Questions asking for words or phrases to be translated.
7
votes
1answer
123 views
How do I translate a pattern like “Tap to enter comment”?
I find it difficult to translate short software GUI instructional pieces like:
Tap to enter comment
Press here to talk
Sign in to continue
Should I put it like:
タップしてコメントを入力
or must it be: ...
3
votes
1answer
128 views
Can I refer to the March 11 earthquake without mentioning the word earthquake?
Is it possible to refer to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and nuclear incident in everyday conversation, preferably without using the words earthquake or tsunami or nuclear incident?
For ...
10
votes
4answers
473 views
What's the difference between いいえ and English's “no”?
In "Japanese for Busy People I" page 2 (kana or romaji edition) it says that いいえ is 'virtually the same as "no"'.
It sounds like there are some differences, but they want to omit mentioning them for ...
5
votes
1answer
338 views
translation for “It serves as a good reminder for me”?
After I've say watched a film with some friends (or read a fable or something) and learned something from it, i want to say "It [the teachings of this fable/film] serves as a good reminder for me". ...
3
votes
1answer
210 views
Trying to translate 遊ばにゃ損なってなもんだろうがおう！
I'm reading a manga and have run into a tricky phrase, so I am asking for help and some explanations:
...遊ばにゃ損なってなもんだろうがおう！
遊ばにゃ (or にや) - can't understand what the verb form is used here...
損なって - ...
-3
votes
3answers
237 views
3
votes
1answer
164 views
How can I talk about old memories and important “firsts”?
How can I say old memories and first (talk, hug, kiss) kind of stuff?
5
votes
4answers
298 views
Is there a general/default word for “to wear”?
I've been introduced to 着る (for things you put on like a shirt) and 履く (for things you put on like pants) in class, but is there a general way to just say something like wear clothes? Or must the ...
8
votes
2answers
189 views
Just so you know
I'm looking for a good way to tell someone that I want to inform them of something, but I don't actually need them to do anything for me. Something like "Just so you know, the printer is broken." As ...
1
vote
2answers
130 views
How best to translate 左右対称 in this context?
For example:
人間の顔は左右対称ではない
A person's face is asymmetrical.
The above is simple, but how about:
漢字の形が左右対称である。
"The shape of the Kanji character is symmetrical."
The problem I have with the ...
8
votes
4answers
250 views
What is the formula to say “I'm trying to do X regularly”?
I was trying to think of a way to say "I'm trying hard to read a news article every day" (in the sense that I'm trying to find the time to sit down and pay attention long enough to read, not ...
5
votes
2answers
224 views
How do I accurately convey “enough to make a difference”?
I want to say "it's different enough to make a difference," but I'm struggling a bit to get there. Partly because the two uses of "different" in this sentence are doing two different jobs. The first ...
5
votes
2answers
382 views
This use より baffles me
From the anime Noir, Episode 2.
Context: The husband comes home and his wife and son greet him outside.
Wife: おかえりなさい。今日は早いのね？
Husband: ああ、思ったより早く仕事が終わってね。
The wife's line, I get. The ...
2
votes
1answer
142 views
Could anyone confirm my poor translation of these few sentences?
For my first question I would like some help on the following message I received(the sentences are relatively simple since my Japanese skills are quite low). But before starting I would like to say ...
2
votes
1answer
314 views
I have no idea what my old shirt says. Can anyone help?
I have owned this old RVCA shirt for nearly a decade. I have never had any clue what it means, though I suspect it is offensive or awkward (as that is what I would put on a shirt if I knew an ignorant ...
1
vote
3answers
123 views
Comment dire “dossard” en japonais?
Un dossard est un morceau de tissu qui identifie les sportifs dans un marathon:
Comment dire ça en japonais ?
日本語では、フランス語の「dossard」と同じ意味の言葉がありますか？
In Japanese, is there an equivalent for the ...
6
votes
4answers
343 views
word search: voluntary pause between desire and action
Some years ago, I read that Japanese has a word (or idiomatic expression) that means roughly:
The action of voluntary interposing a pause between the
moment you desire something and the moment you ...
5
votes
2answers
241 views
Correct word for “indeed”
What is the correct translation for "indeed"? I found 実際{じっさい}に and 確{たし}かに.
If both are correct, what is the difference?
Thanks.
5
votes
1answer
133 views
Can a cathedral be referred to as a 寺?
I was listening to a song Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame in Japanese (the intro, The Bells of Notre Dame or ノートルダムの鐘), and I noticed that they referred to the cathedral as a 「てら」. I thought that was ...
1
vote
2answers
146 views
Defining a particular 系
http://mainichi.jp/life/kimochi/archive/news/2012/20120205ddn013070029000c.html
The article above, about how a girl wants to be loved, is entitled
愛され系
I am wondering which definition of 系 ...
3
votes
1answer
96 views
Term for health retreat accommodation
I've been trying to google some Japanese pages for health retreats. I've tried a few different combinations, but all I seem to get are yoga class studios or beauty salons. What term best describes the ...
2
votes
1answer
241 views
Is it cool to use かっこいい in this way?
The other day I was playing sports, and I yelled at a guy for what I thought was a cheap play. However, later, after the game ended and I had chilled out, I realized that I had over reacted. It's ...
6
votes
1answer
457 views
How can I differentiate between “risk” and “danger” in Japanese?
I wanted to know how to say "risk" in Japanese, so I looked it up, and found that most dictionaries translate "risk" as 「[危険]{きけん}」. To me, [危険]{きけん} means "danger", which is different.
Though, to ...
4
votes
2answers
153 views
Expressing neighborhood in Japanese
Something I have often stumbled on is the expression of "neighborhood" in Japanese.
For most uses I find that 近所 works well.
However, this usually seems to refer to a closer proximity than one would ...
3
votes
2answers
382 views
How do I convey “As you all know”?
Having been trying to write a "sakubun", I must say that I had some trouble to find a reliable translation for the phrase "as you all know" such as:
As you all know, the education system in our ...
1
vote
3answers
101 views
「鉄道関係{てつどうかんけい}の言葉{ことば}を書きなさい」- “Write words about railroads?” [closed]
This question appears on my homework above an empty box instead of lines as with previous questions. Am I being asked to "write words about railroads?" I came into this class about a week late, and am ...
2
votes
1answer
509 views
How do you say “[amount of time] later”?
What is the general rule for saying, for example, "2 hours later"?
1
vote
1answer
220 views
What does this Japanese text say? [closed]
Could somebody tell me what the Japanese text in the screengrab below says? Unfortunately, I only have a picture, not the text itself, and have insufficient knowledge of Japanese to accurately ...
12
votes
3answers
393 views
What's bugging the Japanese language?
In my JLPT workbook, it has a section which gives a list of idioms that use [虫]{むし}.
仕事{しごと}の虫 (worker bee)
点取{てんとり}虫 (derogatory term for a student who tries too hard)
虫がいい (selfish)
...
4
votes
2answers
232 views
What does カイデー mean?
I saw this in a tweet just a few minutes ago.
アメリカ…俺よりカイデーな選手がゴロゴロ(ﾟoﾟ;;
This could be talking about the world cup.
I can't find カイデー defined anywhere. What does it mean? What does that tweet say?
2
votes
1answer
376 views
Japanese translation for “bakka!” (Not Baka)
I'm in the midst of creating a show flyer for an upcoming event and one of the artists uses the name "Bakka!" (without quotes)
I'm aware that the real word for this is Baka, so I'm curious as to how ...
4
votes
2answers
991 views
What does ~頂ければと思います mean? Why does such a construction happen?
I've heard phrases sometimes like:
チェックいただければと思います。chekku itadakereba to
omoimasu
"If you check this ... I think."?
Why is that ~と思います at then end of the phrase?
3
votes
2answers
151 views
What's the best translation of アタリ in the context of drawing?
I'm reading through a book on how to draw in a classic Japanese manga style. Specifically, the book is about the basics of デッサン, "sketching".
They use the term アタリ a lot. For example, this typical ...
3
votes
1answer
130 views
How are で and ばかりused in this expression?
来年は是非明るい年でありますように願うばかりです I hope that the next year will be great for you
Why is で used in 年であります? Is であります an older form of です? Also, what would the ばかり translate to here? I thought maybe it ...
3
votes
1answer
254 views
What does 叱ってやりたい mean in this context?
On twitter I saw this:
なのに風呂掃除したら100円もらってたおれ…叱ってやりたい！笑
What does it mean?
This is the previous tweet:
最近だなー。食ったらすぐ食器洗うのが習慣になったの。実家に居た頃は全部母親がやってたから甘えちゃってた。仕事もしてて家事も完璧にやってた母親、今更ながら尊敬します。
-5
votes
1answer
239 views
What does 染めちゃえ mean here?
Saw this on twitter:
A: マオにゃん、シドギャの彼女が出来ない僕に一言くれたら幸いです ...
B: 付き合った後に染めちゃえ
What is 染めちゃえ here?
2
votes
1answer
173 views
What does 週一 mean?
Trying to understand this tweet:
日曜日は掃除の日。新しく買った掃除機が良すぎる！忙しいと週一とかになりがちな掃除機がけも、これでマメにやれそう♪( ´▽｀)ルンバと迷ったけどこっちにしてよかった！やっぱり掃除は自分でしたいしね。
I understood everything up to 週一. What does that sentence say?
4
votes
5answers
435 views
「安い」って英語からきた表現？
皆さんこんにちは、
日本語で質問を聞かせていただきますので、ご協力ください。
回答やコメントなどは、日本語か英語、どちらの言語でも喜んで読みます。
では。
此間友達と喋っていて好みの話をしていた時一人が「ホラー映画やB級映画が大好き」と言うやいなや「あなた安いな〜」ともう一人が反応しました。
...
1
vote
0answers
214 views
Looking for the original japanese of this haiku [closed]
I'm sure this is a translation of a haiku but I'm not able to find the original text or even the author.
As the sun
goes down the birds
land one by one.
I've been trying to Google it ...
3
votes
2answers
222 views
How and when to use 「そうですね」？
I only know the 2 meanings of it as follow:
Use when thinking - no meaning
Use to agree with others - the meaning is like "yes, I think so"
What else and what situation can it be used?
If someone ...
4
votes
1answer
361 views
Difference between 自分 and 自分自身 and how to reflect their difference in English
Consider:
自分について書きたいことがあります。 = There are times that I want to write about myself (lit: things concerning me)
自分自身について書きたいことがあります。
What is their difference?
I think the second sentence ...
7
votes
1answer
307 views
What is this crazy guy shouting?
Note: I understand the risk that this question might be considered "too localized". However, my hope in asking isn't just to translate this one instance, but to use it as an exploration of how and why ...
5
votes
1answer
292 views
What does お土産持しててね mean?
I got a message from a friend, about to go on a trip, and it ended with: お土産持しててね
I think it's basically "[I'll] bring a souvenir/gift/omiyage [for you]" but I'm not familiar with the 持してて part, I've ...
11
votes
6answers
795 views
What are other language equivalents to Japanese particles?
When a person is learning は and が in terms of particles, what are the best way to relate them to English equivalents?
The closest I can come to explaining them to others is "the" and "a" but I'm not ...
11
votes
3answers
894 views
What does よろしくおねがいします mean when departing?
When on business in Japan last year, a Japanese colleague said よろしくおねがいします to me as the group were leaving after dinner.
I'm aware of its usage in initial greetings, as is usually taught in ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
Translation of 竜すらも恐るるに足らない
The full text is...
この魔剣があれば… メルヴィンの言うとおり 竜すらも恐るるに足らない…
Is this a double negative? "Even dragons to be not afraid is not enough" = "Even dragons are [will be] afraid".
4
votes
2answers
298 views
How do you indicate a literal translation
I know that when I read sites like Wikipedia and there are foreign words they will often give the name with the original alphabet and spelling as well as a phonetic and a literal translation. So for ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views
How does this で work?
日本女性で電車の中で化粧をする人を見ると恥ずかしいくて嫌な気持ちになる。
In my understanding, the で following 日本女性 could correspond here to the english "of," or "speaking of."
Thus one interpretation of this sentence (though in ...
2
votes
1answer
98 views
How do I interpret 理不尽 in this situation?
I was talking with my colleagues about work and my friend described the following situation:
The boss asked my friend to make a report for a meeting that they had at the end of the day. He worked ...
3
votes
1answer
134 views
Is “bless” the best translation of 祝福{しゅくふく}?
As far as I understand it, 祝福{しゅくふく} means "bless". I came across it in this sentence, and it struck me as weird:
だれもが彼の成功をうらやむと同時に、心から祝福した。
My rough translation is, "At the same time that ...
