Questions tagged [nuances]
ニュアンス. Subtle differences between two seemingly interchangeable expressions.
6
votes
1answer
834 views
Does しかたない imply disappointment?
From the context of the original Japanese text, is seems that しかたない does not imply a negative feeling such as disappointment or dissatisfaction. Instead, it seems to mean "That's just the way it is" ...
1
vote
0answers
56 views
Multiple words with same definition
I am seeing pairs of words with similar meanings (where one of the words has a single kanji and the other has two kanji).
Examples include:
豊か、豊富
保つ、保存する
防ぐ、予防する
Do these pair of words share the ...
5
votes
3answers
146 views
Meaning of 寒くなる vs. 寒くなっています
Today it crossed my mind how I could translate this, and some confusion arose with the verbal forms to use.
If I wanted to say "I got cold", I would say
寒くなった
However, for "I'm getting cold", I ...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Polite form of apology with tense form?
After missing an appointment, which would be more appropriate for asking for forgiveness or apologizing?
ごめんなさい でした
or
本当にごめんね。ほんとうに ごめんね
In particular, considering the difference between the ...
3
votes
1answer
125 views
Nuance between AやB and AやBなど?
AとB is an exhaustive list, whereas AやB and AやBなど mean A and B and more. (And AとBなど feels inconsistent.) But is there a difference between AやB and AやBなど?
Aなど means 'something like A' or 'A and the ...
-1
votes
0answers
274 views
Is 歌を歌う not redundant?
I keep bumping into the seemingly redundant 歌を歌う, meaning 'to sing'. Is there a nuance compared to just 歌う? Is 歌う by itself too ambiguous? Does 歌を歌う amount to a set phrase?
3
votes
1answer
88 views
忙しいところ vs 忙しいなか
I've been preparing for an interview, and I've seen both of these phrases used when introducing yourself and thanking someone for their time or when support is being given. For example:
...
4
votes
1answer
107 views
ものだ expressing ambiguous emotions/concern?
This article lists many examples of using ものだ to articulate "deep concern." The author of this article explains that when you connect words which indicate desire like …たい and 欲しい with ものだ, your speech ...
4
votes
1answer
193 views
How to say “to work for”
I would like to say "I work for" company X.
I have found two ways of saying that:
仕える -> company-name に仕える
勤める -> company-name に勤める
But I can't find which one is correct or where to correctly use ...
4
votes
1answer
74 views
Difference between 禁 and 禁止 (and 禁じる/禁止する)
Both nouns mean 'ban, prohibition' and both verbs 'forbid'. I expect that in set combinations, such as 禁煙 for 'no smoking', there is only one correct possibility. But, otherwise, what's the ...
11
votes
1answer
2k views
Can I use English in place of katakana?
A habit that I have is replacing certain words with how I'd say them in English. For instance I'd write something like this: 私はイングランド人。 私はイーストアングリアに住んでいます, but say something like this: 私はEngland人。 ...
3
votes
2answers
134 views
“Robust Software” in Japanese
I'm struggling with how to say "robust software" in Japanese.
From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robustness_(computer_science):
In computer science, robustness is the ability of a ...
6
votes
2answers
126 views
What is the difference between はみ出す and はみ出る?
They are both intransitive:
シャツがズボンからはみ出していますよ。
Your shirt is coming out of your pants.
足が 線からはみ出ています。
Your foot is over the line.
3
votes
1answer
82 views
私には versus 私は - difference in nuance?
Can anyone help explaining the nuance in difference between:
私はまったく分かりません。
私にはまったく分かりません。
With expressions such as ヨーロッパには行く (versus は) I can see what affect including the に particle within the ...
1
vote
1answer
109 views
Appropriate “No, I don't have” response to “お持ちでしょうか”
I'm regularly asked at shops/supermarkets with something like:
ポイントカードはお持ちでしょうか
My understanding is that the person is asking if I have a point card. I've also read What's the difference ...
5
votes
1answer
76 views
Meaning of 以上 and 以下 according to water depth level
Reading a text like:
海の深さが200m以上{いじょう}
The first thing that came into my mind was:
Above a level of 200m depth
But then I realized that my understanding can be wrong and it may mean something ...
2
votes
1answer
94 views
Please help with deciphering the meaning of this sentence
お見合いの相手は、理想を絵に描いたような男性だった。
First part is something like: since he/she was/is an omiai partner or since they met in omiai . I’m having difficulty in understanding the second.
Explanation says:
...
5
votes
1answer
110 views
Is there any clear distinction in Japanese for the words 拉致 and 誘拐?
I'm writing an essay about the North Korean abductions of Japanese citizens. In English literature I found that the concepts "abduction" and "kidnapping" are used interchangeably. I'm not familiar ...
5
votes
1answer
85 views
Any differences between 領収書 and 受領書?
First time asking a question here. I was curious if there is any relevant distinction between these two words that mean receipt: 領収書 and 受領書.
0
votes
0answers
59 views
How should I read constructions like “NPのそのNP”?
I encounter these sometimes, but I have a hard time understanding what they're trying to say. Just wandering if someone could explain what it means when you have a possessive noun construction behind ...
1
vote
0answers
94 views
なんてね interpretation
So we have the following situation. There is persons A, B and C. Long ago A and B were friends when according to A B suddenly betrayed her. Now A has been using C for a long while pretending to be a ...
3
votes
2answers
126 views
What is the difference between “みだらな格好” and “あられもない格好?”
I'm trying to figure out the difference in nuance between みだらな格好 and あられもない格好.
My dictionary tells me "みだらな" means "lewd"/"obscene"/"indecent", and あられもない means "unladylike", "immodest", these ...
4
votes
1answer
97 views
What is the difference between 適切、適当 and 適宜?
As the title says, I've been having some trouble with recognizing the difference between 適切、適当 and 適宜 as in dictionaries they are all translated to "appropriate, suitable".
According to this site
適当{...
1
vote
2answers
89 views
Do words differing only in the voicedness of consonants act as functionally homophonous?
In Japanese, there are some sound differences that clearly distinguish words from one another, such as falling on a different 行 or 段 on the 五十音 ([傘]{かさ} vs. [風]{かぜ} or [友]{とも} vs その); while other ...
-1
votes
1answer
98 views
大恋愛の末に結ばれるわけではないから、アバタもエクボということはありえなかった。先行するのは条件である。 [closed]
Could somebody please help me decipher the phrase above which I came across while reading 逃がした魚は大きかった。It’s about two people in relationship. I understand that the first sentence means something like “...
0
votes
1answer
106 views
あなたはそれでよいのです what/how does the でよい bit here work?
Context: Jobs are being appointed and one of the minions is given a simple job of wrecking some place. The minion exclaims how simple it is (not the smartest cookie) and then the job giver (the ...
4
votes
1answer
102 views
Difference Between かなり～ and 結構～ as Adverbs
Is there any difference in meaning between かなりうまい and 結構うまい? How about other usages?
15
votes
1answer
166 views
what's the difference between 話をする and 話す?
I'm trying to understand the nuances between 話をする and 話す. When is one used over the other?
I'm reviewing A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, and it has the following example sentence:
...
0
votes
0answers
94 views
Do I need to reply in this situation?
(In a game) I am a newbie(Lv29), and I saw B(lv100+) having filled his room's wall with numerous super-super-rare(SSR) posters, which can be only be earned with enormous effort. (I don't have any)
I ...
2
votes
1answer
103 views
When can I get away with implying the の possessive?
I was reading the bible in Japanese a bit and came across this bit of Jonah 1:
アミタイの子ヨナに、主から次のようなことばがありました。
Notice how the noun-phrase "Jonah son of Amittai" in the NIV became "アミタイの子ヨナ" in the ...
4
votes
2answers
150 views
What's the difference in nuance between multiple 形容詞 (い-adjectives) with and without て-form?
When multiple adjectives refer to the same noun, the adjective(s) other than the last one are usually written in the て-form:
① 大きくて重い本
However writing all adjectives in their い-form is not (...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
Generic Japanese greeting new people?
The most commonly cited one is Konnichiwa, but knowing that is time specific, can it be used generically in all hours of the day as a "hello" instead of a specific "good afternoon"? Ohayou and ...
1
vote
1answer
91 views
Interpreting the meaning/nuance of a conversation
The following is less a question of grammar or language but more of understanding and context, because I feel like I'm maybe missing something. I have the following conversation/sequence of events. ...
5
votes
2answers
104 views
What's the difference between 母方 and 母系? The same question goes to 父方 and 父系
I saw these words a while ago but just now I decided to ask it here because I didn't find the answer anywhere.
As the title says, I don't really know if there is a difference between 母方【ははかた】 X 母系【...
5
votes
1answer
101 views
Different ways to say “member” (of an association/group etc)
I would like to ask about which is the most general/common way to say 'member' in Japanese when talking about a group, organization, association, etc. In particular, is there a word that is "always ok"...
3
votes
2answers
83 views
Various meanings of ダブる and its complexities in Japanese (多義詞 例子)
When I checked the JET vocabulary list JLPT lv2 last night, I found a word:
ダブる, my mind would refer this word as 'double' as in English.
However, the JET vocabulary list gives me a 'curious' ...
9
votes
2answers
274 views
Why 皮切り is labelled as a sensitive word in the dictionary?
When I studied Japanese this morning, I found this word 皮切り in my dictionary:
Example sentence:
それを皮切りとして欧州の詩や文学を多数紹介するようになりました。
Translation: With that as a start many European poems and much ...
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 ...
8
votes
1answer
225 views
Saying “I have no need for 'that'” ('that = insert any phrase') in three different circumstances and in various degree of politeness
Situation1: My close friends offer me 'something' that of no use for me. So I want to reject it by saying 'I have no need for 'that'.
(Situation 1-1: I want to sound really rude to my close friend as ...
9
votes
2answers
117 views
Nuance of the structure “Verb (stem of negative form) + ざるを得ない” compared to “Verb + しかない”
I've browsed a bit throught the other posts and it seems like there is no clear explanation of the nuance of "V + ざるを得ない" compared to "V + しかない". Roughly speaking, they have the same meaning but is ...
2
votes
1answer
136 views
Difference between 何て言う意味、何て言うこと、どう言う意味 etc
When someone says something to me and I don't really understand the meaning, how can I respond?
What is the difference between:
何て言う意味ですか。
何て言うことですか。
どう言う意味ですか。
I might be wrong, I might mix ...
4
votes
1answer
76 views
Should I use と or たら in that case? [duplicate]
I've got a task in uni today to put either と or たら. And there's a sentence I can't comprehend:
箸で食べて（みると、みたら）どうですか。
I don't quite understand which form I have to use here, so it would be great if I ...
8
votes
1answer
184 views
About the coupling of ーてもらう and ーなさい
I often hear my old calligraphy teacher (and so far only her) use something like the following:
何々。。。書いてもらいなさい（？）
何々。。。やってもらいなさい（？）
and so on. The question mark in parenthesis indicates that, ...
3
votes
1answer
130 views
What is the difference between 不安 and ざわざわ
I saw that one of the definitions of ざわざわ (though it doesn't seem to be a common use from what I've seen, but I could be wrong) is restless, uneasy or anxious.
Here is the definition I found:
...
1
vote
1answer
112 views
Double AのようにBのように , does it mean the following
I have previously (fuller text is there) asked about this line, but not about this part.
The part I'm interested in is:
母のように娘のように大切にしていた相手
I think this basically means:
"Person/other side, A ...
1
vote
0answers
54 views
Difference between 防衛相, 防衛大臣 and 国防相
Reading a NHK NEWS article, I stumbled over three different expressions for minister of defence. Is there a difference between 防衛相, 防衛大臣 and 国防相?
3
votes
0answers
75 views
っつー at the end of a sentence [duplicate]
What does っつー at the end of sentence mean, I get that its a form of と言う/っていう, but still don't quite understand use of it. And it isn't quotation.
some of the sentence I came across using them
...
2
votes
0answers
45 views
〒の言い方は何ですか？ How is 〒 pronounced? [duplicate]
誰かに住所を言いたければどうやって郵便記号の文字を言いますか？
例えばこの郵便番号「〒153-0061」の言い方は「何々イチゴサンゼロゼロロクイチ」です。
6
votes
3answers
161 views
What's the difference between 豪華 and 贅沢?
While reading a scene about some people checking out the luxurious hot tub that is in their building, one of the character remarks:
ご、豪華すぎるほどじゃないが、何とも贅沢極まるというか。。。
which I understand as meaning ...
9
votes
3answers
208 views
The difference between へとへと and くたくた
I am studying Japanese オノマトペ and I came across two that are very similar. The definitions I found online, and the examples sentences in the book don't align, so I am confused about the 使い方。
On this ...
