The meaning of words or phrases within certain contexts, especially when it does not seem to match the standard definition.
6
votes
2answers
218 views
What is the meaning of お気の毒に and how is it used?
Although the there are several definitions in the dictionary:
my condolences
that's too bad
my sympathies
What does お気の毒に literally mean? I'm guessing that it might have something to do with ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
Translation of 竜すらも恐るるに足らない
The full text is...
この魔剣があれば… メルヴィンの言うとおり 竜すらも恐るるに足らない…
Is this a double negative? "Even dragons to be not afraid is not enough" = "Even dragons are [will be] afraid".
3
votes
1answer
116 views
Tense of どういうつもりだ…
The full sentence is:
反撃の機会は幾度もあった… どういうつもりだ…
"There were many chances to counter attack... what is your intention".
But the event took place in the past so why is it not どういうつもりだった… "What was ...
4
votes
1answer
111 views
Meaning of この延長線上にこそ、
Does X。この延長線上にこそ、Y。 have the same meaning as XなのでY ?
Context: 今回、時間の制約が大変厳しい状況にありますが、[...]自動的なチェックのしくみを実現したいと考えます。この延長線上にこそ、新しい世代のより低コストな技術を安定的に評価できる体制が実現可能となります。
5
votes
1answer
287 views
What does お土産持しててね mean?
I got a message from a friend, about to go on a trip, and it ended with: お土産持しててね
I think it's basically "[I'll] bring a souvenir/gift/omiyage [for you]" but I'm not familiar with the 持してて part, I've ...
2
votes
1answer
97 views
How do I interpret 理不尽 in this situation?
I was talking with my colleagues about work and my friend described the following situation:
The boss asked my friend to make a report for a meeting that they had at the end of the day. He worked ...
4
votes
3answers
303 views
what does 貸してもらえないかな mean?
This was from a test prep book:
A: この間の本貸してもらえないかな。
B: ええ,明日持ってきてます
I'm thinking that the V てもらえない form is often used for requests.
My literal parsing of 貸して ＋ もらえない is:
'Can I not ...
4
votes
2answers
152 views
How is “誰も” used in this sentence?
I am a bit confused about a sentence I came across in an anki deck:
誰もその話を知らない。
I know that that 誰 means "who" and も means "also", but the translation it gives me is:
"No one knows that story."
...
5
votes
3answers
288 views
Is it normal to use ただいま in situations other than ただいま戻【もど】りました?
By itself, I would say that 「ただいま」 means something like "just now". I've used it a few times in sentences like this, but it feels somewhat awkward, as I am always reminded of ただいま戻【もど】りました.
So, for ...
6
votes
2answers
175 views
1
vote
1answer
105 views
what does 卵からかえったばかりの魚 mean?
This sentence was from a JLPT N2 prep book.
卵からかえったばかりの魚は体が透き通っている。
I don't understand the part that modifies 魚.
Here is how I parsed it:
卵から かえった ばかり の 魚
From egg/returned/just/noun modifier/fish
...
9
votes
1answer
343 views
Comparing 気にする vs. 気になる
Consider this example sentence from SPACEALC:
あなたがどうしているか気になっていた。
"I was concerned about how you were."
What is the difference when 気にする is used instead? I.e.,
あなたがどうしているか気にしていた。
～なる ...
4
votes
2answers
220 views
What does あらいだす mean?
What does あらいだす mean? I have been hearing it from my colleague and based on his explanation it means to identify. For example identify the problem. I tried to search the net and it only results to ...
3
votes
2answers
215 views
How and when to use 「そうですね」？
I only know the 2 meanings of it as follow:
Use when thinking - no meaning
Use to agree with others - the meaning is like "yes, I think so"
What else and what situation can it be used?
If someone ...
7
votes
2answers
346 views
What is だって when it's at the beginning of a sentence?
I have read several definitions of だって but none of them seem to make sense when I see it at the beginning of a sentence and I read the context. I saw one example Japanese sentence and in the English ...
5
votes
1answer
173 views
What does なんたらという mean?
What does なんたらという mean? I searched なんたら's meaning and it showed. The following
oojah
oojahkapiv
oojamaflip
oojar
oojiboo
I used eow.alc.co.jp to search.
...
6
votes
3answers
343 views
一応: Usage and meaning
I've never really fully grasped the meaning of [一]{いち}[応]{おう} since it seems to have no good English equivalent. What is the meaning, usage, and nuances of 一応?
1
vote
1answer
133 views
What is ~なかって and how is it formed?
Taken from alc.co.jp:
家{いえ}の鍵{かぎ}が見{み}つからなくて、玄関{げんかん}のベルを鳴{な}らしたけど、君{きみ}、家{いえ}に居{い}なかってし、ここでずっと待{ま}ってたんだよ。
(I rang the doorbell because I couldn't find the house key, but you weren't home, so ...
3
votes
1answer
161 views
Dictionary entry and derived forms, were they equal at some point?
I will first state the dictionary entry, and then other formations that also yield the dictionary entry.
Consider the following :
思える - to seem/appear,
potential form of 思う - can think
合わせる - ...
4
votes
2answers
283 views
壱, 弐, 参 vs 一, 二, 三
Can you tell me the difference between 壱 and 一, 弐 and 二, 参 and 三?
Do these pairs have the same meaning? If yes, why do we use different Kanji? If no, what is the difference in their meanings?
Can ...
4
votes
2answers
246 views
は can mean “at least?”
Can は mean "at least" in some situations?
For example, 10回は＝"at least 10 times?"
How does this work?
This is an example:
...
2
votes
1answer
150 views
Lyric in this song: 気の思い?
There is an Indonesian song with titled "Aishiteru" which is fully in Indonesian language except for one line in Japanese (and a few "a a a aishiteru" lines).
YouTube link
The one line in Japanese ...
6
votes
3answers
509 views
よかろう - What does it mean? Where does it come from?
This is another question that's come from a 昔話。
We have the following section:
大きい箱と小さい箱がありますが、どちらがいいですか。
どちらも結構じゃが、どうしてもと言うのなら、小さいほうでよかろう。
I'm having trouble with the second sentence. My ...
8
votes
1answer
350 views
Can I use 行っている間（に） in the sense of a habitual action?
Knowing that 行く is punctual, stative, and a motion verb, I also know that, 日本に行っている means "I/he/she have gone to Japan (and am still there)" rather than "I am currently going to Japan."
I also feel ...
6
votes
2answers
248 views
Making sense of transitive usage of 行く and 来る - 「を行く」 and 「を来る」
I think it's known that some intransitive verbs can take を particle and be used as transitive verbs such as for example 「私のことを分かってくれない」. While using 分かる transitively would require specific scenarios ...
5
votes
1answer
657 views
What does どうだ mean?
So, I have the sentence
礼儀のひとつも見せたらどうだね騎士殿
I am getting stumped on the どうだ part. If I am reading the slang dictionary correctly (and I can only find it in a non-English one), it seems to be ...
10
votes
2answers
314 views
Ups and downs: かみ・しも vs うえ・した
So, we have the kanji 上・下 which can be read as either かみ・しも or うえ・した, and as I understand it, those two are antonym pairs. But what are the differences between the two?
The thesaurus isn't very ...
8
votes
4answers
215 views
Meaning of: イベントの前ふりをば。
A colleague is organizing an event and sent everyone an email beginning like this:
田中イベント担当の田中です。
イベントの前ふりをば。
... (explanation about the event)
The first line is a funny intro (the guy ...
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 ...
7
votes
2answers
181 views
How broad is the meaning of 薬?
I saw on a board the other day someone referring to insecticide as "薬", which doesn't really fit with the English conception of "medicine". I looked up "薬" in Kenkyuusha, and sure enough, "chemical" ...
2
votes
1answer
82 views
Can 首 be used to refer to students who have just graduated and not yet found a job?
The example sentences in WWWJDIC all use the word "首" in the "fire" sense (e.g. 彼を首にしてやる) hence I was wondering is the term only used to refer to "firing" someone?
Or is it also used to refer to ...
7
votes
3answers
282 views
うるさい written as 五月蝿い
This is a follow-up question to Does うるさい have a "negative" connotation.
I've seen うるさい written as 五月蝿い.
現代では、is this form used often / at all?
What does this have to do with flies (蝿【はえ】) in May? ...
0
votes
1answer
181 views
Do all the meanings of 掛ける and 掛かる tally?
WWWJDIC does not tally their meanings of 掛ける and 掛かる so i find it hard for a beginner like me to properly learn these 2 words..
Do all these meanings of 掛ける and 掛かる tally: (is this list correct):
...
8
votes
1answer
354 views
Usage and meaning of [passive verb]-てみれば
I am familiar with the set phrase 「言われてみれば」 as a way to say "Now that you say that", but as I examine the phrase further, the phrase structure strikes me as strange. The 〜てみる conjugation is commonly ...
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 ...
-3
votes
1answer
291 views
What does さちゅえい mean?
I can't find this in any dictionary, but it seems to mean something like picture. Is that right?
I don't have an example sentence, because that word was the whole sentence.
2
votes
1answer
151 views
Reversing the clause pattern “～ほう～より”
Consider the two sentences below:
(1) 私のほうが田中さんよりよく飲む。(I drink more than Mr. Tanaka.)
(2) 私はビールより酒のほうをよく飲む。(I drink more sake than beer.)
I think the pattern for the second one is a reverse ...
3
votes
4answers
177 views
Meaning of 共同志向性
In the context of a personality quizz, what does 共同志向性 means?
I feel it is something like the quality of being a good team-player, but not sure.
Google does not know
4
votes
1answer
471 views
What does 氏 mean after a name, how is it different from さん or 様?
If you look in the dictionary for the definition of 氏 you'll find it defined as: family name; lineage; birth.
However I have seen it used in such a way that it is doubtful that it means any of those ...
6
votes
3answers
156 views
Does the use of は or omitting は affect the listener's reply?
This is a question taken from a JLPT excercise workbook.
Person A: 新聞をよく読みますか。
Person B: そうですね。毎日は[Fill in this blank]。
I am given 4 choices, of which only 2 are conjugated correctly.
...
6
votes
2answers
153 views
What's the meaning of すます in 耳をすませば?
What's the meaning of すます in 耳をすませば?
How would you translate this?
0
votes
1answer
410 views
What is おやすみNASA胃？
I've seen this in several places. Is that a set phrase? What does that mean?
I know that it's a way of saying "Goodnight," but the NASA胃 doesn't make sense.
9
votes
2answers
247 views
How do I decide when to use plain or past verb form?
In
(1) 明日、家へ帰って、母が作ったおいしい料理を食べます。
why is it 作った when it’s a future event? If I wanted to create a clause meaning 'delicious food my mother makes', it would be 母が作るおいしい料理. Does changing 作った in ...
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 ...
0
votes
1answer
144 views
What is the らせ form of a verb?
I'm trying to understand this:
賞品？おそらく！リナちゃん.....私の後ろの笑い声輝くんがたくさんで黙らせ
The last word, 黙らせ, is confusing. Is this a combination of different forms?
9
votes
1answer
271 views
Qualitative intensifiers e.g. とても, とっても, 超, etc. How are they different?
How are とても/とっても, でかい/でっかい, 超 (and others that I have yet to encounter) used differently? I figured that for とても/とっても-type difference is that the double-consonant(geminated) version is stronger i.e. a ...
6
votes
1answer
184 views
A word like マシ without the negative connotation
When asking, "which is better," in Japanese, I could write どっちがマシ？
However マシ has a negative connotation, implying that even though something is better it's still undesirable.
What's a word like マシ ...
6
votes
2answers
264 views
に and で revisited
Consider the statement A: ホテル（に/で）泊まる. For both cases would translate to "I stay at a hotel" in English. However they are answers to different questions.
Consider the questions １．どこに泊まる and ...
6
votes
1answer
222 views
Differences in meaning of using へ, に, or で in marking locations.
in "明日、姉とデパート＿買い物に行きます。"
why is へ favoured over で in my workbook?
If i ask myself the question "明日は、何をする" Can i answer it with "買い物に行く" and make ”デパート” an incidental location? That was how i justified ...
6
votes
2answers
335 views
Does なかなか (with negative verb) mean “by no means” or “considerably”?
WWWJDIC defines なかなか (with negative verb) as by no means
But shouldn't it have been considerably ?
By no means means 100% not
considerably means like 85% not
So does なかなか (with negative verb) ...
