Questions asking for words or phrases to be translated.
2
votes
1answer
204 views
“How did you know?” and “how do you know?” in Japanese
As explained in this question on the English site, there is a distinction in English between saying "How did you know?" and "How do you know?"
When someone makes an assertion, the distinction ...
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 ...
2
votes
2answers
143 views
What did 才六 and similar terms about Kansai residents mean?
While looking up the denonym for a Kansai resident (I've since found out it's 関西人{かんさいじん}), jisho.org described 才六, 贅六, 上方才六, 賽六 and 采六, with pronunciations (not necessarily in that order) of ぜいろく, ...
2
votes
1answer
139 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
467 views
How do you say “[amount of time] later”?
What is the general rule for saying, for example, "2 hours later"?
2
votes
1answer
146 views
What's does 仮歌 mean here?
I'm having trouble understanding this rock star's tweet:
たまーに仮歌とか流れてくる笑RT @maoloveai: @mao_sid シド率はどのくらいですか(^0^)？
What is 仮歌？
What does that tweet say?
2
votes
3answers
425 views
How to translate “edge” into Japanese
I've seen several translations of the following song lyrics from Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory" online, and none of them look quite right.
I'm on the edge, the edge,
the edge, the edge,
the edge, the ...
2
votes
2answers
170 views
How would you translate: 毎日は楽しくなりました。
毎日は楽しくなりました。
Would you translate this: Every day was fun.
or
Every day became fun.
I know that なる can be used to say that A becomes B. But in this example what is the nuance of the meaning of なる？
...
2
votes
2answers
122 views
Talking about what other people think
As far as I know when we talking about other people thoughts in japanese we have to use something like よう、と思う etc. But I've got a problem in the following sentence, I cannot understand と考え here about ...
2
votes
1answer
98 views
what does “媒介にして” mean ?
when i was reading Rosario+vampire s2 manga i read this sentence
''血液を媒介にしてのみ真祖は継承されるの”
血液＝blood
媒介＝Intermediary
のみ＝Only
真祖＝term in the manga indicates vampires ancestors
継承＝Inheritance
then ...
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
304 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 ...
2
votes
2answers
209 views
What does 二周目 mean?
I find this all over the net, but can't find it defined anywhere.
I'm trying to understand this tweet:
じゃあ二周目は是非モノマネで♪( ´▽｀)RT @mimiroll_410: @mao_sid ...
2
votes
1answer
65 views
How to correctly understand a sentence that has に in it.
A few minutes ago after the World Cup ended, Shinji, guitarist of SID, tweeted this:
胸が熱くなりました…(^-^)/日本に勇気と希望をありがとう！
I'm having trouble understanding 日本に勇気と希望をありがとう！
Does it mean, "Thank you for ...
2
votes
1answer
162 views
What does たいがい mean here?
Another rock star tweet that I don't understand. Here the word たいがい confuses me.
いや、しん様には負けます( ；´Д｀)RT @shinji_sid: いやいやあなたもたいがい…RT @mao_sid: しん様(((o(ﾟ▽ﾟ)o)))今日もイケメンでした(((o(ﾟ▽ﾟ)o)))RT @shinji_sid: ...
2
votes
1answer
390 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
232 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 ...
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".
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。
2
votes
1answer
136 views
Meaning of 'だろうと'
What is the meaning of 「だろうと」 in the following sentence, and how can we translate last part of sentence(bold one).
今や人型の死とした存在は、無感動な声で終わりの拳を握り締めた。彼の攻撃を防げる者など存在せず、しかも何発だろうと発射可能。
Thank you very ...
2
votes
1answer
114 views
What does “僕が来る前からこーだったんですが?” mean?
Well, the title says it.
The sentence is from a manga, where a boy lives together with her very lazy aunt, so the boy has to take care of laundry, cleaning dishes, cooking etc. while she's drinking ...
2
votes
1answer
202 views
Interpretation of a sentence by Mishima
In Yukio Mishima's "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion," (三島由紀夫によって書かれた「金閣寺」) one of the characters, Kashiwagi, writes a sentence over a poster:
未知の人生とは我慢がならぬ。
Here is the passage:
...
2
votes
2answers
119 views
Can I use ほど in a comparative context, similarly to how I'd use the English word 'like?' (And if not…what can I use?)
Background: A few months back, I started making the transition from studying sentence constructions to studying grammar. While I try to avoid generating 'Japanese translations of my English ideas,' I ...
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 ...
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
97 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
148 views
Question about を
In the following sentences is it correct to put を(second one) here ? Maybe it should be に ? And if its correct, how can we translate this part ? 「それをクラスメイト*を*見られて以降」
中学の夏休みだったーー。 ...
2
votes
3answers
265 views
How do I say “before” or “used to” in Japanese?
朝に作文を買ったの時、質問になります。
How can I say something like:
I didn't used to like this band.
*Before, I didn't like this band.*
2
votes
1answer
352 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 ...
2
votes
0answers
59 views
Translation of “for whom” or “to whom”
How would you translate the following sentences?
1/ Check the identity of any other person for whom you may have requested an extra card.
2/ She is the person to whom I sent the documents.
I always ...
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
168 views
Name/Title at the end of a sentence. Vocative case?
Consider these stanzas taken from the opening song of Aria the Animation: Undine.
Translations taken from this site
Background information:
An Undine as a mythical concept is a female water ...
1
vote
4answers
284 views
What are some sentences that exhibit わがまま
わがままはもう言わない gets translated as "won't say anything selfish anymore." However, this doesn't really make sense. If I google "say anything selfish," what I find are sites that have translated わがままはもう言わない ...
1
vote
1answer
240 views
Can うちは means the same as うちに ?
Tell me please in the sentence below, can うちは means the same as うちに? Or it's just うち like "we" ?
Thank you very much for help!
1
vote
2answers
229 views
“eat, sleep, drift” translation
A friend has asked me to design a T-shirt for him, and he wants it to read: eat, sleep, drift (as in car drifting)
So far I have this: 食べる 睡眠 漂. I'm not sure if it's right as I am an English speaker ...
1
vote
3answers
177 views
Translation of 出証意 and 長官殿
These are from a patent related document and I can't understand very well.
They are used like these：
1) 特許庁長官殿
2) 出証意2012
Can anyone help me?
1
vote
1answer
113 views
What is あーんしちゃろうか？
At the bottom of this picture it says あーんしちゃろうか？
http://ameblo.jp/maofish/entry-10957305590.html
1
vote
2answers
78 views
Translation for 食べ物を腐らせずに保存する
Saw this in my textbook. The translation is "to preserve food from decay". I get it, but I am not clear about the ず after 腐らせる. Where is it coming from?
1
vote
2answers
129 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
67 views
How should I intepret より in this sentence
きのうは きょうより ひとが すくないです。
Is it saying:
X number of people yesterday < Y number of people today?
or
X number of people yesterday > Y number of people today?
I'm getting the ...
1
vote
1answer
189 views
A tough translation
I've found this sentence in one of my history books and i can't really make heads or tails of it....what does it mean at all?
利休は、茶道の精神は、簡素な中に深く豊かなものをみつけ、それをもっとも美しいと感じると考え、その精神を和敬静寂という葉で表した
what ...
1
vote
2answers
145 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 ...
1
vote
3answers
100 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
44 views
What does「散々人を待たせておいて最初の一言がそれか」mean?
I am unsure how to translate the following phrase:
[散々]{さんざん}人{ひと}を待{ま}たせておいて最初{さいしょ}の一言{ひとこと}がそれか
My guess as to how this phrase translates is:
Is that the first thing people say to those ...
1
vote
1answer
184 views
What does “一味一禪” mean?
I have found a small Shodo fragment stating "一味一禪" - which is not the classical "Zen and Tea are of one taste" (禅茶一味).
What is this supposed to mean? Is it correct Japanese (I suppose it is, coming ...
1
vote
1answer
52 views
help checking a sentence
[...]その天の命により、陛下がこのたび皇帝として即位し、天下を平和にし、文明を一層促進するための治世を開かれました。
My rough interpretation:
"by virtue of the Mandate of Heaven, Your Majesty now sits on the throne as an emperor, keeps all the world in ...
1
vote
1answer
129 views
～なければならない and ～によって auxiliary meanings
I am having trouble with the bold part of this sentence from wikipedia:
バブル経済（バブルけいざい、economic
...
1
vote
3answers
122 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 ...
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?
1
vote
1answer
168 views
What is 漕ぎに来てくれるフラグ in English?
これは漕ぎに来てくれるフラグ?
I read that on twitter. This is the tweet, if it helps to make sense of it.
自信…なくないです( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ笑RT @yamadamic: あらマオにゃん!これは漕ぎに来てくれるフラグ?（笑） RT @mao_sid: 出勤時に聴いてましたよ（＾∇＾）RT ...
