11
votes
2answers
194 views
Why is 一緒に correct and 一緒で incorrect?
This is a mistake I habitually make, even though I know what the right form is.
Earlier tonight, I sent a mail to my friend to say:
一緒で行こう！ 【いっしょで いこう】 (Let's go together!)
My friend sent back ...
10
votes
4answers
352 views
What determines whether a word gets a kanji compound or katakana?
I read electronics/computing articles, and I find an incredible amount of terms are written either in kanji (almost similar to Chinese) or katakana. There are times when it's confusing as to know why. ...
10
votes
2answers
336 views
Why is the honorific o used for the bathroom?
I've seen the honorific "o"/"go" (is it called bikago?) being used as politness or reverence: o-cha for non-western tea, o-namae when talking about someone else's name, o-genki instead of just genki, ...
9
votes
2answers
268 views
Irregularity of あ-series in demonstratives
Why is the あ-series in demonstratives irregular like the following:
ここ そこ あ そこ どこ
(expected あこ)
こう そう あ あ どう
(expected あう)
Is it related to the fact that こ, そ, ...
9
votes
3answers
259 views
Difference between ゆくすえ, しょうらい and みらい
I've been looking around and I got that the three words can mean "future". Is there a way to differentiate them? Can they be used the same way?
9
votes
5answers
657 views
Why are there two versions of the kanji for "tsumetai'?
The screenshot below is from Kotoba for iPhone.
It shows the character for "cool", as used in the word "tsumetai". However, the character in the stroke order diagram is slightly different to the ...
9
votes
3answers
617 views
Is it possible to tell whether a word is kanji or hiragana without reading it?
Is it possible to tell whether a word would be written in kanji or if it would be written in hiragana without actually reading it, like it is reasonably easy to tell if a word is likely to be written ...
9
votes
3answers
948 views
Is “あらら” (arara) a word or just a “vocal noise”?
A friend just wrote this as a comment on a photo of mine on Facebook.
Is it an actual word or is it what I call a "vocal noise"?
By "vocal noise" I mean those things which convey some meaning but ...
9
votes
2answers
256 views
About ご[馳走]{ちそう}: two “runs” would give you “a feast”?
ご[馳走様]{ちそうさま}でした is the greeting that people say after being treat a meal while ご馳走 by itself means “a feast”.
I looked up this word in the dictionary to learn more about the kanji characters. It ...
8
votes
1answer
122 views
What is the difference between あっての and とあって?
From what I can tell they both mean "Because of", and the only differences in meaning I can see seem to be very subtle.
あっての:
Because of A (strong emphasis), B
Thanks to (various ...
8
votes
2answers
170 views
How would one express an opinion from the perspective of an inclusive group?
Often times, it is common for a speaker to make an assertion or opinion based upon a (ethnic or social) group to which they belong. In English it is common to use prefixes like "we" or "us" to ...
8
votes
2answers
215 views
相手の日本人 or 日本人の相手?
If I wanted to describe the person I was speaking as being Japanese, to me it seems natural to say:
日本人の相手 【にほんじんの あいて】
... however, one time a Japanese teacher told me it's more correct to say:
...
7
votes
2answers
375 views
Non-distinguished animal pairs in Japanese
This is something I first noticed when I was at an aquarium in Japan (as evidenced in my examples) and continued to see ever since. There are certain pairs of animals, that while extremely similar, ...
7
votes
2answers
174 views
Reading a number range
I have a bottle of 洗顔料(facial soap), and the instructions are:
ご使用量の目安 ポンプ１～２回 (use about 1 to 2 pumps)
If I were to read 1~2 aloud, how would I do it?
7
votes
2answers
229 views
Counter for 熊 (bears): ひき or 頭?
While hiking I saw 3 bears, and I have heard a lot of people say ひき to count them. There was a mother and two small ones, if that matters.
But when talking about it I also have been told that 頭 ...
6
votes
1answer
206 views
What exactly is 我が家, and how is it used?
I know the phrase 我が家 means "our home" or "our family". My question is when would you use it, as opposed to say 私の家 or 私の家族? It seems poetic to me, or something that wouldn't exactly be used in ...
6
votes
3answers
294 views
What are the rules determining the use of the dash in katakana?
As explained in this question, a dash character is used in katakana as an extension of a sound.
First, what exactly is this character called? A "nobasu mark"?
Anyway, I saw this sign in Shibuya the ...
6
votes
1answer
186 views
Is it true that all verbs have a corresponding noun form?
Is it true that all verbs have a corresponding noun form (which is formed by making the -masu form and removing the -masu)?
Like 遊び and 遊びます
飲み and 飲みます
生き and 生きます
死に and 死にます
6
votes
4answers
335 views
does anyone know of any o-words or go-words which are absolutely neutral?
Does anyone know of any o-words or go-words which are absolutely neutral (have no nuances of being polite / courteous / respectful / womanly / cute etc etc)?
The only ones I'm aware of currently is ...
6
votes
5answers
329 views
Shouldn't this phrase using 【だけのこと】 mean “just for that”?
In a grammar textbook I have, there is this phrase:
幸い日本で日本語を勉強して、かなり話せるようになりました。日本に行っただけのことはありました。
【さいわい にほんで にほんごを べんきょうして、 かなり はなせるように なりました。 にほんに いった だけのことは ありました。】
The translation ...
5
votes
3answers
290 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 ...
5
votes
3answers
261 views
Any rules for a suffix on english words?
(Note: I'm part of the "I know bits and pieces of Japanese from watching anime" group, so I lack an in-depth knowledge of Japanese)
As I'm hearing Japanese occasionally there will be an English word ...
5
votes
4answers
430 views
Are 終{お}わる and 済{す}ませる synonyms?
I know that they both mean "finish". But I wonder if there are situations or contexts where you can use one but not the other.
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 ...
5
votes
3answers
799 views
How do I say “I am the best” ? の,は or が and 私 or 俺?
I'm making a shirt for a (rather egotistical) friend of mine and so am trying to do something with the slogan "I am the best" for fun. I need something with four characters only, and would like to ask ...
4
votes
1answer
194 views
particle で versus particle と
I have found this sentence:
"Kazoku de dekakeru".
Why is the particle で used instead of と?
4
votes
1answer
187 views
から ending a sentence
I've seen this in a few texts now and since it's appeared with some frequency I thought to post the question here. I tried searching online but came up with no real conclusions.
ありませんから or plain form ...
4
votes
2answers
208 views
What are these forms: かけちゃお, つないじゃお?
I'm trying to understand the lyrics of a closing song of 「崖の上のポニョ」.
First verse is simple, but the second stopped me:
ペタペタ ピョーンピョン
足っていいな かけちゃお
ニギニギ ブンブン
お手てはいいな つないじゃお
What happened to arms and ...
4
votes
1answer
159 views
Difference between 「～のない～」 and 「～がない~」?
For example, plugging these into Google, I can find stuff like, 自信のない人 and 自信がない人. Or, 愛のない生活 and 愛がない生活. I found a movie called 顔のないスパイ. How is this any different from 顔がないスパイ?
I've asked ...
4
votes
2answers
249 views
In customer settings, is it ok to ask for keigo to be repeated in more “normal” Japanese?
In the context of restaurants, convenience stores and similar situations, is it ok for a customer to ask for something that was said in keigo (or in manual keigo) to be repeated in more "normal" ...
3
votes
1answer
265 views
How should I go about translating my company name in Japanese?
I'm trying to translate a company name ("puddle") in to Japanese. I put it into google translate, but when you translate words you're translating their meaning rather than the word itself, which is ...
1
vote
1answer
429 views
Why is the Japanese government considering adding kanji such as “cancer” to the jinmeiyō kanji?
The wikipedia article on jinmeiyō kanji states:
Before September 27, 2004, there were 2232 government-designated
jinmeiyō kanji used in personal and geographical names, with plans to
increase ...
13
votes
2answers
3k views
What are good sources for streaming Japanese language television? [closed]
While learning Japanese I'd like to watch some Japanese television, whether it is children's programming, drama, or news.
I've found a few places online that allowed me to stream snippets, but ...
16
votes
7answers
718 views
Does anyone have advice on how to get over/through/around the intermediate language plateau? (Self-learner)
How do you get through this? Especially in regards to reading. How do you practice reading at beyond the beginner level (No little black sambo's or whatever other children's books like I found in the ...
25
votes
3answers
763 views
How indistinguishable is blue from green really?
青 ao seems to be used very much interchangeably for both blue and green. Why is that so, and how does 緑 midori play into this?
16
votes
4answers
472 views
Are there cases when two or more particles will occur next to each other without intervening lexical words?
Most particles seem to be postpositions but I'm sure I've seen say a noun followed by a location particle followed by "wa" or "ga" or possibly "wo" but when I've tried to use it I've only confused my ...
18
votes
3answers
611 views
How do I express sentences like: He is dying?
For instance, "He is eating" is "Kare wa tabete iru". However, "He is dying" is not "Kare wa shinde iru". Another example is "He is going to Japan" is not "Kare wa nihon ni itte iru". So if I can't ...
17
votes
4answers
1k views
Why is it 日本語がわかります instead of 日本語をわかります?
From what I understand, は is the topic marker, が is the subject marker, and を is the object marker.
One of the first sentences I learned doesn't seem to fit the rules I described above. The sentence ...
16
votes
1answer
337 views
Why doesn't 分かる have a potential form?
This question may be related to What does で分かる mean? (Cf. Tsuyoshi Ito and my comments to my answer).
(Regular) verbs can be turned into the potential form by attaching -((ra)r)e-:
tabe-ru vs. ...
16
votes
1answer
848 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 ...
13
votes
5answers
546 views
What is the difference between 「はず」 {hazu} and 「わけ」 {wake}?
I know the following two sentences give implication that "not expecting me to understand (it)" but I have a feeling that they give different nuances that I just can't put my finger on:
...
4
votes
3answers
263 views
Can 【～たら】 be a short form of 【～てから】?
I picked up a bad habit of using ～たら (a form of conditional) when I mean ～てから (once something happens, something else will happen) from a friend many years back while learning Japanese.
In the years ...
20
votes
2answers
231 views
When should either 「」 and 『』 be used?
In what scenarios would you use 「」 quotation marks instead of 『』, and vice versa?
18
votes
2answers
402 views
Can the suffix -人 be used to express heritage?
In English, if I want to talk about my Irish heritage, I would say "I'm Irish". I have an American passport, and I've never set foot in Ireland, but I still consider myself Irish. Both sides of my ...
18
votes
3answers
513 views
what is the difference between -さ and -み suffixes to make a noun out of an adjective?
Example 悲しさ is sadness, and 悲しみ is sadness too. What is the difference?
According to Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, -み "is more emotive and concrete characterization of some state" and -さ ...
17
votes
5answers
772 views
Does -ou / -you / -mashou conjugation have a negative form?
Does the -ou / -you / -mashou (the "let's X") form have a negative counterpart? For example, how do I say "let's not X" for the following?:
行こう
食べよう
寝ましょう
As far as I can remember, the Japanese ...
17
votes
3answers
729 views
What does -komu (ー込む) at the end of a word mean?
There are loads of word in Japanese which end in 込む, like 吸い込む, 読み込む, 入り込む, 打ち込む, 売り込む, 送り込む, 押し込む. How does adding ー込む change the meaning? What is the meaning that links all these words?
16
votes
1answer
260 views
What are the differences between 〜ので and 〜から?
When I was studying this, my 先生 kind of brushed over the point, and then years later, I realize that they are different, but I don't know exactly how.
The only thing I understand is that ので is more ...
16
votes
5answers
1k views
Pronouncing が as 'nga'
I'm a beginner and am learning from CD (Pimsleur). There are two native speakers going through the dialogue. One, the man, pronounces が as I would expect - 'ga'. The other (female) pronounces it as ...
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 ...
