Questions tagged [conjunctions]
接続詞・接続助詞. Parts of speech that connect two clauses together. This tag covers both conjunctive particles and actual conjunctions.
4
votes
1answer
99 views
Understanding of 働かせ in the sentence below
I came across the following sentence:
4000万円までは借金を膨らませて働かせ、5000万円になると自殺するのでそれ以上の借金はさせない
How 働かせ is understood in this context? It looks like an imperative form of 働かす, but the imperative form over ...
5
votes
1answer
198 views
い adjective + くて + verb
I encountered this sentence:
おなかがいたくてたべられません
and got confused with くて. Isn't it used for adding いadjectives? Why is it followed by a verb in the example given? Can I use いたく instead? How will it ...
2
votes
1answer
164 views
Soredewa versus Sorekara
Read the following please:
... このホテルはどちらもありません。それから、冷蔵庫もエアコンもありません。このホテルは便利ではありませんでしたが、山や湖で色々なことができました。
Can それでは be used in place of それから in the sentence above (both mean "then")?
By the way, ...
11
votes
2answers
1k views
Is the use of 後で fading from usage in Japanese?
When first studying Japanese, I learned that "after" in Japanese is 後で. But asking around and looking at regular usage, a lot of Japanese will tell me a sentence like the following is slightly ...
0
votes
1answer
179 views
JLPT sentence order section [duplicate]
I keep on trying this type of jlpt questions and I keep on failing. Do you have any recommendation on what to read or what to review?
An example question that I answered wrong is :
れいぞうこにくだもの__ * ...
4
votes
1answer
101 views
ながら sentence sample clarification
Sample sentences from A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar page 270:
A: ちょっと話がしたいんですが。
B: じゃ、コーヒーを飲みながら話しましょう。
C: じゃ、話しながらコーヒーを飲みましょう。
It states that B is an acceptable response to A ...
2
votes
0answers
107 views
Do Japanese use commas or “and”? [duplicate]
In English when we have sentences like
I ate an apple, pear and orange
we use a comma to separate the words in a list instead of constantly using "and".
Does one use commas in Japanese in a ...
5
votes
1answer
96 views
Not using くて in i-adjective Conjunctions
I've been reading 猿蟹 from this website.
I've come across a sentence that puzzles me grammatically:
まだ青い固い柿の実を、蟹に投げつけました。
Here, there is a conjunction of two i-adjectives, but the writer doesn't ...
4
votes
1answer
109 views
What is the difference between 「『の』ための」, 「『の』ために」and 「に」?
I am vaguely aware of how to use 「のために」in sentences, but I have recently encountered the following sentence:
「日本語がわかるようになるには、そんな風にゴロゴロしていないで。」
Would there be any significant difference when 「に」is ...
1
vote
1answer
86 views
Can し act as replacement for て when listing a series of adjectives?
I was watching an anime and one of the characters said this:
優しいししっかりしてるし可愛いし
I was a bit surprised because I was told that you should connect adjectives with て.
Why is this characters using し ...
2
votes
1answer
94 views
The verb after conjugation in たり compound sentence, is still a verb? And if so, why is it despite する being the verb？
雨の日は滑ったり、転んだりする。
If する is the verb, then what is the role of the 転んだり in the grammatical sense? I understand that it is a verb which is transformed into 転んだり in a compound sentence but is it still ...
4
votes
1answer
333 views
What is the difference between でありながらも and でありながら?
On this site, I came across this JLPT N2 question:
これはシンプルで _______ 純粋で魅力的なスピーチです
あってながら
あるながら
ありながら
ありながらも
I chose 4 while 3 is correct.
I was having difficulties choosing ...
3
votes
3answers
709 views
し at the end of the sentence
I learned that shi is used to connect two or more sentences. But sometimes I hear it at the end of the sentence. What does it mean? Can you explain on these sentences?
濃くなってきちゃったら、...
2
votes
1answer
155 views
Conjunction し and particle も
I've got a big question about し and も.
カロリーも少なくなるし、おなかも張ります。
Can we not use も here? Will the meaning be changed?
カロリーが少なくなるし、おなかが張ります。
Why does し usually go with も? Does も add some ...
2
votes
1answer
247 views
Many Usages of the term “you ni” in conversational speech [closed]
I am having trouble in using or interpreting a sentence that uses the japanese grammatical term 'you ni". Please don't confuse it with other grammatical structures such as 'no you ni" or "you'. This ...
2
votes
1answer
93 views
What is the meaning of 「れど」 in the waka poem title 「忍ぶれど」?
「忍ぶれど」 is the title of Taira no Kanemori's waka poem in Ogura Hyakunin Isshu and I'd like to know the translation of this title in English.
I already looked up the meanings and
「忍ぶ」 means
to ...
3
votes
2answers
392 views
Why is し added at the end of this sentence?
A person says these phrases:
嫌ではないです(it's not disgusting)
というか... (I mean...)
どっちかっていうと (If I had to choose) - /I'm not sure about this translation I made here/
...気持ちいいし (and it ...
5
votes
2answers
159 views
Can the て-form be used as a た-form substitute?
I've been reading manga by myself for some time, and I've been noticing sentences where the て-form takes the role of a past tense marker (that is, the role of the た-form). At first I was letting it ...
2
votes
2answers
135 views
Why is て form used here?
友達申請をしてくださって、ありがとうございます。
=>"Thank you that you have given the favor of doing a friend request."
What I expressed in my translation is something which usually gives me a lot of trouble when I try to ...
2
votes
1answer
115 views
I need help translating as I'm Confused with かのような
So I'm trying to translate a sentence that contains the following hiragana at the end of the first part:
かのような
and I'm not sure if its 'kano - particle' followed by 'like/similar to', or if かのような ...
5
votes
2answers
463 views
と conjunction vs. て-form conjunction?
In the Genki series of textbooks, we are taught that both the て-form of a verb and the conjunction と can join sentences.
I'm slightly unclear on their semantic differences. Some examples with my best ...
2
votes
1answer
112 views
Temporal sequence conjunctions
I am currently facing an exam in beginner Japanese where I will have to describe a picture of a person's entire day.
I've prepared a list of conjunctions I can use to go from event to event, but I am ...
1
vote
2answers
168 views
can たら be translated as “because”?
アイスクリームを食べたら、おなかがいたくなりました
コーヒーを飲んだら、ねられませんでした
In the above examples, can たら be translated as "because"? If not then why?
0
votes
2answers
177 views
「ので」のように、「のに」も略せますか？
「ので」が略せるように、接続助詞の「のに」も略せますか？
「ので」が「んで」か、「なんで」か、「なので」になれるなら、
「のに」も「んに」とか、「なんに」とか、「なのに」になれますか？
これを思えば、そうですか？
また、私の日本語がよくなかったら、すみません！
4
votes
1answer
2k views
Is there a secret meaning in PPAP song?
I wonder if PPAP song by Kazuhito Kosaka actually has a secret meaning?
As far as I know, words in Japanese can mean several different things depending on their conjuctions or one's interpretation.
...
8
votes
2answers
653 views
Is it possible to begin a sentence with または?
Japanese uses ’or’ less than Western languages, and I sometimes feel that I’m using または or あるいは an awful lot more than I should. Especially, is it legit to begin a sentence with these words?
Let’s ...
1
vote
2answers
107 views
とは言え conjunction
I often hear とは言え used as a conjunction between sentences. What does it mean?
ALC didn't offer much help.
4
votes
1answer
190 views
Confusing use of けど
「ねえねえ、このまえ本で読んだんだけど、犬に追われたら、こうやって腕を胸の前で組むと一瞬、犬が弱気になるんだって」
Hey, I was reading in a book recently (but) if you're chased by a dog, when you fold your arms in front of your chest like this, it gets ...
5
votes
1answer
284 views
Did “soshite” develop from an overused “te”-form?
I'm helping out as a tutor for Japanese in my university and a student asked me, if "soshite" may be derived from a verb in "-te" form.
Now, I know that there are a lot of similar-sounding words in ...
2
votes
1answer
332 views
て used as “because”?
My (Japanese) friend gave me a suggested translation of this sentence:
普段ワインはなかなか飲まないのだけど、いろんな味、風味、渋味甘味が感じられて良き体験でした。
By no means do I usually drink wine but, it was a good experience because ...
0
votes
2answers
98 views
Usage of ゃ で, when buying countable nouns
パン屋{や}でパンを買{か}います。
Not sure what ゃ で means here. Noun, ゃ で, noun.
3
votes
1answer
429 views
What is the difference between し and て-form in connecting verbs together?
Are there any differences between these sentences? Are they correct?
彼女は優しくて、綺麗で、楽しいんだ。だから大好きだ。
彼女は優しいし、綺麗だし、楽しいし。だから大好きだ。
How do し and て-form differ? How about these sentences:
今日はたくさん食べて、...
2
votes
2answers
169 views
Using て-form to indicate purpose
Someone asked me:
どんな本を使って日本語を勉強していますか
I'm confused about the て-form here. The only sensible translation I can think of is:
What kind of books do you use (in order) to study Japanese
I've not ...
5
votes
2answers
227 views
Why do textbooks teach が as “but” when けど is more common?
I personally learned beginner Japanese using the Genki textbooks, though I think this is similar for other beginner textbooks. In these textbooks, they teach が to mean "but", as in "日本料理が好きですが、生卵が嫌いです。...
-2
votes
1answer
171 views
What does 「かかと」 mean?
Here's my sentence. It's describing an attack.
強力なかかと落してで周囲を攻撃する
I know what everything else means but does anyone know what 「かかと」 means? I've never seen it before.
2
votes
0answers
59 views
What is the grammar behind 'te' 'soshite' and 'to'? [duplicate]
I want to know which 'and' to use in this context:
I went out today and it was fun.
I don't know for sure if it is 'te'.
3
votes
1answer
2k views
How to express “and/also” in this context?
Of the various ways to express the word "and" in Japanese, I don't understand how you would express the following.
For example, how would you translate the sentence, "I play music, and/but I also ...
8
votes
1answer
409 views
Why is this で wrong, and を preferable? 「信号を左です」
日本語
知り合いに道案内していた時に、
次の信号で、左です
と言ったら、
次の信号を、左です
という言い方のほうがいいと言われました。
「です」は本物の動詞ではありませんし、「を」と繋がっているのは間違いではないのでしょうか。省略された動詞があるという分析のほうがいいのですか？そして、どうして「で」はだめなのですか？
English
While giving an ...
1
vote
0answers
60 views
What is the function of というのは in this sentence? Is there a relation to the word because? [duplicate]
今日私が話をする、皆さんにお伝えする話というのはユーズフル、役に立つ話ではないです。
Translation from subtitles:"I'm not going to talk to you today about something useful."
Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=86&v=3xs-...
4
votes
1answer
138 views
Question regarding the use of なのに
What does the なのに mean in this sentence from Makino and Tsutsui's A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar:
アパートの家賃を払うのが精一杯なのに、まして（や）家を買うなんて夢物語だ
Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar ...
1
vote
1answer
202 views
ーているの construction and use of もの
Take the following sentences. The context is, one girl talks to another after having been caught examining someone's collection of stuffed animals. (Very out of character for the second girl.) The ...
4
votes
2answers
248 views
Is “断ったとは信じがたい” a nominalization?
I'm not comfortable with how ~~とは... is used in my textbook:
彼{かれ}がひどいことをしたとは信{しん}じがたい。
That 信じる is only transitive makes me think that ~~とは... is a nominalization method. But, I've never seen ...
1
vote
0answers
57 views
inflecting an adjective as “〜く、…” or “〜くて、…”? [duplicate]
How to decide whether to inflect an adjective as 〜く、... or 〜くて、...?
pairing #1
// A is used in my textbook.
(A) 選手{せんしゅ}たちの今日{きょう}の試合{しあい}での活躍{かつやく}は素晴{すば}らしく、文句{もんく}のつけようがない。
(B) ...
4
votes
1answer
266 views
Meaning of 身もフタもない
怒られるタイプの人のことを考えていて、自分が怒られたんじゃ、身もフタもないじゃないの
I've been thinking about people who are the type to get scolded and, I scold myself...
I can't make any sense out of the part in bold. Literally I get, "...
4
votes
1answer
379 views
What does ただ mean in this context, following a verb and before ひとり?
怒られるタイプの男子に囲まれているただひとりの怒られるタイプの女子。
I'm surrounded by boys who are the "getting scolded" type (but?) I'm the only girl of that sort.
Does ただ mean 'but' in this context? If so, when/how should I use ...
9
votes
1answer
192 views
What does the に do in 表情から察するに?
その表情から察するに魔剣を所持している人は少ないみたいだ。
I'm having trouble figuring out what に does here. Does it have the same meaning as と?
4
votes
2answers
396 views
Use of -です／-ます in the middle of a complex sentence
I have always thought that -です／-ます should be use only at the end of a sentence but some japanese friends told me it sound more polite to use it with every verbs. What should I say between, by exemple:
...
4
votes
3answers
5k views
How would you say “I like sth/sb because of [that reason]” in Japanese?
For example how would you say
I like John, because I think he is charming and attentive.
Is there any other way to say "because" besides of kara (& node)? kara makes the sentence sound like "...
3
votes
1answer
345 views
The proper way to use でも
I'm just wondering if I'm using the word でも correctly here.
わたし は たいてい おちゃ を のみます。 でも ときどき おさけ を のみます。
From what I've read you don't usually use でも in the middle of a sentence and I've seen a lot ...
0
votes
1answer
204 views
が and けど at end of a sentence
I know that when in a sentence-final position が and けど can be used as softeners or to convey hedging, but in some situations understanding them as such doesn't feel right. Although my brain ...
