Questions tagged [contractions]
縮約. The omission of sounds or letters from words. Contractions can be characteristic of dialects or modes of speech. A frequently observed contraction may become a new word in a language.
155
questions
2
votes
1answer
87 views
っちゅう after a verb
To be clear, I am not asking about なか after a verb (which can mean "during"/"while"). While reading, I encountered:
うちらに確実に勝てるっちゅうんか！！
Presumed meaning:
You think you can ...
3
votes
2answers
169 views
What's the structure of this lyric sentence? 「置いてかなくちゃいけないのかな」
The sentence is:
[明日]{あした}の[入]{い}り[口]{ぐち}に、[置]{お}いてかなくちゃいけないのかな？
Now I know the former part is "tomorrow, at the entrance (of our school)", and the following phrases:
おく ーー 置いて, to put,
かな ーー is ...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Questions about dialogue in this picture (omitted を、一歩も歩けん) [duplicate]
The dialogue in this picture is simple enough for me up until 一歩も歩けん. The first half makes me expect the whole sentence to be 一歩も引かない but the sentence as a whole confuses me.
What is this 歩けん ...
1
vote
1answer
52 views
What does かかっといで mean? [duplicate]
「もう一度かかっといで」。
At the beginning, I thought it was 掛かって + ぐ ending verb turned into its imperative mood; then I've found かかってこい, it would make sense. If so, why does で appear? Is と the contraction for ...
2
votes
2answers
118 views
Casual speech - できんでえ / てやんでえ
I've come across both できんでえ and ~てやんでえ today but I'm not sure what they mean or what their origin is. There's some information relating to ~てやんでえ online which seems to point to it being a question (&...
32
votes
3answers
13k views
What connotation does なんだ add?
Specifically, in the expression
好きなんだ (I love you)
why not just say
好きだ
or
好きです
?
10
votes
1answer
13k views
Usage of nan desu?
In a few songs I've heard recently I've noticed that なんです（nan desu） (without the か) has been used in what seems to be maybe a declarative or emphatic sense (not really sure), is this possible?
I'm not ...
2
votes
2answers
175 views
Is there a contracted/casual form of でないと？
でないと as in the conditional phrase.
例：これをやれ。でないと殺す。
例えば、じゃないと？
Never heard of it though. If there is no such thing then is でないと even considered formal in the first place or just neutral if it doesn'...
17
votes
1answer
3k views
Where does the verbal form しとく come from?
In a manga I am currently reading, one of the character exclaims:
安心しな。秘密に しとく から。
The general meaning of the second part ("I'll keep it a secret") is quite obvious, and it seems that "しとく" (...
4
votes
1answer
129 views
Unknown contractions and grammar in harsh language using 置いてくもん
I'm playing a game and I came across a dialog where a person says:
置いてくもん置いてきゃ
許してやらなくもないぜオラァ！
And I'm having a difficult time understanding how this grammar was formed. I am mainly lost on the ...
0
votes
1answer
64 views
Grammar confusion with use of 頼みてえ [duplicate]
I came across this sentence:
ちょうどいい！ 頼【たの】みてえ事【こと】がある！
My translation:
Just in time! I have a favor to ask!
I'm not really sure what grammar rule is being applied to the bold part. It seems like ...
6
votes
1answer
268 views
Sound change of verbs (違う → ちげー)
I find some (young?) people say ちげー when they mean 違う. Is there other verb that is frequently sound-reduced? (BTW, what is the correct way to describe this phonological phenomenon or the word for this ...
12
votes
3answers
684 views
What are the rules for substituting の with ん?
I've noticed that sometimes the hiragana の can be shortened to ん.
For example,
部屋のなか → 部屋んなか (inside of the room)
俺のうち → 俺んち (my house)
俺のところ → 俺んとこ (my place)
(More examples can be ...
16
votes
2answers
666 views
Why is the て-form being used before ん？
In the following sentence:
誰｛だれ｝探｛さが｝してんの
What is the grammatical reason for 探｛さが｝す to be used in て-form before ん?
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vote
1answer
387 views
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0answers
17 views
1
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1answer
76 views
How would I translate ’期待されとっても倒れたら’ in this sentence
Here's the full sentence:
’なんぼ期待されとっても倒れたら元も子もないんやから。’
And here's where I ended up:
'Because no matter what you say, even if you have hopes, you'll lose everything if you burn out.'
The context ...
6
votes
1answer
134 views
How to interpret 入っちゃって as a command?
A mother is telling her kid: 「お風呂わいたから入っちゃって」. From the context, I am guessing it means "The water's heated up, come in (take the bath)!".
I don't understand how「入っちゃって」 could mean a request / ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views
What is “られん” in “付き合ってられん”? I can't found it in dictionary?
Context:https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/81045594
The google translate split "付き合ってられん" to words as "付き合って られん" but it seem is not a regular word I can't understand what do "られん" meaning or find out ...
1
vote
1answer
62 views
How is たる being used here? [duplicate]
I got this sentence from My hero academia anime and I am confused on the usage of したる. The line is said in season 3 episode 9 at the 4 minute 45 second mark.
こいつらの方針が変わんねえうちに２～３人ぶっ殺して脱出したる！
The ...
0
votes
0answers
84 views
How does 時くれえ function here? [duplicate]
最初にまみえた時くれえ
呆けてた方が可愛げがあって良いんじゃねえか
My rough understanding of the 2nd sentence is "You were so amazed that it was cute, so it's fine, right?"
I'm not sure how the first sentence works here.
...
0
votes
1answer
242 views
What does the verbal contraction/suffix -kkya or -kya at the end of a clause mean? [duplicate]
I seem to hear and read this construction often, but can't seem to find any information about it on Google (or other search engines), as well as other sites I've checked. I've tried several different ...
6
votes
1answer
181 views
Is there a difference when using ～ものか/～もんか?
I was wondering if there's any difference in meaning when contracting this sentence-final.
For example:
ボーナスもくれない会社でもう働くものか。
ボーナスもくれない会社でもう働くもんか。
2
votes
1answer
121 views
Meaning or nuance of 調きょ?
Here's the line I'm trying to understand:
責任をもって調きょ…指導してあげるのよ
I've gotten a bit over my head reading a comedy yuri manga written by one of those big Twitter authors... It's chock full of slang, ...
5
votes
1answer
440 views
がってんなら - what kind of contraction am I dealing with in this sentence?
I'm trying to understand how to parse the がってんなら in this sentence (it's from Tales of Vesperia, in case anyone's curious):
帝国がってんなら、
この旅の間にも
何度か見てきたろ？
This is how it's translated in the English ...
4
votes
2answers
327 views
What does ガッポォオォイ mean?
I tried searching in jisho.org with different iteratons of the オ to no avail.
Thanks in advance.
2
votes
1answer
125 views
人のことをいっときながら DB Chapter 2
This is Bulma alone complaining about Goku rudeness.
Translated as: "I can't believe he had the nerve to call me stuff like witch or fairy".
人のことを = things to people (like in saying things to people)
...
5
votes
3answers
303 views
What does the word 「とくら」 mean?
Here is the context said by a boy who was training in boxing.
左ジャブで敵の体勢をくずし 突破口を見いだしたらば すかさず右ストレートを打つべし
これ拳闘の攻撃における基本なり...とくら
I have found some sites explaining that it is changed from と来る but I ...
1
vote
1answer
88 views
だったらはやくいやあいいのに DB
I'm still learning. This is Goku tied to a tree in first chapter of DB.
Translated as: "She should've said it earlier".
Can someone give me a literal translation? Something is preventing me from ...
5
votes
1answer
511 views
te form + takunaru
I was watching a "Chibi Maruko Chan" episode about Maruko wanting to pet a fluffy dog. In the subtitles, I saw「ずっと触ってたくなるよね」. So I understand that ずっと means "continuously," and that さわって is the te-...
6
votes
1answer
380 views
Help me understand 言わんこっちゃない
I don't understand this whatsoever:
やれやれ
だから言わんこっちゃない
especially the bolded part. What real words does that come from?
Context is that the main character got a cold from staying outside all night; ...
2
votes
1answer
104 views
I need some help with んです/ので/ん
I was studyng from a book and I can't answer this question (and I don`t have the answers) the question is:
普通の言い方に直すとどうなりますか。
私に予約してくれんか。
a)予約してくれないのですか。 b)予約してくれるのですか。 c)予約してくれませんか。
To me all of ...
3
votes
2answers
271 views
Is 「short past + ろう」 like 「だろう」?
I found this form I'm not sure about:
少なくとも最後の最後、ばあさんはいいやつに会ったんだ。それで、きもちのいい運転でドライブを楽しんだ。車に乗ってるあいだは、楽しかったろう
The character is speaking about an old woman who, after taking a taxi, killed herself; ...
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votes
2answers
1k views
What is the verb ending of われん mean?
I am reading the Fullmetal Alchemist manga and came across the following in the first volume:
祈り信じよ
されば救われん
The subtitles of the anime translate this to be:
"Pray and you shall be saved."
...
2
votes
0answers
53 views
「戦って勝たなくたっていい..」 [duplicate]
In this YouTube video from an anime 暗殺教室 渚 殺気② t=44s what I hear the character is saying is the following:
戦{たたか}って勝{か}たなくたっていい、殺{ころ}せば勝｛か｝ちなんだ。
I don't understand where the part in bold comes ...
1
vote
0answers
84 views
Interpretation of にはな in this sentence
I know that based on the title it might sound a bit odd, but thing is, there's a video game I like and it only has an English dub and Japanese subtitles.
There's a line (which is spoken by a guy), ...
1
vote
1answer
247 views
Which is more polite, ではまた or じゃまた?
Context: The terms are used when leaving chat sessions. Some people type deha/wamata and others, jya/jaomata. Which one is more polite?
0
votes
1answer
128 views
How's ちゃわなきゃ working in this sentence?
I have a question about the usage of ちゃわなきゃ with 寝る in the following sentence, 先週みたいに途中に寝ちゃわなきゃいいけど。
I believe that the ちゃ is for things that must not be done, but I have no clue what わなきゃ is doing ...
49
votes
6answers
12k views
What does っす at the end of a sentence mean?
I saw a sentence like:
「それ使{つか}ってるっす。」
and none of my dictionaries have an entry for just "っす". Is it a verb form, gobi, or something else?
6
votes
1answer
496 views
Saying い adjectives without pronouncing the い
As the title above, why do japanese locals remove theいfrom the いadjective when speaking. For example, I have heard words like 早、やば、高 being used when speaking. Is this only used amongst friends (very ...
8
votes
1answer
674 views
部屋で2人っきりてのがどーもな。 Understanding this て and the meaning of this どーも
小島：塾なんかやめればいーじゃん
オレ家庭教師にしたぜ
伊藤：うざいんだ 家庭教師って
部屋で2人っきりてのがどーもな
I am struggling with the bolded phrase, I think he says something to the meaning of "What are you going to do with just two people ...
8
votes
2answers
506 views
ておく → とく in other contexts; similar 2-kana to 1-kana shortcuts?
Recently I learned that おいておいて ("leave it there") can be shortened in casual speech (or speech to subordinates) to おいといて. (ておく → とく).
I also learned that this can be used for any verb attached to ておく ...
13
votes
1answer
489 views
Contraction of particle の to ん before nouns in colloquial Japanese
I am familiar with contraction of の to ん before です (and variants で, だ, でした etc) but I noticed that の is also contracted before 家 in spoken set-phrases like あたしんち and おれんち.
Are there any other ...
2
votes
1answer
185 views
What does 断っといたから mean?
I'm trying to read manga and came across this sentence. How is "から" used here? It does definitely not mean "because", as you can see from the picture, the character is explaining his action, he does ...
15
votes
1answer
9k views
Difference between ~なきゃ and ~なくちゃ
I know that one of them is なくてはいけません and the other one なければなりません, I just don't know which is which, also a few example sentences would help a lot, thank you.
5
votes
1answer
139 views
Regarding chau and cha contractions, what happens in -って and -んで cases?
When contracting -てしまう or -でしまう to -ちゃう or -ちゃ, what happens in the -って and -んで cases?
For example, does 洗ってしまう become あらちゃう or あらっちゃう?
Similarly, does 喚んでしまわない become 喚んじまわない or 喚じまわない?
I'm trying ...
2
votes
0answers
64 views
け as a contraction of 来い [duplicate]
I’d like to confirm my theory that 来い at the end of a sentence can be colloquially contracted to け. I met this sentence in a comics:
置いてけ。
A meaning “Leave it here!” would be very appropriate ...
1
vote
1answer
265 views
I have some question about てけない
僕独りじゃ生きてけない
I saw this sentence, but, I actually get the meaning.
It means "I can't live alone" right? But how do you translate it? What is "けない" grammar?
I tried to search a lot of websites, but ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
っては replaced with っちゃ？
My friend said:
うたっちゃだめだから。
Is the っちゃ a colloquial replacement for っては in this case?
3
votes
1answer
116 views
What しとっても means here?
陸ではのらくらしとっても水の中ではそりゃあ素早い
I don't quite understand しとっても form here.
I guess the whole sentence will be
Even though they're slow on land, they're very quick in water.
Is しとっても another form of ...
