Unanswered Questions
553 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
14
votes
2answers
915 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
957 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 ...
8
votes
4answers
720 views
Which radical name should I study for the kanken?
I love learning kanji, so I thought about taking the kanken (probably level 6). So I started to look for information here and there, and it seems I'll have to learn radical names.
I'm totally fine ...
7
votes
1answer
159 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, ...
7
votes
2answers
306 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
254 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 ...
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
1answer
429 views
いかんでは why is this answer incorrect?
最近とても疲れやすいので、その日の体調いかんでは________
I answered it with : 会社を休むこともある
But got it wrong(got 0 points), with a note telling me to use かもしれない instead.
I understand that you can answer with the かもしれない ...
6
votes
1answer
260 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
1answer
238 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
1answer
182 views
What is the common reading of the word 外海?
外海 has two readings がいかい and そとうみ. What is the difference of the two? Personally, I am under the impression that がいかい is the common reading because of its similarity to the word 外国【がいこく】. However, I ...
6
votes
1answer
257 views
Why 気にされる instead of 気にする?
These two characters are discussing ヒューバート in the below, and about how he lacks self awareness. However I am not sure why 気にされる was used instead of 気にする here. I know that される can be used as an ...
6
votes
2answers
257 views
Why does いい加減 have diametrically opposite meanings?
When scolding a misbehaving child, we tell them to be iikagen:
いい加減にしなさい。
But we can also tell a misbehaving child to stop being iikagen, or describe something bad as iikagen:
もういい加減でやめなさい。
...
6
votes
1answer
265 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 sentence ...
6
votes
1answer
146 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? ...
