Questions tagged [nuances]
ニュアンス. Subtle differences between two seemingly interchangeable expressions.
1,104
questions
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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
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1answer
132 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
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1answer
116 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
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1answer
114 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
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2answers
505 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
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1answer
92 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?
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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
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1answer
385 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
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1answer
71 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
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2answers
202 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
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1answer
95 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
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1answer
84 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
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1answer
184 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
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1answer
93 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
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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
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3answers
247 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
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2answers
122 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
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0answers
162 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
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2answers
145 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
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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
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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
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1answer
154 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
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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 ...
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0answers
22 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
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1answer
169 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
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1answer
646 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
115 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
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2answers
245 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
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1answer
91 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
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65 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
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1answer
104 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
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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
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2answers
193 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
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3answers
163 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
118 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
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1answer
90 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
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1answer
160 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
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2answers
247 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 ...
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0answers
43 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
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1answer
108 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 ...
2
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1answer
100 views
左に曲がる/右に曲がる v/s 左折/右折
That's it, essentially. What differentiates these two ways to indicate a turn?
So far, I had only heard 左に曲がる/右に曲がる, but recently I heard 左折/右折 in the GPS of a car. At first I thought that the latter ...
10
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2answers
1k views
Meaning of だけはわからない
それでも彼には、自分のことだけはわからない。
I'm translating the above sentence from Japanese to English, and I'm having issues with understanding what だけはわからない means.
Why does だけ come before は?
says that だけは means 'at ...
1
vote
1answer
83 views
Why do I need to use のに instead of ので？
食べてばかりいるので、なんで太いじゃないだろう？？
I was told for this sentence I should use のに instead of ので. Why is のに better here? It seems like it changes the meaning from “so/since” to “even though”.
I wanted to say “...
2
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0answers
59 views
What is the difference between ある日 and ある日のこと?
For example:
ある日のこと、たろうは、また海へ出て。
As I understand ある日 means "one day". What does the のこと do to it?
Possibly related? What is the こと in sentences such as あなたのことが好きだ? and What is “koto” used for?
11
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1answer
1k views
Is there a difference between 「目を覚ます」 and 「目覚める」
I just recently learned these phrases were a thing and I can't find the difference anywhere online.
Is there a difference between 「目を覚ます」 and 「目覚める」 ?
Any help would be appreciated!
3
votes
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？
1
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1answer
93 views
Difference between 〜がち and 〜つい？
If both can express habits like things you tend to do, what is the difference between their uses?
examples:
イケメン*が通るとつい見ちゃう。
昔の話をしていると話がついつい長くなる。
Why was つい used here? Would 〜がち also make ...
0
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1answer
95 views
Casual ways to ask meaning?
I know 〜はどう言う意味ですか？ but how might you ask this question in a casual setting among friends?
6
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1answer
148 views
Difference between だけに and だけあって [duplicate]
Once again, while doing exercises, I came across a sentence that bugged me:
直子は７歳のときに家出したが、聡明な_____、見つかることなく10日間もひとりで生きていた。
A. だけあって、B. だけに、C. だけ、D. だけは
The solution to the exercise was A, ...
5
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2answers
148 views
Why the specific spelling “一つひとつ”?
I'm reading a book and the author keeps using the spelling "一つひとつ" for "one-by-one". I found this a bit curious: The word itself is just a doubled 一つ, so why not spell both parts the same? Does ...
