Subtle differences between two seemingly interchangeable expressions.
5
votes
2answers
123 views
what is the difference in the nuances / usage of 気に病む and 心配する ?
I was wondering what is the difference in the nuances / usage of 気に病む and 心配する ?
(E.g. If I want to tell my friend not to worry about a test (albeit an important test), is it more appropriate to use ...
9
votes
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
2answers
5k views
When is it appropriate to use お疲れ様 (otsukaresama)?
I know the general meaning of using お疲れ様です／でした to express gratitude for some work, but I'm a bit fuzzy about appropriate times to use it.
I know it is a common saying when leaving for the day, and ...
9
votes
3answers
183 views
is it true to say that 亡くなる is a polite form of しぬ?
is it true to say that 亡くなる is a polite form of しぬ?
Like what is the difference in nuance between these two sentences:
1) ディックは１０歳のとき亡くなった。
2) ディックは１０歳のとき死んだ。
15
votes
1answer
235 views
is there a difference between さみしい and さびしい？
Both mean "lonely" and appear to be valid readings for 寂しい.
Is there a difference in nuance? Is this difference due to dialect?
6
votes
2answers
129 views
What's the difference in the nuances that 呪縛【じゅばく】 and 呪い【のろい】 convey?
Is 呪縛 usually used to refer to a good spell or a bad one (like a curse)?
I mean the dictionary writes the english meaning as: spell/curse but I was wondering what sort of nuance would be attached to ...
4
votes
1answer
142 views
What is the nuance of この + [first person pronoun]?
For example, from the song Fare Well by L'Arc~en~Ciel:
あなたは いつまでも この僕のこと 愛してくれたのかな
and countless examples from manga, like:
だが このオレは 死なん...
こんどは このオレが きさまを 滅ぼす
このオレに 勝てるわけがない
My ...
8
votes
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 ...
6
votes
2answers
315 views
What is the difference between 特殊 and 特別?
I've got two questions. Firstly, what is the difference between 特殊 tokushu and 特別 tokubetsu?
Secondly, is it true that all these grammar forms are correct:
特別な tokubetsu na ＋ [noun]
特殊な tokushu na ...
11
votes
2answers
254 views
Nuances between the different kanji spellings of あける：明ける vs. 開ける vs. 空ける
開ける, 明ける and 空ける are all read as あける.
From their kanji, it is obvious that 開ける has to do more with opening (a door etc), 明ける with dawning and 空ける with emptying...
However, JMDict gives the exact ...
5
votes
3answers
244 views
What’s the difference between [v] たとしても and just the plain ても
What’s the difference between [v] たとしても and just the plain ても, Example:
(1) 説明書を読んでも分かりにくい
(2) 説明書を読んだとしても分かりにくい
11
votes
1answer
278 views
When can I exchange くださる for いただく in expressions of gratitude?
Way back when, I remember being taught that when you want to say a really polite "thank you", sentences such as these are basically the same:
文章を訂正していただきましてありがとうございます。
...
9
votes
1answer
321 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" ...
8
votes
2answers
256 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 ...
10
votes
3answers
409 views
How can I differentiate between 「もう」 that means “already” and 「もう」 that means “more/additional”?
I noticed that 「もう」 can mean both "already" and "additional", such as the following sentence:
もう二本飲みましたよ。
Can mean either one of:
I already drank two glasses.
I drank additional two glasses.
...
