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What is the correct counter to translate 'One Piece'?
I was wondering whether the anime is actually called that way because it is hard to convey this meaning in japanese with a single word. For those who are not aware, One Piece is the greatest treasure in the world buried in one place, so it is probably something huge and not having clear bounds.
>
Can we translate 'One Piece' to japanese better than ?
|
> I am more like curious what it would be called in japanese if it wasn't called via an English word
Okay... has been referred to as **** (literally "unseparated great hidden treasure") several times, so you may think this is the official "Japanese translation".
![enter image description here](
is just a mundane phrase used to count small objects, and it makes no sense as the name of a treasure. Basically it's very hard to talk about the correct counter for this "piece" since no one knows what it is like. Choosing a counter may give the readers a big hint of what it is like. For example, if we called it using a counter ("particle", "fragment"), it would end up assuming _One Piece_ is a tangible hard object that may break. ("unseparated", "one big") is a clever word choice that avoids this problem.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": -1,
"tags": "translation, word choice, counters, anime"
}
|
What is the particle には doing in this sentence?
What does the bolded mean in the following sentence?
> ****
|
It's a particle (marking a direction/destination) followed by a topic/contrast marker . is used because there is a weak contrast between what's happening to his and what's happening to his .
> ****
> (literally) **into my ears** , an excited voice of a foreigner with silver hair was coming.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, particles"
}
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How do you say "in time"?
I wanted to tell someone to escape so they don't waste their time waiting for me to beat a boss. (When their death timer reaches 0, they don't get credit for beating the boss, and my dps is slow...)
I said , but I wasn't sure if it actually means: "I won't arrive in time to beat the boss" or if I did it right or wrong.
What I want to say is ", Please escape, I won't be able to beat the boss in time" or "Please escape, I won't be able to beat the boss before your timer runs out."
|
You could try saying:
>
* If there is an official Japanese word or a common Japanese colloquialism used to refer to the time in game, replace with that word.
* Since it's a video game, you don't need to worry as much about formalities like , unless you feel like you are asking for a lot. Most people don't use while playing games in my experience.
* literally means "time is up"
* Volitional Form + is a grammar expresses that there is little observable evidence that something will happen. By combining this with the potential form of we get "I do not think I can defeat ", where you and the enemy are both contextually implied.
* I elected **not** to use because the words necessary to make a sentence using would for a slightly longer sentence, which I assumed you would rather not use. Refer to the example below:
>
Edits for shortening explanation and adding the last bullet and example sentence.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "translation, phrase requests"
}
|
Relative clauses modifying a noun: passive voice?
Hopefully, the two following sentences are grammatically valid:
>
>
>
If so, can I use either as a basis for a relative clause modifying ; are the two following sentences valid? Do they differ in meaning?
>
>
>
What I mean to say is "Souvenir stories are stories told after coming back from a trip". Does either sentence convey that meaning, or are they both wrong altogether?
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Your sentences have several flaws unrelated to your main concern. ("to talk a talk"?) is weird, and you have to say instead. sounds clumsy and redundant, and it's better to say . When you introduce the definition of a word, it's better to use instead of .
After fixing these, yes, you can say all of the following.
> *
> *
>
> *
> *
>
and effectively refer to the same thing in this case because people can automatically find the implicit subject that makes the most sense. This question may be related.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "passive voice, relative clauses"
}
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Can ~ほうがいいですか be used to ask for recommendations?
So I would like to ask someone some book recommendations. I've studied but I'm not sure if would be OK.
Should I say it in another way?
|
““ is not wrong, but it sounds a bit awkward.
“” following any verb literally means “had better do something”. So, it’s used when you have multiple things to compare, and the person you are talking to has to know what you are comparing.
If your friend is talking about multiple books, you can ask “(=which books do you think I’d better read?)”.
sounds like “what kind of books”, so you’d better say ““ (=“which book”). “” sounds like you have something to achieve through reading, so it’s more natural to say “(what do you think)”.
If you want to ask someone about their recommendations without any context like this,
you can say...
> 1.
> Do you have any books you would recommend?
> (““=“any”)
>
> 2.
> =not directly, but it means something like
> “I was wondering if you had any recommendations for reading.”
> It’s really common to be used as well.
>
>
Hope it helps!
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "english to japanese"
}
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sentence ending と for third person narrators
>
context is about a group of people, trapped in the wilderness for a while.
To be able to talk normally, or to to be able hold back anger, due to this unaccustomed self-sufficient lifestyle, their nerves deteriorated, things are like that became impossible for some of them.
>
Marginally related to the first context
...To accept this disheveled sensei’s demands, would one of the few ways she can atone for her sins right?
Speaker a 3rd person narrator of the story for both sentences. Is this just to express a degree of uncertainy as if the narrator only thinking "___" is the case? The narrator is omniscient, is this just to tease the reader?
|
The first one () is probably an example of ("hyperbaton"), the use of reversed word order for a dramatic effect. You should be able to find the verb that corresponds to this quotative- in the _previous_ context (, , etc). Brackets are often omitted like this in Japanese even when direct speech is used. is an explicit quotation marker, so there is nothing wrong if the third person narrator uses it.
* Ending sentences with ""
* Direct and indirect quotes
The second one (), it's still a quotative-, and it explains something in the previous sentence. It can be rephrased as:
>
Or you may think / is omitted after this .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "particle と, quotes"
}
|
What does 白紙にかえって探さねばならぬ mean in this context
I came across this paragraph in japanesetest4you site.
>
>
> **** ****
The reading comprehension question is what does mean in this context? (The answer given is .)
Two of these phrases, both the question and the answer, are incomprehensible to me.
Also what is ? What is ?
Can anyone explain what it means and translate the bold sentences in the paragraph?
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is a colloquial of () Some people use () instead.
is cleaning up the room by throw/store things into closet.
The wife is good at cleaning; After her cleaning, there are no dirt. Ornaments are well displayed. Table surface are shiny. Yet to accomplish such nifty space, she hides dishes, clothes, or any uninteresting things elsewhere.
Imagine that the husband wants to find his camera. A camera is supposed to be placed in a shelf, but the wife might throw it into the cupboard(because she doesn't care where to hide ).
He says he must forget all the commonsense() where the missing things are supposed to be put into before he begins searching.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, meaning, jlpt, reading comprehension"
}
|
I need help understanding 「虫が止まったみたいな扱いだ。」
I need help understanding this sentence,
>
The Context is that the speaker is frustrated with what his conversation partner is doing/saying, but he is trying to help him as they have a client-employer relationship.
I tried looking it up in Japanese, but nothing would come up. I'd really appreciate if someone could tell me what this means. Thank you!
|
This means an insect sticks to someone. How do most people feel when an insect sticks to them? Probably, they feel a bit bad or nothing, and then they brush it off. The speaker complains that he is treated like that.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "definitions"
}
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たんですから vs たからなんです
!enter image description here
> ________
> 1\.
> 2\.
According to the answer key, the correct answer is 2.
I want to know why it is not answer 1.
What is the difference between and ?
|
>
> "The reason why I know this town well is, because I used to live here before."
> "It is because I used to live here that I know this town well."
This is a cleft sentence. For more details on cleft sentences, please refer to this thread.
The () in () is the explanatory .
In the normal word order the sentence would be:
> ****
> "Because I used to live here, I know this town well."
Here in the original/normal sentence you use and not , so you use in the cleft sentence, too. Also, you'd need to end the cleft sentence with , and therefore the correct answer should be #2.
> Normal sentence: XXXYYY() "Because XXX, YYY."
> → Cleft sentence: YYYXXX() "It's because XXX that YYY."
* * *
Example:
Normal word order: (or **** using the explanatory )
"Because Sato-san is kind, she is popular."
↓
Cleft sentence: (or **** using the explanatory )
"It is because Sato-san is kind that she is popular."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "particle から, cleft sentences"
}
|
The meaning of しなければならず in this article
What's the meaning of in this article?
> ****
link to the original and complete phrase
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literally means "have to do~~ and..." "must do~~ and..."
The is the continuative form () of the classical negative auxiliary , which corresponds to the negative auxiliary in modern Japanese.
Basically:
( in modern Japanese) ← terminal form ()
(()* in modern Japanese) ← continuative form ()
* is still used mainly in writing and formal speech. We also use , or more colloquially , etc.
> ****
> During detention, due to the circumstances / for reasons I **had to** convert to Islam, **and** at that time I chose the name 'Umar' for myself.
(If you were to split the sentence into two, you'd say like **** )
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning, auxiliary ず"
}
|
The real meaning of 辞める
I am reading "Ikigai" by H.Garcia and F.Miralles, and I've just read the following paragraph:
> **There is, in fact, no word in Japanese that means _retire_** in the sense of "leaving the workforce for good" as in English. According to Dan Buettner, a _National Geographic_ reporter who knows the country well, having a purpose in life is so important in Japanese culture that our idea of retirement simply doesn't exist there.
Is it true? Isn't that very word which means the thing?
I see what the authors mean here and agree that staying active is crucial, but I wonder if you agree that the idea of retirement simply _doesn't exist_.
Thank you!
|
I think we usually use {}in this context. basically means quitting a job, so it is not limited to retirement. The usage of is especially common when considering sports athletes, political leaders, and executive positions (like VP, CEO etc.), but normally people also from their job, in the sense of leaving the workforce.
We also have slang word called {}, meaning "being active all his life". Sometimes it literally means being in the workforce forever, but most of the time it just means being active, spending a purposeful life, maintaining a purpose in life, so it is not just limited to being in the workforce.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning"
}
|
use of ときては in this sentence
context is about drugging someone up to get them to more lively again for sexual purposes
> ****
>
> before long her responses became dull, we used the drug, thinking that it would get her back to form....... "" are recklessly fired two days into the future, on top of that, because the "" and simply collected , a feeling of excrement is impending.
Honestly, i have no idea what this saying in the 2nd part, there some strange euphemism here?
i've read this
>
is this appropriate to apply to this sentence?
|
`noun + ` is an exclamatory and emphatic set phrase which is like "you know what", "on top of that", "when it comes to ...", etc. See: What does mean?
> *
> *
>
Likewise, this somewhat emphasizes the long noun phrase, .
This rougly means "soon after (realizing) ", "once ". is an idiomatic set phrase meaning "completely wrong direction", "in a totally unexpected way", etc. I'm not sure what this refers to, but it may be related to this sense.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "parsing, reading comprehension"
}
|
How to express conditional prefernces: "If you like X, I think you will like Y"
I'm trying to say "If you like men in suits, I think you will like the U.K.," but I'm struggling with it.
This is my attempt so far:
(1) Is this grammatically correct? If I were only translating the first part of the sentence, I would say **** , but I was worried that using the topic particle in a conditional construction might apply to the whole sentence, not just the first clause, i.e. I would be saying "You think if..."
(2) Is it kosher to say , or do you need to somehow explicitly indicate that you might enjoy **being in** London?
(3) Is it possible to drop either of the explicit subjects ()? Even if the sentence is grammatically correct, it feels relatively clumsy as is.
On an tangentially related note, is there an idiomatic way to say "under-dressed" in Japanese, as in "I always felt under-dressed in London"?
Thanks in advance for your help!
|
1. As far as grammar goes, I think it will be correct to say it as:
> **** /
2. I would say or maybe .
3. Yes, you can drop /, as in:
>
Or a bit more naturally...
> / ()
> / ()/
For "under-dressed", how about using ()/[]{}, (), or maybe []{} or []{}?
> I always felt under-dressed in London.
> //
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, conditionals"
}
|
よう after (negated) short form of verb
In the sentence (found in Kanji in Context's workbook)
>
I assume is the negative short form of followed by . But I can't find an explanation, or other occurrences, of such a construct. According to google's translation tool, the sentence means something like
> I paid perfect attention so as not to cause an accident.
So, following the short form of a verb indicates goal/purpose? Is that correct? If so, could you point me to a reference, or to other occurrences?
|
I always assumed this was the same as .
EDIT: as the comments say, without the is more formal.
<
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, meaning"
}
|
What is the role of し after the noun?
I can't understand the role of after in the sentence:
> ****
I heard that it is supposed to be a conjugated form of , but I don't know a conjugation ending in just . Any ideas?
|
is a way to express "go **with the purpose of doing** (something)".
The is the Continuative Form () of - you will probably recognize it as the base part of . All verbs have a continuative form. For example, would be , would be , etc. Basically it's the part that comes before .
When you have the construction:
`Verb 1 (continuative form) + + Verb 2`, it means "to do Verb 2 with the purpose of carrying out Verb 1".
So in your example sentence, means "go (Verb 2 ) with the purpose of studying abroad (Verb 1 )".
But it doesn't always have to be , as that is only the case with . Another example phrase would be . This time is in the continuative form . So the phrase is translated literally as "go to the teacher with the purpose of asking something". A more natural translation would be "to go ask the teacher". You might also recognize the phrase (to go see something). This is also the same construction `Verb 1 continuative form + + Verb 2.`
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "conjugations, nouns, renyōkei"
}
|
What does やから mean in this sentence?
>
I think this translates to 'being only interested in indecent relationships'. However I am not exactly sure what the word means over here.
|
>
> (They are) folks who have indecent relationships.
This is in kanji, and it's a slangy noun which means "guys", "dudes", "badass", etc. Everything before is a relative clause that modifies . (You may know is also a kansai-ben version of , but that's totally irrelevant here.) If this still doesn't make sense, please add the whole context.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, sentence"
}
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In AてBてもらう does もらう operate on A and B?
Regarding stickers put on apples to make pictures:
>
> Every year the company that makes these stickers receives requests from farmers and receives the apples they make.
I'm a bit confused about how to parse this sentence. Does operate on both **and** ? I see two separate things here
> 1)
> Every year the company receives (the benefit of) requests from farmers.
This makes sense. The farmers want fancy pictures on their apples so they ask for stickers.
> 2)
> Every year the company receives (the benefit of) the farmers making these apples.
This makes no sense to me at all. Why would the farmers be making the apples **for** the sticker company?
I fear I have misunderstood something.
|
> Does operate on both and ?
operates on .
You can split the sentence this way:
1)
Every year the company makes requests to farmers.
2)
Every year the company receives (the benefit of) the farmers making these apples.
>
> Every year the company that made these sticker makes a request / asks the farmers and has them make these apples.
* * *
> Why would the farmers be making the apples for the sticker company?
:
> ...
> ...
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, parsing, giving and receiving"
}
|
Use of だった in the middle of a sentence
>
>
> ****
Comparing military power between the two villages.
after this sentence it was explained how the leadership of the village fell apart before the invasion by the west village. So one could conclude that _because_ the village's organization (or lack there of),
But without that further context, could you read in that way?
|
() is the past tense form of the verb , "to be organized" "to be systematic".
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Is rōmaji actually used in Japan?
I am a Japanese beginner and I see many instruction books containing rōmaji. As I understand, rōmaji helps English speakers to pronounce the words. But is rōmaji really used in Japan or by Japanese people? Or is it used only for an English speaker learning Japanese?
I heard (not sure if true) that on the computer, when Japanese people type, rōmaji is often used. But I did not see any rōmaji on popular Japanese websites like Yahoo Japan. Could someone comment on this as well?
|
Yes, rōmaji is used by Japanese people, but mainly as design elements. Elementary school children learn to read and write rōmaji in the 3rd grade, and virtually all adults can understand Japanese words written in rōmaji. Latin alphabet often strikes Japanese speakers as cool or modern. You can find Japanese words represented in rōmaji on T-shirts, mugs, doorplates, signboards, anime logos, etc.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 11,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "rōmaji"
}
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What does 手のだしょうがなかった mean
I would be very thankful, if someone could help me figure out the meaning of the second part of the sentence below
> TOB
The sentence is the explanation why despite other new shops Pachinko Salons cannot open in the area. I would loosly translate it as
_That was due to the resistance of the local residents and alumnis of T university, so that even if someone wanted to he had no chance_
but I am mostly guessing the second part. What is the meaning of in combination with and what function does have here? means _even if_ right?
|
First, it's not **** but (with non-small ). It's in kanji if it helps you.
* here roughly means "as " in the sense of "from the standpoint of ". is "also".
* is a common set phrase which means "to get involved", "to interfere", etc.
* `pre-masu-form + ` forms a noun that means "a way to ", "possibility of ". In particular, is a set phrase "there is no ing" or "to be impossible to ".
* at the end is a plain explanatory- followed by .
>
> (It is that) even the company/dealer had no way to interfere.
Related:
* Meaning/Breakdown of
* The significance of in this sentence
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, meaning"
}
|
Interrupted Dialogue
In English, an em-dash is often used where dialogue is interrupted:
> Get into the c—
Is there an equivalent punctuation in Japanese?
|
Either a 3 or a dash is used for this purpose. Note that a Japanese dash is usually longer than an English em-dash.
 is fairly unconventional, but it can express the suddenness nicely, and you may see it in casual light novels, blogs and such.
See also:
* Is Japanese em dash equal to Latin em dash?
* Ellipsis Usage and Format
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "punctuation"
}
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Correct way to say “life is a lesson, you learn it when you are through”
In Limp Biskit’s “Take a Look Around” they use this phrase I find pretty cool. “Life is a lesson, you learn it when you are through”. So basically the lesson never ends, until you die.
I’ve been meaning to come with a good translation, a brief formal one preferably. These are some options I think might be acceptable but not sure. What do you think? Which of these are correct? Which or what would be a good way? What would be more formal / polite options?
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
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The literal translation is ", ". It is difficult to translate "Lesson" in "Life is a lesson" into an appropriate Japanese word.
I think is not appropriate for the phrase. There are many more natural ways of saying the phrase and I think is best and the most common way of saying it.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation, word choice, phrases, song lyrics"
}
|
Does あたかも only add emphasis to a sentence?
Does only add emphasis, without introducing any new meaning to a sentence? Would the sentence mean the same without it? It's translated as **as if**, but most sentences I find it used with already use , which expresses such meaning already (as far as I'm aware):
> **** ****
> **** ****
|
has two meanings. As naruto mentions, when is used to mean `as if`, it's very rarely used without or . But it does sometimes happen. My examples are pulled from the corpus provided by The National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics
> * ****
> * ****
> * ****
>
However, when it's used to mean , it doesn't use at all. It's most often combined with a before it. Here are some examples:
> * ****
> * ****
> * ****
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "meaning, adverbs"
}
|
ぬ in place of の
The lyrics of the song go like this:
>
>
>
>
> ****
Why is used where is expected? It this something Okinawan?
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According to Wikipedia :
> ###
>
> **u** i
>
> ###
>
> ****
So yes, in Okinawan is basically the same word as , although it has some grammar rules that are different from those of mainland Japanese. Some pages say this type of is almost dead now, and, for the most part, the lyrics are written in standard Japanese. So this may be seen as an archaism.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "particles, dialects"
}
|
What's the difference between 貰えます (moraemasu) and いただけます (itadakemasu)? Which sounds more natural when talking about bags?
Example
> 1 " fukuro wo moraemasu ka?"
>
> 2 " fukuro o itadakemasu ka?"
Both mean "Can I have a bag?". However, what is the difference between itadakemasu and moraemasu?
moraemasu is defined as to receive; to take; to accept itadakemasu has a similar definition
So what is the difference and what would be more natural?
Please refer to the examples in your answer.
|
They are both natural. Which you should use depends on the situation.
**** is {} which means that you only use it in situations talking to someone who is clearly above you in social status or in situations where being polite is a must - such as talking with a customer.
**** , on the other hand, is just neutral. You will hear a lot more often unless you hang out with a "polite" crowd.
As far as how to decide when to use which, refer to this write-up \- it is pretty thorough. Just remember, if you are ever not sure, just stick to and form and you should be okay. Just remember to ask someone later.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "words"
}
|
What does the なさいよ in 気をつけなさいよ mean?
Had some trouble with the translation. I know that means "to be careful" but I had trouble with the part.
|
First off, we need to split and . They are two different things.
polite command/request form of (like as a form of ) .
is itself (keigo) for ...
* * *
is often used at the end of Japanese sentences. Its presence/absence does not normally change the basic meaning. Instead, it marks a variety of nuances depending on whether the speaker is male/female.
Here, I think it means that it's a request.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar"
}
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Difference between 歩く and 歩いて
So I just come across a dialog that features both of the forms for "walking", I'm wondering what is the difference between `` and ``, below is what I encountered:
`5`
As you can see, `` changed to the `` form, which I understand.
``
At another encounter, I read:
`...(Other Transportation)...`
So why in this case it's `` again?
I hope I phrased my question clearly, thank you very much.
|
In this case, the -form of has a quasi-adverbal function, describing the manner of the verb (). The phrase means "to come _by walking_ ", as opposed to eg. "to come by bus" or "to come running".
More generally, the -form is used to connect verbs together, often to indicate a chronological sequence (eg. "to study and then go home") or to form a semi-compound meaning. In the sentence you listed - - it wouldn't be possible for the basic form or to occur in this position, because two verbs can't be simply placed together in this way. would be like saying "I walk come" in English - the two verbs don't make sense as a sequence.
If you want to list the two verbs together like that, there needs to be some grammatical feature connecting them, and the -form is one of the constructions that can do this.
In both of the other sentences you listed, occurs at the end of the sentence as the main verb, so there is of course no need to use the -form.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
Use of particle を with 取り組み and 期待する
> **** **** (source)
1) I don't understand what the is doing there? doesn't take the particle normally...?
2)Is the object of the verb (the thing 'hoped')? if yes, why isn't the particle used instead as in the following sentence?
> We expect him to succeed.
|
1) It's the object of . It is true that doesn't normally take , but I think it's the only way to interpret this sentence. FYI, BCCWJ has four examples of and 1175 examples of .
2) Yes is what the person is hoping for, although it's not a direct object, strictly speaking. and are interchangeable.
I feel this sentence is still awkward. This person says "", but what is the subject of , then?
I think the sentence would be cleaner if we rephrased it like this:
> **** **** **** **** **()**
> I hope for a new framework which allows companies, schools and the government to work through the development of world-class human resources.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "grammar, particle を"
}
|
ともすれば～・ともすると～: " a tendency to ~, prone to ~" or "cause and effect"?
>
>
>
>
>
Regarding these examples, it seems "as a result," is more appropriate than "a tendency to ~, prone to ~" for the uses of . The clauses after feel much more like a outcome due to the actions in the first clause than a long held habit.
even with I still only get as definitions.
|
is an adverb that adds the nuance of "possibly", "if things go bad", "if we're unlucky", "depending on the situation", etc. I don't know where you saw "as a result", but that's not what this adverb is saying. , , , , and are all synonyms. ("if things turn out in a certain way", "if something happens") may be the most intuitive form to grasp the nuance. If is used with a habitual action, "to prone/tend to" would be an appropriate option. In your examples, is effectively weakening the meaning of (i.e., is only an unlucky possibility).
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, meaning, phrases"
}
|
How to translate "Fill" (in a form)
Say I have a form with differents fields to fill. How do I translate to japanese the word "Fill" (For example I have a button that when pressed will fill all the fields automatically)
|
If it's the caption of a button, something like should be used. The closest single-word verb is (e.g., ), but it's not a very natural choice when it comes to the auto-filling/autocomplete functionality on computer screen.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, word requests"
}
|
Meaning of ちつまるつきり
![enter image description here](
What is the meaning of ? I have tried to look it up in a dictionary but found no result. Google Translate translated it as small fuss. But how can I find the appropriate entry in the dictionary? Is it a phrase or something?
|
It may be a little hard to tell in that font, but both of those s are small.
In addition, it's not a single word but two - "" being a tutting sound, and "" a common word that you should be able to find in any dictionary (it means "completely").
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning"
}
|
How do Japanese people use ️-substitution, if at all?
A common internet meme is to use as a replacement for B's in a word, such as "oneless" or "troule". Sometimes it's additionally done for C's, such as "oa ola". Is this a thing ever done in Japanese text, and if so, is there a convention as to how? It's not as straightforward, since B's won't occur individually.
For instance, I could imagine "" being rewritten as "", or as "", or "" (with either a fullwidth or ASCII a), to name a few options. I could also imagine it just never being imitated because of the awkwardness.
|
In the last few years has become very popular. It is an abbreviation for 'an old woman' (hag).
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": -1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "rōmaji, internet slang, puns"
}
|
Undertstanding sleeping on 板 in the 雪女 story
> ****
> There wasn't even a fire in the boatman's hut. Only 2-tatami-wide planks had been laid out. The two of them laid down on these planks and were asleep before they knew it.
I don't quite understand this sentence. I see two options:
1) These planks are something designed for sleeping on (maybe I'm missing a cultural reference). In which case, I'm happy with the use of .
2) These planks constitute the floor of the hut and are not specially designed for sleeping on. In this case I find confusing. The translation of "to lay out" doesn't seem like a word that would be used other than when talking about building the hut. I feel that adding reinforces my thought that this is something that was done after the hut was built.
In summary, I would pick option 1) but I wonder if is something more than just a plank of wood.
|
means placing or spreading any **flat** object including tatami, carpet, futon, paper, mat, cloth, napkin, and so on. We do not say because it's not a flat object. Since an is a flat object, is a natural verb choice here regardless of whether it's a piece of furniture or permanent flooring. For example can possibly refer to both a Japanese-style tatami room and a western-style room with a tatami on a carpet.
Nevertheless, you seem to be reading a simplified version of . This version of is presumably the original, and it says , which means "wooden floor". Traditional Japanese houses looked like this, so it's not strange if only a part of the ground of this hut was covered by . In addition, is a little too big as a bed.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "meaning"
}
|
What does「〜も何も」mean in this context?
I’ve been studying Japanese for a while now and came across the following dialogue:
> A: (So you know about me then?)
> B:
I'm not quite sure how to make sense of B's reply. I thought it would translate to something along the lines of "I don't really know anything but you're a celebrity, right?" because of the use of which I know means "nothing." However, the translation provided for B was "Of course I do (know about you), you're a celebrity, right?", which really confused me.
Initially I thought that the was just a combination of the particle and the word but apparently that doesn't seem to be the case. So my question is, what kind of meaning doesgive toand how exactly does it translate to being an affirmation of one's knowledge about something? Canbe used with other words and what meanings would it have in those cases?
|
Look here for example:
> > 1
>>
>>
>
> A:
>
> B:
>
> ⇒
>
>>
>
> ⇒
In general it is used to give an example out of many and let infer the rest by analogy. Basically, when there is no room for doubt. I suppose you understand Japanese well enough and don't need a translation of the above quotation, let me know otherwise.
So, in your case I think it is used to answer using as an example, among other many possible others, because for whatever reason there is no margin for doubt that B knows (here because A seems to be someone famous for example).
Another good example is from the link provided also by @ericfromabeno:
> →
>
> A
>
> B‘‘‘‘
* * *
In your case, you can see it like something along the line of "Of course I know. I know very well, or, As a matter of fact, I do more than simply knowing..." (notice this is not a translation, since you already have it, but rather trying to convey the how to interpret ).
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "meaning, expressions"
}
|
Are there official kanji attached to popular particles?
After some research on my own (looking through the list of kun-readings for more obscure kanji), I can more or less surely claim:
is (which is simultaneously many things, including and );
is ;
, of course, is .
But what for the others? Are there specific kanji for , for , for etc.?
|
@kandyman's answer focuses on the official aspect of your question and conclude that you should use hiragana. That is indeed what you should do. However if you are instead interested by historic usage that is no longer in use except for some occurrences of on placards, and some obscure books might still use and . You should remember that those are not official.
Here is a quick list of what I found:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
The part about is what you would expect to find in a text.
There are some more weird kanji in like [] but those are neither particles nor auxiliaries.
Refs: <
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "kanji"
}
|
「持参の上」の「上」の意味は何ですか。
|
>
> …… -- <
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "words"
}
|
The meaning of んや
Here are two examples that I have encountered
> ****
another example:
> ****
I am still trying to have a better sense of the letters that add up individually to the end of the sentences in Japanese language, such as . So in this case, my question is:
Is there any particular situation in which is being commonly used after and if so, what sort of expression it conveys? or we must always try to understand them separately?
|
I am fairly certain that what you encountered is actually part of , or the regional dialect in Kansai. Sometimes Kansai dialect is used to add a different feeling to a character. Sometimes it is to add humor (especially when foreigners use it), but it really depends on the context in which it is used.
is an element of that will replace at the end of a sentence. (Third listed item in the link attached.) You will hear it commonly used in the following ways.
> Kansai: / **** /
> Normally: ****
>
> Kansai: ****
> Normally: ****
>
> Kansai: … ****
> Normally: … ****
You will find that the past tense form of is .
is the Kansai form of , as the link I included states.
* * *
The that you encountered is actually the contracted form of from the grammar principle /.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "words, sentence final particles, kansai ben"
}
|
「～を限りに」 vs「～限りで」
> ①
The sentence above was corrected by numerous Japanese people as in the following sentence.
> ①
What's the difference between these two expressions? When should one be used over the other? (I asked this question as well, but I was told that it's hard even for Japanese people.)
|
I feel both are fine. To me, sounds a little more pompous and stilted. But in this case it's not a bad word choice because it expresses the guy's resolution well.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
Time between meetings and use of 久しぶり
Generally speaking, how much time needs to go by before it would be natural to use ?
Is 2 weeks too short? A month? Where is the line?
Does frequency affect the usage of ? As in, you meet regularly every 2 months, so you wouldn't say ?
Example situations:
> 1) You regularly go to a gym and get to know several people there, but because you sometimes skip days as do they, after seeing them 3 times a week for a few months, a month goes by without seeing them. The next time you meet, would you say ?
>
> 2) You only rarely go to the library, say once every 3 or 4 months, and someone you know works there. That is the only place you see them. Do you say every time?
|
I generally use if its more than a month. means "Long time no see" or "It has been a while." How do you define "long time" or "a while" is definitely matter of one's preference.
I believe another variable that you could factor in is how often you are suppose to meet this person. For example, if you see the same person regularly, let's say every 2 weeks. You don't say everytime. However if you were expected to see this person every week but this person misses the meeting or class and there is 2 weeks of gap then you could say after 2 weeks. Therefore I believe you can't always put defined time frame to the word . It deals with how often you are expected to meet this person and the time gap.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "usage"
}
|
What verb conveys the concept of 'visited'?
I am trying to say the following: "We also drove around California and visited San Diego, Joshua Tree Park and several beaches."
I think it should be:
> Kariforunia o doraibu shite sandiego nimo ikimashita. Joshua Tree Park to bi-chi o ikutsuka mimashita.
However, I've been told that "Mimashita" is wrong, because it just means "looked/saw." I tried the verb "kengaku shimashita" but that apparently is also very similar to "looked/saw."
How can I change my sentence to naturally convey the concept of visiting those places?
PS. I have not used hiragana because my skills in hiragana are still at a beginner level and it's just creating too much confusion for me at this stage. The line is only going to be spoken.
|
You could just combine San Diego with the Joshua Tree/beaches. Note that `ikutsuka no` means `a number of`.
> Kariforunia o doraibu shite, sandiego to Joshua Tree Park to ikutsuka no bi-chi ni ikimashita.
If you mean that on the way to San Diego you went to Joshua Tree and a number of beaches, you could say something like the following. `yottemiru` means `to go to somewhere because it's along the way/convenient`. I.E. Getting to San Diego was the main goal, but Joshua Tree and the beaches were nearby so you decided to go to those as well.
> Kariforunia o doraibu shite, sandiego ni iki, Joshua Tree Park to ikutsuka no bi-chi ni yottemimashita.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "words"
}
|
立ってそばを食べる vs 立ちながらそばを食べる
I have a question about grammar and usage. Please help.
>
The question is what grammar form should be inserted there. My book answer is not .
But what is wrong with the latter?
P.S.
I'm not sure whether this is a relevant info but the question is from an N1 Jlpt test. Does that mean that , which is enlisted in N5 level, is not the appropriate answer?
|
In general, tends to be used when you are doing two different things with two different purposes, whereas the te-form tends to be used when the first verb describes how the second verb is achieved, like an adverb.
> * : OK
> * : NG
> * : OK
> * : OK
> * : NG
>
In your case, is clearly the more natural choice because is not a main purpose. But is fine because has a distinct purpose unrelated to . Admittedly, the borderline is blurry and someone may say is not entirely wrong. It may be best to memorize as a fixed adverb-like expression. There are several verbs whose te-form is used almost like an adverb, for example , , and .
Related:
* How can verb become an adverb?
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "grammar, usage, て form, jlpt"
}
|
How to make sense of 呪縛から解放されるウソという名の魔法
I'm having problem figuring out the idea or meaning of a sentence while reading manga.
The context is that a character **A** told someone (character **B** ) a big lie, and influenced by that lie, **B** started to act in favor of character **A** , without even realizing it. The liar states now that character **B** is under his "spell" (). There's no magic involved, just an expression.
After that, character **A** says:
> {}{}{}{}
I'm able to understand each word individually but not as a whole phrase. What is the main idea of the sentence?
|
>
> (It's) A magic called 'Lie', which unleashes you from the curse.
* : "with which one is unleashed from the bond/curse". This is an adverbial-head relative clause that modifies . is something that binds you psychologically.
* How is the subject of this subclause made clear?
* : "of the name _lie_ "
* : "magic". The sentence is a sentence.
* what exactly is "{}"?
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, expressions, relative clauses"
}
|
The Word ま By Itself
What does mean in this sentence?
> []{}[]{}
Bonus question: What is the function of in this sentence?
|
[]{} is a set phrase meaning literally "during what time", generally questioning the timeframe during which something happened.
>
The speaker is expressing surprise at the rain having stopped while they were unaware of it. _"[During what time/when] did it stop raining?!"_ Alternatively, if it's narration, it could also say _"Before [we] knew it, it had stopped raining."_
The phrase can also be used differently:
> A: Did you do [XYZ]?
> B: []{}
Here the speaker is exclaiming exasperation at not having had time to do [XYZ]. _"When exactly did you expect me to do this?!"_ or _"You should be aware that I could not possibly have had time to do this."_
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, particles"
}
|
Meaning of A Sentence Using 降り止んだ
I came across this phrase:
>
>
And I don't understand the grammar behind the word .
I've seen two translations for it: "Without anyone noticing, the rain let up. With the rain having stopped, the town sparkles." and "In the meantime, the rain stopped falling and the town started to sparkle".
I'm not sure which is more accurate, though they are quite similar.
My question is this: Regarding , what is the grammar behind its current conjugation and the ending, "". Also I've seen it written in romaji as both "oriyanda" and "furiyanda". Which is correct?
|
Simply, []{} is an established compound verb, and you have to memorize it as one word.
> ### ‐
>
> ―
> ###
>
> Godan verb with mu ending, intransitive verb
>
> 1. to stop raining or snowing
>
According to Compound Verb Lexicon, there are five similar verbs ending with :
* (e.g., )
* (e.g., )
* (e.g., )
* (e.g., , )
* (e.g., )
Although may be uncommon, the other four are worth memorizing.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "grammar, conjugations"
}
|
What is the difference between 傾向がある and 傾向にある?
> **** He tends to be weak against stress.
>
> **** He is apt to ridicule others.
|
Strictly speaking, the former one "" is wrong. It should be "". But in this case, when you make a daily conversation, it's not strange to use "", so you don't have to be worried.
"" is kind of "changing right now", for example
> (Lately, the number of crimes in the country is increasing)
In this case, "" is right because the number of crimes is "still" increasing. And you can NOT use "". But of course, if this is a daily conversation, it is no problem to use "" (although it sounds strange a little bit).
"" is "not changing right now", for example
> (He is apt to ridicule others.)
In this case, "He" is not changing to ridicule others right now, but he has been apt to ridicule since sometime and still he is.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 11,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
どうして「お聞き遊ばして」が現代語訳では「お吸いなさいまして」になるのか分からない
>
>
>
> ** __ **
>
>
>
>
> ** __ **
>
* * *
|
>
> ⑤[][]{}
> ⑥[]
> ⑥
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "keigo, classical japanese"
}
|
How should I translate "驚破という場合に望みては"?
I am reading . At some point, there is this sentence:
> []{}
[]{} is a reference to an earlier passage,
>
Clearly it is about the surprise of the doctor who will have to deal with such a patient. However, I can't see how to translate with something different than _when dealing with such a case_ , hiding the difficulty in _such_.
|
The doctor is not surprised. in this context is an old interjection used like , , , etc. (I didn't know it has the kanji . Looks like it's an ateji, and liked it.) See the second definition from :
> ###
>
>
> ①
> ② 17
This means "to face (a situation)", and is usually written as now.
So, means or () in modern Japanese.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "classical japanese, interjections"
}
|
Meaning of the particle と in this case
I was listening to the song performed by When I looked into the lyrics, I was confused by two things.
>
>
What's the meaning of the particle after in this case?
>
>
>
>
In this case, what`s the difference in the meaning after adding in the last sentence, instead of just writing ?
Thank you very much
|
In this case is the quotative particle. It indicates what the person will write.
> ****
> If I had a pencil I would write **that** war is horrible.
Compare this with . This means "I will write a letter", but would be used to mark what you actually write **in** the letter. This particle is used with verbs such as , etc. to mark what people say, think etc.
As for why is added in the line you mention, I have no idea. Maybe it makes the lyrics fit the tune better. It doesn't do any harm.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning, particle と"
}
|
Keep doing an action using っぱなし
I'm currently learning about . My grammar book (Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar) says that when the verb is intransitive it means 'keep doing' but when the verb is transitive it means 'leave in a certain state'. It gives the example:
>
> I borrowed money from a friend and still haven't paid it back.
If I hadn't read the bit about transitive/intransitive I would have translated that as "I still keep borrowing money" e.g. every month I have to borrow money.
How would I express that idea of: keep doing a transitive action? e.g. I keep eating cake from the fridge.
|
I think that you are looking for :
> *
> I keep eating cake from the fridge.
>
> *
> It seems that he keeps improving.
>
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
Two questions about "can"
If means "can eat", means the same but polite, and means "can not eat" but in its polite form, how do I say "can not eat" in the nonpolite form?
Another little question: how can I say "can be". For example, "I can be that person".
|
First of all, it should be rather than , although the latter form is used. See this link.
Once you have conjugated a verb into the potential form it behaves just like any other iru-eru/group 1 (whatever you want to call it) verb.
As you probably already know, to make a group 1 verb negative you just remove and replace it with . So we get .
Furthermore, just behaves like an i-adjective so you can get the past tense exactly as you would expect: . Conjugation in Japanese is really logical :-)
I'm not a native speaker, but I can't think of any way to turn 'to be' into potential form. My guess is that this isn't a natural thing to do. If had to say "I can be that person" I think would use (become) and say:
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "conjugations, potential form"
}
|
Grammar of プレッシャーに晒される
>
after some searching, I also found these sentences:
>
>
>
, as far as i can tell, you a transitive verb can't take noun+ without a indirect object.
such as "X / Y V-transitive" in general
what is going on in these instances? What is the agent of the passive verb? can pressure itself be the agent?
thank you
|
> , as far as i can tell, you a transitive verb can't take noun+ without a indirect object.
In , is the indirect object. The direct object is left out.
XX **** **** -- active voice
→XX **** **** -- passive voice
> What is the agent of the passive verb? can pressure itself be the agent?
The agent of the is not mentioned, either.
YYXX **** -- active voice
→XX **** YY -- passive voice
|
stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, passive voice"
}
|
use of ほどには and くらいには in this sentence
context is some bad guys talking to an arrogant rich girl that they kidnapped. Included extra context, not sure if needed.
> girl …… ……
>
> bad guys
>
> girl …… ……
>
> bad guys
>
> girl
>
> ****
>
> **……**
>
> girl ****
" from now on, as a beautiful person like me with a rose coloured life, [] is not a thing "
To the extent of having "that" conviction without any doubt is a (?), as long as this 'extent" is allowed, the world will fawn over me. .... that is until today
1. i'm unsure how to read XXYY
2. The concept of [] is also lost on me here. Who is doing the here and what is ? (being a ?)
3. how do and differ here?
Another little thing if possible, is and in this excerpt used with the […] definition?
thank you
edit:
after some advice this is my new conclusion:
"(I am a) { to the extent that (I) believe [...]}, because the world, ({} - entire thing as adverb), fawned over me. "
|
1. XX()YY means "to be YY to the extent to do XX", "to be YY enough to do XX".
2. The refers to =.
The subject of the is . has allowed to believe that .
3. and have the same meaning here.
* * *
The connects to .
"For a like me, there won't be , , or ." "To a like me, , , won't happen."
means "to be born as a Japanese" (≂ ). I think the indicates .
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "parsing, particle ほど, particle くらい"
}
|
Why is 前 in 駅前 read まえ and not ぜん?
The way I understand it, when two kanji are together without an okurigana in middle the onyomi reading is used for them. So why is in not read as ? Is an exception case?
I'm sorry if this question seems rather simplistic, I'm just a beginner in Japanese.
|
is an abbreviation of . So the said rule doesn’t apply to ’s .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": -1,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "readings"
}
|
Meaning of "さっきまで都会風ぶっこいてたんだよ"
Here's the context:
> A:
>
> B:
>
> C: []{}[]{}
>
> B:
>
> A: []
>
> B:
>
> C: [][]
>
> D: ****
>
> B:
I searched in jisho.org for **** or **** (cause of the conjugation for -ending verbs) but they don't match, I hope the context is clear enough.
|
is a slangy, colloquial and vulgar verb used in place of , , etc. It has a contemptuous or mocking nuance, although it's not as offensive as /. Look up and separately for the etymology. in this context roughly means "to behave/speak like a city girl", but it sounds more slangy than this.
For some reason, is often used with . () means the same thing as , and it may be memorized as a slangy set expression.
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning, colloquial language, slang"
}
|
My Teacher just had a baby, how do I congratulate her
My Japanese teacher just gave birth and our long-term sub is having us make cards to congratulate her, we need to write something in Japanese, and I want to write something different than what she supplied us with, to spice it up or whatever. What would be appropriate to say in my card?
Edit: I'm not exactly sure what I want to say, but the phrase the sub gave us was the same thing for the entire class:
>
She said we could do something different, and I want it to be something that an actual Japanese student might say to their teacher had a baby to congratulate them. I'm only in Japanese 1, so I know hiragana and some words and phrases, but not nearly enough Japanese to write anything that would actually make sense in this context.
|
I'll give a few simple common phrases...
> []{}
>
> or []{}
>
> []{}
>
> []{}[]{}(← when the baby is a girl)
>
> []{}[]{}(← when the baby is a boy)
Maybe you could add at the top...
>
* * *
For those who want more formal phrases...
>
>
> or
>
>
etc...
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "expressions, phrases, phrase requests"
}
|
What does もらえる mean in this sentence ?
Here's an excerpt from the article I am reading (link to the article):
> ****
Last line is where I am stuck at. I understand it as,
' _Most of the books I am going to introduce this time are paperbacks which can be casually bought and read anywhere_ '
What I don't understand is the at the end. Is it there only for politeness or does it have any nuance ?
Would the last sentence make sense without the
> ****
|
is the potential form of the subsidiary-verb . This implies the action of is somehow beneficial to the speaker, i.e., the author of this article would be happy if someone took a look at his review, bought the book and read it. In this case, such a nuance is not essential, and it can be safely omitted without largely changing the meaning. itself has nothing to do with keigo, but maybe the sentence would look slightly more friendly with because of how it indicates a connection between the author and the readers.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, subsidiary verbs, giving and receiving"
}
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What could a phrase like アルコールはダメなんだ possibly mean?
The phrase is from a manga I read, in which a guy responds to his friend when being asked if he wants a beer. He appears not to be into alcohol, even goes so far to say that "I don't like the taste, nor is there any occasion for me to drink".
I'm not sure what possible meanings that phrase could have though. Literally, it'd be "Alcohol is not good", and it could be reasonably thought of as "Alcohol isn't good for your health" (in which case he might be advising his friend not to drink).
**I'm curious whether there's a possibility for it to mean "I'm not good with alcohol" > "I can't drink".** After all, this seems to be an example of the various ambiguous uses of "wa", in which the topic isn't necessarily grammatically tied to the modifying phrase that follows.
|
It means "I'm not good with alcohol" or "I don't like alcohol". Of course it can also mean "Alcohol is not good (for your health)" and "Alcohol is prohibited (in this event)", depending on the context. In general, can mean "to be not good at " or "not to like ". For example you can say , , etc.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 15,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "translation, meaning, particle は, phrases"
}
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Difference between 何て言う意味、何て言うこと、どう言う意味 etc
When someone says something to me and I don't really understand the meaning, how can I respond?
What is the difference between:
*
*
*
I might be wrong, I might mix everything from what I've heard, read, seen.
Environment: Polite, formal, informal, anything is fine.
Extra question, how to say it in keigo?
|
? means "What is the meaning?". For example, ?(What is the meaning of this kanji?).
I say rather than and it means "Oh my God".
? has two meanings. One is the same as "?" and the other is "What do you mean". The latter one often includes an offensive nuance.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "nuances"
}
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is 持てる potential form or continuous tense
I am learning japanese grammar via Tae Kim (< I read that to change a u-verb to potential form, replace the -u ending with a -e ending and add -ru. For example or to mean can hold or can wait.
The same verb , when conjugated to its continuous tense becomes , which is sometimes simplified to . I feel like this causes ambiguity, for example, can mean "I am holding a pen" or "I can hold a pen". The question is, how does one distinguish between the 2 meanings, or is there a completely different way to say these things? I read that the topic particle () cannot be used with the potential form of verb, so if the sentence changes to , it would most likely mean "I am holding a pen", but when the particle is , it is unclear, at least to me
|
First, "" can never be simplified to "". The former one "", or sometimes "" for simplified one is "have something right now", but the latter one "" is "able to have".
Second, "" can be used both potential and continuous. So as I explained above, "" means "is having a pen" and "" is "can have a pen"
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "potential form"
}
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「しり目に」の意味は何ですか。
|
…
()
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "words"
}
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Use of に in 金色の血に染まる前に
The translation I received was 'Before my blood was dyed golden'
How does the construct of No-verb + noun + + verb works?
Does the particle take the verb and puts it between the no adjective and noun so that it basically describes how the noun is affected by the adjective?
Basically 'blood that was dyed golden' instead of 'be dyed by golden blood'?
|
Be warned I am a non-native speaker, but here is what I found:
A quick google in a Japanese-Japanese dictionary (always better to consult than crappy english translations) says that one meaning of somaru means either "a color sticks to something" (to dye) or that something is turning a certain color, so the meaning is a bit more general than to dye. What you posted is a sentence fragment without a subject or topic, so I can assume that in this case the ni indicates that whatever the subject/topic is is being subsumed in color by golden blood. So in this case it indicates 'by' in English.
- by golden blood - before subsumed (in color) / dyed by
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "particle に"
}
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Difference in sentences (と and に）友達に/と晩ご飯を食べました 彼氏に/とキスした
What would be the difference between these two sentences.
>
>
>
My understanding is that can mean "with" or describe taking an action with a secondary object (as well as mean "and")
So maybe another example.
>
>
>
Would the difference for that be "I kissed my boyfriend" vs. "My boyfriend and I kissed"
|
has a lot of functions and I won't go into detail of every possible usage of it. Let me just comment on your examples.
is ungrammatical and makes no sense. means "I ate dinner with my friend."
**** means "I kissed my boyfriend." This is a target/destination marker. ( is an intransitive verb.) **** is similar, but it indicates your boyfriend also kissed you because there is ("with "). If you kissed him on the lips, **** and **** are interchangeable. But if you kissed his wrist, you can say **** but not **** .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, particles, particle に, particle と"
}
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What are the differences between 望み, 志望, 希望 and 願い?
Could anyone explain to me what the differences are between these words, both in meaning and usage?
|
* ****
* _hope_ (expectation for future / expectation of surviving, sustaining)
> _don't give up hope_
* _desire, wish_ (expectation of obtaining / achieving)
> _fat chance_
* ****
* _aim of becoming_ (of profession, school etc.)
> _reason for applying_ (for the job etc.)
* ****
* _hope_ ; sounds slightly more bookish, but also more modern than
* _wish, preference_ (request out of one's taste)
> _request is met_
* ****
* _wish, hope_ (which is not necessarily fulfilled by one's own effort)
> _wish comes true_
* [suffixing] _letter of (request for)_...
> _resignation letter_
The word forms you provided are nouns, but of course they can be used as verbs with respective meanings.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 8,
"tags": "meaning, word choice"
}
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Nuance of the structure "Verb (stem of negative form) + ざるを得ない" compared to "Verb + しかない"
I've browsed a bit throught the other posts and it seems like there is no clear explanation of the nuance of "V + " compared to "V + ". Roughly speaking, they have the same meaning but is there any subtle nuance I don't get here or are they completely interchangeable?
|
() looks a little more literary, stiff and formal, although it can safely be used in informal but serious situations. It clearly expresses that the verb is an **undesirable** but unavoidable option. In other words, you do not want to do it but cannot help it. is an archaic negation marker, and has a potential meaning. is one of the set phrases that use archaic forms.
On the other hand, () is fairly neutral ("one can only "). It's usually interchangeable with , but it does not necessarily imply the verb is an undesirable option. For example, you can safely use when you noticed you had only one option but it was your initial plan, anyway.
> * (strongly implies you are reluctant but had no choice)
> * (more proactive, "I must fight!")
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "word choice, nuances, expressions"
}
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Trouble with a small excerpt from Tanizaki's Himitsu
I'm having some trouble understanding the following excerpt (from Tanizaki's _Himitsu_ ):
>
"The sweet scented and chilly dew" does what? "the delight of the skin that penetrated the pores was exceptional"? Help me!
|
>
is a relative clause modifying .
The subject of is .
The sentence roughly means something like.....
> "The delight of the skin [into the pores of which the sweet scented and chilly dew penetrated] was exceptional" / "The delight of the skin [when the sweet scented and chilly dew penetrated its pores] was exceptional."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "translation, parsing, relative clauses, literature"
}
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Transitive English words becoming intransitive 外来語
While reading naruto's answer to Difference in sentences ( and , I realized that although is an intransitive verb in Japanese, the English _kiss_ is almost always used as a transitive verb. Some other examples of this are and . My question is thus is there a reason why primarily transitive English words when converted to Japanese could become primarily intransitive words?
My expectation is that primarily transitive English words like _to google_ or _to master_ to become primarily transitive Japanese words and primarily intransitive English words like _jump_ to become primarily intransitive Japanese, which is true for at least those three cases. Is the way words like became incorporated into Japanese different from words like ?
|
There should be exceptions, but I suppose this is largely based on the transitivity of the original Japanese verb before it was replaced by the loanword.
* () = ()
* () = ()/
* () = ()
* () = ()
* () = ()
When the original Japanese verb is transitive, the loanword version is also transitive.
* () = ()
* () = ()
Occasionally, an English intransitive verb can be borrowed as a transitive suru-verb:
* () = () = to retire _from_
Many loaned suru-verbs are not even based on English verbs, so it's not surprising if transitivity is ignored :)
* () = ()
* () = ()
* () = ()
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 15,
"question_score": 13,
"tags": "loanwords, transitivity"
}
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Desconstructing らしくなってきたの
Let me disassemble this construction bit by bit to see if I get it right, ok?
So, is the explanatory particle. The part comes from . So is its negation. Now, I imagine that is the motion 'suffix', right? So it would mean that something is 'coming to seem like' something else. This is actually how google translates it. My question is, why is in the negative? Wouldn't it mean that something 'is not coming to seem like' something else? Plus... the 'suffix' (I'm calling it a suffix for lack of knowledge of a better word, sorry) comes from the -form + . , however, is not a verb, so where does the -form come from?
Thank you very much.
|
> [...] why is in the negative?
In fact, it is not the negative form. Brush up on -adjectives conjugations.
You see, you're almost right on everything but that's + , in the construction expressing something "becoming something/some way".
In this case that is done by adding + because conjugates as an -adjective.
So, .
What happens next is simply the -form plus .
Hence .
As you see, there is no negative. To wrap it up:
→ → →
To be negative you would have to add an extra :
→ → →
* * *
To explain a little more, let's review a moment this form of expressing changes.
This is the basic construction rule:
> -adj Example >>>
>
> -adj Example >>>
>
> nouns Example >>>
And when it comes to negative:
> -adj Example >>>
>
> -adj Example >>>
>
> nouns Example >>>
Which is basically the usual construction conjugating the verb into its negative form.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "て form, i adjectives"
}
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What is the meaning of the slang ～じゃてえ?
I'd like to know what exactly means when located at the end of verbs and/or adjectives. Do young people use it rhetorically?
The whole sentence is:
>
|
It's not a recent slang word but a dialectal form of or . It's probably still in use in some parts of western Japan*, but it may be best to consider it as a stereotyped role word of old people and people in rural areas.
* Both and are actively used in reality in Setouchi region. Some source say () is Okayama dialect.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 7,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning, expressions, dialects, role language"
}
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Negative (te-form) + しまう
I'm translating a song and came across this line:
> >
At first I thought it was:
in negative te-form + in conditional form +
But I think there's something wrong or something I'm ignoring. If I rewrite the sentence the way I think it is, it would be like:
> > --->
>>
>> ~ ---> ~
>>
>>
So my guess would be :
Why is there a '' before ''?
|
As you noticed, if that were the in negative te-form, it would be as opposed to . That's why in reality it's + in te-form. Note that is the adverbial form of + .
> --->
>
> --->
>
> ~ ---> ~
>
>
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "て form, conditionals"
}
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Question about "中国"
So I stumbled on this :
>
with the english translation that follow :
> According to my Korean friend, the number of the learners of Korean is increasing.
the part is what bothering me, even more after finding on Jisho and ejje.weblio :
> "3.central part of a country; main region Only applies to "
I've always seen as China, but now i'm wondering if there could be another use of this word, since this sentence doesn't clearly say "China", maybe I'm just overcomplicating all this, but I'm really curious!
> So : " In China there is more and more ppl learning Korean "
>
> or : " Yeah in _THAT COUNTRY_ there is more and more people learning Korean "
Can be really use as to describe ANY COUNTRY's "central part/main region"?
(Or can you give me an example where this meaning is correctly used?)
~ edit: spelling
|
This seems like just a simple omission in the translation, which should be
"According to my Korean friend, the number of learners of Korean **in China** is increasing". Unless there is specific context to indicate otherwise, the most obvious usage usually makes the most sense.
Also, although can describe central regions, it is usually specified by attaching some other word. For example, in Japan there is the central region of Honshu. You could certainly just use as an abbreviation of that, as long as it was understood that is what you meant. But in general on its own refers to China.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation"
}
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How to say "This is how I do [...]"?
>
This literally says "I study kanji".
But I would like to say " _This is how_ I study kanji." or "I will _show you how_ I study kanji".
Can anyone help with this structure?
|
>
> This is how I study kanji.
In general, 'how to do verb'/'way to do verb' is formed by adding to the masu-stem of the verb, e.g. = 'way to make. When you add in this way the whole thing acts like a noun. So "way to make bread" would become .
verbs are a little different. For some reason you need to add an extra , so the 'way to study kanji' would be = .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "word requests, sentence"
}
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What is the meaning/grammar behind noun + でいる?
I've come across phrases like this a couple of times where is used right after a noun instead of the usual Te-form verb + :
> ****
In this case is it basically just the same as ?
|
means to stay and means to remain something or to keep being something.
It's different from in the point that implies that one is in that state for a certain period of time and no longer so when it's expired.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "meaning, particle で"
}
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Difference between もうひとつの, 別の and ほかの
I read this sentence in another post:
> ****
> But we will assign another meaning to the kanji .
Putting aside any other problems with this sentence, I feel that isn't the right word to use for 'another' in this context. I may of course be wrong, but I would have gone with or instead, but I can't explain why (maybe because I'm talking nonsense).
Anyway, I'm now wondering what the difference is between , and when used to mean 'another'.
|
I think the difference is subtle here.
means _another_ by way of meaning _one other_ or _one more_.
can mean _another_ by way of meaning _different._
is probably the truest sense of the word _another,_ but there are cases where you'd use one of the other two in a more natural context.
In the sense of the given phrase, I think all three utterances work equally well:
>
>
>
If was chosen here it was merely because it is probably the first of the three phrases to be introduced in a textbook.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, word choice"
}
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「浮き彫り」の意味・使い方がよくわからない
to be distinctthrow something into reliefa relief
>
> The white mask stood out in bold relief in the dark.
>
>
> This threw the seriousness of the scandal into relief.
relief
|
The type of relief in question isn't disaster relief, it's a type of sculpture called a relief. There is also a related English idiom to bring/throw into sharp/stark relief, which means to distinguish something via contrasting it to another object. Presumably, this definition is abstracted from the process of making a relief sculpture, where the sculpture is in sharp contrast to the rock.
Let's look at the Japanese definitions for (from Weblio):
> ①
>
> ②
We can see that the first definition refers to the sculptural relief and the second definition is very similar to the English idiom.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 4,
"tags": "meaning"
}
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Aozora versus Aoi sora
Can we use and interchangeably?
Is there any difference between the two? Which is the most natural?
Thank you!
|
In this specific case, yes, and both mean "blue sky". When used on their own, there is no surprising connotation and thus they are interchangeable. But in a compound noun can mean "open-air" or "outdoor" (e.g., is not the same as ).
Note that it's not always true for similar pairs. is not the same as , and is not the same as .
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 8,
"question_score": 9,
"tags": "words, adjectives, i adjectives"
}
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Meaning of 天秤に乗せる
In the Dead Tube manga I found this sentence:
> …
The protagonist is asking a group of people who usually don't risk their life to participate in a risky game. What is the meaning of ? Is it a fixed expression? Considering the context, I guess it could be translated as "to risk, to put on the line", is it correct? Please let me know if you need more context. Thank you for your help!
|
/ is usually a figurative way to say "to compare the importance (of two important things)". For example you can say , etc. In your case, it may be used in the sense of "to risk (one's life)", but that's not a standard way to use this idiom.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning, expressions, manga"
}
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Any better way to ask "How are you?" instead of "お元気ですか？"
I'm very curios to know about the meaning of "?". This could be the very basic question. But once I asked my office colleague(Japanese Native) "?". so his reply was very shocking to me. He replied me something like "Do you feel I am sick?".
But as per the study I thought Its simple meaning as "How are you?". So now I'm curios to know some other better option to use Instead of "" or I did some mistake at the moment? Please guide/suggest some better options, when we meet usually to person but maybe once in a day.
|
To a co-worker I would use something like "", etc. instead. If you haven't seen the co-worker for a few months, a "" would sound natural as well I think.
If you want to fill silence when with a co-worker I recommend you make obvious observations about the weather; "" or "", "", etc.
is translated as "how are you" but it's just not used as often as "how are you" in English.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "politeness, business japanese"
}
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Iki versus Yuki meaning "bound for"
Can we read as "iki" talking about trains bound for some stations?
For example,
>
Here they say we should read it as "yuki."
Here I see that "iki" is used to mean "bound for". But the example sentence is not about a station.
|
I think both options are perfectly fine, and I do not even remember which is more common after using Japanese buses and trains thousands of times. But maybe is a little bit safer according to other opinions on the net.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "kanji, readings"
}
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もう治らないと言われた目が見えるようになった。これが奇跡でなくてなんだろう English Translation?
I found this sentence in a book.
>
It doesn't make sense to me at all.
|
>
>
is what was said by the doctor.
is a relative clause modifying .
It literally says: "My eyes, [which the doctor said wouldn't recover], became able to see." i.e. "The doctor said my eyesight would never recover, but I regained my eyesight."
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "translation"
}
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How to say, "I major in computer science" or "I'm studying computer science"?
”” Do they use the term "computer science" in Japanese or is there a formal term for this?
|
As well as , the terms and []{} are also in use. They all refer to the term 'computer science' in English.
For majoring in something, you can say or . So, or Or insert the other terms instead.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 3,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "translation, word usage"
}
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Is あわやと思った an idiom? What is the meaning of あわや?
I've come across this sentence
>
and I have looked around without success for a translation for . Tangorin simply says it's an adverb meaning 'almost on the verge of happening', but gives no example sentences. What does it mean? Maybe the context is necessary... the whole sentence is
>
So... the sword that was stolen from the cave save me... but what about the time it happen?
Thank you very much.
|
is an adverb to refer to a situation where one escapes a danger by a hair. I don't think the word is used in any other context today, so I assume it's a word from long time ago that survived only in combination with that adds emotion (this use of is apparently called )
So from there hopefully you can understand that means "just when I thought I'm in great danger", and you expect something that saved him from that situation would follow.
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "translation, idioms"
}
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Why is 英語教師 possible but 英語先生 not possible?
Why is it ok to say both and but not , just ?
|
An interesting question. It's actually a peculiar feature of the word .
It may sound confusing, but does _not_ literally mean "teacher" even though it is the most basic word for it today. It is an honorific title addressing a learned person, like "sir", "master", "honorable" etc.
> ****
For this reason, can only stand for "teacher" when it is used alone, and if attached to other nouns, it becomes a form of address.
> _English teacher_
> _Mr./Ms. English_
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stackexchange-japanese
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{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 7,
"tags": "particles, particle の"
}
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Pronunciation Troubles with トラブル and トラブる: Loanwords with both noun and verb ending in ru mora
Following this comment:
What is the difference in pronunciation or pitch accent between:
* and
* and
What are the regional differences (if any)?
Is the pronunciation rule generalisable to other pairs of the form and ?
|
[]{LHLL} -- []{LHHL}
[]{HLL} -- []{LHL}
[]{HLL} -- []{LHL}?
(I can't think of any other pairs...)
The verbs seem to have a pronunciation rule:
[]{LHL} []{LHHL} []{LHL} []{LHHL} []{LHL} []{LHL} []{LHHHL} ...
But I can't find a rule for loanwords ending with ...
[]{LHLL} []{LHHH} []{HLLL} []{HLL} []{LHH} / []{HLL}[]{LHH}...
As for the regional differences: In Kansai, for example, we pronounce these verbs like: []{HHH}[]{HHHH}[]{HHH}[]{HHHH}[]{HHH}...
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 10,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "pronunciation, pitch accent"
}
|
How to use 方が良い correctly
Searching for in the dictionary, the answer is:
> (after past tense verb) had better (verb)
> (after negative verb) had better not (verb)
and yet, in a conversation, I hear the sentence:
> ****
Why in this sentence, as mentioned in its definition in the dictionary, is not used after the verb, and what is the correct way to use it?
|
is a noun that literally means side/way/direction etc. So in a sentence like you can think of it like a relative clause with the meaning "the way where you eat" is good., i.e. "you should eat". So this construction isn't quite as special and mysterious as you might think.
In your sentence you can think of it (very awkwardly) as "the tomorrow side is good". Why "the tomorrow side"? Maybe you are given two options, either let's meet tomorrow or let's meet on Sunday. Which 'side' or which option is best? This construction is often used to make comparisons in Japanese. Sometimes is used to specify what you are comparing with. Sometimes is not used because the comparisons is implied.
So a translation for your sentence could be:
>
> Tomorrow is better, right?
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar, meaning"
}
|
How do I figure out what the implied subject is?
I was doing some JLPT N2 practice and I came across this:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
My thinking:
Some form of should be filled in the blank. So 1 and 4 are wrong. All of the options don't have a subject. So I don't know whether it is:
>
>
> the Suzuki that you met at your talk
or
>
>
> the Suzuki that met you at your talk
Therefore I am not sure between 2 and 3. And apparently the correct answer is 3.
How do I know the subject?
|
1. is an _honorific_ form of ("to take a look", "to watch").
2. is an _honorific_ version of ("to meet").
3. is a _humble_ version of ("to meet").
4. is a _humble_ version of ("to visit").
Options 1 and 4 are semantically wrong verb choices. Although is omitted, the topic of the sentence in question is clearly . By starting a sentence like this with , the listener would expect you are talking about , and expect a humble expression. And the blank is followed by another humble expression . Therefore the subject of the masked verb is , and the correct answer is 3.
(In addition, and themselves sound a little strange to me although they do not violate the basic rules of keigo. I don't know why, but if two people met each other and one of them is , I strongly feel a humble expression with as the subject is the default choice.)
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stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "grammar, keigo, subjects"
}
|
How do you say "hello" properly in Kyoto?
Rosetta Stone, which I use for learning, uses _konnichiwa_ (?) as a generic "hello". But when visiting Kyoto and places around there, I have never heard anyone actually saying it, not even a single time. Do they use another standard phrase instead? I would like to use a natural phrase to initiate conversation with strangers, for reasons like asking for directions and such.
|
Perhaps you have to give up on the idea that "there should be a perfect equivalent of _hello_ in Japanese (or in Kyoto)". Different languages have different sets of greetings. Some common phrases like and are difficult to translate to English.
Where you expected _hello_ , you might have heard , , , or instead. None of them are perfect equivalents of _hello_ , but used in various situations where _hello_ can be used in English. Indeed, tourists are not likely to hear , which is mainly used at school and workplaces. In your case, the phrase you need to stop a total stranger on the street is , which is closer to _excuse me_.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 13,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "word choice, culture"
}
|
How do you say 'around', as in "Walk around Lake Burley Griffin"
I have looked into it, but I can't find the answer.
When I say 'around', I mean walking along the perimeter of the lake and returning to the same place we started at.
Google Translate says that it is Burley Griffin.
My guess is:
>
Is that correct?
|
So, let's talk about noun phrases that might be used to express the concept of a walk around something.
> xx
>
> xx
>
> xx
>
> xx
The first two are most commonly used in terms of a predesigned course or trail that you might take around something. All these terms can be used with standard verbs such as or . However, there is a special verb that can be used to indicate completion of a walk {}, specifically for the first two examples. It doesn't seem to be used in the case of the latter two presumably because you already said . In fact, you can just say
> xx
to say you finished walking around something.
Here are some other ways you can say it, especially for a larger thing such as Lake Biwa or Japan (or I suppose if you want to make it seem like a long trip), you might say
> xx()()
>
> xx ( or )
For going around the world (obviously you can't do it all by walking), it seems the more common way to say you completed it would be :
>
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 1,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "phrase requests"
}
|
と思います vs. と思っています
Consider the following sentences:
> ****
>
> ****
If I use , does the sentence become more formal?
|
It's not about formality, but meaning difference.
Both are translated "think", but the plain ending stands for an instant judgment at that moment, reacting to an event or responding to a question; or begin to think. The stative , on the other hand, means holding an idea or belief in one's mind for a duration.
Another explanation, if you prefer, is that : is analogous to _put on_ : _wear_.
> **** _Who do you think I am!?_
> × ****
In the examples above, only the first one tells the meaning in English. The second is very, um... prosopagnostic (if grammatical in any way).
> **** _When I watched the movie, I thought the life is not as bad as it seems._
> × ****
In these examples, indicates immediate trigger, so only the first sentence is grammatical.
**Related**
* Difference between volitional + and volitional+
* VV
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 13,
"question_score": 10,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
How to use 方 correctly
Please read the passage:
> **** 4 **** ****
Why should we say and , but is a noun too, just like and
Why don't they use and
|
As described in this question, a masu-stem (aka , pre-masu form) has a noun-like quality, and they can _sometimes_ directly connects to another noun like a compound. defines this type of as a (suffix), and defines it as a . This means is somewhat special and it never follows an attributive form.
is plain wrong in Japanese. You can join a verb and a noun using the plain grammar of relative clauses, and there must not be between them.
* * *
So which noun can follow a masu-stem?
and can follow the masu-stem of any verb. is usually used as part of the idiom /.
> *
> *
>
Other nouns directly follow the masu-stem mainly as part of fixed expressions. `masu-stem + ` means "suitable time for ing", "good chance for ing". `masu-stem + ` roughly means "point of ing". `masu-stem + ` roughly means "thing to ". You basically have to memorize them individually.
> *
> *
> *
> *
> *
> *
>
You usually cannot say or unless you're speaking jokingly.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "grammar, particles"
}
|
んです for asking for permission
> ****
>
>
Both sentences translate to "Is is OK?" ( _context_ : It is OK if I take this umbrella?)
According to my textbook, is used for explanations. But in this context someone is asking for permission, as far as I understand. Does make the question sound more polite?
|
/ in a question sentence is for asking for a clarification. See: Question Markers: and
> The connotation that the has is to seek clarification based on background contexts, while the doesn’t require any context.
> The plain question marker allows you to just ask yes or no while the connotative question marker allows you to clarify something that you doubt about. You may sometimes be rude if you suddenly try to clarify something without contexts.
When you have a previous context and are asking "is it (really) okay?" referring to it, is the natural choice. For example, when someone said to you "Hey, you can take that umbrella!", then your response should be . But you have to say without / if this is the first time you mention in a conversation.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 6,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "grammar, questions"
}
|
「あまもり」と一段動詞「もれる」
()
() ()
|
> **×**
>
>
> **** 1―
>
> **×**
>
> **** ――
BCCWJ
> ****
> ****
> **** _("for the roof that will leak; for the tree that will fall.")_
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "verbs, renyōkei, godan verbs, ichidan verbs"
}
|
Meaning of 鑑定士 in English or French
The I have in mind is the one that this an expert about a type of goods (e.g. brand bags, diamonds, luxury watches), and is able to recognize and value them. He often use his knowledge in pawn shops or in auctions of such goods.
The term "expert" is too vague. The term "appraiser" seems very close but a bit old-fashioned to me, but I am not native in English so I may be wrong.
Which verb would you associate with this work ()?
I know this is not a translation service, but I believe the term is technical enough to deserve a question.
|
I think appraiser (US English) is the word that you are looking for. **Valuer** (British English) and **valuator** (archaic British English) seem to be synonyms.
Valuer:
1. A valuer is someone whose job is to estimate the cost or value of something, for example a house, or objects that are going to be sold in an auction. (Source)
2. A person whose job is to estimate the value of something that is to be purchased. (Source)
Valuator:
1. a person who estimates the value of objects, paintings, etc; appraiser (Source)
2. one that valuates, specifically one that appraises (Source)
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 6,
"tags": "translation"
}
|
見事なまでに what does it mean?
I stumbled upon this sentence in a game i was playing. As I know is a particle, so I dont understand what it means. I've tried searching in the dictionary, but to no luck. All help will be appreciated.
|
This is a (conjunctive) particle, and it can take the attributive form of a verb/copula and mean "(to) the extent ", "(to) the point where ", etc.
> *
> *
> *
>
So literally means "to the point where (it is) wonderful".
can describe something truly wonderful, but it is often used sarcastically (e.g., , ). There are 40 examples of on BCCWJ, which means this is a rather common phrase. Roughly half of them are used in a sarcastic manner.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "grammar"
}
|
「失敗、エラーの危険と裏腹のものです。」の意味
3
> ****
**** ****
|
>
>
>
>
>
2
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "meaning"
}
|
Appropriate terms for indigenous people
I'm often asked about my home country by Japanese people and wish to discuss the unique polynesian culture of the indigenous people there. How do I describe them in Japanese? I understand that this is a sensitive topic in Japan but there is much interest in foreign cultures and the pre-colonial past of my country.
What's the difference between {}{}{} and {}{}{}? Why is {}{}{} considered to be offensive?
Are these terms appropriate to describe the native peoples of Japan such as the Ainu and Ryukyu (Okinawan) peoples? Would it be appropriate for native people of foreign countries?
What is a positive word (that doesn't imply that they're uncivilised) for people who consider themselves to be belong to the land or be the original guardians of it? For example, to describe cultures such as New Zealand Māori, Hawai'ian, and native Americans that view themselves as belonging and European settlers as foreign.
|
I don't think is a word. (On the other hand, you may be able to say , but it has little to do with ethnicity **of minority**. It rather stands for local feature against global power these days.)
Indigineous people in japanese are , or . Among them, the safest one is . is less safe. Some people may not like it. is a derogatory word today. You mustn't use it.
As for native Americans, they seem to regard themselves as . But I'm not sure for the rest. In that sense, don't call Okinawan people , or they'll get mad.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 5,
"question_score": 5,
"tags": "meaning, word choice, history, culture, offensive words"
}
|
で as 動作を行うときの様態 vs で as だ
I'm looking to clear up the use of as:
or as the -form of with nouns/na-adj in this example.
* * *
describing a new girl the speaker just met
>
- -form of
or
[]- as
Thank you.
|
I think this is the te-form of . If it's , it means it modifies the following verb and describes how it is done. In other words, wearing a school uniform should be somehow important in the following main action (e.g., , ).
However, in this case, none of the following verbs (, etc) is particularly related to her clothing, so I think this is a long relative clause that is describing two independent facts of the girl in parallel, i.e., "she is in school uniform" and "she had such-and-such a face".
Just to clarify, in Japanese, one can safely say , although this sounds more or less colloquial (and even illogical in English).
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 2,
"tags": "particle で"
}
|
Deconstruction of "一緒できなくなっちゃって"
I am reading Diary, and I have come across this dialogue:
>
I know it means "We can't have breakfast together".
I understand (vaguely) the meaning of , i.e. it indicates one having to do something unwillingly.
I understand that means together.
I don't understand what that is doing in the middle.
|
>
This looks pretty informal. The you are seeing is not a particle, but the start of the verb .
(to be able to do) -> (to be unable to do). The next verb is (to become) so we need to change the previous part to to give (become unable to do).
Then we have -> . This is a contraction of . The verb adds a sense of regret. Ending with kind of softens the sentence. There's an implied ending e.g. "..and I'm really sorry about it". So putting it all together we get.
> Unfortunately, we can't have breakfast together any more.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 9,
"question_score": 8,
"tags": "translation, manga"
}
|
Meaning of noun + のくらい in this sentence
> ****
> It was a single classroom but, with the exception of third year students, it had everyone from year one to year six.
> **** ...
> ??? but right behind it were beautiful grassy mountains with chestnut trees and ...
I'm struggling with the part. My guess is that it's saying that the classroom also acted as a tennis court and sports ground, but I can't convince myself 100%.
Also I don't think I've ever seen with before. Can I omit without consequence?
**Edit:** The part I missed out is
> ...
> ...and in the corner of the sports ground there was a cave where cool water bubbled out.
So I suppose this makes my guess completely wrong. Now I'm very confused.
|
I think it means that the sports ground was the same size as a tennis court.
Generally, we say it like .
I am not sure if it is typo or on purpose, but you know, Miyazawa Kenji has a very unique writing style. The grammar is not important for him.
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 0,
"tags": "grammar, particle の, particle くらい"
}
|
Question about "接する"
In this sentence :
>
can I translate as "While getting to know her "? (and then : " X cannot help but to feel her charm " ? )
So it would end up being : " If I/you get to know her, I/you won't be able but to feel her charm" ?
Or am I completely off? Also are there others words or (better) ways of saying : "To get to know someone" in Japanese?
Thanks.
|
literally means "to contact with ", and itself does not mean "to know". "To get to know her" is not entirely wrong at least in this context, but I think a closer translation is something like "to spend time with her" or "to speak with her".
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 2,
"question_score": 1,
"tags": "meaning"
}
|
Soredewa versus Sorekara
Read the following please:
> ... ****
Can be used in place of in the sentence above (both mean "then")?
By the way, wouldn't it be better to use instead? In that part of the passage they tell their readers what wasn't there in the hotel: "... There weren't either. _Moreover/besides_ , there was neither a fridge nor an air conditioner..."
|
No, this type of is not temporal "then". It is used to add another piece of information as an afterthought. In English, it's "(oh) and", "besides", or "in addition". It's not interchangeable with that means "(and) then", but it's interchangeable with .
Related: What is the difference between (soshite) and (sorekara)?
|
stackexchange-japanese
|
{
"answer_score": 4,
"question_score": 3,
"tags": "meaning, conjunctions"
}
|
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