Any question that does not deal specifically with grammar or pronunciation. Includes questions about prefixes, suffixes, compound words, loanwords, dialectal differences, pragmatic usage, etc. In other words, phenomena that occurs at the level of the word.
4
votes
1answer
262 views
“Your sniffling is driving me crazy!”
There are people in Japan who seem to think nothing of sniffling their nose indefinitely as they sit in a coffee shop, in an office, on a train, or anywhere with other people around. Sometimes ...
4
votes
1answer
109 views
Can もはや also mean “or rather” or “actually”?
I heard this sentence pattern watching an anime
(where A and B have similar meanings, but B is much stronger):
．．．．[description A] いや、もはや [description B]と言っていい。
I looked up もはや expecting a ...
9
votes
3answers
305 views
How can you figure out whether 鍵【かぎ】 means “lock” or “key”?
Recently, I forgot whether 鍵【かぎ】 meant lock or key, so I looked it up quickly on my phone's dictionary... And then I found out that it actually means both.
What are the best ways to figure out if ...
6
votes
1answer
470 views
How is the “のです” working here?
目立つ事を恐れ、一緒でなければいけないという日本人が確実に減ってきているのです。
The strong feelings that Japanese have of being afraid of standing out and everybody having to do things together are starting to become less ...
-3
votes
1answer
167 views
What is the difference between 希望（きぼう）and 気持ち（きもち）？
I am new to learning the Japanese language. I am a bit confused about the difference between 希望{きぼう} and 気持{きも}ち.
Can someone please explain the difference between them and show how to use them in a ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
What would be a proper definition and adequate natural translation for the term 替え歌王?
My friend wrote this sentence about these videos:
"これは日本の替え歌王だよ。"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtjxrf2Vg7g&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEeELyiLDKg
I'm not ...
4
votes
1answer
120 views
Difference between 妬【ねた】ましい and 羨【うらや】ましい
Considering "How to define 羨ましい?", it does not seem that 羨【うらや】ましい conveys a strong intensity of jealousy.
How does 妬【ねた】ましい compare to 羨【うらや】ましい then?
Does 妬【ねた】ましい convey a stronger sense of ...
8
votes
2answers
216 views
“Grammatically-correct” particle-less phrases/sayings
I know that within an informal/familiar setting, people often leave out particles. Whether or not this is grammatically correct I'm not positive, but for the sake of this question, I'll say that it's ...
6
votes
1answer
141 views
What is the best word to use to mean “to take long-term a break (i.e. from school)”?
Just to add some context to this question: I graduated with a B.A. last June, and am currently taking a two-year break from education to work off some of the inordinate amount of debt I accumulated in ...
10
votes
2answers
212 views
“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?
...
6
votes
3answers
309 views
Evil twins and other tropes
I was trying to talk about films and (marvel) comics the other day, and stumbled upon "evil twin". Sure, I can translate it verbatim, but that usually works badly for such fixed expressions.
And then ...
5
votes
1answer
241 views
Understanding “よりを戻す” and “止めておこう”
I don't think us getting together tonight is such a good idea.
やっぱり今夜、よりを戻すのは止めておこう。
I would like to understand this sentence better, specifically the (idiomatic?) expression, "よりを戻す." I ...
6
votes
1answer
892 views
How do I spell “So! So! So! So! So!”?
I've heard people say "So! So! So! So! So!" (or possibly "Sou! Sou! Sou!" or maybe using "z" instead of "s" - I'm bad at hearing) when laughing in agreement.
When middle-aged women speak Japanese ...
6
votes
3answers
239 views
Does 前提に mean “to require”?
I recently came across the expression 前提に:
feature1はfeature2と同じく各コンテンツに分類用の識別子を埋め込む機能ですが、統制を重視したユースケースを前提に設計されているため柔軟さに欠けます。
'feature1, just like feature2, is a way to embed classification into ...
12
votes
3answers
396 views
In modern usage how do Japanese natives regard the differences between 外人, 外国人 and 外人さん?
As a near native speaker of Japanese, I find it annoying to be called 外人 since it seems to imply that I "know nothing about Japan" (outsider). I much prefer 外国人.
In modern usage, how do native ...
3
votes
1answer
150 views
Is メリー mainly used in the set phrase メリークリスマス?
Is the gairaigo メリー mainly used in the set phrase メリークリスマス (Merry Christmas!) or can it be used without the クリスマス to mean "merry", such as 私はメリーです to say "I am feeling merry"?
There's also メリーゴーランド ...
5
votes
1answer
204 views
Meaning of -化 in context
I don't understand what the -化 suffix in the following sentence means for a word like カリスマ, or why fearing it can lead to early retirement. Can anyone shine some light?
...
5
votes
1answer
145 views
しゅうと／シュート - The great equalizer
I was watching the movie Mr. Baseball the other day. Several times during the movie they talk about しゅうと which they describe as "the great equalizer". (Could possibly be しゅうとう, but their dialog does ...
8
votes
2answers
148 views
“乗せる” vs “乗っける”
Good afternoon all,
I was wondering when someone gives someone a ride (bicycle, car, etc), what's the difference in nuance between using the verb "乗せる" and the verb "乗っける"?
For example, I was ...
10
votes
4answers
446 views
What's the difference between いいえ and English's “no”?
In "Japanese for Busy People I" page 2 (kana or romaji edition) it says that いいえ is 'virtually the same as "no"'.
It sounds like there are some differences, but they want to omit mentioning them for ...
5
votes
2answers
282 views
Art: What is オブジェ and what is not?
Here is how Wiktionary defines オブジェ in the context of art:
表現の対象となるもの、前衛美術では，幻想的効果のために取り入れられる物体。
My very hesitant attempt at a translation:
It depends on the represented target, but in ...
3
votes
1answer
202 views
Meaning of 真逆, how it is different from 逆
[真]{ま}[逆]{ぎゃく} (not [真]{ま}[逆]{さか}, which is an interjection standardly used) is another 若者言葉, or an expression that is used mainly by young generation (with low education level) that makes me feel ...
5
votes
2answers
185 views
What is the difference between いろいろ and もろもろ
Both mean 'various, all sorts of', but is there some subtle difference or not?
9
votes
1answer
233 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:
...
4
votes
2answers
212 views
The different types of pain and injuries
I'm lacking a range of vocabulary that allows me to express different kinds of pain. And since I'm on this theme I might as well included injuries in this question. It seems that everything can be ...
4
votes
2answers
141 views
入社 equivalent for a research internship
When writing in some formal Japanese CV (学歴/職歴), it is common to be asked to put each job/university/etc. on a single dated line, with a second line to indicate when one ...
3
votes
1answer
139 views
Buddhist facilities
I am working on Japanese texts describing Buddhist temples in South-East Asia and there is quite a number of words I can't really translate in English. Here is a list with my tentative translations (I ...
7
votes
1answer
192 views
動作 as opposed to 作用
The linguistics text I’m reading has a sentence with this fragment: 「動詞の表す動作・作用が[…]」。 Consulting dictionaries just made me more confused; what’s the contrast between the two in this context? “Action” ...
5
votes
2answers
347 views
“Dyke” and “Femme”
Warning! This question contains at least one, possibly, derogatory word. I appologise if readers are offended.
A friend of mine asked me to translate a passage from a poem in British English into ...
3
votes
2answers
136 views
What is the first meaning of たたき台?
たたき台 means a springboard for discussion.
According to my dictionary, this word's first meaning is "chopping block".
On Google Images, it does not look like the plastic/wood board I use to cut ...
6
votes
2answers
195 views
Questions about ありたい
心がいつも美しくありたいです
I want my heart to always be beautiful.
心がいつも美しくして欲しいです (Incorrect)
心がいつも美しくなりたいです
I want my heart to always be beautiful.(?)
My Japanese friend wrote the ...
1
vote
1answer
132 views
How is “rack” (as in billiards or pool) expressed?
In pool/billiards, "to rack" means to set up the game by placing the balls into the triangle frame. What is the corresponding (technical) term in Japanese if any?
I came up (via circumlocution) ...
6
votes
4answers
335 views
word search: voluntary pause between desire and action
Some years ago, I read that Japanese has a word (or idiomatic expression) that means roughly:
The action of voluntary interposing a pause between the
moment you desire something and the moment you ...
9
votes
2answers
240 views
Terms for Japanese/Western name order
Does anybody know of a standard term to describe Japanese and Western name orders (for example, when filling a form):
John Somelastname ← "Western name order"
Somelastname John ← "Japanese ...
4
votes
1answer
118 views
How can I express “and/or”?
When stating two things e.g. A and B , and not counting the possibility of "neither", there exists A, B and A and B. To express all of them at once, "and/or" is commonly used. What are the ways to ...
3
votes
1answer
114 views
What's the difference between 両方 and 双方?
What's the difference between 両方 and 双方? I am definitely more acquainted with 両方, so I guess it is used for a wider variety of things, but could anyone tell me the specifics of what they can or cannot ...
4
votes
3answers
218 views
What role does よかった play in this exchange?
It's from twitter.
hetusa: 福岡県筑後、羽犬塚から行方不明になっていた叔母(73才)が発見された、と知らせがありました。
itoi_shigesato: よかった。
hetusa: ありがとうございました
My feeling is that it says something like 'just so'.
Also, it common to respond ...
6
votes
1answer
151 views
苦手 in describing dislike of people
率直に言って彼女が苦手なのは、彼女はまず最初に他人の助けを求めるからです。
Frankly speaking, I dislike her, because the first thing she does is to ask other people for help.
I would like to better understand the quality of ...
3
votes
2answers
199 views
Slang definitions of ハゲ
私に命令するな。何様だこのハゲ。
Don't tell me what to do! Who the fuck does this idiot think he is?
Besides meaning bald, or a bald/balding person, when cursing, does ハゲ also just become a generic curse ...
3
votes
1answer
211 views
Appropriateness of the word 膣外射精 in average adult conversations?
In discussing the marriage of Jin Akanishi and Meisa Kuroki, and why many young celebrities in Japan seem to fall into shotgun marriages, I wanted to use an equivalent for the term "withdrawal ...
7
votes
2answers
128 views
Dismissing an expectation
What can be said when I need to dismiss an expectation?
Here are some examples of what I mean by "expectation":
I ask someone what time it is, then I remembered that I'm actually wearing a watch. ...
5
votes
2answers
137 views
Is その always or only occasionally a demonstrative adjective?
The following Japanese sentence was translated with その as "the":
その 仕事の一部を誰かにやってもらったほうがいい。
You should get someone else to do some of the work for you.
while I translated it with その as "that":
...
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 ...
7
votes
1answer
153 views
The difference between 皮膚【ひふ】 and 皮【かわ】
What's the difference? I got told that 皮膚【ひふ】 only works for mammals (and humans), and 皮【かわ】 for other animals too.
10
votes
1answer
166 views
Fun with synonyms - “flattery"
What are the difference in the following words meaning flattery / to flatter:
お世{せ}辞{じ}
追{つい}従{しょう}
おべっか
胡{ご}麻{ま}をする
阿{おもね}る
諂{へつら}う
煽{おだ}て（る）
美{び}辞{じ}麗{れい}句{く}
Which ones are honest, sincere ...
5
votes
2answers
164 views
Fun with synonyms - “freeze”
I'm a little confused on the difference between 凍る 【こおる】 and 凍える 【こごえる】.
From what I've researched, it seems like 凍る focuses more on the physical process of something freezing, and the result being ...
7
votes
1answer
151 views
Difference between 創立、設立、樹立
Can anyone explain the difference between these words? They all basically mean "to set up / to found", and from what I've researched, it's all very 微妙 to me.
5
votes
1answer
90 views
Help with an expression that uses お笑い vocabulary
突っ込みどころ満載
I just have to butt in here. / I'd love to put my two cents in.
I am having a hard time figuring out this expression. I see it uses vocabulary particular to お笑い, but I would ...
3
votes
3answers
146 views
What are the particular words for the first iteration of things?
Does anyone know the sorts of items for whose first iteration Japanese people have special names? The only example I can remember at the moment is for the first leader or, to be precise, (and reveal ...
6
votes
2answers
184 views
Any books or websites dedicated to Japanese tech/IT language?
I work in IT in Tokyo, so most of what I do doesn't require interaction with our Japanese customers, but every so often we get that one phone call where someone wants something explained, and I can ...
