How to use certain words, phrases, particles, endings, constructions, and their variants.
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274 views
Do people use まい？
I see the ending まい all over the place in the JLPT books and in example phrases but I can't actually think of an example of somebody saying it or writing in an email (from SMS style messages to work ...
8
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2answers
282 views
What is the difference between 記憶【きおく】 and 思【おも】い出【で】?
Is there any difference between the meanings or connotations of 記憶 and 思い出?
I started thinking about this after listening to the song 「タイムマシーン」 or "Time Machine" by 少女時代, where these two lines occur ...
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3answers
485 views
In what situation can I use ~かい (for interrogative question)?
One day, I asked my japanese friend how I could invite some friends to eat.
He said
"一緒に食べに行くかい？"
I know that we could also say:
行きましょうか（行こうか）？
行きませんか（行かない）？
行きますか（行くの）？
but I got interested ...
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2answers
496 views
way to use さっぱり (sappari) and すっかり (sukkari)
Maybe it's just me, but I keep mixing up
As in
すっかり忘れてた
I've completely forgot
and
さっぱりわからない
I haven't the faintest idea / I really don't know
are there other expressions to use ...
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1answer
305 views
Why censor this one kanji?
I was watching an old Saturday Night Live sketch from the 1970s, called Night of the Moonies, making fun of the Unification Church by putting them in the context of the movie Night of the Living Dead.
...
8
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3answers
240 views
Difference between （遊び）方 and （遊ぶ）方法
I'm struggling to understand the difference between the verb suffix ～方【かた】 and the noun 方法【ほうほう】. As an example, the difference between 遊び方 (which seems to mean something like "manner in which someone ...
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551 views
How do I “understand” kaomoji? (Japanese smilies)
When I see something like this:
ﾍ(´∀｀ﾍ)ﾍ(´∀｀ﾍ)ﾖｲﾖｲ(ﾉ´∀｀)ﾉ(ﾉ´∀｀)ﾉﾖｲﾖｲ♪
I think some voodoo demon wants to say something to me. o_O
My Japanese friends often use kaomoji. But, when they add (´▽｀) ...
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3answers
308 views
What conjugation/form is the ませ (for example: いらっしゃいませ)?
I know it's used for greetings in a restaurant or store. But what type of verb conjugation (ex: polite, plain, honorific, imperative, or something else) is it? Is it used with other verbs? Is it ...
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1answer
147 views
Difference between 向け and 向き
My boss just corrected one of my documents from 企業向きな開発 to 企業向けの開発.
Apart from the の/な problem that I always get wrong, is there a problem with 向き ?
I got it from my textbook that says 子供向きです
Could ...
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1answer
999 views
What are the meanings of ~とも [tomo] and ~かしら [kashira]?
Sometimes I think:
～とも came from ～と思う
～かしら came from ～かしらん（知らない）
It's possible I'm wrong, so I would like to know the real meaning of those suffixes. Also, I'd like to know when I can use them ...
8
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3answers
351 views
In what situations can you use "ぞ” as a sentence ender
When can one use the sentence ender ぞ? I've only ever heard it anime, so I'm unsure of it's actual usage in the real world. Is it not used that often or limited to specific age/gender groups?
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122 views
sometimes だけ gets mildly confusing..
If someone says それだけ、食べないでください, does it mean:
Please don't eat only that [eat other things too!]
or
[You can eat anything you like but] only that, please don't eat it.
What about それだけ、たべてください? ...
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1answer
244 views
What kind of a thing is a “やつ”?
I've been seeing やつ used for "thing" reasonably frequently in Manga/online etc, for example:
ほとんどは本とか食玩とか細かいやつかな。
"It's virtually all stuff like books, those small toys sold with food and small ...
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2answers
358 views
What is the difference between 悪い and だめ?
What is the difference between 悪い and だめ?
They're not really the same, but in English they both can be translated to "bad".
あの人が悪い。In my limited experience, this is bad in the sense of evil.
...
8
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1answer
350 views
Usage and meaning of [passive verb]-てみれば
I am familiar with the set phrase 「言われてみれば」 as a way to say "Now that you say that", but as I examine the phrase further, the phrase structure strikes me as strange. The 〜てみる conjugation is commonly ...
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1answer
547 views
Are there various ways to use ~し?
The many ways to say “and” in Japanese thread showed me that ～し, ～し can be used give reasons for something.
この部屋は綺麗だし広いし間取りもいいから人気がある。This room is clean, wide and also good partition, so most of ...
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1answer
102 views
Does 「鳴く」 give any nuances about the sound being made?
When we say "birds singing", there is a positive connotation.
When we say "birds crowing", there is a negative connotation.
"The birds are making some sound" seems to be objective, and thus neutral.
...
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1answer
230 views
得意とするところ explanation?
As far as I'm aware this expression means "(a persons) strong points', but I'm not sure how とする is being used in this context.
My best guess would be something like "the thing (a person) tries to do ...
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1answer
218 views
Use of を and に with 頼る (to depend on)
Why is the direct object taking を in (1) and に in (2)? What are basic rules that drive these two sentence constructions?
(1) 叔母は父を頼っている
'My aunt is counting on my father's help.'
(2) ...
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1answer
255 views
When to use 他【ほか】の or 他【ほか】に
I always thought only 他の existed, but my teacher uses 他に a lot. Are there differences between when each can be used?
Here are two examples of each from my online dictionary:
だれかほかの人に聞いてごらん (Ask ...
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1answer
202 views
How figurative can 姿 be?
I've always thought of 姿 as a physical form or shape, but I came across this passage from my book:
彼らの話から浮かびあがってきたのは、・・・・・{この人}の姿だった。
(I took just took out some descriptions of the woman they're ...
8
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1answer
317 views
How did the verb 掛ける come to have many meanings?
I think that this verb is the only one I've seen in Japanese that has so many definitions. とる and つく have multiple definitions as well (quite a bit IIRC). But not as much as 掛ける. In any case, I am ...
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3answers
807 views
When to use 早速ですが
I usually hear 早速ですが used as a phrase in the office. After looking on examples in the net, it somehow mean "Well then" in English. Is the phrase just the same as "じゃ" or "では"?
For example:
...
7
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2answers
275 views
Difference between 行ったから and 行ってから and 行くから
What is the difference in usage between 行ったから and 行ってから and 行くから?
Is there a sense of sequence implied in one and not the other?
In the following examples where would i be buying the book and where ...
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1answer
296 views
Why is there a 分 in 自分?
I didn't find anywhere why is the minute's kanji there in 自分? Is it because a meaning of 分 is "part". Please clarify.
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277 views
what's the difference between ところで and ちなみに ?
what's the difference between ところで and ちなみに ?
Are they always/often/seldom interchangeable?
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1answer
119 views
Difference between various “calculation” words (演算, 算出, and 計算)
Is there a difference in usage between these words?
演算 (えんざん)
算出 (さんしゅつ)
計算 (けいさん)
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3answers
411 views
How rude is it to say 寝ぼけてるんじゃねぇよ！
I've heard this used (also as 寝ぼけんじゃねぇよ！) in informal situations with nothing but smiles all around. But when I tried to use it in an informal situation with a colleague, I got the distinct feeling ...
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2answers
185 views
What is the meaning of 〜たりして?
I've just come across "〜していたりして" at the end of a sentence in a post on Facebook, so it's probably very casual. Does anyone know the correct meaning and typical usage?
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198 views
Is「ふむふむ」still used nowadays?
I learned from a Japanese friend that ふむふむ could be translated like "oh, I got it", "I see", "I know", or "ok". It could be also in this form: ふむふむ なるほど
But, my sister lived in Japan for 5 years, and ...
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533 views
低い鼻 vs 短い鼻 and 高い鼻 vs 長い鼻 ?
After reading this thread: When would you use 低い vs 短い, I'd just thought of something.
I once heard that a long nose (witch / Pinocchio) is called 高い鼻 and not 長い鼻 whereas the opposite (short nose) is ...
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1answer
185 views
Is “かいしゅん” a valid reading for 買春?
I have seen the words 売春 and 買春 pronounced "ばいしゅん". From my understanding 売春 is taken from the perspective of the "seller" whereas 買春 is taken from the perspective of the "buyer". However, when I ...
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1answer
525 views
What does ただいま actually mean?
I was wondering what the literal translation really means. I've seen it translated as I'm home but I've also seen it in a few situations where the person wasn't arriving home.
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3answers
226 views
When should 男の人/女の人 be used instead of 男/女?
My teacher always corrects me when I use 男 or 女 by themselves, without adding の人 to the end of it. But in various Japanese media (music, drama, anime, etc.), I know for sure that I have heard them ...
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1answer
108 views
What's the difference between まだ and いまだ（に）?
My intuition wants to believe that いまだに is more formal, but all the examples I've seen do not indicate that. Are they freely interchangeable? Can't say I've ever heard いまだに in spoken context (or ...
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1answer
157 views
When and how to use 来る 【きたる】
Of course 来る is most often read as くる. However, it can also be read as きたる. Is きたる mostly an archaic reading? Does it carry a different, or any additional meanings?? When are "appropriate" ...
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4answers
266 views
The difference between 超{こ}える, 越{こ}える and 過{す}ぎる
超{こ}える, 越{こ}える and 過{す}ぎる are said to mean "to pass through" in the "edict" dictionary, but I don't fully understand the difference between the three.
How does their usage differ please? Can anyone ...
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124 views
When do you use -san about a company?
I assume you don't -san about the company or organization that employs you, on the grounds it'd be akin to using it about your own family members.
But when is it usually used? Is it merely when ...
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1answer
160 views
Can 一杯 be used to express the fullness of things without physical volumes?
According to an answer to this question, the word [一杯]{いっぱい} can be used to expess fullness; especially in relation to the capacity of whatever is containing the quantity. This, however, tends to ...
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2answers
212 views
What does それに伴い at the start of a sentence mean?
I have a sentence that starts with それに伴い which I'm trying to translate. I'm assuming that it's a more polite version of それに伴って. My best guess for the meaning would be "With regard to (a previous ...
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1answer
340 views
What is the difference between 見える／聞こえる and 見られる／聞ける?
In Japanese, there is a potential form to express that it's possible for something to be done.
My own examples of potential form:
辛【から】い食【た】べ物【もの】が食【た】べられる。 (I can eat spicy foods.)
...
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1answer
175 views
Is there any difference between 意外に and 意外と?
I hear 意外に and 意外と used frequently to mean "moreso than I thought." They seem to be interchangeable. Example:
意外と簡単でした = Easier than I thought
Are they both grammatically correct? Is there a ...
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1answer
183 views
島人{とうじん} vs 島民{とうみん}
I was looking for a word to say islander, i.e. someone that lives/was born in an island.
I've come across 島人 and 島民 and asked two native speakers about their user meaning. While they both agreed that ...
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1answer
332 views
Verb volitional form (動詞の意志形) - usage
I have a couple of questions about the volitional form of verbs that I've become unclear on lately. Here is a Bible passage containing the grammar in question:
(Note that I'm using a Bible passage ...
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1answer
118 views
Usage and nuance of あまりに vs あまりにも
WWWJDIC lists both あまりに and あまりにも to mean "too much; excessively; too" but are they exactly the same in term of usage and nuance?
あまりに 《余りに》 (adv) (uk) too much; excessively; too
Ex: ...
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3answers
342 views
一応: Usage and meaning
I've never really fully grasped the meaning of [一]{いち}[応]{おう} since it seems to have no good English equivalent. What is the meaning, usage, and nuances of 一応?
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2answers
440 views
what is the past tense of お腹が空いた?
if お腹が空いた means "I'm hungry",
then what would be the past tense of お腹が空いた since (i think) it's already in the past tense?
6
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2answers
204 views
Difference between verb types (verbal nouns, transitive & intransitive: eg 開始, 始める and 始まる)
All three of these words mean "to start", but what's the difference between them and where are they used?
6
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2answers
200 views
How is 「なう」most commonly appended to verbs?
I read the other two questions on なう on this site, and I want to know what the most common way to add なう after a verb is.
I've seen なう most frequently with nouns. This is supported by ...
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3answers
413 views
Does the (USA) English metaphor “Unable to see the forest for the trees” keep its meaning if translated verbatim into Japanese?
The phrase "Unable to see the forest for the trees" implies one is too entangled in a situation to understand what is transpiring from a larger context, and thus, unable to determine the correct ...
