Questions tagged [nuances]
ニュアンス. Subtle differences between two seemingly interchangeable expressions.
1,114
questions
4
votes
2answers
321 views
Pronouncing sumimasen (すみません), implications of extending the -se(せ) and eliding the n(ん)
When pronouncing "sumimasen" (すみません), sometimes native speakers will elide the "-n"(ん) and elongate it, sort of like "sumimaseee~". This is the same and not a conjugation I would assume?
Might anyone ...
4
votes
3answers
164 views
What is the difference between 振る and 揺る?
Both of these words seem to mean "to shake". From what I got:
振る is "higher frequency" shaking.
揺る is more like a swaying or rocking motion, "lower frequency".
Is this correct? An explanation would ...
1
vote
2answers
110 views
Can we use やばいぞ instead of やばいよ?
Does "ぞ" make it more masculine-sounding or is it a different dialect?
12
votes
4answers
2k views
How can I say “to be tired of verbING” in Japanese?
How can I say "I'm tired of waiting", "I'm tired/bored of staying home all day"?
Can I use て form + 疲れる?
What is the difference among 疲れる、飽きる and うんざりする?
7
votes
1answer
653 views
Absence of て in お気をつけください
I’m uncertain about the phrase お気をつけください, which I found where I would have expected お気をつけてください. Assuming it’s not a typo is it 尊敬語？ Should I understand the honorific お as qualifying 気 only or the ...
0
votes
0answers
81 views
Is 情けねえ the negative form of 情け? [duplicate]
And if so, how is this negative (情けねえ) different from 情けない?
1
vote
1answer
87 views
の to prevent repetition of が
In the following sentence
東京は冬になると、北風の強い日が多いです。
is it correct that 北風の強い replaces the more obvious option 北風が強い in order to avoid close repetition of が？
So if the following が in 日が多い had not been ...
2
votes
3answers
178 views
What is a good way to translate ではある?
I came across the following sentence at one point.
もともとおかしな話ではあった。
I did some research on ではある, because I wanted to understand this term better. This is what I found.
The difference between “ではある”...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
Difference in nuance regarding AはＢがＣ and ＡのＢはＣ
For instance,
Ａの髪は黒い (1)
vs
Ａは髪が黒い (2)
(and possibly also)
Ａの髪が黒い (3)
My understanding is that they all mean the same thing, except that (1) and (3) differ by which part of the sentence ...
3
votes
2answers
185 views
When is その used to mean “you”?
I was watching this video and noticed the title. I would have thought that it would be something like 自分の目で確かめよう to mean "see for yourself". But instead it is
その目で確かめよう
which would have the ...
1
vote
0answers
75 views
の replacing が in subordinate clauses
I've read in this article that の can replace が when used in a subordinate clause.
For example, 耳が長いエルフ is the same as 耳の長いエルフ, evidently. However, this article doesn't describe any difference in ...
3
votes
1answer
138 views
Better to say 床屋 or 散髪屋?
Every time I walk by a barbershop (not a 美容院), I think of the words 散髪屋 and 床屋. Which word is correct, or sounds better, more interesting, for a non-native speaker to use in a conversation?
And, ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views
Is there a diffrence between saying “盗み聞き” and “盗み聞きとは?”
I know that "盗み聞き" would be "Eavesdrop" or "Eavesdropping," but I wasn't sure if the addition of "とは" modified the word in some way or if it perhaps just indicated something about the wording.
Edit: ...
1
vote
1answer
120 views
思い過ごせばいい - Actual meaning?
In the first opening of One Piece titled "We are", there's a section that goes 「個人的な嵐は誰かのバイオリズム乗っかって思い過ごせばいい！」. Upon some googling, I found following explanation:
個人的な悩みは誰かの生きていく上で繰り返す感情の変化、...
5
votes
2answers
513 views
Which is most critical? 警報 or 注意報?
A disaster warning app asks me whether I want notifications for 警報 or for 注意報 or both.
First I signed up for both, but it sends me notifications about inconsequential things such as air dryness. So I ...
0
votes
1answer
96 views
Nuance of ひどい as cruel?
いくらなんでも、あんまりひどい。ひかりがあんなチョコレートででも組みあげたやうな三角標になるなんて。
http://contest.japias.jp/tqj2002/50133/story-old_03.html
I don't quite get how to translate ひどい as cruel here, is there a nuance I'm not getting?
1
vote
0answers
20 views
What are the implications of 「～だこと」「～ですこと」？ [duplicate]
I have seen these constructions (「～だこと」「～ですこと」) in drama and anime several times now, though, as far as I remember exclusively used by female speakers. Here is one of the sentences I came across...
...
9
votes
1answer
390 views
Differences between ひ弱い and か弱い
How did the prefixes ひ and か come about and what are the differences in meaning between ひ弱い and か弱い?
Are either of the prefixes pejorative like how ド is in the examples in dainichi's answer to '...
2
votes
1answer
74 views
Meaning and translation of カット割り and difference with 絵コンテ
In video production what is the exact meaning of カット割り? I found these two definitions:
撮影（収録）前に、台本上で演出意図に合わせて区切りをつけ、画柄を決めること。(from here)
カット割りとは、各シーンの構図やカット、シーンとシーンのつなぎのことをいいます。(from here)
...
2
votes
2answers
212 views
~を出る vs. ~から出る: Grammar rule not consistent
In 初級を教える人のための日本語文法ハンドブック (pg. 24), an attempt is made to distinguish between ~を出る and ~から出る (also applied to 出発する or other "leaving" verbs), but the description seems inconsistent:
「を」vs.「から」
...
2
votes
1answer
97 views
What is the difference between 刹那主義 and 快楽主義?
The dictionary says that 刹那主義 means "principle of living only for the moment" and 快楽主義 means "hedonism/epicureanism", but I also found entries that say epicureanism for the former. I don't think they ...
2
votes
1answer
88 views
Nuances of「すらさえも」?
I came across this 「すらさえも」construction in the following sentence:
「子供を誘拐したロリコン野郎からすらさえもバカにされ続けた」
I've learned that they mean (mostly) the same, but haven't come across them in immediate succession;...
2
votes
1answer
185 views
Question about ほど in this sentence
I wasn't able to find any explanation of 「ほど」 in these constructions...
「そんなテメーに盾突かれるほど頭に来る事はない」
In any case I would like to ask whether I am getting the general meaning right. Besides that I ...
3
votes
1answer
100 views
A little help with the usage of 「……わけだよ」
I came across the following sentence in my dictionary :
下手なわけだよ，習い始めたばかりなんだから
Because of the absence of context, I imagined one by myself. Suppose I ‘m cooking unskillfully and a friend who sees ...
2
votes
0answers
64 views
Nuances and context of linking without 〜て / dropped 「て」in linked constructions
(Taken from ジョジョの奇妙な冒険６部: When Jotaro talks to Jolyne about who got her into prison.../ for those who do not know the series: The persons speaking to each other are father and daughter but have a ...
4
votes
3answers
253 views
How to translate わからない in the following sentence
Context: a boxer named Yanagi is fighting against an opponent named Hyodo. Although Hyodo is really young, he is considered a very talented boxer and is often called genius (天才). Yanagi is thinking ...
4
votes
2answers
124 views
Disambiguation of 大抵
I am having problems with when to understand 大抵 as:
a) 事柄のあらまし。だいたいのようす。また、全体のうちの大部分。おおよそ。おおかた。(https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/大抵/#jn-133918) (or as defined in Apple's dictionary) 全体の中の大部分のもの。...
6
votes
0answers
173 views
Difference between 「～てからでないと」and 「～ないことには」
Both of these grammar can be translated to English as
A～てからでないと/～ないことにはB = Unless A is done, cannot do B
From what I can find,
～てからでないと stresses the order or sequence of actions, that until A is ...
0
votes
2answers
146 views
What is the difference between these 2 expressions?
Whose car is it?
A: Kuruma wa dare no desu ka?
B: Dare no kuruma desu ka?
I'm just a beginner but I'm sure these two expressions mean the same thing.
viz. Whose car is it?
I feel that A is more ...
3
votes
0answers
100 views
Usage of 上で in this sentence [duplicate]
There is a question in the Kanzen Master N2 Textbook:
この薬は、_____上でお飲みください
a. 食事が終わった
b. 医師が説明した
c. 説明書をよく読んだ
According to the answer sheet, the answer is c.
But I don't understand ...
0
votes
3answers
207 views
The redundance of 経緯
The following is from this article.
関電は日本の原子力事業の旗振り役となってきた経緯があり、この問題がもたらす影響は計り知れない。
I am not sure what value となってきた経緯があり brings to this sentence. Is it simply a more formal or poetic alternative ...
5
votes
1answer
165 views
What is the difference between ながら and のに for expressing “despite”/“although”?
Both grammar points seem to express similar sentiments. But I had a practice question today which said
友だちは授業の教室が変わったと（ ）、教えてくれませんでした。
with two choices being 知りながら and 知るのに.
Both choices seem to ...
2
votes
2answers
77 views
Special meaning of 洋彫り vs (入れ墨 and タトゥー)?
洋彫り、 入れ墨、 タトゥー are 3 different ways to say "tattoo" with different nuance. I understand the specialness of 入れ墨 to Japanese history and culture.
Because of the katakana, of course "タトゥー" means the ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
…がいい…のいい difference? [duplicate]
I have been stumbling upon phrases like
「頭のいい人」
「頭がいい人」
Or in relation to my other question
「都合の悪いところ」
「都合の悪いところ」
Are there any differences in meaning/nuance?
And extending on 「のいい」while I am ...
6
votes
1answer
173 views
The usage of あげく
My current understanding of the grammar あげく is based on this common explanation I gathered online:
spending considerable time and effort doing an action, resulting in an outcome
X + あげくY = “after ...
8
votes
1answer
648 views
What is the purpose of the redundant “いい人” in this example sentence
A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar has this example sentence:
あの人はいい人はいい人だったけれど頑固だったね。
"He was indeed a good person, but he was stubborn, wasn't he?"
What is the purpose of the "いい人は"? It ...
3
votes
1answer
116 views
事に感ず and Shigin vocabulary
I recently heard of the poem named Koto ni Kanzu, and I came across this page that provides the poem's text, along with a pretty convincing interpretation.
The poems reads as follows (I only added the ...
7
votes
2answers
247 views
The translation for 思い切った
あいつ にしちゃ 思い切った な。
I had a hard time to translate this short sentence. And after I looked around from many sources, I found these clues.
思い切った
普通では考えられないような。おどろくほど大胆な。 「 －処置を取る」
source: ...
0
votes
1answer
92 views
Difference between 僕等 and 僕ら?
It’s in an amazarashi song. When he sings, he says 僕ら but if when I look at the lyrics it says 僕等. Is there a difference in these?
0
votes
0answers
68 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?
2
votes
1answer
114 views
Is 「食品」 a shorter synonym of「食料品」or there is a difference in meaning between both words?
I found an excellent Q&A addressing the differences between 食料 and 食品. However, I don't know how the word 食料品 relates to 食料 and 食料品. I guess that 食品 is just a short form for 食料品, just as 警官 is a ...
2
votes
1answer
91 views
What is the difference between these sentences?
I was trying to write "Half of the population will die" in Google Translate. I wrote：
「人口の半分は死にます。」
But Google decided this was better:
「人口の半分が死亡します。」
Are these just different ways to write the ...
1
vote
2answers
196 views
Meaning of もったいぶらず in the following sentence
Context: while talking about himself, a boxer says:
今持ってるモノはもったいぶらず全て出す。それが俺の武器に繋がるんでねェ。拳に表れるんだよォ ――――[生き方]【スタイル】ってヤツは。
According to dictionaries, the meaning of もったいぶらない is unpretentious, modest. ...
3
votes
3answers
165 views
Difference between 絶滅, 消滅 and 滅ぶ
My vocabulary textbook lists the three following words:
滅び行く種族
Endangered species
種族の絶滅
The extinction of species
消滅した種族
Extinguished species
(Hope the English ...
3
votes
1answer
144 views
Difference between ~によって and ~を通じて (through, by means of)
It seems that both ~によって and ~を通じて (sometimes ~を通して) can be used to mean "through", "by means of", "via". Both seem moderately but not very formal.
Are there any differences in nuance that dictate ...
2
votes
1answer
93 views
~てからでなければ vs ～なければ
I'm learning the ～てからでなければ... grammar pattern, which my textbook defines as:
Until/unless ~ happens or is done, ... cannot happen or be done either. Used in negating or negative statements.
One of ...
4
votes
1answer
162 views
Research on かのように, and other よう constructs
I wanted to learn more about よう constructs, in particular the かのよう(な)(に) and かのようだ constructs, so I did some research. The following is what I've found so far.
よう - a noun that can turn into a ...
6
votes
2answers
249 views
Most natural way to use the negative with つもり
Which is more natural to say in Japanese? Do they have slightly different connotations?
食べないつもりです。 (I intend not to eat.)
食べるつもりはないです。 (I do not intend to eat.)
Also, are those translations fairly ...
0
votes
0answers
45 views
〜たことある/ない vs 〜たことあった/なかった
I see these as example sentences on sites, and I cant figure out the nuances between both. When would you use the past form of this phrase?
3
votes
1answer
109 views
What is the difference between ending a question with んだ？and の？
I thought の when used in questions is for when you’re asking for an explanation or to have a curious tone, but んだ is also for explanation and I’ve seen both used to end questions so what are the ...
