The meaning of words or phrases within certain contexts, especially when it does not seem to match the standard definition.
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?
9
votes
2answers
245 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
143 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?
6
votes
1answer
180 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
218 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
333 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) ...
4
votes
3answers
135 views
Meaning of 右端揃 in “これ右端揃うかな？”
I received this email from someone close, who has a deadline to finish a graduation thesis:
期日は20日です(>д<)
これ右端揃うかな？笑
右端揃 means "right-alignment" but I don't understand what is the meaning of ...
7
votes
2answers
324 views
Meaning of …立てちゃいなよ
I am organizing an event and posted a flyer on a famous SNS.
Someone commented on it saying: イベント立てちゃいなよ
From the context I guess it is advising me to create an event (SNS feature), am I mistaken?
...
2
votes
2answers
392 views
What does ちょちょい mean?
I can't find this defined anywhere.
Here's an example:
タオルケットをちょちょいかけにきてくれる。
I am also interested in what this whole sentence says.
13
votes
2answers
874 views
Meaning of 情弱乙 ?
I see 情弱乙 being used (as an interjection?) on many websites, but I can't find it in any dictionary, even online dictionaries. I guess the pronunciation is じょうじゃくおつ. What does it mean?
Examples:
情弱乙！
...
5
votes
4answers
177 views
Using すみません instead of ありがとう
Can すみません always be used in place of ありがとう? What's the difference?
When using すみません to express thanks, what others words are used with it?
Can you show some examples?
5
votes
1answer
89 views
Help for this expression: 猿は人間に毛が三筋足らぬ
I read this expression in a text. It seems to be an old proverb about monkeys. But I am not sure about its meaning. Why 筋, for instance? Does it means muscle? reasoning faculty? Why would they be ...
7
votes
3answers
628 views
Other meanings of でしょう besides “probably”
でしょう can usually be understood to mean "probably." But does it sometimes mean the same thing as ですね? What other meanings can it have? Can it mean "you know?"
