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.
2,820
questions
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1answer
52 views
Uses of the motion verbs （行く、来る） with the te-form
I'm studying with Tae Kim and it says that you can use a verb in te-form + 行く、来る to show that an action is oriented toward or from someplace.
In one example it says:
日本語をずっと前から勉強してきて、結局はやめた。
Studied ...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
Why is こと written in katakana in this sentence?
I was reading a webtoon and came across this sentence:
傷つきそうなコト言わないでね
I'm aware of the meaning of this sentence, but I'm confused as to why it uses katakana here. I know that katakana is sometimes ...
3
votes
1answer
172 views
What's the difference between 下向く and 見下ろす?
Can you please tell me the difference between these verbs:
下{した}向{む}く and 見{み}下{お}ろす
I was writing a little "poem" but I came across this doubt xD.
This is the poem:
If you're always ...
2
votes
1answer
62 views
How do I colloquially say "The restaurant was empty" in Japanese
More specifically I want to know the difference between 空（す）いていました and 空（そら）でした
For example, which one of these is better / what is the difference?
レストランは空いていました。
レストランは空でした
Is there an even better ...
0
votes
0answers
65 views
Difference between と共に and と当時に? [closed]
From what I know they can both mean "at the same time" or "together". Is there any difference or nuance between the two?
3
votes
1answer
71 views
Can に乗る contain a place/direction and is it the same as [vehicle]で 行く?
In the Busuu course I'm taking I learned the word 乗る and that it means something like "take" or "ride". For that purpose I used the structure [vehicle]で 行く up until now.
I ...
4
votes
2answers
240 views
Difference between 殺人 and 殺人罪 and a change in grammar
In Duolingo this Japanese sentence is the approved translation for the English sentence:
He received a guilty verdict for murder.
彼は殺人の有罪判決を受けました。
Likewise for the following pair:
She was found ...
1
vote
1answer
80 views
What is なんか doing in these sentences?
I know that なんか means "something" or that it can be used as filler. But in these two sentences it seems to be using another meaning.
• 東京に行くけど、なんか欲しいものある？
• なにか食べたいものはある?
Doesn't "もの&...
1
vote
1answer
81 views
Example sentence with 歌謡
I'm trying to learn how to use the word 歌謡 (song). However, I'm having some trouble to find an example sentence that teaches me how to use 歌謡, and all that appears when looking for this word on Google ...
2
votes
1answer
156 views
How to say "they liked it" in this context?
A mangaka that I like replied me in my native language, and when I showed this to my parents they liked it. I want to say that to this mangaka, but I don't know how to say that in a natural form.
I ...
2
votes
1answer
268 views
Is 売られる the potential form of 売る?
I came across this sentence:
米はキロ単位で売られる。
The translation given was "Rice is sold by the kilogram." I assume that 売られる's meaning is more like "is sold" or "to be sold" ...
3
votes
2answers
207 views
Problems with translating the word "自省に" in the context of the whole sentence
I'm currently working on one of my Japanese translation assignments and having some major difficulties with the translation of a sentence. First of all, this is the sentence:
中央集権の権化とも見られる内務省の存続に対しては、...
2
votes
1answer
93 views
meaning of 一応 at the beginning of a sentence [closed]
I was wondering what 一応 would mean in this context. always had trouble grasping the concept of this word.
-3
votes
2answers
88 views
歓迎しましょう vs 歓迎します vs ようこそ
What is the difference between:
歓迎しましょう (Kangei shimashou)
歓迎します (Kangei shimasu)
ようこそ (Yōkoso)
They all mean "welcome" but in which occasions should we use which more appropriately. ...
2
votes
1answer
244 views
[発見]{はっ・けん} and [発明]{はつ・めい} difference
I'm trying to memorize the kanji 発 and a few of its most important usages in vocab.
Jisho says はっけん means discovery and はつめい means invention. Aren't these synonyms of each other? They are both used in,...
1
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1answer
100 views
The nuances between さて and さ/さあ
Is there any difference between the two? I think さて is more formal than さ/さあ, but is that true? And are there any other nuances?
2
votes
1answer
89 views
The nuances between といえば, というと and といったら
First, I know that they all can be used with the "speaking of" meaning, and that といえば can't be used with questions/confirmations while というと can.
My questions are as follows:
Are there any ...
3
votes
2answers
214 views
Is 領外{りょうがい} a common translation for "out of bounds"?
I think I've heard the word 領外{りょうがい} used several times to mean "out of bounds" (as in physically out of bounds, for instance outside of the playing field for sports).
But, when I try ...
2
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2answers
88 views
4
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1answer
111 views
Why are these sentences involving 一部, 一部分, and 部分 ungrammatical?
I've been trying to figure out the differences between 一部, 一部分, and 部分 using GOO's thesaurus. It indicates that 部分 is used for one of several parts, while 一部 and 一部分 are for parts of a whole. And then ...
2
votes
1answer
412 views
Is 日本二 acceptable?
日本一 means the best in Japan. So, can you use 日本二 for the second best thing in Japan? If not, how do I describe the second one? "日本第二位のもの" sounds like something that Japan has taken second ...
1
vote
0answers
80 views
How should I complete the sentence? [duplicate]
I have the following sentence:
会社は（ ）ですか。...パワー電気です。
I guess you it should be translated as "What is this company? It's the Power Company"?
A classmate suggested:
会社は どこ ですか。...パワー電気です
But ...
0
votes
1answer
87 views
What is the difference between として and とする?
I realize that “として” and “とする” have vastly different meanings, so let’s give some specific examples.
(1)東京都内に住む南アジア出身で40代のイスラム教徒（ムスリム）の女性が、警視庁の警察官から不当な任意聴取を受け、他人に氏名や住所などの個人情報を漏らされたとして5日、...
2
votes
1answer
105 views
What's the difference between ぞわぞわ and ぞくぞく?
Both ぞくぞく and ぞわぞわ seem to refer to trembling/goosebumps caused by intense emotions or coldness. Is there any difference between the two, though? My intuition is that ぞわぞわ refers more to goosebumps ...
0
votes
2answers
109 views
Difference between 原因 and 理由
The posts here and here do not address the difference between 原因 and 理由.
So, in short, what are the difference in usage between these words? Both seem to mean reason.
日本に来た理由は見つからない
日本に来た原因は見つからない
...
0
votes
1answer
134 views
What is the difference between Jihen (事変) and Jiken (事件)?
I tried to look up and found some interesting stuff:
This book called Pacific War and the Importance of 'Magic' by Keiichiro Komatsu mentions that 事件 means an event and thus is adequately translated ...
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Different kanji variations for the same word with same readings but different meanings
The verb あく for example can be written as 開く 空く 明く with all of them being read the same way. In the dictionary they are all listed under the same item but looking at the translation you can see that ...
4
votes
2answers
159 views
Difference Between 手伝う, 力になる, and 役に立つ
As the title says. I'm playing the Japanese version of a game and came across the last two words. I've researched into them and the best I can describe them is that they both mean "to be helpful/...
1
vote
0answers
72 views
When I request something, can I use おねがいします all the time?
How does すみませんメニューおねがいします sound? Can I use it all the time? Are there alternatives to this phrase?
2
votes
1answer
112 views
What's the difference between ように and ことに? What if you add the te-form?
I am quite confused regarding the differences between the usages of ように and ことに when they precede する/なる. Here are some examples:
忘れ物をしないようにしましょう
忘れ物をしないことにしましょう
In the previous example, I would ...
4
votes
2answers
132 views
Difference in usage between 嬉しい and 幸せ
What is the difference between [嬉]{うれ}しい and [幸]{しあわ}せ for "happy" or "happiness"? Are these interchangeable or are there cases where one should be used over the other? If so, ...
3
votes
1answer
107 views
What does "天然記念物" mean in this context?
The dictionary I have defines this as "natural monument" and "protected species" and I don't see how it relates to the conversation at hand. Based on the context though, since the ...
0
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1answer
163 views
What is the difference between 体が動かない and 体が動けない?
why 体が動かない mean can't my body instead of body won't move?
1
vote
1answer
76 views
Is there a way to say "false" (adj) such that it cannot mean "lie" (n) or some other meaning?
Every entry in the dictionary that I have found that has the meaning, "false" or "falsehood," is either a prefix (thus can't stand on its own) or has other meanings.
A lie is an ...
1
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2answers
148 views
How do I ask how long something took without「くらい／ぐらい」？
This has been bothering me for months now. As far as I know,「くらい」and「ぐらい」are used to express approximate values. I want to ask how long something happened exactly. I know that I can use「ちょうど」and「正に」、...
2
votes
1answer
128 views
How to use 種類 correctly
In a previous question I asked about the difference between 一種のX and Xの一種.
I had assumed that I could replace 一種 with 種類 and the sentence would not change in meaning. It turns out I was very wrong. ...
2
votes
0answers
100 views
形 at end of verbs
I know that 形 can be used as a suffix meaning shape that I understand but I don't seem to understand what it's used after a verb like in this sentence.
とりあえず こっちでやることを 絞り それを検討する形のほうが
1
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1answer
73 views
Difference between 方法, 仕方 and simply 方?
They all mean "way" or "method", but each have their own nuances. This post is explaining the difference between 方法 and 方, so I guess we could focus on the difference of 仕方 with ...
4
votes
1answer
149 views
Difference between 加える and 足す?
Both seems to mean "to add". What are the differences? Any other words that could be used alongside these?
2
votes
1answer
116 views
Difference between 任せる and 任す?
Looking at the dictionary, both 任せる and 任す seem to have the same meaning and they're both transitive verbs, so I wonder if there is any difference between them. Is there any situation where one of ...
0
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1answer
188 views
Differences between words meaning "everybody" (誰も 全員 各位 各自 万人 人々 面々 皆 )
While learning new vocabulary, I began to notice that there are many vocabulary that more or less all mean "everybody/everyone". Here is the list:
誰も 全員 各位 各自 万人 人々 面々 皆
I'm pretty sure ...
0
votes
1answer
74 views
Is it common for the name Dimitri to be written as ドミトリ?
If some of you might be familiar with Resident Evil Village, there is a character called Alcina Dimitrescu, her last name being Romanian and in Japanese it is written as ドミトレスク which sounds like ...
3
votes
1answer
139 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
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1answer
244 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
165 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
80 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 ?
1
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0answers
109 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
115 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
122 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
79 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 ...
