Questions tagged [word-choice]
使い分け. The differences between two or more words or phrases and how to select the best one for a given situation.
3
votes
0answers
48 views
Verb (とどめる) and its meaning in these sentences
I was looking for the meaning of the verb (とどめる) and how it differs from (とめる). I understood that (とどめる) means (to stop "potentially" from moving). But how does that meaning relate to the following ...
2
votes
2answers
97 views
Was Warned that … (correct word choice / use of passive?)
I am trying to write out a short speech to say after my companies morning exercises, and I have chosen the very exciting topic of ... the weather!
Anyway I wish to convey this meaning in my ...
5
votes
1answer
206 views
Differences between 楽しがちに、楽し気味に、楽しげに、楽しっぽく
Which one of the words above is most suitable in the following sentence and why?
近所の子供たちが校庭で________遊んでいる。
Thanks!
4
votes
1answer
104 views
1人ではできなかったので友達に手伝って______。
Could you please explain why the correct answer is 「もらいました」 and not 「くれました」？
Multiple choice answers are:
①やりました
②もらいました
③くれました
④あげました
Thanks!!!
5
votes
2answers
137 views
2
votes
1answer
56 views
Differences between 'prepare' words. 整う、備える、設ける
What are the nuances between each? For general use in most cases can they be substituted for 準備します?
16
votes
4answers
1k views
貧しい【まずしい】 poor 貧乏【びんぼう】な poor What's the difference?
Example sentences do not suggest a big difference. Is there?
貧しい【まずしい】 poor
貧乏【びんぼう】な poor
[貧乏]{びんぼう}だけれど[彼]{かれ}は[幸福]{こうふく}だ。
Poor as he is, he is happy.
[貧]{まず}しいといえども[彼女]{かのじょ}は[幸]{しあわ}せだ。...
4
votes
1answer
101 views
Do only shop staff use 当店, or could I use it too to say 'here'?
I heard it in the context of a shop staff saying it in anime, but it got me thinking about the different ways I might say 'here' in a sentence like 'Do you serve vegetarian meals here?'
ここは。。。
こちらは。。...
0
votes
1answer
117 views
What do you call males in their late teens/early twenties?
For example, what word would I use to say like “Boys are cute” or “Guys are cute”? I’m 19, so what word would fit me? 男？
1
vote
1answer
114 views
“Boku mo tsurete!”
Does sentence "Boku mo tsurete" means only "Take me" or "Lead me", or it could also mean "Follow me" or "Come with", based on context? Thanks!
1
vote
1answer
87 views
うれしい(ureshii) Vs たのしい(tanoshii)
When exactly do we use うれしい(ureshii) and たのしい(tanoshii)
Ureshii - glad , pleasant
Tanoshii - happy
Ureshii is when you see someone being happy
Is ureshii also with event already happened
2
votes
1answer
77 views
Difference of 減量 and 減少
What is the difference between 減量 and 減少? What about 増量 and 増加?
I found these following examples on my workbook, but there is no explanation whatsoever about how to use them.
人口が減少する。
...
1
vote
1answer
133 views
Which is more common for “I miss you”: 会いたい or 寂しい？
When saying “I miss you” which of these is more frequently used? Do they have different nuances?
0
votes
2answers
108 views
Difference between と and たら [duplicate]
I was under the impression that たら was used for "if this then", statements. Be they cause and effects or when statements. Whats the difference with と?
7
votes
1answer
125 views
Comparing the usage of というのは and ということは
As far as I know, both というのは and ということは can be used to give definition/explanation.
留学するということは、海外で勉強するということだ。
ユートピアというのは理想郷の意だ
And are also used to make inferences.
ご意見がないということは賛成ということですね。
...
4
votes
0answers
63 views
Are です and あります／います ever interchangeable?
I feel like （私は）彼の前です。 means the same thing as （私は）彼の前にいます。 (I am in front of him.)
Also 本はどこですか。 and 本はどこにありますか。 (Where is the book?)
Correct me if I'm wrong, but is there a rule for determining ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
How do you say “or” at the beginning of a sentence?
For example, if I was saying something like “Did you buy the groceries?” and then I wanted to add “Or do you want me to?” how would I translate the “or” at the beginning?
Another example: “Do you ...
2
votes
1answer
285 views
What does it mean when みたいな is at the end of a sentence?
彼ももうちょっとがんばればよかったのに..、みたいな…。
or
なんか、お腹減った、みたいな…
Just for some examples. Is it some sort of filler? I understand normal uses of みたい but I don’t understand what it means at the end of a sentence.
1
vote
1answer
197 views
のです abbreviated to んで？
「いろんな種類あるんで。」
Is this just an abbreviation of のです？ Or is it supposed to be ので？ I’ve seen んで a handful of times so I thought I would ask about it!
2
votes
1answer
101 views
How to say “if a is happening or b is happening” using たら?
If I wanted to say:
If I am cooking or washing clothes, please help.
料理をしている[or]洗濯していたら、手伝ってください。
I know sometimes か is used to mean "or", but wouldn't that be confused with the question of ...
1
vote
1answer
187 views
Saying “and” with two different clauses?
I’ve seen a few threads about saying “and” but I’m not sure what to do if there’s a time element in the second clause.
For example, I want to say “I just woke up and I work later.”
Would that be 「...
1
vote
1answer
167 views
Meaning of とか and こう in context なんかお店とかに、こう歩ってて
なんかお店とかに、こう歩ってて、なんかっす、こう、スベッ、スベッて転んだことが。痛い！
What is the meaning of こう how it’s used in this context? And what is the purpose of とか？I know なんか is similar to “like” and っす is short for です so it seems ...
-1
votes
2answers
115 views
Difference between 〜といい and 〜ように for “I hope…”
I've learned that both of these can be used to mean “I hope that...” or “I wish that...” but what is the difference in meaning?
「明日晴れといいな。」vs 「明日晴れように。」
Do these have the same meaning?
0
votes
1answer
82 views
How to say “There we go!” and “Lemme think…”
how would you say “There we go!” meaning you got what you wanted, it’s there, etc? and would “Lemme think...” just be 「そうですね…」？how would you translate that in an informal setting?
1
vote
1answer
81 views
Asking informal questions with 何
how do you form informal questions with 何 and without ですか？
would 何 just go at the end?
「あなたの大好きな季節何？」
and is it appropriate to leave off です or だ with な adjectives and nouns? i’ve seen 〜なの？used, but ...
4
votes
2answers
163 views
Can you answer the question 何を飲みますか？ with 水です。?
It doesn’t seem that natural, as 水です seems to mean “It is water”, rather than a shorter form of 水を飲みます.
6
votes
1answer
265 views
The difference between きわめて and いたって
Both of them mean "very" according to many dictionaries, but if I remember it correctly, sometimes きわめて and いたって are interchangeable, sometimes not. How to use them correctly?
2
votes
1answer
64 views
Uses of 「四つ角」in quizlet as intersection？
I am making my way through a very large quizlet flashcard deck that has already had a few mistakes that I have caught. I just came across[ 四つ角]{よつかど} which it lists as intersection and shows a picture ...
3
votes
2answers
159 views
When should I use 週 versus 週間 for “week”?
I just decided I needed to know the word for week and found both 週 and 週間 mean "week".
Can I get by as a beginner with only 週間? Or when should each one be used?
3
votes
0answers
54 views
What is the difference between 端, 縁 and 先っちょ?
I struggle to visualise the differences between 端, 縁 and 先っちょ after
reading many examples and definitions online:
The approximate english translations are very similar:
端: end, tip, point margin (...
4
votes
1answer
387 views
Meaning of「〜てみたいと思います」
I've gathered that と思う means to think about but isn't it a little redundant to add the みたい？
彼らに聞いてみたいと思います。
The みたい adds the sense of looking like or seeming but so does 思う so I don't quite ...
1
vote
1answer
101 views
0
votes
0answers
63 views
Difference between なきゃand なくちゃ [duplicate]
i understand that they’re short forms of なければ and なくて but i don’t understand the different nuances between them. thanks!
ex.
勉強しなきゃ。
vs
勉強しなくちゃ。
0
votes
1answer
171 views
How does これ以上する work in this particular context?
I've already learned how to use これ以上 when it means "beyond this" or further than this". But I'm confused as what it means in this particular context I came across.
I've been reading a sports manga. ...
2
votes
1answer
244 views
How to say “Developer” In Japanese?
I want to know how to say Developer in Japanese. By Developer, Specifically a web Developer, Programmer or Coder.
When I googled it initially, I got:
デベロッパー
And then I found a Kanji:
開発者
I ...
3
votes
0answers
63 views
Differences between “even if”/“no matter (how much)” structures: としても, ところで, ~ようが/と
I've encountered several forms that mean both "even if" (might be used for example with たとえ), and "no matter (how much)" (used with どんなに, いくら, etc).
~ても
~としても
~ところで
~ようが/と
The only difference ...
3
votes
1answer
129 views
Sentences without topic particles?
how common is it for there to be sentences like 「私、死んでるよ！」or 「これ、怖い」？ is it super informal? any guidelines on when to speak like this?
2
votes
2answers
114 views
Usage of こいつ, あいつ, etc
When can I use こいつ, あいつ, etc?
I’ve seen that they can mean he/she/this/that in various contexts but when is it appropriate to use them versus 彼 or 彼女？
3
votes
2answers
170 views
How do you say “some”, “many”, “a few”, and “few” when refering to people?
So, of course, I know words like 多い, たくさん, 少ない, 少し, and 何+[counter]+か to express "many", "few", "a few", and "some" in most contexts. However, I have absolutely no idea what are the Japanese ...
0
votes
1answer
111 views
Reason for using じゃないですか in this sentence?
「えとー、隣に人乗る時ありますけど、なんかこう前が壁じゃないですか。」
The translation in the subtitle was “Because, sometimes people do sit next to me but there’s a sort of wall in front of you.”
I don’t understand where the じゃない ...
2
votes
1answer
100 views
Difference between「のびる／のばす」and「のべる」
With the use of a dictionary, along with reading some web pages, I understood the meaning as well as the proper usage of 「延びる／延ばす」and 「伸びる／伸ばす」. But I noticed an overlapping in meaning regarding「延べる」...
1
vote
0answers
93 views
Use of の vs か in questions
i’ve seen japanese speakers switch between both の and か in the same conversation or situation. are there certain phrases where it’s better to use one or the other? for example is の better to use with ...
2
votes
1answer
268 views
What is the difference between 反日 and 日本たたき?
I apologize in advance if I cause offence with this question, but I am curious about these two terms.
反日 can be translated as “anti-Japan(ese)”. I have seen one example of this term being used to ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
Purpose of のは in this sentence?
What is the purpose of のは in the sentence “今浮かんだのは”?
The context is, I asked someone what their favorite English word was and they said “Hmm 今浮かんだのは bullshit. Just kidding!”
Would the translation be ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
What is the difference between 考え、アイデア、発想 and 着想
These are all translated as "idea" in English.
But I don't understand which context I should use each one in.
If I had to guess:
考え means an imagining of a solution or an understanding of something,...
2
votes
2answers
54 views
What is difference between 「振り替える」 and 「振り込む」?
I have a confusion to understand the difference between [振]{ふ}り[替]{か}える and [振]{ふ}り[込]{こ}む. I would be glad if someone point the difference between them. Thank you in advance.
1
vote
1answer
80 views
difference between バス停 and バスターミナル?
I am confused the difference between バス[停]{てい} and バスターミナル. I would be glad if someone point the difference between them. Thank you in advance.
3
votes
2answers
160 views
to see a doctor
I found two different translations for "going to see a doctor," and I was wondering which contexts you would use each in.
The first is 受診{じゅしん}する which is defined on jisho.org as "having a medical ...
2
votes
2answers
200 views
Till what age can an infant be called akachan
Till what age can an infant be called akachan. When can we use musuko-chan till any particular age or till he is able to walk. Please clarify
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Help translating English idioms
Can someone use 涙ぐむ in a way to say "could bring a man to tears" or something along those lines?
Wanting to translate some English phrases or sayings into Japanese in a way that could be either ...
