2
votes
0answers
31 views
Slang metaphorical animal names for describing people
Does Japanese slang use animal names to describe people's personalities in the same way English does? If so, what are some common ones?
For example, in English, men can often be called "dogs" or ...
2
votes
1answer
23 views
What does 彼のままだった means?
In the following phrase:「時{とき}が過{す}ぎても彼{かれ}のままだった。」what does the「彼{かれ}のままだった」part mean?
My guess is that I can translate this phrase into something like "He's the same" or "he didn't change", but I'm ...
1
vote
1answer
114 views
Meaning of 'だろうと'
What is the meaning of 「だろうと」 in the following sentence, and how can we translate last part of sentence(bold one).
今や人型の死とした存在は、無感動な声で終わりの拳を握り締めた。彼の攻撃を防げる者など存在せず、しかも何発だろうと発射可能。
Thank you very ...
4
votes
1answer
72 views
How to appropriately display the day of the month by itself? Is 日 required, optional, or undesirable?
I know that an acceptable way to display (this is in a computer program) a full year/month/day date is like so:
2013年5月19日
What If I wanted to display the day only? Does the following look ...
3
votes
1answer
140 views
Legal characters for first names include: hiragana, katakana, jinmeiyo and joyo kanji. What about latin letters?
Is it legal for parents to give to their child a first name with latin letters (romaji, I guess), instead of using katakana, hiragana, or kanji?
For example, if Japanese parents want to give their ...
11
votes
3answers
240 views
Addressing a friend's parents when meeting them for the first time
I have met the parents of a close Japanese friend two times in my life and have never been sure how I should address them. Both times I've asked the friend beforehand but never got a satisfactory ...
4
votes
1answer
224 views
particle で versus particle と
I have found this sentence:
"Kazoku de dekakeru".
Why is the particle で used instead of と?
2
votes
2answers
89 views
Question about 仕事 vs. 仕事場
While studying Japanese through Rosetta Stone, I've run across these two sentences:
私は仕事に行きます。
私は仕事場にいます。
I'm confused as to why the first sentence doesn't use "仕事場" since the person is going to ...
4
votes
1answer
59 views
Is ネコでも分かる・サルでも分かる idiomatic?
I heard the expression ネコでも分かる... mentioned in a TV drama as title for a (fictional) book, in the sense of "...for dummies". A quick search on Amazon brings up a few (real) titles ネコでも分かる... or ...
6
votes
4answers
304 views
What's the most appropriate negative potential form for this situation?
This morning my co-worker asked me if I wanted some coffee. I said, "No thanks, I can't drink coffee because it upsets my stomach." I was thinking of how I'd say this in Japanese, but I'm not sure ...
0
votes
1answer
122 views
“Sore ni taru” and “rasen ga gotoku” [closed]
What does "Sore ni taru 'kekka' nano desu" mean?
It takes place here in Fairy Tail manga => http://online.mangaraw.net/Weekly-Shonen-Magazine-Vol-04-05-231-7911.html
And also, "samazamana omoi to ...
4
votes
1answer
84 views
逃げる vs 逃れる What's the nuance?
This is the question I was trying to ask when I made this question, but I guess I can't type or read or think.
I'm looking for the difference between 逃げる and 逃れる. I'm assuming it's something like ...
2
votes
0answers
86 views
What is this colloquial / dialect form? 〜たるけんね
I'm still playing Final Fantasy VI, and I came across this bit of dialogue:
マリアの頭にオモリ
落としたるけんね。
I understand it up to 落とし. Orthros is going to drop the weight on her head! I can't make ...
2
votes
2answers
388 views
+50
How to playfully scold someone?
I haven't heard from a good friend for a while, I would like to reproach him playfully, but have no clue what the appropriate thing to say would be.
Would 恥を知れ! be appropriate if said in a funny ...
2
votes
1answer
57 views
逃げる vs 逃す What's the nuance?
It's pretty straightforward, I'm wondering what the nuance between 逃げる and 逃す is?
I'm assuming it's something like the difference between "run away" and "escape", but which one is which?
0
votes
1answer
85 views
「可能な額を払う」= Pay what you can?
In ALC, I found the following example sentence:
支払可能な額を払う
pay what you can
It's the first time I see the word 額【ひたい】 used in this way and I wonder if this is just a case of mistranslation ...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
What is the ちょ in こなしてちょ?
I'm playing a video game (Final Fantasy VI), in which a character is reading her lines and stage directions for a play. The stage directions contain the following sentence:
この芝居を間奏の間にこなしてちょ。
...
1
vote
0answers
72 views
Habitual aspect
My (poor) understanding of things is that there are two ways to get habitual semantics in Japanese:
use the dictionary form of the verb:
毎日、映画{えいが}を見に行く "I go to the movies every day."
use the ...
6
votes
2answers
197 views
Do we use odd day pronunciations outside of calendar ranges?
After reading @jkerian's comment in this post, I started thinking about this. Here's the comment in full:
On a side note, all days ending in '4' are also irregular, and use ~よっか. So the 14th is ...
-2
votes
0answers
56 views
How do you say “my pride will not let me fail” in japanese? [closed]
Hiragana or katakana, as long as it has the correct grammar.
2
votes
0answers
55 views
Translation of “for whom” or “to whom”
How would you translate the following sentences?
1/ Check the identity of any other person for whom you may have requested an extra card.
2/ She is the person to whom I sent the documents.
I always ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Questions on a usage of じゃない
I found this usage of じゃない. Perhaps the translation is too loose in meaning.
A: Is your girlfriend cute?
B: Why wouldn't she be?
A: 君の彼女、かわいい？
B: かわいいに決まってるじゃない。
Does ...
6
votes
1answer
126 views
Is ending question sentences with の really feminine?
In What differences should I look out for between male vs female speech?, a lot of answers explicitly mention that ending question sentences with の is feminine.
However, this makes very little sense ...
5
votes
2answers
129 views
How is the Kanji of 口実 related to the meaning?
口実
noun:
excuse; pretext
Literally translated it seems to mean mouth-truth.
Most excuses seem to avoid the truth, so what is the logic here?
1
vote
2answers
87 views
What's the meaning of しない as in …するしない？
My textbook contains the following sentence
参加するしないにかかわらず、必ず返事を葉書で出してください。
(Regardless of whether you participate or not, kindly make sure to RSVP by postcard.)
as an example of the expression ...
3
votes
1answer
84 views
Which readings were changed in the 2010 Jouyou kanji reform?
I'm looking for pointers on which readings (on/kun) were changed in the 2010 reform. By that I mean which kanji has additional readings and which kanji has had one or more readings removed? Is there a ...
5
votes
1answer
142 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 ...
11
votes
7answers
528 views
おっす！ An abbreviation for … what exactly?
Going hiking here in Japan, you can hardly pass anyone without either saying お疲れさまです, おはようございます (I go hiking in the morning) or こんにちは.
Some people (young males in particular) greet you with either ...
5
votes
3answers
291 views
AはB emphasizing B, rather than A
There are quite a few comments on another
question discussing the sentence 彼が持っているのは二百円です, in which the emphasis apparently falls on 二百円. I posted a comment asking if this could be explained as the ...
6
votes
1answer
131 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
2answers
241 views
Encountered な with ten-ten
I am currently reading a manga for studying Japanese and encountered something strange. A girl exclaims「な゛?!」
The situation is that she has just had water squirted up her nose, so I am guessing it's ...
2
votes
0answers
147 views
How important is gendered language in reality? [closed]
Many people say that gendered language is especially important in Japanese. To a point, I can understand this, but only to a certain distance. For example, if I (Fe/male) were to say 'Wow, that show ...
17
votes
4answers
1k views
What differences should I look out for between male vs female speech?
I was told a story where a male westerner learnt Japanese from his girlfriend and ended up speaking more like a female. The storyteller thought this was hilarious.
What important differences should I ...
15
votes
1answer
468 views
Can you say “half hour” or must you say “30 minutes”?
I know that to say an hour and a half you can say 一時間半, but is it possible to express simply half an hour even though the counter comes before 半? Or would you just have to say 三十分?
If both ways are ...
3
votes
1answer
147 views
With whom to use different honorific forms? 丁寧語より尊敬語・謙譲語・丁重語
With whom is it considered proper to use 尊敬語・謙譲語・丁重語 instead of 丁寧語?
I mean saying おいでになります・伺います・参ります instead of 行きます.
The often given example is for a service-person speaking with a customer, but ...
5
votes
1answer
278 views
Is it true that only girls use うち to refer to themselves?
Is it true that only girls will use うち to refer to themselves?
So when a guy say うち he is referring to his in-group / company / family, and not referring to himself, right?
6
votes
2answers
191 views
Questions with some usages of で
From my understanding, "で" have many different usages in Japanese. I have some questions regarding the following particular uses of で. It would be very helpful if someone could also come up with other ...
1
vote
1answer
150 views
Use of はじめて and どれだっけ?
I don't really know where to ask for help, usually I got the meaning of a sentence on my own but, well this sentence is giving me a hard time, it seems easy but I can't figure out what's the use of ...
3
votes
2answers
137 views
への対へ/に-Difference between への and へ/に
This is actually following a recently asked question on how to say "for."
I thought that saying あなたに私の愛 sounded perfectly fine - "toward you, my love."
However another user changed it to あなたに対する愛, ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
Question about subject
I cannot understand what is the subject in the following sentences, mainly in the second one 「迂闊に手が出せなくなった・・・・・・」. Is it 「強力な力を持った天魔には」 ? Something like 強力な力を持った天魔には迂闊に手が出せなくなったのも、当然というものだろう。 ?
...
0
votes
0answers
82 views
5
votes
1answer
216 views
Why is 〜に受かる used to mean “to pass”?
I'm having trouble understanding why 〜に受かる means "to pass". What would the equivalent logic in English be for this phrase? (Something like the intransitive form of receive?)
Also, why is the particle ...
4
votes
3answers
273 views
Why use あんなに instead of こんなに when expressing one's memories?
My textbook contains the following dialog where 鈴木さん interviews her 課長 about what he did last evening:
鈴木「焼き鳥屋ですか。その店、いかがでしたか。」
課長「安くて、おいしかったよ。あんなにおいしい焼き鳥を食べたのは初めてだなあ。」
鈴木「そんなにおいしかったんですか。」
...
6
votes
1answer
162 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
70 views
What verb is in 覚えてみたい?
I found this YouTube comment:
きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅとっても可愛い〜(*ﾉ∀ﾉ)ダンスとか覚えてみたいと思いまーすww
I'm not sure how to parse 覚えてみたい. The context seems to make it have nothing to do with 覚る, and in any case the え 送り仮名 ...
3
votes
3answers
363 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
91 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 ...
0
votes
1answer
109 views
Typing Japanese text from images or clothing
Is there a way of typing Japanese characters when you have no knowledge of the language? I've cut and pasted from Japanese websites before and used translation websites from English to Japanese with ...
2
votes
1answer
93 views
How to say “for”
I will use a specific example.
I was trying to write "My love for you is hurting me."
"私の愛ために貴方は私を傷つけている。" Is what I came up with, however, I am unsure about the usage of "ために" in this situation.
...
7
votes
3answers
332 views
Why is the meaning of人一倍 opposite of what it seems to say?
This could be just me, but at first glance the word (phrase?) 人一倍 looks like it would mean "one's own share of the work". I assumed 人 to mean one person, and 一倍 means "one share, one amount". I was a ...
