's the name for the place? Does the following make sense: ? On the bottom left there's a phone number written with kanji?
Maybe this is the result of the (free)style of the calligrapher or the with the stroke and ten-ten is to resemble a fish?
!
|
I think it's read right-to-left as {} 'fish market'. The kana and are written as hentaigana, variant forms of kana that are usually no longer used.
This is :
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 24,
"question_score": 13,
"tags": "hiragana, calligraphy, writing identification, hentaigana"
}
|
Desu pronounced dess: what about other words?
On a CD that came with my text book I hear that desu is pronounced dess. Are there many other words in Japanese, where done of the sound from the kana spelling actually falls off, like in this example, at the end our at any other place?
If I pronounce desu instead of dess, will it sound wrong to native Japanese speakers?
Is there some rule to what vowels our other sounds (mora?) from the kanji to omit?
Thanks.
|
This is not a direct answer to your question but let me explain about difference between voicing/devoicing vowels and prolonging vowels.
There are several ways to pronounce or the likes.
1. des (1 syllable ~~non-moraic~~ 3 morae, /de/ is longer than /s/, sounds ~~chopped~~ foreign)
2. des: (1 syllable 2 morae, /de/ and /s:/ are even, sounds eastern-dialect-ish)
3. desu (2 syllable **s** 2 morae, /de/ and /su/ are even, sounds western-dialect-ish)
4. desu: (2 syllable **s** 3 morae, /su:/ is longer than /de/, sounds feminine)
Japanese ears perceive no.1 as , no.2 and 3 as the same thing and normal pronunciation of while no.4 as , which is different from the rest and perhaps feminine.
However, English speakers perceive no.1 and no.2 as the same word "des" while no.3 and 4 as another same word "desu". If they fail to differentiate no.3 and 4, they may mix features unique to each of them.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "kana, phonology, phonetics, sound symbolism, phonotactics"
}
|
I can't look anywhere (どこでも見ちゃだめです）？
What's the most natural way of saying "I can't look anywhere (without getting embarrassed)" Both polite and casual?
> * (casual?)
> *
> *
> * (polite?)
>
|
I would use or though I'm not sure whether the sentences are something one is allowed to say aloud
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, syntax"
}
|
Usage of 〜ても in the phrase「でも普通どおりにやっても面白くないから…」
I'm translating Haruki Murakami's essayand came across this sentence:
>
Which I've roughly translated as:
> But it’s not fun if you do it in a normal way, so I decided to make up imaginary books and write detailed reviews about them.
Most of the sentence I have no problem understanding, It's just the use of here in that doesn't seem to translate naturally. I know the construction means "even if" or "even though", but translating the phrase as "But because it's not fun _even if_ you do it in a normal way..." doesn't sound right in English. If there some other use of that I'm not aware of?
Thanks!
|
Your translation seems about correct to me. And to me, it does sounds rather weird even in Japanese. The fact that it starts by "" let me believe the previous sentences would help put it in context and make much more sense.
I worked as a translator for a few years and if there is an advice I can give you is to never translate literally. The 2 languages are far from compatibles and must usually be rephrased to make sense in the other language.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
Why is the topic marker wa spelled ha?
I would like to know why the topic marker wa is spelled instead of
Also, is this the only misspelled particle in Japanese (or anything resembling a particle or other figure of speech component), or are there also other instances?
Thanks.
|
That is a long story but to keep it short I would say that the language changed many times, and at some point the writing system for "ha/","wo/","he/" changed for "wa/", "o/", "e/", but just for the particles they kept the original writing system while still changing the way it is pronounced.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "spelling"
}
|
How to say how long an object will last?
I have a wallet that is made of a paper-like material, so I am unsure how long it will last. One other thing I am unsure about, is how to say that sentence in Japanese.
My first guess would be using .
> {}{}{}
And if is the correct verb for the sentence, can it be used with other objects, for example a poorly made hammer that might break or fall apart?
|
I'd use as well!
I usually see it used with food (has obvious expiration date):
>
> Milk is good, but it doesn't last long.
But can be used with other stuff:
>
> That clothing store is nice, but their stuff only lasts a season.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "word choice, verbs, word requests"
}
|
Stroke order of kana (not kanji)
I have learned hiragana and katakana, but the book I have learned these from alas does not show their stroke order. I have the Takoboto dictionary fire Android smartphones installed, which displays kanji stroke order very clearly, but not for kana.what is a good app or online resource that displays the stroke order for kana (preferably clearly, and allowing me to go through all kana quickly)?
Thanks.
|
For the most part, the stroke order is quite natural and follows the same logic as kanji(top-left toward bottom-right). Since most kana only have about 1 or 2 strokes(although mostly written in 1 stoke by natives trying to write really fast), it hardly gets confusing as long as you stick with that rule. For more detailed info you should check the links some sent to you in the comments.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "katakana, hiragana, kana, handwriting, stroke order"
}
|
Difference between furigana and rubi
Is there any difference between furigana and rubi. To my knowledge, both of these are used to write the provocation of kanji in small print above the kanji, but is there a difference between these two terms?
In general, is there a resource that lists all such Japanede terms which might be useful to language learners in a comprehensive list?
Thanks.
|
( _rubi_ ) is jargon which mainly refers to the characters' appearance (small annotative characters placed on top of or to the right of main text), and is preferred in the publishing industry. Even Microsoft Word call those characters , and I believe the majority of native Japanese people understand this term.
We sometimes encounter rubies which are not used to show readings of kanji, and in such cases I prefer not to use ( _furigana_ ).
See:
* What does this use of kanji in ruby text mean?
* Can "furigana" be used to refer to ruby that isn't kana?
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "terminology, furigana"
}
|
Saying 'A little bit' instead of 「はい」 when asked 「日本語ですか？」 or similar?
!
Let's say a asked you or whatever to ask yes/no if you can speak or not.
If you can KIND OF speak it... but not really(or at least not well...), and thus wanna answer with a 'A bit', or 'sort-a', or 'not well' instead of or , what might y'all suggest one use in such a scenario?
|
One should mostly answer with ""(just a little) even once you become quite advanced. Japanese modesty in all it's splendor.
If you get bored of it, you can make up new fancy ways like ""(I'm able for the most part) or ""(I can somehow manage). But the last 2 really feels like modesty and therefor will be taken as you are quite good. If you are at a really low level, it might be good to specify it as to make it obvious your are not being modest. Like ""(sort of, but it's still kinda hard). But for the most part "" will be suit all cases.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": -1,
"tags": "word choice, words, set phrases"
}
|
Stroke order of cross in kana
Using the hiragana practice and katakana paractice Google Play apps as a reference,
why is the stroke order of the cross in is first horizontal, then vertical, (like in the Chinese (shi2) (ten)), whereas in it is vertical and then horizontal?
|
Firstly, for , the second stroke isn't really just a horizontal stroke, so it's unfair to compare it to . The second stroke of goes on to change direction and curl later on. Try doing the second stroke first then aiming the vertical stroke. Your mileage may vary.
Then for , in its katakana form has the horizontal stroke first. I refer you to this question: Why is the stroke order of peculiar?
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "kana, stroke order"
}
|
What is the difference between Nigiyaka and Isogashii
It seems they both mean busy. Can someone tell me what the difference is between them?
|
They are slightly similar but Nigiyaka also has the meaning of lively or "genki". Isogashii feels a little more like a negative way to say busy, while nigiyaka might seem more positive.
For exemple, isogashii would be used for work(negative) while nigiyaka could be used for a party or a parade as meaning crowded/busy(positive)
Another more practical difference would be that isogashii can be used for people, and nigiyaka for events/places. I'm busy(isogashi) / the office is busy(nigiyaka)
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "word choice"
}
|
Does this sentence with ことになる make sense?
I am trying to check my understanding about , so I came up with a sentence:
>
The meaning I intended is "I came to enjoy studying japanese".
Does the sentence mean this ? And is it grammatically correct ?
|
It is grammatically correct, but it means "Studying Japanese became my favourite thing (to do)".
If you want to say "I came to enjoy studying Japanese", you can leave out the and say
>
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, verbs"
}
|
When is 酒 pronounced sake and when is it pronuounced saka? And why?
Saka as in {} or zaka as in {}
Sake as in {}
|
The difference between and is just one of rendaku, which I think is well discussed here: Rules or criteria for : Voiced or unvoiced syllables in compound words
The reason that {} becomes {} in some cases is not really directly related to rendakurather this is called ten'on.
Just as a short answer, some words, when part of a compound word, will have a change in the vowel sound of the final syllable/mora.
This change seems to sometimes carry the implication of **** .
> turning into :
* {}{} ⇒ {}
* {}{} ⇒ {}
* {}{} ⇒ {}
> turning into
* {}{} ⇒ {} ⇒ {}
* {}{} ⇒ {}
> turning into
*
You can see other examples here: <
The best Japanese reference I can find that really concisely outlines what's going on with is this one here:
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "readings"
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kimasu, shimasu, imasu, and mashite, and deshita
I am just starting to learn Japanese, and with close to no knowledge whatsoever, other than about the spelling system, I have noticed so many words seen to end with the patterns suggested in the title of this post.
Can someone, in as brief and concise an explanation as possible, explain to me why this is? Are these declensions of done nouns, adjectives, or verbs, or other grammatical constructs I am observing?
Thanks.
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It is the formal (or polite) way of conjugating verbs.
(kaku) write (dictionary form)
(kakimasu) write
(kakimashita) wrote
(kakimasen) don't write
(kakimasen deshita) didn't write
(watashi wa hon o kakimasu)
I write a book.
(desu) is
(deshita) was
(dewa arimasen) is not
(dewa arimasen deshita) was not
(kore wa hon desu)
This is a book.
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{
"answer_score": 1,
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Onegaishimasu meanings, reply and when to use
_Onegaishimasu_ is used by Japanese people a lot. What does it mean, in what context is it used, and how do I respond to this?
I found on the web that it means:
> Please take care of me.
>
> I am in your care.
>
> Do me this favor.
|
You can think of it as the word ¨please¨ in English. If someone says to you, they are always asking you to do something or expect something from you.
For example if a friend tells me that she likes chocolates and I say, I will buy for you. Then she might say, meaning, ¨please do¨, or ¨that would be great¨.
If you want to imply that the other person should actually do something because it's important, you can use which is a bit stronger.
For example I can ask my brother to pick up my kids from school tomorrow and I can at the end of the sentence say as a way to emphasise that he shouldn't forget this. I think this is the example of what you posted in your question ¨Please take care of me.¨
You can respond to the as ¨here you go¨ when they are asking you for something, or you can answer ”understood” when it's an important request that you will do later.
Hope this helps.
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, parts of speech"
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What does ほれ mean?
The following sentences in the children's book refer to a dog barking:
>
>
jisho.org's pretty good, but it doesn't seem to have a clear definition for . Google Translate doesn't shed too much insight on where to look, other than maybe something to do with fondness or belovedness (which apparently describe the dog in this story, but I'm not certain this is even the right place to look). What ultimately does mean, especially in cases like the above?
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[]{} is the verb used here. It means to dig. []{} is in the []{} which is the imperative form of the verb []{}.
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{
"answer_score": 3,
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Are 少女 【しょうじょ】, 少女 【おとめ】, 小女 【しょうじょ】 and 乙女 【おとめ】 fully interchangeable?
A search for on jisho.org shows the word as a result, and doesn't give a distinction between the two terms, just listing that the word has "many forms":
*
*
*
*
**Are the four forms fully interchangeable, or are there nuances in the meaning?**
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* is the most common among the four, and is a neutral word meaning _girl_. Although this is common in novels and news articles, this still is a big word and people don't usually use it in casual conversations.
* is rarer and is commonly translated as _maiden_. You would find this in certain stilted novels, poems, lyrics, and such. It focuses on girls' chastity and innocence.
* is a rare reading of found only in historical contexts.
* is very rare and I'm not even sure if this is correct.
I think you can safely forget the last two.
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{
"answer_score": 7,
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Questions about phrase 「てもよいか」 and prefix 「うえ」
The sentence came from Nintendo 3DS instruction manual explaining about transfer data from the earlier version, Nintendo DSi, to the newer one, Nintendo 3DS.
New 3DSDSiDSi **** ****
1) Does the in indicate doubt or uncertainty? In my opinion, since transferring the data to the new system, Nintendo 3DS, will cause the existing data in the original system, Nintendo DSi, being deleted for sure, I have a doubt why then the being written in the sentence.
2) If the prefix means before doing something, can I use instead without losing the original meaning?
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>
This is a question marker that introduces an embedded question. See this question: Usage of after a clause?
So means "whether (or not) it's okay to lose your saved data by the move". after the embedded question is usually omitted, as you can see in the link above.
`verb + (+)` / `noun + (+)` is a formal set phrase that means "upon " or "after ". You can see many examples here.
The sentence can be rephrased as:
> () ****
> Perform the system transfer _after you have confirmed_ you can lose your saved data.
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{
"answer_score": 3,
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How would you say "x says hi" in Japanese?
I've given this some thought but due to both my lack of knowledge in Japanese (still studying atm, although in Japan for a year so that should improve) and just not being able to come up with anything that sounds right with what I do know, I'm not even sure if this is like a thing to say in Japanese. Either that or I'm just getting tunnel vision on this and missing an extremely simple way of translating this.
But so yeah, is there a way to say like "Bob says hi by the way," like when you were talking about one person with Bob earlier and then Bob tells you to extend his greetings to that person the next time you meet?
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> "Bob says hi by the way."
* ****
* ****
or
* ****
or something similar.
The above sentences are a casual way of saying the first sentence below:
> ****
> ****
> ****
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{
"answer_score": 12,
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Is 「かれがしょうねんですしかよ！」 grammatically correct? (「です」 before 「しか」?)
I was thinking today of how I would describe things in Japanese. One of these things was 'He's just a boy!', which I more or less worked out to be which I THINK is correct, but still feels sorta 'off' to me. Something about the final noun using the particle AFTER stating the polite form of it.
Can't really put my finger on it, just feels like something's incorrect about it, thus I thought to ask.
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> He's just a boy. He's still just a boy!
I would say...
* [name] / or/and /
or maybe...
* [name] / or/and **** **** / **** *
*As stated in the other answer, is used with a negative word/phrase: (= nothing but = only).
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{
"answer_score": 4,
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What does ここじゃ何だ means in this sentence?
> …… **{}**
I couldn't find the meaning...
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is, as I recognize, to be an abbreviated expression of
which I would translate to
In this place, in many ways, you know,,,
(I know my English is very awkward here...
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{
"answer_score": 5,
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What does かぎのあるヱ mean?
In the Japanese radiotelephony alphabet, all kana are assigned a mnemonic code word in the form _Nippon no ni_ ()... except one.
( _we_ ) alone stands out with _kagi no aru we_ (). Why is this used instead of eg. , and what does " _we_ that has the key" mean?
Note that is used for , another obsolete kana with a homophone, so I presume there's more to it that just avoiding potential confusion between and .
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I think it means "the e with the hook". If you compare with , has a hook in the first horizontal.
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{
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Difference between [休日]{きゅうじつ}, [休暇]{きゅうか} and 休{やす}み
What is the difference between , and ? When each should be used?
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and mean _a day off_. sometimes means _a day off_ , but also means _taking a rest_.
It seems is a day off under the company/school's regulations: Like Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays. is a day off that is not stipulated by your school/company's regulations, but you apply for a day off and they approve it.
From my personal experience, people don't distinguish between and strictly. They just mean _a day off_.
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 10,
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Confused about Hoka - 外 or 他
Can someone help me. I have seen a few different translations for this word, including other place,the rest and another. I also saw two kanji. Are there two different meanings?
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is the kanji you want to use, the other one appears to be usable with the same meaning according to the dictionary, but I have never seen it used as such. is almost only used for the meaning of outside.
hoka basically means other. It can be used in many ways, but always comes down to the same basic meaning.
the other person.
Anything else?
(sometimes read )literally means "others". Especially the category "others" on websites etc.
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": -2,
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what does「今夜が峠です」mean?
When i was reading an entry about the writer mentioned an expression using which is, they said that when a close person is seriously ill and are on their deathbed this expression is often used.
> “”
So what does it mean exactly?
Is it something like they are expressing how difficult a situation it is since has the meaning of difficult part or does it have the subtle meaning of wishing the ill person survives and expressing their sadness?
Are there any similar expressions in English?
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is the highest point of a mountain path.
It figuratively means the most difficult/hard point to overcome. So means one is the closest to death tonight.
I don't think it has a nuance of familiarness or sadness; it just describes such a quite serious situation.
Another common phrase involving is , which means one has survived and is getting better.
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{
"answer_score": 7,
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Honorific and humble forms of suru verbs
This question is about suru-verbs, verbs made from a noun and the verb suru (for ex: + ). I am familiar with the potential form of suru being , then suru-verbs potential become X or X or X. How would you conjugate suru-verbs into the honorific and humble forms? I know is the honorific form and is the humble form of suru.
I took a couple guesses...
>
>
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plain:
honorific:
humble:
<
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{
"answer_score": 2,
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What is the difference between 非親告罪 and 親告罪?
** vs **
To my understanding **** means: A type of crime which requires a formal complaint from the victim in order to prosecute.
**** means: a mistake, negative, injustice, non, un, etc...
So is the first word like a double negative? In other words like not a crime? A conversation of these two words happened during a talk recently and I didn't quite fully understand. Any in-depth explanation would be great!
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doesn't mean decriminalization. It means non-that is to say, investigative organization can prosecute the accused without a requirement for a formal complaint from the victim in order to prosecute.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning, kanji, prefixes"
}
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What does 限り mean in this case?
> ****
So from the context I kind of understand it:
> "Of course stealing that box is impossible"
or something along the line.
How does the function here?
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means something like "the limit", as in the maximum amount or degree.
It can function like this:
> ****
* To **the limit** that there is nothing really out of the ordinary, it's impossible.
* **So long as** there is nothing really out of the ordinary, it's impossible.
> ****
* To **the limit** that I know, it's impossible.
* **As far as** I know, it's impossible.
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{
"answer_score": 4,
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How certain is たら？
In skype conversations and the subtitles of a lot of shows I see being translated as "when" in some of them it seems quite morbid almost to use for example to me sounds more like "if you go home" Implying that there is some possibility that you might not get home. Is more certain than the English "if" or is this just a translation done from context?
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> How certain is ?
This question reads like asking, "How certain is **if** in English?" Nobody can tell exactly unless they know the full context. Also, it depends on what you say. If you say something like,
> []{}, []{}.
>
> If (when) tomorrow comes, let's go on a picnic.
Is there any chance that there will be no tomorrow? Yes, if a nuclear war breaks out today, there will be no tomorrow for us, but how likely is it?
can imply both. But if the following clause indicates an **immediate action** , it could have more certainty.
> []{}[]{}[]{}[]{}.
>
> When (If) I come back from outside (other places), I always brush my teeth.
The following link Japanese Conditional Form - Part 4. ~ (~tara) Sentence will help you better understand it.
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{
"answer_score": 7,
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The meaning of なんだって here
>
So it's like
> If it's a designated nomination then you're the one who has to go. After all it would be pretty rude if you wouldn't show off your enthusiasm.
So is like a comparison which is like an extent but in this case how does that work with ?
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You got the translation wrong, it would be something like: "You invited the guy directly [probably for a job offer] so it would be rude not to show any enthusiasm, something like ' _there is only YOU who can fit this position!_ '"
The is to show to _which point_ the guy should show enthusiasm.
e.g.: ― How much? ― this much.
The is just part of the citation the person uses to express what has to be said: "" and because it is a citation, you need the .
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{
"answer_score": 1,
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Kohsuke or Kosuke?
I saw a person write his name in Romaji as Ko **h** suke. I am a beginner Japanese student and it struck me as odd to see that "h" in there. I would have thought his name to be written as Kosuke if it were to follow proper form.
Is the introduction of the single "h" a common convention to aid with pronunciation? Or perhaps something he just does to set his name apart from others?
Unfortunately I do not have access to the Kanji representation of his name.
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Kosuke is not bad, but one may think of it as rather than his actual name .
I think it is common to use "h" to avoid this. For example, famous baseball player []{}[]{} played with "OH" on his back.
An alternative way to handle this kind of pronunciation is to use a macron like Kōsuke.
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{
"answer_score": 3,
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Dialogue and politeness level in 風の又三郎
I have two questions regarding the style of the classic story by . (Full text available on )
1) Most of the characters use a dialect which I believe is , which comes from the author's home region. Is this dialogue still spoken today in much the same form, or has it aged/evolved over several centuries? Also, would this dialogue in that era (around 1930s) be spoken by country people, city people, or both?
2) The book is written with a surprising level of politeness I haven't seen before. For example, most descriptive text uses , even to the extent where is used mid-sentence (i.e. ......). Also, the teacher's speech when speaking to children is overly polite (ex: ”" instead of ”"). Is there a cultural/historical/regional reason for this extra politeness?
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1) I'm not good at at all, but like any other dialects in Japan, is rather quickly disappearing. I believe only old people in rural areas of Tohoku region can speak fluent today. Even in this novel written more than 80 years ago, is used as a role-language that represents country kids ( uses standard Japanese).
2) Fairy tales and folklore (e.g., , ) are usually conveyed in this style. is more like a than a , so I think this writing style was natural to him. People may intentionally choose this writing style when they write an allegorical story or children's story (for example, see by ).
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
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How to translate "tonight" meaning "this evening" and "this night"?
English word "tonight" can have a meaning "this evening" and "this night" as well. I can translate into Japanese both of them as []{}. But how to translate it into Japanese to mean exactly "this evening" (before midnight) and "this night" (I mean after midnight, for example at 1 AM)?
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The weather report uses the following words:
: from 9pm to midnight
: from midnight to 3am
: from 3am to 6am
So you could say to mean "this night after midnight".
<
<
<
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{
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Meaning of でも in this sentence
I stumbled upon the following sentence in the J-drama "Mother".
A teacher is talking to a student who isn't doing an exercise. I'm aware that the teacher is asking whether there is a reason why the student can't do the exercise. But what is the doing there? I would understand a .
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> Do you have a reason _or something_ why you can't write it?
From Wiktionary, the 5th definition, "or something".
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{
"answer_score": 4,
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Meaning of えれぇ in this sentence
A daughter is telling her dad about an incident that happened at school. He replies:
>
I think this is the same as:
>
I don't understand the meaning of in this sentence. I'm translating it as
> This has ended up becoming a **famous** event.
but she is telling him on the same evening as the incident happened so 'famous' doesn't seem likely. Is there a more obvious translation that fits the context?
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can have a positive or negative meaning depending on context:
When talking about a person of great status for example you'd refer to them as and it has a positive meaning
but here since it's an event and an incident at that the meaning becomes like or and means something like: very/ extreemely, it has a negative nuance that is implied and the meaning becomes somthing like:
> This has ended up being a **terrible** event.
So it's all dependent on context whether it means great, good or terribe, bad etc.
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{
"answer_score": 4,
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Meaning of わりィ in this sentence
> ****
I'm guessing that this is rather than . So I get something like
> It's that idiot Sekiguchi isn't it?
I can't even begin to guess at what the part is though.
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It is just a phonetic reduction of {}.
So we can translate the sentence as
>
_The one who's in the wrong is that Sekiguchi guy, right._
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{
"answer_score": 5,
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Is saying "私は社会人です" self-deprecating when you meet someone? Is it too vague?
In an informal setting, imagine doing a {}{} and you want to deflect the conversation away from yourself. What about saying:
>
Does that leave you with the feeling of:
> I am nothing special. I am just a simple member of society, and trying to make my way through life as best I can.
The listener would still have no idea what you do (but that is the point). If you did do something cool and interesting (something to have pride in), that can come-out later. Trying to establish intellectual / financial dominance at "hello" just is not cool. Just say " _I'm a regular Joe._ " / "", then in a later intimate discussion you can learn more about each other.
Does that make sense? Basically, in an informal could one just say:
>
Or, is that just _way_ too vague?
ps: I really do _not_ do anything interesting! I am just trying to get a feel for Japanese and how to do
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If you want to hide your profession, you could say that and then go on to explain things that you like to do, your age etc. instead. It is not self-deprecating but it is vague and most people will wonder what you do.
If you're learning Japanese, a good sentence for your would be how many years you have been studying Japanese and then go into why you started etc. Note that the is **_a way to get other people to know you_** , probably a phenomenon spawned from a generally shy culture (my guess).
> 3
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{
"answer_score": 1,
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What's the difference between Kokonotsu and kyū
My dictionary says they are both translated to the word "nine".
Can someone help clarify this for me.
Thank you
|
is a traditional Japanese word, while is one of Chinese numerals () which are common to most of Eastern Asian languages.
It also should be mentioned that you can't use without using a counter word () for appropriate cathegory when counting objects. For example, the following are two different ways to say "there are 9 pencils" in Japanese:
(where is a counter word appropriate for pencils)
(no counter word is needed here)
You may always replace with a traditional Japanese numeral in that way for all quantities that are equal or lesser than 9 - especially if you are not sure which counter word should be used with a cathegory of objects that you're trying to count, but sometimes this can be considered illiterate.
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{
"answer_score": 1,
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Definition of ワガハイ
While I was playing Persona 5 JAP version on the PS4, I noticed that Morgana, one of the characters in the game refer to itself using " ".
Why does it use that? and what does it really mean?
I refer to Morgana to " it " because it's a talking cat
|
Since it's a cat, I feel like it may be in reference to this book titled .
or in kanji, is an archaic first person address term.
> Why does it use that? and what does it really mean?
It carries a feeling of pompousness and self-importance (which is of course very important for a cat). Wikipedia says:
> Sōseki's original title, Wagahai wa Neko de Aru, uses very high-register phrasing more appropriate to a nobleman, conveying a grandiloquence and self-importance intended to sound ironic, since the speaker, an anthropomorphised domestic cat, is a house cat, not feral.
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 2,
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Mainen or Maitoshi used for every year?
I see Mainen and Maitoshi used for every year? Is there any difference and why would one be used over another?
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As far as I know there is no difference except that maitoshi is used much more frequently.
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{
"answer_score": 3,
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ために vs こと when saying thank you
When saying I'm thankful for something which one is better, or can I use both? or ?
> ****
>
> ****
Also, when using do I need to use ?(I mean in this example and not as a nominalizer)
And when using do I always need a particle to connect or its ok to say something like:
>
PS. When using it on smartphone browser it won't hint the tags for me, that's why I'm going with the generic grammar tag, unfortunately.
|
and are unnatural. You can say (). You can omit .
is also unnatural. **** is more natural but I feel this is still unnatural. **** (Nagoya is a good city to live in.) would be natural.
I think when using and , when they attach to a noun, is necessary, as in:
> ****
> ****
> ****
> ****
When they attach to a verb, isn't necessary, as in:
>
>
>
>
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
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Meaning of first "から" in "私からちゃんと話しとくから"
Context of the sentence: A mother consoles a family member that complains about a third member of the family.
> ****
I do realize that the sentence means something like "Don't worry. I'll have a serious talk with her." However, I do not understand the role of the first .
|
This is the same that indicates origin or source, which often translates to the English word _from_.
Here means is the **initiator** of the action of "talking to her properly".
In this case, on the surface level it may not be that much different from the subject marker , and so the sentence can justly be translated to "I'll have a proper talk with her."
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning, particle から"
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What are the different use cases for 家 vs. 自宅
So far, in my very simple conversations I've used {} to talk about my home. Now I've seen {} as well and I'm wondering about the differences, nuances, and use cases of these two words when referring to my own home.
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As usual, being a , tends to be used in formal and/or technical contexts. You will mainly see on various written documents and forms.
In casual conversations, is preferred. Inviting your friend to your home saying would sound a bit strange.
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{
"answer_score": 4,
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"tags": "word choice, kanji, nuances"
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Why is と being used after the past tense in this sentence?
> ****
I thought it was only used after in these cases.
|
Seems like it is being used as a quotation.
Same was as
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "particles, particle と"
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What is the difference between どうかな and どうなんだろう?
My native Japanese friend said that both and can be translated as "I"m not sure". Do they actually mean the exact same thing? Or are there subtle differences in their usage?
|
is more explicit about the fact that the speaker is unsure and wondering about something. can be used in broader situations.
tends to be used when the speaker knows the answer:
> A
> B (≒ "Hehe, guess what.")
> A
And compare the two sentences:
> 1
> 2
Both and basically translate to "what do you think?" here, but in the former sentence the speaker is confident and expecting a positive reaction, while in the latter sentence the speaker is unsure and asking for a listener's opinion.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "word choice, meaning, words, usage, nuances"
}
|
Can 「持ち込んだ食品を飲食するのは禁止である。」be simplified for a notification board?
I want to write a notification board saying
> Consuming outside food and drink is not allowed.
My attempt is as follows, but I think it can be simplified.
>
# Update
Bring outside food and drink is fine as long as they are not consumed. This exemption might be useful for those who come to the restaurant after shopping.
|
To the Update: Even to mean that, people usually use the phrases like:
> * *
> *
> * (← politer)
> * / / (← politer)
>
etc...
![](
(You can use these phrases for that purpose because the word is used here; you'd use or , not , to mean _any_ foods / food products, as in: /"Bringing in any groceries/foods/food products is not allowed")
But if you want to more clearly say or emphasize that bringing in food and drinks is fine as long as they are not consumed, I think you could write:
> * /
> * /
> * /
>
*You could spell it as , or .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
Difference between volitional +と思う and volitional+ と思っている
I've looked around the site for anything related but i couldn't find any clues.
My take at it is that using the volitional form with you're expressing your plans in the near future as in
>
you think you'll take your medicine then fall asleep probably said on the same day or even a few hours before doing the action.
whereas volitional form + you're expressing your plans probably a few years in the future
>
you're thinking about taking on the challenge of a full marathon next year and probably saying that you've been thinking of taking on the challenge is correct too because you're still thinking, probably haven't even started preparing for it or probably even still considering it?
I'm not really sure about this, it's just a speculation, is part of what i said correct?
|
In my understanding...
* ...
"I think I will...", "I'll probably..." ( _not fully decided,_ )
*
"I'm thinking of...", "I'm planning to..." ( _more-or-less decided,_ )
> ****
* **I think I'll** study overseas.
> ****
* **I'm thinking of** studying overseas.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 14,
"question_score": 14,
"tags": "grammar, nuances"
}
|
verb and then na-adjective in sentence
Sorry if my example is a bit out of context. But I wonder if it is grammatically correct to write ?
What confuses me most is the fact that it is a verb and then a na-adjective right after.
Also if you could give an advice on how I should think when translating that would be appreciated. Right now I'm just thinking what sounds most natural, but is there a specific order you should follow? If there is a "system" for Japanese to English translating it would be good to know.
This example.
>
This is my guess on translation:
> It was said to be a strange statue that was surprisingly big and even felt divine.
Or is it something with "divine strange statue".
|
("surprisingly big (and)"), ("(which) causes even a divine feeling") and ("peculiar") all modify . Alternatively, you can think modifies the noun phrase ("peculiar statue") as a whole.
As you already know, is a relative clause that always modifies a noun. So if another adjective follows right after, you have to "wait" for the next noun (or noun phrase), which is in this case.
The order is important: if the sentence were , people will take this as the word that modifies (i.e., "peculiar divinity").
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "adjectives"
}
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Meaning of たらたら歩く
What is the meaning of the expression ?
Context: a person bumps into a child and then says
means "drop by drop", but also "incessantly" or "in great quantity", so I think that used with it could mean "walking at a fast pace". Is my guess correct? Thank you for your help!
|
Basically is used to depict one of the three situations:
* continually dripping down
* (a talk is) long and going nowhere
* acting so dull and slow that makes one impatient
Here the third definition seems to apply. You can also say in this sense.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "meaning, words, usage"
}
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私はあおい車はすきだ (は as contrast particle) vs 私はあおい車がすきだ
I am learning about particle that is used as contrast particle. suppose I want to express "I like blue car but I don't like any other colors". can I say it this way `` ? and what's the difference with `` ?
|
Yes, exactly. Both sentences are perfectly grammatical, but implies you don't like cars which aren't blue, because the contrast particle is used at the place where is normally used. simply means "I like blue cars."
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "particle は"
}
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When to use 云う vs 言う?
They're both pronounced the same, and seem to mean the same thing; is there a difference, and if so, what is it?
|
Broadly speaking, seems to be somewhat more old-fashioned in use. It appears with some frequency in Natsume Soseki's works, but not so much in recent publications, which use instead.
The Weblio page giving the Daijirin entry show that the spelling is _jōyō_ , while the spelling is not (the black downward-pointing triangle indicates non- _jōyō_ characters). Moreover, towards the bottom of the long entry, we get this:
> (2) ③
>
> (2) For the kanji spelling, is the main modern usage. In older times, was often used for sense ③ [ _note: prefaced as_ ……], and was used for {iwaba} and {iwayuru}.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "word choice, usage, kanji, nuances, homophonic kanji"
}
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What is a TV news story called?
In English, one can say something like, "did you see that news story about that girl on TV?" or during a news segment, "on to the next story".
How do you translate single a "news story" in this context? (without dropping the subject as in etc.)
I thought perhaps but these seem to be for written things. is the verb and I don't think you can count s.
|
safely refers to an individual news story/article, so you can simply say , , 5, 3, etc.
Actually, many Japanese speakers (including me) often wonder "what's the plural form of news?" because is absolutely "countable" in Japanese.
* NEWS
is of course for written articles.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "word choice"
}
|
In romaji is it okosan or oko-san?
I am reading the Japanese for Busy People book and I notice in the dictionary in the back some of the words ending in san use a hyphen:
okyaku-san
and some don't
okosan
Sometimes they use a hyphen after o-
o-kashi
and sometimes not
okyaku-san
Does anyone have any idea why they do this?
|
I don't think there is a "right way". There are many ways to use romaji and each with their own rules. In general, names like Takeda-san, Takahashi-san tend to use the hyphen while words like okasan, otosan, etc tend to not use them.
The hyphen after the o is probably used to indicate that the o is not part of the word itself but just a polite prefix. But to use it or not is also dependent on what kind of romaji rules you abide to.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "word choice, words, rōmaji"
}
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前の方に立つ versus 前に立つ
I found an example sentence in japaneseclass.jp, which went as follows:
>
and was translated as "She was standing in front of the classroom"
I wonder if it couldn´t be just
>
And what would be the difference in meaning
|
>
Yes. This can usually be translated as "She was standing in front of the classroom." though it is also possible to mean the same as below sentence.
>
It should rather be translated "She was standing in _the front part of_ the classroom." The difference is that in this case, is standing _in_ the classroom. However, saying "in front of" sounds to me that was standing at _outside_ of the classroom, say, in front of a door, doesn't it?
The meaning of depends on the context. is generally "direction", and can mean relatively determined places. In this case is like "relatively front part", which can simply be "front part."
Sometimes can mean vagueness, as in
>
>
> His car is running somewhat ahead of us.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "translation, words, usage"
}
|
Multiple rounds of "continuing action" conjugations
I got this question from a JPLT quiz app:-
>
I'm guessing it means "As I was watching the drama, it became morning", but noticed both clauses go through the "continuing action" conjugation multiple times. Wouldn't a simpler way of saying that be:-
>
What other nuances are being implied here?
|
> **** ****
The indicates that something happened while you're doing the action, meaning "while I was doing~~", and indicates an unintended result or the speaker's regret.
Examples:
* ****
While I was watching TV, the phone rang.
* **** / ****
I (unintentionally) broke the glass. / The glass broke (and I feel sorry about it).
* * *
>
This sentence has lost both of the meanings/nuances of "while I was doing~~" and "unintended result or regret". And part sounds a little unnatural to me, because it sounds like "When/As I continued watching dramas, morning came", "I continued watching dramas, and because of that / as a result of that, morning came."
Example:
* ****
I touched it, and (because of that,) it broke.
* Cf: ****
While I was touching it, it broke.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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If Japanese rice wine is called Sake then why is a liquor shop called a Saka-ya?
Or is it just my dictionary that made a mistake?
|
Your dictionary is correct. Knowing the history of words is not my specialty, but I think I have something to contribute as a fellow learner, anyway...in present day Japanese, you could say **kanji have multiple readings that depend on the context in which they are used**. That is, it depends on the word in which the kanji is included, and/or if other words/grammar constructs are present in a sentence. (See this jisho page and notice the multiple readings)
In the case of , the kanji is read as "sake". And is read as "saka-ya". Obviously, "sake" is not the same as "saka", so this particular word would be one of those situations to memorize.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, word choice, words"
}
|
Is the word for walk (sanpo) a verb?
I notice that it's different from the other verbs I know that end in -masu. Also I see that take a walk is sanpo o shimasu.
Can someone explain is there a verb for walking, is sanpo the verb and if so then why do I have to use sanpo o shimasu for "take a walk"?
|
by itself is just a noun. means to "do/take a walk" as you've noted. Adding is a way to make certain nouns into verbs (ex. →work, →study, etc.) However, the focus is on the leisurely/relaxing activity of taking a walk.
If you are just speaking neutrally of the action of walking, you would use the verb (). You can see that the kanji for this verb is also part of .
So the difference comes down to simple action vs. meaningful activity.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, word choice"
}
|
What does 否定を上回る mean?
> ****
I can't understand it, can someone help me? I don't think it's "surpass a denial"... I just want to know what means, I think it will help me understand this sentence
I found it here <
|
"Surpass a denial" makes sense here I think. OK, it probably can be reworded in a way that sounds much better in English, but the basic idea is here. As we can see from the original question you linked to, that woman's dream is being "denied" () by someone. As in, someone is trying to make it impossible I guess (maybe like a parent saying "you shouldn't become a teacher" or something?). But it's all in her hands and she can overcome (surpass) this obstacle if she tries hard enough. So I believe your interpretation is more or less correct. I wonder what other people will say...
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "translation, meaning"
}
|
Differences between は and が
I am reading this article, however, I am not sure if I've already grasped that article correctly or not, so I really need someone to confirm whether my understanding is correct or not.
## First question
* Suppose I want to tell everyone a pen belongs to me by saying "." so just in case I lost it somewhere and someone found it, he will know that pen is mine.
* Suppose there are 2 pens on the floor and then I pick mine and say "."
Did I grasp it correctly?
## Second question
In that linked article there is an example "" Can I change it using as in "" without changing the meaning?
|
The can be used for comparing.
For example, saying means that your JAPANESE is good, unlike all your other languages. So the meaning is quite different.
To push it to the extreme, a girl might slap you if you say Because in a way it implies that the rest of her body is not.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "particles, particle は, particle が"
}
|
How do the は and が function here?
> ?
So since there is no verb here, how do the and function here?
|
* As you can see in this chart, in is the attributive form of ("the copula"). And / safely works as the predicate of a sentence. (e.g., , )
* is a feminine sentence-end particle.
* Here both and are used in one sentence, and this can be understood in the same way as you interpret or .
* here is a noun which means the same thing as , "critical point".
Therefore this sentence basically is a feminine version of , which is an emphatic version of .
>
> → As for test-takers, summer vacation is the critical point.
> → Summer vacation is the most important term for students preparing for entrance exams.
References:
* Usage of nan desu?
* What exactly is "" (nano)?
* What is the meaning of ? -- there is a good answer regarding (), (), (), etc.
* and
* how could a sentence end with (noun + ""?)
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning, copula, は and が, no da"
}
|
What does 快便は快適な場所から生まれる mean?
I found the following sentence on the wall.
>
What does it mean?
My attempt is as follows
> Pleasantly defecation comes from comfortable place.
But I don't really understand what it means.
|
Your translation is great,
> Pleasant defecation comes from comfortable place.
It's speaking of going to the bathroom in a place where you're comfortable, I'm pretty sure that's it. Depending on the context, it's either a joke or could be some kind of advice from a health pamphlet or something like that.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning"
}
|
Can "悪夢" be used metaphorically?
In English, the word "nightmare" isn't used just literally for a bad dream you have at night-time, but also metaphorically to describe a very bad scenario, such as "Can Samsung recover from its Galaxy Note 7 nightmare?".
Can be used metaphorically? jisho.org seems to suggest it can't be, but I've seen someone translate a metaphorical use of "nightmare" using "", possibly incorrectly.
|
**Yes**. can be used metaphorically.
See this dictionary entry:
> ―
>
> ―
2 is what you mentioned. For example, is like "nightmare of war".
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "translation, meaning"
}
|
How is Y森飯ルド romanized?
A little context:
This is the name of a rather obscure Japanese band. The lead singer goes by the name of Yasue Dangerous Ojisan () and this is his blog.
Record label and retailer Tower Records lists (or listed) the name as "Y MORIIIRUDO". Google Translate romanizes the kanji as "morimeshi".
I'm not well-versed with kanji, and I'm not sure if it's a play on words, an abbreviation, both, or none. This may be silly, but at the end might even stand for "`ld`" (e.g. → fiirudo → field).
|
First, ignore whatever Google says about words it doesn't recognize. Each kanji can have lots of readings, and Google is very bad at giving a reasonable guess about uncommon proper nouns.
Second, Y is a very odd-looking word even to native Japanese speakers. Neither nor is a common Japanese word. It may be some sort of wordplay, but I have almost no idea what it means. It may or may not be related to rice fields.
Such a strange word usually comes with a furigana, but apparently they want to keep the reading a secret. This page also lists the band's name as "Y MORIIIRUDO", so probably this is the correct reading ( or in katakana). But the only way to make sure is to ask that dangerous ojisan.
* * *
**EDIT** : Apparently this band name is an initialism:
* Y comes from Yasue Dangerous Ojisan
* comes from (Ōmori Seiko)
* comes from (Iida Yutaka ~~Iida Yu? Iida Hiroshi?~~ )
* ... I couldn't identify him/her
So "Y MORIIIRUDO" seems reasonable.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, meaning, rōmaji"
}
|
Understanding したことまで
The speaker is defending her teacher:
> ****
> Every day, in her notebook, she made detailed notes about all the class. _Even as far as conversations._
Am I correct that verb- means "to go as far as doing verb"?
I'm not 100% sure about the verb here. Is just a substitute for ? i.e. is it talking about writing down the conversations, or is it talking about the act of conversing itself?
|
in is simply a part of the suru-verb ("to converse"), which is an intransitive verb that does not take .
If we took this after as a nominalizer, this would mean "She writes even the fact her classmates conversed", which makes almost no sense to me. The mere fact that "students made a conversation" is not a meaningful piece of information because students do so every day.
So I think this simply is "things", and means "the things we conversed _about_ ", or "the contents of our conversations".
Relative clauses in Japanese can have an adverbial relationship with the modified noun (Type B in this question), and can be safely used with intransitive verbs.
Examples:
> * the place we often go _to_
> * something to write _with_ (eg, a pen)
> * something to write _about_ (eg, an event)
> * words _with_ which I can express my gratitude
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "grammar, particle まで"
}
|
Usage of 用意 with different conjugations of 出来る
Is there a difference in meaning between the following two sentences?
>
>
>
Which one is more appropriate when announcing to your family that lunch is ready?
|
means something have just become ready, whereas means something is (already) ready. Use the former to someone who has been waiting for the lunch, and use the latter to someone who have just returned home.
See these questions if you're not sure why means such a thing:
* -Meaning and Explanation
* When is V the continuation of action and when is it the continuation of state?
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning, nuances"
}
|
Is patacake game called ぬすんではらいて
<
Its recorded on Fisher Price toy TV remote control. That's what my Japanese wife says but she doesn't speak slowly so I can't be sure. I have no hits on Google search so it that right? If not what is the correct name?
|
It's a children's song called "" (musunde hiraite)
<
(musubu)tie a knot ("make a fist")
(hiraku)open [something]
The song title in English is "open your hand and close your hand"
P.S. Tho I do like your song title! "steal and open" :D
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
O-sumai-wa dochira-desu ka? vs Doko-ni sunde i-masu ka?
Can someone help me to understand the difference between these two. From what I understand they both mean "Where do you live?"
|
Just that the first one is the polite version, used when you're talking to complete strangers or people in positions higher than you, or who are older than you.
"Doko ni sunde imasu ka" can be used with respect to the sets of people as mentioned above but it is simply lesser in its formality compared to the first one, but is respectful and polite nonetheless.
Any standard Japanese learner would be using the second version, and I think that the first one would be used by those who've been using Japanese for quite a good while now and who know some business-Japanese as well <\-- This, I mean in the case of foreigners who are Japanese students.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word choice, words"
}
|
What is the meaning of "Tabako-wa goenryo kudasai"
From what I understand, this means "Please refrain from smoking". However, I cannot find what "goenryo" means by looking it up in the dictionary.
Can someone help me by explaining what it means?
|
The word is (go-enryo)
: to refrain from
<
: honorific/polite prefix
<
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, words"
}
|
"手が折れた" a natural way to express that the bone in a hand is broken?
Is {}{} a natural way to express the situation where I broke a bone in my hand?
In English, saying " _I broke my hand_." and " _I broke a bone in my hand._ " is pretty much the same to me (unless of course I gotta express which bone).
Maybe is an unnaturally sounding direct translation of English? Maybe sounds more technical?
thanks.
|
To me, is less natural than , possibly because is not something long to be snapped into two, even though may sound a little technical as you said.
On the other hand, phrases like , []{} are natural, which in most cases mean that a bone of one's arm/leg is broken.
Note that, as a single verb does not literally mean "break _a bone_ ", and so on is rather informal. To be formal, you have to say or .
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "phrases"
}
|
I am writing an essay and I need to say, "From here, I would like to talk about my family"
I'm writing an essay, and to lead into the next paragraph I need to start with, "From here (which is "korekara" I believe) I would like to talk about 2 of my family members, my brother and my mom." I need it in Romaji because I can't read some kanji very well.
|
> Korekara, watakushi (or watashi) wa kazoku ni tsuite ohanashi sasete itadakitai to omoimasu.
\--> polite, a little advanced maybe.
(or)
> Korekara, watakushi (or watashi) wa kazoku ni tsuite hanashimasu / hanashitai to omoimasu.
\--> simple and polite.
Here, "hanashimasu" is "I will speak" whereas "hanashitai to omoimasu" is "I think I'd like to talk".
Hope this helps! Sorry if its too long.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": -1,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
Grammatical explanation of 高めだし
I found the word and I guess it means "really expensive" or something similar. How does it work grammatically? Can - be used after any -i adjective? And what does it mean? Does it come from the verb ? If yes, shouldn't it be -? Thanks for your help!
Context:
>
|
means kinda high (expensive).
is just casual .
(at the end of a phrase) notes one (of several) reasons.
The sentence seems to mean that the talker don't want to go because among other things, the shop is too expensive.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, meaning"
}
|
What does the word 「へそのごみ」mean?
It is a dialogue said by a boy who watched and criticized a theater play. I also translated it myself for checking if I correctly understand the context.
--> It is not good but I have to say goodbye.
--> If I have to watch this foolish play...
**** --> I think secluding myself in repentance room and doing/taking..... would be much better.
I'm not sure if it means doing/taking unimportant thing.
|
Put it simply, he is saying that spending his time cleaning up his bellybutton would be a much more productive use of his time than watching that lame show.
* = bellybutton trash
* = to pick
* = is the much better thing to do.
He doesn't mean that he really wants to clean his bellybutton, it's just his way to insult the show.
> Sorry but I'm getting out of here.
Literally: sorry but I'm gonna be rude first. It is a very casual way to say and basically just mean that you are leaving first(which I suppose is seen as rude by Japanese standards.)
can be used to say sorry.(and not "this is bad".)
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "words, manga"
}
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What is the difference between 行き先 and 旅行先?
According to jisho.org, both and both have the meaning "destination". My intuitive guess is that is the destination of a trip, like "this cruise's destination is Bali" and would be a more generic endpoint, like the destination of a train or a taxi ride. Can people clarify the difference in usage between these two words?
|
A is the place your transportation takes you. When you get off, your journey is done, and that's the end of it.
A is the place you go on a trip away from home - you get there, and then you stay there for a while, and then you come back. This is typically for vacations, and a good translation might be 'vacation destination'. The core idea is that you're not 'done' with your trip once you get there - the point is _being_ there once you arrive, not _going_ in the first place.
A short example might clear it up. If you're going on vacation to the Philippines, you have a (the Philippines), but the plane you take has a (probably Manila, though you might also say 'the Philippines').
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "word choice, nuances"
}
|
Can I skip これは and この in questions?
I know / means "whose book is that". I also know that if you want to say "this is my book" you can just say or even However, does skipping / apply to the question as well? Can I just ask or is it incorrect grammar?
|
When the book you are referring to is obvious, yes is quite acceptable.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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What does "de no idou" mean (in relation to flights)?
In my Japanese text book it says the following:
Rondon kara jyuuichi jikan no hikouki de no idou desu /
it's 11 hours flight from London
hikouki de no idou = flight
I understand `hikouki` means `flight` and `idou` means `change`. But I don't follow what `hikouki de no idou` means. Could someone explain? Thanks!
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I believe you're thinking of the wrong `idou`. This means "change(s)". This means "movement/transfer", or can be used for "travel". Also, `hikouki` means "airplane". I've never heard it used to mean "a flight"; that is usually []{}.
So it means `An 11-hour airplane travel/trip from London`.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, meaning, words"
}
|
Is 遥か a special kind of adjective?
According to the dictionary, it's supposed to be a na-adjective, but it seems to be used somewhat commonly without the particle, e.g.
*
*
*
I think I've seen a few more variations but can't recall them at the moment. What's going on here? Is it an exception or there is some rule I'm not aware of?
|
Two monolingual dictionaries available online say can be used adverbially as well as adjectivally.
*
*
Similar words include , , , , , , and . As you can see, most of these are intensifiers.
> * (na-adj.) (adv.)
> * (na-adj.) (adv.)
>
I think similar things happen commonly also in English ("fast", "long", "enough", etc. can work adverbially without "-ly").
**EDIT** : itself works both as a na-adjective and a noun, so it can be modified both by an adverb and a normal adjecitive. , , , , are all valid. The same thing can be said for , which can be modified both by an adverb and an adjective (, , , , , , ...)
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "grammar, adjectives, adverbs, na adjectives"
}
|
Zaseki - Is that a Japanese word for "seat"
My Japanese book refers to it when talking about airplane seat. But I cannot find any references to the word. Is it the correct spelling?
|
The spelling is correct.
(zaseki): seat
<
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": -1,
"tags": "word choice, words"
}
|
What does じゅう mean In the word string :いちにちじゅう
I am not familiar with and I wasn't able to find references to how it is used. Can someone explain to me what it means.
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You can search it just as is in the dictionary and you will get this.
: all day long; all the day; throughout the day.
I am leaving up to you the pleasure of discovering the countless ways of using the kanji , but let's just say for now that when it is read as it usually means "through; throughout; in the course of"
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "words"
}
|
Do story/literature need to be written politely?
Vary quick question. But i have vary little in the way of available Japanese reading material in the form of stories, but i thought it might be fun to try translating one of my short-stories into Japanese.
To that end, i must ask, while i know the characters dialog needs to be appropriately polite, does the describing text of the story itself need to be so?
I mean, the story itself isn't a person, it's just text, description, etc. So is it expected to be written without use of things like or must it?
ps. How much does poetry effect this? If at all?
|
Children's books and fairy tales are usually written in polite language (, , ), whereas descriptive texts in novels targeted at teenagers or older are almost always written non-politely (, ). So it depends on what kind of story you are writing.
The same is generally true for poems and lyrics. They are usually in plain language, but "Mother Goose" or "Alice in Wonderland"-type poems may be written using polite language.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, word choice, politeness"
}
|
When asking for the bill - かんじょう or かいけい
Google translate tells me one thing and another dictionary the other.
Is the casual way "Cheku o negaishimasu"
How about the other two words for bill. Are either of those used when asking for a bill?
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At a restaurant, and are almost the same, and you can use whichever you like. Both are often preceded by the "beautifier" prefix . You can safely say both or . Some people on the net seem to say that should be used by a customer and by a clerk, but personally I don't make such a distinction.
(chekku, "check") is not commonly used at a restaurant in Japanese, although you are likely to be understood by those who are used to foreign customers.
originally means "counting" or "calculation" in general, and it's still sometimes used in this sense when payments are not involved. is originally a rather technical term for (financial) "accounting". is a common idiomatic phrase that means "take into account", while we never say .
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, words"
}
|
知っているはずです is over complicated?
I would like to ask, **"How many kanji are you supposed to know?"** My best guess was
> I omitted since it was in context
This was reviewed by a native Japanese speaker and I had it corrected to with the explanation that the previous "is over complicated". However, I see no reason why the corrected sentence conveys the sense of "supposed" that I intended.
Could someone please verify that the previous question does indeed sound over complicated and perhaps provide a better way to ask that question (that conveys expectation rather than fact)?
|
I feel ? is unnatural. I feel a question form of like ? is unnatural, and the native Japanese speaker also would feel so. The reason why I feel it is unnatural is because indicates speaker's guess with conviction, so it would be unnatural to ask someone for it.
I think ? and ? are more natural.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 13,
"tags": "word usage"
}
|
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