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.
2,403
questions
-1
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0answers
57 views
how much use of カタカナis good or bad in Japanese?
While learning Japanese we students have a secrete weapon called カタカナ。We use katakana words even though there are perfectly fitting Japanese words which we obviously don't know. Just because we ...
7
votes
1answer
222 views
I need help with those sentences: 「～と思われる」「～ように思われる」
日本語を習う時はローマ字を使わない方が良いと思われる。
日本の将来の見込みは暗いように思われる。
彼は金持ちであるように思われる。
Why does the first one use と and the second and third one use ように?
4
votes
2answers
579 views
Difference between 十分 and 十二分
Is there a clear difference between the meanings of 十分 and 十二分? I rarely have ever seen the second one. When should the second one be used and in what context?
EDIT: To avoid confusion, I'm talking ...
12
votes
1answer
1k views
Is 忍者/忍び also used for women?
I was discussing with a friend, who asked me if 忍者 is also used for women, or if くノ一 is used/preferred. I know 者 means "person", so it seems to be neutral; and Weblio defines the word using 者, which ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
Which verb can I use with the word “散文”?
So basically, what I want to say is something along the lines of, "He begins his story with a rhyme" or, "He tells a poem and begins his story". What's the word for "tell" here? Is there a verb phrase ...
11
votes
2answers
788 views
Function of the sentence final particle こと in this sentence
I am wondering what is the correct way to interpret the こと in this sentence:
どこかへお花見に行きませんこと。
It is an example sentence found in the book "All About Particles" (page 120). It's described as being ...
3
votes
3answers
136 views
Is there a rule for deciding if we should write こんばんは or 今晩は?
I always have problems deciding if I must write a word in hiragana or in kanji.
For example, should I write こんばんは or 今晩は ?
I know children would rather write in hiragana but what about for adults ?
...
4
votes
1answer
314 views
What is the difference among その上 and 上に?
Could somebody explain me the difference between その上 and 上に?
In "A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar" it is written that they can be used interchangeably, but I am not sure if it meant that ...
2
votes
2answers
470 views
Difference between 「際」 and 「時」?
Both seem to be translated as "when". Are they the same? It seems to me that 「時」 is mostly used for things that actually happened in the past whereas 「際」 is used for when something (could) happen in ...
12
votes
2answers
1k views
嬉しい vs 幸せ. Which one to use in this case?
Both mean happy. 嬉しい is an i-adjective, and 幸せ is a na-adjective. If I want to say, "The happy boy studied at the library", which one should I use? The boy in the sentence is feeling happy at the ...
6
votes
2answers
221 views
Should I include my step-siblings as 兄弟?
If I'm asked, "兄弟がいますか。" and my only siblings are a younger step brother and younger step sister, should/can I respond "はい、いもうととおとうとがいます。"? Do I need to specify but still answer in the affirmative? Or ...
9
votes
1answer
211 views
分{わ}かる vs. 分{わ}かっている
What's the difference between 分かる and 分かっている?
Based on my experience and this answer on HiNative, I assume 分かっている means something more like "I already know that (so you don't have to tell me)" and ...
2
votes
2answers
242 views
Difference between だけ and なら
What is the difference when using dake and nara in sentences, and if possible an example sentence for each would be helpful too. Thank you very much. They both mean just if I'm not mistaken. Like if I ...
0
votes
1answer
212 views
What do you call males in their late teens/early twenties?
For example, what word would I use to say like “Boys are cute” or “Guys are cute”? I’m 19, so what word would fit me? 男？
3
votes
1answer
73 views
くせに when the subject is the first person?
I'm quite baffled by what a character in a manga says. I'll try to explain the context as best as I can so you can get the picture:There are 2 characters, A previously said (in the last chapter of the ...
3
votes
4answers
262 views
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....
3
votes
2answers
141 views
Please illustrate the differences between 数 and 量. Also 番号？
数 refers to something's corresponding number. For example, a reading on a monitor.
量 refers to an amount, something that can be measured.
However, if you wanted to say that the number of something ...
2
votes
1answer
408 views
Native Japanese vocabulary, pure Wago/Yamato Kotoba
Can you still speak Japanese while avoiding to use most Chinese loan words? The native portion of the Japanese language is called Yamato Kotoba or Wago, but how fluent could you still be without the ...
3
votes
3answers
246 views
Which is more common for “I miss you”: 会いたい or 寂しい？
When saying “I miss you” which of these is more frequently used? Do they have different nuances?
4
votes
1answer
169 views
湿度 as “humidity” in general
I'm using materials I found on the Internet to learn grammar points.
This source includes examples, which is really nice, but I reckon there are many mistakes - mostly typos, but sometimes worse.
What ...
8
votes
1answer
571 views
What's the difference between 落す and 落とす?
Both 落す and 落とす seem to be pronounced おとす and have the same meaning. Are they variants? Different words? Is one of them technically wrong?
13
votes
2answers
1k views
What's the difference between 静けさ and 静かさ?
Much to my disbelief (no, I'm kidding, it happens all the time), I found out that my handbook was wrong to tell me we must use 静けさ, because 静かさ doesn't exist.
Wiki(tionary) says "For degree, ...
4
votes
1answer
190 views
What is the difference between 「いろいろ」and 「さまざま」?
According to the dictionary, they both mean "various". What is the difference between both words?
6
votes
1answer
782 views
Are 世界の一番 and 世界で一番 both correct?
Are both phrases grammatically correct and how do you translate both?
世界の一番ゆうめいです
世界で一番ゆうめいです
1
vote
2answers
281 views
What is the difference between ばんごはん and よるごはん?
I looked at two different sentences:
六時半に母とばんごはんをつくりました。(At 6:30, I made dinner with my mother.)
よるごはんのあと家族とえいがをみました。(After dinner, I watched a movie with my family.)
In both sentences, ...
5
votes
1answer
122 views
Confusion between 誰でも and 誰か
I was practicing and tried to write the following sentence in Japanese: Anyone playing games on PS4 or Switch?
誰でもPS4でゲームをやっていますか。スイッチでゲームをやっていますか。
A few minutes later my sentence was corrected to
...
3
votes
2answers
155 views
“Was Warned that …” (correct word choice / use of passive?)
I am trying to write out a short speech to say after my companies morning exercises, and I have chosen the very exciting topic of ... the weather!
Anyway I wish to convey this meaning in my ...
1
vote
3answers
230 views
What is the right translation and saying for ”Paper World”
I would like to know the right translation and saying "紙界"(Paper World) in Japanese. Should it be "pepa kai", "kami kai" or something else?
Google translate "紙" as "Kami", and "Kami" as "神" when ...
6
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the difference between 有用(yuuyou) and 便利(benri)?
As far as I know both words could be used to describe usefulness/handiness/convenience of something.
What are the main differences between them? In particular, what are the use patterns for these ...
4
votes
1answer
452 views
Should I use 無料 (muryou) or 只 (tada) for a free chatsite?
I have a free chatsite, and people ask me if there is a charge. Should I use muryou or tada? I want to indicate that my site is free. I see the term muryou written on free weekly magazines. Is the ...
3
votes
2answers
297 views
鶏肉【とりにく】? 鶏肉【けいにく】? 鶏肉【ちょうにく】? チキン? for chicken meat
Others have asked about "chicken meat" in general, but I do not see any answer to this question: what is the usage difference between:
鶏肉【とりにく】,
鶏肉【けいにく】,
鶏肉【ちょうにく】,
and
チキン?
Thanks.
8
votes
2answers
161 views
Difference between ビーフ and 牛肉
Is there a difference on how these two words should be used? I see 「牛肉{ぎゅうにく}」 used a lot more than 「ビーフ」, but I'm wondering if there is a certain context for each of the two words.
1
vote
1answer
66 views
What's the difference between 身寄り, 親類 and 親戚?
Jisho gives "relative, relation" for both; I found this answer saying that 身寄り it's like a place where you belong and can stay, but it's not clear by the examples provided if it's something more broad ...
5
votes
1answer
108 views
DIfferences between 限定 and 制限
I was trying to understand the differences between 限定 and 制限, but I don't really get it: I found that the former is generally a business term seen as positive and special, yet as example sentences I ...
6
votes
1answer
253 views
what is the difference between 観察 and 観測
According to JDIC, both mean "observation".
Judging from the Kanji used, I'm guessing the difference is 観測 has a nuance of observing something and measuring some aspect of it or taking data, whereas ...
0
votes
1answer
64 views
オレンジ色のズボンを履きます vs オレンジ色ズボンを履きます
I came across this simple definition in my lesson, and I was wondering what the difference between these statements is. Both of them have the same meaning, "I wear orange pants". Is it a difference in ...
3
votes
0answers
42 views
Why is 今年 written in hiragana in this NHK news article? [duplicate]
Article in question
(Note that it's not NHK easy news, but the regular nhk news)
ことしのノーベル賞の受賞者の発表が７日から始まり、日本人としては去年、医学・生理学賞を受賞した京都大学特別教授の本庶佑さんに続き、アメリカ国籍を取得した人を含め27人目の受賞者がでるか注目されます。
I thought at ...
1
vote
1answer
205 views
What words and/or phrases can you use in Japanese for story / storytelling / the art of telling a story?
I'm doing a project and coming up with the words rakugo, hanashi, sutōrīterā, kataribe, goribu for the same expression but am not sure on the differences of each saying and what the best term to use ...
-3
votes
1answer
187 views
Can 参加 be used to invite someone to a chat?
Context: I invited a person to participate in a chat. チャットに参加してください was my original sentence. Is my sentence and word choice correct? I was considering the word 関与.
7
votes
2answers
271 views
What is the difference between 数学 and 数理?
I noticed that both terms referred to the study of mathematics. Is there a difference in usage between the two terms?
13
votes
3answers
14k views
ことにする vs. ことに決める
My Japanese text book says that a present-tense verb followed by ことにする is used to indicate making a decision about the action. But I've also noticed the verb 決める, and that it's usage is very similar.
...
3
votes
1answer
107 views
事に感ず and Shigin vocabulary
I recently heard of the poem named Koto ni Kanzu, and I came across this page that provides the poem's text, along with a pretty convincing interpretation.
The poems reads as follows (I only added the ...
4
votes
1answer
111 views
そのものだ how is it translated?
So, I recently was reading something and I found the structure そのものだ, which at first glance it is not quite mean "that thing" as I thought, and the best explanation of it that I could find was in the "...
2
votes
1answer
75 views
Differences between 場所 and どこの場所
In a short story the protagonist says this sentence:
そして僕は突然、自分が知っている誰からも、自分が知っているどこの場所からも、信じられないくらい遠く隔てられ、引き離されているんだと感じる
I was wondering: why 自分が知っている**どこの場所** instead of just 自分が知っている**場所**.
5
votes
4answers
11k views
How to thank somebody for their hospitality?
Having been on the receiving end of Japanese hospitality quite a bit in the past week, I'd like to know the best way to thank people for it in Japanese.
I've found several words for "hospitality" but ...
4
votes
2answers
200 views
What is the difference between 限る and 限定する?
I'm pretty sure that there's a lot more you can do with 限る than there is with 限定する, (When I looked up 限る, I saw a lot of different usages, such as it meaning "is the best," or "nothing is better than,"...
4
votes
2answers
131 views
Are 「ないで」(when used adverbially) and 「ずに」 absolutely interchangeable?
I have been browsing the related questions in this site that deal with ず, ない, ずに and ないで and they are very informative. However, I couldn't find a post dealing with ずに and ないで (adverbially) ...
7
votes
7answers
2k views
What is the difference in meaning between 先生 and 教師？
Apparently, the terms mean the same thing. They both refer to a teacher.
7
votes
1answer
1k views
Are any Japanese words ever intentionally misspelled for any reason?
I came across the words "Boyz", and "EZ" in English, and wondered if any Kanji characters were used in the same way. Thank you very much.
4
votes
1answer
90 views
What is the suitable phrase/word to say “break time”
I currently use "休憩時間" to refer to break time, however not sure whether it is correct.
"break time" here is interval for rest/food etc. for employees, students etc.
