3
votes
2answers
181 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 ...
4
votes
1answer
121 views
What is a good synonym for「〜のに」at the end of a sentence?
I'm trying to come up with a good synonymous expression to put on a flashcard for 「〜のに」at the end of a sentence like these
彼が出て行けばいいのに。(I wish he would go.)
あの建物さえなければ、きれいな景色が見えるのに。(If it wasn't for ...
1
vote
1answer
234 views
Can に mean the same thing as から?
あの野郎、どんだけジークさんに恩を受けたと思っていやがるんだ！
In this sentence, does に mean the same thing as から ?
Thank you very much for help!
4
votes
0answers
139 views
Which readings are used for 漢文？
If I am reading a Chinese text to a Japanese audience, how can I know which reading to use for each character? Of the 音読み, there can be 呉音, 漢音, and 唐音 to choose from.
Also for pronunciation, would ...
4
votes
1answer
210 views
Difference between 「~がる」 and 「～そう」
「～がる」と「～そう」の違いは何でしょうか。感覚的に同じではないことは分かりますが、説明はできません。どうも「～がる」形はもはや口語ではあまり使われないように感じます（「怖がる」「怖そう」などの完全に意味が変わる形容詞を除く。）。そういったレジスター(言語使用域)の違いも含めての回答を期待しています。もしこの質問がDuplicateであれば、元の質問を教えていただければ幸いです。
2
votes
2answers
124 views
The 阝-radical (or 部首?) in 部 and 陪
In 部, the right side radical is called the large village radical.
For 陪, the left side radical is called the small village radical.
Why are their names different on different sides even though both ...
4
votes
0answers
188 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 ...
8
votes
1answer
193 views
What is the difference between 部屋 and 室?
When referring to a room (in a building), what is the difference in usage, if any?
I looked up the definitions and checked some sample phrases, but I could not see any real difference.
I usually read ...
1
vote
1answer
239 views
Can うちは means the same as うちに ?
Tell me please in the sentence below, can うちは means the same as うちに? Or it's just うち like "we" ?
Thank you very much for help!
5
votes
3answers
182 views
What is くん doing in these sentences?
I have come across two sentences in a manga that is using くん in a way that I can't seem to find any information on, in both my books and online. I am guessing this may be some sort of slang, odd ...
6
votes
1answer
109 views
How to express the concept of negation in mathematics
I have been reading the PHP manual in both Japanese and English and have reached the part about operators.
In the 代数演算子 section they talk about 加算, 減算 etc, and have a table showing all of the 代数演算子 ...
4
votes
3answers
135 views
How to read the Modulo operator in a formula
Because I am a programmer, I have been reading tutorials and manuals about programming in Japanese.
For the most part I am ok with all of the terminology, both from the computing side and maths side.
...
7
votes
1answer
174 views
どうか, どうにか, どうかして - differences?
I was just wondering what the essential differences are between these and how I would use them in everyday speech. Thank you.
6
votes
1answer
193 views
“If I may ask a question, …”
Our teacher taught us to ask for the permission to ask a question by saying「質問してもいいですか。」. Now I'm writing her an email, and would like to say something along the lines of "If I may ask a question, ...
4
votes
1answer
182 views
Is たとえば the ば form of a verb?
たとえば looks like it should be the ば form of a verb, but is that true? I know of the word 例える, but the ば form of this would be 例えれば. The phrase 例えるなら also exists, which would be a cousin if it were ...
3
votes
1answer
158 views
When speaking with client, how to say “I will tell my coworker”
I have found this in a phone usage manual (電話対応マニュアル) written by a Japanese person:
かしこまりました。必ず田中に申し伝えます。それでは失礼いたします。
(speaking to customer over the phone) Understood. I will tell Tanaka (my ...
5
votes
1answer
175 views
What is the meaning of から here?
Tell me please, what から means in his sentence? If I'm guessing corrctly it would translate something like "She fall on her face really hard", but still... would ”顔面に全力で” be incorrect here?
Sentence: ...
3
votes
2answers
271 views
Is there a Japanese phrase equivalent to “crisis of faith”
I am wondering if there is a way to describe this concept in Japanese, or an equivalent phrase.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_of_faith it is a mostly western concept (if you ...
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 ...
3
votes
2answers
150 views
Does 凝{こ}る mean “absorbed in” or “artistic” in this sentence?
My JLPT textbook gives me this example sentence to explain the meaning of 凝{こ}る:
釣{つ}りに凝{こ}る
The book provides a translation, which is, "be absorbed in fishing."
Later, in a test question, ...
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 ...
4
votes
1answer
130 views
When to use にしたら when to use には?
I don't get the difference in meaning between には and にしたら like in this sentence from my textbook:
大きすぎる親の期待は、子供にしたら苦痛だ。
Expectations of parents that are too big become agony for the children.
...
0
votes
1answer
96 views
What is the meaning of ように here?
Can someone tell me what ように means in this phrase?
あの人にそんな秘密があるようには全く見えないがな。
3
votes
1answer
130 views
Combining two い-adjectives without using て
In the JLU chat, Flaw recently typed up some instructions printed on a Japanese product. Here's what they said:
直射日光の当たらない涼しい所に保管してください
It appears that 所 is modified by two phrases:
...
4
votes
2answers
146 views
Meaning of あくまで in あくまで私個人の意見です
What is the meaning of あくまで in the sentence あくまで私個人の意見です ?
ALC: back and edge, consistently
GJiten: to the end; to the bitter end; to the last; stubbornly; persistently; to the utmost
What nuance is ...
11
votes
2answers
298 views
Is there a specific time to pronounce 日本, にほん/にっぽん?
Are the two used completely interchangeably or are there specific situations where one might be used more than the other? For example I've never heard 日本語 said にっぽんご.
5
votes
1answer
181 views
Is 青色をしている different from 青い?
I recently learned 青色をしている as a synonym for 青い, but I don't have a good idea of what the difference is, or even if there's any difference at all.
On chat, Flaw suggested the difference might be ...
5
votes
1answer
142 views
迷宮 vs 迷路
WWWJDIC says that both 迷宮 and 迷路 mean "maze / labyrinth".
Google Images suggests that they are about the same thing: link1, link2
However, what may be the differences in nuance and usage between 迷宮 ...
2
votes
1answer
173 views
The uses & etymology of で
In Japanese, the particle で seems to have multiple uses:
Instrumental: 車{くるま}で大阪{おおさか}に行{い}った。 "I went to Osaka by car."
Locative: 図書館{としょかん}で数学{すうがく}を勉強{べんきょう}している。 "I'm studying math in the ...
5
votes
1answer
143 views
How to say “open Pandora's box” in Japanese?
How to say "open Pandora's box" in Japanese?
Ex.:
When I asked Jane about her problems, I didn't know I had opened Pandora's box.
What kind of Pandora's box do we open if we decide not ...
0
votes
1answer
203 views
Help me please with translation 人の身で灯り
Full sentence: 人の身で灯りも無く深夜の森を行くのはあまりに過酷な作業である。
Thank you very much for your help.
4
votes
1answer
182 views
Why are い-adjectives often used as nouns?
I can't really understand why sometimes い adjectives are transformed to nouns instead of just being used themselves.
I.E.
白い鳥 has 300,000 google hits while 白の鳥 has 4 million.
近い家 has 113,000 ...
2
votes
1answer
98 views
what does “媒介にして” mean ?
when i was reading Rosario+vampire s2 manga i read this sentence
''血液を媒介にしてのみ真祖は継承されるの”
血液＝blood
媒介＝Intermediary
のみ＝Only
真祖＝term in the manga indicates vampires ancestors
継承＝Inheritance
then ...
1
vote
1answer
184 views
expressing casual potential for adjectives
This is a follow up to How to construct potential form for adjectives
I'd like to know how to say "can be x" where x is an adjective, in a casual way. For example with a friend, this seems a little ...
-2
votes
1answer
120 views
Textbook on Technical Japanese [closed]
Anyone know a good dictionary for technical Japanese? Specifically I'm looking for something with a math/electrical engineering focus. If there is a Japanese-Japanese dictionary of this kind, all the ...
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 ...
3
votes
1answer
109 views
Politeness level congruency
This question comes from observing a game show, where the participants have to match a product to the one they consume while blindfolded. They are only allowed to try one product at a time from the ...
3
votes
2answers
165 views
What is the meaning of this Kanji?
Could someone let me know the meaning of the Kanji that is the first character in this phrase? It's in a dialog from a movie scenario.
It doesn't seem to be a 常用漢字 as far as I can tell.
1
vote
2answers
118 views
What separates the different ways to ask a question in Japanese?(I.E. 何, どう, どんな and so on)
It's been something I've thinking about for awhile, but could never answer in a more concrete way. This is most apparent when I compare the functions of 何 and どう. I know that 何, どう and どんな are great ...
1
vote
1answer
161 views
What is the difference between the two kanji pairings for 'jellyfish'?
I am aware that animal names are generally written in katakana (although sometimes hiragana), but kanji is sometimes used. I stumbled upon the Japanese word クラゲ, meaning jellyfish. The dictionary said ...
5
votes
1answer
105 views
知っとった meaning of grammar?
What does the grammar form of 知るin the below sentence mean?
闇の世界とは関わるはずがないと知っとったんだろうな
The sentence is from the Japanese version of Harry Potter I
2
votes
1answer
198 views
“How did you know?” and “how do you know?” in Japanese
As explained in this question on the English site, there is a distinction in English between saying "How did you know?" and "How do you know?"
When someone makes an assertion, the distinction ...
9
votes
2answers
188 views
Politeness on Twitter
I tweet in Japanese every once in awhile, sometimes to Japanese people and sometimes to all of my followers.
I haven't really been able to figure it out, so how does politeness work on Twitter? Some ...
4
votes
2answers
138 views
You can use 「押し開ける」 to say “to push open”, but can you say 「押し閉める」 to mean “to push closed”?
For example, consider the following sentences;
ドアを押し開ける。 I pushed the door open.
ドアを引き開ける。 I pulled the door open.
Can you do the same for 閉める? So for example;
ドアを押し閉める。 I pushed the door shut.
...
2
votes
1answer
76 views
In which situations do you use 拾う and in which do you use 拾い上げる
I was looking through example sentences in wwwjdic ( http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/wwwjdic.cgi?11 ) and noticed it uses these, however from looking at the examples, I don't know which one ...
5
votes
1answer
140 views
What's the difference between お待ちになる and 待たれる?
I know they're both polite ways to use a verb, but my materials never taught me what unique traits each one has. Is it just the tone, or is there more to it?
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
162 views
Using 全然 with a positive pejorative
So far, I know that in proper speech, 全然 should be used with negative verbs such as 全然出来ません or in expressions such as 全然だめ or 全然違う. I am curious about the second type of usage. In that case, 全然 is ...
3
votes
1answer
66 views
Meaning of auxiliary ゆく/いく in this context
While translating a song, I've stumbled upon the following sentence:
落ちた希望を拾って明日に繋いでゆけば
Which got me wondering what the difference between the following two is:
落ちた希望を拾って明日に繋いでゆけば
...
-1
votes
3answers
144 views
What words/structures indicate an argument? (e.g. Therefore, as a result, there's strong reason to believe (x) , etc.) [closed]
To me, once of the most important parts of learning a language is the ability to read the implied message behind someone's words, and part of that is knowing when they're making a point and they're ...
