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0 votes
1 answer
181 views

How do you map Korean Hanja sounds to Japanese Kanji sounds?

I think they’re related somehow.
0 votes
1 answer
130 views

Chess terms in Japanese [closed]

I'm working on an open-source accessibility extension for the chess website (lichess.org) - I tried to translate it to Japanese, can you take a look if I mistranslated something? takes (captures): とる ...
17 votes
3 answers
7k views

How do ことになる and ようになる differ? (When ことになる cannot = "It has been decided that")

I understand that ことになる has the meaning "It has been decided that" and can be used to point to a ritual or habit of a society like taking off your shoes. However, I don't get what it means ...
2 votes
2 answers
550 views

Can ゐ/ヰ be combined with ゃゅょ/ャュョ?

I'm writing a program which replaces kana characters with romaji, so that りょかん becomes ryokan etc. I thus need to handle cases where ゃゅょ (or ャュョ) combine with the preceding character. My ...
4 votes
1 answer
369 views

Is this character speaking gibberish?

I'm playing a Japanese game and attempting to translate for myself what the characters are saying. I've run into one very odd character who I can't understand at all - I'm not sure if what they're ...
3 votes
1 answer
178 views

What does the wrestler's explanation mean in this paragraph?

I am trying to translate this news story from a sports paper. The context is Sumo. It's an interview with wrestler Mitakeumi, in preparation for the tournament which is about to start next week. As ...
2 votes
1 answer
127 views

Is つつ for formal or literary use only -- or not?

I've found multiple sources instructing to use the つつ particle after the -masu stem of a verb only in formal or literary contexts. However, I sometimes find what appear to me to be contradictory ...
0 votes
2 answers
176 views

is it grammatically correct to write ニ as ンイ

I was looking at the list of kana, and I realized something. Say, you wanted to write the syllable “ni”, you would write “ニ”, right? Is it possible to write “n” syllables using “ン” and vowels? For ...
10 votes
2 answers
1k views

In this dialogue, why is は used in the question, but が in the answer?

田中さんは今日来ますか。 はい、来ますよ。あ、田中さんが 来ました。   Does Tanaka san come today? Yes, he does. Oh, Tanaka san came. I don't understand the use of が in the second sentence.
1 vote
1 answer
190 views

Use of chance (チャンス)

Was wondering if it is natural to use 「チャンス」in Japanese sentences. For example, 「本を読むチャンスになって」 It feels somewhat natural, as I likely heard it in a manga, but wanted to see if it was okay to use it in ...
2 votes
3 answers
314 views

Is it not needed to use an adjective in the ta-form when paired with 時 as a temporal adverbial clause?

According to Essential Japanese Grammar by Masahiro Tanimori and Eriko Sato (page 352), we can pair adjectives in the ta-form with 時 to form a temporal adverbial clause. Strangely, the book doesn't ...
3 votes
2 answers
373 views

What's the difference between 済ませる【すませる】 and 終える【おえる】?

What's the difference between 済ませる【すませる】 and 終える【おえる】? I've tried looking at jisho.org, goo.ne.jp, ALC, HiNative and here, but I'm still unsure about the difference between these two words. I think it ...
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Function of the sentence final particle こと in this sentence

I am wondering what is the correct way to interpret the こと in this sentence: どこかへお花見に行きませんこと。 It is an example sentence found in the book "All About Particles" (page 120). It's described ...
0 votes
1 answer
143 views

How basic is this sentence "日本語がわたしはちょっとだけわかります"

Is this sentence so basic or even understandable for Japanese speakers? I am just learning Japanese no prior knowledge about the language. I interchange は/が still. Can I make this even native sounding ...
4 votes
3 answers
230 views

テレビをつけたら、昔見た映画をやっていた。

テレビをつけたら、昔見た映画をやっていた。 Can someone explain what the やっていた means in this context? 1 - At the time when I turned on the TV, an old movie that I already watched was playing? or 2 - At the time when I ...
29 votes
1 answer
7k views

ないで vs なくて: combining phrases with negative verbs

Can you use 〜なくて instead of 〜ないで in the following sentence without changing the meaning? 病気になると、一切化学薬品や抗生物質を使わないで、鍼や指圧や漢方薬で直します。風邪の時は何もしないで暖かくして、寝ているだけです。 In general, what's the difference between ...
2 votes
1 answer
414 views

Meaning of せん in そのすべてに感謝せん

大地の精霊よ イシの村にもたらす恵み そのすべてに感謝せん I am wondering if this is perhaps a shortened version of an expression like 感謝の言葉もありません or something like that? I've tried looking in jisho for せん but it is still ...
2 votes
1 answer
119 views

Help deciphering this Japanese artist's signature [closed]

I know this is a long shot but I came across this Japanese artist's signature and I was wondering if anyone could help. Unfortunately I do not know the full name of the artist. The rightmost ...
0 votes
0 answers
73 views

確かにお金はかかるけど、それより行きも帰りも大きい荷物持って歩かなくて済むから・・・ [duplicate]

確かにお金はかかるけど、それより行きも帰りも大きい荷物持って歩かなくて済むから・・・ Can someone explain what the the 済む means at the end of this sentence? My thoughts are it means something is finished. "Sure it costs money but on the ...
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

How does 〜しなくても済んだだろう work?

せめて親でも生きていてくれたら、こんなに苦労しなくても済んだだろう I wouldn't have so many difficulties, if only my parents were still alive. [Example sentence from Japanese Postpositions: Theory and Practice ISBN-13: 978-3895861116] ...
0 votes
1 answer
163 views

Understanding もういいかげん、このままならずに済む

The family is talking about getting appendicitis. Grandad says: 「わしもこの年になってもならなかったんじゃ。もういいかげん、このままならずに済むじゃろ。」 I also couldn't help getting it this year. ????? I'm a bit stuck on the rest. I think ...
3 votes
1 answer
74 views

「それらを習得したり磨くことより、うまく合わせて使うことが一番難しい」- Shouldn't this be 習得したり磨いたりすることより~

それらを習得したり磨くことより、うまく合わせて使うことが一番難しい Making them go smoothly and using them is harder than learning them and polishing them. Wouldn't this make sense if it were 習得したり磨いたりすることより~ ? I've read that if ...
1 vote
1 answer
136 views

What does 目といったら、顔といったらありません mean? [duplicate]

I stumbled upon the sentence "その時私たち三人が互いに見合わせた目といったら、顔といったらありません" in a bilingual short story book, it's being translated as "We exchanged glances, our expressions incredulous", ...
1 vote
1 answer
329 views

When do you use forms of 歩く as a verb to talk about walking?

I've come across different usages of 歩く as a verb and was unsure in which scenarios they would be most appropriate to use. Is 歩く used with 来る? 東京タワーまで歩いて来ます。 Or is it used with 行く? 東京タワーまで歩いて行きます。 ...
1 vote
1 answer
93 views

こんなに汚いのに、それでも掃除したつもりですか。 [duplicate]

こんなに汚いのに、それでも掃除したつもりですか。 Does this mean : 1 - this is so dirty, do you intend to clean it? or 2 - this is so dirty, did you think it was clean?
23 votes
1 answer
1k views

Why is a place that sells さけ a さかや?

Is it known why a さかや normally has a か, rather than a け like in さけ? Are there many other -や constructions for stores that change the spelling of the word added to?
2 votes
3 answers
426 views

Is there a need to define what kind of 確率 is spoken about?

This sentence is taken from the 5th chapter of the Guilty Gear Web-Comic, which you can find here: All Chapters: https://www.guiltygear.com/ggst/jp/story/ Chapter 5 (sentence on page 4): https://www....
1 vote
1 answer
91 views

What does 散々見てた means in this sentence?

掻き込んで食べるのは、散々見てたけれども Is this "rarely saw" or "I saw many times"? Much appreciate if someone can explain to me the correct meaning here o/
2 votes
1 answer
270 views

What's the difference between particle を and に when used for location

I've been learning about particles lately. As I'm still new to the language, I can't tell the difference between these two particles when used for locations for example: 街を歩く Does this mean walk ...
3 votes
0 answers
146 views

How does かわいそうに work? [duplicate]

かわいそうに思いました Is this an exception or an expression. This basically means「かわいそうだと思いました」right? Normally with に it would be an adverb, but in this situation it's what he thinks. Can someone explain how ...
3 votes
2 answers
266 views

What's the function of the particle と in: トンネルを抜けると雪国であった?

トンネルを抜けると雪国であった Now, トンネルを抜ける means "to come out of the tunnel". 雪国 is the "Snow Country" and であった is the past tense of である, the "to be" verb in its literary form (...
0 votes
1 answer
143 views

Is と also a nominalizer? 「彼は本を手に取るとまた読み続けた」「家を出るとすぐに雨が降り始めた」

I found a couple of examples where と (and not こと) seems to serve as a nominalizer. (Segmentation is mine) 彼は本を手に取るとまた読み続けた。 人は生まれると直ぐ死に始める。 家を出ると直ぐに雨が降り始めた。 Is と a nominalizer?
3 votes
1 answer
237 views

How is "と" being used in these two sentences: 「ふりむくと、こどもたちが...」「トンネルをつくろうっと。」

I think "と" is being used differently in both of these sentences. However, I'm not entirely sure if it is being used as a particle in either one. Can you please explain to me the purpose of &...
1 vote
3 answers
541 views

Use of と in this sentence: 電車に乗るとすぐメールを熱心に打っている

I'm confused about how と is used in this sentence (乗るとすぐメールを・・・). What purpose does it serve? 電車の中では携帯で話すことはできませんが、みんな電車に乗るとすぐメールを熱心に打っているのにびっくりしました。
2 votes
1 answer
184 views

Example sentence with 酌む

I'm trying to learn the verb 酌む (to pour sake, to serve sake), but I can only find a few sentences with this verb, and in these few sentences the verb 酌む doesn't appear to express (in theory) its main ...
0 votes
2 answers
313 views

代表的な correct meaning

In my work book 代表的 has a few meanings, typical and representative. So when you say 代表的な人 does this mean a typical person or representative person? Surely having both these meanings for this word must ...
3 votes
1 answer
308 views

Which part of the sentence is emphasised in Japanese?

My question relates to which part of the information is emphasised more in Japanese, the part that comes first or in the end of a sentence for instance what would be the nuance in this type of ...
0 votes
1 answer
122 views

夫に不満を持つ I feel dissatisfied with my husband or husband holds dissatisfaction within himself?

夫に不満を持つ Hello, as per the title does this mean: 1 - I feel dissatisfied with my husband or 2 - husband holds dissatisfaction within himself?
-1 votes
2 answers
1k views

Differences between くださいますか/くださいませんか and いただけませんか/いただきたいのですが

My textbook just put some examples without explanations, so i wonder if these sentences have the same meanings or there are differences. お名前をお書きくださいますか お名前をお書きくださいませんか。 その論文の題をお教えいただけませんか ...
1 vote
1 answer
149 views

What is なんか doing in these sentences?

I know that なんか means "something" or that it can be used as filler. But in these two sentences it seems to be using another meaning. • 東京に行くけど、なんか欲しいものある? • なにか食べたいものはある? Doesn't "もの&...
4 votes
1 answer
167 views

After the question particle か can I put the particle に?

I was writing and wanted to put something that would be translated as "pay attention/be careful with the one you are provided with." I was going to write 「どっちが与えられるかに気をつけろ」but I felt that it ...
8 votes
2 answers
21k views

Asking a question with "da" and "datta"

We use "desu" and "deshita" to make the polite form and "ka" to make it a question, for example: Tokyo ga suki desu ka? (Do you like Tokyo?) Tokyo ga suki deshita ka? (Did you like Tokyo?) How can I ...
0 votes
1 answer
140 views

What does アレがある mean in this context ? [Manga] [closed]

Context : MC invited a hungry girl (A-chan) to join in and eat Ramen with him in a Ramen shop. The shop owner suggests that if the girl orders too much things to put in a ramen bowl, it can't hold ...
3 votes
3 answers
434 views

What is the meaning of できる in おいしくできる?

I have seen the phrase おいしくできる a number of times in the context of cooking. For example in the cover of this book. Does できる mean “be able to” (be able to cook deliciously) or “be complete” (meal is ...
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is the difference between 彼氏が出来る and 彼氏を作る?

I often hear both of the following phrases: 彼氏が出来る 彼氏を作る Both of them seem to mean the same thing(?). Why is it that 作る is used in this way? I had previously thought 作る meant to "create" or "...
3 votes
2 answers
416 views

The correct way of using toki

My instructor told us that toki is used for placing an action that has happened at a certain time. For example: さびしい時、友達に電話します。 But then how come this sentence is wrong? I'm sure that I used the ...
2 votes
1 answer
546 views

What's the grammar behind ヤカンのある部屋?

I tried to make a sentence saying that since I don't have the key I cannot go inside the room that has a kettle: 鍵がないからヤカンがある部屋に入れなかった But I was told that it sounds better if I changed it for ...
0 votes
1 answer
229 views

Is the 'wa' in wasabi and wakame related?

Wasabi and wakame seem to have different Japanese characters and also different Chinese ideograms. My first guess is that the 'wa' in wasabi and wakame is coincidence. But. Are they related words? ...
4 votes
1 answer
175 views

Why is there a から after 話題, and what does ラインナップ mean?

女友達のスマホに入ってるアプリが男子高校生すぎるという話題から「お前のラインナップは無趣味の虚ろなOL」と言われてウケた。 I especially don't understand why is there a から after 話題. But also, what does ラインナップ mean there? Does it refer to the apps that the ...
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Japanese equivalent of "Mmmm" as in "Mmmm I like that!" or "Mmmm, delicious"

What's the Japanese equivalent of "Mmmm" as in "Mmmm I like that!" or "Mmmm, delicious"? "Mmmm" used as a tone of appreciation or approbation, NOT of ...

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