texts:
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. But there have been some instances where the answers seem to be translated into English the same way, but it seems dramatically different in Japanese. My question is intended to explore these instances.
Here is an example:

Foreign workers do not want to work in that kind of environment.
Japanese translation 1: 外国人労働者はその様な環境下で働くことを望みません。
Japanese translation 2: 外国人労働者はその様な環境下で働きたくありません。

Like I said, both Japanese sentences seem to translate to the same thing in English, but they seem dramatically different.
This leads me to my question. What is the difference between ~たい and ~ことを望む?


texts:
When using あまり in the sense of "too much" (as opposed to "not very"), until recently I had always seen it as あまりにもA, with A being the thing that there was too much of.  I never really tried to relate the meaning of individual particles に and も to the word あまり and try to understand how it takes on the meaning of "too much", I just accept it as a set expression.  Here is an example of this usage:

  あの本はあまりにも面白かったので、読むのに夢中になっていたら、いつの間にか夜が明けていた。

Recently I saw it used as <N>のあまり and <V-dict>あまり with seemingly identical meaning.  Examples:

  母は、私を心配するあまり、体調を崩したようです。
  その犬が死んだ時、先生は悲しみのあまり、しばらく仕事を休んでいました。

Is this the same usage of あまり?  Could I simply switch to the other pattern in all 3 of the above examples?

  あの本は面白かったあまり、読むのに夢中になっていたら、いつの間にか夜が明けていた。
  母は、私をあまりにも心配して、体調を崩したようです。
  その犬が死んだ時、先生はあまりにも悲しみ、しばらく仕事を休んでいました。

Is there any difference in nuance here, or perhaps is something flat out wrong?  Also, is there any context in which あまり can be used with に or は such as あまりに or あまりは?  If so, what is the meaning in this case?  Maybe someone could construct an example sentence with translation using あまりに and/or あまりは, if it makes sense.


texts:
It might sound like a silly question, but I am just asking for interests sake... I already understand how to use them in which situation.

If you were to say 田中さんは先生でいます, it would mean that Tanaka exists "by means of" a or the teacher(sensei), ie. "as a teacher." Thereby, it is 田中 doing the existing.

So I wonder.. who or what is doing the ある'ing　in であります?

Is it sort of like 感じがする, where it is not the person that is feeling something, but rather the feeling that is doing something?

In other words and to rephrase my question, is it like as if Tanaka's reality exists in a way that he is a teacher(sensei)?

Is there some sort of historical story that gave way to the difference between いる and ある?


texts: How to say "if a is happening or b is happening" using たら?

texts:
If I wanted to say:

If I am cooking or washing clothes, please help.

  料理をしている[or]洗濯していたら、手伝ってください。

I know sometimes か is used to mean "or", but wouldn't that be confused with the question of whether I'm cooking?

Thanks for your help.


texts:
I know what んです and its inflections mean, however, I've seen some set expressions such as そうなんです use exclusive なんです, I've never seen そうんです.
Do both なんです and んです mean the same? If so, is there some sort of rule governing when to use one or the other?
Could I replace のなんです with んです in the following sentence?

  この包丁．．．有名な刀匠が作ったものなんです。


texts: I thought that it might be a sound, but it may also mean bubble wrap. I just want to clarify. Thank you very much.


texts:
I'm currently trying to plug my way through a Japanese article about end-of-life care for the elderly. So far I'm getting the jist, but one compound has stumped me. Here's the full sentence:

  回答者を看取り介護了承群、迷い群、未了承群の3群に分け、入居者の「認知力」、「活動力」、施設の「介護力」、家族の「生き方」と「死への向きあい方」について比較した結果、了承群>迷い群>未了承群の順で入居者の認知力は低く、施設の介護力への評価が高かった。

The sentence is talking about the results of a self-administered questionnaire, but yeah...I have no idea about the compound, and google searches are just leading me to Chinese webpages, which aren't helpful. I've tried breaking down each character, so far I have that 了 means "complete" and 群 "group" but I'm not sure if this is accurate, and obviously when compounds are put together the meaning can shift a bit.


texts: How to use '頭を下がる' or '頭が下がる' literally to indicate bowing?

texts: According to my study material, '頭が下がる' means to be respect someone (especially for something so good, you cannot imitate it). Obviously it stems from the fact that lowering your head = bow=respect. However, i've also watched many japanese tv shows, where something along the lines of 'atama sagatte' is used to ask someone to literally, physically bow. What is the grammatically correct way to use this phrase in this sense?


texts: (Mahjong) What does this sentence mean: 対局の間一度も飛ばされない

texts:
I am playing a japanese Riichi Mahjong game. There is a quest ingame which I can't understand.

3対局の間一度も飛ばされない

Google translate tells me I have to "never get blown during a game" and I guess I have to do it 3 times. But what does it mean in regards to Riichi Mahjong?

To never get 'Ron' (playing the winning tile for another player)?
To never let another player steal from me?
To not lose the round?
To not lose the game?


texts:
It's a small hashtag on twitter.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/また朝までコース

Does the コース here always refer to a meal? A plan of action?
Are they saying they're gonna party till morning?


texts: What literary purpose is served by not having a verb at the end of the sentence?

texts:
おはよう！

I've been coming across this　written construction more and more and while it probably doesn't change anything grammar-wise, I wonder what parts of the sentences are stressed by changing the sentence structure. It looks a literary device but I'm not sure what is being emphasized.

E.g.

  取｛と｝り入｛い｝れた外気｛がいき｝は血液｛けつえき｝に。(1)

I assume the literal meaning is the same as

  血液に取り入れた外気がある（ものだ）。(2)

(fairly neutral statement)

or

  外気は血液に取り入れた。(3)

(more emphasis on 外気 because of は)

The difference between 2 and 3 is clear, but what about 1? は, the topic subject particle, stresses 外気 all the same. What changes between (1) and (3) (beyond just looking more 'try-hard' and bookish)?

Thank you! (edited out the misused Japanese phrase, thank you for the tip Mr. l'électeur!)


texts: Is にとって　often shortened to に　in spoken, colloquial Japanese?

texts: For example, 「昼ごはんに寄せ鍋を食べた」or 「私に(は)辛すぎる」, in both cases meaning "for".


texts: "Eyeball analysis of data" equivalent japanese word

texts:
"Eyeball analysis of data" is sort of a slang phrase to mean the act of plotting a data set and observing its various peaks and slews and understanding its general behaviour.

I would be grateful if someone can tell me the Japanese equivalent of this expression.

Thanks.


texts: Translation of "社会に出るって、大変です。"? Same meaning as "社会に出るのが大変です。"?

texts:
In a video, with the importance of honorific language in Japanese society established as the topic, one person said to another:

  社会に出るって、大変ですね。

Which of the following is a better translation:

When you go out into society, it can be so difficult.
Going out into society can be so difficult.

can the Japanese be re-phrased as either of:

社会に出るのが大変ですね。
社会に出ると、大変ですね。
社会に出たら、大変ですね。

are either of these the same usage pattern:

日経新聞を読むって、まだ出来ません。(I can't read the Nikkei yet.)
日経新聞を読むって、困ります。(When I read the Nikkei, I get frustrated.)


texts: 何も means 'Nothing' instead of 'What also'

texts:
I recently learnt that 「何も」 means 'nothing' (e.g. 「何も怖くないです。」 means 'Nothing scares (me).').

But how do I say 'What else'? (e.g. 'What else goes well with this dress?' or 'What else never dies?)


texts:
う～ん、3週間も空けてしまっていた
Oh, I've been away from here for three weeks.

This Japanese sentence and its translation was provided by a native speaker, describing his absence from a website.
What would be both the literal and figurative meanings of  空ける(あ.ける) here, in relation to time and/or the subject?


texts: I know the basic usage behind it, like saying "I wanna have lunch at Wendy's today", but I feel like there's a bunch of subtleties to it that I'm not really seeing yet


texts:
This is a rather quick question. I have the following line:

ココの方々にはこの子の事でもお世話になってますし
気にせんといてください

Context: Person A has been coming to group B every day and assisting them and they were helping her with her problem too. She sneezes, group B is worried it might be because they were making her come help them, A waves them off.
So if the above sentence was just:

ココの方々にはお世話になってますし気にせんといてください

I'd have it as:

I am so grateful to everyone here for your help, so please don't worry/mind me.

But I have the この子の事でも right before it, and I'm not sure what part it acts in this with particle でも at the end. I can see two options:
Option 1: she is thanking them for help, even for help taking care of her kid

I am so grateful to all of you here, even for helping me with this kid, so please don't mind us/me

Option 2: she is grateful to them, but is also saying even the girl is grateful

I and even this girl are so grateful to all of you here for everything you have done for us, so please don't worry about me/us

So which one is it, or did I make a mistake. Oh and yeah せんといて is Osaka-ben shenanigans and stands for しないで in standard.
As a side note, why would someone use katakana for ここ, like A did here?


texts:
I'm working on The Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai. First, protagonist describes the way her mother drinks soup, that is very gently. Then she says this:

ヒラリ、という形容は、お母さまの場合、決して誇張では無い。婦人雑誌などに出ているお食事のいただき方などとは、てんでまるで、違っていらっしゃる。

I generally understand the meaning, but I am confused about ヒラリ.  Is it the same "hirari" with ひらり? What does she mean?


texts:
When I was looking at a dictionary the definition (in the English part) was given as

  be [get] excited; 《口》be [get] worked up

What exactly these [] are referring to is unclear to me. From my understanding 興奮している would describe the state of being excited (or having become excited). If 興奮する describes the state of being excited then the usage of 興奮している would seem redundant.

Maybe a few quick examples would help clear this up (or what I believe they mean):

Example #1:

  そんなに興奮するな

Don't get so excited, keep your cool etc. This doesn't mean 'don't be excited', it means 'don't become excited'.

Example #2:

  今日、「車の来る道な～んだ？」と、娘に聞いてみました。
  「あぶないから、おててをぎゅ！」と答えてくれました。

  子供自身は、一応頭では理解しているようです。
  車は危ないということは分かっていても、興奮していてつい周りが見えなくなったのかもしれません

In the above it is saying that his daughter was so excited that she mightn't've been able to see her surroundings.

Example #3:

  赤い色のギターを1ヶ月前に見つけて興奮してつい買ってしまった

This one says that saw the guitar one month ago.  This caused him to become excited, which led to him buying it (I don't feel like translating the usage of つい or しまう here as they are not the focus).

So in #1 it was "don't become excited", #2 it happened because she was excited and in #3 it happened because he became excited. Is this right?

An additional example here:

  (3) 「～に興奮する、わくわくする」の表し方

  　「わたしはその旅行にとてもわくわくしています」は、
   I am very excited about the trip. と表現できます。

  ☞ 「わたしは～にとてもわくわくしています」は、I am very excited about ～ という言い方をします。
  ☞ <am + excited> は、「（わたしは）興奮する、わくわくする」という意味です。
  ☞ <be 動詞 + excited + about ～> は、「～に興奮する、わくわくする」という意味を表しています。

  　「その男の子はその話に興奮しました」は、
  The boy was excited about the story. と表現できます。

They say that わくわくする、興奮する means <am + excited>. If this was the case then why wouldn't they just leave it at that?

In part one of that link they use the example ～に興味がある to mean 'to be interested in' and (obviously?) one does not use 興味があっている in this case (it seems there are some results on Google search for this but most are learner mistakes and I'm not checking the rest).

Anyone care to clarify things?


texts: Is the で here connecting the two sentences or does it act as a context particle?

texts:
Is the で after おかげ a て-form or the context particle?

  友達のおかげで、映画はただで見られた。


texts: Resources for learning business Japanese

texts:
So,

I just landed my dream job working for a consulting firm in Tokyo. I am currently N1 (and above), but I lack a lot of business keigo expressions (FOR EXAMPLE) (ご都合時間であれば教えていただけろと幸いです」「是非とも評価させていただければと思います」 and industry terminology.

How do you proceed from this level (fully fluent, not learning anything new from JSL books) to being able to do business in Japanese (conducting meetings, negotiating contracts, etc)?

There is no information on how to overcome this gap in lack of vocabulary and naturalized keigo expressions.

It seems that most resources available are either really low level for foreigners, and stylistic "communication" books for native Japanese speakers.


texts: can't understand how で particle works with ～ばいいのに

texts:
I am having trouble interpreting this sentence in a manga, the text was split in two bubbles which is why I separated them.
「日之出ん家でしてくればいいのに」　「そうすりゃもっと長く一緒に居られる」
from other threads, ～ばいいのに seems to imply wishing something happens or "should do (but haven't done)". which leads me to think it means something like: "I wish you would give me X, (it would be good) because Y"
"I wish you would give me hinode's address, (it would be good because) you would be able to stay together longer".
However, the で particle usually means "at" (at a place/home/...) or "with" (with a tool/with scissors/etc). I have no idea what it is doing here.
here is the screenshot in case it matters:

context: weird cat (seemingly evil/bad/....) on the right talking to the cat girl on the left


texts:
The original sentence was interrogative and used「AはBよりC」construction in it

  九州では東京よりさくらが早くさきますか。

I could have written something, using simpler constructions but I decided to use the construction with 「同じ」, and faced some troubles.

First off, I didn't know where to put 「さくら」 and 「早く」. I've tried some variants but decided to write it this way since it looked to me like the most correct one:

  いいえ、東京ではさくらが九州と同じ早くさきます。

  Edited: いいえ、東京ではさくらは九州と同じくらい早くさきます。

Others are:

  東京と九州と同じさくらが早くさきます。

  東京と九州とさくらが同じ早くさきます。

and I believe that they are incorrect.

Second off, I wonder if I can change the topic of the sentence by replacing one city with another. What I wanted to do is to put some kind of an emphasis on the fact that Tokyo's sakura blossom does not differ from Kyushu's and starts at almost the same time. Was it successful? And can I actually do so? Can I change the topic of the answer from 「九州」 to 「東京」even though the topic of the question is 「九州」?

Also, I'd like to know the function of 「で」 here. I know that 「noun + で + verb」  means, that the noun is the place where an action is/was taking place, but I'm not sure about it when it's combined with は. Does it mean that the place of action IS THE TOPIC and does it put emphasis on this very place?

P.S. I understand that Kyushu's sakura blossom is more likely to happen earlier because the island lies to the south of Japan, whereas Tokyo is almost in the middle, but what if we imagine that it's possible? Can I answer the question by replacing 「九州」 with 「東京」, making 「東京」be in the first place?


texts:
Here is the sentence.

新聞での寄付金詐欺をやったとき十万円もの大金を寄付した人がいただろう。

Removing them, does the meaning of the sentence change as much?


texts: If 五日 is a date　and 五日間 refers to a span of 5 days, shouldn't one say　五日間前？　As another example I found, 「三日以内に書類を提出してください」Wouldn't this mean "within the third", which doesn't make sense. Should it not be 三日間以内?


texts: What is the semantic contribution of 配 in 配慮? Or in general, what is 配 really?

texts: I encountered 配慮 in my word list. Understanding how 慮 contributes to its meaning (which is "consideration") is not very difficult to grasp considering that 遠慮 occurs commonly in daily life. But when I try to associate 配 with 配る and 心配 (and adding 配慮 to the mix), I feel that this kanji does not seem to have a "unifying meaning" associated to it, unlike 木 (although, it might be an unfair comparison because it's a 象形文字). I understand that it's hopeless trying to unify meanings associated to certain kanjis like 占める and 占う. But what about 配？


texts:
This is an excerpt from a song I'm trying to translate:

  自分とは何でどこへ向かうべきか

自分 - oneself,

何でどこ - why, where,

向かう - head (verb),

べき - suffix meaning "should"

My doubts are what とは means and what is the role of か in the sentence? I can't give the whole sentence a general meaning. Can you help me, please?

Thank you very much


texts:
While looking around, I found this [湯冷ましを兼ねて] expression that no dictionary has been able to translate.

Examples of use would be the [再び湯冷ましを兼ねて周辺を徘徊。] line in this post or the first sentence in this tweet, just picking up two random google results.


texts: What is the difference between 次の週 and 来週?

texts:
I came across the following sentence:

その次の週は空いてますか。

Why would they say 次の週 instead of 来週?
Why would they say その before 次の週? Would この also work?


texts: Is it correct to write その方がいい, or do you have to write そのほうがいい?

texts:
I know 方 can be used for constructions with verbs' ta forms, but can it also be use with things like nouns, adjectives, etc.?  My understanding previously was that it was all the same word, but should you write "hou" differently, depending on whether you're using it for a verb or for something else?

そのほうがいい
その方がいい
行かない方がいい


texts: Should I use -Sensei (先生) to refer to a teacher if they aren't my teacher?

texts: Does it make a difference whether they teach at my school, even if they don't teach my class?


texts: What does なのね at the end of a sentence mean?

texts: A certain character in an anime series I watch would literally end each sentence with なのね. What does this imply? He was a pretty flamboyant character who was supposed to be Italian, if that offers any additional insight.


texts: (ii chinpomi~kke!) I know what the censored word is, but what does all the sentence mean? It can be divided? I think that いい and ちんぽ can, but it's "み" connected to ちんぽ, and/or is っけ connected to み?


texts: What is the difference between この一方で　and その一方で?

texts:
I don't understand why in this article  it is この一方で　and not その一方で that is used ?

  櫻井さんによりますと、「断る」という行為は、コミュニケーションの中でも最も難しい部類に入るそうです。日本では古くから「察し型」の文化が根付いていて、多くを語らなくとも相手が分かってくれるはずだと考える人が多いと。この一方で、断られた人は自分の好意がむげにされたと感じ、相手のことを悪く思ったり、「もう次からはやめよう」と考えたりするというのです。

It's not the same structure that in these sentences ?


texts: What's the difference between V-るうちに and V-ているうちに?

texts:
My grammar book says: "V-ている is used more than V-る, but the pattern V-るうちに is sometimes used." Is there a difference in meaning or style between the two? When are they not interchangeable?

最初は美味しいが、{食べる／食べている} うちに飽きてくる。

すべての少年が一度は胸に懐き、だが現実の非情さを {知る／知っている} うちに諦め、捨てていく幼稚な理想。


texts:
I'm trying to write a phrase that says "Fortunately I passed (the exam)" and I would like to use 幸い in it, but I'm not sure how I would go about writing it, mainly because I'm not quite sure which particle to use together with 幸い. In my vision there are 2 options:

幸いに合格した

or

幸いで合格した

I'm more inclined to say that the first option is the right one, but both could be wrong or the second option could be the right one. I would appreciate some insight.


texts:
My instructor told us that toki is used for placing an action that has happened at a certain time.
For example:

  さびしい時、友達に電話します。

But then how come this sentence is wrong? I'm sure that I used the correct particle, because I used this toki as a time reference to the main event which is Sara getting shot.

  サラとサラのお父さんへいっしょにテクサスを逃げる時、サラのお父さの前にサラはうたれるので、人達がサラとサラのお父さんはゾンピみたいです。

I thought I used the appropriate grammar points but my instructor marked this whole sentence wrong. I don't know what I wrote incorrectly? I wanted to say that when Sara and her dad were escaping Texas, Sara was shot in front of her father because the people thought they were zombies. We learned that we use toki for placing actions that has happened but as I said my instructor marked it all wrong.


texts: Is 不死身 a possible adjective to use with regard to likely immunity to the COVID-19 virus?

texts:
Were I to think that a demographic such as young, healthy adults might have "near immunity" to COVID-19, the Japanese that comes to my mind is 不死身.

  若くて、健康がようさそうなので、田中さんはCOVID-19に不死身でしょうか。

general context: "Everyone says not to do Y because X might happen. But you want to express a brazen disregard for that advice. You want to express that you could care less if X happens to you and/or, you consider it impossible X could possibly happen to you (for whatever reason)."

  いや、私は不死身です。

Is that correct? What is the correct word that sounds natural in a conversation?


texts:
見に来る

It means to come and see. I am wondering why not using te form in this particular phrase?

見て来る

Is this correct? If so, how is it different from the one above?


texts: What is the difference between formal and polite verb forms?

texts:
In the answer to this question I asked (When to use である vs であります?), sazarando responded by saying that "である" is formal but not polite, and "です" is polite but not formal. I sort of understand the distinction he was making, but from my English perspective, I suppose I don't understand why you would want to be formal and not polite at the same time.

The example he gave for である was

  A politician giving a speech on TV:

  我々は日本国民である - We are Japanese citizens

In this example, why would the politician not want to be polite to the people to whom he is speaking? I understand why you would not use である when talking to, say, a superior at work, because that's simply a private conversation where you need to be respectful to your superior. But in the above case where you're speaking in public or writing in a newspaper or something, I don't understand why you wouldn't be polite as well as formal.

Also as a side question, in some academic presentations I've witnessed, the presenter simply uses 謙譲語, rather than using formal speech, so they would end sentences with でございます rather than であります or である. What would be the explanation for this?


texts: How do fathers say "I" when talking to their children in Japanese?

texts:
In this thread, I asked about how parents say "I" when talking to their children. I want to refine that question to specifically how fathers refer to themselves. My understanding is that fathers usually refer to themselves as パパ or お父さん when talking to young children, but that they switch to 俺 or お父さん some time later. Some questions about that:

1. Which is more common in general when they switch, 俺 or お父さん?

2. At what approximate age of the child might that change happen? In their teens? In their 20s?

3. Does the gender of the child ever influence how a father would refer to himself? i.e. using 俺 when talking to a boy and using お父さん when talking to a girl about himself.

4. Is the choice of personal pronoun influenced by whether you are in public or private? i.e. at home, the father says 俺 but in a public place with people around he chooses お父さん instead.

Any other observations would be appreciated.


texts: Is there any way to input hentaigana into text documents?

texts:
Having found some books that use hentaigana (e.g. the 古今琉歌集) alongside standard hiragana and kanji, I've been trying to find a way to input hentaigana characters into text files.

I've found proposed plans to add hentaigana to unicode, but so far nothing has yet been implemented.

Are there any fonts available that contain special glyphs (perhaps in the private use area?) or anything similar so that documents such as the one linked above can be properly digitized?


texts: Looking for help understanding a passage

texts:
I'm looking for some help understanding the passage below. I've highlighted in bold the parts that have me a bit stumped.

楽しくあれ。葵さんに言われ続けた言葉だ。
一度は背を向けて、見ないふりをしていた言葉だった。
なのに結局、俺はこの言葉へと戻ってきた。
すべてはそこに集約されるよう、最初から決まっていたかのように。
確かに、楽しいというのは強い言葉だ。
これが使えればどこへだって行けるし、誰とでも打ち解け合える。
でも使う人間がどん底にいる時には、この言葉は自らを傷つける凶器にもなる。
そこに至るまでの道を示して、丁寧にしっかりと手を引かなければいけない。
誰彼構わず使える言葉ではないのだ。

I'm sure I am misunderstanding something which makes how this should be understood obvious, so I would appreciate it.
The first line:
でも使う人間がどん底にいる時には、この言葉は自らを傷つける凶器にもなる - I think this sentence must mean something along the lines of "but if the person who uses this word is at rock bottom, then this word can become a weapon which hurts oneself".
The second line:
そこに至るまでの道を示して、丁寧にしっかりと手を引かなければいけない。 - This seems to be referring to the person at "rock bottom", and that they need to be firmly, but gently, shown the way there (i.e. out of どん底 and towards 楽しい).
Third line:
誰彼構わず使える言葉ではないのだ - Here I was not entirely sure how to interpret 誰彼構わず. Doing some googling for example sentences e.g.:
相手はキリスト教徒じゃないかもしれないから誰彼構わずメリークリスマスというのはやめておこう - Be careful who you speak to.
強力な力ってのは、それを使えるだけの知識と技術と倫理観を持っている人間だけが使うべきであって、誰彼構わず使えるようにすべきものじゃあないのだ - Not everyone can / should be able to do something.
This to me suggests that 誰彼構わず使える言葉ではないのだ could be interpreted as either This word (楽しい):

cannot be said to anyone (without thinking about who they are)
cannot be said by just anyone

If my interpretation of the first two sentences are correct, then this would be #2 (cannot be said by just anyone).
Have I understood this correctly, or am I misinterpreting/understanding this?


texts: Why is "学生" made "plural" in this newspaper article?

texts:
The ending of the first line of the first paragraph in the newspaper article titled さくら市の歩み一冊に reads
... さくら市の記念誌を文星芸大（宇都宮市）のデザイン専攻の学生たちが制作した。
My understanding is that that means:
The students who majored in design at Bunsei University made a commemorative book about Sakura City.
What is gained by saying "学生たち" instead of just "学生"? Can't "学生" be plural without the "たち"?
If I were to re-arrange the sentence as such:
デザイン専攻の学生たちが記念誌を作成した。
would it then be ok to replace "学生たち" with just "学生"?


texts:
As in, I want to say veterans/old hats at doing something instead of beginners at doing something.

Edit: Thank you for all the responses. I wasn't looking to imply skill, so I think 経験者 is the word I am looking for, but I learned a lot of other great words through the responses.


texts: 「素早い」と「早い」ってどう違いますか？

texts:
ビジュアルノベルを読んでいたら、次の文が出てきました。

  少女は素早く辺りを見回し、護りの構えをとる。
  The girl quickly takes a look around and assumes a defensive stance.

質問: どうしてこの場合「素早い」が選ばれているのですか。「早い」でもいいのでしょうか。

＊このポストは僕が初めて日本語だけで書いたものですので、誤りがあえば直してくださいませんか。


texts: What is the difference between "をいかがですか" and "はいかがですか"?

texts:
I saw both are in use. What's the different here?

Based on knownledge from primary textbooks, "は" seems better.


texts:
I am reviewing the interrogative words like 何、誰、どこ etc. and I saw 誰も being used in a positive sentence, I wonder what the difference would be if みんな were used instead. For example:

  誰もが知っている

  みんなが知っている

Some people said it means the same but if there are two words it's not for nothing and there must be some nuance.

Also, if 誰も can be used in a positive sentence to mean everyone, that means どこも, 何も can also be used in a positive sentence?

I came to think that the particle も after the interrogative word doesn't mean no-, but it's rather a sort of group meaning like "every", for example:

誰もが知っている = everyone knows
誰もが知らない = everyone does not know

Is it right? Then what is the nuance? Can someone explain it in detail?

One more question, I also review the particles behind the interrogative words, and I think I understood how it worked, can you tell me if the following examples are correct please

誰にも任せない = I leave it to nobody.
誰にでも任せないで = Don't leave it to anybody.
誰でもができる = Anybody can do it.
誰もがしらない = Nobody knows.
誰かがいるの = Is there someone?

Another question, is the particle が obligatory in order to make these sentences correct grammatically? Often I see 誰でも being used without が.


texts:
Is there a name for a speech impediment like this where, for lack of a better description, it sounds like you're talking after you've bitten your tongue?

「いだだきまあず」　→　いただきます

「ごぢぞうざまでぢだあ」　→　ごちそうさまでした

Here's the video I took the screenshots from, but the audio doesn't completely match the words on the screen.  (Also, I couldn't figure out how to link between a particular start and end time on the video.)


texts: これらの研究の課題として4点挙げられる　ー＞ having problems understanding

texts:
I'm reading a study with this sentence in it:

  これらの研究の課題として4点挙げられる。

I'm having problems understanding this. Are they saying there's a problem with the study?


texts: Do you understand what is written in this paper?

texts: I can't recognize any of the characters, can somebody read it?


texts: Should I replace commas with と in Japanese?

texts: I have seen many times sentences that connect many objects with と which in English would require comma. So, is it better to generally just replace comma with と whenever connecting many things together?


texts:
I'm curious about the use of certain particles in combination with nominalizing particles こと and の。I know ことが、のは、etc are acceptable, but can one use particles such as と or など etc? For instance, would the following sentence be grammatically correct or does it sound very strange.

喋ることと聞くことより読むことと書くことほうが上手だ。

Is there a better way to express this? Moreover, are ことと or ことなど or のと etc acceptable particle combos?

I've tried finding resources to answer this to no avail (sorry if my Google skills just suck)

Edit: I realize の should be used for experiential verbs, so maybe the following sentence is better:

喋るのと聞くのより読むのと書くのほうが上手だ。


texts: What exactly does an adjective stem + そう mean?

texts:
The other day I posted a picture of some food on Facebook, and I noticed that all of my Japanese friends were saying 「おいしそう」. I made a good guess to what it meant, but I wasn't certain what exactly they were saying. I've seen this stem+そう with other i-adjectives too, such as 楽しそう, but none of this is covered in any of my Japanese books.

What exactly is this? Is it slang? Can it be used with na-adjectives or nouns too? If so how? Thanks! :)


texts:
When we want to use the そうです　construction with verbs, we have to use the verb stem:

  雨が降りそうです。

Is it possible to express the past with そうです? (it looks like it has rained/rained)

Or is it only correct to use みたいです　for the purpose:雨が降ったみたいです？


texts:
I was wondering about something that occurs in Japanese I've seen quite often but have yet to find an explanation. I know the Japanese verb to say is 言う, and I know that sometimes you can simply end a sentence with って to indicate implicitly that 言う follows. But I've also seen the following:

[sentence]-っつの such as in the following 大丈夫っつの translated to mean: I said I'm fine.

My question is where does this っつ come from? I'm guessing the の is as in 何をしているの, but the っつ puzzles me. I'm guessing that it's some sort of colloquial speech style such as saying わかんない vs 分からない, and if that's the case, the only verb I can think of is 伝える.

Can anyone elaborate?


texts: Label on the substance bag in the tv show maniac

texts:
In S01E03 of maniac we can see this bag:

What is the symbol between テ and ー ?
Is it supposed to be 1, like for version 1? If so shouldn't it go after the ー?


texts: How would you say “especially if~” in japanese?

texts:
For example, what would be a natural way of expressing a sentence like the following:

  I like to go on walks, especially if it’s raining.


texts:
Should interrogative pronouns come in the subject or in the predicate? For example:

ここ は どこ です か – "Where is this place?"
どこ が ここ です か – does this mean the same?

うみ は どちら です か - "Which way is the sea?"
どちら が うみ です か - does this mean the same?

これ は なん です か – "What is this"?
なに が これ です か – is this possible?

If both sentences in a pair are correct, is there any difference in meaning? Is either of them more idiomatic?


texts: 人 as a suffix. General rule for a reading?

texts:
When 人 is used as a suffix the reading could be jin or nin (or other readings?).

犯人 - はんにん
別人 - べつじん

Is there a general rule to tell when the reading will be jin vs nin, or should I just learn it case by case?


texts:
Since ぢ in spellings was merged into じ in modern kana usage, じや/ぢや, じゆ/ぢゆ, and じよ/ぢよ were merged into じゃ, じゅ, and じょ.
That made me wonder, what about ぢゃ/ぢゅ/ぢょ? They exist, and I found them present in gojuuon hiragana/katakana charts geared at Japanese kids (referred to by the charts as あいうえお　ひょう)
I can't think of any rendaku words that start with ちゃ/ちゅ/ちょ - if anything these sounds invoke a strong Chinese feeling and on'yomi comes to mind immediately.
When I type dya/dyu/dyo, and I hit the 変換 key on my keyboard, the only thing that shows up are the katakana and halfwidth/fullwidth roman variants of what I typed.
Does anyone know if these kana, ぢゃ/ぢゅ/ぢょ (ヂャ/ヂュ/ヂョ) are used in modern kana usage?


texts:
Given the sentence:

今日は大学の講義で日本状の経営について学んだ。

I usually interpretate 状 as 'state, condition', but that doesn't seem to fit here (japanese state of business management?).  Looking online, lead to 状 as 'styled' and 'japanese styled business management' does make way more sense.
How often does 状 mean 'styled'?   Are there other examples?
Why doesn't 日本式 work here instead?


texts:
I've come across the title of this book:

文句の付けようがないラブコメ

And while i do understand the meaning, I don't quite get the usage of の there. Or, in other words why it is used over を. Any help would be much appreciated.


texts:
I'm having some trouble understanding どの顔さげて, specifically in certain context. I get that it means something along the lines of one should be too ashamed to meet or face someone, but I saw it used in a way that threw me:

  どの顔下げてドアを開ければいいのか

How should I interpret this line? Would "should I shamelessly open the door?" be okay? Or is it to be understood another way?


texts: If one wanted to say "go wrong" like in the sentence "anything that could go wrong will go wrong", how do they say it.


texts: Does anyone know the origin of the verb 茶化す, which translates as 'to tease, to make fun of, to kid'? Is is somehow related to "breaking teacups"?


texts:
I've been told during my Japanese classes, and I've also observed in anime and Japanese dramas & movies, that sometimes when talking Japanese people tend to stop halfway and omit the end of sentence especially when the sentence has some negative connotation (e.g refusal etc). For example:

  鈴木: これをもっと安くしませんかねえ。
  田中: それはちょっと。。

  Suzuki: kore wo motto yasuku shimasen ka nee.
  Tanaka: sore ha chotto ..

Another example:

  鈴木: ブラウンさんの日本語はなかなか上手ですねえ。
  ブラウン: いや、私はまだまだ。。

  Suzuki: buraun-san no nihongo ha naka naka jouzu desu nee.
  Brown: iya, watashi ha mada mada ..

So is there a cultural reason for this behavior? What is term for it? And how should non-Japanese interpret or react if our questions or invitations are replied with such responses?

Meta note: I notice myself that the last question is a bit subjective. Should we or should we not allow this kind of subjective questions in Japanese SE?


texts: Do I only need particles if the subject is clear?

texts: I've come across several sentences that have a lone subject or object and then the verb without a particle to be heard of. One example is テーブルですか so my question is, do I only need to use a particle when the subject or object is not clear?


texts:
The sentence in question:
店員さんに話を聞くと、「１０年ほど前から海外のだっこひもが人気となり需要が高まった。

For full context:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/web_tokushu/2018_0521.html?utm_int=news_contents_tokushu_004

My attempt at tranlstion:
When we asked the shopowner the story: "Since before about 10 years, the foreign "dakko" cords have become popular and the demand has risen."

Ive encountered the と particle in various uses about which my textbook has never told me anything, and many of them meant something like "make A to B". So this question is just for confirmation that I guessed correctly here :D


texts: Do the various verbs pronounced つく differ in intonation?

texts:
Related: Dissecting つく verbs

There are many verbs which are pronounced つく, and I was simply wondering: Do their intonation patterns differ?

If so, what are the intonation patterns of the most common forms of つく in Tokyo dialect?

Common: 付く、着く、吐く、突く


texts: I am having difficulty locating this kanji. My guess is the radical is cliff "厂" with 7 strokes. However, my dictionary fails me. The closest I got is 后.


texts:
At the very start of final fantasy 9, バクー says:

  我らの目指すはアレクサンドリア王国……

I also saw some time ago "目指すは" used in a headline here:

  シャーラウィ「目指すはシーズン２０ゴール」

There's also another example in the full version of 英辞郎:

  目指すはブーリ。…"Bulli was our destination"...

Because I've seen it a number of times, I'm pushing towards that it is grammatical to use "目指す" in this way, but assuming that's the case, why is it possible to use it in this way?

I've searched on the Internet and various dictionaries, but haven't been able to find an answer.  It seems strange that 目指す seems to be being used like a noun, and I would have thought it should need a nominalizer like as in "目指すのは"/"目指すことは", or that it should be written like "目指し" or something. Is it just a case of ellipsis, or is there something else going on here?


texts: Can し act as replacement for て when listing a series of adjectives?

texts:
I was watching an anime and one of the characters said this:

  優しいししっかりしてるし可愛いし

I was a bit surprised because I was told that you should connect adjectives with て.

Why is this characters using し here?


texts: で終わります: trying to close by? で帰ります, trying to leave by? It depends on the sentence?

texts: I can say 売り場は九時で終わります、 and 三時で帰ります、 which I've learned mean something like, "They'll be trying to close from," and, "I'll be trying to leave from."  I've also learned that ２月２５日で帰ります is not correct.  What are the rules surrounding the use of で in the place of に・から?  Is there a more approximate meaning


texts: As far as I understand aratanaru and atarashii roughly translate to "new" . When each one have to be used or what are the differences?


texts:
I am having difficulty figuring out the meaning of this sentence.

This is from a Pokémon commercial which is 30 seconds long. I am posting the full transcript and a translation I received just for context and better reference.

  サトシ：オレ、サトシ！
          今度マサラタウンからポケモンマスターを目指して
          トレーナー修行の旅に出るんだ！
          オレの行く手には山や海も・・・いや、伝説にさえなっている
          ポケモン達がい～っぱい待ってるはずさ！！
          ハラハラ、ドキドキ、ワクワク、ピカピカの大冒険を見てくれよな！
          新番組　ポケットモンスター
          ４月１日火曜よる６時３０分から、いよいよスタート！
          みんなもオレと一緒にポケモンゲットだぜーッ！

  Satoshi: I'm Satoshi!
  I'll leave Masara Town soon to go on a journey to train to become a Pokemon master!
  On my way there are mountains and oceans... Not only that, there also are legends
  There should be lots of Pokemon waiting!!
  Please watch [my] big adventure full of excitement[1]!
  New program Pocket Monster
  Finally starts on April 1st, 6:30pm
  Everyone, catch them all with me!!

Google Translate gives me:

伝説にさえなっているポケモン達 = Pokémon who are even legendary


texts: What is the particle には doing in this sentence?

texts:
What does the bolded には mean in the following sentence?

  貫くような衝撃が顎から脳天を突き抜け、次第に目の前が真っ白になってゆく感覚に襲われる中、耳には銀髪の外国人の興奮した声が入ってきていた。


texts:
スーザンは一人で淋しがっています。

My dictionary translates the above sentence as: Susan feels lonely by herself.

But I read it as: "Susan seems lonley by herself."

がっています in my dictionary is defined as:

Show signs of ~ | An auxiliary verb attached to a psychological/physiological adjective meaning a person other than the speaker shows signs of ~


texts:
こいつはこっち系のネタにとにかく弱いのだ

The definition I found of 系 (system) doesn't seem to fit here. What does that mean?

As for ネタ, I know it can mean ''joke'' but is it really what it means here? In the official translation, this sentence has been translated as ''She's especially weak to this sort of talk.''


texts: What is the right pronunciation of 「何にみえますか」? Is pronounced 「なんにみえますか」or 「なににみえますか」? Why?


texts:
I watched the animated version of Erased on Netflix and now there is a live action version. I noticed in both a phrase being used but I can’t work out what it is.

https://www.netflix.com/title/80173711

If you go to 20:30 in episode 2.

Satoru is talking to his teacher. Before he leaves he says “ありがとう先生...” and then something that sounds like “shitake” or something.

They also say it among friends as a sort of goodbye or see you later.

But I can’t find what they’re actually saying.

Adding some subtitles...

I’m still not sure what he’s saying looking at the subtitles. But could someone please help me (I’m still learning and not very good with kanji). And that katakana has me even more confused.


texts:
The entire line is:

  今、君はその刃を
  どこへ振り下ろす？

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to understand it. I think it means:

  towards where will you swing the sword down right now (i.e. where are you aiming at? A person's arm? Their belly?)

What feels odd to me here is the use of どこ. I can't visualize one swinging their sword down at somewhere, unless that somewhere is a part of something.

Can どこへ actually mean 何に or, perhaps, どの方向へ?


texts: When/How to use なので or ので after adverbs/adverbials?

texts:
A rule for using nanode/node:
[ので used for both adjective and verb.
[adjective]+ので
[verb]+ので
なので used for noun.
[noun]+なので](https://hinative.com/en-US/questions/5656968#answer-15048955)

Is ばかり a noun/な-adjective in ばかりなので?
Considering this answer "なので" is ungrammatical when used with anything other than a noun or な adjective
Is ばかり a Na-adj in 海外で一人暮らしを始めたばかりなので、寂しくてしかたがありません。?
Another sentence with the same items:
子どもを産んだばかりなので、うちで休んでいるところです。


texts:
In this sentence:

  ドアの音に驚いたのか、軽く上体がかしいだ

a door opens, and there is a character, whose upper body is slightly bent forward, startled by the door's sound.

I think の just nominalize ドアの音に驚いた, but I'm not sure about か: I don't think is the embedded question-か, given how it goes on (軽く上体がかしいだ), and I can't think an use of か I know of that suits this sentence.

Since as far as I know か can also be used to express doubt I was wondering if it's something like "Maybe due to being startled by the door's sound, [she had her] upper body slightly bent forward", but I'm not sure.


texts: What do we say the base ingredient in Japanese?

texts:
When we make okonomiyaki, for example, the base ingredient is the mix of cabbage, dough and eggs. There are many okonomiyaki topping but the base ingredient is the same.

My question is

  What do Japanese call the base ingredients?


texts:
The Problem
Currently reading a passage where a Goblin's sword and the Main Protaganist's Dagger just clashes together and it gives this sentence:

鎧{よろい}ゴブの剣がザガガッとダガーの刃の上を走って、鍔{つば}でも止められない、etc...

The Offical Translation has it as

There was a scream of metal on metal as the... etc

I can understand from the translation that the ザガガッと is a sort of onomatopoeia for whats happening but I can't find out where it's from / based off.

The Question
Where does this originate from or what is it based off of?
Thanks,
Archie ♥


texts: What is meant by 本来はこちらから出向くの筋なのだろうが here?

texts:
「わざわざすまなかったな。本来はこちらから出向くの筋なのだろうが……」
「いえいえ、手前も数多くの国と付き合って来ましたが、そう言って頂けるだけ、ありがたい所存にございますよ」

I'm really not sure what he is referring to by 出向く. As based on my understanding of the word, it wouldn't make sense for him to have gone to her (which I don't think is what it means in this context)
Context
He asked her to do some work, that he was originally meant to do but he lacked the time to do it himself.
When she had completed the work successfully she was called in by the senate, who did not approve of him delegating his responsibility to her (he was also present, but they asked her questions about what happened).
The queen then asks her what she would like her reward to be, after that is settled she is told she can leave. He then chases after her and starts talking.

What does 出向く mean in this context? I think it could mean that he is saying that he should have been the one to stand in-front of the senate and explain things to them and she shouldn't have needed to be there, but I'm not sure.


texts:
In attempting to translate an advertising poster, I ran into some difficulties. The poster reads:

第一部　ガールズバンドライブ

第二部　カウントダウンライブ

The katakana is easy enough: 'Girl Band Live / Countdown Live', but in checking the kanji on jisho, I'm finding the meanings of 'ordinal' and 'club, category, or magazine counter', none of which seems to mesh together. 'First Club / Second Club' are my best guesses, but it doesn't quite seem to fit. Does anyone have an accurate translation?


texts: なくてもいいです and なければなりません

texts:
My grammar book says:

  Verb/Adjective/Na-Adjective+なくてもいいです

Is it OK to use

  Noun+なくてもいいです,

like:

  明日でなくてもいいです

My grammar book also says:

  Verb/Noun+なければなりません

Is it OK to use

  Adjective/Na-Adjective+なければなりません,

like:

  高くなければなりません

  きれいでなければなりません


texts:
There is a sentence in a worksheet that goes: どようびは　ほんを　よみます。Why is it not どようびに? When do I know which one to use and what is the difference?

Spoke to my sensei and she said you can use something like: どようびには, which would still be right ... I didn't quite get what she meant. Can someone please clarify, thank you.


texts: How to express "Eternal/Endless Love" on an engraved bracelet

texts:
In a fanfiction i am writing, one of the characters who was born in Japan gives her girlfriend a bracelet she had made, as a sign of her nationality there is an engraving in japanese which, when her girlfriend asks the meaning she replies

  "It's Nanoha loves Feito Forever"

which is actually a reference to when 2 people write their initials in a heart like this

   ____    ____
  /    \  /    \
 /      \/      \
/                \
\      N T       /
 \              /
  \     +      /
   \          /
    \ F T H  /
     \      /
      \    /
       \  /
        \/

N T = Nanoha Takamachi

F T H = Fate Testarossa Harlaown (Nanoha says Feito)

when i use google translate to find Loves i get 愛, using the Nanoha Wikia for Nanoah's and Fate's names in japanese i get

  なのは愛 フェイト

since i'm a stricter for accuracy with these things i am wondering if this correct? if not what would be the correct way of express what i am trying to achieve


texts: Why is だ used with question words such as 何だ?

texts: Since だ is declarative, how would it work in a question? Why would i say これ何だ over これなに ? How does a declarative in a question work?


texts:
Forgive my title as I don’t really have a good one at the top of my head.
I’ve always been into word play when it comes to naming characters, but when it comes to Japanese it’s kinda difficult for me. I’ll put together a word that I think means one thing and it completely translates into something different.
Ex: Kōaki- Kō(孝) Filial piety and Aki(彰) Clearly but when it but when I put the two together it’s Takaaki.
Is there something that I’m misunderstanding?


texts: Is there a preferred way to say "If you think about it..?"

texts:
What's the best way to say "If you think about it..?"

i.e. "If you think about it, this way is better than that way..."

Especially when promoting your suggestion as a logically superior suggestion than the person you are talking to or better than the generally accepted group opinion. I realise that this may be difficult cultural territory which is why I ask.


texts:
I have a question about the words ヒーター and ストーブ.

I understand that they are both used to heat rooms. However, I am not sure exactly the difference between the two. A Yahoo answer in Japanese says something about a ストーブ using resources directly to heat and a ヒーター heating indirectly, but I don't fully understand.

Could someone explain the difference between a ヒーター and a ストーブ?


texts:
Example:
Comes along with chopsticks.

I think "箸があります。" is not enough.

Thank you.


texts:
This proverb is attributed to an unknown Japanese author (http://thinkexist.com/quotation/none_of_us_are_as_smart_as_all_of/160488.html). However I could not find any mention of its actual origin.

Would anybody here be able to translate the sentence or its spirit? I would like to use it for a presentation at work.


texts:
My daughter is in first grade at a public elementary school in Japan.

In some homework yesterday, there was the appearance of the word ほおかむり. My Japanese isn't great as a non-native and she didn't know what it was, so we Googled it. Most results steered us towards ほおかぶり, which it seems this is a synonym of.

It appears in the context it was presented to have meant the head covering ほおかぶり, is this simply another way of writing it?


texts:
I am having problems with some sentences in those JLPT problems where one has to assemble the sentence from 4 piece of text phrases.

The book contains the correct answer, but doesn't tell me the correct order of all elements. Are those sentences correct?

  フリーターは労働市場で 「極めて」 「不利な」 「状況に」 「置かれ」 貧困に陥る可能性がある。
  (#2 is known to be correct from the solution booklet)
  この映画は、タイトルを見ると「その実は」「コメディの」「ようで」「いかにも」社会の矛盾を問うドキュメンタリーである。
  (#3 is known to be correct from the solution booklet)

I struggle especially with the second sentence how to understand いかにも and その実は in this sentence.


texts:
I'm having trouble understanding precisely what the functions of「だと」and 「なと」are in this sentence:「おもちゃだといいなと思う」. I did some searching here and on the web, and I think the 「と」in「と思う」is the "quote marker" function. I'm not sure why「な」interposes「いい」and 「と」, though. I'm also not sure whether that is the case for 「だと」. If so, I assume the「だ」there would be the copula. Would that mean this sentence has two quotes in it? I think I get the gist of the sentence, I just don't fully understand the grammar.

Thanks in advance. This site is really helpful.


texts:
I have a translation of a given sentence in English, but the Japanese version seems to use a verb that seems a little different than what would be intended, so I wanted to ask about it here and double-check on it and maybe have it explained if it is correct.  I want to change out a few of the exact noun or pronoun phrases that were used, but this is otherwise the English form of the sentence and the translation that was provided:

  Ms. Tanaka wants him to not be a lawyer.

And the translation that was provided took the form:

  田中さんは、彼が弁護士にならないようにする。

The interesting thing here is the use of the word "する".  Why use "する"?  Why not use "欲しがる" or something else?

So is this the correct translation?  If not, what is the right way to say that?  If it is, then why is the word "する" correct here?  Thank you.


texts:
Consider the following conversation quoted from a textbook used in my class.　鈴木 is the mother of 鈴木伸.

  鈴木：伸ちゃん、お母さんが試着{しちゃく}している間、ここで待っていてね。

  鈴木伸：うん。

In my understanding, お母さん is used to refer to mothers of other persons and 母　is used to refer to the speaker's own mother. So 母 is not possible in this case.

When referring to herself, is there any pronoun  other than お母さん when speaking to her children?


texts: What is the difference between 調子【ちょうし】 (choushi) and 具合【ぐあい】 (guai)?

texts: Both words mean condition. In what context do we use them? Is one for expressing the condition of living things and the other one for the non-living things?


texts: Which of the phrases included here is the best translation for "It's truly painful to think I might have caused you pain"?

texts:
What I want to convey is "It truly is painful ((for me)), to think that I might actually have caused you pain."

(((( Or to make it clearer, other ways of saying it: "I truly find it painful to consider the possibility of myself having been yet another reason for your pain." /"It is truly painful for me to consider that I might in fact have caused you additional suffering." ))))))

I have the following translations:

私は実際にあなたに痛みを引き起こさせてしまったことをしたことを考えるだけでも辛いです。るとことも痛いです。

私が君のことを傷つけてしまった かも知れないと思うと、本当に心が沈みます。

もしかして〇〇さんを悩[なや]ませてしまったことを考[かんが]えると、私も悩…

--

I think the first or the second translationare the best, the last one is kind of incomplete as of now, but basically which of these is the most correct/precise one? Any idea?


texts:
So I tried to read what's written on this board in a manga, but a portion of it is too blurry for me to try to seach the kanji in a dictionnary.
It would be great if someone was able to recognize the words and help me read them.
Here's the image :

I got

xxx を入れて
お待ちしてます。
二x
佐x眼鏡堂

Thank you very much.


texts:
So, I've come across the phrase やばたにえん online a couple of times, and I can't seem to find what it means. Multiple online translators fail to give me a translation, and searching on google for the answer only returnes this page: https://fastjapan.com/en/p207796 . It says that it is a deviation of やばい and that it can also be used with other adjectives like つらい into つらたにえん.

My question is, what does this ～たにえん suffix mean, how it's built, and when do I use it?


texts: What is the difference between 'ぼくたち' and 'ぼくら'? Both are written in kanji as 僕達 and mean 'we'. Are they equal in using?


texts: Why does the g tends to sound more like a m or n?

texts:
I have heard words such as shigoto, sugata, sugu (ni) and they end up sounding like shimoto, sunata, and sunu ni. Even in sentence such as Haru ga kimasu. I've heard sound like: Haru na kimasu.

So why is that? Do the Japanese not like the g sound (g as in gorilla)? This seems to be a everyday spoken, I daresay colloquial, thing. I don't know, so obviously I'm asking.

Here is a good example of what I mean. If you skip to the 4:00 mark and listen up to the 4:30 mark, you'll hear (hopefully what I hear) the "different" pronunciations of shigoto.


texts:
For e.g. 安心するていうか。I saw this in an interview where the person expressed relief that a certain place was available.

Is there any nuance with just saying 安心する? This is one thing I can never seem to get. Adding extra words at the end that just seems redundant. Except that, ていう seems to be added everywhere　by everyone like a generic individual speech tick similar to Naruto's だってばよ。


texts: Why the pronunciation of some words is different than their components?

texts: 美味しい　is being pronounced おいしい, but it is not the sum of the way its kanji components are being pronounced. I think I have also seen it in some other words. So why is that the pronunciation of some words doesn't make sense when you look at their kanji components?


texts:
I've been trying to translate the following sentence:

  外傷 は 無かった けど、どこ か 具合 が 悪い ところ が あったり する？

The part I think I have a problem with is:

  具合 が 悪い ところ が
  guai ga warui tokoro ga

I believe I picked up the "somewhere"/"anywhere" and the -tari suru form of the verb au correctly. However, I can't put it together with the two がs and the ところ after an adjective to make sense of the whole sentence.

Does the ところ serves here purely as a noun? The rules I found for it are always with Verbs.

Which が indicates the subject of the sentence?


texts: Is the お used at the start of the sentence a honorific お?

texts:
Is the お used at the start of the following dialogue a honorific お?

  [お得意の洗脳か]


texts:
Consider ～へと in these cases:

  ～へと下がる : (of some quantity) to fall to ~
  ～へと先送りされる : to be postponed to ~
  ～へと旅立つ : to make a trip to ~
  ～へと広がる : to spread to ~

へと seems to be equivalent to へ or even に. How is へと different from へ? How is へと different from に?
What does と do and what nuance does it add?


texts:
Found in this tweet:

  先が気になる

I always have to do a double check with 先 because the possible meanings can be very opposite one another.

I've also found other tweets with the same hashtag, like this.

  先が気になって仕方ない


texts:
I’m trying to understand the following sentence:
この世界に生きて命を惜しいと思ったことなど一度もないが、訳も分からずやられるのはごめんだ

I don’t have any context as this is the first sentence in the story.

Splitting the sentence and parsing it:

  この世界に生きて命を惜しいと思ったことなど一度もないが

  この世界に生きて命 – Living life in this world
  惜しいと思ったことなど – Felt disappointed with things like
  一度もない – Not once

  I’ve never once felt disappointed with life in this world

  訳も分からずやられるのはごめんだ

  訳 – Reason
  分からず – Without knowing
  やられる – was done/given to
  ごめんだ – ???

  The reason also(?) without knowing what was done is ???

My questions are:
1. Does も mean “also” or something else in the second part of this sentence?
2. Does の in のは turn 分からずやられる into a noun like explained here?
3. What does ごめんだ mean here?  Online dictionaries give ごめん as sorry, your pardon, declining or dismissal but none of them seem to fit.


texts:
An artist I follow on twitter posted an image and above it they wrote 新規掲載絵皆無貧困絵描. (Here is the link to the original tweet: https://twitter.com/sai_no/status/1033339861351256065 tho it doesn't really have much contextual information for me to use)

I know all of the individual kanji that is contained in that phrase, but I fail to see how they all fit together. Google translator and other translation tools just translate individual components that make it up, and I don't understand how they connect.

It would help me if someone could explain to me in a more nuanced way what that phrase means and break down how it's components work together to make it.


texts:
こいつにとって水泳は本当に一日の楽しみなんだと思う。

The person in question here swims literally everyday.

  "I think she really enjoys swimming (everyday? all the time?)"

It's hard to fit these use cases here.


texts: What does っ mean and how to pronounce it when it comes before a character with nothing before it? Ex. っか

texts: I am a beginner in Japanese who is not even done learning katakana yet, so forgive me if this is a noob question. I know that when っ comes before a character, say the word was まって, there would be a pause before the て. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) But I've read a few things that just start with っ and then normal characters, so I'm wondering what it means/how to pronounce it. Also if you couldn't tell because there is nothing to compare to, it is the little tsu, not the normal one.


texts: What is the meaning of the expression 熱い胸?

texts: I hear this a lot in song lyrics, and I just can't figure out what a "hot chest" is supposed to mean.


texts: How do you thank somebody for doing two things in Keigo?

texts:
I often run into situations where I have to thank somebody for doing two things in business emails. The sentence would essentially be:

  “Thank for doing A and B.”

I am thinking something around the lines of :

  “Aをさせていただき、Bをしていただきありがとうございました。”

A more concrete example:

  “Thank you for meeting with me and updating the schedule.” お話しをさせていただき、日程を調整いただきありがとうございました。

The redundant use of Itadaki makes me feel uneasy and seems unnatural.
Any thoughts on this are much appreciated.


texts:
So Person A says: どうしたんですか？
Person B replies: 忘れ物をしたんです。

I'm not understanding した in this sentence. 忘れ物 means something left behind or forgotten. So I translate 忘れ物をした as did forgotten-thing. Which makes little sense. So how am I to translate or make sense of した's use here?


texts:
Which しんこう is the one Yotsuba-chan meant when she said 「しゅっぱつしんこ〜」 in the manga excerpt below? WWWJDIC lists so many two-kanji words that read as しんこう, and even after eliminating totally irrelevant ones there are still a few plausible choices:

  新興 【しんこう】 (n,adj-no) rising; developing; emergent;
  進行 【しんこう】 (n,vs) advance; progress;
  進攻 【しんこう】 (n,vs) attack; drive; advance; invasion;
  進航 【しんこう】 (n,vs) sailing on

(From manga 「よつばと！」, 4th volume, page 30)


texts: What does "deshyo" alone mean as a response?

texts: When I tell someone something and in response I get only "deshyo?!" or "deshyo!", what does this imply? "I've told you so", "That must be so"?


texts: Past-tense inflection used for a future action

texts:
In this sentence

早く寝た方がいいですよ。

which is translated as

You should go to sleep early.

I am confused about the reason in which the past tense inflection for 寝る is used. Is this a similar construct used in English where:

It's better if you slept early

and

It's better if you go to sleep early

virtually convey the same thing? I'm not sure if the first is correct English, but I often catch myself using it in colloquial situations. It seems to me here that both are equivalent ideas. Is my Japanese example similar to this? If so, would

早く寝る方がいいですよ。

be both correct and convey the same idea?


texts: Difference between 家内、嫁、妻、奥さん、かみさん and other words meaning wife

texts:
I have seen and heard all these words being used before all to mean wife, but what is the differences between them?

I know some, such as 家内, can only be used for your own wife, but which are which?

Additionally, I have heard there is a similar situation with words for husband, such as 主人、夫、旦那 and more. Could you explain those as well?


texts:
Hi everyone on this community forum!

In the video game Ehrgeiz, there is a sentence which is spoken is Japanese, then subtitled, which was localized well, but I'd like to know what the sentence is really saying.

I put some sentences for context

  クレア: でも、それがもし本当の不老不死の秘鑰のことだったら、太古の昔から、東西の覇者たちが失った究極の秘宝でしょ？ 見つかったら、凄いことですね！
  Clair: "But if that's really the secret of immortality, isn't it the ultimate treasure that rulers everywhere have sought after since ancient times?
  It'll be sensational if we find it!"

  増田: まぁ、な・・・
  Koji: "Definitely."

  クレア: わあ、これぞ古代のロマンって感じじゃない！
  Clair: "Wow. This is the ultimate dream of any archaeologist!

  わくわくしてくるなぁ！
  I'm getting excited already!"

Google translate:
This is not an ancient romance!


texts:
Not much to say about this question. Both words are translated as "theory" in English and I didn't find someone who explains the difference.

is there any difference?

Thanks, Or


texts:
In the trailer of the game-based anime Satsuriku no Tenshi, at 1:08 Rachel (the blonde little girl) says "私を殺して“. Now, as for my limited japanese, I would think that she says "I'll kill you", because of the を particle besides 私. But as I played the game this anime is based on, she actually wants Zack (the other guy) to kill her.

If so, wouldn't that be "私を殺されて"? As Rachel, who's speaking, wants to "receive" the killing. But even Google Translate traduces "私を殺して“ as "kill me please", leaving 殺す, the infinitive, as "I'll kill you".

So, where am I failing at? What would be the correct form to interpret it so I would understand "私を殺して“ as "kill me please"? Has the te-form have something to do with my misinterpretation?


texts:
宛名も差出人の名前もない紫の封筒があるわあるわ、ざっと目算して三百通は下るまい。
  呪、もしくは念が宿るのかもしれない。
  何の意味もなく、それらが有象無象の雑多な願いにすぎなくて、そして、ここまで蒐集されてなお人目につく事がなければ、さぞ無念が生じるだろう。

  According to my calculations there could not be less than 300 purple letters with no address and without the name of the sender.
  Curses, or maybe they contain hope.
  Without any meaning, those are people wishes and nothing more, moreover to be collected to this degree and the fact that they might not come to bee seen, I am sure there will be many regrets.

What does that bold sentence mean?

The fantraslation goes something like this:

  Should they ever be brought to light they would produce many regrets.

ここまで蒐集されて=Be collected up to this degree
なお=In addition to that
人目につく=Come to light
事がなければ=This situation does not happen (conditional)
さぞ=I am sure
無念=regrets
が生じるだろう=Will probably arise

Edit:
人目につく=Be visible, Be under public view.

So

  If they are not visible, it will bring regrets.

Still it is differend from the fantranslation.


texts:
お兄ちゃんには一番知られたくなかったかな

I'm confused. Google Translate says "I don't want brother to know the best", but I'm not convinced at all.


texts: Can we use "AとBとはC" and "AとBとではC" interchangeably?

texts:
知識としては比較的早い段階で保有していた情報。きっと『海』というものについて質問をされたなら、普通の人よりも詳細に説明をすることが可能だったろう。
けれど、頭の中になったそれと、今五感を以て感じているものとは、存在感が、ディティールが、まるで異なっていた。

Can we say "...今五感を以て感じているものとでは" in that sentence? What would be the difference between "AとBとはC" and "AとBとではC"? Or are they the same?


texts:
町内会からはちびっこ店長と親しまれる謎の中国人・魃さんの振るう十字鍋は、ありとあらゆる食材を唐辛子まみれにする。

My TL:
The Cross-shaped pot that Batsu-san, a mysterious Chinese man from the neighborhood association who is known as "The little manager", wields fills every ingredient with chilli pepper.

FL:
The manager, a favourite of the neghbourhood association, is a strange little man known as "Small Manager". Batsu-san has a tendency to fill every dish with pepper.

I do not understand からは and と親しまれる.
Where does "a favourite of" come from in this sentence?


texts:
I've learned that お・ご＋語幹＋する is humble language, for example

  よろしくお願いします。

However, when asking others what they wished for, I see the question:

  李：小野さんは何をお願いしましたか。　小野：健康と恋愛です。

Background: Li and Ono went to 初詣 and made wishes at 神社。

Obviously, the subject is 小野さん, so it cannot be humble language.

Then how to understand the sentence. Is that because everyone is humble before gods?


texts: meaning of 最初にして最後の見せ場

texts:
Context: the boy has just died while saving a girl and is now in the afterlife.

「……あの女の子は。……俺が突き飛ばした女の子は、生きてますか？」"  大切な事だった。 俺の人生で、
最初にして最後
の見せ場だったのだ。 命懸けで助けに入って、結局間に合わなかったのだとしたら悔し過ぎる"

It has been translated as:

That girl … the one I pushed out of the way. Is she alive ?”  That was
important to me. It was the first - and last cool thing I’d done in my
life. If it turned out I’d been too late, that I hadn’t saved her -
that would be awful.

Could you explain what 最初にして最後  means ?
If if translate with my own words, does it mean: "I was a good actor from beginning to end"
I'm not sure .


texts: Use of を生きる applied to a non-living thing

texts:
お父さんと一緒の時間を生きる事が命を受け取るって事なんだ。

I don't understand the "を生きる" being applied to a non-living thing like the time you spent with your dad.

The "が命を受け取るって事なんだ" extends the first sentence into another part before I can even understand the ending of the first part?

How do you break it down?


texts: How often do single dots stick to the top of kanji?

texts:
In Chinese, characters with a single dot on top stay separated from the rest of the character. (Eg. Chinese 宝)

In kanji, this is frequently not the case - virtually all 宀 characters I see have dots stuck to the 冖 part (宝, 字, etc.). On the other hand, there are a few kanji I've seen that don't involve 宀 and so the dots are separated: eg. 主.

Do all 宀 kanji have the dots stuck to the top? Perhaps there are kanji with both 丶 and 冖 but the two don't form a connected 宀. Do all other single dot kanji have the dots separated (like 主)?

Edit. Just found that the dots are stuck in kanji with 广 radicals. Would still like to know when the dots are stuck and when they are not stuck. Is there a rule?


texts:
I was trying to translate this song, it was all going well until I stumbled upon this line

二人迷わぬよう歩いていけるたった一つの道標

I am having a hard time spliting the words correctly I feel like it either is lacking some particles or commas, I'm not really sure... What I could come up with so far:

二人(が)迷わぬよう - It's like both do not hesitate.
歩いていけるたった一つの道標 I can only walk one more signpost. (lol sounds weird, I might be wrong)

So maybe the whole thing should rather be structured like this?

二人(が)迷わぬよう、歩いていけるたった一つの道標。 It's like both do not hesitate, (but) I can only walk one more signpost.

Thanks in advance!
Ps: This is the last line of one paragraph of the song, so it's a ful sentence which should hold some meaning alone, also the previous line is talking about other stuff aswell.
EDIT: The whole paragraph of this song is this:

一枚一枚増える色の違う写真めくる様に
伝えたかった事は今も昔もずっと同じままだよ
二人迷わぬよう歩いていけるたったひとつの道標.


texts: For example, in 売り切れ, do the り and れ have a particular name? I found "okurigana" on wikipedia, but does that apply to grammatical suffixes only or does apply in these cases where it's mixed in the middle with kanji too?


texts:
The sentence in question:
しかし、子育てに親が専念できる環境になってきたので、親がおんぶをしなくてもだっこだけでもやっていける。

For full context:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/web_tokushu/2018_0521.html?utm_int=news_contents_tokushu_004

my attempt at translation:
"However, because the circumstance has developed that towards child-raising, the adult can undivided attention, it is okay for the adult to not do the piggyback and do only with the babysling."

I used the meaning of the second entry here https://jisho.org/search/ikeru because it kind of worked, but in the end I was just guessing because I've never seen this before.


texts: Is there a difference between 辞典 and 辞書 ？

texts: Is there a difference between 辞典 and 辞書? I know that both terms refer to a dictionary. I am thinking that a 辞典 has pictures and possibly more volumes (encyclopedia) and a 辞書 does not.


texts: Meaning behind adding 'め' after someone's name?

texts:
I've come across this once or twice where people will say someone's name and then add 'め' in an irritable/victorious tone  [e.g: ヒカルめ, マコトめ, etc.], but I've yet to find a textbook example explaining the reasons/meaning clearly.

My latest scenario is when one character, Daichi, is in the hospital, and his friend Hikaru comes to visit him 'since you're not the type to have girl's come and visit you/お前は女が見舞いに来るタイプじゃねーからな'.

Some time after Hikaru goes home, Daichi gets a surprise visit from a female friend. He thinks to himself:

  へへーん！ボクだって女が見舞いに来るタイプなんだぞヒカルめ！

So far, I've translated that as 'Haha! Seems I am the type to have girl's come visit" but I'm not sure what to do with 'ヒカルめ'. Take that, Hikaru? You jerk, Hikaru??? I have no clue.

If someone could explain the meaning behind this and how it can be translated as (in other situations as well as this one), I'd be very grateful.


texts:
３人いるだと！？

Can you say ３人いるだ as a statement? If だと is simply だ + と, I would expect ３人いるんだと.　Is だと considered a particle in its own right, with different rules than だ?

Transcription of the contents of the picture:

  A: [何]{なに}がどうなってる!!
      17[区]{く}にも[傷の男]{スカー}!?
       じゃあ　3区のはなんだ!?
     B: ダグラス大佐！
       8区にも出ました！
     C: ……3人いるだと!?


texts:
I'd like to say

  When I'll pass the test, I will be glad/happy.

I came up with

  テストが合格したから、嬉しです。

Is it correct?


texts: How to express the concept of negation in mathematics

texts:
I have been reading the PHP manual in both Japanese and English and have reached the part about operators.
In the 代数演算子 section they talk about 加算, 減算 etc, and have a table showing all of the 代数演算子 (you can see it here: http://www.php.net/manual/ja/language.operators.arithmetic.php)

In the Japanese version of the manual they describe -$a as 負にする but in the English version they use the word Negation.

I wondered if there was a noun in Japanese to describe this, like there is 加算 to describe Addition.

Since they use the word Negation in the English version I thought maybe 否定 in Japanese, but I'm not sure, so if any one knows of a noun to describe this concept any help would be appreciated.


texts: Grammar in a modern translation of the 古事記 : ～ようもない

texts:
I recently started studying the 古事記. In the beginning　of the modern translation, there is a piece of grammar which, while not terribly confusing in itself, still fascinates me. The whole sentence is as follows. I have bolded the relevant part.

　[臣安万侶]{しんやすまろ}が申し上げます。
そもそも宇宙の始めに、混沌とした根元がすでに固まって、まだ生成力も形も現れなかったころのことは、名づけようもなく動きも無く、誰もその形状を知るものはなかった。

If we look at the corresponding original passage:

臣安万侶[言]{まを}さく、[夫]{そ}れ混元既に[凝]{こ}りて、気象[未]{いま}だ[効]{あらわ}れず。　名も無く[為]{わざ}もなし。　誰か其の形を知らむ。

So the translation is evidently "[the shapeless fleeting state of the early universe] has no name", but the grammar of the modern translation, "名づけようもなく", is an interesting usage of the volitional form, making it sound more like "Nobody has ever bothered giving a name to [this]". I would be happy to hear a more experienced Japanese speaker's interpretation of it.


texts: extending an invitation with alot of information in it

texts:
EDIT: The invitation is being extending to someone called N that A/B has just met the invitation is being extended by A to N as B is already going.

デニスレストランにいきませんか。Would you like to goto Denny’s restaurant (after class?) invitation
Would like to change to. “my friend works at Denny’s restaurant. We are going there after class would you like to come?

can anyone help me with this sentence i realize i am obviously missing クラス and some effective way of putting it into the sentence as well as ともだち。 but i am having trouble making such a big sentence. am fairly new to Japanese language like lesson 6 of genki up to te form if that makes any sense to anyone.

perhaps it would be better to say "our friend works at dennys." we are going there after class. would you like to come?


texts: So the sentence is " そういう相手は力で叩き潰して教えるに限る" which translates to "people like you need to be crushed by force." I'm confused on why it isn't written as"そういう相手を"。If は is used could it also be translated as "people like you should crush (things) by force"


texts: Omission of く in negative form of い-adjective

texts:
I learnt that the negative form of い-adjective is: remove the trailing い, then add くない. Example: 赤い→赤くない

However, I've been watching Japanese livestream and following her twitter. Sometimes, she omit the く in negative form of い-adjective. Example: from her Twitter post

  キャベツ美味しない。千切りの方が好き

In her livestream, she also sometimes said やばない instead of やばくない, and 酷ない instead of 酷くない.

That makes me wonder if this is somewhat common in Japan (perhaps dialect?), or just her habit. If it matters, she's from Kumamoto.


texts:
力任せに壁面に罅{ひび}を刻んでは一つ、また一つと体のパーツを外気に晒{さら}していく。

What does は do here? Is it contrasting?

Thanks!


texts: What is the difference between 「もらいませんか」 and 「もらいましょうか」?

texts:
I came across this fill-in-the-blanks question in a reviewer:

  にもつ、＿＿＿＿＿　か。

The choices are もらいません or もらいましょう.

My current understanding is that もらいませんか is of the form V-ませんか which translates to "why don't we/I V?", while もらいましょう is of the form V-ましょうか which translates to "shall we/I V?".

If I use もらいません, then it would mean "Why don't I receive your/that luggage?".
If I use もらいましょう, then it would mean "Shall I receive your/that luggage?".

The correct answer was もらいましょう.

But don't they both mean the same thing?
What is the difference between the two and when to prefer one over the other?


texts:
I want to say:

  The rules on throwing away rubbish/garbage

I thought of three possibilities:

  1) ごみを捨てることの規則
  2) ごみを捨てるのの規則
  3) ごみを捨てるの規則

I'm favouring option 1. I think option 3 is just wrong. What about 2? Is that grammatical? Does it sound weird?


texts: What is this kind of book layout called?

texts: That may be off topic, but what is this two-row book layout called in Japanese? And to what extent is this format common?


texts: What's the difference between (いちば/しじょう) for 市場?

texts:
Does it refer to two different types of markets?
Thank you.


texts: Parsing and making sense of this sentence with multiple が's

texts:
So I was signing up for an account at a website, and I came across this line:

  写真があった方があなたがどんな人なのかわかるし、フレンドも作りやすくなります。

I have never come across a sentence with 3 が's in it, much less one with 3 of them placed consecutively like that. How do you even make heads or tails of this!?

By the second が, the sentence had already lost me... If が marks the subject of a sentence, what on earth is going on in this sentence?

Questions:

How would you parse this sentence?
Is there a less confusing / better way of phrasing it?


texts: 「の」usage in「１時間前の午前８時半」

texts:
I've been translating NHK EasyNews and met this phrase

  ２５日は、申し込みが始まる１時間前の午前８時半には、約３０人が並んでいました

Although, I think I do understand the meaning of it

  In one hour before 8:30 am, when the reservations started, ...

I don't get the  here at all. Should it not be reversed? As in

  何々が始まる午前8時半の一時間には

I've always though of it as genitive case in my mother tongue, so I feel pretty confused.

Thank you!


texts: Can the particle か have an exhortative value?

texts:
開戦といきますか！

Judging from the exclamation mark and from the context (a battle immediately starts after the commander of an army says this), I think that in the sentence above か could have an exhortative value. Is it correct? If so, is it a common thing or only a manga/anime thing? Thank you for your help!


texts: Which categories of verbs (transitive, atelic, etc) can you use with ～そう (seems to; appears)?

texts:
I've just studied そう (as in: seems like; about to) in class and I wanted to know why you can use some verbs and not others.

For instance, 雨が｛あめが｝降りそう｛ふりそう｝ works out semantically and grammatically, as does 落ちそう｛おちそう｝. But why doesn't a verb like 治る｛なおる｝ work (治りそう)? My teacher said that it's grammatical but it doesn't make sense.

Is it something about lexical aspect? Or is it a specific class of verbs, like 'break'/'hit' verbs, for example?

I've done some digging but I'm not sure what to look up next. Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Meaning of 『肉』 when used stand-alone, apparently as some sort of insult

texts:
I am currently translating an English text, which itself has been translated from an originally Japanese text. Whenever there's something I don't understand in the English text, I try to translate the Japanese original directly into my target language (German).
However, in this case I don't understand what either version is supposed to mean.
Context: video game, on examining an election poster defaced by the rival party
Japanese original: 額に『肉』と書かれている。
English translation: Someone has scrawled "MEAT" across his forehead.
The English translation seems close enough, but I don't understand what it means. It's obviously intended as an insult, but what does 肉 mean when used on its own in this context? Is it a generic insult  like e.g. "meathead", "idiot" etc. or does it have a more specific meaning? Or is it perhaps some sort of pun on a homophone?
UPDATE: Thank you all for your replies. Since I believe this would be lost in translation otherwise, I decided to go with a less literal translation: "His portrait is covered with childish scribbles."


texts: Why are the kanji for suika and kabocha written with the kanji for west and south?

texts: I was able to translate as west melon and south melon. The melon part makes sense, but why were directions used? I saw the sui (water) kanji for watermelon, but it is no longer used.


texts:
The song eX Dream by Myuji (which appears in an anime OP) contains the sentence:

  [夢]{ゆめ}は夢でしかない

The general point of the sentence is fairly clear, meaning "a dream is just a dream".  But what is the best way to think of the でしかない construction?

At first I saw it as 夢は夢で, as in, "a dream is a dream and...", but now I'm wondering how correct this is or if it's correct at all.

Is it better to look at it as a separation of the parts of である?  Does this happen in many other cases, where you use a qualified で followed by ある?


texts: What is the difference between 問い and 質問?

texts:
I found this explanation but I don't really understand it.

【１】「問い」は、単に尋ね聞くこと。
【２】「質問」は、広く一般的に疑問点を問う場合に用いる。教室や会議など公の場での問いに用いることが多いが、私的、個人的な場でも用いる。(source)


texts:
I recently came across this sentence:

耳打ちするようにしながらもしっかり声が届くように言うホロに苦笑いしきりだが、ノーラが無防備にうなずいたことにはちょっと傷ついた。

I thought at first that しきり might be しきる, as in "do to completion", but then it would make more sense as 「しきったが」rather than 「しきりだが」. I also saw on a Chiebukuro post that as 頻り, 「後悔しきり」means to "regret one thing after another". The main character of the story does make this expression quite often at ホロ. However, I am still unsure what しきり means here.
What does this しきり mean?


texts: Reason for placing a comma between the subject and verb in this simple independent clause?

texts:
Y has been in a heated discussion with another person. X has been observing that discussion / argument:

  Yの目が、なんとか怒りを抑えつけようとしているのを、Xは見てとった。

"X could see the suppressed anger in Y's eyes."

How does Japanese sentence structure allow for a comma between "目が" and "なんとか"?

btw: When speaking, I don't think you'd do a pause there.


texts: What's the difference between 話せる and 話す?

texts:
I came across [話]{はな}せます in the Japanese WOTD chat room.

あなたは英語が話せますか？ Can you speak English?

What's the difference between it and [話]{はな}します?

(Googling got some hits, but they were from user generated content, which isn't always reliable)


texts: Asking a business contact to make a request on my behalf?

texts:
I am helping to plan an event featuring the work of a Japanese artist. I'm speaking to his representative, and would like to ask the question,

  Can you ask (name) if he would be willing to write a short statement to the public about this event?

but I'm not sure what the most polite way to phrase that would be.

This is what I have written now, but I'm not sure if it's correct:

  Aさんがこのイベントについての公式声明を発表した場合大変助かります。それについて聞いていただけますか？

Any help would be very much appreciated! よろしくおねがいします。


texts: "たものですか" "used to" is not convincing in my example

texts:
こんにちは
I searched about the meaning of "たものですか" and I found out it means " used to " but in my example "used to " is not logic

here's my example
(snippet from a conversation in a book)

A:この絵はすごいですね.いつごろかかれたものですか

Ｂ：ええっと.14せいきにかかれたそうです.

here in A's sentence " when it's used to be drawn " is not logic for me !
can any one help me translate the sentence of A and tell me the meaning of ""たものですか" here what ?


texts:
フィリピンの既婚女性の海外出稼ぎを家族崩壊と結びつけたこの映画は、「女性の海外出稼ぎの
  社会的コスト」を典型的に指し示すものとして、他方では自分たちのすぐ隣で起こっている物語
  として、多くのフィリピン人の共感を誘い、国内のみならずフィリピン人の海外出稼ぎ先各国で も上映された。

My translation:

  This film, which ties together already wed Filipino women and the
  breakdown of the family, points to the typical "the social cost of
  migrant working women", on the other hand as a story of our immediate
  neighbours it inveites us to empathise with many filipinos, not only
  in our country but in other countries too.

It doesn't make sense atm, but trying to get a whole comprehension on the sentences and can't work it out. Can any help me deconstruct this properly?


texts: Different nuances in meaning for なら sentences

texts:
I've looked at previous posts made on conditionals but still have a bit of trouble with なら. I was hoping someone could tell me the differences in meaning/nuance between the following sentences. The first two sentences came from A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar (p.283) and apparently do exist, but the the last two I made up and would like to know if they work at all and why/why not.

テープレコーダーを買うならテープをくれるはずです。(in dictionary)
テープレコーダーを買ったならテープをくれるはずです。(in dictionary)
テープレコーダーを買ったならテープをくれたはずです。(made up)
テープレコーダーを買うならテープをくれたはずです。(made up)

Also can you have 買っている/買っていた and くれている/くれていた？ This is probably a really stupid question but I'm obsessed with knowing all the possibilities.
よろしくおねがいします！


texts: Confusion on the pedagogy of adjective conjugation and interpretation of helper verbs and adjectives

texts:
As a disclaimer, I have read this link, Why does Japanese have two kinds of adjectives? (-i adjectives and -na adjectives) and it could be because it hasn't processed in my brain yet, but I'm not sure I'm closer to some of my answers below. I've never posted here before, so if it is better practice to link me somewhere else if it's already answered my question, that would be great too.
Hi. Just decided to delve deep into the technicalities of Japanese grammar. For reference, I've been watching CureDolly's videos (she says her method is based on Jay Rubin's approach, and she often contrasts with "textbook" information). I'm not sure if the "books" are right, Jay Rubin is wrong, but I'm confused on if this is a black white thing. Is this how Japanese linguists think of Japanese? Or how English linguists think of Japanese? Is this debated? Examples below.
I'm currently in a university Japanese class and just learned about adjectives. Now, I know that there is a distinction between 'Na adjectives" and "I adjectives", and that is predicative forms of na adjectives need a state of being copula to form a complete idea. 花がきれい（だ）。Contrastively, i adjectives have a state of being function built into the "い".
First question, in my previous phrase, an example like 花が赤い forms a complete sentence, and politeness marking is unnecessary. Why and how does the い have a state of being in this scenario?
Continuing, in plain Japanese, I understand that for I adjectives, they "conjugate" like this:
赤い（あかい）to あかく（ない）、あか（かった）、and あかく（なかった）。
Second question, why あかい not use the く in the stem? Does this have something to do with the fact that the state of being is shown with a verb, and non-existence with an adjective? Maybe this has to do with the answer of my first question.
Furthermore, the versions we learn in class (of course being polite), are the same as above with です at the end. What is the distinction between these and the plain Japanese from the last example? Are these just more polite?
Next, when な adjectives are used as a predicate, the polite forms we learn in class can be demonstrated as such:
静か（です）、静か（じゃないです）、静か（でした）、静か（じゃなかったです）。
If I am correct, na adjectives used as a predicate follow the same rules and use the same ending forms as nouns, or at least my textbook says so. Here is an example sentence of two grammatical sentences according to the textbook.
静か（じゃなかったです）。and キムさんは四年生じゃなかったです。
Two questions here. What do these sentences look like in PLAIN japanese? Second, why can I not use ありませんでした in the second sentence?
Thank you very much for your help in my efforts to get better at this interesting language.
ありがとうございます


texts: 相乗りの意味はなんですか。「商品相乗り」「相乗りしたショップ」はなんですか？

texts:
相乗りの意味はなんですか？

「商品相乗り」、「相乗りしたショップ」とはなんですか？


texts:
How does one join a noun and a verb? Example:
友達に行かせるのは初めてで最後にするわ - This is the first and last time I will let my friend force me to go
I used で to join the noun 初めて and 最後 in the example above, but it doesn't sound too right because で is used to join nouns only. Question is, what is the correct word to use here?


texts:
So, my textbook just taught me about -たつもり　and -ているつもり, stuff like this:
あの人は、全知があったつもりで話している。
=> That person talks as if she had omniscience.

The "as if" pattern was introduced as a pattern for translation by my textbook, but I already run into trouble using it on the exercises in it.
See here for example:

A:「つもり貯金」って何ですか。
B: 欲しい物があっても買わないで、それを買ったつもりで貯金することです。

First, I already have trouble with つもり貯金, I dont really know how to translate it.
However the main issue here is that I can't see how I should translate this with the "as if" pattern.
Other constructions which carry the subjunctive mood also don't really work here in my opinion.

I usually would translate it like this:

A: (To save money(?)) what is this?
B: Even though you wish to have a thing, you don't buy it, and you save money with the intention to buy it.

I'd also like to point out that two other questions of mine ripple into this one here:
1. Concerning -ないで　difference between -なくて and -ないで
2. Concerning つもりで　what is this で in this sentence

My translation is based on what I got from my second question linked here.


texts: Is 最愛の神さん the proper way to write "Dear God?"

texts:
Say, you're writing a love letter to God. Is this the right thing to write on the envelope?

  最愛の神さん

(I'm writing  a short story featuring that theme.)

EDIT:

Maybe this 親愛なる神へ is better grammar?


texts: What is the etymology of this child's melody about stepping on kittens?

texts:
I came across an insane child's melody about stepping kittens. What is the etymology of this melody?

猫ふんじゃった

And, what does "かつぶしゃる" mean?


texts:
I was reading up on the usage of げ, みたい, っぽい, らしい, そう, よう, and so on. Then, I came across a certain description on a website that ruined my day.

On this web page, the author states that 安いらしい, 安いそうだ, and 高っぽい are wrong. Now I am going to hazard my understanding below.

安いらしい (*mainly?) has two usages. One is for hearsay, and the other is for how someone/something seems to have a certain typical property (but usually positively so). The author says that if らしい is attached to 安い (an adjective), the usage defaults to hearsay (伝聞), and therefore wrong in that the other usage (様態) is the focus in question. I assume this means that らしい when preceded by an adjective can only be about hearsay. In the same article, the author says that only when preceded by a noun can らしい express the meaning of 様態. In other words, I assume that な-adjectives or verbs succeeded by らしい only has the meaning of hearsay.

Is this understanding correct?
Similarly, 安いそう is about hearsay. This time there is no other possibility, for the grammatical structure dictates so (安いそう would be it). Again, I believe the author says it is wrong, because the hearsay usage is not the focus of the discussion in that part of the article. Does this mean that one simply needs to change the form into 安そう to fit the scope of the discussion?

According to another website, not quite so. Here another author asserts that 安そう is unnatural:

  「安そうです」は不自然な感じがする。

The author used two rather big terms, 言霊信仰, and 言語の経済学, to explain how 安そう is not ideal. I think I understand the point made, but do you agree with the author? Is **安そう** really not commonly used?
The explanation given on another page on the first website says something to the effect that 高っぽい is incorrect due to っぽい's negative connotative nature. In other words, since one would usually view something factually 安い yet 高い appearance-wise as being positive, using 高っぽい to describe a cheap item would come across as strange. However, I feel that this is essentially more about context than prescriptive restriction. We all know 子供っぽい and 女っぽい are not necessarily negative. Do you agree with the author's view that **高っぽい** is illogical, and thus wrong?

*I feel like giving Japanese up already. Now the entirety of the question is based on what I could glean from the articles using my beginner-level Japanese. Please correct me if you find any misunderstanding of the text on my part. どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。


texts:
I failed to understand the meaning of と in the sentence "峠を二つ三つとこえても、まだ海は見えてこない" when I read the story あの坂をのぼれば.

I browsed through the meanings of と in 明鏡国語辞典, but it seems none of them fits.

Could you tell me the meaning of this と and share some examples of this sort of と?


texts:
Nouvelle-Calédonieで繰り広げるロードトリップはウェブ動画でも配信

In this sentence, why did we end the sentence at 配信? What does this mean?


texts: Adverbs - the difference between 恐らくand 多分

texts:
Is 多分 more neutral:

明日 多分 行く - I might go tomorrow

While 恐らく has a negative nuance:

姫を閉じ込めるとしたら 恐らく天守閣だ - If I were to lock up the princess, I'd dare say it would be the castle tower

OR

明日 恐らく 行く - I might [unfortunately] go tommorrow


texts: Why is こ〜 used towards 2nd person in derogatory speech?

texts:
Why is the こ prefix for pronouns used in derogatory speech in the presence of the other person, like:

  この野郎!

or

  こいつ。何言いやがる？

Or maybe the question should not be why it's not こ〜, but rather "why not そ〜", as in referred speech I hear あの野郎, or あいつ, but never そいつ.

In comparison what would その or そいつ sound in these examples? Would そ〜 give more nobility? Recognition of the other person, while こ〜 makes them more subordinate?


texts:
象は 大きい。
  象は おりに入れた。
  象は えさをやった。
  象は 鼻が長い。

  などの文では、「象は」はいずれも題目を示している。4の「象は」は「象が」に言い換えられるもので、事実上は文の主語を兼ねる。しかし、5以下は「象が」には言い換えられない。5は「象を」のことであり、6は「象に」のことである。さらに、7の「象は」は何とも言い換えられないものである（「象の」に言い換えられるともいう[47]）。これらの「象は」という題目は、「が」「に」「を」などの特定の格を表すものではなく、「私は象について述べる」ということだけをまず明示する役目を持つものである。

The above is a snippet from the Japanese Wikipedia page on Japanese which I am reading for Practise and bettering my understanding at the same time, especially on grammar. I am having trouble understanding 「何とも」 here within a sentence from the above snippet:

  さらに、7の「象は」は何とも言い換えられないものである

I can understand its meaning given the context, where it effectively says that "Sentence 7's [象は] is unable to be said any other way" (i.e. you cannot change the particle). But I fail to grasp a detailed understanding of 何とも in the sense that I know what it means (I have found many english "translations" of the word), but I fail to find any good explanations of how the expression actually works, as in are the 「と」and 「も」 particles? I think they must be obviously, but is the 「と」here the quotation particle or the inclusion particle etc.

I would appreciate it a lot if you anyone could shed light on the origin of the word with the particles which explain its meaning as it is the only way I will be able to fully understand it.

Any help is much appreciated, Thank you.


texts: ～おうと思う not allowed to be used as a question

texts:
According to The Japan Times "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar" textbook, the grammar pattern ～おうと思う can't be used as a question. As an example they state that you can't say あの本を読もうと思いますか。

When the subject is not the first person, [...] the nonpast form of omou cannot be used.
...
The reason why [it] is unacceptable is that omou represents an internal feeling of the speaker alone.
...
It is also to be noted that ~yō to omou cannot be used as a question.
(p.570)

Why is this?


texts: What is this kanji, found in a 1932 Japanese world map?

texts: The map can be found at this link, with the text in question placed to the right of the Iberian Peninsula. Despite the existence of many similar kanji (notably, 逐, 遂, 隧, 燧, and 邃), I was unable to pinpoint the exact character being used.


texts: Can you use the base of the 〜ます form to mean "and" in spoken Japanese?

texts:
When written I've read that you can use the base of the 〜ます form to mean "and". But does the same rule apply when spoken?
For example, does the following sentence make sense when spoken?

そしてシステムにログインし、部品を探し注文します

Or should it instead be:

そしてシステムにログインして、部品を探し注文します


texts:
I would appreciate help in understanding the following conjugation.
It is difficult to comprehend the English translation for this.

こんなことになっちゃんんじゃないの


texts: Sentence ending with こと or もの in mathematics definitions

texts:
I'm reading a mathematics textbook, and there are a number of sentences which end with もの or こと.
I can work out the intended meaning no problem, so what I would like explained to me, are the rules for when I can use this grammatical construction.
This seems to happen in definitions, especially if mathematically written conditions are involved.
For example:

すなわち

m1, m2 ∈ N ⇒ m1 + m2 ∈ N,　さらに 0 ∈ N

r ∈ R, n ∈ N ⇒ r•n ∈ N

となるもの。

or

f: S → T 全射 (surjection, epimorphism) であるとは、f (S) = T が成立すること。

I asked a (non-Japanese) mathematician, who told me that this can be used to give commands, e.g., 勉強すること。However, I don't see why a command would appear in definitions in this way...


texts: Is it true that all verbs have a corresponding noun form?

texts:
Is it true that all verbs have a corresponding noun form (which is formed by making the -masu form and removing the -masu)?

Like 遊び and 遊びます
飲み and 飲みます
生き and 生きます
死に and 死にます


texts:
If なのに already shows contradiction, what's the purpose of 'んだけど'?
Would be possible? Example:
 変顔なのに可愛いんだけど


texts: What is the difference between 一旦～ and ～が最後?

texts:
I was looking up ～が最後 and saw a comment that it was similar to 一旦～. However there was no further explanation, so now I'm wondering what the difference is?

One of the examples of ～が最後 I was looking at:

  あいつはマイクを握ったが最後、離そうとしないカラオケ狂だ。
  He is such karaoke fan that if only he gets his hands on the mike he wouldn’t drop it all night.


texts: Will the meaning/nuance change in the following construction?

texts:
I was going through some sentences and I found that the word かぜ was used before 私は and in one after 私は.
E.g.

私はなぜ風邪をひいているの
なぜ私は風邪をひいているの

So, my question is; Is there a difference between the two?
Moreover, what about いつでも in the same case:

私はいつでも風邪をひいているの
いつでも私は風邪をひいているの


texts: What is the meaning of these two? Donna Bangumi ga suki and Donna Bangumi o miru?

texts:
I already know what "Donna bangumi ga suki?" means: "What is your favorite tv show?".
However, I'm less sure about "Donna bangumi wo miru?". Does it mean "What TV shows do you watch?"? If so, would "Watashi wa Sophia the First wo miru" be a valid response?


texts: Why are some lyrics' words written in kanji whose usual reading is not how it is sung?

texts:
Some song lyrics in the official lyric book that accompanies the CD is sung as another word. Usually, the way it is sung is given as a furigana on the kanji:

Written: 君が希望に変わってゆく

　　　　(pardon the quality I took it using iPhone)
Sung: きみがゆめにかわってゆく
(ひとりじゃない by DEEN)
Written: 未来を今描こう
Sung: あすをいまえがこう
(Pray by Every Little Thing)

I wonder why write the word "希望" in the first place. Why not just print word "ゆめ" since you won’t hear the word "きぼう" in the song anyway? Is there a cultural/artistic reason for it?


texts:
This page discusses the "adjective" べき and mentions that if it had evolved like other adjectives, it would have been べい.

That made me think: Why are there no 形容詞 ending in /ei/ or /ii/ (except for /sii/)? This assumes that we disregard "slang" like わりい, あちい, あけー, やべー etc.

And what is special about べき (the only exception that I can think of)?


texts: Classification, compounding, and order of particles

texts:
I read here that 日本語の勉強は常用漢字を全部覚えてからが本番だ。is a valid sentence but 日本語の勉強は常用漢字を全部覚えてからのが本番だ。is not. This reminded me of a question I once had. I do understand that particles are classified into different types (but a person with no linguistic background like me most probably doesn't understand how they are classified) and are better explained in the Japanese Wikipedia article. Can particles of the same type be joined together?

There was already a question concerning this before; I was wondering if there's a general rule concerning compounding them and how this relates to the particle classification.


texts:
Been reading more japanese material lately and ran into this dialogue.

Person 1:ホント毎週転がり込んで...

Person 2:まーたそんな水臭いこと！そんな気遣うヒマあったら恋バナの一つでも持って来いっての！

For context 2 people are drinking beer at home. Person 1 is the nephew of person 2.

I can pretty much understand "まーたそんな水臭いこと！" and "ホント毎週転がり込んで". The final line is what stumps me. As a far I know, "そんな気遣うヒマあったら" translates to "if you have the time to worry about that, then..."

Does the "恋バナの一つでも持って来いっての！" translate to "gossip with me?" or "share a love story or two" or something?


texts:
My textbook contains the following sentence

  参加するしないにかかわらず、必ず返事を葉書で出してください。
  (Regardless of whether you participate or not, kindly make sure to RSVP by postcard.)

as an example of the expression 名詞＋にかかわらず. While I get the whole sentence and the にかかわらず, I'm having trouble understanding this usage of しない. I know しない

as the ない形 of する
as in 市内 (within the city)
as in 竹刀 (bamboo sword)

but none of these three seem to make sense, and the first one isn't even a 名詞.

Could someone please explain しない in this context and the general pattern of how/when to use it?

Thanks!


texts:
の can be used as a noun with a relative clause in what appears to be two separate situations.

Referring to a thing or person, e.g. '来たのは田中です。' ('The one who came is Tanaka.')
Nominalizing a verb (as does こと), e.g. '田中が来たのを見た。' ('I saw that Tanaka came.') This can be interpreted as 'the fact that...' or 'the event that...'. (This is probably what gave rise to のに and ので.)

How close are these grammatically and historically? For instance, two instances of the same bit of grammar, or superficially similar but really coming from quite different places?


texts: 料 can mean 'ingredient', which is clearly relevant to cooking. But 理 seems abstract -- 'the logic/theory of ingredients', almost like the name of a science (ingredientology'?).