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.
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Difference between 抜きにして and 抜きでは
In my JLPT N2 book I'm learning the grammar point 抜きにして. I'm trying to understand the nuance between using 抜きにして and 抜きでは when discussing not being able to do something without a person.
One of the ...
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Why is に used here?
Just wondering why the second に is being used here
現行犯逮捕以外に僕に何ができる？
My rough translation is:
What can I do other than catching them in the act?
I understand the reasoning for the first に but the ...
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誰にも優しくしてるよね、誰にも優しくしてあげてるよね、誰にも優しくしてくれてるよね
In a recent conversation with someone who is in the same loosely connected group as me, I tried to tell them that they have been a crucial member in the group. We are comfortably on ため口 terms. I tried ...
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Are 片隅 and 隅 synonymous?
I've seen them both used in the same context, for example, テレビは片隅にあります
In that sentence, would 隅 have the same meaning, or is there some nuance to the two words?
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What is the difference between 〜してんじゃねえ and するんじゃねえ?
「糧食、エナジーパック、弾薬、修理部品は所定数を確保済み。ああ、どっかの馬鹿戦隊長のために、足回りの修理部品は多目に用意しといたぜ。おめぇ、簡単な修理は出来るんだよな」
「ええ。よく壊すので」
「しれっと返してんじゃねえよこのクソガキ。……持ってけるのは一機だけだ。同じ調子で戦うんじゃねえぞ」
86─エイティシックス─
安里アサト
I notice that both 〜してんじゃねえ and ～...
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Nuances between するする vs すらすら
Here is a question from 新完全マスターN1:語彙.
彼女は筆を持つと、( )と自分の名前を書いた。
The answer is すらすら, but するする is also an option.
The brief definition of するする is 「滑るように」which I take to mean in this context as a "...
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Differences between 栽培する, 作る, and 育てる for "grow"?
I'm trying to find the best word for "grow" something in a garden. This includes the transitive: "grow potatoes", "grow my own tea leaves" - and also the intransitive, &...
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What are the differences between 出身地 and 故郷{こきょう}?
I can't figure out the difference between 出身地 and 故郷{こきょう}, both meaning "hometown, birthplace", despite having done some research of my own in the internet as well as in this site.
There is ...
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Difference between んやったら and すれば
It seems like you can use 「んやったら」to say "if", so what's the difference between this expression and words like 「したら and すれば」
What would be the difference between:
そのビザがあるんやったら...
And
...
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です vs ありますwhat is the difference between the two? Can they ever be interchangeable?
Q: 日本語の授業は毎日ありますか。一日に何時間ですか。
A: 日本語の授業は毎日あります。一日に二時間あります。
I have questions about the difference between “です” and “あります” regarding the above sentences taken from my textbook. Why is that “です” was used ...
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どこ vs なん which one is better in the sentence?
Q: あの立派な建物は何ですか。／あの立派な建物は何処ですか。
A: あの立派な建物は留学生食堂です。
Which of the question sounds more natural in the given context?
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現実化する versus 現実になる
その悪夢が現実化した。
The nightmare became a reality.
This sentence sounds to me like the nightmare has animacy. It is realising itself, where 'itself' is the implied object of する. It all sounds rather ...
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Understanding the nuances between the various words related to manners and etiquette
There are quite a few words related to this. Specifically, 礼儀, エチケット, マナー, 作法, and 行儀. There is a GOO thesaurus page for this, but it is confusing me. The definitions, as I understand them, seem to ...
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How to choose between 均衡 and 平衡
Both 均衡{きんこう} and 平衡{へいこう} express equilibrium or balance. Both can be used with the verb 保{たも}つ.
When is one more appropriate than the other?
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Nuances between 道徳, 倫理, and モラル
From the goo thesaurus, it defines the difference between 道徳 and 倫理 as:
「道徳」は、人間が社会の一員として守るべき行為の基準となるものをいい、「倫理」は、社会的な行動の規範となるものをいう。
While モラル covers both.
Unfortunately, I don't really understand the ...
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The difference between ぐらい and ばかり
I want to know more about the difference between ぐらい and ばかり, and when either should be used. For example in the 2 sentences below. I think either of them can be used.
駅まで2時間ぐらいで着くと思います。
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What's the difference and when it should be used between 操作、動作、作動、運転、作用
I work as an engineer, and inside the heap of documents that I have been going through.
As an example, there's a lot of sentences that describing how the machine operates, or operation behaviour.
In ...
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Nuances between the various words for "member"
What are the nuances between 一員, 会員, 成員, and メンバー? There is a goo thesaurus page, but it didn't really help me actually distinguish the differences.
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Expressing subtext of story characters
Context:
A gets B to go to eat at a restaurant for the couples-only item in the restaurant, stating that A themselves don't know anyone else that can pretend to be a couple with them. However, B ...
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Would you ever use 親友 to refer to your romantic partner?
My understanding is 親友 (shinyuu) is the closest equivalent to English "best friend." In English, some people might say things like "My husband/wife is my best friend." Would using ...
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What is the difference between 妥協 and すり合わせ
I have trouble understanding the difference between these two words.
Based on my understanding, 妥協 is when two parties reach a mutual agreement by sacrificing some of their needs or wants that oppose ...
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Why である instead of でいる？
One solution that I heard is aru can be used for people you're not close to and iru for people you are close to, so like a humble thing, but, I don't know if it's actually said, and aru is for ...
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Use of 類 as a suffix
Specifically, I was trying to understand the difference between 酸 and 酸類.
I'm guessing that adding 類 changes it from a specific acid to the class of all acids, but I really have no idea.
More ...
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Difference between とても and なかなか
I am having difficulty understanding the difference between とても and なかなか.
The English meaning is the same, so are they interchangeable?
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Differences between 知った and 知っていた
There's this song from LiSA that I've been trying to understand the lyrics. However, there is something that is bothering me right at the start.
The first verse of the song reads as
強くなれる理由を知った
and ...
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How do you express "have to" in order to talk about a non-obligatory, but obvious course of action?
In English, "has to" and "have to" serve to express obligations (as in "must", like in the classic example of having to do homework), and also work for when one wants to ...
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How do I write "Yoshimeatsu" in Japanese characters?
I am doing a study on a Japanese Yakiniku (grilled meat) restaurant named "Yoshimeatsu" and wanted to ask how to write it in Japanese characters? The name was a play on words using Ashikaga ...
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Differences and similarities between 近寄る, 近づく, and 迫る
I've come across these three different words, 近寄{ちかよ}る, 近づ{ちか}く and 迫{せま}る, which seemingly have similar definitions on the dictionary. Namely, in the sense of approaching, or drawing near.
I was ...
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だとよ at the beginning of a sentence
I watched a show in which person A tells person B they want them to come back. After it's said, person C said " datoyo." I don't understand it. Da to yo is used to quote things but why would ...
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What is the right expression to say "I expose myself to life". Would it be 露呈{ろてい}, 露見{ろけん} or something else?
I tried to write the expression "to expose yourself to life". I would like to express "to expose" like as in "I expose myself to live, with all things, bad and good, that ...
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About the meaning of による (cause or dependency?)
I usually see による used as a way to express the cause of something:
震災によってたくさんの人の命が失われた。
There were many people who lost their lives due to the earthquake.
But in some places I see it being used as a ...
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What is も purpose here?
I'm not certain what purpose も is serving here. I've seen its usage as "also," etc. but I am not certain if it is being used in the same manner here or being used with a different meaning.
「...
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Difference between 記憶 and 記憶力
What is the difference between 記憶 and 記憶力? I guess latter is more like 'power of recollection'. Are both the following sentences equally natural?
彼は記憶力がいい。
彼は記憶がいい。
He has a good memory.
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How are いと and いたう different in 文語?
いと's definition:
①大変。非常に。▽程度がはなはだしい。
②〔下に打消の語を伴って〕それほど。たいして。
いたう (いたく)'s definition:
①はなはだしく。ひどく。
②うまく。
③〔下に打消の語を伴って〕それほど。たいして。
One context which I encountered both words in is from 源氏物語『若紫』
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Usage of よろしく with a noun?
My understanding was that よろしく is mainly used to make requests or to thank someone for but in the following example it seems to be used in a context more like "In regards too"
ローラー作戦よろしく、...
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適応 vs 同化 for adaptation
Which word is better for expression meaning of my adaptation to environment, situation or person, which I don't like, but unable to change situation, stop or influence situation in anyway.
For example,...
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Nuances on the usage of 思い出す vs 覚える
I'm aware that both can mean 'to remember', but is there a nuance on the usage of these words? or are they interchangeable?
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How to properly use the various ways to indicate "not at all" in Japanese
There are many words to convey "not at all"
全然
全く
少しも
ちっとも
さっぱり
一切
一向に
まるで
これっぽちも
まるっきり
I think have a decent idea of formality, with 一切, 一向に, and まるで feeling formal, and これっぽちも sounding ...
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Capable as in “having power and ability”?
India is a nuclear-capable country.
インドは核保有国です。
=having/has/possesses
He is a capable person.
彼は有能な人です。
=an able x
He is capable of piloting a plane.
彼は飛行機を操縦することができます。
=has ability of x
—-
Is ...
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Difference between 作り出す and 生み出す・生む
Is this true?
作り出す physically create something and make out of something already exist
生み出す・生む metaphorically create something and make out of something from zero.
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Are 先に and 最初に interchangeable?
Are 先に and 最初に interchangeable? For example in these sentences are there any nuances?
それ、どっちを先に入れるんですか。
それ、どっちを最初に入れるんですか。
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What is the difference between 生む and 産む? [closed]
The question has been asked before but I found the answer is too complicated.
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Do 能天気 and おっちょこちょい both mean "airhead" or do they mean something different? Is there another word for airhead?
I saw these different words used to describe someone who was something careless in an airhead type of way so I wanted to know if they mean that or if there is nuance in the definition. Is there ...
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For what type of relationships can "関係" be used?
I am writing a text about relationships between different generations and would like to know is [関係]{かんけい} an appropriate word in this context.
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What does 持てる mean in this sentence?
「持てる力をふりしぼる。」
Does it mean "to be possesed" (just from 持てる) or "to can have" (potential, from 持つ)? The context doesn't help, they're both fine to me.
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What is the difference between 相応, 相当, 適当 and 適切
What is the difference between 相応, 相当, 適当 and 適切? All of them have the meaning suitable/appropriate but what is the difference and when do I use each of them?
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音: when alone, what's the difference between おと, ね, おん?
I've seen all of them used alone as a noun, for example: 太鼓のおと, 笛のね, somethingとおなじおん.
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In regards to something taking time 時間がかかる and the connotation that phrase implies
I wrote the sentence-
キャンパスからEMXバスに乗れば、ユージンバスターミナルまで１０ぷんぐらいかかります。
However, I was told by my teacher that かかる has a negative connotation and should not be used when explaining an amount of time that ...
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「どこまで行くんだい？」 「どこまで行くんかい？」
Since だい usually follows sentences with an interrogative word, and かい occurs in polar questions, I thought this would be the most natural wording:
どこまで行くん(の)だい？
But apparently どこまで行くん(の)かい is also ...
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Main road: 大通り vs 幹線道路
I have found two words for "main road":
大通り
幹線道路
What are the differing nuances of these? Is one more commonly used?
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