Questions tagged [usage]
用法・使い方. How to use certain words, phrases, particles, endings, constructions, and their variants.
1,282
questions
2
votes
0answers
28 views
Multiple subject?
When I say I’m now busy, it’s
今は忙しい
But what I don’t understand is that 今 is being used as the topic. I’m this sentence, the real person that’s busy is me, so if I choose to not omit the person, but ...
0
votes
0answers
38 views
The usage of じゃなりません [closed]
From grammar lessons, I’ve learned that the base format of “the test is not tomorrow” is
試験は明日じゃない。
However, nobody speaks like this and the polite form should be
試験は明日じゃないです。
Or, more formally,
...
1
vote
2answers
148 views
Different ways of saying “good night” in Japanese [closed]
I know that おやすみなさい means "good night" in Japanese and it can be shortened to おやすみ. What is the difference between the two?
In English there are other phrases such as "sweet dreams"...
0
votes
2answers
91 views
Difference between 試みる and 試す
何度か試みたが、失敗した.
何度か試したが、失敗した.
Is there a difference between those sentences? I have the feeling that the second one is more about trying smothing out like for the first time and see what happens and ...
11
votes
1answer
456 views
What is the difference between '礼', '礼儀', '礼に', '敬礼', and 'お辞儀'?
What is the difference between '礼', '礼儀', '礼に', '敬礼', and 'お辞儀'?
More generally, what does '礼' mean when used stand-alone as a noun? Can '礼' be used stand-alone or would that be considered unusual?
...
2
votes
0answers
58 views
Intuitive way to justify this usage of「に」
An earlier question on JP.SE asked about the usage of the particle「に」for what seemed to be attribution or possession, but I wasn't sure if those were 'official' uses of「に」and I decided to do some ...
0
votes
1answer
115 views
What is the use of the first の in this sentence?
"色の薄いものと濃いものを両方使うときれいに見えます。" I thought this was the case where の substitutes が but this is not a relative clause. I'd just like to know about this particular use of の.
1
vote
1answer
230 views
「思い込み」can mean something like “misconception”?
"ちゃんと話した結果…お互いに、思い込みだとわかったっつうか…"
The English translation was "We talked it over, and we realised we were both just confused." But I cannot understand "思い込み" here. The ...
0
votes
2answers
85 views
How is “あるちゃあるけど” used?
As far as I understand "あるちゃあるけど" is close in meaning to "ないとは言い切れない" and "しいていえばある" but I could not find how it is used, nor understand the exact meaning.
2
votes
1answer
85 views
Confusing usage of 写る
I am confused about a certain usage of 写る, that i have encountered in example sentences.
An Anki deck I use presented: このカメラはよく写りますよ。The given translation is "This camera takes good pictures.&...
2
votes
2answers
108 views
When is it fine to use 違う?
From an English perspective--including mine since I'm learning Japanese using English, I felt that 違う sounded strong, this may be from the tendency to respect others' opinions on English, that ...
3
votes
1answer
112 views
Question about past tense with noun
I'm having trouble with past tense + noun.
For example "弟の言うことを聞いたばかりにひどい目にあった" Or "この教授はしゃべるのが速すぎて、誰も言っていることを理解出来なかった"
Why is used 言うこと instead of 言ったこと / 言っている instead of 言っていた?
In this ...
3
votes
1answer
82 views
Understanding 一番 when used with たくさん or 多い
My English-native brain is struggling to understand why 一番 is used with たくさん and 多い in sentences like these:
彼が一番たくさんのお金を持っている。
彼女が一番多いの食べ物を持っている。
I'm probably thinking about it wrong, but the first ...
0
votes
1answer
60 views
Meaning of でも in this special context from しまこうさく まなが
日商工は３団体でも一番歴史が古く１９２２年に発足した。
(As backdrop, the 経済連、経済交友会 and 日商工 are the three largest business lobbying organizations in Japan according to the Manga. And 日商工 is the oldest.)
My question: what does ...
0
votes
1answer
71 views
What is the purpose of 「ん」in this sentence 「忙しいんだよ」? [duplicate]
What is the purpose of 「ん」in this sentence 「忙しいんだよ」?
1
vote
1answer
97 views
Difference between 聞こえる and 聞かれる / 見える and 見られる
I came across this problem when I was studying, and I couldn't really understand the difference between using the passive form of 聞く or 見る and using the verbs 聞こえる and 見える, considering that, in my ...
2
votes
1answer
104 views
use of だって after 私
I was making some sentence cards and was wondering what だって in this case meant.
I got sth like "Even I am of use as splendid maid for Kobayashi."
for context: Lucoa was summoned by Shota but doesn't ...
3
votes
1answer
208 views
Is ゼミ a synonym for a university class?
I know that ゼミ is short for ゼミナール (seminar), but the word seems to be used differently than how it's used in English. My guess from the times I've seen it used is that it's a catch-all term for ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
The use of や and sentence meaning
まつさんはラーメンやのうしろの公園に行きます。
In the previous sentence, what is the purpose of the や after ラーメン?
I'm also unsure if the sentence is saying that "Matsu went to the park behind the ramen shop." or "Matsu ...
2
votes
2answers
111 views
Grammatically speaking, what is もう一つ?
I have come across もう一つ multiple times now, and I know it means "another one", but I'm struggling to understand it's grammatical function in a sentence.
It looks like the combination of the adverb もう ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
Can Vte差し上げる be used?
We know that Vteあげる can be used when we talk about the giver doing a; generous act, favour or being helpful. Further, we know that Vteあげる can be used when the two people are of the almost same social ...
0
votes
1answer
73 views
I can't understand the use of と in 新しい政策はあまり良いとは思えません。
Hi I'm a beginner with japanese, also I'm not a native english speaker, and I'm struggling with things like this since long ago: I learned basic use of particles and currently I can understand several ...
1
vote
2answers
105 views
Question regarding alcohol: Meaning of " 飲める！甘いのだけ”. More context in description below
Is Japanese beer sweet?
To provide context to the question I asked, the sentence was extracted from 2 characters talking to each other. Both of them went into a bar.
One of them has low alcohol ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
In a song, if somebody wanted to say to their deceased mom, “We loved you so much.” what form of love would you use?
Would I use "Aishita" or something else? The child is a 16 year old.
-2
votes
1answer
94 views
Is there any difference between 一緒に and と一緒に? [closed]
Is there any difference between 一緒に and と一緒に?
0
votes
1answer
51 views
understanding the term 落ち着いた暖色の照明
お客様が車内で快適にお過ごしいただけるよう、既存車両よりも広い座席、全席分の電源コンセント、無料公衆無線ＬＡＮ、落ち着いた暖色の照明、新宿駅停車中の車内ＢＧＭなど、さまざまなサービスを提供します。
I understand from the text above about various features inside the train. But this term "落ち着いた暖色の照明",...
3
votes
1answer
109 views
describing where things are [duplicate]
If I wanted to say the cat is on the table, which one of these sentences is correct or what's the difference?
「猫 は 机の上 に います」 or
「猫 は 机の上 です。」
0
votes
2answers
85 views
Can time phrases be used in sentences using あります to show possession?
For example, are
先週の金曜日に試験があります。
5月5日に難しい試験があります.
来週の木曜日に友達と約束があります。
correct sentences? In the early chapters of the textbook I use, the pattern 'Noun は (Time phrase) です' is used. But ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
Main usages of the た-Form
A couple of weeks ago I learned in my course the usage of the て-Form which were:
Chaining verbs together , all of which are written in the で-Form and the last one is written with the polite form. The ...
0
votes
0answers
20 views
Meaning of 産んだげる? [duplicate]
So I came across this word in a manga and for the life of me, I can't find any sources on what this could mean.
The context is a woman talking to MC that she will give birth to MC'c child. The full ...
0
votes
0answers
56 views
I can't recognize which conditional form to use? [duplicate]
so as you know there are varieties of conditions forms in Japanese...(と, …ば, …たら, なら)
and 大変ですね？
so my problem is, I may be able to recognize them in a test but while speaking, I have no idea which to ...
4
votes
1answer
140 views
Two perceptions of 以上で
Please correct me, is it right that restaurant waiters ask 以上で? to mean "is that all" after you order?
If so, I can see two opposite logics behind it:
First logic: The basic meaning of 以上is "beyond,...
0
votes
1answer
75 views
What does the verbal contraction/suffix -kkya or -kya at the end of a clause mean? [duplicate]
I seem to hear and read this construction often, but can't seem to find any information about it on Google (or other search engines), as well as other sites I've checked. I've tried several different ...
0
votes
0answers
38 views
Difference between はもとより and はもちろん and their respective usage
I would like to know if there is some difference between はもとより and はもちろん in the sense of "let alone" , "not only ... but also".
On a side note, I would like also to know their respective usage (oral/...
1
vote
2answers
112 views
3割引 ＝3 %? 33.3 % ? 30 %?
The sentence is:
あの店は今、3割引のセールをしています。
I suspect it means 30% , but maybe it means 33.3% which is 1/3?
In any case I don’t understand the logic behind this.
How would you say if the discount rate ...
4
votes
2answers
239 views
What is the difference between the words 状態 and 状況?
Actually, I want to write an email to a person asking about her current situation in life, understanding by "situation" if she got married, if she changed companies, if she's happy, etc. I remember ...
0
votes
1answer
64 views
Can I always use が to mark the subject when talking about phenomenon [closed]
I understand that が can be used to describe a phenomenon.
雨 が 降って います。
But in Japanese, there are always many exceptions.
So, does this have any exceptions?
Like I can use は or を?
雨 は 降って います。
...
1
vote
1answer
101 views
What is the difference between あまつさえ、しかも and それに?
あまつさえ、それに and しかも (and maybe a few more words like そのうえ perhaps) vaguely express the idea of 'moreover/besides/in addition'. Are there big differences in the way they are used?
1
vote
1answer
74 views
Difference between “行くんスカ?” and “行くんですか” [duplicate]
I think both of them have a similar meaning but the use of んスカ is puzzling, like what is the literal translation of it?
1
vote
3answers
470 views
How do I apologize for my bad Japanese?
I am writing a short letter in Japanese. I will doubtless make many mistakes. What is a nice way to acknowledge this to the recipient?
I apologise for using the forum incorrectly. With the help of ...
4
votes
1answer
127 views
What exactly makes a relationship どろどろ?
What I understand from dictionaries is that there are somehow complicated feelings involved (Daijirin: 感情などが、複雑に絡み合って、すっきりしないさま。), but I still don't quite understand what kind of relationship would be ...
3
votes
3answers
149 views
What’s the difference between サクサク and パリパリ
I have a question about Japanese onomatopoeia (擬態語). What is the difference between サクサク and パリパリ? Are there situations where using one instead of the other is incorrect? As I understand it, they both ...
1
vote
2answers
166 views
Can we use やばいぞ instead of やばいよ?
Does "ぞ" make it more masculine-sounding or is it a different dialect?
1
vote
2answers
131 views
How to say “unless…?” in the context of “but what if”
In the context of the phrase "Just kidding... unless...?", how would the word "unless" be translated? Here, "unless" has sort of a connotation of "what if...?" as well as "unless you want to?"
15
votes
4answers
2k views
How can I say “to be tired of verbING” in Japanese?
How can I say "I'm tired of waiting", "I'm tired/bored of staying home all day"?
Can I use て form + 疲れる?
What is the difference among 疲れる、飽きる and うんざりする?
7
votes
1answer
681 views
Absence of て in お気をつけください
I’m uncertain about the phrase お気をつけください, which I found where I would have expected お気をつけてください. Assuming it’s not a typo is it 尊敬語？ Should I understand the honorific お as qualifying 気 only or the ...
2
votes
0answers
67 views
Mixing of non-past/past in narratives
In the ASK Graded Readers, which present beginner-appropriate short stories, there is a frequently occurring pattern of writing with ~ます during the 'setup' of the story, and then switching to 〜ました ...
5
votes
1answer
905 views
I want to know the difference between of 入れ歯 and インプラント
I want to know different usages between 入れ歯{ば} and 歯のインプラント .
Is this two words mean the same or any other different !
0
votes
0answers
88 views
Is 情けねえ the negative form of 情け? [duplicate]
And if so, how is this negative (情けねえ) different from 情けない?
1
vote
1answer
48 views
The もの in 再生したもの
How would you understand this sentence:
これはペットボトルを再生したものです。
“This is the tool that fixed the PET bottle”? Or, “this is an object made from recycled PET bottles”?
I typed it into Google ...
