texts: Does the expression 抱えて生きている always imply a situation with negative aspects?

texts:
I was studying the expression 抱えて生きている (literally "living while holding"?), and have found the best English equivalent to be "having to live with." In the English expression, the "thing" that one has to live with is almost always negative, unless you use the expression in an ironic way (ex., I have to live with all these hot co-eds staying at my place). In the Japanese examples I found, this negative implication seems to exist as well, but I was told that it is not necessarily so.

Here are some examples that clearly illustrate the negative meaning:

  私はそのことを抱えて生きなければならない。
  I have to live with that.

  私は持病を抱えて生きていくすべを身につけました。
  I learned to live with my chronic disease.

  １０年間、家に病人を抱えて生きてきました。I've had to live in the same house as a sick person for 10 years.

  彼はいつも、何か問題を抱えて生きている。He is always living with some kind of problem.

  私は、あなたがいつか離れていくのでは、という不安を抱えながら生きていくのに、疲れました。I have become so tired from having to live with the anxiety that you will someday leave me.

In the following example, my first translation gives the implication that the situation has a negative quality. In my second translation I attempt to more explicitly leave out this quality (the feeling of obligation that I imply may be wrong as well but that was my best shot). Does this expression always  contain a negative nuance (except in ironic statements) or is my assumption wrong? If it is not always negative, could you provide an example where it is used to the contrary?

  毎日、僕達は人に伝えたいことをいっぱい抱えて生きている。

  Everyday, we live with (the problem/difficulty of) having to express things to other people.

  Everyday, we live with having to express things to other people.

Addendum: Most of these translations are mine, so feel free to point out any flaws.


texts: Word Order: 国で日本語を2カ月勉強しました vs 国で2カ月日本語を勉強しました

texts:
Question. What is the diff between

A. 国で日本語を2カ月勉強しました。

B. 国で2カ月日本語を勉強しました。

On minna no nihongo B. is used but why not A? Why is the 2カ月 not before verb? What are the rules?


texts: What is the difference between 越える and 越す and are they truly transitive verbs?

texts:
My question arose when I was trying to rationalise the first two sentences below. I wondered if these two verbs (越すand  越える） formed a pair with one transitive, one intransitive (like 消える &　消す）with を　acting as a "spatial object marker" for the intransitive form (as in the sentence 「飛行機が空を飛ぶ」, 飛ぶ being an intransitive verb) but the dictionary entries and examples 3-5 below suggest they are both transitive verbs of similar meaning. (越す　possibly has wider use.)

Could somebody familiar with these answer my question above and rationalise the sentences with these verbs below?

  駅を乗り越す| go/ride past the stop
  彼は門を乗り越えて庭に入ってきた｜He climbed over the gate into our garden.
  川を越す｜cross a river
  国境を越える｜cross the border
  球はライトの頭上を越えた｜The ball sailed over the right fielder's head.

Bonus: what is the difference between these two verbs and 超える?

My answer to the bonus:
I think that where as 越える　is used for "crossing over/going past" when referring to tangible actions (and possibly compound verbs) such as those in the examples above, 超える refers to non-tangible abstract events such as exceeding a limit or crossing/transcending a generation:

  支出が収入を超えた｜My expenses exceeded my income.
  彼の作品は世代を超えて愛読されている｜His works are loved by people of all generations.

but confusingly the word for transcend is 超越　which used both!

Please correct me if I am wrong.


texts:
Full text: 上期報酬等の額には、役員退職慰労引当金の当期増加額(取締役８百万円、監査役０百万円 ３ (うち社外０百万円))が含まれております.
My issue: A) 役員, Which will be the correct officer or executive?
B) うち社外, What will be the correct translation, my guess was external auditors as うち社外 appears in brackets after 監査役(auditor) or is it about the external source for retirement benefits?
My understanding: The amount of remuneration for the first half of the fiscal year includes the current fiscal year increase in the reserves for retirement benefits for officers/executives (¥8 million for directors and ¥0 million for auditors 3 (of which ¥0 million yen for external auditors)).


texts:
考え得る限りの手は尽くしたが、問題の解決には至らなかった。

What does の手 mean here? Is it something that can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence? It seems like it might indicate a person being in a state or condition.

My translation:
Although I thought about it as much I could, I was unable to resolve the problem.


texts:
In some of the myths of Japanese lore I have found references to a non-specific 神様.
I'm no expert in neither the language nor the lore (I'm a simple student as of now), yet it seems to me that this references arise mainly in "imported" lore rather than indigenous lore: for example, the lore of Japan creation as found in  the Kojiki actually names many on the divinities that are present; whereas lores such as the 12 zodiac animals or the Tanabata lore present such a non-descript 神様.
It seems to me that these references go back to China, so that I think that 神様 may be identified with the Jade Emperor (yet this is eventually a question to be asked in the Chinese Stack Exchange); yet in Japanese lore with whom may we identify this divinity?


texts: Usage of 言えばいいわけです in this sentence from IAIJ

texts:
I was trying to translate this sentence:

  私は積極的に喋らないタイプなんですが、日本では私が喋らなくても、「アンディ、こう思ってるでしょう」って言ってくれるので、私はただ「うん」と言えばいいわけですよね。

My translation is the following:

  I'm that type that do not actively talk but, in Japan, even without saying anything, since I get asked ”Andy, do you think it is like this?", it is natural that I should say just "Yes"

My translation for the part in bold though doesn't sound really good and probably I'm missing something.
Why is it using the 「ばいい」construct there?


texts:
I couldn't understand 入ってなかった, what verb is it after 入って?

  で、帰ったときに携帯はかばんに入ってなかっただろう？


texts: How should I go about translating my company name in Japanese?

texts:
I'm trying to translate a company name ("puddle") in to Japanese. I put it into Google Translate, but when you translate words, you're translating their meaning rather than the word itself, which is usually what you're looking for. But when translating a company name, essentially you want to find the letter for letter equivalent of that name.

What's the best way to approach this?

Also, how can you check that you haven't accidentally translated your company name into an obscenity?


texts:
こんにちは, Please tell me how to say "Please click any (one of the) button on the menu"
I have tried to search translation or grammar about "any of" but most results came out to be どれも. Which it doesn't seems to fit in the sentence.  I thought of saying 「メニューのボタンをクリックしてください。どれでもいいです。」But it seems long and I am looking for a way to say it in 1 sentence. Any advice?

Edit:
Thanks a lot, Robert. I really like use of the word 任意. I have not seen any one uses 「任意のボタン」tho. What do you think about「メニューの任意のボタンをクリックしてください」? Does that sounds right?

Edit:
How about どれか一つ or いずれかの


texts: What is the subject in 「士郎の理想、英雄となった姿があなたではないのですか。」?

texts:
士郎の理想、英雄となった姿があなたではないのですか。

I think the subject of なった is 姿, but a friend tells me it's 士郎.

Is it not possible that the sentence means

  The figure that became hero, are not you?

?


texts: What is the purpose of る in the sentence?

texts:
I know the form ている, but is there any other form like just てる without an い between ?

This is the sentence that I'm confused with :
写真の右に写ってる小物が気になります。なんやろね？


texts:
For full context:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/web_tokushu/2018_0202.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-closeup_002

The sentence in question:
"残念ながら八王子隕石と特定はできませんでしたが、研究グループは、引き続き八王子隕石の実態の解明に挑みたいとしていて、一般の市民に、自宅に隕石のような石がないか、情報提供を呼びかけています。"

My attempt at translation:
"Im afraid to say that concerning hachioji meteorite and the specification, though we cant do it the research group trying to continously try to tackle the elucidation of the true state of hachioji meteorite appeals to the general public  for the provision of information if there is a stone like a meteorite in the house."

I don't know what to make of this みたいとしていて. I read that "volitional+とする" means "to attempt to", but usually volitional form means the よう-forms. みたい is also somehow volitional, but I couldnt find anything whether it can act in analogy to ようform+とする


texts:
Ｃ：坂本さんはいいひとですね。のりかさんは、さかもとのどんなところがすきですか。
  のりか：え？はは、ええっと、さかもとさんはとてもやさしいんです。

here さかもとのどんなところがすきですか。 is ambiguous for me. can anyone tell me what does it mean here ?


texts: Why add 時点 to a (year / month / day) date?

texts:
In a document about a new business service, I noticed that 時点 was suddenly added to a date. Here is the context:

  2000年10月にAAAサービスを開始した。
  2001年2月19日時点で、2500万人のユーザーと、194万箇所の加盟店をもつ。

時点 is not needed, but it adds an emphasis on that date? Like an exclamation mark?
A few other parts of this doc sound strange to me and maybe this is a bad translation from the English original?

Not a big deal but that type of 時点 after a year / month / day date would never be necessary, and is there to provide emphasis?


texts: "一目ぼれから長持ちする関係は望めません。" この表現のニュアンスを説明して頂けませんか？

texts:
一目ぼれから長持ちする関係は望めません。
Falling in love at first sight won't bring you a lasting relationship.

I found this sentence and translation without any other context, and
have a few questions about the expressions used here.
First off, after studying the sentence, I came up with two alternate translations:

You can't hope for a long-lasting relationship from falling in love at first sight.
You cant expect a long-lasting relationship from falling in love at first sight.

Which translation of 望めません do you think is more accurate (if accurate at all)?
Secondly, if 長持ちする is a verb meaning "to be long-lasting" or "to be durable", is 長持 ever used by itself, perhaps as a noun?


texts: What does やっぱり mean in [そこまでなんだって、思っちゃうもん……やっぱり]

texts:
「もうみーくん、またそういうこと言って」
「駄目ですか？」
「ううん、それも嬉しい、ドキドキする」
「そこまでなんだって、思っちゃうもん……やっぱり」

I'm a bit confused as to what this やっぱり is doing in the sentence above.


texts: With context that it is getting dark, why say "日が暮れる" instead of just "暮れる"?

texts:
X and Y are in a forest. They have been talking about it getting dark and cold. They both know that it is a long walk out of the forest.

　「これから長いことと歩かなければいかん」Xは指摘した。「２日間もです。もしかしたら３日かも。もう日が暮れかかっています」
　Yは空を見やった。「毎日このくらいの時間になれば日が暮れる。暗くなるのが怖い、X?」
　この挑発に、Xは乗らなかった。......

Thus far, the verb "暮れる" has not been used.
"暗くなっている" has been used.
"日が暗くなっている" has never been used.

Surely, #3 demonstrates that "暗くなっている" and "暮れている" are different in nuance. And, that is fine, a different issue.

  Given context, can't you assume the "日" in "日が暮れている"?

We already know it is getting cold / dark / late.
It is said twice in a row.
And, Y says it while he is looking at the sky.

(wild guess): "日が" places emphasis on the sun. This emphasis allows you to capture the sun's practical, and symbolic, meanings?


texts:
How is the English verb shirtfront, which has a sporting meaning of deliberately colliding into an opponent's chest, knocking them into the ground, and a vague political meaning of confronting another person associated with then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott claiming he would confront Vladimir Putin, translated into Japanese?

Is it left in romaji, translated into the katakana シャツフロント, some other option, or did the concept being described fail to enter the Japanese language?

The Japanese edition of Wiktionary doesn't have a match, nor did weblio (apart from quoting the English Wiktionary), nor did jisho.org.

"シャツフロント" "トニー・アボット" got only two google hits, while "shirtfront" "トニー・アボット" or "shirt front" "トニー・アボット" got slightly more hits, but not many.


texts: Did I parse and interprete this sentence correctly?

texts:
For full context:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/web_tokushu/2018_0202.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-closeup_002

The sentence in question:
このほど、唯一残されていた、八王子隕石のかけらではないかとされる石について、本物かどうか、最新の科学技術で分析が試みられました。

My attempt at translation:
"Lately, Concerning a stone treated as wether it is the only remaining fragment of hachioji meteorite, an analysis with latest technology was attempted."

Im especially skeptical wether I parsed the attributes correctly or not, although the translation seems correct at least.


texts:
彼は冬に何日かお休みがあります。

彼は2週間仕事をしなくてよいのです。

What is the grammar behind しなくてよい? Does it mean "doesn't have to work?" Also is のです being used because the fact that he doesn't have to work for 2 weeks explains 冬に何日かお休みがあります?


texts:
Context: in this manga, an ex boxer now working for a yakuza group has just attended the funeral of his boss (組長). After the funeral, he sits alone and watches his pinkie. Then thinks:

  何考えてんだ俺は…　あめェよ…　命【たま】かけなきゃならねェ世界【とこ】で生かされてんだ。あめェよ…　小指じゃ命につりあわねェっての。

In the manga the word 世界 is often used to refer to the boxing world, and I think in this case too. I understand that he is talking about the yubitsume ritual, but the meaning of the last sentence is not clear to me, the verb in particular. I think it literally means "a pinkie can't match life", but what does he actually mean by that? What is the general meaning of the whole sentence? Also, why 命 has たま as furigana? My attempt:

  What the hell am I thinking? I'm so naive... I am forced to live in a world where you have to risk your life. I'm so naive... a pinkie can't be compared to life.

Unfortunately, the manga doesn't provide much context because it focuses on the boxing part, this is just a minor scene. I don't know why he thinks about cutting his finger, maybe he feels guilty about the death of his boss?

Thank you for your help!

EDIT: maybe my explanation wasn't clear, but in the end he doesn't cut his finger. Here you can see the page in question (page 29) and some pages before it. In the first page, you can see an unknown member of the yakuza clan with his amputated pinkie. This is all the context the manga provides, after these pages it goes back to the main story.


texts: What is the meaning of "超か" in this news headline?

texts:
I saw this in a news article saying that Toshiba had losses of \1T:

  東芝、赤字１兆円超か

http://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S12867082.html

What is the purpose of adding か at the end?


texts: What is the difference between ending a question with んだ？and の？

texts: I thought の when used in questions is for when you’re asking for an explanation or to have a curious tone, but んだ is also for explanation and I’ve seen both used to end questions so what are the differences between them?


texts: meanings of 「書{か}いてある」 and 「書かれている」

texts:
I think that these sentences might have similar meanings:

  犬{いぬ}についての記事{きじ}が朝日{あさひ}新聞{しんぶん}に書いてあります。
  犬についての記事が朝日新聞に書かれています。

I think that the direct translations are:

  There is an article about dogs that is written in the Asahi Shinbun (there is no chance to specify the author).
  An article about dogs has been written in the Asahi Sinbun (it is possible to mention the author).

Does each at least have correct grammar?
What is the nuanced difference?
What criteria are used to decide which to say?


texts: I have a doubt concerning the symbol 〒. What does it mean when in a resume it's followed by a number? e.g: 〒 331-0811


texts: I don't understand the meaning and "naran" in this sentence 早く日曜日にならんかな

texts:
I don't understand the meaning of ならん in this sentence:

  早く日曜日にならんかな

Does ならん come from ならぶ? Or come from なる? How it's conjugated? What's that ん in ならん...?


texts: How do you say "I don't want to fail" in Japanese? The formal form of it?

texts: I'm asking how do you say something like "I don't want to fail" in Japanese. Yes, in anime they say something like "makenai". But I want to say or write it like an actual Japanese sentence in the polite form not the informal form so no slang please. I know -tai is I want to (verb). Any answer on how to say it formally will be very helpful.


texts:
【ノーシン】「いえ、別に教会運営によるものではないのです」
  【アスタ】「ん？　じゃあ、どうして？」
  【サイレント】「ぶっちゃけ、解読された内容を読んだ教皇はショックを受けて、びびっています。単にへたれているだけですね」
  【ノーシン】「お恥ずかしながら、その通りです」
  【アスタ】「相変わらずサイレントさん容赦ないな」
  【ノーシン】「あまりに衝撃的なので、まだ各国の王にもお話ししておりません……」
  【ラミアス】「では、なぜアスタにだけ話すのだ？」
  【サイレント】「それは……アスタさんが蛇紋の総帥――　前教皇のセーデスと戦う決意をなさっているからです」
  【キャスリン】「そこまでのものなのか……」

My question is to what キャスリン is commenting on. To me, it looks like she could be talking about the reason for telling アスタ the truth before the kings (i.e. is being prepared to fight 蛇紋の総帥 reason enough for him to be told before the kings of all the countries), or is it that what has been discovered is so shocking that at the moment they have decided that it is only necessary for アスタ to know (as what he will have to deal with is directly related to the content of what has been discovered).


texts: Difference between ～のことを書いた本 and ～のことを書かれた本

texts:
From the start of 星の王子さま:

  僕が六歳だったときのことだ。「ほんとうにあった話」という原生林のことを書いた本で、すごい絵を見た。
  It was when I was six years old. I saw an amazing picture in a book called "Stories that Really Happened" that (someone) wrote about the primeval forest.

I'm a bit confused about 書いた here. I would have expected this to be in the passive form. Since it is not, there must be some implied subject of the verb, but these are the first two sentences of the book so the only subject I can imply is "someone".

Is this usual in Japanese? Would 原生林のことを書かれた本 be more, or less natural, or equally acceptable, and why?

I read this question but I don't think the answer is applicable in this case.

Edit:

I've just realised I'm even more confused, because in my interpretation 本 would have been the object of 書く before it was made into a relative clause. But after making it a relative clause 書く is now taking a second object: 原生林のこと. So if 原生林のこと is the object then wouldn't 本 have to be the subject, so I would get "a book that wrote about the primeval forest". But books don't write things. People write things in books.

In the active sentence I guess I would have said something like 原生林について本を書いた. So perhaps my alternative should have been 原生林について書かれた本.


texts: What are the differences between them, and in what kind of sentences should I use one rather than the other?


texts:
Please explain the grammar behind how 何か is used in this sentence

  そこにはきっと何かお話があるに違いない。

I'm translating it as

  There must surely be a story there

But I don't understand what 何か is doing. Can I translate it as "something of a story", or "some story"? Two nouns next to each other seems odd.
Thanks.


texts: When and how to use 家は, 家から, ここは, and ここから

texts:
What is the difference of the following:

a) 家はここから近いです
b) ここは家から近いです
c) ここから家は近いです
d) 家からここは近いです

Edit:
This is what I think of the Japanese above: a) my house is near here, b) this place is near my house, c) from here my house is near, and d) from my house this place is near. I am not sure if I am correct and I don’t know when to use these sentences.


texts: What is the most common word for medicine? (the physical substances, not the field of study)

texts:
医学 「いがく」 seems to be the field of medicine

医術 「いじゅつ」 might be another word for the field of medicine?

薬 「くすり」 is the word I found listed most often.

However, I also saw 医薬 「いやく」 and 薬剤 「やくざい」 but don't know what the differences between these words are.


texts: Is the Japanese word "pan" (パン) related in its origins to the Spanish word "pan"?

texts: "Pan", in both Japanese and Spanish means bread. Is this purely coincidental, or do they have the same origin?


texts: Japanese word meaning "sister" if the position in the family is unknown

texts:
I am translating the sentence from English into Japanese:

  On Christmas I get toys from my sister.

I have no idea if the sister is older or younger than the speaker. So, if I don't want to be guessing, I can use neither 姉　nor 妹. Which word should I use in this case?

Thank you!


texts:
だが is often attached to the subject/topic of a sentence as follows, with my supposed translation.

  近くに住む叔父だが, 最近具合が悪いと聞いている.
  'Speaking of my uncle who lives close-by, I've heard lately he's isn't doing fine.'

Does such だが give the subject a special meaning? Is the translation correct?


texts:
Someone recently posted a question about お茶 and whether it's correct to use お茶 to describe something like 紅茶 instead. Knowing that 紅 usually means 'crimson', was wondering what the etymology for 紅茶's usage of 紅 goes for black.

This might be a case of assuming a translation from what an item is called in one culture versus another (i.e. in English this is "Black Tea" but in Japanese this is "Crimson Tea", literally speaking) but since I'm not fully certain about the kanji choice for 紅茶 just wanted to know where its origins are?


texts: Identifying relative clauses: Is this の replaceable with が?

texts:
I was browsing through the Japanese Dictionary for the definition of "歯医者”

One of the definition is as follow "歯の治療をする医者".

I believe that the の here is replaceable with が here. But I am not sure how do I identify relative clauses so as to know when I can replace the の with が.

To my understanding, if it is が, the general meaning would be "the doctor who cures teeth", with the が targeting "歯" as the thing to be cured.

Is my interpretation correct? If not, how does の work in this case?


texts: What is the English equivalent of an 意匠ノート?

texts: I came across the term 「意匠ノート」as a type of notebook. Translated, I guess it would be a "design notebook," but I'm not sure what that means? A drawing book? A notebook with graph paper for architectural designing? If anyone has any insight,  would appreciate it!


texts: When do we use 値 (あたい) instead of 価値 or 値段?

texts:
I would like to know

1) when do we use 値 (あたい) to say "value" instead of 価値 ?

2) when do we use 値 (あたい) instead of 値段 to say "price, cost"?

I don't see the difference between these words. Please feel free to give example sentences so I can see the difference.

Thank you so much in advance for your answers!


texts: Question ending with "no?" -- can I use "n da?" instead, among friends?

texts:
I know what "no da" and "n da" are for. When I hear the question something like "nani wo shite iru no?" from a friend, I wonder: can the question "nani wo shite iru n da?" be used instead? Do they mean exactly the same meaning or is there any difference in connotation?

or

doko e iku no? --> doko e iku n da?

In other words,  can "(na) no?" always be replaced with "(na) n da?" in a question when talking to friends? Will this soound a bit more direct and masculine?


texts: Translation of "に" into "natural" English

texts:
All of my Japanese teachers have told me that な-adjectives converted to に-ending words and い-adjectives converted to く-ending words, when followed by a verb, are 'adverbs'.  However, sentences sound ridiculous when translated in keeping with this principle:

  静かにランチが食べたいです。
  'I want to eat lunch quietly.' or
  'I want to eat a quiet lunch.'

  静かにしなさい。
  'Be quiet!' or
  'Be quietly!'

  汚いことをいっぱい言ったくせになんなの？　臭くなりましたか？
  'What's with you saying so many damn dirty things?  Are you being stinky?' or
  'What's with you saying so many damn dirty things?  Are you being stinkily?' (Obviously, stinkily isn't a word... but...)...

Is there any way I can accommodate my academic learning and my true-to-life experience simultaneously, or do I have to surrender one of them for the other?

Also, can you pay especially close attention to the first sentence?  I'm a little sad that I haven't been able to find the words that mean 'a quiet lunch'.  Alongside the first sentence in this post, 静かな場所でランチが食べたいです is a considered alternative, but it means, 'eat lunch in a quiet place'.  This doesn't comprise the implied 'peace of mind' that 'a quiet lunch' retains in English.


texts:
The BOJ seems to like this word and it is translated as either "epoch-making" or "groundbreaking"

Original Japanese sentence:

  この点、日本銀行は、1月の金融政策決定会合において、自らの判断で「物価安定の目標」を消費者物価の前年比上昇率2％と定め、これをできるだけ早期に実現するという画期的な約束をしました。

Official translation:

  At the Monetary Policy Meeting held in January, the Bank -- on its own judgment -- set the price stability target at 2 percent in terms of the year-on-year rate of change in the consumer price index (CPI) and made a groundbreaking commitment to achieve that target at the earliest possible time.

In other places the BOJ has translated this as "epoch-making." But epoch-making events to a native English speaker would mean like ... the fall of Rome rather than a small change in the policy of a central bank.

I get the basic etymology of what's going on with the Japanese but I have a two-part question arising from this:

(1) Does this word's meaning really rise to the level of creating a new epoch in Japan?
(2) What more natural equivalent can you think of for the English?

Examples always help!


texts: na-adjective + noun: can I negate na-adjective in this case?

texts:
I read articles and watch videos but no one mention it is possible to negate na-adjective if it before the noun.
Everywhere just mention that case when no noun after the na-adjective:
これ は かんたん です。 --> これ は かんたん では ありません。

I know we make na-adjective from noun and if noun isn't after the na-adjective (as see my example) just simply negate noun without な.
But how negate na-adjective which is before the noun?
これ は かんたんな もんだい です。 --> ??? (maybe: これ は かんたん では ありません もんだい です。)

As I know this: これ は かんたんな もんだい では ありません。negate the noun (もんだい) and not the na-adjective. I know the alternative solution is put the noun before the は: この もんだい は かんたん では ありません。
I just ask this because I know it is possible negate i-adjective which is before the noun.


texts: 。。。と言えば。。。だが construction, what does it mean?

texts:
I have found two sentences below, and I wonder whether it is some kind of grammatical construction or not.

理想といえば理想だが、頑張ればなんとかなるかもしれない。

公園といえば公園だが、狭いからあまり遊べないよ。


texts: Is "不特定多数" slang for "date more than 1 person at the same time"?

texts:
Is "不特定多数"する a slang term that means to date more than 1 person at the same time? For example, Tanaka-san would date person A on Monday, person B on Wednesday, then person C on Friday and Saturday. "田中くんは不特定多数よくやる人だよね。うらやましいなああ。"

This phrase was used　(by me at least) a long time ago, and my memory is poor. It seemed to get my intended meaning across... but I don't remember native speakers saying it, yet its a very weird thing to say. I've no idea how I might have "learned" the phrase.


texts: What's the un-contracted form of 何を言うてんねん?

texts: I'm assuming that the first ん, after て, stands for る. However, I simply cannot parse the ねん that comes afterward. How exactly does "what the hell are you saying" become 何を言うてんねん, or if my first assumption is correct, 何を言うてるねん?


texts: Using のに in a sentence, and expressing "third to last"

texts:
私は最後じゃなかったのに、最後の二人の女子たちがレースの途中で走るのをやめて、歩いてゴールインしたので、私があたかもレースの最後のように感じました。

I'm writing a sakubun on when I arrived third to last in a race back when I went to middle school.

In my sentence I wanted to say: "Even if I didn't arrive last, since the last two girls stopped running in the middle and reached the finish line while walking, I felt just like I arrived last" (meaning: I felt extremely disappointed because my performance was a failure even if I never stopped running unlike the two other girls).

Does the sentence I wrote make any sense to you? Did I use のに right? Do you have any suggestions to improve my sentence? Moreover, what is the best way to say "third to last"?


texts: What does のも mean in 仕事が忙しすぎるのも考えものだけど、時間が余るのもなぁ?

texts:
In the following sentence

  仕事が忙しすぎるのも考えものだけど、時間が余るのもなぁ

what does のも mean?

Thank you very much.


texts: What's the meaning of と in 「『・・・・・・』っていう文章だと良かった」?

texts:
Can someone explain what と means in this sentence:

  『・・・・・・』っていう文章だと良かった


texts:
A desk is a desk, but is there any important difference between the two words for "table"? Here is what the wwwjdic says:

卓 【たく; しょく】table; desk; (たく only) counter for tables, desks

机 【つくえ】 desk

テーブル table


texts:
I know there are loads of uses for the former, but in the sentence

家族や結婚 といった　個人的な話であろうと、エンジニアリングや事業 といった仕事の話であろうと、向き合わないとなったらとことん向き合わないのが山田なのだ

can anyone explain the subtle difference that would be made if toiu was used instead?


texts:
Usually 的に making the proceeding noun into an adverb has usually been simple enough for me to understand, but the following sentence confused me:

容姿的にマスコミが持ち上げようとするのもわかるが

It feels here like it ought to be something like "I get that the mass media will flatter her because of her physical looks, but..."
But my brain can't seem to process this as making sense with 容姿的に as an adverb, since modifying 持ち上げよう or わかる with it doesn't make much sense, unless I'm completely misunderstanding something here.


texts:
Recenly, with Facebook's new "feed" feature, whatever the heck that is, I've been seeing this notification coming up a lot:

  [Friend One]さんと[Friend Two]さんがフィード購読{こうどく}を許可{きょか}しています。

I have to admit, even though it's such a simple sentence, it actually confuses me a little.

Does it mean Friend One and Friend Two have given permission to have their feeds be subscribed to by anyone? Or does it mean that they have given each other permission to see each other's feed? Something else?

Basically, I'm not sure if the と means "and", as in "friend and friend have done X", or if the と means "with", as in "friend has done X with friend."

Part of the confusion is that I don't know what the "feed" feature does, but I think part of the learning here is that I shouldn't be reliant on that information to work out what the Japanese means. I don't think I'd necessarily need that information to parse a similar sentence in English.

(PS: Yes, I could switch my Facebook interface to English and just see what the translation is, but I think parsing the Japanese on its own terms has more learning potential.)


texts:
On lang-8 I read a message from a Japanese speaker who said that 「今日は」isn't used among family/friends, but mainly for strangers.

To this end I need ask, what is a common way to say "Hello" to family/friends, or at least the Japanese equivalent if they have a different custom in this regard.


texts:
I'm writing with a japanese penfriend on italki, and I've got a few problems with what she has written me in japanese ^^

For context: Amongst other things, I've written her that I've changed my profession. I successfully finished my studies to become a teacher, but I've changed into the IT-sector because in my country (germany, bavaria) there is no need for teachers on schools anymore for the subjects I've studied.

Now, I haven't written her this background information and as far as I can understand, she tries to convince to go for it :D The problem is, as I said, that I don't understand everything she has written me.

So first, the full text:

  仕事を始めるとき、最初の何年かはとても大変ですね。でも嫌でも続ける事は、何か自分に意味があります。そういうふうに、日本では言います。だから、本当に自分のしたい事が今できなくても、できるときがくるので、そのときまで粘ってください！かな？？？

The sentence in question:

  だから、本当に自分のしたい事が今できなくても、できるときがくるので、そのときまで粘ってください！

Before I write down my translation, I must say that this part confuses me quite a lot and I wonder whether I understood the preceding parts correctly at all.

I actually wonder here whether she tells me that I should go for becoming a teacher, even though it might not be "the job I want to do" because "the time will come when I can (=when it became the job I want to do?), or if she tells me to "keep going (in my current job), because the time will come" where I can do this job :D

Here is my translation:

  "Because of that, while now not doing the thing you yourself want to do, because the time where I do comes, please do your best until then."

One last thing:

  かな???

What does it express in the way it is standing here?^^


texts:
It was said by a guy who has just realized that his kid has done something improperly.

Here is the sentence including the word.

  丈{じょう}のやろうついにやってはならねえことまで　やりやがったか....


texts: What are the differences between「目的」and 「目標」?

texts: Both「目的」and「目標」have a common meaning which is "goal", but what is the difference? When can we use one but not the other?


texts:
Actually, I want I'm figuring out a specific sentence, which is 「暇なので相手して。」And I thought that it means "I am bored because of my companion."

暇 [hima] - "leisure" / "fun"
な [na] - Negative imperative. Meaning "himana" means "not fun"
ので [node] - "because"
相手 [aite] - "companion" or someone with me
して [shite] - "I am doing" or current state

But according to http://www.japanesefile.com/Adjectives/hima_na_1.html
"hima na" means "to have free time"


texts: Why is が added at the end of この小娘が in this clip?

texts:
Audio Clip

Is something being omitted here? Is it just a figure of speech?


texts: Can I say 日本語程度 as an alternative for 日本語実力?

texts: Or perhaps even 日本語実力程度? Although that seems overkill and double emphasising.


texts:
I understand that to say ちっちゃなハート  doesn't mean "little heart" in the "romantic" context, it actually means someone who is not brave or courageous. Would like a native speaker to shed some further light/context (or let me know if I am totally wrong). Also consider ちっちゃな心 context and meaning?

Thank you!


texts:
I am currently in my third year of japanese studies, and in lesson 29 of 皆の日本語, we learned to use vb-て+しまいます　or しまいました　to emphasize the action or its completion, or the embarrassment, regret of the speaker. I now have an exercise, in which I need to complete the following sentence :
私が結婚したかった人は、ほかの人と「Verb here」.

Given the available verbs, I guess I have to add 結婚してしまいました、but would the meaning be rather : "I wanted to marry, so I am already married" or "I wanted to marry, but sadly I couldn't". Or maybe the exercise is just silly...

Thanks in advance,
ウルカン


texts: What does ゴミが落ちていない mean when replying the question 日本に来て、驚いたことは何ですか?

texts:
There is a dialogue as follows,

A: 日本に来て、驚いたことは何ですか。What struck you when you arrived in Japan?
B: ゴミが落ちていない。The trash is not falling down.

I am confused in translating ゴミが落ちていない。. My attempt is "The trash is not falling down" but it seems to be "funny" or "weird".
What is the correct translation?


texts: Meaning of 寝落ちしてた and differentiating 寝 as either sleep or lying down?

texts: I interpret 寝落{ねお}ちしてた as "I fell asleep", but I can also see it as "I was lying down". As for whether or not 寝 in a sentence implies sleeping or simply lying down, is that determined merely by context, or are there definitive cases?


texts: What grammatical form is "食わねえ。" using, and what does it mean?

texts:
食わねえ。

I didn't understand the above sentence. What is this "ねえ" and why is "食べる" in the form of "食わ"?


texts:
①　What is the difference between 決算書{けっさんしょ},　財務諸表{ざいむしょひょう}　and 決算書類{けっさんしょるい}?
I have a table and they are named there one by one, as if each of them would have different meaning :

  決算書｛けっさんしょ｝,　財務諸表｛ざいむしょひょう｝　and　決算書類｛けっさんしょるい｝

➁　Do you think I could also translate these 3 terms as below?

  "any financial statements"

Thank you so much in advance for your ideas.


texts: ズボン pronunciation variation & explanation for

texts: I've heard it pronounced both low_high and high_low. Can anyone explain the meaning/reason behind the variation? (ie. difference in nuance, formal/casual, regional dialect, etc.) Ideally, I'd like to focus on one pronunciation to learn as a "standard" or "preferred learning pronunciation" if such a thing exists. よろしくお願いします！


texts: What is the difference between 研究所 and 研究室? Do both mean a research institute?


texts: How do Japanese use the pharse "その方がいいから"

texts:
「姉さん、も朝なの」と言った。
いちは長太郎の布団の側に行って小声で言った。
「まだ早いからお前は寝ていなさい。姉さんは、　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　お父さんのことで出かけなければならないよ。」
「それならおいらも行く」
と言って、長太郎は起き上がった。
「じゃあ、起きて。着物を着せてあげよう。長さんは小さくても男だから、
一緒に行ってくれればその方がいいから。」

The question may sound trivial, but I want to ask if we can replace the bolded sentence with

一緒に行ってくれればいい 　or　一緒に行ってくれればいいから

and the possible change of the meaning.
There are some online examples go like

一緒に行ってくれればいいじゃん。
一緒に行ってくれればいいのに。


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  The difference between が and を with the potential form of a verb.

I know the difference between 見る, 見られる, and 見える. I know that 見える and 見られる are verbs expressing a potential, which means they are intransitive, and thus implies they cannot have direct objects marked using を.

How come I sometimes see を used with 見られる? (Examples on Space ALC)

For example, why is

  今、その場所を見られる？

not

  今、その場所が見られる？

What are the rules for using を instead of が?


texts:
From a story where people no longer use keys for locks, but speak a special phrase into the lock:

  それよりも、酒の勢いで、ついその文句を口に出してしまうことのほうが、しばしば発生した。しかし、帰ってから、酔いがさめて、後悔したりあわてたりする必要はない。内側から字を入れ替えて、別の文句になおせばいい。
  On the other hand, people accidentally saying their phrase while drunk happens all the time. After coming home you sober up, but there's no need for regret or panic. From the inside you should replace the characters and fix to a different phrase.

I'm really confused by the sentence in bold. The story has been about people speaking these phrases. There is no mention of anything being written down or typed in. So  what is the meaning of 字 here? I also don't really understand 文句になおす. Why is the particle に used instead of を?


texts:
i don't really know why the stem version was used instead of the dict version in this sentence is it because of the の? or is there a grammar rule i am missing?
次の慣用句の続きを述べよ 風が吹けば…


texts:
What is the difference between these two sentences?

寿司をもう食べた

寿司を食べたことがある

Both sentences mean "I've already eaten sushi", right? But what situation would I use もう食べた in? And when would I use 食べたことがある?


texts:
教室はたった一つでしたが生徒は三年生がないだけで、あとは一年から六年までみんなありました。
  It was a single classroom but, with the exception of third year students, it had everyone from year one to year six.
  運動場もテニスコートのくらいでしたが、すぐうしろは栗の木のあるきれいな草の山でしたし...
  ??? but right behind it were beautiful grassy mountains with chestnut trees and ...

I'm struggling with the 運動場もテニスコートのくらいでした part. My guess is that it's saying that the classroom also acted as a tennis court and sports ground, but I can't convince myself 100%.

Also I don't think I've ever seen くらい with の before. Can I omit の without consequence?

Edit: The part I missed out is

  ...でしたし、運動場のすみにはごぼごぼつめたい水を噴く岩穴もあったのです。
  ...and in the corner of the sports ground there was a cave where cool water bubbled out.

So I suppose this makes my guess completely wrong. Now I'm very confused.


texts: ます Verb Stem + another verb grammar meaning?

texts:
I was practicing writing and got corrected by a few native speakers. They all had a correction in common where they took the ます Verb Stem and then just added a different verb on the back.

What grammar rule is going on here? What does it mean? When can I use it and when can't I use it?

My sentences were about cats. The portion I was corrected on was:

  If you don't, they won't stop screaming.

Correction A:

  あなたがそうしないなら彼らは鳴きやみません。

  My translation:

  If you don't, they won't stop crying (as in making animal noises).

Correction B:

  あなたがもしやめなければ彼らは叫び続けます。

  My translation:

  If you don't stop, they will continue to scream.

I am not sure if the person that gave me correction b understood what I meant in the first half of the sentence. But the grammar point I don't understand was still used (叫び続けます) in the second half.


texts:
また別のときにチェスをしましょう。

The translation was "Let's play chess another time." But what does また change in the sentence? I saw some translations for また, however I couldn't get it.


texts:
I was reading an NHK Easy News article today about the measles outbreak and came across this sentence:

厚生労働省{こうせいろうどうしょう}は、４月{がつ}の終{お}わりから５月{がつ}の初{はじ}めの休{やす}みの間{あいだ}に、はしかのウイルスがうつった人{ひと}は、これから熱{ねつ}やせきが出{で}るかもしれないと言{い}っています。

I translate most of this sentence as:
"The Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Labor says that during the break at the end of April to the beginning of May, people infected with the measles virus were not even aware of a fever or cough."

I'm not sure how to incorporate the これから though with this phrasing though, as I've usually seen it as an conjunction at the beginning of a sentence or clause.

I think if there wasn't a comma after 間｛あいだ｝ I think I would want to read the subject as "people who caught measles during the break" and then これから would be an adjective saying "the fever from the measles."

What do you think?


texts:
意図は、毎日語学の仕事していますから、たぶん全体的に語学力よくなる。

I want to say something like "my intended meaning was that since I will work with languages, it may improve my general language ability."

Does this make sense? Are 意図 and 全体的に語学力 used correctly?


texts: meaning of 蓮も好きなんだから

texts:
「あぁっ しかもあんな強引にされちゃったりして」
「もぉ…　蓮も好きなんだから」

What does 蓮も好きなんだから mean in the above?
To me it's ambiguous and could mean "I also love you", "you also love me", or that he also loves something else.
Can anyone help me understand?


texts:
I am used to seeing 名前 on application forms. But can 名前 be used on a form where the name of an inanimate object is required?

For example an application form that asks for the name of... your boat.
名前： The River Explorer

or the name of some software on a purchase order.
名前：Photoshop X

Or would one use another word?


texts: Could anyone explain the grammatical structure of a sentence 僕の螺旋 ただならぬ手を繋ごうとしてる

texts:
Trying to understand the lyrics of Granrodeo song 君に One Way Love, I'm struggling to grasp how 僕の螺旋
ただならぬ手を繋ごうとしてる can mean "my spiral has my hands all tied up" (translation i found here https://yokuboumugendai.com/2017/05/22/translation-%E5%90%9B%E3%81%AB-one-way-love/).Could anyone elucidate the sentence structure, especially in part of using volitional form 繋ごう with としてる ? Or maybe if translation isn't correct, could anyone fix it? Thanks for any help


texts: How should I write my name with an American first name and Japanese last name?

texts:
I generally understand that proper Japanese uses Hiragana and Katakana is for slang/foreign words. Given that, my first name is super American but my last name is Japanese. Would I then make my first name Katakana and last name Hiragana?

(I haven't touched Kanji yet, so let's just stick to those two for now!)


texts:
I am reading through Shirane Haruo's Classical Japanese: A Grammar, and I've come across what I think is a discrepancy.
The example given for ナ変 verbs is 死ぬ:

Mizenkei: 死なば一所で死なん. SHINA-ba issho de SHINA-n.

If we are going to die (shina-ba), let us die (shina-n) in one place (issho). (Heike, Hōjūji kassen, vol. 8, NKBT 33:158) (Shina-ba is the mizenkei of shinu, "to die," and the conjunctive particle ba, indicating a hypothetical condition. Shina-n is the mizenkei of shinu and the shūseiki of the auxiliary verb mu, indicating intention. N is a nasalized sound change from mu.)

Izenkei: 又かく死ぬれば… Mata kaku SHINURE-ba...

Furthermore (mata), since I am going to die (shinure-ba) like this (kaku)... (Ochikubo, book 4, NKBT 13:208) (Shinure-ba is the izenkei of shinu plus the conjunctive particle ba.)

(Classical Japanese: A Grammar, SHIRANE Haruo, pp. 37-38)
If I understand correctly, 未然形 is the "imperfective" form and 已然形 is the "perfective." Why, then, is the example sentence for 已然形 seemingly interpreted as though the verb is imperfective ("going to die" as opposed to "have died")? Is this a quirk of translating between Japanese and English? Or am I not understanding how the 已然形 is used?


texts: There is a tea brand known as おいお茶{ちゃ} sold near me. One question I had was that on the bottle, it says that it means "Tea, please!" I figured that would be a rather rude way to ask for tea. Is there a nuance I am not aware of with the phrase おい？


texts:
I have been struggling to find information on how ”あって” works in the following sentence :
家や会社では静かですが、いざかやに行くとお酒の力もあってとてもにぎやかになります。
I think in this case ”あって” means "because of", but how does it work exactly ?
Does it go together with the も？ Does it relate to "酒の力” or to the whole ”行くとお酒の力” proposition ?
Is it specific to ある or is this a て-form usage that works with other verbs ?
I hope my question make sense. Thanks in advance for your help !
W


texts: Looking for a single phrase, word or even proverb for "always being condemned for whatever someone does"

texts:
Consider the situation in which an employer dislikes one of his employees.
The employee is always condemned by the employer for whatever the employee does.
In other words, even though the employee does a good result, he is still condemned.

Is there a single phrase, word, or even proverb for "always being condemned" in Japanese?

I want to convert the following

  僕は何をしても、いつも非難される。

to

  僕は「the phrase in question」です。

or

  僕は「the phrase in question] になる/する/させる/される。

or something like these. Proverb is also welcome!

Note: It is not necessarily the relation between employer and the employee.


texts: What does と do in the sentence provided below?

texts:
この自動車はあなたの自動車と同じです。(Kono jidōsha wa anata no jidōsha to onajidesu.)

Is it used as "and" ? Or is it comparison like the one provided in this question.

If yes, then would someone please provide few alternative translations to provide some perspective?


texts:
I'm translating a song and came across this line:

    感じなくなっちゃえばいい

At first I thought it was:

感じる in negative te-form + しまう in conditional ば form + いい

But I think there's something wrong or something I'm ignoring. If I rewrite the sentence the way I think it is, it would be like:

    感じる　--->  感じなくて

    ~てしまえば --->  ~ ちゃえば

    いい

So my guess would be :

感じなくちやえばいい

Why is there a 'なっ' before 'ちやえば'?


texts:
I've been texting with some friends and I asked:

  どんな音楽が大抵聞きますか。

He replied:

  音楽は...なんて言ったら良いのか笑

So what exactly does the ~ったら　mean? I've gathered it might mean something like 'if I say...'

Some examples of using this form would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
Surprise surprise, I have another scene from Death Note:

  じゃあその中学チャンピオンと互角{ごかく}に戦ってる流河{りゅうが}君ってなんなの？ [episode 10, 3:55mins] Context:
  The speaker is talking about people playing Tennis. And is comparing
  Ryuuga [流河] to the other player, trying to point out that he's quite
  good as well.

Edit: I figured out by listening to audio that 君 = くん, i.e. the suffix. My mistake.

って is giving me trouble here, as って seems to take a variety of different meanings, and it's hard for me in general to pinpoint which meaning it takes at any given time.

よろしくお願いします。


texts: So I've learned that はじめまして is used in first meetings and that it stems from the verb はじめる (to start; to begin). But what form is it? It's apparently not the polite past form, which has a -た at the end (はじめました). Is it a proper verb form of はじめる anyway or should it simply be seen as a set expression?


texts:
In English, we can distinguish between not wanting to do something, and wanting to not do something.  It's not a distinction that we usually make, but it is possible:

P = "do anything"

A. "I want to not do anything."    　 WANT(NOT(P))
B. "I don't want to do anything."　   NOT(WANT(P))

The first sentence means WANT(NOT(P)) "I want to do nothing".

The second sentence literally means NOT(WANT(P)) "I lack the desire to do anything", but by implication it usually also means WANT(NOT(P)) "I want to do nothing".  Since this is just an implication, it's possible for it to be cancelled in certain contexts.

I was wondering if something similar is true of 〜したくない.  Take a look at this sentence:

  何もしたくない。

I think this usually means WANT(NOT(P)) "I want to do nothing".  But is it possible for it to mean NOT(WANT(P)) "I lack the desire to do anything" as well?

Can 何もしたくない have either meaning?


texts: What is the difference between 踊り and ダンス

texts: Is there a difference between ダンス and 踊り? They are both defined as dance in the dictionary.


texts: How would one say A implies B in Japanese?

texts:
My friend and I were talking, and they had an interesting question. How do you establish that something implies something else in Japanese - specifically in the form A implies B?

The research I've done has given me the form:

  A は B を[意味]{いみ}する。

But this feels very strange. From what I can tell, that translates to "A does B's meaning," which isn't really what I'm trying to say.

For instance, I tried translating:

  "My title implies that I am a doctor."

Which came out to:

  私のタイトルは、私は[医者]{いしゃ}だということを[意味]{いみ}します。

This seems like an odd and roundabout translation, especially with the use of だということ. How could this be said better? Is there a standard way of saying "A implies B"?


texts:
I want to translate this twitter status of AKB48 member. She wrote about the graduation(retirement) of one of the member, but I'm not sure what 儚い mean in this context.
According to Jisho, it can mean

fleeting; transient; short-lived; momentary; ephemeral; fickle; vain
empty (dream, etc.); mere (hope); faint (possibility)

I was wondering what does she mean here?
EDIT: I'm currently confused between

Mayu's beauty is fragile and delicate (cause she does have that pure idol image)
or

The fact that she is leaving, so her beautiness and cuteness is
leaving as well (kinda like poetic way of saying? I dunno)


texts:
I have been trying to grasp the concepts of transitive vs intransitive as I learn Japanese and had some questions on the following
窓を開けている... OK
窓を開けてある..... OK
窓が開いている.... OK
now I have an issue with the following sentence
窓が開けてある.... X?
does 窓が開けてある, make sense? I thought it would be wrong since we cannot use が with 自動詞. In my book under the transitive verb portion is says that

object set by the particle を

Thus should the grammatical sentence be 窓を開けてある？


texts: A term in Japanese like "love-hate relationship"

texts:
Is there a term for "love-hate relationship" in Japanese?

Like my gf asked me "日本どう?" and I wanted to reply "I have a love-hate relationship with it".

(NOT ツンデレ!!! lol)

EDIT

Came across the term「愛憎関係」, could this phrase be used in this scenario?

GF: 日本どう?

Me: 愛憎関係だね

(Would that sound wrong?)


texts:
All taken from「みんなの日本語」.
There is two「~そうだ」：
-「ます-stemそうだ」(conjecture/guess)
-「V-dictionnary そうだ」(hearsay).
And for「~らしい」too:  One for hearsay and one for conjecture/guess (and other for typical property).
For the diffenrence between「~らしい」(hearsay) vs「~そうだ」(hearsay) : I ask here.
So, what is the difference between「ます-stemそうだ」(conjecture/guess) and「~らしい」(conjecture/guess)?

I see big dark clouds 雨が降るらしい。=　雨が降りそうです。? both translate "It looks like
it's going to rain" ?

I didn't find in other topics the anwser. Can you help me?
Thanks.


texts:
This is sentence:

  「“見る”か。お前はいったい、どのような世界を“見て”いるのだろうな」

I'm not sure if this is really a question, but words like いったい and どのよう suggest that it probably is. So if this is really a question, then how should I inerpret だろう at the end, because usually as far as I know it represents information about which speaker thinks its almost certainly is true.

But here, it looks like question is in form of something like "In which way did you see world?", and I don't understand how だろう fits here.


texts:
I heard an expression:

  その◯◯が二両のかたに預けてあるのは、彼は知りません。

The intended meaning was "he did not know that ◯◯ has been pawned for 2 ryō". Not a pawn-shop, but given as a collateral to a person who lends money.

I searched all dictionaries I had in hand specifically for a meaning that would fit the case and could not find any.

Did I miss anything in dictionaries or did I just mishear? Is there such a phrase? If so, what would be the etymology, ie. which one of 方, 形, 片, ... would it be and why?


texts: I know that 笑/草/w are just different ways to type out "haha" or "LOL", but is there a nuance between using which one? In English, "haha" is more casual and laid-back while "LOL" is a more energetic and chaotic laugh. What's the nuance for the Japanese slang?


texts: Could you please help me understand this sentence from NHK News?

texts:
タピオカは暑いところでできる芋から作った食べ物で、最近若い人。。。

I can't understand the part underlined quite well.

Does it mean that Tapioca is made from 芋 that is grown in hot places, or does it mean that Tapioca is made in hot places from 芋?

I think the core of this question is that I am not sure about the meaning of できる here. Does it mean food-making (in this case, tapioca making), or does it mean plant-growing (in this case, 芋 growing)?

Could anyone help me with this question? I just registered this account to ask it. Thank you soooo much!!!


texts: あ、バス、(a. 行かないと　b. 行っちゃった)。How come answer a is not right?

texts:
I am currently preparing for the N3 with the 日本語総まとめ books and one question confuses me:

  あ、バス、(a. 行かないと　b. 行っちゃった)。

Supposedly, a. is wrong while b. is correct. But doesn't a. sound more reasonable, in the sense of "Ah, the bus, I have to go."?

Also, concerning, 行っちゃった, is it common to use 行く when describing the motion of a vehicle? Wouldn't you rather use 出かける or 出発する?

I am grateful for explanations regarding any of those questions!


texts:
I would like to know more about the usage and etymology of やいかに
Example sentences:

はたして結果やいかに
運命やいかに
はたして鑑定やいかに

Questions:

What is the etymology of the word?
I have seen also はいかに used also. Is this a proper, and why is や used instead of は?


texts:
In the sentence

そのアリスの謝罪は、
あまりにも一方的な解釈に囚われた、
本当にアリスらしい、偽悪の言葉だったけど。

Is her apology false?
My understanding is that her apology (unilaterally interpreted) were words of falsehood


texts: 「めく」の使い方、どのような場合に「めく」を使うのが自然ですか。

texts:
goo辞書によると、「めく」という接尾語はいくつかの品詞（動詞を除く）に付き、五段の動詞を作ります。作られた動詞の意味は「〜という感じがする」に似ています。質問は、一般に「めく」という接尾語はどのような言葉に付きますか。

辞書の事例を見ると、「今更めく」や「仄｛ほの｝めく」などといった例が辞書に項目を持っているので、「めく」の使い方には制限があると感じます。


texts: Interpreting 開ける when talking about 暇なとき

texts:
Earlier today I read the following excerpt from a message:

  結局今日はゲームやらなかったよ！ また、暇なときに開けよう

The part I'm most unclear on is how to translate 開けよう.

First off, let me mention that I'm currently working on making the transition from only recognizing the 1st-year textbook types of sentence structures, and learning the many ways that the various particles can be used. So, what I'm getting at is I'm not at all sure how to interpret に. (^.^')
I'm inclined to think that's it's being used to say that 暇なとき is the object to the transitive verb 開ける. Then, perhaps, 開けよう is either a conjugation with which I'm simply not familiar, or perhaps it's just a contraction of akeru-yo, with the う at the end being added for the same reason that there was a ♪ at the end of that line. (Which, I suppose, can be chalked up to 'feminine speech.')

Speaking of which, the speaker is a female from the Nagoya area, if that sheds any light on colloquial choices or what have you.

So, if I'm correct in reading the second sentence as "himanatoki-ni akeru-yo" then this still leaves me unclear on how to interpret 'akeru.' In the dictionary I use (jisho.org), the definitions include things like "to open, as in a window" or "to open, as in a business." There is another definition, however, of "to empty; to clear out; to make space; to make room" that seems promising. So, perhaps I can interpret the sentence as

  "Rest assured, I will make room for leisure time."

Anyone care to offer their own differing interpretation?  Also, any insight on recognizing uses of に would surely be helpful and appreciated. I'm currently reading a book on grammar and particle usage, but I'm still in the 'absorbing' phase, so much of this stuff is still floating freely in my mid-range memory, waiting to be solidified.


texts: Casual Speech Particles in Classical Japanese

texts:
I'm writing a simple Japanese skit for my class and there is a place where an ancient samurai needs to speak a few sentences of Classical Japanese.

I can mostly make the sentences, but it seems weird to not have endings like ね or よ in the end. Did Classical Japanese have these casual speech endings?

Also, I presume that questions in CJ also used か? I couldn't find any information on this by googling.


texts:
要はその期限まで、誰にも私たちの事をしゃべらず、また、勝手に死ななければ晴れて自由の身ってこと。

I don't understand what that bold part mean.

Is this a set phrase?


texts:
A simple example:

日本語の勉強の時間

In theory, there could be several interpretations possible:

[日本語の勉強の] 時間
日本語の [勉強の時間]
[日本語の] [勉強の] [時間]

Are there any general rules on how to deal with this kind of ambiguity?


texts:
I have met the sentence:

各学生への細やかな配慮と個人的な学術的な指導があるため。

The word 細やかな is translated in the dictionary usually as friendly or tender.

1) Could you please tell me more exact translation of this word and of the whole sentence?
2) And in which contexts is this word most suitable?

Thank you.


texts: What differences are there between the English word "memo" and the Japanese word "メモ"?

texts:
What differences, if any, are there between the English word "memo" and the Japanese word "メモ"?

Does the Japanese word "メモ" have connotations to do with memorisation or memory that don't exist with the English word "memo"? Also, do native speakers of Japanese associate the word "メモ" with the English word "memory"?


texts:
This is embarrassingly basic. I've been using の happily for the last year and then I read this sentence and made the mistake of stopping to think about it:

  ポケットからきれいな包みのアメ玉を取り出した。
  He took a pretty ?? out of his pocket.

Now, I'm assuming that 包みのアメ玉 is "packet of sweets".

When I see things like AのB. I think to myself "Ah! it's a B that has property A" e.g.
私のアメ玉　-> "A sweet that is mine", 青のアメ玉 -> "A sweet that is blue" etc. So these are sweets that are "in a packet".

Then I thought about what happens if I swap A and B:
アメ玉の包み and I ask myself "what kind of packet is it?". "Ah! it must be one containing sweets". Or is it "A packet for sweets" i.e just the packet, no sweets. How do I know which is correct?

So I guess the questions are:

What does 包みのアメ玉 mean? I think "packet containing sweets".
What does アメ玉の包み mean? I think "sweet wrapper, or the packet that sweets would go in but without the sweets".
If I want to say "a bundle of leaflets" it's チラシの束 but if I want to say "a packet of sweets" it's 包みのアメ玉. Why does the order of the object, and the way the object is arranged, differ between these two examples?


texts:
This sentence is from Murata Sayaka's 『コンビニ人間』.

  それに比べて白羽マジで終わっている。

It is translated "Shihara is such a loser". I understand each word in the sentence (I think) but do not understand how this becomes what is translated. Literally: compared to this or to someone else (???) it's finished with taking him seriously. What am I missing?


texts:
In the following phrase:「時{とき}が過{す}ぎても彼{かれ}のままだった。」what does the「彼{かれ}のままだった」part mean?

My guess is that I can translate this phrase into something like "He's the same" or "he didn't change", but I'm not sure.


texts: Personal name contractions and bad connotations - いず as a contraction of 泉 (いずみ)

texts:
Are there any negative connotations associated with having いず as a contraction of the name 泉(いずみ)?

I know in English you could have 'Randy' as a contraction of Randall, which would generate quite a few snickers.

Are there any such issues with いず? E.g. Homophones, slang etc

There are also alternative spellings (和泉, 泉水, いずみ and いづみ; from Wikipedia) which may impact this.


texts: Is there any difference when pronouncing 橋 and 箸?

texts:
I once heard from my friend that the two words: 橋 and 箸 have different stress (stress falling on the first/second syllable).

Is that true?


texts: 始まる->始まり Is there a rule of making nouns from verbs (besides nominalization)?

texts:
Lately my ears started catching words ending in り that seem like nouns created from verbs. I'm sorry I don't have any other examples besides the one from the title 始まる (to start) -> 始まり (the start).
Is it just a small number of word pairs like that or there is some magic grammar formula to produce such nouns?
ありがとうございます！


texts: Do dictionaries indicate whether a verb should be used with -て + いる form?

texts:
Some verbs are commonly used in the -て + いる form. For example, "住んでいる" or "知っている". Do dictionaries typically indicate that they're used that way?

jisho.org (which is sometimes described as being a mile wide, but an inch deep) doesn't seem to, and it seems weblio sometimes doesn't.


texts: How is ~ように used/linked in this sentence?

texts:
In このボクのように完ペキな仙人仕様にはまだ成れなかったんだよ彼も！
I thought that it meant "Just like me, not even he could attain the perfect sage method!"

However the official translation is
"He couldn't become the perfect sage that I have become!"

My understanding or the sentence is that 彼も and このボクのように implies that both persons couldn't attain 完ペキな仙人. Am I correct or is the official translation correct? And why?

Here's a picture for more context, the sequence is 1-2-3 from left to right:


texts: Translation of 歯｛は｝磨｛みが｝きしてこよう in Yotsubato!

texts:
I am on Ch.82, Pg.29 of よつばと！

Source : http://raw.senmanga.com/Yotsubato!/82/29

What does the highlighted part in the image mean ?

  よし子供はそろそろ寝ようかー
  歯磨きしてこよう

This is what I think the above sentences mean:

  Okay kids, should we go to sleep now ?
  Let's come and brush our teeth

I feel like I am messing up the second sentence (I am a little doubtful of the first one too but I think it's mostly correct).

こようas far as I know is volitional form of くる but I feel like the second sentence feels more like a command. Am I correct with my translation and usage of こよう ?


texts: Do Japanese actually pronounce the "v" sound? They do have a kana character (ヴ) dedicated to transcribing foreign "v" sounds, but do they actually pronounce them like the English phoneme /v/ (using the upper teeth and the lower lip)? Or is it like a "weak" /b/ in Spanish, which is actually /β/ (using both lips)?


texts: Is the proper translation for あなたを構う 'I care about you?'

texts:
あなたを構う。

I know that 構う means kamau, which is 'to care' or 'to look after'. Google translate is unsure of the answer. A proper translation would be great.


texts: は、が、を、に and information structure of Japanese Question

texts:
I read 日本語の助詞(情報構造） and from what I understand it says:

What comes before は is old information and after it it's new information. (This makes sense to me).

What comes before が is new information (this makes sense to me) and after it it's old information (This does not make sense to me though).

So I tought of a conversation in my head.

My parents call me at the cellphone while I am in a bar with some friends.

Parents:お祖母さんは死んだ。

My friends ask me what's wrong and I answer: お祖母さんが死んだ。

I am not sure if this is correct to be honest, but this is how I think it would go.
My reasoning is that me and my parents already have a mental referent for お祖母さん and we assume she existed, therefore old information は.
My friends do not know that I have a お婆さん so she is new information therefore が, but the fact that she died is new information too.

So from what I understand since は is the only old information what comes is all new information right?

Also by reading:

  話題は「話者が区別し、それについての情報をコメントとして与える対象」である

It makes sense that you separate the old info from the rest and you add new info.

Can someone explain to me if I am wrong?
From what I understand the only old information is marked by は (and も), while the new information is marked by all the other particles (がをにで and も included).


texts:
What is the difference between words 目的 ｛もくてき｝/目標｛もくひょう｝ and 方針｛ほうしん｝?
I found a question, which explains the difference between 目的 ｛もくてき｝/目標｛もくひょう｝( What are the differences between「目的」and 「目標」? ), but I wonder how to distinguish them from the word 方針｛ほうしん｝.


texts:
他にどんなとこがよかったの？

The context is in S1E9 of Aggrestsuko in which Retsuko is asked about her new love. The official translation is "What else do you like about him?" but I am not sure how that is pulled from above. こと(ろ) causing the confusion.


texts: Why 「と」 in 「行為と受け取り」? (And 「洞察」)

texts:
Same short story, another sentence I kinda get (maybe), but I'm missing something:

  親子関係に見て取れぬでもないその二人は、トーマス井口が店の中に入ってきた途端に揃ってガッと目を剥き、信来の客の容貌をしげしげと観察し出した。極端な度合いの非礼洞察行為と受け取りはしたものの、トーマス井口は意に介さず、真っ直ぐに店内の最奥に位置する勘定台のほうへ歩み寄っていた

If I understand it, it means something on the lines of "Although he interpreted their action as extremely rude, Thomas Iguchi didn't mind and went straight inside the store to where the register were". In this sentences I have two problems:

1) What's the meaning of 洞察? I know it as "discernment, insight", but I can't understand what does it mean in the sentences; I tried looking on Jisho and Weblio, to no avail, in my translation I just ignored it.

2) Why 行為と受け取りはした, with と? I would expect を, so I'm missing something. I tried looking here in SE for question about this but I could find any. (I did find this, but I don't think is relevant.)


texts: About は particle and the 'contrast' it implies

texts:
I started learning Japanese about 2 months ago and today, while talking with a friend of mine who has been studying Japanese for about two years, he gave me this example scenario about は particle and the 'contrast' it creates; and it confused the hell out of me:

Imagine a group of people conversing. One of them asks the entire group what are their nationalities. Half Japanese one says he is Japanese by saying: 私は日【に】本【ほん】人【じん】です。And right after him another Japanese guy says the exact thing too. The half Japanese guy feels offended.
Now, the reason the second guy's answer offended the first guy is, he implied that he is more Japanese than the other one. If he didn't wanted to imply that, he could just use the も particle instead of は. Because after は, you state something that is lacking in the previous 'topic'.

But I read in an online source that the が particle puts the focus on the the word it attaches (subject) while は puts the emphasis on the part that comes after it. And that source, as an example, stated that if someone said これはぺンです while holding a book, you would point to a real pen and then say いいえ、これがペンです Which would mean: No, this is a pen.

Is the example my friend gave me about は particle correct? Shouldn't there be が instead of は for the second guy to mean "I'm the Japanese one!"?


texts: Difference between the words kakemono and kakejiku

texts: Does anyone reading this site know of any nuance(s) differentiating these two words? Numerous online sites say that kakejiku is more commonly used, but I have found no information about whether the words are truly synonymous, e.g. with reference to size, significance, materials used, subject of the work, or other characteristics.


texts: Was the の particle sometimes written in katakana?

texts:
In "Maiko Haaaan!!!", a bridge going over Yumekawa (a fictional river in Kyoto) apparently has "夢ノ橋" written on it, rather than "夢の橋". I had two theories about why that may be the case. One was that it was the name of something, and therefore might have different rules than normal Japanese, and the other was that the bridge was supposed to be old, and therefore the name was written in a Japanese different to what exists today.

I checked "When is the katakana form of wo (ヲ) used?", and this answer seemed the best match to the circumstances:

  The use of katakana ヲ is quite rare indeed; as you surmise, the use as
  a particle is Hiragana in modern Japanese. In older dialects, Katakana
  was used for particles as well, however, and you can see ヲ in use
  there. In modern times, it's also occasionally used for ironic or
  stylistic purposes, such as in ヲタク.

Was の one of the particles that was sometimes written in katakana?

(Appearance of the bridge name: 夢ノ橋 (18 seconds into the youtube clip), and ノ appears in a non-fictional bridge 梅ノ橋)


texts: Should I use sonkeigo if I meet a celebrity?

texts:
Yesterday I met a very famous Japanese person. I panicked and asked him, 「写真をとってもよろしいでしょうか」

Was this correct? Or was this too polite and kind of strange?


texts: Which kanji to use for 'change television channel'?

texts:
The verb for change is かえる。 Which kanji is used for changing a TV channel?
Which kanji should be used, and why?
Even native Japanese websites appear confused.
Is it:　返る・変える・替える・換える？

I must be hanging around the wrong Japanese people. Even they don't seem sure!!


texts: What is the meaning of the character in this picture?

texts:
I was wondering if someone here could tell me the meaning of this word/
expression in this image.

Thanks so much.


texts:
In conversations done among heavily otaku people, I often hear the words 2-jigen or 3-jigen used. I know its meaning: two-dimension and three dimension, except that it does not always seem to make sense. For example, in a conversation I found recently between two otaku people in Tokyo and Kyoto,

 watashi wa 4-jigen kara kimashita. dakara 3-jigen de samishiku arimasen.

the first sentence, I can understand literally. But in the second sentence, what does it mean? The literal translation "(not) lonely in/at 3-dimension" does not make sense to me. How can I interpret that? I only hear this use among otaku people, not ordinary people. Is this a jargon among heavily otaku people? I just can't grasp the meaning!


texts: Meaning and translation of 自慰 in the following sentence

texts:
Context: in this manga the protagonist, a cameraman that likes to film scenes of real violence and homicides, is saying that he dislikes video of people filming themselves while committing suicide:

  死にたがりが勝手に死ぬ動画なんて…　ただの自慰【オナニー】じゃないか。他人の自慰【オナニー】ほど観るに堪えないものはないよ。

I don't understand why the term 自慰 was used here and I don't know how to translate it. The Daijirin has two meanings for 自慰:

1. 自分で自分を慰めること。
2. 手淫(シユイン)。 オナニー。

Since the word has the オナニー furigana, the only possible meaning in this case is the second one, masturbation, but I think it doesn't fit in the sentence. Could it be interpreted as something similar like self-complacency, or self-satisfaction? My translation attempt:

  Someone wanting do die and making a video of his death... is just self-complacency, right? I can't stand watching other people self-complacency.

Other than suggesting a translation for 自慰, could you also explain what you think the general meaning of the sentence is? Let me know if you need more context. Thank you for your help!


texts:
I want to express the structure “A or B”, where A and B are verbs in the imperative mood. The specific example I want to say is “Stand and rot or fall apart right now.”
I assume just saying 「立って朽ちろか今すぐバラバラになれなぁ」won’t work as か is used for alternatives with nouns.
Is there a structure that I could use here?


texts:
何しろ買い物から帰ってきたら、出かける前に見ていた街とは別の光景が広がっていたというのである。その場にへたり込んでしまわないだけ、折紙はまだ幾分落ち着いているのかもしれなかった。

Hi. This quote is a flashback from a novel. When 折紙 returned home she found the whole street was on fire and so was her home. What is the function/meaning of the というのである here? I know it can mean “they said”. But in this case it obviously doesn’t mean that.
Thank you.


texts:
So I understand that translating literally is often not enough, since there has to be a "patching" between the cultures of the two languages. What I don't understand is how to handle translations like マサラタウン or certain movie/song names like ミュウツーの逆襲 EVOLUTION (yes, this is about Pokemon).
Let's take these two examples assuming one has no prior knowledge regarding the terms:

In the first example, I'd simply translate it has Masara Town. For Pokemon connoisseurs out there, you'd probably recognise the name Pallet Town, the English translation that appeared in games.

For the movie name, my first guess was "Mewtwo's Counterattack: EVOLUTION". The actual translation is "Mewtwo Strikes Back: EVOLUTION". I feel like I got the idea but it doesn't feel as natural.

I'm far from an expert, so I assume that I'll have these kind of problems until I can properly convey the original meaning. That being said, I'd like to know what's the thought process behind these types of translation. Does the writer/editor decide on a translation they're happy with, "coining" the term for other people to use? If so, does anyone have an idea on how do they do it?
Other name examples in which literal translation does not match:

ルーシィ (Rushi) for Lucy
リズベット (Rizubetto) for Lisbeth
I could probably fill a page with these, but I think you lads and lasses got the idea

Note: I realise that this has potential to become an ongoing discussion and, thus leaving the purpose of this site. So I'd like to ask to tackle this from the following point of view: is there something I can actively do to eventually get these translations right or will I just have to use previously coined terms?


texts:
This is the sentence

「私の兄は陛下の親衛隊長です。陛下とも懇意にしていただいておりますので、多少の事情は把握しております。無事、回復なされたようで何よりでございます、サーシャ様」
「えっ」
　サーシャのことを知っていたことにしてしまった。
　まぁ、もし兄に確認されたとしても、超直感を持つカインなら何とかしてくれるだろう。

My question is who is the one that got 確認? what does もし兄に確認された mean?


texts: Usage of kanji for words usually written in kana

texts:
From a small discussion on chat, I currently can think of three categories where the word is usually written in:

Hiragana but have kanji (成る, 有る, [炬燵]{こたつ}, etc)
Katakana but have kanji ([頁]{ページ}, [米]{メートル}, 亜米利加, 亜細亜, etc)
Katakana but have an alternate word that can be written with kanji (米国, etc)

I have a few questions about these:

How commonly are these kanji used instead of their kana?
In what situations are these kanji used instead of their kana?
I've seen some of the #1 types used in some doujinshi with some written using the kanji and others written with the kana. Is there some kind of difference between writing some in kanji and others in kana such as if using some feels like old writing?
I've seen some of the #2 types used on some websites, specifically 頁, such as this one (「106頁」) but then they don't use it again elsewhere (「ページ数」). Why is this?

Also, assume I'm talking about jouyou or otherwise relatively simple kanji.


texts: How to differentiate between rat and mouse

texts:
Apart from just using

マウス

or

ラット

Is there a way of differentiating between a mouse and a rat, perhaps by adding something to鼠{ねずみ}?
From this chinese.stackexchange it seems that in Chinese they tend not to distinguish, but the top answer suggests that

仓鼠 is a kind of pet(one of my friends raise two). Wiki tells me rat is "大家鼠" and "mouse" is “小鼠", but I and people around me don't care this.
Of course, in scientific circle, academical researchers will adopt the Binomial Nomenclature(in Chinese, 二名法) system to distinguish them.

Is it a similar situation in Japanese, where the average person would just use the loan words, or not bother making a distinction? If so then what would be the scientific name for mouse/rat in Japanese?


texts:
Google Translate says that the sentence "I hesitate between A and B" translates to :

AとBの間{ま}で躊躇{ちゅうちょ}します

Is that correct ? I can't find sentences like this in Tatoeba or Weblio, but it looks like this is a common sentence.
Also, is there an other way to say this (synonym or other grammar structure) ?


texts:
I know that ましょう form changes the verb meaning into "Let's". As in 行きましょう 'Let's go' or あそびましょう 'Let's play'.

But もらう verb means that something good is done by another person in which we are grateful. Would it means something like "Let's make someone do something good to us" ?

For example: しずかさんにすてきな歌を歌ってもらいましょう。 What I catch is: 'Let's (make someone) sing a good song for Shizuka'. Is this correct?


texts:
丸尾 is assertively ensuring that his teacher remembers his name. The teacher replies:

  そんだけ売りこめば忘れたくても忘れないよ。
  If you sell yourself (arrogantly?) I won't forget even if I wanted to.

Im guessing that そんだけ derives from そんだい. If so what is the
grammar? How would it differ from そんだいに?

Edit: just realised that this guess is probably nonsense because there would be no reason to remove the い. Nonetheless, I still don't understand what そんだけ means in this context.


texts: Which kanji to use for saying ありがとうございます in emails?

texts:
When sending emails, I've noticed that Japanese colleagues use all sorts of kanji/kana combinations for the simple phrases ありがとうございました and よろしくおねがいいたします.

For example:

ありがとうございました
有難うございました
有難う御座いました
ありがとう御座いました

and

宜しくお願いいたします
よろしくお願いいたします
よろしくお願い致します

Are there hidden nuances to using more or fewer kanji? Do you sound like a try hard if you use all kanji, or do you sound more polite?


texts:
I know that when ~上{じょう} is attached to nouns, it will mean something among lines of

From the viewpoint of; for (the sake of); for (the reason); in (terms of); relating to; in –ing

according to DoIJG. But, can ~上{じょう} vs ~の上{うえ} used interchangeably with no difference in meaning? The example sentences in the dictionary entry for ~上 didn't include ~の上.
I found this example sentence from goo.ne.jp.

仕事の上の意見の対立だった
They disagreed about their work.

If I replace ~の上 with ~上,

仕事上の意見の対立だった

does the meaning of this sentence change or it remains the same?
The reason I'm asking this question is sometimes I am not sure if it is always appropriate to apply the meaning of ~上{じょう} to ~の上{うえ}. For example, from One Piece chapter 1,

おい、よせ酒の上のケンカは見苦しいぞ

Based on my understanding, 酒の上のケンカ means "fight relating to drinks" or "fight about drinks." This is true if I apply the meaning of ~上{じょう} to ~の上{うえ}. I wonder if my intuition is correct here.
Is there any difference between ~上{じょう} and ~の上{うえ}?


texts: Is there a study available on the similarities between Japanese and Turkish grammars?

texts:
No I'm not claiming the Altaic hypothesis so try not to bring that up in answers.

Still there are grammatical similarities between Japanese and Turkish such as agglutination and use of postpositions rather than prepositions. My knowledge of Japanese helped me get some basic Korean even though they are not established to be related either so I am interested in finding some detailed comparison that may help me shoehorn my Japanese knowledge to get me started in Turkish too... and for more general understanding of both languages.


texts:
What's the difference in using 楽 and まし. For example:
死んだほうがましだ against 死んだほうが楽だ. They both mean "It is easier to die (than to do something else)"


texts: その中( に / で / から ) What is the correct choice of particles?

texts:
Excerpt from a JLPT practice question:

Background information: the writer was looking for rental apartments.
次に行ったところは小さい会社ですが、そこの人は大変優しい人でした。　それにいいアパートもたくさんありました。　私はその中[Blank]好きな家を借りました。　今、住んでいるアパートより少し高いですが、新しくきれいなアパートです。
The answer is given as から. (but it's not as important why から is correct than why で and に　is wrong)

(Question 1) Why can't I use で to fill the blank?
(Question 2) Why can't I use に　to fill the blank either?

My thoughts leading up to choosing で：

その中(in the 会社) is a place where the verb 借りる occurs.

My thoughts leading up to choosing に:

その中　is the place where the writer is. Hence その中に.

My thoughts trying to justify the use of から:

The demonstrative その中 is referring to "the choice of apartments" rather than "the office where the choice is being offered"
Hence その中から would mean "from the choice of apartments" rather than "from the office where the choice is being offered"
(My initial thoughts were その中 referred to "the office where the choice is being offered)

(Clarification Point) What is the demonstrative その中 referring to?


texts:
Can anyone explain the expression やれやれだ/やれやれだぜ ?
I saw it in a written journal entry to mean "Thank heavens!", and on further investigation have seen it translated as "Good god!" as well as "Sigh." It's probably an outdated expression, but could someone tell me if it's still used and why it means what it means?


texts: Particle-と used with numbers: Are these different?

texts:
と after counting something and ～と多い here meaning?

The first link says that we can't use concrete numbers but it doesn't seem to be the case in the second link?


texts:
I often heard this at the end of sentences or just standalone by themselves, with a questioning tone. One example：纏めると、とりあえずこんな所か…

I have no problem understanding it in the larger context, but I have trouble "translating" it even as an idiomatic expression. Any help is appreciated.


texts: I realize 東西南北 means all 4 directions (East, West, South and North) and 春夏秋冬 means all 4 seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter), but when should these words be used? I can imagine there might be a somewhat poetic meaning to them, but are there any commonplace usage examples?


texts:
The passage is as follows

「ちょうどクラスの半分が参加しているみたいですね」
「え、そんなに？」
先ずはマユリさんからと練習していた為、気にしていなかったのか、私に言われ指さし確認する。

Thank you for any assistance.


texts:
Is there any difference between 頼む and 聞く?  I've checked a few dictionaries, and it seems to me that maybe 頼む is more humble and 聞く more generic.  Would that be it?  Are they generally interchangeable?

I think they both mean 'ask'.  For example:

友だちに何時と聞きました。
友だちに何時と 頼み ました。


texts:
I am not able to understand the following use:

~がきにならなくなっていった

Does it mean I am/am not interested about the subject?
Can someone explain the conjugation used here please?


texts: Difference among 優れた機能 vs. 優れる機能 vs. 優れている

texts:
I've recently purchased a Windows computer and at the first time log in, it displays the following message:

  たくさんの優れた機能をお楽しみください

I wonder why 優れた is used in this case.

Shouldn't 優れる be the correct choice?

What does it affect to the meaning of the sentence if I want to use 優れている?


texts: I learned from manga to read 身体 as からだ. But I just learned it can also be read as しんたい. How should I read it, is one of the readings more common? Are there context clues?


texts: Translation question on part of a lullaby

texts:
I was looking for Mama's Lullaby on Youtube (Once there was a mama bear / sitting in her rocking chair etc.), and I bumped into this. After the astonishment that a video of an evidently Japanese song could be titled "Re: mama's lullaby", I decided to try understanding it. My tentative transcription was mostly right, but then I found the lyrics here. I kanji-ized the part in the video as:

  いつもそばにいるの
  あなたには見えないけど
  いつもそばにいるの
  思い出して　くれている時も

  今日も一日
  楽しかったわね
  あなたが笑うと
  ママも嬉しい

Which should mean:

  I will always be on your side
  Even though you can't see me
  I will always be on your side
  Even in the times when you will remember me

  Today too was
  A funny day, wasn't it?
  If you smile
  Mama is happy too

I have a couple of doubts:

Am I right in taking the の in the repeated line いつもそばにいるの as a marker of emphasis, as is an option in sense 3 here?
Is my interpretation of implied subjects and objects right? This is an especially wild guess in 思い出して くれている時も.
Is my translation of 一日 correct?

Also, do you know where I can find a complete video of the song? Searching for the title given on mojim returns all sorts of videos, but definitely not the song here…


texts: 「感謝のしようもありません。」の「しよう」はどういう意味ですか？

texts:
「感謝のしようもありません。」

The sentence translates as "I can't thank you enough".
I read on the forums that 「しよう」 is a casual volitional form of 「する」.
Does that mean it's an even more casual form of 「したい」?

How would you literally translate this? My attempt would look like this:

  "Even the feelings that I want to feel don't exist (or aren't). "

Sounds pretty intense to me already. How close was that?

What are other ways to use 「しよう」?
Can you say 「これをしよう」 for "I want that"?


texts:
Full text: 帯域通過特性によってセンスアンプに入った信号から心電位が検出される。
My issue: 心電. What do we translate this? Is it Heart potential or Electrocardiographic potential?
My understanding: The heart potential/electrocardiographic potential is detected from the signal entering the sense amplifier due to the bandpass characteristic.


texts: I have seen 11,000 written as １万１０００, but not as １.１万 (the way one may write '3.5 millions'). Is this possible?


texts:
Daisuki is supposed to mean like/love

Aishiteru is used for husband/wife

However, I've encountered several cases in many anime where best friends (girls) say aishiteru to each other. They are straight, just date boys and eventually marry one. Why say aishiteru to their best friend?


texts: Should I use kanji or kana for the first and second verbs in いってきます? When each verb is used individually there's usually kanji if I recall correctly, but I'm wondering if it's changed for being used in a stock phrase, and if so whether the first, second or both verbs use kana.


texts: How does this part of the sentence function?

texts:
On italki I received a response to one of my notebook entries. I have trouble understanding what this person said to me xD

For more context, you can see the full entry including all comments here:
https://www.italki.com/notebooks/817607

The sentence in question is this one:
先に問いに対する答えを明確にした方がよりわかりやすい回答になると思います。 このお話は、『饅頭こわい』ですか？

I feel a bit unsure about the sentence as a whole, but I struggle the most with the part in bold. I have quite some trouble with 明確にした方. Especially 方 gives me a headach since I'm a bit clueless on how to meaningfully interprete it in context of the phrase it is embedded into. I think I might have seen a similar construction elsewhere
The fact that it's followed by が and then directly by より makes the riddle even harder for me.
Unless for the case that より means "from", I only know it in context of comparisons.

In these contexts it usually doesn't directly succeed the subject marker. It should look more like this: この饅頭はそのチョコレートよりおいしい。=> "These manju are more delicious than that chocolate." (I hope I did this correctly, Im terrible at comparisons...^^)。It could as well be 方が, as in そうしたほうがいいです. But then the following より　still irritates me.

My translation so far looks like this:

"The answer regarding the question before the made precise manner がより becomes an easy to understand reply I think. Is this the "I fear manju" story?"

As you can see I cant get through that middle section of the sentence. It doesn't even begin to make sense. I might know the 明確にした方 from similar structures like here Feeling unsure about the connection of the two sides of the comma
"地図は普通、北を上にして掛かれる"

But as I said Im kind of clueless on this. I'm just guessing at this point


texts:
I'm really confused by the role of も in this sentence:

  KONAMIから許諾を得ないといかなる場合もBrain Powerを使用する事ができない状態なのです。

I think that what makes it difficult to understand is that there are two situations (場合 and 状態) and I don't know which one is first. Can I replace も with　は when parsing?

The entire sentence with the translation I got is this:

    仮に、契約を延長すればSOUND VOLTEXに今まで通り収録され続ける。逆を言うと、KONAMIから許諾を得ないといかなる場合もBrain Powerを使用する事ができない状態なのです。それは作曲者も同様です。
    If I extend the contract, the song would continue to be in SOUND VOLTEX. However to argue that, there may be situations where I am unable to get consent from KONAMI to use Brain Power. As the composer of the song, this would be a big problem for me.


texts: What kind of conjugation is used here? 「取らじ」

texts: Just encountered in some Japanese text. I understand it's conjugated in the base negative form of the verb but I'm baffled as to what the じ means.


texts: Confused with verb form ( I am eating vs I was eating, vs I haven’t eaten (yet))

texts:
So i came across this question and I can’t seem to get my head around it! Sorry if it’s obvious.
 I learned that the progressive form for a verb (-ing ) is the ーて form + (-いる/-います） .

So I am eating is たべています//たべている

How do you say I was eating ? Past tense .

To say , I haven’t don’t soemthing (yet) I learned it’s -て+(いない/いまぜん)

So the positive version would be the same as the progressive form, correct ?

So basically haven’t yet (past tense) and the progressive form (present) are the same ? How would yo I make a progressive form past tense ?

Thank you


texts: What is the etymology behind 彼氏(彼) and 彼女 meaning boyfriend/girlfriend?

texts: So according to Can someone break down かのじょ and かれ for me? it seems that 彼 and 彼女 are words that only came to mean "he"/"she" due to the influence of the West. But I'd like to know a bit more about how those third person pronouns came to mean boyfriend/girlfriend. Some preliminary research indicates 徳川夢声 might be behind the reason for 彼氏 and 彼女, but if any additional light/specifics could be shed on the top that'd be great


texts:
映画が好きなので、時間とお金が（　　）かぎり見に行っている。

I haven't been able to find a satisfactory answer as to why 許す in plain dictionary form works better here than 許せる, the potential form.
動詞につく場合は、ている形や可能動詞などにつくことが多い。

seems to imply that ～限り can take the potential form just fine. Can someone explain why the plain form should be used in this sentence, and whether or not this is a representative example or a unique case?
Edit: Another sentence from the same source (Shin Kanzen Master N2) uses the potential form here:
考えられる限りのことは考えてみたんですが、いい案が出てきませんでした。

So  clearly the potential form can be used with this construct, at least sometimes.


texts: Does the volitional form of a verb mean both "let's" and "I want to"?

texts:
I was taught ages ago that the volitional form of a verb means "let's" do something. For example, if you take 行{い}く and change it to 行{い}こう, you get "let's go".

However, I feel like I can use the same form to express "I want to". For example:

  行{い}こうかなと思{おも}っている ("[I'm] thinking maybe I'll go")

Am I wrong that it can be used this way?

If it's true that it can mean that, what is the difference between the sentence I have above and this one:

  行{い}くかなと思{おも}っている

My understandng of the plain form is that it can be used to imply future tense, and if so, maybe it also implies intention. If so, then the two sentences mean the same thing, don't they?

Perhaps I'm thinking too much in English, though, where "will go" can be both intention and future tense?

So, my questions in summary are:

Does 行{い}こう mean "will go" as well as "let's go"?

Can 行{い}こう and 行{い}く both be used to mean future tense and/or intention?


texts:
I can't manage to understand the meaning of ものでして.

An example using a full sentence could be the following:

  私はしばらく、隠棲していたものでしてね。まあ怠けているのは今に始まったことでもなし・・・


texts:
How to read "(x+y)^z" in Japanese?

Is this correct?

かっこ ｘ たす ｙ かっこーとじ の ｚ じ

Kakko x tasu y kakko-toji no z jo


texts: What's the meaning of か and も in this sentence?

texts:
This is a sentence I'm struggling to fully understand:

  高校生にもなった少女たちに揃い制服を着せ、ボタンをきちんととめているか、指定通りのネクタイを締めているか、いちいち干渉し、その上でさらに靴からマフラーからヘアアクセサリーにいたるまで、細かく取決めや 禁止事項を設けることへの、疑問がないと言えば嘘になる

I think it's about things high school students have to do as regulation, and it's saying that would be a lie to say there were no issue about what regulations permit or ban; but I'm not sure about the meaning of も in にもなった, and of か in ボタンをきちんととめているか、指定通りのネクタイを締めているか (something like とか, meaning "or/something like", maybe?).


texts: Why does 結構 precede the noun instead of the verb in this sentence?

texts:
"Glasses suit her well."
What I'm reading is 彼女は結構めがねが似合うね. This looks to me like 結構 is modifying めがね.
Wouldn't it make more sense this way? 彼女はめがねが結構似合うね.
Thanks.


texts: 死 is read either し or シ. What would be the difference compared to there being only one reading?


texts: "~たい"-form and associated particle usage

texts:
My question is about the "~たい"-form ("want to").
I know that in a sentence containing this form, you can use は to mark the person who desires something. For example, "私は、東京に行きたい".

But then I came across this sentence:

  あなたが一番したいことはなんですか？

I translated it as "What is the thing you want to do most?".
So here, が is the particle used to mark the one who desires something.

Now, for my question: Can が always be used to mark the one who desires something in a "~たい"-sentence, or is it something that is limited to relative clauses such as the one in the second example?

In extension, is it okay to say "私がケーキを食べたい" or "私がケーキが食べたい"? Sounds a bit strange to me, but then again, my Japanese isn't really great yet.
But anyways, thanks for reading through my question!


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Is there any difference for compounds with/without okurigana?

I was reading the wikipedia article about yakiniku.
I noticed that in the title they use: (焼き肉 or 焼肉).

The wikipedia article for 焼 says it's readings are:

On: しょう (shō)
Kun: やく (yaku), やき (yaki)

I would like to know why someone would write it as 焼き肉 instead of 焼肉.


texts: How to express in Japanese "to mark" something?

texts:
The background is the factory's production zone. There are lots of boxes with different filling. There are boxes with finished products, but also there are boxes with NG-products (defect products). Every box has to be marked with some coloured label, telling what kind of product is inside the box.

If I need to mark several boxes, could I express my sentence in Japanese using the verb "表示する{ひょうじする}" or there is some better way to express the process of marking by stickering colourful info-labels on the boxes?

Also, if I mark boxes just by writing info on them, not using a sticker, if I still can use the verb 表示する?
Thank you so much in advance for your comments!


texts: What do the question marks on these gas station signs mean?

texts:
ハイオク：　１４８？
  レギュラ：　１３７？
  軽油：　１１５？

What meaning do the question marks have?


texts:
narrator depicting a defloration scene

  深々と肉棒の打ち込まれたAの股間からは、彼女がついさっきまで純潔だった事を示す赤い血が、傷口からあふれ出して太ももにまで垂れていた。

  しかし、Aの感じている痛みは、外からも見える傷口だけではない。むしろ苦痛という点では、処女膜が裂けた痛みなど無いも同然だった。

  However, the pain that A was feeling, wasn't only a outwardly visible
  wound, but rather the matter regarding her suffering was, without
  question, that there was was no pain from having her hymen split.

this is cannot be correct has she has already said that it hurts like hell, but it is how this sentence seems to read.

Thank you


texts: Article about Amazon Speaker being used for donations

texts:
I'm reading this article on how Amazon allowed their speaker to be used to donate to Japan's Red Cross. In the final sentence they get a quote from a Red Cross member, but I cannot make sense of the word 楽しみながら and the pairing of the word ほしい

I know ~ながら means while doing a verb and that ほしい is to express a want or desire. Also I believe ほしい can only be used to express one's own wants/desires. So I am not sure of my translation.

  日本赤十字社の人は「今まで寄付をしたことがない人も、楽しみながら寄付をしてほしいです」と話しています。

  My Translation: A member of Japan's Red Cross Society said "People who could not donate until now can also enjoy while wanting to donate"


texts: Reading (and usage) of 他: when is it 【た】, when is it 【ほか】?

texts:
他 is one of these common words that still to this day confuses me...

My general assumption is that:

used as a prefix, it should always be read 【た】, e.g.: 他人【たにん】
when treated as a "substantive" (that is essentially, followed by の), it is 【ほか】: 他【ほか】の人【ひと】(?)

But then, some expressions crop up, like 他の物, which my dictionary indicates as read 【たのもの】, and make me doubt whatever little I have deduced so far.

Could anybody settle the た/ほか rules once and for all (and point out any nuance in meaning, if they exist, between the two usages)?


texts: What is the difference between 「余計に」and 「余分に」?

texts:
In my textbook 「日本語総まとめN２」, they list the two vocabulary words 「余計に」 and 「余分に」. I am almost unable to differentiate between their appropriate usage.

Here are the example sentences from the book:

  他人より余計に勉強する - "study more than others"

  いつもより余分に食事を作る - "cook more than usual"

I looked up the definitions for 余分 and 余計. However, even the entry for 余分 lists 余計 as a definition.

I asked a friend who is a native whether the first example sentence could be replaced with 「余分」instead of「余計」. She mentioned that it could, but she was not able to tell me the reason. She also was unsure of the difference between them.

When should either of these words be used and what are the differences between them?


texts: If I understand right, those 2 are imperative forms of the verb to come. What are the differences?


texts: Placing a space after the first word of a sentence

texts:
I was watching a dorama and I realized that in only one minute there was some sentences in which there was a "western-sized" space in the beginning of the sentences (by the way you can do that by pressing "shift + space" when using the Japanese keyboard). For example:

  「一体 誰が招待状を送ったのか」
  「何 慌ててんのよ？」
  「いいかげん 服着てください」

After several times, I realized there wasn't a clear reason to do that. If the reason were to make it clearer, the second and specially the third sentence wouldn't fit this convention. Is there any reason or rule to do that? I think I saw this pattern in mangas before. I like to understand the literary way of writing.


texts:
So I am studying from an online site called Memrise but they seem to teach pretty straightforward stuff that you have to memorize in order to do them. Yeah I can ask and say things but I can notice that the verbs change when the context changes. Some examples:

The verb is usually

  はたらきます(to work)

but in this context

  かれはオフィスではたらいています。(He works in an office)

it transformed to a brand new version of the verb. Now I have memorized them both but if I wanted to say something else I'm drawing blanks.

And here's another example. I noticed a pattern between these next few but I'm still not sure how they transform:

  どうしてそんなにかなしんでいるのですか？(Why are you so sad?)

correct me if I bolded too much. I'm not sure if the の particle is included in the verb here. The verb is usually かなしんでいます but here it transformed to the bolded part. This one totally confuses me. It's different from the next one because in addition to having the verb have いる at the end it also has the の particle. I know it's a possession particle but its use here is beyond me.

And here's the third example where it's really similar to what we saw in the second example:

  わたしはおなかがすいているから、おこっています。(I'm hungry therefore I'm angry)

Right here I can tell that the verb is the bolded part and the から particle is used to show a reason meaning therefore in this context.

Do these transformations have a name? Something I can research online or from some text book. I see that the verbs have these forms but I can't group them in one category so I can research them. They seem quite random.

There are many others that baffle me like "ふん"  ->  "ぷん" in some sentences. But I guess that's it for now. I really want to go a bit deeper in the grammar so I can improvise in my free time by creating sentences in my mind and not mess them completely up.


texts:
I was trying to explain the concept of diminutives to my Japanese friend and can't quite find a good analogy in Japanese.

I think the ''ko'' prefix acts a bit like a diminutive but I can't think of any good examples.

Is it a diminutive and can someone give me some examples?

Also although ''chan'' is an honorific I feel it is a diminutive honorific.

Would this be correct to say.

Can anyone give me some insight into Japanese diminutives?

Examples are welcomed.


texts:
In the following sentence:

切符を買いたいんですが
I would like to buy a ticket.

What is the usage of が?


texts: What is the difference between the terms 課長 and 小頭?

texts: I saw the term 小頭 and translated it from an online chat. Are the terms used differently? Both terms relate to a boss, an organizational leader of some sort. I am more familiar with the usage of 課長. Thank you.