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Meaning of 工夫をこらす
Regarding decorations at a festival:
> ****
> On both sides of the street ??? decorations were hanging.
I can't understand what means. I saw this question. Perhaps the meaning is similar? Maybe, "Decorations of ingenious design"??
Is this a set phrase or can I understand the meaning from the separate parts?
|
In this particular context, I would use " ** _elaborate_** " over anything else.
"elaborate decorations", "elaborate ornaments", etc.
The essential meaning of is "not simple or plain".
To me at least, "ingenious" would be too big a word for this.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning, set phrases"
}
|
What does "好きになってあげるわよ" means?
I know that is to give. But I find it weird to interpret it as, I have come to love you and I'm giving it to you. But at the same it seems to also make some sense. Is my understanding of the sentence correct?
|
If I were a Japanese-learner, I probably would have difficulty understanding this sentence, too.
It is a girl's somewhat **_condescending_** (but still lighthearted) way of saying " **I will be in love with you**." It is almost like saying that you are doing the guy a favor. It implies something like " **I will love you more for your sake than for my own**."
It is the kind of phrase that you hear more often in fiction than in real life.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "sentence"
}
|
Understanding 一面に
> ****
> The sound of clogs and the voices of high spirited children ??? resounded.
What does mean here? I'm quite sure it doesn't mean "on one surface" or "on one side" (since the story doesn't mention the sounds from the other side).
Goo tells me that it can mean 'all over'. This makes sense in the context. But that translation is almost opposite to its literal meaning. Is there an explanation for how it comes to have this meaning?
|
I think that originally only meant "one broad/flat object" like all number + counter constructions. It has then been used to mean other things that are somehow related to one flat object.
{} definition 1:
> One side of an object.
and definition 3:
> All around. The entirety of a certain place.
If you think about definition 3, there is only **one surface** we all stand on. It is also flat if you don't look too deep into it, and it definitely is broad.
after marks the place where .
> ****
>
> The sound of clogs and the voices of high-spirited children resounded **all around**.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "meaning, etymology"
}
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How is ではなく formed?
> ****
I believe the sentence means
> The woman is using a hammer, not a pliers.
But I couldn't understand , how is this structure formed?
|
* : The continuative form of the copula .
* : The topic/contrast marker , which is optional but is usually placed here. can be contracted to in casual settings.
* : The continuative form of .
* (): can be followed by an optional . In casual conversation tends to be used, and in formal essays tends to be dropped.
Put together this literally means "not being ". Practically this can be used wherever a noun can be used in a sentence, and means "not (but )". This can be used with adverbs, too.
> *
> *
> *
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "syntax, particle は, negation, copula, renyōkei"
}
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How important is it to the man in the following question?
…
I would translate it like: You are important... That is how much you mean to me
The story goes like this (context); One man punches his best friend (who he loved) because that friend wanted to have his wife. After doing that he says that sentence to his wife and they have a sweet love moment.
How important is it to the man in the following question? Does it imply the man considers his relationship with his wife is more important than his friend? If there's a subtlety I might have missed in that regard please tell me.
I understand what the sentence means, I'm asking about the emphasis it was said with in japanese.
|
> …
Because the wife knows that the friend of her husband is very important for him, she might have said to him, "why did you hit the friend whom you like best?", or she might have shown a facial expression or a manner to him which had an effect almost as same as what she might have said.
…
I think "" in the phrase "… = " which he said to her pointed at the seriously big fact that he was not able to avoid hitting his best friend with whom the husband had such relationship that it can hardly assume that he hit the friend.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning"
}
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How to pronounce 自払
uses in the description of automatic payment transactions. I guess is an abbreviation of . Should be pronounced as ?
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It should be read **** and not **** .
In case you are unfamiliar with rendaku, please read this.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "pronunciation"
}
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How is 件 pronounced as a counter?
In my bank statement there is the following line above transactions.
1-6(6)
How is the above pronounced?
What is the meaning of in ?
|
> **** ****
> Showing 1-6 of (a total of) 6 items
is a counter for issues, transactions, topics, database records, search results, etc. is always unvoiced whatever number comes before it. Unlike , is sometimes voiced.
In this context is "a total of", is "among" or "of".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "pronunciation"
}
|
Difference between ものだ and というものだ
> ****
> Simply having popular people around makes for a cheerful feeling.
I think the used here is number 2) from this answer. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I was wondering what additional nuance adds. Can it be omitted without changing the meaning?
I guess the same question can apply to the first half of the sentence (). Do the two s pair up somehow?
|
> ****
>
> Simply having popular people around **makes** for a cheerful feeling.
>
> ****
>
> Simply having popular people around **would make** for a cheerful feeling.
In Japanese, the both sentences mean almost the same, but the latter sounds softer, milder, or more indirect.
The two in the former half and in the latter half sentence are functioning in the same way.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "grammar, nuances"
}
|
what does the character say in this video?
What I hear is something similar to "saa ute koi". The phrase is translated as "hit me!" . I know ute is "shoot!" I guess here it could be "hit me" and that koi is "come!" but it doesnt make sense to me that 2 verbs in imperative form are concantenated together? Besides what is that sound at the begining I hear similar to "saa" . What is the character saying exactly I might be completely confused
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He says {}'Saa, utte koi!' This is the imperative of 'utte kuru', 'come and hit someone'. 'Saa' is something said before a command or request.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, verbs"
}
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What is the correct term for cash?
Out of the two words below which one is the correct term for "cash"?
{} vs. {}
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is the word that corresponds to _cash_ as opposed to money in a bank account, etc.
means paper money or banknotes as opposed to (coins).
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 16,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "word choice, words, terminology"
}
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How to use かなう for desires coming true
>
> If only you become rich you can have a bike, shoes, everything. That's for sure.
I'm confused about the grammar of how is used in this sentence. My understanding is that it means "to come true" or "to conform (to)".
If I write is that good grammar? it sounds to me like the bike is coming into existence, rather than that I get to own a bike.
I guess I would have written . Is this wrong? Too wordy?
Maybe X translates to "wish relating to X comes true". Can I think of it like that?
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I think this is an example of ellipsis). and are not good grammar on its own. You usually have to say () and .
>
But this "(/)" is probably something that was already said in the conversation, and repeating it three times in one sentence is too bothersome. So the speaker omitted this redundant part, knowing they can make themselves understood without saying it.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, usage"
}
|
いくら's meaning here
>
What does mean in this sentence?
I know it as "how much" but I can only guess what it means, which could be:
> No matter how much I eat delicious food like this, I will never grow tired of eating it
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Who/what/how much etc. + Verb in -form + = no matter who/what/how much ...
So is "no matter how much you eat", so I think your translation is spot on.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Differences between 碁 and 囲碁
Both {} and {} mean the game Go according to my dictionary. Is one of the terms more common than the other or used in different kinds of situations?
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and refer to exactly the same game, and they are interchangeable. Both are safely understood by all native speakers, but is more common presumably because is too short.
In kanji compounds and are not interchangeable. is always , not .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "word choice, usage"
}
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How would one would translate "Bearded man"?
I was wondering how I could one translate "the bearded man", in the same fashion as the Straw Hat Luffy (in one Piece) "Mugiwara" ? I understood mugiwara means "Straw" but people seem okay calling him by just this word, and not "the straw hat man". Thank you very much!
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As simple as can work as a nickname, although I believe most real people with beard do not like to be called in this way. In fiction, especially in old fictional works, many people have simple nicknames like , , , etc.
is a Japanese name of _Blackbeard_ (pirate), and is a symbol of humane doctors in Japan.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
Should I avoid using the word 「来日」 when referring to myself?
I heard from my Japanese friends that I should avoid using the word when I'm outside of Japan.
Is it true, and, if it is, has this something to do with the kanji ?
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Yes, it is true. means _to come_.
If you are outside of Japan, you can use []{} instead.
means _to visit_.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "word choice"
}
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The difference between 例え and 例えば
For a long time I have roughly approximated to 'for example' and thought of as a word to emphasize and similar constructions, but in the lyrics to Ash like Snow by The Brilliant Green, seems to be used like .
> {}
Is really being used like , or am I misinterpreting it? Is this poetic licence? Does this belong to one of the meanings here?
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In this case, {} is used to mean . That is to say that it is used to assume a situation -- " ** _if, for instance,_** ".
Obviously, that is not the most common meaning/usage of , but every good dictionary will give that definition.
It so happens that the lyrics would still make sense if were to be replaced by , but I would think that the writer actually meant to use there. IMHO, therefore, it is not a matter of poetic licence.
> "Does this belong to one of the meanings here?"
Yes, it is definition #3 there.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "word choice, words, usage"
}
|
Is 馬鹿げた only used in a negative way?
I seem to recall hearing it being used in an "That's crazy/insane/amazing","WOW" kind of way.
But looking it up, it seems to have more of a negative "That's stupid" kind of connotation to it.
In what context can it be used? Is it really just a negative phrase denoting something stupid/idiotic?
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_Crazy_ in English can have both positive and negative connotations, and (without ) may have a positive, "awesome" connotation like _crazy_ , depending on the context. However, as far as I know, in Japanese is almost always negative.
To use it like an interjection, you have to say "()!" instead of "!" because is the attributive form.
Another word that sounds like _crazy_ and is used both positively and negatively is .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning, usage, connotation"
}
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How to read kanji when they are written together with hiragana or katakana in a sentence?
I am studying japanese have gone through almost all of the hiragana characters and was slowly also learning a bit kanji , and i want to know how to use kanji when i see one with a hiragana character next to it for example In this sentence i clearly only know tsu , no, te and ru but when i see these kanji characters i wonedr to speak the sentence what is the sound of that kanji? do kanji have sounds or just meaning ?
in kanji i have learnt radials like woman- , tree- , eyes- just a few as i started learning kanji a few days ago.
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Kanji have sounds too! It's not just meanings. For example, this is how they sound in your sentence:
[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}
[]{Ni}[]{hon}[]{-ni}[]{hi}[]{k}[]{ko}[]{su}[]{no}[]{o}[]{ma}[]{t}[]{teru}
The sounds of kanji are called their "readings". There are more than two thousand kanji, and all of them have readings. (What's more, most kanji have _more than one_ reading; depending on context, the reading changes.) You'll have to memorize all of that. It's quite hard. Good luck!
Right now you should just keep studying with your Japanese course and practice more.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "kanji, hiragana"
}
|
In a work e-mail, what is the correct way to refer to one's wife who is a coworker?
# Japanese
#
42CC
#
X
# English
# Background
This year, my wife started working here in Japan. From this April, we are both university instructors. And that leads to this question. There's all sorts of paperwork for her starting work, and in the process I was e-mailing one of the administrative staff and copied my wife on the e-mail.
# Question
At work, what is the correct way to address one's own spouse in e-mails?
Is it okay in a work context to refer to one's spouse as X? Or is that inappropriate due to the in-group / out-group patterns. What is the most appropriate way to refer?
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> X
/
> →
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "keigo, business japanese"
}
|
What is the か for after だから here
I cant seem to wrap my head around here, what exactly is the and what is it trying to emphasize? Here is my attempt at the translation
> In the west of Shinjuku is Shinjuku central park. It is located in the center of the city. Even before this was a jogging course there were direction boards, and now you will find joggers here and there at the park running.
I hope I understood somewhat correctly, please feel to correct any mistakes. Thank you.
|
>
means:
> "most likely because of ~~"
It expresses the speaker's (best) guess or inference as to the reason for something. The speaker is pretty sure of the reason but is just not 100% on it, so he attaches the question marker .
> "Most likely because of the popularity of jogging, there is now a direction board for the jogging courses, which did not exist a while back, and you will find joggers here and there at the park running."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
What does [入]{はい}らなくなるからと mean in this sentence?
So the story is A brings home a cake to B and tells him to eat it however B responds with this
> ****
What I don't get is the .
|
> {}{} ****
≒
> ****
In other words, the is quotative.
≒
> **** {}
or
> **** {}
Even without knowing what this story is about, the meaning of the line is perfectly clear.
> "I won't be fooled. It's just before dinner now. You wouldn't normally let me eat anything around this time, saying I wouldn't be able to eat the dinner (if I ate something)."
literally means "dinner becomes unable to go into (me/my stomach)."
Thus, I used "I wouldn't be able to eat the dinner" in my own translation.
Seems like the speaker does not trust Person A and/or the cake.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning"
}
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What does からかっちゃ mean?
I found the following dialogue in a manga.
![enter image description here](
>
>
> ****
My thinking is that the person speaking is describing what the dog is "saying", i.e. "I'm tied to this pole! Dont' **???** "
Where the **???** is the meaning of the word/phrase which I don't know how to parse. My only guess so far was that it is a contraction, = .
Looking for more occurrences of the phrase I found that it might be a catchphrase of sorts of another manga character, but that didn't help me grasp the meaning.
![enter image description here](
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You are correct. is a contraction of , where is the verb you came across in your comment. Although it is probably better translated here as "tease" or "harass".
So speaking about the dog,
> → Just because he's tied/chained up doesn't mean you can tease the dog!
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "manga, parsing"
}
|
is "Ai suru hito" rightly translated as "beloved persons"?
I'm confused about the phrase "Ai suru hito" being translated as "beloved ones" in the phrase
"Ooshiku tatta wakamono wa Ai suru hito o kabaitsutsu "
As far as I understand, aisuru is translated as "to love". But here it is used as an adjective. Is it rightly translated? and if so, is it common for verbs to used like adjectives by placing them before a noun?
|
technically means either "the person one loves" (=one's beloved person) or "the person who loves someone", depending on the context. In this context it's the former because "protecting the person he loves" makes sense here but "protecting the person who loves someone" does not.
It is very common for verbs to be used like adjectives, and that's called **relative clauses**. Unlike English, Japanese relative clauses modifies something that follows. If you don't know Japanese relative clauses, please read this.
> (a youth loves a person)
> (a person whom a youth loves)
Recently I introduced this post to you. Once you understand Japanese relative clauses, it should be more clear why some people say Japanese i-adjectives are grammatically more like verbs, and, in this case, why a normal verb looked like an adjective to you.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, verbs, adjectives"
}
|
"Recap"-equivalent Japanese word
Can somebody please tell me an equivalent word to say "recap" in Japanese ? I want to express the following in Japanese:
> Let me recap the results we discussed in the last presentation
If necessary, the 'last presentation' is an event that took place in past. How do I say this in Japanese ?
I looked it up in weblio translator site which showed which I don't feel as appropriate for this situation.
I found the following answer when I searched recap in this site: Meaning of
I dont think is used to mean recap. Native Japanese mostly use it to mean "generalize" .
Please help.
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The phrases I would recommend are:
{}{}
{}{}{}
If you are speaking instead of writing, I would especially recommend the first two.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "word requests"
}
|
Problem with implied verbs
I'm having trouble understanding this paragraph:
>
I think there's an implied verb in and after . Also I'm not sure whether the speaker is talking about himself or his oponent() in this line: (the speaker is taller than )
>
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I don't think a verb is implied somewhere. is a relative clause that modifies . (Alternatively, you can think and independently modify .)
> [→]
> A former world heavyweight champion who has emerged as a rival (of the interviewee)
is the object of .
>
> (The interviewee) commented about Dolph Ziggler, ""
>
>
> (The interviewee) commented about Dolph Ziggler, a former world heavyweight champion who has emerged as his rival, "".
In the quote, the speaker is of course talking about Ziggler's skill ("Although I am taller, I think _Ziggler_ has a skill ...").
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning"
}
|
Is there a difference between 公開日 and 発売日?
Both seem to mean "release date", but I've heard that {} is typically used to refer to movie release dates, and {} to book release dates. Is this true, and are there any other differences between the two?
|
Talking about movies, you would use for the release date in cinemas and for the day the DVD goes on sale.
refers to the first day something is accessible to the public.
refers to the first day an item is purchasable.
Generally one will be more natural than the other, depending on the type of "product". You use for things you "go and see" and for things you "(purchase and) take home".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "meaning, word choice, words, nuances"
}
|
Is there a secret meaning in PPAP song?
I wonder if PPAP song by Kazuhito Kosaka actually has a secret meaning?
As far as I know, words in Japanese can mean several different things depending on their conjuctions or one's interpretation.
**Question:** Is there a secret second meaning in words like "Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen" when translated into Japanese language and/or written in a certain way?
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I think the song doesn't have any secret meanings.
I saw his interview about the song. He has made songs with a computer. One day he sat in front of a desk in order to make a song. He had already made the rhythm of the song at that time, so he only needed to make the lyrics of the song. When he was listening to the rhythm, he had a pen and there was an apple on the desk. He happened to stick the pen into the apple and thought this was an "apple pen".
He likes puns. The words "apple" and "pineapple" are similar, so he thought the pronunciation of "Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen" was interesting.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "words, conjunctions"
}
|
「そうなの？！」、「マジで？！」、「本当に？！」
For the most part (contextually) these phrases seem to be interchangeable, like "really?!", "for real?!", "seriously?!" etc.
Are there cases/scenarios when only one would be applicable?
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Well, for starters let's say that you probably don't want to say to your boss. :)
Maybe native speakers can be more specific but as far as I know the main difference is in politeness level, the meaning is the same.
So in a formal situation you would want to use , while if you are talking with a close friend you can say “” that is way more casual (and similarly for ).
At this link you can actually even see that is listed as a common mistake people sometimes make in formal situations where should be used.
Ps. let me make clear that hence also ? is actually quite casual (I think less than though) and so when in doubt is always better to use instead. Here is another related link.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "usage"
}
|
How to say "I fell on my ass"?
Is the correct way to say "I fell on my ass"?
|
> I fell on my ass.
![enter image description here](
![enter image description here](
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 22,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "phrases, english to japanese"
}
|
both...and, neither...nor
Which is the correct translation in Japanese?
> He both sings and plays the guitar.
>
>
>
> He neither sings nor plays the guitar.
>
>
Thank you
|
None of your sentences look correct or natural, I am afraid to say. To say these, {} is more natural than just .
> both ~~ and ~~
{}{}{}
Informally, you could say:
> neither ~~ nor ~~
Informally:
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
How to say "I am confused"?
I have found the following examples in <
> {}{}I'm confused.
>
> {}{}I'm really confused.
Are these examples a natural way to deliver the idea of being confused?
|
There are so many ways to say "I am confused." that you might not get a very good answer unless you explain what situation/context you have in mind.
is "good" in the sense that it could not really mean anything other than "I am confused." It could sound a little stiff if said in a casual situation as is a bit of a big word for a light kind of confusion.
would be a hit-or-miss kind of expression in that it can mean many different things. "Troubled" or "beat" would be the most common meaning of , not "confused".
The "real" native-level, non-textbook expressions for "I am confused." that do not use big Sino-loanwords would include:
{}{}
{}
Then again, you might have a situation in mind where the use of a big word is completely appropriate.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "translation, word requests, idioms"
}
|
What are the medical masks Japanese people wear called?
What are the medical masks Japanese people wear called? The ones you see people just casually wearing; what are they?
|
They are simply referred to as . This term refers exactly to the kind of mask you are asking about, as well as "more professional" masks such as the ones doctors/surgeons might use and so on.
There is also a wikipedia page about this.
Well to be more precise (since now I actually spent some time reading that wikipedia page), as you can see there there are technically several different types of masks (face mask, surgical mask, dust-protection mask) but after all all of them are mostly always simply called . For your specific case (the ones people are often seen casually wearing), it's most likely the simple type use to reduce the spreading of viruses (cold/influenza) or to protect from the pollen allregy very common among Japanese people ({}).. and you can see in the following sentence they are just referred to as "mask" as I said above.
> ****
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word choice, word requests"
}
|
What does this lyric in a song mean?
>
Does this directly translate to:
> Won't you look at a thing such as I?
|
at sentence end can be a (feminine) way to add emotional emphasis. Especially in this situation when there is also before it expressing despise towards .
As Genos said in comments, the whole thing means "you won't even look at/acknowledge me". Also I'm assuming we're talking about this) song and you can see that it's not a question:
> (and you won’t spare me a single glance)
You weren't completely wrong thinking that means a question. Here's how can be used as a question:
> (rising tone at end) Is that so?
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, translation"
}
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What should I say when a senior colleague is leaving before me?
When leaving before a senior colleague does, people say , and the senior employee responds or . is also usually said when a colleague of the same seniority is leaving.
However, seems like something to say to someone of equal or lower seniority while is for someone with lower seniority. It feels awkward (only my opinion, but please feel free to correct if this is a wrong notion) to say to someone of higher ranking.
If a senior colleague is leaving, what is the best thing to say?
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According to , the Agency for Cultural Affairs () conducted a study on this topic and found that 69.2% of people used to someone of a higher rank vs. 15.1% for . To someone of a lower rank, 53.4% used , vs. 36.1% for .
So I would conclude from this that it is safe to use to someone of a higher rank, whereas should probably be avoided. seems to be used more in either case anyway.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 8,
"tags": "culture, honorifics, business japanese"
}
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Why is ば in this sentence?
> {} ****
I'm reading a manga and from the context of the pictures I think this sentence reads, "What are you doing up there," but I have no idea what part plays. The character speaks in a dialect so my confusion could be a result of that, but any help would be much appreciated.!enter image description here
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is the accusative particle used in wide area of (northern, as I remember) Kyushu as much as in Standard Japanese. Etymologically it's from + contracted but no longer ~~has~~ share the sense in Standard Japanese, as we can see that it's able to mark the question word ( _thanks to @user4092_ ).
>
means
>
or a bit more textbook-friendly,
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 11,
"tags": "meaning, usage, manga, dialects, word usage"
}
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How to coordinate two noun clauses (の-clauses)?
> He likes to eat pasta and to drink beer.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Is there any difference in meaning? Are some of these sentences more formal or more colloquial, more or less common?
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>
-clauses, to drink and to eat are all omitted.
I checked the given seven Japanese sentences from the standpoint of whether they are natural or not, and judged them and gave recommended samples and the reason if necessary as follows:
1.
2.
3. ×
→a recommended sample
the reason of ×
4. ×
→
5. ×
→
6. ×
→
7. ×
→
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Question about the verb 「いただき」
Here is the sentence from an instruction manual of hair iron.
> ****
My translation is below.
> For the warning indicated in this part, use the product according to the instruction safely in order to prevent danger and damage that might happen to you and other people.
I would like to know that if the pattern 'Continuative stem form verb + ' hold the same meaning of the patter ' form verb + ' as 'Do something for someone'
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Both and are honorific expressions, and are usually interchangeable. The latter sounds politer and more respectful, but the former pattern is polite enough in most business settings. Saying is equally fine.
Some dedicated honorific expressions are available only in the latter form; for example, you can say , which is an honorific version of , but sounds funny.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, verbs"
}
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Help deciphering meaning/conjugation of 言っちゃいとっちゃいます
I was watching Sword Art Online with the help of a transcript of the episode. There was one word I didn't catch while listening, and when I looked it up, it was . I honestly have no idea what this is composed of or what meaning is implied to here.
Context:
> MMO·SAO ****
I'm guessing is just , but after that I really have no idea.
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makes no sense. That is unless there was a dialect in which it made sense. All I can guarantee is that it makes absolutely no sense in Standard Japanese.
If what you watched, however, is the video below and you are referring to the sentence starting around 0:36, then it says something COMPLETELY different.
<
The girl says:
> MMOSAO ****
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, conjugations"
}
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Is あたし seen as soft?
Is seen as soft and girly like the particle is? Or can a girl just say it and not sound emotional or dramatic or soft?
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Yes, is a very feminine form of .
~~However, isn't really often used outside of anime and idol usage, as it gives a very unrealistic "cutesy" kind of vibe. (at least in my experience)~~
~~Of course I'm sure it's used appropriately somewhere, but it's best to stick to / for everyday usage.~~
EDIT: can be used in real life applications as a softer/feminine (thanks to broccoli forest)
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "nuances, feminine speech"
}
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Using parentheses (=round brackets) with equals sign
First, I want to say that this is in no way to question the way somebody is writing. I'm just curious.
I have noticed that some Japanese people here use parentheses and an equals sign to clarify some word or to "define a variable". Example:
> ...very difficult to explain grammatically even to Japanese ****.
I am pretty sure that most English speakers (or the part of the internet where I've spent most of my time) don't use the equals sign, so I came to the conclusion that this must be a Japanese thing.
Does this carry some other meaning than using plain parentheses in English? Also, is this used in official texts or is it just an informal way to clarify something?
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It appears that (=...) isn't only used in Japanese. In English, it is used a lot in the same way as in the question's title, to clarify the meaning of something when there can be multiple interpretations. Example from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English:
> make a statement (=say something, especially in public)
In Japanese, you can see it used in the same way as in English in informal contexts:
>
And a bit more formally:
> (=)
However, I did not find English usage of (=...) like here:
> (=IF)IF
(This is not typical use according to a native Japanese speaker, see comments)
The way English scientific papers or similar documents usually define abbreviations is with plain parentheses:
 might be used a bit differently in English and Japanese but they seem to mean mostly the same. (...) and (=...) have a similar meaning, but (=...) is not as flexible as (...) in either language.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "orthography, punctuation"
}
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What is the meaning of this (義兄弟) combination? Are there any cultural connotations?
Quick one, I have heard a few interpretations of this and had some suggestions that there might be some cultural usage that isn't immediately obvious, hoping to get some clarity.
Please forgive the poor drawing, hopefully it is clear enough!
![Kanji](
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It must have been written .
Usually it means a brother-in-law. But, in this movie it means blood brothers: two or more men not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is in modern times usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where having each person make a small cut, usually on a finger, hand or the forearm, and then the two cuts are pressed together and bound, the idea being that each person's blood now flows in the other participant's veins.
![enter image description here](
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, meaning, nuances, colloquial language"
}
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On 「～ようってんじゃない」
As in a line from the TV drama ep1 (00:04:41):
> ****
Or a line from a Japanese version of Demian:
> ****
Is it simply an abbreviation of **** **** ?
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Almost!
>
In the examples you have listed, however, it is actually pretty close to in meaning.
Seems you have already noticed that, in Japanese, the line between and is often blurry.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "abbreviations"
}
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Meaning of すぐ in this sentence
> Daughter:
> Daughter: But, in that case tanzaku are meaningless aren't they?
> Dad:
> Dad: It's okay
> Daughter: ****
> Daughter: What! Because you say it's okay?
I understand to mean soon/immediately etc. I can't understand what it means in this context.
My guess it that it adds the meaning 'just' as in "am I supposed to believe it's okay **just** because you say so?". But that's a complete guess and the link with 'soon'/'immediately' seems very tenuous.
If further context is needed, these lines follow immediately after this question:
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, in this context, means " **readily** ", " **very easily** ", etc.
If you do or say something habitually without thinking, we say you do or say something.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, reading comprehension"
}
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Can 燃える be used with the context of being embarassed?
I was just wondering if could be used in a context where someone gets embarassed to the point where they "burn up." Would it be taken literally or could it be used as an idiom?
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I've never heard it used In that sense. In that case, you would say {}{}{} (I feel like fire is going to come out of my face).
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "verbs, idioms"
}
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What does こんなことでいわれても express?
I told my friend and they replied with:
>
Would the meaning of this be something like:
> Even if this kind of thing is said (it doesn't help)
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is the instrumental case and in this case it stands for reason, so the sentence can translate into "even if I'm told (of it) for such a (trivial) thing ...".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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What does ついてる mean in 何かついてるじゃないの?
Context:
>
>
Can't get meaning of the second phrase. What does () mean here?
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>
means:
Chance takes sides well, and things go conveniently. lucky
A sample sentence: I am lucky today.
<
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "translation, meaning"
}
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Pronunciation of「ww」(笑い)
In Japanese internet slang, you see people usewwto mean something like "lol". I was curious how this would be pronounced if read aloud. In English, I hear people say either /ɛl oʊ ɛl/ or /lɑl/ for "lol". Is there a semi-standard way to pronounce the Japanese equivalent?
Another answer indicates that the w's stand for . Would the pronunciation then be something likeor would it be something like?
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This is usually not intended to be read aloud, but the most prevailing "reading" is not but ****. For example, `ww` is .
*
You can mainly hear this pronunciation on live streaming sites such as where hosts often configure screen readers to read visitors' comments aloud.
I have read somewhere that /lɑl/ is sometimes actually used in conversations between young English speakers (I don't know if that's true), but is not usable in ordinary conversations. If you did it, that would sound extremely nerdy.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "pronunciation, slang, internet slang, abbreviations"
}
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What does わけもない mean?
> XY
EDIT : I think that it is another way of saying "" but then what is the difference with "".
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> 1.
> 2.
>
1. There is no reason that the cry could arrive.
2. There is no reason that the cry even could arrive.
The latter sentence is the stressed form of the former one by in place of .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Usage of やばい and 危ない
As I know, Both words mean Dangerous. Japanese people use sometimes , other times . When should I use one over other?
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While both,andmean dangerous, is more used in physical situation (It's to go on the street at red light) andis more like "Because I didn't learn for the test it's really ". Also is a really common slang word for amazing, cool or awesome situations.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "usage, word usage"
}
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Is my hiragana handwriting readable?
Even though I am in Japan for more than 4 months right now, I'm still worried about my Hiragana handwriting. Is it readable for Japanese? Because I know people had difficulties with reading my . Is there anything that has to change? (Well, I know it doesn't look like the beautiful characters in the chart when you first learn Hiragana.)
![enter image description here](
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""
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "hiragana, handwriting"
}
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行っちまった and 行っちゃった differences?
I hear them a lot in anime, are they the same?
I think the formal form should be . Is it?
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As far as the basic meaning, there is no difference between the two.
The differences that do exist are three-fold.
> 1) Regionality:
is dialectal. It is mainly used around Tokyo, which is why you hear it often in anime.
is used all over the country.
(Of course, Kansai users might come in to comment that they say **** .)
> 2) Nuance:
sounds more slangy and "desparate" than . It just sounds more "street".
sounds fairly neutral even though it is a colloquial expression.
> 3) Gender:
is mainly used by male speakers.
is used by just about "everyone".
> "I think the formal form should be . Is it?"
Yes, precisely.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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ことで in this sentence?
>
What is this ?
About the context, the person said to two people that their relationship looked good. That is the sentence I provided.
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> ****
This phrase is the short form of {}{} **{}**.
The function of in this phrase is to make the preceding phrase {}{} to be a noun clause and also **to express the speaker's admiration or exclamation which is written in Chocolate's Answer** , and the function of is to make the noun clause to be the reason for the following phrase {}.
Then the whole phrase means: You are {} because you are {}{}.
{} is the short form of {}{} meaning "better than anything else."
{}{} is the polite expression of {}{} meaning "truely be on good terms with each other."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Converting names to Japanese
I am a Japanese learner and I would like to know how my name is in Japanese. My name is Bill and I have seen the translations "" (biru) and "" (bajiru). I am aware that means "basil" but I use it most of the times. Can you please help me?
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is a good transcription of the name Bill. This website confirms the match: <
Example:
>
This is from a yahoo question website.
> Why is Bill a nickname for William? Also, why does Robert become Bob?
You're quite right about being the Japanese word for basil - it would make you sound as though you were named after a herb. More to the point, it doesn't sound anything like your name. might be another transcription, but this seems strange to me and I can't find any examples of it being used.
Incidentally, could also mean a multi-storey building or a bill, as in check, invoice, paper money or beak of a bird - these are loan words from English. <
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "names, english to japanese"
}
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Counter followed by 隣
Referring to items at a mask selling stall:
> ****
> The man pointed at the figure ??? next to the rabbit
I'm confused about what means. Does it mean that the is two items along from the rabbit? Or there is a on either side of the rabbit? Or something else?
Let D be , R be rabbit and x be any other item. What does the arrangement look like?
RxxD?
RxD?
DRD?
???
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It's `RxD`.
1, `RD`
2, `RxD`
3, `RxxD`
Numbers larger than three is possible, but the larger the number is, the less likely would be used. People use 5, and such instead.
You can use other counters depending on what's aligned, for example 2, 3, 2.
1/1 is redundant because just saying usually means 1. But it's sometimes used to explicitly say something is directly adjacent.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "counters"
}
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Difference between 夢想 and ドリームスケープ
What's the difference between these 2 terms?
Both refer to dreams but I want to know if may be referring to events that even though they've been dreamt, they are sure to happen in the future. I'm looking for the meaning from the normal jananese point of view, not the technical stuff most people (even native speakers) don't know.
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is a literary suru-verb that means "to imagine like a dream" (as in "I dream of becoming a president").
is not a word recognized by ordinary Japanese people. Probably this is a direct transliteration of English _dreamscape_ used as movie titles and such. But normal Japanese people will be only confused if you used it in a conversation.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning"
}
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differences between 簡単 and 単純
{} and {} seem to both mean simple. Are they used in different situations or have slightly different meanings?
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Quite different, actually.
{} means simple as in "easy", "not difficult", or "plain".
Examples of use would be:
> This game is easy.
> Simply put, this will take time.
{} means simple as in "simple-minded", or "not complex".
Examples of use would be:
> He is a simple-minded man. (Note this is a belittling statement)
> simple bone fracture.
For the most part, if you think of {} as "easy" and {} as "simple", the meanings should be clearer to you.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "word choice, words, word usage"
}
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In the next sentence does she really care or is she pretending to care?
Context:
A girl is monologuing. She's talking to another girl. She had previously said what she desires is her happiness. After that she monologues:
>
I'm well aware that the sentence she said before means something like: You're wrong, Alice. I'm only saying that to make myself look better.
This is what I'm not sure about:
>
I'm just running away from it all by pretending/through caring about you like this.
She really cares or she makes it seem she cares?
|
> ****
I don't know what you meant by "make myself look better", but I think it means the "monologuing girl" is fooling herself.
> ****
Here, is the **means** of running away (like you said), but I don't think itself is pretending, but rather "imagining something".
So yes, I think that she makes it seem that she cares, but only in the sense of fooling herself, not Alice. She even goes all the way to explain it to her.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, meaning"
}
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Difference between 愛する and 愛す
How do these two verbs differ?
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More or less like "I love you" and "I love thee" differ. is an older form with basically the same meaning. Same with other / pairs like etc.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 13,
"tags": "words"
}
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What is the correct way to use 全部: Adverbially or Attributively?
Which of the following two versions is correct? Or are both of them incorrect?
> The one who ate all nuts was Squirrel.
>
>
>
>
|
Both, kind of. It's an adverbial noun (noun that can behave like an adverb), so you can treat it like you would any other number + counter.
So your first sentence is almost correct (skip the ):
>
Alternatively, you can use instead to use it attributively (but not ):
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "adverbial, attributive"
}
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Why is the word オタク written in katakana?
Why is the word (otaku) written in katakana?
I thought only foreign words are written in katakana. Is this word maybe foreign after all? But it is used in Japanese, so I am confused. Please give me an answer.
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In this case, katakana is used to indicate is used not in its original sense but in its derivative sense. was (and still is) an honorific expression used to refer to someone's family. So was initially chosen to indicate you need to pay a special attention for interpreting this word. It's similar to enclosing a word with double quotes in English. Today has become a word everyone knows, so it's safe to write it in hiragana, too.
This pattern is found in many technical terms. For example, usually means _throat_ in everyday conversations, but in the printing industry refers to an _inner margin_ of a book.
There are many other reasons to use katakana instead of hiragana. See:
* Why are katakana preferred over hiragana or kanji sometimes?
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 35,
"question_score": 19,
"tags": "katakana"
}
|
In the next sentence she wants to heal her wounds herself or she wants them to be healed?
The sentence is as follows:
In hopes that the pain I've caused you will be eased, even if it's only by a tiny bit.
Or
Let me heal the wounds that I caused you, even a little.
The previous sentence was
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I'm leaning toward the former. The important thing here is the transitivity of the verb is - we have and not , with the former being intransitive () and the latter being transitive (). For some very simplified example sentences, you'd see usages like
> (My wounds will heal)
vs
> (I will heal your wounds)
Consequently, the way it's written, it sounds like it's about wounds healing on their own. At the very least if the author wanted to express the idea that the subject of the sentence was going to heal those wounds, they intentionally chose not to.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
Difference between 標高 and 海抜
Is there any difference at all here?
(I read one of them in a Wikipedia article and the other one in my textbook)
|
refers specifically to the height above sea level of any point in Japan. This height is measured with the average level of the water in Tokyo Bay as zero. There is a stone marker in Nagata-cho, Tokyo, which is 24.39 metres above this level and is used as the national reference point.
means the height above the average level of the adjacent sea of any point on the planet.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "word choice, words, word usage"
}
|
Is there a term for Japanese characters as a whole?
There are kanji, katakana and hiragana, but is there a native word or phrase for the union of these sets?
|
Unfortunately no word exactly represents only the union of kanji, hiragana and katakana.
* : kanji
* : kana; hiragana & katakana
* : kanji, kana, punctuation, other written symbols
* : _(typography term)_ kanji, kana, punctuation, fullwidth Latin letters etc. used in Japanese typesetting (as opposed to , or ordinary Latin typesetting symbols)
I tend to agree that it'd be convenient if we had an exact blanket term of kanji and kana, but they are too heterogeneous (logogram and syllabary) to be lumped together by nature, especially in relation to other writing symbols used at the same time. That said, would convey your intended meaning in most of the time.
**PS** The obviously correct way to refer to them is .
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 21,
"question_score": 23,
"tags": "word requests, phrase requests"
}
|
How to interpret なりました at a baseball game radio broadcast?
On my local radio station baseball games translations take the most of the broadcast slots. Commentators speak very fast and the only thing I can differentiate is . is repeated literally every two seconds. What could possibly "become" or "change state" so often? What is possibly said in front of ?
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> ... ... ... ...
This is a fresh discovery that I have not ever thought it to be questionable as a Japanese at all.
You could not hear the same phrase on TV broadcast, right?
is used to convey every happening event to the listeners who are not watching it.
The reporter could say " **** **** **** ...." on every second for ever.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "pragmatics, semantics, interpretation"
}
|
Can't recognise kanji from image
![Can't recognise kanji](
|
Not sure about the meaning, though...
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
More complex comparisons with より
The use of / for comparisons seems straightforward when comparing like with like (e.g. ""). But I have trouble finding a non-clumsy way to express more complex comparisons, e.g. constructing as phrase like "a person who speaks English better than I speak Japanese".
What are some natural ways of expressing this kind of comparison, where we're not directly comparing the same quality/attribute between the two sides?
|
can take a subordinate clause, just as in English "than" can take a subordinate clause. So literal translations would be:
>
>
>
> He speaks English better than I speak Japanese.
The third one is nested and may seem complicated, but is closer to your original sentence.
Or using a relative clause, this becomes:
>
> a person who speaks English better than I speak Japanese
In the above examples, **** and **** are basically interchangeable.
But I'd suggest you rephrase it and say the same thing more simply:
>
>
> His English is better than my Japanese.
>
>
> a person whose English is better than my Japanese
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 8,
"tags": "grammar, comparative constructions"
}
|
What does キワモノ mean?
I'm slowly trying to read through a light novel and came across this sentence:
What does that (kiwamono) mean? None of the dictionaries I've tried seem to know the meaning of that word.
|
in comes from :
>
>
> 1. very close; close; narrow (e.g. narrow victory); dangerous; risky; hazardous
> 2. suggestive; bordering on the obscene; risqué; delicate (e.g. question); immoral; questionable; shady
>
In this case refers to someone who is very questionable, abnormal, peculiar or even insane for a thief. For example, a thief weighting 400 lbs, a thief who faints at the sight of blood, a thief who uses a guitar instead of a knife... These can be called .
According to dictionaries in kanji means seasonal/temporary/trendy/non-universal articles and topics, but I think this meaning is obsolete. as a slang word is usually written in katakana.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "translation, meaning"
}
|
Any common, noteworthy changes in speech when a 日本人 is totally wasted?
Now, I've never met a Japanese person who's gotten hammered, much less creepily observed their speaking patterns. Thus, I must ask: are there any common or noteworthy changes in how people speak while they're drunk?
In English we don't really get much, just slurring and rudeness; but Japanese is littered with context rules, politeness rules, etc. you know, the kind of things that would assume some degree of spacial or contextual awareness. Thus, I'm just curious if anything emerges when a boy/girl speaks while moderately inebriated, not to far gone, but by no means sober.
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Most real people just get cheerful and talkative when drunk. At izakaya people still naturally use basic keigo. Depending on the situation people can choose to use a bit less polite (and thus more friendly) word choice. But probably this is an almost universal tendency. I can't think of a noteworthy change unique to the Japanese language.
When too drunk, speech can become very slurred and impolite; for example see this and this. At nightlife districts you might occasionally see a drunkard who speaks very rudely to a police officer. Such a person is called .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "spoken language"
}
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Why can に be put after a verb's plain form?
I just noticed this line in the System Preferences app on OS X:
![enter image description here](
It says
>
>
> Click the lock to make changes
Here, is put after a verb's plain form. I have never seen this kind of usage before. As far as I know, is a . And don't connect to verbs. They only connect to , which I think does not include verbs.
So i searched online to see if this is a usage that I am not aware of. And I found this. But that does not show any examples of this "verb plain form + " usage.
It also says that
> **** ****
>
> is mainly put after a **noun** and shows the relationship between that **noun** and another noun, a verb used as a predicate or an adjective.
How can be put after a verb's plain form? What is this usage?
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The article you linked say a **mainly** attaches to a noun. And according to , is a which can safely follow a verb:
> ###
>
> **** ****
>
> ――
I think you are already familiar with expressions like ("in order to eat") or ("in order to see"), and these are the masu-stems of verbs followed by the -.
See also:
* What is the meaning of ?
* * *
By the way, this verb before is actually in the (attributive form), not in the (dictionary form). is, as the name suggests, for ending a clause/sentence as a predicate. On the other hand, (despite its name) worked as a nominalized noun in archaic Japanese. We can still see the of a verb used as a noun in proverbs. For example, = "Running is winning", = "Asking is a one-time shame".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "particle に"
}
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What is the meaning of 「noun phrase」の手?
****
What does mean here? Is it something that can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence? It seems like it might indicate a person being in a state or condition.
My translation: Although I thought about it as much I could, I was unable to resolve the problem.
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First, the noun phrase means "as much as one can think of" as you have translated. More literally it would be "the limit of what one can obtain by thinking". It acts a bit like an adjective, because it modifies the following it using .
has several meanings, the original being "hand", but here I think it means something along the lines of a way, trick or a technique.
means to run out of.
When you put them together, one translation could be
> I used up all [tricks]{} I could think of, but I was unable to resolve the problem.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Pronouns in this sentence
Context:
>
> …
Problem sentence:
> …
Who can't be healed anymore, the person talking or the person it is being said to?
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With the help of the previous sentence you gave, I think it means that cannot heal the wounds of anymore.
In the previous sentence, is talking about (her?) wounds. The wounds carry over to the next sentence, are the object of the transitive verb . The subject is , but that was clear from the sentence in question.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, transitivity"
}
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What is 発表待つ saying in this title?
I'm reading some practice articles written in Japanese; not sure if they're based on real articles, but no matter.
The title in question is , and I'm not 100% sure what the part is saying, thus I thought I'd ask.
It looks grammatically incorrect to mean, and I'm not sure what the title is saying as a result of this.
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I found a cached version of the article.
In the text, there is
> **** ****
From this, you can guess that the particle is omitted from the title. I think linguists call the practice of omitting words like this ellipsis).
Here is another question about omitting : The meaning of in ?
In fact, a whole lot of other particles are also omitted from the title. I'll mark the particles with **bold**.
> **** **** ****
Literal translation:
> [At]{} the café [where]{} Murakami['s]{} fans gather, the event of waiting [for]{} the release
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning"
}
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Is 小判{こばん} understood as a slang term for coins or money in general?
I watched this video in which the story is supposed to be a folk tale but everybody speaks an exaggerated slang. The video has subtitles that explain all the words.
The word []{} was used frequently. In the subtitles it was "translated" to ), an Edo period gold coin. I understand that in the video the coins are probably supposed to be koban, but because this video was about the slang, it made me wonder if the word is still used for money in general.
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No, "" isn't a word we modern Japanese (including and ) would use to refer to coins of today, or money in general for that matter. It is precisely the name for the flat, oblong piece of gold that was used as currency in the Edo period.
Whoever wrote the script of the video had at least two choices in translating "" into modern slang: They could first take the modern equivalent of what was, which would be , , etc, and render it in the way those lexically creative hipsters would say it in their vernacular (which would be... , or ?, I don't know.)
Or they could also just stick with the word "", without worrying to much about consistency (which they shouldn't), and play with it in the way / in those days _could have_ (i.e. the syllable-based initialism). They went with this latter approach, and to good effect, in my opinion.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "slang, colloquial language"
}
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したい思った? What is this odd construct?
I have a Question -> Response exercise in my textbook. The context is a job interview at a convenience store. I think the meaning is "why do you want this job?" but the way the Japanese is worded seems odd to me.
Can somebody translate this for me please?
>
It is which is confusing to me. "want to have thought"?
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>
> What's the reason you think you want to do a part-time job here?
* The job interviewer (A) is asking the reason from the job interviewee (B), not asking what B wants to do, because A already knows that B wants to do a part-time job here.
* Why does A know B's intention already? Because, A has got B's application for the job already.
* When did B think he wanted to do a part-time job here? Before submitting the application for the job.
* Then B thought of the part-time job **in the past** , so the phrase **** is used instead of ****.
**That's why the tense differs between English and .**
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, translation, verbs"
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Can で be used to define a family relationship?
> ****
> ??? Princess Ori, who was skilled with the weaving, and Hikoboshi the cowherd come to love each other and will get married.
Now, I'm assuming that the in bold somehow tells us that Princess Ori is the daughter of the Sky King. But, this doesn't fit with my usual understanding of as either a location marker, 'by means of', or -form of copula.
Have I understood the meaning correctly? Can you please give some more examples of how/when I should use in this way?
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The is the te-form of the copula (or, the continuative form of the assertive auxiliary) .
>
> Princess Ori, [who was the daughter of the Sky King and] [was skilled with the weaving]
To turn this noun phrase into its non-relative equivalent:
> ****
> Princess Ori was the daughter of the Sky King and was skilled with the weaving.
> (≂ **** )
Example:
**** +
→ ****
→ **** (noun phrase)
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, particle で"
}
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What's the difference between 変態 and 痴女 (or 痴漢)?
In the Dead Tube manga, a girl is being accused of being a , at which she replies:
>
What's the difference between the two words? Is just a pervert and someone that actually sexually assaults people?
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are people with abnormal sexual preferences. They can be men or women. (women) or (men) are people who have committed sexual crimes. So, she can be and not a if she has abnormal sexual preferences but does not act on them. Japanese wiki explains this.
To me, when I use (women) or (men), I am not saying if their sexual preferences are abnormal or not but I am saying that they are doing something sexual in abnormal manners, meaning criminal manners.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 10,
"tags": "meaning, words, nuances, manga, word usage"
}
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Did 無くす come from 無くする?
I'm wondering about the origin of the word .
There is the word {}, meaning "to not exist/be there". You can add and to adjectives to create verbs:
* - - "to become not there/become lost"
* - - "to make not there/lose"
Now, according to some dictionaries, seems to be considered a word of its own, but not , which I find interesting.
means the same thing as , and the definition in of does use .
Thus, I am wondering if stems from , but with the dropped, in the same way as appeared.
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is the (old form) of . was originally the (adnominal form) of . It was combined with the (dictionary form) later.
Though stems from ** + ** , it is not considered to be a word created by adding , but is instead thought of as a word like , , etc. (Usually the in words created by adding is low pitch, such as , read as HLL, but the one in is read as LHH with a high pitch.) For this reason, is uncommon. Most dictionaries in Japan don't give as an entry.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "etymology"
}
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Why is there a "yo" particle and not a "ga" particle in the phrase "Yūsha Satan yo kiseki o okose!"
The phrase "Yūsha Satan yo kiseki o okose!" is translated as "Make a Miracle, Satan the Hero!" or "Valiant Mr. Satan, Work a Miracle!" . Why is there a yo particle after Satan and not a ga particle? Wasnt yo supposed to be an ending particle for emphasis? What does it mean here?
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I believe this is the vocative , similar in meaning and usage to the English O. EDict mentions this meaning:
> (2) (after a noun) used when calling out to someone
>
> `` Lover, come back to me.
Japanese Wikipedia has this example from Latin:
> Quo vadis, domine? ``
You could translate the sentence as "O Satan the Hero, make a miracle happen!"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "particle よ"
}
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Understanding ~並みに and ending a sentence with a noun
The sentence in question is:
I get first part of getting angry at Kazuma's statement but the second part has 2 things I don't quite get:
1. after the word goblin, the word has so many meanings on Jisho but I'm not sure which, if any of them actually fit here.
2.The sentence ends in , which is a noun. Based on what I've learned, shouldn't the last part of a sentence always be a verb?
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[]{}, when attached to a noun as a suffix, means "the same level as ~~" "to the same degree as ~~" "equal to ~~". means "as short-tempered as goblins" "short-tempered just like goblins".
It ends with a noun because it's a noun phrase containing relative clauses.
>
> _Lit_ : "The two, who are as short-tempered as goblins and get furious at Kazuma's statement."
This is a kind of rhetorical technique called "[]{}[]{}". For more on this topic, you can refer to this thread: What exactly is
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, translation, meaning, syntax"
}
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Can 亞 be a simplification of 亜?
I'm trying to translate this sport team name:
>
but Google keeps correcting this to:
> ᅳ
It's obviously difficult to guess which type of horizontal line is meant, but the second character is clearly printed as , not . Is it possible that the one is used as a simplified form of the other in situations where printing complicated characters is difficult?
_(Google Translate gives me results like "Toa Gakuen Valley Department" and "Toa Gakuen Ballet Department" and when I accept the suggestion to change to the second version "Toa Gakuen Volleyball Department", which is probably right, because the Toa Gakuen school in Tokyo has avolleyball team, but the writing looks much more like the first version.)_
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Several points
* the second-to-last character in is `U+3161 HANGUL LETTER EU` (from Korean), it should be `U+30FC KATAKANA-HIRAGANA PROLONGED SOUND MARK`. This is probably why Google Translate doesn't quite know what to do with it.
* is short for and means "volleyball team/club" (by the way, _ballet_ is written )
* is the _kyūjitai_ (old character form) and the _shinjitai_. has fewer strokes (and simpler strokes) than
![stroke order and ](
* If the name is , don't let Google tell you otherwise. However, it looks like the school is called . Maybe that's why Google wants to correct it, maybe Google has a tendency to correct _kyūjitai_ to _shinjitai_. However, if the volleyball team writes their name , then being a name it shouldn't be corrected.
* The school translates itself as _Toa Gakuen High School_ , so I'd say
>
> Tōa Gakuen Volleyball Club
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "translation, names, kyūjitai and shinjitai, sports"
}
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What is the suitable japanese word for "forefathers" or "ancestors" that can be used in an essay?
What is the suitable Japanese word for "ancestors" or "forefathers". I have tried many dictionaries but there are many words Japanese words for these two words. I've heard that there are some words in Japanese language that we can't use them in our day to day activities (that means use in essays, spoken etc). Therefore I am confused what to choose from those words.
The answers are highly appreciated.
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To mean forefathers and ancestors, we usually use "" called or "" called , both of which mean people who lived former ages before the present and have lineages. They are used like "", for example.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": -3,
"tags": "word requests, english to japanese"
}
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Meaning of ベタベタ when referring to a meeting
Referring to the Tanabata lovers who only meet once a year:
> A)
> A) "I wish they could meet at least once a month."
> B)
> B) "Once a year is fine. In that way they'll meet _stickily_ many times. Right?"
What on earth does mean in this context? I thought it meant sticky. But I can't imagine what a sticky meeting is.
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is an onomatopoeia () commonly used for describing a couple or lovers being close and intimate, as well as for something being sticky. Maybe it's a bit close to .
>
> (≂ **** )
I think it'd be something like "It's good because it's just once a year. (≂ What's good about it is that they meet only once a year.) They shouldn't be meeting that often (≂ so many times a year), so intimately."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "meaning, reading comprehension, onomatopoeia"
}
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Genki 1 Can not translate question well
sorry for such a rudimentary question but i'm learning on my own and i have problems translating a question from the genki book. The problems are in the 6 lesson 6 exercise. Its a role play exercise and i have to translate this. "You just bought a brand new car and don't want anyone to use it".
I translated the first part like that but for the rest i'm not sure how should i advance. I guess i need to start with "daredemo" but i cannot come up with a meaning full translation. Sorry to ask such a basic stuff but i have been stuck on it
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I am assuming that the context given is:
> Partner A has a date tomorrow and wants to borrow Partner B's car. Partner B's car is brand new and he doesn't want anyone to use it.
I think there can be many different ways to express "My car is brand-new and I don't want anyone to use it". For example...
[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}
_lit._ Sorry. I don't want to lend it to anyone. Because it's a brand-new car.
[]{}
_lit._ It's a brand-new car, so I don't want to lend it to anyone yet.
[]{}
_lit._ Sorry, I just bought it, so I don't want to lend it to anyone yet.
[]{}
_lit._ That car is still new, so I don't want to let anyone use it.
etc. etc...
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation"
}
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Nouns list followed by 他
I would like to know what the word means in the following sentence.
**{}**
Does it means **'...and other things that are able to catch fire'** or **'besides gasoline, Benzin and thinner'**?
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It's the former. Check if there is before .
* `ABC` means "A, B, C and others"
* `ABC` means "besides A, B and C"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 13,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "words"
}
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What does お前…なぁ indicate?
If you say …(Omae… nā: you...) what is it that you're trying to say?
Context: A girl cuts ties with her best friend, telling her it's because she's selfish.
My doubt: could indicate a strong sentiment because they split apart or maybe she's saying the real reason is that it's for her own good (and not being selfish as she had explained).
So it could be:
> You, I wonder...
OR
> You, (strong sentiment because they're not friends anymore).
I don't even know if it's actually true that it's because she's selfish. Unless that particle somehow denies its credibility it would mean that she's simply selfish.
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and (said own its own) are both regarded as masculine words, although there can be exceptions. can mean "I wonder", but here is said by itself, separated by the ellipsis. So it doesn't mean "I wonder".
like this is usually somewhere between "you know what", "oh please", and "come on". The speaker is somehow dissatisfied about something, and expecting the listener to understand his/her feeling. Since the context is not enough I don't know what this sentence actually refers to. For example, if this was said by a male person who heard the girl's story, it probably means he was disappointed by what the girl did.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, sentence final particles"
}
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Most natural way to express "It's later now."
I've been keeping a journal in Japanese, and recently I wrote a paragraph about something I was planning to do, and then after I had done it, I wrote another paragraph about how it went. I wanted to write something along the lines of "It's later now." at the start of the second paragraph, to indicate that there was a break in time between the first and second paragraph. I came up with two possibilities, but I'm not sure if either sounds correct, much less natural:
* {}
* {}{}{}
What is the most natural way to express this?
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I doubt or will work. And I cannot think of a short phrase that looks similar and can be used in this context. Instead, you can:
1. Just place a enough space or a horizontal line, and explain time has passed. (e.g. "5", "", "") Here is used as an introductory conjunction similar to "So, ...".
2. Use , , , optionally with the actual time (e.g, "21:05 ")
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, phrases"
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what is the meaning of a た形の動詞 ＋ とする
The sentence is
I've looked at some other answered questions which explain how , when appended to a verb expresses quitting an old action and starting a new one. However I can't understand it in this case, because it seems odd that it would be used in the past tense.
Does it take on a different meaning if the verb is in the past tense?
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`clause + ` can mean "assume ", "suppose ", "regard ", "let ", etc. So the sentence means "Suppose you eat ..."
Examples and explanations are found on the following sites:
* Hypothesizing and Concluding | Learn Japanese
* (tosuru) | JGram - The Japanese Grammar database
The ta-form is used in combination of many hypothetical or conditional expressions. I think this ta-form is for denoting the perfect aspect, not the past tense. refers to what you would think/plan/do before eating a meal (e.g., choosing a good restaurant). refers to what you would think/do at a mealtime or after the meal (e.g., paying with a credit card).
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "syntax, particle と"
}
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What does the bottom part of 夢 mean, right under the 3 squares?
I've been looking all over for the response but in (dream) what does the bottom part right below the three little squares mean or say??
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* This page says it's a bed or a sleeping person.
* This page says it's a (cover, veil).
As for the uppermost part (), some say it's grass, some say it's horns of a sheep, some say it's eyelash. The pages I've seen so far consistently say that the "squares" () part refers to (eye).
It's often very difficult or impossible to determine the etymology of each kanji. We have the shapes of some old variants of this kanji, but people today can only speculate it's meaning.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "kanji"
}
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Are 結局 and てしまう equivalent in terms of expressing "end up doing something"?
Out of the following two sentences, which one is more natural to say "I ended up eating all ice-cream"?
>
>
>
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To use , there has to be some time for hesitation, consideration, struggle, etc., before the action. It focuses on the circumstances before the action was done. It's similar to "after all" in English.
> * 5
> * 1
>
can indicate something was simply undesirable, or something was regrettable as an afterthought.
> *
> *
>
You can use and at the same time.
> * 5
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "pragmatics"
}
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In this sentence she gets depressed/disappointed when she says the last sentence or just the last words?
In the sentence when she says she got depressed or disappointed, it refers to how many words of the last sentence she said (or maybe the whole sentence as she had said 3 long sentences in a row).
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Generally, when someone is emotionally affected by , it means not the exact the last word, but the last whole sentence or some of last sentences which convey one meaningful content.
We use the similar expression like this as
> {}{}{} **{}{}** {}{}{}{}.
In this case general translation will be like;
> The bride cried a little only at **the last part of her father's speech** at the wedding ceremony.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation"
}
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How can I say "I speak very little Japanese"?
If someone asks me if I speak Japanese, in English I would answer "I speak very little Japanese", but what would be a proper way of saying this in Japanese?
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If you really want them to understand that you are a beginner, better not use anything too sophisticated. I think that a simple
> {}{}{}{}
> Watashi wa nihongo ga heta desu.
would be good for this situation.
If you don't want to say that your Japanese is poor, you can dodge it with
> * {}
> * {}{} (thanks Felipe Oliveira)
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, expressions"
}
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Can 無理矢理 be used with inanimate objects?
is translated as forcibly; against one's will. Does the following sentence mean that "I entered the room against my will" or "I forced myself into the room"?
>
In case it means "I forced myself into the room", then applied to the room. "Room" is an inanimate object. Can be used with inanimate objects?
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means _forcibly_ and can be safely used with inanimate objects. In that case you can just forget the translation "against one's will". See examples on ALC.
And why did you think " applied to the room"? This modifies because it's a standalone adverb.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "usage, interpretation"
}
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What is the difference between ayumu, sanpo and aruku?
I see three different words when I look up "walk". Can someone explain why there are two and why one would be used instead of the other?
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> Difference between ayumu, sanpo and aruku
_aruku_ () is a general term for _to walk_.
_ayumu_ () is a little old-fashioned expression for _to walk_ , especially _to walk step by step_ , and it has a unique and something moral meanings different from _aruku_ such as _to make progress to a certain destination_.
As for _sanpo_ (), it is a noun which means _a constitutional walk_ or _a walk for relaxation_.
To make a _sanpo_ () a verb _suru_ () is attached like _sanpo-suru_ ().
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 14,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "word choice, usage, word usage"
}
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The meaning of やわこく in archaic dialog
Reading a novel and there's a part of a sentence that I don't quite understand. For context, the person speaking is at a small party, being completely drunk while speaking to this fit, sober woman.
The speaker is also imitating another person here who tends to speak archaically and very arrogantly. Here is the whole line:
>
The part that I don't understand is the last sentence,
>
There is some talk about 'stiff muscles of trouble' but that's pretty much all I can understand. The part is especially confusing as I have no idea what that could mean.
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is a dialectal form equivalent to . It appears to be used in Sendai () dialect, but easily comprehensible even to a Standard Japanese speaker.
Thus, = .
>
> =
> _Thy stiff muscle that botherth thee shall be a bit loosened._
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "translation, meaning, dialects, archaic language"
}
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Using も when subject is different
The particle is usually explained as similar to _also_. However, examples also always leans towards _too_ , and always in the context of the sentence's subject (and always referring to the same subject).
_Me too_
_I like cats too_
However, I've always wondered if it was valid to use it almost like an interjection, to change the topic:
> A: I didn't attend today's class
>
> A: __ I've _also_ forgotten last monday's homework
So when the subject is different, can you still use this particle?
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Yes, you can use that way.
> ****
> ****
> ****
> **** **** (quoted from here)
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "particle も"
}
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Which verb does くらい modify in this sentence?
Which verb does the phrase ending with modify in the following sentence?
> ****
Does it modify the or the ? So is it
> He is staring at something that is overwhelmingly far away, ...
or
> He is staring at something far away to the point that he becomes overwhelmed, ...
Or maybe both of these translations are off? In situations like this when two verb follow , is there a general rule which verb is modified by it or does it depend on context?
For context, here is the entire passage:
>
>
>
>
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>
I think the phrase modifies .
Another possible option is , but if you want to let be modified by , it is natural to add something like , then the whole sentence given will be .
And is impossible to be modified by , because if so, needs something like before modified by it like:
, but the given sentence already has which functions as an adverb instead of .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "particle くらい"
}
|
Equivalent of saying "It breaks my heart"?
What's the Japanese equivalent of saying "It breaks my heart"?
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Naturally it depends on context.
For specifically romantic heartbreak, there is {}():
>
> I can't recover from my heartbreak.
For more general heartbreak (such as the arrest or death of a friend or family member), there is the expression {}{}:
>
> He was heartbroken after his father's death.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, phrase requests"
}
|
Japanese equivalent of saying to keep something to yourself?
What's the Japanese equivalent to saying for people to keep something to themselves?
Like, "Keep your toilet humour to yourself," or something?
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I think you could say it in several different ways:
"keep ... to oneself" []{}[]{}/[]{}/[]{}(/)[]{}[]{}/ etc.
And you could translate it in different ways depending on context, for example:
> * Keep your opinions to yourself. ()
> * Keep your opinions to yourself! ()
> * He often keeps his opinions to himself. ()
> * I'll keep the secret to myself until death. ()
>
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "translation, phrase requests"
}
|
how to tell date?
when someone ask, what is the date for a program? and the answer is 5th may. how can i answer this in japanese. i know that 5th is and may is which one should be pronounced first. and how do i say the years? 2017 for example? i am a beginner in japanese. hope someone can help me with this.
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In Japanese it goes Year >> Month >> Date.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "english to japanese, time"
}
|
Is this some kind of Japanese slang?
I am working on amateur translation for a videogame, this game was originally in Japanese and another team translated the texts into English.
Check out this video, from the English subtitles (activate the CC subs from youtube player to see them), seems the character uses some slang while he speaks
<
Because I don't know Japanese (yet!) I would ask you if the English subtitle reflects the way Keith speaks.
How do you classify the register of this character? Does he uses all the slang like it seems from the English subtitles?
Thanks
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I would not say he uses all the slang visible in the subtitles because, in most cases, slang in one language does not directly translate to another. That said, I feel like the level of formality communicated by Keith in Japanese is reflected in the English subs.
Using the slang form of one word to communicate informality may not be possible in another language because that word has no comparable slang form, or may not even exist, so the translator will have to compensate somehow. Translators have to judge the level of formality in the source language, and provide a translation with a comparable level. Moreover, formality is not just using slang words and expressions, but also includes other forms of expression (ex. inflection and body language). This is lost, to some degree, when subtitled, and the translator may compensate for this by using slang expressions in the target language that may not be present in the source language, as is the case here.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "slang, transcription"
}
|
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