Questions tagged [translation]

翻訳. This site does not provide a translation service. However, questions about translation are welcome provided that they have some academic merit. For example, questions about translating uncommon words, phrases that have different meanings in different contexts, and other non-trivial topics.

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What is the meaning of 知ってのことか?

This sentence is from "little witch academia" episode 10 first season. It looks like it's an abbreviated form of something. What is it? The character is clearly asking if one understands ...
Manab's user avatar
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How to say "It started raining"

I'm new to sentences with more than one verb. Anyway, I think it should be something like 雨が降るの始める" read as "あめがふるのはじめる" But from Google translate it seems that の is not necessary to ...
Gryfit's user avatar
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3 answers
135 views

Translation help, 思う vs 思っている when the subject of the sentence is the speaker

I'm working on a translation for a comic and I'm kind of stumped on this one line. The specific context is the character talking to herself and musing about what someone else thinks of her, the line ...
Jet's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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Help with understanding the following sentence: 考えても見るがいい

So, again, the sentence is 考えても見るがいい and the provided English is Just think about it. (context) I don't understand quite anything about the sentence. I know of the てみる structure but I don't really ...
Gianni Trattore's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
58 views

Role of の and meaning in the sentence "その瞬間の自分の手に〇〇がにぎられている"

The complete sentence, although I don't think it is necessary, is the following: その瞬間の自分の手に、人類すべての運命を決定付けるような、重大なターニングポイントがにぎられているなんていうことは、分かるはずがないんた So, if the intended role of その瞬間 was to be "...
Gianni Trattore's user avatar
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1 answer
86 views

Trouble with the meaning of きっかけ in a sentence

The sentence is the following. きっかけはほんの些細なことだとしても。それが、未来の大きな流れを決定づけてしまうこともある。 (I'm not really sure if the first period is supposed to be there, but the narrator took a relatively long pause after ...
Gianni Trattore's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
161 views

What does this sentence mean? 『真昼に思ったような事を周にも思ったらしい真昼が素っ気なく返す』

「とりあえず、一旦出ますから私が帰ってくるまでに着替えておいてください。いいですね」 「……帰ってくるのかよ」 [放って寝込まれても寝覚めが悪いので」 前ずぶ濡れの真昼に思ったような事を周にも思ったらしい真昼が素っ気なく返すので、周もそれ以上は文句も言えなかった。(source) So the MC (周) helped a girl (真昼?) and give her his ...
goldenlight's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
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5個入りという usage, and nuance?

I just saw this thread which might be answering my question, but as I am unsure, I would like to clarify why という is being used here? Does anyone have any ideas? Counter modifying noun with という
L. L.'s user avatar
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How to translate this "合計約150件のブログの中から何点かを紹介します"

"過去3年間、合計約150件のブログの中から何点かを紹介します。" the translation in the blog i encounter it was: "I will share some of the blogs from the past three years, which in total amount to about 150 blogs&...
Eagle377 host's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
287 views

"Otomatone", is it made by combining "sound" and "hand"?

"Otomatone", is it made by combining "sound" and "hand"? Wiktionary confirms that "oto" is "sound", but not that "mato" means "hand&...
Malady's user avatar
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1 answer
71 views

Understanding 「家へ帰る間に、傘を忘れてきたのに気づいた。」

Consider 家へ帰る間に、傘を忘れてきたのに気づいた。 While going home, I noticed that I had come without my umbrella. Questions: Just clarifying: のに here is not meant as a conjuctive (meaning "although", &...
George's user avatar
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Is there a general way to communicate the idea of a non-A where A is any noun? [duplicate]

I’m trying to say “Survivorship bias is a logical fallacy that leads to the consideration of survivors as opposed to non-survivors.” Is there a way to say non-survivors, or more so non-anything? For ...
Fish In a Tree 0's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
182 views

Can 冒険する translate as "to venture"?

It's the closest verb I can think to use as "to venture". Specifically when using it in a context like ーへと冒険していく。 To venture into... Is this correct? Or is there a better/more natural verb I ...
Jet's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
144 views

Understanding "雪の色はそこまで行かぬうちに"

Consider もうそんな寒さかと島村は外を眺めると、鉄道の官舎らしいバラックが山裾に寒々と 散らばっているだけで、 雪の色はそこまで行かぬうちに闇に呑まれていた。 which apparently means When Shimamura gazed outside, thinking it had already gotten cold, railroad residence-like ...
George's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
156 views

Literal meaning of マタンゴ?

The movie Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People is a very creepy 1963 movie in which fungus causes the transformation of humans into, indeed, Mushroom People. Google translate is no help and one ...
releseabe's user avatar
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65 views

What does "なくす" mean in this phrase?

カメラで人を見つけて踏切の事故をなくす I don't know a meaning of "Nakusu" in this phrase. Can someone help me with this?
Sakanadeバンジーガム's user avatar
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2 answers
84 views

Help with understanding roles and meaning of this phrase: 脳が処理をしないかのどちらかなんだ

The phrase is part of this following line: 普段の生活の中に埋もれている何気ないことなど気にも留めないし、知覚したとしてもすぐに忘れるか、脳が処理をしないかのどちらかなんだ。 Actually I'm also unsure about the role and meaning of the か in the second to last clause ...
Gianni Trattore's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
80 views

Meaning of the "Ni Naru" in this phrase

14年前に秋葉原で7人が殺された事件 男が死刑になる Does anyone know what's the translation? i'm unable to translation because of "ni naru". i know "ni naru + noun" means "to became", but i don'...
Sakanadeバンジーガム's user avatar
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1 answer
92 views

しかし used as filler

Can しかし be used as a filler word in certain contexts? In a script I'm translating, a character says: しかし嬉しいな。昔考えてた演出を、ここでできるなんてね。 His previous line is about a stage direction, so it has nothing to ...
Marie OP's user avatar
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1 answer
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Help breaking down this sentence: 配役も、今やったので良かったと思う

Context: Rui: それで——みんな、(ショーは)どうだい? 軽くとおしてやってみたけれど Tsukasa: うむ! 申し分ないと思うぞ! シチュエーションも場所に合っているしな Nene: 配役も、今やったので良かったと思う I can understand each word's meaning, but I'm a little confused as to what to ...
Marie OP's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
295 views

Understanding second 人

I came across the following sentence on HelloTalk, and can't figure out what the second 人 after 思ってた is doing. いい人だなって思ってた人が、実は話しかけてきた目的が変だと気づいた時、本当に残念な気持ちになる。 I can see when using a translator that ...
Jamie's user avatar
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1 answer
275 views

Understanding ある as a 連体形

The sentence 人間の背丈ほどもある雑草の中を探検すると蛇に出くわした。 translates to I ran into a snake when I was exploring through weeds as tall as a person. Question: What is ある connected to? Is it a 連体形 modifying 雑草, as ...
George's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
109 views

Understanding「実母なんて10人も兄弟いるのに、誰一人と仲良くないし、誰の連絡先も知らないよ。」

I am trying to understand 実母なんて10人も兄弟いるのに、誰一人と仲良くないし、誰の連絡先も知らないよ。 and have broken it into pieces: 実母なんて10人も兄弟いるのに Which reading of 人 is here being used? Is 人 here being used as a counter? Are ...
George's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
80 views

Translating 人は、城であり、かつ、セキュリティホールでもあります。

人は、城であり、かつ、セキュリティホールでもあります Trying to translate this sentence found in an article about personnel issues at work. For now, I have: People can be a fortress or a security risk. But 城 literally means &...
mattmir777's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
108 views

How to properly use 離れる

I'm trying to translate the sentence, "New York is over three hours away." Right now I have, ニューヨークは3時間以上離れている。 Is what I have correct? Or is there a more natural way of saying this sentence?...
Jet's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
107 views

Different meanings of やはり produce very different, but plausible, translations

A recurrent problem I have with the word やはり (also やっぱり) is that when I apply the various standard definitions for this word, I end up with translations that are quite different from each other, and I ...
kjo's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
70 views

Wondering if this translates to exactly what i am wanting

My friend is really into Japanese stuff and manga, and he's also learning Japanese. I wanted to make him a shirt with an inside joke/nickname I have for him, and I was planning on putting it in Kanji, ...
Cookie's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
91 views

Other uses for の?

In this sentence そうして将校の部屋に行くべく木に登るものの、 窓まで伸びていた木の枝は切られてしまっている The "の" is followed by a "," So my first guess of it being the feminine version of "よ" doesn't seem correct....
Marie OP's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
111 views

Understanding 「私の知識など先生のそれとは比較にならないほどお粗末なものでございます。」

The sentence 私の知識など先生のそれとは比較にならないほどお粗末なものでございます。 is supposed to translate to My knowledge is not even comparable to that of the teacher's. However, when I break this down into constituent ...
George's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
52 views

Understanding 足はこの程度なら医者に行くほどのこともない。

The sentence 足はこの程度なら医者に行くほどのこともない。 translates to If your foot is only this bad, there's no need to go to the doctor. Questions: Where does the notion of "this bad" come from? Purely ...
George's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
101 views

Understanding 「鈴木さんは見た目より若く見えますね。」

The sentence 鈴木さんは見た目より若く見えますね。 apparently translates to Mr. Suzuki's not as old as he looks. However, if we break this sentence down a bit: 見た目: appearance 若く見えます: appears-youngly (or more ...
George's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
145 views

Which of the meanings of いい加減 apply in these cases?

I recently came across the word いい加{か}減{げん} for the first time. Here's the definition I found: いい加{か}減{げん}: 1. 無{む}責{せき}任{にん}で、当{あ}てにならない様{よう}子{す}。 例 仕{し}事{ごと}の後{あと}始{し}末{まつ}がいい加{か}減{げん}で困{こま}る。 2. ...
kjo's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
56 views

Understanding 「彼を見てるのが気の毒なほど悄気てる。」

The sentence 彼を見てるのが気の毒なほど悄気てる。 apparently means Just seeing him makes me feel bad. But I'm having troubling parsing it. Questions: Is 「彼を見てるのが気の毒な」 a complete unit/logical clause (連体形)? Or is 「...
George's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
1k views

The role of どうも in 「犬は好きですが、猫はどうも・・・」

In an IMABI tutorial on the は-particle, the following sentence is presented: 犬は好きですが、猫はどうも・・・ which translates to I like dogs, but cats... What's throwing me off here is どうも. According to the ...
George's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
72 views

What is ''A, hoping to B'' in Japanese?

I'm making Japanese lyrics, and I'm trying to say: I try to escape(wake up) from fate Hoping to open my eyes and ended up writing this: 運命から逃れ(起き)ようとする 目を覚ますように For 逃れ(起き)よう, I'm doing the thing ...
littlecatte's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
159 views

What is the meaning of そうない

I was listening to twice's more and more japanese version and they sing: 止められそうない Is it perhaps an abrreviated form of そうにない or some other grammar point? What's the explanation for this?
Manab's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
316 views

Parsing the branching order of「帰京する飛行機の直前に到着する時刻のバスにしか間に合わなかったこともあります。」

I'm having a really hard time parsing the branching order (to find out what is modifying what) in 帰京する飛行機の直前に到着する時刻のバスにしか間に合わなかったこともあります。 I know that parsing sentences like this will become natural ...
George's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
102 views

Meaning of くらい in this sentence

The Sentence 「君たちはお金をもらって会社で仕事を教えてもらい、鍛えられている。給料をもらうなんて話が逆だろう。会社がもらいたいくらいだ。授業料、持ってこい」 From my estimation (and thanks to @chocolate) this translates to: (?) You guys are paid to be taught the work and ...
悪戯猫's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
103 views

"うとましく思う" meaning?

Google gave me "disagreeable" for just "うとましく" and "to be shy" for "うとましく思う" These obviously don't have the same meaning. What's more, when I put the full ...
Marie OP's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
113 views

Meaning of 鼻を鳴らす?

I am reading 煙草と悪魔 by Akutagawa, and came across a phrase which has me stumped. The sentence reads as follows: 伊留満は、これを聞くと、小さな眼を輝かせて、二三度、満足さうに、鼻を鳴らした。" My current understanding of this sentence ...
Phantom's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
781 views

Meaning of ぞや at the end of 「 日本語は何ぞや」?

What is the meaning of ぞや at the end of 日本語は何ぞや?
George's user avatar
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1 answer
132 views

What does 本当のところ means in this context?

もっとも内面的には、今とさほど変わらない、未熟な精神的幼稚園児と言うしかない気もする。当時と今で、僕の人間性に大きな違いがあるとも思えない。だが、これはあくまで本人がそう思っているだけであって、過去を美化していたり、現在を卑下していたり、あるいはその逆だったり、そんなこんなで辻棲を合わせているだけで本当のところは色々あるのだろう。 So , here the writer speaks ...
goldenlight's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
78 views

Understanding「そうなるとやはり犯罪者かしかしあまり大物でもマズい」

From the first episode of Death Note, I'm having trouble understanding そうなると やはり犯罪者か しかし あまり大物でもマズい Why is there a と after そうなる? Is やはり's reading "矢張り"? Is あまり's reading "余り"? ...
George's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
102 views

What is the meaning of 根拠となる土台?

The 概説 for the word 奉仕 on Wikipedia reads the following 往々にしてその根拠となる土台には宗教的な信念や、宗教的な意味合いの神奉仕[1]の形として、神ではないもののその代わりとしての、困難な場面におかれている隣人に手を差し伸べ、できる限りの援助を与えるというケースがある Which I understood as: often 奉仕 is ...
goldenlight's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
131 views

I need help with meaning: 「それは気の毒に...年頃だしな」 [closed]

それは気【き】の毒【どく】に...年頃【としごろ】だしな How would you read this sentence? "It is unfortunate...that age" ? It doesn't make sense to me Edit: The context is a bit tricky because it seems to me like the ...
user21884's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
87 views

What is the meaning of this sentence (specifically 前まで)?

ちょっと前まで、ちょっと前まで暑かったです。 I'm following a video, and trying to translate line by line. This sentence I got stuck on. I'm trying to break in down into parts. I know ちょっと is "a little." What is ...
X33's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
236 views

"これが喜ばずにいられると思うかい?" meaning?

I'm working on a translation and am having trouble making sense of this phrase. I tried looking up the meaning each individual word and putting the phrase through Google Translate, but something doesn'...
Marie OP's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
226 views

What's the meaning of つく when it comes to spelling words?

I found a Japanese children's book called あっちゃんあがつく たべものあいうえお. Based on the context, I understand あがつく to mean "words containing あ", so my guess is that つく in this context means "to be ...
jogloran's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
2k views

In a language without articles, how would one translate the significance of titles starting with "The"

For a title starting with "The" such as "The Wall", how would one translate it while still conveying the same significance? A literal translation such as「壁」does not seem to carry ...
James Maple's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
77 views

What does ヤキ入れ here? [closed]

i cant find a clear translation but in the anime it is translated as "beating someone up" or something similar. any idea
HAMOODY 001's user avatar

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