Particles, conjugations and endings for verbs and adjectives, and general sentence structure.
3
votes
3answers
175 views
Can でありますように be followed by a verb?
来年は是非明るい年でありますように願うばかりです I hope that the next year will be great for you
Is this sentence grammatically incorrect? In what way(s)?
If incorrect, why can でありますように not be followed by an explicit ...
3
votes
2answers
549 views
How does this ように work?
今年も良い年でありますように！ I hope you have another good year!
What is going on exactly where the ように means hope? Does the よう derive from a verb?
I would also like to know how to describe this word in the ...
3
votes
1answer
129 views
How are で and ばかりused in this expression?
来年は是非明るい年でありますように願うばかりです I hope that the next year will be great for you
Why is で used in 年であります? Is であります an older form of です? Also, what would the ばかり translate to here? I thought maybe it ...
9
votes
5answers
524 views
Can 何で mean “how”?
Looking at this, it seems that when the word 何 is used with the で particle, it roughly translates into "by means of what" or "in what context." Personally, that sounds like asking "how". Is this ...
4
votes
1answer
162 views
Help with には and にとって
I need help understanding why にとって cannot be used in this circumstance:
その仕事は私｛には/*にとって｝出来ない。 ( * denotes unacceptable)
This is what I read:
にとって cannot be used when it marks an experiencer ...
7
votes
3answers
147 views
Are there inflections/endings that can be applied to verbs but not i-adjectives? (or vice versa)
After reading in an answer to another question that Japanese adjectives are less inflected than Japanese verbs I'm wondering if there are inflections that can be applied to verbs but not i-adjectives? ...
1
vote
2answers
180 views
もらえる, 見える rules
From what I learned,
もらえる = もらうことが出来る
'can be got'
見える = 見ることが出来る
'can be seen'
This looks like there is some kind of a more general rule for this transformation.
If there is a ...
2
votes
1answer
105 views
How is the あげたい working here?
On a TV show, an idol was given this task to think of:
心が晴れやかになる一言
'A word (or phrase) to lift someone's mood' (My loose translation)
The idol responded:
アナタの心の雨を[止]{や}ませてあげたいな
'Let me ...
7
votes
1answer
211 views
When is it appropriate to use [v] ないでくれ instead of [v] な?
Initially I wanted to compare the rudeness level of [v]ないでくれ。 and[v]な。 but since that may be a rather vague question:
In what situation is it appropriate to use [v]ないでくれ。 but not [v]な。 ?
In what ...
6
votes
2answers
342 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?
9
votes
1answer
427 views
How to use 〜かのよう{に・な・だ}
I understand fine how to use 〜(の)よう{に・な・だ}, but I'm not sure when or how you can add in the か. Here's an example from my book:
４月になって雪が降るなんて、まるで冬が戻って来たかのようです。
How is this different than if it ...
9
votes
3answers
548 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 ...
20
votes
3answers
935 views
Difference between -ていく and -てくる
Can someone explain the differences between v-ていく and v-てくる for me. I know that they both express some kind of ongoing action (like a place getting crowded). For example, what's the difference between ...
7
votes
3answers
350 views
What's the difference between ～てください and ～ていてください?
This question has come up on the side of at least a couple of other questions, but I don't think it's been definitively answered, so let's see if we can come up with something solid.
After going ...
10
votes
2answers
227 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 ...
8
votes
4answers
554 views
のだから vs のだ (んだから vs んだ）
When I learnt this grammar point a while ago, my teachers told me not to use it with "から". There reasoning for this was that のだ already implies a reason or supporting information for a conclusion.
...
37
votes
8answers
1k views
What is the こと in sentences such as あなたのことが好きだ?
There were a lot of great answers here. I gave the checkmark to ento's answer because I felt it most completely explained all aspects of this use of こと. But many of the other answers are excellent, so ...
8
votes
1answer
286 views
Ending sentence with ～だもの or ～ですもの
I've been listening songs and anime dialogues that end sentences with ～もの or even cuter version ～もん for so long that I am able to see how the word denotes reasons or excuses like:
おなか空いたもん (when ...
7
votes
2answers
309 views
What does こと refer to in だけのことはある
I'm trying to figure out what "こと” is referring to in this idiom/grammar point.
In the following example sentence:
彼は若いころから日本に住んでいただけのことはあって、さすが日本語がうまいんだね。
What does koto refer to here?
...
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 ...
6
votes
1answer
202 views
can we omit verbs when speaking casually?
I've heard that we can usually omit nouns and stuff like that, but can we actually omit verbs or must they still be there?
Example sentence: アイツ帰るなり、すぐに部屋にな～
Edit
Can we omit verbs in the main ...
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 ...
8
votes
3answers
321 views
What's the difference between 言わないでほしい and 言ってほしくない
What's the difference between 言わないでほしい and 言ってほしくない ?
If the intended message is "I don't want you to say it" which of the two above would be more suitable?
7
votes
2answers
295 views
What is the difference between 言うな！ and 言ってんじゃねぇぞ?
1) What is the difference between 言うな！ and 言ってんじゃねぇぞ!, in other words can we use them interchangeably at all times?
2) which is ruder?
11
votes
2answers
260 views
The nuance of ことなく compared with ないで
What nuance does "ことなく" have?
If we compare the following two sentences:
(For example, at a footrace:)
最後まで、あきらめないで走ります！
vs
最後まで、あきらめることなく、走ります！
Is ことなく stronger than simply saying ないで? Does ことなく ...
6
votes
2answers
689 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) ...
7
votes
1answer
147 views
おいてきてしまった vs おいてしまってきた
Is there any difference in the sentence when we mix the order of the conjugations in this sentence:
1) あいにく私はカメラを家においてきてしまった
2) あいにく私はカメラを家においてしまってきた
Or are both "correct" and mean the same thing ...
5
votes
2answers
230 views
Colloquial use of「〜て〔い〕ない」, maybe instead of 「〜なかった」
It's not the first time I hear it, but I've found it in this scene. I understand that, as in 知る or 始まる, a started action whose consequence remains is expressed in continuous form. However, I thought ...
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" ...
3
votes
1answer
244 views
Is 「なので」actually a short-form for「それなので」?
In Tae Kim's Guide there is a conversation that goes like this:
Tom: 時間がなかった。
Mary: だからパーティーに行かなかったの？
I was wondering is 「だから」 actually a short-form of 「それだから」 ?
Similarly, in the ...
1
vote
1answer
154 views
幼いときに老けて、老いて子供に戻る。Can anyone explain the nuances of this sentence?
幼いときに老けて、老いて子供に戻る。
I can make a few guesses as to the specific meaning but I'm not sure which one is right.. does anyone know what would be the most correct translation of this sentence?
4
votes
1answer
202 views
"一生懸命な”のニュアンスを説明してもらえませんか。Nuances of 一生懸命な
一生懸命な彼に申し訳ない気がしました。そこで、私は一度彼と会って面と向かって断ろうと思ったのです。
'I felt I had to do something so I decided to meet him face to face and tell him I wasn't interested.'
一生懸命を副詞として使ったら 'eagerly, with utmost ...
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 ...
4
votes
2answers
294 views
Does anyone know which おり this is?
彼女は表情が生き生きとしておりとてもかわいい。
was translated awkwardly on ALC as
She is very pretty for the liveliness of her expression.
Which おり is this? I think I know it from the polite しております but is it here ...
6
votes
2answers
287 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 ...
4
votes
2answers
183 views
How can a verb be in the beginning of a sentence when it is usually at the end? Ex. 折れた淡い翼。
When composing sentences in Japanese, the verb tends to be last right? For example,
バナナを食べました。 --> I ate a banana
But recently I came across a sentence where the verb was at the beginning of the the ...
6
votes
2answers
569 views
What´s the difference between による, により and によって?
I don't understand when you use it and what the difference is between each other.
For example, when you say:
火事によって多くの森林が焼けてしまった。
今回の地震による津波の心配はない。
6
votes
1answer
302 views
Correct usage of ばかり
On a certain online correction site, my sentence:
正直に言うと、最近アメリカのドラマを観ていたばかり。
Was given many possibilities. Some people crossed out 「ばかり」 like 「観ていたばかり」 in the following sentences so I'm inclined ...
11
votes
1answer
969 views
What's the difference between 「いけない」 and 「いかない」?
I've just learned that ～わけにはいけない as in 断{ことわ}るわけにはいけない ("I can't refuse") apparently isn't valid but ～わけにはいかない is, even though I've been using the former frequently.
But what is the difference ...
6
votes
2answers
310 views
い-Adjective Conjugation: かったです vs でした
When we first studied adjective conjugation in my Japanese class, I kept making the same mistake habitually; I would conjugate the past tense of い-adjectives with でした at the end instead of dropping ...
5
votes
2answers
343 views
The different usages of ことがある
If I understand correctly, the main usages of ことがある seem to be the following:
Verb(plain)+ことがある: There are times when (I)
Verb(past)+ことがある: (I) have experienced (something) before
But after this ...
5
votes
2answers
241 views
What is the って in 連れてってくれる?
ALC can give several examples of this, not only in 連れてって:
いつ私たちを湖に連れてってくれるの？ When are you going to take us to the lake?
これ、帰りに叔母さんとこ、持ってってちょうだい。Will you take this to your aunt on your way home ...
6
votes
2answers
187 views
This instance of のに is opposite from my expectations
I have this sentence in one of my JLPT practise books:
電子{でんし}レンジは冷{さ}めた料理{りょうり}を温{あたた}めるのに重宝{ちょうほう}だ。
I thought のに meant something like "in spite of". So, to me, this sentence seems to be ...
7
votes
2answers
153 views
の performing back referral? の used adjectivally?
Consider the following sentence:
その薬は去年期限切れのだったので、捨てました。
I'm trying to explain what the bolded の does in the above sentence.
This is what I came up with:
の is used as a back referral
...
6
votes
3answers
265 views
What is the significance of the “の” in the sentence “誰が盗んだのか、誰か知りませんか。”
In another forum, someone said the difference between
誰が盗んだのか、誰か知りませんか。
and
誰が盗んだか、誰か知りませんか。
is that the former has more emphasis on the verb 盗む. Another person said that that's not the ...
6
votes
1answer
148 views
の as a substitute for beings
In a comment, I've read 「目が見えないのは誰ですか」.
I remember that, some 10 years ago, I was told that "の" could not replace human beings. But here, since we use 誰, it's clearly a person that の refers to.
Is ...
8
votes
2answers
287 views
Transitive/Intransitive + にくい (and +られる)
This question is based on the discussion arising from "Unsolvable Problem"
Start of Excerpt
Relevant discourse extracted from "Unsolvable Problem":
Quoted from Derek Schaab's reply to ...
3
votes
2answers
240 views
Sentence ending に and のに compared to their non-sentence-ending form
Consider these:
[A] 僕はいい仕事があったら美智子さんと結婚出来ただろうに
[B] 僕はいい仕事があったら美智子さんと結婚出来たのに
Is に in [A] related to the case particle に?
Is のに in [B] related to the use of のに as a conjunction in ...
2
votes
1answer
105 views
How is 信じる being conjugated here?
信じようと信じまいと Believe it or not
How is 信じる being conjugated here? I am unfamilar with the stem + まい pattern, if anyone could explain the ins and outs of that, or provide a more literal translation ...
3
votes
2answers
257 views
“To call” or “To receive a call”
Consider these example sentences taken from SPACEALC:
[a] （人に）電話をかける。 "put in a call to ~"
[b] ~が（主語に）電話をかける。 "receive a telephone call from"
My observations: Both sentences use かける. ...
