The differences between two or more words or phrases and how to select the best one for a given situation.
8
votes
2answers
200 views
what's the difference between 余地 and よゆう?
I have been informed that よゆう is to do with temporal or physical room, while 余地 has to do with emotional room, but I might have misunderstood the explanation.
12
votes
1answer
199 views
Why did の disappear from 山手, but in 御茶ノ水 it's in katakana?
I realize that very likely the answer to this question is likely to be something along the lines of "that's just the way it is", but I thought it worth asking to see if there were some insights that ...
7
votes
2answers
141 views
What's the difference between じき and すぐ?
すぐ, and especially 今すぐ, is my habitual way to express "soon", or "right after this".
I know that じき means more or less the same thing, and when I hear it or see it written, I get the general meaning ...
10
votes
3answers
701 views
When women use わ at the end of a sentence, is it different from よ?
My understanding of using わ at the end of a sentence is that it's essentially just for emphasis, just like using よ, and that only women can use it.
However, as far as I know, women can, and often do, ...
5
votes
2answers
466 views
Wait… えらい means also means “terrible”?
For over a decade of speaking (poorly) and listening to Japanese, it seems to me that I have almost exclusively heard the word えらい in the sense of meaning "admirable".
For example, I'd mention ...
3
votes
0answers
285 views
私 (watashi) vs 僕 (boku) [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
Is it ok for non-japanese to refer to themselves as 僕（ぼく） and if not why?
How should I select what first-person pronoun to use?
How commonly are "あたし" (atashi) ...
6
votes
2answers
404 views
What is the difference between そうか and そっか?
Is そっか just more slangy? Is そうか the same as saying ああそう? Or, is this more a spoken thing? If so, what is used when writing?
8
votes
1answer
181 views
Is 音沙汰 not used anymore because communication technology has changed?
My understanding of the word 音沙汰【おとさた】(news, letter) is that in terms of usage, it functions the same way that 連絡【れんらく】(contact, communication) does. It refers to modes of communication between ...
5
votes
2answers
176 views
12
votes
1answer
348 views
Understanding all the words but not the meaning: What does this ad say?
This is a frequent problem that I think many Japanese learners experience. You look at some Japanese sentences, and you understand the words, and most, if not all, the grammar, and yet still, it just ...
6
votes
2answers
311 views
Using 伯母 / 叔母 to refer to one's aunt
Is it true that when we see 伯母 it usually (90%) means "parent's elder sister" and sometimes (10%) can be used to refer to the parent's younger sister?
On the contrary, when we see 叔母 does it always ...
10
votes
3answers
646 views
ことにする vs. ことに決める
My Japanese text book says that a present-tense verb followed by ことにする is used to indicate making a decision about the action. But I've also noticed the verb 決める, and that it's usage is very similar.
...
7
votes
2answers
567 views
何歳 , いくつ ,年齢 , ご年
何歳ですか？
いくつですか？
年齢は？
お年は？
I think all are question sentences of "How old are you?" which are they differ?what are most poilte form??
11
votes
3answers
310 views
What is the difference between 残念ながら and 残念なことに
I hear both 残念ながら and 残念なことに when expressing that something was unfortunate before the actual sentence, much like the English "Unfortunately, ...".
However, I'm not sure on where these two phrases ...
5
votes
1answer
121 views
もっとも: distinguishing between 尤も and 最も
I found a page in Japanese with title "世界でもっとも汚染された10の都市". Having encountered the phrase 「もっとも」 for the first time, I looked it up on WWWJDIC and found two entries:
尤も 【もっとも】 (adj-na,adv,conj,n) ...
6
votes
2answers
129 views
言ったりしたら versus 言ったら
I came across the phrase 言ったりしたら【いったりしたら】 in one of the Tintin books I'm reading. It means something like "if I say [it]".
What I can't figure out is how it's different from simply saying 言ったら.
Here ...
19
votes
2answers
811 views
What's the difference between なぜ、どうして and なんで when meaning 'why'?
I've been meaning to ask this for a while.
What is the difference between these 3 words. I was taught they all mean "why", but obviously, being different words they convey different nuance and would ...
7
votes
1answer
173 views
Does it make sense to say [v]ませんでしたら instead of [v]なかったら?
I'm wondering whether it makes sense to say [v]ませんでしたら instead of [v]なかったら.
When I googled for that conjugation there were very few results, but since there were results, I wonder if people actually ...
12
votes
2answers
182 views
How does adding 手 to the beginning of an adjective change its meaning?
There are several adjectives that are formed by attaching 「手」 to more common adjectives:
手厳しい
手堅い
手早い
手広い
手短い
But most of the time this does not seem to change the meaning of the adjective very ...
4
votes
1answer
95 views
前 or 後 when placing an event in temporal reference to “now”
Consider this phrase:
今は(event)二十分前です。
Deconstruction of the above phrase yields:
Now is twenty minutes before (event).
(Q1) Can I reconstruct the statement using 後 in this manner?:
...
7
votes
2answers
258 views
What is the difference between 様子、状況、状態、and 事情
I'm unsure of the difference between these four words. They all seem to indicate some type of "condition" or "circumstances".
(1) Are they interchangeable?
(2) What are some example sentences which ...
10
votes
1answer
306 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
203 views
なった versus なってきた
My friend recently said to me:
眠くなってきた 【ねむくなってきた】
Which, I think means "I became sleepy".
But it seems to me that it is the same as saying:
眠くなった
How does the addition of きた change this ...
10
votes
3answers
495 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
190 views
Plain verbs vs [conjunctive form 連用形]+をする (e.g. 間違える vs 間違えをする)
(Question 1)
Are there any differences in nuance and usage of conjunctive form of verb (連用形) + をする compared to the plain form of those verbs whose conjunctive forms can be used as nouns?
For ...
26
votes
4answers
2k views
Is じゃないです equally correct as じゃありません?
Text books normally teach that the negative of です is じゃありません.
However it seems very common to hear native Japanese use じゃないです.
Is this slang or somehow less correct than じゃありません?
Would it be marked ...
16
votes
1answer
846 views
Must do : ～なければならない vs ～なくてはいけない
What are the differences when using ～なければならない and ～なくてはいけない, or their colloquial contracted forms ～なきゃ and ～なくちゃ when saying "must do"?
For example, what is the difference in the nuance and usage of ...
9
votes
1answer
219 views
Why did オレンジ replace 橙【だいだい】?
This question about colours got me thinking:
Why, and how, did オレンジ come to replace 橙【だいだい】 to refer to the colour orange?
It seems weird to me that a 外来語【がいらいご】(word taken from a foreign language) ...
14
votes
2answers
238 views
Why do 適当 and いい加減 refer to both considerate and inconsiderate things?
I understand that 適当【てきとう】 can mean both "appropriate" and "whatever/vague". How do you know 適当な人を教えてください means "please inform me of the appropriate person" as opposed to "please tell me about ...
9
votes
2answers
456 views
What are slang terms for Japanese money?
This question about alternate terms for coins focused on the use of ワンコイン, but it got me thinking about slang terms for money in general.
In all the years I've been in Japan, I don't think I've ...
8
votes
2answers
136 views
Which is better for a sales budget: 予算, 推計, or something I haven't even thought of yet?
I'm writing a short (3-5 page) business plan in Japanese.
I'd like to include an "estimate" of the sales for the next 3 years.
The question: what would you choose for the graph titled:
2012 ...
8
votes
2answers
170 views
When are ふう and よう interchangeable?
Lately ふう has been on my mind. Often it seems interchangeable with よう:
これを｛こんなふう／このよう｝にしてください。 Please make it like this.
あれを｛どういうふう／どのよう｝に解釈しますか。 In what way do you interpret that?
...
5
votes
3answers
154 views
What would be the best way to express the term 'master', as in a master of some sport?
For example, 'a tennis master'?
5
votes
2answers
152 views
I've seen 達人and 名人used to indicate master or expert. What's the difference?
I'm not familiar with either word, but just looking at the characters, 達人 would seem to indicate 'accomplished' (ie an accomplished pianist). While 名人 seems more like 'renowned'. Is that a valid ...
14
votes
4answers
1k views
Contrasting っぽい、らしい、みたい
For example, the following 3:
女っぽい (おんなっぽい)
女らしい (おんならしい)
女みたい (おんなみたい)
In what situations would you use っぽい over らしい？ Does っぽい have negative connotations? Are 女らしい and 女みたい interchangeable as in ...
10
votes
2answers
317 views
Does the letter “C” attract any superstition?
I've heard that the number four attracts superstition because of its similarity with the word for death. For example, yon is used instead of shi in some circumstances, and sometimes the number 4, ...
6
votes
3answers
156 views
Does the use of は or omitting は affect the listener's reply?
This is a question taken from a JLPT excercise workbook.
Person A: 新聞をよく読みますか。
Person B: そうですね。毎日は[Fill in this blank]。
I am given 4 choices, of which only 2 are conjugated correctly.
...
14
votes
7answers
1k views
Does the Japanese language only have negative terms for flirting?
I am looking for terms in the Japanese language which can describe the act of flirting in a positive light. This probably requires inventing terms to close a lexical gap, because as far as I know, all ...
6
votes
2answers
241 views
How would one convey the concept of “vouching” in Japanese?
Update: There seems to be some controversy here as to whether or not there really is a difference between vouching and guaranteeing, which impacts how it is translated. Please see the discussion I ...
5
votes
2answers
204 views
What is the difference between 照{て}れる and 照{て}れてる?
According to my dictionary, both 照{て}れる and 照{て}れてる mean to be shy, or be awkward.
I don't think one is a different verb form of the other. The て+いる form of 照れる would be 照れている, not 照れてる.
So I think ...
11
votes
2answers
167 views
What are the origins of ド when used as emphasis, and is it always negative?
Sometimes I've seen ド as a prefix that adds emphasis to words. So saying someone is ドバカ is saying that they are much more stupid than just バカ.
I'm wondering what the origin of ド in this context is. ...
9
votes
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 ...
13
votes
3answers
296 views
Love in the air: 愛ｘ恋 {あい vs こい}
From WWWJDIC:
愛 【あい】 (n,n-suf) (See 愛する) love; affection;
恋 【こい】 (n) love; tender passion;
My understanding on affection, love and tender passion is like the following:
affection < ...
11
votes
4answers
445 views
に vs で again: 前に vs 後で
Following the current trend of pitting the particles に and で against each other, here is another question that does the same but from another type of usage and perspective.
When we want to say "do X ...
6
votes
2answers
164 views
Anti-causal/Non-causal relationship
How do I form a sentence of these patterns "X does not arise from Y", "X not due to Y", "X not because of Y", "There are other reasons for X". Since obviously I cannot simply slap ない onto から or ので to ...
9
votes
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 ...
12
votes
4answers
667 views
Is there an equivalent to George Carlin's “Seven Dirty Words” in Japanese?
Warning: This question contains words in both Japanese and English that some might not want to read.
Also: My apologies that this question is lengthy. However, I wanted to take care to express it ...
12
votes
1answer
400 views
Honorific prefix 「ご」 vs 「お」
Some nouns take the 「ご」 prefix:
ご両親 {りょうしん}
ご家族 {かぞく}
ご無事 {ぶじ}
ご安心 {あんしん}
ご丁寧 {ていねい}
While many others take the 「お」 prefix:
お母さん
お仕事 {しごと}
お月 {つき}
お内 {うち}
お客 {きゃく}
In ...
37
votes
8answers
1k views
What is the こと in sentences such as あなたのことが好きだ?
There were a lot of great answers here. I gave the checkmark to ento's answer because I felt it most completely explained all aspects of this use of こと. But many of the other answers are excellent, so ...
12
votes
1answer
515 views
けど at the end of the sentence?
According to dictionaries, 「けど」 means ‘but’, ‘although’, ‘however’.
However, it seems to have slightly another meaning at the end of the sentence. For example, here are few example sentences with ...
