Questions tagged [nuances]
ニュアンス. Subtle differences between two seemingly interchangeable expressions.
1,067
questions
2
votes
1answer
73 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
votes
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
73 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
votes
0answers
46 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
votes
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
83 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
vote
1answer
79 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
votes
1answer
91 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
votes
1answer
125 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, ...
3
votes
2answers
91 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 ...
2
votes
0answers
111 views
Clarification of objects using questions
When I want to ask whether or not something I have is what I think it is, I can't figure out exactly what to say.
これは梅じゃないの? (Rising intonation)
Is this not a plum?
これは梅じゃないね。(Falling ...
3
votes
1answer
110 views
Usage of にしてみれば
どうか自分の幻想でありますように...幻想など決して認めないダーズリ氏にしてみれば、こんな願いを持つのは生まれてはじめてだった。
Please let it be my imagination... For Mr Dursley who didn't hold with things like imagination, this was the first time in his life ...
1
vote
2answers
177 views
Is there a Japanese word for the game “horseshoes?”
I'm guessing this will come across as two questions, but their interrelation is important...
Is there a specific word for the game where you toss a horseshoe at a peg (in English just called ...
2
votes
1answer
99 views
What's the difference between 初心者, 入門者 and 初級者
I see 初級 Written mostly in books which mean beginner or elementary level, the other two were written on the same page for a drawing course i fould online as "入門者向け" and "初心者向け", but i don't see any ...
0
votes
1answer
111 views
努める and 努むる nuance differences
What is the difference in nuance between 完成に努{つと}めるand 完成に努{つとむ}むる?
I heard 努むる{つとむむる} and it threw me as I had never heard it before.
5
votes
2answers
477 views
Is this phrase a grammatically correct translation?
I'm trying to translate the following English into Japanese:
"The only thing more troubling than the silence were the whispers that followed."
What I've come up with is:
沈黙{ちんもく｝より悩｛なや｝ましいのは継｛つ｝...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
Difference between the words kakemono and kakejiku
Does anyone reading this site know of any nuance(s) differentiating these two words? Numerous online sites say that kakejiku is more commonly used, but I have found no information about whether the ...
3
votes
1answer
457 views
Why are Japanese translated subtitles non-conversational?
I guess this question brushes along the lines of why "real Japanese" can't be learnt from drama/アニメ. I was watching the Dark Knight (2008) with Japanese subtitles and I noticed that the translations ...
4
votes
2answers
183 views
Meaning of かわいい When Used By Kids Towards Adults
Okay, I'm fairly advanced in my Japanese studies after having lived and taught in Japan for almost a year. However, one thing that continues to boggle me is the possibly most common word of all: かわいい。
...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
What's the meaning and nuance of ばっかり in this sentence?
A girl is worried and upset because she believes she is more excited and happy about the relationship with her boyfriend than he is. So she says:
わたしばっかり浮かれてる気がする……
I think the sentence means ...
8
votes
1answer
143 views
What's the difference between 役割 and 役回り?
Weblio gives both the meaning of role or part (duty is there too as a less used meaning), so I assume the difference is on the nuances.
In addition, 役割 seems to be much more used by Japanese natives ...
5
votes
2answers
110 views
Different nuances of そっか and なるほど？
I’ve learned that both mean something like “I see” or “I understand” but are they interchangeable? Is there any difference?
8
votes
1answer
285 views
What's the difference between 反面 and 一方？
I understand that they both present two opposite sides of a situation or of something. However, even if in some cases they can be interchangeable, there are other where they cannot. Can somebody ...
3
votes
0answers
62 views
と vs. のを / ことを when used with 信じる
Take the following sentences:
いつか願いが叶うと信じている。
いつか願いが叶うのを信じている。/ いつか願いが叶うことを信じている。
I know what they mean, but I don't know if there is a practical difference between the two versions. Are there ...
3
votes
1answer
133 views
How is the passive form used with を?
I encountered this sentence in my textbook:
いつか、日本人政治家の中にも世界で尊敬され、名前を知られるような人物が現れるようになるには、まず日本国民一人一人の意識を変えるべきなのだろう。
In all cases of passive form that I learned so far, I only ever seen it used ...
6
votes
1answer
223 views
Politeness / Respectfulness / Humility / Formality
The wikipedia article "Honorific speech in Japanese" states that
Japanese has grammatical functions to express several different emotions. Not only politeness but also respectfulness, humility and ...
1
vote
2answers
445 views
How to determine 大都市 vs 都市
As I understand 都市 [toshi] means [city].
And therefore it could be any city, which is not town.
In Russia town means over 12K population.
100-250K pouplation = big town.
250-500K pupulation = small ...
4
votes
1answer
116 views
te form negative vs negative form (HW: やっていない, why not やらなかった or やっていなかった)
I've been studying Japanese here in Tokyo from scratch for a good 2 months now. I've been struggling with daily conversation but I try to improve each day by studying.
Lately, I am trying to ...
5
votes
1answer
128 views
~te + oku vs plain masu form
Good evenings folks,
Currently I'm here in Tokyo learning Japanese for about 2 months now from scratch, and our sensei is teaching us N4 level grammar structures already. My question is, what's the ...
2
votes
1answer
71 views
Differences between 'prepare' words. 整う、備える、設ける
What are the nuances between each? For general use in most cases can they be substituted for 準備します?
3
votes
3answers
193 views
What does というように mean?
I've been seeing this structure a lot lately, and I feel like it takes on different meanings depending on how it's used.
Basically I understand it as:
Quotative と + いう(to say, define etc.) + ように (...
0
votes
1answer
94 views
Negative adjective 恐怖せず [duplicate]
恐怖せず
I think it means “fearless”, but I don’t know the particle sezu. Is this old-fashioned?
2
votes
1answer
285 views
What does 気楽 mean when attached to ビール or お酒？
I first found this here: https://www.ettoh.jp/
楽酒＝気楽なお酒
Does this mean the drink is easy to drink? Or that it's meant to be drunk in a carefree setting? One example I was taught for 気楽 is in ...
6
votes
2answers
340 views
「呆れる」とはどういう意味ですか？
呆れるとはどういう意味か今一つわからないのです。goo辞書で調べると、「あまりに意外なことに驚く」というのが出てきますが、今まで見てきた例を考え合わせてみると、やはり納得がいかないところが残っています。特に、「呆れる」には必ず「驚き」の要素が入っていますか？「ショック」「衝撃」と同じくらい、爆発的な印象がありますか？
そして、三つの例について聞かせてください。
①「...
7
votes
2answers
188 views
Head-internal relative clauses
I am trying to figure out head-internal relative clauses. A paper I looked at presented two versions of the same sentence, one with the head word (りんご) outside the relative clause:
[皿の上にあった]...
3
votes
0answers
63 views
What is the difference between 端, 縁 and 先っちょ?
I struggle to visualise the differences between 端, 縁 and 先っちょ after
reading many examples and definitions online:
The approximate english translations are very similar:
端: end, tip, point margin (...
4
votes
1answer
146 views
Function of と when used with 続く
I don't understand the function of と when used with と続きます
From this sentence in my textbook:
世界で一番インスタントラーメンをたくさん食べる国は中国で451.7億食、その次はインドネシアの137.0億食、日本の51.0億食、アメリカの43.2億食、ベトナムの39.1億食、韓国の33....
2
votes
2answers
101 views
placement of さえ
I came across this statement involving さえ.
私はAKB48が全然分からない。一番有名な人さえ名前がわからない。
My question is: Is there a general rule as to where you can place さえ?
What about: 一番有名な人の名前さえ分からない。What is the meaning ...
2
votes
1answer
254 views
How to say “Developer” In Japanese?
I want to know how to say Developer in Japanese. By Developer, Specifically a web Developer, Programmer or Coder.
When I googled it initially, I got:
デベロッパー
And then I found a Kanji:
開発者
I ...
3
votes
0answers
73 views
Differences between “even if”/“no matter (how much)” structures: としても, ところで, ~ようが/と
I've encountered several forms that mean both "even if" (might be used for example with たとえ), and "no matter (how much)" (used with どんなに, いくら, etc).
~ても
~としても
~ところで
~ようが/と
The only difference ...
1
vote
0answers
60 views
Question about おきます [duplicate]
In the following sentences, what is the use of 'おきます'? And what is the difference in nuance if the sentences end without 'おきます'?
実家にいるうちに、母の料理をたくさん食べておきます。
お金があるうちに、ほしいものを買っておきます。
3
votes
2answers
210 views
How do you say “some”, “many”, “a few”, and “few” when refering to people?
So, of course, I know words like 多い, たくさん, 少ない, 少し, and 何+[counter]+か to express "many", "few", "a few", and "some" in most contexts. However, I have absolutely no idea what are the Japanese ...
1
vote
1answer
146 views
おはよう written as おはよ?
Playing through the intro of Let's Go Pikachu, I came across what looks to me like the greeting おはよう, but written instead as おはよ.
Is this a known alternate spelling, or perhaps a simplification aimed ...
2
votes
1answer
275 views
What is the difference between 反日 and 日本たたき?
I apologize in advance if I cause offence with this question, but I am curious about these two terms.
反日 can be translated as “anti-Japan(ese)”. I have seen one example of this term being used to ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
What is the difference between 考え、アイデア、発想 and 着想
These are all translated as "idea" in English.
But I don't understand which context I should use each one in.
If I had to guess:
考え means an imagining of a solution or an understanding of something,...
0
votes
1answer
106 views
What does “水着勿体ないんでよかったら今度のお休み” mean here?
水着勿体ないんでよかったら今度のお休み
Context: this girl sent this guy a picture of her in her swimsuit while she lay in bed because she just bought it and thought it was cute and just found out that her vacation ...
1
vote
1answer
96 views
Help translating English idioms
Can someone use 涙ぐむ in a way to say "could bring a man to tears" or something along those lines?
Wanting to translate some English phrases or sayings into Japanese in a way that could be either ...
3
votes
1answer
181 views
Meaning of ですかね in a response
I feel like this is a basic question, one whose meaning I don't think I fully understand. I'm watching a サンドウィッチマン コント on YouTube where 伊達さん is asked
"How many women have you been out with before?"
...
3
votes
0answers
99 views
Usage of ところ to represent time with に and で
I am trying to understand the grammar of using ところ with に and で when using ところ to represent the time that actions have happened.
These are (ungrammatical) sentences I made up:
1) ...
0
votes
2answers
265 views
Shigeru Miyamoto interview
I always have difficulty understanding 宮本 茂. His Japanese is like the hardest to understand. I can watch whole anime's with no problem, and read through lots of text in video games and manuals, but ...
