The reading of a kanji character or a word written in kanji characters refers to how it is “read” in terms of kana characters.
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1answer
288 views
How is 名 pronounced in computer terms?
For usernames, etc., you usually see like ユーザ名 or something similar. Or like on my Skype, it says Skype名. How is the 名 pronounced in these situations? I've never been able to conclusively find this ...
8
votes
2answers
263 views
When a number is written in western numerals, how do you say them?
Someone has said this in my manga.
まず！我らの使命は２つ！！
Does he actually say "two" or "に"? If the latter, why not use 二? I don't see 二つ as being any different.
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votes
2answers
355 views
What are the rules for reading numbers before a foreign counter-word?
Is there a rule of thumb for knowing the reading of a number when it is written in western numerals, and is followed by a loaned counter-word?
For example, how would you pronounce the "1" in １セット? My ...
5
votes
2answers
122 views
How does one know how to read 堪える? Is it 「こたえる」、「こらえる」 or 「たえる」?
The verb 堪える has three different readings: こたえる, こらえる, and たえる, and as far as I can tell they all mean "to bear, to endure, to put up with", with slight variations. Is there a way to tell which ...
4
votes
1answer
158 views
Usage and reading of the Ampersand
In English, & is rather frequently used to mean "and".
How should & be read in Japanese? I think these are some likely readings:
や
と
アンド
Case 1: Assume sentence structure is of the form ...
5
votes
2answers
129 views
the reading for “魂”
I came across a N1 vocab list and came across 魂 with the reading as こん, and I had known that as たましい. I know is one is 'on' and one is 'kun', but if it's just by itself I was under the impression that ...
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2answers
281 views
Pronunciation of “何” as “なん” or “なに”
"何" is pronounced as "なん" before counter-words like in "何時{なんじ}", "何歳{なんさい}" etc; or before particles like in "何で", "何とか" etc.
However, it remains to be pronounced as "なに" in some words like ...
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votes
3answers
204 views
How to read words like テスト with ordinal numbers?
Consider this:
テスト１, テスト２, テスト３ etc. (Taken from my exercise books. The tests are labelled as such up to 30)
(Question) Should numbers that are used with loanwords like テスト be read with いち, に, ...
4
votes
1answer
159 views
Reading a non-numerical range
Expanding on my previous question,
What if the range is not numerical? I encountered these on a book for learning Japanese.
The 初～中級編 book for beginner to intermediate level and 中～上級編 for ...
2
votes
1answer
91 views
Are けもの and けだもの different types of beasts, or simply two variants of the same word?
Both けもの and けだもの are written in kanji as 獣, but is the beast with 'だ' inside more brutal than the one without 'だ'? Or are they simply two variants of the same noun, thus they refer to exactly the ...
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votes
4answers
688 views
When Chinese personal names are written in Japanese in kanji is there always an obvious reading?
In their comment to an answer on the question "Are foreign personal names usually written in katakana rather than Romaji?", user sawa says:
... Chinese names should be written in kanji rather than ...
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votes
2answers
174 views
Reading a number range
I have a bottle of 洗顔料(facial soap), and the instructions are:
ご使用量の目安 ポンプ１～２回 (use about 1 to 2 pumps)
If I were to read 1~2 aloud, how would I do it?
14
votes
1answer
176 views
Reading (and usage) of 他: when is it 【た】, when is it 【ほか】?
他 is one of these common words that still to this day confuses me...
My general assumption is that:
used as a prefix, it should always be read 【た】, e.g.: 他人【たにん】
when treated as a "substantive" ...
5
votes
2answers
146 views
When to read 一人 and 二人 as いちにん and ににん?
WWWJDIC lists いちにん and ににん as alternative readings of 一人 {ひとり} and 二人 {ふたり}, but I can't recall anywhere I heard those readings except when counting more than 10 people for example 三十一人 {さんじゅういちにん}. ...
7
votes
1answer
157 views
When and how to use 来る 【きたる】
Of course 来る is most often read as くる. However, it can also be read as きたる. Is きたる mostly an archaic reading? Does it carry a different, or any additional meanings?? When are "appropriate" ...
5
votes
2answers
141 views
What does 公け mean?
I am wondering what the reading and meaning of 公け is in the following sentence:
彼女のことが公けになることを好まず、ひそかに離縁しようと決心した。
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votes
4answers
1k views
How to choose between “よん” (yon) vs “し” (shi) for “四” (4) and “しち” (shichi) vs “なな” (nana) for “七” (7)?
Two numbers in Japanese have two pronunciation alternatives.
四 / 4 can be pronounced either "よん" (yon) or "し" (shi)
七 / 7 can be pronounced either "しち" (shichi) or "なな" (nana)
I know that "し" ...
8
votes
3answers
188 views
do people actually, if ever, say みょうにち ?
Hi all I've heard people using あした (the common one) and あす (rather uncommon) to refer to "tomorrow".
I was wondering does anyone actually uses the reading みょうにち ?
8
votes
3answers
180 views
Is the only time 得る read as うる when it's a suffix?
Just wondering If choosing a reading is as simple as whether
得る is a suffix.
This is from tatoeba.org, a wiki-like sentence mine, so I'm not sure if える, the reading entered is correct.
...
9
votes
2answers
141 views
How do I know when to read the kanji 抱 as 【だ・く】, and when to read it as 【いだ・く】, or even 【うだ・く】?
This sentence was in a grammar textbook:
彼は同僚にライバル意識、ひいては殺意すら抱いていた
Here's how it's read (except for the last kanji, for which this question is about):
かれは どうりょうに ライバル いしき、ひいては さついすら ??ていた
...
6
votes
1answer
147 views
How to choose a reading for 降る? ふる & くだる
I always read 降る as ふる but for a particular sentence I noticed that the reading was written as くだる. Are there any tips to help figure out which reading to use?
Examples:
たとえ雨が降ろうとサイクリングにいくぞ。
I ...
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votes
7answers
718 views
Does anyone have advice on how to get over/through/around the intermediate language plateau? (Self-learner)
How do you get through this? Especially in regards to reading. How do you practice reading at beyond the beginner level (No little black sambo's or whatever other children's books like I found in the ...
15
votes
1answer
234 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?
8
votes
1answer
194 views
Why is 五右衛門 read “goemon”?
Why is the name 五右衛門 read as ごえもん?
How can the three kanji 五右衛 be read with only two syllables?
3
votes
1answer
187 views
What is the meaning of 人児, and is it a compound?
There's this rather unpleasant sign on a restaurant that says:
中国人＆帰化人、残留孤児、中国系混血人児、絶対入店禁止、純血日本男児のみ。
Putting aside the racist content, from a linguistic point of view, the one word that throws ...
12
votes
1answer
570 views
Words/characters for fast food meal sizes: 並, 大, 特
When dining at Yoshinoya I never know how to ask for the size meal I want.
Their sizes are 並, 大, and 特.
I only know that "大" means big, but it also has two readings so I have no idea whether to ask ...
18
votes
2answers
348 views
Why is 二十歳 pronounced はたち?
二十歳 is a (to me) bizarre exception to the usual number+さい rule for discussing age. Is this rooted in 20 being the Japanese age of majority?
Added: To be more specific: why isn't it pronounced にじゅうさい ...
