Tagged Questions
用法・使い方. How to use certain words, phrases, particles, endings, constructions, and their variants.
0
votes
0answers
88 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 ...
8
votes
1answer
169 views
+50
Saying “I have no need for 'that'” ('that = insert any phrase') in three different circumstances and in various degree of politeness
Situation1: My close friends offer me 'something' that of no use for me. So I want to reject it by saying 'I have no need for 'that'.
(Situation 1-1: I want to sound really rude to my close friend as ...
3
votes
1answer
613 views
Is 「〜られたくない」 in present or past form?
I've come across these two sentences and have been trying to wrap my head around them for a while.
「出られたくないんだよ」and 「縛られたくないんだよ」
Both use the potential verb form and 「くない」
When I look up the ...
4
votes
1answer
71 views
Should I use と or たら in that case? [duplicate]
I've got a task in uni today to put either と or たら. And there's a sentence I can't comprehend:
箸で食べて（みると、みたら）どうですか。
I don't quite understand which form I have to use here, so it would be great if I ...
3
votes
1answer
65 views
立ってそばを食べる vs 立ちながらそばを食べる
I have a question about grammar and usage. Please help.
たち食いそば屋は、座らないで「？」そばを食べる店です。
The question is what grammar form should be inserted there. My book answer is 立って not 立ちながら.
But what is wrong ...
4
votes
1answer
405 views
Time between meetings and use of 久しぶり
Generally speaking, how much time needs to go by before it would be natural to use 久しぶり?
Is 2 weeks too short? A month? Where is the line?
Does frequency affect the usage of 久しぶり? As in, you meet ...
4
votes
4answers
957 views
How does one say “bye” to a stranger they just met?
When one starts out learning Japanese, they're always taught to use the phrase “さようなら” to mean “goodbye.” However, it's now known that it's not that commonly used as people regard it as a kind of “...
2
votes
1answer
140 views
Why use the kanji 伸 for “no” instead of the hiragana の, and the kanji 手 for “te” instead of the hiragana て?
In an anime opening song, at 0:08, I read the following sentence:
omokage no naka te wo nobasu no
おもかげのなか 手を伸ばすの
Please, can you tell me:
for "no", why is the kanji 伸 used instead of the ...
0
votes
1answer
74 views
desu vs. arimasu (or imasu) when declaring existence
The difference between arimasu and imasu is clear, but how do I decide when to use desu and when to use arimasu (or imasu) when stating that something exists?
Consider this example sentence:
There ...
1
vote
0answers
52 views
Difference between 防衛相, 防衛大臣 and 国防相
Reading a NHK NEWS article, I stumbled over three different expressions for minister of defence. Is there a difference between 防衛相, 防衛大臣 and 国防相?
3
votes
0answers
65 views
Why does ―・appear on Japanese dictionary? [duplicate]
For example this definition of 臨む: 風景・場所などを目の前にする。向かい対する。面する。「海に―・んだ部屋」
Why does ―・appear instead of the word itself? What's the reason behind it, how do I call it and why that only exist in a ...
3
votes
2answers
95 views
How to use と with three or more nouns?
I just started learning Japanese and I recently learned something like:
このかめらと、あのらじおをください。
(Please give me this camera and that radio.)
Note that I have not learned Katakana yet so sorry for the ...
3
votes
0answers
56 views
っつー at the end of a sentence [duplicate]
What does っつー at the end of sentence mean, I get that its a form of と言う/っていう, but still don't quite understand use of it. And it isn't quotation.
some of the sentence I came across using them
...
3
votes
1answer
237 views
Confusing sentence using ~わけではなく and other forms
Note: I already reviewed many topics here regarding the use of わけ, but I still struggle to properly translate the sentence below. It's from the introduction to the book 日本語文法ハンドブック (a book for ...
1
vote
1answer
52 views
How and when to use 形（かたち、けい、かた）
What exactly are the scenarios where かたち、けい or かた would be used? For example, in this sentence 「 輪の形に動かす」, is it かたち or かた？
1
vote
2answers
88 views
What is the meaning of どうの?
Context: a former swordsman takes his daughter to attend kendo lessons. She doesn't seem happy, so he reminds her that she decided herself to go, at which che replies:
んだよ！...
8
votes
2answers
168 views
What's the difference between 意外にも and 意外に?
I was practicing writing for Japanese and I wanted to say, "We don't say it often, but surprisingly, it has the same meaning as "good luck""
My original sentence was "あまり言わないけど、意外に、「がんばって！」と同じ意味だよ。" ...
9
votes
2answers
118 views
Meaning of その in particular phrases
I know that phrases like [Noun A + to と+ sonoその + Noun B] can be translated as "A and his/her/its B".
However, when there is no 'to' と, I get a bit puzzled about the meaning.
For instance, which ...
6
votes
1answer
95 views
Referring to Korean people as an ethnic group and not as political entities?
While rereading a question and answer I posted here I started thinking about how one would refer to Koreans as an ethnic whole rather than as the currently separate political countries they are.
I ...
5
votes
3answers
159 views
-ています / present continuous form not used in habitual action
I have read this sentence in my book :
山田{やまだ}さんは毎朝{まいあさ}６時{じ}に起きます{おきます}。
Why isn't the present continuous used (起きています) since it is obviously a habit for Yamada-san to wake up at 6 every morning?...
9
votes
1answer
171 views
書類や資料などの内容の引用について
My English isn't good, so I have always asked in Japanese, but Japanese isn't my mother tongue either. Sometimes, when I'm asking a question in Japanese, the question and the example are related to a ...
5
votes
2answers
227 views
I want to know the difference between ここに and ここは
What is the difference between the following sentences:
ここは きょうしつ です。
これは きょうしつ です。
ここに きょうしつ です。
14
votes
4answers
315 views
Is using 人口 when referencing animal populations alright?
I am writing about that Isle of Dogs movie and I wanted to write 日本の犬の人口. Since it has the character for person in it, I was wondering if it is appropriate for animals. Any help would be appreciated!
1
vote
1answer
56 views
What is the meaning of とも in this sentence?
I need some help with the meaning of とも in this sentence
とも言えますが
I have tried looking the definition up but it doesn't seem to fit in this context.
I have the first part roughly translated as
...
2
votes
2answers
57 views
そう in “あなたはどうしてそう私を心配させるの”
I understand そう normally means "seems that way", "I think so", etc. In this case, そう comes after どうして and before 私. Which word before or after should be paid attention to in this case to derive the ...
2
votes
1answer
94 views
In what way does ちうわけで serve this sentence?
From my understanding, absent "ちうわけで", this simply means, "Is it OK if I go to break." Is it similar to "こういうわけで"?
1
vote
2answers
77 views
Direct objects of motion verbs and help with the difference between を and に
まちをぶらぶらあるく。
English translation: Walk aimlessly through town.
I understand that aimlessly walk takes the object town and that’s why we use を, but wouldn’t it make more sense to use に as the town is ...
3
votes
1answer
65 views
＃回に＃度: probability or sequence?
In a game manual, there is a description of a rare item that sometimes appears instead of a regular one. The rule determining when this rare item appears is this:
16回に１度、Ｘのかわりに出現。
In an earlier ...
2
votes
1answer
81 views
Where? Variations and usages
I have come across three main ways to indicate the idea of "where" in Japanese:
どこ
どこに
どちら
Can anyone shed light on when one is used or preferred over another? Or with what combination of word ...
2
votes
1answer
84 views
Why does this sentence have so many words to describe its title?
I’m translating The Little Prince for fun and I have a question about the first part of this sentence.
その本の名前は『ほんとう にあった話』というタイトルで、原始のジャングルについて書かれていた本だった
Why do we have so many naming words in this?...
5
votes
1answer
132 views
Word select: 食べます？／飲みます？
食べ物の場合は動詞「食べる」を使いますが、飲み物の場合は動詞「飲む」を使います。ところが、食べ物と飲み物をいっしょに出た場合はどの動詞を使いますか。
例①：パンとミルクを...（食べます？／飲みます？）…
例②：コーヒーとりんごを...（食べます？／飲みます？）…
1
vote
1answer
102 views
Why would you use 好き to describe a favorite object?
After taking some notes from various classes, I have come across some of the same translations:
好{す}きな音楽{おんがく}：Favorite Music
好{す}きな人{ひと}：Favorite person
etc.
Why would one use 好{す}き instead of 大好{...
3
votes
1answer
122 views
~なけりゃ or ~なきゃ, how to know which one to use?
風邪を引いたから薬を早く飲まなきゃ
I know that generally, eba contracts to ya
(答えれば → 答えりゃ）
(おけば → おきゃ）
If the original form in this sentence is 飲まな[ければ]{ll}ならない.いけない
how shall we choose between 飲まなきゃ and 飲まなけりゃ?
0
votes
1answer
112 views
Can anyone help identify this character 僮?
I found this character on a website and the only associated meaning was "child, servant." Can anyone elaborate on when it may be used and why?
2
votes
2answers
153 views
Meaning of もの in this title/name
An enemy (a monster) in a game I was reading about is called [時を食らうもの]{ときをくらうもの}, which is translated as "Time Devourer". Is the もの used as sort of a -er suffix, or does it have a different function?
0
votes
1answer
74 views
When a kanji term is listed as outdated, is it for specific words or all of the words that use it?
I read jisho a lot and I run into words with outdated kanji. Does this mean that the kanji term is outdated for a particular word or all words that use it?
3
votes
1answer
119 views
Referring to the Four Seasons of Japan
To say "Four Seasons" in Japanese would you say:
Shiki しき or Yottsu no kisetsu よっつのきせつ or will either do?
1
vote
1answer
57 views
Usage of 目黒 outside of 目黒区
I am wondering if 目黒 can be used as a noun outside of its usage as a district name.
Examining each character,
目 eye, vision, sight, etc.
黒 black, guilt, etc.
provides a couple of interesting ...
1
vote
2answers
89 views
a sentence that ends with “de”
sorry if my English is bad but neither English nor Japanese is my language. i'm new to Japanese too. I have a question that i hope you will answer it.
"赤ちゃんだんごはいつも幸せの中で"
This is from a song named "...
4
votes
1answer
114 views
Is チョンボ commonly used to mean mistake (outside of conversations about 麻雀), even by people who don't play it?
I heard someone say チョンボを犯した in a situation where they could not possibly be talking about 麻雀. I don't know if he plays 麻雀 or not, but it made me wonder, how common is using チョンボ to mean mistake among ...
2
votes
3answers
152 views
What does 口 add to words like 出口？
As I am going over the uses of N5 kanji, I have gotten confused as to why 口（ぐち）is used in places such as 出口 and 入口. What meaning does it add?
3
votes
0answers
24 views
Which is preferred, 気が遠くなるほど or 気の遠くなるほど? [duplicate]
Considering the expression 気が遠くなるほど to describe something of a large scale or hard to conceive, is the variant 気の遠くなるほど also correct and is there any difference in meaning or nuance? Is there any sort ...
7
votes
1answer
588 views
How do I respond to よろしくお願いします after being assigned a task at work?
My supervisor at work tells me よろしくお願いします after she gives me a task to do in the office. What is the appropriate way to respond? I've looked around on the internet but have been unsuccessful in ...
0
votes
1answer
81 views
What's the meaning of 終末 in 終末の微笑
What's the meaning of 終末 in 終末の微笑?
I know 微笑 means smile, but would 終末の translate to "The final", "The last" etc. Would you be able to say 最後 in 最後の微笑 and it would have the same meaning?
Thank you
6
votes
1answer
145 views
What nuances are carried when addressing someone as きみ?
What nuances are carried when addressing someone as きみ?
I often hear a (Japanese) manager addressing his subordinates using きみ
My partner told me that addressing him as きみ made him feel like we were ...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
The usage of 比べて — without saying the thing being compared to?
I want to express: 'He is good at basketball. In comparison, she is less skilled.'
My sentence is: 彼はバスケットボールで上手です。彼女は、比べて、下手です。
Is this correct? Please correct me for any errors I've made
...
1
vote
1answer
105 views
I'm trying to describe a bird hopping from branches to branches
Respected readers,
I would very much appreciate your help for this problem,
So, I want to say: 'These birds prefer hopping over flying, so normally you would see them hopping from branches to ...
3
votes
1answer
130 views
Meaning of ~たりしたため
Respected readers,
I have come across the following phrase from an online article :
(extract from https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/k10011524021000/k10011524021000.html).
...
3
votes
1answer
176 views
Usage of に in 「雨にぬれる」
雨{あめ}にぬれる
Why shouldn’t it be
雨{あめ}でぬれる
Could you please explain to me why に is used in this expression? Is で incorrect here or is there a difference in nuance?
0
votes
0answers
47 views
What should I say to boss when the last day of working? [duplicate]
I always say お疲れ様でした to boss before leaving office.
But I want to know what Japanese saying normally in the last day of working (job quitting day)
P.S I will quit my job this month
