Questions tagged [expressions]
表現. A set phrase used commonly in the Japanese language.
514
questions
2
votes
1answer
74 views
What does こき mean?
I've seen こき being used in expressions such as in こき使う (with the meaning of work someone hard) and 嘘こき (used to refer to someone who lies a lot, apparently). I haven't found this expression's meaning ...
1
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1answer
120 views
Can I use “dou” to offer something?
I understand that "dou" means how, and for example おちゃはどうですか means that I'm asking how is the tea? But, in Busuu app it says that I can use the same question to offer something, as if I'm ...
2
votes
0answers
113 views
Why use 一本 in the expression 一本取る
I was watching an episode of ファニエスト外語学院 on judo.
At 6:26, the judoka remarked how his opponent ボビー could win him just by his horrid face, saying 「顔で一本取られた」って感じです.
I am interested in understanding why ...
0
votes
1answer
73 views
Is there a short phrase/ slang for “ hating the people you love most”?
I'm looking for a phrase that means something that means something along "I hate the people I love the most"
I know 愛憎関係 means love-hate relationship but was wondering if there was something ...
11
votes
1answer
234 views
Why doesn't 「毎日学校に行ってきます」work?
This question stemmed from comments under another Q&A where @Chocolate points out that「毎日学校に行ってきます」doesn't work but 「今から学校に行ってきます」is fine. But I am still not quite sure why it doesn't work? When ...
3
votes
2answers
217 views
How to talk about completing a series?
I was wondering how to convey "today I've completed reading a manga series" or "I've completed watching a TV series". Does "Verb(ます stem)+終わる" sound wrong? Should I use &...
5
votes
1answer
141 views
Meaning of って意味 in this context
In the sentence
俺は人にモノを教えるのは得意じゃない。人には向き不向きがあるだろ？
正直、勉強を教えるって意味じゃ俺なんかより、堀北や櫛田のほうが向いている
I'm not a good teacher.People have different strengths and weaknesses, right ?
To be honest, Horikita and ...
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2answers
162 views
How would one call something negative interesting?
This seems like it is very basic, but it was never resolved in the past, so here I am.
This was in a Reddit post recently, but it never received a good answer; most of the answers were along the lines ...
3
votes
1answer
110 views
How to say “Thanks to everyone who made it possible” in Japanese
So I'm trying to figure this out but I'm not finding much online. So, I want to thank the people who was involved into me being able to achieve something.
I know the ~てくれて/いただいてありがとう... form, but what ...
0
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1answer
56 views
breakdown of 願ってもない申し出
I found this expression and the dictionaries give
"heaven sent offer", "best offer one could ask for"; "offer just what one wants"
I am interested by the break down ...
0
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1answer
140 views
When to use 良い夢を
I know that おやすみなさい。良い夢を❣️ means "goodnight. sweet dreams!"
I also know that 良い夢を is not something regularly used in Japanese. Right? Is this a normal thing for a Japanese man to write to a ...
0
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2answers
86 views
What do 「生業とし」and「究極」mean in this passage?
While watching Konosuba, when Megumin will do her self-introduction (she speaks in an archaic way) she says:
我【わ】が名【な】はメグミン! アークウィザードを生業【なりわい】とし、最強【さいきょう】の攻撃【こうげき】魔法【まほう】、爆裂【ばくれつ】魔法【まほう】を操【あやつ】る者【もの】。...
3
votes
1answer
251 views
Is the で in というわけで the de-particle or the te-form of だ?
Would the で in というわけで be analyzed as the te-form of da or the de particle? Both of them seem like they would fit, as the de particle can indicate cause/reason (as alluded to in this similar question) ...
0
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2answers
97 views
Can someone explain dialogue expressions? Momotarou
Trying to read and translate Momotarou and I don't quite understand these expressions.
So far I have
「うまい もも こっちゃ こい。
"Delicious peach ... come.
Reference translation: Sweet peach come here.
...
0
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1answer
62 views
What's the role of 名 in Xという名のならず者?
I just stumbled across an expression that basically goes like:
X という名のならず者
(X being the name of a group of people in the story)
I can see what ならず者 means ("bandit", "scoundrel" ...
0
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1answer
32 views
Difference between どうにかならない! and 仕方がない when used as an interjection
From what I've been seeing, the two have somewhat similar meanings when used as interjections.
1
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1answer
142 views
can't understand how で particle works with ～ばいいのに
I am having trouble interpreting this sentence in a manga, the text was split in two bubbles which is why I separated them.
「日之出ん家でしてくればいいのに」 「そうすりゃもっと長く一緒に居られる」
from other threads, ～ばいいのに seems to ...
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0answers
91 views
Is Emmerich's translation of 特に望みもなく in Yoshimono Banana's みずうみ correct?
I'm reading Yoshimoto Banana's みずうみ in Japanese, and I decided to refer to Emmerich's translation into English to make sure I was following the beginning correctly since I'm still an intermediate ...
2
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1answer
119 views
Difference (if there is any) between 知るか and 知ったことか
From what I researched online, I have read that most of the times these phrases are interpreted as "I don't care", "Who cares?" " "I don't give a damn!" "It's ...
0
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1answer
173 views
龍 安 寺 蹲 踞 『吾唯足知』 [closed]
¿ Can you trace the ancient Chinese roots of the sentence
吾
唯
足
知
。
In the 茶の湯 garden of 龍安寺 🇯🇵 there's a stone dubbed 蹲踞〔つくばい〕where there it's written on it :
五
矢 囗 隹
止
and the 囗 is a basin of ...
1
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1answer
47 views
explanation of 状況が摑めず固まったままの俺
I have difficulty to understand the expression in the following sentence
"その美少女は、髪と同色の、透き通った水色の瞳をパチパチさせ、状況が摑めず固まったままの俺をじっと見ていた"
It has been translated as:
This beauty stare at me with ...
0
votes
1answer
87 views
Is the use of "だって” regional or is it used everywhere?
I recently came across "datte" for example: "だって眠くないんだもの" Is this specific to a dialect
or used all over Japan?
3
votes
1answer
179 views
meaning of the expression 順調に回る
I have found the sentence
勉強会が始まり、なんだかんだ順調に回り始めていた
that was translated as
The study group seemed to have gotten off a good start
But I could not break down "順調に回り", could you explain?
2
votes
1answer
114 views
Equivalent to the 5 Ws in English
Is there an equivalent to the English, "who, what, when, where, why" method of inquiry?
4
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1answer
168 views
Japanese equivalent to nonliteral “sounds like”
I am trying to find phrases that mean the same thing as "sounds like" in English when used in the sense of
It sounds like they are sincere, but they are trying to trick you.
or
That doesn't ...
0
votes
1answer
80 views
What does ってのか mean in this sentence?
In this sentence: 俺にあの日の再現をさせようってのか
I know that ってのか is short for というのか
But what does he mean by that sentence?
返事してくれてありがとうございます！
0
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0answers
33 views
What does だったりする mean in this context? [duplicate]
I found this phrase in an anime:
みいこ姉は伊御(いよ)の数少ない弱点の一つだったりする
I didn't understand this だ っ た り す る. Could someone explain to me?
ありがとうございます
0
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0answers
53 views
Revisiting いいんじゃない
In this post, it was mentioned that
Basically, "affirmation+じゃない(です(か))?" (notice the question mark), and
"affirmation+じゃん!" (notice the exclamation mark) is an informal way to
...
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vote
2answers
51 views
万端 ｖｓ 完了 in this context
I was listening to a song the other day when I saw this. The lyrics in question:
[帰宅]{きたく}[完了]{かんりょう}。ダウンロード[完了]{かんりょう}。[配信]{はいしん}スタート。[準備]{じゅんび}[万端]{ばんたん}。
According to Jisho 万端 means
all； ...
2
votes
1answer
74 views
What does 歯が欠ける mean?
I would like to know what does 歯が欠ける mean: Lacking teeth? Broken teeth?
Context: 人の幸せを素直に喜べないやつ理解出来なさすぎて、また歯が欠けた。
My translation:
I can't barely understand people who cannot honestly be glad for other'...
1
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1answer
69 views
Can 二度と～ない be taken literally?
Let's take the following situation as an example: After having driven a car for 20 years without any problems, someone is one day involved in a horrible car crash. They then might think to themselves:「...
2
votes
2answers
115 views
How do you say “You sound like a ___?”
I've been singing on a karaoke app recently and I wanted to comment on a person's voice. How would I go about saying "You sound like a rockstar!"
I was thinking 「Aさん、ロックスターみたいなぁ～」
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2answers
157 views
What conjugation does出す/出せる take in this expression;元気を出せよ。?
Now i know that 元気を出せよ。=Cheer up.
But i have no clue what's going on in the expression.
Here's my attempt to literally translate it with the help of Jisho.org:
元気を出せよ。=You can reveal/show full spirit/...
2
votes
1answer
140 views
Etymology of the exclamation 「よし」
What is the etymology of the exclamation 「よし！」?
I mean the one that's made before people decide to take some kind of action (such as standing up, or starting to do the dishes).
4
votes
2answers
244 views
Can 耳が痛い be used to mean 何度も同じことを言われて聞くことがつらい?
This usage of 耳が痛い seems to overlap with 耳に胼胝ができる, and is not listed in any dictionary I checked.
三省堂:
人の言うことが、自分の弱点や欠点に触れているようで、聞いているのが辛い様子。「彼が先生に注意されているのを聞いていて、私も耳が痛かった」
明鏡:
...
3
votes
1answer
171 views
How to say “how are your Japanese studies going?”
I wanted to ask that to a friend that is also studying Japanese about how he is doing, and thought maybe asking "日本語の勉強はどうですか。" but I have no idea if it is correct. How do I say "how is (something) ...
4
votes
2answers
127 views
Is 入れ物 different from other A-物 expressions? [duplicate]
While I can understand the meaning of the word, I cannot wrap my head around the logic behind it.
In all similar cases, the basis of the expression is the object of the action:
Aを食べる ⟶ A: 食べ物
Aを飲む ⟶ ...
1
vote
1answer
56 views
meaning of お世話になる in this context
I'm currently watching terrace House boys and girls next door and heard came across this line;
Daiki: てっちゃんには言ったじゃん、俺出るって。
Tecchan: うん、きいてたね 俺はね。
Daiki :でもちょっとまだお世話になろうかな。
I looked up 「お世話になる」 and ...
2
votes
2answers
114 views
私のうち Usage & Meaning
Here is a quote taken from the Genki 1 textbook, it is one of the expression notes (page 141):
遊ぶ means "to play," "to spend time pleasantly" or "to pay a social call."
私のうちに遊びに来てください。 Please ...
2
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3answers
438 views
Can 所{ところ｝ in 「日{に}本{ほん}の良{い}い所{ところ}」 have two possible meanings: places or points?
Context:
記者{きしゃ}： こんにちは。えっと、今日{きょう}はですね、日本{にほん}について、日本{にほん}の良{い}い所{ところ}について、（はい）、お聞{き}きしてるんですけど。
翻訳{ほんやく}： Hi there, today I'm asking people what's great about Japan.
The English official version ...
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1answer
57 views
Meaning of で+やる
I asked a friend how they were doing and they replied "元気でやってるよ". What is the meaning of でやってる? Is this some variation on である (to be) or is it a form of やる (to do)? If it is the latter, why does it ...
0
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1answer
139 views
What does “言葉の裏の想いが 心の首筋舐めた” mean?
I was listening to the song Ain't Nobody Know by Gen Hoshino and looking up the translation, which said for this sentence "the feelings behind our words licked the back of our hearts' neck". Since ...
3
votes
1answer
120 views
Question about phrase in よつばと！
The context: Yotsuba goes to the front door to welcome her friend, and says 「どうぞおあがり。おまかいですが。」and her friend visibly confused responds with 「何だそれ？」I didn't manage to find this おまかい expression on the ...
0
votes
0answers
107 views
How to express condolences to someone with terminal illness?
I was living in Japan a number of years ago with a host family who treated me with the most incredible kindness and generosity, to the point where they felt like a second family to me.
I just ...
3
votes
2answers
117 views
ないと attached to a verb
I know that 頑張らないと would mean "I have to work hard" (as if I am forced to work hard).
What if I see someone (my friend) working hard and I am motivated to work hard too. In this case, would 頑張らないと or ...
1
vote
1answer
75 views
How to interpret 身にしみる in this sentence?
In this paragraph:
ちなみに私の語学力は日英ほぼ同レベルだけど、会話だけは日本語のほうが得意。つまり日本語力の問題ではない。仲良い友達も日本人が多い。英語という逃げ込む場所があるから違いが身にしみるだけで、もし日本語しかわからなかったら自分は人見知りなんだと思うだろう。
My interpretation of 身にしみる is for something to ...
0
votes
1answer
87 views
How to interpret あたり in this sentence?
From this link,
ずらずらとでてくるので、無関係そうな所は除外しています。ignoring nonexistent directory "/dammy/xxx" というあたりがそれっぽいですね
There is another question, where あたり is used in the following way:
「(an example) + あたり + (...
1
vote
1answer
82 views
What particles can be used with 気にしない?
I would like to say "I don't mind that," or "That doesn't bother me," but I'm not sure what particles to use for 気にしない when I would like to specify both a subject and an object. These are the ...
2
votes
1answer
135 views
What does 不変的なもの mean in the context of music?
I'm trying to read an interview with a musician who is also a songwriter. In this context, what is the meaning of 不変的なもの? Does it mean that lyrics contain nothing to indicate a time period?
...
2
votes
2answers
575 views
How does one express uncertainty when describing numbers e.g. 170-odd cases
I found myself stuttering when I tried to tell my boss that I had finished sending a-hundred-some-odd emails yesterday.
I've ask a similar question on HiNative a long time ago, and here I quote the ...
