Questions tagged [syntax]
統語論. Rules governing construction of phrases and sentences in a language.
571
questions
-1
votes
1answer
200 views
How in the heck does this colloquial japanese sentence make any sense grammatically?
I am aware that this is colloquial japanese, but the individual parts are jumbled haphazardly to where I can't figure out how this is supposed to follow even somewhat correct grammar. I got 2 ...
4
votes
1answer
100 views
Questions about punctuation in a light novel
I have the first time of No game No life in Japanese. However, there are some things that puzzled me quite a bit about the punctuation. As you can see in the photo, I don't understand the reason why ...
0
votes
0answers
30 views
Help understanding this sentences
道の隅で咲いたり枯れる夢たち
それじゃずっと 自由なのに自由じゃないまま
This sentences are taken from a song and there are two things I don't quite understand.
First, I get the meaning of the first one, but why isn't it 咲いたり枯れたりする ...
0
votes
0answers
53 views
Odd Word order (Noun at end of sentence) [duplicate]
I am slightly confused at the structure of this sentence and why 黒髪の男 is appearing at the end of the sentence.
ぴたり、と足を止める黒髪の男.
my suspicion is that "黒髪の男” is appearing at the end of the ...
0
votes
2answers
80 views
Why does noun-connecting form （の、こと）work in this example?
So my tutor and I have been talking about this example and I still can't ascertain an answer I understand from him as to why it works (the piece in bold).
ただ走るのではなくて サーかを しながら走るのがいいです
What I ...
-1
votes
1answer
163 views
Subject confusion in ~たい sentences
I know たい means "want to." But the examples below confused me. Especially the second sentence translates to "I want to eat." I don't know why this is the translation. I'm not sure ...
1
vote
1answer
84 views
Does 防具による攻撃 mean “attacks with armor” or “attacks depending on armor”
This is a vhs promotional video about a videogame.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUhd8qoQl6E&t=4m55s
さらにタクティクスオウガでは、ユニットの武器や防具による攻撃、魔法攻撃、各ユニットの特性を生かした攻撃など、バラエティーに富んだアクションをもフルアニメーションで構成。
My ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
Interpretation of し at the end of an ambiguous twitter message
This image from the Hololive subreddit has me scratching my head. It seems to suggest that there was only one way of interpreting the tweet at the top of the image. I checked just to be sure but ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
目の前にたかだ usage in a sentence [closed]
目の前にたかだパフェが置かれただけなのにキャッキヤツとはしゃいでいる。彼女に言わせれば「何がたかがよ!」という感じなのだろうが。
The part that confused me is: 目の前にたかだパフェ...
I took it as 目の前 似た 佳だ パフェ (An excellent parfait like the one before her now).
However, ...
0
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0answers
44 views
What is the difference between Japanese は and を as a particle?
so for topic markers I usually use は but what about を? I assume its used for verbs? if its not then correct me.
3
votes
1answer
108 views
Negative + でください
Please note this post does not answer the question, it’s not a duplicate.
熱い時開けないでください
This is the warning messages on your car for engine coolant.
But why is it not
熱い時開けなくてください,
Since it should ...
1
vote
1answer
102 views
Which 気力もつきかけている is appropriate here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvBrve8BLog&t=2m57s
sm21891947 - スーパーメトロイド（ＳＦＣ） 店頭映像 | Super Metroid Promotional Preview
The official english captions for this sentence gives:
もう戦う気力も尽きかけている。= My ...
1
vote
1answer
98 views
How many meaning does 前進しか許されない！ have?
Is this supposed to be an expression, an idiom or a saying or proverb or whatever, because I have seen this used a lot. There seem to be no entries for "前進しか許す"
This video on youtube gives ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Is するということであります speaking in the past, or present?
This is from a commercial for Hermie Hopperhead:
長官:大変お待たせいたしました。
それでは、現時点で分かっている事実を発表いたします。
まず、名前はハーミーホッパーヘッド。
記者A:すいません。もう一度お願いいたします。
長官:ハーミーホッパーヘッド。全部カタカナです。
エ、これが、ある惑星から脱出するということであります。
...
1
vote
1answer
76 views
Syntax of 住み心地のいい小さな家
I was randomly reading a grammar book (despite I'm still being in N5) and found the follow sentence:
住み心地のいい小さな家
The sentence was alone, without context, and it was translated to something like "...
1
vote
0answers
30 views
explanation of 俺だったが [duplicate]
Hi I have found the following sentence
"普段学校に行かず家に引き篭もっている俺だったが、今日は珍しく外出をした。"
translated as:
Normally I stay locked in my room. Don’t even go to school. But today,
for once, I left the ...
1
vote
1answer
79 views
は versus が in this sentence
In the Genki 1 textbook, the question prompt
本を読んでいる人は誰ですか？
appears alongside an illustration with a bunch of people doing different activities. The textbook user is then supposed to pick out a ...
1
vote
1answer
103 views
思います grammar including て-Form
I have question regarding the following sentence in English:
I also think that holidays are good and people need it.
At first I came up with this:
私も休日がよくて人はそれがいると思います。
But I am not sure whether ...
0
votes
1answer
45 views
Purpose and meaning of やること in correction
I'm trying to understand a correction in a sentence. I wrote:
ことをやるクエストがありすぎます。
There are too many quests to do.
But it has been corrected to
1. やるクエストがありすぎます。
2. やることクエストがありすぎます。
3. やることがありすぎます。
...
0
votes
1answer
45 views
Can the phrase にまた_が戻ってくるんだ have multiple meanings?
This is script from a game where 2 characters are talking to each other. One says:
「賞金が出たら馬を買おう
セボック村にまた馬が戻ってくるんだ
徴集兵のバイトなんかオサラバだぜ
Here is the NTSC-U version:
With a reward, I'll get a horse
and ...
1
vote
2answers
63 views
Use of のどこが when asking about traits
I have noticed a recurring sentence pattern of Xのどこが好き/嫌い e.t.cですか？ meaning what do you like/hate about X. I was just wondering if anyone knows what exact function どこ is performing in this sentence. I ...
3
votes
1answer
91 views
を-marked 非情-Passive in Adjectival Phrase
I've come across this sentence in a publicly available preview of ノルウェイの森:
何日かつづいたやわらかな雨に夏のあいだのほこりをすっかり洗い流された山肌は深く鮮かな青みをたたえ。
I see two different ways of parsing the adjective phrase describing the ...
2
votes
1answer
72 views
Because I cannot find the root verb in any dictionary, what does をしめて回った mean in this sentence?
This is from a Manga, or so I heard.
中学時代に地元の学校をしめて回ったマキちゃん。
Maki-chan squeezed around a/some local school in the era/period during junior high school.
2
votes
1answer
75 views
Interrogative/Counters with か、も、でも, but also with particles
I know that by attaching か、も、でも to the end of an interrogative word can form a new meaning, but if particles are also used, where should the position of each thing be?
Example:
Which day? いつの日？
Some ...
5
votes
1answer
190 views
is Vてはじめて it's own grammar construction or simply something made up to help Japanese learners?
The Vてはじめて、construction is generally taught as its own grammar point to mean "not until X", "only after X". However from what I've been told by other learners as well as natives, ...
4
votes
1answer
117 views
I don't get what ''元気よくとはいかない'' means
''~とりあえず、新学期。まぁさ、元気よくとはいかないけど、でもこんな天気もいいし、桜も咲いてるし、もう少しだけ愛想が良くてもいいんじゃないかしら？''
What はいかない is? is it like てはいけない (must not/don't have to)? If so, why はいけない and not はいかない?
Could you break '''元気よくとはいかない'' ...
1
vote
1answer
110 views
I need help with parsing out this one, really long sentence from a book
I'm not sure if I would consider myself advanced or n2 level just yet, but I bought a Japanese book recently (an autobiography) to get more input. I'm slowly translating words on Jisho, reading about ...
11
votes
2answers
429 views
Linguistic/syntactic analysis of のほうがよく聞く
In Japanese the following such sentences are seen quite often:
「〜のほうが（よく）（聞く／使う／感じる／知っている）」
However when you consider the grammar, these are all transitive verbs (in the sense they normally take ...
0
votes
0answers
67 views
How to say someone's (possessive) home in Japanese?
The romantic phrase "you're my home," I was wondering how you would translate that into Japanese using someone's name? More specifically, how to say "Mya's home" & "Nathan'...
0
votes
0answers
56 views
Help with the usage of に in a sentence
Just wanted to check something with a use of に I came across.
ぎゃーぎゃーわめく蝉の声もあいまって、暑苦しさが何割増しにも感じる.
I am a bit unsure about the purpose of に in this sentence, and want to confirm my interpretation of ...
0
votes
0answers
62 views
Leaving out endings to sentences
A lot of times, endings to sentences are omitted for some reason. For example, "konna ni ooki na tatemono no naka ni ita to wa" may be completed by something like "omowanakatta". I ...
2
votes
1answer
88 views
How do you express something is for something
I just can't quite wrap my head around how would you express the existent of something is for a specific purpose. Like, if I want to say "I have an account for Skype" do I say "...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
A reverse sentence structure?
So I have been watching this Japanese TV Series called Mare and I've been wondering most of the time on their sentence structures. It's something like this:
しょうがないですね？ とるーさんは。
Can someone explain ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
How to guess an implied predicate?
The subject and predicate are main parts of a sentence. A subject can be omitted and easily deduced from the context, but when a predicate is omitted it is quite a challenge (at least for a foreign ...
0
votes
1answer
53 views
What is the point of using 謂わば in this sentence?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv7ZYbhTLco&t=4m7s
関節と関節の間は謂わば関節である
Google translate only gives the following:
So-called joints are between joints
2
votes
3answers
137 views
Do Japanese use 順番、順番！ as a command, like in the military?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jp6trk9Ljs&t=3m41s
何のためのくじ引きだと思ったんだ ？
はい、はい！順番、順番！？
はい、 A 組以外は、はい、 戻る !
Or did I misunderstand these sentences?
0
votes
0answers
60 views
past tense た plus で
私、負けたら負けたで仕方ないと思ってるから.
I come across this line in a drama where the past-tense verb plus で puzzles me. I think it means "If I lose, I will accept the fact I lose," but I don't understand ...
4
votes
1answer
221 views
Emphasizing words in Japanese
Maybe I haven't heard enough spoken Japanese to know how fluent speakers do it, but I always get confused with how to translate the way I emphasize words in English into Japanese.
The boy kicked the ...
0
votes
2answers
164 views
I'd like someone to break these sentences down so I can understand them better
まず私が罹った膵臓の病気っていうのはちょっと前まで判明した時にはほとんどの人が死んじゃう病気の王様だった。
To start things off, pancreatic diseases like what I’ve been diagnosed with are the kings of sudden deaths.
From what I can understand, this is ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
What's the meaning of “みたい” in the following context?
To give a bit of context, this is a text found on a DS game where some options are shown on the lower screen. The full text is the following:
したがめんを タッチして みたい こうもくを えらんで ください
I understand that the ...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Does anybody know anything about astrology to figure out what 優先度 has to do with the following sentence?
https://cocoloni.jp/fortune/1362383/
英国占星術で占う「あの人の今、あなたに対する優先度」【無料占い】
I think its trying to ask, "How important is this persons whereabouts in regards to your priority" or
"His priority ...
3
votes
1answer
83 views
The order of verbs and their complement/adjunct
次の日そのスカートを学校にはいていったら、友達によく似合うと言われた。（〇）
次の日そのスカートをはいて学校にいったら、友達によく似合うと言われた。（〇）
何枚ものお札を窓口につかんでいく（✕）
何枚ものお札をつかんで窓口にいく（〇）
I saw the first sentence in a book (留学生のためのここが大切文章表現のルール) and asked a Japanese ...
1
vote
1answer
106 views
a question about としては問われず
日本の国政は議院内閣制であり、内閣は衆議院に信任されていれば存立し、国民の支持・不支持は直接的な制度としては問われず、4年以内に行われる衆議院議員総選挙や衆議院議員補欠選挙を通じて間接的に反映されるだけである（地方政治ではリコール制度がある）。
the political body of japan is that of a parliamentary system of government ...
2
votes
3answers
115 views
Use of など after a counter
I was reading this and came across a use of など where I wasn't confident in my interpretation:
アメリカから来た人が５０人、中国とインドが３０人、韓国とフランスが２０人などでした。
My interpretation of this sentence is "50 people came (...
1
vote
1answer
169 views
What does 戯んでいた mean?
I'm a little confused, I was reading a book an this turned up; at first I thought it would be a verb ending in ぶ or む, but it turns out it's not really a verb, I guess it's a noun. I found out that ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
What is the proper form of a short question with an i-adjective vs. a na-adjective?
I have read that great answer about i-adjectives being predicates. How does it reflect in questions?
Say, I have a dialogue:
— Is your city a beautiful one?
— Yes, it is.
— Is it big?
...
0
votes
1answer
106 views
Confusion over the use of particle in this verb form 時を…鳴らせ…
This is a prologue to a Nintendo DS japan-exclusive videogame. It was never released overseas but received a fan-translation.
I'm very confused as to how the Japanese part is even grammatically ...
1
vote
1answer
99 views
How to tell the function of と at a glance?
国{くに}が今年{ことし}の３[月]{がつ}に調{しら}べると、「[特定]{とくてい}[技能]{ぎのう}」で[働]{はたら}いている人{ひと}は３９８７[人]{にん}で、考{かんが}えていたよりずっと少{すく}ないことがわかりました。
I’m having difficulty figuring out how と is used here. From past experience it ...
-1
votes
1answer
99 views
ことが as an infinitive?
若い時にいい友達『を』作ることはとても大事だ。
“It is very important to make friends when one is young.”
“To make” is not a noun, it's an infinitive. It should be “making friends” no? I understand that it turns the verb ...
4
votes
1answer
111 views
Can one noun be modified by both a clause and a の marked noun?
I have tried to create a sentence wherein a noun is modified by both a clause and の marked noun, but found it to be difficult with my current understanding:
Intended sentence: I stole the king’s ...
