Particles, conjugations and endings for verbs and adjectives, and general sentence structure.
2
votes
0answers
123 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
178 views
Passive form - The exact difference between を and が
I've seen this question asked before, but i feel the answer didn't quite answer all my questions, so here goes.
Now, I am rather sure that this:
ケーキが食べられた
Means:
The cake was eaten. (by ...
20
votes
4answers
998 views
What is the difference between “に” and “には”?
The title should be pretty self-explanatory. What meanings does each convey? And in what kinds of circumstances would one be used instead of the other?
For example, what are the differences between ...
5
votes
1answer
154 views
How wrong is my constructed poem?
I tried writing a classical Japanese poem:
赤き空
青かりたり根
夢がごとし
元を返るべし
汚さざらまし
And here is a rough literal translation:
The red sky,
The origin that was once blue,
Like seeing a dream,
It would be best ...
7
votes
5answers
289 views
A は／が difference [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What’s the difference between wa (は) and ga (が)?
I've been trying to wrap my head around the は/が differences, and I'm trying to figure out the differences between the ...
10
votes
1answer
216 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
2answers
176 views
What's the difference between くる and やってくる?
Can someone explain the nuance between them? They both mean "come", but I'm unsure of when they are interchangeable. My perception is that やってくる seems to put more emphasis on the actual action of ...
9
votes
1answer
205 views
What does 窓という窓 mean?
What does 窓という窓 mean? I found it in this sentence in Harry Potter:
木の扉に寄りかかってホグワーツを見上げると、窓という窓が夕日に照らされて赤くキラキラ輝いている。
6
votes
2answers
253 views
What's wrong with using 内に in this sentence?
My textbook claims that this is an incorrect usage of uchi ni:
彼が会社に行っている内に、贈り物が届きました
While he is commuting to the office, a present arrived.
Why is this wrong? It looks fine to me.
3
votes
1answer
75 views
Where is the personal comparison in this phrase?
I was browsing a language exchange site and came across:
私のように明るく、前向きな方がいいです。
And the text under it (translation from the user who posted the entry) was:
I'm hoping that you are cheerful and ...
5
votes
1answer
152 views
The difference between (な形容詞)さ and (な形容詞)性?
I'm in the middle of writing a paper in Japanese, and I can't quite figure out which is right. If I want to nominalize a な形容詞, should I affix さ or 性 at the end? I've been checking on search engines, ...
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 ...
7
votes
2answers
203 views
What function does 「しいて」 serve in this sentence?
I have this sentence in a JLPT study textbook, as an example of the use of しいて:
食{た}べたくなければしいて食べることないから、食べられるものだけ食べてね。
The translation is, "If you don't want to eat it, you don't have to, so ...
12
votes
2answers
283 views
Difference between 〜といい〜といい ＆ 〜といわず〜といわず
Can somebody explain the difference between these two expressions?
I have pasted the definitions and some examples from 日本語表現文型辞典 to help but they seem to come down to the same thing. (When can one ...
8
votes
2answers
186 views
Double subject construction?
I've recently been having trouble with constructions that seem to mark two subjects in the same clause. I've only encountered them in ～の方が... constructions, but I can't seem to make sense of them ...
6
votes
1answer
293 views
3
votes
1answer
150 views
How is ほか used as a conjunction?
What does ほか mean when it is used in a sentence like this: [situationA] ほか, [situationB]"
Specifically I would like a little help clarifying the following sentence:
...
2
votes
1answer
117 views
Is there a term for using conjugating verbs such that the sentence continues with another clause?
I'm referring specifically to using the て form to form a pseudo conjunction, and specifically the transformation of verbs in formal writing by using the verb stem instead of て form.
For example the ...
4
votes
1answer
151 views
「こわいだから。」 versus 「こわい、だから[…]」
In an answer on another question, @TsuyoshiIto wrote:
[U]nlike commas in English, 読点 in Japanese is rarely (if ever) grammatically required. Authors are free to use 読点 wherever they feel that it ...
4
votes
1answer
107 views
Function of に in 怒るに怒れない
In the book I'm reading, I came across the following sentence:
あたしは[怒]{おこ}るに[怒]{おこ}れなくなった。 (furigana added by me)
My translation is something like "I couldn't stay angry [at him]". ("My anger ...
2
votes
1answer
121 views
Explanation / Meaning of らしく in 例文
Hi in this sentence 'らしく' is used, but I am not really sure about the meaning of らしく. I found this explanation for it, but it doesn't helps me to understand its meaning in the sentence:
way to use ...
15
votes
2answers
494 views
What is the difference between ~げ and ~そう
How do these two differ, for example:
寂しそう vs 寂しげ
楽しそう vs 楽しげ
言いたそう vs 言いたげ
大人げ vs 大人っぽい（...？ Not sure if this one works.)
3
votes
1answer
164 views
足って used in Ponyo Song [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What are these forms: かけちゃお, つないじゃお?
Is this って equivalent to 「と」？
From the Ponyo theme song:
ペータペタ ピョーンピョン
足っていいな かけちゃお!
Why is 足 given the て conjugation, as if ...
4
votes
1answer
158 views
General confusion ("Volitional＋ともせず”, redundancy, uses of と, )
I'm having trouble understanding the grammar in some sentences even if I understand the basic idea of the sentence. I may post with more questions later.
...
5
votes
2answers
129 views
How can I express that X is as big/small/fast/… as Y?
I would like to know how to express that something is equal in some aspect to another thing (or person, if that makes a difference), as you would express in English by saying:
X is as (adjective) as ...
20
votes
5answers
665 views
i-adjectives used as na-adjectives: is there a difference? (e.g. 大きい versus 大きな)
There are at the very least several i-adjectives can be used as na-adjectives by dropping the final い and adding な in its place. The most common examples of this, as far as I am aware, are 大きい and ...
1
vote
1answer
105 views
形容詞 ending in /ei/ and /ii/
This page discusses the "adjective" べき and mentions that if it had evolved like other adjectives, it would have been べい.
That made me think: Why are there no 形容詞 ending in /ei/ or /ii/ (except for ...
5
votes
2answers
242 views
What is the difference between ずに and ない-form?
My wife is studying for the JLPT exam, and came across the following question:
２時間、＿＿＿＿＿立って話しました。
She narrowed the choices down to:
すわらずに
すわらないと
Or another similar question:
...
6
votes
4answers
764 views
Is this a proper use of tara and toki for “when”?
Consider:
気がついたら皆さんは寝ていた。
気がついたとき皆さんは寝ていた。
My English interpretation: When I woke up (came to), everyone was sleeping.
Is "when" enough to capture the nuances of the Japanese sentences? ...
4
votes
2answers
311 views
Are there any common grammatical errors made by native Japanese speakers?
Sorry if this is a really open-ended question, but one thing occurred to me when I was asking a prior question here; are there any particular grammatical errors frequently made by native Japanese ...
9
votes
3answers
414 views
Typo or am I missing something? 「ドイツ語も勉強しないとですね。」
Context: I have been chatting with a Japanese girl who is going to move to Germany, and I asked if she had any experience with the German language and told her I had been considering learning German ...
3
votes
1answer
147 views
Etymology of それはそうと
Can anyone explain the etymology of それはそうと【其れはそうと】and possibly the grammar of how it fits into a sentence, which does not seem to follow the normal rules (It should have a copula だ、そうだと？)? I think of ...
4
votes
2answers
132 views
Noun followed by 「っぱだ」
I'm currently reading a Japanese children's book, and a character says
「金色の葉っぱだ」
I'm assuming the 「っぱだ」 is like saying 「たくさん」 or 「いっぱい」, but I don't actually know. Any help is appreciated!
7
votes
4answers
477 views
の cannot be used as a pronoun meaning “one” for “highly abstract objects” but what is a “highly abstract object”?(amended)
(Italics are used to indicate revisions to the orginal question made in response to feedback so far)
According to "A students' guide to Japanese grammar", by Naomi McGloin, の is used as a pronoun ...
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
0answers
48 views
What is the difference between using なる with the particles に and と [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the difference between 〜となる and 〜になる?
What is the difference between using なる with the particles に and と? When should which be used?
5
votes
1answer
176 views
Obligatory zero particle
Sometimes, particles are omitted.
I've read, however, that this can be analyzed as inserting a "zero particle" instead. See for example Particle omission or zero particle by Mitsuaki Shimojo. See ...
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
...
4
votes
3answers
227 views
What makes に基づいて instead of に応じて the correct choice for this question?
I'm working on some example questions from my grammar textbook. One of them I listed below:
税金はこの表（ ）計算されています。
ア）につれて イ）に応じて ウ）に比べて エ）に基づいて
I'm unsure why 「に基づいて」is the only correct ...
5
votes
3answers
187 views
Trouble understanding this use of あっての
I've previously asked two separate questions regarding あっての, (and there's a third on here from Pacerier) and I thought I had it figured out, but then I found this sentence (from a JLPT practice ...
1
vote
2answers
93 views
Questions about this sentence
"当時の関係者何人かにあたって記憶を確かめてみたが、人の記憶の欠落部分というのは、捏造で補われる仕組みになっているらしく、共通の体験が、しばしば、お互いに矛盾する記憶になっていることに驚かされた。"
What does "にあたって" mean there ?
"驚かされた" is referring to what/whom exactly ?
Does "関係者何人か" mean ...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
Grammar dictionary [closed]
The dictionary that I use primarily is http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/ . I wanted to know of good sources online for looking up how different aspects of Japanese grammar work. I would prefer it if the ...
3
votes
1answer
195 views
What is the difference between でなくand ではなく？
This is the sentence I have just read:
外国へ行くとしたら、ただの旅行ではなく、勉強を 目的として 行きたい。
If I ever have a chance to go abroad then I would like to go to study rather than just travel.
The は feels ...
3
votes
1answer
151 views
Can't quite understand this sentence
この間、時間を見つけては、過去の歴史をひもといてみたのだが、再認識させられたのは、人間というのは、どれほど多くの涙とともに飲み下した教訓であっても、喉元を過ぎたとたんに忘れてしまう生き物であるということだった.
Especially what "忘れてしまう生き物" is supposed to mean in "喉元を過ぎたとたんに忘れてしまう生き物であるということだった".
9
votes
2answers
241 views
Using により to specify method
Here are two examples:
[電話]{でんわ}による[通報]{つうほう} // Fine
電話により通報する // Okay?
I feel like using により is strange in my second example, but I'm not sure. Is the second example perfectly fine ...
11
votes
2answers
257 views
Can someone explain the logic of the grammar “とは限らない”
I found this example sentence in "A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar" under a grammar point unrelated to "とは限らない":
"運動をよくする人が必ずしも長生きするとは限らない。"
I understand the meaning of the sentence ...
3
votes
1answer
118 views
Help with a usage of 自慢
私は彼が自慢だ。
I'm Proud of Him
彼は私が自慢だ。
He is proud of me.
I am confused by this pattern with 自慢. It kind of looks like 自慢 is being used as an adjective (?), but the definition in ...
7
votes
4answers
281 views
How does the use of いかんによっては in this question determine one answer over another?
In my JLPT practise book, in a section explaining the use of いかんによっては, which roughly means "depending on", they have the following question:
...
3
votes
2answers
149 views
Why is も used instead of が in the sentence 「日本ではクモを見ると良いことがあると言う人もいますよ」
What is the exact sentiment expressed by も in this sentence as opposed to が?
日本ではクモを見ると良いことがあると言う人もいますよ
It's a sentence in response to someone saying "I saw a spider in my room, I was scared".
8
votes
2answers
279 views
ご～いただけます vs. ご～になれます
I know that you can use ご～いただく toward "clients" (which is something I've never really understood; maybe better as a question of its own) such as ご来店いただき、まことにありがとうございます ("Thank you (customer) for ...
