texts: Differences between 「することはない」 and 「しなくてもいい」

texts:
Like the title says, I'd like to know the difference in nuance and usage between 「することはない」 and 「しなくてもいい」。

For example:

「謝らなくてもいいよ」 vs. 「謝ることはないよ」

To me, they both sound like "You don't have to apologize [for that]." On one hand, 「…なくてもいい」 sounds slightly more conversational, but I think I've heard 「…ことはない」 in conversation too.

Also, in this answer, it says that 「…ことはない」 might have the nuance of something you don't have to do and probably shouldn't do. So maybe 「…なくてもいい」 means that you don't have to do it, but it's fine if you do.

Can anyone provide some insights into differences between these two grammar points?


texts:
「その上{うえ}には熱帯魚{ねったいぎょ}の水槽{すいそう}と何{なに}かのトロフィーがふたつのっている。」

This is a quote from "The wind-up bird and Tuesday's Women." How many fish tanks are there? How many trophies?


texts:
From what I've seen/learned so far, ー extends the sound from the previous kana.

Following this logic デート should be read deeto. Why is it pronounced deito?


texts:
I have the following translation for class.

旅館には、外国人がたくさんいて、
アメリカから来たテッドさんという人が、
息子に英語の話し方を教えてくれたので、
そのおれいに、車で、神社に連れて行ってあげることにしました。

I am having trouble figuring out who goes along with what parts of the sentence.

The first line I think I am fine with.

In the Japanese-style inn, there were a lot of people and...

The second line I am also pretty confident about.

a person called Ted-san who came from America...

The third line is where I start having an issue. I thought ...てくれる was only used when someone was giving/doing something for you (the speaker). Is this not the case? I feel like I want to assign it to the son, and make it the following. But I am not sure.

taught my son how to speak English so...

The fourth line the only issue I have is knowing what そのおれいに means. I know その marks "that" and に is a particle. I looked up おれい and find "thank you". So "to that thank you"? I am guessing it's the following. But not sure how it comes together.

to thank him for that, I decided to take him to a shrine in our car.

So my questions are.

When can ...てくれる be directed towards someone other than the speaker?
How does そのおれいに transfer to English?

Thanks :)


texts: Are both of these correct sentences: 「ここに住所を書いてくださいますか？」「ここに住所を書いてくださいませんか？」？

texts:
I believe 「ここに住所を書いてくださいますか？」 means “Could you please write the address here?”
And 「ここに住所を書いてくださいませんか？」 means “Would you please write the address here?”
An exercise I’m doing shows the second sentence as the correct answer, but to my understanding both sentences are grammatically correct.
Am I right, or am I missing something?
Here’s the exercise, I have to choose what to fit in the gap to make a correct sentence.

ここに住所を書いて_______ か？
a. くださいます
b. くださいません


texts: Is there a difference between どのXが〜 and Xの中で、どれが〜?

texts:
Is there a difference between saying, for example:

「どの野菜がいちばん好きですか」

and

「野菜の中で、どれがいちばん好きですか」

To me, they both seem to mean: "Which vegetable is your favorite?", the second one possibly more literally as "Of the vegetables, which is your favorite?"

Is there nuance I'm missing?


texts: Why is a foreign person's middle initial written in romaji instead of katakana?

texts: Foreigner's names are written in katakana, but I noticed that the middle initial is always written in romaji. I see this on business cards and in newspaper articles, when a middle initial is used.


texts:
I have the following sentence and I can't find any material pointing out the usage of this grammar.

  薦められた本を読むには読んだが、よく理解できなかった。

In general, what is the usage of 「VるにはVた」?


texts: I heard the word 水脈 sung as みなすじ in a song, and I wouldn't have known what word was actually being said if I hadn't had the lyrics present. My dictionary doesn't show that as a possible reading, so I checked the individual kanji readings, and while すじ is indeed the kun-yomi for 脈, みな was only listed for 水 as nanori. I wanted to ask if this reading has any precedent--that is, if someone heard this and did not have printed lyrics handy, would they know what word this is? Is this a reading that has been used before or regularly enough to be associated with the word?


texts: How to say "I want to rub my face on your cat's fluffy fur" in Japanese

texts:
I have limited knowledge of Japanese but I tried to convey my thought by saying this to a Japanese friend.

  君の猫のふかふか毛で顔をこすることが欲しい。

It seems incorrect. Could anyone point out what's wrong with the sentence or give me some suggestion?


texts: Erabe is imperative but to say suki sounds gentle or less strict than an order  like "choose whatever you want" rather than "choose the method you want!"


texts:
I came across the following sentence:

  彼氏と大喧嘩して、お前とはもう別れたいとまで言われた。

Why are と and まで in that order?
Would "別れたいまでと言われた" be incorrect?
Is there a rule concerning the order in which particles must be assembled?


texts:
I picked up a bad habit of using ～たら (a form of conditional) when I mean ～てから (once something happens, something else will happen) from a friend many years back while learning Japanese.

In the years since, I learned the difference and felt bad when I still used たら out of habit. But, I was just thinking, since there are spoken short forms of various ～て forms (～ておく　→　～とく、～ている → ～てる) and I can't help but wonder if this is another case like that.

In short, is ～たら　one of the spoken contractions of ～てから?


texts: What is the difference between spellings しまう、仕舞う、終う、了う?

texts:
What is the difference of meanings between the spellings しまう、仕舞{しま}う、終{しま}う、了{しま}う?
Or at least, between the first two? (They are marked as common.)

If there is a source about such nuances, I'll appreciate links.

More specifically:
I know that しまう (in kana spelling) is a subsidiary verb, and a very common one. Besides that, I want to learn the full verb pronounced 【しまう】 (1to finish; 2to close down; 3to put away). So:

Is the kana spelling しまう used for the full verb at all?
If I want to translate the full verb from English into Japanese, how do I choose the spelling?


texts: Can I eat here?/ Is it ok to eat here? in Japanese

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I went to Japan and want to ask the food vendors whether I can eat in front of his shop.
Basically, I want to say "Can I eat here? or Is it ok to eat here?"
I know that

  ここ = Here
  食べる = Eat
  大丈夫 = All Right / Okay

, but I am not sure how to put them together?

Thank you so much :)


texts:
I am translating some Japanese Documents to English and I came across this text:

  66歳に到達した日以降に最初に訪れる3月末まで

So far I have:

  Until the end of March...on or after the day of turning 66 years old

How should one translate this text: 最初に訪れる, in order for it to fit the given text?

I have read about 訪れる here.

Until the end of the coming March? then how about the 最初に

Until the end of the first incoming March?


texts: Ways other than て-form and たり～たり～ to connect several sentences and ideas together

texts:
I was wondering if someone can give me some examples because I don't remember quite well from my Japanese classes (because we rarely used this following way), how to connect more sentences? Until now I have mostly used the て form and たり～たりする form, but I remember that there was another way, and I want to know if I'm right, by using the stems of the verbs. I vaguely remember a sentence from one of my textbooks and that's why I wanted a reminder of some sort.

I'm sorry if I didn't explain it quite well, because I don't remember the rule on how to construct sentences like that. Most of the time, me and my classmates resorted to the て form and made very very short phrases back then.


texts: Difference in words for saying "how + adjective"

texts:
I would like to know which is the difference between the structure いかに～か and｛どんなに／いくら／どれだけ／どれほど／なんと｝～か?
I know that いかに is the old version of どんなに, but what about the rest of words?
Could I say the next sentence with all the words?
"Right now, I can't express with words how happy I am."

今のところ、自分が (いかに／どんなに／いくら／どれだけ／どれほど／なんと) 幸せか言葉で表現することはできません。


texts: Is there a difference between この小さな街で and 小さなこの街で?

texts:
I noticed in songs, there are lyric lines that push the demonstrative adjective (*) この, その etc to the middle of sentences by switching it with an adjective/verb that describe the subsequent nouns. For example:

この小さな 街{まち}で becomes 小さなこの街で
あの 戻{もど}れない日々 becomes 戻れないあの日々

Is there any difference between the two sentence structures? Or is it just to make the latter sound more poetic?
(*) Thanks repecmps for providing the correct English term there


texts: I think I understand the meaning thanks to the context, but I don't understand why the first verb is in te form and the second in masu stem after a は particle(i.e.,I don't understand the structure used)?


texts: What type of clause is 「蛙飛び込む」 in the famous haiku by Basho?

texts:
Usually, Basho's famous haiku, when written with a translation, is presented thus:

  古池や
  蛙飛び込む
  水の音

And translated roughly (similar to three out of five translations available in Wikisource):

  An old pond
  A frog leaps
  The sound of water

However, there are inversions of order of the last two lines, as was brought to my attention in a recent post I made in the Literature Stack Exchange:

  An old pond
  The sound of water
  As a frog leaps in/Of a frog leaping in

Here, the second line is modified by the third, whereas in the first, they stand separate.

In Japanese, what type of clause is the phrase 「蛙飛び込む」 in this haiku?


texts: When the chinese readings of first 10 days are used?

texts:
Usually japanese readings are used for the first 10 days like ついたち、ふつか、etc.

Japanese wiki here shows readings like ごにち, ろくにち.. (You can just change the number in the url before the 日 to navigate). So are those used anyhow?


texts:
I don't get why として is used instead of を in this sentence, as it doesn't seem to fit with the "as" sense that I know.

  品詞と無関係にコソアドとして一括して扱うのが一般的です。

What I understand is this:

  Treating コソアド as a group, regardless of their part of speech, is common.

Thinking while writing: I was assuming that として was related to 扱う. But if instead it is related to 一括して then Yとして一括して would mean by grouping them as Y.

Which would mean that something like それを would be omitted in the sentence

  「コソアとドを」コソアドとして一括して扱うのが一般的です。
  It is common to treat (コソア and ド) by grouping them together as コソアド.

Am I correct?


texts: Grammar of すぐ医者に連れていこう

texts:
I'm learning japanese on my own and face a sentence below.

この子、熱が高くてすごくつらそうだよ。
"すぐ医者に連れていこう。"

What i don't understand is the grammar in the last sentence.
It seems that the book uses a Ving format.
it's strange for me as i believe that "すぐ医者に連れこう" should also works here.

Can anyone explain why the book uses this sentence structure？
is the one i modified above still correct?


texts: How would the english sentence structure "may you ___", kind of like something you might hear in a toast

texts:
I've been trying to figure this out to no avail. In the instance of a toast you might hear someone say something like the Irish toast "may you be in heaven before the devil knows you're dead." The "may you ___" construction.

Any help would be appreciated


texts: can the same compound have different readings when having the same meaning?

texts:
I know that kanjis can have many readings. But I thought compounds (combinations) had only one meaning. For what I've read in the board, a compound can have different readings for different meanings. But can a compound with different readings have the same meaning?

For example the word 今日 . Pages and browser extensions give me 3 different pronunciations for it きょう, こんにち ,  こんじつ . Now what does it mean? Does it mean that when the compound it's alone it has only one pronunciation and that when it's combined with other kanjis get different pronunciations (for example  今日中に = きょうじゅうに pronounced "kyou" , 今日的 = こんにちてき pronounced "kon", or does it mean that when the compound 今日 = today is alone can also be pronounced in 3 different ways? (  きょう, こんにち ,  こんじつ )

Also, (and I dont know if I should open another question for this) why when I look for the readings of 今 and 日 they only have the  コン、キン、いま and ニチ、ジツ、ひ、か  readings respectively, but when combined they get a reading  きょうthat you can't create by adding the individual kanji readings ?


texts: Use of 〜ないものか　with もうすこし／どうにか／なんとか

texts:
Do the following expressions:

  (もうすこし）上手にでき ないものか

  I wish I could get a bit better.
  (どうにか）直せ ないものか

  I wish I could somehow fix it.
  (なんとか）でき ないものか

  I wish we could somehow do something.
  (or: "hmm, I wonder if we can't somehow do something?..")

mean:

  A. "I can't ~",

  B. "I wish I could ~ (but I can't)", or

  C. "I can't ~ but wonder if I could~ (if I tried harder/thought a bit more a bit more about it)"?

How does the addition/removal of (i) the expressions in brackets (もうすこし／どうにか／なんとか), (ii) だろう（ie　~ものだろうか） and (iii) context in which the expression is used change the meaning?

I ask because normally a sentence ending in ~ものか is a strong denial (or does this only apply when attached to a verb in plain affirmative form (eg 似合うもんか, "It doesn't suit you"?).

The translations are my own/taken from my notes for reference but I am not confident about conveying the correct impression when I used these terms.

Supplementary question: How is this used in polite speech? Can ~ものですか　be used?


texts: How does one say 'tried as an adult' in Japanese?

texts: My best guess would be 「成人・成年として裁判にかける」, but neither seems to return many results. Incidentally, what's the minimum age to be tried as an adult in Japan?


texts: Official radical names (部首{ぶしゅ}名称{めいしょう}) vs radical nicknames (部首{ぶしゅ}通称{つうしょう})

texts: There seems to be a great many nicknames, but only one official name for each radical. I'm thus more inclined to learn the latter, but I'm left wondering about the practicality of that. All of the other radical lists that I've seen, whether English or Japanese, only list the nicknames. Are the official names rarely used in Japanese? Is it worth learning them? What about the nicknames, should I learn all of them? And most importantly, which names will show on the Kanji Kentei (漢字検定{かんじけんてい})?


texts: Is an honorific necessary when using someone’s name to say “you”?

texts:
Since people often just use someone’s name to say “you” do you always need an honorific?

Like could I just say 「ボブの犬が大好きな！」to say “I love your dog!” to Bob? Or would it need be ボブさん?


texts: I do not understand らさん in this sentence

texts:
Here is the sentence:

  夫は涎らさんばかりの喜びようだ。

Her husband seems so happy he is almost drooling? That is, he is ecstatically happy? What is this? らさん


texts: Would it be odd to refer to English-style tea as お茶?

texts: If I were drinking English-style black tea, made by first placing a teabag in the cup, adding sugar, pouring boiling water on to it, stirring, adding milk, and stirring again, and a friend asked me, 「何飲んでる？」, would it be odd to reply, 「お茶だよ」? Would another term like ミルクティー be more appropriate?


texts: What is the name for a blackboard eraser?

texts:
I found the term 消しゴム but the definition refers to a pencil eraser. Is there a name for a blackboard eraser? Thank you.

https://jisho.org/word/%E6%B6%88%E3%81%97%E3%82%B4%E3%83%A0


texts: I heard this word/compound in an anime and I can't find a single example of it online, am I understanding it correctly? (参加出）

texts:
During an exchange in which a character asks another to participate in an event, the other character replies　さんかで。(I'm writing it in hiragana 'cause I'm still not sure of the kanjis.) Context-wise the only possible meaning for that phrase considering the reactions of the characters is "I'm not participating", and I checked the subs to be sure and that's what they went with as well. Going with that interpretation, the only way I could make sense of it is if it was written as 参加出, but I can't find an example of it online, and that worries me. I also tried looking for it in plain hiragana, I tried looking up synonyms and quasi-synonyms of　参加しない, and nothing. Is this normal?
This character doesn't even have weird speaking patterns or anything, they're just kind of aloof, so I can't just mark this up as "anime shenanigans" and get on with my life. I haven't learned a language like japanese before, so it makes me really anxious that I can encounter phrases/words like this and not be able to find an example for them online...
Transcript of the conversation, just in case:
Character A: そうとなったら、早速セッチングするで！
Character B: さんかで
Character A: 何でや？来いや！
Character B: (explains why they can't go/participate)
(Anime is Sakura Card Captor Clear Card, ep07)


texts: What is て form at the end of sentences when it is not a request

texts: I understand that the phrase ごめん、待たせてしまって! means "I am sorry (and regret) that I made you wait". This statement does not look like a request. Why is a て form and not past form た used here?


texts: How to use "happy new year" expressions: 賀正{がしょう}, 謹賀新年{きんがしんねん}

texts:
I am familiar with:

  明{あ}けましておめでとうございます

Usually I use it with family and friends, also I saw some tweets with this phrase.

Today I found these two variations: 賀正{がしょう} (noun) and 謹賀新年{きんがしんねん} (interjection), looking at tangorin.com both means Happy New Year

賀正{がしょう} drawing looks like an interjection.

Where do I use these forms?


texts:
I guess the title says it all. Which conjugation is this:

  生きる  -> 生きていこう

?

Thank you very much.


texts: How should I translate the verb torawarenai?

texts:
I'm not sure how to translate this in English. Is there anyone who can help me?
価値観にとらわれない客観的な視点の研究. My problem is the verb torawarenai, for which I cannot find the best equivalent in English in this specific context.
Thanks a lot!


texts:
So this is my first time ever making a post on a forum, so sorry if I break any rules or this has been posted somewhere else, but as the title says, I'm looking for some natural ways to say おトク・お得.

I see this word all the time and I get that it means it's cheaper or more beneficial, but in phrases like "ネットならおトク！”, I can't think of a natural way native speakers would say this in, say, an pizza ad or something.

If any of you know a good way to say this, I would really appreciate it!

Thanks.


texts:
So a Japanese teacher told me that あなた (anata) was a bit rude. But today I talked with a Japanese and she used あなた ... so, I'm a bit confused (we just met in a language exchange app).

So I suspect あなた isn't actually rude. Maybe it's the standard "you" (even if you just met that person)? I'm not sure ...


texts: What is the difference between 「利{り}益{えき}」 and 「利{り}潤{じゅん}」?

texts: What is the difference between 「利益」 and 「利潤」? They both mean "profit". When shoud I use each of them?


texts: How would you say 16 and 18 with the counter mai?

texts:
My textbook [Japanese from zero 1, George Trombley] gives 6 and 8 as roku mai and hachi mai.
But then gives 16 and 18 as じゅうろっまい juu rommai and じゅうはっまい juu hammai.
Is this correct ?
I am only learning but it sounds wrong to me. I would imagine it would be juu roku mai and juu hachi mai.
If so then does 26/28, 36/38, etc. follow the same pattern ?


texts: What are the most and least common kana in Japanese people's last name?

texts: There are 104 kana in Japanese. Literally all of them can be used to spell people's last names. However, some are used more often than others. For example, "た", "だ", "とう", because 田 and 藤 are common kanji in last names. My question is: what kana or kana combination (such as "とう") are more common and what are less common? Is there some kind of frequency list?


texts:
I’m reading a manga and I’m a little confused to the meaning of きれる in this context.

  “甘さを自覚した三浦くんは
  私に受け止めきれるかな”

When I asked one of my friends she told me it’s along the lines “I’ve realized the sweet side Miura-kun has towards me and I wonder how I can get completely used to it.”
I understand that きれる can also mean completely so, is that correct? Or is it more along the lines “I wonder If i will be able to handle Miura-kun, who has noticed how sweet he is himself?”
Thank you very much.


texts: Sharp vs rounded (tomed) vertical stroke in kanjis

texts:
How can I know for sure in what situation I should use sharp vertical line and in what situation I should use rounded vertical line?

For example, from videos on youtube I do know for sure that vertical line in 申 is sharp and I do know for sure, that vertical line in 木 is rounded.

Is there some rule or hint or tip on defining myself when it is sharp and when it is rounded (tomed)?

My question is about vertical lines only.


texts: Is the たん in this phrase the same as たく or たい?

texts:
そんなことを言って. またいつもみたいに千春から抱きついたんでしょう?

So 千春 is a name (Chiharu) and the one who says this phrase is 千春 herself.
What does the たん mean here ?

From what I can translate it means

You’re saying stuff like that but you actually want me to embrace you like always right ?

Is たん the same as たく or たい  (which meanig “to want” to do something)

In anime you often hear the phrase

死にたくない (I don’t want to die)

Or

知りたい (I want to know)

So is たん some kind of slang thing ?

Also can the  たん, たく , たい  only be used after the MASU stem of a verb ?


texts:
I would like to know about how we deal with two or more verbs modifying a noun. Do we connect the verbs using the TE-form or do we keep them in their original tenses?

  激しい雷を伴った昨日から降り続いている雨のせいで、電車が遅れている。(Found this sentence on a native site - https://webdirectorsguide.com/blog/know-how/basic-knowledge/2015/02/061318)

In this case it seems that the correct choice would be to use the original tenses of the verbs.

But, I've also thought up sentences like:

  買って読んだ本がつまらない。

I don't know if using the te-form is correct but it seems to make sense.

Are both forms of using two or more verbs to describe a noun correct? If so, the cases where we have to use one or the other are different?


texts:
What is the difference between the negatives ~ぬ and ~ず, e.g.

。。。飲まず
。。。飲まぬ

Thanks


texts:
After reading this awesome question, I got to thinking about different animal meat.  Upon researching a little, there seems to be different conventions in referring to different meats.

Using 訓読み

  （鳥・鶏）肉　→　とりにく
  豚肉　→　ぶたにく

Using 音読み

  牛肉　→　ぎゅうにく
  羊肉　→　ようにく
  豚肉　→　とんにく
  鶏肉　→　けいにく

[Animal] + の + 肉

  子牛の肉　→　こうしのにく　(veal)
  かにの肉　→　crab meat

Why is there not one consistent way of doing this?


texts:
I found the sentence

  バスから降りた、制服に身を包んだ少年少女たちは全員この門をくぐり抜けていく。

translated as:

  All the boys and girls in uniform got off the bus and passed through
  the gate.

What would be the difference with some equivalent expressions like: 身につける、or others ?
Does 身を包んだ add some kind of nuance ?


texts:
I'm reading a poem by Misuzu, 星とたんぽぽ。
I don't understand the grammar of this line:
昼のお星は眼にみえぬ。
This is my understanding:

昼のお星は　the subject: stars during the daytime
眼に　to the eye (why not 目?)
みえぬ　I assume is a form of 見る - 見える (to be able to see) Is the ぬ form a 'childish' negative? Or an abbreviation of 〜ない？


texts:
I came across 柄にもない once while reading and since the immediate look-up didn't feel like a full explanation of the phrase, I've been motivated to try and understand it connotations better.

In a quick jisho.org look up, 柄にもない means unlike oneself, uncharacteristic. Thesaurus lists it as 'words/actions which are not suitable for one's natural personality or impression', with alternatives such as 'not the type to do that' 'not that kind of character' etc. which seemed straightforward enough for me at first glance.

However, two things about that definition made me pause. First, the usage of ふさわしくない. 'Unsuitable, inappropriate' is used rather than 'dissimilar, contrastive'. This speaks to personal opinion having a play here rather than pure logical contrast. Second, the word 'impression' included along with personality, which, again, speaks to personal opinion rather than reality.

This made me start to think that 柄にもない wasn't so much 'against one's true self' as it was 'against the expectations of one's self'.

This opinion further strengthened when I looked it up on goo, where it's worded as 'something which isn't suitable for one's position, status or abilities, personality.' The part about not suiting one's status is a new usage, but again, it speaks more to expectations rather than intimate knowledge of a person.

While it may be a simple nuance, I think it really makes a difference in how one understands the term, especially while reading.

For example,

  柄にもないことを言うな

'Don't speak out of turn.' is the given translation on jisho and the impression of the wording, but that given translation doesn't fit into the literal meaning of 'don't say something unlike you'. It only works if you take '柄にもない' to have added connotations of expectations upon you. In this case, it isn't 'unlike you' but 'unsuitable for you [with your position etc.]'

and

  柄にもなく殊勝なことを言う

There's no given translation for this on goo. I'd translate it as 'To say something uncharacteristically admirable', and I think it would be correct. But again, even this doesn't work if you read it with a nuance of being truly unlike yourself. If it's truly unlike you, then those admirable words are by default insincere, and likely lies. But, if it's just unlike what people expect of you, then the words are still sincere, if surprising and unexpected.

I think it's that word, the 'unexpected' nuance that 柄にもない speaks to the most.

For comparison, using らしくない for 'unlike you' is a wording that feels more intimate and accurate, as I feel like it implies the speaker really knows person. 'This isn't like you', 'it doesn't feel like a you-ish thing to do', 'it isn't something that seems like you'. The impression there is that the speaker has a deep and accurate knowledge of the person's character, and knows when something does not fit.

柄にもない, on the other hand, feels more like a general impression of going against a stereotype. It speaks more to expectations than knowledge. 'Not the type to do that', 'it's not their character', 'it doesn't suit your personality'. Like how you expect a Sergeant to speak according to their rank, you expect a dishevelled person to be irresponsible, you expect a studious person to be punctual, etc. The speaker is surprised the person is going against what they expect from them, rather than actually feeling like this goes against intimate knowledge of their character.

So yeah, that's my current impression, that the the meaning of 柄にもない doesn't seem to read as 'acting unlike oneself' so much as 'acting unlike the expectations of one's self'. But of course I could be wrong, which is why I'm turning to those more experienced and knowledgeable. I'd really appreciate other opinions from those who can confirm/joss the connotations, nuances, and usages for this word.


texts:
From a Meiji essay:

写生のいひ写実といふは実際有りのままに写すに相違なけれども元より多少の取捨選択を要す。

What does なけれども do in this sentence? Is it more like:

...写すに相違（がある）けど、元より...

or

...写すに相違(がない)けど、元より...

or neither of these?


texts: かれはまどをあけますか — How to convert it to "Why did he open the window?"

texts:
I am a beginner. I know

  Did he open the window?
  かれはまどをあけましたか。

I just don't know where to insert the "why" in the sentence.

Update: I forgot it is あけました because of "did". I can construct simple questions of when, where, why, who, what. So, this can be どうしてかれはまどをあけましたか。for "Why did he open the window?"?


texts:
I recently came across the word 「結構くせ」. Haven't found any entries for it in the usual places (zokugo-dict, WWWJDIC, etc.) According to kotobank, 結構人 is a synonym for お人好し.

Is 結構くせ the (negative) habit of being an お人好し?

Context: （省略）…消費者には、結構くせがある。


texts: Is my transcription of the handwritten kanji correct?

texts:
I just want to make sure my transcription is correct of the sentence pictured. (it probably isn't, but this is really the closest I could come up with.)

読みとみバーグアフ。微妙...

Is that correct?

For the second picture, I think the transcription should be: サターンのマルコソみだいなｘｘ with the ｘｘ being doodles most likely. For a while I thought the first ｘ was ミ and then the two ｘｘ could have been です, but I'm pretty sure it's just doodles.


texts:
Here is the context including the word. I put the blank spaces according to the column line breaks.

  なんでえ　大の男が　まっぴるまから　酒くらって　のたのたしてよう

For this word, I have no clue to guess at all what it should really mean.


texts:
While reading this bit of news, I noticed that the article used an interesting type of "honorific":

  京都大学院薬学研究科の辻本豪三・元教授（５９）が医療機器販売会社（東京都世田谷区）から私的な旅行費用などの肩代わりを受けていた問題で [...]

Although the 元教授【もときょうじゅ】 fragment appears on its own elsewhere (for example in the title), it also follows every occurrence of the disgraced former professor's name (3 times in this short article), in what would seem to be the chosen honorific to address him.

My question(s) are then:

Is the -元+[former address] form of honorific standard and commonly used? Would any former prime minister be 元総理大臣?
Does the form carry any negative nuance? E.g would it be used in cases where the term/position ended normally? (in this instance, the professor obviously resigned in disgrace, but what if he had just been a retired professor)
Any reason why the journalist would use this particular form rather than either a standard "civilian" -様 or the usual legal suffixes (-容疑者 etc)? (the insistence on pointing out his fall from grace seems a little petty to my untrained eye)


texts:
According to http://www.jisho.org/words?jap=%E3%81%9F%E3%81%A0&eng=&dict=edict, ただ is a na-adjective.

People seem to use ただの exelucisvely, and I wonder what ただな means.

What does ただな mean?


texts: Difference between 〜に限らない and 〜に限られていない?

texts:
I'm a bit puzzled by the use of 〜に限らない vs 〜に限られていない. Here are example sentences from a textbook:

  日本語を勉強している学生は、日本語専攻に限りません。
  最近、プロの相撲の力士は日本人に限られていない。

These both mean "not limited to", and have the same sentence structure. Here are my specific questions:

How is 限られていない being used as a passive verb here?
Would 限られない work?
Does sentence (1) have the same meaning as:

  日本語を勉強している学生は、日本語専攻に限られていない。


texts: Why are the South China Sea and East China Sea still referred to as "南シナ海 " and "東シナ海" when "シナ" is considered derogatory when referring to China?

texts: If China is usually referred to as [中国]{ちゅうごく}, then why do the names for the seas still use the old Japanese name? Is there a reason?


texts: What's the meaning of ず in 通ず? (Not a negative)

texts: It's from the Japanese saying, 読書百遍意自ずから通ず(Repeated reading makes the meaning clear). In this case, the ず ending doesn't make the verb negative. What is the function and nuance of this usage? Is this a verb form from the old days reserved for use in Japanese proverbs and perhaps some other specific and narrowly defined instances? Another example where this is used in the same way is 窮すれば通ず [きゅうすればつうず] (Necessity is the mother of invention). Is there another example with another verb that uses the ず ending in the same way?


texts:
What the difference between  程 and 程度?

I haven't been able to find any using my dictionary.


texts: Why is it 日本語がわかります instead of 日本語をわかります?

texts:
From what I understand, は is the topic marker, が is the subject marker, and を is the object marker.

One of the first sentences I learned doesn't seem to fit the rules I described above. The sentence is:

  わたしは日本語がわかります.
   watashi wa　nihongo　ga　　 wakarimasu
   I　　　topic Japanese subject understand
   'I understand Japanese.'

In this sentence, why does 日本語 have the subject marker attached to it? Shouldn't 日本語 be the object of the sentence?


texts:
I would like to translate this pattern "I wish I had/hadn't done XXX", precisely within this context: I went somewhere and I wish I actually hadn't.

I could come up with:

  行かなければ良かったです

Whereas Google Translate says:

  私はそこに行っていなかったことを願っています。

Who's right and are there different ways to express this?


texts: How does adding 手 to the beginning of an adjective change its meaning?

texts:
There are several adjectives that are formed by attaching 「手」 to more common adjectives:

手厳しい
手堅い
手早い
手広い
手短い

But most of the time this does not seem to change the meaning of the adjective very much.

厳しい severe; strict; rigid
手厳しい severe; harsh
堅い hard; solid
手堅い steady; firm
早い fast; quick
手早い nimble; quick; agile
広い spacious; vast
手広い spacious; roomy
短い short
手短い short; brief

Can these adjectives be used interchangeably?  What does the 手 prefix mean, and how does it change the meaning of the adjective?


texts: How is the last name Curry transliterated to japanese?

texts:
I'm transliterating my friend's names for fun and I'm having trouble figuring out the kana for the last name Curry. Would it be クリ？ Which doesn't seem right...
It confuses me that this is also an actual Japanese dish. lol.

Actually I'm also unsure about the last name Castañeda. I've done about a dozen names correctly by checking Google results and I would like some help with these two. :)


texts:
One of my friends has been making a real effort talking to me in Japanese every day. I wanted to say something like "If we continue at this rate I will be able to speak by Christmas". The dictionary thinks that at this rate is この分。

So my question is, is it natural correct Japanese if I say

  この分に続いたら、クリスマスまで話せるようになるわよ

?

I suspect that not. It feels like there is a word missing like この分のスピードに or something like that.


texts:
Google translate keeps saying that it means 'in the middle of a snowfall'. Is the sentence a proverb or a figure of speech? Well...in short, I am confused.

Many Thanks


texts:
A taxi driver picks a girl up. He is driving. Unintentionally he looks at rearview mirror and he doesn't see anybody. Then I found this sentence:

おや? と思って振り返るとちゃんといるのです。

When I have read it I have understood that he is driving, he sees that nobody is there, he turns to the back seat but the girl is there. However, it doesn't make any sense to me. At the end of the story the author says that he was afraid but he continued to drive and when he stopped the girl was not there.

Can somebody explain this sentence to me?


texts:
What role does と play in the following sentence?

  みなさんは、アフリカの平原で、ライオンがのんびりと寝そべっている姿をテレビや映画などで、見たことがあるでしょう。

In my understanding, のんびり is a noun and 寝そべっている is a verb. So interconnecting a noun with a verb with と does not make sense here.


texts:
I got this from an anime:-

  立ち話もなんですから、こちらへどうぞ

The sub translates to:-

  Standing around there chatting is all very well, but please come this way

I don't understand how "立ち話もなんですから" can be interpreted as "standing around there is all very well". How does "もなんです" modify the noun "立ち話"?

[[[Chatting]and[what]]declarative] doesn't really make sense.


texts:
I was watching a Japanese animation "Fruits Basket" (2019 version), and the protagonist kept using "ですのに" and "ますのに". I thought it sounded strange. I searched Google with the exact quote and the hit count was a few tens of millions. The first page showed sentences including "ですのに", but since Japanese has no spaces, I am not sure if that hit count is accurate. One grammar page from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies says

「のに」は丁寧形につくことはありません。

So, if that page is correct, "ですのに"/"ますのに" are wrong. But textbook grammar and current colloquial grammar could be different. I wonder how acceptable they are. Do most people think they are wrong?


texts: What is the difference between 腰掛ける and 座る?


texts: Could the animal "lion" be represented by シ or by ツ

texts:
Looking at an old world war two map, I know there is a mountain/hill/ridge which was nicknamed "lion" by the Japanese. The old map has a Japanese symbol written on the spot of that mountain/hill/ridge.

Because I don't know Japanese (can't recognize and understand the characters), I don't know which one of the following characters it might be:

Either:

  シ

or

  ツ

Could someone with knowledge of Japanese give me a definite answer on which one it might likely be, and why.

Drawing from my knowledge of Chinese, my best guess is it will be

  シ

because it seems that this Japanese character is pronounced "shi", which might be coming from the Chinese "獅子" (shi zi).


texts: How does あるのですか work in this gramatically?

texts:
A Japanese friend wrote to me:
なぜsomethingsomethingに興味あるのですか。

Shouldn't she have used が before ある?
Could you just say ありますか instead of あるのですか?


texts:
The sentence "I also ate in Tokyo" can mean three different things:

  (Aside from my friends who ate there), I also ate in Tokyo.

  (Aside from the other places where I tried local cuisines), I also ate in Tokyo.

  (Aside from shopping and other activities), I also ate in Tokyo.

How do you distinguish these sentences in Japanese, without, of course, literally translating the phase inside the parentheses? If my rusty Japanese is correct, the first two sentences may be expressed as

  私も東京に食べた。
  私は東京も食べた。

I have no idea how to express the third. If a direct object is specified, I suppose mo may also be used, e.g,

  私は中華料理も東京に食べた。

In general, what are the ways to express "also" in Japanese when "also" pertains to a noun (which can be the object, direct object, etc), verb, adjective and other parts of a sentence?


texts: Am I understanding ご覧になって頂く／送らせて頂く correctly?

texts:
Just for a little bit of context:  There's a flyer about a Japanese church's beach retreat that's been sent around, and I'm trying to translate it for practice.  That being said, the flyer has been attached to an e-mail, and some of the earlier stuff in the e-mail seemed to be talking about how a couple of the details about the beach retreat haven't been figured out quite yet.

Take the following sentence:

  でもリトリートがどんなものかは、スケジュールをご覧になって頂くと、一番分かると思いましたので、未完成ながらも送らせて頂きました。

I'm having a little bit of difficulty with this.  I've put together what I'm hoping is at least kind of close to what's being said:

  However as for a lot of the retreat's details, since I saw the schedule, and since I figured it had all the important stuff on there, it's going ahead and being sent around, despite not quite being finished just yet.

I know that some of the wording style is my own, but if I really knew how to translate the above, I wouldn't have affected the wording like that; this is largely to try to plug some holes in real quick while just practicing.

Also I noticed 頂く being used more than once; I know that the speaker generally wouldn't ever use it to refer to their own actions, but I really had no idea where it fit in.

What does the sentence above really say, and is there a pattern of difference between my translation and the real one?  Thanks!


texts: Do native Japanese speakers confuse "オーストリア" and "オーストラリア"

texts:
Native English speakers sometimes mix up Austria and Australia (example).

Do native Japanese speakers sometimes mix up "オーストリア" and "オーストラリア"?


texts:
So I'm reading this manga, and at one point person A brings out a syringe and starts explaining to person B about how she needs to recieve what's in the syringe for a procedure to work, and then goes on to start explaining why which is when person B interupts them to say:

えいつ or maybe えいっ

Which is followed by:

Person A: ええ！？> Eeeh?
Person B: どうかしました？ > Is something wrong?
Person A: あはは！ いぇ…あまりにためらいがなかったもので >
Ahaha! No...it’s the lack of any hesitation.

I've hit the dictionaries and there isn't anything for えいつ and while there are some entries for えい none of them seem anything relvant.
Given the context to me it seems like B said some equivalent of "Okay", which surprises A who expected to need to talk B into it.
Basically, is this a typo and in either case what's the meaning?


texts:
During reading of some Japanese Wikipedia articles (e.g. 北上, 重雷装艦) I encountered the compound 雷装｛らいそう｝, which I have been unable to find a definite explanation of.

In their descriptive texts you will find a lot of mentions of 魚雷｛ぎょらい｝. However, it seems that they (北上 and related ships) are a different type of torpedo cruiser, since a torpedo cruiser generally gets called 水雷巡洋艦｛すいらいじゅんようかん｝. The Wikipedia text on 重雷装艦｛じゅうらいそうかん｝ seems to indicate these were remodelled torpedo cruisers into light torpedo cruisers. Did I understand that correctly?

But that still leaves the question open: is 雷装 a synonym for 魚雷, maybe in a similar style how 魚雷 took over from 魚形水雷｛ぎょけいすいらい｝?

Any additional hints or explanations about etymology very much appreciated.


texts:
In this question before, I tried to produce examples of the usage of けれども (けど, けども). These are those examples:

犬{いぬ}がほえているけれども、だれか外{そと}にいるんじゃない？
この地方{ちほう}は寒{さむ}いと聞{き}いたけれども、本当{ほんとう}に毎日{まいにち}冷{ひ}え込{こ}むね。
ね、ミキちゃん、喉{のど}乾{かわ}いたけど、水{みず}ちょうだい。
この説明書{せつめいしょ}って結構{けっこう}曖昧{あいまい}だけど、よくわからないよね。
健一{けんいち}君{くん}病気{びょうき}だと聞{き}いたけども、車{くるま}を借{か}りてもいいですか。
お父{とう}さんがぼやいていたけど、最近{さいきん}ガス代{だい}はたかくなってきたって。
ビール買{か}ってきたけどさ、飲{の}まない？

User @非回答者 commented that some (most) of my examples sound unnatural, and I'd like help from all of you to try and fix this. I'm asking three things:

Which sentences you think sound unnatural?
For each "unnatural" sentence, if possible, please suggest a fix to make it sound more natural (still using けれども).
If a sentence is not at all "workable", please explain why けれども is not suitable for that particular phrase.


texts:
What is the meaning of やらで in this tanka and where it comes from?

春のよの月は木のまを出でやらでまづ山のはの花ぞみえ行く

I found that the expression 出でやる could be an equivalent of 出てくる but I don't really understand the equivalence between 出でやる and 出てくる at all... I found that 出で comes from 出づ, and old version of the actual 出る (is this correct?). It can be translated as appear, but i don't really understand the function of やる there.
Also I think the で after やらで could act like "not" here, but i am not really sure about that.
Sources
The original source is this: volume 4 of Shimpen Kokka taikan, ed. Shimpen Kokka Taikan Henshû I'inkai (Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten, 1986), although I had a hard time finding this book. I also use this English translation, although it's all in rômaji: Just Living, poems & prose by the Japanese monk Tonna, by Steven D. Carter.


texts: In a song called [イノコリ先生] I found a phrase in the lyric which I could not translate into a good understandable meaning from its individual meanings by myself. [友達とは違う関係] . If I try to roughly translate it by myself, it would be [with friend is a relationship that differs]?! And it doesn't make any sense.


texts: The word ビール　(beer) is commonly used. According to the dictionary, there is the Japanese word 麦酒 (ばくしゅ), which means the same. But I have never heard it. Is it used these days or not anymore?


texts:
I start by saying that I'm a beginner in Japanese and maybe my question will seem obvious to you.

I've been told by Japanese people that there's a difference between 水 and 湯.
I understand that 湯 means "hot water", but isn't it the same if I said あつい水?


texts:
あんた学校中から非難されてるわよ。

Taken from a manga. I mean, I sort of understand, but it's hard to fit it in the sentence.


texts: In most hiragana the horizonal stokes are drawn first, but も is an exception. Is there any reason for this?


texts: What does it mean to describe a joke as ジェネギャ?

texts:
ジェネギャなジョーク

Need help with translating the phrase above to English.
I know it is some kind of joke and Google Translate is not helping much.


texts: Translating causative forms of 食べる (taberu)

texts:
Kim Tae tries to explain the difference between the "make" and "let" usage of causative verbs. I need a bit of help translating the various possibilities into English.
What would be the best translations in English for each of these sentences?

私は 僕が 食べさせる (tabesaseru)
私は 僕が 食べさせてくれる (tabesasetekureru)
私は 僕が 食べさせてあげる (tabesaseteageru)
私は 僕が 食べさせた (tabesaseta)
私は 僕が 食べさせてくれた (tabesasetekureta)
私は 僕が 食べさせてあげた (tabesaseteageta)


texts:
From NHK Easy Japanese News:

「民主主義｛みんしゅしゅぎ｝は、一度｛いちど｝運動｛うんどう｝を止｛と｝めると、使｛つか｝わない筋肉｛きんにく｝のように弱｛よわ｝くなってしまうので、運動｛うんどう｝を続｛つづ｝けなければなりません」と言｛い｝いました。

If I translate literally:

"About democracy, if stop exercising once, becomes frail like unused
muscle therefore, if don't continue exercising don't become," she said.

The last part, logically, seems to be backwards. I would expect either of

～運動を続けなかればなります。
～運動を続ければなりません。

Is the original sentence correct and so what is its meaning and why?
I am familiar with "must do" expressions using two potential negative forms like:

～なければいけません

But here the ending verb is simply なりません, not a potential form. Would this also express "must do"?


texts: Could explain to me the grammar of this sentence? ～てになる

texts:
「なんで この時は、食べてになるのに、待ってになるんですか? 」みたいな、

What does verb in て form + になる mean here?


texts:
When doing a bit of research into ~し sentences I've found that sometimes は/が is used and sometimes も is used, which is a bit confusing.  For example,

  お金もないし、時間もないし、困ったな.

  お金はないし、時間はないし、困ったな.

  私の部屋は狭いし暗いし家賃も高いので、早く引っ越したいです。

The first two are the same sentence with the particle changed, and the third one has 部屋 with は but 家賃 with も (why not both with も or with は)

It's all very confusing :(


texts:
While doing some translating, I stumbled upon this usage of 立ち上がる。

  わたしがゴミ袋を手に立ち上がると、イツカ君とお姉ちゃんは二人一緒にわたしの所へやって来ました。

It doesn't match up with the definitions I'm familiar with, nor any of the other ones I found in the dictionary.

 ①座ったり腰かけたりしていた人が，立つ。 「座席から－・る」
 ③まったく打ちひしがれていた者が，勢いを取り戻す。「破産の憂き目から－・る」 「廃墟の中から－・る」

A google search of ~を手に立ち上がる gets over a million hits suggests it's used often enough.

  総大将は軍扇を手に立ち上がる

Could someone elaborate on what's going on and the precise meaning of the word?


texts:
This is related to Beyblade, regarding a team exclusive to a game that didn't get translated to English. Each blader has their own holy beast to command and I'm not getting the name of one of them.

The winged horse beast is called ペガシオン; Pegacion, with the usual "-us" ending replaced with "-ion"
The kitsune beast is called ウルペース; Vulpes, just the Latin word for "fox".
The boar beast is called アグリオス; Agrios. I presume it's named after Circe's son from Greek mythology, but in any case I've come across another franchise in which a boar was called Agrios, so I reckon this romanization is correct.

The fourth one is グランクローネ, a beast based on the tripedal crow, probably specifically Yatagarasu. Now, for my questions:

グラン I understand as "grand" with a French pronunciation. I've on occasion seen fantasy names that use グラン instead of グランド and I'm curious how to understand this. Are グラン and グランド interchangeable from a Japanese perspective or are there situations where one is prefered over the other (aside from set terms like グランプリ)? And is グラン necessarily pronounced the French way? Should I look at クローネ as French just because I do グラン?
Assuming クローネ is the English word "crow" with "ne" slapped to the end, what is "ne"? With Pegacion up above, I know the "-t/cion" ending from words such as "television" or "vacation". But I have no such familiarity with "ne". There is an Egyptian character in the franchise named Cairona, which is "Cairo" + "na", which seems a comparable name construction to "Crow" + "ne", but it still leaves me confused what these extra letters at the end are supposed to evoke.

Thanks in advance.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Rules for slang of Japanese numbers

They seem to be some form of replacing kana sounds with numbers to spell things with numbers. Are these actually used anywhere "real"? or are they just a bit of fansite silliness?


texts: Most correct "noun suffix" for "living in X" or "resident of X"?

texts:
Not sure if that is the best title, but I wasn't sure the best way to word it.  We all know you can say "(originally) (comes) from X" as simply X出身.

  私はニューヨーク出身です　→　I'm from New York
  鹿児島出身の平田さん　→　Mr. Hirata from Kagoshima

So I'm looking for something analogous to this to say "living in X" or "resident of X".  I was thinking possibly X居住, X[在居]{ざい・きょ}, or X[在住]{ざい・じゅう}.

  私は大阪在住です　→　I'm living in Osaka
  [上海]{シャン・ハイ}居住の日本人　→　Japanese living in Shanghai

Are any of those correct/acceptable/used to convey this meaning?  Possibly some other noun I haven't listed?  Note that I'm looking for a "noun suffix" of the form <place> + <suffix>, not complete clauses/sentences like

  どこから来ましたか？　私はオーストラリアです。
  イタリアに住んでいる私の姉


texts:
『なるほど。数値を見るに、一時的に顕在化した力は経路を通して再封印されたみたいだけどーー早めに機嫌を直しておいた方がよさそうね』

Hi. What does the に mean here? I would expect 見ると.
Thank you.


texts:
For full context:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/k10011221251000/k10011221251000.html

The sentence in question:

  ＪＲ東日本は、新幹線で無線のＬＡＮのサービスを始めて、無料でインターネットが利用できるようにすることにしました

My problems are the parts in bold. First, my attempt at translation:

  JR-East-Japan has decided that, establishing wireless LAN service in shinkansen, they make it so that you can use the internet for free.

So, first there 新幹線で and 無料で. In the way I translated these parts, it feels like I'm wrong. Whenever で is a particle that marks a location, it usually was in context of an action happening in this place. In this case, "establishing WLAN" can be interpreted as an action happening there, however, the cases I used to encounter with で expressing the semantics I mentioned above were more of this sort: キャシーがパーティーでなに何をき着ていたかおぼ覚えていますか。
And I think that this is something else, although I could be wrong as well of course.

Second, 無料で. It's a similar problem here. I interpreted 無料で as 無料 + conjunctive form of だ. In this case, the literal translation would be:

  ...being for free, they can use the internet.

However, this already expresses something else than what I translated above, I think. I can't think of another way to translate this meaningfully, and it fits into the context very well.

Third, ように in インターネットが利用できるようにすることにしました.
I translated it in a final sense like in "They do X, so that they achieve Y."
However, combined with することにしました it sounds rather overcomplicated to me:
"They decided that they do, so that X/in order to X...".
That's why I feel the need to ask for confirmation...^^
I also know a different meaning for verb+ように, which would be something along these lines:
学生に図書館で物を食べないように注意しました。
Here, my textbook says that "this structure is used to quote the contents of an order or request.". Since sometimes the definitions turned out be defined too narrow, I wanted to bring this up in context of this question.


texts: How can I say "I insist on paying" (for a free item) to a shopkeeper?

texts:
This is related to a question on the Interpersonal Skills site about refusing free goods from shopkeepers, etc., and paying for them instead. (Note: I'm not the OP of that question, I'm not blind or in Germany.) The most popular answer now suggests a polite but firm "I insist!", and that is what I'd probably use if the conversation was in English. But in Japanese, I'm not so sure how to say this. Would something like「失礼{しつれい}します、お支払{しはら}いたいです」be fine?

It's not uncommon to get something for free as サービス in Japanese stores, especially if the shopkeeper made a mistake in something. In such instances, I'd still like to pay for whatever it is they are offering me, especially so if that's what I wanted in the first place.


texts:
I just finished an introductory Japanese class, and the class bought a small gift for the professor. I'm planning to drop the gift off at the professor's office, so I need to write a brief tag saying who it's from: "Thank you from the whole class." Is something as simple as:

ありがとうございます!

---[class name] のみな

correct and appropriate for the situation?


texts: The translation of 獨行道(Dokkodo) is literally "The path of aloneness" or is it something else?


texts: When am I supposed to know when to use the On-Yomi (sound-element) or Kun-Yomi (meaning element)?

texts: I'll just start off by saying I'm not exactly new to Japanese but I'm still learning the kindergarten equivalent of what native speakers learn. I've mastered Hiragana and Katakana and am using Genki to learn my grammar and Kanji. One thing it fleetingly explains and that I'm still confused about is the difference between On and Kun readings. I understand that On is for the Chinese benefit and the Kun is the reading the native speakers made for their speaking, but when making compound Kanji, there doesn't seem to be a pattern between the usage of On or Kun. It says that On is also the "sound element" and Kun is the "meaning element", so how am I supposed to know the difference between when to use either one??


texts:
Most of the time when I read Japanese sentences, I have no confidence whether the speaker or another person is the subject. Let's see one example as follows.

  主人は、料理にかけては、誰にも引けを取らないと信じている。

I think the speaker is a woman (housewife). But what I don't understand is who the believer is? Here I have two interpretations as follows:

A: The speaker  is the believer

  When it comes to cooking, I believe that my husband is better than anyone else.

B: The speaker's husband  is the believer

  When it comes to cooking, my husband believes that he is better than anyone else.

Is there a method to determine the correct subject in this kind of sentence?

Edit

Rather than posting a new question that seems to be related to this question, let me ask an additional question here. If you think it should be separated, I will do it.

Considering broccoli forest's comment as follows,

  It's perfectly natural if you parse it 「主人は誰にも引けを取らない」と信じている。 where 「主人は誰にも引けを取らない」 is what the writer thinks.

it leads me to the additional question "Does each of the following make the writer the subject?"

Adding 「・・・」as @broccoli forest did.

  「 主人は、料理にかけては、誰にも引けを取らない 」 と信じている。

Adding こと.

  主人は、料理にかけては、誰にも引けを取らないことと信じている。

Adding ということ.

  主人は、料理にかけては、誰にも引けを取らないということと信じている。


texts: About the relationship between 「ので」 and 「~てください」:

texts:
According to "A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar", ので cannot be used in sentences that contains a request in the main clause.

However, in many phrases at sites or another grammar books I have found cases like this:

ちょっと気分が悪いので、早く帰らせてください。

After that, I made a quick search on the Internet and noticed that the combination of " ~ので, ~てください" is not uncommon at all, although I have not reached at any conclusion about the reason. Is this gramitical rule simply ignored by most Japaneses, or there are special cases when the use of the pattern " ~ので, ~てください" is valid?


texts:
It was used sort of like this:

それは響【ひび】きがものすごい

which I'm unsure whether this should translate as "that sounds terrible" or "that sounds awesome".

Google Translate suggests the former (I'm still learning, it's a huge crutch), but I suspect the latter seeing that ものすごい often means "awesome". I doubt myself though because of the stark contrast in the way I expected this to translate.

What does it actually mean? Thank you!


texts: The component 曷 and the kanjis 褐, 喝, 謁, 渇

texts:
Note the right component of the kanjis 褐, 喝, 謁 and 渇. It doesn't exist as a separate Chinese character, at least I couldn't find it. Those who have used Heisig will know that he refers to this component as 'siesta'.

It's not 曷, but it's close.

Now, when I look these kanjis up on Wiktionary, it gets complicated. Take 褐 for example. There are two forms of the kanji given, which look different on screen, one is 褐 and the other has 曷 as the right component, but when I copy and paste the latter, it looks exactly the same as 褐.

So I am confused now. Are there indeed two forms of these kanjis? How can the forms look different on screen but not when copied? And does the right component of 褐 exist as a separate Chinese character?


texts:
I often see ですな used in social text posts.
Examples:

こんにちわ、あついし、ひまですな。
いいてんきですなｗ

A Google search for "ですな" does not show me any explanation.
Here is how I understand ですな in such context:

Humourously "aristocrat"-sounding.
Auto-derision of fake deepness.

Am I getting it right?
Why would someone use "ですな" rather than not use it?
What nuance does it give to the sentence?


texts: I found this word "こうぼう" in google translate, stating it means 'atelier' or artist workshop... is this an accurate translation in the sense it specifically refers to an artist's workspace?


texts: The context is the following: in a manga there are 2 characters talking. One of them says something and the other says back to him, "うそつけ!!". It is translated as "Liar!!". I understand that "うそ" means "a lie". What about "つけ"?


texts: Grammatical construction「placeはsubplace、story」 as an introduction

texts:
In old stories I often find the following structure:

  general place は specific place 、 story unfolds

for example:

  ① 江戸は芝、増上寺門前町で (例: ◯◯人が歩いた)
  ② 東海道は宮宿、ただいま名古屋市の熱田神宮辺で (例: ◯◯浪人の二人が出会った)

I took it for granted so far, but how exactly does it work? What is the function of は? It just sets the place of the story, so it is hard to call it "topic marker".
Why place names are not combined with の particle like 「江戸の芝の増上寺門前町で〜」 or 「東海道の宮宿はただ今〜」?
Is this construction limited to literature? Is it used contemporarily? Like let's say... 「東京は新宿、JR駅前にコカ・コーラの自動販売機がございます」 :) How does it sound?


texts: I know that べき means should, so what's つっこむ? And what's its infinitive?


texts: Why と言っていました and not と言いました

texts: My textbook I studied from many months ago stated that to quote what somebody said, you have to use と言っていました.  I was wondering why that form is used and not と言いました。 Is there any specific reason for it?


texts: Grammatical explanation of 「X～Yのうち、いずれか一仕様とする」 expression

texts:
I came across the following sentence:

  (1)、(2)のうち、いずれか一仕様とする

After the sentence there are two options listed. From the context (a guide on how to fill in a form to request quality evaluation) I understood that the meaning is something like "Choose one specification between (1) and (2)". Looking it up on google I found out that it's a fixed expression often used in forms (see here). What I don't understand is:

1) why the verb used is simply する and not a specific one indicating a choice (like 選ぶ or 選択する)?

2) why is the dictionary form of the verb used and not the -てください form or something similar to express a request?

Thank you for your help!

EDIT: for more context, this is the  instruction on how to fill the section in question: 申請仕様が複数存在する場合は、「(＊)～(＊)のうち、いずれか一仕様とする」と表記して下さい。


texts: What is the meaning of だ when used in a sentence involving a past tense verb like 来たばかりだ?

texts: English dictionaries translate ばかり as "just (finished, etc.)" but that doesn't seem to really work because "I just came" is past tense and "私は来たばかりだ" is present tense. ばかり is an adverbial particle in the same vein as だけ and まで, but I don't see how ばかり modifies だ. An entry in a Japanese dictionary describes it as 動作が完了してまもない状態にある意を表す, but that doesn't really tell what the meaning of だ is in those sentences since the meanings of ある and だ are quite different. Is だ in たばかりだ sentences being used the same way as in 私は先生だ (noun) or　私は静かだ (adjective)? Since ばかり is an adverbial particle and not something that can connect だ with a noun, I am confused.


texts:
Sentence:

そら おとり こんな はしたがねで よければな。

Main problem that this two words written separately, and the verb "おとり" or "とり". I'm sure this is not slang
Context: https://youtu.be/b0s-RxmP73g?t=1388


texts: How to properly denote a nuance between comparing choices

texts:
My question relates to how to create the nuance between choosing two or more methods and knowing which should be the preferred or more suitable choice.

E.g.
"How did you know whether to do/use 'A' or B?"

＊いつ　Aか、Bどちらが使いますか。

At this point, my Japanese is incredibly limited. So I am making more of an attempt to familiarise myself with different interrogative statements for those times when I have such questions.
Alternatively a different way to say the same in English may have been :

"When do you do 'Method A' or 'Method B'? - This when is similar to 'How do you know when'.

Thank you for all the help.


texts: How do you say you want to share something with someone?

texts:
Like this:

私はこの漫画と友達に共有したいです
"I would like to share this manga with my friends"

It is okay if I use this sentence?
Thank you for your help!


texts: What's the difference between まま and っぱなし？

texts: I do understand that they can be interchangeable, but can you provide me some example to understand the difference?


texts:
そろそろ初めての定期テストという方も多いのではないでしょうか。 (source)
まだ持っていないという方は是非受験してみてくださいね。
連休明けから定期テストという方も多いと思いますのでテスト前に一緒に勉強して目標点を取っちゃいましょう！(source)

The meaning of the sentences is pretty clear, but what is the function of という in these sentences? 方{かた} rather than 方{ほう} seems obviously to be the reading of the word.
My research led me to this Q&A: Imperative form + という方 which doesn't appear to be about the same issue.


texts:
In a short story the protagonist says this sentence:

  そして僕は突然、自分が知っている誰からも、自分が知っているどこの場所からも、信じられないくらい遠く隔てられ、引き離されているんだと感じる

I was wondering: why 自分が知っている**どこの場所** instead of just 自分が知っている**場所**.


texts: What are the grammatical roles of the two のs in the following sentence?

texts:
What are the roles of the two の particles in the following sentence?

彼はこういうのがうまいのです。


texts:
実際問題として、近年多くの企業が新卒求職者に求める能力として挙げてきたのが、まさにコミュニケーション能力、「コミュ力」なのであった。

The 挙げてきた part is confusing me, I can't seem to find a definition of this word. In general struggling to translate this sentence and understanding some of the meaning.


texts: My Japanese friend often says 中(なか) in our real life conversations - what does it mean?

texts:
She seems to use it as if it's a conversation filler, and I never really understood what it meant.

When I asked what she means by that, she says it's like "something between us". I just nodded and said "Ohhh" but I didn't really understand.

She doesn't use it in chats or text, but I just notice that she says it out of habit during conversations. What does it mean?


texts:
I came across this sentence when reading an essay：

  「ぢちらしろ、そう何回も声をかけられたんじゃ不快な気分になるなというほうが無理ではないか。」

I'm not sure what the significance of the んじゃ is where it is in the sentence.
My grasp of the sentence overall is something like:

  'If which wherever you go, you get called out to by such a voice, isn't it impossible not to get uncomfortable?'

Is this along the right lines?

Source: そして生活が続く － 星野源　P22


texts: Can んだった and んじゃなかった be used like the past version of んだ and んじゃない?

texts:
I know that んだった and んじゃなかった can be used to say "Should have done" and "Shouldn't have done". I am wondering, however, if they can be used as a past version of んだ
Take for example this conversation:

A friend: You never spend time with me
You: 忙しいんだ (The thing is, I'm busy)

Now I try with んだった

A friend: You never spent time with me
You: 忙しいんだった (I was busy, that was why)

Is this incorrect or correct?
Much appreciated
Daniel Safari


texts: Why these words, 「お読み」 and 「お使い」 do not use te-form in this sentence?

texts:
I have came across the following sentence in an instruction manual and I'm curious why they did not use them in the te-form.

この取{と}り扱{あつかい}説{せつ}明{めい}書{しょ}をよくお読{よ}みいただき, 正{ただ}しくお使{つか}い下{くだ}さい。


texts:
寝る → 寝るようになる

寝ないようになる
寝なくようになる
寝なくなる

Hi guys, sorry if this has been asked before. I've learned in class that 寝なくなる is the valid form, but are the first two forms valid as well?


texts:
Came across this dialogue while reading Japanese writings online.

Boy 1: オタクにじみ出てますよ

Boy 2: 違うっつってんだろ

My Japanese beginner skills would translate it as "Your otaku-ness is bleeding out." But I'm sure that's not exactly right.

Also, I see a lot of ってん in casual dialogues like this. I'm not sure what that exactly means.


texts: 「私って元来遊び人なのかもと妙に納得しつつ、もう一つ新たに開設された「脳内フェチイメージ」にチャレンジしたら、これには腰を抜かさんばかりの驚きでありました。」's「これには」


texts: Explanation for 変わった and 似た as adjectivals

texts:
I often see the two verbs 変わる and 似る used in their た-form when modifying nouns and I'm not really sure exactly how to make sense of them.
変わる: e.g. as in 「変わった人」. Here I'm wondering why it's not just always「変わっている」 instead. I'm truly no expert, but I would have read 変わった人 as "a person who changed" rather than "a person who is different".
似た: e.g. as in 「似た者同士」. Like with 変わった, I would again have expected 似ている here.
Does this have something to do with the difference between static and punctual verbs?
Thanks for reading!


texts:
For this question, I mean 結構 in the sense of 'no thanks.'

So if I were to say 結構です informally, it would be 結構. And if I wanted to sound more strong about it, I would add もう in front of 結構 so it'd be もう結構?
But is there other ways to say this, maybe more gentler?
Perhaps like:すみませんがもう結構です or ごめんがもう結構?

And for 結構, is there any restrictions on how I use it? Like I can use it to refuse food or drinks, but is there anything that I can't use it to refuse?

Thanks so much in advance, and if I need to further clarify anything, please let me know.


texts: Stem classification 終止形 vs 連体形（しゅうしけい vs れんたいけい）

texts:
What is the difference between 終止形 and 連体形 and which one is the correct term for the dictionary form?

The Japanese Grammar Wiki entry says...

  Terminal form (終止形 shūshikei) -u
  is used at the ends of clauses in predicate positions. This form is also variously known as plain form (基本形 kihonkei) or dictionary form (辞書形 jishokei) – it is the form that verbs are listed under in a dictionary.

This is backed up by my teacher who described it as the dictionary form, 辞書形。The wiki describes the 連体形 form as practically identical (I don't quite understand the difference) and my teacher said the 連体形 form is 名詞にかかる形。

However I've seen a number of posts describing the 連体形 as the dictionary form omitting to refer to the 終止形 form at all.

Can anyone clear this up for me? An explanation / example of the purpose of the 連体形 form would greatly help.

Thanks.


texts: I know that both of these words mean "proof", but I can't figure out what the difference is, or if there's any at all. Can anyone explain to me the difference in nuance between these two words?


texts:
How does putting a の at the end of a sentence change the meaning?

For example, here are some sentences:

  明日何時に来るの What time will you come tomorrow
  昨日何を食べたの What did you eat yesterday


texts: Use of first が in 町の後ろに山が、前に海があって、

texts:
This is from an exercise in Minna no Nihongo, ch16.

Full sentence:

  神戸は古い物があまりありませんが、町の後ろに山が、前に海があって、素敵な町です。

As above, I don't understand why there is nothing after the が. I can sort of see that two sentences have been contracted into one but I'm still lost:

Machi no ushiro ni Yama ga aru

Machi no mae ni umi ga aru.

If someone could help that would be great :)


texts:
I was thinking the other day that one of the differences between みたい and そう (meaning "it seems") is that the first can be bound to a sentence in the past while the second forces the verb of the sentence to be always in the ます stem.
     I think that difference allows みたい to create sentences like "昨日、雨が降ったみたいでした" meaning "yesterday it seemed like it had rained" (I don't know if the sentence or translation is right). Is that right?


texts: Meaning of 舌の根の乾かぬうち

texts:
I think I got it, but I would like to confirm just to check if it is correct or if I am missing some subtlety that happens when I translate. What is the meaning of 「舌｛した｝の根｛ね｝の乾｛かわ｝かぬ内{うち}に」?

From both the context and some search online, it seems to be something along the lines "I just said it" or "did I not just say it before this". The next sentence after this phrase was「私は嘘{うそ}は言わないんだ」, which translates to "Didn't I just say that I never lie" and seems to flow just fine (?).


texts: Both mean squid but is there any difference between the use of hiragana or katakana?


texts:
My homework is to answer this question.

  なんようび　に　日本語　の　クラス　が　ありますか

I believe this question is asking "What day do i have Japanese class on?"

I want to say "I have Japanese class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday."
Is this how I would say that?

  日本語　の　クラス　 に 　げつようび　と　すいようび　と　きんようび　あります。

Thanks


texts: "Please let me know if you have any questions" in japanese

texts:
I'm trying to send a report to my superior, and want to say "please let me know if you have any questions" about this report.
The only form that I can think of is "何か質問があれば言ってください".
But I am sure it is very casual.
So what is the best formal way to say so?


texts:
My textbook says ある can be used for possession, but further on it says 持っている is used for possession.  Are both correct?  Are there any differences?

When talking with a Japanese friend (in very limited and simple conversations), when I use ある, she usually corrects me with 持っている.


texts: trouble with comprehension: 最大公約数的な and くらいにまで

texts:
Following is an excerpt from 「涼宮ハルヒの憂鬱」. My questions concern the last sentence.

世界の物理法則がよく出来ていることに関心しつつ自嘲しつつ、いつしか俺はテレビのＵＦＯ特番や霊特集を熱心に観なくなっていた。
いるわけねー……でもちょっとはいて欲しい、みたいな最大公約数的なことを考えるくらいにまで俺も成長したのさ。

There are two points of confusion, marked in bold.

「最大公約数的な」

I realize that it is not used in a mathematical sense (right?), and according to this 知恵袋 post, it seems it can also mean something like "looking at the points of similarity or compromise between multiple opinions or opposing parties," but I am not sure how this definition applies here. Perhaps it just means "rational" here?

「〜くらいにまで」

I haven't seen this construct before, but I assume it can be interpreted as "at least to the point that ..."?
I am wondering what に is doing here though. I haven't seen くらい・ぐらい used with any following particles. Is it optional?
In fact, would it be okay to replace this with just まで?
I would appreciate help understanding this phrase as well.


texts:
I want to know how to read Japanese school grades, like 「小1」「中3」, etc.
Would be very thankful if both pronunciation and accent could be provided.


texts: i know that there's many ways to say "and" in Japanese based on the situation. i'm wondering how i can differentiate between the different ways. for example, if i wanted to write something like "日本語を勉強しています" and combine it with "日本の勉強は難しい", how do i do that?


texts:
控える as far as I can tell behaves more predictably than 控えている in that it generally seems to mean "to refrain" and "to make notes" (as in 電話番号を控える.)

However, 控えている seems to mean many more things including "expecting (a baby)", "to be soon", "waiting (for)", "facing", "contend with" and "abstain from":

  彼女は出産を控えているの？
  Is she expecting （a child）?

  ちょうど1年後に控えている
  be just a year away.

  使者が次の間に控えている
  The messenger is waiting in the next room.

  彼の別荘は後ろに山を控えている
  There is a mountain behind his country cottage.

  その会社には幾多の難問題が控えている
  The company has many difficulties to contend with.

  彼は健康上の理由から肉を控えている。
  He abstains from meat for health reasons.

Would I be able to ask how to define 控える and 控えている, how they have come to mean so many things and whether there's a way of determining what 控えている means in a given context?


texts: 「卒業して以来」と「卒業した以来」どちらが正しいですか？

texts:
I got the wrong answer when playing the 'JLPT Taisen' japanese game.
The question is: "田中さんとは、学校を_____以来、会っていない".
I think the answer is "卒業した", but "卒業して" is correct.

Please teach me why?


texts: Questions about words 「きいてはいた」, 「見て見たい」, 「ってえ」and 「つらあ」

texts:
I found them in the following sentence.

女ってえのはざんこくな動物ときいてはいたが　これほどまでとは思わなかったぜ　どんな形相のオバチャンが演出してるのか　つらあ見て見たいもんだね

1) For the verb 「きいてはいた」, is its definition same as 「きいた」or 'heard'? What is the difference between the both verbs?　I'm not sure if the はいた came from verb 「吐く」.

2) For the verb 「見て見たい」, what is the difference between it and the verb 「見たい」?

3) For the words 「ってえ」and 「つらあ」, do I correctly understand that the alphabets 「え」and 「あ」added to the words 「と」quotation particle and 「つら」 just for emphasizing speaker's expression?


texts: 三分 (3 minutes) pronunciation is sanpun or sampun?

texts:
My question is not whether the reading of 三分 (3 minutes) is さんぷん.

I've learned that if ん is followed by an m, p or b sound - then ん is pronounced as m.

However, I always hear sanpun and not sampun when listening.

Am I just not able to distinct the two sounds?

Should it be pronounced sanpun or sampun?


texts: Is 壊れる (こわれる) already in pasive form (受身形)?

texts:
So how can I say "My TV was broken by you", which one is correct?

  僕のテレビは君に壊れた

  僕のテレビは君に壊れられた


texts:
The sentence is:

あの店は今、3割引のセールをしています。

I suspect it means 30% , but maybe it means 33.3% which is 1/3?

In any case I don’t understand the logic behind this.

How would you say if the discount rate was 3% instead?


texts: need help with this sentence 「あんたも鈍いね, あの子は脈ありだべさ 」

texts:
I need help with the following sentence 「あんたも鈍いね, あの子は脈ありだべさ 」
I understand the general meaning from the context (something like how you dont see it she is in love with you), but the words translation doesn't fit the general meaning for me.

鈍い - dull; blunt?

脈 - pulse; vein; chain (of mountains, etc.); hope

What...? Feels like it has hidden meaning that I'm missing out.
Thanks :-)


texts: My aunt sent this symbol/emblem to my brother which comes from our japanese side of the family. But I would like to know what it actually means.


texts: Is there a word for "studied" or I have to use 勉強はした?

texts: My question is if there is a word for "studied", or you have to do "study + did" to say "studied". And if that applies to all other words. Like "to work" would be 仕事はする? Does everything work with する? Or there are some words that can be inflected without する?


texts:
I can't completely understand the meaning of くれる in the following dialogues. In the first example, if I'm understanding, it is something like this:

せっかくミストリアはエルドにこう言ってくれているんだし

So the one who gains something is エルド and the subject is ミストリア.
In the second dialogue my loose translation is - "I would be satisfied if by using this barter shop, you would gain even more than you expect".
However I can't completely understand; does 主人公 gain even more profit (想定の上をいって), but thankful (くれた) for it will be 店長?
1st dialogue

ミストリア「私が決めていいのならば・・・・・・」
ミストリア「エルド、お前の好きに指示を出して見てはどうだ」
エルド「えぇ！？」
ラヴィリエ「へえ、それは面白そうね」
エルド「ラヴィリエまで」
ラヴィリエ「せっかくこう言ってくれているんだし、お言葉に甘えてみたら？いざという時にわたしたちでどうにかするから」

2nd dialogue

店長「ここを預かる者としては、お前のような存在にこそこの地を活用して欲しいと思っているのも事実」
店長「どこぞの勇者と呼ばれるような奴には、ここなど何の価値もない場所かもしれんしな」
店長「この交換所を利用することで想定の上をいってくれたなら本望だ」
主人公「頑張ります。」


texts: Help understanding 最高のアングルっていうのは魂の叫びなのよ

texts:
I'm unsure of how to correctly parse the below. I originally thought that it might have had, for example, an implied part of the sentence  before e.g. ここを　最高のアングルっていうのは魂の叫びなのよ。However this doesn't quite sound right to me, and if it was going to be something like that I would have imagined って言う　or って言っている instead of っていう.

I think part of my problem is that I am not entirely clear on the meaning of 魂の叫び, and how it works in this sentence.

  「最高のアングルっていうのは魂の叫びなのよ。ここを狙えって訴えてくるの。逆らえないのよ」


texts: Did my teacher make this etymology for もしもし up?

texts:
I was reading this question, and realized that I had been told something outlandishly different.  To be clear, what I was told didn't change the usage of もしもし to be something different.

I was told that the phrase comes from an interesting story.  One of my teachers claimed that もしもし is a phrase that Japanese people believed monsters could not say.  Therefore, to confirm that the other person on the phone (including door intercoms, etc.) is not a monster (赤鬼とかね), and that they are indeed human.

To my naive mind, this made a lot of sense, and it explained why もしもし is used the way it is.  Now, looking back, I'm inclined to disbelieve this claim.  It just doesn't fit with the other articles I have read on the subject.

So did my teacher make up the story, or is this a real thing?


texts:
I am confused with the phrase 攻めを自重 in the following sentence

  ただ「攻め」を自重しながらも、独特のハイトーンはしっかりと響かせていた。

The sentence is taken from Asahi Simbun article
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASK6M45BZK6MPTQP00F.html?iref=com_alist_photo


texts: Is the なの in 任務なのだろうか the same なの as in the linked answer, and how does the の wrap around the preceding sentence?

texts:
Is the なの in the bolded 任務なのだろうか below the same なの as in the linked answer, and how does the の "wrap around the preceding sentence"?  Context provided below.

僕はラジオを点けて、空電混じりの英語のニュースに耳を傾ける。いつもならアインも黙って傍らに座り、意味の取れないフレーズに注釈をつけてくれたりするのだが、その夜は外出の支度を始めていた。珍しいことではない。時折こんな風に、アインは夜どこかへ出かけることがある。任務なのだろうか？

Edit: Asking this question as the なの formed at the end of sentences comes from んです／のだ but my なの isn't at the end of the sentence, thereby making me doubt it being either of the above choices. Is my nano a な with a attributive だ as shown in this answer?


texts: How can I write things like "Does this dictionary use a different database from Jisho.org's?"

texts:
Sorry if that question is too specific. I don't know if I'm allowed to ask it.

I don't know how to say that part: use a different database from Jisho.org's?

I tried to write like this:

  その辞書がjisho.orgのと別データベースを使いますか。

Is there something wrong?


texts:
It seems that in response to questions regarding the differences between 漢語 and their 和語 equivalents, it is often explained that the 漢語 is "more formal" than the 和語. As a result, I get the feeling that this is a trend.

One example of this, which made me think of this question, is What is the difference between [友達]{とも・だち} and [友人]{ゆう・じん}?.

And so, the originally question was this:
Is this feeling of mine correct? And is it always that way, or are there some instances where the 和語 is clearly more formal?

Upon reading some comments, however, I realize that I am not entirely sure what even I mean by "formal" in the above questions.
Is there some consistent way in which we can understand "formal" as it is used in responding to these types of questions? Or are people using it to refer to a bunch of different concepts?


texts: Why are some names pronounced differently from their on-yomi and kun-yomi?

texts:
I'm learning how Japanese names work for a story I'm writing and creating names is one of the most fun things I've done in some time. However, it comes with a share of frustrations. One for me is that I don't understand why some kanji are pronounced in a way that is different from both kun-yomi and on-yomi readings.

For example, let's take the name 一馬 (Kazuma).
I can't seem to find any kanji dictionary (with English definitions) that state that the character 一 can be pronounced as ka. Most times I've seen the character, it's been romanized as ichi and I don't understand where ka comes from.

Another example is the birth name of kabuki actor Ichikawa Raizo VIII, 亀崎 章雄 (Kamezaki Akio). Neither 章 nor 雄 seem to form the pronunciation Akio, yet that is how the name is read and spoken. Why is this?

Thank you in advance for answering my question! Have a nice day!


texts:
I got stuck while i was reading manga on this phrase :そんな確実性の高い代物でもねぇだろ
I went to check the translated copy and it says it means" he's not the most reliable guy" a second source said" it's just that this ability isn't that reliable"(the context is a character using her special  ability but fails)


texts:
真っ昼間からふくろうが空を飛び交うのを、ダーズリー氏は見ないですんだが、...
  Mr Dursley didn't see the owls flying around in broad daylight but ...

I don't understand why から is used in this sentence. What is the difference from writing 真っ昼間に?


texts:
Can I use から and まで to express an age range? For example I want to say "From 10 years old to 15 years old... :

  十才から十五さいまでです。

Would this make sense? If not is there other simpler or better ways of expressing what I want to say?


texts: I wonder what is the difference between the words 文書{ぶんしょ} and 文書化{ぶんしょか}. Both of them have meaning of "documentation" or "documents", but I am not capable to distinguish them. Could you please share your ideas? Thank you a lot in advance!


texts: にとって as topic/subject marker and は as object marker?

texts:
I came across this spoken sentence in the drama Fumo Chitai:

刷り上がった新聞を少しでも早く輸送したい新聞社にとって高速道路沿いにある印刷工場は何としても手に入れたい。

Context: the newspaper company needs a new printing factory near a highway and they were able to secure some land though a dodgy deal with the government on condition that they cancel the publication of a controversial article. The above comment was made by the editor to the journalist whose article was suppressed to justify the cancellation.

I'm a bit confused about the use of にとって and は. To me the main object is clearly 高速道路沿いにある印刷工場 (print factory along an expressway), so why is は and not が (or を) being used?

Also, the thing that 'wants to get' (手に入れたい) the factory is the 新聞社, so why にとって and not は?

What would be different about stating it this way?:
刷り上がった新聞を少しでも早く輸送したい新聞社は高速道路沿いにある印刷工場が何としても手に入れたい。 = The company, which needs to quickly transport printed newspapers, wants to acquire by any means possible a printing factory located alongside an expressway.


texts: Multiple は particles in sentences from IAIJ and NHK web easy

texts:
I came across this sentence in IAIJ (the context was an adult studying japanese on an elementary schoolbook, saying that there are a lot of simple readings but also more interesting ones providing cultural education that, however, where in contrast with his own sense of education):

  ほかに修身の読本もあって、‘’サイタサイタサクラガサイタ”に比べれば多少面白かったが、その道徳観は私のそれとは大いに矛盾していた。

My translation is the following:

  Apart from that, there were also cultural education readings that, compared with "Saita saita sakura ga saita" where quite interesting but, that view of education greatly contradicted mine.

To my knowledge「XはYと矛盾する」means "X contradicts Y" so I don't understand what is purpose of the それ and は (highlighted in bold in the sentence) there. Isn't the following correct
(I just removed them from the sentence)?

  ほかに修身の読本もあって、‘’サイタサイタサクラガサイタ”に比べれば多少面白かったが、その道徳観は私のと大いに矛盾していた。

The same kind of problem appears also in this sentence (taken from NHK web easy):

  法律では、会社は、働く人に仕事を休むように言った場合、働く人にお金を払わなければなりません。

Why not simply:

  法律で、会社は、働く人に仕事を休むように言った場合、働く人にお金を払わなければなりません。

What am I missing?


texts: Is there a Japanese translation for the Chinese term, 超级?

texts:
In Chinese, 超级 means ‘super’.
E.g 超级市场 means ‘supermarket’, or 超级战士 means ‘supersoldier’, etc etc.
Of course, I've looked up each kanji separately,  and it turns out that 超 is chō in Japanese and 级 is kyū.

So the question is, does the term 超级 chōkyū actually exist in Japanese? I'm asking because I've tried searching for the term 'chōkyū', but came up with none. Then again, it just seems to make sense intuitively, I mean the way in which we always derive the Japanese versions from Chinese terms. Does it work in this case?

And here's another thing, suppose that 超级 'chōkyū' exists in Japanese, is its meaning the same as in Chinese (meaning super).

Lastly, how exactly does one say things like Supermarket or supersoldier in Japanese? I mean, other than using ‘sūpā’. Does chōkyū shijō {超级市场} or chōkyū senshi {超级战士} work?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Difference between -て行く and -て来る

my doubt is which verbs I can use with ~てくる (~ていく)

ABOUT ME
I don't want to say "I undestand", but I'd like to say "I'm understanding" (I'm becoming to understand)

  わかってきました。
  わかるようになってきました。

(what is the difference?)

ABOUT OTHERS
"She's becoming to understand it"

マリさんは...

  わかってきたそうです。
  わかるようになってきました。

(what is the difference?)

Maybe first it's important to know the possibilities of てくる (ていく). How can I know which verbs I can use ～ようになってくる and/or just ～てくる. Is there much difference between them?

あの店、昼間　開くようになってきました。
あの店、昼間　開いてきました。
あの店員はドアを開けるようになってきました。
彼はやせるようになってきましたね。
彼はやせてきましたね。
バイトをやめたときから、テレビを見るようになってきました。
バイトをやめたときから、テレビが見れるようになってきました。
雨がやんできます。
雨がやむようになってきます。
今からカメラは安くなっていきます。
今からカメラは安くなってきます。

sorry if my examples are wrong, I just created them while I was writing.
japanese is really interesting, but really difficult.
hope you could understand my doubt. and please, give examples!
よろしく thanks


texts:
I am listening to a song and came across もう充分だよってきっと言うかな

Is it possible to use かな and きっと in a sentence? It sounds like "you will maybe definitely say [it's already more than enough]", which doesn't really make sense


texts: What are the differences amongst 「ならびに」, 「かつ」 and 「および」?

texts: In which situations can I choose one of them to use?


texts: Problem with the て form in this sentence

texts:
下の方は努力して見ようとしないと、見えないのだ。
(From line 4:  https://www.docdroid.net/847v2dg/img-20170413-0001-new.pdf.html)
According to my understanding of the sentence, it says:
"Concerning the lower area,

...if you don't want to see it with effort...
or
...if you don't make an effort while making an effort to see it...

...,you can't see it."

The problem lies with the relation between 努力して and 見ようとしないと.
As far as I understood the "intentional form + とする" constructions, when expressing that someone intentionally makes an effort or doesn't make an effort, another 努力して to emphasize that someone's making an effort isn't required, since this effort is already contained in the respective verb.

Of course this  problem is somehow eliminated when using "want" instead of "making an effort" in the translation of said form. But it doesn't change that the same thing is kind of expressed twice here. I guess it's just there to put more emphasis on it, but I wanted to ask about it in case I've missed something.


texts: When is it acceptable to use "Newspaper grammar"?

texts:
It is often said that Newspapers use grammatical forms/ellipses not used elsewhere and, on the whole, these do not present a problem to read and understand.  However the ellipses do not seem to be unique to Newspapers, in particular the dropping of the copular 「だ」 after nouns and "na-adjectives" and 「する」from "suru-verbs" at the end of sentences.
For example, 「だ」 appears to be dropped from the end of the following passage attributed to the 宮内庁HP:

皇室の一般公開で花見
関東地方で桜が見ごろを迎えた４月4日（金曜）から８日（火曜）までにかけて、皇居の中にある「乾通り」{いぬいどおり}が一般公開され、５日間で３８万６０５０人が皇居での花見を楽しんだ。
この特別公開は、天皇陛下が昨年１２月２３日に８０歳の傘寿を迎えられた記念として実施されたもの。・・・

Reference: 中上級日本語、２０１４年５月版
I had concluded from the response to the following question that it was (probably) acceptable to drop 「する」and 「だ」in one's writing as long as one was consistent:
Does using the characters です at the end of a sentence make almost everything(depending on the sentence) sound polite?
But, is this true?....and when can one really use this style? Dropping these two words does not seem unique to newspapers (indeed, it seems to exist even in novels).
I also note that when I quoted the second "sentence" from the above passage in another question, there was comment that it was not a proper sentence.  I am confused - when can I (indeed, when should I) use these "incomplete sentence" structures ?


texts: What would be the best way to respond to thank you and a compliment at the same time?

texts:
I helped someone online translate something from English into Japanese and they responded with:

ありがとうございます！
イラスト素敵です " (<* i do illustrations)

I want to say "thank you very much!" but idk if I should just reply with "ありがとうございます" or it would be rude to just say the same thing and/or to not address their "thank you" first with something like "いつでもどうぞ" and then a "thank you" or would that still be... weird? (I did tell them my Japanese is not very good beforehand)
Would it be ok if I reply with:

どういたしまして
もありがとうございます

What would be the best way to reply in this situation?


texts:
どうやったら、この局面でこの指し手になるわけだ？

I'm not sure what this わけ could be. The fact that this is a question bothers me a bit.


texts:
I just had my first karate lesson and was puzzled. When the instructor wanted us to start or stop he would say はじめ and やめ. I would have expected to hear はじめろ or はじめて for example.

Is it proper grammar to make an imperative from the masu stem or is this just a quirk of karate teachers?


texts: 何を食べても美味しくない vs 魚を食べてもいい

texts:
歯が痛くて何を食べても美味しくない

vs

魚を食べてもいい

The first example seems to me as though

何ても  - anything
and in the middle is
食べ

So basically reading as Anything Eaten is not delicious

but the second example im reading it as Even if its fish you eat , its okay (giving permission)

where it isn't connected to the Question   Who, what, when wear words...

This is so confusing to me, i even read this article but i dont understand why when there isn't a question word the meaning seems to change

I read this a few times as well

http://maggiesensei.com/2016/10/12/wh-everno-matter-whhow-%E3%81%A6%E3%82%82%E3%81%A7%E3%82%82-temodemo/


texts: Does より mean から in the following context?

texts:
I came across the following sentence

春秋社より楽譜出版。

I think it means “music scores published by 春秋社. But what usage of より is this? Does it mean から (from) here


texts: When should you use Nani / nan, as opposed to just finishing with desu ka?

texts:
Inside of my genki 1 workbook, we're supposed to present questions to the answers Kimura-san gives us.

For example :

You: _________

Kimura-san: よねんせいです

In this case, the answer key states that the answer is: "なんねんせいですか"

The part that confuses me is for the 2nd question:

You: __________

Kimura-san: れきしです

Here, I put "なんせんこうですか", but the answer key says that the correct answer is "せんこうはなんですか"

How does one know which arrangement to use? If the structure used in the 2nd works, then does that mean that "ねんせいはなんですか" is also a viable answer for the first question? Or could we also say "なんせんこうですか" for the 2nd question?

Thank you!


texts: Three different meanings of "と" in one sentence?

texts:
I don't understand the meaning of this sentence from Kawabata's "Snow Country Miniature":

君{きみ}とそう見劣{みおと}りしない女{おんな}でないと後{あと}で君{きみ}と会った{あった}時{とき}、心外{しんがい}じゃないか。

This is what Shimamura says to the woman he finds out he is in love with after he sent the geisha away. The parallel text in English translates this as:

"The girl should be not less beautiful than you are,
otherwise when I saw you after the event, I'd just feel ashamed of myself"

The end of the sentence 後{あと}で君{きみ}と会った{あった}時{とき}、心外{しんがい}じゃないか I understand possibly well enough as: Wouldn't I be ashamed\mortified to have met with you after that?(with "that" referring to the 1. sentence)
And here it is clear that the と particle refers to meeting with the woman.

From the first sentence 見劣{みおと}りしない女{おんな} is the only part I am sure that means ...a woman on the same level as in not inferior. But after that I have parsing and understanding problems:

The second と at the end of 君{きみ}とそう見劣{みおと}りしない女{おんな}でない_と_ I feel should be understood as "upon, when, if". But what does the 女{おんあ}でない mean in this context? If the same-level-woman would not exist? But my guess is strongly influenced by the available translation ;)
what does そう mean in this context?
Does it belong to 見劣{みおと}りしない女{おんな} as seemingly not inferior woman or does it stand for some kanji as 添う which means to satisfy/meet expactations and would have to be read as 君{きみ}とそう... in to comply with (expectations on the looks set by) you... ?
In case the behaviour of そう is similar to my first assumption in question No. 2: What is the meaning of the very first と? To which part of the sentence is it connected in that case?
How does one recognize that the discussion is about the looks of the woman? is this due to 見劣{みおと}り? Because my dictonary tells me 見劣りする means only being inferior or compairing unfavorably but the kanji implies to have inferior looks...

Thanks for your help!


texts: Help with understanding the use of を in this sentece

texts:
言われるままを払った

"I paid as I was told to" Wouldn't it be 言われるままで払った? Are both correct? I mean theres not something called to way I was told that you can pay with right?


texts:
The full line I came across was this. I think it was a webcomic for mother's day.

ゴミ もとめたのココに

If the context helps, the character saying was holding a trash bag and saying this to his mother.

Would this translate to "I'm looking for a place with trash" or "I'm looking for place to take a out the trash."? Or does the もとめた here translate to "desire"?

Thanks for any help.


texts:
誰よりもあなたが好き

This can either mean "I like you more than I like anyone else", or "I like you more than anyone else who likes you"

How would one differentiate this? No matter how I think about it, I can't see how this sentence can be tweaked to disambiguate the meaning


texts: Why would Russian хорошо [xoroʂo] be borrowed as ハラショー?

texts: The two first /o/s are borrowed as /a/ in Japanese. I don't understand why the Russian /o/ vowel sounds like /a/ to Japanese speakers instead of /o/ which is a phoneme in Japanese.


texts:
I just read a sentence in an answer key as follows:

  雨が降ったら、買い物をしたり、おいしい物を食べるつもりです。

I would have thought that the sentence should be:

  雨が降ったら、買い物をしたり、おいしい物を食べたりするつもりです。

Is there any difference between the two? Is it alway ok to not finish off with たりする? Although it changes the meaning of the sentence, would it also have been ok to finish off with just 食べます?


texts:
ダンジョンへもぐる時点でサポーターも等しく危険に晒されているため、一概にはそう言えない筈なのだが、リリは訂正することなく持論を続ける。

I'm not sure how to interpret ため in that part of the sentence. Does it still mean for the sake of?

Thanks!


texts:
Was there ever any practice of writing youon digraphs as a single character (taking up the same amount of space as a monograph), and if not would that be a good idea?

e.g. ハロｳｨーン or ハロｳｲーン instead of ハロウィーン, where ｳｲ (ｳｨ) would be treated as a single character.


texts:
ランサーが深海からとってきた「ダイオウグソクムシ」を見てそのワキャワキャさにドン引きし、ランサーから「お前さんとこの竜牙兵もワキャワキャしてるじゃねえか」と言われて。

ワキャワキャさ:I can't find anything on this.
I found that わきゃ means 私の, but I don't get the meaning of the sentence like this.
It feels like being merry or overly joyful.
竜牙兵:Are like living skeletons

Seeing the merryfulness of the Isopode that Lancer caught from the deep sea her mood was ruined and Lancer said (You too with those 竜牙兵, aren't overly cheerful?)

Or

Seeing how lancer was protective in regards to the isopode he caught from the deep sea she was drawn away and Lancer told her (Aren't you too overprotective with those 竜牙兵)

Could it mean over-protective?

The other sentence:

  「ちょっとォ！！ GAIJINだからって馬鹿にしないでくれるゥ！？ SUSHIっていったらあれよ、豪華なSASHIMIがのっかってる見た目にも鮮やかな料理ってことぐらい知ってるわYO！！」

Wait!! could you not make fun of me just because I am a foreginer!?
If you say Sushi, it's that! The appereance of a great Sashimi and a rich cooking.
I know at least this!]

I don't get のっかってる, I read that it's 乗る with this meaning: （４）他人の考えなどを土台とする。のっかる。 but in this case the base is the Sashimi?

This is the whole context

If you need it:

  「あれは我慢してるのよ必死に。今だから言うけど……」
  『hollow』ドラマCD『怪物という名の食卓』にて。
  ランサーが深海からとってきた「ダイオウグソクムシ」を見てそのワキャワキャさにドン引きし、ランサーから「お前さんとこの竜牙兵もワキャワキャしてるじゃねえか」と言われて。

  「ちょっとォ！！ GAIJINだからって馬鹿にしないでくれるゥ！？ SUSHIっていったらあれよ、豪華なSASHIMIがのっかってる見た目にも鮮やかな料理ってことぐらい知ってるわYO！！」
  同上。ド忘れしてしまった夫の好物と思われる料理を男サーヴァント衆に再現してもらい、その審査を務めることに。アーチャーが作った（おそらく正解と思われる）かっぱ巻きを見た反応。
  この台詞のみエセ外国人風になっている。ちなみにランサーによると寿司の基本的な知識は聖杯からの知識に含まれているとのこと。


texts: Is my understanding for the phrase, なくてはならなくなる correct?

texts:
The original sentence from the light novel:

  もしもこの作戦が失敗したら、我々は、我々の宿願の為、カルペデイムに戦争を仕掛けなくてはならなくなる。

カルペデイム, Carpe Diem, is a fictional place in the light novel setting.

I've found reference for なくてはならない in both tangorin and this site but so far none for なくてはなら itself.
For なくては I understand that it means "unless or without" while なら it would mean "if". However, stringing the both together, along with the なくなる phrase, which I understand to be "disappear", in this context, makes me confused.

In context, the whole sentence may be translated as,

If, assuming that our strategy has failed, for us, the objective of our wish will disappear unless we wage a war in the Carpe Diem.

Can someone please clarify the usage of the above-mentioned phrases for me?


texts: 「星が見えない＝Stars can't be seen」 but 「目が見えない＝Eyes can't see」, why?

texts:
Are the two 「が」 different?

Is 「目が見えない」 (at least in principle) ambiguous (eyes can't see / eyes can't be seen)?


texts: Pun/Joke way of saying "Happy Belated Birthday"

texts:
My friend's birthday was yesterday. Is there any interesting way to say
"Happy Belated Birthday" such as 御誕生昨日,　御誕生先日,　御誕生前日

Will it translate or will it just seem strange?

Note: I am not trying to just say "sorry I forgot your birthday, happy belated birthday". Rather I'm trying to be cute with language play

In English I can make any numbrer of dumb jokes any pretty much anyone fluent in English will get it.

Happy Day After your Birthday!
Happy Un-Birthday! (reference to Alice in Wonderland).
Happy Birth(Yester)day!
Happy 3 days after 2 days before your Birthday

They might not be funny haha but pretty much any one fluent in English would get what is trying to be said and get that message and intention.

Is there a way to say something similar in Japanese?


texts: What is the function of から in this sentence?

texts:
I found this sentence in the lyrics of a song:

振り返ればもう戻れないから

I don't understand the context and the function of から placed in this sentence.
The song is this:
http://m.kget.jp/lyric.php?song=260055


texts: How to understand the pronunciation as listed in Wiktionary

texts:
Wiktionary has two transcriptions:

私
(Tokyo)¹ わ[たし]{——}² [wàtáshí]³ (Heiban⁴ – [0]⁵)
IPA: [[ɰᵝa̠ta̠ɕi]]

What is the 1st one called and how is it read?

"Tokyo" stands for the Tokyo dialect
What does the bar over the kana mean?
What do diacritics mean here?
Pitch pattern, explained in Wiktionary
What does the number mean?


texts: Extrapolating the contents of this phrase

texts:
unfortunately, this sentence stands in isolation, so one really has to deduce everything from that which follows:

最近になってやっと、家族の大切さがわかってきた。

I feel petty confused about the part before the comma xD
I have a strong feeling some stuff was omitted there ^^

I only dare to make an attempt at translation this far:
"..., I came to understand the value of family."


texts:
I encountered 道路標識  (どうろひょしき) during my studies today.  Google Translate shows romaji dōrohyōji.  However, based on the hiragana alone, I was expecting to see dōrohyōshiki.

Why is しき romanized as ji instead of shiki?  Are there different standards of romanization being used here?


texts:
https://i.imgur.com/3cb9EjH.png

Found it while browsing fan forums on Nier automata.

I'm not sure what the second paragraph means here? It looks like the speaker cuts himself off. Who does the action there?

  それを無視して...
  大切にしようとしてくる

I'm not sure if this is actual dialogue from the game.