The reading of a kanji character or a word written in kanji characters refers to how it is “read” in terms of kana characters.
6
votes
1answer
141 views
Pronunciation of 対応済
Is the pronunciation of 対応済 たいおうすみ or たいおうずみ ?
Context: Software
Example:
ユーザが押したときに問題が起こらないように対応済
8
votes
1answer
290 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.
4
votes
2answers
183 views
How can a verb be in the beginning of a sentence when it is usually at the end? Ex. 折れた淡い翼。
When composing sentences in Japanese, the verb tends to be last right? For example,
バナナを食べました。 --> I ate a banana
But recently I came across a sentence where the verb was at the beginning of the the ...
12
votes
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 ...
6
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 ...
14
votes
4answers
421 views
What is the difference between 「食う」 and 「食べる」?
I've often seen 「食べる」 used, when should we use 「食う」 ? Are these two interchangeable ? Can you provide examples ?
9
votes
4answers
692 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 ...
11
votes
2answers
215 views
How to read the X in 5X4間?
A book about architecture I'm trying to read (it's a bit of a slog what with the technical jargon and such) contained this description of a temple building: 二重、初重５X4間、裳階 （もこし） つき、上重４X3間. So it's two ...
7
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
142 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。
8
votes
3answers
189 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 ?
10
votes
2answers
143 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
...
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.
...
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 ...
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?
8
votes
1answer
195 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
188 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
580 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 ...
21
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" ...
16
votes
7answers
721 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 ...
18
votes
2answers
349 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 ...
