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.
2,507
questions
1
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0answers
42 views
How to say “It is unfortunate that the class can't meet”?
The coronavirus brought an abrupt end to my Intro Japanese course, and as my Professor isn't comfortable using technology, I would like to write her a closing letter.
I'm still very new to Japanese, ...
0
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0answers
28 views
Why does one have to use ながら instead of つつ in this sentence? [duplicate]
I'm going through an exercise book to prepare for the N2 exam, and I got confused by this question:
＿たばこを吸わないでよ
There are choices for 歩きつつ and 歩きながら, and the answer is 歩きながら.
What's the difference ...
1
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2answers
52 views
Just by: だけで vs ばかりに
I've been using Bunpro to review grammar and came across the following example sentence:
外国人だけど、着物を着る______、日本人みたいになった。
The site is looking for だけで (just by) as the answer, which I understand in ...
-2
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1answer
61 views
difference in using と and で to specify context
What's the difference in using a と and で in the sentence:
そう、女の子に取って貰い たて、口の横にわざとソースを 付けている ツン ツン 頭のメガネも
3
votes
2answers
392 views
how to say pretend in the context of a sentence
How to say "pretend as if carrots tastes like chicken and eat it"
人参が鶏肉ふりをして食べて
or would
人参が鶏肉まねをして食べて
be better?
4
votes
1answer
85 views
The difference between ありきたり and 平凡?
Both of them are Na-adjectives and both mean "ordinary, common". Are there any differences?
I saw a sentence:
そんな平凡でありきたりなことじゃないのかも
Why "平凡" and "ありきたり" are both used here?
2
votes
1answer
73 views
correct way to use 是非 and its meaning
是非 means "by all means". And in English, when using "by all means", one does not need to complete the sentence as it already has an implied meaning. For example:
If you have any problem, by all ...
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0answers
35 views
How to say “due to” [duplicate]
What;s the difference in using ために and せいで to mean "due to". For example:
コロナウィルスが蔓延しているため....bla, bla, bla (Due to the rampant spread of corona virus, ....)
コロナウィルスが蔓延しているのせいで....bla, bla, bla (Due ...
1
vote
1answer
47 views
Word choice to mean “take care of yourself”
ご無事で - Take care of yourself
大事にして - Take care of yourself
What's the difference in the sentences? Is ご無事 more formal? Or is there a better word to mean "take care of yourself"?
0
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0answers
15 views
Meaning of a word in a sentence [duplicate]
私に食べさせてくれぬか - can you let me eat
What does ぬ mean in the sentence above?
0
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1answer
60 views
Word choice in a sentence and meaning
醬油 を掛けて辛口で食べたい俺でも甘めの卵焼きが美味い
What does 掛けて mean here? Does it mean "attach"? Why can't I use 付けて instead?
What is the difference in using 辛口 and 塩辛い? Both means salty
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0answers
73 views
あまり…いい means positive? [duplicate]
I was watching dragon ball when I came across あまり天気がいいから本を読もうと思った and that means (from context), "The weather IS good and I'd thought I'd read the book (outside)". Can we even use あまり with いい? I'd ...
2
votes
1answer
179 views
Meaning of なき in a sentence
Sentence:
全員のオススメを食べて事なきを得よう
what does なき mean here? Also what difference would it make if I replace 食べて事 with 食べる事?
0
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0answers
43 views
What's the difference in using もらう and くれる with a verb [duplicate]
What's the difference between:
これは相川に食べてもらうんだ！
これは相川が食べてくれるんだ！
Notice the change in particle に to が. I think this is a MUST otherwise it wouldn't make sense?
I think that もらう would mean "I ...
0
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0answers
37 views
してならない meaning in a sentence [duplicate]
What does してならない mean in the sentence
みんながどんどんおかしくなっている気が してならない。
気がする would mean "I get the feeling". But I am not sure what してならない means.
3
votes
1answer
103 views
How to say “give”
あげる would be the word that means "give". But what if I were to give someone something that I am not sure if it will benefit the person or the person might not like. In this case, あげる would probably be ...
0
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0answers
34 views
Difference in ていた and た
Been wondering for a long time what the difference between ていた and た is. For example:
友紀 の 心境 に 少し 変化 が 起こっ て い た。
If I were to replace the 起こっ て い た with 起こった, what difference would that make?
2
votes
1answer
65 views
だから/から and なので/ので when used with anything but nouns and なadjectives
What's the difference in using なので and ので when used in anything but nouns and な adjectives. For example:
行かないなので他の誰かを頼んで
行かないので他の誰かを頼んで
I assume that a similar explanation holds for だから and から
-1
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0answers
72 views
Word meaning in a sentence
I came across 逃げることはないなのに逃げなさいと and it translates to "Despite knowing you won't run, I told you to run". Sounds to me like 逃げなさいと means "I told you to run". Why does と mean "I told you" in this case?
0
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2answers
109 views
Difference in adding a も
I always thought that the word ても means 'even if'. For example, 一緒に行かなくてもいい would mean 'Even if you don't go with me, it is ok'(speaker really wants to go together but is ok even if they dont go ...
0
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0answers
55 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 ...
0
votes
2answers
54 views
How to say “respond” in this sentence
What word to use to mean "respond" in the sentence below:
"You should respond to her confession" ー彼女の告白にお返事してください
Most accurate I can think of is 返事 but it still feels wrong
0
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0answers
41 views
Nine pronouns… how to distinguish them all? [duplicate]
So there are nine related pronouns...
kore kono koko
sore sono soko
are ano ako
The first kana tells you where object is, and the second kana tells you whether it is a thing (re and no) or a place (...
1
vote
2answers
90 views
How to say 'fellow sweet tooth'
How do I say 'fellow sweet tooth' (noun) in japanese. I'd thought it would be either 甘党仲間 or 甘党同僚 but there's probably something more accurate
0
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0answers
50 views
な vs の when using with nouns or adjectives
What's the difference in using の and な when using it with nouns or adjectives. For example:
きれいなこと
きれいのこと
0
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0answers
63 views
Meaning of 輪を作る in a sentence
I came across this sentence:
だけど ─ ─ こうして輪を作って連むのは、それ以上の贅沢だと思う。
What does 輪を作って mean in the sentence? Surely it can't be "making a circle/ring"?
2
votes
1answer
191 views
Sign says or reads
Firstly, just to double check, when we are talking about a sign, like an information sign or a warning sign, is the correct word: ひょうしき【標識】?
I’m constructing a sentence using quotation:
ひょうしきは「女性専用車」...
0
votes
1answer
36 views
Stem of verbs vs て-form of verb in complex sentence [duplicate]
What's the difference between using a verb stem and the te-form of a verb. For example:
机を六つも合体させ、まるで小学校....
机を六つも合体させて、まるで小学校....
0
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1answer
102 views
Is 不死身 a possible adjective to use with regard to likely immunity to the COVID-19 virus?
Were I to think that a demographic such as young, healthy adults might have "near immunity" to COVID-19, the Japanese that comes to my mind is 不死身.
若くて、健康がようさそうなので、田中さんはCOVID-19に不死身でしょうか。
general ...
0
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1answer
112 views
Japanese word for “side”
Is there a word that means "side" like the one in "good side" or "cute side"
I've searched and so far I found 面 so will it be 可愛い面? But the translation is face but I'm specifically looking for the ...
0
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0answers
34 views
やってくる meaning in a sentence [duplicate]
I am reading a novel and I realised the author likes to use the term やってくる. For example:
さらに二人の少女がやってくる
What's the purpose of adding a やって as opposed to just saying くる?
0
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0answers
33 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/...
0
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1answer
76 views
Difference between 顔を合わせる and 会う
I would like to know the difference between 顔を合わせる and 会う
彼はそれまで長く親密に交際していた四人の友人たちからある日、我々はみんなもうお前とは顔を合わせたくないし、口をききたくもないと告げられた (from Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, Haruki ...
1
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1answer
82 views
Difference between 平気, 冷静, and 穏やか
I would like to know the difference between 平気, 冷静, and 穏やか.
They mean "calm" but what is the difference between them ?
案外本当は平気なんじゃないの I guess that means you're not that bothered by it
after ...
5
votes
2answers
268 views
Nuanced meaning of ため
I didn’t quite understand how ため is used when it indicates something different from finality,
Here for example what is the exact nuance?
ダムができたため、村は湖のそこにしずんだ。
Obviously it can’t be that the ...
4
votes
1answer
113 views
At a first meeting, saying お姉さんですか instead of お母さんですか comes off as clever or neutral? never impolite?
This greatly depends on context, but when I am clearly being introduced to someone's mother, in English, I will sometimes say "Oh. Is this your sister?." as a compliment. The intended compliment being ...
3
votes
2answers
150 views
Difference between shimatte arimasu and shimete arimasu
In this link, it is explained that shimeru is a transitive verb and so it can take the -te aru ending but shimaru is an intransitive verb so it can take the -te imasu ending.
However, in some grammar ...
1
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1answer
94 views
南無妙法蓮華經 … or is the last kanji 経
南無妙法蓮華經 ... or is the last kanji 経？ This is one example. In general, how do you select from kanji with the same reading and meaning when you write? Like these two kanji, I think both mean sutra and ...
1
vote
1answer
79 views
Meaning of 羽目になる
I have found that 羽目になる means:
to get stuck with (some job); to end up with (something unpleasant)
But I cannot make sense of it for the following sentence
The context is of a veteran police ...
2
votes
1answer
94 views
Difference between 見つける and 発見する
I would like to know the difference between 見つける and 発見する
Some partial answer has been given in:
(～を)見つける means "to find ~~". Source:
What is the difference between 見つける and 探す
But I found ...
3
votes
1answer
158 views
Specificity of the use of 事柄
I would like to know what 事柄 adds to the sentence in terms of nuance (instead of more generic expressions such as こと、or もの, ...)
The context is of a veteran police inspector giving some advice to a ...
3
votes
1answer
91 views
Difference between 実践 and 実施
I found 実践 in the context:
月を舞台に居住環境を構築し長期滞在を実践します
I had some difficulty to distinguish between 実践 and 実施, so I checked a bit on the forum and found:
実施, on the other hand, refers generally to ...
1
vote
2answers
190 views
Can たい be used to express desire for 2nd person
Can たい be used to express desire for a 2nd person to do something. For example:
I want you to come back
戻りたい
I realise the proper way to do this is to use あなたに戻って欲しい, but was just wondering ...
4
votes
2answers
213 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 ...
2
votes
1answer
95 views
Difference between 足しになる and 役に立つ
Both seem to mean "to be helpful, to be useful" but I cannot distinguish what is their difference.
Here are some examples:
昨日の帰りに少し摘んどいたんだ 具材の足しになるかな？
I gathered these on our way back yesterday....
1
vote
1answer
39 views
Difference between マネ and 行動
Could you explain the difference between マネ and 行動 as in the following sentences:
安心したまえ この男のリスクリターンの計算と自己保身に関してだけはなかなかのものだ
刑事罰に問われるようなマネだけは決してしない
Don't worry about that. This guy's ...
1
vote
1answer
64 views
Differences between 理解する and 分かる
Is there a difference between 理解する、and 分かる?
They all seem to mean "understand" but I cannot figure their difference:
Here is some context:
彼らは誰よりも深くお互いを理解した
They understood each other better ...
3
votes
1answer
72 views
を-, と- and に-particle usage with 合わせる
Recently, I found out that 合わせる can go with many particles.
Jisho gives here (https://jisho.org/search/%E5%90%88%E3%82%8F%E3%81%9B%E3%82%8B) some examples on this:
あなたの計画{けいかく} を 私{わたし} に 合わせなさい。...
-1
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0answers
45 views
やれる 対 やる, whats the difference?
What’s the difference between yareru and yaru? Dictionaries I have compared both say they are forms of “to do”, and they seem interchangeable to me.
3
votes
1answer
88 views
Difference between 過ち and 間違い
Both 過ち and 間違い mean mistake but I think that 過ち has the "moral" meaning while 間違い is more a mistake in the context of wrong/right answer (exam, etc ...)
Am I wrong ?
Here is some context:
A ...
