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Questions tagged [role-language]

役割語. Special language patterns and vocabulary used by fictional characters, often marking this character as fitting a stereotyped 'role' such as "the old man" or "the samurai". This includes キャラ語尾, which are stereotyped or idiosyncratic sentence endings.

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Gyaru speaking and なんだけど / んですけど

In a couple of anime I watched (namely, Sono Bisque Doll wa Koi wo Suru and Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman) there is a gyaru character, and I noticed they speak often using なんだけど and similar expressions as ...
Mauro's user avatar
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2 answers
318 views

Characteristics of/Sources about roujingo

I'm finding various characters using ろうじんご in various works, and I'm trying to understand what are its characteristics; for example, わし for "I", じゃ/じゃろ as sentence-ending, のう I think like a ...
Mauro's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
369 views

Can someone explain かんーわええのぅ

I was reading some comments on this Youtube video and this comment in particular had a bunch of likes: かんーわええのぅ。 I looked it up and it translates as "I don't know" on Google Translate. Can ...
Logan's user avatar
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1 answer
156 views

Understanding a line from Bleach Episode 45

4:47 into the episode, Yoruichi says something that sounds like "oboe ga aru yo ja no," which translates to "It seems you recall an instance" (from the English subtitles). However, I'm having trouble ...
ljjel's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Sentence ending でな

レモン・キャンディーじゃよ。マグルの食べる甘いものじゃが、わしゃ、これが好きでな。 A lemon sweet. It's a sweet thing that muggles eat. I like this ??? I understand the concept of role language for portraying different kinds of character. ...
user3856370's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
408 views

Meaning of "お戯れを"?

Can someone tell me what "お戯れを" means? I came across this in a Japanese drama. I can't quite figure out if this is almost like a formal and polite request to make somebody stop 'kidding around' or if ...
Kei4272's user avatar
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2 votes
0 answers
74 views

What does the word 「しのう」 mean in this sentence? [duplicate]

It is said by an old man who looks like wanting to teach boxing to a young man. 青山くんよ ふたりきりの人目につかんところにいこう 折り入ってひみつに伝授したいこともあるしのう I'm not sure if it is related to the word 死ぬ in volitional form ...
George's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
419 views

What is the meaning of the slang ~じゃてえ?

I'd like to know what ~じゃてえ exactly means when located at the end of verbs and/or adjectives. Do young people use it rhetorically? The whole sentence is: なのにのう ズイブンじゃてえ
user31870's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
647 views

Grammatical correctness of 〜好きくない

I saw 未来のミライ the other day. The boy said 〜好きくない regarding many people. Was he making a grammar mistake?
完全ハチ's user avatar
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1 answer
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When are these different ways of saying 'I' used?

When I was first exposed to japanese language, there were three pronouns I learnt - 私、僕、and おれ。 But I've seen more pronouns and am not sure when they would be used - わたくし、わっち、わがはい、うち、おれさま、and みずから(?) ...
viktor nikiforov's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
470 views

“よいか” in the meaning of “listen”?

I’ve encountered this sentence in a novel: 「私はもう助からない。だからよいか、[名]…」 Followed by some instructions what to do after the speaker’s death. What is puzzling me is the よいか at the end. From the context ...
Glutexo's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
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In what ways is the Japanese used in anime different from real world Japanese?

I've heard/read countless sources explain that the Japanese used in anime is quite different from real world Japanese. However, I haven't seen an explanation of what ways it's different (at least, not ...
Shiania White's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
123 views

Usage of じゃ in 西瓜を買うと、俺もあいつも好きじゃで両得じゃ

西瓜を買うと、俺もあいつも好きじゃで両得じゃ。 じゃ means then, well then. But what does じゃ in the above context? Seems the definition of then, well then can't fit in this sentence.
Plaka's user avatar
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1 answer
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"de gozaru" in a casual speech [duplicate]

In a japanese anime I've heard lots of "de gozaru" in a casual speech. If I use it with my friends, will it sound ok?
Rodi's user avatar
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1 answer
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How to use 終助詞 -わ

I've looked up a lot on how to use the feminine 終助詞 "-わ", but I still don't understand concretely grammatically where it is ok and where it is incorrect. I do not use it for multiple reasons, but I ...
krs's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
836 views

Grammar of "なかれ"

When I read the story, I found "なかれ"this word occurred several times. 「若い衆、知らない人を信用するでなかれ。」 「お前の持っていたお守りのおかげで命拾いしたのじゃ。望みすぎるなかれ。ここに幸なかれ。」 I looked it up and the sentences my dictionary provide ...
chika's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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What is the function of よ in this context, and is this よ a deliberate imitation of "feminine" てよだわ言葉?

In the Ghibli film The Castle of Cagliostro, there is a scene where Lupin, a male character who mainly makes use of stereotypical-masculine language throughout the whole movie, utters the following ...
Cyaii Kais's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
2k views

Nuance of "わね”: whose interest does「興味深いわね」refer to?

I have a question about the nuance of わね in the below song lyric (from 衛星カフェテラス): あのさ、もし意識思考そのものが自律して   この体を逃れたなら (意識は自律して? 興味深いわね) I was thinking that this was implying that the matter being '...
Locksleyu's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
498 views

meaning of みんべえ

The full sentence comes from the story of 力太郎. Here it is: 「ばあさん や。この あか で にんぎょう を つくって みんべえ。」 I understand all the words except みんべえ, which I couldn't find in my dictionary. Is this an old ...
Alice28's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
330 views

Breaking down "いんや, まだずらよ"?

I understand that いんや, まだずらよ means something along the lines of "No, not yet". At least, in the context I'm seeing it in (the question "Has Person A arrived yet?"). However, I'm having difficultly ...
Shiania White's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Function of the sentence final particle こと in this sentence

I am wondering what is the correct way to interpret the こと in this sentence: どこかへお花見に行きませんこと。 It is an example sentence found in the book "All About Particles" (page 120). It's described ...
Jan's user avatar
  • 201
4 votes
1 answer
366 views

Any hints on how to translate the 'Nanny' in Totoro?

I'm working through translating となりのトトロ and I was doing ok until the Nanny starts talking. Going through her sentences and translating them piece by piece is an exercise in extreme patience. I find ...
Dwaine's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
614 views

Understanding じゃから

Can somebody please help me understand the following sentence: なにをするにも、「おそい」ということはないのじゃから。 I am having trouble with the part that I've bolded (じゃから). I think so far that it means "What ever you ...
Teresa S-j's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

What does the word 「まかせとき」mean?

Here is the sentence said by an old man. (I think that he tried to be the first one to show something before all others.) よし先発はわしがいこう まかせとき! I tried to find the word in online dictionaries but I ...
George's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
3k views

How did わし etc. become stereotypical "old people" pronouns

After reading this answer about the pronoun あちし, I became curious about how certain pronouns came to be associated with older people. As I see it, there are four main possibilities: People just ...
Nick O.'s user avatar
  • 548
3 votes
2 answers
1k views

What does the word 「せん」 mean in this sentence?

It is said by the old man to a group of children about going to see a boy who is in a jail. Old man: おめえら そんなかっこうであそんでいていいのか ジョーにあいにいくしたくを せんでもいいのか Child: あたいたちもつれてってくれるの? I noticed that there is a ...
George's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
6k views

The meaning of ~がいい

I've read a lot of mangas and I've noticed the use of がいい after a verb e.g. 見る{みる}がいい。 諦めた{あきらめた}ほうがいい。 Does it work as an adverb?
Williem F.'s user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
1k views

plain present verb + ちょる

While reading a manga, which takes place during the samurai era, I came across the statement: 弟の鉄之助は中岡隊長の言うちょった犯人の特徴とピッタリ合うちょるきに…! I'm pretty sure it translates roughly to something like The ...
Lyle J's user avatar
  • 261
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Sentence ending じゃよ

Maruko:「おとおさんはちょっとは遠慮{えんりょ}しながら食{た}べてよ」 Dad:「いいんじゃよ」 Grandad:「そうじゃよ、みんなたくさん食べればいいよ」 Maruko is telling dad to hold back a bit while eating (because the food is a way to thank her grandad). I don'...
user3856370's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
595 views

何も言うでない ! meaning and origin

I have found this sentence in Odin Sphere. I guess it's kind of old fashion for a strong interdiction. I first thought it came from the negative form of である but it doesn't seem to be replaceable by ...
SmallPox's user avatar
  • 188
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Difference between ぞ and ぜ

Since I watch a lot of anime, I end up hearing these two particles a lot, but I've never been completely certain of their distinction, only that there definitely is one. My dictionary listed them as a ...
Kurausukun's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
791 views

には with plain form of verb

I'm trying to figure out what this sentence below means, but I'm having trouble with the には after the dictionary form of いる. もう1匹居るには居るんじゃが…。 I've read Dictionary form of verb followed by に, but ...
pgt42's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
3k views

Meaning of じゃろ and じゃろう

カトちゃんだって、実際は別に毎日長さんに怒られてるわけじゃないじゃろから、本当は ”人気者で怒られない人” じゃろうね。 In reality it's not really the case that even Katochan gets told off by Chou everyday so, in truth, people who don't get told off by ...
user3856370's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
308 views

Trouble with もう二度と列車や車には乗らん

I've been trying to read a manga book and there's one bit that I can't get my head around. The sentence: もう二度{にど}と列車{れっしゃ}や車には乗{の}らん I'm fine with most of it but I'm confused about why the は ...
Emily Lewis's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
6k views

What does じゃな mean?

In casual speech what does ja na mean? As in this example: 葉人をつかまえたんじゃな Googling for it only turns up results for じゃない。
Jared Moen's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
2k views

How do you use ”~じゃんよ。” and what exactly does it mean?

At the end of sentences in casual form I know you can use ~じゃない or ~じゃん to say "~isn't it?" similar to ~ね. And I know ~よ at the end of a sentence can be used like "I tell you" or ...
Candice Miller's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

What does the word 「ばあ」mean?

It is highlighted in the bold part of the below sentence. さいきんじゃドヤ街【がい】のがきらをぞろぞろひきつれてそのへんばあねり歩【ある】いてよ。
George's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
759 views

What do the words じゃが and おるかの mean?

What do the words じゃが and おるかの mean? Here are the sentences in which I found these words. 警察の者じゃが。 ジョーという少年はおるかの?
George's user avatar
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6 votes
1 answer
2k views

how could a sentence end with (noun + "よ"?)

I'd thought you cannot end a sentence with a noun. Rather: noun + だ。 noun + です。 noun + である。 noun + であります。 noun + でございます。 But in a movie dialogue, I heard: "大切なのは、心よ。" Ending a sentence with a noun ...
davewp's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
897 views

Which personal pronouns and sentence ending particles would an old man use?

I'm somewhat informed on gendered speech in Japanese, however, I have also heard that age may play a part in which pronouns and sentence ending particles you use and can get away with. For instance, a ...
crayondraw's user avatar