How to use certain words, phrases, particles, endings, constructions, and their variants.
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“看護師” vs. “看護士”
Good afternoon all,
I was wondering is it true that
"看護師" is a gender-neutral way of referring to a "nurse",
Whereas "看護婦" implies that it is a girl,
And "看護士" implies that it is a guy?
...
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3answers
493 views
When describing time span, are 間 {あいだ} and 内 {うち} interchangeable?
Both 間 {あいだ} and 内 {うち} can be used to describe time span relative to specific situations, similar to "while" in English. But are they interchangeable all the time? Are there any scenarios where one ...
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3answers
266 views
What do I do when I encounter “Written Japanese”?
I have read in grammar dictionaries some words/phrases that are labelled as "Written Japanese" and should not be used in normal speech.
Let's take for example the sentence-ending こと indicating a ...
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2answers
641 views
What is the difference between なぜなら、だから、and なので？
I'm trying to get clarification on how to use these three pieces of grammar and whether or not they all hold some kind of "Because" meaning.
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3answers
304 views
What is the *proper* differentiation between 来る and 行く?
In many beginning Japanese classes, 来る【くる】 and 行く【いく】 are presented as "to come" and "to go," respectively. Dictionaries generally also define them this way. However, every once in a while in more ...
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3answers
927 views
Usage of ～じゃん (～じゃない)
I'd like to know if I can put ～じゃん at the end of every adjective, if there are any exceptions to that usage, and if it's different from ～じゃない.
Adj (na) + じゃん
便利じゃん
便利だったじゃん
便利じゃないじゃん
...
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1answer
151 views
Is 花見 “cherry blossom” viewing only?
Hi all I was wondering is there such a thing that 花見/お花見 must be specifically referring to "cherry blossom" viewing.
Or is it true that 花見 is "flower viewing" in general ?
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what is the difference in the usage of [成]{な}るべく and できるだけ?
Hi guys what is the difference in the usage of 成るべく and できるだけ?
Don't they both mean as [x] as possible?
E.g.:
1) できるだけ多くの本を読みなさい vs なるべく多くの本を読みなさい
2) できるだけ早くお願いします vs なるべく早くお願いします
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Why is 間{かん} used to denote some amounts of time but not others?
I've been thinking about how to express a duration of time and how in the past I have added 間{かん} in situations where I found that I shouldn't have.
Take the following sentences as examples.
○： ...
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Ending a sentence with さ
When is it appropriate to put さ at the end of a sentence? Do women say this also? I think I remember seeing a female character say it in an anime.
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276 views
Why is it that ～かねる can refer to oneself, yet ～かねない must refer to another person?
When I tried to use ～かねない to express my own feeling about a situation, I was told by a native that it sounds incorrect and strange. However, ～かねる is appropriate and fine. For example, this is the ...
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2answers
193 views
Is a computer displaying “インストールしています” correct? Weird?
I just noticed that Windows is using "…をインストールしています" while installing something. The use of "〜います" by a computer strikes me as slightly weird, like too literal a translation leading to overdone ...
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1answer
170 views
Using くれる for doing something bad
Today I heard the phrase なんてことしてくれた, as in:
君！なんてことしてくれたんだ！
which I learned means "Look what you've done". I thought くれる was only used when someone does something nice for you. Is this just a ...
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1answer
305 views
歩く {aruku} vs 歩む {ayumu}
I always know that 歩く is the verb to use when talking about walking. But I'm aware the kanji 歩 has another verb 歩む. In WWWJDIC, the example sentence given is:
ビルはあの会社の社長になるまで成功への道を歩み続けた。 Bill ...
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1answer
298 views
“slightly/somewhat” の「～め」 【～目】: Usage and limitations
I'm somewhat confused about the usage and limitations of the ～め suffix that means "somewhat/slightly". I've only ever heard it on a handful of words:
大きめ
小さ目
多め
少な目
早め
and maybe a few others that ...
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1answer
163 views
How are the giongo/gitaigo double form and tto form related (きらきら vs. きらっと)
With many 擬音語 (ぎおんご, onomatopoeia) and 擬態語 (ぎたいご, mimetic words) there is a double form, where the word is repeated, and a form with っと at the end. For example:
きらきら -> きらっと (sparkling)
ぴかぴか -> ...
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1answer
213 views
What is the subject when time passes in a narrative (eg １ヶ月を経る）
(This might be a quick easy question but sometimes the answers to these are unexpected.)
What is the subject in the following sentences？ I've given my best efforts for the examples 1-4 below. (I am ...
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1answer
419 views
あまり meaning “too much”
When using あまり in the sense of "too much" (as opposed to "not very"), until recently I had always seen it as あまりにもA, with A being the thing that there was too much of. I never really tried to relate ...
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5answers
522 views
Can 何で mean “how”?
Looking at this, it seems that when the word 何 is used with the で particle, it roughly translates into "by means of what" or "in what context." Personally, that sounds like asking "how". Is this ...
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6answers
303 views
Greeting a person over the internet
So I was wondering, how do japanese people greet each other when they are, for example, writing on a blog or recording a video? My doubt comes from the fact that their greetings will be directed ...
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4answers
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How can I say “some X ” in Japanese?
I was thinking, and I can't express the word "some" in Japanese.
Examples:
There were some fruits on the table. (I would say "テーブルの上に果物があった）
Maybe 少しあった - but then I would translate as "there ...
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3answers
310 views
How do you say “You have gotten better at X”?
I was just reminded on another site that "being good at something" is expressed as [上手]{じょうず}/[上手]{うま}い, not いい. How do you tell someone they "have gotten better at something"? Xさん, 料理することがもっと上手いですね。 ...
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244 views
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435 views
Why does 「やきもち」 mean to be jealous?
I've heard this word used quite a few times now, and I'm tired of pretending to understand it. Why does 「やきもち」 refer to being jealous? Is this a slang word? How do people use this word?
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3answers
253 views
Difference between ゆくすえ, しょうらい and みらい
I've been looking around and I got that the three words can mean "future". Is there a way to differentiate them? Can they be used the same way?
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2answers
312 views
do people actually respect the nuances of 探す vs 捜す?
Part 1
I understand 探す to be to search for something (general)
and 捜す to be to search for something lost
But do people actually care about the difference in nuance when they use it?
I mean do ...
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3answers
545 views
What exactly is the difference between <verb>-てしまう and <verb>- [切]{き}る?
I've read that both the ～てしまう and ～きる (18th meaning of 切る at http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/wwwjdic.cgi?1MUE%E5%88%87%E3%82%8B) forms are used to signify something has been ...
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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 ...
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2answers
313 views
います and あります usage
I just learned about: います and あります.
I know I should use います for people and moving things and あります for plants and inanimate things.
I have two doubts:
Which one should I use with "dead body". For ...
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3answers
268 views
What is the difference between ～すぎ and ～すぎる?
When I was playing a video game a few months ago, I noticed that some of the characters (mostly young teen females, in case it matters) kept saying ～すぎ instead of ～すぎる.
For example, when one of the ...
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3answers
169 views
Are the usage of 上 and 下 as labels only limited to items that come in pairs of two?
I have some untranslated mangas that come in pairs of two, and each of them is labeled with 上 or 下 to denote which is the first volume and which is the second. I'm wondering if these labels are only ...
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2answers
5k views
When is it appropriate to use お疲れ様 (otsukaresama)?
I know the general meaning of using お疲れ様です／でした to express gratitude for some work, but I'm a bit fuzzy about appropriate times to use it.
I know it is a common saying when leaving for the day, and ...
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2answers
804 views
differences of kuremasu, moraimasu and itadakimasu
I have been taught that they are used when receiving something (or a favor) from someone. But how exactly do they differ? I've searched the web for an answer and.. One site suggests that kuremasu is ...
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2answers
460 views
What is the meaning of ～んです?
This sentence ending has started to creep up more and more in my current Japanese classes, and I'm still a bit unsure what all it can mean, how to use it, or even when I should think to use it. My ...
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3answers
371 views
is it offensive to say あなた?
My teacher says that we should avoid あなた, like わたし, which could be taken off. Following this, I try to refer to the second person by the name: 加藤さんの趣味は何ですか. But there are situations where we forget ...
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1answer
206 views
What exactly is this ※ symbol, and what does it mean/how is it used?
I keep running into this symbol: ※
What is it, exactly? How is it used?
According to this Wikipedia link on Japanese typographic symbols, this ※ is called 米{こめ} or 米印{こめじるし}. It is used in notes as ...
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2answers
233 views
What are some well known exceptions for 居る (いる) and 有る (ある)?
Today I heard 人形がいる, so I googled around because I thought 居る was only for living things, but I found many examples of this usage. Many for 人形がある as well.
Are there other exceptions for いる／ある？
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How does one use the “[V ます stem] に [Vタ]” pattern (as in 待ちに待った)?
Every now and then I hear 待ちに待った, as in:
待ちに待ったライブ a long-awaited concert
I started wondering if this pattern can apply to other verbs, and it certainly seems to, if Google is any indication. I ...
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221 views
Why do some Japanese men use お袋 to address their mothers?
I often hear Japanese males use the word お袋 in place of お母さん when annoyed or irritated. Is this word slang? How did this word come to mean 「お母さん」 and what are the circumstances it is used in?
I am ...
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1answer
231 views
What is the meaning/usage of いざ?
Will someone please explain what this word いざ means? I've found several definitions, but I'm very unclear on what it really means and its usage. I've heard it mostly in the following ways:
...
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1answer
450 views
Difference between 「 ただ」, 「たった」, 「ただ ～だけ」, and 「ただし」
I translate these words as either "only, just, simply".
I'd like to know how I could differentiate these 4 ways (i.e., when I use that one, and when I use the other).
Examples:
たったひとつの恋 ...
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1answer
270 views
Qualitative intensifiers e.g. とても, とっても, 超, etc. How are they different?
How are とても/とっても, でかい/でっかい, 超 (and others that I have yet to encounter) used differently? I figured that for とても/とっても-type difference is that the double-consonant(geminated) version is stronger i.e. a ...
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2answers
247 views
Confusion about “Seemingly not ～”
So there are several ways to express something is "seemingly not ～":
1) ～なさそう
2) ～そうにない
3) ～そうもない
4) ～そうにもない (is this one even real?)
I was always taught ～なさそう in ...
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321 views
お金と「ちょうど」の使い方 (usage of “chōdo”)
What is the reason/meaning for cashiers to use ちょうど when accepting money?
500円ちょうどいただきます。
This I understand, since 500 Yen are a "round" amount. "Exactly 500 Yen."
812円ちょうどいただきます。
If I'm ...
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2answers
156 views
How to use イコール to compare things? How is it different from 同じ?
I've heard sometimes that イコール is used sometimes to imply that things are similar. What would be a correct expression to use イコール? Furthermore, how is it different from using 同じ to say that things are ...
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1answer
268 views
When to use 頂戴します instead of いただきます?
In rather formal situations, when would you use 頂戴します ?
I use いただきます all the time to express the fact of receiving something, but I just heard a colleague using 頂戴します over the phone.
If I understand ...
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0answers
226 views
Thoughts about event frequencies and “often enough”
I'm having trouble expressing the concept of "not often enough". The most basic way to say "often" is よく, but I think there's a problem in putting qualifiers on this word. For instance, expressing ...
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3answers
195 views
correctness of い adjective + です
Generally, in all Japanese language classes, the rule you're taught is that です does not follow い adjectives. Instead, い adjectives can act like stative verbs, and as such terminate a sentence by ...
