Topics related to differences in meaning between two words.
23
votes
7answers
947 views
Difference between negative forms {-ず} and {-ぬ}
{-ず} and {-ぬ} are two alternatives to the negative form {-ない} / {-ません}. But I noticed that depending on the word, it's either {-ず} or {-ぬ}, although it seems like some words can take both suffixes. ...
9
votes
3answers
184 views
Is there any difference for compounds with/without okurigana?
What is the difference for word compounds that can exist with 送り仮名 and without and still retain the same pronunciation?
As an example:
巻き貝 と 巻貝
取り引き と 取引
If I'm correct, both of these are ...
7
votes
2answers
375 views
Non-distinguished animal pairs in Japanese
This is something I first noticed when I was at an aquarium in Japan (as evidenced in my examples) and continued to see ever since. There are certain pairs of animals, that while extremely similar, ...
4
votes
1answer
159 views
Difference between 「～のない～」 and 「～がない~」?
For example, plugging these into Google, I can find stuff like, 自信のない人 and 自信がない人. Or, 愛のない生活 and 愛がない生活. I found a movie called 顔のないスパイ. How is this any different from 顔がないスパイ?
I've asked ...
12
votes
2answers
323 views
Different conventions for animal meat
After reading this awesome question, I got to thinking about different animal meat. Upon researching a little, there seems to be different conventions in referring to different meats.
Using 訓読み
...
5
votes
2answers
193 views
What are the differences between「目的」and 「目標」?
Both「目的」and「目標」have a common meaning which is "goal", but what is the difference? When can we use one but not the other?
11
votes
2answers
289 views
Adjectives functioning both as イ- and ナ-adjective
This question has made me think about the class of adjectives, which can function both as イ- and as ナ-adjective, e.g.
大きい 大きな
小さい 小さな
真っ白い 真っ白な (etc.)
細かい 細かな
暖かい 暖かな
四角い 四角な (etc.)
柔らかい ...
10
votes
2answers
205 views
What is the difference between 日曜日【にちようび】and 日曜【にちよう】?
In all the japanese learning books, they teach you that xxxday ends with 曜日.
But sometimes I get to see xxx曜 only without the "Day" Kanji.
Can I shorten it when speaking too or is it only written ? ...
8
votes
1answer
133 views
What is the difference between 恰好 and 格好?
Is there any difference between the words 格好 and 恰好? Can I actually call them different words, or is it that they are just the same word written differently? I've been told that they have exactly the ...
7
votes
1answer
208 views
Difference between うーん and ううん
What is the difference between うーん and ううん?
In a comment on Pronunciation of ううん, paullb said that he usually sees the negative interjection ううん written as うーん. This confused me, because I thought ...
6
votes
2answers
225 views
What is the difference in terms of grammar between きり and っぱなし?
I'm pretty sure there is a difference between the use of these two words. I came across the example sentences:
息子は、自分の部屋に入ったきり出てこない。
母は入院している父をつきっきりで看病している。
電車が混んでいて、東京まで立ちっぱなしだった。
I ...
5
votes
3answers
178 views
Why use 数年 in あれから１０数年?
My question is on 「あれから１０数年」. My understanding is that this translates to roughly, "It's been 10 years since then."
The dictionary says「数年」 means "several years" or "a number of years". How does ...
5
votes
2answers
202 views
How do I differentiate all these terms for “illiterate”?
I looked up the word "illiteracy", and was offered many different possibilities. Here they are, with my personal take on the nuance behind their origins:
活字{かつじ}離{ばな}れ ("removed from printing"?)
...
3
votes
1answer
186 views
What is the difference in terms of grammar between ～かける and ～っぱなし?
Spawned from What is the difference in terms of grammar between きり and っぱなし?; I started thinking about ～かける. Don't these essentially mean the same thing? I'm failing to see any difference except ...
