All Questions
28,841
questions
2
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How can I tell how much って is quoting?
When you use って, how do you differentiate who is part of the quote from who made the quote?
For example:
彼女はかわいいって/She said かわいい or
彼女はかわいいって/someone said she's cute
- 25
1
vote
1
answer
149
views
What is 家ーーーーー！！ supposed to mean here? [FFXIV video game slang]
In an FFXIV music video, they got cheeky and showed a funny hypothetical chat-log during a Raid.
I basically understand all of it, except for the "家ーーーーー！！" exclamation in the beginning. ...
- 1,382
3
votes
2
answers
454
views
How to parse上で話し合い
The below example sentence
論点を明らかにした上で話し合いをしないと、時間を無駄にする事になります。
is translated (by bunpro) as
If we don't clarify the points of discussion beforehand, we will end up wasting time in the conversation
...
- 363
2
votes
1
answer
92
views
Understanding 大事なコミュニケーションだと言わんばかりの潔さ
I have trouble understanding the bold part below:
人に迷惑を掛ける事へ一切の躊躇がない。人に迷惑を掛ける事そのものが、大事なコミュニケーションだと言わんばかりの潔さ。そうだ、アイはこれだった。(source)
In particular, I don't understand the meaning of the word 潔さ. It ...
- 687
2
votes
2
answers
136
views
Do both "白の女王" and "白き女王" mean "White Queen"?
There's this Japan-only game called Grimms Notes, and it has 2 characters called "白の女王" and "白き女王". The former is based on the White Queen from Alice in Wonderland, and the latter ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
408
views
What does 浮く mean here?
A high-schooler was thinking about what to do during lunch
大人だったら別に一人メシなんて普通なんだけど...高校ジャやっぱ浮く...よなぁ
I am uncertain what 浮く means here. I think it means in high school, there are many ways to eat?
- 687
2
votes
1
answer
345
views
Why is すごく almost always pronounced with an accent on the second mora (instead of the first mora)?
From my experience, there are many speakers who say すごく{LHL} even though they say はやく{HLL}, うまく{HLL}, etc.
I am aware that there are two "accent types" for the conjugated forms of downstep-...
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2
votes
1
answer
134
views
Meaning of き in 唾をぶっかけて.き.やがるからな。
If I am correct, then ぶっかける and やがる are verbs but what is the き doing in between them?
Full sentence:
~
この辺では、言葉に気をつけた方がいいぜ。町のこちら側に住んでいるやつらは、口笛を吹いただけでも顔に唾をぶっかけてきやがるからな。
~
You have to be careful about ...
8
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Why do we use が instead of を with a 他動詞 in the expression 車が止めてあります?
I was studying てあります and ています in the context of 他動詞 and 自動詞 with my Japanese teacher. I had to choose between 止める and 止まる in the following sentence:
学生：こんにちは。先生、お迎えに来ました。家の前に私の車が＿＿＿＿。どうぞお乗りください。
...
- 83
1
vote
1
answer
111
views
Clarifications on using ていく with verbs - using 着る as example verb
I'm finding the application of ていく (and by extension てくる) difficult to understand, so I want to use an example with the verb 着る to ask some questions on it:
If someone wore their jacket and left me (...
0
votes
1
answer
116
views
"I hate him" = 彼が嫌い or 彼は嫌い? Ambiguity regarding the target of the sentence
I apologize if this is a dumb question. I think I'm having a total brainfart here, but this is something I've been wondering since some time ago now.
If I wanna say, "I hate him!", which one ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
111
views
what is this confusing use of を?
その後ろ姿を、コートをかけられたエルメスがフィールドの出入り口で見ていた
google and deepl translate this as
"Behind him, a coated Hermes watched from the doorway of the field."
And that makes sense from the context too. But I ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
82
views
past verb + ところだった= Major difference from るところだった?
おや もう到着ですか
空想を楽しんでいたところだったのに
How does たところだった here work?
I understand
るところだった is "I almost did x" but how does it work with the past version then?
https://nihongonosensei.net/?p=12827
This ...
- 851
0
votes
1
answer
74
views
As "red", what's the difference between 紅{くれない}, 紅{べに}, 紅{こう} and 紅色?
On Weblio, the same dictionary says 紅{くれない} means "crimson" (deep red) and 紅{べに} means "vermilion" (bright red). Another dictionary says 紅{くれない}, 紅{べに}, 紅{こう} are all nouns, but I ...
- 883
1
vote
1
answer
99
views
What does AをBにしたら mean?
In the manga strip below, the character says:
艦長も芽依先輩をラーメンにしたら絶対おいしいと思うでしょ？
What does 依先輩をラーメンにしたら exactly mean here? The only にしたら structure I could find was Noun + にしたら, which means something like ...
- 37
1
vote
1
answer
358
views
What does いくつになっても exactly mean?
いくつになっても「いい子」が上手いな!
A is angry at B for being kind to somebody and says that. They are both young adults.
It should mean "No matter the age, you are good at being a good boy!", but I don't ...
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0
votes
0
answers
81
views
Why are there multiple ways to say hello in Japanese and how would I use them?
I have been learning basic sentences in Japanese, but I want to know what to use when I meet somebody and why. the three I know are:
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Konnichiwa.
Hajimemashite.
What would I ...
user58053
0
votes
2
answers
55
views
Does た+ "ところで" always mean "No matter what", "Even if?"
よし
後ろ盾を得たところで
さっさく調べちまおう
"後ろ盾を得た" is a way of saying that means "To obtain one support". The character proposed an hypothesis about the situation and his partner agreed, which ...
- 851
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What does カンベン mean here?
A middle-aged man who somehow transformed into his younger self was smoking out of habit and he wondered
今俺がこの姿で吸い続けて元に戻った時、その辺どうなのかなって、突然肺がんとかカンベンなんだけど
I don't understand what カンベン means in this ...
- 687
0
votes
1
answer
75
views
ending a sentence with て, is ておく implied?
部屋から出て行った。わめきたてるテレビをそのままにして。
I interpret this as
[He] left the room, leaving the television blaring.
Firstly (though not required for an accepted answer), わめきたてる is confusing. Why not わめきたてている?
...
- 363
0
votes
1
answer
88
views
What does やあいい exactly mean?
いったい どんだけ背負やあいいんだか
I'm slightly confused by this やあいい. I can gather from context that he's essentially "How much one must bear?", basically he's complaining that has to bear a heavy burden ...
- 463
0
votes
1
answer
46
views
Does てこそ have a diffrent nuance compared to ので in a sentence like this?
縁の下。。。か
どんな業界も そういう人たちがいてこそ成り立つんだよね
My reading is "Behind the scenes.. no matter the business circles, because people like that exist, they can function"
However, wouldn't the sentence work ...
- 851
1
vote
1
answer
141
views
Do Nする verbs require the する part with まで（に）?
There is a sentence in an exercise in the Speed Master N4 book:
[引越しします]までにいらないものを捨てておいた方がいいですよ。
The expression in brackets should be put in the correct form. The keys state that the correct form is ...
- 275
0
votes
1
answer
120
views
What does き stand for in 招き猫?
As question suggests: what does き stands for in 招き猫? Is it some sort of particle, that "connects" 招(invitation) and 猫(cat) or something else?
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1
vote
1
answer
134
views
How should I read 歳 here?
七つの歳
It's somebody's age. It's like 七歳, isn't it? Is it read as さい or とし?
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2
votes
2
answers
420
views
Talking about ロサン and ウサン
I was listening to a talking-head this morning. He kept referring to ロサン and ウサン. It's pretty clear he's referring to Russia and Ukraine. However, when I do a google search on these words, it's not ...
- 8,793
2
votes
1
answer
79
views
Past continous with adverbs of time
当時私は母が入れ物に入れた餌を自分で動物たちに与えた
I would have expected the above sentence to use てい form (与えていた) as it seems like a repeated action in the past. The speaker is talking about their childhood chores, so I ...
2
votes
1
answer
94
views
道を行ったところ meaning "just down the road"?
In the sentence
うちの前の道を行ったところの家の男の子ったら、うっかりして指に《スーパーグルー》をくっつけてしまって、その指で鼻をさわったのよ
I would translate this as
There is a boy just down our street, who carelessly got glue on his finger and then picked ...
- 363
3
votes
1
answer
172
views
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 &...
- 883
1
vote
1
answer
72
views
Does noun + くらいなら have the same nuance as verb + くらいなら?
多少の貸しくらいならあっさり相殺されるくらい大きな借りが
In the first line the character says that he has a debt toward him, so no 礼 will be necessary.
Then in the second line he adds I assume the nature of his 借り.
I understand ...
- 463
0
votes
1
answer
67
views
Is 分じゃない a specific meaning?
Character starts crying and says this:
"あれ なんだこれ。。。"
To which the other character replies this:
"今まで我慢してきた分じゃない?"
My reading of 今まで我慢してきた分 is "the amount you have endured ...
- 851
0
votes
0
answers
112
views
What did my friend mean? (Fukuoka Dialect)
I was talking to my friend at school today and I said her chicken she bought looked good. She replied with 「美味しいよとたい！」or 「美味しいよとだい！」possibly 「美味しいよ取ったい」or something along those lines. We live in ...
3
votes
1
answer
112
views
「大きい方」と「一番大きい」と「最大」の違いはなんですか？
These are 3 words I've learned from experience rather than a textbook, and although I hear them in different contexts as far as I can tell they all mean the same thing. Could someone clarify what the ...
2
votes
1
answer
85
views
Puzzling use of 直立
In the following passage from 永井荷風, 浮世絵の鑑賞, how is one to interpret 直立濶歩したりし? It appears to mean 'strode (around) erect', but 'erect' doesn't seem quite appropriate here. I wouldn't have thought that ...
- 825
1
vote
1
answer
51
views
Pitch accent for 金 (かね)
I can't find any sources to find the pitch accent of 金 (かね). Sorry for the basic question, but if anyone could tell me + where I can figure out the pitch accent of words (Other than OJAD) I would ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
66
views
Does とみに here mean intensely?
サトルは正義感がとみに強い男ではあるが、それをいいことに利用しようとすりよる輩も存在していた。
The 広辞苑 dictionary lists とみに to have the meaning of しきりに :
しきりに。「老眼が―進んだ」「国運―衰える」
which on of its meanings is "intensely".so, does とみに here ...
- 319
0
votes
1
answer
61
views
Why is にも used here with the passive instead of simply も?
In the first line, the character comments that's he's really 詐欺師 and he skillfully deceived the third person (not in the scene anymore), not letting out he's in 激痛.
To which the other character ...
- 463
1
vote
1
answer
65
views
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.
- 91
4
votes
1
answer
489
views
What does thing + さまさまだ mean?
大きな声じゃ言えないが爆破解体さまさまだよ
"さまさま" seems to be use to bestow honorific over things and people, however I can't seem to grasp why he'd use it for an explosion?
"I wouldn't say it out loud, ...
- 851
1
vote
1
answer
167
views
[...]のあの[...] Meaning and valid usage
I am reading the Japanese translation of Matilda. Spoilers ahead.
Matilda is deciding to take revenge on her father for his "attitude in front of the TV". She says:
...
- 363
0
votes
1
answer
115
views
Meaning of あすは天気だと思う
In my dictionary app I found this as an example phrase:
あすは天気だと思う
They say it means:
I hope it'll be fine tomorrow.
Is this a correct Japanese sentence at all? And does it mean what they say it ...
- 477
1
vote
1
answer
83
views
What is the actual nuance of the verb に映る
この通路の先で行われてることを考えると楽しいとは言えないけど
Which is about "If I think of what happens ahead of this passage, I can't say it's "fun"."
To which then the other character replies
おっしゃる通り
むしろ ...
- 463
1
vote
1
answer
53
views
How is 側 used in this sentence?
つまり、狂化者を生み出した側の予測を上回る狂化者
my reading is akin "A mad person who surpasses the mad person creator's prediction "
However, what is this meaning of 側の? "Is it "third person"? Or ...
- 851
0
votes
2
answers
76
views
What どんぶり勘定 means in this context?
I have doubts about the usage of the phrase どんぶり勘定 below:
Jisho suggested that I should understand it as "rough estimate" of profit, which kind of makes sense to me in this context. However,...
- 687
2
votes
1
answer
176
views
How to "reverse" 〜てから〜てはなりません?
Consider the sentence:
シャワーを浴びてから、プールに入らなくてはなりません。
As far as I understand, てから here is used to glue them into “You must go to the pool after taking a shower” which makes the most sense.
However, I ...
- 275
2
votes
2
answers
108
views
How to interpret「～そうになるのを、」
I am having a hard time understanding the grammar of the following sentence.
贅肉がはみ出して落っこちそうになるのを、体に巻きつけてあるみたいな感じだ。
In isolation, the two parts make sense.
贅肉がはみ出して落っこちそうになる
[Her] excess fat stuck ...
- 363
4
votes
1
answer
733
views
「買ったやつ」the guy who bought, or the thing that was bought?
I am reading the Japanese translation of Matilda by Roald Dahl. Spoilers ahead.
Mr. Wormwood has just finished explaining how he cheats his customers at his second hand car store. He fills the engine ...
- 363
0
votes
1
answer
47
views
What is the role of まで in this sentence?
I am not sure about the function of the second まで in the last sentence below:
美少女ゲームの創生期で、最も重要な作品と言えば・・・「プリンセスメーカー」、それと「同級生」と言えるでしょう! 究極、この2つだけでも現在までのゲームまで全部語れるといっても過言ではない。
I think the second まで ...
- 687
1
vote
2
answers
404
views
How ほど is understood in this sentence?
From Wikipedia page on 沙織事件,
当時のパソコンユーザーはマイコン族と称され、後年の「オタク」と同じく否定的な意味合いが含まれるほど、パソコンは一般に普及しておらず、パソコンゲームもマイナーなものであった。
I am uncertain how ほど works here. I don't see how it relates to the rest of the ...
- 687
1
vote
1
answer
99
views
やっぱり in this sentence (regret?)
The following is from the anime Bleach. At the end of every episode they have a little 予告 where the break the fourth wall. After a voiceover announces a tragedy to come, an anonyed Ichigo (the main ...