The differences between two or more words or phrases and how to select the best one for a given situation.
5
votes
1answer
124 views
Terms for Royalty
Why are there so many terms for royalty? And I'm talking about generic words like "king", "queen", etc. I seem to remember from my studies that certain terminology was used specifically for Japanese ...
6
votes
1answer
117 views
What's the difference between 心, 念, and 意?
I can say that after much research on this, I'm more thoroughly confused than before I started. I'm talking mostly about when they are used as suffixes, but the concept applies when they stand alone, ...
6
votes
1answer
157 views
“Reason”: [事由]{じゆう} vs. [理由]{りゆう}
What's the difference between 事由 "jiyuu" and 理由 "riyuu"? Both are translated to mean "reason", as in why something happened.
I even noticed in Tae Kim's Grammar Guide that both words are listed, and ...
3
votes
3answers
358 views
How to say “you may not [verb] here”?
たとえば、おすしを食べてもいいですか？ is for "May I eat sushi?". However I know that ちょっと、食べなくてもいいです。Is not the right phrase because that means: "Well, you don't have to eat (that)." So what is the response for ...
2
votes
1answer
87 views
“Cleaning”: [掃除]{そうじ} vs. [清掃]{せいそう}
Mostly I've seen 掃除 "souji" for "cleaning". Here recently I noticed an anime had a floor-sign for "closed for cleaning" using 清掃 "seisou". What's the difference?
Looking at the kanji didn't help ...
4
votes
2answers
129 views
The differences between 速さ, 早さ, and 速度
I was emailing a friend and used the phrase "タイピングすることの早さ" which I discovered was very incorrect. I did some searching on Google and here is what I discovered:
タイピングの速度 <-rare
タイピング速度 ...
7
votes
1answer
123 views
What's the difference between ぜひ and きっと when inviting someone to do something?
You can say for example
ぜひパーティーにいらしてね
そのうちまた是非お出かけください
「今晩お伺いしてもいいですか」「ぜひどうぞ」
and
きっと来てくださいね
きっと訪ねて来てください
I would translate both ぜひ and きっと in these sentences with "by all means", but I'm ...
13
votes
6answers
866 views
Can somebody explain the various words and combinations thereof used for thanking?
To my knowledge there are three words which can be used in thanking and they seem to be usable together in some combinations:
どうも (domo)
どうもありがとう (domo arigato)
ありがとう (arigato)
ありがとうございます (arigato ...
5
votes
2answers
100 views
what's the difference between 領域 、範囲 and 分野?
Could anyone explain to me the difference between these 3 words, especially between 範囲 and 領域 ？
For example, I have these 練習問題:
a.分野 b.領域 c.範囲
① 試験の……… は、17課までです。
② 外の大学との交流が進んで研究の……… が広がった。
③ ...
4
votes
1answer
173 views
What is the difference between 出す and 始める when used as a suffix?
Judging from examples I've seen, these are some differences I think there are:
始める:
1: More formal than 出す
2: When the focus in more on the beginning of the verb than the verb itself
3: When the ...
1
vote
1answer
97 views
Can't parse sentence with 「へったくれもない」
In my JLPT textbook, they have this sentence:
自分{じぶん}のない者{もの}に表現{ひょうげん}もへったくれもない。
The book provides a translation, which is this:
You can't talk about expression if you have none (of your ...
7
votes
3answers
292 views
what does どことなくつかみどころがなくmean?
I came across this phrase in the sentence:
勘【かん】というものは、しょちゅう経験【けいけん】していながら、どことなくつかみどころがなく、いまの科学【かがく】ではまだその正体【しょうたい】が、明らか【あきらか】にされていない。(Soumatome N1 dokkai, p45)
My best effort to translate it ...
7
votes
3answers
613 views
What's the difference between がんばれ and 頑張って 【がんばって】?
This one stumped my Japanese friend that I was having dinner with earlier tonight. We were talking about the fact that tomorrow is Monday and I had a tough work week ahead. She said ガンバレ, I paused, ...
6
votes
1answer
145 views
Translating volitive expressions in ads into English
I saw this on an advertisement outside the construction site of a company that makes wooden houses:
木{き}の家{いえ}と、暮{く}らそう。
I'm trying to think of a way to translate it other than:
Live with a wooden ...
1
vote
2answers
162 views
What's the difference between 〜に対しての and 〜に対する?
The question understanding 対する details [noun]に対する[noun], but what is the difference between [noun]に対しての[noun] and [noun]に対する[noun]?
Space ALC has a fair number of examples for both に対する and に対しての ...
3
votes
2answers
180 views
Slip of the mouth instead of a slip of the tongue?
This sentence is in my JLPT textbook:
つい舌{した}がすべってしまい、うそがばれてしまった。
I thought that it meant something like, "with an unintentional slip of the tongue, my lie was exposed." However, the sentence is ...
8
votes
2answers
673 views
When to use ～ので vs ～から
I was looking in A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar when I saw something on page 329 which truly shocked me:
"node cannot be used and kara must be used [... when ...] the main clause is a ...
4
votes
0answers
185 views
What's the difference between 欲{ほっ}する and 欲しがる?
Is there one? One of my dictionaries lists them as
欲{ほっ}する → to desire/to want
欲しがる → to desire/to want/to wish for/to covet
Only the latter sounds like it includes more "bad"/selfish ...
6
votes
1answer
275 views
Difference in nuance between 頂ければと思います, 頂けませんか, and 頂きたいんですけども
I've recently started using the expression 頂ければと思います, but I'm not 100% sure about its precise nuance.
Is there any difference in nuance between
頂ければと思います
頂けませんか
頂きたいんですけども?
To my non-native ear, ...
2
votes
2answers
294 views
How can a friendly person be “hard to approach”?
I have this phrase in my JLPT textbook:
私{わたし}の上司{じょうし}は気{き}さくで近寄{ちかよ}りがたい
My translation, which must be incorrect in some way, is, "my superior is hard to approach as he/she is friendly." It ...
3
votes
2answers
173 views
Why choose 念入{ねんい}り over まともに in this question?
My JLPT book has this question:
ドライブの前{まえ}に（a.まともに b.念入{ねんい}りに）車{くるま}の点検{てんけん}をした。
I chose a, thinking that a reasonable translation was, "Before driving, do a proper check of the car."
The ...
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
86 views
「日本語で、送って」What are the contexts of this usage of “send”?
I recently posted on Facebook lyrics to a Simon & Garfunkel song. A friend then posted:
ニック…日本語で、送って
I know 送る means to send, but does she want me to 'send' the lyrics to her in Japanese or ...
2
votes
1answer
117 views
降参する vs 諦める
What's the difference between 降参する and 諦める?
Both seems to have the meaning of "to give up", for example:
ぜったい降参しない。(I will never give up.)
ぜったい諦めない。(I will never give up.)
What's the difference ...
4
votes
1answer
189 views
What's the difference between 招待, 招く and 誘う?
I've stumbled upon these 3 words. I think meaning of 招待 is:
invite (as in a formal invitation)
The other two seem rather confusing to me, though.
4
votes
1answer
164 views
Method for deciding whether to use katakana or kanji version of the word?
I often see words in sentences written in カタカナ or 漢字 that could be swapped for a common word of the other form. I am aware that there are lots of カタカナ words that do have a 漢字 form, but where the 漢字 ...
3
votes
1answer
142 views
How would I respectfully disagree with a peer?
This is probably related to How would I respectfully disagree with a superior? however the context is a tech forum where the thread starter is asking for someone technically advanced to help, and the ...
2
votes
2answers
157 views
What's the difference between 真似る and 真似する？
I'm just wondering if they are the same word or if there is an actual difference (in meaning or nuance). It seems weird to me that there would be two different verbs with the same kanji stem that mean ...
9
votes
2answers
227 views
To uncomment in Japanese?
In the context of computer programming, how to say to uncomment?
For instance, here I uncomment a line:
// Before
// myvar = 3;
// After
myvar = 3;
I would use コメントアウトする, but I also see ...
2
votes
1answer
106 views
Differences between 事実 and 真実
Both 真実 and 事実 means; fact,truth. So in Kanji Lesson I asked my teacher if there is any differences between them, he said yes but there was no time to explain.
3
votes
2answers
338 views
興味が湧く vs 興味が沸く
Which kanji should we use for the phrase 興味がわく (to mean that something has caught our interest)?
Some quick googling shows that both 興味が湧く (~11m hits) and 興味が沸く (~9m hits) are widely used. Is one of ...
2
votes
1answer
143 views
How to say “to ride a bicycle”?
Is it 自転車に乗る or 自転車を走る? I know I've read the latter somewhere before. But I just came across the former today and didn't know if there was a difference.
7
votes
4answers
196 views
{はず, わけ, しょう} がない difference
What is the difference between 「はず」 {hazu} and 「わけ」 {wake}?
a slight expansion of the existing thread but what is the difference or use cases for when to use Hazu ga nai, wake ga nai, shiyou ga nai?
...
11
votes
7answers
2k views
Are there any Japanese words as versatile as “fuck” in English?
I was wondering about this one recently. "Fuck" in English is famous for being applicable in a wide, wide range of circumstances (none of them formal).
What word in Japanese covers a wide spectrum of ...
8
votes
1answer
206 views
Expressing hope: to nozomu and koto wo negau
I have a question about these two verbs for 'hope':
と望む (to nozomu)
ことを願う (koto wo negau)
I also write down two examples, since I have a particular question about their use:
...
0
votes
1answer
193 views
What's the difference between 平和 and 和平?
If you ask someone how to say "peace" the likely answer you'll get is 平和, which is the common option, but occasionally you'll see the word 和平, which has a very similar meaning, and is indeed just a ...
5
votes
1answer
199 views
which instruments use 弾く and which use 引く?
I was wondering how do we identify what instruments may be used with the verb 引く, or 弾く, or both?
If both 引く and 弾く can be used is there any difference in nuance between one vs the other?
8
votes
1answer
150 views
Is it actually impolite to say ご苦労様 to a superior?
Conventional ビジネスマナー tells us that ご苦労様 is used by superiors to subordinates and お疲れ様 used by everyone, and this is backed up all over the internet and stated on some questions here, like this.
But ...
7
votes
2answers
231 views
Why is it (usually) wrong to say 人がある but OK to say ある人？
I fear I may be venturing again into "just because" territory, but this one bugs me.
We all know that you usually use いる (as in not ある) to refer to living things, as in 私は日本にいる（△ある）. Yet it is ...
6
votes
3answers
286 views
How can I say “the leader(s) of the club” in Japanese
I would like to ask which one of the following two words could be used to express the word "leader" when I am talking about someone who is the head of a club or at least the member of its board; for ...
4
votes
1answer
209 views
Different meaning of 何?
While reading some lyrics online, I stumbled upon the following phrase:
これ以上何を失えば 心は許されるの
Which I could myself losely translate as following:
If I lose what more (than I already have), will ...
2
votes
3answers
210 views
Is “anyone” 人はいます or 誰でも?
So I ran across this example sentence: 食べている人はいますか？ And the translation was "Is anyone eating?" However I thought the sentence would be: 誰でもが食べていますか？ Is this correct?
Also is Xはいます = is any X? ...
6
votes
1answer
101 views
What's the difference between 向こう and 向こう側?
My textbook (An Introduction to Modern Japanese) introduced 向こう as meaning "the other side of" and 側{がわ} as meaning "side". On page 76 it states that
側 can be added to some, but not all, of these ...
25
votes
3answers
946 views
Usage of すみません (sumimasen) versus ごめんなさい (gomen'nasai)
There are several situations in which one of these words (phrases?) should be used but there's not usually a 1:1 mapping between any two languages.
Get somebody's permission. English: "excuse me", ...
7
votes
1answer
224 views
When to use 洗濯する and 洗う？
今日ふくを洗う。
今日ふくを洗濯する。
昨日食器を洗った。
昨日食器を洗濯した。
I know that 洗濯する means: washing or laundering (clothes). And 洗う just means washing. When I'm talking about washing in general can I use the two words ...
8
votes
1answer
285 views
How do you normally say calendar and date in Japanese?
If you were to say: I have to buy a new calendar next month. or Look at the calendar and see when X holiday is? or Have you seen the calendar?, would you use カレンダー or 暦{こよみ}? Is there a difference ...
5
votes
2answers
247 views
How to translate “from scratch”
I am having discussions with my Japanese friend about developing a new computer application. I want to suggest to him to not write the code from scratch but to use other libraries as our base. How can ...
12
votes
2answers
281 views
Difference between 〜といい〜といい ＆ 〜といわず〜といわず
Can somebody explain the difference between these two expressions?
I have pasted the definitions and some examples from 日本語表現文型辞典 to help but they seem to come down to the same thing. (When can one ...
5
votes
1answer
121 views
What's the difference between 姿{すがた} and 形{かたち}?
Could someone explain the difference between 姿{すがた} and 形{かたち}?
I've looked up both words, but I'm still not clear on what the distinction is, or how much overlap there is between the two. My mental ...
5
votes
2answers
189 views
What are the differences between「目的」and 「目標」?
Both「目的」and「目標」have a common meaning which is "goal", but what is the difference? When can we use one but not the other?
