Words formed by combining two or more kanji characters.
4
votes
2answers
138 views
You can use 「押し開ける」 to say “to push open”, but can you say 「押し閉める」 to mean “to push closed”?
For example, consider the following sentences;
ドアを押し開ける。 I pushed the door open.
ドアを引き開ける。 I pulled the door open.
Can you do the same for 閉める? So for example;
ドアを押し閉める。 I pushed the door shut.
...
2
votes
2answers
102 views
そのようにする + Recognizing a compound
そのようにしてこの巨城は、二年の長きにわたってゆっくりと攻略されてきた。
The first thing I had kind of a problem with, is そのようにして...
I just have no idea how to translate it.
Also, as for 巨城, 巨 doesn't have a prefix form, nor there is ...
0
votes
1answer
228 views
meaning of 名種設定? [closed]
A friend of mine asked me to give him a quick translation of an app he downloaded.
One of the buttons in the main menu had this 名種設定 written. I wasn't able to find what it means.
2
votes
2answers
155 views
What's the word or phrase used specifically to describe someone who is only concerned with physical appearence of others?
I believe it starts with み and is something like 'only has an eye for beauty', but it's been a long time since I used it. I believe it's a kanji compound.
3
votes
1answer
162 views
Does Japanese have morphemes that span two kanji?
I read once (in this comment by Victor Mair on Language Log) that Chinese has single morphemes that span two hanzi. The example given was the Chinese word pútáo 葡萄. At the time, I assumed it applied ...
5
votes
1answer
199 views
しらゆきひめ 'Snow White'
I am trying to understand the title of a tale.
しろ 'white'
ゆき 'snow'
ひめ 'princess'
しらゆきひめ 'Snow White'
If white is しろ, why is 'Snow White' not しろゆきひめ？
1
vote
1answer
109 views
Are 弱い相互作用 and 強い相互作用 unnatural?
In introductory physics books, when they introduce 弱い相互作用 "weak interaction" and 強い相互作用 "strong interaction", I almost always see a notification that these terms are supposed to be the name of the ...
5
votes
2answers
129 views
Analysis of もしかして (perhaps)?
I'm hearing this word a lot in Japanese drama and anime. What is the literal meaning of it? Does it have a Kanji form? What root(s) does it contain (I think there is a する in the second half of it? ...
0
votes
1answer
345 views
Size adjectives and prefixes
I know some size adjectives like 小さい (small), 大きい (big), and 並 (normal). Does anyone have a list of other size adjectives: something that could describe things ranging from micro things like Legos to ...
6
votes
1answer
260 views
If a compound noun is made from a na-adjective suffix, is it followed by a な particle?
There are a few compound nouns that are made by compounding something with na-adjectives like 好き and 嫌い, for examples:
花見好き
子供好き
水嫌い
人嫌い
負け嫌い
Are these compounds followed by a な particle? Or do ...
10
votes
1answer
819 views
Are all kanji compounds considered words?
A friend once commented to me that Japanese has a larger vocabulary than English. I said I didn't think it did, because it wasn't really accurate to call all kanji compounds "words". My friend said I ...
14
votes
2answers
337 views
Exceptional compounding forms
There are a number of Japanese words which have distinct compounding forms:
-a/-e alternation: 天・雨、酒、上、風、目 — many examples.
-u/-i alternation: 神（[神]{かむ}[集]{つど}ふ）、月（[月]{つく}[読]{よみ}）
-o/-i alternation: ...
12
votes
1answer
298 views
Voiced or unvoiced syllables in compound words
Examples first.
First example: 空 {そら}. Almost all compound nouns for which 空 is the second component pronounce it as ぞら (zo ra): 青空 {あおぞら}, 夜空 {よぞら}, 星空 {ほしぞら}. There is at least one exception ...
8
votes
3answers
184 views
Was the name for the Shōwa era a voluntary pun?
According to dictionaries, the WA 和 in 昭和 has both the meaning of peace, harmonious and Japan, japanese (although mostly as the first kanji of a compound, such as in 和語). So I wonder how Japanese of ...
3
votes
1answer
186 views
What is the meaning of 人児, and is it a compound?
There's this rather unpleasant sign on a restaurant that says:
中国人＆帰化人、残留孤児、中国系混血人児、絶対入店禁止、純血日本男児のみ。
Putting aside the racist content, from a linguistic point of view, the one word that throws ...
13
votes
2answers
98 views
What are the nuances between these three terms for intelligence: 知恵 [ちえ], 知能 [ちのう], 知性 [ちせい] ?
In particular which one is closer to the idea of "ability to reason over things" as a quality of someone in particular?
What I believe is that 知識 on the other hand is closer to "knowledge" and ...
15
votes
3answers
247 views
What is the difference in meaning between “husband and wife” 夫婦【ふうふ】 and 夫妻【ふさい】?
I see that those two compounds mean husband and wife, as a married couple. But is there a difference in usage or context?
7
votes
1answer
744 views
Common 四字熟語 that use/are 当て字
Are there any commonly used known 四字熟語 that use/are 当て字 besides the following? Just crossed my mind, and now I'm curious.
滅茶苦茶 (めちゃくちゃ), 夜露死苦 (よろしく), 無理矢理 (むりやり)
10
votes
2answers
266 views
What is the etymology of [山葵]{わさび}?
I know that "わさび" 'wasabi' can also be written using kanji as "山葵" and that these two characters mean respectively "mountain" and "hollyhock", but hollyhock doesn't seem at first glance to be related.
...
