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Japanese demonyms for each other
In many cultures people will make nicknames for the residents of a certain region, for example Cockneys / Brummies in Britain, or Yankees / Hillbillies in the US.
Are there any common nicknames Japanese people will call each other? I have so far only found {} and {}, but both of these seem to be quite old fashioned.
|
We actually have **so many** , but the ones that are nationally known would include (going roughly from north to south):
{} - Hokkaido
{} - City of Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture
{}{} - Tokyo
{} - Yokohama
{} - Osaka
{} - Kouchi Prefecture
{} - Fukuoka
{} - Kagoshima (male only)
or {} - Female version of above.
- Okinawa (This is what Okinawans call themselves. They call us non-Okinawans )
As seen above, many demonyms use the old names of the areas rather than their current names -- , etc.
New arrivals:
- Women of Shirokane area of Tokyo. Borrowed from "Mila **nese** " in Italian.
- Women of Ashiya, Hyougo
- Married women of Futakotamagawa, Tokyo
***Answered by an {} (western half of Aichi Prefecture)
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 11,
"question_score": 8,
"tags": "slang, demonyms"
}
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Why is 「の」 used in 何十もの?
I was studying the words //, and I often see the particlesandafter.
For example,
>
Or,
>
TheI think is used to emphasize that there's a large quantity, but what is the purpose of ?
I also found some sentences with a similar pattern, but is not used.
Example:
>
Why is that the case?
|
It is all about grammar and nothing else.
> (Number) + **** functions _**adverbially**_ to modify a _**verb**_.
>
> (Number) + **** \+ **** functions _**adjectivally**_ to modify a _**noun**_.
Let us look at your example sentences:
> {}{} **** {}{}{}{}
**** modifies the noun .
> {}{} **** {}{}
modifies the noun .
> **** {}
In this sentence, modifies the verb phrase .
What would happen if you inserted a following the , then?
In the new sentence:
> ****
will simply modify the noun instead. The meaning of the sentence will virtually stays the same. The new sentence will just have a different grammatical structure.
EDIT: I did not mention this, but this usage of / always indicates that the speaker thinks the quantity in question is rather _**large**_ as the questioner stated.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, particle の, particle も"
}
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Is 'うつさい' equivalent to 'うるさい' in this context? Why?
Is '' equivalent to '' in this context? Why?
I can't find '' in the dictionary and Google translate, so I tried inputting the Chinese version of the text(i.e '') into Google translate and it told me that it was '`
Fri Feb 23 16:47:41 CST 2018 update{ Thank you all,Google search for '' is working. }
The whole context :  and sora (sky), into one name? I'm trying to create a name meaning both "secret" and "sky"
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> Is it possible if I could combine two words, himitsu (secret) and sora (sky), into one name?
Yes, it is. In this case, I would make up a name with {}.
Usually we use two _kanji_ s, not three, to make up a name, so is better than .
And itself means , so you can use instead of safely in .
# BONUS
As you know, has two meanings: (1) sky; (2) empty/vacant, so I recommend that you would choose instead of for the meaning of sky. Now you would get the name as . I think it's a wonderful name having the meaning with secret and sky. By the way, has two meanings: (1) sky; (2) heaven.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "definitions, names"
}
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What does the verb after なくちゃ or なくては mean?
If is followed by another verb, is it read as " _you must do X **or else** Y will happen_" or " _you must do X **and then** Y will happen_"?
**Example:**
In this sentence (from ):
**Is it:** "As for you, it must be a dim cloudy day or night... or else you won't come out."
**Or:** "As for you, it must be a dim cloudy day or night so that you won't come out."
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You are thinking of `` as `must`, but it's really just a contraction of ``. `` and `` are used to mean "must", and sometimes the final verb is dropped and `` by itself is used as a very casual way to imply that something must be done.
However, especially in cases where something comes after the ``, it can just mean ``. See Jisho's definition here, and also a related question here.
In short, it's
> As for you, it must be a dim cloudy day or night or else you won't come out.
Edit: Also see Eiríkr Útlendi's comment.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "verbs, conditionals"
}
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Would someone be willing to check my reading of の in this sentence?
I'm not certain why the is in the 2nd sentence:
> ****
It seems like the meaning should be "And then, often you are compared with [me] and you look good."
But if that's right, then the seems unnecessary. (Shouldn't = "you are compared with [me]?)
So, I guess the is saying that the comparison _itself_ belongs to ?
_e.g._
"And then, often [there is the] comparison **of** you with [me] and you look good."
_or_
"And then, often [there is] **your** comparison with [me] and you look good.
Are either of those right?
|
stands on its own and means 'yours'. The doesn't join to the following words as you seem to suggest. So is 'compare (mine) with yours', where 'mine' is implicit.
For the verb+ part have a read of this post.
verb- is 'try doing verb' in this case (see @chocolate's comment below for why is in kanji)
Finally (unless context suggests otherwise) I'd be more inclined to think that meant 'well' rather than 'often'.
Maybe I'd translate the whole thinks as something like:
> You should carefully/thoroughly compare (mine) with yours.
where is carefully/thoroughly, or some word that implies that the comparison is done 'well'.
Thanks to @chocolate for helping to improve my answer.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, particle の"
}
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Is "まひろとアバ X 于ユール" in the image? What is ' X ' in the image?
What character is in `X` position on the image?
> `X`
Maybe that is ``?
), which is pronounced as
>
as one can clearly hear in this intro or see in its Wikipedia page).
However, the word is pronounced as, as I've found in both a dictionary and Wikipedia page for cardinal sins.
Why is the pronunciation in the show different?
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is just an alternative reading of , and is listed perhaps in all decent monolingual dictionaries.
* and treat as the primary reading and as an alternative.
* treats as the primary reading.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "pronunciation"
}
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A little help with these sentences
I was reading a manga and I was wondering if I understood, at least the first sentence well. The other two...hmmm, I don't know if I translated them so well, so I would need some assistance. If it helps, the context is about money and friendship.
>
This is the first sentence and I translated it as: The problems of this world (or rather society), most of them can be solved with money." (Have I gotten the gist of it?)
>
>
It's with these two sentences that I have problem to translate. , looking in the dictionary, it means "to build, to construct, to amass", and I think the sentences are saying something about making friends with money?
Please, can someone clarify them for me? Thank you
|
Your understanding of the first sentence is correct.
>
> There is a friendship you can build with money. There is a friendship you cannot build because you don't have money.
Both sentences say ("There is a friendship (of such and such a kind)"). and are relative clauses that modify . is a set phrase, "to build/establish a friendship."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation"
}
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2 Translation Questions ( な and 所), and a Question about を vs. に when using おじぎしてまわる
> **** ****
I have three questions about the bold characters.
1. I assume that **** = **** \+ **** \+ **** , _NOT_ **** \+ ****. So is **** here being used similarly to its role as a sentence-ending particle? e.g. "If that is agreeable,"
2. What does **** mean in this context? I took it mean "each person's place/where each person is".
3. Why is **** using **** and not ****?
Wouldn't " _bowing towards each person's place_ " make more sense than " _bowing to each person's place_ " since the subject (presumably) isn't literally bowing to the _place_ , but the person who exists there?
**EDIT: In answer to #3, be sure to read the comments and Chocolate's linked discussions.**
As always, I'd be grateful for any help.
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> 1. /
>
The and usages here are softeners used for redundant confirmation in casual speech, equivalent to the colloquial 'ya know' in English.
> 2.
>
To everyone's house, place of business, etc.
> 3. Why is using and not ?
>
It is not. The is modifying . It could be phrased (Basically it is saying that your would need to visit everybody to 'pay your respects' and inform them of your new name.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "translation"
}
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What's the grammar behind 〜がいなくて寂しい
I can't understand how means "to miss something" like in .
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> {} **** {}
is the te-form of . (, of course, is the negative form of .)
One of the functions of the te-form is to express a **_cause-and-effect_** relationship. Thus, **** in this context is pretty much synonymous to **** and **** .
Cause: ("You are not here.")
Effect: ("I am sad.")
So, the sentence literally means:
> "I am sad because you are not here."
A freer translation would be:
> "I am missing you."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, translation, meaning"
}
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What does 「ここでこなんことをしてられない!」mean?
The sentence comes from a book I'm reading. I have no idea where comes from. My guess is that it's some colloquial potential form of or something (there's a song named ), but I might be completely wrong. Can someone please help? Thank you in advance.
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First of all, should be unless it is in a dialect I am unfamiliar with.
>
is the informal form of **** = " ** _(I) can't be doing_** ". So, it is the **_negative, potential and progressive_** form of .
In informal speech, the is often dropped from phrases such as **** **** , etc. Unless you are very new to the language, you must have encountered this phenomenon before.
The sentence, therefore, means:
> "I can't be doing something like this here!"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation"
}
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What does 直撃 mean in relation to an interview?
I'm currently translating this interview of a Japanese actor.
**** was used for
> ****
and
> “” ****
According to Jisho, it means a "direct hit".
The word seems to be associated with a disaster like a bomb or typhoon, based on goo.
However, I noticed that similar to this article, **** was often used as a verb for a **headline** such as
I was wondering what does it mean and whether it was an abbreviation?
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{} is a term often used by the media meaning " ** _(going) face-to-face_** " as in interviewing a person in person instead of using telephone, email, etc. You physically go to that person and ask questions.
This is why you will often encounter the term . Another common term is {}, which literally means an "assault interview".
These terms are preferred by the media and audience alike because they sound "aggressive", spontaneous and quite catchy to the native ear. It sounds as though the interview were conducted without an appointment even though most are obviously conducted on appointment.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "meaning"
}
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Meaning of AにBを+adverb+する
Regarding WTO announcement on the Korean import ban of fish from Fukushima etc:
> ****
> On the 23rd the WTO said that the import ban is discriminatory and, South Korea are _making the trade rules more strict than necessary_.
I'm having trouble parsing the part in bold.
doesn't translate well as 'make' here. The WTO makes the rules, not the Koreans. Can mean 'interpret' in this context?
On its own I would translate as 'make the rules strict'. Again if could mean 'interpret' then I could treat adverbially and get 'interpreting the rules strictly' which would make more sense.
Finally, I'm struggling with how to join to all of this. I'm familiar with the construct AB 'make B (into) A', but if I use this I get 'make the rules more than necessary' which is nonsense.
How do I put all these pieces together to make something meaningful?
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Using the word 'make' here is appropriate. Korea is unilaterally 'making' their own set of 'rules' (decisions) or modifying existing decisions in contrast with what the WTO has suggested or ruled on.
If you don't like the word 'make', I would suggest 'implement'.
As far as what is being done 'more than necessary', it would be the 'strictness' of the implementation. .
>
Korea is making the (implementation of the) trade decision (to restrict import of fish) more strict than is necessary. (in a manner which exceeds their mandate).
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, particle に"
}
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Question about the meaning of あるく in this sentence
I don't understand the usage of in this sentence:
>
As I read it, it's "On the morning of the day after tomorrow, I will visit the birds' houses one at a time and ask whether or not you came there."
**The is throwing me. Why is linked to 's continuative form and what does ("to walk") mean in this context?**
My first guess was "to ask while I walk".
However, " _I will visit the birds' houses one at a time and ask as I walk whether or not you came there_ " seems redundant.
* * *
On a side note, I really hate to keep flooding Stack Exchange with minor translation questions like this. Could anyone recommend a forum where this sort of thing is more in line with the site's purpose?
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>
In this context, does _**not**_ necessarily mean " _ **to walk**_ ", which makes your question a far better one than you seem to think.
The speaker might use other methods of transportation besides walking in order to conduct his investigation. Thus, here is quite synonymous to (" _ **to go around**_ ").
In fact, {} gives the following definition for {}:
”②{}{}{}{}{}”
Thus, if I said {}{}{}, there is no way I could have meant that I walked from coast to coast looking for yummy hotdogs in the U.S.A. You can be sure that I flew, drove, took the Greyhound, etc.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "translation, て form"
}
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Does "のほうが" necessarily imply a comparison?
If you were to translate a phrase like "" without any knowledge of the context it is being used on, would the most accurate translation still be "Tokyo is colder (than someplace else)"?
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A comparison is implicit within the phrase If someone were to say this without context, the listener would be left wondering 'compared to where?'.
> AB'A is better than B.'
>
> B'B is better'... Must have pre-established context to make sense.
>
> BA'B is better, way better than A.'
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning, usage"
}
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What's the meaning of 位 when it follows ことをする a.k.a. "to do something"?
I'm looking for help with the meaning of in this sentence
> **Hawk:**
> **Nightjar:** ****
My only guess is that translates as "do something of a certain rank/social standing". (e.g. "How could you do something so low class?")
Which makes my reading:
> **Hawk:** "If there is even one house that says you did not come, then at that time I will end you also!"
> **Nightjar:** "You say that is not very unreasonable?! If you will do such a thing _of that_ **rank** then I would rather be dead [than do what you tell me to]."
Is that reading of correct?
**EDIT** :
According to Chocolate, the correct reading is "to that extent". See <
for the definition (it _isn't_ listed under ).
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[There is some discussion in the comments but since it's not an exact dupe I think a proper answer should be in order.]
This is read `` (or ``, it seems both readings are used equally often) and is usually used to express an amount, extent, or degree of something. With verbs it could be interpreted "as far as X goes...". So, the quoted part could be translated as:
>
>
> As far as doing such thing(s) goes, dying would be better for me.
>
> → _I'd rather die than do something like that._
Here's a nice blog post listing many examples and usage patterns of this word:
<
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning"
}
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San, sama and other honorifics in translated literature
I have always been told that centuries of Japanese literature had been successfully translated without keeping "san" or "chan" suffixes. Is it an unbreakable rule or are there famous examples of such things in respectable translations?
I remember seeing "chan" in an old French translation of a Tanizaki novel and I was wondering if this practice was outdated.
If this rule is unbreakable, how to translate things like, for example, ?
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If you prefer natural translation and such name suffixes are not particularly important in the context, I think you may just rephrase them so that there is a natural contrast in English (e.g., "Mr. Tanaka", "Master" or "President" instead of "Tanaka-sama", "Taro" instead of "Tanaka-san"). You may even rephrase the entire sentence, like "days when I was talking to you more politely".
If you believe your audience understand those Japanese suffixes (for example if you're doing an anime fansub), you may choose to directly use them. In rare cases where the topic is the Japanese-specific name suffixes themselves, you may have to familiarize readers with those suffixes anyway in some way or another.
I doubt there is such a thing as "an unbreakable rule" in translation. It's up to your decision.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, honorifics"
}
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How would you say 'I take [---] lessons'?
How would you say 'I take ~ lessons'? Such as dance lessons, swimming lessons, Chinese lessons, etc.
Can you say or ? And do all of the above examples have the same structure?
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The verb to say "to take a lesson" is () ****. You can say , for example. is also okay, but it's closer to "I go to swimming classes".
would mean giving a swimming lesson rather than taking it.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, word choice, phrases"
}
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How to say prices in these situations?
Usually the basics only cover so most basic lessons I know of don't even cover the word price in basic contexts.
I know and my understanding is that it is used in the general economic sense?
I'm trying to find out how to mention price in your general day-to-day product/services. Do services even have a different word compared to goods(e.g. hotel stay/massage as to food prices)? Would be correct? What about )?
What about "Well, depending on the price... I might be willing to do it." Would this "price" be the same as the commercial product/services sense?
What about a non-commercial sense of cost like "price/cost of living"? Same general economic sense but seems off since living isn't a product?
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We generally call price in products and price in services .
Fares are called and an entrance fee is called .
means "level of price of products and services in an area", so we use it like .
Cost is called and , cost of living is called .
() is used for mercantile words like (wholesale price).
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning, kanji, nuances, kanji choice"
}
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what is the dakuten katakana character in the image?
what is the dakuten katakana character in the image ?
Seem the image say `X`?What is the X ? .
e.g.
The nightjar stopped to think, "Why am I hated by everyone like this?"
Why am I hated by everyone like this, the nightjar stopped to think.
And that got me thinking, (assuming my translation isn't way, way off...)
**Are parenthesis () commonly used instead of for internal dialogues in Japanese?**
&
**Are there any other notable differences between English & Japanese parenthesis?**
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Yes parentheses are used like this in novels. From Wikipedia :
> ****
And "(?)" as in "(?)" may be not very common in English text, although this is nonstandard in Japanese anyway. The remaining part of the explanation seems to be true both for English and Japanese parentheses, so I think these are the only significant difference.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "punctuation"
}
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Question about verb 「ひっこんでろい」
Here is the full sentence said by a young boxer to draw his coach out of the boxing ring.
> ****
If it is imperative form, I would like to know the grammatical difference between this form and
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* : "to butt out"
* (: te-form of above)
* : progressive form of
* : casual contraction of above
* : imperative form of above
* **** : This is an uncommon sentence-end particle used to emphasize the sentence. I think this () is seen almost exclusively in fiction, and it sounds masculine but a little childish. According to :
> ###
>
>
The difference from mainly comes from the "progressive" part. So it's more like "stay/keep away" rather than just "get away".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "verbs, て form, manga"
}
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Understanding トイレの方が来たらいいのに in these song lyrics
I've been listening to a song called recently and tried to translate some of the lyrics, since my Japanese is still on a beginner or lower intermediate level. I stumbled over one particular sentence while translating:
>
I found out that it says something like "I wish the toilet would come", but I'm not sure about some parts of that sentence. Could someone please divide the sentence up into its grammatical components? The ending of the sentence is what confuses me the most, I don't really get what _kitara ii no ni_ is supposed to mean.
|
The linked question explains ``. As for the first part (``), it is a part of the comparison pattern (`X`), showing a preferred alternative, e.g. see this question. It makes the focus of the sentence shift toward `` and also adds a bit of contrast against the actual situation.
Taken together, the sentence could be translated as "I wish _the toilet_ would come [here] (instead of me having to go there)." It is further underlined by the later line `` ("It would be so nice if _everything_ were inside the futon").
**EDIT** Actually, after some reflection, I think that instead of comparison, this `` should be taken in the literal meaning of side/way/(conversation’s) party. And `` is also not a part of comparison pattern but is part of conditional., which also adds a nuance of hope/wish. I.e. “I wish that _the toilet_ (lit. “the toilet’s side”) would come (here)”. It does not change the final interpretation much though.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "song lyrics, parsing, modality"
}
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AVA in Japanese?
Trying to figure out the proper way to write Ava in Japanese. I see there are several types of Japanese alphabets so lost on which is the correct way. It's my daughter's name and she's a martial artist so wanted to get her name done in Japanese.
Thanks
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It depends on how her name is pronounced in English. If it's pronounced "AH-va," I would write it as in the link l'electeur offered: . If it's pronounced "EH-va," I would write it:
In general, translation requests are out of the scope of this forum, but yesterday I was wondering how to write "Laertes" in Katakana, and it turns out there are a bunch of different ways, which I thought was interesting.
Addendum: While is a common transliteration, I agree with Ben below that is more faithful.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, translation"
}
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Why is 漫画全部の売り上げ grammatical
> ****
> However, because the number of people who read manga on the internet - that has been copied without permission - is increasing, total manga sales are decreasing.
No problem with understanding (I hope), but looks weird to me. I feel it ought to be . Is this a typo? If not, why is it okay to write it like this?
|
+ is almost as common as ++
Think of it as akin to the difference between ‘All manga’ vs. ‘All of the manga’. There is really no functional difference. If the case for a difference had to be made, it would likely be a slight reduction in formality when not using the particle.
This applies to , , , etc.
Two similar expressions, one using and one without:
>
>
>
Also see: Can the particle "no" sometimes be omitted?
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, particle の"
}
|
What's the difference between になり and になる?
Came across this sentence while reading:
> ****
Assuming I'm reading it right, I'd expect it to use , not its masu stem.
e.g.
> ****
Is **** just another way of saying "is" or "be" as in "Already the clouds are grey"? Or is there some greater nuance?
**EDIT** :
Chocolate posted some great links in the comments on this post explaining how a verb's stem form can be used as a conjunction.
Is there a term for using conjugating verbs such that the sentence continues with another clause?
and vs. and stem form vs. form as conjunctions
|
It is entirely different. here is the conjunctive form of the verb (become). You can rewrite it as if that's clearer for you.
>
and
>
means the same (The clouds turned grey and the sun, setting on the mountain in front, is crimson), but the former is more formal.
On the other hand, if appears in the middle of a sentence that means that we are dealing with the attributive form of . (However, since there is a comma feels a bit unexpected and the meaning of the sentence is unusual.)
> []
As for the clouds, on the mountain which will turn grey, the sunset is crimson.
Which is more or less gibberish.
I know that my translations are far from perfect but they should be enough to point out the big difference between and here. In case you want to improve the translations please feel free to do so.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "nuances"
}
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アクセントに関する質問:「韓国」vs「韓国人・韓国語」
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[]{HLLLL} → []{LHHHLL} / []{HHHHLL} ()
[]{HLLL} → []{LHHHL} / []{HHHHL} ()
[]{HHLLL} → []{LLHHHLL} / []{HHHHHLL} ()
[]{HLLL} + []{LHHL} → []{LHHHHLLL} / []{HHHHHLLL} ()
[]{HHLL} + []{LHHH} → []{LLHHHLLL} / []{HHHHHLLL} ()
[]{HLL} + []{LHH} → []{LHHHLL} / []{HHHHLL} ()
[]{HLL} + []{HLL} → []{LHHHLL}
* * *
<
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "pitch accent"
}
|
What are different ways to express "around"?
I understand there are various ways to express the word "around" in Japanese under different contexts. I'm not sure of all the words used in each context and I see many variations used, both casual/polite etc.
Here is what I know for example:
1. I will travel "around" the world.
2. Is there a restroom "around" here? \
3. I will meet you "around" 12:00pm. \
4. He is "around" the library.
5. He showed me "around" town.
Are there other ways to express "around"?
|
1. - Take a trip around the world
2. - Is there a restroom in these parts?
3. 1212 - Let's meet around 12:00.
4. - He is in the vicinity of the library.
5. - He introduced me to the town (showed me 'around')
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "words, nuances, expressions"
}
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Can a subject introduced by が persist between sentences?
If an unknown subject is introduced by in one sentence, can it still be the subject in a subsequent sentence?
As an example:
> **** ****
At first glance, it seems more natural to me to read the 3rd sentence thinking the **beetle** (which is identified by in the _2nd_ sentence) is the one scratching the Nighthawk's throat and making a commotion as it is being eaten.
But if subjects can't persist between sentences (I think they can't), then **** must be the subject of the 3rd sentence by default (since is the topic). And that would mean that the **Nighthawk** is scratching his _own_ throat and making a commotion as he swallows the beetle.
So I guess it's a straightforward question,
**Can a subject introduced by still be the subject in the following sentence?**
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Yes, it can.
You do _not_ have to mark a subject using before you can omit it. There is no such grammatical rule (I wonder where your assumption came from). Omission of subjects happens purely depending on what can be assumed from the context, verb choice, etc. Here, the implicit subject of the third sentence is clearly the .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "particle が"
}
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"Arimasu" or "imasu" when mentioning both living and inanimate objects
For example, if I were to describe a room that contains a book and a dog, would I say
or
Or would I perhaps have to find a new way to word this sentence entirely? I know this is super basic level stuff, but it's weirdly difficult to find an answer.
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is used for living objects and is for inaminate ones, so you have to say
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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What's the function of this と
I can't figure how this () works here
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> **** {} **** {}{}
First of all, means "a blue one".
> A + **** \+ B + ** or ** \+
means:
> "to exchange A for B"
So, in this case, the or functions as the "for" in the English equivalent. You have no choice but to use it to make it grammatical.
> "Please exchange this for a blue one."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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I don't get the difference between ~につれて and ~にしたがって
****
****
I read these two sentences on my Japanese grammar book. Are and interchangeable? How do I use them?
|
According to my grammar book, and can be interchanged without "changing the essential meaning". does seem to be used more in writing, while is used more in speaking.
Both of these phrases are used to indicate related change. As in both of the sentences you provided, one thing changes, and another naturally follows.
The verb before these phrases has to indicate some kind of change or movement.
Ok: - indicate change. Many end with or .
>
>
>
>
>
dame - no change indicated
>
>
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Meaning of こうまでも and use of 掛ける
> ****
I don't understand how works here.
Does mean "to put pressure on"? I'm trying to translate individually here.
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means "to _this_ extent". is used emphatically here.
> Does {} mean "to put pressure on"?
Yes, it does. It would need to be remembered as a set phrase. Otherwise, one would probably not be able to come up with if one were translating word for word from English.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning"
}
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Meaning of と in 料金と1000円
From this article about a roof top walkway on Japan's tallest building:
> ****
> For this attraction you need (to pay) 1000 yen _which includes_ the fee for going on the viewing platform.
More literally, "For this attraction, with the fee for going on the viewing platform, 1000 yen is needed"
I'm not at all convinced I've understood this sentence correctly. In particular I'm unsure what the meaning of is here. I'm treating it as 'with'. So if I pay 1000 yen I can go to the attraction **and** go on the viewing platform? But I thought the attraction was **just** the viewing platform so if my translation is correct then seems redundant.
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This means "and". It means "For this attraction you need (to pay) the fee for going on the viewing platform and 1000 yen."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, particle と"
}
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Is 「お元気ですか」 an acceptable/common greeting?
English (and other languages) speakers often use "How are you?", "What's up?", "How's it going?" and similar phrases as greetings. Other language speakers and cultures will refrain from asking such a question unless they are genuinely interested in the answer and have a reason to ask, so typically not as part of greeting someone.
Is acceptable to use in a similar way, such as greeting someone with ?
If it is, how common is it?
Does it sound weird to native speakers?
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It is weird if it's the first phase you open with. First you need an opener. If you're a guy you might say, ("Oi" or "Ossu" is not really a word, it's more like a sound, or like "hey!" preceding a "what's up" in English.) But just like "what's up, this is between pals, casual not for your big boss or strangers. Women tend to say or even a cute ! ? There are many different combos, but I've never heard a conversation just start with straight up "Genki?"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "usage, greetings"
}
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Is it rude to refer to a person as 古い?
Objects, you can refer to as with impunity. But I have never once heard a person referred to as , so for a long time I thought the word just _didn't apply_ to people. Still, searching on Google gets pictures of old men. I imagine it's probably best to refer to old people as something like or if their age is relevant, though.
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To us native speakers, {}{} _**does not**_ mean "an old man"; It never does to tell the truth. This is why direct translation could be dangerous at times.
to us generally means " _ **an old-fashioned man**_ ". In other words, it is synonymous to {}{}{}, etc.
Therefore, a does not necessarily have to be biologically old because it is his personal values that matter here.
To refer to "an old man", we use {}{}{}{}, etc. (We do not use by itself nearly as often as you use "man" in English.)
Finally, it might help to remember that is the antonym of {} ("new") and _**not**_ of {} ("young"). This is clearly different from English where "old" is the antonym of both "new" and "young". It is a "well-known" cause of mistranslation.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 21,
"question_score": 13,
"tags": "word choice, words, politeness"
}
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What impression does it give to say "今日は断食です" at a meal with co-workers?
At least sometimes, I would like to not worry about . And (at least initially) I would not like to worry about knowing when and who should .
When I'm out with co-workers/friends for lunch, or drinks after work, at least sometimes what if I were to say:
>
And then just drink water, or maybe just one beer.
How does sound? Does it make a native speaker smile, shrug, and be like "whatever"? Or does it sound really weird and out of place? It has a strong connotation of Buddhism, right? How strong?
|
If you say , some people would think you don't eat anything for the reason of your religion.
I recommend you to say "".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "words"
}
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可愛くないのはやだけど妙に気合い入れたと思われるのも
> ...
Context: A girl goes to buy pajamas, but she's not sure which one she should buy (she's shown having trouble picking up). Then she says that sentence.
I'm not sure about why there's after . From what I can understand, the girl is saying that she doesn't want to buy cute pajamas because it would be strange for her to do so (I guess it's implied she doesn't like to look cute). Anyway, I'm not sure if I really get what she means.
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means "I don't want to buy uncute pajamas".
would follow the phrase .
I translated as "Others think that I strangely fire myself up (by wearing too cute pajamas)." or "Others think that I strangely fire myself up (by buying too cute pajamas)." means "to fire oneself up, to give it one's all, to get psyched". So buying(wearing) too cute clothes mean "to fire oneself up" in this context.
For example, when she come a party in too dressed up clothes, some people may say "!".
So this sentence means "Though I don't want to buy uncute pajamas, too cute ones either."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, meaning"
}
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What definition does 入る take in this sentence?
Consider this sentence:
> ****
This is translated as:
"For some reason the microphone didn't work earlier."
When I looked up the definition of
1. to enter; to go into
2. to break into
3. to join; to enrol
4. to contain; to accomodate
5. to have (an income of)
6. to get; to receive; to score
Non of the definitions listed indicates "not working". Perhaps the closest one would be 2. but it seems to indicate breaking into a place.
Can someone explain how works in this sentence?
Shouldn't be used to indicate it's not working and how would it be different from ?
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{} means " _ **to be turned on**_ " when talking about electric devices.
Likewise, {} means " _ **to turn on**_ ".
> "The microphone didn't get turned on for some reason a while ago." or
>
> "I couldn't turn on the microphone for some reason a while ago."
As far as pure grammar, the original sentence means the first of the two translations above. is the subject of the original sentence.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "words, nuances, definitions"
}
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Meaning of はぜ in this context
These are some lyrics to a song:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
And this is supposed to be the translation:
> After heat haze flickers.
>
> It was seen in the other side of the reminiscence.
>
> Transient dream explosion.
>
> A spark is danced to the sky.
I'm having trouble with the third line, specifically with . The dictionary translates it as gobby (fish)/wax tree/drying rice on a rack, and obviously none of these make any sense given the context of the song as well as the suggested translation. Outside of these meanings and the song itself, I couldn't find any reference to at all. Could it be just a typo, or am I missing something here?
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It is no typo; It is an existing verb.
is the {} ("continuative form") of the verb , which means _**" to pop", "to burst open"**_, etc.
When corn kernels , it is called "popcorn".
So, the line means:
" _ **The fleeting dream bursts open (and)**_ "
A similar-sounding synonym of is , which you might actually see/hear more often. Both are originally Japanese words as, I hope, you can tell from the sounds.
In case you are more of a fan of big Sino-loanwords, {} would be a synonym as well.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "translation"
}
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Can 呉れ mean "I give to you" as well as "you give to me"?
Excerpt from . Before the Nighthawk leaves, he stops to speak to the kingfisher and says:
>
I'm having trouble resolving the with in this sentence.
It seems like the speaker (the Nighthawk) is saying:
> "After (I leave), I will give best wishes in the direction of the hummingbird."
a.k.a. "When I'm gone, I'll send my best wishes to him".
However, I've never seen used as "I give to you" (I've only seen it has "you give to me") so I'm unsure.
Is this a correct reading of in this context?
**Can go both ways?**
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Recall that is the plain version of the polite . and both mean 'to do for or give to the in-group' (often just the speaker). In this case, do me the favor of giving him my regards.
and both mean to give someone your regards (in your place), i.e. "Tell them I said 'hi'".
To the hummingbird
later
give my regards
do this for me
This culminates in:
> Do me (the favor of) giving my regards to the hummingbird later on.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, subsidiary verbs, giving and receiving"
}
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Implications of ヒロイン (Heroine) in stories
I've read that , meaning 'heroine', can also imply a romantic interest to the hero pretty much by default culturally in Japan's stories.
I can't seem to find any definitive source for this from a native speaker, though, so I'm wondering if anyone on the language speaking boards has heard this before?
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In a love story like _Romeo and Juliet_ , yes, refers to a main female character who will (eventually) fall in love with a main male character.
In other types of stories, can simply refer to the most significant female character in a story, and you can use when there is no romance concerned at all. A tends to be young and beautiful, but can be an old lady, too. For example Joan of Arc, Yotsuba Koiwai, Pretty Cures and Maiden in Black can be called . Still, may be a safer term when there is no romance concerned.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "culture"
}
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Transitivity of つる with the meaning "to cramp"
>
> I think I should warn (people) not to forget to warm up properly before swimming.
>
> That's right. I also sometimes _get cramp in my legs_ in the water, so please pay attention.
It first I thought came from and I read it as "dangle my legs in the water", but that makes no sense from context. So I checked the dictionary and found "to cramp". But the dictionary doesn't say that this is a transitive verb and it doesn't seem to me like it should be. So how can I understand . How should I use this verb normally?
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Strictly speaking, is an _**intransitive**_ verb when used for the meaning of " _ **to have a cramp in ~~**_ ". So, you would say {} **** rather than **** if you were to follow the dictionary.
In real life, however, quite a few native speakers do say **** as if they make it happen of their own will.
I would advise that you learn it as an "officially" intransitive verb but be ready to encounter those who might think otherwise because the "misusage" is not all that rare in this case.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, transitivity"
}
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Sentence ending ってことかな
>
> I wonder if my advice will be useful to everyone. I'll say it just in case. Take care not to meet pickpockets on the street corners of Europe.
I'm sure my translation is wrong because I haven't accounted for , and is not an imperative.
If I had to translate literally the best I could do is:
> I wonder if it's the case that you will take care not to meet ...
But that sounds ridiculous, and I'm not even sure if it's correct. How should I understand here?
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is a common way of saying in spoken Japanese, and in this case it refers back to . What is my advice? My advice is X is used as a softener, the way you'd use "I guess" or "maybe" or "probably" in English.
> My advice ... is you should probably watch out for pickpockets on the street corners of Europe.
Also, it doesn't really matter, but I read the as , with referring to the crime rather than the criminal, but it translates more naturally as "watch out for/avoid pickpockets" in English.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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What does mean this sentence?
>
I understand it as "After that, without discovering anything new we spent time on it" but I'm really not sure.
context of the sentence:
"
**** "
|
> {}{}{}{}
You have translated that sentence to:
> "After that, without discovering anything new we spent time on it."
I wonder where you get " **discovering anything new** " from. There is no word/phrase even close it in the original sentence.
There is no equivalent of " **spent time on it** " in the original, either, but this is far better than the "discovering" part.
means " ** _to be concerned about_** ", " **to pay (extra) attention to** ", etc.
simply means " ** _time passed by_** "
Thus, my own TL would be:
> "(He says that), after that, he was not particularly concerned about it and time just passed by."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation"
}
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Question about this use of the conditional form
I'm trying to understand an exchange:
A:
B:
In this case person B starts their sentence with a contraction of the conditional form of , but I'm not sure why. It's my understanding that the verb that precedes the "" is the "If [X]", part, so would this sentence just mean "If I can see that, I understand it"? The subtitles translate it as just "I can see that", so I'm just a little confused why the conditional and "wakaruze" are even needed here.
I appreciate any help.
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There is nothing wrong, incorrect or unnatural about B's comment {}. That is just a native speaker speaking Japanese like a native speaker should be.
It is only the **_literal translation_** "If I see it, I understand." that is making it look like a strange thing to say.
My own free translations would be:
"You can tell by looking at it."
"It only takes one look."
"Tell me about it!"
"That's for sure!"
"Obviously!"
It gets shorter and shorter.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, translation, conditionals, dialogue"
}
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「なお」は「ですから」という意味を含みますか?
AB
AB
``
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{}
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning, words, word usage"
}
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Why does "aka" become "akai" in "Kuruma wa akai desu"?
I checked the dictionary and found out that red is "aka"
Why does Google Translate turn aka to akai?
> Kuruma wa akaidesu
(By the way, why is akai joined with desu?)
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Well, it's simple. While in English "red" is both a noun and an adjective, in Japanese the noun is "aka", written the adjective is "akai", written .
The fact that it's joined is probably just the way google joins romaji, I'm not sure. Also notice that originally there are no spaces in Japanese so Google probably just tries to make it more readable for people used to western languages that use spaces between words.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, adjectives"
}
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Is ワンサイズ a valid Japanese word?
Japanese For Busy People volume II, revised third edition, on page 23 has
> To state or ask how much bigger, you use other words.
>
> Do you have one that is a size bigger?
However, the word (as of today) doesn't exist on forvo.com, on jisho.org (either as a word or in its corpora), the English or Japanese editions of Wiktionary, and on weblio it's only mentioned in sentences.
Is a valid Japanese word, in that it's easily understood, unambiguous, and the most common way of expressing the concept of a difference of one size?
The only explanation I can think of as to why it's valid but not in dictionaries is that it's merely regarded as a combination of the words "" and "".
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Yes it's perfectly valid as a Japanese expression and is understood by virtually everyone (except for very old people). ALC has several examples of . Although uncommon, you can say , too. A non-katakana equivalent would be .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning, words, loanwords"
}
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How is 上 used in this sentence?
I have trouble understanding what means in this sentence.
> ****
If I had to interpret , it means "within my life from now on"? and is the particle is used to indicate scope of this person's life?
Can someone explain how works here?
|
It's actually not just , it's the grammar patternA. Ameans something like "When doing A". So your sentence means something like "The fact that I have had a very rich experience will be very beneficial (a lifetime treasure?) for my future life!" Though the lack of context makes this sentence a bit weird.
Here are some example sentences from yourei.jp :
**** Therefore, if you're bad at English, the degree of freedom **in creating experiments (when creating experiments)** will be limited.
**** Again, let's not forget this **when trying to understand** Western European civilization.
**** 3 Basically, the following three concepts are used to explain **(when explaining)** animal welfare.
**** Of course, the brain is an important organ that becomes a "hub" **in percepting (when percepting)** the world.
As you can see can also be followed by if there's a noun after it.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, usage"
}
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Meaning of 真っ直ぐ向き合う
In a manga, a girl is thinking about the boxing career of his boyfriend, who has recently won a match against a well-known boxer:
> []{}[]{}[]{}…
I think the general meaning of the sentence is roughly that things will now get serious for him in boxing, but what is the exact meaning? I know means "to face", especially with negative situation, but how should I interpret here? Is it similar to ""? My (non-literal) attempt:
> I don't know why, but I have the feeling that Riku will have to commit himself more seriously to boxing...
Thank you for your help!
|
I would say that your understanding looks good. {} , in this context, would mean **_"seriously", "wholeheartedly", "with determination"_** , etc.
The girl is saying, in essence, that the boy should now really take the bull by the horns regarding boxing.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, meaning, manga, adverbs, sports"
}
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まったりとしてそれでいてしつこさがなく Pop culture phrase
I'm seeking help translating a phrase that appears in a video game, which seems to be a pop culture reference. My research on this implies it may originate from Oishinbo, but I was unable to confirm this. The line appears in an old Famicom game about a SWAT team liberating hostages from terrorists. The particular line is as follows:
The phrase itself appears to have a meme-like quality, as seen from these images.
.
This means using common abbreviations for words (particularly the names of countries, which are generally reduced to their single-kanji abbreviations where possible), leaving out particles that can be understood from context, and making extensive use of the technique (ending sentences on a noun and omitting the final verb).
If you were to expand this particular headline into a fully grammatical sentence, it would read something like:
>
> "America and China are buying Japanese anime at an explosive rate. The struggle for superiority in internet streaming is heating up."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation"
}
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Can someone explain the use of で in this sentence: 今日も元気で過ごせたらイイよね
I'm having trouble getting the correct translation of the sentence because of the particle. I don't know if it's being used as a particle or the imperative form of .
|
The is a particle. According to :
>
> **** **** **** **** ****
The expresses , the manner of an action, how or in what manner an action is done.
In , (vigorously, cheerfully, healthily) describes how the action (spend the day) is done.
* * *
> the imperative form of
is a noun or na-adjective, so it has no imperative form, at least in the modern Japanese grammar.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "particle で"
}
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Verb+のを meaning
I stumbled upon this video and couldn't understand the subtitle at 3:07:
>
I think it means something along the lines of:
> 'My mum hated taking me to football club, so i joined the basketball club (instead)'
I specifically don't understand the use of particles in '' and the word order.
|
{} is a verb as you know. Here, the "act of going someplace" is the object that the speaker's mother found bothersome.
Because is a verb, however, you **_cannot_** say as must always be placed directly following a noun.
Thus, you need to turn into a noun form. How is that done? You can nominalize a verb by attaching a or directly to a verb, which is like adding "ing" to a verb in English to make it a noun. This usage of is very useful just as "ing" is useful in English. Frankly, you could not say anything intelligible in Japanese without using this nominalizer .
Both and are in the noun form (both mean "going" or "the act of going"); therefore, you can now safely and grammatically attach an to form a direct object of the verb phrase {} ("to find bothersome").
Finally, your translation is okay except for the "taking me to" part. {} means "to go and pick (someone) up" instead. In addition, means "needless to say".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, nominalization"
}
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...に間違い言わない - Meaning and grammar
I can't understand very well the meaning and the grammar in this sentence:
>
Is possibile that the its meaning is something like "Tanaka-san is always right?"
|
The character says:
> {}{} ****
and not . ( **** is ungrammatical, hence my comment above.)
The sentence means:
> "Chariot's words are accurate."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": -1,
"tags": "grammar, expressions"
}
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How do I combine "I speak Japanese" with "I like to ..."?
So to say you like something, you you could say:
[blank]
and to say something like "I speak Japanese", you could say:
So say I wanted to say I like to speak Japanese, how could I combine the two sentences?
|
You need to nominalize the verb phrase, because is an adjective and can only modify a noun. The way you do that in Japanese is to add a nominalizer (in this case, to the verb phrase:
> = I speak Japanese
>
> **** = the act of speaking Japanese
Now you can put them together and say:
>
Literally: "As for me, the act of speaking Japanese is liked." Note that you can only nominalize a verb when it's in a short form, not form:
> **X** **ungrammatical**
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, particles, nominalization"
}
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What's the meaning of "十力所"
I'm currently reading and I'm not sure I understand "". Do you have any ideas? Is it 10 powerful people of the office or something else? Thank you!
 means a place, a spot, a point, a part.
means "The yakuza made ten enemy (Japanese mafia) offices close", "The yakuza destroyed ten enemy (Japanese mafia) offices".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "kanji, counters"
}
|
Why is the space so big/wide in the Japanese IME compared to the English IME?
And is there a way to type a narrower, English style space while in the Japanese IME? (Like a key combination?)
|
As you mentioned in your own comment, a half-width space can be typed by Shift+Space. To answer your question about full-width space in your comment:
Since the Japanese characters are in squares with same width (as oppose to the English letters with different width), it would be neat if all characters are written in the same width. Since spaces are usually used for new paragraph line head indent, full-width space can be used to indent the first line neatly, like this:
>
>
>
This way, the characters are neatly aligned vertically character-by-character.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "input method"
}
|
Question about the implications behind “私でよければ“
Does is contain any romantic implications? I’ve heard it can be used as a love confession or marriage proposal of some sort, but is that true? And is that a common phrase?
Thanks!
|
All by itself without context, {} _**does not**_ contain romantic implications. How could it? In fact, when I read your question, I murmured to myself {}, roughly meaning " _ **If it's OK with you, I**_ would post an answer."
simply means "If it is OK (with you), I ~~"
Even in a romantic context, all by itself does not really mean much. It is not a complete sentence in the first place. You might use it in complete sentences such as:
> {}{} ("If it is OK wih you, please date me.")
>
> {} ("If you find me acceptable, please marry me.")
is an _**extremely**_ common phrase in all kinds of situations. It makes you sound humble and not pushy/aggressive/impolite, etc.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning, expressions"
}
|
Could this sentence be better rephrased?
The part sounds like "working kids" so maybe another particle could be put between and ? Or a comma?
|
> {}{}{}{}{}{}
There is nothing wrong with this sentence. It is grammatical and natural-sounding.
In the relative clause construct , modifies .
> The part sounds like "working kids" so maybe another particle could be put between and ? Or a comma?
No particle can be placed there and a comma would be out of the question as well. I suggest that you review the Japanese relative clause because its structure is **_completely_** different from that of the relative clause in European languages.
If you had to rephrase the sentence for a good reason (though I have no idea what that reason could be), you could say:
> **{}**
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, word choice, relative clauses"
}
|
意向形 (volitional verb)+って+なる
> PS3 ****
>
> ****...
Recently I have encountered some sentences of the form " (volitional verb)+".
I want to ask two questions: If I understand it correctly, this sentence structure means "". Is the saying "" fairly informal? And, can I replace "" with other particle, such as "" or ""?
|
> Verb in Volitional Form + +
has been an extremely common colloquial phrase for, I would say, the last decade or two. It might get completely outdated in the near future, or it might last long enough to make its way into Genki. Common words and phrases come and go rather quickly in Japanese.
> If I understand it correctly, this sentence structure means "".
Exactly. It means Verb {}/{}.
> Is the saying "" fairly informal?
Yes, it is very informal. We will call you out if you use it in any formal situation. It sounds light and casual and it is mostly used by the younger generations.
> And, can I replace "" with other particle, such as "" or ""?
Good question. Using "" would be "possible" but since it is an informal phrase, would not sound very natural.
To use and still sound natural, you might need to use the "traditional" phrase **** instead.
Using would be incorrect; It just will not be grammatical.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
How to thank a group of co-workers for their hospitality?
The company I work for has an office in Japan, and they've hosted me for a couple of weeks. When that time comes to an end I'd like to thank them for hosting me and making me feel welcomed. What would be an appropriate way to do this?
-- is one answer I've seen, but it I'm not sure: it seems to be used for small things and I don't want to offend by giving the impression that I thought their work was minor.
_edit:_ I saw that other question about thanking for hospitality but asked anyway to ensure I found something appropriate for a business context. If that question's answer is appropriate, then this question is a duplicate.
|
is not appropriate for this case.
If you're going to thank them by speech, the answers posted by Earthliŋ, the links of which are shown by Earthliŋ in the comments, are appropriate. However, I feel that it alone is not enough as the way of giving an address of thanks for their hospitality for two weeks. But I think that elaborate speech of gratitude similar to that of ordinary Japanese seems difficult for you.
So, I recommend that you leave a gratitude letter in English for them, and you say like "{} _Thank you very much for your long-term support/hospitality. Because I am poor in Japanese, I wrote a letter of thanks in English. Please read it later._ " at the speech.
By the way, I think it is quite all right that you would read the draft in Japanese at the speech.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "phrase requests, business japanese"
}
|
Grammatic structure だれより question
Could anyone help me break down the grammatical structure in the sentence below? I understand ~ indicates a superlative here, but I don’t fully understand how it combines with . I am also not sure why is needed here as well?
Thank you so much for your help!
|
indicates a comparison rather than a superlative. In AB you are describing B with A as a reference. e.g.
> AB
> Compared to A, B is good. = B is better than A.
> AB
> Compared to A, B is tall. = B is taller than A.
> AB
> Compared to A, B is liked. = I like B more than A.
In your sentence your making a comparison with (who). So you get:
>
> For me, compared to who, the girl is liked.
Now that translation is obviously nonsense, but I hope it isn't too much of a leap of the imagination to see how that would become:
> I like the girl more than anyone (else).
Where ends up with the meaning of 'anyone' rather than 'who'.
As for the ending, this is an example of the 'explanatory '. There are loads of questions about that on this site. Have a browse.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "grammar, usage, syntax, particle より"
}
|
Can someone please explain the に particle in this sentence: 'そして急ぐ君の目に焼き付いてはなれない'?
I have 2 question really: What is the particle's job in this sentence?, And when I put this sentence on Jisho.org it identifies `` as 2 verbs, is it true?.
|
In this sentence "" decides the place the verb occurs. So the verb "" happens in/at/on/to ""(Your eyes). If you can read Japanese this site would help you. <
And the verb "" indeed consists of 2 verbs. (Or could be 3) It is conbination of "" \+ "{}". (The word "" could be separated in "" \+ "")
"" means "be imprinted" and "" means "leave" but in this context it's more like "come out/off" or "fade away". So "" means "it is imprinted and doesn't fade away". Notice that "" ends with "-te" to combine with the next verb.
> And
>
> __ _In the eyes_ of you hurries
>
> it is imprinted
>
> and doesn't fade away.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, verbs, particle に"
}
|
Can the subject appear at the head of a relative clause and **in** the clause simultaneously?
> ****
> The Miyagi and Iwate prefectures think that the number of people who are dying alone is increasing because there are many cases of people living in temporary housing who struggle with daily life and have no one to take care of them.
I'm struggling to parse the part in bold in a convincing way. I'll try to break it down:
> ****
> There are many cases of people living in temporary housing.
What kind of people?
>
> People who struggle with daily living
The part I'm stuck on is how to join all of this with
>
> Old people who have no one to care for them
I don't understand how this fits with the rest of the sentence. At first I assumed that was the subject of but then I have
> **** ****
So the subject appears twice in this clause, both as the actual subject and the relativised (is that a word?) noun. This doesn't seem right.
What am I getting wrong here?
|
Here is how the phrase you're having trouble with breaks down:
> ****
What type of
> ****
"People who struggle with daily life, such as elderly people." Let's refer to these people as "subj".
What subset of these people, in particular?
> subj
Ones who have no one to care for them.
>
is not part of the relative clause, as you can tell because it contains a particle. There's no reason you couldn't rewrite it to make it a relative clause, however, and it was relativized in the English translation in this case.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, parsing, relative clauses"
}
|
I don't understand こちらは手が出せないのをいいことにやりたい放題だ。
From:
****
The text might be a bit above my Japanese skill...I'm around N4 level.
But anyway, this chapter has been fan-translated, so I did have something to check it against. The translator translates the final sentence as: "I’m just a nice maid girl who can only smile politely while receiving such abuse."
But I'm not sure how this connects with the original Japanese. Although, I'm pretty sure what I'm failing to understand has something to do with the use of .
The best I've been able to come up with in understanding the spirit of the original Japanese is: "As much as it would serve her right, I'm just a maid, so I can't raise my hand against her."
I'm still confused as to how the first clause relates to the second clause through the particle, though.
Thanks!
|
* If you don't know the **AB construction** yet, this is a great chance to learn this useful pattern. It means "with A as B", "using A as B", etc.
* Meaning and transitivity of
* : an idiomatic expression that usually means "to start a fight", "to be the first to attack", "to be involved", etc.
* : literally "this side", but it's simply "my side" or "I" in this context.
* **** : a nominalized phrase, "(the fact) that I cannot stop/interfere/retort (against her)"
* : literally "good thing".
* : an idiom that literally means "using as a good thing", but it's usually translated as "taking advantage of ".
* is a set expression that works as a no-adjective. See: Why is used as opposed to ?
>
> She behaves as she pleases taking advantage of the fact that I am unable to stop her.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, phrases, particle を"
}
|
そんなだから A little help for translation
I need some help to figure out how can I translate .
It must quite vague because it seems to lack a noun after (such as etc.). If it had such nouns I could understand it like "at this kind of time, "this kind of book"). If I were to adapt it a little, would "It's for this reason." I think literally would be "That's why".
The action of this manga is that it's about saving someone from a villain. The ones going against this villain is a group of friends, they are fighting with all they got in order to save their captured friend.
-That's why/This is our reason (for fighting), (to save our friend).
I hope you can understand...I don't know if I explained it so well.
|
According to a dictionary, / is a _na-adjective_ (). It usually works attributively (i.e., directly modifies the following noun) and means "such" ( = "such a person"). It sometimes works predicatively and means "(... is) like this/that".
> *
> Things are like this every day.
> *
> Oh, is he already like that?
> *
> If you're like that, we won't be able to win.
>
This / refers to what's mentioned in the previous context or what's in front of the speaker/listener.
Therefore, naturally means "Because it's like that", "Because you're like that", etc.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, kosoado"
}
|
Difference between 辺り and 周り
My kanji study book lists:
as "surroundings, neighborhood"
as "neighborhood, around"
I looked the words up in a few dictionaries, but I'm having a hard time parsing the difference and usage of each. Could someone explain or give some examples?
|
refers to geographically nearby places (usually within a few meters to a few hundred meters). A includes both A and nearby places.
means "surrounding region/part/place" or "peripheral region". A refers to A's surrounding areas, which does not include A itself. It can be used with very large and small things.

* (tends to be used when you're in the middle of a forest)
* (tends to be used when you're in a comfortable building/town which is surrounded by a forest)
*
The earth revolves around the sun.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "word choice, usage, nuances"
}
|
癒やす/癒える vs 治す/治る?
Any differences between these two for the meaning of healing?
|
(transitive) / (intransitive):
* Matter-of-fact words that correspond to English _treat_ or _recover_.
(transitive) / (intransitive):
* More literary. is fine in novels, but in everyday conversations, is almost never used for real physical diseases or injuries.
* Tends to focus on the passive self-restoration process typically prompted by relaxing, music, massage, _onsen_ , pets, etc.
* Often assosiated with mental stress. This article about () seems good.
* Closer to English _heal_.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "word choice, nuances"
}
|
verb-て+いたい vs verb-たい
I can't seem to wrap my head around the form verb-+
Is it a conjugation of verb-+, or is it its own form?
And how is it different from verb- ? It seems to be translated the same.
Some examples:
vs
vs
vs
vs
vs
|
is the combination of and ("want to "). describes the continuation of an action ("is doing") and the continuation of a state ("has done").
So is "want to watch", whereas is "want to be watching." Typically is used when you have already started something and want to continue what you are doing.
> *
> I want to watch TV.
> *
> I want to keep watching TV. / I want to watch TV more.
>
The difference between and is somewhat obscure, but the former basically says you want to _keep_ the current "not-broken" status.
Sometimes can also describe the continuation of state until some time point in the future. Using a typical instant state-change verb ("to get married"):
> * 5
> I want to be married within five years. (literally "I want to have gotten married in five years" i.e., I want to be in the 'married' state in five years)
> * 5
> I want to marry after 5 years from now. (i.e., I don't want to marry for the time being)
>
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
Meaning of ___はんは
In a manga about boxing, the protagonist is going to fight an american boxer. His trainer is telling him how he should train:
""""
I don't understand what "…" is. Is it a contraction of ""? If so, what is its meaning? Here is the page where it is taken from. Thank you for your help!
|
is an uncommon dialectal name suffix similar to . It's widely known as a Kyoto-ben word. I may be stereotyped, but is typically used by _maiko/geisha_.
The person who said this is not a Kyoto-ben speaker, right? Then I think he used it as a mild joke. has a old-fashioned/pre-modern overtone (Kyoto was an ancient capital of Japan), so using can imply the American opponent is more advanced.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, colloquial language, manga, contractions, sports"
}
|
Need help with particles to understand sentences
first english is not my mothertongue, so if i make mistakes, correction are welcome. i'm reading an adult light novel and have some problem translating and understanding precisely two sentences. First i will give the whole paragraph for context:
> _ **** **** _ ** __**
The first phrase i don't understand is this sentence:
>
It's not that i don't understand the vocabulary,i understand it very well. It's about the two particles i marked in bold, and , especially which giving me trouble in understanding the phrase and translating it precisely in my head.
The second i cannot translate it in my head at all, i don't know if it's because i got troubled with that other phrase but i really cannot understand the phrase. It's the phrase which I put in bold above:
>
Why are there two particles in the phrase? Can someone help me please?
|
1. after is "the optional ". This is a FAQ.
* What does adding after an adverb do?
* What is the purpose of adding ?
* What role does play in this sentence?
* usage of in this sentence
2. after is explained in this question.
* Particle with ;
3. is a relative clause that modifies . "The internal of Mother's uterus, about which I no longer have memory." The first is used with negative clauses. is the content of his .
* Why is the topic marker often used in negative statements (, )?
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, translation, meaning, particles"
}
|
How to parse "にある" in this case?
>
On this site, it's explained that "you can think of this sentence as meaning the body is existing in the (sleep) state." and thus the sentence means "The body is in a state of sleep."
The problem is that for this sentence it doesn't work because shouldn't it be instead of ?
>
|
distinguishes those two meanings of :
> ###
>
> **** ――
>
> **** **** ―――
So even though the third definition may be understood along the lines of "exist", they are different, and the rule regarding "/ for existence in a physical place" does not apply.
Similar examples:
* ( is acceptable too)
* 2
*
*
* 2
* ( is fine too)
* ( is fine too)
These are interchangeable with either ("shows some trait") or ("placed in some situation").
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, particle に"
}
|
What is the meaning of the characters ヨ・行ケ・ウ・行ウ・わ・ワ when written after the date?
 is available here: <
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "translation, words, katakana, law"
}
|
What is the function/meaning of this "こと"
> (1)A (2)B **** ...
Usually functions as a "" or other grammatical roles, but this one seems not a "" since the former part of the sentence is ""(). How should I interpret this "" in " **** "?
|
roughly means " ** _the matter_** " in that context. As you stated, it is not used as a dummy noun there.
> "If each of the bisected parts had a different meaning as in "(1)A (2)B", the matter would be simple, but as for words/language, it would not be very (simple)."
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
Having trouble parsing 「おもちゃだといいなと思う」
I'm having trouble understanding precisely what the functions ofand are in this sentence:. I did some searching here and on the web, and I think the inis the "quote marker" function. I'm not sure whyinterposesand , though. I'm also not sure whether that is the case for . If so, I assume thethere would be the copula. Would that mean this sentence has two quotes in it? I think I get the gist of the sentence, I just don't fully understand the grammar.
Thanks in advance. This site is really helpful.
|
The second is what you've correctly identified as the quotative . X means "I think X".
is the sentence ending particle, which has a sort of wistful wishfulness meaning. is similar in meaning to "it'd be nice... I think."
The first is the conditional . To attach a noun to it, you must use a copula (i.e. ), so it becomes + + , which altogether means "If it's a toy, that'd be nice, I think."
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
Sentence misinterpretation
I'm trying to understand what I misunderstand with this sentence example from jisho:
>
I thought of it as roughly
> their communication, being we have come to think its far from to being difficult
Which is wrong.
I think what I've got wrong is … but i'm not sure.
The translation given on jisho is
> Their communication may be much more complex than we thought.
I've noted is a particle so I will start there and see what it does to clause etc.
|
Deleting
> [] [] []
is roughly of the form
> [A] [B] [C]
> [A] is more [C] than [B]
Putting the adverb back in and replacing (is) by (might be), we get
>
> Their communication might be far more complex than we thought.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, translation, particle より"
}
|
What does こう in 何ていうかこう mean
What is that in
> …
This is said by a character after being complimented. Apart from it's
> what do I say
or
> I don't know what to say
basically the character is at a loss for words. But I have no idea why does he append that at the end.
|
> {} ****
This is probably one of the most-often used "words" that are not found in the dictionary.
It is an interjection or a "filler" used when failing to find quickly the right words to describe something. The closest English counterparts that I could think of would be " ** _well_** " or " ** _you know_** " used as an interjection.
> "Well, you know, how should I put it...?"
or
> "How should I put it? It's like, umm..."
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
蜘蛛の子を散らす-help with this idiom
While I was reading a text, I came across this idiom but this is how it shows up in online dictionaries. I understood what it means and in what context can be used but it would seem that most of the sentences that I have found also use , with the full expression being
. The sentence from the text I was reading lacked and other verbs, only being present. I don't know why the author wrote it like this:
Because it lacks some particles, I wondered if it would translate differently.
Without the use of and , it couldn't sound like "The cowardly boy scattered ( **in all directions like baby spiders** ). Can it be translated just "The cowardly boy fled?".
|
> (1) {}
in the above sentence is an imperative form of as is said in Chocolate's comment.(+1)
(1) implies (2).
> (2) **** or **** {} _Drive the cowardly men out!_
The reason why they used in place of in the above sentence is that they imaged the idiom of " _to go flying in all directions_ or _to run off all directions_ ". That is to say, I assume that they compared the cowardly men to baby spiders that escape as soon as they are threatened.
By the way, is not an established word in Japanese language. Judging from the context, I could understand the meaning of the usage of it, but I think that it is a word promptly coined by the man/author who used the sentence with (1).
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, idioms"
}
|
What is the meaning of putting あれ at the end of these statements?
I saw an ad for Indeed today that had a couple tag lines with an at the end, and I don't understand their use:
Normally I'd assume that would be something like , since is a n- verb, but that's obviously not the case here. I know has several meanings, but usually it just means "that". Are these sentences saying "That with which jobs are searched," or is this a separate meaning or colloquialism I'm not familiar with?
|
Those are pun-based catchphrases for the job search service by the name of .
First of all, is the _**imperative**_ form of /; therefore, it is a verb. In case someone is wondering, this has no relation to the ("that") as in // **** /.
In fact, the two 's are even pronounced quite differently -- {HL} for the verb and {LH} for the demonstrative pronoun.
> Noun + means "Let there be [noun]!"
One of the nouns that are most often used in the expression above is {} ("happiness"). So, for instance, {} means " _ **Wish you happiness!**_ ", " _ **Much happiness to you!**_ ", etc. To the newly weds, we often say {}.
Now, , as in searching on the internet, sounds sort of like {} except for the length of the first syllable, which makes this pun work. You are turning the common phrase into an advertisement catchphrase for the job search company.
> "Let there be Search for recruiting staff!" ←
>
> "Let there be Search for job-hunting!" ←
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 19,
"question_score": 13,
"tags": "grammar, puns"
}
|
Meaning of してなくても
Context, person A has complimented B on their looks. B replied that it's just because they had good teachers (possibly hinting that it was A). A tried to sweep that asside by saying it's all actually down to the B's efforts. B replies:
> …
Currently I have it pegged as:
> Even without it (without hard work), there was (also) a beautiful and cunning person around (to help me).
Of course "to help me" bit is not there but it is implied IMO and sentence wouldn't make as much sense in English.
In any case I'm pretty sure is "even without doing" or "even without working hard at it", but I have also gotten proposals that it might be more "I couldn't have done it without (beautufill and crafty...)".
Sooo, what is the actual meaning of here?
EDIT: Additional context, preceding text:
> A:
>
> B:
>
> A:
|
> A: {}
>
> B: {}{}{}{}{}{}{}
>
> A: {} **{}**
>
> B: **** {}
said by B at the end clearly means (" _ **even without making an effort**_ "). was mentioned by A just a moment ago.
This is why @snailplane asked his/her question in the comments. Japanese is an extremely contexual language; therefore, we keep shouting "Context, context, context!"
No one could have answered your question regarding what would mean until you provided the first three lines. Providing enough context is _**the**_ key to receiving more reliable answers and even doing so more quickly.
> A: You've become cuter.
>
> B: My hair care and fashion. The way I laugh and my manners. I had an excellent tutor.
>
> A: It's all based on your own effort.
>
> B: There is an unfair girl who, without making any effort, is prettty, though!
is a slangy version of , which means "unfair" here.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
Does だーれ mean the same as だれ?
Saw this in a children's book: Is this essentially the same as ?
|
Yes, means the same thing as . The important questions, however, are "when" and "with whom" we say rather than .
When talking to babies and toddlers, we tend to elongate the first syllables in question words _**if the question words are placed at the END of sentences**_.
If you do not follow this, you _might possibly_ end up looking slightly cold or uninterested to the toddler, but if you ever do it with an adult or a kid over 7 or 8, you will look incredibly weird.
So, we say:
/
/
/
/
/
, etc.
Thus, native speakers tend to say to toddlers:
**** ← No elongation
**** ← No elongation
**** ← **Elongation**
To use your example sentence,
**** ← No elongation
**** ← **Elongation**
Rhythm, intonation, syllable lengths, etc., though they are rarely discussed here for obvious reasons, are of utmost importance in Japanese.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "words"
}
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Book title 『誰も戦争を教えられない』
>
Is or ? I don't have a specific context. It's the title of a book.
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Technically, this can mean both "No one can teach" (potential) and "No one is taught" (passive), but in 99% of the cases this should mean "No one can teach". This is partly because a "passive-like" verb ("to learn", "to be taught") is usually used to express the passive meaning: ("No one will learn war"). Similarly, almost always means "(someone) cannot arrest" because we normally use for the passive meaning. In addition, "No one learns war" simply looks counterfactual and makes less sense to me as a book title.
Judging from the review, this title implies no one in Japan understands how real wars look.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Meaning of 噂を聞かないと思ったら
In a manga, two American boxers are talking about a guy they used to know who now lives in Japan.
> Boxer A:
>
> Boxer B:
I think means "I haven't heard of for some years", so maybe the rough translation of the sentence is "I haven't heard of him for some years, it seems that he's become a boxer". But what is the meaning of here? Thank you for your help!
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So first of all, your assessment that:
>
Roughly means:
> I haven't heard of for some years
Is accurate. is a set phrase that typically means "to hear something about", and doesn't imply negativity the same way "hearing rumors about someone" does in English.
Moving on to ``, this is at least somewhat related, although the linked answer focuses much more on the omitted clause than on the usage of ``.
That said, I would think of this sentence:
>
Roughly like this:
> Just when I was thinking I hadn't heard anything about for a couple years now, it turns out he's become a boxer in Japan.
Much the same way we do this with "think" in English, one can use conditional conjugations of to express that an outcome is novel and/or contrary to what the speaker is expecting.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, negation, conditionals"
}
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What is the meaning of 収められる in this sentence?
From:
****
The dictionary doesn't really help, as I don't understand how any of the meanings really apply here:
1. to dedicate; to make an offering; to pay (fees)
2. to supply
3. to store
4. to finish; to bring to a close
5. to restore (something to its place)
6. to achieve (e.g. a result)
The closest definition seems to be 4 or 6, assuming that the word doesn't have some special meaning related to "acting", since "heroine" and "villainess" are 'roles' of sorts.
My best guess is that it means: "(From those memories,) I learned that, in this world, my younger sister Mishuly would become the heroine at the end of the story."
As in, she either brings the story to a close as the heroine, or she ends up a heroine as a result of the story.
My understanding of is also a little fuzzy.
Help is appreciated!
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"" has several meanings. What's missing in the q above are, 1. include (as a part), 2. contain (as a whole) or 3. publish. In the context above, it means "include". Ex. "His treatise is included [is published, is printed] in the journal."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, words, particle に"
}
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Where to put the possessive pronoun in a sentence?
If I want to talk about a friend of mine who studies psychology, can I say following?
>
It sounds like I'm the one studying shinrigaku. Then I could say
>
But it sounds that I'm talking about "my psychology", even if I now it doesn't make sense. So how could I translate the following nominal group ?
> My friend who studies psychology.
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Although technically ambiguous, you can safely say without being misunderstood. Introducing a friend of yours after describing your own major doesn't make much sense, so people normally take this as "my friend who studies psychology."
is acceptable but a little puzzling.
Related: Are Japanese modifiers "greedy", "anti-greedy", or do they mean whatever people choose them to mean?
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "syntax"
}
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Is the couple 解ける / 溶ける related to the English solve/ dissolve?
I've noticed that which means 'to be solved' and , 'to dissolve' are pronounced the same way. Furthermore the second one can be written using the kanji of the first one. That relation between both words is really similar to the one between the English word solve / dissolve, which made me ask that question: was the use of the words / influenced by the English language? (e.g. solve a mystery as a metaphor coming from dissolving a chemical)
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I think the pair was probably not influenced by the English language.
Rather, it is more likely a standard example of the very common phenomenon of a (native Japanese) verb being written with different _kanji_ to differentiate between various nuances/meanings. There are many, many such verbs
> → "to see", "to watch", "to look after", "to examine"
>
> → "to hear", "to listen", "to have an effect", "to function"
(Monolingual dictionaries will list these as "same origin".)
Of course you're correct in observing that this phenomenon is similar to the one of a verb like _solve_ taking (in this case) a prefix to convey a more nuanced meaning, such as _dissolve_ , _resolve_ , _absolve_. But of course, correlation does not imply causation.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "verbs, etymology, homophonic kanji"
}
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Is 結晶 a verb and a noun?
I've seen it being used as a noun for 'crystals' in a game and it's also been used as a verb in the form of 'Kesshou!(crystallize!)' for a superhero transformation call in Spielban.
Is simply saying Kesshou normal for using it as a verb or do you normally attach -suru to make Kesshou a verb?
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Are you thinking if one might say , or something like that? Then definitely no, itself is a simple noun that never conjugates. (A crystal maniac might try coining such a verb using this pattern as a joke, but I have never heard such a verb.) is still ungrammatical. If you want to say "to crystallize", it's **** (works transitively and intransitively), where () is a suffix like _-ization_.
"!" is too long as a "transformation call", so is a reasonable choice for that. Just because it's used similarly to "!" does not mean it's a verb. Shouting a pure noun is not strange even in English (e.g., "Attention!", "Silence!")
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "verbs, parts of speech"
}
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How can a verb be intransitive and imperative at the same time?
Like, for example, I understand but in what case should one use ?
Also, jisho says the negative imperative is but what about
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is the imperative form of as an intransitive verb.
As you know, is also the potential form of a transitive verb .
The following sentence shows you how is used as a verb being intransitive and imperative at the same time.
* {} **** **** { _The criminal hung from the thin branch. The crowd shouted "Break! Break!" hoping the branch would break, but the criminal hung along the branch and fled to the other side of the fence._
> what about
is the negative form of an intransitive verb or the negative potential form of a transitive verb , not the negative imperative form of it like:
* **negative intransitive:** {} **** {}{}
_You can hang a swing because this branch will not break_.
* **negative potential and transitive:** {}{} **** {}{}{}{} _I cannot break the branch, but I think that you can, because you are stronger than me_.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Can you use '死にました' for things other than people?
I know that usually, when you talk about someone dying, you say, '' to be polite and, '' to literally just say they died.
So, I was wondering if you could use for things other than people, such as for animals or plants as would probably sound a bit strange?
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So, long story short is that you _can_ say that, but it may sound a little unnatural.
The post above references using , but it does give relevant answers to your question:
For plants: - "to wither", for animals: - "to die/pass away", for people: - "to die/pass away".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word choice"
}
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I need help understanding this に際しての昂揚はすでに収まり sentence
I am having trouble understanding the meaning of this sentence. For context I put the whole sentence.
> []{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}
> []{}[]{}[]{}
My translation may be wrong but I have roughly translated the first part to mean "a few days since proceeding to the capital". I have part of the second half translated as "at the time of promotion". But the last part I am unsure of how to interpret it to make sense of the whole sentence instead of just parts of it.
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I believe that first clause breaks down as ((())). Which is to say, the main subject of is , a word that usually refers to a feeling of high spirits (excitement, joy, elation), and everything preceding that is describing the .
In this case, the is the result of him coming to the capital () and has been continuing for the past few days (). However, the excitement of coming to the capital has now subsided (), and so his mind is in a state of momentary calm ().
Does that clear things up?
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, meaning, kanji"
}
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Difference between Kaiwa (会話) vs Taiwa (対話 )?
I came across the word in the Genki Textbook and it was translated as "dialogue". But when I put it into google translate it said it was "”.
Could someone please explain to me the differences in these two words, with maybe sentence or phrase examples?
thank you
|
The simple answer is that is the more common word to describe a dialogue like an everyday conversation, for example, about your day or such. In the context that Genki presents this word, it is a neutral dialogue between two people.
, however, is a slightly more advanced term with a different connotation; it is also dialogue but in the context of an argument, not the kind where people are arguing with each other, but where people discuss a topic with contexts and deliberation.
Breaking down the kanji to understand:
> -- dialogue
> -- meeting, gathering, party
> -- tale, talk
>
> -- dialogue
> -- vis-a-vis, opposite, even
> -- tale, talk
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "word choice, words"
}
|
Meaning of 盛り上げ in the following sentence
Context: a boxer and his trainer are waiting in the locker's room for a match to start. The president of a famous gym who is also the organizer of the match passes by and just waves at them without even looking them in the eyes. At which the trainer comments (giving him the middle finger):
> …
Since he used the imperative, I think he was trying to reproach the organizer, but what is the meaning of ? To what the organizer should contribute? Has it something to do with enlivening the atmosphere? Note that the boxer and especially the trainer don't have a good relationship with the president. Thank you for your help!
|
> … {}{}{} {}{}
The one statement made by you that, to me at least, shows your misinterpretation is:
> "Since he used the imperative, I think he was trying to reproach the organizer"
1) is only what the trainer **_thinks_** that the president would have wanted to say. The **_imaginary_** imperative is being uttered by the president toward the trainer and boxer.
2) And the trainer is **_quoting_** that imaginary remark by using , which means along the line of "Is that what you want to say?" or "Is that what you are saying?".
Hope you are following this logic.
** means "giving a boost to", "warming up", "making something exciting"** , etc. It is the noun form of the transitive verb .
So, the trainer is saying:
> "Geez! 'If anything, contribute in making the show exciting!' Is that what you want to tell us? At least look us in the eye (to say it)!"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "colloquial language, manga, nouns"
}
|
Why use 「一〇点」 instead of 「十点」 and how do I read it?
I'm reading the Japanese version of _Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_. When Oliver Wood is explaining Quidditch rules to Harry, he says:
>
Why say instead of ? How do I read it? ?Ten
Is this something specific to sports? The only sport I follow is football, and since I have heard weird things like commentators saying for the '17-'18 Premier League season, I suspect that might be the case.
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I suppose you're reading the book on paper (or Kindle-like terminal), where the text is written vertically. In _vertical mode_ , the positional notation of _kanji numerals_ are used as much as how Arabic numerals are used in horizontal mode.
> _10 points_ vs. _ten points_
It doesn't affect the pronunciation, so you're just going to read it out (or , prescriptively). Something like is rarely used unless you're a pilot or the base is other than ten.
See also:
* Are kanji typically used in times and dates?
* What is the proper pronunciation for /? or ?
* Why is 1st floor written as ikkai ?
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "readings, numbers"
}
|
Meaning of シャキン or シャッキン used to support someone
In a manga, before the start of a boxing match, one of the boxers looks at his friends in the audience and says:
>
Then they reply more or less in the same way:
>
What is the meaning of this expression? Is it an onomatopoeic word used to support someone? Since the match has a special prize of one million yen for the winner, could it be ? Here you can see the page where it is taken from. Thank you for your help!
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It is an onomatopoeia originally mimics the sound some metallic material makes when it swiftly extends, like the way the joint makes when a folding knife springs out. But it is also used to express (comically) that someone feels at 100% condition or full of spirit.
It's often uttered with striking certain poses. See here.
.
Can i ask if the in this sentence is actually acting like , a if thats the word?
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The is a subject marker. is the subject of .
You can parse it this way:
>
> "He walked slowly, (so that the child could follow him.)"
You could rephrase it as
is the subject of . "He walked slowly." This is the main clause.
"so that the child could follow him" is a subordinate clause.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "particle が"
}
|
Can you say 'make friends' using 作る?
I'm directly translating from Eng so I'm wondering if works. I'm only familiar with ~
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No problem.
{} **** {} is a very comon phrase meaning "to make (new) friends".
As always, just be careful with your **_particle_** choices.
****
****
Among the three particles in **bold** above, no two are interchangeable.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, set phrases, phrases"
}
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How to say "have taken this class"?
These are the ones I find acceptable to express the sentence but none of which actually translates to having "taken" the class. Not 'been' or 'studied' at, but 'taken'. I don't think works as a direct translation right?
So which of these are correct and which translate the best to having taken a class. If possible, please give me examples that have nuances between having taken a class, but did not finish the full class/course/schedule versus having taken let's say a full year's worth of the class. Would there be any difference in your sentence (without explicitly making a second sentence to mention that fact)?
>
>
>
>
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I've asked a native speaker before and been told is a good verb to use (as opposed to ). So for an example:
>
Also, there is the verb which means to attend or participate in a class or lecture.
>
I think that if you say sentences like this, it sounds like you have finished the course.
I know you asked without using a second sentence, but I would use wording like this if you want to express you didn't finish a course.
>
If you want to express just dropping in for a single day, you could say something like:
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "nuances, phrases"
}
|
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