Questions asking for words or phrases to be translated.
6
votes
1answer
133 views
How to express “with (x) as well” and “even with (x)”
I am trying to express something akin to these sentences:
Even with a spoon, he digs well (でも?)
Even without a shovel, he digs well
I would also like to express this:
With a shovel ...
9
votes
2answers
227 views
To uncomment in Japanese?
In the context of computer programming, how to say to uncomment?
For instance, here I uncomment a line:
// Before
// myvar = 3;
// After
myvar = 3;
I would use コメントアウトする, but I also see ...
2
votes
0answers
116 views
Is there a difference between 名国 and 国? [duplicate]
I'm attempting a translation of a video game manual, and it keeps using compounds like 名国 and 名街. This is not a game where you're able to name the places/characters, and the sentences where the words ...
3
votes
1answer
166 views
What is the meaning of ようで?
I think ようで means "to look/look like", but I'm having trouble understanding it in the context of this sentence:
感動に水を差すようで悪いのだが、さっさと爾子に乗ってくれ。でなくば、城とともに潰れるぞ。
Also, is でなくば another form of でなければ?
0
votes
1answer
153 views
What do these two phrases mean?
I need some help with translating this:
君の後ろ姿さえ 明日への希望に思えた日を
幻にしないように 瞼へと刻んだサヨナラ
These two phrases are from certain Japanese song and I can't understand them.
The parts I have difficulty with are:
...
4
votes
2answers
218 views
What does 母を恋はずや mean?
What is the meaning of 母を恋はずや in the film title?
Edit: the meaning of "恋う" according to the dictionary is "romantic love" as in "koi suru". E.g. ...
0
votes
0answers
87 views
Is my translation program right to use 「ある」 instead of「いる」 here? [duplicate]
When I ask Google to translate "a person is at location" I get 「人は場所にある」. To me the use of 「ある」 seems wrong since we are talking about a person. Is it right to use 「ある」 or should 「いる」 be used ...
5
votes
2answers
172 views
How can I say “counted in (specific unit)”?
Specifically, I am trying to say something like "a semester's length is counted in months" in order to imply how short it is as compared to, say, your whole life. When I tried to look this up in my ...
2
votes
1answer
127 views
Verbs in application drop down lists
I am working on translating pick list items that appear in a piece of software from English to Japanese. There is a mix of verbs and nouns on the lists, ex: workplace, attack, wolf, assault, etc... ...
6
votes
1answer
108 views
Questions on the use of 動物 in reference to mankind/humans
I got this quote from a journal an online associate writes. I provided the translation. Some of the wording in Japanese struck me as strange, so I am wondering about whether in fact this quote is a ...
4
votes
1answer
228 views
How do I express “to survive” in a more metaphorical sense?
My friend published a multi-part video on Facebook. I wanted to comment "I survived for only one episode", as in "It was so bad I couldn't keep watching after just one episode", but I wasn't sure ...
4
votes
2answers
261 views
Meaning of sentence -てまでする
I have this sentence from JLPT book which I don't understand:
いくら仕事だといっても、体をこわしてまですることないんじゃありませんか?
I get that the sentence is about destroying your health/body when you work too much and when this ...
1
vote
1answer
226 views
Particle を between nouns
So there I am again, asking a question from the book "Sword Art Online 1".
This time it's about the sentence: またの名を≪ソードアート・オンライン≫。
What is the meaning of を in this case?
1
vote
1answer
108 views
A question about the usage of ため and spacing
上下のフロアを繋ぐ階段は各層にひとつのみ、その全てが怪物のうろつく危険な迷宮区画に存在するため発見も踏破も困難だが、一度誰かが突破して上層の都市に辿り着けばそこと下層の各都市の≪転移門≫が連結されるため誰もが自由に移動できるようになる。
There were 2 things I didn't get in this sentence (or maybe a paragraph...?):
...
5
votes
2answers
202 views
How do I differentiate all these terms for “illiterate”?
I looked up the word "illiteracy", and was offered many different possibilities. Here they are, with my personal take on the nuance behind their origins:
活字{かつじ}離{ばな}れ ("removed from printing"?)
...
7
votes
1answer
232 views
What does “ni tsuki” mean in the title “Sono otoko, kyōbō ni tsuki”?
According to Wikipedia, the Japanese title of the film "Violent Cop", "その男、凶暴につき" ("Sono otoko, kyōbō ni tsuki"), literally means "That man, being violent". Is this correct? What other translations ...
0
votes
2answers
165 views
What is a クリームパン in English? [closed]
A Japanese person learning English has asked me what クリームパン is in English.
jisho.org describes it as "a cream-filled roll", but that may be describing it rather than translating it. The Japanese ...
-1
votes
1answer
119 views
translation of sentence with multiple って/と in it
ストレスが原因だっていわれたって聞いたけど
Hi,
what is the meaning of above sentence, the multiple って confuses me, I don't get the meaning of this sentence.
Can some tell me a English translation for this one?
7
votes
2answers
284 views
What words are used for dolphin meat?
What words are used for dolphin meat?
Searching jisho.org using "dolphin" in the English field listed several different words for dolphin, but no compounds involving meat.
Neither the English nor ...
2
votes
1answer
281 views
Why is watermelon written in Hiragana, whereas melon is written in katakana?
For the two words, Watermelon, and Melon, Watermelon translates into "suika" (I don't have a Japanese keyboard right now), and melon translates into "meron".
Why is this set up this way? Is it just ...
1
vote
2answers
322 views
What does コピー mean in this context?
A: 他にもラルクコピーしてましたか？
B: じゃあ最後にもう一度聴いてくれ…虹。ってやってた
I know that ラルク is the band L'arc En Ciel. What does コピー mean here? What does the first sentence say?
3
votes
1answer
153 views
What does ぉ character mean?
Can somebody explain the purpose of ぉ character in the end of the following sentence?
What part of speech can be assigned to ぉ ?
Can the ending の be glued up with ぉ?
アドビにうまいことやられたのぉ。
2
votes
1answer
115 views
What does 本調子 mean in a musical context?
When looking at musical instruments online ([篠笛]{しのぶえ} and 竹笛{たけぶえ} in particular, but I guess this goes for more instruments), their 本調子 is always listed. Some flutes are ６本調子, some ７本調子 and some ...
2
votes
1answer
195 views
What does 懐{なつ}い mean in this context?
Saw this on twitter:
A: 懐い
B: そういえば私がマオさんの唄初めて聞いたのwinter fallでした。サンタさんでしたね（笑）あの日の衝撃は未だに忘れられないなー「歌うますぎ！この人誰！？」ってみんな言ってましたよ。懐かしい。
5
votes
1answer
286 views
I don't understand the meaning of the 2 sentences. Can somebody help me?
This is dialogue (It's from magazine).
A: 現実場面では気★いが山のように出て事件も死ぬほど起こしてて、タブー云々と言ってるうちに表現が現実に負けちゃってるじゃん、最近って。
B: 俺も別に[奇]{き}をてらってタブー演るわけじゃなくて.
I absolutely don't understand the first part of the first ...
2
votes
1answer
188 views
How to say “items remaining from last meeting”?
I am setting up a meeting agenda and of the items is "covering the items left over from last meeting".
I though something like "前回のミーティングの残件” Would have worked but it turns out that 残件 isn't a word ...
0
votes
1answer
91 views
Translating ならば受け止めて行くまでさ word for word
I'm going for a word-for-word translation of (miss) understood (you can hear the song here, but I'm having trouble with the verse:
今さらきれい事だなんて
聞くつもりも言うつもりもない
痛みは増える一方だろう
...
4
votes
1answer
160 views
What does exactly does さま mean in dictionary definitions?
I've been using Japanese-Japanese dictionaries for a while now and this keeps popping up. It seems to me like a kind of usage that is found for the most part only in dictionaries. Can anyone help ...
6
votes
2answers
352 views
What does はくださらない mean?
I am having problems finding a word in this sentence in the dictionary:
一体全体なぜこんなところにおいでになったのか、たぶん話してはくださらないのでしょうね?
Unknown word:
- はくださらない
The English translation is:
"And I don't suppose ...
6
votes
3answers
226 views
Equivalent of someone's valentine
How would I describe the designated object of someone's affections on Valentine's Day?
The meaning I'm referring to is meaning 2 on Wiktionary:
A person to whom a valentine is given or received, ...
2
votes
2answers
181 views
“Klugscheißer”?
Does Japanese have a term more-or-less equivalent to the German Klugscheißer (literally, "clever-shitter"; in English: smartypants, smartass, know-it-all, etc.)?
(Needless to say, this is not a term ...
5
votes
1answer
173 views
What does “クズな” mean?
Original sentence: 審判がクズなだけ！
Google translates it as "Referee just scrap!"
So if we analyze the sentence:
審判(referee) が(GA particle) クズな(???) だけ(only?)
What part of speech is クズな and what does the ...
13
votes
3answers
424 views
Blue blistering barnacles, what is Captain Haddock saying?
For those who might not be familiar with the series Tintin (soon to be in a major motion picture, by the way), there is a character named Captain Haddock who is famous for shouting out colourful ...
6
votes
3answers
588 views
イケメン translation to English
I am in a Japanese 101 class. We are suppose to translate the following sentance:
日本ぶんかの先生は、イケメンですが、ぜんぜんやさしくないですから、あまり好きじゃありません。
I am having trouble with that katakana イケメン. So far, I have:
The ...
2
votes
1answer
122 views
Explanation / Meaning of らしく in 例文
Hi in this sentence 'らしく' is used, but I am not really sure about the meaning of らしく. I found this explanation for it, but it doesn't helps me to understand its meaning in the sentence:
way to use ...
4
votes
3answers
238 views
Don't get the meaning of the sentence “意味ありげな笑いを浮かべた”
I am not sure about the meaning of this sentence.
意味ありげな笑いを浮かべた
"(He) showed a meaningful laughter" ?
Is that correct?
6
votes
3answers
223 views
How would you say “talking shop” in Japanese?
In English, when we say someone is "talking shop", we mean that they are having a conversation about a particular trade or skill that they're familiar with (usually because it's their profession), ...
3
votes
1answer
251 views
How to call a wait pointer in Japanese?
In Japanese, how to call a wait pointer?
I am talking about a computer mouse pointer which becomes a spinning wheel or hourglass (depending on the OS) when the application is busy processing ...
0
votes
3answers
325 views
How to write “Aikido Wa Ichiban Budo Desu” [closed]
"Aikido Wa Ichiban Budo Desu" is supposedly a quote from 植芝 盛平, Ueshiba Morihei (founder of Aikido).
Most people translate this as "Aikido is first and foremost a true Budo".
My question is: how are ...
4
votes
1answer
158 views
General confusion ("Volitional＋ともせず”, redundancy, uses of と, )
I'm having trouble understanding the grammar in some sentences even if I understand the basic idea of the sentence. I may post with more questions later.
...
4
votes
1answer
99 views
Meaning of いなくもない
I am not sure about いなくもない in the following sentence:
「私の尋ねていることにちゃんと答えなさい」と腹をたてる人もいなくもない。
I guess the meaning is that people react pissed when someone tells them to just answer the question(s), but ...
6
votes
2answers
243 views
“Tourist trap” in Japanese
Assuming such a concept exists in Japanese, how do you say "tourist trap"?
Wikipedia describes it as:
A tourist trap is an establishment, or group of establishments, that
has been created with ...
2
votes
1answer
389 views
Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water
A recent post about translation reminded me of the following saying:
Before enlightenment, chop wood carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood carry water.
It is said to be coming from zen ...
5
votes
1answer
141 views
How should I respond to a client after receiving materials?
A client sent some materials and I have to respond, so I want to give a quick thank you acknowledging that I have received the materials and will email again once I have reviewed them. (It's always ...
2
votes
1answer
73 views
Interpreting 開ける when talking about 暇なとき
Earlier today I read the following excerpt from a message:
結局今日はゲームやらなかったよ！ また、暇なときに開けよう
The part I'm most unclear on is how to translate 開けよう.
First off, let me mention that I'm currently ...
9
votes
4answers
184 views
How to translate: “Keep/leave something”. So, how to express intention to leave something unchanged
Consider questions like:
Please leave the door open, thanks!
Could you please keep the lift's doors open? Thankyou
Please, leave it as it is.
They all imply something common: not changing the ...
1
vote
2answers
93 views
Questions about this sentence
"当時の関係者何人かにあたって記憶を確かめてみたが、人の記憶の欠落部分というのは、捏造で補われる仕組みになっているらしく、共通の体験が、しばしば、お互いに矛盾する記憶になっていることに驚かされた。"
What does "にあたって" mean there ?
"驚かされた" is referring to what/whom exactly ?
Does "関係者何人か" mean ...
4
votes
1answer
71 views
Trouble understanding “また何処かで会えると 素敵ですね”
This is what a friend said to me in response to my wishing him a happy birthday on Facebook. The topic/subject omission is often my biggest problem understanding Japanese, as I have trouble discerning ...
3
votes
1answer
151 views
Can't quite understand this sentence
この間、時間を見つけては、過去の歴史をひもといてみたのだが、再認識させられたのは、人間というのは、どれほど多くの涙とともに飲み下した教訓であっても、喉元を過ぎたとたんに忘れてしまう生き物であるということだった.
Especially what "忘れてしまう生き物" is supposed to mean in "喉元を過ぎたとたんに忘れてしまう生き物であるということだった".
2
votes
2answers
112 views
How to say “To familiarise onself with”
I've been trying to figure out how to say something like:
"I'd like to familiarise myself with XXX before the meeting so do you have any information that you can pass me before hand." (I.e. I have an ...
