Questions tagged [word-usage]
語法. The usage of the words.
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Why sometimes the same words are used in hiragana and katakana?
I saw on some restaurants ramen is written like ラーメン, but sometimes like らーめん. Seems like both are correct, but I'm confused which variant should I use when I write about this meal. Does it depend on ...
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Why is “language” represented by 言葉【ことば】 instead of 言語【げんご】 in this book for learning Japanese?
In みんなの日本語初級I book, the word 「ことば」 is used to mean "language" (English, Japanese, Russian, etc.)
However, I found 「言語」 as the most proper word for this type of language. The first variant (which ...
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150 views
What does it mean to end a sentence with ひとつだけ?
I came across a sentence that ends with ひとつだけ in a book and searching on jisho gave me zero results (https://jisho.org/search/ひとつだけ); nor did searching for the individual parsing of what I remember ...
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Meaning of おまちする
From: https://www.serebii.net/blackwhite/subwaymaster.png
Context: The character who says this to you (the player) is on the subway along with you. They are also about to battle you.
ようこそ ...
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The meaning of 以外 in this sentence? [closed]
すぐにそのことに思い至らなかったのが自分でも以外だった。
Is he saying that he is surprise by the fact that EVEN to him, not realising this immediately was/is something bad?
Noun + 以外 : with the exception of; excepting
Is ...
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1answer
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What is the difference between 「どんぶり」and「ちゃわん」
I understand both are some kind of bowl but I would appreciate if someone could explain about the uses for each one.
Can a "ちゃわん" be used for cooked rice?
Can a "どんぶり" be used for ramen?
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2answers
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Difference between 泊まる and 留まる [duplicate]
I'm just studying Japanese, and i know that 泊まる is like you Staying a night like hotel / some place that temporary , but i just found 留まる is also meaning stay/staying too in Basic Kanji book , but i ...
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Is there any difference between 速さand 速度?
From what I understood, both 速さ{はやさ} and 速度{そくど} means "speed". Some say that they are synonyms (just like speed and velocity in English), but I guess there is a nuance between them, isn't it ?
速さ{...
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What is the difference between 検事 and 検察官?
I found the same translation for 検察官 and 検事 : "public prosecutor". But I guess there is a reason for the two words to exist. Is one of them more formal ?
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Difference between つま and おくさん [duplicate]
Going through my Genki textbook I noticed two words for wife. Where should I use each one
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How should I call someone in street?
Let say some thing have fall from the someone who walk in front of you in street ! Can I call him/her anata or sumimasen to notice ? In my country we usually say brother to boy and sister to girl .
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What is the あと in 努めてあとを濁さないように
水面から飛び立つ鳥は努めてあとを濁さないように。
Sentence from jisho for 努めて.
Can anyone help clarify what the あと here means?
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Why is “移民” labelled as a sensitive word in the dictionary? (in relation with or without the history behind the word)
I stumbled again on a word that is labeled as sensitive.
This time it's 移民 which means:
Noun, Suru verb, No-adjective
emigration; immigration [sensitive] (only the suru verb is labeled ...
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How to say, “I major in computer science” or “I'm studying computer science”?
”私はコンピューターサイエンスを勉強してます。” Do they use the term "computer science" in Japanese or is there a formal term for this?
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How and when to use 形（かたち、けい、かた）
What exactly are the scenarios where かたち、けい or かた would be used? For example, in this sentence 「 輪の形に動かす」, is it かたち or かた？
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Word Order: 国で日本語を2カ月勉強しました vs 国で2カ月日本語を勉強しました [duplicate]
Question. What is the diff between
A. 国で日本語を2カ月勉強しました。
B. 国で2カ月日本語を勉強しました。
On minna no nihongo B. is used but why not A? Why is the 2カ月 not before verb? What are the rules?
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What is the meaning of どうの?
Context: a former swordsman takes his daughter to attend kendo lessons. She doesn't seem happy, so he reminds her that she decided herself to go, at which che replies:
んだよ！...
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When do I use which word for admission? 入場 vs. 入所
I came across the both words in the title and wondered, if there is a general difference in their usage and/or meaning. In which cases do I use 入場, and when is it 入所?
Thank you!
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I’m confused about the sentence 「何も悪い事は聞いた事がありません」
To my understanding the sentence 「何も悪い事は聞いた事がありません」means something along the lines of “I have’nt heard any bad things”. What I’m confused about though are these words: 「何も悪い事は聞いた事がありません」As far as I ...
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Best translation of “subtle”?
The obvious translation of "subtle" is 「微妙」, but in current usage it seems to carry a bit of a pejorative sense, even implying "dubious". Are there better translations for phrases such as "subtle hint"...
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What's the difference between particles と and も？
From what I understand, they both can mean "and" and "also" or something, but I don't entirely get the difference. Please try to explain in as simple of terms as possible!
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Existence verbs in the Kansai Dialect
In this part of this Wikipedia article, it states
In other areas such as Hyogo and Mie, いる /iru/ is hardly used and おる /oru/ does not have the negative usage.
What I want to know is, does this ...
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1answer
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Help understanding the usage of “真似” in this context
Here is a piece of dialogue from the lore of a video game:
そういや、オラクルじゃないが……昔そこそこ強かったウォーロックの連中は似たような真似してたかもな
The speaker here was just informed about the combat techniques unique to "oracles" (オラクル)...
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Word select: 食べます？／飲みます？
食べ物の場合は動詞「食べる」を使いますが、飲み物の場合は動詞「飲む」を使います。ところが、食べ物と飲み物をいっしょに出た場合はどの動詞を使いますか。
例①：パンとミルクを...（食べます？／飲みます？）…
例②：コーヒーとりんごを...（食べます？／飲みます？）…
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Usage of 目黒 outside of 目黒区
I am wondering if 目黒 can be used as a noun outside of its usage as a district name.
Examining each character,
目 eye, vision, sight, etc.
黒 black, guilt, etc.
provides a couple of interesting ...
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叱られる時に「うるさい！」と「やかましい！」のどちらがきついですか？
辞書では意味がとても近いので、聞きたいのですが、例えば、ビニール袋などで音を立てている時に、知らないおっさんに急に「うるさい！」または、「やかましい！」って言われたら、その言葉のチョイスで叱られた感は違いますか？
また、そのキツさは「あほ」と「ばか」のように地域・方言によって変わりますか？
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Unsure about this usage of the word まで [duplicate]
I was doing some N4 practice questions and came across this sentence
先生に すっかり ごちそうになって おみやげ まで いただいてしまいました。
I'm not sure what まで is supposed to mean in this context?
My general understanding of the ...
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1answer
122 views
What does 「ニゴでした」mean?
I was reading an article at Tomojuku. Link
At the very end of the article, it says,
ではでは ニゴでした。
What does ニゴでした mean ? I searched online but I couldn't find anything about this.
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Can もっともっと be used as more and more?
I understand you can say something like
“彼は強くなるばかり”
To express this meaning but could you say
“もっともっと強くなっている“
Sorry if this seams like a stupid question I think I just heard it somewhere and I ...
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0answers
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What should I say to boss when the last day of working? [duplicate]
I always say お疲れ様でした to boss before leaving office.
But I want to know what Japanese saying normally in the last day of working (job quitting day)
P.S I will quit my job this month
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1answer
123 views
Titles for family
What I've learned is Japanese refer to their family differently than they would refer to other peoples family. Like 'Haha' being mother, but also 'Okasan' is mother. However, everything I've seen in ...
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2answers
620 views
Difference between あまり , あまりに and あまりにも
I would like to know the difference between these three ways (using the word あまり) to say 'so much ... that'. Which extra sense give the particles に and にも?
I can't see the difference between あまり (...
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1answer
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What's the difference between 請求, 要求, and 需要?
Here's my take:
請求 is like a compensation demand which is naturally expected to be satisfied or maybe even based on the law. Most examples feature bills payments.
要求 is more like a strong demand ...
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2answers
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What is the difference between ぶつ, 叩く, and 殴る?
I have found a question regarding these words here:
たたく versus ぶつ in a JLPT question
Which mostly deals with idioms, however.
So far as I understand it 殴る means somewhat violent beating and ...
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1answer
147 views
“People” vocabulary usage distinction
I searched for Japanese terms related to the English word "people" and discovered an impressive variety of terms to choose from! I'm curious about the differences between each term and the usage of ...
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1answer
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What’s the difference between 二親 and 両親?
I looked it up in my monolingual dictionary and I got the following:
両親【りょうしん】 二親。父母。
Which seems pretty straightforward, but then I got this:
二親【ふたおや】父と母。両親。(<>片親)
As you can see it doesn’...
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2answers
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How would you reply to 'よかったら'?
I always assumed you would reply to a phrase containing よかったら with はい or いい but is that correct? If so, which sounds more natural?
For example, if someone were to say "よかったら、英語を教えて欲しい" to you, how ...
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What do いっぱいいっぱい and 余裕 mean in this context?
I'm translating this manga, but I'm having a hard time because I don't know what's the best way to translate these words
Context: see pics... sorry that there are 7 pics, but I felt that explaining ...
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2answers
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What's the difference between complaints 不満 不平 文句?
I tried reading explanations in Japanese on hinative, but they tend to use one of these words to describe the other two.
Usually I only distinguish formal complaints (苦情) and verbal informal ...
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1answer
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「なお」は「ですから」という意味を含みますか？
文章（書き言葉に使う）で自分の考えを陳述する場合に、
例：
Aがよくないですから、Bにすると思います。
Aがよくないです、なお、Bにすると思います。
この二つは同じ意味でしょうか？なおは因果関係が表現できますか？
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1answer
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Is 上京 appropriate in a setting where Tokyo doesn't exist?
Does it make sense to use 上京 in a fantasy setting where the geography is totally different from our world? In my mind this word is very strongly associated with Tokyo. I know that according to some ...
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1answer
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Family Household Clan
Good day,
I just want to ask in-general if these words have a different level of meaning or are they interchangeable when attched to a family name 家、氏、藩、閥、族、一族、一門、家門、閥族 。
I'm somewhat aware that a 藩 ...
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2answers
230 views
Is there a difference between 嘘つき and 嘘つけ ？
Any subtle differences in meaning or respect? Which is more common?
Or is it just another one of those words like やはり/やっぱり/やぱり, しょうがない/しかたない、あんまり/あまり etc. with no difference at all other than ...
7
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1answer
231 views
Do you call the feeling of acid burns as 燃える too?
Doesn't have to be the kind that melts your face off. Like your detergent(alkali but nvm that) prickling your hand after leaving it for a bit too long on your hand.
Would toothpaste or menthol's ...
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1answer
522 views
How would I say 'home state' in Japanese?
I'm looking for home state or really any Japanese equivalent meaning? I'm trying to explain why I love my hoodie with Wisconsin across the front. If there isn't one I could always just reword my ...
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3answers
183 views
敬遠の使い方について (how to use the expression 敬遠)
日本語
クリスマスプレゼントとして、『日本酒辞典』という本をもらいました。読んでいると、以下の文が出てきました：
(前略)ついつい頼んでしまったり、気になるけど注文しづらくて敬遠している、なんて人もいるでしょう。
理解できていると思うのですが、国語辞典と外国人のjdictで「敬遠」を調べてみたところ、どのセンスがあてはまるか分からないです。
本文の定義としては、「難しいと思って、...
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1answer
119 views
Using つける for wearing undies? (Clothes question)
I know it's for accessories that don't fall under head,torso and legs portion of the body. Shouldn't underwear (パンツ) be used with はく？
I saw it in a J-drama where a girl says パンツがつけてない to make the guy ...
3
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2answers
99 views
Difference between「未熟練労働者」and「不熟練労働者」
I am writing an essay in Japanese and want to talk about non-skilled labor, but found two different words for the opposite of a skilled laborer: 「未{み}-」and「不{ふ}-」+「熟{じゅく}練{れん}労{ろう}働{どう}者{しゃ}」. I was ...
