Questions tagged [word-usage]
語法. The usage of the words.
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1answer
126 views
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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2answers
108 views
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1answer
134 views
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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1answer
55 views
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？
3
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1answer
134 views
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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2answers
90 views
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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2answers
88 views
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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2answers
73 views
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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1answer
121 views
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"...
3
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1answer
96 views
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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1answer
339 views
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
57 views
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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1answer
139 views
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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1answer
58 views
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 ...
3
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1answer
77 views
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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0answers
85 views
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
112 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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3answers
369 views
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
47 views
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
122 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
424 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
98 views
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 ...
3
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2answers
127 views
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
141 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 ...
3
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1answer
126 views
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’...
2
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2answers
206 views
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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1answer
235 views
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3answers
347 views
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
198 views
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
114 views
「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
154 views
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
168 views
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
212 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
230 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
430 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
178 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
97 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 ...
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1answer
510 views
What do you like about me?
so umm.. let's say that you're asking your partner on what he think about yourself. Somethings like "What do you like about me?"
Does this sentence sounds right?:
「私について何が好きですか?」
2
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1answer
563 views
How does one use daisuki properly?
I know "daisuki" means "big like," but what if I said "I like (daisuki) smart people" in Japanese, instead of telling a single individual that "I like him"? Would I be implying that I love/am sexually ...
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1answer
129 views
How do i use ある/いる?
Up to now I've come to understand the meaning of these verbs. I understand when you are saying something exists somewhere you use the particle に to indicate where it exists, or someone having ...
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0answers
79 views
Adjective-i +くって usage [duplicate]
I have been struggling on finding out what is the meaning of this sentence:
嬉しくって 楽しくって 冒険も いろいろしたね
Especially in this part
嬉しくって 楽しくって
I know that those are adjective-i. But I do not ...
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1answer
102 views
What is the difference between 欲しい and 要る?
I have a question regarding the difference between 欲しい and 要る.
So far, what I know both words mean "want". The first one is an adjective and the second one is a godan verb with -ru ending. Now, I ...
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1answer
125 views
Can について be used in the sense of “(judging) from”?
Can について be used in the sense of "judging from" and, if so, would the sentence "話し方について、あの男は昔先生だったはずです。" be correct?
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1answer
76 views
Unsure On A Math TL
I've a comment in a manga relating to the speed of a shock-wave passing through someone's stomach and I'm not sure I get what it's saying:
腹の直径は約1.5m
波のスピードは4km/s
腹の直線を1.5mとして割ると2.7秒となる
...
3
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1answer
255 views
「いくらか」と「若干」の使い分けを教えていただけないでしょうか。
「いくらか」と「若干」の違いは何ですか。ただ「いくらか」は話し言葉で「若干」は書き言葉ですか。正しいですか。もし、正しかったら、他の違いがありますか。
4
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2answers
146 views
Usage of 付き合う in context
I have heard the word 付き合う used to mean "interact with/hang out with" but I have heard it more often to mean steadily dating someone. How can you tell the meaning from context and how could you say ...
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5answers
9k views
What's the most common way to say you are bad at something?
Would I just use わるい？ Or is there a more specific word for being unskilled at something?
私の日本語は悪いです。< Would something like this suffice?
4
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1answer
3k views
Use of 遊ぶ (asobu)
I noticed several times that japanese people use 遊ぶ (play) when talking about meeting someone (usually friends or partners) instead of 会う (meet).
For example:
1) 明日、友達と遊ぶ。
or
2) 遊びに来てね。
Is it just a ...
4
votes
2answers
229 views
What's the difference between 記号 and しるし？
I know that 記号 is translated as 'symbol' or 'code' while しるし is 'mark' or 'sign' but I can't seem to figure out when to use the appropriate one.
地図にたくさん記号がある。
地図にたくさんしるしがある。
What's the difference ...
