Questions tagged [expressions]
表現. A set phrase used commonly in the Japanese language.
453
questions
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1answer
123 views
80/20 rule expression
Is there a saying (ことわざ）or 4 character phrase (四字熟語) in Japanese for the 80-20 rule? i.e. it takes 20% of the effort to get 80% of the results but to get the last 20% of the results takes 80% of the ...
2
votes
1answer
158 views
How have writers in English spelled うん?
I write fanfiction, some of it based on anime. There is the Japanese word うん, used to casually indicate agreement, very familiar to anyone who pays attention to the audio in subtitled works.
I am ...
3
votes
1answer
106 views
Meaning of verb + つもりも + potential verb + 程
In a letter by a mangaka at the end of a manga, I encountered the following sentence:
〝正しいこと〟なんて描くつもりも描ける程、自分を上等とも思っていないけど〝つまらないこと〟だけはしないようにしていきたいなって思います
Is verb + つもりも + potential verb + 程 a ...
5
votes
1answer
184 views
What are simple “No” responses?
I've learned from textbooks and online sites like Duolingo that "no" is いいえ, but I've rarely heard native speakers say that. I learned さあ today as sort of an "I don't know" response. I saw a ...
3
votes
1answer
81 views
How to use「足がすくんだ」
I want to say "The building was very high, so I froze with fear". Would I be right to say:
「建物がとても高くて僕は足がすくんだ」
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0answers
32 views
What does お慕いしております mean? [duplicate]
Its something I can't understand very well and I like to know what it really means
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0answers
100 views
Meaning of かっぱ寿司では
I found an article here, and the first sentence contains fragment ~かっぱ寿司では~. Can not translate it - what does it mean? The complete sentence: 回転寿司チェーンかっぱ寿司では、12月13日から「本格ラーメンシリーズ」の第八弾として金澤濃厚中華そば神仙監修の「...
2
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0answers
74 views
Question concerning 〜やがる / Imperative in “Slang” [duplicate]
I've come across these expressions in all sorts of anime, manga and light novels and now I am wondering behind the "mechanics" of it...
「勝手に言ってろ」「ほざいてろ」「食らいやがれ」
In these cases the imperative is ...
2
votes
1answer
94 views
Can なになに be used to fill in an unknown word in an example? i.e. なになにともうします。
In English you teach someone how to say their name by saying: My name is ''blah blah'' or My name is ''whatever''. Your voice drops on the words blah blah and whatever to show that your name is not ...
5
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1answer
317 views
Meaning of これでもかという forms
Sorry to ask a vague question, but I hope someone could explain what these following expression amount to.
これでもかって
これでもかってほど
これでもかってぐらいに
I thought I would figure this out eventually but ...
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1answer
148 views
Can “genki desu ka” also mean “Am I well?”
I learnt that how are you is “genki” or “o genki des ka”, but there is no anata, so how do you know that that’s not “Am I well?”. In other words how do you distinguish 1., 2., and 3. person when no ...
6
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1answer
130 views
What is the origin of っこない?
There's a construction V+っこない which means something like "have no way of doing V".
お前には分かりっこないでしょう。
There's no way you would understand.
Is it known what this construction originates from? I ...
10
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2answers
224 views
What's up with the weird word order in 乞うご期待?
乞うご期待 is a set expression that means "Don't miss it!"
What's up with the weird word order? If I interpret this to really mean ご期待を乞う, then I can't think of any other circumstance in Japanese where ...
1
vote
1answer
183 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?
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1answer
165 views
Different ways to ask help from strangers
1) Offering help to strangers in Japanese is te form shimashouka ( o tetsudaishimashouka- Shall I help you / Do you need any help ?)
2) What are the different ways to seek help ( one I know is eki no ...
9
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1answer
812 views
What is the Japanese equivalent of 'you're in my heart'?
According to this, the translation would be:
あなたは わたしの こころに います。
That seems simple enough. However, the same source claims it's not in use, and recommends the following instead:
いつも あなたのことを ...
6
votes
1answer
156 views
How best to respond to 「ご無沙汰しています」
I just received an email from a good friend in Japan, who has notably over the past few months been instrumental in connecting me to various people, for some research interviews I've been conducting.
...
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1answer
210 views
What is the word for “man cave”?
In English, the term is used for a special room where a man sets things up for his own personal use and enjoyment, his private space for entertainment and hobbies. The room is decorated and used by ...
3
votes
1answer
99 views
Is there an equivalent phrase for “(enjoyed it) as much as we did”?
When sending a thank you message to a friend that showed me and my family around in her country, I wrote something along the lines of
We had as much fun as we did thanks to you.
Later when I was ...
0
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1answer
129 views
Should I use 正解 or 当たり to mean correct in a testing situation?
I want to use the term(s) when indicating a correct answer to a TEST question. I am thinking that one term may be preferred in TESTING situations, over the other.
6
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1answer
322 views
Japanese equivalent for “get to do something”?
I'm looking for a natural way to express that you're happy or surprised about an action. In English, "I got to spend the whole day reading", or "I get to interview him tomorrow". Does something like ...
2
votes
1answer
86 views
What is the meaning of ケタ外れ in this situation..?
I have a sentence which says,
2030年、日本が迎えるのはケタ外れの「ひとりさま社会」。
The dictionary says the word means; incredible, extraordinary, exceptional or phenomenal, but it doesn't really make sense when ...
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1answer
247 views
What does はなはなはな mean in the Okinawan dialect?
What does はなはなはな mean? People were clapping and the expression was used after the karaoke song was completed. This term was used as more of a chant after the person finished singing. This expression ...
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0answers
52 views
I need help on the meaning and translation of 絶賛不登校 [duplicate]
I came across this word in a manga that I'm translating. I understand that it has something to do with not attending school, but I can't for the life of me figure out what "絶賛" means when placed in ...
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2answers
142 views
Equivalent to “How to” in guides and the like
What is an equivalent expression to "How to" that is used when searching/referring to guides, especially online?
4
votes
1answer
140 views
Using そうです to respond to a sentence ending in a verb or adjective
I was recently reading through grammar notes in the Japanese textbook, "Shin Nihongo no Kiso I", and came across a statement which confused me a bit:
In answering a question asked in a noun ...
4
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1answer
412 views
Is 悪いところを見つかった proper Japanese?
The weblio page for 見つかった uses this phrase as an example meaning "I've been caught." But as I understand it, 見つかる implies that the subject and not the object is the thing that is found. And so I would ...
3
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0answers
93 views
Expressing “huh” tag?
How would you express this type of tag?
For example:
Lovers, huh? That’s what you think they are?
Would って work?
恋人って？そうと思う？
0
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1answer
220 views
What's this word I always hear in anime? “Oh no!” or “not good!” [closed]
Sometimes when a character ends up in a bad situation they'll say a word or phrase that sounds like "matsui!" or "natsui!" It's usually translated as "not good!" or "oh no!" I'm curious as to what the ...
3
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4answers
657 views
How to say “How long have you had this dream?”
Would it be correct to say:
「どのくらい夢がありましたか。」
I don't really know. This is for a Japanese assignment I have at school.
14
votes
1answer
2k views
Why is 一日 used instead of 日 to ask how your day is?
I spoke with someone from Japan on Tandem and she said to me “今日はどんな一日でしたか?” and I’m wondering why 一日 was used since I thought that meant the first of the month?
3
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1answer
106 views
Difference between 付き合いが悪い and ノリが悪い
In a manga, a girl is reproaching her friend for not being very sociable since she became friend with a guy from the school cinema club:
あんた あの映研のメガネとつるむようになってからつきあい悪いしノリも悪い
I read on Kenkyusha ...
2
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1answer
89 views
圧が強い what's the meaning?
What exactly means to describe someone saying "圧が強い" (atsu ga tsuyoi) . I know that's something related with "the person has a strong pressure" or "the pressure in that person is strong" but I was ...
3
votes
3answers
394 views
What's your problem? in Japanese
-どうしましたか。
-せきが出ます。
Apparently, this is a dialogue between a doctor and a patient. The doctor says, "What is the problem?" and the patient answers, "I have a cough."
How could we naturally say "...
9
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1answer
251 views
How can I say “With the passing of time…”?
I am writing a text and I want to say:
With the passing of time, I have understood what he wanted to say.
I have written:
時間がたつにつれて、彼が言いたかったことが分かってきました。
Is my sentence completely wrong?
4
votes
2answers
156 views
Meaning and usage of ずっとそう思っていました。
Which translation is most apt for ずっとそう思っていました。?
"I always thought so."
"I have always thought that..."
"It is always on my mind"
"I am always thinking about"
When and how is the phrase/expression ...
3
votes
2answers
198 views
How to say “photobomb” in Japanese
Is there a word for "photobomb" in Japanese?
In English, to photobomb someone is to spoil a photograph (of a person or thing) by unexpectedly appearing in the camera's field of view as the picture ...
3
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3answers
254 views
Which is more common for “I miss you”: 会いたい or 寂しい？
When saying “I miss you” which of these is more frequently used? Do they have different nuances?
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1answer
95 views
正々堂々勝負して's meaning
In this anime trailer the protagonist say this sentence:
正々堂々勝負して、あ、みやがれってんだ！
I can't figure out the meaning... Is maybe something like "Fight like a man!" or "Don't play rough!"?
PS: here the ...
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vote
2answers
180 views
Expressing that something is multiple things at the same time (e.g. “She is an artist and a poet”)
How does one express multiple states of equality? (Probably the wrong terminology.)
For example, "She is an artist and a poet" in Japanese.
I know です can be used to show equality. For example:「彼女{...
3
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1answer
87 views
袂を分かつ Can someone explain this expression?
I was reading a light novel and I looked up the meaning of 袂を分かつ, but I wonder, can someone explain this expression in more detail as to why it means break off relations with/part with someone?
...
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2answers
165 views
Is the sentence 「もう少し誠実に対応頂けませんか。」rude and unprofessional? What does it literally mean in English?
If you think a person has been irresponsible with his work (changing responses to inquiries without reason and not really researching for the answer) and you sent a message with the ending sentence 「...
3
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1answer
89 views
Saying “fill up”?
I work at an ice cream store that also is a gas station and we sell pints and half gallons of our ice cream in ice cream cases near the drink coolers too. How would I say “fill up” in the sense of ...
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0answers
102 views
How to say “to” as in “2 to 3 puppies”, “100 to 120 cm”, “June 3rd to July 4th”, “2010-2015” in Japanese? [duplicate]
What is the correct way to say "to" as in, for example, "2 to 3 puppies", "100 to 120 cm", "from June 3rd to July 4th", "from 2010 to 2015" in Japanese? And does that way apply to spellings with the ...
1
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0answers
103 views
What are some Japanese euphemisms for death and dying? [closed]
Could you list some euphemisms on death and dying used by Japanese people in everyday speech? I'm writing a paper on Japanese language euphemisms and would like to know more about expressions used by ...
17
votes
1answer
2k views
Asahi Dry Black beer can
What does ビアホール仕立ての黒 on Asahi Dry Black means?
Specifically 仕立て(sewing?) and ビアホール(via hole?). I tried searching it on japanese web, but it's kinda assumed as common knowledge and never mentioned ...
2
votes
1answer
78 views
A word to express a feeling of sudden release from intense pressure that had been building up over time
I'm failing to express an emotion in Japanese that one feels after something emotionally unnerving that had been intensifying was then suddenly released, primarily due to being resolved by the subject....
5
votes
2answers
263 views
あいだ, ところ、しまった in a sentence
トイレに行っているあいだに電車が行ってしまった。
The choices were either あいだ or ところ but the answer is あいだ.
Google translate it :
The train went while I was in the bathroom.
I thought it meant :
I was about to go in ...
5
votes
1answer
108 views
Special meaning of 手が挙がる
In an email about someone I introduced for a position at a company, one particular sentence was as follows:
○○様、残念ながら誰からも手が挙がらず、お見送りとさせてください。
While I am familiar with the fact that 手が上がる has ...
0
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2answers
165 views
More 'romantic'/better than すきです / だいすきです
This was mentioned in our class but for the life of me, I cannot recall the exact sentence. I only recall that it was even more 'romantic' or better than だいすきです since it means 'I love your everything',...
