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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Honorific suffix in exchanges between university staff
I am trying to find a short summary of suffixes (honorific) that are in use in universities, in exchanges between staff at different levels. I have found a lot of advice on students addressing ...
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Please Explain the Difference between 終わり and 終わる with examples [closed]
Explain the Difference between 終わり and 終わる with examples
like which word to use
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N1 Goi practice question. Synonym of 凌ぐ [closed]
Solving some N1-Goi questions I run up to this one.
暑さを「凌ぐ」ために、多くの人が都会を離れて山や海で過ごしている。
つのる
ふせぐ
いのる
ふさぐ
I was pretty sure it was the second one 2) ふせぐ" but the solutions provided say its 1)つのる. ...
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Why use 耳元 rather than just 耳?
下で見ている人の悲鳴と交じり合って、風が耳元でヒューヒュー鳴った ...
The wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of the people watching below ...
Would this sentence be weird if 耳元 was replaced with 耳? I'm trying to ...
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Can たい and たがる be used for a 1st/2nd/3rd person's desire?
もし生まれ変わっても見たい映画は あなたにありますか？
When I saw the the above sentence, I started to wonder. Is it an over simplification to say that たい can only be used for your own desires? However the sentence above might ...
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What's the difference between 初心者, 入門者 and 初級者
I see 初級 Written mostly in books which means beginner or elementary level, the other two were written on the same page for a drawing course I found online as "入門者向け" and "初心者向け", ...
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Is there a difference between these words for “hero”?
I've learned that hero could be translated as:
ヒーロー
えいゆう
ゆうしゃ
けっし
Aside from ヒーロー (which seems just to be roumaji version of hero), is there any usage difference among them?
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How do you say "wardrobe" (furniture)?
I know 洋{よう}服{ふく}箪{だん}笥{す}, 衣{い}装{しょう}箪{だん}笥{す} and ワードローブ, but I've never seen them used and I don't know what the difference between them is.
I mean a typical wardrobe with doors (like the one from &...
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What is the difference between もとづいて and もとづき
What is the difference between both of them? I could not find any explanations so I came here.
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What is the difference between びっくりした and びっくりするじゃないの
What is the difference between びっくりした and びっくりするじゃないの?
The only thing I can think of is that one is just a general way of saying that something scared you, whilst the other is a way of "blaming" the ...
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What's the difference between 埃{ほこり} and 塵{ちり} and 塵{ごみ}?
What I've found is that 埃{ほこり} means "dust", 塵{ごみ} means "rubbish", "trash", "garbage", and 塵{ちり} means both of them.
I wonder what the difference between 埃 and ...
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What's the proper form (formal or informal) to use when speaking to others online?
I should preface this by saying that I'm myself fairly young (a teenager) and I speak primarily to other young people. While I may not know their exact age, it's safe to assume they are either ...
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What's the difference between 開閉器 and スイッチ?
開閉器 seems uncommon, maybe it's technical. I suppose they both mean "switch", like in "light switch", but スイッチ also means "change", "shift". As "light ...
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How do I say "take a break from (gaming, social media)"?
How do I express that I'm taking a somewhat long-term (e.g. a few weeks to a few months) break from hobbies or entertainment such as video games/social media/etc?
I found the question below in which ...
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というのか vs というのですか
「精霊がアイドル......しかも最低でも半年以上前からこっちの世界に溶け込んで生活してたっていうの？こんな活動をしながら？はっ、狂三なんて目じゃないわね」
琴里が発した狂三の名に、士道はぴくりと顔を動かした。以前、人間として士道のクラスに転入してきた精霊である。
I previously thought the bold part is the same as というのか until I ...
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What is the difference between ~たい and ~ことを望む?
I have been trying to translate some English sentences into Japanese. I have been asking people on OKWAVE to translate these sentences. I am happy to say that the results have been mostly satisfactory....
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Can 行う and 施行する be used interchangeably when meaning "to carry out?"
I'd learned 行う as meaning "to carry out" a while back, and had understood it to mean something like carrying an action out, or performing an action. The definition offered in Jisho.org ...
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Which verb fits in 庭に木をもう一本＿？
There is a closed-ended question in Nihongo so-matome:
庭に木をもう一本＿
１）植えました
２）切りました
The book says the answer is 植えました. What makes this answer the correct one? Doesn't 切る fit here too? The only thing ...
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Why is から used in this concessive clause?
There is a word-order exercise from Nihongo So-matome:
さっき頼んだこと、すぐじゃなくてもいいからやっておいてください。
As far as I understand, it means "There is no rush, but please do what I asked you to do".
Why is から ...
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Subtleties of usage of 行く vs 来る
Most textbooks explain that 行く and 来る can be generally translated to English as to go and to come, except when the perspectives/locations of the speaker and the person performing the movement are ...
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"kiru" used to refer to a card?
In Bungou Stray Dogs S2E07, the enemy pulled off something really abhorrent, and in response, Dazai says "敵｛てき｝がその気｛き｝なら、こちらも鬼札｛おにふだ｝を切｛き｝ろう". I can understand that onifuda is like "...
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Does this sentence sound natural: その靴はどこで買いましたか
その靴はどこで買いましたか
Should か be replaced with の? Should I say 買った instead of 買いました?
Make any sort of corrections you want, I'm trying to make my Japanese sound as native as possible.
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Verb Stem vs. の Nominalizations
I've been wondering about the difference between verb stem (e.g. 話) vs. の (e.g. 話すの) nominalizations.
From what I gather, they refer to different things. It seems the verb stems refer to the objects ...
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What is the difference between いくつか and 一部?
Both words can translate to "some" or "a few". I understand that both of them are used for countables. So i was wondering if there is an actual difference in their usage or if they ...
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から vs. を in: あちらから出て or あちらを出て? 東から昇る or 東を昇る?
I've learned that when you want to express "to come out of something without obvious boundary" , it's better to replace を with から.
For examples:
あちらから出てきた人は誰ですか。 (を should not be used here, ...
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Why don't you use the particle の when stating the name of a place?
I got confused when i was asked why you dont put の in place's name. it happen when I explain the function of の particle.
can someone tell me in bunpou teki's way, why name place don't use no?
like ...
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Differences between Wa Nai and Ga Nai?
I first learnt Ga as always attached to Arimasen so still trying to grasp the nuances when changed to a Wa.
From my understanding of Wa vs Ga differences, it's just simply a matter of topic vs ...
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Difference between "つもりです" and "予定です"
I recently learned about both of them meaning "I intend/plan to..." but I don't know the difference between the two. Can someone explain?
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What's the difference between ...から死ぬ and ...で死ぬ?
We know that both から and で can express reason, and that から emphasis on a process of change in comparison to で. If this is the prerequisite, then both "...から死ぬ" and "...で死ぬ" can be ...
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What's the difference between saying "試験を受ける" and "試験を受験する"
Recently I asked a question on HiNative and said "試験を受けました" but a native Japanese speaker corrected it to "試験を受験しました".
I'm positive I've seen someone say 試験を受ける before, so why did ...
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How to call a singing voice powerful?
If I wanted to say "Mika Kobayashi has a powerful singing voice", for example, could I say
小林みかさんは力を持つ歌声があります。
Or is there a better way to say it.
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What's the difference between 其処ら, 至る所, and そこら中?
Trying to figure out how to say the word "everywhere" in Japanese, and I want to make sure I'm using the correct one. Usually there's some difference due to context or formality. Context of ...
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Why can't I say 「電車に遅刻する」?
In the 2012 JLPT-official N4 sample test book, question #34, you are tested on the meaning of the word ちこく.
もんだい５ つぎの ことばの つかいかたで いちばん いい ものを １・２・３・４から ひとつ えらんで ください。
３４ ちこく
１ あの とけいは ちょっと ちこくして います。
...
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Differences between くれます, もらいます and いただきます
I have been taught that they are used when receiving something (or a favor) from someone. But how exactly do they differ? I've searched the web for an answer and
One site suggests that くれます is ...
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するだろうな wonderment or a question?
If a person says " レイどんな顔をするだろうな"
Is it more correct to translate it as:
I wonder what face Rey would make.
Or
How do you think he will react?
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(よ)うが～まいが / (よ)うと～まいと vs かどうか
I'm currently studying some N1 grammar, and I actually find it pretty hard getting a feel of the grammar patterns.
I saw this pattern in my Anki deck:
わたしは他人の話に耳を傾けたわけではないんですが、むこうはきかれていようがいまいが、...
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Is there any difference between じゃあない and じゃない?
これっ！ 石を投げるんじゃあないっ！
すいちゃったものはしかたがないじゃあないのっ！
I've been reading a light novel called Slayers, and I noticed something interesting: the author usually writes じゃあない and not じゃない. I'm curious if there ...
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Help with translating this quote
I'm going to say a word on peace, participating in contest at university, and I have literally no one to check what I've written, and it's tomorrow.
I think of putting this quote from Ibn El Romi:
...
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る form and おう form of verbs when used with と思う
What's the difference between these 2 sentences:
買ってくると思った
買ってこようと思った
Both of them translates to 'I thought that I'd go and buy'
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Difference between に and へ particles
I am a beginner, and I do not really understand the difference between に and へ particles. My teacher told that they can be used interchangeably when it comes to indicating "direction" and &...
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What are the differences in usage? - ~あげる and ~あがる?
~あげる and ~あがる mean "finish."
But what are the differences in usage?
Should あげる strictly follow 他動詞？
For example, この本を読みあげた。
Should あがる strictly follow 自動詞？
For example, さっき走りあがった。
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Why is 前 used instead of 後?
From 押しの子, chapter 2:
A guy in this panel holds a sign that reads 30秒前 to singers before their play starts. I initially thought it means "30 seconds ago" but from context, it is best ...
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How correct is Duolingo with 俺は人間をやめるぞ！
Recently I got curious about Duolingo's Japanese courses, so I downloaded it and skipped over to section 5. This is the highest level section where they are still teaching you to my understanding. ...
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Usage/connotation of "いろ" meaning someone's "girl/lover"
In Rurouni Kenshin, a woman is running away from Kanryuu's men. A guy asks her "are you Kanryuu's girl?" (anta wa Kanryuu no iro ka?)
Anyways, my question is the usage of "iro" to ...
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Word order in 銀河鉄道の夜
I was reading 銀河鉄道の夜, and I’m confused on the choice of word order in the following sentence. I understand what the sentence means, but I do not understand why みんな isnt before が.
たしかにあれがみんな星だと
Let ...
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About "活きてるなあって思いますか？"
In this video clip : https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxfiBqUAzxHmyxBNLZ13fJBoIpmqOrFBQq
The lady asks :
剣道で培ったことは日頃の自分にもすごい活きてるなあって思いますか？
The subtitle trasnlation says ：
Do you feel that you're applying ...
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Can someone tell me the difference between 別々に and 別々 and 別 and 別に and 別々の
I am asking for the difference between 別々に and 別々 and 別 and 別に and 別々の.
They are all very similiar having something to do with separate/ly.
Thanks.
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Choose between 手数料 vs キャンセル料
Which one is used in the context of hotels, attractions, and so on (reservations)?
Is there a better word to say it?
Thank you!
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Is there any other difference between なくなり vs なくなって besides the former being more formal than the latter?
I can't figure out if the difference between the two is just a matter of formality or if there are cases I would prefer to use one over the other regarding the context or nuance I want to convey.
For ...
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