Unanswered Questions
446 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
13
votes
1answer
756 views
How has Japanese kanji and kana usage changed since 1945?
How has the percentage of writing using each script changed since 1945? With script reform, increasing influx of loanwords, and stylistic choices, several factors affect how much certain parts of the ...
12
votes
0answers
909 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 ...
9
votes
1answer
675 views
The meaning of 吸口 in this context
The situation (story from Edo period, but in contemporary Japanese, at most stylised on old language): three thieves A, B, and C working in a group. Pickpocket A is caught in a crowd, B disappears ...
8
votes
2answers
239 views
Looking to understand a fantasy name
This is related to Beyblade, regarding a team exclusive to a game that didn't get translated to English. Each blader has their own holy beast to command and I'm not getting the name of one of them.
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7
votes
0answers
149 views
Why are 湖 and 山 in geographical names typically read in On-reading but 川 in Kun-reading?
This question is based on my somewhat limited understanding and observation of places I have been to so I may be falling victim to a bad sample size. If that is the case, please alert me.
In the ...
7
votes
1answer
399 views
A name for common words that use uncommon kanji?
I didn't see a duplicate for this in the similar questions, so here goes. Is there either a list of words like this, or a name for this type of word (made of two very rare/complex kanji, but the word ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Meaning of, Transitive verb in “te form” + iru vs Intransitive verb in “te form” + iru
When I learnt Japanese I was taught that a transitive verb in its "te form" followed by the verb "iru" represents a continuous action. However, this is not the case with intransitive verbs which ...
6
votes
0answers
162 views
Difference between 「～てからでないと」and 「～ないことには」
Both of these grammar can be translated to English as
A～てからでないと/～ないことにはB = Unless A is done, cannot do B
From what I can find,
～てからでないと stresses the order or sequence of actions, that until A is ...
6
votes
0answers
107 views
五段動詞特異的なイ音便について
Are there any explanations for the 五段動詞-specific イ音便 of 連用形+た/て that aren't based/dependent on the 子音語幹/母音語幹 explanation for the differences in 五段動詞/上一段動詞 conjugations?
For example, take 開く and 飽きる, ...
6
votes
1answer
181 views
Specific use of してまで
Recently I've been reading Michael Emmerich's "New Penguin Parallel Text" for Japanese short stories. In Yoshimoto Banana's "A Little Darkness," there's a passage that describes how the narrator's ...
6
votes
0answers
159 views
When is である/な Needed for Certain Words?
While studying grammar I noticed that some words require using である/な when used with a noun/な-adjective respectively. I wanted to see if there was a pattern between which words required them and which ...
6
votes
1answer
218 views
How to handle が and によって in this sort of sentence?
I'll be taking a written test in a few weeks to become a part-time translator for an automotive client; they sent me some practice documents in the meantime.
I am having issues at the moment, since ...
6
votes
1answer
227 views
Are both of these correct sentences: 「ここに住所を書いてくださいますか？」「ここに住所を書いてくださいませんか？」？
I believe 「ここに住所を書いてくださいますか？」 means “Could you please write the address here?”
And 「ここに住所を書いてくださいませんか？」 means “Would you please write the address here?”
An exercise I’m doing shows the second ...
6
votes
1answer
130 views
What is the origin of っこない?
There's a construction V+っこない which means something like "have no way of doing V".
お前には分かりっこないでしょう。
There's no way you would understand.
Is it known what this construction originates from? I ...
6
votes
1answer
189 views
What does 笑みがこぼれてくる mean and how is it different to 笑みがこぼれる
愛鳥の寝顔、見てるだけで思わず笑みがこぼれてくる
愛鳥の寝顔、見てるだけで思わず笑みがこぼれる
My question is how is the 1st sentence different from the 2nd, and what nuance does the くる add.
