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.
2,784
questions
2
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0answers
43 views
Difference between 監督 and 管理 for “to control”?
So I think both 監督（かんとく）and 管理（かんり）are different from 経営（けいえい）in that 経営 refers to managing a business. However the word "control" can be used for many things in English:
To have control ...
4
votes
1answer
211 views
Difference between 表立つ and 表沙汰する?
From what I understand, they both have the meaning of going public or becoming public knowledge. Is there a more nuanced difference between the two?
4
votes
1answer
147 views
Word Usage: ほがらかな vs 人懐っこい
I am doing some JLPT prep, and I'm struggling with the differences between ほがらかな and 人懐っこい。
私は、誰にでも抱っこされる（ ）赤ちゃんだったらしい。
A「ほがらかな」 B「人懐っこい」
The given correct answer is 人懐っこい which I can understand as ...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Difference between 誰か and 何者か?
誰か and 何者か both mean "someone", however I never encountered the latter other than in a novel. Is it a more literary word or is there another nuance ?
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0answers
99 views
What is the origin and meaning of the street names 一年坂, 二年坂 and 三年坂 in Higashiyama, Kyoto?
Obviously "1-year hill", etc., but what is the context of that?
And sometimes we see it spelled with 念 (nen) or 寧 (nei) instead of 年 (nen). Why is that, and which one would be correct?
5
votes
1answer
99 views
What's the difference between 一度に and 一気に?
Both can mean "all at once," so are they interchangeable or is there a different nuance to each?
1
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1answer
107 views
Why “そう” adds/means “sounds / looks” in “面白{おもしろ}そうですね / 楽{たの}しそうですね”?
面白{おもしろ}そうですね
楽{たの}しそうですね
Sounds interesting.
Sounds like fun.
That sounds interesting.
Sounds like you're having fun.
Sounds like fun.
That sounds like fun.
Looks interesting.
面白{おもしろ}いですね
楽{たの}...
3
votes
1answer
68 views
What is the difference between 受け継ぐ、引き継ぐ，and 継承する?
I know these words roughly translate to "to inherit", "to take over", "to succeed", etc, but what is the difference between these words? These words were used in Attack ...
2
votes
1answer
186 views
Is there a difference between 場が凍る and 場が凍り付く?
Is there a difference between 場が凍る and 場が凍り付く? Both seem to be in use. Both are 自動詞/五段活用. An example sentence by yours truly:
教室で先生に「お前何言ってんだ」って言っちゃって場が凍った
教室で先生に「お前何言ってんだ」って言っちゃって場が凍りついた
I have ...
3
votes
3answers
191 views
あからさま: difference with 明らか and its connotation
I was working on a mock JLPT question requiring me to choose one best option where あからさま is used correctly:
１ お酒を飲んだので顔があからさまになっている。
２ あの勝負はあからさまな八百長だ。
３ 言い訳をしても事実はあからさまだ。
４ この料理はあからさまに美味しい。
I think ...
1
vote
1answer
93 views
Difference between 入って and 入りって?
Difference between 入って and 入りって ?
I imported a car from Japan some time ago, and when I turned on the ignition for the first time, the car started talking to me! I managed to translate the sentence ...
2
votes
2answers
347 views
Why is が used instead of を in this sentence?
From Shin Kanzen Master JLPT N1 Grammar:
あ、本が出しっぱなしだ。
I thought that 出す always follows を, i.e. you (subject) take out something (object).
Is it because 本 is emphasized in this sentence, similar to how ...
7
votes
2answers
115 views
Does Japanese mark restrictive and non-restrictive relatives differently?
I was wondering whether Japanese distinguishes restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses in some way, either structurally or prosodically.
English, for example, marks the distinction ...
2
votes
1answer
136 views
What the difference between 賃金 and 給料?
I was reading 二銭銅貨 from 江戸川乱歩, and the words 給料 and 賃金 occurred :
芝区のさる大きな電機工場の職工給料日の出来事であった。
I understand 給料日 as the "pay day", or the day the worker receive their salary.
十数名の賃銀計算係が、...
2
votes
2answers
127 views
Problem with translation of 言ってんのね
俺はさ、お前らにお友達になれって言ってんじゃないのね。中学のときにネットを挟んだ敵同士だったとしても、今はネットのこっち側同士だってことを自覚しなさいって言ってんのね。
Official translation: Do you get it?
The source is from Haikyuu season 1 episode 2 (around the 10 minute mark). ...
1
vote
1answer
72 views
What is the difference between ギャンブラー, 博徒, and 博奕打ち?
I was looking up a character from a Japanese game whose profession/specialty was gambler and saw that the word used in Japanese was ギャンブラー. My general distaste for katakana-English inflamed, I looked ...
4
votes
1answer
399 views
“To be satisfied/content/fulfilled”: Differences between 満ち足りる、心ゆく、気が済む、満足がいく?
In English, I think "to be satisfied/content" can have a couple different meanings:
To feel that what was given/has happened is satisfactorily enough in the short term sense (e.g. had ...
1
vote
1answer
93 views
What's the difference between “rei" (冷) and “Samui” (寒い)?
What's the difference between “rei"冷 and “Samui” 寒い ?
Both mean “cold”, but when would you use one over the other?
Please explain by giving reference to the below examples:
冷凍用ビニール袋 (reitou-...
1
vote
1answer
152 views
What would be the difference between 書こう and 書きよう when used in this sentence?
EDIT: Apparently I read the answers wrong, and the correct answer is actually the one I chose, i.e. 書こうにも.
Then my question would be focused on the difference between these two forms. I guess in this ...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Difference between 包丁 and ナイフ
What's the difference between 包丁[ほうちょう] and ナイフ?
When one word if preferred over the other?
2
votes
1answer
83 views
What should I say for “I like it now”?
I'm wondering what to say if I were to say:
I didn't like it before (I believe it should be すきじゃなかったでも..., but I may be wrong, but I like it now.
Some context on the usage: I'm writing this ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
チェス versus 西洋将棋; 象棋 versus 中国将棋
I recently came across 西洋将棋 as a translation for Chess and was wondering how common it is. The reference I have describes it as a "dated term" and I have mostly seen chess translated as チェス.
...
3
votes
1answer
149 views
What is the difference between 買い溜め, 買い込む and 買い占める
I recently encountered 買い込む in the following sentence:
災害に備えて大量の水を買い込んだ。- I bought large quantities of water to prepare for disasters. (pretty straightforward)
Searching through similar words I came ...
3
votes
2answers
100 views
Specific textbook example sentence on V(ます)+そう vs. V(普通)+よう
お金を拾いました。今日は何かいいこと（ あるようです / ありそうです ）。
We got into a bit of a dilemma over this in class. Which one do you guys think is right in this case?
EDIT: We actually went over the questions in class, and ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
What is differences between 頑張ろう と 頑張りましょう?
I am reading Choukai script and I dont understand what is difference between Ganbarou and Ganbarimashou. Both mean "Lets do our best" ? When to use masshou pattern and rou pattern ?
0
votes
1answer
118 views
For “I can play the piano a little”, do you use ちょっと or 少し?
少しピアノが弾くことができます
Or should I use ちょっと?
I’m mainly interested into “feeling” any difference between these two.
By the way, I also saw “弾ける” being used, which might sound less wooden but I haven’t hit ...
4
votes
1answer
123 views
What's the difference between うたがう (疑う) and うたぐる (疑る)?
What's the difference between 疑う{うたがう} and 疑る{うたぐる}?
It seems that うたぐる is not common, but I'm not sure.
How should I read 疑って?
4
votes
1answer
168 views
Helper Kanji: What is 状 doing here [closed]
Given the sentence:
今日は大学の講義で日本状の経営について学んだ。
I usually interpretate 状 as 'state, condition', but that doesn't seem to fit here (japanese state of business management?). Looking online, lead to 状 as '...
1
vote
1answer
73 views
What's the difference between 「なんだか」 and 「なんとなく」?
The meanings and explanation of なんだか and なんとなく in Wikitionary:
なんだか【何だか】明確な理由が無いさま。
なんとなく【何と無く】明確な理由が無いさま。
It seems that they have totally the same meanings. Is there a difference between the usage ...
8
votes
2answers
962 views
Difference between 生き物 and 生物
I had assumed that 生物 was just a fancier word for 生き物 in the way that onyomi compounds often are. But when I looked in the dictionary I became less sure.
For 生物 I see:
動物・植物・微生物など生命をもつものの総称。
Animals, ...
2
votes
3answers
548 views
Why is 行く used in the sentence “すぐに出て行け”?
I don't understand the role of 行く in the following sentence:
すぐに出て行け！
As I understand it, the sentence sounds like "get out now!". Why not just say "すぐに出ろ"?
Is 行く used to ...
1
vote
1answer
86 views
Is there a difference in meaning between 匹敵 and 互角?
Is there a difference in meaning between 匹敵 and 互角?
Besides that one is a suru verb and the other a noun/adjective
2
votes
0answers
117 views
What is the difference between の中に and の中で?
I have two sentences having の中に (no naka ni) and の中で (no naka de), and I want to know if they are correctly framed.
If yes, then how does the meaning change?
日本{にほん}の食{た}べ物{もの}の中{なか}に寿司{すし}が大好{だいす}...
0
votes
1answer
131 views
what does 見てできる mean?
Can this phrase be broken down into 見る and 出来る?
If so, does it simply mean "can see"? How is it different than the potential form of 見る which is 見られる?
Edit:
To add some context to this ...
1
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1answer
137 views
Is there a Japanese word for money/wealth that sounds like 'tuh ki'?
About 30 years ago, when meeting the famous George Takei, my friend accidentally pronounced his last name as 'Tuh ki' (rhymes with 'hi'). As an 11 year old, he had never really heard George's name ...
2
votes
1answer
67 views
「~るとき、…」vs「~まえに、…」／「~たとき、…」vs「~あとで、…」
What is the difference between「~るとき、…」vs「~まえに、…」?
日本へ行くとき、日本語を勉強しました。→ I studied japanese, before going to Japan.
日本へ行くまえに、日本語を勉強しました。→ I studied japanese, before going to Japan.
And between「~たとき、…」...
2
votes
1answer
86 views
What's the difference between 震う (ふるう) and 震える (ふるえる)?
On my kanji dictionary, they have the same translation. I don't understand if there's any difference. As usual.
5
votes
1answer
181 views
Difference between 様々 and 色々
I have heard both of these in several contexts and I have having trouble understanding the difference in meaning and connotation.
I would like to know the difference between 様々 and 色々and when to use ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the difference between 外科 and 手術?
What is the difference between 外科 and 手術 ?
According to 大辞林, they both mean "surgery".
I've seen 外科 being used as part of larger names such as 脳神経外科学, while 手術 used with の before as in: ...
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votes
1answer
55 views
How do you translate the world “layer” in Japanese? [closed]
Layer as in the ones used in digital art software like Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, Manga Studio, etc.
5
votes
1answer
155 views
How to choose adjective or noun with color
I know this question has been asked before but I remain confused about the use of nouns or i-adjectives in predicate position for colours, i.e. 海は青です versus 海は青いです.
I have received the following ...
4
votes
1answer
64 views
What's the difference between 伸ばす and 伸べる?
Just for example, can I say both 手を伸ばす and 手を伸べる? Is there any difference between them? Are they interchangeable?
If it's possible, make similar examples, please.
2
votes
2answers
131 views
Difference between ～につれて and ～にしたがって
As I understand it, they're synonyms except ～にしたがって is more formal, but in Shin Kanzen Master Bunpô N2 it says:
「～につれて」は一方方向の変化の場合にだけ使う。「～にしたがって」は一方方向の変化でなくても使える。
The thing is that the examples that ...
1
vote
2answers
79 views
Clarification on Compound Japanese nouns
I've sort of thought of making sentences for words in my custom Anki deck to sort of improve my sentence writing skills.
Now, the word is 矛盾{むじゅん}, which means "contradiction"
The sentence I'...
0
votes
2answers
108 views
5
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2answers
124 views
Role of をする in 学習の助けをするおもちゃ
I am triing to figure out the use of をする in 学習の助けをするおもちゃ translated as toys to help you learn in this article
I learned a bit about noun + する / をする in this post but for what i understand so far we use ...
0
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1answer
51 views
Listing the activities I did on each day of the week
I need to list the activities i've done for each day of the week. But after I talk about the first day, do i start the sentance again with ”わたしは” or is there a different way to do it?
This is how I ...
2
votes
1answer
114 views
What's the difference between 閉じる and 塞ぐ?
So i was doing Kanji Quiz, and i stumbled with 塞ぐ Kanji. I know 閉じる is used for eyes,etc. But 塞ぐ also has the same definition with 閉じる.
Here are the definitions.
Definitions
塞ぐ
to stop up; to close ...
0
votes
0answers
45 views
Usage of の v/s から [duplicate]
私の家は[駅]{えき}の[近]{ちか}くです.
私の家は[駅]{えき}から[近]{ちか}くです.
Is there any functional difference between the two sentences? Or do they mean the same? I am somewhat of a beginner and the difference doesn't seem ...
1
vote
1answer
266 views
When people use ざっくり？
I recently heard my colleagues use ざっくり which I haven't heard before. When I look it up in dictionary it translates to 'roughly; approximately; loosely' or 'deeply (cut or split)' - very different ...
