Questions tagged [set-phrases]
決まり文句・慣用句・成句. Phrases with fixed words used as a single unit, such as idioms and set collocations. For questions about a particular idiom, please use the tag "idioms".
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Is my understanding of 太陰太極 (たいいんたいきょく) correct?
I saw the term in the song 螺鈿の骨、氷雨 (Graphic - Babuchan songs are graphic in general). The line I saw it in - 太陰大極 (たいいんたいきょく) 而二不二 (ににふに) The context - 煩悩即菩提 (ぼんのうそくぼだい) 生死即涅槃 (せいしそくねはん) 入不二 (いりふじ) ...
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Difference between 粒子物理学 and 素粒子物理学
I was trying to tell a Japanese friend that I am studying particle physics, but I didn't know the word for this branch of physics, so I looked it up online.
From what I could find, it should be 粒子物理学, ...
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What's the structure behind 雲を霞(と)
I don't understand how 雲を霞 makes any sense (especially because there's no particle at the end of 霞). Is 雲を霞と supposed to be parsed 雲を霞となる/あり or 雲を霞とする? I think をかすみとする is more likely, and it's ...
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あなたにも as a response to someone's best wishes
I recently saw an exchange between two non-native speakers where one wished the other a happy new year, and the other replied with あなたにも (literally, "and to you").
Putting aside whether the ...
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Understanding 女の方が願い下げ
I am uncertain how to understand 女の方が願い下げ in the below panel:
I believe it means "women won't accept a man like him"? Perhaps "he has no interest in women"?
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Need help understanding したところで/ところで in this context
So in this manga (月が導く異世界道中) there are these 2 sisters where the older one made some bad decisions about borrowing money from the wrong kind of people. After being rescued the younger sister says to ...
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How do I talk to someone explicitly?
明日の朝おそいおきたら、にどねないよ！
Given this phrase in this Context I’m not sure if I talk about myself or if I talk to someone else like I intend to do.
I could add あなたは at the beginning but I know this is ...
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Nuances between 悪知恵が働く and ずる賢い and clarifications for 悪知恵が働く
From I know, [悪知恵が働く] means "cunning" and [ずる賢い] also means "cunning". Is there any nuances when I use [悪知恵が働く] or [ずる賢い]?
Also for [悪知恵が働く], the kanji 悪知恵 already means "...
CommunityBot
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Meaning of とすればの話だが
ピーブズよりやっかいなのは...そんなのがいるとすればの話だが...管理人のアーグスフィルチだった。
The thing that was a bigger nuisance than Peeves...if there was such a thing... was the caretaker, Argus Filch.
I'm struggling to understand what ...
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When are good situations to use the phrase "見事にやられた"?
When are good situations to use the phrase "見事にやられた" ?
In the language guide book "Shadowing," the authors use it to refer to doing very badly on an exam.
Thank you.
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What does 「ときている」 mean?
It is a situation where a salesperson announces to a group of people to attract them to buy his goods.
Here is the full sentence:
しかもおねだんは半{はん}額{がく}以{い}下{か}ときている
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なるほど why it means "I understand" and usage as an adverb
I recently came across this phrase
しばらくは呆れていましたが、なるほど考えてみると
My questions are:
What is the meaning of this なるほど?
Why なるほど means "I understand" when used in isolation?
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Function of ておく in 伝えておきます
ておく basically means to do something in advance/preparation, and 伝えておきます seems to be a common saying for "I will tell somebody", e.g.
素晴らしい披露宴だったと彼に伝えておきます。
I do not understand how does ておく ...
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How do I pronounce this 「暖」 that lacks 送り仮名?
I am learning Japanese, and one of the ways I'm doing so is playing games. I am playing "Stranger of Sword City," and I saw this exact expression, in the game:
何か[暖]{L}を取るものを探して彷徨ったあなたは、...
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How does どうするんだ function here?
For more context, see the full text here:
https://www.docdroid.net/RdEh6ZK/img-20170712-0001-new.pdf
Taken from line 3:
すると、一人の男が「そんな物、怖がってどうするんだ。...」といばった。
On jisho, どうする translates into "what to ...
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Can anyone help me fill in the blanks of a kid's rhyme?
My 4 year old has been going to a Japanese preschool for a few weeks and has picked up a rhyme/chant that all the kids say before they eat. I'd love to learn it too so we can say it together at home, ...
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How do you ask for "the bill" at a restaurant?
This is probably a bit of a silly question, but what do you say in Japanese when you're asking for the bill in a restaurant? Or is it unusual to say anything at all?
When I was in Japan I could never ...
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How to express accidentally sitting on something
その銃は、ダドリーが尻に敷いて銃身をひどく曲げてしまい、...
Dudley sat on the gun and bent the barrel badly ...
Is 尻に敷く normal Japanese for "to sit on something"? I guess it could be from the literal translation of '...
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The という in things like 〜ということ・〜というの・〜という感じ・〜というわけ etc
I have been trying for ages to understand the reason という is used so frequently. In other words, what does it add to the sentence and what connotations does it have in Japanese? I understand the ...
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Confusing use of imperative in a threat [duplicate]
小僧、変なことをしてみろ。ちょっとでもだ、そしたらクリスマスまでずっと物置に閉じ込めてやる。
Boy! Do something weird, no matter how small and I'll lock you in your cupboard until Christmas.
Firstly, is してみろ actually imperative here? I don't see ...
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Meaning of 喉まで出かかる
マクゴナガル先生は口を開きかけたが、思いなおして、喉まで出かかった言葉をのみ込んだ。
Professor McGonagall began to open her mouth, but reconsidered and swallowed her words.
My translation does not include 喉まで出かかった. Is this a set phrase? ...
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What's the difference between 心, 念, and 意?
I can say that after much research on this, I'm more thoroughly confused than before I started. I'm talking mostly about when they are used as suffixes, but the concept applies when they stand alone, ...
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When is it appropriate to use ごくろうさま?
I've seen お疲れさま and ご[苦労]{くろう}さま used to say "Thank you" after some had done work of some type. After reading the お疲れさま thread, I realize that the two are not interchangeable. So when do you use ご[苦労]{...
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Other uses for の?
In this sentence
そうして将校の部屋に行くべく木に登るものの、
窓まで伸びていた木の枝は切られてしまっている
The "の" is followed by a "," So my first guess of it being the feminine version of "よ" doesn't seem correct....
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Meaning of 鼻を鳴らす?
I am reading 煙草と悪魔 by Akutagawa, and came across a phrase which has me stumped. The sentence reads as follows:
伊留満は、これを聞くと、小さな眼を輝かせて、二三度、満足さうに、鼻を鳴らした。"
My current understanding of this sentence ...
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What does てもらえたら嬉しいmean?
僕の漫画がたくさんの人に楽しんで読んでもらえたら嬉しいです。
I know 楽しんで読む means “to read with pleasure”, but I’m not sure about もらえたら嬉しいです. I’ve interpreted it as a grammar constitution that means “I’ll be glad/happy if you ...
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Do 「AとしてのB」 and 「BとしてのA」 have symmetry?
「AとしてのB」 might translate as "B as A"?
「BとしてのA」 might translate as "A as B"?
Is there a meaningful difference between the two.
I was just thinking about how to explain how to write documents in ...
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"だなんだと" meaning
聖夜【せいや】だなんだと繰【く】り返【かえ】す歌【うた】と (song lyric)
(then it goes like: わざとらしくきらめく街【まち】のせいかな )
More specifically, I cannot decide which character belongs to where in "だなんだと". Is it the expression ...
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Why can't に対して be used in this sentence?
I'm currently using the 新完全マスター N2 Grammar book. One of the questions required completing the following sentence:
今回の選挙では、環境税 () 候補者たちの意見が対立している。
Two of the options were に対して and をめぐって, and をめぐって ...
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What does 白と茶色を基調とする mean in this sentence?
白と茶色を基調とした真新しい洋風の外壁。
I saw that ～を～とする means "as" and that 基調 means "to be the main color in something like a picture" (2nd definition), but I can't link everything in this ...
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Understanding 軍服に着られた
威嚇のつもりかアサルトライフルを抱えた兵を二人も従えて、いかにも軍服に着られた貧相な士官が顎をしゃくる。どうでもいいが、後ろの兵のライフルは安全装置がかかったままで、しかも初弾が装塡されていない。それぞれの立ち位置も近すぎるから、やろうと思えば撃たせる前に全員制圧できる。意味がないのでやらないが。
86─エイティシックス─
安里アサト
Why is the bold part passive ...
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Understanding その上で、だ
続いて、ライデンが名乗った。
「戦隊副長、ライデン・シュガだ。……まず最初に謝っとく。あんたが毎晩繫いでくるのを、俺達は聖女気取りの偽善者のブタが、自分のブタ加減に気づきもしねぇでおめでたいって笑ってた。それについては詫びる。悪かった。その上で、だ」
黒鉄色の双眸が冷然と細まる。
「セオが言ったとおり、俺達はあんたを対等とも仲間とも思わない。あんたは俺達を踏みつけた上で、...
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How do I parse the phrase 手も汚さず正しくあろうとするなんて?
I'm having trouble understanding the vocabulary and grammar of this phrase. It's from Attack on Titan S4E26 (minute 10:50 on Hulu, E85 minute 10:30 on Crunchyroll) though it's probably not a spoiler.
...
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What does the phrase らしいと言えばらしい mean?
I am reading a book where one character describes another's reading habits, and the person she is talking to says 「らしいと言えばらしいな」. From context, he seems to be saying that her reading habits are ...
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What is どうって in どうってことありません?
どうってことありません。
I know it means "It was nothing."
But, what is どうって?
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良さそう usage in this context:【誰かが手伝ってくれたら、せめて「ありがとう」ぐらいは言ったって良さそうなものだったのに。】
誰かが手伝ってくれたら、せめて「ありがとう」ぐらいは言ったって良さそうなものだったのに。
You might at least have said, "Thank you", when someone helped you.
Source: https://jisho.org/sentences/51866b92d5dda7e98100cf56
In this ...
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"It can't be helped": しようがない , し方ない , しかない
「しょうがない」/「しようがない」
「しかない」
「仕方がない」
What are the subtle differences in usage of the above three ways for saying "there's no way" or "it cant be helped"?
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Does また今度 imply concrete future plans in certain regions/dialects?
This question made me remember something I'd been wanting to ask.
In general, また今度 seems to be understood as a farewell ("See you later") without a later time to meet defined.
However, a Japanese ...
CommunityBot
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When to use "どうぞよろしくお願{ねが}い致{いた}します。" in a greeting?
Once the context is that we are about to part ways, when I want to say "goodbye" to someone in maximum 敬語{けいご}, I say「どうぞよろしくお願い致します。それでは、失礼いたします。」.
Is that usage of 「どうぞよろしくお願い致します」 correct?
Is 「...
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「しかし, 良く引き受けたな？事情が事情だ、断って他の隊に話を回しちまっても良かったと思うぜ？」
I'm reading a passage from a fictional work, character A has been assigned with a task (publishing a controversial article) from his boss that he has mixed feelings about, one of his superiors (...
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Is there a difference between すみません (sumimasen) and すいません (suimasen)?
My friend tells me one is more polite. I think they're the same. Who's right? When can I use one or the other?
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諺/熟語 for "paint oneself into a corner"
I am trying to find an idiom that describes someone setting hurdles for themself or putting themself in a more difficult position every step of the way, eventually trapping oneself or forcing one's ...
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「いただきます」 to accept to a food offer?
In this JLPT N3 audio practice question (#3), the correct reply to the statement is 3.
コーヒー、もう一杯いかがですか。
けっこうだと思います。
おかげさまで。
いただきます。
If the question translates as "How about another cup of ...
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おそれがある vs おそれあり [duplicate]
I recently found an example of おそれあり in a fictional headline
「ネットワークしはい計画が本格的にはじまったおそれあり」だって
Presumably this is "It says 'It may be that their plan for network domination has begun to go all ...
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"Opposite" of `和製英語`
Is there an "opposite" of 和製英語 (meaning Japanese words/phrases invented by English speakers)? Maybe like {英・米・欧?}製日本語? Because I always see/hear Japanese words in English and they drive me nuts!
...
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Why does なんてね mean "Just kidding"?
I very often see なんてね or some similar phrase being translated to "Just kidding"? but why does it mean this and how does the grammar behind it work?
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Breakdown of 運をつく [closed]
The title of the chapter in my book is:
まる子 うんをつく
I know that this has something to do with Maruko being lucky but I don't understand precisely what is meant. Does Maruko have the inherent property ...
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To what extent is 御目出度う御座います used? Is it considered bad form?
Relatively recently - probably in the last few months or something - I've noticed the much more Kanjified version of おめでとうございます - 御目出度う御座います. Personally I think this looks cooler than the strictly ...
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(推量形+) というものだ: nuance and function? [duplicate]
圧倒的だなんて言葉では表現しきれない、絶望的な戦力差である。
しかもそれらが皆、親でも殺されたかのような調子で士道に憎々しげな視線を送ってきているのだ。どれだけ肝が据わった人間でも汗くらい滲ませようというものである。
だが、改変後の折紙の意識が『士道への思い三〇パーセント:節度七〇パーセント』だったところに、『士道への思い一二〇パーセント』が足されたなら、...
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Nである程度 ― the degree to which one is N
Looking up ある程度 on Weblio yields a lot of phrases like
Xである程度 --> to the extent that something is X
is this to be understood as Xである 程度 or X で ある程度 ？
I don't know if this is a set phrase or not, ...
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