Particles, conjugations and endings for verbs and adjectives, and general sentence structure.
5
votes
3answers
814 views
How do I say “I am the best” ? の,は or が and 私 or 俺?
I'm making a shirt for a (rather egotistical) friend of mine and so am trying to do something with the slogan "I am the best" for fun. I need something with four characters only, and would like to ask ...
4
votes
1answer
187 views
から ending a sentence
I've seen this in a few texts now and since it's appeared with some frequency I thought to post the question here. I tried searching online but came up with no real conclusions.
ありませんから or plain form ...
16
votes
4answers
479 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 ...
18
votes
3answers
612 views
How do I express sentences like: He is dying?
For instance, "He is eating" is "Kare wa tabete iru". However, "He is dying" is not "Kare wa shinde iru". Another example is "He is going to Japan" is not "Kare wa nihon ni itte iru". So if I can't ...
17
votes
4answers
1k views
Why is it 日本語がわかります instead of 日本語をわかります?
From what I understand, は is the topic marker, が is the subject marker, and を is the object marker.
One of the first sentences I learned doesn't seem to fit the rules I described above. The sentence ...
16
votes
1answer
260 views
What are the differences between 〜ので and 〜から?
When I was studying this, my 先生 kind of brushed over the point, and then years later, I realize that they are different, but I don't know exactly how.
The only thing I understand is that ので is more ...
14
votes
4answers
1k views
Contrasting っぽい、らしい、みたい
For example, the following 3:
女っぽい (おんなっぽい)
女らしい (おんならしい)
女みたい (おんなみたい)
In what situations would you use っぽい over らしい？ Does っぽい have negative connotations? Are 女らしい and 女みたい interchangeable as in ...
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 ...
11
votes
6answers
771 views
What are other language equivalents to Japanese particles?
When a person is learning は and が in terms of particles, what are the best way to relate them to English equivalents?
The closest I can come to explaining them to others is "the" and "a" but I'm not ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
Why does そう in 「美味しいそう」 not mean “seem” the way I think it should?
Here's another habitual mistake I make. I'm looking at a sign for a restaurant with pictures of great food. So I remark to my friend:
美味{おい}しいそう、ね？
... intending to mean, "that looks good, don't ...
16
votes
3answers
678 views
What is the difference between その and あの?
Superficially, I get the sense that あの is for something far away from both speaker and listener, and その is for something closer to the listener than speaker. However, I seem to get in trouble when ...
13
votes
4answers
324 views
What are the fundamental differences between the ～と一緒に and the ～とともに fragments?
I'm accustomed to saying together with using the ~ to issho ni fragment, but I've been noticing that some people I talk to phrase this using ~ totomo ni instead.
i.e.
彼女と一緒に日本へ来た。
Kanojo to issho ni ...
11
votes
2answers
205 views
Can't に always replace へ?
Me and the particle へ don't get along. It's not that we don't like each other, it's that we don't get each other. I'm in a pretty committed relationship with に.
I mean, I think I understand what へ ...
10
votes
1answer
561 views
Where does the verbal form しとく come from?
In a manga I am currently reading, one of the character exclaims:
安心しな。秘密に しとく から。
The general meaning of the second part ("I'll keep it a secret") is quite obvious, and it seems that "しとく" ...
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 ...
9
votes
2answers
248 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 ...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
Is Japanese really an agglutinative language?
In the linguistics topic of language typology, Japanese is often included in lists of agglutinative (or agglutinating) languages, but when learning or reading about Japanese grammar exclusively this ...
13
votes
2answers
444 views
How to say 'X, let alone Y' in Japanese?
How to say X, let alone Y in Japanese?
For example, how would one translate:
I don't know hiragana, let alone kanji.
He couldn't boil water, let alone prepare a dinner for eight.
I ...
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 ...
11
votes
2answers
193 views
<adv> versus <adv>+と versus <adv>+に
I often see adverbs used in one of three ways:
1) Adverb appears in isolation in a sentence:
あまり 好きじゃないんですが。
2) Adverb is followed by に
別々に お願いします。
1970年代後半、多くの罪もない日本の一般市民が 次々に 失踪した。
...
9
votes
1answer
571 views
How to use から and だから as conjunctions?
Recently I was studying the use of から and だから as conjunctions. Could anyone explain why one is used in these examples while the other is not?
Are there rules as to whether から and だから can follow a ...
8
votes
1answer
287 views
Can と and を be interchanged with 思う the way I think they can?
Compare the following two sentences:
あそこに[行]{い}こうと[思]{おも}っている
あそこに[行]{い}こうを[思]{おも}っている
If I'm right about this, they both mean that the speaker is thinking of going somewhere.
However, the ...
8
votes
1answer
236 views
What form is 恐るる?
In Final Fantasy VIII, Bahamut has a little speech:
…G.F.とは我らのことか
我らを力として使うとは…
恐るるべきは人間どもよ
I'd never seen two るs doubled up like that. Which conjugation is this? It seems to have plenty of ...
7
votes
2answers
354 views
Help on a specific usage of こそ
好きこそものの上手なれ。
We tend to be good at those things we like. /
People become best at what they love the most.
How does the こそ work here? Is this use of こそ common outside of proverbs?
5
votes
2answers
193 views
are there any concrete rules for using いっぱい たくさん and よく？
Of course I can use these but sometimes I am corrected by Japanese people when I use them in the wrong circumstance.
For example
「よくしってるやん」 = "You know it quite well don't you!"
「よくいきます」＝ "I go ...
5
votes
1answer
652 views
Is this the correct way of saying attending a school?
My friend and I were having a debate.
Basically, the line 「あんたは一人でこの家から学校に通っている。」 in an anime was translated as "And you live here alone, attending school."
A direct literal translation of the ...
5
votes
2answers
279 views
What is the function of と when it's not quoting, or doing exhaustive listing?
Consider these two sentences:
(1) 母はついてくるようにアリスに合図した (Mother signaled to Alice to follow her)
(2) 父は手で私に部屋を出ていくようにと合図した。 (Father gestured to me to go out of the room)
And another sentence ...
15
votes
7answers
665 views
the different usages of つもり?
Hi all I understand that つもり means "intention" like say 夏休みにはゆっくり休むつもりです。 = I intend to rest during the summer vacation.
But what does 分かっているつもりだ。 means?
Well if I translate directly, it seems to be ...
11
votes
1answer
191 views
Does a list using と end with が?
Asking this other question has reminded me of another confusion I often have, one of my long standing bad habits that you'd think I'd have sorted after all this time in Japan.
I'm never quite sure ...
11
votes
4answers
300 views
“Unsolvable problem”
What is the correct construction of "unsolvable problem"? Is it "解{と}けられない問題{もんだい}"？(Question 1)
Plain(intransitive): 解{と}ける "To be solved".
Potential form(of intransitive): 解けられる "can be ...
10
votes
1answer
174 views
Unifying concept for noun-adjectives of the pattern Xかな
Consider these:
～か：
静か
愚か
厳か
～やか:
穏やか
鮮やか
賑やか
～らか:
柔らか
滑らか
明らか
There are many more that I've not listed.
The か/やか/らか at the end of these words ...
10
votes
2answers
228 views
Difference and nuance between することはない and する必要はない/する可能性はない
I understand the grammar point "Verb (Dictionary Form) + ことはない" can mean either "There is no need" or "There is no possibility" depending on context.
However, what are the differences? Are there any ...
10
votes
4answers
321 views
What is the significance of [の] (no)?
I've seen it used on many places, and sometimes it feels like a connection between words.
For example "鳥の詩" (tori no uta), it looks as if the の is connecting 鳥 (tori) and 詩 (uta), and I would like to ...
8
votes
3answers
315 views
Problems with は and が
Consider:
[A] 猫が好きだ
To me this means [A']"I like cats."
Contrast this to:
[B] 猫は好きだ
To me this means [B']"I like cats (among other animals)"
I based my understanding of [B] from Derek ...
8
votes
2answers
196 views
「悪気があっての答え」 vs 「悪気がある答え」
Hi all I was wondering what is the difference between these two sentences:
「決して悪気があっての回答ではないです。」
「決して悪気がある回答ではないです。」
I can't really make out the gist of the meaning of 「あっての」.
WWWJDIC's ...
8
votes
3answers
196 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 ...
8
votes
3answers
354 views
In what situations can you use "ぞ” as a sentence ender
When can one use the sentence ender ぞ? I've only ever heard it anime, so I'm unsure of it's actual usage in the real world. Is it not used that often or limited to specific age/gender groups?
7
votes
1answer
181 views
思っている/言っている with third person subject?
So i was reading A dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, and in the part where it explains the uses of いる as an auxiliary verb after て、 it says something like that: "(...) Also, verbs like 言う and 思う ...
7
votes
2answers
269 views
how do we tell if ばかり means “about” or “only” ?
If ばかり could mean approximately; about; and could also mean only; merely; nothing but;, then how should we know if this sentence ５０００円ばかりもっている。 means:
1) I have about 5000 yen.
or 2) I have only ...
7
votes
2answers
269 views
Can placements of adverbs be altered freely?
I'm curious if there is any difference in nuance between these two sentences:
彼は少なくとも週に一度車を洗う。
彼は週に少なくとも一度車を洗う。
I'm aware that grammatically speaking both are 100% right, but this question is not ...
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 ...
6
votes
1answer
138 views
What is going on with 書けている? What is Potential Form+ている?
I'm having difficulty in understanding 書けている (initially observed from an answer to "パソコンが 得意だ/わかる/上手だ"). Also observed from SPACEALC:
この小説は上手に書けている。
最もよく書けている記事。
...
6
votes
4answers
272 views
When do you use するには as opposed to するため（には） to mean “in order to”?
I keep having するため（には） corrected to するには when writing sentences, but how interchangeable are they and when should each be used?
Taking some Japanese sentences from Space ALC with my own English ...
6
votes
2answers
254 views
6
votes
2answers
288 views
What's the purpose of な in なのに?
I don't understand the role of "な" when used before "のに" as in these two sentences (with given translations):
朝目がさめて初めて、外が雪なのに気がついた。
He noticed that there was snow outside only after he woke up ...
6
votes
3answers
238 views
より not used for comparing?
The title of a piano arrangement of a Touhou song (Hakurei Reimu's Theme) is:
「東方永夜抄 - Imperishable Night.」 より 博麗霊夢のテーム
(Question) What does より do in the title?
If it were to mean "from the ...
6
votes
2answers
693 views
Contrasting 〜てならない、〜てしょうがない and 〜てたまらない
These three phrases can be used to express emotions and feelings that cannot be controlled.
For example in the following sentences:
a) １点差で負けたので、悔しくてならない。
b) １点差で負けたので、悔しくてしょうがない。
c) ...
6
votes
1answer
145 views
is 随分 of a higher degree than なかなか (with positive verb) ?
my dictionary shows both 随分 and なかなか (with positive verb) as "very/considerably"
I was wondering is it true that 随分 is of a higher degree than なかなか?
Like あんたなかなか勇敢だな。= 75%
and あんた随分勇敢だな。 = 85%?
6
votes
5answers
517 views
What is the difference between は and のは?
The following sentence means "seeing all the different foreign people was interesting."
This, according to my Japanese friends is incorrect:
色々な外国人を見ているは面白かった。
... and this is correct:
...
6
votes
2answers
343 views
Is it ok to use ～て下さりました instead of ～ていただきました?
Just to avoid repeating saying いただきました too much, can I occasionally switch it with 下さりました or 下さいました?
