Questions tagged [meaning]
意味. The meaning of words or phrases within certain contexts, especially when it does not seem to match the standard definition.
68
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
9
votes
1answer
635 views
The meaning of 吸口 in this context
The situation (story from Edo period, but in contemporary Japanese, at most stylised on old language): three thieves A, B, and C working in a group. Pickpocket A is caught in a crowd, B disappears ...
8
votes
1answer
244 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?
6
votes
1answer
177 views
Specific use of してまで
Recently I've been reading Michael Emmerich's "New Penguin Parallel Text" for Japanese short stories. In Yoshimoto Banana's "A Little Darkness," there's a passage that describes how the narrator's ...
5
votes
1answer
127 views
Help understanding だからこそ、という場合もある
I'm struggling to understand the sentence in the exchange below. To explain the context, these characters have been shipwrecked and landed on an unknown island. They find that several of their ...
5
votes
1answer
162 views
Why 気にされる instead of 気にする?
These two characters are discussing ヒューバート in the below, and about how he lacks self awareness. However I am not sure why 気にされる was used instead of 気にする here. I know that される can be used as an ...
4
votes
0answers
138 views
Why does いい加減 have diametrically opposite meanings?
When scolding a misbehaving child, we tell them to be iikagen:
いい加減にしなさい。
But we can also tell a misbehaving child to stop being iikagen, or describe something bad as iikagen:
もういい加減でやめなさい。
...
4
votes
2answers
424 views
Meaning/use of ように in this sentence
鳥の絵が得意になり、クリスマスにハトの絵を贈ってくれるようにもなった。
I cannot understand the meaning of ようにもなった in this sentence.
I know that
鳥の絵が得意になり、
means "I became good/strong at drawing birds and..."
...
3
votes
0answers
65 views
transitive vs intransitive verbs in relative clauses
Is there a difference in interpretation or how one would understand sentences that use a transitive vs intransitive verb? e.g. in the below
味噌汁を入れたマグカップ vs 味噌汁が入ったマグカップ
「でもお前、俺のこと好きだったじゃん」
「……...
3
votes
1answer
164 views
Need help with economics headline that contains 還元
Since I do not hold a degree in business, this headline has me stumped. Please note all of these are my sad attempts at translation since the article is only in Japanese.
支払い時に還元、実質値引きへ
"Return at ...
3
votes
0answers
67 views
Is there any difference between 「精々」 and 「たかだか」?
Like mentioned in the title, I would like to know if there are any subtle differences between 「精々」 and 「たかだか」.
As an example, are all these sentences grammatically correct? Is there any change in ...
3
votes
1answer
215 views
Does 両親ともに健在とは限らない。mean “Both of my parents aren't alive.”?
This is a sentence from the Tanaka corpus, I would have thought that it means "I have a parent that has passed away.".
I'm asking that because the Tanaka corpus contains some mistakes so I think it ...
3
votes
1answer
300 views
How would one translate or understand the word 死鬼 in English?
I'm reading a fictional book which deals with Japanese mythical/fantasy themes. One chapter describes dead people being resurrected through a complex operation in which their bodies were reworked and ...
3
votes
1answer
192 views
Help understanding this exchange
What's confusing me in the below exchange is:
What he means by 苦労が絶えない in this context
The usage of 言われ方. I often see 言い方 but I don't think I've seen 言われ方 before.
For context, the 妹 is worried ...
3
votes
1answer
116 views
引き起こすｖｓ起こす? Meaning difference?
For the meaning of "to cause" what are the differences if any? Or are they interchangeable?
3
votes
1answer
74 views
Is there a metaphorical meaning to this line? (心の望むままに情欲を唄おう)
The line in question:
心の望むままに情欲を唄おう。
Context: The speaker is monologuing about how terrible society is, especially how corrupt those in power are, he starts to sound nihilistic and basically says ...
3
votes
1answer
297 views
「いくらか」と「若干」の使い分けを教えていただけないでしょうか。
「いくらか」と「若干」の違いは何ですか。ただ「いくらか」は話し言葉で「若干」は書き言葉ですか。正しいですか。もし、正しかったら、他の違いがありますか。
3
votes
1answer
91 views
日常にしがみついた's meaning
https://furahasekai.net/2015/12/09/good-on-the-reel-searchlight-lyrics-indonesian-translation/
From this song, The sentence "囚われた日常にしがみついた". What do you guys translate it to ?
I did search しがみつく's ...
2
votes
1answer
203 views
What does “切ったのは俺?” mean in this context?
My friend showed me a doujinshi that she asked me to translate and there is one page that has me stumped. I think it would be difficult without knowing the whole story of it, but I will try my best to ...
2
votes
0answers
81 views
Using ていく to express doing something deeply/longer/strongly and tense agreement with ていくうちに
While trying to understand how to use ていくうちに in this sentence: (from https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/55251/17515)
子どもの頃から使っていくうちに、身についてきたものだからです。
(The て form) is something we master after ...
2
votes
0answers
56 views
is there a hidden meaning to それとなく?
I got bumped in the term それとなく in these two sentences
1. だから今はそれとなく散々淡々と暮らしていて
2. 思い出して魚の眼 Oh Oh! それとなくキルミーして！Oh Oh!
Jisho said indirectly; obliquely, but feels like it is not fit well to the ...
2
votes
2answers
266 views
Real meaning of やがて
In many pages the meaning of やがて is "in the proper time", sometimes it's "eventually"… I'd like to know all the meanings.
2
votes
0answers
121 views
Meaning of とし in this sentence
Aが出たとし、B。 (This is what the speaker is telling to another person on the phone)
Where A is an event that already happend (let's say an accident), and B means something like "I'll send you more info on ...
2
votes
0answers
118 views
Usage of する for the five senses - 音がする, 匂いがする, etc
Do these type of expressions mean that something is being perceived or that something is producing said sound/smell/etc?
For example, in the Weblio website I saw "門を叩く音がする" translated as "There is a ...
2
votes
0answers
153 views
Use of なら in this context - Concerning?
I was trying to translate this song but the first couple of lines didn't make much sense to me.
There seem to be a lot of inferred particles or something, because there seem to be a bunch of ...
2
votes
0answers
308 views
Meaning of やら in this sentence
I'm not sure how to interpret やら in this line:
そしてランディ・オートン、ジョン・シナと、同じ時代を戦ってきた人間としてやらなきゃいけないなと思ってますけど
From this paragraph:
「真っ先にＡＪというのもありますし。お互い新しい成長もあるだろうし。そしてランディ・オートン、ジョン・シナと、...
2
votes
1answer
116 views
するだろうな wonderment or a question?
If a person says " レイどんな顔をするだろうな"
Is it more correct to translate it as:
I wonder what face Rey would make.
Or
How do you think he will react?
2
votes
1answer
480 views
だって, なんだって and some other interpretation questions
I have couple of issues/questions about a certain piece of monologue from a manga. Because it's from a manga I will be separating the lines based on boxes in which they are in, and using / to separate ...
2
votes
1answer
381 views
Meaning of ぶつぶつ
I'm not sure how to formulate this question, but some words bother me. Here's a sentence for you :
彼女はまだぶつぶつと呟いている。
I often see these kinds of words and sometimes, like this one, I can't find what ...
2
votes
2answers
181 views
How to understand 委ねる in this line
I'm failing to understand what it means for the 戦い to 委ねる in the below sentence. Is there anyone who could clarify what it means in this case?
この戦いは国の勝ち負けだけじゃなく一人一人がどちらを選ぶのか委ねている
Additional ...
1
vote
0answers
80 views
What is the meaning of のだと in this context?
これが学習者にとっては妙なのだと気付くには慣れが必要かもしれませんが
What does のだとmean here ?
1
vote
1answer
157 views
Does わかる carry more implication of assent or agreement than the English equivalents?
The dictionary definition of わかる is usually "to understand" or "to know." But in everyday life it's sometimes used by service staff in some of the same situations as the more formal かしこまる, e.g. "to ...
1
vote
0answers
137 views
Uncertainty on ただひとついでます
Sorry to bother you. I'm still learning Japanese and I'm having trouble understanding this sentence:
天界 地界 十字なる主なる種は ただひとついでますぞ いでますぞ 汝らがもと 日の本に
From my understanding, 「十字なる」 and 「主なる」 are ...
1
vote
1answer
140 views
Meaning of によって/により
I’ve come across this phrase によって/により quite often and I’ve researched and found these meanings: by Person (この本は君によって書かれた？); due to/ because of; by means of (The teacher checked their knowledge by the ...
1
vote
0answers
86 views
What's the meaning of ぜってーつえー
I've found this expression on a manga and I don't know if the correct translation be Absolutely strong 絶対強い
1
vote
0answers
141 views
What is Yamouen/Yamoen?
I've been hearing something like yamoen for the meaning of "can't be helped". Similar to shouganai from my guess. I can't find it in any dictionary. Am I getting the word wrong or is it a colloquial ...
1
vote
0answers
51 views
Do 最愛の人 and ダーリン mean the same thing?
I looked up for the word "darling" and got two different answers and I just want to know if they both mean the same thing.
1
vote
0answers
85 views
Meaning of 首を傾げてしまいたくなる
Evernoteにはかつての輝きが薄れ始め、100年企業を謳っているけど、それは本当に可能なのか？？と首を傾げてしまいたくなるような停滞ぶりです
is it I want this to leave me confused? It doesn't make sense
It's from this text:
情報管理LOGの@yoshinonです。
私が、...
1
vote
0answers
107 views
Adjective-Nominalization さの vs normal usage with な
I try reading a Japanese book for the first time and I have some trouble with the sentence:
たったひとりとはいえ、その自分を惨めさの道連れにした。
I think I somewhat get the meaning of it, but I am confused why 惨め is ...
1
vote
0answers
71 views
How do you say 'sentence'.
I searched jisho and they gave me 句 and 文. Bun seems way too generic and has so many other meanings that I'm not sure people will understand it. So is 句, a one-worded syllabus which also seems to mean ...
1
vote
1answer
466 views
Meaning of どうすんだよ
example: "どうすんだよこの空気をよぉ！？"
Is it "What are you doing with this mood?!"? I can't make sense of it. The line is from a manga.
1
vote
0answers
50 views
what is the function of (だと) and (一人) in this sentence
the sentence is "もう駄目だと 一人孤独を抱いても".
i took this sentence from this page:
"http://honyakusitemita.pixnet.net/blog/post/91368550-%5Bblood%2B%EF%BC%88%E8%A1%80%E6%88%B0%EF%BC%89-%E7%89%87%E9%A0%AD%E6%...
1
vote
0answers
75 views
Can “という” be considered as an optional speech choice in some situations?
I've noticed that some people can use という very liberally and in TV programs, they cut out most of the という in their Japanese subtitling (in offical TV progs, not fan subs), so I assume the only という ...
1
vote
1answer
110 views
Meaning of ここまでのことをやったんです
I am having some difficulties in trying to understand the below. Particularly the usage of し and the meaning of ここまでのことをやったんです as it is not clear from context who the agent is (i.e. is it the speaker ...
1
vote
1answer
176 views
まぁ、そんなものですかな？ perhaps this means perhaps, perhaps?
I have seen this construction used various times in Japanese text, but I cannot really put my finger on as to what it could mean definitively.
人類の進歩と調和に役立つもの・・・例えば
ディフレクターに代わる
新しいエネルギーとか
まぁ、...
1
vote
1answer
99 views
するだろうなWill or Would?
In this sentence:
どんな 顔するだろうな
Does the speaker say " i wonder what kind of face he would make" or " how do you think he'll react?"
Which translation is more accurate ?Is he saying this in ...
1
vote
1answer
99 views
Particle usage of は and が in this sentence
I had some particle trouble translating these lines:
四月の魚は風が吹いて
長い髪が揺れている
The first two lines seem to go together in one sentence, but then there would be too many particles. I have it as "The ...
0
votes
0answers
106 views
Need help understanding what 全体 is referring to in this context (NSFW)
You'll have to pardon the example as it is NSFW(I didn't see anything explicitly disallowing these types of questions). The context of the text below is that the main character is having sex with his ...
0
votes
0answers
62 views
What is the difference in connotation between できれば and できたら?
Is できれば more polite? Is one more often used when describing favors?
Also could you please provide some examples?
0
votes
0answers
64 views
ところ＋particle(助詞) precision
Hy, I am currently working on with 新完成マスター N3 for my grammar part and I get stuck on a small section of the lesson related to ところ(~p.17)。
So far, I understand that, according to this lesson, ところ can ...
0
votes
0answers
48 views
てform + よ meaning
https://www.lyrical-nonsense.com/lyrics/haku/shoudou/
In the first line 近づいて気付いてよ 恋の衝動 what is the purpose of putting よ after 気付いて. I would understand it if it was a plain form.
Does the line mean "...
