Questions tagged [syntax]
統語論. Rules governing construction of phrases and sentences in a language.
479
questions
0
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0answers
6 views
Does こと mean 'thing' in the following context?
The characters are having the following conversation (provided for context) and I'm unsure as to what the こと in the last line means, as according to What does こと mean?
it has a large number of uses. ...
4
votes
3answers
198 views
Because my friend asked me to
こんにちは、みなさん！
Hey guys, so, I'm familiar with the verb '聞く' when translating the verb 'to ask', as in for information. But, what about when asking/requesting someone to do something? (Similar to '...
0
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1answer
86 views
Do I have to use nan, ka, or both to ask a question?
I'm going through Genki, and for questions, it gives the example,
りゅうがくせいです (I am an international student) can be turned into a question by adding ka to the end.
りゅうがくせいですか (Are you an ...
2
votes
1answer
69 views
What sports are popular in Japan?
こんにちは, みなさん!
I was just wondering if this sentence structure is correct when asking 'what (thing) is popular in (place)?'
The example I've chosen is 'what sports are popular in Japan?'
My attempts:...
2
votes
0answers
54 views
Shared verb between 2 phrases [duplicate]
I came across this おれがあなたをあなたはおれを守る, which most probably means 'I will protect you and you will protect me'. The question that arises is there are from the looks of it, the phrrases (おれあがあんたを) and (...
1
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1answer
71 views
Can someone help me figure out what 考えを示しましたが is supposed to mean?
This entry is hard to find on the web. I've only found 2 entries:
1)【that以下】という考えを示す reveal one's idea that
2) 考えを示す to state one's opinion
立花氏は来週にもＮＨＫに出向いて受信契約をする考えを示しましたが、「契約する義務はあるが、支払いは義務ではない」...
2
votes
1answer
322 views
What is the general way to say something like “in your room?” without a verb?
For example, 部屋にいました would be "was in your room", but is it possible to say just "in your room" without the verb? Something like 部屋に? Or 部屋で?
4
votes
1answer
187 views
What does ものと見て, mean?
先日の佐伯真一さん殺人事件と、昨夜の四ッ星重工爆発炎上事故…それに、誘拐および殺人未遂事件を調べている警視庁は、この事件の裏で、大掛かりな軍事汚職事件が絡んでいるものと見て、真相の究明に全力を尽くすと発表しています。
The Superior Police Headquarters is investigating the murder ... of Mr. Shinichi Saeki, ...
0
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1answer
79 views
Does かえって処理 mean “altered process”
The following text is taken out of a novel.
「お人好しもいいですけど、hIE (インターフェース) が動いているところに手を出したら、かえって処理に負荷をかけますよ」
Kengo knew his computers and machines, though. “Best not interfere when an
Interfacer is ...
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1answer
115 views
Are there any consistent rules as to how to distinguish words in Japanese?
I got involved with tokenization (mecab, kuromoji) and got confused as to what a "word" is in the Japanese language.
Scenario 1:
"たべません" analyzed by a tokenizer, outputs the following tokens:
たべ ...
0
votes
1answer
142 views
What does “とらん” mean in this sentence? [duplicate]
まだ梅雨にも入っとらんというのに…
I guess it just means "We're not even in the rainy season yet". However I can't figure out how "入る" becomes "入っとらん".
0
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1answer
89 views
What does the title「 僕だけの向こう側」mean? [closed]
Can someone help me with possible translations for this title?
[僕]{ぼく}だけの[向]{む}こう[側]{がわ}: Boku dake no mukougawa
Also, can you explain why that would be the translation?
4
votes
1answer
173 views
I want to say “There is a convenience store behind the bookstore on the left”
In my book, they translated it in to:
Konbini no hidari ushiro ni honya ga arimasu.
But from earlier examples of the book it should switch konbini with honya
honya no ... Konbini ga... .
the ...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Asking for advice/suggestion “should I…?”
みなさん,こんにちは。
I was wondering what gramatical structure is best to use when asking for advice as we would in English with 'Should I...?' Or 'should we...?'.
I've come across two possible choices but I'...
1
vote
1answer
143 views
Use of Kanji characters
Why are Kanji characters used along with Hirangana script characters for a word? For example: 飲みますwhich is spelled as nomimasu (correct me if I'm wrong) uses a kanji character. Why can't の be used ...
-3
votes
1answer
87 views
Order of sentence's parts in building sad-mooded rhetorical question
太陽を最後に我々は見たのはいつだ?
literally: The Sun last time we saw-state when are?
meaning: When did we last time saw the Sun, f**k!?
context: it is a sad rhetorical question about bad rainy weather.
It is not a ...
3
votes
0answers
110 views
When is it okay to not use desu?
I've been looking around for this, but all I can find is pretty basic stuff about desu. I've studied Japanese, but writing texts in Japanese still stumps me sometimes. Right now I'm wondering about ...
5
votes
2answers
252 views
Conjugating present and past negative i-adjectives
I've been learning about conjugating i- and na-adjectives recently and I've stumbled onto something odd. I've seen two distinct ways of conjugating negative i-adjectives; the two ways are to replace い ...
7
votes
1answer
391 views
Ways to specify “intra-” or “extra-” usage of 北・南・東・西
I Was trying to describe that a certain castle was located south of Kyoto, I would expect the phrase to be:
「伏見桃山城が京都の南にある。」
I was then thinking, how would I say that it is in Kyoto, but the ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
What's the difference between [noun] + の and [noun]+ な?
For example, suppose I want to say "It's a weird thing". Can I say "hen na koto desu.", and "hen no koto desu"? What is the difference?
｢変なことです｣ vs. ｢変のことです｣
2
votes
1answer
104 views
What are the adverb + 何 +を doing in the following sentence?
In this book I'm translating, the narrative character is told the following line of dialogue by a girl before the sentence I'm asking about (bolded below).
「あなたには、生まれついての才能があるのよ
人を殺す才能。
生き残る才能。
...
1
vote
2answers
107 views
role of -られ, -し, and construction of the phrase
Trying to translate a song lyric and was caught off guard by this sentence:
雨に降られ行き場なくしなんの罰さ？と空を睨む
I feel like I get the gist of it, but uncertain that my parsing is accurate so far. Here's what ...
0
votes
1answer
64 views
ちいとばかし苦しいから extra cash to make ends meet
ティーゼル:
うぐっ！まだ潰れちゃいねえよ
今月の運転資金が、ちいとばかし苦しいから
軽くバイトするだけのこったよ
Teisel: Gaahh! No, it hasn't gone under! We're just, a little in the red this
month, that's all! Just need a little extra cash to ...
3
votes
1answer
105 views
What is the difference in meaning between「この自然が多い町」and 「自然が多いこの町」?
Please, see this related question for more context.
Thank you very much.
4
votes
1answer
108 views
Are です and あります／います ever interchangeable?
I feel like （私は）彼の前です。 means the same thing as （私は）彼の前にいます。 (I am in front of him.)
Also 本はどこですか。and 本はどこにありますか。 (Where is the book?)
Correct me if I'm wrong, but is there a rule for determining ...
1
vote
2answers
141 views
Is it possible to join directly い-adj + この + noun?
I came across this multiple choice sentence within my homework exercises:
I assume that the correct answer is 気に入った. However, the この demonstrative seems out of place to me. I would rather use just ...
1
vote
1answer
189 views
Saying “and” with two different clauses?
I’ve seen a few threads about saying “and” but I’m not sure what to do if there’s a time element in the second clause.
For example, I want to say “I just woke up and I work later.”
Would that be 「...
4
votes
1answer
68 views
Saying 'In my opinion, the internet has more good points than bad points'. [Comparative]
To say 'In my opinion, the internet has more good points than bad points', would the following phrase be correct;
「僕のいけんでインタネットは悪い点よりもっといい点があります。」
Would this phrase be correct? Or would it make more ...
3
votes
1answer
105 views
Is the following のが a nominalizing のが?
I have the following Japanese sentence:
身につけているのが、病院で着せられる検査服のようなものだから仕方ないのかもしれないが、どう見てもここは病院なんかじゃない。
and I was wondering if the bolded のが nominalizes the 身につけている before it, as
Darius says that
...
4
votes
1answer
210 views
Sentence order: Where to put もう
This is the sentential question I found in Sou Matome :
母親「さあ、もうねなさい。」 こども「この_ _ * _ ちょっとまって。」 A. おわる、B. もう、C. ゲームが、D.まで
I answered: ゲームがもう終わるまでちょっとまって。
but the answer is :
...
4
votes
1answer
377 views
Importance of からだ in this sentence
I found this sentence in Nihongo Sō-Matome:
A: また太っちゃった。。
B: あまいものばかり食べているからだよ。
Based on my understanding:
A: (you're) fat again...
B: I only eat nothing but sweets.
I do not know why ...
1
vote
0answers
53 views
Correct translation of sentence with できていません [duplicate]
I am confused with the use of できていません in sentence :
明日の宿題のレポートがまだ１枚もできていません
When I checked the dictionary it shows that できる means CAN(DO)/ BE ABLE TO while ている is for present progressive so I ...
2
votes
1answer
106 views
Interpreting Japanese sentences from right to left or left to right
Are Japanese sentences (horizontal) to be read/interpreted from left to right or right to left? For e.g: the word "Inshoku" when read from left to right, means Drink and food, but the translation ...
5
votes
1answer
145 views
Order of complements in phrase
To say for instance 'a 30-year-old female Japanese doctor', is there a rule as to the order of complements?
日本(人?)の３０歳の女の医者
医者の３０歳の女の日本人
Are all orders created equal? Are some allowed and ...
5
votes
1answer
106 views
What is the reason leading to the difference in tense used for affirmative and negative statements in the construction V~ほうがいい
In the construction of a suggestion statement with V~ほうがいい, the past (perfect) tense is used for the affirmative (according to this and this, the present tense can also be used for general advice), ...
1
vote
1answer
83 views
Understanding grammar and translation of 入出国 in followng sentence
すでに入出国の記録も抹消するよう、 手配してあります。
I know that verbs, nouns, and adjectives can qualify nouns in Japanese via qualifying phrases, and I'm assuming that's what's going on with '入出国'. Broken down, the ...
0
votes
1answer
71 views
Can you separate clauses using ついて/ use a clause ending with ついて as an entire subject/topic?
Here's the sentence I've composed.
すしを買うことについて、母を尋ねる。 The meaning I intend is something like, "I'll ask my mom about buying sushi," like I'm telling my friend I'll be asking her for permission to do ...
2
votes
1answer
220 views
Do I have a good grasp on the basics of what the continuative form is?
I'm doing some research as to what continuative forms are, due to naruto's previous answer to a earlier question of mine.
To make sure I understand correctly; roughly; the "continuative form" is what ...
1
vote
1answer
163 views
What is the meaning of 七五三 in the sentence, 七五三のしゃしんです。
I was looking at the following sentence under a picture that I unfortunately cannot provide:
七五三のしゃしんです。
I believe the sentence reads "It's a picture of 753"... which doesn't make sense.
I know ...
1
vote
2answers
328 views
How can 若い時 and ずっと work in this sentence?
I'm trying to write
"I have wanted to study Japanese from a young age"
And I have
"若い時に私は日本語をずっと勉強したいです."
Does this work? How can I make it more correct?
3
votes
1answer
88 views
Grammar and use of すればしただけ
I am having difficulty understanding this sentence. A comparison is being made to the effect that as the cruel feeling flowed out I washed the sea water out of the pants. But I am not sure about this. ...
1
vote
2answers
59 views
~ことがある for more than one thing
In the Genki II textbook, there is a phrase that goes like this:
うめぼし，のりなどを見たことも聞いたこともありませんでした。
Now, I understand that this roughly means that "I've never seen or heard of pickled plums or nori ...
2
votes
1answer
130 views
About the affix ごっこ
I've been wondering about the affix ごっこ when it's a prefix and when it is a suffix.
There's the word ごっこ遊び, for example, that means "children's game" or "game of make-believe"; but there's also a song ...
2
votes
1answer
80 views
か after short forms
In the Genki textbook, it is said that "In the casual conversational use of short forms, question sentences do not end with the question particle か, but with rising intonation alone."
Nonetheless, in ...
1
vote
1answer
106 views
I have porridge for breakfast
みなさん!
I'm supposed to prepare a small speech for an oral exam I have on Monday based on the meals of the day. I'm just a bit confused as to what the correct structure would be;
私は朝ごはんにオートミールを食べます。
...
2
votes
1answer
213 views
What is the difference between ではありません and 〜くない
I am not sure when ではありません and 〜くない are used.
I was given the sentence この赤いかばんは大きいではありません (as in "this red bag is not big") and I am not sure why この赤いかばんは大きくないです was not used. Could anyone explain? ...
1
vote
1answer
81 views
Aoi aoi morideshita - sentence structure explanation
first post here. I'm currently reading a children's books titled 'きつね森の山男'. I think it's a good starters book however, some of the structures are confusing or contrary to what I have learnt.
I ...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
What's the difference between「どこかで犯人を見ましたか」and「犯人をどこかで見ましたか」?
I saw in a book the following sentence used in an example:
犯人をどこかで見ましたか
Shouldn't it be「どこかで犯人を見ましたか」?
3
votes
1answer
128 views
Plain Verb followed by がよい
Recently I am reading 走れメロス, and there is a sentence pattern that I am not familiar with (Group 2). Compare the following sentence groups:
Group 1
訪ねて行くのが楽しみである。
疑うのが、正当の心構えなのだと、...
2
votes
0answers
60 views
Can you slightly switch up the word order of this sentence? [duplicate]
This is what I've been taught:
これ は わたし の 本 です。
= This is my book.
And I was just wondering whether you can change the word order to say:
この 本 は わたし の です。
...
