All Questions

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
1 vote
1 answer
191 views

Location with the verb 寝る: に or で?

As the question says. I'm aware that the use of に with verbs like 座る and 立つ is not actually "location" に, but the "target/destination" に. However with 寝る in particular, it's still ...
  • 1,670
1 vote
2 answers
153 views

Why use 用いる and not 用いられる? Who’s the subject?

Source: 類語例解辞典 「または」は、二つのもののうちの一方を捨てて一方だけをとる場合や、どちらでもよいという許容を表わす場合に用いる。 So the subject of 用いる is the generic “one/you/people” or is it “we, the Japanese people”? I may have overthought this but I ...
1 vote
1 answer
267 views

でた, いてる, でない: Are they incorporating (or equivalent to) ~いる or not?

Each of the following sentences seem to be nearly unrelated, however I'm not sure if these sentences are incorporating ~いる in someway or not. I have looked at quite a few resources for each individual ...
0 votes
2 answers
170 views

How does 何で usage exactly work with 言う?

So I know that 何で can be used to ask 'why' or to ask "with what" in a negatively structured sentence. Like, お姉ちゃんは何で学校に行きますか. But when I wanted to learn how to say, "idk what to say&...
1 vote
0 answers
105 views

Is there any reason why I sometimes hear masU and desU?

I don't hear real life japanese that often, (I watch some podcasts and stuff) but when listening to anime, I hear ます and です said very often with the u being fully pronounced. I was wondering, is this ...
0 votes
0 answers
51 views

Please could someone explain かと思えば in this context?

In my textbook, there is only this very small explanation of this usage of かと思えば, and I can only find explanations online of it in the "No sooner than" context, like here Below is the ...
0 votes
1 answer
49 views

Which one is correct 考えながら or 考ながら [closed]

In Tobira Chapter 14, one of the examples says 漢字を書く時は、文字のバラスもよく考ながら、点や線をきちんと書いて下さい。 According to the usage of ながら: verb stem + ながら. But 考える's verb stem is 考え. Why is 考ながら used instead?
6 votes
1 answer
167 views

When speaking to a family (where they all have the same last name), is it okay to refer to people by their first name?

Say I know a woman named Satou Hanako, whom I would refer to as "Satou-san". If I meet her family (mom, dad, big brother, big sister, etc.), and they introduce themselves by name, how should ...
  • 706
0 votes
1 answer
80 views

Why is the particle へ used for direction here and does particle で here mean because of?

大手電力4社「規制料金」値上げ申請へ 燃料費高騰で Link to article: https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp/news_economy/articles/000276919.html
1 vote
2 answers
114 views

meaning of つけて in 助走つけてやるもんじゃない

I know that ~てやる is to do something for someone. I also know that やるもんじゃない means "shouldn't do" I have a feeling I should ignore ~てやる because て is a part of つけて. However, I don't know what ...
  • 467
0 votes
1 answer
104 views

What does this そうなった mean?

横幅が狭く、まるで両脇の建物に圧迫されてそうなったかのようだった I wonder why the に disappeared? Is it something different from そうになった?
  • 421
1 vote
1 answer
90 views

Meaning of 一文にもならない from Super Mario RPG. (With pictures)

https://imgur.com/a/aFTkV2D This is from a video teaching Japanese meaning from Super Mario RPG. Source: https://youtu.be/1LMxshr0BE4?t=497 The context is: Mario and Mallow(little white puff ball) are ...
0 votes
2 answers
110 views

What is the meaning of ビリビリ in this context?

Context/conversation added: 友達さん: ヒカリちゃん、なんでアニキにだけちょっと怖いも? ヒカリちゃん: ふーん?あんたもビリビリされたいってわけ!? ヒカリちゃん is a so-called ツンデレcharacter. アニキ is the main character of the story and ヒカリちゃん is noticeably harsher ...
  • 1
3 votes
1 answer
293 views

what is the exact meaning of パネだく in below sentence

I searched in internet to find the meaning of パネだく in the below sentence: 世の中には 説明のつかないことがパネだくあっし。 the brief translation I found for this sentence is: This world is full of things which are ...
1 vote
1 answer
188 views

What is the meaning of すっかんね at the end of a sentence

いにしえの書物には魂が メチメタこもってっからひとを呼び寄せたり乗り移ったりすっかんね。 It means "Books from ancient times are full of spirits. So I guess they can possess people". But I don't know the function of すっかんね in the above ...
1 vote
2 answers
165 views

Can が still be modeled as a subject marker in cases where it is sometimes modeled as a direct object marker?

There are a couple of posts suggesting that, with certain verbs, が can actually mark the direct object of a sentence instead of the subject. But it seems to me that, in these cases, we can just ...
  • 2,177
1 vote
1 answer
86 views

Difference between something like 先週は... and 私は先週

For example, if I'm talking about something I did last week, is there a difference in these two examples, or are they the same thing. For example, if I plug in 本を読みました, or something like that into the ...
0 votes
0 answers
104 views

Please explain the meaning of 作り

In Tobira Chapter 13 Grammar; one of the examples is 彼は20代で会社を作り、30代で、大金持ちになった。 What is 作り? What is the form of this verb? I cannot find anything on the web. It is a infinitive form of 作る? How can you ...
1 vote
1 answer
104 views

What does the term 信じる心に mean?

So I was trying to translate the lyrics from the 1st OP of Getter Robo Armageddon anime into my language and right now I'm stuck with this "信じる心に". It would be very much appreciated if ...
  • 31
0 votes
0 answers
36 views

meaning of あれはあれで [duplicate]

かつてを振り返って、僕は思う。あれはあれで輝かしい時代だったのかもしれない、と。 what does this mean?
2 votes
0 answers
50 views

pitch accent of "compound" verbs

Lets say this: 大人びて見える, 大人びる and 見える are 中高, but does the pitch change? or is it the same? and for stem of verb + another verb, like 倒れこむ, 嚙みちぎる etc, do they change the pitch when in those ...
  • 421
0 votes
0 answers
42 views

How does に fit in here? [duplicate]

先生にこんなお孫さんがいたんですか‌ Could someone explain to me how it fits in here and why it works? I'm still confused about why they use the ''に'' instead of ''は'' here like this: 先生はこんなお孫さんがいたんですか
1 vote
1 answer
105 views

How to say "I am doing both" in japanese (To say, I am BOTH studying and working at the same time)?

so I am enrolled in a work-study program and I want to be able to say " I am both studying and working at the same time" My take is the following : わたし は べんきょうして も はたらいています. (I am using the ...
  • 13
5 votes
2 answers
990 views

Is it acceptable to include both direction (へ) and destination (に) in a sentence?

The English sentence "I went east to Japan." is quite simple - a direction and a destination together in a sentence. But it seems this is rather tricky to translate into Japanese. I asked ...
  • 1,670
1 vote
1 answer
98 views

What is the meaning of もちうるもの全て in this context

I am really confused on how to translate もちうるもの全て in the first manga panel. I tried pasting it into some online translators and it said something like "everything that can be used" but ...
0 votes
1 answer
52 views

Use of に particle when asking a someone a question

I saw a post online today where a Japanese person wrote the following: 彼に何時に行くか聞いてみるね They also gave an english translation, which more or less matched up with what google translate says I'll ask ...
  • 1,299
1 vote
1 answer
67 views

Tobira Ch9 dialogue 4 - 褒められたことについて何かちょっとよくないことを付け加える

Hi, I am having a hard time understanding the meaning of this part of Tobira Ch 9 dialogue 4. I'll write my understanding, sentence by sentence. I'm not trying to really translate, but to illustrate ...
0 votes
1 answer
71 views

もの in this sentence

日本人は外来語なしで話ができるものなんでしょうか? how would it change if just said できますか or できるんでしょうか? what does the もの imply here?
  • 421
2 votes
2 answers
140 views

How to analyze たこともある?

In Tobira chapter 11 grammar, one of the examples is 奈良は京都と並んで、古い歴史のある町で、日本の首都だったこともある。 I don't seem to find any information about たこともある on the entire web. I understand there is no difference between ...
4 votes
3 answers
663 views

Meaning of それなりに

ダドリーがドタドタと、それなりに全速力でやってきた。 Dudley came waddling towards them as fast as he could (original text). Most references suggest that それなりに means 'in its own way'. This might be a grey area, but does ...
  • 28.5k
0 votes
0 answers
66 views

What is the function of は in the following conversation?

刑事:<写真を見せて>あなたが見たのはこの人ですか? 目撃者:そうですね。こんな人だったと思いますが、はっきりとは分かりません。
  • 221
0 votes
0 answers
56 views

Meaning of なにもやってないだけじゃない

I'm not really sure about the meaning of this sentence. I think it means "I can't stand without doing something" but it doesn't seem right.
3 votes
1 answer
146 views

"to open" and "to close" talking about shop

How to say "at what time does this shop open?" / "at what time does this shop close?". My dictionary gives no example of this sort with the verbs 開ける, and 開く. I found 開店する and 閉店する,...
  • 743
2 votes
1 answer
154 views

Why did this native speaker replace から with ので?

A Japanese student wrote the following text over Hellotalk to have it corrected by a native speaker: 「ビデオでみた。安いから日本に有名ですと言っていました。」 The native speaker corrected it as: 「安いので日本で有名だとテレビで言っていました。」 Every ...
  • 1,670
0 votes
1 answer
73 views

Difference between last name (no honorific) and first name (with honorific)?

So I know that you usually call people by last name with honorifics, but I was wondering what the difference was between last name without honorifics and first name with honorifics? When would you use ...
2 votes
1 answer
69 views

Is there a difference between using です for some words, or using する to make it a verb?

Is there a difference between saying 「[在宅]{ざい・たく}です 」 and 「在宅します」? Both mean "I'm home/I'm at home," but one is using the intrinsic meaning of「在宅」(at home), and the other is made into a ...
1 vote
0 answers
47 views

What is the best way to express regret at something that didn't happen? (informal)

I'm trying to write a postcard to a Japanese friend that I didn't manage to meet the last time I visited. I'm not sure if I should start the sentence with something like 残念ながら or 残念なことに (and in that ...
  • 11
0 votes
1 answer
98 views

I’ve been trying to understand this sentence: かもしれないと思って。

I checked the translation of かもしれないと思って。 It is "I thought it might be". As far as I know, the 思って is te form of 思う and is used to show a continuation of action, and the past tense form of 思う ...
0 votes
2 answers
89 views

ようにしてください Question, Verb + する?

Hello I am learning Japanese right now and was wondering what the difference between these two sentences is (or if the latter is even correct?) 水を飲むようにしてください。 水を飲むするようにしてください。 I was doing a quiz and ...
  • 1
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

What does つく mean in this context?

I hope this question is not too dumb. The context comes from Spirited Away: Mother father and daughter arrive at some empty food stand (Fater) すみませーん、どなたかいませんかー? (Mother) 千尋{ちひろ}もおいで、おいしそうよ。 (...
1 vote
0 answers
86 views

When do you use と、も、や、へ、or か for adding nouns/verbs/etc? What are the specific rules for each of these particles? [closed]

I am currently learning Japanese grammar and have learned that へ and も can be used interchangeably but typically も is used and へ is I guess something usually used by older people or when certain words ...
1 vote
1 answer
82 views

I am wondering when it is proper and improper to end a sentence with じゃない in informal context

So if you're saying "No, I dont live in Osaka" would you then be able to say いいえ大阪に住んでじゃない or do you have to say 大阪に住んでいません? Also if you can't just use it whenever, why not? Is じゃない reserved ...
1 vote
1 answer
116 views

What does パラパラ雨揺れる mean?

パラパラ雨揺れてるのに今僕たちには無関係 It is a part of a song called オオカミハート. Does パラパラ describe a sound or a movement? I don't understand what is shaking. Is it the rain that is shaking (雨は/が) or is it something, I ...
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

いいじゃない vs よくない, whats the difference?

So in genki 1, it said that いい is changed to よ when being negative and it becomes よくない, and not いいじゃない. But I was watching a show and someone said いいじゃないですか. So now I'm kind of confused, can someone ...
0 votes
1 answer
175 views

What is the pronunciation difference between ち and ぢ

While several people have asked about the pronunciation difference between じ and ぢ(there is none), the difference between ち and ぢ has not been talked about much. Yet, they seem the same to me, even ...
  • 101
1 vote
1 answer
72 views

what is 現地では市民 and does the sentence lose it original meaning if we change it to 現地の市民

クーデターから2年を迎える1日、現地では市民が外出を控える「サイレント・ストライキ」と呼ばれる抗議活動が行われる予定です。 https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp/news_international/articles/000285667.html
0 votes
1 answer
96 views

What is the use of this ってこともある, oddly placed 大半 and ってことか in this conversation?

These 3 sentences are excerpts from Season 1, Episode 2 of Classroom of the Elite. Context: 堀北 and 綾小路 are talking to one another about their classmates, during swimming class at school. 堀北 doesn't ...
3 votes
1 answer
200 views

Is the japanese あ ever [ɐ] instead of [a]?

So, both those vowels are very similar, the only difference being that [a] is made when the mouth is fully open while [ɐ] is near-open. Both those sounds exist in my language (Brazilian Portuguese), ...
0 votes
1 answer
68 views

(?)の 雑誌ですか。日本の 雑誌です。 (?)no zasshi desu ka. nihon no zasshi desu

Is どこ or 何 the right question word in this exercise or are both possible? I think どこ means "where", so the question would be "where is the magazine from? It's a magazine from Japan/a ...
2 votes
1 answer
130 views

Negative form of お腹が空きました

I understand that お腹が空きました means "I am hungry" since its literal translation would be "My stomach has become empty". Meanwhile, お腹が空きます is closer to "I get hungry" as in ...
  • 123

15 30 50 per page