All Questions
766
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
16
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Iterative / repetitive る evolving from classical 連体形【れんたいけい】
This is somewhat related to the discussion of classical auxiliary verb ふ, mentioned in the answer to snailboat's question, What is the わ in 忌まわしい and 嘆かわしい?.
Another apparent iterative / repetitive ...
- 36.8k
10
votes
0
answers
341
views
Do loanwords have quasi-phonemic vowel reduction?
I've started to notice this, and I'm not sure whether my eyes are deceiving me or not, but it seems as if several, but not all loans have a high statistical probability of vowels being reduced/...
- 627
7
votes
2
answers
644
views
What is the difference between といったところです and というところです?
銀行に変化を促しているのがタイの中央銀行です。 日本で言えば、日銀が腰を上げて、変革の旗振り役をしているといったところです。(source)
Could we replace といったところです by というところです here? If yes, what would be the difference? If not, why?
- 2,247
6
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Is ばかり a noun or a な-adjective in ばかりなので?
According to this answer and taking into account the following rules (source) to use ので:
[い-adjective]+ので
[verb]+ので
[な-adjective]+なので
[noun]+なので
I wonder whether ばかり is a な-adjective or not in ...
- 361
6
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What is the difference between に伴って and と共に？
Can somebody explain to me the difference between と共{とも}に and に伴{ともな}って？ I believe that sometimes they can be used interchangeably, but not always. Moreover, their basic meanings also seem to differ. ...
- 1,375
6
votes
2
answers
877
views
あなたがこの文のおかしいと思うところは？
The structure strikes me because the underlying transformation seems to be like this:
[ あなたが ] [ この文の ～ところを ] [ おかしいと ] 思う
[ あなたが ] [ この文の ＿＿＿＿＿ ] [ おかしいと ] 思う ところは～
Another similar example is:
[ ...
- 2,985
6
votes
1
answer
845
views
Casual Speech Particles in Classical Japanese
I'm writing a simple Japanese skit for my class and there is a place where an ancient samurai needs to speak a few sentences of Classical Japanese.
I can mostly make the sentences, but it seems weird ...
- 3,055
5
votes
1
answer
255
views
Why do you put 名詞 plus の before ようだ, but you put 名詞 plus な before わけだ?
I looked up the dictionary, and found "よう" and "わけ" are both grammatical nouns (形式体言). But why is the 接続 different?
Moreover, I found many sentence patterns have their own rules. ...
- 422
5
votes
1
answer
348
views
Cases where として and にとって are overused/ cannot be used
I've been reading through Imabi, and one of the notes on the site was about inappropriate use of として and にとって in contexts of contrast and although phrases. These three were listed as examples of ...
- 3,764
5
votes
2
answers
350
views
Usage of に、とき, ときに
Are these sentences correct?
クリスマスにパソコンを買った。
クリスマスのときパソコンを買った。
クリスマスのときにパソコンを買った。
What is the difference when using に、とき, ときに?
- 51
5
votes
1
answer
273
views
Concensus on やりもらい動詞
In this post, I insisted that AはBにしてもらう is synonymous to BはAにしてくれる but not necessarily to BはAにしてやる / あげる. However, there was a counterargument that says you can't use くれる unless the speaker is ...
- 16.5k
4
votes
0
answers
241
views
Can the か particle change the pitch accent of verbs?
Consider the Heiban verb やる. According to a video on Japanese verb pitch accent rules, Heiban verbs with no downsteps remain Heiban when conjugated to their negative form. Prosody confirms this rule ...
- 2,736
4
votes
1
answer
351
views
Why is there a の in this sentence (ほうのにする)?
じゃあ、最初に見たほうのにします.
This is a relatively easy sentence yet I can't seem to understand the purpose of the の here. This is said after choosing a product.
- 989
4
votes
4
answers
767
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....
- 1,371
4
votes
3
answers
583
views
Understanding the use of "を貫き通せる"
I have a very brief question, how is を貫き通せる meant to be interpreted in the following line?
[…]我が道を貫き通せるほど拳が硬いわけでもない。
Dictionary definitions of "貫き通す" includes the following:
to go through; ...
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
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 ...
user1478
4
votes
1
answer
201
views
Usage of 焚き付ける in this sentence
The topic is Gilgamesh here.
「英霊の座」スレ住民。タンクトップにジャージのズボン、バンダナに指抜きグローブ姿の立派な引きこもりニートで、その上セイバーのストーカーでもある。遠坂邸に居候しており、カソックにフリルのエプロン姿の家政婦のおじさんが生活全般の面倒を見ている。
いつも自信満々に全く説得力皆無のアドバイスを戦車男に焚き付けては、...
- 3,049
4
votes
2
answers
427
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,"...
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
129
views
What's the difference between ないわけにはいかない and ずにすまない？?
I think they both mean that you have to do something because there is a social pression like なければならい、but I'm not certain that I can use them interchangeably. Could somebody confirm it?
- 1,375
3
votes
2
answers
126
views
Meaning of まじくは
I've seen this sentence
許すまじくは許さない。俺自身は主義としたそうした一線を持たないが、だからといってそれを持つ人間を軽んじることはしないだろう。
and I would like to know what is the meaning of まじくは so that I can understand the expression 許すまじくは許さない.
Making ...
- 537
3
votes
1
answer
167
views
Term for "Letter"/Symbol name vs. pronunciation
I was trying to explain to someone why spelling & reading in Japanese (at least with kana) is easy because the name of the letter is its pronuncation. (Yes, I realize kana are not strictly "...
- 43.9k
3
votes
0
answers
115
views
Is 僻む a transitive verb? If so, how frequently is it used along with を?
I am trying to understand how to use the word 僻む properly. If I understood correctly, it means "feeling bitter or resentful". After searching for example sentences, I've got the impression ...
- 6,519
3
votes
0
answers
114
views
On the interplay between pitch accent and devoicing in Standard Japanese
A claim regularly cited is that for younger speakers, devoicing and pitch accent are orthogonal features; i.e. the accent kernel is not shifted away from devoiced morae and neither is devoicing ...
- 231
3
votes
0
answers
97
views
What is the difference between んだ/のだ being conjugated and it being added to the end of a verb or adjective?
I was reading Tae Kim and I came across two different ways of using んだ, one was to add it to a conjugated verb and the other was to conjugate the んだ itself. Would this affect the meaning of the ...
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
185
views
Having a hard time breaking down this sentence and understanding the meaning
Here's the sentence
カン蛙のよろこびようと云ったらもうとてもありません。
I know カン蛙のよろこび refers to "Kan the frog's joy", and I believe that I should read this sentence like this to help understanding the meaning :
...
- 309
3
votes
0
answers
93
views
Phenomenon of omitting the head noun of a relative clause
Take this dialogue for example, where A and B talk about a certain 田中さん:
A: ところで田中さんって覚えてる？
B: あ、このあいだパーティーにいた？
I made it up, so please excuse any unnatural aspects. The important part is B's answer. ...
- 1,587
3
votes
0
answers
65
views
Can そうにする be placed after all adjectives to form the meaning: (to pretend to be sth)
For example:
I saw 偉そうにする (to act important) in my textbook.
Could every adjective or 連用形 fit in this structure?
ex.
きれいそうにする (to act pretty)
ばかそうにする (to act like a fool)
見られなそうにする (to act as one can ...
- 127
3
votes
0
answers
195
views
Japanese honourifics during the Heian period
I'm just curious about honorifics during the Heian period. I know that "daredare no kimi" was used often in court however I am curious about other honorifics extant during the period. ...
- 131
3
votes
0
answers
143
views
という/っていう - a few of questions
I’ve scoured this website and elsewhere to get to the bottom of this and I think I’ve cracked most of all of the という usages and meanings. But I just have some few questions I hope you can help with.
...
3
votes
1
answer
324
views
まで versus さえ when meaning "even", "to the point of-"
I'm currently going over lesson no. 21 of 新完全マスター N2, and I'm not sure about the difference between the usage of ~まで and ~さえ.
Looking at the description and the example sentences, it seemed like both ...
- 41
3
votes
0
answers
534
views
Is there a Japanese term that conveys the meaning of "attention whore"?
Just to clarify, an "attention whore" is a noun that can be used to describe a person (usually a woman, in fact, but the term can be used for men as well) that seeks attention, and would do ...
- 63
3
votes
0
answers
166
views
Is 「何もしないで暖かくする」 ambiguous?
I was reading this answer and I came across this:
(A) 何もしないで暖かくする (ambiguous)
(B) 何もしなくて暖かくする (unambiguous)
I'm not sure why A is ambiguous, but here's my understanding: unlike なくて, ないで doesn't ...
- 1,510
3
votes
1
answer
259
views
「~さえ~ば(なら)」は・・・が成り立つための必要最低限の条件を示す。
「~さえ~ば(なら)」は・・・が成り立つための必要最低限の条件を示す。
I do not know why the ため is used in the middle of this sentence.
As far as I know ため is used for 2 purposes: 1-原因 2-目的
成り立つ is modifying the ため, so does it mean ...
- 734
3
votes
0
answers
342
views
Difference between どれだけ and どのくらい and どんなに
It seems that どれだけ can be used interchangeably with どのくらい and どんなに, but is there any difference in nuance?
For example:
(どれだけ/どんなに)聞いても意味が分からない
(どれだけ/どんなに)説明しても、あの人はわかってくれない
彼の身長は(どれだけ/どのくらい)ですか。
...
- 407
3
votes
0
answers
70
views
Understanding 可能形+もの
「……折紙さんはもう除隊しやがってますし、真那は裏切り同然の形でDEMを出奔していやがります。正面から行って入れてもらえるものですかね？」
The speaker (真那) and her friend (折紙) wanted to enter a military base that they used to belong to. The speaker was asking 折紙 ...
- 4,161
3
votes
1
answer
258
views
What is the purpose of 「で」 in the following sentence?
I came accross the following passage in my textbook:
ゆとり教育で学校で教える内容が減らされたため、その教育を受けた子供達は常識的に誰でも知っているはずのことでさえ知らないという現象も出てきた。
I can understand the meaning of the sentence, as "Due to the decrease ...
- 6,519
3
votes
0
answers
490
views
Official descriptions of kanji forms
How are the essential graphical identities of kanji defined? The length of the first stroke in 土, for example, is essential, because if it's longer than the third stroke, you have 士 instead. If you ...
- 221
3
votes
0
answers
152
views
一時はどうなることかと思った vs 一時はどうなるかと思った
「一時はどうなることかと思ったけど、怪我の功名ってやつね。」
I also found the expression 一時はどうなるかと思った(「At one point [For a while] I was really worried.) in a dictionary. Are both 一時はどうなることかと思った and 一時はどうなるかと思った the same?
If not, ...
- 4,161
3
votes
0
answers
114
views
What would be the function or meaning of わけですし?
『それにしても、随分と思い切りましたわね、士道さん』
狂三が、面白がるような口調で言ってくる。士道は一瞬口ごもってから返した。
「……仕方ねえだろ。それに、狂三だって賛成したじゃねえかよ」
『まあ、それはそれですけれど。ーー確かに、折紙さんが現れる前に<ファントム>を追い払うことができたのなら、折紙さんはそもそも攻撃する目標を失うわけですし』
The context is that ...
- 4,161
3
votes
0
answers
177
views
する -verbs perception by native speakers
I wonder how the (common) Noun+する verbs, e.g. 勉強する, are perceived by native speakers, especially children before the start of the formal education.
In the manner similar to English "to do ...
3
votes
0
answers
251
views
Semantic classification of verbs
Lately, I've been spending a lot of focus in how to translate certain verbs in the form ～ている. Mostly comes from the fact that, depending on the verb, it can have a meaning of prolonged action (e.g. ...
- 917
3
votes
2
answers
277
views
Can this sentence be interpreted in more than one way?
I read a sentence
彼女はわかっていた。あるいは、わかっていると思っていた。
It was translated as "She knew, or she thought she knew/knows."
Prior to seeing this translation, in my head, I interpreted it as "I knew her, or ...
- 2,382
3
votes
0
answers
113
views
What is the suffix らっしせる?
A Japanese friend, a woman in her seventies who comes from Sapporo and has long resided in Tokyo, and who does not speak in a strong Hokkaido dialect, writes several times in a letter to me the -て ...
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
325
views
Is using the particle は twice here natural?
I've come across the sentence
父は休みの日はずっとテレビを見ている。(My father spends his days off watching television all the time.)
where it doubles in using the は particle. From another post, it seems that this ...
- 609
3
votes
0
answers
248
views
Suffixes: らしき versus っぽい
I came across the following sentence recently:
バイトらしき女の子に優しく教えてくれた。
Strangely, it was my first time encountering this form of らしい and I understood the meaning immediately, but it brought to mind ...
- 792
3
votes
0
answers
135
views
Does 逆さまにする ever mean rotation on the Y-axis? a twist?
I've thought さかさま to mean to rotate 180" over the X-axis. In dictionaries, I see the definition "to invert, upside down; to flip" ok.
But "to reverse, back to front" is also included in some ...
- 2,900
3
votes
0
answers
89
views
Nuances and context of linking without 〜て / dropped 「て」in linked constructions
(Taken from ジョジョの奇妙な冒険６部: When Jotaro talks to Jolyne about who got her into prison.../ for those who do not know the series: The persons speaking to each other are father and daughter but have a ...
- 1,145
3
votes
1
answer
446
views
What does 「ような 」mean in the following sentence?
What is the difference between
以下の条件を満たすような日本語スピーカーを探しています
and
以下の条件を満たす日本語スピーカーを探しています
?
- 31
3
votes
1
answer
437
views
Appropriate polite language when referencing yourself in a letter written on behalf of others?
Maybe this is a bit too hypothetical, but I thought it was an interesting question nonetheless.
I was writing a business email in Japanese, using pretty formal language, on behalf of someone who ...
- 470
3
votes
1
answer
307
views
How to politely phrase "what problem are you trying to solve?"
I'm struggling to find a way to phrase:
"Could you let me know what problem you are trying to solve with ${COMPANY_PRODUCT}?"
in a business email. The context is that we're offering a ...
- 470