Questions tagged [usage]
用法・使い方. How to use certain words, phrases, particles, endings, constructions, and their variants.
1,231
questions
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1answer
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Is there any difference in meaning between 野外 and 屋外?
In the sense of “outdoors,” is there any difference in meaning between 野外 and 屋外? Neither Nelson’s character dictionary nor Jisho.org indicate any obvious difference beyond the following second ...
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0answers
43 views
What does [で] mean in [前は花屋で]…?
隣にパン屋があります。前は花屋で、花屋の隣は魚屋です。
Is it simply used as a connector? Is it simply used to avoid making 2 sentences e.g."前は花屋です。花屋の隣は魚屋です。"?
I previously thought this was only done for Na adjectives to ...
0
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0answers
42 views
What does the いうの do in this sentence? [duplicate]
I have this sentence:
一体 何をしようというのですか？
which I understand to mean:
What in the world are you trying to do?
However I cannot understand what というの means or functions as doing.
From my own ...
3
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3answers
138 views
What does 勝ったな mean?
I’ve stumbled upon the phrase 勝ったな and it was translated there as “he will win” but what conjugation is that?
4
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1answer
151 views
Difference between やめろい and やめろ
What exactly is the difference between やめろい and やめろ?
Is this い the same as the one used to strenghten assertions and statements like the い used in the sentence-final かい, だい, and がい? Can it be used ...
2
votes
1answer
90 views
行く 帰る 来る + time expression - how it works
Phrases like 5[時]{じ}に[帰]{かえ}ります or 3[時]{じ}に[行]{い}きます or 8[時]{じ}に[来]{き}ます are the very basics one can find in a beginner's book. And despite that, I have yet to see an explanation what exactly they ...
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1answer
126 views
Another meaning of 回{かい}転{てん} in phrase 回{かい}転{てん}寿{ず}司{し}チェーン
回転 means rotation. How to understand this phrase: 回転寿司チェーン ?
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0answers
109 views
Differences between ways to express obligation?
1) I know that, to express something that you must do, you can use 方{ほう}がいい and, for a stronger feeling, べき.
2) I am also aware you can use conditionals like 〜なくちゃ、〜なきゃ、〜ないと to express that you need ...
2
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2answers
52 views
What is the difference between 技能 and 技術 in terms of 業務内容
I have a form for a medical check-up that asks what category best describes the 業務内容 of your occupation.
One of the choices is 技術・研究 and another is 生産・技能.
A monolingual dictionary is of no help ...
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1answer
71 views
What would 箆深い (のぶかい) mean?
While 深い (ふかい) means "profound; deep; dense", 箆 (へら, の), as a noun, means "spatula; arrow shaft" in japanese and, originally, "fine-toothed comb" in chinese.
This word is used adverbially in this ...
3
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1answer
94 views
A little help with the usage of 「……わけだよ」
I came across the following sentence in my dictionary :
下手なわけだよ，習い始めたばかりなんだから
Because of the absence of context, I imagined one by myself. Suppose I ‘m cooking unskillfully and a friend who sees ...
2
votes
1answer
166 views
How can this sentence be understood?
I'm reading 仮面の告白 by Mishima Yukio, and I came across this sentence:
そのほか に縄目は見えず、青年の裸体を覆うものとては、腰のまわりにゆるやか に巻きつけられた 白い粗布があるばかりだった。
I would like to understand how is this sentence made by the ...
3
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2answers
115 views
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1answer
96 views
How to parse the following から and is the もとで a noun?
The following sentence appears on a page in my book:
悪夢から一夜明け、アインのもとで訓練を重ねる日々が始まった。
I think the above から has the meaning of "after"; but the suspicious possibility of the から being a questioning か ...
6
votes
1answer
614 views
How to say “Why I started studying Japanese”
I have a Japanese assignment that requires me to write about anything I want. I decided that I wanted to write about why I want to learn Japanese. I think the title should be "Why I want to study ...
2
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0answers
114 views
What are the differences between うちに、間に、同時に, ながら & ついでに
These all generally mean whilst & during but I still (after ages of trying) make mistakes on where to use which one.
For anyone who knows the ins-and-outs of these grammar points, please explain ...
3
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1answer
115 views
Connotations and use of 日本晴(れ)
I know that 日本晴れ （にっぽん・ばれ）(it can be にほん, but is most commonly にっぽん) literally means "sunny Japan" and gives the sense of a clear sky, but I was wondering: are there any other connotations of this? I ...
3
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1answer
116 views
Difference between “doko desu ka” and “doko ga”
I've read: Difference between Xはどこ and どこがX.
I understand the top answer but I'm unsure of the "why" for why those two statements mean differently.
A) 「病院はどこですか。」
B) 「どこが病院ですか。」
They say that ...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Which verb can I use with the word “散文”?
So basically, what I want to say is something along the lines of, "He begins his story with a rhyme" or, "He tells a poem and begins his story". What's the word for "tell" here? Is there a verb phrase ...
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0answers
55 views
What is the meaning or usage of the に at the end of the following sentence?
あなたもできる対処法とは? 不安から日常安心できる生活に 。
So what does the に here refer to? Is it になる?
2
votes
1answer
90 views
What is the meaning of 出るべきところ here?
首から下に目を向ければ、すらりと伸びきった四肢や、引き締まっていながらも胸や腰など出るべきところはきちんと出ているメリハリの利いたグラマラスボディ。
What does 出るべきところ mean here ?
Also what does メリハリの利いたグラマラスボディmodify here?
0
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1answer
61 views
What is the meaning of うなじや in the following passage?
雪乃の汗で濡れ光っている白いうなじや、上衣の合わせ目から覗くほっそりとした鎖骨は、清楚な容貌とは裏腹に淫靡な色香を漂わせている。
what does うなじや mean here ?
清楚な容貌とは裏腹に淫靡な色香を漂わせている。
Also what does 裏腹に refer to in this context?
2
votes
3answers
714 views
What is the meaning/usage of に in the following sentence?
ある事柄について感じた事(が、発表できる程度にまとまったもの)。
So, I understand the first sentence, but I'm a little confused about the second one.
My translation is: to have a feeling about a certain matter to the extent of ...
2
votes
1answer
148 views
What is the meaning of 何をどう?
Context: the narrative character is attempting to find a reason explaining his past behavior.
あの時、何をどう考えて行動したんだろう？
I understand the gist of the above sentence (as seen with my translation attempt ...
2
votes
0answers
101 views
Is 〜であるものか construction allowable?
In 新完全{しんかんぜん}マスター文法{ぶんぽう}N2 page xi the formation rules for 〜ものか are
普通形{ふつうけい}（ナ形｛けい｝だ-な・名｛めい｝だ-な）＋ものか
These rules seem to preclude the form 〜であるものか.
There is also this note at the bottom of ...
4
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1answer
101 views
In the sentence 雑誌のほうは彼に渡してくれ, what does のほう mean?
I found this sentence in an anki deck, which gives its translation as "Give him the magazine" or something to that effect. I understand the rest of the sentence but I'm not sure why it has ほう in it, ...
3
votes
2answers
151 views
Please illustrate the differences between 数 and 量. Also 番号？
数 refers to something's corresponding number. For example, a reading on a monitor.
量 refers to an amount, something that can be measured.
However, if you wanted to say that the number of something ...
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votes
1answer
110 views
Can a conbini be referred to as a benriya when translating the term literally?
Can both terms be used to indicate a convenience store? I was having a discussion about convenience stores, and a chat friend sent 便利屋. I answered as convenience store. My answer was correct. The ...
3
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2answers
305 views
鶏肉【とりにく】? 鶏肉【けいにく】? 鶏肉【ちょうにく】? チキン? for chicken meat
Others have asked about "chicken meat" in general, but I do not see any answer to this question: what is the usage difference between:
鶏肉【とりにく】,
鶏肉【けいにく】,
鶏肉【ちょうにく】,
and
チキン?
Thanks.
0
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1answer
194 views
How to say animal feed in Japanese? Is there a particular verb for eating when the subject is an animal?
Is the verb 食【た】べる used for animals that are eating?
Is animal food called 食事【しょくじ】?
I was having a conversation about a cat. I wanted to know what the cat was eating and the conversation came off ...
6
votes
1answer
169 views
The usage of あげく
My current understanding of the grammar あげく is based on this common explanation I gathered online:
spending considerable time and effort doing an action, resulting in an outcome
X + あげくY = “after ...
4
votes
1answer
113 views
What does 仕入れて来る mean here?
Person A: そのちょっと変な写真だったって、えっと心霊写真みたいな
Person B: どこで仕入れて来たんだそんなような話
What does 仕入れて来た mean here? I know the dictionary definition of 仕入れる which is to stock up but I don't know its meaning here and ...
1
vote
1answer
132 views
Adding -い at the end of questions [duplicate]
どうしたんだ vs どうしたんだい
そうか vs そうかい
This kind of thing. Is it a formality difference? Is it dialectical/Regional? Age related?
3
votes
1answer
94 views
what does 線 mean here?
The context here is that an elevator fell and someone died in the fall
ワイヤを止めてる金具が外れて落下という線には間違いないんだけどね
I understand the sentence but i can't wrap my head around 線's meaning here
10
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2answers
344 views
What is the difference between 体面 and 面目？
体面{たいめん} = honor; dignity; prestige; reputation; appearances
面目{めんぼく} = face; countenance; honor; reputation; prestige; dignity
As individual words they seem to be almost the same, is there any ...
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0answers
115 views
What does 測る mean here?
前に「知るタイミング」みたいなこと言ってましたよね、それってどうやって測ればいいんですか。
I can't understand what 測る means here. I know its dictionary definition is to measure or to weigh, but it seems to have another meaning in this sentence.
1
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1answer
90 views
What does かとか mean in this sentence?
血筋かとか言われたくなかったんでな.
I've been watching some anime and came across this sentence and while i understand what it means i can't understand the (かとか）part.
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1answer
165 views
Different ways to ask help from strangers
1) Offering help to strangers in Japanese is te form shimashouka ( o tetsudaishimashouka- Shall I help you / Do you need any help ?)
2) What are the different ways to seek help ( one I know is eki no ...
3
votes
1answer
87 views
What is the difference between 編修 and 編集?
According to the translator, 編修 and 編集 are pronounced as "Henshū" and given the same meaning of "Edit". Also, both can be used as a noun.
So are there any specific situations to use these words?
...
0
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1answer
91 views
Difference between 僕等 and 僕ら?
It’s in an amazarashi song. When he sings, he says 僕ら but if when I look at the lyrics it says 僕等. Is there a difference in these?
1
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1answer
99 views
What is the difference between 動画 and 映画？
My research indicates that both terms refer to movies, 動画 and 映画. Is there a difference in usage? Does 映画 refer to film/videotape based movies and 動画 refer to everything else?
6
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1answer
256 views
What is the difference between 調子【ちょうし】 (choushi) and 具合【ぐあい】 (guai)?
Both words mean condition. In what context do we use them? Is one for expressing the condition of living things and the other one for the non-living things?
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0answers
65 views
What is the difference in connotation between できれば and できたら?
Is できれば more polite? Is one more often used when describing favors?
Also could you please provide some examples?
2
votes
2answers
181 views
添付される for physical objects. Does it mean “included with” or “attached to”?
When 添付される is used for physical objects. Does it mean "included with" or physically "attached to"?
So far I've only seen 添付 used with email and paper documents, for which no distinction needs to be ...
2
votes
2answers
151 views
What is the difference between 「何を…ましょうか」, 「何を…ますか」 and 「何を…ませんか」?
What are the differences in meaning between these three sentences?
えいがはなにをみましょうか。
えいがはなにをみますか。
えいがはなにをみませんか。
Does the last sentence even make sense?
2
votes
1answer
255 views
Can さくじつ and きのう be used the same way?
Can さくじつ and きのう be used the same way? I know the terms mean yesterday. Thank you!
1
vote
1answer
87 views
what is に's role in this sentence?
その巨大{きょだい}な学園{がくえん}は都会{とかい}のど真{ま}ん中{なか}の一等地{いっとうち}に聳{そび}えたっていた
I can understand the meaning of this sentence but I can't comprehend what「に」is meaning in it.
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1answer
98 views
What term is used to mean the game of American football?
I see terms for soccer and football and they seem closely related. What is the term used to clearly indicate American football? National/American Football League football. Thank you for your time in ...
3
votes
1answer
89 views
Is として in this sentence adverbial?
I was trying to get a full understanding of this sentence's structure:
政府が学校の建設を計画しているが、遅々として進まないので、現地にあるNGO組織が学校づくりを支援している
I know として as "As; In", like in 教師として, "as a teacher", but in this ...
0
votes
1answer
134 views
What is the meaning of している in this sentence?
I know from looking at the title many of you are thinking "Frey, you should KNOW THIS by now." And to be honest I should, its just a matter of the more research I did only served to further confuse me....
