Hot answers tagged phrase-requests
13
You can use なる (to become) to indicate change, as follows:
うまくなる (い-adjective, い->く)
上手になる (な-adjective + に)
These both mean "to become good/skilled".
Then for "to become more skilled" you can use もっと, さらに or 前より:
もっと上手になる to become better
さらに上手になる to become even better
前より上手になる to become better than before
10
心掛ける is a good one to learn.
毎日Xをするように心掛けている。
I'm working hard at doing X everyday.
Also, 努める or 努力する
毎日Xをするように努める(努力する)
If you overly use 頑張る, it sounds strange, especially when you use it for things like "reading a newspaper". You should use it for something more "important" like studying for a test or trying to get a job or something.
10
Anyone who took formal courses on Japanese would have learned this pattern: X-eba X hodo Y.
The more you stir, the faster the salt dissolves.
混ぜれば混ぜるほど塩が混ざるのは早いです。
The colder the weather, the more time it takes for snow to melt.
雪が解けるのは寒ければ寒いほど時間がかかります。
9
I think you probably can say
"[念]{ねん}のため(に)(or [一応]{いちおう})[伝]{つた}えとくけど、プリンタ[壊]{こわ}れてるよ/[故障]{こしょう}してるよ"
"念のため(に)(or 一応)伝えておきますが、プリンタ壊れてますよ/故障してますよ。"(polite)
"念のため(に)(or 一応)[言]{い}っとくけど、プリンタ故障してるよ。"
"念のため(に)(or 一応)言っておきますけど、プリンタ故障してますよ。(polite)"
or maybe more casually
"(あ、)そうそう、(~~さん、)プリンタ故障してるよ/してますよ。"
"(あ、)そうだ、そう言えば(~~さん、)プリンタ故障してるよ/してますよ。"
9
EDITED to include formation and examples
There are also several other grammar patterns that express "as one thing changes (grows/increases/decreases/etc.) another thing changes with it" (the key is that both things are changing).
(2 or 3) + につれて (cannot express volition or intention, but the rest can).
アニメが流行るにつれて、日本語を学ぶ人が増えてきています。→ As anime is ...
8
Flaw has a great answer, but I'll just throw out another grammatical structure that is similar is 「をはじめ」
バナナをはじめ、フルーツは健康にいい
Fruits, like bananas, are good for your health.
It's not the same as など per se, but it is another way but is restricted formal speeches and writing.
8
Amongst とか, など, and し, I feel only など satisfies the specific role you're talking about.
There's no rule that says など must be affixed only after 2 or more examples.
E.g. この難しいこと、私などには出来ません。 "A person like me cannot do a difficult thing as this".
The more related examples you string before adding など makes your concept specific, as if you are placing ...
8
It sounds like you are looking for the vocative case particle in Japanese.
Taken from wikipedia's article on vocative case:
In archaic Japanese, or when written as verse, a particle よ and や may be affixed.
少年よ、大志を抱け (Boys, be ambitious, quote by William S. Clark)
神よ、汝の誉れはその御名のごとく (O God, Thy praise is according to Thine name, from ...
7
Usually that construction is achieved by using 「限り」.
知る限り (as far as one knows)
できる限り (as far as possible)
生きている限り (as long as one lives)
私に関する限り (as far as I'm concerned, i.e. "for my part [but I won't speak for others, because they disagree with me]")
The construction in your second sentence ("as far as I'm concerned") is usually ...
7
毎日、ニュース記事をひとつ読んで頑張っている I'm making an effort to [read a news article every day]
sounds fine to me, as long as you move the を to after 記事 (ひとつ should be used adverbially).
To me, this formulation doesn't sound like the material is difficult to you. More like keeping up the habit is difficult.
If, on the other hand, you say
毎日、ニュース記事をひとつ頑張って読んでいる ...
7
Semantically, I think you can leave out "I'm currently studying Japanese" if you're saying "My Japanese isn't (yet) very good," because it's pretty much implied.
Your example sounds fine. You might also try things like:
すみません、日本語はまだまだです。
すみません、日本語の[初]{しょ}[心]{しん}[者]{しゃ}ですので、あまり分かりません。
6
For "I have never___" you take the verb, put it in the past tense, then add ことがない or ことがありません.
The direct translation is something like "I don't have X experience" or "I've never done X thing"
So, for 聞く, we go:
聞く --> 聞いた --> 聞いたこと --> 聞いたことがありません
or to answer your initial question:
その歌{うた}を聞いたことがありません。
For "I've never heard of that ...
6
As far as I know,
知っている限り(では)
As far as I'm concerned
私にとっては
Please take as much as you want.
御自由におとりになってください。
好きなだけおとりになってください。
as long he is alive.
生きているうちに
as soon as possible
できるだけ早く
6
The best way to get clarification is to ask a question that illustrates what exactly you're confused about. You've already asked these in English:
"Is it a kind of cloth?" それは生地の一種ですか？ (Answer: no, it's a type of clothing, not cloth)
"What are the other types?" 作業着といえば他にどんなのがありますか？
If you just ask "could you clarify?", your conversation partner is ...
5
If you are looking for adjectives to describe skill here's a few:
上手 [じょうず] ((generally speaking) good at ~)
巧妙 [こうみょう] (mysteriously skillful at~)
～の天才 [てんさい] (A genius in ~)
熟練した [じゅくれんした] - This one is my favourite, it has the meaning of practised to perfection.
Some examples:
私はテニスが上手です (I am good at tennis)
あのテニス選手は巧妙です ...
5
はじめまして'This is the first time seeing you'
is a standard expression.
If that person is in the same company, regardless of the department, you can continue as
...部門の...と申します 'I am called ..., and am from the ... department'
It is more polite than
...部門の...です 'I am ... from the ... department',
which may, but not necessarily, presuppose that ...
5
Not really used, not because the language does not allow, but because of the mentality.
無理しないで(ください)ね can fit most of the situations. Just meaning "Don't push yourself too much"
働きすぎないで／ように can be used as well. Nobody will correct you on this one.
An other way would be something like (and this case, 'work' is for a job only, not weight training or physical ...
4
There are a few phrases that are commonly used.
「分からなくなってきた」（e.g. 何を信じればいいのか分からなくなってきた、自分の気持ちが
分からなくなってきた、あなたのことが分からなくなってきた）
「自分探し」 (e.g. やりたい事が見つからないので、自分探しにいってきます）
You could also use 葛藤、e.g.「自分がやってきたことが正しかったのか、すごく葛藤した時期」、「どちらの道に進むべきか分からず、葛藤し続けた」
3
There are two ways of answering this question. Are you looking for mathematical terms for 'not greater/less than' and 'greater/less than', or ways of expressing this in more general conversation?
Mathematically, the greater than symbol ＞ is pronounced 大なり（だいなり） and the less than symbol ＜ is pronounced 小なり（しょうなり）. The greater than or equal sign ≧ is ...
2
うまい can be written with the same kanji as [上]{じょう}[手]{ず}: [上手]{うま}い.
As you have in your English phrase, the natural way to say it in Japanese is to use "have gotten" or "become", which is なる in Japanese, as ジョン answers.
Alternatively, it is possible to stick with だ or です as in your answer using もっと, but in that case, the standard for comparison is not ...
2
I agree with the other answers that you won't find a Japanese person say this with the same nuance as English speakers, but I was watching TV with Japanese subtitles "Don't work too hard" was translated as 頑張りすぎるなよ。
The man who said it is romantically involved with the person said to in the show. If you were to say it to coworkers I'd go with a more polite ...
2
I can't add much to the way to translate it as explained by chocolate and oldergod, but I can confirm that no, it's generally not said. Personally, I still don't understand it myself, but the psychological significance of work over here is incredible. It becomes much more a part of your average Japanese (males, especially) identity than it does for ...
2
Notice that はis a topic marker, and there is often a corresponding form without the use of such particle. In this case, the correct standard form will be using から
今 から その式まで時間が後二十分ある。
When you topicalize a modifier (as opposed to an argument), the postposition cannot be omitted, so it has to be 今からは, not 今は (except when you use 今 adverbially).
The ...
2
Even if it might sound awkward to a native-speaker, I think the point you are making would still make its way across languages. But, as a nit-picking aside, how would something be a reminder if it is something you just learned? :)
Although it's not the explicit meaning you are wanting to use here, it may be more natural to (instead) use a phrase like: ...
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