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What is the difference between 家{うち}の子{こ}供{ども} versus 私{わたし}の子{こ}供{ども}?
I have no idea what the answer is for the following question. What is the difference between {}{}{} versus {}{}{} ? | ~ or ~ is basically the same thing with the former stressing on that its yours. You can see it as if the stress is on one's own. You can use it even in the context when the object does not belong to your family. Like or {}.
Consider as something is member of one's (whatever group) you want to refer to. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "word choice"
} |
What does the word 「たたっ」 mean?
I'm not sure if it means "very long time" in this sentence. If it means that, what does the do in the sentence?
{}{}{} **** | It's the passive of , which is an elided form of , which here figuratively means 'to throw someone in prison'. Thus a translation might be:
> That bastard Joe, could it be that he's going to end up getting thrown in prison? | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "words, prefixes"
} |
The meaning of そう
I know when placed after a verb it means "seems like" or "looks like", but what I want to know is what the in
>
means. I know means "Is that so?" but I've seen used with other words and I'm not sure what exactly it means. Does it even have a meaning on its own or is its meaning affected by the characters that follow it?
I know this might seem like a translation question but whenever I tried to search for an answer online I was only really able to find answers relating to how to use Sou when attached to verbs. | This '' is an adverb which is similar to English 'so', or 'like that'.
* (I) think so.
* (I'll) do so.
* (It's) not that big.
And you can use '' by itself to mean many things, depending on the context and the intonation:
* That's it. Yes. Exactly. Good.
* Is that so? Really? Are you sure?
* Oh. Okay. Uh-huh. (not very interested)
* 10… Well, that was 10 years ago ... (used to recall something old)
'' that comes after a verb (e.g , ) is an auxiliary verb, and it's etymologically different. One online dictionary has two entries for the adverb and the auxiliary verb . | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, meaning, definitions"
} |
When do we have to use ～行くと思っている and ～行こうと思っている ?
Consider the following examples:
* A:
* B:
When do we have to use and ? | To put it simply, using the volitional form ({}) as in B expresses an intent while using the dictionary form () expresses a thought, plain and simple.
i.e. when saying A you are saying that you are thinking about going to America, as though this is not related to your volition :
You do not know yet if you are going there or not (Maybe you are sent for work or studies).
When saying B, you are thinking about going to America, i.e. pondering if you should go or not : you want to go to America and are thinking about it. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
Use and examples of 違う
I came across the following kanji on a JLPT N5 vocabulary list: . , is presented as 'different'. I would appreciate it very much if somebody could present me simple examples of the use of it in the given meaning. Thank you. | When to use ?
You use if you _intend to correct the speaker_ about whatever point he conveys.
Example:
> A
>
> B (or , to sound colloquial)
Another use of :
When a speaker describes that _two things are different_.
> A:
Hope this helps. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning"
} |
What is the difference between 落とす and なくす?
Consider the following two sentences:
> A:
>
> B:
I have looked up in dictionaries and I found
* drop, lose, etc
* lose
* drop, fall, etc
I think the meaning of for lose is the same as which is drop followed by lose.
Is there any difference? | > A: ****
In this sentence, you **lost** your keys.
> B: ****
In this sentence, you **dropped** your keys.
Hope this helps. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
Use of numbers in descriptions
So far I've only learned how to use numbers in the context of counting e.g. 5 (this pizza has five slices).
How do I express it in the following way:
> This is a **five-slice pizza**
I would naively guess at "5”, but I've not seen a counter used to modify a noun like that before.
Secondly, kind-of in the reverse direction how would I express the part in bold below:
> (Please exit from) **the front five coaches** of this ten coach train
Hmm, I tried to construct this sentence but it just made me more sure that my guess for the first part of the question was wrong. | (Though I don't know if this answers your question:)
> This is **a five-slice pizza**.
You normally say it as:
> **[]{}**
> or
>
* * *
> (Please exit from) **the front five coaches** of this ten coach train.
I think you'd normally say it as:
> []{}[]{} **[]{}** / **** (/ / ) | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, counters"
} |
Can using ある in place of いる be offensive?
Considering that is objectifying wouldn't it be offensive to use it in 's place when talking about a person, or would it just be seen as a mistake? | No, I don't think it would offend someone. You're probably concerned that it could offend someone because it sounds like you're treating someone as an object, not a person. Actually, many people think it is just a grammatical error, and they don't feel it is an offensive expression. They might take it as a mistake, or some people may not even understand as applying for a person almost never happens for native speakers. Some people might think you wanted to say (which means walk) because that is a common verb for a person. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, politeness"
} |
How to address a formal email response to a 学会本部事務局 when you don't know if the person is a 教授 or not?
I received the following email and I want to submit the , but should I address the body of my email to or to ? I did a Google search for her full name but I didn't find it on a university website, so I don't know if she should be addressed as or as .
> 637
>
>
>
> 619400 | Don't use in a formal email.
I think " **** " means she is probably a clerical staff rather than a teacher. (Of course it's a good idea to check it using Google search) So the safe choice would be to address her as ****. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "honorifics, formality, email, academic japanese"
} |
How to concatenate negative form of verbs to make use of the pattern ～て、～て、～します?
I want to say,
> For health, I don't smoke, don't drink alcohol too much, do much exercise.
Here is my attempt, but
> {}{}{}{}{}{}{}
my teacher said it sounds weird but she has not explained to me why it is weird.
Could you help me to make it correct? | Your sentence does sound awkward, if not terribly ungrammatical, for using multiple times. To me, it sounds "forced" or at least "translated" for the purpose of getting used to the negative te-form, but the way you used it is making the sentence sound unadultlike.
To "correct" it with the minimum amount of plastic surgery, I might suggest something like:
> **** **** ****
The next one would probably be too much trimming, but to avoid using multiple times, one could say:
> **** **(or )** []{}
You may just disregard my second sentence. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
The meaning of "大好きなこのアリアカンパニーで無理に行き先を決めずゆっくり行こう” and to who it is said
This is the first line of <
My problem is trying to understand what is trying to be conveyed. The sentence can be broken into two parts:
and for simplicity we will cut this to as it doesn't change the focus of my question as informs us of the speakers feelings of the company.
: "volitional" form here is used as an invitation to the listener(We who are watching the advert). Or at least I thought it was speaking to us until later on. Starting at 0:43 it appears that the same person who said that initial line is talking to a potential new recruit for the company, which made me think that the line was directed towards this new person instead, although this would to me seem rather strange to do it like this. Can anyone clarify for me who is it that is being spoken to and a very brief contextual translation? | She is clearly talking to herself and to be completely honest, my Japanese brain would not take any other interpretations.
The phrase []{} already gives us an important clue right from the beginning. Who else besides the redhead herself do we know for sure likes so much that they plan on spending multiple years with it? Certainly, not you the viewers or the possible new recruit.
Expressing "I shall ~~~~." is one important function of the volitional.
"I shall move on slowly without forcing myself to decide on my destination with this Aria Company that I love so much " | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning"
} |
The meaning of する in もっと楽しそうにしたらどうなの
This question is about the meaning of in phrases like , , and
Is this usage used to describe the way they do things/act, as opposed to doing a specific verb such as in the cases of So for example, could describe the way the person talks, walks, their body language etc. The given example of in full was which was said to someone who was complaining whilst they had come here to enjoy themselves. Now from context it clearly means something like "how about you/why don't you try to enjoy yourself more(or I'd phrase it "at least try to enjoy yourself"), but I don't quite see grammatically which usage of this would come under.
Edit: Just adding some of my thoughts. Would it be like > act happily > be happy? | In the phrases you have listed, roughly means "to behave" or "to conduct oneself" in a certain manner **_said from the perspective of another person_**. The true intentions or emotions of the person in question is not being considered here.
Thus, a definition like "to appear to be behaving" might actually be more fitting.
To give a rather common real-life example, some of the people who get labeled as by others may indeed have no intention of acting like a big shot. It is just that they look like they do to some people. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
What is とう in 行きとうない
I tried researching it myself and came away with the possible meaning of in dialect. Is that right? If it helps, this is the line I happened upon the in question:
> | “” is the same as “” in the standard Japanese.
“” means that _I don’t want to go anymore_. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning, dialects"
} |
Hierarchy of management titles in Japanese companies
In typical Japanese companies, all managers have a title defining where they stand in the hierarchy, for instance and , both of which can be translated as "section chief", so sometimes it is hard to tell who is higher or lower.
So, what are the usual titles, in approximate hierarchical order? | * (formal) or (informal) or (translated from English) Chief Executive Officer
* Vice President
* Senior Managing Director or Executive Director
* Managing Director
* Member of the Board or Director
* Outside Director
* General Manager
* Acting General Manager
* Department Manager
* Associate Department Manager
* Associate Department Manager
* Branch Manager
* Division Manager
* Section Manager
* Acting Section Manager or Deputy Section Manager
* Assistant Section Manager
* Supervisor | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "business japanese"
} |
Difference between 損害 and 被害
What is the difference between and ? My dictionary lists them both as "damage", and I can't figure out any differences from the example sentences it gives. In fact, there are some examples that are basically the same except with those words swapped out, leading me to believe they are interchangeable at least in many cases. Perhaps one is broader, and the other is a little more specific and limited? | I am not a linguist, so I may be wrong, but...
and both mean "damage", "loss."
But is something caused by somebody else or something that is beyond control, while includes damage and loss caused by oneself or something under one's control.
Example:
damage caused by the earthquake
loss generated in stock trading
You can say , but sounds awkaward unless you are forced to engage in the trading.
Hope this helps. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "word choice, words, nuances"
} |
Confusing clause in middle of sentence
In the following sentence:
> ****
I don't understand how the part in bold fits into the sentence. Without that part I have
> When saw the remaining baggage (stuff in bold) there were only heavy looking things left.
The bit in bold I think is "bento boxes containing everyone's rice balls and the like". How does that fit with the rest of the sentence? Is it just a parenthetical statement describing the baggage that saw?
I recently came across this link which suggested similar constructs were not possible. Under what circumstances can I use such a construction. For example could I say "If bob goes to Tuvalu -- a small island in the Pacific ocean -- he will need to take a towel" using the same grammar? Here's my attempt:
> Tuvalu | > []{}[]{}[]{} **[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}** []{}[]{}
The part in **bold** only gives an example of the .
**≒** such as
My own TL: _**" When Hikoichi saw the remaining belongings, there was nothing but some heavy-looking stuff like everyone's riceballs left."**_
Moving on...
Your sentence Tuvalu[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{} makes almost no sense after the comma, I am afraid.
You can say:
> or
>
> | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, syntax"
} |
What does に do here?
> ****
I feel like the sentence means something like "The inside (of the church) was as equally destroyed as the outside."
But I'm not sure what the does in this sentence. Could someone help me with this?
Thanks! | just happens to be the correct particle to use in saying:
> **** []{} "to win _**against**_ ~~"
>
> **** []{} "to lose _**to**_ ~~"
It had no choice but add use to the object because the next word is , of which the first part comes from .
Your translation is good, by the way. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
人間 vs 人 to refer to an individual?
Some context: Person A and Person B both went through a trying situation dealing with Person C, someone that Person A has known for many years. They are now talking about how awful it was. Person A then thinks this:
> []{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}
which as far as I understand is something along the lines of: Person B has suffered 10 years less than I have. How lucky Person B is.
I was pretty surprised was the choice of word here. I would have expected instead because in my experience refers to humanity or a type of person. Is this something that's done frequently? | Yes, this example sentence is natural.
can be used, as well as , when one shows their hatred against someone, or when one wants to keep a distance from someone.
> 1. : OK
> 2. : OK
> 3. : **Weird**
> 4. : **OK**
>
To me, #4 sounds even more hostile than #2.
Likewise, (That's how he is.) can be used both positively or negatively, but is usually negative.
In the sentence in question, is also OK, but sounds like Person A displays a somewhat unfriendly attitude to Person B.
I can't explain the logic behind this, but perhaps the speaker is keeping a distance from the subject by using , the word that does not sound very friendly. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "word choice, nouns"
} |
How to correctly intepret the following clause?
This is a paragraph taken from a novel. It describes an outlawish group of people who decided to run away from civilized society.
Simplified part with bolded clause that I'm having trouble with:
> ****
What does the bolded part mean, exactly? Is it "adapting to what majority does , with implying ?, commit suicide ?" In other words, committing suicide like majority would do? Could also imply simply "repressing oneself (one's antisocial urges)"?
Full paragraph:
>
Thank you for your help. | refers to (= //)
[]{} is like "repress oneself/ego", not "commit suicide".
So I think it would be like:
> [()]
> (They) are not willing to [adapt themselves to the circumstances (or, adjust to the society) and repress their ego (as the majority do)], ... | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "て form, parsing"
} |
手を貸す and 'lend a hand' - coincidence?
At some point I found that both literally and figuratively means 'to lend a hand' - is the resemblance a coincidence? | There are a lot of metaphors in common around the world. This is a good example of one such metaphor - the extension is quite logical (give help > give a hand (to help) > lend a hand), and it wouldn't surprise me to find many more examples of similar metaphors around the world.
There are others that are less common, such as Japanese's - the idea of 'cat' isn't cross-culturally connected with 'niceness', so the metaphor is relatively unique. (Compare English 'a wolf in sheep's clothing' for the same idea.)
A good place to start reading about these, if you're interested, is Lakoff and Johnson's famous _Metaphors We Live By_ , a good introduction to the roles and mechanics of metaphors in language and culture. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "words, etymology"
} |
What is a 甘えるような態度?
I'm not asking for a translation, but rather what kind of gestures/actions/behavior does it refer to? | If you are acting overfamiliar, overintimate, etc. in order to be taken under someone's wing or to cadge for things, a Japanese-speaker might call it a []{}[]{}. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning"
} |
Confused with an relative clause in active and passive form
I want to say
> I like eggs that are boiled in 7 minutes.
My attempt is as follows but I am not sure which correct.
> A:
>
> B:
How to make an relative clause in passive form? | "l'électeur" is right: we use for boiling eggs.
So I recommend that you write
For the record, is _not_ syntactically incorrect, but we don't say that. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
Relationship between どゆこと and どういうこと
I came across the expression "" in the show "!". For example, at 21:12 in an episode involving a Mongolian husband.
The phrase is also mentioned in the Wikipedia article about the show:
> 20124819:00 - 20:54! ?1
Also, a google search for "" gets matches unrelated to the show,
A native speaker has told me that "" is the same as "", which means "what does it mean?", except that the latter is "correct" and the former isn't.
What's the relationship between the two? Is "" kind of like a lazy or fast way of saying ""? | is a shortening of . is often pronounced and the appears in all sorts of inflections of , like for or for etc.
TV subtitles often use spellings that are supposed to reflect words as they might be spoken, like or for or for .
In the case of it conveys maybe a little extra surprise, because it's shorter and thus faster than , but most of all it's supposed to be "light" because of its informal character. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "words, colloquial language, spoken language, contractions"
} |
How to say "please be strict with me" in Japanese
I'm trying to figure out how to say
> "please be strict with me"
For when I am practising with conversation exchanges.
So far I have come up with:
1.
2.
Are any of these close to accurate? Any help that could be offered would be appreciated :) | I would say __ (but do you really want someone to be strict with you?) | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word choice, meaning, questions, spoken language, politeness"
} |
Difference between のに and というのに
I have already looked at this question but it didn't really help my understanding. I have the following sentence:
> ****
My attempt at a translation is:
> Even though the retainers each picked up their own baggage and were preparing to return home, folded up a _wrapping cloth_ with nothing in it and put it away in his breast pocket.
I thought translated as "even though" but that doesn't seem to join the two clauses together in a convincing way. So I'm assuming the part modifies in some way such that it makes more sense. Please help me understand the difference between and . Thanks. | The answers in that old thread do not satisfy me, either.
My suggestion for a better translation of the part in your sentence would simply be " ** _while_** ". I would not buy the dictionary definition of "even though" in this particular case.
The difference between and is minimal in meaning and yet two-fold.
1) sounds more informal and it is used more often in speaking.
2) gives slightly more emphasis to the preceding words than does. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, particles"
} |
What does ホッチキスでとめる mean?
I have a difficulty to translate .
* means stapler
* means with
* means stop
Stop with stapler? What? | Try to be more creative ;)
It just means
> to staple (something) together
If the `` would be written in Kanji, it gets ``, which is more like "hold","keep". | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
規則性の無い meaning and usage
In Influent, the language learning game, {}{} is used to mean 'random'. In checking the term, I see that it does appear in usage, though the dictionary I use (jisho.org) does not list the term, instead listing such terms as , , and , among others. Is just rarely used in favour of one of the other terms listed? Does mean 'random, by chance, or without pattern', or does it have a different meaning than what was taught? If it does mean random, what would the connotations of the term be? | The phrase surely can mean "random", but if you used it everytime you wanted to say "random", it would be regarded as an unnatural word choice at least half the time.
literally means " ** _lacking regularity_** " and that is what the phrase mostly means to us Japanese-speakers. To call something , one needs to observe it for at least a certain amount of time.
To call something "random", one would often only need to observe a single occurance of something, wouldn't one? If I asked you a question and you thought it random, you would call it a random question, right? You cannot use the phrase in that situation. You would need to be asked at least a few questions before labeling the question pattern as .
/ are good phrases to use indeed. Unlike []{} and []{}, which are fairly informal, it sounds pretty formal and we do not use it in casual daily conversation. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning, usage, learning"
} |
What does the word 「やで」 mean?
What does the word mean?
> {}{}{}{}{} **** | Roughly, is the Kansai equivalent of the Kanto . It is an affirmation sentence-ender.
≒ | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "words, particles, kansai ben"
} |
How is しまえば used? In what context and how it should translated to?
Was reading a light novel and this sentence popped up:
> {}{}
refers to an organisation within the light novel setting.
I'm confused by the usage of . Scouring the net, it seems to imply the meaning of "(something) is true", but there seems to be nothing like a translation or usage guide on this. Am I missing something here? | = to end up doing.
Thus I would translate:
-> Now that having ended up moving like this
-> it may be a matter of time that we are detected by Funeral | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, word choice, translation"
} |
How would you say " If you'd like to speak English, it's fine by me"?
The concept would be like, a Japanese asks you if you are OK with speaking English with him and you want to answer back " If you'd like to speak English (instead of Japanese), it's fine by me". I'm looking for something more complex than " ". Maybe a formation with ? | I am flailing around as I don't think I fully understand what you are seeking after...
I would say to convey the meaning of "If you'd like to speak English (instead of Japanese), it's fine by me." | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, usage"
} |
Is my understanding for the phrase, なくてはならなくなる correct?
The original sentence from the light novel:
> ****
, Carpe Diem, is a fictional place in the light novel setting.
I've found reference for in both tangorin and this site but so far none for itself. For I understand that it means "unless or without" while it would mean "if". However, stringing the both together, along with the phrase, which I understand to be "disappear", in this context, makes me confused.
In context, the whole sentence may be translated as,
If, assuming that our strategy has failed, for us, the objective of our wish will disappear unless we wage a war in the Carpe Diem.
Can someone please clarify the usage of the above-mentioned phrases for me? | =
I have never read the novel but I suspect Carpe Diem (= Sieze the day = Enjoy yourself today) refers to some organisation rather than the mere name of a place.
-> will be obliged to do
Thus I would translate
as
If this operation fails, we will be obliged to wage war against Carpe Diem in order to achieve our cherished desire.
*** added ***
= + + <-
+ + + +
_roughly_ translates into
not to do + (conjugative suffix) + (particle indicating the preceding word is the subject of the following verb) + not permitted, not acceptable + to become, will
But I recommend you memorise as "to have to do," since that will greatly simplify the things. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, word choice, translation"
} |
Difference between ことから and から
Are there any differences in intonation if used in a sentence like this?
> **/** | of // is "from"
of / is "because"
If I translate, I use these structures
shows
Because , (we) | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, nuances"
} |
How should かしら be used in the middle of the sentence?
Original sentence in the novel is:
> ****
A post in this site shows that it is a particle used more by females, while tangorin also shows it to be used as the meaning of "head", aside of the usage as a particle to mean "I wonder".
I think I'm supposed to treat it as a particle, but then there is the particle that just confuses me. Can someone please explain the usage of with in this context? | means something along "about something or another".
Children are always doing some mischief (or other stupid things).
[]{}[]{}
Everybody has some weak points (or other faults e.t.c.).
after qualifies as something not necessarily limiting to the object of the sentence (e.g. the mischief) but also to other similar actions ( e.g. pranks e.t.c). | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, word choice, translation"
} |
Why is 先 needed in アルバイト先で?
Based on my attempt below, and have the same meaning of "part-time job", so why is needed in ?
The following searching results are intentionally attached here to prove I have done some effort but I still failed to understand.
* !enter image description here
* !enter image description here
* !enter image description here
* !enter image description here
* !enter image description here | attached in the ending of words usually defines the place where the noun takes place. means the place of the part time job. Sometimes Japanese even say . | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
How should 手は打ってくる be translated?
The full dialogue in the light novel is:
> ****
The characters were discussing about some operation.
I'm not sure of why the author would use the particle here instead of . From another post on the usage of , I have taken it to mean "some kind of", and in this case, would the sentence mean that, "as for some kind of measure, I think he would strike us" , but as this comment has shown, if is used instead, then it might mean "I think he will use some kind of measures towards us."
Can someone please clarify the usage of particles in this context?
Edit: A further comment from the above mention commenter explained that it might originally be but the has been dropped by the author to make the action itself be the topic instead. | As I posted on a previous comment, to my understanding is omitted because the action of "taking measures" needs to be qualified as the topic. There is also a great answer from Derek Schaab about particle omission here < | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, word choice, translation"
} |
Difference between とあれば、にあって、とあって
Can someone please explain the difference between
* ****
* ****
* ****
I've read the explanation from my book but I'm afraid I don't fully understand the difference in nuance between these grammatical patterns.
Thanks | > **** = " ** _if_** it is for ~~". Think of it as an emphatic form of .
[]{}[]{} = "I would not mind dying it it were for Yoshiko."
You can insert at the beginning of the sentence if you want to.
Occasionally, you will encounter the literary form **** . The form "-- **a** ba", instead of "-- **e** ba" is heavily used in set phrases such as {}{} ("Slow and steady wins the race.").
> **** = "during ~~", "in the condition of ~~" Think of it as an emphatic form of .
[]{}[]{}= "Even during this emergency, Kimiko was calm."
> **** = "because of ~~", "due to the fact that ~~", etc. It expresses the specialness of the occasion.
[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{}[]{} = "Because it was a once-in-every-five-years festival, everyone was excited." | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "jlpt"
} |
What are the best words to convey the same meaning of scab and dead skin, respectively?
I aggressively cleaned my ear canal with my finger and the canal got scratched. After several weeks elapsed, it got naturally healed but I cannot hear clearly probably because of the dead skin or scab abandoned inside. I want to remove it in an ear-nose-throat clinic and to explain it to the doctor.
I am afraid if I make use of a wrong word and makes the doctor confused. I have tried to use a free online dictionary, I got the following results.
* dead skin :
* scab :
What are the best words to convey the same meaning of scab and dead skin, respectively? | You have already got the best word for "scab".
The word I would suggest for "dead skin" is []{}. []{}[]{} sounds more like a dictionary definition. It is not something a patient would say.
That said, you could just copy the following and show it to your doctor.
| stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "word choice"
} |
Word for "British"? (I don't mean "English / イギリス")
If I were to explain the (pedantic) difference between "English" and "British", what would be the word for "British"?
I might want to perform the following explanation in Japanese as in this question on ELU: Difference between English and British. What would be the word for "British" in the context of that discussion? | sounds like English, but actually is NOT equivalent to English. According to this web page, is an import word from Portuguese language. It originally means England, but its meaning has changed in Japan. It doesn't only mean England, but entire land of the UK now.
So, is the equivalent to the UK.
{} is equivalent to British people, usually means people who have British nationality.
is the equivalent to England.
{} is the equivalent to English people.
By the way, there is a Japanese word []{}. It sometimes means English people, sometimes means British people. So you should avoid using it if you want to make it clear difference between English and British. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "meaning, english to japanese"
} |
What does the word 「しとったんや」 mean?
Here is the sentence including the word.
{} {}{} **** | means → , "was doing", in colloquial Kansai-ben. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "words, dialects"
} |
What does 席を開ける mean here?
I came across a paragraph on s.c. , the overall meaning of which is eluding me:
> ****
What does mean here?
If were to mean "to open a seat / to make a seat vacant", and if were the agent, why isn't followed by passive auxiliary ()? More so, "to move away unconsciously" () wouldn't make sense this way. From , would be expected to mean the opposite, for "seat to be taken", but that just doesn't fit with any of the meanings of I could find in dictionaries so far.
In other words, I'm looking for some help on what's going on in:
>
Thank you for your patience. | Hope the following helps.
by letting one or two seats between oneself and the nearby bloke unoccupied
unconciously secure a neutral zone (Caveat: this is _not_ a verbatim translation.) | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning"
} |
Is the phrase うちに上がる still compatible for non-Japanese style houses?
As Japanese houses commonly have higher floor, the verb (go up) is appropriate, I think.
How about non-Japanese houses in which the floor has the same level? Is the phrase still compatible?
One more question, is it ok to use instead of ? | I would still use []{} even if I moved to a basement or tepee tomorrow. I cannot speak for other Japanese-speakers but I myself do not really think of "going up" when I say []{} even though the floor of my home is over 40 centimeters (two steps!) higher than the "genkan" = "entrance".
If I used []{}, I would feel as if I were a thief entering a house without removing my shoes. As a resident or guest, I would always use .
I might also add that even in the latest wheelchair-accessible condominiums with no elevated floor, people still use .
But who knows? A couple of generations after moving into a tepee, my descendants might be saying or the equivalent of that in Navajo. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "word choice"
} |
What are the と, という, and の doing in this sentence?
> **** ****
I'm confused as to what does in this sentence. Is it a quoting particle or conditional?
>
I'm completely lost as to what this is supposed to mean
> ****
Also is this particle possessive?
Thanks! | Does this help?
when I stepped in
(what I found) extended (in front of me) was
the impression given by the word "basement" (Caveat: this is not a verbatim translation.)
far from
a small room with daily odour (I suspect this "odour" is figurative: the authour may have wanted to convey that the room was full of traces of daily life. But I need the context to be sure.) | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, particles, particle の, particle と"
} |
A japanese saying "一をいうと十返ってくる"
I'm currently trying to read a japanese novel and I found this expression :
>
It was meant to qualify a character, but I just don't get it. At first I thought it could mean "tell one and give back ten", so I thought it meant this character tends to do more than he was actually asked or intended to do...? However, I tried searching on japanese sites and it seems it's a saying to qualify a very proud person...? Still I would like to have a more precise idea of what it could really mean and where it does come from, because I'm very interested by japanese idioms. Does anyone have a more precise idea ? Thank you very much. | > []{}[]{}
The meaning and nuance of this phrase can be quite different depending on the context or the speaker's intention.
**_Positive:_**
Someone is always willing to give a full explanation. You ask one simple question and he will not only answer that question but also give you so much more related information.
**_Negative:_**
Someone always talks back to you. Tell him one thing and he will give back a long session of objection, refutation, etc.
**_(Possibly) more important:_**
I explained the phrase in terms of "speaking words" above, but the phrase does not always have to be about "ten times as many words". It can also be about someone's tendency in taking non-verbal actions if he just is the type to do much more than the bare minimum. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, meaning, idioms"
} |
"to offer" in Japanese?
Using a dictionary to learn Japanese turned out to be more difficult than expected.
I wanted to say "I offered him a haircut but he refused." and "I offered him a beer." and "I offered him a ride."
Since I didn't know "to offer" in Japanese I tried to look it up but there seem to be many different ways of saying it.
> Please could someone help me understand the correct usage of the following words and also tell me which to use in the above sentences?
So I got the following words which all seem to mean "to offer":
(1)
(2)
(3)
Personally, at a first attempt, I'd go for but I have a feeling the correct translation might turn out to be something that's not even on the list above. | I would say
{}{}{}for "I offered him a haircut but he refused."
{}{}for "I offered him a beer."
{}{}for "I offered him a ride."
Note that the above is just one of many possibilities.
> the correct usage of the following
I am not sure if I can offer (no pun intended) you "correct usage" of the words. My impression is:
(1) sounds stilted, as "" is a transliteration of "offer".
(2) sounds more of "claiming" and "requesting" than "offering".
(3) is a possible translation of "to offer". Usage examples coming into my mind include
"" to offer (relevant) information
and
"" to offer a budgetary contribution
BTW
> Using a dictionary to learn Japanese turned out to be more difficult than expected.
is true, but I suspect that can be said for any languages. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "words, usage"
} |
What does the word 「いつの間に」 mean?
I have looked up in an online dictionary and found out that
means before one knows.
For another question, when I have came across in an instruction manual, I'm not sure if I can translate it as 'when communication' or 'before communication. | Its official translation, SpotPass, doesn't help understand . But Wikipedia says its literal translation is Unnoticed Communication.
means 'unnoticed', or 'before one notices it's happening'.
>
> The summer had gone before I knew / all too soon.
in implies the connection is done silently, before you are aware it's done, even when your 3DS is closed. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, words"
} |
How to say "The girl who likes being photographed is my friend"?
I want to say
> The girl who likes being photographed is my friend
and my attempt is as follows,
>
Is my attempt correct? | > The girl who likes being photographed is my friend.
> ****
Change the ""(← the /predicative form) to its /attributive form "" to modify the noun . So your sentence would translate to:
> ****
> or
> ****
You can also say it as:
> / | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
How are the adjectives conjugated to izenkei (うれしけれ, たのしけれ) used here?
I came across a "Mermaid's song" in a text:
>
> ****
>
> ****
>
>
>
> ****
The bolded adjectives, both seem to be conjugated to izenkei. If that is so, can izenkei of shiku adjectives be used in exclamatory function? E.g. second line as "how happy (I) am to leave the depths!".
If it's not exclamatory, then what could it it mean here? And if it's not izenkei, then what else is it? | In classical Japanese, **" + "** and **" + "** are the patterns which basically emphasize the sentences. This grammatical rule is known as . To put it simply, when or appears in the middle of a sentence, that sentence have to end with or (of a verb/adjective), respectively.
> * ()
> * ( + )
> * ( + )
> * (modern Japanese)
>
However, the lyrics in this song doesn't seem to follow the general rule, in that is followed by . I think it should be either "" or "".
But my knowledge on classical Japanese is very limited, so I'd like to hear opinions from others. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "adjectives, classical japanese"
} |
Can で mean 'and'?
I'm completing my Japanese homework, and we were given a letter that we need to write a response to.
There is a line that goes:
> ****
I assume that here means 'and' but I'm not familiar with this usage, so I wanted to enquire. | It's the conjuncitve (te-form) of ; the conjunctive, among other things, can express 'and': 'I opened my eyes and looked at a tree.' | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, copula"
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する際 and 穴埋め meaning along with として
> ,.
My attempt to translate that would be something like
> In the beginning, when broadcasts were created by filling the gap (???) were televised but, as they grew in numbers and time past, the anime that existed since when we were born as kids, they became a must amusement.
which is incomprehensible for me. The key seems to be the clauses in the title but I figured out midways that the translation of the last part with kids being raised with animes e.t.c. doesn't really make sense too. | You can parse it like this:
> [{()}]
modifies , "fillers (between programs) used when editing TV programs / planning program schedule." So I think it's like "In the beginning, anime were broadcasted as fillers inserted when organising TV programmes, but..."
>
as they(=TV programs) grew in numbers and time passed,
> ()[]
The relative clause modifies . The subject for is . **Edit:** I think it'd be more natural to think the modifies ().
"for children, anime, which have existed ever since they were born,"
> .
... have become an indispensable entertainment by now.
(Sorry I can't translate it into natural English, but hopefully this might be of some help.) | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, syntax"
} |
What does the word 「間すらない」 mean?
What does the word mean?
> {}{}{} {}{}{} **{}** | is + + , where is a particle usually translating to "even", so **** means "hadn't **even** time to say anything". | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, meaning"
} |
Struggling to parse last section of 「あんた 子どもたちを 森へ すててきておくれ」
The sentence is from a Japanese telling of Hansel and Gretel and I know enough to read it as "Leave your children in the forest before it is too late."
What I don't understand here is how has been modified by . What does that relate to? Is it part of to change (discard) somehow or is it something like (leave)(come here)(without delay)? | As per the comments, you should parse as + + .
* Without changing the content or function you can replace by (more about here)
* is the te-form of (here) "to cast away",
* is the te-form of "to come [back]",
* X is a common construction of saying "to go, do X [and then return]", but as indicated you might not necessarily translate the as "return"
* X is the construction for phrasing a request "Please do X"
> + +
> Please go cast away [the children] [and come back when you're done] | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "verbs, compound verbs"
} |
Is the conditional, volitional, AND passive form of verbs used?
I found myself wanting to write something analogous to "if you want (some verb) done to you"
I know the passive form of is .
I know that the volitional form of an ichidan verb is stem + . This brings me to .
I know that the form of an adjective drops the and adds . Hence: .
Whew. I looked this up on Google and found over 41,000 results, but that seems low for what I would assume would be an extremely common construction. My hypothesis then is that this is grammatically correct, but unnatural in most cases.
Is there a more natural way to construct the meaning of "if you want something done to you" in the general case? | > "if you want (some verb) done to you"
As the other answerer says I think you can use . There are a few variations:
>
>
>
> ← casual
> (These are more literally like "If you want (me/someone/others) to respect you")
Of course you can also use ..., which is literally like "If you want to be (done~~)". There are a few variations:
>
>
>
> ← casual
> (Lit. "If you want to be respected")
* * *
As a side note, would be "want (someone) to be (done~~)." For example:
> A writer that I want to be more highly regarded
> I want (someone) to be arrested quickly | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "passive voice, volitional form, conditionals"
} |
How to say "I was/am annoyed with myself"?
So I did something stupid today and I wanted to tell someone about it and say that "I was annoyed with myself for doing X".
My best guess is something like
> X
and
> X
But are these really a valid sentences? And if they are, do they mean what I want to say or do they mean something else?
> Please could someone explain to me how to say "I was/am angry at myself that I did X yesterday"? | I would say {}X{}{}{}/{} for "I was/am angry at myself that I did X yesterday."
BTW, I think X is a neat translation for "I was annoyed with myself for doing X." | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "words, usage"
} |
When to use Vている and when to use the dictionary form?
Say that I am currently eating something, would I say , or would I say ?
Similarly, if I want to say that I know English, would I use or would I use ?
What's the difference in parsing these sentences, too? I understand that V implies some kind of continuation of state, or an activity that lasts for some time; but can't the dictionary form also express that?
Thank you | means "am currently doing" (Think v+ing in English) Dictionary form is more general.
So in answer to your questions: is I'm eating (literally in the act of doing). works fine grammatically but it has a different meaning. If you were asked when you were going to eat, you could reply with which would mean you are going to start right now.
For speaking English, the examples would be more natural using = I speak English. (As with in English, you're able to speak English, but maybe aren't specifically doing it right now). = I am speaking English. (The words coming out of your mouth, right now, are English... and hopefully they sound that way). :)
There are some pitfalls where your English speaking brain will want to use one over the other, but it's more natural to use the reverse. Don't worry about that for now though. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, verbs, て form, aspect"
} |
Embedded question followed by と
What is the grammar behind the use of the quote marker in this sentence?
> ****
>
> He was looking forward to when the rain would come, but...
Can I also write
>
>
> He was looking forward to the rain coming, but...
and does it change the nuance? | As you already noticed that the is used as the quote marker in the first sentence. That means is written as the person's thought, which makes the sentence more subjective.
On the contrary, the second sentence sounds more objective.
Relatively with or without personal feelings might be the crucial difference between the two sentences.
By the way, just by the single sentence without context, the subject of it is more likely to be "I" rather than "HE". | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, questions, particle と"
} |
Is it common to shorten 感じがする to 感じ?
Whilst it isn't always the case, I do occasionally see sentences that I think would be written out in full as as opposed to . Take the following examples.
>
>
or
>
>
So my question is:
Is it relatively common in normal speech to abbreviate ?(If this is just me me misunderstanding and this isn't actually done, then please explain the differences in meaning between two suitable sentences) | () is more colloquial than , but I would say they're also slightly different. doesn't necessarily have something to do with feelings, e.g.
> () (It's) something like that
Likewise _could_ be asking about other circumstances than feelings, although feelings would be an obvious topic when talking about love: "What's it like to fall in love" whereas is asking more specifically about feelings.
_could_ lean more towards the translation "it's like I become rested" than "I feel rested".
It's hard to describe the difference with your examples, since they're already talking about stuff that has to do with feelings. But you could imagine a conversation like:
> What are your mornings like?
> I wake up, eat breakfast and hurry out the door
where would seem a bit unnatural. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "meaning, spoken language"
} |
What does でもわかる mean and what does あって+か do?
> **** ****
What does + do in this sentence?
Also what meaning does have in this sentence? Is the being used as "even"?
Thanks! | Hope the following helps.
"(partly and/or maybe) because of, (among other reasons)"
"noticeable even when the girl is clothed" | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
What does わけ do in this sentence?
> ****
What meaning does give to that sentence? Is it indicating a reason?
Thanks! | Here, doesn't mean reason. It emphasizes that something is a natural result and can be omitted.
Ex:
* (He came to the headhunter's attention because he was so competent.) Here, is also fine.
* No wonder he didn't get my e-mail. I didn't send it! ()
* This building is really solid. No wonder it survived the earthquake. ()
* (That's the story. / That's what this is all about.) | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
trying to learn reading Japanese
I'm learning Japanese and currently I finished the hiragana and katakana charts.
A friend of mine suggested me to start reading something simple to build a vocabulary , so I found a children's story but I'm stuck on trying to read the first phrase:
How can I learn new words if I can't even understand where a word begins and where it ends ?
I understand that I need to learn grammar because simply knowing hiragana-katakana I can't even separate the words in the phrase.
I tried looking online for Japanese courses but they try to teach basic 'survival phrases' to speak and listen to Japanese people but for now I want to learn hot to read and possibly write in Japanese so could you tell me where I can find good resources, preferably online, that teaches me how to read and write in Japanese and most important thing how to recognise the words in a phrase in a language without spaces. | If you're reading online then I suggest installing the Rikaichan plugin to your browser. Hovering over the words gives you the meaning and the conjugation of the verbs etc.
The real problem is that you need to learn kanji. Trying to read hiragana with no spaces is a nightmare. The kanji break up the stream into manageable chunks.
Also, become familiar with the particles. These are usually really helpful for delineating where words end.
> **** **** ****
>
> Once upon a time, in some place, there lived an old man and an old women
I've highlighted the particles in bold. In this particular sentence, that separates all the words for you.
Finally don't get too disheartened if you struggle with the story. I have a set of children's books which claim to be for beginners but which contain complex grammar and obscure words. You'll get there in the end. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, learning"
} |
Question conserning using とかしたら
A character from a book ( -in a daze-) said this:
>
I am confused as to the use of the "" after "." She is saying that something seems fun with the uniform's cap, but how is "" being used? Is it the "" in a list with the - from of , just "" attached to the verb "," or something else? | Here, is almost the same as Simply put, it can be said So why we use ?
If we use , there are possibilities for other options, while explicitly set the condition.
Ex.
(If I travel next weekend, I'll get refreshed)
(If I do something like travelling, I'll get refreshed) / Here, travelling is not the only way to get refreshed. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, meaning, usage, expressions"
} |
Would it make sense to say お好きに僕に連絡かけてください?
Does sound natural, and does it make sense as a sentence? If not, what would a more natural alternative be? In particular, I'm unsure about and in the same sentence. | Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you're trying to say something like
> Please feel free to contact me again.
Maybe? From your choice of , I'm guessing this is not necessarily an overly formal context.
1. is not used like that. (Did you get this from ?) Depending on context and tone, or or might be usable, although I don't know why you need it here in the first place. It's not like would be interpreted as an obligation. (That would be )
2. is superfluous, especially with **** (see below). Who else are they going to contact?
3. Not ~~~~. It's and ****.
Without context this is obviously a shot in the dark, but...
> () | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "word choice, syntax"
} |
Express the idea of "I was supposed"
I would like to know how to express "I was supposed" in japanese
For example, in the sentences :
- Did you meet John yesterday ?
- I was supposed to but he cancelled
OR
- I am supposed to do my homework but I really don't want to.
Is there a generic way to translate that idea ? or is it case by case ? I am thinking maybe using but i am not really confident. somthing like :
or using maybe
Am I on the right direction ? | I would say
{}John{}? for "Did you meet John yesterday?"
{}{} for "I was supposed to but he cancelled."
({}, if you like non-transliterated words, but this sounds stilted.)
for "I am supposed to do my homework but I really don't want to." | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word choice, words"
} |
Meaning of 生じてきたことを喜ぶことのできる心の余裕を持ちたい
From ():
> ****
I am struggling with the last sentence of the attached text. The last line is where it gets really difficult for me, the .
I tried to translate this sentence, but especially this last part is not comprehensible for me. My attempt looks like this, but I am sure this misses the point:
> ...the (parent) should enable the child to develop space for carrying happiness in his heart
Could someone explain me what this sentence means?! | I think the expression is done in a roundabout way (if not in gibberish.) I am convinced it should have been written in plain Japanese.
That said, I would translate
( ) ---
as
It is desirable that parents should take it easy and congratulate that their child has grown to show aspiration.
I know this is not naturally flowing, but I can't make up a satin purse out of a sow's ear. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation"
} |
Security guard nuances: 警備員 vs. 守衛
In looking up a few words for security guard, I came across four words: {}, , {}, and {}. From what I can tell, seems to be similar to 'rent-a-cop' - that is to say, it seems like a less respectful term for a security guard, and something a person would be less likely to call themselves than to be called. and appear to simply be variant kanji for the same word (with a preference towards ), but I can't quite make out the difference between and . Can anyone help clear this up? | and are both common, while the former sounds a bit more formal, and the latter is commonly used in conversations. I don't think is less respectful at least in Japanese. is not the most common word.
Strictly speaking, and are legally different (see the third question in this page). is the official name of a certain profession which is regulated by a law called . They are usually employed by (security firms) and sent to each facility, and are allowed to bear a small arm such as a baton. On the other hand, refer to security guards privately/directly employed by a certain facility, and not regulated by . That said, I think many people are not aware of this legal difference.
makes sense, but I would say it's very uncommon. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word choice, words, meaning, nuances"
} |
AはBにある versus BにAがある
What is the difference between the following two sentences?
* ****
* **** | If I was asked I might respond like this:
> ****
Here, is old information (so you use ) and is new information.
If I was asked I might respond like this:
> ****
Here, is old information and is new information.
When you say:
>
both and are normally new information. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
The correct word to say "somehow" in different situations?
I would like to know the correct (colloquial) word for "somehow".
For example, I want to say
> "I've been feeling out of it _somehow_ lately".
Which will be something like
"()"
Or I want to say,
> "I saw you reacted (to this) _somehow_ ".
which would be something like
"" | is excellent.
I would say for "I saw you reacted (to this) somehow". (Actually, is a better translation for "somehow" alone, but sounds more of "Looks like you reacted" than "you reacted somehow".
{} is an adverb formed by + . I can't give you the exact grammatical explanation for , but it helps to add "vagueness", "haziness", "obscurity", "uncertainty", etc.
is the passive form of . corresponds to "to do" in the very general sense (or if you know Latin, it corresponds to "agere".)
vs This is hard to explain. I have the impression that corresponds to "looked to have reacted" and corresponds to "looks to have reacted". | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "words, colloquial language"
} |
What does this そういうことよ mean?
> Woman 1
>
>
>
> Woman 1
>
> Guy 1……
>
> Woman 1
>
>
> ……
>
> Woman 2
>
>
>
>
> Woman 2 ****
>
> Woman 2
Context: Woman 1 had come over to deliver some Goldfish to Woman 2, and Guy 1 had came to deliver some clothes she had ordered. Woman 2 invites Woman 1 to "join them" but she declines and then we get the rest of the scene that follows. My problem lies with what is referring to in this context, as these kind of phrases are highly dependent on context. The only thing I can think of is that it refers to the conversation as a whole and is used to end their conversation about that after woman 2 left, and to move onto her clothes and other things, but this doesn't quite sit right with me. | = | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning, spoken language"
} |
Why is が used here?
I still have trouble with the and particles.
> ****
Why does have to be used here?
What difference would it make if it were replaced with instead? | 2
* 2
* ()
*
* 2
( xx)
* * *
With : "Many gods decided to live"
With : "Many gods decided to live, but others ..." | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, particle は, particle が, は and が"
} |
What does the word 「すみっちょ」 mean?
Here is the sentence including the word.
> ****
I have found an entry read {} **** meaning 'corner' but I'm not sure if it is the same meaning as the word in question. | Yes, it means . They say it's {} dialect. Source 1Source 2 | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "words, dialects"
} |
What does 「片付けといてくれ」 mean?
I am trying to translate some text, but I hit a sentence that I could not understand completely.
> ****
From what I read up to now, this means something like "This place is in bad shape. Clean it." roughly speaking, but I am having trouble understanding the part. jisho.org simplifies it to , but there seems to be so much lost in this simplification. What exactly does this extra part mean? | I would like to wrap up.
= (be sure) to do
(<\- + + + )= sorry to trouble you but
= + + (<\- ) + +
where is a casual (and somewhat curt) form of (= please).
Thus, together
= would you mind cleaning up this place (while I am out)?
But the original phrase sounds much less polite. So I would suggest "Mind cleaning up this place, will ya? (Coz I wanna go out.)" | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation"
} |
Why are words sometimes broken into syllables when said?
This occurrence appears to happen when the speaker is trying to sound cute, or is possibly under the influence of something... They break one of the words into syllables or characters, with pauses in between where they broke up the word.
For an archetypal example:
> ****
> "Do you want dinner? Or do you want a bath? Or do you want _me_?"
Or, when one character confesses their love to another, you might hear _da-i-su-ki_ "I-love-you". | Japanese is not as tonal of a language) as English with its rhythmic iambic pentameter (English is said to be "a stress-timed language") or Chinese (Japanese does have some tones, such as _kami_ [paper] vs. _kami_ [god] vs. _kami_ [hair] or _hashi_ [bridge] and _hashi_ [chopsticks]). In English, emphasis is often accomplished by changing the tonal stress of the sentence. For example, "What are you [doing NOW]{LLLLLLHHH}?" or "[What are YOU doing now?!]{LLLLLLLLLHHHLLLLLLLLLLL}" or "[What ARE you doing now?!]{LLLLLHHHLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL}" or "[WHAT ]{HHHHL} are you doing now?!" Because Japanese does not default to this, enunciating syllables with pauses is an alternate way to create emphasis in a sentence. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "spoken language, anime"
} |
て form followed by て, 「見てて」
I have heard a couple of times now the form of a verb followed by (or perhaps it was ?) used as an imperative. Some examples are and , when asking someone to look and be quiet respectively.
I am also aware of this question, but in that circumstance, the listener is being asked to "stay waiting" as I understand. However, in the case of , this interpretation seems odd when all that's needed is a quick look. (A child was asking the father to look at a toy)
I assume the phrase is still a contraction of , but how should I understand it, and what is the difference between this and ? What about other verbs?
**Edit**
Here is an example usage of in a similar situation. | I think you have almost grasped the "tournure" and I have few to contribute, but...
> I assume the phrase is still a contraction of
That's correct. As for the example, the girl in the film says . That corresponds to "Look at me (doing this), Dad."
> it would mean something like "check out this website (and continue doing so for a nontrivial period of time)"? Similarly, would mean "be quiet, and stay quiet"?
Yes, I guess so. Of course, you need context to be more precise, but I can hardly think of other possibilities. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "translation, て form"
} |
Is it valid to ask このグラフによると、カイロの人口がいつ増えてきましたか?
In my understanding, means "started to increase". If my understanding is correct, I think I can ask as follows
> ?
and the answer must be 1976. What do you think?
!enter image description here | You can say:
> (or) **** ()
> or
> (or) **** () | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
What function does とは have here? Is に omitted here?
> ****
Is it defining something?
Also in the second part, is the particle before the intransitive verb omitted or does it not require it?
> ****
Thanks! | is used descriptively here, much like . In this sentence, you should be looking at all together.
> __ "life _free from_ inconvenience"
Not as easy to translate to English, but easy to see from examples how it's used in Japanese (see < It's a combination of the particles and
As for the 2nd part you added after I initially posted, no, isn't being excluded here. Expressions which take don't take between them and the part. For example:
>
>
>
>
> | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
What does the word 「いいんスよ」 mean?
Here is the conversation that includes the word.
> A: ...
> {} ****
>
> B:
And I'm curious why the syllable in the word has to be written in katakana? | in this case is a colloquial shortening of .
I think the reason people write it with Katakana is that it makes it easier to tell that's a new word rather than being a typographical error for something else.
If you look for you can find entries that explain that this is a []{} colloquialism (< Our fearless moderator points out that the small- is probably avoided due to "superheavy syllable" it creates.
I decode the sentences as follows:
> A: | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "katakana, colloquial language, contractions"
} |
What does 『なのよさ』 at the end of a sentence mean?
I am currently playing a Visual Novel, and there's a character who ends all of her sentences with that (This is {} from the Grisaia VN series). From what I understood that has to do with {} (Kansai dialect), but I can't find anything on the Internet concerning that... | There are four main parts to consider:
1. (the form of the copula before ~~~~ )
2. ~~~~ (which has a wide range of uses and is highly context-dependent)
3. (an interactional particle)
4. (another interactional particle)
The last three are all **highly context dependent**. But the character ends **all** of their sentences with them, right? They just pile them all on with no regard for context or meaning.
**So the meaning doesn't really matter.**
This is just a fictional character who's been given a special way of speaking that makes them stand out. They aren't really using or or the way they're typically used in Japanese. This sort of thing is pretty common in fiction; I wouldn't worry too much about it. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, expressions, slang, dialects, kansai ben"
} |
How to call the game where you have to find where a picture was taken?
In Japanese, is there a word or expression for the game where someone posts a picture of a place, and others have to find where it is, or even take the same picture?
If there is no specific word, what would be the shortest/easiest expression?
* * *
# Example:
_Where in Tokyo was this picture taken?_ !pic | How about...
| stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word requests"
} |
what does 無駄にコマから出てくるな mean?
I've been reading a manga and there was a sentence:
>
Can someone tell me what does it mean? | As the question still is open, I'll try to answer it.
Your attempt,
> it's waste of illustration so don't show yourself.
is very much off.
1. This is the 'pensive' or 'monologue' , not the imperative
* On second thought, this is debatable. I originally took the sentence to be something the mangaka wrote, criticising his/her own style.
2. means 'frame (of a comic)'
3. This is the particle ('from'), not ('because')
4. Do check the dictionary for (and/or ). Here it means 'to come out'
5. 'Waste of xxx' is typically xxx
, when used this way, means 'pointlessly' or 'for no purpose'
A correct answer would be (if we consider it to be the pensive ),
> [something] is coming out of the comic frame for no good reason
'Something' here, I presume, is referring to whatever is in the frame that is sticking out.
If we take it as a command, it's
> Don't stick out of the comic for no reason! | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, slang"
} |
Am I interpreting も correctly in this sentence?
> ****
I'm interpreting this part as: _Many Familias **also** have an abundance of members_
But I'm not sure if the here is actually inclusive.
Here's a picture of the page.
!enter image description here | > ****
**Famous** Familias have abundant human resources...
If a Familia is famous, it already has a lot of staff, too.
:
> **** ****
> **** ****
> **** **** | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
なでしこ (the football team)
I would like to know the opinions of non-native speakers.
The female Japanese football team is named which means pink. My impression of pink is a flower which is cute but tiny and ephemeral. Whereas the members of look far from being tiny and ephemeral, if not extremely stout and robust.
What do you non-native speakers think about that? I am not talking about aesthetic merit or lack thereof. | Nadeshiko doesn't just mean the color "pink". It's the Japanese word for the flower called pink, or carnation. In the Western "language of flowers," the carnation implies boldness, i.e. courage, due to the vividness of its color, as well as love, purity, and beauty. Therefore in Japan, the type of carnation called _nadeshiko_ has long been associated with both beautiful and strong women. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "word choice"
} |
そこには私一人しかいなかった - why not "私は"?
I understand this sentence, but I cannot explain to myself why I don't need any particle for "". What part of speech is it? | Let's minimize the example.
*
*
*
*
Here is actually a particle, i.e. a binding particle ( kakari-joshi) < | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, particles"
} |
What is the correct reading for the names 小此木 and 廣?
I need to write the names (the adopted son of and (a leader of ) in in an academic paper. What is the correct for and for ?
I tried kanji.reader.bz but it did not find any results. Through a Google search I found that is read as and that is read as .
When I tried searching for in online dictionaries, I was taken to the entry for .
Thank you for your help!
!enter image description here !enter image description here | As a general principle, you can't be fully confident about the reading of a Japanese personal name until you ask themselves or their family (like in English, too, where we have "hue-ston" _Houstons_ and "house-ton" _Houstons_ , for example).
Talking about possibilities, may be read as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , according the link, but I've personally only heard of or .
For your second person, it seems that is his surname and is the given name. The one letter as a given name is most likely to be pronounced as , but I can't deny the possibility of .
* * *
**PS**
in your Yahoo! Ask link is probably a mistype or misunderstanding by the poster for ****. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "readings, names"
} |
Is しようしよう here same as しよう?
> While I was encouraging myself to get in touch, another year passed. (example sentence from )
Is repeated twice for emphasis ("let's do it! let's do it!" or some such), or is it something else? | > etc.
++ **()**
:
> ****
> ****
> **** | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
Meaning of すい歴史
I wonder, what mean word ? (I just recognized it that way)
! | That says {}{}= "old history", not .
makes no sense. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning"
} |
Is there a counter for part-time jobs?
I needed to translate the sentence "Mary has three part-time jobs." What's the counter for "jobs" ( _baito_ , _shigoto_ )?
Also, how do I say that "I organized my room"? | 1. You can use ... for counting or :
> ()/[]{}[]{}
> or ()/
>
> etc...
Alternatively, you can also use ... (at 2 places, 3 places...):
> []{}[]{}()/()
2. How about:
> []{}/
> or
> []{}/ []{} | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "counters"
} |
くれる, あげる, and もらう
Which pair is correct?
# A
> **** ****
# B
> **** **** | Neither pair is correct.
Correct pair:
(From B) **** **** (From A) **** ****
The sentence patterns that are at work here are:
> **2nd/3rd Person** \+ / + 1st Person + + (Object) + + ****
>
> 1st Person + / + 2nd/3rd Person + + (Object) + + ****
Also correct though not applicable with your example:
> 2nd Person + / + 1st/3rd Person + + (Object) + + **** ,
>
> 3rd Person + / + 1st/2nd/Another 3rd Person + + (Object) + + **** , etc.
I will stop here as a complete list using all three verbs will only confuse users (as well as myself). | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
落ちてしまいました versus 落としてしまいました
If I lose my wallet and want to report it to the police officer, what is the correct expression between the two sentences below?
1. ****
2. **** | 2. is the choice.
Syntactically 1. is not incorrect, but it means your wallet fell in a "spontaneous" fashion, as in "my wallet fell from the night table."
*** Added ***
Oh, I forgot.
is intransitive, meaning "to fall."
is transitive, meaning "to drop."
Hence = I dropped my wallet (and hence I have lost it.) | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
Shashin onegaishimasu / しゃしん おねがいします - informally acceptable?
If I were to ask a native of Japan to take a picture of myself or me and the group with whom I am, is it acceptable to ask
"Shashin onegaishimasu / " as a shortcut instead of the things suggested here?
FYI:
7.5 years later I'm finally going.
Can it ever be harmful to bring my 2nd passport? | " " will do.
But I would say "{}{}{}{}{}{}?" if I don't know that native in person.
Courtesy costs you nothing.
*** Added ***
Of course it will do no harm to add as suggested by BCLC and HiruneDiver: literally means "I'm/we're sorry", but it is quite often used to mean "excuse me/us".
And The Wandering Coder's selection is acceptable, too. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "phrases, formality"
} |
Pronunciation of Ōsaka / 大阪 / おおさか / オオサカ
Is the difference in pronunciations of Ōsaka in Google Translate different for the same reasons as "Sayaka" ?
I acknowledge this may be a dupe. | For the **_place name_** : LHHH
Reference: See under category {} in <
For the **_family name_** : HLLL
Reference: None found. Just trust me if you could.
Pitch accents often differ between family names and place names (hat are written the same way) though it is something not many Japanese-learners seem to be aware of.
{} is pronounced LHH as a place name and HLL as a family name.
{}, as a place name, is LHH, but as a family name, it is HLL.
The name is pronounced {HLL} by us native speakers, but quite a few J-learners would pronounce it {LHL}.
**_NOTE: Needless to say, all pronunciations above are based on Standard Japanese._** | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "pronunciation, pitch accent"
} |
あんまり versus あまり
What is the difference between and ? Please also provide me with some examples. | They can be used interchangeably, but sounds a bit more colloquial than .
Examples:
{}{} = "I'm not particularly interested"
{}{} = "I'm not particularly interested"
*** Added ***
I can think of only one situation where is appropriate and is not, namely
= That's too much / too hideous / too ridiculous etc.
We don't say | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 11,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "word choice"
} |
Difference between 鼻先 and 鼻の頭
I've been reading the first Harry Potter book, and as one character's "tip of the nose" was referred to as , another character's was .
Is there a difference between the two? When would one use one or the other? | There is actually a difference between the two.
{}{} can only refer to the "physical" tip of one's nose -- nothing more. Therefore, it has a highly limited meaning.
{} can refer exactly to what does **_and_** something extra. It can also refer to the larger (empty) space in front of one's nose, eyes, face and even one's body.
Thus, you can have acne both at and .
> / ( = acne)
But a car can whizz by only at your .
> {}{} ( = to whizz by) | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "word choice, nuances"
} |
出てこないと気持ちは落ち着かない meaning
>
My western brain can't comprehend the final part of the sentence! I know is something like "show up" and something like "calm down, harmonize". | = not to feel at ease.
Thus
can be translated into something like
"I would not feel at ease if Neville Longbottom didn't show up, even if Ron and Hermione do (did?) in the Harry Potter series." | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, translation, meaning"
} |
Difference between だの and など/とか
I'm reading an old book ( by ) and there's an unfamiliar grammatical phrasing that has fallen out of fashion and/or that he was rather fond of: ~~, e.g.:
**** ****
The dictionary I use suggests it's similar to / in meaning&usage. Are there any important differences? | There indeed exists a fairly important difference between and the other juxtaposition structures such as , etc.
The difference is that would generally imply the speaker's negative feelings about the items being juxtaposed all by itself **_even without using further negative words around it_**.
The other forms of juxtaposition do not carry either a positive or negative connotation all by themselves. That value judgement would need to be expressed with other wordings around them.
**To put it in the simplest terms possible, you are complaining about something 95% of the time you use .**
By "negative feelings" in this case, I am referring to juxtaposing:
1) worthless items or statements by the speaker's judgement (I did not mention juxtaposing statements above but it is a feature of the form.)
2) unrealistic and/or unsubstantial items by the speaker's judgement
In OP's example, the part of alone already expresses the speaker's negative feeling, IMHO. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "word usage"
} |
What's the meaning of どんどんいくぞ/わよ?
I might, for example, come across one of these lines after a battle in a RPG or whatever. by themselves can mean things like "let's go", "let's do this" etc, but I'm not quite sure how changes this. Based on the definitions I can find it seems to add the element of "continuation" but also that it's done "vigorously". But my question is what does it mean. Is it an imperative like "let's keep it up people" or is it an imperative to pick up the pace? | = to keep on going.
Thus "/" = "let's keep on going, okay?" | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning"
} |
犬と猫が好き or 犬も猫も好き, which one is correct?
If both are correct, are there any differences between them? | Both are 100% grammatical and natural-sounding, but since the two phrases are used in different situations/contexts, they are **_not_** interchangeable.
{}{}{} is said when "dogs and cats" have **_not_** specifically been mentioned between the speaker and listener.
The best example of that situation would be when someone asks you the question: {}{} = "What (kinds of) animals do you like?". If you like dogs and cats, you will say . You can **_never_** answer that question by saying .
Moving on...
is said when "dogs and cats" have specifically been mentioned and they are now the topic of the conversation.
The best example of this situation is when someone asks you the question: = "Which do you like better, dogs or cats?". If you like both almost equally, you can say . You would sound **_incredibly weird_** if you answered that question by saying . | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "particles, particle と, particle も"
} |
Is there any difference between 早く終われば and 早く終わったら?
Consider the following two sentences,
1. {}{}{}{}
2. {}{}{}{}
Is there any difference between them? | There are few chances you could sense the difference outside some edge cases but, yes, they have a little difference such as...
`AB` literally comes from "When A is over, then B", so it could imply that A has higher probability to be satisfied. `A()B`, on the other hand, doesn't get along with an A happens as matter of course.
> **** (Fine.)
>
> **** (Won't you get up tomorrow!?)
`AB` can describe a one-off event, where `AB` indicates general condition.
> **** (Fine.)
>
> **** (Are you going to heaven every vacation!?)
(Note: judgements may vary among speakers, see the discussion below.)
As an aside, `` is not formal language. You should use `-` in those settings. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "meaning"
} |
なくちゃ is the short informal of なくてはいけません but why is there なくちゃいけないの rather than なくちゃの?
is the short informal of but why is there rather than ?
For me, sounds like double negative being used here. | > is the short informal of
Well, is a contracted form of . It has no "counterpart" for the part in the _formal_ sense.
For your information,
-> -> -> ->
is epitomising the process of (possible) contraction, but you should be careful in resorting to the final (rightmost) step. If you are talking with someone whom you are familiar with, there is little room for confusion/misunderstanding, but remember that without (or or whatever) is very colloquial and casual. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
} |
"to bite *back*"?
How do you say "to do something _back_ " in Japanese?
For example, I read on the internet that if a horse bites you the best thing to do is "to bite back".
> How would you say "to bite back" in Japanese?
Of course, this construction is universal in that you can "do anything back" basically. Another example would be "to kiss someone back".
> Is there a general construction for "to do X back" in Japanese? | The general construction is {}.
Let me list an example:
to bite back = {}{}{}
Remember, however, this construction has a negative connotation.
In the case of "to kiss someone back" I would say . | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "words, colloquial language"
} |
How to say "Don't treat me coldly"?
I know that if I want to say "You're cold!" I can just say ""
But is there a way of saying "Please don't be cold to me"?
The whole context is truly too long to put into this question but basically I would like to know how to ask
> Did you tell XY to not be cold to me? | I guess the appropriate expression for "please don't be cold to me" may depend on the situation.
One possibility is "{}{}" which means "please do not be harsh on me."
Or you can say "{}" if you prefer more straight (= non euphemistic) expression.
And for "did you tell XY to not be cold to me?" I would say "{}{}XY{}" | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "words, colloquial language"
} |
What does the word 「つなぎゃ」mean?
I found it from the following sentence.
**** | **** is the colloquial pronunciation of **** =
The meaning of the sentence is highly contextual.
can mean "to tie", "to fasten", "to connect", "to keep something going", etc.
I would be inclined to think that it would be about keeping a story/explanation going in a logical manner -- something like **"How should I keep it flowing from here?"** \-- but without further context provided, this would be nothing but speculation.
Other examples of **_colloquial conditional forms_** :
{}{}{}{}{}, etc. | stackexchange-japanese | {
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "words"
} |
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