Subtle differences between two seemingly interchangeable expressions.
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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 ...
9
votes
1answer
425 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
1answer
318 views
ならば vs なら. both are totally interchangeable without affecting the nuance of the sentence?
is it true that なら is merely a short form of ならば and as such, both are totally interchangeable without affecting the nuance of the sentence?
Also, a second question is is ならば more "formal" than "なら" ...
9
votes
1answer
329 views
How do you use 〜と知る?
I've often seen and heard the expression 〜と知る（知っている）. When I think about it, it makes sense in the context of the quoatation-と, like with 〜と言う or 〜と思う. It seems like it means "Know that 〜".
...
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
4answers
347 views
Use of ～のか (～んですか) in questions not seeking a yes/no answer
I would like to know if there is a shift in nuance in questions such as these:
誰が参加したんですか。 vs. 誰が参加しましたか。
いつ着いたんですか。 vs. いつ着きましたか。
I wish to limit discussion to only non-yes/no questions ...
9
votes
1answer
236 views
usage of「ご迷惑をおかけ・・・」variants for a business apology
I have to apologize for a procedural error at work, and am unsure about selecting the right form of apology from the variants of 「ご迷惑をおかけ・・・」:
1.「ご迷惑【めいわく】をおかけして申【もう】し訳【わけ】ございません。」
...
8
votes
2answers
175 views
What is the difference between 首相 and 総理?
I learned 総{そう}理{り} as the word for Prime Minister, but I've recently learned that 首{しゅ}相{しょう} is also used. Is there a difference in usage or meaning? Is one more polite than the other?
8
votes
2answers
282 views
What is the difference between 記憶【きおく】 and 思【おも】い出【で】?
Is there any difference between the meanings or connotations of 記憶 and 思い出?
I started thinking about this after listening to the song 「タイムマシーン」 or "Time Machine" by 少女時代, where these two lines occur ...
8
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2answers
234 views
When is 酒【さけ】used to mean 日本酒【にほんしゅ】?
The fermented rice alcohol called "sake" in English is usually referred to as 日本酒【にほんしゅ】 in Japanese, while 酒【さけ】 merely means "alcohol" in general.
Yet, all dictionaries list both "alcohol" and ...
8
votes
2answers
253 views
why is it that some 形容動詞 accepts の after it while some only accepts な after it?
why is it that some 形容動詞 accepts の after it while some only accepts な after it?
Examples:
の only: 普通、大勢
な or の: 初心、特別、特殊
Is there a way for us to tell if a 形容動詞 needs a の or な particle after ...
8
votes
2answers
149 views
“乗せる” vs “乗っける”
Good afternoon all,
I was wondering when someone gives someone a ride (bicycle, car, etc), what's the difference in nuance between using the verb "乗せる" and the verb "乗っける"?
For example, I was ...
8
votes
2answers
170 views
When are ふう and よう interchangeable?
Lately ふう has been on my mind. Often it seems interchangeable with よう:
これを｛こんなふう／このよう｝にしてください。 Please make it like this.
あれを｛どういうふう／どのよう｝に解釈しますか。 In what way do you interpret that?
...
8
votes
1answer
244 views
What kind of a thing is a “やつ”?
I've been seeing やつ used for "thing" reasonably frequently in Manga/online etc, for example:
ほとんどは本とか食玩とか細かいやつかな。
"It's virtually all stuff like books, those small toys sold with food and small ...
8
votes
2answers
358 views
What is the difference between 悪い and だめ?
What is the difference between 悪い and だめ?
They're not really the same, but in English they both can be translated to "bad".
あの人が悪い。In my limited experience, this is bad in the sense of evil.
...
8
votes
2answers
175 views
Which particle to use with 出会う {であう} : と, に or が?
From Google searches, I can see that all three particles と, に and が are used with 出会う, but are there differences when using each of the particles or are they interchangeable?
For ease of explanation, ...
8
votes
1answer
195 views
What's the difference between 電光石火【でんこうせっか】 and 疾風迅雷【しっぷうじんらい】
They both seem to mean "quick as lightning". What are the nuances between them? In what sort of context would they be used? Are they interchangeable? etc.
8
votes
1answer
102 views
Does 「鳴く」 give any nuances about the sound being made?
When we say "birds singing", there is a positive connotation.
When we say "birds crowing", there is a negative connotation.
"The birds are making some sound" seems to be objective, and thus neutral.
...
8
votes
1answer
214 views
What is the exact definition of 泥棒?
In English:
a burglar is usually associated with someone who breaks into a house (victim is usually unaware during the burglary)
a robber is usually associated with that person who uses weapons and ...
8
votes
1answer
150 views
Is it actually impolite to say ご苦労様 to a superior?
Conventional ビジネスマナー tells us that ご苦労様 is used by superiors to subordinates and お疲れ様 used by everyone, and this is backed up all over the internet and stated on some questions here, like this.
But ...
8
votes
2answers
238 views
(noun) です vs. がある when either is appropriate
~するつもりです
~するつもりがある
~する予定です
~する予定がある
These are just two examples. Obviously you can't stick in any noun, but I don't know if these fall into some well defined class either.
Anyhow, ...
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 ...
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 ...
7
votes
2answers
183 views
What is the difference between 意味 and 意義?
I have learned (意味) and (意義）as "meaning". I am confused these two words. Are they same or is there any difference in usage?
7
votes
3answers
219 views
What is the difference between 一緒【いっしょ】に and 二人【ふたり】で?
I think in all situations where either 一緒に could be used, 二人で can also be used, and vice versa. I suppose 三人、四人、五人、etc. can also be used here if that's the number of people you are talking about.
But ...
7
votes
2answers
245 views
Is 見物{みもの} derogatory?
To say something is a 見物, does it have a derogatory nuance like we are making fun of that person / that thing?
If so, is it derogatory to the extent that even if I intended it as a fun joke it seems ...
7
votes
3answers
293 views
How to sound more manly when sneaking popcorn into the cinema
OK, really esoteric question time:
So I went to the cinema with a female friend on the weekend.
I was going to buy some of the horrendously overpriced popcorn there, but then she said:
持ってきちゃった!
...
7
votes
3answers
226 views
Does うるさい have a “negative” connotation?
Is it true that when someone uses the word うるさい, it means that there is a feeling of "discontent" ?
Like for example, we will take this sentence: "It will be noisy in the factory"
"It will be ...
7
votes
1answer
124 views
What's the difference between ぜひ and きっと when inviting someone to do something?
You can say for example
ぜひパーティーにいらしてね
そのうちまた是非お出かけください
「今晩お伺いしてもいいですか」「ぜひどうぞ」
and
きっと来てくださいね
きっと訪ねて来てください
I would translate both ぜひ and きっと in these sentences with "by all means", but I'm ...
7
votes
1answer
194 views
must/need [必要]{ひつよう}がある vs. なくてはいけない and [必要]{ひつよう}だ vs. [要]{い}る
This is a two part question, both pertaining to expressions involving "必要".
What is the difference between 必要がある and -なくてはいけない/ -なければならない? The
difference between the latter two expressions is ...
7
votes
3answers
534 views
低い鼻 vs 短い鼻 and 高い鼻 vs 長い鼻 ?
After reading this thread: When would you use 低い vs 短い, I'd just thought of something.
I once heard that a long nose (witch / Pinocchio) is called 高い鼻 and not 長い鼻 whereas the opposite (short nose) is ...
7
votes
1answer
314 views
Usage of て-form in 知っての通り
I have just come across the phrase 知っての通り〜 (as you know...)
I have never noticed this usage of て-form before and can't find an explanation.
What is the difference (if any) between this and 知っている通り?
...
7
votes
3answers
226 views
When should 男の人/女の人 be used instead of 男/女?
My teacher always corrects me when I use 男 or 女 by themselves, without adding の人 to the end of it. But in various Japanese media (music, drama, anime, etc.), I know for sure that I have heard them ...
7
votes
1answer
108 views
What's the difference between まだ and いまだ（に）?
My intuition wants to believe that いまだに is more formal, but all the examples I've seen do not indicate that. Are they freely interchangeable? Can't say I've ever heard いまだに in spoken context (or ...
7
votes
2answers
187 views
What is the difference in usage between a plural using (a) the kanji repetition character 々, (b) a plural using -たち, and (c) the singular?
I know that there are some noun that are made plural by the kanji repetition character, such as 人々 and 国々. My question is, how does this differ from using the non-plural form of the noun? And how does ...
7
votes
2answers
229 views
The role of と particle in 「二度としない」
What is the role of と particle in 「二度としない」? Is it quotative, adverbialisation, change of state or supposition?
Also, what extra nuances does it contribute to the expression compared to if も is used ...
7
votes
2answers
235 views
へ or に particle for 曲がる?
i was wondering what may be the difference in nuance between 右へ曲がる and 右に曲がる ?
Example: Take a right turn and you'll see the library.
1) 右へ曲がると、図書館がある。
2) 右に曲がると、図書館がある。
As for [noun-location] ...
7
votes
2answers
268 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
212 views
How to ask person to guess for something during conversation?
I was conversing with my Japanese colleague:
Me: Do you know how much a melon costs in my home country?
Colleague: I do not know.
Me: Take a guess.
I asked him how to say take a ...
7
votes
1answer
270 views
How to ask for a refund?
I want to ask for a refund? For example, if I want to refund a train ticket. How do I ask the train master?
I think it is not a 返品。
Do you need certain politeness?
7
votes
3answers
179 views
What is the difference between 防止 and 予防?
My dictionary defines both 防止 and 予防 as "prevention", with 予防 having the additional definitions of "precaution" and "protection against".
I sort of understand the latter definitions for 予防 as acting ...
7
votes
1answer
199 views
Nuances of “give” - あげる／与える／授ける
Can someone give some good context and scenarios for using these? Not only when to use them, but when NOT to use them as well. I know あげる is kind of the most common, but I'm just not sure of the ...
7
votes
1answer
129 views
ところ vs どころ: Interchangeable or different meanings altogether?
I have two questions.
A) Why do they use どころ instead of ところ in this sentence? Is it possible to use ところ without changing the meaning?
...
7
votes
1answer
160 views
Can 一杯 be used to express the fullness of things without physical volumes?
According to an answer to this question, the word [一杯]{いっぱい} can be used to expess fullness; especially in relation to the capacity of whatever is containing the quantity. This, however, tends to ...
7
votes
1answer
180 views
How different is 冷やかす from 冷やす? And 散らかす from 散らす?
I've long known 冷やす as the transitive counterpart of 冷える. But thanks to one question here, I've realized that there is another version with an extra syllable in it: 冷やかす. Although 冷やかす seems to have ...
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 ...
7
votes
2answers
183 views
けど vs. が for “but” conjuction
This question covers the difference between でも and けど for "but", the difference being that でも can be used at the beginning of a sentence. But けど and が are used in very much the same way, ...
7
votes
1answer
175 views
To take responsibility: 責任を 取る・負う・持つ
What are the nuances between these three verbs when paired with 責任? I understand they all mean "to take responsibility", but are they interchangeable, etc?
責任を取る
責任を負う
責任を持つ
負う's definition says ...
7
votes
2answers
287 views
Come to ～: ～てくる vs. ～ようになる
Can someone please explain the fine nuances of these two? Things such as:
Are there conditions/restrictions of when you can use one or the other?
What are the "approximate" time periods that each ...
7
votes
2answers
539 views
おしまい {oshimai} vs おわり {owari}
Are there any differences between using おしまい {oshimai} and おわり {owari} to mean "the end" (both with neutral and negative connotations)? Are they always interchangeable?
E.g:
テスト失敗したらおわりだぜ。
...
