Tagged Questions
13
votes
1answer
251 views
what is the difference between ごとに and おきに?
Both ごとに and おきに appear to mean "repeatedly at intervals".
What is the difference between these two expressions?
6
votes
2answers
112 views
Can んだった and んじゃなかった be used like the past version of んだ and んじゃない?
I know that んだった and んじゃなかった can be used to say "Should have done" and "Shouldn't have done". I am wondering, however, if they can be used as a past version of んだ
Take for example this conversation:
...
2
votes
1answer
164 views
Limitations of に for emphasis?
I remember having learning that に can be used for a simple emphasis of the word before it, like so:
私はケーキを食べた - I ate cake
私にはケーキを食べた - I ate cake (the others may or may not have, but I did)
...
2
votes
0answers
121 views
Can't parse なるうるわけ [closed]
The full sentence is
数学的性質をもつ現象はすべてこの科学の対象となるうるわけであるから、それは数限りなくあり、また日々増えていて、これらをもらさず解説することは不可能に近い。
But I can't parse "なるうるわけ". Ignoring that part, I interpret the sentence as
"All phenomena with ...
10
votes
1answer
213 views
What is the subject when time passes in a narrative (eg １ヶ月を経る）
(This might be a quick easy question but sometimes the answers to these are unexpected.)
What is the subject in the following sentences？ I've given my best efforts for the examples 1-4 below. (I am ...
9
votes
4answers
184 views
How to translate: “Keep/leave something”. So, how to express intention to leave something unchanged
Consider questions like:
Please leave the door open, thanks!
Could you please keep the lift's doors open? Thankyou
Please, leave it as it is.
They all imply something common: not changing the ...
2
votes
3answers
78 views
Omitting ようだ at the end of a sentence
父はデジタルカメラの講習を受けに行ったが、あまりの難しさにびっくりしたようだ。
So this sentence is saying, "my dad went to take a short course on digital cameras, but it was difficult to the point of surprising him." Could you say
...
6
votes
1answer
159 views
How do we roll a ball along a street from A to B?
This question is a follow up to この道をまっすぐ行ってください。Why “を” and not “で”? posted earlier.
If:
道で転ぶ = fallover on the road
ボールが道を転がる = a ball rolled along the street
〜を転がす = roll something ...
3
votes
1answer
226 views
Examples of when passive form in English takes active/non passive form in Japanese
Can anyone give a few more common examples (or even more insight) of when we should be "switching" from English passive into Japanese active/non-passive?
(A joint effort might help a lot of us to ...
3
votes
2answers
229 views
<動詞の辞書形> + がよい ― How is this allowed?
I've come across this form many times in my Japanese Bible. The meaning is quite obvious based on context, and seems to be one of the following: ～べきです, ～ほうがいい, ～なさい, or ～ように (let it be ～).
Here are ...
5
votes
2answers
297 views
How to use に with “masu-stem (連用形 stem) + に + Verb” structure
Could somebody provide a bit more explanation, possibly giving correct and incorrect examples on how to use に with "masu-stem (連用形 stem) + に + Verb" as illustrated in the following examples?
Both ...
3
votes
1answer
152 views
Making sense of the N1にN2 construction (「パンにバター」＝「パンにバターをぬる」）
I understand from my previous question on the N1 に N2 construction that it is usually a phrase with omission of a verb (eg パンにバターをぬる makes パンにバター, which comes from パンにぬる and バターをぬる). If this is the ...
8
votes
1answer
230 views
得意とするところ explanation?
As far as I'm aware this expression means "(a persons) strong points', but I'm not sure how とする is being used in this context.
My best guess would be something like "the thing (a person) tries to do ...
6
votes
2answers
406 views
The difference between “follow” using についていく、「あと？」をつける、「あと？」をついていく
What is the difference between and how can we explain the grammar in the expressions for "follow" in the examples below?
子供が母親のあとをついていく
(A child is following his/her mother)
母親の買い物についていく (go ...
8
votes
1answer
218 views
Use of を and に with 頼る (to depend on)
Why is the direct object taking を in (1) and に in (2)? What are basic rules that drive these two sentence constructions?
(1) 叔母は父を頼っている
'My aunt is counting on my father's help.'
(2) ...
10
votes
2answers
276 views
Why is it that ～かねる can refer to oneself, yet ～かねない must refer to another person?
When I tried to use ～かねない to express my own feeling about a situation, I was told by a native that it sounds incorrect and strange. However, ～かねる is appropriate and fine. For example, this is the ...
5
votes
2answers
146 views
When is it appropriate to choose にわたって or を通じて in regard to time?
I seem to have a hard time recognizing when to choose either にわたって or を通じて in the following question:
この地方は一年（ ）暖かく、とても過ごしやすい。
The correct answer is を通じて. My idea is that を通じて would make this ...
4
votes
2answers
118 views
Are the grammatical forms きっかけに and 契機に interchangeable?
One of my grammar books 日本語総まとめN2 文法 lists both of the grammar forms 「きっかけに」 and 「契機に」 in the same definition.
However, in the example question a choice is given between them:
その事件（a. の契機に b. ...
4
votes
1answer
347 views
“causative of negative” vs “negative of causative”?
Wikipedia (Japanese Verb Conjugation):
Negatives [verb negative-conjugations] are not normally made into causatives. Instead, a negative ending is added to the causative of the verb. Thus, for ...
4
votes
1answer
91 views
Can we use すら without negation?
From what I understand, すら is commonly used with the negative conjugation (~ない, ~なかった) of verbs.
For example:
「ひらがなすら書けない。」 I expected (him) to be able to write hiragana. But even hiragana, (he) ...
6
votes
2answers
120 views
Can 物 be added to any word to make it mean “things?”
I keep seeing examples of words where 物 is tacked on the end to mean "things." 食べ物, 飲み物, つまらない物, etc. Are there any restrictions as to what can precede 物? Can I, for example, say something like 青い物, ...
5
votes
4answers
430 views
Are 終{お}わる and 済{す}ませる synonyms?
I know that they both mean "finish". But I wonder if there are situations or contexts where you can use one but not the other.
5
votes
2answers
374 views
This use より baffles me
From the anime Noir, Episode 2.
Context: The husband comes home and his wife and son greet him outside.
Wife: おかえりなさい。今日は早いのね？
Husband: ああ、思ったより早く仕事が終わってね。
The wife's line, I get. The ...
6
votes
2answers
152 views
What is the meaning of なす? Specifically when preceded by a color
I came across this phrase in a book:
緑なす半島
Obviously (and also confirmed by Weblio) it is describing a quality of the peninsula, but I'm curious as to what exactly it means, and how/when it can ...
5
votes
3answers
389 views
I dont understand ～ような in this context
I know that ～ような means "looks like". In this context:
ここで立ち止る ような 時間はない。
does it mean:
"It appears it cannot stop here, there is no time"?
What I do understand is that ような is followed by a ...
10
votes
2answers
639 views
What is the difference between なぜなら、だから、and なので？
I'm trying to get clarification on how to use these three pieces of grammar and whether or not they all hold some kind of "Because" meaning.
8
votes
1answer
255 views
When to use 他【ほか】の or 他【ほか】に
I always thought only 他の existed, but my teacher uses 他に a lot. Are there differences between when each can be used?
Here are two examples of each from my online dictionary:
だれかほかの人に聞いてごらん (Ask ...
7
votes
1answer
332 views
Verb volitional form (動詞の意志形) - usage
I have a couple of questions about the volitional form of verbs that I've become unclear on lately. Here is a Bible passage containing the grammar in question:
(Note that I'm using a Bible passage ...
6
votes
1answer
230 views
When the agent takes を in the causative form
I've seen a few sets of terminology when referring to the causative form, so for the basic case, I will use the following:
instigator が agent に 〇〇 を ｖ－させる。
In its most basic, text-book form, we have ...
1
vote
1answer
356 views
Verbs +「~てくる」 , which verbs? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Difference between -て行く and -て来る
my doubt is which verbs I can use with ~てくる (~ていく)
ABOUT ME
I don't want to say "I undestand", but I'd like to say "I'm understanding" ...
5
votes
2answers
164 views
Is this a valid use of どころか?
In the following, I feel it should be 会話が出来るどころか.
ジムは日本語で会話が出来ないどころか、簡単な挨拶も出来ない。
Jim is not only unable to converse in Japanese; he cannot even make simple greetings.
I was expecting the ...
5
votes
1answer
205 views
ねばねば食べねば, relation between ねば and なければ
I would like to know a bit more about the "ねば" grammatical construction.
Every now and then, I hear people say sentences like
東京に行かねばならぬ
粘々丼を食べねば倒れる
なんとかせねばいい
It's quite clear that ねば ...
11
votes
3answers
310 views
What is the difference between 残念ながら and 残念なことに
I hear both 残念ながら and 残念なことに when expressing that something was unfortunate before the actual sentence, much like the English "Unfortunately, ...".
However, I'm not sure on where these two phrases ...
12
votes
3answers
8k views
でも (demo) versus けど (kedo) to mean “but”
I learned that you can use でも (demo) at the beginning of a sentence to mean "but," and that you can use けど (kedo) at the end of a sentence to mean "though." However, I don't see a difference between ...
3
votes
1answer
81 views
Usage and means of 向き
The following sentences are difference usage of 向き which have different meanings. Why do they differ?
この本は初心者向きである。
This book is suitable for beginners.
逆さまに向きを変えてください。
Please turn over.
10
votes
1answer
298 views
“slightly/somewhat” の「～め」 【～目】: Usage and limitations
I'm somewhat confused about the usage and limitations of the ～め suffix that means "somewhat/slightly". I've only ever heard it on a handful of words:
大きめ
小さ目
多め
少な目
早め
and maybe a few others that ...
11
votes
2answers
283 views
What's the difference between 少{すこ}し (sukoshi) and 小{ちい}さい (chiisai)?
What's the difference between 少{すこ}し (sukoshi) and 小{ちい}さい (chiisai)?
In what situations would I use each one?
10
votes
1answer
419 views
あまり meaning “too much”
When using あまり in the sense of "too much" (as opposed to "not very"), until recently I had always seen it as あまりにもA, with A being the thing that there was too much of. I never really tried to relate ...
9
votes
2answers
159 views
How does one use the “[V ます stem] に [Vタ]” pattern (as in 待ちに待った)?
Every now and then I hear 待ちに待った, as in:
待ちに待ったライブ a long-awaited concert
I started wondering if this pattern can apply to other verbs, and it certainly seems to, if Google is any indication. I ...
8
votes
3answers
195 views
correctness of い adjective + です
Generally, in all Japanese language classes, the rule you're taught is that です does not follow い adjectives. Instead, い adjectives can act like stative verbs, and as such terminate a sentence by ...
9
votes
2answers
247 views
Confusion about “Seemingly not ～”
So there are several ways to express something is "seemingly not ～":
1) ～なさそう
2) ～そうにない
3) ～そうもない
4) ～そうにもない (is this one even real?)
I was always taught ～なさそう in ...
2
votes
2answers
188 views
What's the difference between the に祈る【にいのる】 and を祈る【をいのる】 forms?
What's the difference between the に祈る and を祈る forms?
Like what's the difference between 1) and 2):
1) うまく行くのに祈ってくださいね。
2) うまく行くのを祈ってくださいね。
==
EDIT:
What's the difference between the ように祈る and ...
16
votes
4answers
470 views
Are there cases when two or more particles will occur next to each other without intervening lexical words?
Most particles seem to be postpositions but I'm sure I've seen say a noun followed by a location particle followed by "wa" or "ga" or possibly "wo" but when I've tried to use it I've only confused my ...
11
votes
2answers
233 views
can we optionally include (or exclude) an を particle in between the noun of the する-verb and the する itself?
when we have a する verb, (e.g. 支度する、案内する、心配する) is it true that we could optionally insert an を particle in between the noun and the する?
Because in the example sentences here and here, we can see this ...
10
votes
3answers
927 views
Usage of ～じゃん (～じゃない)
I'd like to know if I can put ～じゃん at the end of every adjective, if there are any exceptions to that usage, and if it's different from ～じゃない.
Adj (na) + じゃん
便利じゃん
便利だったじゃん
便利じゃないじゃん
...
7
votes
3answers
533 views
低い鼻 vs 短い鼻 and 高い鼻 vs 長い鼻 ?
After reading this thread: When would you use 低い vs 短い, I'd just thought of something.
I once heard that a long nose (witch / Pinocchio) is called 高い鼻 and not 長い鼻 whereas the opposite (short nose) is ...
7
votes
1answer
274 views
what's the difference between ところで and ちなみに ?
what's the difference between ところで and ちなみに ?
Are they always/often/seldom interchangeable?
8
votes
2answers
122 views
sometimes だけ gets mildly confusing..
If someone says それだけ、食べないでください, does it mean:
Please don't eat only that [eat other things too!]
or
[You can eat anything you like but] only that, please don't eat it.
What about それだけ、たべてください? ...
25
votes
1answer
1k views
What is the difference between the nominalizers こと and の?
As Derek mentioned in his postscript, both こと and の are nominalizers that can turn a verb into a noun.
ピアノを弾【ひ】く。 I play the piano.
ピアノを弾{ひ}くのが好{す}きです。 I like playing the piano.
...
9
votes
3answers
545 views
What exactly is the difference between <verb>-てしまう and <verb>- [切]{き}る?
I've read that both the ～てしまう and ～きる (18th meaning of 切る at http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/wwwjdic.cgi?1MUE%E5%88%87%E3%82%8B) forms are used to signify something has been ...
