Questions tagged [orthography]
正書法. The standard way of writing the language.
247
questions
1
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1answer
130 views
Was the writing system used in the Empire of Japan (大日本帝国) called 真片仮名?
So, today I encountered the claim on Wikipedia
Shinkatakana (真片仮名, mana and katakana): mixed script including only kanji and katakana.
Wikipedia doesn't list a source for this claim.
This sounds to ...
3
votes
2answers
251 views
gemination orthography
In this sentence
ミサイルは高【たか】さ100kmより低【ひく】い所【ところ】を東【ひがし】に750km飛【と】びました
The missile flew 750 kilometers east at a height lower than 100 kilometers.
appearing here
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/...
1
vote
1answer
252 views
How does one write out "1km" -- in hiragana or katakana or both?
This sentence on NHK's Easy News got me wondering:
Uの字【じ】のような形【かたち】をしていて、直径【ちょっけい】は1kmぐらいです
It is shaped like a U and is about 1 km in diameter.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/k10013205991000/...
0
votes
1answer
128 views
Do these three words have the same meaning?「そーじ 」、「ソージ 」、「掃除」
These three words are pronounced the same, but do they also have the same meaning?
そーじ
ソージ
掃除
1
vote
1answer
222 views
Blank line in balloon
While reading manga, I noticed sometimes in a balloon there is an extra empty line, like here:
Which meaning does it carry? I'm wondering if it's meant to separate the two sentences, like saying that ...
1
vote
1answer
171 views
In which year of education is the 々 symbol taught?
A very similar question was asked here: Does 々 have a kanji grade level?
but in the end the main question haven't really been answered, and the best answer was "you don't need to know".
Well,...
1
vote
1answer
510 views
Does Japanese have characters in small size and in capital size?
In English it's normal for the sentence to start with a capital letter. In German also. Additionally, there are classes of words that are written in German with an initial capital letter.
How is it in ...
0
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1answer
109 views
Rules to leave spaces between words when using kanji and kana
I'm trying to understand when I should leave blanks (spaces) between Japanese words when using either kana or kanji.
My understanding is that blanks should be left when otherwise the text is confusing....
14
votes
1answer
310 views
In what unit is the length of Japanese texts measured?
In English, we measure the length of texts in words. 1,000 words for the average college essay, 50,000 for something like a fiction novel.
I’m wondering what unit is used to measure Japanese texts. I’...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
How to understand usage of ツ in words with a closed syllable?
We have words ペット、ベッド、ファックス、ピクニック.
The symbol ッ usually is indicated for doubling consonants or to indicate a closed syllable.
The question is why the word post (ポスト) was written without ッ before ト?
...
4
votes
1answer
586 views
Different writing of the kanji 誤?
Good day, I've just noticed that the kanji 誤, while displayed almost everywhere that way, when pasted in my Anki deck, suddenly changes into (see picture below)
I can't get it to display anywhere else ...
3
votes
2answers
203 views
How to write "hasami"
I've seen the word for scissors "Hasami" written in hiragana " はさみ" katakana "ハサミ" and kanji "鋏". which is the most common?
4
votes
2answers
186 views
What is the meaning of 巻ノ + number next to a book?
What is the meaning of 巻ノ + number next to a book?
I know that
巻 = volume
ノ = ?
七十二 = 72
So it's Volume [?] 72
1
vote
0answers
94 views
Seemingly random use of Katakana? [duplicate]
I've noticed sometimes, especially in video games, that some parts of sentences that would normally be written in hiragana is instead written in katakana. For example, I've seen "です" written ...
5
votes
2answers
221 views
Should the furigana go above the whole word or individual kanji?
I've seen both styles used, basically:
A = 家内{かない}
B = 家{か}内{ない}
I can see pros and cons for both styles. The rendering of A is probably better and there are words for which it may be difficult to ...
5
votes
1answer
145 views
After a Katakana word then "tto" are both Hiragana or Katakana acceptable for the Sokuon?
I have seen examples of both quite often, even for the same exact sentence, examples:
おなべの中からボワっと／おなべの中からボワッと。
This is a lyric from おどるポンポコリン（Odoru Ponpokorin)、A song for ちびまる子ちゃん（Chibi Maruko Chan)
...
5
votes
1answer
162 views
How is writing with 旧字体 over 新字体, using lots of 表外漢字 and using 漢字 in place of かな in a word that is almost always written with かな perceived?
Examples:
A: 毎日、学校で桜の木を見る。（新字体）
B: 毎日、學校で櫻の木を見る。（旧字体）
A: この国の歴史を研究しています。（新字体）
B: この國の歷史を硏究しています。（旧字体）
A: 私はワニがすきです。（カタカナ）
B: 私は鰐が好きです。（表外漢字）
A: 私の好きな魚はハタハタとスズキです。（カタカナ）
B: 私の好きな魚は鰰と鱸です。（表外漢字）
A: ...
3
votes
2answers
464 views
Is the ''o'' in ''osara'' (plate) an honorific o 御 or just a normal o お?
I have learned that "plate" is both sara and osara.
The fact that the o can be attached implies to me that it is an honorific o 御.
My dictionary gives the honorific o as 御 but for osara it ...
8
votes
1answer
260 views
What is this dash-like punctuation at the beginning of lines, seeming to indicate rapid-fire thoughts?
Here's a bit from a Kamoshida Hajime novel (Just Because!):
I've reviewed the Wikipedia article on Japanese punctuation as well as some related questions on this Stack Exchange but am unable to ...
0
votes
2answers
139 views
Meaning of "ー" at the end of a sentence in written Japanese? [duplicate]
I wondered if anyone could help me as I've come across this a couple of times now but don't know if it actually has any significance, but the internet has been no help.
I'm reading a text surrounding ...
4
votes
2answers
312 views
Strange usage of を-Particle inside a 俳句 (haiku)
There is a company which sells tea in teabags that have a haiku printed on one of the sides (of the teabag).
Recently I came upon the following haiku:
昼寝{ひるね}して
鳥獣{ちょうじゅう}戯画{ぎが}の
中{なか}にをり
...
3
votes
1answer
151 views
Appropriate typography for listing numbers in Japanese
I want to list some prime numbers in Japanese but I'm not if the Japanese comma should be used when it comes to numbers. On Wikipedia, the western comma is used, which has made me confused and unsure ...
4
votes
1answer
468 views
The ''is it included in the kanji or not'' phenomenon?
Some expressions can be written part kanji part hiragana.
Sometimes I'm not sure how many hiragana actually condense into the kanji.
Example:
おとうさん
Is it お父さん or お父うさん ?
ちいさい
Is it 小さい or 小いさい ?
I ...
2
votes
1answer
205 views
Using an asterisk to indicate a disclaimer
Is there a similar convention to using an asterisk in English to signify the presence of a disclaimer in Japanese? For example, in English, you might see, "Order now for $19.99*" then ...
0
votes
2answers
277 views
Do you think it's a good practice to learn writing hiragana using Gothic fonts? [duplicate]
When I was searching for a mobile app that lets you practice writing hiragana, I noticed that a lot of them uses the Gothic font, meaning that さ will be written as 2 strokes and not 3. The most common ...
2
votes
2answers
156 views
What does てよりかか mean? Found in the Shinmeikai dictionary
The Shinmeikai dictinary defines 椅子 as:
腰を掛け（てよりかか）るための家具
What does てよりかか mean there?
3
votes
1answer
546 views
Doumo or dōmo / arigatou or arigatō
this may be a silly question. However, is there a difference between the following sentences (in terms of spelling):
1) Doumo arigatou gozaimashita.
2) Dōmo arigatō gozaimashita.
Is one sentence ...
8
votes
1answer
15k views
What do these symbols in manga mean?
In the manga Shinya no Dame Koizukan (深夜のダメ恋図鑑), I spotted four different symbols (marked in red in the picture). The Ψ symbol is even repeated a few times, but I can't figure out what it means.
I've ...
1
vote
0answers
30 views
In vertical writing, what do these signs (that look like backticks) mean? [duplicate]
This is an extract from 窓ぎわのトットちゃん。
The teacher is talking about how Totto-chan ended up drawing a ふさ around her rendition of the flag of Japan. She is presumably quite astonished at this and my only ...
1
vote
1answer
100 views
How to say 一〇年 in a sentence [duplicate]
I see this structure a lot:
まるで一〇年以上.......
What does the 一〇 mean and how do I pronounce it? Is it いちまる?
2
votes
1answer
306 views
で at the beginning of a sentence
I hear native speakers using で or was it でー when speaking a lot at the beginning of a sentence. Judging by context, I think it translates to either "and" or "therefore" or "so" or "because of that", ...
3
votes
1answer
482 views
What constitutes as Kyūjitai Kanji?
The English Wikipedia page for Kyūjitai kanji begins with the following line:
Kyūjitai (舊字體/旧字体, literally "old character forms") are the traditional forms of kanji, Chinese written ...
4
votes
2answers
695 views
How much space is considered standard between consecutive "「" and "『"s?
In a text such as 「『捨てる 』技術」 how much space is expected between the first two characters in typography, if any?
-1
votes
3answers
389 views
If it's okay to remove the punctuation in a modern text format of Kojiki (古事記)
The original version of the Kojiki looks like it has no punctuation whatsoever.
I found a more recent text version of Kojiki online though, which has all kinds of punctuation and formatting.
It has ...
1
vote
1answer
127 views
What is the middle character in Todd (Katakana) [duplicate]
While learning Katakana, I was instructed to try and translate my name Todd. I ended up with トド.
When I look it up online, I see トッド everywhere. ッ appears to be 'tsu'.
I think I am missing something ...
0
votes
0answers
165 views
What are the various 'unuttered' phrases or sentences that Japanese omit in everyday conversation and/or narration?
While translating a book I come across the following sentence.
女の子の注意を逸{そ}らすことができれば.....
Research into the ba ending allowed me to discover that the above is a 'unfinished' sentence. This in turn ...
1
vote
0answers
90 views
Correct method for writing full name in English and Japanese? [duplicate]
First name in English, then Japanese; followed by Last name in English, then Japanese:
Lucas 「ルーカス」Ramage「ラメージ」
First and last name in English, followed by first and last name in Japanese:
...
9
votes
1answer
2k views
Are 变 and 変 the same?
Is there a difference between 变 and 変 or are they different versions of the same thing i.e. traditional/simplified?
9
votes
2answers
892 views
Can 々 stand for a duplicated kanji with a different reading?
The title may not be so clear, here is what I mean:
々 is used to avoid repeating a kanji. In some cases, the two may not be pronounced the same because the first consonant of the second kanji is ...
0
votes
0answers
118 views
Variants of kanji radicals indicating Joyo vs Non-Joyo [duplicate]
I noticed that there is a variant of the 之繞 radical ⻌ which occurs in some words but not others. The variant is 辶 (with an extra stroke). It appears in words like 逢う and 槌.
It turns out that Non-Joyo ...
4
votes
1answer
222 views
How to express action (in plays, and online)
So in most languages we can either put text in italics or between asterisks to indicate what the speaker is doing. For instance:
Looking up
It will be raining soon
Or on the Internet:
*chewing your ...
3
votes
1answer
157 views
How does Japanese indicate a contextual scope changes like the internet vs. the Internet?
In english, word capitalization can indicate that meaning word has transitioned into different context and/or scope.
For example:
The internet is down. vs. The Internet is down.
Batman searched ...
2
votes
1answer
143 views
How to write こたえ: 答え or 答?
In the microsoft IME keyboard, and my cellphone's as well, when I write こたえ it is suggested 答え. However, in the Genki I textbook, I've seen it written as
答{こたえ}
Are both of these valid? If so, ...
13
votes
1answer
1k views
Why using です in katakana?
This question might sound stupid but it got me thinking for some hours. A friend bought me this gel pen from a Japanese store in my country, and it is written in the pen:
かわいいデス
instead of かわいいです ...
4
votes
1answer
143 views
What does 囚えよう mean in this book?
I'm currently reading a screenplay regarding to Oda Nobunaga.
In one of the character line, it is written that
あなたは死して尚、この僕を囚えようというのですか？
Base on my search, it seems that the kanji 囚 is associated ...
1
vote
0answers
42 views
Why are certain terms sometimes written in hiragana and sometimes in katakana? [duplicate]
I was typing something up and when I went to type apple in Japanese, the Microsoft IME on the computer I was using defaulted to リンゴ in katakana. But from what I remember seeing online and out in the ...
-1
votes
1answer
108 views
How would I write this for a graphic design?
I'm a graphic design student and one of my designs is a pink 桃色 rose 薔薇 = (桃色薔薇). I read that Japanese is read right to left and also horizontally?
I want the design's first line to pink and under ...
0
votes
1answer
168 views
Is this translation very loose for the word 生き甲斐?
I'm a fan of the Japanese concept of ikigai and finding my ikigai has been an important and rewarding journey for me and I'd like to get a very simple kanji tattoo of it but I wanted to make sure that ...
2
votes
0answers
113 views
Why are some words (e.g., 処方箋) sometimes partially written with hiragana? [duplicate]
Some words with complex Kanji are sometimes written in a mixture of Hiragana and Kanji. For example 処方箋 (prescription) is often written as 処方せん in pharmacies. This is used by native speakers that have ...
-2
votes
1answer
205 views
Allographic Differences of れ
I'm doing some research on Japanese streets for an art project. I've been looking at pictures of streets and trying to figure out what the characters are,
I'm able to find the first two - to and ma, ...
