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Asking for advice/suggestion "should I...?"
,
I was wondering what gramatical structure is best to use when asking for advice as we would in English with 'Should I...?' Or 'should we...?'. I've come across two possible choices but I'm not sure what nuance each structure brings to the sentence. ' ' and ' '
What's should I use if I want to say these simple phrases for example:
1. Should I take of my shoes?
2. Should I open the window?
3. Should we go to the cinema?
My attempts:
1. ()
2.
3. ()
Thanks in advance guys. !
|
I’m Japanese naitive speaker and I don’t study linguistics.
So I write my impression and opinion to your attempt.
1
This is correct and natural sentence because you have now two choices take off your shoes or not.
2[]{} I think this is a little bit unnatural. first, []{} is unusual. []{}is natural.
Now your choice is two []{} or [{}. So I think []{} is natural. this is just my impressions, there are possibilities that when you say []{} , a few people feel you are irritated. I think this depends on your attitude and facial expression .
3 Sorry, I can’t understand the situation so I can’t judge this is natural or not. But In this case if you have two choice or . So is more polite expression.
P.S.
I learned that my feelings that []{} is unusual is not common sense.
This online Japanese dictionary says that []{} and []{} is both used.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, syntax"
}
|
JLPT N1 listening question: Confused about sequence of events
There is a JLPT N1 listening practice question from a third-party website, and I believe its answer is incorrect, but want to make sure. The script is copied below.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 1
> 2
> 3
> 4
>
> 2
(source: <
I don't understand how the answer is not 1. If the must immediately () do , that would imply it is the afternoon (as described: ). However, the speaker begins with , and speaks of a future task after the morning tasks are completed (...), implying that the morning tasks () are not completed yet. Which would mean those are the first order of business for the .
Am I correct in my understanding and choice 1 is correct, or am I completely missing some crucial details here?
|
You skipped the sentence (×).
In this sentence, man tells attendances to switch work of morning and work of afternoon because of his preparation .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "jlpt, time, listening"
}
|
What's the difference between 知り合い & 付き合い?
I have answered this but in answer's sheet it was and I don't get the difference.
![enter image description here](
|
Here, is not possible because of and .
would have been fine. However, here, the after indicates that we have to choose , that is because the verb takes the particle .
As for the difference between and , is a mere acquaintance whereas implies a much closer relationship.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 0,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word choice, word usage"
}
|
The use of verb stem in the sentence
Why in this sentence the stem of the verb is used instead of the verb itself?
>
|
Most often in literary or written formats, you will see the 'verb stem' used in this way as a less 'colloquial' alternative to the -form. So your example can also be rendered as follows:
> ****
See also this thesis entitled "On Japanese Coordinate Structures: An Investigation of Structural Differences Between the -te and the i-form", if you are interested to read a rather more detailed treatment on the subject!
Hope that helps!
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
What does "なのかもっと" mean here?
>
I asked this once in some other site. Basically, this is a dialogue from 2 old ladies complaining about their husbands. Here's the full dialogue.
> Lady 1:
>
> Lady 2: ...
>
> Lady 2:
I think I understand what the 2nd and 1st line mean. (Though I'm not sure if the 2nd line implies that Lady 2 has children.)
It's just the 3rd line that's giving me trouble. I've learned how to use and but the "" in the middle is confusing me.
Is "" separate from the "" or is just ""? What does it do in the sentence?
|
I know you said that only the third line was a problem for you, but let me handle the whole dialogue that you quoted.
> Lady 1:
> Lady 1: My husband can't even bring in much money and order me just as if as I was his maid, he's unbearable. (pretty liberal translation)
> Lady 2: {}...
> Lady 2: That's probably a good thing that you (={}) don't have kids ...
> Lady 2: ****
> Lady 2: 'cause having kids would make you feel even more so.
* = things like kids
* = in sentence 1
* = would looks like even more unbearable.
is here as an intensifier, it's used to underline that the situation without the problem is already quite dire, so when another problem stack up, the situation is so dire you can't help.
Here, the dire situation is: coping with her husband alone. Now, let's imagine she had kids…
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": -1,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
What is the meaning of 一切気にかけようともなさらない in this sentence?
I am trying to understand the sentence However, I have not been able to parse into any words and particles I can identify or find in a dictionary.
So I want to know 1) what are the words/particles in this piece of the sentence, and 2) what does mean?
|
is a set phrase which means "to care about", "to worry about". ` (+ )` is "(not) at all". This is a stiff negative polarity item that works like . ` + + ` is "to try to do ", and is an honorific version of . and are for emphasis.
* : to worry about other's criticism
* : to try to worry about other's criticism
* : (honorific version of the above)
* **** **** : not to try to care about other's criticism at all
* **** **** : (emphatic version of the above)
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
How does "ほじくり返す" work in this sentence?
I was reading Nagatoro where this girl is teasing her senpai. But she says this line that confuses me.
>
From what I've learned, I understand this goes like "If you endure, I'll disclose (it) from the beginning." Though, that sentence doesn't really make sense to me. Which is why I"m here.
|
This is "to bring up again" or "to rehash" rather than "to disclose". Without more context, this sentence sounds to me like the girl is going to talk about the senpai's embarrassing past until he/she gives up. If it still doesn't make sense, please share more context.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
What does "目ついてんのか" mean?
I've seen it on several sites now like this one. <
Seems like some sort of insult to me. I'm not sure what means here.
|
It means "()()". change to , which is a colloquial way. implies that you seem not to have eyes and seem to be able to see nothing. This phrase is very rude and used to revile someone. For example, when a person bumped into someone on the street, he may say it with anger, then they may fight.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
Meaning of に続いて in this sentence
Context:
> ****
> Over 380 years ago this festival originated from celebrating the move of the shrine and walking through town carrying a drum on a wooden cart.
> ****
> On the 7th _it continued to_ children who walked in the guise of people from olden times and warriors on horse back, and 19 parade floats were pulled along.
When I started to ask this question I had no idea how to understand . My current guess is that pairs with from the previous sentence, i.e. the festival originated () from doing X but continues () to this day by doing Y.
Have I understood this correctly? If I'm right it feels a bit strange that a specific date is given rather the just or or something like that. Obviously I can understand that they want to tell us what date the festival was, but my English translation seems awkward. I wonder how natural the Japanese is?
|
This seems to me to be the 'set expression' use of , to mean "following" or "in the wake of" or similar (I suppose if you wanted a semi-structural translation, you could say 'continuing on from'?). To take your translation:
>
>
> On the 7th, **in the wake of** the children who walked in the guise of people from olden times and warriors on horse back, 19 parade floats were pulled along.
I don't have a good sense if this is awkward in Japanese, but that interpretation could work with what the video clip is showing too.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "reading comprehension"
}
|
What does the word 「やめにしい」 mean?
Here is the dialogue containing the word.
> A: ...
>
> B: ****
|
is a way of saying "stop!" in Kansai-ben.
* ` + + ` is a set phrase meaning "to cancel", "to stop", "to give up", "to quit", etc. Here its object is ("deceiving yourself").
* (also written as , ) is a Kansai-ben version of . For example, / ("Hurry!") becomes . See: What is the meaning of ?
>
> Stop deceiving yourself already!
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "words, colloquial language, manga, kansai ben"
}
|
What's the difference between 役割 and 役回り?
Weblio gives both the meaning of role or part (duty is there too as a less used meaning), so I assume the difference is on the nuances. In addition, seems to be much more used by Japanese natives than . The few examples I could find of carried negative connotations, either regarding duties or when it came to acting, it was used to refer to playing a villainous character. Does always have a negative meaning?
<
<
|
is not necessarily _negative_ , but it's something _passive_. defines as:
> ### ‐
>
>
>
> (※ = twist of fortune)
That is, you don't actively take some , but you passively (or sometimes randomly) end up being assigned to some . No one wants to actively take a bad role, so it is true that tends to refer to negative roles. But can also refer to a good role assigned to someone, as you can see in the following examples in BCCWJ.
> * ****
> * ****
> * ****
>
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 8,
"tags": "word choice, nuances"
}
|
What does <verb>ことのある<noun> mean?
In a chat with a Japanese person, he told me Context is that we talked about books.
Can someone translate that into English and explain me what the part means?
I saw this already sometimes but I never understood it. Does mean "existing book"?
EDIT: Thinking about it again, I wondered if means the same as the other sentence above. Or is there a difference?
|
The sentence can be changed to . is used as a subject marker in some cases.
means "have experience in doing", and present perfect tense is used for it such as "Have you been to Japan?(?).
is a relative clause. It is translated as "The book that you have read before in German".
It means almost the same as "". If I say about a little difference, is past tense and is an experience.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, translation, meaning"
}
|
Explaination for はずです?
What is the difference between
> {}{}
and
> {}{}or for politeness
?
According to Jisho.org means "be supposed or expected to (do)" but that does not go in my head for some reason.
Without the sentence means: `"There is someone you should meet."`
|
Here's the difference.
>
> There is someone you should meet.
>
>
> There must be someone you should meet.
> I believe there is someone you should meet.
This () is a basic grammatical pattern, so please read the following articles:
* Maggie Sensei: How to use ( = hazu)
* Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese: Things that should be a certain way
Not to be confused with , which can be also translated to "should". refers to one's obligation or correct choice, whereas refers to one's belief or expectation about some fact.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, meaning"
}
|
Use of って when quotation doesn't make sense
I'm playing through a game right now and I'm seeing used at the end of sentences a lot. I know can be a shorthand version of the particle, but it doesn't make sense as nobody is being quoted or nothing is is being declared as in "X is called this"
For example a character says
>
>
> My translation: Uwaa! This is really strange!
After a friend screams for suddenly being really hungry
The use of the doesn't make sense here to me, so what is really intended or why is this ending used?
|
This type of is mainly used to repeat one's opinion, like "I'm saying " or "I told you, ". So it's still quotative in a sense; the speaker is quoting their own previous statement. For example, depending on the context, can mean either "[Someone] told you to sleep" (quote from a third speaker) or "I told you, go to bed!"
But is also often used when you say something for the first time, and in such cases it's just like "come on", "you know", or "I tell you" used to strongly seek for agreement.
> **** ****!
> Never mind, it'll be okay!
> **** …
> Hey, this mansion is crazy, I tell you.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 15,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "grammar, particle と, particle って"
}
|
What does "グジュグジュ" mean?
Found it here. <
>
>
>
>
> >^_^<
>
> OK
I've tried looking it up in as many dictionary as I can find but I found nothing. Is this an onomatopoeia of some sort?
|
is indeed an onomatopoeia describing something being wet, watery, damp, etc. (often, if not always, in a grubby way.)
Onomatopoeias often have multiple variants to them: therefore, many of them cannot be found in dictionaries. We also say , etc.
Here, it is talking about the inside of a dog's ears by using the onomatopoeia. This particular dog has wet discharge inside its ears, which is not ideal as that can help bacteria thrive in the ears.
So, the first two lines mean:
> "(As for) the cocker spaniel.."
>
> "It is wet and grubby inside his ears. Gotta do something to get rid of that, don't we? "
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "translation, onomatopoeia"
}
|
How politely to say "you"?
I found many variants in the internet, but they include ``, which as I know isn't polite and better not to say it to a stranger.
So, if I don't know the name/last name of the person, don't know the job position (at work e.g.), how can I say politely `you`? Like: "Do `you` know?", "Are `you` `<Name of the person>`?" etc.
And is it polite to ask person about his/her name? If you forgot it.
|
The first strategy is avoidance. No word for "you" is needed in either of your examples:
In other cases, the prefix ( or ) serves instead.
In _very_ rare cases where you actually do need to address someone, if you're being formal, can be used in some cases (especially in contrast with oneself - like "and what about you?" )
If you can't use (it really sounds formal and distant), the strategies you listed are all okay: is fine towards strangers when you don't have a better way of addressing them; asking for the name is perfectly fine when you don't already know it.
If you forgot the name... it's equally awkward as in any language, I suppose. You can always just bite down and … (In an informal situation, ) Awkwaaard... but quite polite.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "usage, politeness, word usage, pronouns, second person pronouns"
}
|
Temporal ambiguity on mochiko packaging
I am making some shiratama mochi and want to know if I have to scoop the mochi out after they rise, or 1-2 minutes after they rise:
> ****
My first thought was that I am meant to wait until 1-2 minutes after the dango has risen before scooping it into cold water, but the presence of makes me suspect that the is actually an approximation of how long it will take for the dango to rise.
Also, optional bonus question since the and differences always challenge me:
Why is being used instead of , and would using instead change anything?
|
When a series of actions is listed with the verbs in the conjunctive form, the list can parse out to "`[VERB]`, then `[VERB]`, then `[VERB]`..."
Years ago, a friend of mine at work laughed after getting off the phone with his wife, when he realized that she'd explained her day using almost entirely -form verbs. My memory is fuzzy, but it was something like,
>
_"With [someone], we went, and talked, then [I? we?] returned home and ate and had a nap."_
Here's your sample sentence:
> ****
Let's break this up.
> ****
The dango float up, _and then_...
> ****
_after_ giving it another 1 to 2 minutes, _then_...
> ****
scooping them out in order (i.e. in the order in which they floated up), put them in cold water, _and_...
>
cool them off.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "て form, particle から"
}
|
What's the difference between 海獣 and 怪獣?
What's the difference between and ? Do they both mean the same thing, or is one proper and the other one not?
|
is a common word that refers to (big) monsters. This was a popular genre in the Japanese film industry, and there is an Wikipedia article written in English. Character-wise, means "wicked; strange", and means "beast; monster".
is a rare biological term which refers to marine mammals such as seals, whales and manatees. The kanji means "sea; ocean". This word is normally used in academic contexts, so usually there is no chance of confusion. But in some fictional works, it may be also used to refer to "marine monsters" such as Kraken.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word choice"
}
|
What does 「はった」 mean?
I heard this phrase in a video , and I am only guessing that it _might_ be the verb . It passes in a rap verse so I can't really think of a context to give other than that our rapper is a gambler. To cut it short, can mean "bet" or "place your bets"?
I also found , but I am pretty sure that's not it. Thanks in advance!
|
In gambling, {} indeed means " ** _to place one's bet_** ". See definition #24 in , which says:
> 24 ()―
{}{} means "gambling".
Next, an explanation of the " ** _verb + _** " to express an order/request might be in order (no pun intended) as that is not something I have heard too many Japanese-learners use. This is **_not_** the past-tense .
Definition #4 for in says:
> {}{}{}{}{}{} [] []
That says: (in plain form) expresses an imminent order or request.
As you see in the first example , we often repeat the verb. is indeed very common in gambling. One would rarely say just .
has the nuance of "Get the hell outta here!"
means "Hey, wait a sec!"
Finally, the expression that you mentioned {}{} has nothing to do with what we are talking about. It means "being very violent", "slashing and striking", etc.
has nothing to do with it, either.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
What's the meaning and nuance of ばっかり in this sentence?
A girl is worried and upset because she believes she is more excited and happy about the relationship with her boyfriend than he is. So she says:
……
I think the sentence means something like "It feels I am the _only one_ who is happy...", with meaning "only one". However, if my translation is indeed correct, wouldn't (maybe even too, but that would need to have the sentence changed to negative form) fit better than to express "I am the only one happy, not him but just me" ? Because I understood rather means "there’s so much of something to the point where there’s nothing else"... and I am not sure said meaning fits here (or does it?)
Am I getting the meaning/nuance of in this context wrong?
|
Your translation is correct. (colloquialism for ) in this sentence is indeed "only", and it's interchangeable with here.
It's that _only_ means "so much/many of something". has a wider usage.
* : OK, "so many beautiful things"
* : OK, "(almost) only beautiful things", "so many beautiful things"
* : OK, "only beautiful things"
* × : Wrong
* : OK, "only you"
* : OK, "only you"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, meaning, nuances"
}
|
Meaning of 日の跡のささくれ
I am checking the lyrics for a track of music in which the words are repeated in two different lines, I know the meaning of words, but the meaning of the sentence is still vague for me.
>
>
>
|
Let's look at the pieces of your phrase.
* is just "day", pretty straightforward there.
* is the "afters" of something, "leftovers" or "marks" or "scars", the impact or effect made by something.
→ so parses out to "the aftereffects or marks left by the day".
* is the noun or stem form of the verb ("to split finely from the ends"). could refer to something that's splitting in this way, and is a synonym for ("hangnail").
Links to Weblio's Japanese page and English page for .
Given the context in your two example lines, it sounds like the singer is describing small and slightly painful wounds left over as aftereffects of certain days, presumably using the term "hangnail" as a poetic allusion to a stinging emotional hurt.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, words"
}
|
Reason for と particle after adverb さっき in sentence about something previously mentioned
I came across this sentence and I believe I understand what it is saying, but I don't understand why there is a particle being used after . Why is it not just ? As there is nothing that comes after here
Sentence:
>
>
> What? That is different from what I was saying a moment ago!
|
A phrase is abbreviated, and it would be easy to figure out why "" is required.
>
So, the sentence is comparing and , so that it requires .
That sentence is often used when someone is complaining/accusing that one changes his/her explanation.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "verbs, particle と, adverbs"
}
|
Help with understanding nuances of extremely popular Kyoto-ben (?) tweet
I noticed this tweet:
>
with 70K+ retweets < and don't quite get why it's so popular. I half-get that it's about Kyoto person saying "DIE!" at someone, but I don't understand the grammar enough to get the rest.
What's happening here and why is it so popular? Is there some peculiarity of the dialect I'm missing here?
|
First, it's two sentences, although periods are omitted.
>
> Kyoto people don't say "Die!" (to someone). (Instead,) They say "Oh this person is dead" after killing them.
I think you can get the main part of this joke from the translation. Basically this is an ethnic joke that is making fun of the cold and sarcastic trait of Kyoto people. is a Kyoto-ben version of . (This tweet also shows the stereotyped image of Kyoto people. Well, who said sarcasm doesn't exist in Japan?)
In addition, by itself sounds funny. This (or , ) is a stereotyped feminine (or "geisha-ish") Kyoto-ben variant of . Naturally, it comes after a noun or an adjective, but not after an imperative form. A "correct" Kyoto-ben sentence for "Die!" would be something like . Therefore, this tweet initially looks like a serious Kyoto-ben lesson, but it turns out to be a dirty joke in the second sentence, which makes the tweet even funnier.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "translation, dialects"
}
|
Is it possible to join 以下 + しか?
I try to use the limit marker (less than, up to) with the particle to convey that the amount of less than 1 for a bonus is fewer than expected. Can I use both words together? My sentence is:
> A:
> B: 1 ****
|
> ****
I think it's grammatically okay. Similar examples:
> ****
> kg ****
> ****
> ****
> ****
... but I think would probably say it like this, using :
>
> \-- **** or
> \-- ****
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, particle しか"
}
|
I need help finding this kanji
!enter image description here
It looks something like this, but I can't seem to find it anywhere.
|
Perhaps it is () meaning ‘bomb’ or ‘pop’ or ‘split’ or similar in kanji-compounds, or is also sometimes used for a ‘roar of laughter’?
In your drawing, it seems you have, instead of writing and _then_ and underneath, you have combined the vertical strokes in the sloping ones beneath: I think this might be the reason why you have had trouble finding it in a handwriting recognition dictionary, or a dictionary that goes on stroke count.
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "kanji"
}
|
Meaning of 準備ができたものから
Context:
> ****
> They will also start making other coins such as the 10 and 50 yen _from the thing they were able to prepare_.
I can't even guess at what is meant to mean in this sentence. What is referring to? The context doesn't help me at all.
Edit: Presumably it is simply "after they've made preparations", but I still don't understand the part well.
|
This stands for the starting point of sequence, just like English _from_ in "from the largest to smallest". The dictionary says:
> ****
So,
>
> _in the order they reach readiness_
> _(starting) from what has been made ready_
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "reading comprehension"
}
|
Translation help for a short sentence
> ()
This is a sentence I saw below a YouTube Japanese music video.
As I understand it, it says "To be honest, I only want to be loved by you (But I'm a boy)"
But that sounds so weird. Is my translation correct? And while we are at it, what grammatical function does the have?
|
As @BJCUAI pointed out in the comment,
> ()
is intended to be a creative reply referring to a line of the lyrics in the video:
>
which is already an untypical, creative wording. is the contraction of "be willing to" + (question), but usually means that you have active desire to do something, while is passive (in grammar and meaning), that means, these two phrases are not really connectable in the usual sense. It should be instead understood by adjusting grammar to the meaning, such as:
> Do you seriously want me to love you (or not)!?
On this basis, the original comment would be like:
> You know I seriously want nothing but you to love me... Note: I'm a guy
What the poster wants to say is that he likes his song very much, and this kind of "I love your video, marry me" comments are quite popular on YouTube. (Isn't it?)
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, translation, words"
}
|
Should one use the -masu form of verbs when talking about one's own actions?
If I'm having a conversation with someone in which I am using the polite form of verbs, should I also use the -masu form if I'm describing something I do or did? If I'm saying, for example, , should that be ? Or does it sound stuck-up?
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At the very simplest level, regardless of whether talking about your own or others' actions, it is best to stick to style if you want to be polite.
It does not sound stuck up if the politeness is appropriate, but it might sound distant (so, potentially aloof/stuck up as a result?) if you (continually) use it when speaking to friends.
That said, it is not uncommon to have style-shift within a conversation, which is lucidly explained, in brief, here: Can polite and casual Japanese be combined?.
As is often the case with how one's words come across, it will partly depend on the manner of speaking (speed, stress, word choice, etc.), and non-verbal elements (body language, gestures, etc). I can imagine saying something in polite-form might _enhance_ sounding stuck up in certain circumstances, but those other factors will really be key, I think.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "politeness"
}
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How to understand 才能に有無があるなら多分そういう事だろう
I think that there is a typo in the line and it should be , however, in either case I am not quite sure what is being said. Here's the exchange for context:
> …
>
> ****
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This is a reference to so-called ("talent to make a correct effort"). refers to what he just said ().
>
>
> If there is a distinction between "talented" and "no talent", it probably amounts to such a fact.
>
> (Free translation) If there is something called a talent, that's about understanding how to make an effort effectively.
So the guy is saying that is not an excuse because improper is meaningless. The guy is also implying a right effort comes with a good result.
**EDIT** : **** is not a typo, and this is just an (abstract) location marker used with //etc. A very literal translation is "If there is (a distinction between) presence and absence in talent".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
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What does "日数" mean here?
From manga where student is being scolded.
>
>
>
>
>
It's a long sentence so I'm having trouble.
I think I can understand that the teacher has a meeting next week. It's the following words I'm confused with. Is the teacher saying the student's about to fail?
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> "It's a long sentence so I'm having trouble."
Long sentences are not too often used in manga. Sentences just tend to "look" long to Japanese-learners because there are practically no punctuations used in manga.
{} simply means what the two kanji would suggest -- " _ **the number of days**_ ".
Thus, []{} means " _ **the (total) number of days attended**_ (at school)".
> "We have a meeting next week."
>
> "(We will discuss whether) you have attended school for a sufficient number of days."
>
> "and whether you have not received too many F's."
{} is a school slang for "Fail".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation"
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Difference between the words kakemono and kakejiku
Does anyone reading this site know of any nuance(s) differentiating these two words? Numerous online sites say that kakejiku is more commonly used, but I have found no information about whether the words are truly synonymous, e.g. with reference to size, significance, materials used, subject of the work, or other characteristics.
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At least in Japanese, () is a type of (). only refers to hanging _scrolls_. Note the kanji ("axis/shaft"), which refers to scrolls in this context.
is much less common, but it is broadly used to refer to paintings and calligraphic works that are intended to be hung on a wall. The kanji is just "thing(s)" or "one(s)". They include , but they may be drawn also on _shikishi_ , _tanzaku_ , etc.
( **English** Wikipedia article for _kakemono_ doesn't seem to distinguish _kakemono_ and _kakejiku_ , and they are defined as **Japanese** hanging scrolls. The **Japanese** word refers to hanging scrolls in general, and it's perfectly fine to say . I don't know how these words are used by English-speaking experts as **English** loanwords.)
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "word choice, nuances, culture, terminology, calligraphy"
}
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やることが多過ぎて気が張っているせいか
- too much
- Why is it there? What's its position relating the grammar?
- Does it express intention? What does it represent exactly?
- to fill, to do maybe?
- What is the grammatical function of this??
I'm a N4 Japanese learner so it's still so confusing for me to resolve the sentences. Can someone analyze it?? Thank you so much for now.
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* works as an intransitive **verb** , and is its te-form. This te-form describes a reason/cause. Recheck the grammar of .
* is a set phrase that means "to feel nervous", "one's nerve is stretched". is its progressive form.
* is a special noun () which translates to "due to", "because of". (This seems to be categorized as a N3 grammar point, but it's very common in colloquial Japanese.)
* This is a question marker, but in this context it's like "presumably", "possibly" or "supposedly". See this.
>
> possibly due to the fact that [someone] is being nervous because there are too many things to do
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, meaning, usage"
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Difference between ばかり, ところ, and 今?
I’ve gathered that these all can be used like “just” (right?) so I’m wondering what the difference in usage is between them.
>
>
>
>
>
Are these all basically the same?
(also, in informal speech is it appropriate to just say and by themselves at the end like in my examples?)
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The difference between and is that means you just finished, can be 1 minute ago, 1 hour ago, 1 week, it really depends on what you are talking about. means this moment exactly. for example: (Even though he just came back from his trip, he is going on another trip.) (the moment I got home the telephone rang)
The first example can mean that the guy came back from his trip a week ago and already goes on another trip where the second example really means the moment you got home.
As for , it just means now and can be compared to , but a bit less strict with it being the exact moment.
The meaning of also changes with which form of verb you use (past, present, future). Past tense means just finished doing it, present means in the midst of, and future means just about to. (just talked) (going to talk) (talking)
I hope this explanation makes sense and answered your question.
When using always put behind it, can be with or without .
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, word choice, colloquial language, word usage"
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What is the difference between はじめまして vs 始めよう?
I was watching a Japanese TV show, and in the start of the episode, introductions were made between two people; then later in the show, they were playing a video game. In both instances, the phrase "Hajimemashite" was used.
Is it correct to use it in the second instance? Shouldn't they have said, "Hajimemashou" instead?
**Research**
> How do you do?; I am glad to meet you - on Jisho
From my understanding, this is used when meeting someone for the first time.
> to start; to begin; to commence; to initiate; to originate - on Jisho
Whereas, this one means to begin, e.g., to start a race, game, etc.
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As the dictionary says, the two phrases are completely different, and they are never interchangeable.
* is used when you meet someone for the first time. "Nice to meet you; Glad to meet you; How do you do"
* is just "Let's start (the show, lesson, etc)".
It's difficult to guess what was actually happening in your video. Maybe you misheard something ( "(It) started" may sound similar if said quickly), or maybe they were just jokingly saying "hello" to a character in the game.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "word choice"
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Help explain と in this sentence
I understood it as "I also won't go." But according to Tae Kim's guide and Google Translate it is read as "I have to go too." Why is that? I assume has something to do with it since removing it gives me what I understood of it in the first place or so sayeth Google Translate.
For the full context:
Yeah. What I understood of it does not make sense in this context.
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In this context, I would interperet to mean "I must" (because there is something you must do elsewhere etc or you have some obligation to fulfil).
So: = I must also go.
is actually a contraction of **** or ****.
For example:
→
Tae-Kim explains it here (better than me!): <
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, particle と, negation"
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verb tense in ため clause
I have learnt that we can use a before but I don't know whether the tense in should agree with the tense in the main clause or not.
Thanks a lot.
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The Japanese language is based on relative tense.
A -clause must be in the past tense if it describes a cause/reason that happened in the past in relation to the main clause.
* ****
I will take the day off school because I caught a cold.
* ****
I took the day off school because I caught a cold.
A -clause must be in the present tense if it describes the purpose of the main clause (because the -clause describes something in the future in relation to the main clause).
* ****
I left home to watch a movie.
* ****
I'll leave home (soon) to watch a movie.
Even if you are talking about what you did yesterday, you have to use before . is at least grammatical, but it would sound like "I left home because I had watched a move", which usually makes little sense.
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, tense"
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Is my hiragana/katakana handwriting good or understandable?
![enter image description here](
I just started learning Japanese a few days ago.. so far in the process, do you think that my writing is good or easy to read? I am trying to learn, on my own, the hiragana and katakana characters at the same time.
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Only real issue is that your looks a bit like , everything else is legible.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": -2,
"tags": "katakana, hiragana, learning, handwriting"
}
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部屋で2人っきりてのがどーもな。 Understanding this て and the meaning of this どーも
![Kojima tells Itou to quit his cram school](
>
>
>
>
> 2 ****
I am struggling with the bolded phrase, I think he says something to the meaning of "What are you going to do with just two people in a room" but think I may be missing something because I am not sure if can be interpreted that way since I can't find a use case.
I think might be short for but in that case I would expect so I am not 100% sure about that either.
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The dictionary form of:
>
would be:
>
In this context, is used for an ambiguous expression of a (somewhat) **negative** feeling. It is similar in meaning to or . This is used quite often in informal speech as it saves us the trouble of selecting adjectives, verb phrases, etc. with more precise or concrete meanings.
Here are the definitions for this usage of from two monolingual dictionaries. The key phrase for both is .
: ②
: {}{}{}{}{}{}
For a translation, I might use " _ **dunno how to put it, but it's kinda meh**_ (to me)" or simply, " _ **It's kinda..., y'know**_."
Thus, this speaker is implying that the idea of being alone with a private tutor in a room does not appeal to him.
Finally, surely means the same as and here. In colloquial speech, some young people use instead of in recent years.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "grammar, contractions"
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What's the difference between 初心者, 入門者 and 初級者
I see Written mostly in books which mean beginner or elementary level, the other two were written on the same page for a drawing course i fould online as "" and "", but i don't see any difference between the 3 and how to properly use them.
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"" is used when you should be instructed by teacher , instructor, person who can teach properly.
"" can be used by when you have just started to practice sports, video games, etc. When you use it, you do not need a person who certify your level of sports, video games, etc.
"" is used when the level of something already set, such as books of kanji handwritings, ski courses and so on.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, word choice, usage, nuances"
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Order of compound particles
I came across the following sentence:
> __
Why are and in that order? Would " __ " be incorrect? Is there a rule concerning the order in which particles must be assembled?
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Yes, the order matters. Since things before the will be treated as a part of the quote, sounds like he actually said "", which makes no sense in this context. It's somewhat like "He even said that " vs "He said that even ". In general, when two particles are combined, the order is almost always important (e.g., you can say but not ).
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "particle と, compounds, particle まで"
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What degree of uncertainty do かな and たぶん imply?
![
Translation: "7 years ago there was a guy called ‘Cell’… **[Dabra]’s probably about as strong as him…** ”
: I wonder; I guess : perhaps; probably
Would these versions be just as accurate?:
A. "[Dabra]'s probably about as strong as him, I guess..."
B. "[Dabra]'s perhaps about as strong as him, I wonder..."
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Both A and B are mostly correct, but are missing a little in terms of nuance.
implies much less uncertainty than , so what he's really saying here is:
"He's maybe as strong as Cell, probably..."
With Goku's being a way of making his guess more firm. By saying "I guess" or "I wonder" at the end of the sentence in your translations, you're slightly removing that finality of him saying "probably."
The original has a connotation like he's saying "he's about as good as that guy, yeah, that sounds about right."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "manga"
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Why the specific spelling "一つひとつ"?
I'm reading a book and the author keeps using the spelling "" for "one-by-one". I found this a bit curious: The word itself is just a doubled , so why not spell both parts the same? Does writing it that way convey a certain nuance which or 11 do not?
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This is a matter of personal taste. If the author did this intentionally, I believe they were trying to emphasize the nuance of by covering various possible spellings. Similar examples include and . One may also argue that switching kanji/kana too much in a single word is visually displeasing, but I personally doubt that is the main reason.
Here are the hit counts of BCCWJ:
* : 604
* : 1005
* : 293
* : 5
* * *
**EDIT:** This is not limited to ...
* : 224; : 193; : 9; : 0
* : 2; : 183; : 9; : 0
* : 8; : 24; : 3; : 0
* : 823; : 354; : 4; : 0
Maybe the users of are treating the second part somewhat like a long okurigana...? I personally do not do this, but it is true that there are writers who like this style.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "nuances, spelling"
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Volitional + と without follow-up
The following sentence was part of the last exercise I did:
> _____ A
>
> A. B. C. D.
The right answer was D.
The thing is, I have trouble understanding the meaning of this sentence. I think I understand most of it though:
>
>
> That's because a lot of people are trying to kill us.
>
>
>
> This (is?) something incredibly dangerous
Then I'm a bit stuck. I feel like the key to understanding this sentence is that "" without any follow-up. I think I remember learning something like the "" or "" that usually comes after the volitional form + can be omitted. However, I cannot wrap my head around this part.
How should I parse this sentence? And what's the meaning of it once "" has been inserted?
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I feel this is a difficult question even to some native speakers... The meaning of the first sentence is "No matter what you are going to find (e.g., in this dungeon), it **must be** something incredibly dangerous." For this , see: What are the grammar rules behind this clause, ? and Meaning of volitional passive form
So, you are supposed to choose the correct expression that corresponds to this "must be". B ("nothing is better than a dangerous thing") is clearly wrong. A and C are close, but these are usually used in the context where you are identifying something/someone with a concrete evidence. (or , without ) expresses a strong suspicion, which is better in this context because the speaker knows almost nothing about what they are going to find.
> =
> [seeing a photograph / collating a fingerprint] It must be Taro.
>
> =
> ["Who ate the cake?"] It must be Taro.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "particle と, volitional form"
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Meaning of "チャラにする"
What does this phrase mean?
Here is the context:
I appreciate your help. Thanks!
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is an often-used colloquial/slangy expreession meaning " ** _to call it even_** ", " ** _to forgive a debt_** ", etc.
The more formal and synonymous phrases would include:
{}{}{}{}, etc.
by itself means "banter", "wise-cracking", etc. It is, however, rarely used by itself.
If you are familiar with the word **** which means "flattery", the last part is the word in question.
Without more context, it is difficult to tell exactly what your sentence:
>
means, but it would be something along the lines of:
> "(Something/Someone) cancels out all of the things that are so sad that you/someone might die from them."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning"
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What is "It is x o'clock" in Japanese with subject
I've just started studying Japanese so I'm using Hiragana.
In the book it says
> "It's 1 o'clock"
is
> ""
in Japanese.
But if I want to use the form
> "X "
then what should "X" be?
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Most formally, we say:
> {}{} + + X{}
To continue roughly in the order of formality, we replace by:
> {}
>
> {}
>
>
Please remember, however, that just saying X is completely grammatical, normal, common, natural-sounding, etc. in Japanese.
Finally, by replacing the {} by {} in the phrases above, they become slightly less formal as well.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 14,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "grammar"
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Casual ways to ask meaning?
I know but how might you ask this question in a casual setting among friends?
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A phrase like this can be asked a lot of ways, in a casual tone.
Simplest I think would be:
>
This can be used both for meaning and also identification of objects.
If you want to be specific about asking for a meaning, I'd try:
>
Or, say, something with two possible meanings, I'd go with:
>
or
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "word choice, nuances, colloquial language"
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Meaning of はいてなかったり?
I recently came across the phrase `` which has me stumped.
For context, a character utters the phrase after dismissing the possibility of something:
**_Character:_** Oh, those guys? Yeah, they're pretty weird, but I don't think they're criminals. ...
**_EDIT:_** Below is the original sentence in Japanese. I decided to paraphrase a bit because it was talking about love-related stuff that I felt might add more confusion to the issue.
**Character:** ... ... ...
A fellow translator translated it as `I just don't see it...` but I can't figure out how they got there.
I can't find the phrase in any online dictionary, but it seems to be a fairly common phrase online (e.g. ``, ``). I can't figure out the meaning of those examples either.
Could it be a form of `` which is being negated, as in `something not there`?
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This is a very, very context dependent question. Not just a matter of a few sentences, but over volumes of the comic. I have never read it myself, but the fansite contained enough circumstantial evidence to answer. My confidence that this is where is came from is that the lines ... ... are on this page. (This would have been a LOT easier if you would have just told us where it came from. (-_-;)
is referring to not wearing underwear as a case-in-point example of the "strange things they do" that makes the speaker think the persons she is talking about (most likely ) are far from having a romantic relationship.
Apparently , who is a member of the and the only one who goes commando, thinks wearing underwear will hinder having a romantic relationship. `(*53)`
Since is a recurring theme throughout the series and the speaker is talking about the "strange behavior" of the group is in, it is obvious to the reader that she is talking about not wearing underwear.
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 1,
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I don't understand what 兵器転用 and 内容 means in this sentence
I'm learning Japanese, so I've been reading an action story to practice.
A scientist sends a pen drive to the news in order to expose some terrorists that were misusing his research for war purposes. The news makes a report about the theoretical assessments of his research, but the scientist is confused because the data on the pen drive was different.
>
From what I can understand, is something like "weaponization" but I'm not sure.
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just means war weapon, and means (re-)using something for another purpose. In this context, refers to the content of the data in the drive.
So the sentence in question is essentially the same as ("I believe the data was about using my research for weapons"). is not a common compound listed in dictionaries, but there is no particle between and because this is the exact topic of the current story, and the speaker thinks it can be treated almost like a set phrase. Therefore, 'weaponization' seems to be a good translation to me.
Related: the omission of an implied "" creates the appearance of a {}?
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "words, sentence"
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adding んー to the end of a phrase (e.g. いつ帰ってくるんー？)
A friend recently texted me ''. I understand the question, but I don't understand why would be added to the end of the verb. Is this to add emphasis or emotional context?
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> {} ****
Around Kansai, it is common to end a question with a in colloquial speech. The should be for emphasis as you said.
Thus, a more "Standard" way to say the same thing would be:
> ****
Kansai ladies have asked me questions such as:
{} **** "Do you really like me?"
{}{} **** "You've been answering a lotta questions lately. Are you bored silly?"
Disclaimer: If your friend is **not** from around Kansai, please ignore this answer. I would have no idea what meant, then, in his/her dialect. It is always helpful to tell us where the speaker is from when asking these questions.
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 5,
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What does the ending to this する conjugation mean してんなぁ?
Here is my sentence meaning "I feel like I am getting weaker." means to fall/decline and it is a noun and can be used as a suru verb. It seems suru is in it's te form here, my guess is because it's describing an ongoing state and I believe the in is the "explanatory" ~ . If that is the case, what purpose does the have at the end of this statement and what effect does having this explanatory statement provide instead of just saying . The following sentence is and this is from Yotsuba (1st chapter).
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is a contraction of (which in itself is a contraction of , as you probably know). sometimes becomes before certain consonants.
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "explanatory の"
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What does なり切ってしまう mean?
I've been reading a book in Japanese in order to learn new kanji, words, etc., but I've come across something I can't seem to translate. The sentence is as follows.
>
I'm familiar with all the words and grammar within the sentence, and, based on context clues, I think I have a rough understanding of what this sentence means. But I'm a bit uncertain of what actually means, as I don't think we're talking about the verb 'to cut'. It's my understanding that has a good handful of other meanings, so I thought it must be one of those which I'm unfamiliar with.
And, to give a little bit of context in case that helps, this is from Edogawa Ranpo's noveland the sentence above is describing the thief's ability to disguise himself.
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> {}{}{}{}{}{}
means " **to really get into the role** ", " **to act a role perfectly** ", etc.
in this expression means " ** _to become ~~_** " in the sense of " ** _to play the role of ~~_** "
here means " **to do something completely or to the end** ".
> "From tycoon to beggar, scholar to scoundrel, and even a woman -- (this man) is said to be capable of acting any kind of role just perfectly."
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{
"answer_score": 4,
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If my business card says 〇〇さん, does that mean I'm referring to myself with an honourific?
My company (a Japanese startup) issued me a set of business cards. The information on the card is almost entirely in English. Except for the company address, the only other bit in Japanese isin small font beneath my English name.
When I was asked for what to mention on the card, I'd only specified my preferred English name (I assumed they'd pick the Katakana version from my contract and related forms). However, I do generally ask people to call me .
I have never seen in a business card before, and find it surprising. It feels like like saying "I'm ." Is that the case?
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Adding - is definitely not conventional as a formal Japanese name card. But English-only name cards are not conventional in the first place, and hardly sticking to the traditional style may not be always good for a startup. Getting to know how to call each other is one of the difficult tasks in foreign communications. If I received a name card with on it, I might be a little surprised, too, but I would take it as a practical and friendly comment, "please call me -san (instead of Mr. Smith, Professor, etc)". Unlike , is not a super respectful suffix, so no one would think you are being arrogant.
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{
"answer_score": 17,
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"tags": "honorifics, business japanese"
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What is the mean difference between 取引先との付き合い方 and 取引先の付き合い方?
What is the mean difference between and ?
Thank for support me.
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If you don't know how , , and so on work yet, please learn it first: Grammar of , what is the meaning / Why can we use after and ?
So, **** means "how to get along with your business partners" or "the way to deal with business partners". Note that is a noun which by itself means something like 'communication methods'. This is the recommended choice if you want to build a formal and unambiguous sentence.
**** is an ambiguous expression since is a generic linking particle that has a wide variety of functions, one of which is to mark the subject of an action. It can mean the same thing as **** , but it can also mean "how the business partner deals with (us or someone else)".
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
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How to interpret the next sentence: 日本の新しい大学を見学します。
I was told in class that
>
> _Nihon no atarashī daigaku o kengaku shimasu._
means
> I will visit a new university in Japan.
I understand this as
> I am visiting the new Japanese university (right now).
I don't see the context to think this action will happen later, and besides it has the ~ ending.
Where is the "will" part?
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Japanese doesn't have a clear distinction between present tense and future tense, and there is no simple equivalent of English 'will'. A sentence like usually means "I _will_ visit ...". There are several other ways to express your intention or plan, including .
Japanese does have a distinction between simple present form and progressive form (i.e, "I visit" vs "I am visiting"). If you are currently visiting the university, you have to say . You can learn this teiru-form here, for example.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Meaning of 身分をわきまえず
Context: a martial arts master is talking (offensively, I think) about one of his students:
> ****
What is the meaning of ? I found on Kenkyusha dictionary the following example:
> know one's place
but I don't think it fits the context. Maybe here it simply means "without discriminating him for his social position"? Here you can see the whole page. Thank you for your help!
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> {} **{}** {}{}{}{}{}
To use punctuations for you, which manga will never do:
> ****
**** ****
The part of your question that worries me the most is where you said:
> "Maybe here it simply means "without discriminating him for his social position"? "
which suggests that you are not reading the grammar of this sentence properly.
The person who does the **** is the "new monkey guy" himself. It is not something another person is doing to him. Are you following me? No one is discriminating against someone else here.
**** , in this context, means " ** _not knowing his limits_** ", " ** _overreaching himself_** ", etc. In other words, the definition that you found in the dictionary is valid -- "not knowing one's place". is negative if anyone is unfamiliar with it.
My own quick TL:
> "Just because he was scouted by our martial arts school, he is a nuisanse who overreaches himself by teaming up with Lee and ends up disturbing the performances."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, meaning, verbs"
}
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What does と mean in と思います, と言う, and と見る？
means "The light which is called Love", but why is used? Why does mean "to see" but means something like "it was judged to be"?
What function is serving?
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is frequently used as a "quoting" particle, for thoughts or for speech.
is "I think **that** ", with the thought being "quoted" coming in the . Similarly, you can have (I think **that** ), (I believe **that** ), and similar examples.
Likewise, used with the kanji means "I (will) say **that** ".
However, used without the kanji tends to indicate that the from which it is derived is acting grammatically, and is thus often better translated as "that is" in these circumstances. But "that is called" is usually fine at getting the essence of the meaning across, if a bit unnatural. There are a tonne of more complex grammatical constructions which use (e.g. , , , etc.), so be careful as to what proceeds and follows in general.
Extending the above examples in the same way, is more along the lines of "see **that** " or "regard **as** " -- it's a somewhat more abstract sense of "seeing", e.g. understanding a thought, hence you mark it with the quoting particle .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, particle と"
}
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What does コテッと mean?
the sentence it's from
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is an onomatopoeia used to describe a sudden and/or quick lean or fall to one side by an object.
'Thus, {} means " ** _to put one's head on one side_** ". would not necessarily need to be translated here.
We have another that describes a food item, which means " ** _very oily_** ". These are two different onomatopoeias that happen to be spelt the same.
Ours is a country of mountains, forests, rivers and onomatopoeias.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 16,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "meaning"
}
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multiples noun, noun modifiers other noun?
I have a question
multiple nouns ( noun + noun ), noun working as adjective
Recently, I've been researching noun modifiers, I wonder if multiple nouns can modify one as an adjective?
for example:
>
>
enemy ) + ( champion ) this is like an adjective, right?
Example:
In the case of nouns, is the first noun acting as an adjective to modify the subsequent nouns! ?
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I would say "yes, the first noun is acting as an adjective"
My hesitation ("would") comes from realising that we may be taking about grammatical definitions here (so I don't know how appropriate the "like an adjective" is), but if someone posted the following question on a Japanese forum that focuses on people "researching" the English language:
Is "business" in "business lunch" acting as an adjective to modify "lunch"?
I think the answer would be the same as that of your question "In the case of nouns, is the first noun acting as an adjective to modify the subsequent nouns! ?"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "adjectives"
}
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Reason for に particle in sentence instead of の
I have come across sentence and I understand what its trying to say, but I don't understand why is used with . I was really expecting a particle instead to modify related noun phrase
Why wouldn't it be ? Why is it ?
> ****
>
> My translation: This time, there are even people coming who will provide special trip support!
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> {}{} {}{}{}
What particles can we correctly use in the blank in the sentence above?
The answer is and . I am afraid that is not a natural-sounding choice here.
**** functions **adjectivally** to modify nouns only. In this sentence, it can modify either or .
**** functions **adverbially** to modify verbs and adjectives. In this particular sentence, it can modify either or .
The author/speaker's choice is , which means that s/he wanted to use adverbially. S/he wanted to say or . Which one it is, it is difficult to tell without further context, but I will add that either interpretation would be natural here.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, particle に, particle の"
}
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からできる vs からできている
These were given as two example sentences on a site and I'm wondering if someone can explain the difference/which is right.
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Welcome to the site, Dan!
I don't know if "idiom" is the correct word, but the ... is a phrase with a special meaning, in English "made (out) of ..."
I wonder if the above were example sentences, or a part of a question like "please select which one of the below alternatives is correct". Assuming the latter, the 1st one is right. (And means essentially means that dairy products are on sale on Thursdays)
But the sentence is clumsy and normally would not be used, as you realize contrasting "dairy products" with "products made out of milk". The ending indicates that this is probably told by a fellow consumer (and not eg printed on an advertisement). The the ending might best be translated as a leading "You know," or "FYI:"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Meaning of 荷重が乗りきる
Context: a boxer has just landed a great uppercut with an upward movement. His father describes the punch in this way:
>
I think here means "to overcome", so my rough translation attempt would be
> (After) overcoming his weight, he did a sudden and quick upward/vertical movement
but I am confused by the after . Shouldn't it be ? Is the subject? Here you can see the whole page. Thank you for your help!
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This is not "to overcome", but a simple combination of + , "(for power/force/etc) to be put/applied/loaded" + "completely/fully". is "after his weight was fully put onto the punch". It can be rephrased as ("after loading/putting his weight fully onto the punch").
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "particles, verbs, particle が, sports, compound verbs"
}
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The difference in からandに as location markers in the following
In the sentenced circled below "The 100 yen coin is found under the desk", It uses to mark the location. ![enter image description here](
so this made me wonder "oh! if it's used like this, then certainly should work to as it's also a location marker!" But when I looked for answers on "HiNative" they told me It's not natural, but when asked why they didn't know how to answer me. Here's the thread in question: <
so Any information on this is greatly appreciated thanks!
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implies that the coin was picked up, or is to be. On the other hand, implies that it's to be fixed there. Basic sense of is attachment or contact.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, particle に, particle から"
}
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How would you translate 女将さん
if they are just being called out to like I read that it was translated Mr./Ms. followed by their profession and was wondering if Ma'am or the like would be acceptable and what variations would be fine.
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Other than Ma'am you have mentioned, the variations "Hey, Captain!" or "Hey, Boss!" or "Hey, Master!" have appeared in my head. How about that?
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation"
}
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Stroke order of 濃
What is the correct stroke order to write this kanji in Japanese? How many strokes will it have and in what correct order. Assume a japanese writing exam situation.
Also does anyone have a picture of a handwriting example of this particular kanji handwritten just using common regular pen that could be considered by Japanese goverment officials and also Japanese people in common, as a good and correct example of the handwriting of this kanji? For non-cursive (regular but handwritten), semi cursive and cursive style. (not a picture of one written using printing or fountain pen or brush).
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Stroke order is:
![enter image description here](
For future reference, this is easily Googleable. See kakijun.com as a resource.
For the second part of your question, I don't think there's a "standard" by the government―let alone by everyday people―for what is considered readable. If they can read it, then it's readable.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "stroke order"
}
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Old Japanese vowels in kana
The modern Japanese vowels /e,o/ each represent two Old Japanese vowels, arbitrarily written _e ë o ö_ in romaji. I assume that Japanese philologists don't all use romaji, so is there a convention for distinguishing these vowels in kana?
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Good question. The poster is referring to the reconstructed 8-vowel system for Old Japanese () which is inferred from the presence of two ways of transcribing /e/ and two ways of transcribing /o/ with man'yōgana.
According to the Wikipedia article on , there was no consistent way of indicating these in kana (naturally, since at the time the sound changes were still current, "kana" in their current form didn't exist), but that the notation or , or an underline to the left or right, or katakana, or the diacritics used in transcription, may be used.
>
Later on in the article, or are used to refer to each vowel.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "kana, old japanese, vowels"
}
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How does 「あいつは意気地なんだと」 translate into "he's a coward"?
There's this sentence on Tatoeba:
\- According to her, he is a coward.
For which the following translation was added:
\-
The first part is clear to me (causative + conditional: -> -> - "if (you) make her say"), but I can't figure out how the second part works. AFAIK means self-respect; self-confidence; guts; etc. so an antonym of "coward". As such, at the end must somehow imply a negation... or something. I couldn't find any reference to that kind of use for such a sentence ending.
Ideas? Thanks in advance :)
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Makes no sense.
> {}
**_does not_** mean:
> "He is a coward."
would need to be changed to , which means " ** _a coward_** "
is an expression of hearsay meaning " **It is said ~~** ", " **I hear ~~** ", etc. Thus, it is used correctly.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, english to japanese"
}
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What is the use of で in this sentence?
I have the following sentence, . This sentence is translated to meaning, "The cell phone is ringing loudly."
I'm a bit confused as to why used here? I thought was the "event" particle or the "with/by means of" particle. I can't figure out a proper use case for here (unless it would be like, "It ringed with a loud noise") and why it couldn't be omitted from the sentence.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
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> {}{} **** {}
All particles (and many other words) have more meanings and usages than small or online bilingual dictionaries tend to tell you.
This is the that is used to **describe the manner or mode in which an action is performed**. In what manner is the cellphone ringing? **_At a high volume_** , right?
Some home-made examples would be:
{}{} **** {} "Smith always talks in a low voice."
**** {}{} "I went to the Tokyo Disney Resort with everyone."
{} **** {} "Oh, please don't enter the living room naked!"
(The subject of the Disney sentence above is NOT . It is the unmentioned first person.)
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "particle で"
}
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Best practice height/character count for text in tategaki format
On a web page, what is the maximum good practice height (in pixels) for text written in tategaki format?
A height of about 500px looks good to me, which is about 40 characters.
Are there heights either are too long, or too short, which make reading uncomfortable/difficult?
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I think 40 characters per line is a good upper limit. This is how novels are typically typeset on paper. See this image search results for + . Lines longer than this start to be unfamiliar and difficult to read. If you care for smartphone screens, 30 characters per line should be safer.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "typesetting"
}
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「口が X になる」: Craving for food?
In this picture below (I snipped it from the digital copy I bought online, ) there is this phrase "". An obvious reading is that she's really craving for ice cream. However, this is really an interpretation than translation. What is the syntax/grammatical explanation for this use? I assume it's of the form "" which is not obvious to me that it should be read this way.
, the verb is very often used in conjunction with as in , etc. in real life.
(Right now, I am murmuring to myself after having answered a question about udon broth.)
Look here for some real-life example sentences with the food item being {}, a popular Korean-style BBQ.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "manga, phrases"
}
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つけ用 in Udon preparation recipe
I have the following text on some Sanuki Udon I brought home with me ;) This is the part for :
> ****
So, is the sauce or soup, means "prepared beforehand". So what is the task of ? If I must guess I would say "prepared". Unfortunately Weblio doesn't have this in its data base. But then, why not simply leave it with "..."?
And is my reading correct? I would say
Many thanks!
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vs.
Those are two of the more common serving styles of udon.
comes in one (large) bowl with both the broth and noodles in it.
With , the noodles and broth are served **separately** for you to do your "dipping and dunking". You get the noodles in a dish or shallow bamboo basket and the broth in a small bowl/cup. That bamboo basket is called ; therefore, is generally synonymous to .
Point is the thickness of the broth is different for the two styles. **_The broth is much thicker and saltier than the _** , which is why you can "drink" the broth.
Thus, by specifically asking you to prepare {}, I think the manufacturer wants to prevent you from preparing the "wrong" broth by mistake, which is the thinner .
(What we often do is to buy a bottle of concentrated broth and add water at different ratios depending on how we want to eat the noodles.)
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 12,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "meaning, readings, food"
}
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Why is の所 used after ドア in this sentence?
Here is my sentence,
> **** .
I've seen this usage where it didn't quite make sense in other readings as well. This specific reading is from the tango n4 book and they have the english translation as, "I stood my umbrella by the door." can mean place or spot. Is it common in Japanese to add this on to specific locations? So while may be acceptable, the usage of in is the more common way of saying a target location in certain situations. Would that be correct?
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> {}{}
You have pretty much answered your own question. means the same thing as {} or , which would be " ** _in close proximity to ~~_** " in English.
This is used heavily by the native speakers, so you will keep encountering it.
Not that you would need to know at this stage, but we often pronounce as **** in colloquial speech. Thus, you will hear us say .
Without using , the sentence:
>
is grammatical, but it means " ** _I will stand the umbrella (directly) against the door_**." People generally would not do that for obvious reasons.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "particle の"
}
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Saying い adjectives without pronouncing the い
As the title above, why do japanese locals remove thefrom the adjective when speaking. For example, I have heard words like being used when speaking. Is this only used amongst friends (very casual), or can it also be used in formal situations?
I know that removing the from the adjective and appending a turns the adjective into a noun. But if is not appended, will it stay as a verb, rather then bring turned into a noun?
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It's uttered as a colloquial, casual and **exclamatory** phrase. It's typically used in response to a situation/stimulation that strikes you suddenly. `` is often added after the stem.
> * ! (Wow,) it's expensive!
> * ()! (Wow,) this is bad!
> * ! Ouch!
> * ()! Gross!
>
In formal settings, you should generally avoid this, but no one would blame you for saying or if you are really suffering.
Related: In real life, do Japanese speakers exclaim things like or … or ?
Not all i-adjectives work like this. We rarely say or , presumably because these are not "sudden" stimulation. Most adjectives used like this are negative ones, but there are exceptions (, , ...).
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 11,
"question_score": 8,
"tags": "spoken language, i adjectives, contractions"
}
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What is the meaning of かつ here?
Hello I am wondering about . I got this sentence below. For context I put the line before the one I am asking about.
****
Does mean "and" here perhaps? As for the rest of the sentence it's kind of difficult to translate as well, I might be completely off. But maybe along the lines of: More importantly, relying on the professionals of their line of business make the beautiful rationality and economy go around.
edit: I somehow missed the , after . That is why I was confused when translating even more..
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> {} {}{}{}{}{} **** {}{}
/{} = "moreover", "as well as", "besides", "and", etc. This word is very often written in kana.
Your TL:
> "More importantly, relying on the professionals of their line of business make the **beautiful rationality** and economy go around."
That is a nice try, but the original surely does **not** say "beautiful rationality". The in **** is a conjunctive.
My TL:
> "More importantly, leaving it to the pros in the field would make it prettier, and it will be more rational; moreover, it will help the economy go around as well."
Note: I used "prettier" not knowing what kind of work/job/task it is talking about. You have the whole context, so feel free to change that part to fit it.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "words"
}
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あるか確認 vs あるかを確認
I understand that both have almost the same meaning.
But I was pointed out.
Is this a preference issue, or is one prioritized?
i.e.
>
>
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Both are grammatical, and it's a matter of preference to a certain degree. Generally speaking, / at the end of an embedded question before a verb is _usually_ omitted unless you want to emphasize the embedded question.
> * ()
> * ()
> * ****
> * ****
> What I don't understand is _why_ I do this, not _how_ I do this.
>
Related: Usage of after a clause?
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "usage, particle を, embedded question"
}
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How do you use ってこと
I heard in a podcast
>
I think it means something like "So that means you can sleep while standing?" but I'm not sure what the is doing here. The first one I get it's similar to or am I wrong?
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> ****
**** is an informal form of **** . Other informal forms include **** **** , etc.
When one of these expressions is used to **start a sentence** , its function is to rephrase and/or summarize what has already been stated.
It is synonymous to or {}. The English counterpart would be " ** _So that means ~~_** " or " ** _That is to say ~~_** "
> "So that means you/they/we/I sleep standing up."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "words, grammar"
}
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Is て います always used for the present?
I'm so confused. Every book teaches that **** is used for the **future** , but also for the **present**.
e.g.
**1.** I don't eat meat
**2.** I'm not going to eat meat.
But now I think that it has to be always for the present and only for the future.
**1.** Right now I'm not eating meat (because right now I'm eating salad)
**2.** I'm generally not eating meat (because I'm a vegetarian)
\--> So is never used except for the future? If not in what kind of sentences is it used to express the present?
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There is a great video explanation about this issue in Misa Ammo's channel
Maybe I should add the explanation here since it's a third party link. In short, and are used for actions you're performing right now (as you're saying them), while are for actions that you either have been doing for a while or will do in the future (present/future).
= I study Japanese (or I've been studying Japanese)
= I'm studying Japanese (I'm studying right now as I'm typing this, which doesn't make too much sense)
The correct way in this case is the first form.
There is not a separated tense for future in Japanese, so express this, you have to say when you will do it:
= I will study Japanese tonight.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": -2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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What does the te-form + motion verb mean in 広がってきています?
I came across the word . The sentence is
.
I believe this is the verb , to spread, in its -form plus the continuous form of . Is that right?
So, if this is the case, what is the meaning of ? I thought this form was used to describe the action of doing something and then returning. Like , I went and ate (and then came back). This motion suffix related to a trend is a bit confusing to me.
Thank you very much.
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Yes this is parsed as + + . That is, the te-form of , followed by the te-form of the subsidiary verb , followed by the polite form of the subsidiary verb . () is used very commonly in Japanese, and it does not necessarily describe physical movement. "To do X and then come back" is only one of the meanings of (). See: Difference between - and -
* : to spread
* : to spread (gradually over time)
* : has been spreading (gradually over time)
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "て form, suffixes"
}
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How is 「外野が無理に殻をこじ開けて」 related to 「自身の闇」 in this sentence?
Context:  and his sensei go to see the main character's sister who has shut herself in a room, inside a pile of empty food boxes. They are going to possibly, get her out of that.
>
>
> ...
I think the above sentences translate to,
That moment when an outsider wrenches open the shell
Moreover there's a possibility that she has shut herself in the darkness of her soul
Then as per the page, the main character asks if the sensei is kidding because of the first line (above).
What I translated comes to me as pretty weird. Why would sensei say that and I feel like the two sentences are somehow connected but I can't seem to find much connection.
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This is not "moreover", but an adverb that modifies . See this article for this .
>
> even if an outsider wrenches open one's shell,
>
>
> at that moment,
>
> ****
> they may **further** shut themselves in the darkness of their soul.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation"
}
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What does で mean when ordering food/drinks?
In a TV show, I heard the following exchange:
> Man:
>
> Izakaya owner:
>
> Man:
I thought was used to talk about location, so I'm a bit confused.
What does mean in this case?
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This "" is used for decision-making situation.
For example, you and your friends are talking about when to go traveling.
> Your friend:
When are we going on trip? Next week or the week after next week?
> Me:
Okay, then. Let us leave on the next week after next week.
Your example sentence also describes which one to choose large or medium size of beer. Then, Man chose large one.
> Man:
>
> Izakaya owner:
>
> Man:
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "particle で"
}
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Trouble understanding 着ていったら
I am having trouble understanding in the following sentence:
I understand how ~ is normally used, its more combination with that seems to be throwing me off.
How is this different from using ?
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> ****
is the form (conditional form) of , "wear and go".
( is the form of the verb . is the form of []{}.)
The sentence is literally like...
"To the dinner party tomorrow, what should I wear and go?"
→ "What should I wear to go to the dinner party tomorrow?"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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How to order an individiual item instead of a set?
I say when I order a set, and I say when I just want to order an individual item.
Is there any common way to order an individual item instead of a set?
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You can use . Perhaps this is the only word you would need in this situation.
> *
> * 2
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "usage, word requests, word usage"
}
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Placing a space after the first word of a sentence
I was watching a dorama and I realized that in only one minute there was some sentences in which there was a "western-sized" space in the beginning of the sentences ( _by the way you can do that by pressing "shift + space" when using the Japanese keyboard_ ). For example:
>
>
>
After several times, I realized there wasn't a clear reason to do that. If the reason were to make it clearer, the second and specially the third sentence wouldn't fit this convention. **_Is there any reason or rule to do that?_** I think I saw this pattern in mangas before. I like to understand the literary way of writing.
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Basically it's an equivalent of a comma (or sometimes a period). In situations where periods and commas are not usually used (subtitles, manga, headlines, ...), spaces can be used instead. You would see spaces typically after , , , etc. Sometimes, spaces may be inserted more frequently than commas to increase readability. This is typically common in games and books for children (example 1, 2).
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "sentence"
}
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Meaning of 誰かの代わりに
> ****
> This anime is a story about a girl who grew up during the war who works on writing letters and experiences love and people's feelings.
I'm struggling to understand in this sentence. A literal reading would be "instead of someone" but that makes no sense. I assume it means that she writes letters for other people, but I can't understand how it can mean that.
Also, the end of my translation -- and experiences love and people's feelings -- feels off. I'm not sure how to translate here.
|
> ****
Would "write letters on behalf of someone (or, her clients)" make sense?
> ****
Would "learn" make sense? Like... "learns (what) love (is)" "learns people/human's emotions (such as love, sorrow, happiness etc.)" (implying had not known before she started this )
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "reading comprehension"
}
|
Word for pulling a punch in karate
During karate training my (English) karate teacher uses a word that sounds like "son dame". He says that this describes the action of stopping your punch just before making contact with the opponent.
I cannot find this word or any variant spelling of it on any English language karate site. Nor can I find any Japanese equivalent on any Japanese site. I've tried , , . I tried replacing with , , etc.
I'm sure half of these English-Japanese karate words are made up. Anyone have any ideas?
|
I think it's []{}
<
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "words, sports"
}
|
What does the "きゃ" in "していきゃがらなかった" stand for?
I read this phrase in a visual novel:
""
I don't get what the "" means in this context. If it's short for "ikeba", I can't make sense of "" ("didn't show any signs" of what? ) and if it's something different, I don't have a clue.
|
> **** with a **small**
The "dictionary" form of that is:
> **** with a regular-size
The components are {} and .
For an explanation of Verb + , please read:
How to use the inflection ""?
Thus, the sentence in question is in the Kanto tough guy speech.
> "That's because this dude hadn't made proper preparations before leaving (home), ain't it?"
I didn't make it sound too tough, did I?
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "slang"
}
|
新完全マスターN3 drill explanation
The following sentence is marked as wrong:
>
However, as I understand it, it can be translated as "On the one hand I come back home late, but on the other hand, I wake up early in the morning and study.". This sentence makes sense to me (despite coming back late, I still manage to wake up early and study).
Instead, the correct answer should be
>
which to me means "Instead of sleeping early, I wake up early". This makes less sense to me. What am I getting completely wrong in the usage of ?
|
> ****
can also mean "in compensation / to make up (for)" (≂ ), "in return / in exchange (for)" (≂ ). I think here is closer to "to make up" "to compensate". So, would this make more sense to you:
> "I go to bed early. (But) I get up and study early in the morning to compensate / to make up (for the loss)."
>
> ≂ ()
> ( _lit._ "I go to bed early. (But) I get up and study early in the morning instead.")
A few similar examples:
> ****
> I go home late at night. So I sleep till noon to make up for my lack of sleep.
>
> **** *
> I teach her English in exchange for [in return for] her help with housekeeping.
>
> []{} **** *
> He has a sharp mind, but he's not strong physically.
>
> **** *
> She wasn't very good-looking, but she had a very tender heart to make up for it.
*Examples taken from .
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
Help with かっていうと
I have read some post about the meaning of and i understand it should be read as 2 separate particles i.e. +
However, I can't seem to understand what the this phrase means in the below sentence:
>
Any help would be appreciated!
|
First of all, **** is the informal form of **** . Both and are **_quotative_** particles.
> {}{}{}{}{}{}{}
To place imaginary quotation marks, it would look like:
> (?)
In the construction:
> Phrase A + + / + + Phrase B
**_"Phrase A + " is always an embedded question and Phrase B is always the speaker/writer's own answer to that question_**.
If you remember the sentence in bold above, you will be able to come up with a valid translation. An example would be:
> "If you ask me if I wanted to become an astronaut from the start, no, that is not really the case. I was actually thinking of becoming a doctor after graduating from the university."
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
What does this line mean?
So this line is from a song. Its
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Okay so this line is written in the booklet itself, because of that this line is part of the lyrics and I assume has a meaning. But I don't know what this line/words mean or what it refers to. And there is this too
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
What I have in mind is this is onomatopoeia for something or a line that refer to something or a word that I don't know.
P.S. since I don't think I can post the full lyrics of the song, the language used in the song is more traditional and the song itself is like a wishes(long life and good health) to everyone rather than nowadays song/pop songs(hope that helps a little)
|
Your quote seems to be a part of lyrics of , a Touhou fansong. But it is apparently an homage to an old Noh play usually known as :
> ****
> ****
>
>
>
>
> ****
> ****
>
> ** **
> **** ****
(an example of script from here)
This play is traditionally performed as a ritual that commemorates "the origin of Noh" rather than an ordinary play. Due to its ancient and obscure background, the bolded part of script has been known to scholars as incomprehensible, mysterious phrases.
There are theories claim that it could be "shouted out melody", "onomatopoeia", "Buddist incantation", "Korean phrase", or even "Tibetan phrase", but generally considered too corrupted to reasonably reconstruct. So in today's perspective, it is nothing more than meaningless chant or spell.
See also: :
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning, words"
}
|
「侵入したのが〇〇」なぜ「は」ではなく「が」でしょうか
> ****
****
|
>
****
> **** ****
> **** ****
****
****
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "は and が"
}
|
Meaning of ギャップ in the following sentence
Context: a couple is checking out the otters while visiting an aquarium.
> Boy:
>
> Girl: ****
What is the meaning of in this sentence? Since she says "", I think maybe she is referring to the "gap" of an otter's slightly open mouth, but I am not sure. Here you can see the whole page. Thank you for your help!
|
It's from English "gap". She is referring to the large difference of an otter's face between when it's not eating and when it's eating. I guess she regards the former face as "handsome/cool" and the latter face as "relaxed and cute, although goofy in a sense". is normally a negative word, but it's not always negative at least to some young girls...
Related:
* KIMOKAWAII: BOTH CUTE and GROSS AT THE SAME TIME
* What is gap moe?
* ( + )
> (snip)
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "meaning, words, katakana, animals"
}
|
Which honorific is correct, oshumi or goshumi?
I want to ask a person about their hobbies. Go/O shumi ha nan desu ka?
|
It's . As a general rule for nouns, beautifies a word which uses the on-yomi (e.g. or ), while beautifies a word which uses the kun-yomi (e.g. or ).
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "words, word usage, honorifics"
}
|
Are personal names spelled in hiragana or katakana if the kanji isn't known?
I understand that a foreigners name is spelled in katakana, but wanted to know the appropriate way of spelling a Japanese persons name. Would hiragana be preferred? Would a choice be made between a foreign name (katakana) and a native Japanese name?
|
Whichever is fine, but katakana tends to be preferred in formal settings. For example, when you take a message over the phone from someone who only called himself Saiki, then you can say . Saiki can be , , and so on in kanji. Writing is not wrong, but it may look childish.
Traditionally, katakana has been used as the default script when kanji is not available for some reason. This is why old telegraphs and old computers only supported katakana.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "katakana, names, hiragana"
}
|
How does なんていう + のも function in this sentence?
The premise is a young girl's entire family claim to be in service to as fortune tellers. They own the Hoju Jewel which allows them to have clairvoyant powers and they use their station to connect the dragon world to the human world. Their eccentric way of going about explaining this to her embarrasses her so this is just a sentence relaying to the reader what she's been taught. She doesn't seem to believe in any of it.
>
My translation:
> "That dragon is a god - this is what I'd call a sham, as is some rural fortuneteller being the god's representative for the human realm."
I'm not too sure about the + . I want to keep the main idea intact. I'm learning how to translate and localize text. A breakdown of this sentence would be extremely helpful.
|
A more literal translation of the first half of the sentence is:
>
> Saying "That dragon is a god" is contrived, (as well as...)
* is used in place of quoatative-. is used to make light of the marked part. See: Usage of and as emphasis Simply put, is a nuanced version of .
* is just "to say".
* is a nominalizer.
* is "also". (used in relation to the second half of the entire sentence)
* is almost a single-word adjective, "contrived", "false-sounding".
Your translation seems basically okay, but "what I'd call a sham" might be too strong. The sentence is saying "hard to believe", not "impossible to believe".
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, translation"
}
|
How is it written deposit money by coin?
Recently I want to change my massive coin into money . I heard about I can change coin to bank account money at ATM in Tokyo , so I went to bank ATM . But I couldn't choose English language on screen so I came back without doing anything .
I want to know what will it written of deposit coin into bank account in Japanese ?
|
First of all, finding a way to switch the panel to English must be **a lot** easier than anything written below. Just press `ENGLISH` or `LANGUAGE` on screen. If the touchscreen did not work, try another machine.
Next, check if your ATM has an opening like this:
* {}: coin
* {}: bill (paper money)
* : confirmed / proceed
Next, this is a step-by-step instruction to deposit coins using Mitsubishi UFJ Bank's ATM.
Lastly, remember that the coin slot may not open unless you explicitly push the ` / COINS` button on screen. (Maybe because it's mechanically delicate?)
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "word usage, terminology"
}
|
Japanese chat romaji based acronym/abbreviation usage and meanings
I know that ww means laugh/warau. Are there any other romaji-based acronyms used in japanese chats only? Please provide the acronym and meaning if possible. I searched online and found many hiragana and katakana expressions. I am focused on romaji based acronyms.
|
See KY in Wikipedia. There is even a dictionary for this type of words, but this trend is something in the past, and most of them are completely forgotten.
As of 2019, ones that are still sometimes used include:
* **mjd?** : ? "Really?", "Are you sure?"
* **ktkr** : "Yay!", "Here it comes!"
* **kwsk** : "Tell me more about that."
* **gkbr** :
* **ggrks** : "Google it yourself", "giyf"
* **ks** : / "shit / crap"
* **BBA** : "old woman"
* **KY** : "cannot read between the lines", "insensitive"
* **JK** : "based on common sense", "if you think logically"
* **G** : "cockroach"
* **TKG** : "egg on rice"
* **JD** : "female university student"
* **JK** : "high school girl"
* **JC** : "middle school girl"
* **JS** : "elementary school girl"
* **DT** : "(male) virgin"
* **NTR** : "cuckold"
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "abbreviations"
}
|
shakaijin or otona?
I have always used the word otona to signify adult. Recently, I have seen the word shakaijin. Is there a significant difference between the two words It seems like shakaijin is a member of society. Can I use both words interchangeably?
|
* is "adult", someone who is mature enough. It typically refers to anyone over 18 or 20.
* is someone who has started to work regularly. It's mainly used in business contexts. A 22-year old university student is usually not called a yet. So is somewhat closer to a (responsible) **businessperson** , although also includes farmers, novelists and such.
See also: What's the difference between and ?
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning, words"
}
|
What is に 's purpose in まじめに して下さい?
I'm a bit confused on what the particle is doing here in this sentence, . I know that the sentence means, "Please take this seriously" but I'm not sure why is used here. I've seen it used most often as a time or target marker but I'm not sure what it is doing here nor can I think of another particle that would be better used here. If anyone could let me know its usage in this scenario, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks
|
is an extremely common grammar structure that indicates decision. Check out this page for an in-depth description of how the grammar works.
Basically indicates that the subject makes a decision to do whatever comes before the , where in the case of this sentence, it is . As such, the following linear translation from Japanese to English may sound clunky:
> Please decide to be serious.
You will commonly see a similar grammar point , which is very much the same. The difference, is that some party outside of the subject is making the decision. You will find information about this grammar principle in the same link above.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "particle に"
}
|
How to say "to cause a problem" in japanese?
I wonder if there usual/fixed phrase to say "to cause a problem"? I find self-made to be inappropriate/unnatural in some way...
|
By far the most commonly used expressions would be:
* {} **** {}{} and
* **** {}
Neither one would be any better than the other.
To introduce a more formal way of saying this, we also say:
* **** **** {}
With this expression, the grammatical subject is the "problem". It is not the thing/phenomenon/person as in the first two expressions listed at the top.
Regarding your phrase {}, it is indeed a very common and natural-sounding verb phrase. It is, however, closer to " **to create a problem** " in meaning than to " **to cause a problem** ".
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, phrase requests"
}
|
Is it shi or si?
When I chat using romaji, Japanese people will always use si instead of shi, for example yorosiku instead of yoroshiku, siteru instead of shiteru. Do Japanese people actually pronounce shi as si?
|
It's the difference between Hepburn romanization and Wapuro romanizaton. Adults generally use Hepburn system for person names, signboards, posters and such ( = `shi`, = `zu`, = `ja`). But when they need to type ordinary Japanese sentences using romaji, they (almost unconsciously) use wapuro style because it's more efficient and unambiguous ( = `si`, = `du`, = `zya`/`jya`/`ja`). You don't have to type `shi` to get when you can get the same character by typing `si`.
Please remember that wapuro style **has nothing to do with pronunciation**. That's just an input method, how they type hiragana/katakana on keyboards. Don't assume anything about pronunciation based on English alphabet.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 11,
"question_score": -2,
"tags": "pronunciation"
}
|
Location of adjectives when a verb uses two particles
> . .
I recntly enrolled on a japanese site and would like to put on my profile that; it may take me alittle while to translate messages from japanese to english and ask them to please be patient in waiting for a reply.
Saying that it is a alittle bit difficult for me to translate to english. Therefore please be patient with me. Seemed like a better way to say it in japanese. My concern is that it didnt seem appropriate to put the anywhere where does it go?
|
You can say
> something
or
> something
to mean
> it is difficult to do something
To add "for me", you can say "". So, as a full sentence you can say
>
Or, you can use a word "()" like
>
which might hint, depending on the context, that you have some emotional barrier about the translation, or that you have an inferior feeling about not being good at translation.
More examples of similar structure:
> It is fun to swim.
>
> It is sad to see him crying.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
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