texts:
I know the (place)へ(noun)を(verb)に行きます construction, but I also know that in some instances the particle に can indicate the place where we're going. Is it possible to use に instead of へ in this construction? For example, to say 北海道に雪を見に行きます? If not, why?

Is it any different when there is no noun, just (place)へ(verb)に行きます? Thank you in advance.


texts: How to say "I don't want to take the risk of not being repaid by you"?

texts:
Someone asked me to lend money but I want to reject his request by saying:

  I don't want to take the risk of not being repaid by you.

How to say it in Japanese?

My attempt is as follows:

  あなたが返さないリスクを取りたくないです。

Does it sound natural?

Note:

Indirectness is not necessarily needed in this context.


texts: Does がくがく refer to shaking in general, or shaking of the knees?

texts: I'm asking because I've been searching for anime scenes that involve the knee-shaking trope. がくがく came up, but I'm not sure if that refers to knees shaking specifically or just regular trembling. If not, does anyone know how to say "shaky knees" in Japanese.


texts: What is the meaning of 手応え in sports parlance?

texts:
I read a lot of news reports about Sumo, and from time to time I encounter the word 手応え and I don't really understand what it means.
Here is an item from Sports Hochi about the wrestler Ōnoshō. It says:

無観客で行われた春場所では、１０日目に横綱・白鵬（宮城野）を下す金星。９勝を挙げ、自身初の殊勲賞も獲得した。「あの一番で吹っ切れた部分があった。けがしてから正直（気持ちが）落ちていた部分があったが、やっと形になった。気持ちの部分でも一番大きかった」と、手応えを口にする。

So he is saying that his match with Yokozuna Hakuho has been a breakthrough, as after his injury, he lost his form, and this match proved it was back. The reporter then says this was his 手応え, and I don't understand why.
Sanseido defines 手応え as something like tactile feedback, response to pressure.

① 打ったり触れたりした時に、手に受ける感触。また、確かに当たったという感じ。 「槍で突くと－があった」
② 働きかけに対する反応。「いくら教えてもさっぱり－がない」

But I can't see either of these in the quote from Hochi above.
Here is another example from an old Nikkan Sports news item from the time Yokozuna Kisenosato was trying to make a comeback after an injury. At the time, almost every report from his practice sessions included the word 手応え. In this case, two former Yokozuna severely criticize Kisenosato's performance during the practice session. This is followed by:

だが稀勢の里は「速さと強さを感じられた」と手応えを口にした。

The word is never said by the person interviewed. It is added by the reporter to describe the interview. But what does it mean? Why not "〜と振り返った" for example?


texts:
I have a sentence in the form 10月10日をもって辞めたい, for example。
Does this をもって mean "before", or "after".
Am I free on 10日 (i.e. work till 9日23:59). Or I still have to work on 10日, and get free on 11日?

Kind of classic time uncertainty in Japanese, but this use of をもって is new to me. I hope it has some certain meaning.


texts:
Listening to a song, I heard these lyrics:

  はにかんだ声に透けた空はもうここにないのさ

This whole sentence is just a bit odd, but especially so because I'm not sure how to handle に + 透ける. Would something like "dissolved into" be appropriate? (e.g. "The sky, dissolved into the sound of a shy voice, isn't here anymore")


texts: 御輿の上のあれなんだろう. Is this an idiom, perhaps?

texts:
there is a line from a soccer manga that I don't understand. I get what it means, literally, but it's so randomly placed that I wonder if this is an idiom or if I might be missing some context or something because I don't get it at all. This is a guy (Suzuki), the team captain, thinking to himself and reflecting after giving a very sloppy speech. He first says "伝えたいことは いつも言葉にならない, 真実はずっと心の中にばかりある, 俺は "
These I get. But then he says the following and I've been trying to understand but to no avail.  As I said, I understand it word by word, but I was wondering, is this an idiom or something? Am I missing something?
(Line 1) 御輿の上のあれなんだろう
For context, the following lines say this:
(Line 2) キャプテンにしてもらっていたのだ,この学校の鈴木にしてもらったのだ
Would you please help me understand this sentence? I'd really appreciate any help!


texts:
わたしにはわたしとしての考えがあります。
I have my own way of thinking.

I knew に has some basic usage in:

Location of Existence
Direction and Destination
Destination
Result of Change
Object of Verb
Source
Specific Time
Notion of Per

But I couldn't figure out the use of "に" in this sentence.
Can the literal translation of the above phrase be: "To me, I have my own way of thinking"?


texts: Is there any unicode characters that is same as a kanji image?

texts:
Can you find a unicode character that is same as the kanji image below?

Kanji image:

Thanks if you did it.


texts: Does 韓国 mean "South Korea" or "Korea as a whole"?

texts:
When I type in 韓国 in Google, I find South Korea. But when I use Google Translate, I find just Korea. I recently read a Japanese news article where they refer 韓国 as South Korea (I think).

So what is the right way to write "South Korea", and what will "Korea as a whole" be?


texts: I don't understand the structure of this sentence

texts:
誰も戦争を教えられない

Is 教えられない 可能形 or 受身形? I don't have a specific context. It's the title of a book.


texts: Meaning of 彼は自殺の恐れがある

texts:
彼は自殺の恐れがある

So does this sentence mean...

(1) He is afraid of suicide
(2) He is suicidal

If it's (1), how would the sentence change to mean (2)? Or vice versa.


texts: Why Do Japanese People Use the Kanji 塚 in their Names?

texts: I looked up in dictionaries and found that 塚 means grave. Why do Japanese people use the word grave in their names?(e.g. 大塚 愛) Or does this character have other meanings when it's used in names?


texts: How do you say "My respects." in Japanese?

texts: I was watching "Garo - Vanishing Line" and the main character says "My respects." but his romanization it sounded similar to him saying "gosumpai" or something close to that. Nothing remotely close to "Watashi no sonkei".


texts: 「わからない事は聞くのよ」What makes this imperative?

texts:
This is used in an imperative sense: "If there's anything you don't understand, just ask."

I wanted to know how the particles worked to give this tone, since, without the particles, it could've been a general sentence saying "I/you/we ask things I/you/we don't understand."


texts: Is this translation very loose for the word 生き甲斐?

texts:
I'm a fan of the Japanese concept of ikigai and finding my ikigai has been an important and rewarding journey for me and I'd like to get a very simple kanji tattoo of it but I wanted to make sure that a native reader would understand its meaning when reading it.

  生き甲斐

is ikigai (reason for being) the first thing you understand when reading this?


texts: When do you mark きょう or other similar relative time expressions with は

texts:
I've been trying to make proper sentences using the word  きょう when I realized that I'm not really actually sure when I'm suppose to mark it with は. I know relative time expressions tend to stand alone meaning it's not followed by に and because of this its not uncommon for it to be followed directly by another word with no particle in between. This is where I start to get confused however when I see a sentence like this one

  明日{あした}きます

and then a sentence like this

  今日{きょう}は 京都{きょうと}に いきます

I'm pretty sure the reason I'm having a hard time understanding this is due to my terrible understanding of は, regardless any help on when I should mark a time like this with は and when it would be better left unmarked would be appreciated.


texts: the use and the meaning of the verb 実感する in the given example

texts:
I would like to ask for help with translating the following sentence:

今日は、「練習していないことは嘘をつかない」という悲しいセリフを実感しました。練習も嘘をつかないんだけど、その逆も然り。

I understand parts of it for example

練習していないことは嘘をつかない
悲しい
セリフ
実感する

But my problem is putting them together in translation of the sentence above. Also, I found out that 実感する　means "have a feeling", "my actual feeling" is or "to realize", but I can't make it out which one is the right one here.

So basically, I have problem with the use of the verb 実感する, furthermore with the translation of the whole sentence.


texts: How to express "I think I can speak a little Japanese because I have studied a lot" in Japanese?

texts:
I'm trying to say "I think I can speak a little Japanese because I have studied a lot".

My translation attempt:

  わたしはちょっと日本語を話せるようになった思うからたくさんべんきょうすることがある

Does it sound right?


texts: I'm assuming there's certain punctuation involved in this sentence, but I don't really understand what changes in the process of switching from horizontal to vertical writing.


texts: Are particles pronounced with nouns or verbs as one word all the time?

texts:
When reading Japanese, am I supposed to read nouns with particles together like it's one word? like in this sentence:

  「音読」をするときは、口や舌を動かさなければなりません。

"口や舌を(くちやしたを)" is pronounced as a single word (according to  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIMyS4gWUio at 1:13) but in this sentence:

  音の高低や強弱も聞いた通りに真似をして言ってみてください。

"音の高低や強弱も" is pronounced as "音の高低や 強弱も" (same video at 0:41)


texts:
I need help understanding というもの in the sentence 貴方一人を御し得ないようでは私の器も知れるというもの.

I am reading Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works and one of the servants "Caster", is going to use her blade to take control of another servant.
Since he is a traitor she is not sure if it would be the best move and she is hesitating on whether or not to use the blade.
He told her that he could betray her, but since the conditions are in her favour, as long as Caster has the upper hand he will not do so.

Her response:

  「令呪とは、裏切り者を罰する為にある、でしょう？
  ……いいわ。貴方一人を御し得ないようでは私の器も知れるというもの。
  もとより貴方の“宝具”には興味があった事だし、思惑にはまってあげましょう」

My understanding:

  Verb-ますstem + 得ない = Cannot Verb.
  貴方一人を御し得ない =I cannot control only you
  ようでは = If [with negative result]

My translation:

  Command seals are there in order to punish traitors, right?
  Ok. If I can't control you alone, you will know my (tool, device which in this context is a) blade.
  From the beginning I had an interest in your "Noble Phantasm", I will go on with your intention."

Fan Translation:

  "The Command Spell is there to punish the betrayer, right?
  …All right. I shall prove to the world that I am great enough to take you in.
  I am interested in your Noble Phantasm, so I will follow your plan."

How does というもの add on to the nuance of the sentence?


texts:
This kanji 頭 what does it mean in this sentence?

  うちには二十歳を頭に、3人の男の子がいる。

I looked up the meaning of かしら and still don't understand the meaning of the whole sentence. Please help translate.

Thanks


texts:
I asked a similair question already, but wasn't satisfied with the answers, mostly due to my poor wording.

I want a word that means to learn. Not "to study" "to memorize" "to be taught/ learn from a teacher". A word that basically means "to absorb information" from, work, life, nature, etc.

From research I feel like its either 覚える (both memorize/learn)  or 修学する but I have rarely heard the latter used, so I would be inclined to use 覚える。

What is the word I am looking for?


texts: What part of the kunyomi must be learned?

texts:
I've just started learning kanji but I don't understand what part of kunyomis I should memorize.

This is the first kanji in kanjidamage.com:

一

Its kunyomi is this:

ひと*つ

According to howto page of the kanjidamage.com :

In KUNyomi, the asterisk (*) shows where the kanji ends and the okurigana begin. For instance,
if the kanji is 食 and the kunyomi is た＊べる, then it's normally written 食べる.

So, shall I memorize the kunyomi as 一 = ひと or 一=ひとつ? Do I need to memorize that it is actually  used as 一つ?

I've googled but found nothing about this.


texts: Is 長 in Japanese related to “naga” in Thai and Sanskrit?

texts:
The kanji 長い (“nagai”) means “long” in Japanese.

And “naga” in Sanskrit and Thai means “snake” or “serpent”.

It seems to me that there could be a relation between them given that snakes are usually described as long.

Is there any relationship between them? Do they have a shared origin?


texts: に vs で: 映画に見る vs 映画で見る

texts:
Branching off from the comments to this question: Do I say えいがにみました or えいがをみました　？:

Preamble:

The comment says 映画に見た is valid for "I saw it in a movie". I went to search for example sentences and found both に見た and で見た
excluding adverbial types like ～的に見た, ～ように見た.

I found an instance of co-existence of に and で: 夢に見る and 夢で見る

I also found that a large amount of で見る results from < medium >で見る：

新聞で見る
雑誌で見る
テレビで見る

The purpose of this question is to reconcile the simultaneous existence of Xに見る and Xで見る for the same X

My thoughts so far:

I think both に and で are possible for some cases. YをXに見る places the person in the "physical" position X in order to see Y.
YをXで見る is what I'm familiar with, and it says X is a medium for which the person sees Y.

I think for テレビ, only で is available, because you cannot be physically placed in テレビ.

While for 夢, both に and で are available; you can see it because you are in the 夢 and also because 夢 is a medium

If I were to force a translation of 映画に見る vs. 映画で見る,
the former would be "I saw it at the movies", the latter would be "I saw it in a movie".
I.e. I think に is locative and で is instrumental.

From the corpus search using BCCWJ:

There are 5 results from using 映画に見 as a search term
There are 36 results from using 映画で見 as a search term

It seems both に and で can be used, with で being more common.
What does the use of に do to the sentence?
What circumstances would cause に to be preferred?


texts:
I have the following part in a sentence:

  増田に発殴られて

The 発殴られて is being translated as with one hit.
So I can understand why it is not simply 殴られる. But is 発殴れる a fixed term or is 発 a more common modifier such as 出す in e.g.　歩き出す?


texts: Does this kanji stamp actually mean "harmony"?

texts: I was given a rubber stamp (image above) that supposedly means "harmony" but I suspect it doesn't. Can anyone confirm the meaning or tell me its real one?


texts:
Wikipedia defines 義理 giri as

  a Japanese value roughly corresponding to "duty", "obligation", or even "burden of obligation". It is defined as "to serve one's superiors with a self-sacrificing devotion" by Namiko Abe.

Question: I have forgotten the inverse/reciprocal. What is the Japanese word for "duty" or "obligation" to those who owe you giri?

[Update] It seems like I maybe used the wrong word, or that others are misunderstanding me.

I am thinking of a novel I read about 20 years ago about mediaeval Japan.

Would it be correct to say that a samurai owes his lord giri? If not, what is the word? And, what duty of care/protection, etc, does the lord owe to the samurai?


texts:
I'm sure most (English speakers) have heard terms like:

  when pigs fly

or

  when hell freezes over

or

  when the Cubs win the World Series [obsolete] (U.S. only)

Am wondering if there is anything similar in Japanese.

Wikipedia has a list but nothing for Japanese:
List_of_idioms_of_improbability


texts: ごごに vs. ごごは and ばんに vs. ばんには?

texts:
I wrote the following sentences (in an exercise in which I had to tell how I spent the day):

  ごごに、にほんごをべんきょうしました。
  ばんに、ばけもののこをみました。

A Japanese person corrected them like this:

  ごごは、にほんごのべんきょうをしました。
  ばんには、ばけもののこをみました。

As I was speaking about me in the previous sentences, I thought the subject (me) was implied. I don't understand why the subject here is the afternoon itself or the night?


texts: how does "Hitori hitori ga chiisana yume wo Daite kyou mo samayoi aruku " translates into this?

texts:
I know that most translations arent literal, but can you help me understand this translation?

  Hitori hitori ga chiisana yume wo
  Daite kyou mo samayoi aruku

it's subtitled in spanish as

"keep going for those small dreams, which one by one appear every day"

chiisana yume is "small dream" and the rest it doesnt make any sense to me

hitori I understand it is "one person"

daite "to hug or something more personal " is it another definition in this phrase?

kyou = today, fun, bad luck, etc. I dont know which one could be here.

samayoi = to wonder, to loiter . No idea which meaning has in the phrase

aruku = to walk

How all that translates to the former?


texts: Are there any common grammatical errors made by native Japanese speakers?

texts:
Sorry if this is a really open-ended question, but one thing occurred to me when I was asking a prior question here; are there any particular grammatical errors frequently made by native Japanese speakers?

For example, in English there are quite a few obvious mistakes that native speakers make - your vs. you're and me and Sally went... rather than Sally and I went... and often non-native speakers of English are better at distinguishing between them than native speakers.

Is there any such Japanese grammar that is commonly used incorrectly by native speakers?

I am more interested in common mistakes than obscure mistakes; mistakes where one would think that a native speaker should know better.


texts: Differences between 死ぬ{しぬ}, 他界する{たかいする} and 亡くなる{なくなる}?

texts: What are the differences between 死ぬ{しぬ}, 他界する{たかいする} and 亡くなる{なくなる}?


texts:
During karate training my (English) karate teacher uses a word that sounds like "son dame". He says that this describes the action of stopping your punch just before making contact with the opponent.

I cannot find this word or any variant spelling of it on any English language karate site. Nor can I find any Japanese equivalent on any Japanese site. I've tried　そんだめ, そんだめい, そんだめえ. I tried replacing そん with ぞん, すん, ずん etc.

I'm sure half of these English-Japanese karate words are made up. Anyone have any ideas?


texts:
I've been using Anki to memorize kanji and words. This word came up: 寒冷{かんれい} which means cold. However I've never heard of this word being used for cold, chilly, etc. Usually it's 寒い{さむい} that is used.

Could some one give an example of when 寒冷 would be used in a sentence?


texts: Adding っぷり to a word: Does this have some easily defined meaning?

texts:
I came across the following sentence in a Manga:

コケっぷりもかわいいです。

and I looked the sentence up in the translated Manga, where I found something like (translation was into German):

And she's also really funny. (Hach, und urkomisch ist sie auch noch)

I found コケ in a dictionary meaning "fool", so my first try would have been something like:

She's a bit foolish, but sweet.

But the っぷり is the missing element which I couldn't find anywhere. Does this modify the meaning of コケ in a specific way? Can it be used to modify other words as well? (According to google, it can, it seems to work even for nouns and verbs)

I also found this: http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/nichigen/menu7_folder/symposium/pdf/8/01.pdf during my research, but couldn't make too much sense of it.

So, my question is: What does っぷり do? What kind of language/situation can it be used in (more informal, formal, ..)? How does it help me arrive at the translation suggested by the translator?


texts:
In English, we just have one word for the conjunction and which works just fine for many categories, but in Japanese, there are separate words:

と joins nouns together in a closed list
や joins nouns together in an open list
そして does it do something like joining clauses or run-on sentences?
て joins adjectives
たり joins verbs?
も which I naively thought of as only meaning "too/also".
し joins adjectives and verbs?

When can each be used and how should the language learner keep their usages straight and not confuse them?


texts:
This is a sentence from Tobira's book ch11 読み物.

江戸時代は約250年も続き、当時の江戸は世界中で一番人口の多い、独自の芸術文化が発達した清潔で文化レベルの高い都市だったと言われている

The part that confuses me is 独自の芸術文化が発達した清潔で文化レベルの高い都市. So far I know that you can connect a sentence using the て form, using a relative clause with a unconjugated verb, or with the stem -masu form of a verb. But here we have 独自の芸術文化が発達した清潔で, so is it modifying 清潔 which in turns links to 都市 or 独自の芸術文化が発達した affects 清潔で文化レベルの高い都市 as a whole?
If I understand it correctly it translates to more or less: "Edo was a clean and highly cultured city that developed an unique artistic culture" but I don't understand what grammar rule is being used here 発達した清潔で
In short, could someone help we divide this sentence by it's different "adjectives" and the grammar rules used to join each of them?


texts:
I got this keychain for Christmas without any packaging so I have no idea what it means.

The only thing I can tell is that it is probably a single kanji character, other than that I can't tell.


texts: Meaning of 噂を聞かないと思ったら

texts:
In a manga, two American boxers are talking about a guy they used to know who now lives in Japan.

  Boxer A: あのブルドッグがリングに上がるって本当かよ。

  Boxer B: ああ。ここ数年噂を聞かねェと思ったらボクサーになってたんだよ。日本でな。

I think 数年〜の噂を聞かない means "I haven't heard of 〜 for some years", so maybe the rough translation of the sentence is "I haven't heard of him for some years, it seems that he's become a boxer". But what is the meaning of 思ったら here? Thank you for your help!


texts:
I've been trying to learn Tohokuben and I have a question.

I'm interested in Tohokuben and recently found this website https://konnok3.sakura.ne.jp/dialect.html. I know pronunciation can vary all over the Northeast but I've heard that きゃきゅきょ is often pronounced ちゃちゅち. But I've also heard that つぁつぉつぇare possible. Is is that きゃきゅきょ = ちゃちゅち but ちゃちゅち = つぁつつぉ

E.g.

客 = ちゃく but 着 = つぁく

or should both of these groups be pronounced the same? If so, when or where is each used?

E.g.

客 and 着 = ちゃく in some areas but 客 and 着 = つぁく in others?


texts: How do I pronounce/Translate this last name: マッキェネン into english?

texts: I'm translating this book, and the character's full name pops up as " クロウディア＝マッキェネン". I managed to translate the first name as Claudia, but I don't know if I should use McCunnen, McCullen, or some other possible translation for her last name, and thusly I am in need for some advice.


texts: Understanding て in 言葉{ことば}を失{な}くして 壁{かべ}は無関心{むかんしん}

texts:
This is from a song lyrics (転{ころ}がる石{いし}になれ by AKB48)

孤独{こどく}は　いつでも
自由{じゆう}の代償{だいしょう}に
言葉{ことば}を失{な}くして
壁{かべ}は無関心{むかんしん}
耐{た}えるしかないよ

Does て here indicate a command, as in "lose the talk"?

Or, is it connected to the next phrase? Perhaps as a description of 壁{かべ}?


texts: What does mou もう mean with non-past verb?

texts:
A: この資料、もう捨てましょうか。
  B: あ、ちょっと待ってください。
  B: 捨てる前に、ここをコピーしてください。

  (A: kono shiryou, mou sutemashou ka.
  B: a, chotto matte kudasai.
  B: suteru mae ni, koko o kopi--shite kudsai.)

I know that mou with a past-tense verb means already. But what does it mean with this verb tense? Or even with もう捨てますか。


texts: Reading of 年 in いつもの年よりたくさん作っています

texts:
熱中症にならないように飲み物を買う人が増えていて、飲み物の会社はいつもの年{とし}よりたくさん作っています。
  The number of people buying drinks to avoid heat stroke is increasing, and the drinks companies are making a lot more than in usual years.

It took me a while to determine the true meaning of this sentence. When I first read it I got to いつもの年{とし}より and thought "usual old people". Then I got very confused. Eventually, I realised it must be "compared to usual years" and thought: Ah, it must be pronounced ねん rather than とし. I turned on the furigana and it was indeed とし.

Would you expect to read 年 as とし or ねん in this context? Secondly, would this sentence cause even a moments confusion to a fluent speaker?


texts: How to know if ～たら is hypothetical or temporal

texts:
I encountered the following sentence in the chapter introducing conditionals from the online grammar guide Imabi.

  休んだら、元気になったWhen I rested, I got better.

Earlier, the article explained that たら can have either a hypothetical or a temporal meaning. When the verb in the main clause is in the non-past form, this is not an issue since the たら verb hasn't happened yet either way. To illustrate my meaning, take the following.

  帰ったら、食べる。
  When I go home, I'll eat. OR If I go home, I'll eat.

Regardless of which one is correct (most likely the first one), the action of "go home" has not yet happened.

However, in the case when the main verb is in the past (た形), I'm wondering if whether or not the conditional verb happened is clear or not. In other words, is the following translation possible?

  休んだら、元気になったIf I had rested, I would have gotten better.

If not, how could the type of conditional above be translated?

And

If the main clause had a different subject than the conditional clause, would anything in the answer change? I'm only asking this because I have a feeling that a sentence like 「本を読んであげたら、弟が喜びました」where the speaker would be speculating about someone other than himself would change things (ignore this if it is too unclear).

Source: Imabi - 第109課: Conditionals I: The Particles と, なら(ば), たら, & ば


texts: What's the difference between 浮かぶ and 浮く?

texts:
I often see 浮く in contexts relating to floatability, like:

氷は水に浮きます

However, sometimes I see 浮く used where I'd use 浮かぶ.
When should one be used over the other?
Are there any cases where both are acceptable?


texts:
I was surprised to learn that 直美 isn't spelled out using katakana and, according to Wikipedia:

Naomi (なおみ, ナオミ), pronounced [naomi] is a Japanese name. Though it is a unisex name, it is primarily used by women. Naomi can be spelled using hiragana, katakana, kanji, or a combination of kana and kanji. For example;

なお美
ナオ美
直美
尚美
直己
尚己
直実
尚実
奈緒美

...my question is, did the Japanese name predate (or develop separately from) the Western name? Is this just a coincidence?


texts: I want to determine if the term is gender specific. Thank you.


texts:
My teacher says that we should avoid あなた, like わたし, which could be taken off. Following this, I try to refer to the second person by the name: 加藤さんの趣味は何ですか. But there are situations where we forget the name. How can we say "You" without being rude, or using あなた? I give some examples, but they could be wrong:

  A: 久しぶり。元気してた？
   B: 久しぶりだね～元気だよ。あなたは？　(is it better to say: そっちは？?)

  A: あなたの名前は？　(is it a little rude? should I hide あなたの?)

  A: あなたの作ったケーキがおいしかったよ。
  B: 本当？あなたのケーキのほうがおいしかったと思うけど。

  店員：あなたは何を探しますか？

  A: あなたはむてき！


texts: Is the term 舞妓 used in all of Japan, or only in certain dialects?

texts:
The English language article on geisha says

  Apprentice geisha are called maiko (舞子 or 舞妓), literally "dance
  child") or hangyoku (半玉), "half-jewel" (meaning that they are paid
  half of the wage of a full geisha), or by the more generic term
  o-shaku (御酌), literally "one who pours (alcohol)".

and later on says

  The only modern maiko that can apprentice before the age of eighteen
  are in Kyoto. So on average, Tokyo hangyoku (who typically begin at
  18) are slightly older than their Kyoto counterparts (who usually
  start at 15).

Is 舞妓 used in all of Japan, or does the term for apprentice geisha vary from dialect to dialect, just like the word for geisha can be 芸者 or 芸子 depending on dialect? Alternatively, are 舞妓 and 半玉 now considered distinct terms describing different concepts?


texts:
I have the following (part of a) sentence

そして疲れていながらも心楽しかった。

I found several references to 心楽しい online but my search on several directories was unsuccessful regarding meaning and way of regarding.
So, what does it mean and what is the typical reading?

Thanks a lot!


texts: "The way she went about things" as 彼のする方

texts:
I'm working to translate this particular line, wondering if it accurately puts across this idea. Alternatives are welcome too!
彼{かれ}のする方{かた}


texts:
How to say よろしくお願いします in English?

Is there a translation for the above from Japanese to English?

Is nice to meet you sufficient in this case?


texts:
First I want to say that I'm just a beginner so my sentence may seem very easy to translate.
So I just imagined a simple situation. If I were to give, for example, a box of chocolates to a host family, I figured I could say something like
"I opened it to check if it wasn't melted".
What's a translation for that sentence?
What I find hard to translate is the "if it wasn't melted" part. Would it be something like "溶かされたら" ?


texts: interpretting よくこれだけの言い訳が出るものだ

texts:
from the perspective of B先生

  A「うわっ、B先生！　寝てないですよ！　ちょっと速いまばたきをしてたんです！　だから端から見ると目をつぶっていていかにも寝ているように見えますけど――」

  授業中に寝ていたことを注意しにきたと勘違いした彼は物凄い勢いで言い訳をならべている。

  咄嗟によくこれだけの言い訳が出るものだとある意味感心した。

i find it hard to derive a relevant meaning from "よくこれだけの言い訳が出るものだ"as a whole

At this moment, in a way, i admire how he often only makes these excuses?

thanks


texts:
In my Japanese class today, we were supposed to say a sport we liked. I said:

泳ぎが好きです。

We haven't learned this way of nominalizing verbs or the names of many sports, so my 先生 shook her head no and I said some other sport. I am aware that some verbs are nominalized with this kind of ending (including 泳ぐ):

終わる　→　終わり
話す　→　話
始まる　→　始まり
走る　→　走り

So when is it appropriate to append の to nominalize a verb versus using the い-ending as its nominalization?

Edit:
To be clear, I am asking what the difference in meaning is between the two following statements:

泳ぎが好きです。
泳ぐのが好きです。


texts:
Is there a good etymological reason why the potential form in Japanese requires the が particle?

When dealing with the -たい suffix, which also requires the -が particle for what in other languages would be its object, I always conceptualised the word before -が acting as the subject of a "passive desiderative". This might actually historically be wrong (I am not sure), but it made it seem much more logical in my head.

So 私は寿司が食べたい
then translates conceptually into "as for me, sushi is desired to be eaten", or changing the form into an adjective (which the -たい form kinda is): "as for me, sushi is desirable for eating". Thus "sushi" becomes the actual subject of the sentence, and the が particle becomes logical.

Now I am looking to see if it is possible to find a similar explanation for the reason why the が particle is used for the potential form… I can of course simply see the potential as a passive (quite logical, as the forms are identical for -いる/える verbs anyway), but that leaves me with a different meaning (e.g. "as for me, Japanese is written", rather than "I can write Japanese"). This would only make sense if the potential meaning directly derives from an earlier passive meaning, which I am not sure of.

Can somebody shed some light on this?

Thank you,

Yair


texts: Why is "Xy" pronounced as "Ki Shi" in Xylitol「キシリトール」?

texts:
Why is "Xy" pronounced as "[Ki Shi]{キ シ}" in [Xylitol]{キシリトール}?

I believe "Xy" can pronounced as "Zai", which is probably a valid sound in Japanese.

I would like to know its etymology too, if there is any.


texts:
I would like to know the difference between 見つける and 発見する

Some partial answer has been given in:

  (～を)見つける means "to find ~~". Source:
  What is the difference between 見つける and 探す

But I found some sentences where both have been translated as "find"

  わたしはあくまでも彼女を見つけるつもりです。 I will definitely find her.

  ＫＴビル４階で対象を発見しました I found the target on the fourth floor of the KT
  Building.

Are they equivalent or is there a slight difference ?


texts:
I came upon the following sentence and its English translation in a collection of parallel short stories in Japanese and English.

あるとき、夜中にふと目が覚める。
Sometimes, just like that, in the dead of night, I wake up.

What confuses me is the translation of あるとき as "sometimes". My dictionary translates あるとき as "once; on one occasion; at one point" which would imply that the sentence describes one occurrence of an event. In contrast, the "sometimes" of the English translation implies multiple occurrences.
Can あるとき refer to multiple occurrences or is the translation somewhat removed from the original sentence?


texts: Do song lyrics in Japanese typically rhyme?

texts:
I've been listening to Japanese music a bit lately and, while I do not understand any of it and even have trouble even making out what syllables are being used, I sometimes get the impression, that it doesn't really rhyme all that much.

Is that true, or does the very different nature of the language fool my ears?


texts: What is the meaning of で in this sentence

texts:
I got very confused with the meaning of this sentence because of で. What does it mean here?

  オーストラリアは大陸で、それから国です。


texts: Do Japanese people introduce themselves with the last name used first?

texts: I need to obtain some additional information on Japanese introductions.


texts: I am learning Japanese at a beginner's level. I am wondering how to pronounce the letter ❛ た❜ because according to the chart it should be pronounce as ta , but in listening materials and everyday conversation it is often pronounced as da ,like the word だ . Is it depends on grammar or it's just a custom ? Could you please tell me more details about pronunciation? Thank you for consider my question.


texts:
For my phonology homework, we're given the nasals [n] [m] [η] and nasalized glides [w] and [j]. From the data, I've found that [n] and [m] are phonemes and [η] is an allophone of /n/. What I can't figure out is where the nasal glides fit in. They appear w̃ and ȷ̃.

The exact question is this:

  source (section 3 on page 67)


texts: help with this sentence from Pokemon (みちに だんさが あるだろ!)

texts:
みちに  だんさが あるだろ!

I am a pretty early beginner in japanese, and after mastering hiragana, katakana, and some conversational basics, I have jumped into trying to slowly play through an imported pokemon game for practice, needless to say, I have spent several hours getting through the first part of game, having to look up and translate as much as I can. Which, while time consuming, has been pretty easy with all the resources available online. With the exception of this sentence which I haven't been about to find a coherent translation using my usual resources.

Google translate returns: 'Will there is a step on the road!' which is obviously a bad garble of words. All I know out of my own knowledge is 'みちに' is saying the road is the location. (The character speaking this is located on the games Route 1)

Any help is appreciated, and I would also like to see the reasoning behind the translation. (And sorry if basic translation requests are a little trite for this site)


texts:
When saying

  文学の好きな人はいますか？

I was corrected to

  文学が好きな人はいますか？

Why aren't both possibilities correct? I thought that ga can always be replaced by no in phrases that are used attributively.


texts:
I am making captions in Japanese for a song. I have a kanji that I can't identify because of the low resolution and writing, could you help?
The kanji:

The context:

The most resembling one that I found is "淦" but I don't think that is right.


texts:
If I understand correctly, 便利さ and 利便性 have the same meaning.

Is there any difference in nuance or usage?

Maybe 利便性 is more formal?


texts:
そうびは　「ぶき」と 「ぼうぐ」に分けることができる。　ところで
おやくそくだが　「メニュー」でそうびしないと意味はないぞ。

I understand the second sentence as roughly "By the way, if you don't equip them in the menu, they don't do anything."
I'm assuming this is お約束. At first I thought it might be literally "I promise you that X" to add certainty, but that didn't seem to account for the だが.
Another definition I've found for お約束 is "something expected or predictable". Does this essentially make it mean "It shouldn't be surprising, but X"?


texts:
日本の国政は議院内閣制であり、内閣は衆議院に信任されていれば存立し、国民の支持・不支持は直接的な制度としては問われず、4年以内に行われる衆議院議員総選挙や衆議院議員補欠選挙を通じて間接的に反映されるだけである（地方政治ではリコール制度がある）。

the political body of japan is that of a parliamentary system of government and it is appointed by the house of representatives and is influenced indirectly by the public and special election of the house of representatives every 4 years regardless of the support of the citizen at least not directly considering the capacity of the system
i want to ask about としては問われず  i do understand the  general meaning but i would appreciate a more elaborate explaining of this grammatical structure


texts: Do we use odd day pronunciations outside of calendar ranges?

texts:
After reading @jkerian's comment in this post, I started thinking about this.  Here's the comment in full:

On a side note, all days ending in '4' are also irregular, and use ~よっか. So the 14th is じゅう・よっか, the 24th is に・じゅう・よっか, even though all the other days >10 switch over to ~にち

Obviously the most calendar days is 31, but does this rule apply if I want to refer to the 34th day?  Or 84?  Or any number of day that ends in 4?  Or twenty (はつか - ２０日)?  Or do these rules only apply to so-called "calendar" speak?
I realize there are probably better ways of saying such things, but here are some examples:

事故から４４日目　→　The 44th day since the accident.  （よんじゅう・よっか・め　or　よんじゅう・よ（ん）にち・め?）
裁判長は犯人に120日間の[懲役]{ちょう・えき}を申し渡した。　→　The judge sentenced the criminal to 120 days in prison.  (ひゃく・はつか・かん　or　ひゃく・にじゅうにち・かん?)
宇宙探査機が2374日間で往復した。　→　The spacecraft made its round-trip in 2374 days. (にせん・さんびゃく・ななじゅう・よっか・かん　or　にせん・さんびゃく・ななじゅう・よ（ん）にち・かん?）


texts: Do 〜によれば and 〜によると differ regarding the speaker's opinion of the following statement being true?

texts:
From a newspaper:

  16日の発表によると、ドイツ経済の今年の成長率は2.1％、来年が1.8％の見込み。

I think that means:

  According to the report of April 16th, it is expected that the growth of the German economy will be 2.1% this year and it will be 1.8% next year.

So, I am interested in to what degree, if any, the meaning of 〜によると overlaps with the meaning of 〜によれば.

田中氏の発表によると、ドイツ経済の今年の成長率は2.1％、来年が1.8％の見込み。
田中氏の発表によれば、ドイツ経済の今年の成長率は2.1％、来年が1.8％の見込み。

Here is what I think the difference is:

According to Tanaka's presentation, ...
If Tanaka's presentation were to be correct, ...

What I would like to know is:

Do 〜によると and 〜によれば have similar meanings at all?
Does Ｘによると create the feeling of Ｘ being (assumed) true?
Ｘによれば creates the feeling of subjunctive mood, ie. a feeling of possible doubt about Ｘ? It is not assumed to be true?

Does this sound natural and what a newspaper might write?

  田中氏の発表によれば、ドイツ経済の今年の成長率は2.1％、来年が1.8％の見込み。でも、松原氏の発表によれば、ドイツ経済の今年の成長率は55.3％の見込み。


texts: Help me understand 過去の蓄積 and 面白いと思ってきたもの

texts:
How do you interpret this? This is an artist talking:

  一番気にしているのはやっぱり過去の蓄積、自分が面白いと思ってきたものでしょうね。おもしろいと思ってきたものには一貫性はあるんですよ、人間の癖がありますからね。だから、昔おもしろいと思ったものを、自分というフィルターを通してもう一回具現化したい、それが今の願望なのかもしれない。

I guess I have two main questions:

What exactly is being 蓄積ed -- 過去 or おもしろいと思ってきたもの
When you read this, do you understand おもしろいと思ってきたもの as referring to things he himself has done in the past, or just anything in general that he liked?


texts:
You know the verb かける? It has so many meanings my mind can't comprehend them all. Sometimes I feel unsure, so i'll look it up in the dictonary, however when doing so I can't help but feel overhelmed by all the different meanings. By the same word. Used for food when sparkling over salt or even recording music. I feel like it could be anything. I got particularly interested in this text where かける is being used quite a bit to explain word 乾坤一擲.

「乾」は「天」、「坤」は「地」、「乾坤」で「天地」の意味。 天地をかけて一回さいころを投げるという意味から、自分の運命をかけて、のるかそるかの勝負に出ることをいう。 韓愈の詩「鴻溝を過ぐ」の「竜疲れ虎困じて川原に割ち、億万の蒼生、性命を存す。 誰か君王に馬首を回らすを勧めて、真に一擲を成して乾坤を賭せん」から。(source)


texts:
In English when we have sentences like

  I ate an apple, pear and orange

we use a comma to separate the words in a list instead of constantly using "and".

Does one use commas in Japanese in a similar way or does one keep saying (the equivalent of) "and" after every word?


texts: My dictionary says 罠にかかる but I imagine that that is for snares. How would you say trapped as in "I am trapped under rubble" or "The people were trapped under a building."?


texts: 無念 - kanjis say "no wish", but meaning is "regret"? Why?

texts:
無 generally roughly means "none"
念 generally roughly means "wish"

So I personally would have expected "無念" to mean "no wish", "no regret", "no worries", etc. However, counter-intuitively, "無念" means "regret"... and to further add to the confusion, "無念無想" means "free from worldly or worthless thoughts", which seems like the opposite of "無念".

Is there an explanation for the (IMO) counter-intuitive meaning of 無念 and its related words?


texts:
I came across this sentence:

  全員に作業が割り当てられました。

In a passive sentence, the particle に marks the action doer, and that means the sentences should translate to

  "Work was assigned (to me) by all members"

On Anki and Google Translate, the correct translation is

  "Work was assigned to all members"

Why is the latter correct instead of the former?


texts:
everybody!
In these days I'm practing my japanese studying some anime's dialogues, in particular Little Witch Academia's. In general, it's pretty simple but I found two sentences in the first episode that for me are not clear at all, and so I hope you can help me.

The first sentence is this:

  "ていうか、夢以上の宿命?".

The complete sentence is:"六才の時にシャイニィシャリオの魔法ショーをみてから,魔女になるのが夢だった！ていうか、夢以上の宿命?"

The first part is clear: "After I saw a magical show of Shiny Chariot when I was six years old, be a witch became my dream!".

ていうか = In other words; or better say, etc: also this is clear.

Is "夢以上の宿命?" that bothers me: what does it mean?
Maybe something like "Or perhaps I should say that is my destiny?" ?

The second sentence is as follows:

  "近頃学校が経営難で、魔女家系でなくても入れないとやっていけないとか .

I think that is something like "Since the school is in financial difficulties, it seems that can't keep going without accepting no witch-blood girls", but I can't figure out what is that "でなくても"... What is it? Also in this case, I hope in your support.

Thank you for attention and thank you in advance to all those who will help me. ^__^


texts: Did I analyze the structure of this sentence correctly?

texts:
For more context, see the full text:
https://www.docdroid.net/qteAJpo/img-20170628-0002-new.pdf.html

It is from line 13-14:
頭の中に具体的に理想の自分がイメージできたら、立っている位置を変えて、今の、つまりイメージの中では過去の自分と向き合うのです。

"When the self of concrete ideals comes up in the mind and you switch the position you are standing on, in other words in the inside of the image of now, you are face to face with your past self."

The placement of つまり for example confused me because at least from my foreign perspective its like its just thrown into the clause it belongs to xD
Also, I feel unsure about my understanding of the clause ranging from 今の to 中では and its integration into the surrounding. I didn't really know what to make of the particle で in this particular context, and I think my rather bumpy translation reflects this, because the image (pun intended) that comes to mind when reading this part seems overly complicated to me...^^


texts:
According to a (non japanese, but he spent lots of time in Japan) Aikido teacher I know, this is supposed to represent "an obligation bounding student and teacher".

To be honest, I am a bit skeptical. I know that this is the starting part of the name of a specific "Kata" in Iwama Style Aikido (see here for an example) but I wonder if there is some other "esoteric" meaning or figure of speech that I am missing.


texts:
I'm using materials I found on the Internet to learn grammar points.
This source includes examples, which is really nice, but I reckon there are many mistakes - mostly typos, but sometimes worse.
What worries me the most is whether or not these sentences 1. are actually grammatically correct, and 2. sound natural for native speakers.

I came across the following sentence:

  私が疲れるのは、暑さというよりはむしろ湿度のせいだ。

The translation is (re-translated from French, sorry if the English is not perfect either):

  Rather than heat, it's more because of humidity that I'm tired.

The reason why I'm asking this question is the use of 湿度 to mean "humidity".
To my understanding, it means "the humidity level", as in "90%", just like 温度 would be used to refer to the actual value in degrees.
Is it acceptable to use it in this case, where I understand "humidity" as a more general concept than just a figure?
Wouldn't 湿気 be more suited?

Also, the grammar point this example accompanies is "というより".
Is it natural for a native speaker to use this construct in this context?

And more generally speaking, does this sentence sound natural?
For instance, could one say "疲れているのは" to insist on the fact that they're tired at this particulat time?

Source, in French but for completeness: http://jlptgo.com/grammaire/187-japonais-to-iu-yori


texts: I have found this sentence わしがすべて焼き尽くしちゃる. I know that 焼き尽く would imply burning something until exhaustion but I don't know what ちゃる is.　By chance, is ちゃる　just an alternate form of ちまう like ちゃう?


texts:
I'd like to know if there is any difference between 電話する and 電話をする, if they mean the same, or if 電話をする doesn't even exist.

I ask this because in an exercise in my book it says to use をする with 電話 to form the verb, but on the online dictionary I usually check it says it's 電話する, without を.

Dictionary link: http://tangorin.com/general/%E9%9B%BB%E8%A9%B1


texts: What does the な in the center means.Is it a particle.


texts: Difference between では and には when the final verb is still ある?

texts:
So I was under the impression that で/に mostly depends on the final verb of the phrase, and that いる/ある requires に because it doesn't signify an action happening at a location.

Tobira's 10th chapter has this sentence in the reading:

  アメリカでは自動販売機はたいてい建物の中にあって、外に置かれていることはほとんどないが、日本ではどこにでも自動販売機がある。

As we can see here, ～では〜あって、～では〜ある. I tried asking a native friend about it and she was unable to provide me a definitive answer why, other than that using には twice sounds repetitive in a way では doesn't. She also mentioned that you could switch the second では to には and it still sounds fine?


texts: Connotations of なら vs たら in conditional clauses

texts:
I am wondering about the choice of, and general necessity of, なら in the following sentence.

ドイツでは、ウイルスがうつらないように気をつけているなら、店を開くことができます。(from NHK Easy)
* In Germany, businesses may remain open if they are careful not to spread the virus. (my trans.)

According to DBJG, なら means roughly 'under the condition that something is true'. How does this work in the context of the above sentence, in particular why would たら not be appropriate, since (in my mind) any if-clause always assumes its own validity.
Does the なら carry a sense of "actually" or "really" here? For example, would it be more accurate to translate the sentence as "... if the businesses are really ensuring the virus doesn't spread"? Or does なら contain a sense of "so long as", i.e. suggesting that the condition is liable to change over time, "...as long as the businesses are ensuring the virus doesn't spread."?


texts: In romaji, is りょう spelled 'ryou' or 'ryoo'?

texts: This has been bothering me because I am writing a Memrise course and have been implementing the romaji by hand for cases like these (since the Memrise platform interprets りょう as 'riyou'). Intuitively, I would think that 'ryou' would be correct, yet at the same time I've never seen りょお.


texts: I am listening to a song and came across 君を思う気持ち. I thought it just means "the feeling of thinking about you", but apparently not. Looking at the lyrics translation, it means "you are always on my mind", but I can't even begin to fathom how it means that. Is the translation right? If not, what does it actually mean? Looking at jisho 思う really doesn't sway too much from meaning "think"


texts: Translation of the phrase: 生きる水 in context

texts:
So I was translating this song (full lyrics: https://www5.atwiki.jp/hmiku/pages/25196.html, and song:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dyAlYhicXk, line at 3:26) and I ran across this line which I'm very confused about.

無駄な事は聞かないよ　それが君の生きる水なら。
I don't listen to/I don't ask useless things. If that's your living water.

The second part is what I'm confused about. "Living water" is a poetry anthology by 高塚かず子, but I'm not sure if that's being referred to here, though it is the most common usage I found of the phrase when I ran it through google. I'm wondering if it's a pun, especially considering there is a part in the song that mirrors it: 生き死体の君が言うんなら (If you, the living corpse, says so). I'm wondering if these are connected in meaning in some way, though I can't figure out how.
Does anyone have any idea of the meaning of this line? Is there some pun or reference I'm missing, or is it just a strange line that's up to interpretation?
Thank you!


texts:
Japanese: Omae o tadashi katta (to) ukeireteita.

English: I did admit that you was right.

It's correct without "to"? Omae o tadashi katta ukeireteita.

Thanks!


texts: Verb classifications by japanese learners

texts:
As a studies of Japanese I've come across two distinct ways to group verbs for purposes of remembering how to conjugate them.

う動詞 / る動詞
Group1 / Group 2

Pacerier mentioned a verb1 and verb5, can someone explain to me how the verbs are divided for this system?

Also, how do Japanese people learn the different conjugations patterns? What system for verb classification do they use?

this question may boarder on off-topic, but i think as a Japanese learner, I'd like to be able to ask verb related questions to a Japanese person, but if i say う動詞, unless they are familiar with non-foreigners learning Japanese, they don't know what I'm talking about.


texts: Is "豪斯多拉利" an ateji way to write "Australia"?

texts:
Several years ago I invested some time and energy digging up more ways to write "Australia" in Japanese than I ever expected would exist:

オーストラリア is the usual spelling these days
濠太剌利 is a rare old ateji I believe
濠洲 was a shorter ateji before the spelling reform
豪州 is the previous after the spelling reform
濠 and 豪 are the pre- and post- spelling reform variants used in compounds

But just now I came across one I hadn't seen before:

  豪斯多拉利

Is this latest one also valid? How does it fit in with the others? Older, younger? Derived from Chinese or invented in Japan? Obsolete, archaic, or still in use?

And is it ateji or some other phenomenon?


texts: Correct translation for application user roles

texts:
I'm working on an application which has user roles such as "admin", "customer", "contractor"and would like to add localisation to the app.

On my main menu I have:

Users
Roles
Tenants

and the default ja-JP file provides these values:

ユーザ
テナント

What would be the corrent title for the Roles section here?

Can I just use ロールー, or should it be something like 役目{やくめ}?

More broadly, is there some resource with common translations for this type of situation?


texts:
そんなわけでな、ここでもしあなたが入ってくれれば廃部にならなくてすむんだよ

Right now i have ここでもし as "(i'm) here (with some uncertainty) because..." but it feels like a bit of a stretch.


texts:
So I was trying to ask for a new notebook at my office, I wanted to say that my notebook is almost full, so I need a new one.
I ended up saying

私のノートはページがあまり残っていませんので、新しいノートをお願いします。

But I don't know if there is a better way to say it, a more natural way.
Thank you!


texts: Apparently it means "bad/unlucky day", but several dictionaries I've consulted (both J->E and J->J) also say that it's also a Taoist term, as well as referring to a farmer's bad luck with weather. Is this a commonly used word at all? Or is it more specialized? Or none of the above?


texts:
アンドレアスさん、でいいですか？

"Are you well, Andreas?"

Obviously this で doesn't prevent me from understanding the sentence.
However, what does it add to the sentence?


texts:
I noticed a lack of case marking particles in mathematical sentences:

  １足す２は３である。
  ３掛ける４は１２である。

足す and 掛ける are verbs, does subject and object analysis apply to this? Do they take on the numbers as arguments despite not being marked by case particles?
What part of speech are 足す and 掛ける? They do not seem to be syntactically acting as verbs.

Compare this with the English version:

  1 plus 2 is 3
  3 times 4 is 12

After a cursory dictionary search, it is revealed that plus and times are not verbs, but prepositions. "plus 2" and "times 4" are prepositional phrases. It seems that the structure for English is 3(times 4). While the structure in Japanese appears to me as (3掛ける)4

If we parse 3 × 4 = 12 into English or Japanese, does the difference in grammatical syntax result in a different situation? Which situation comes to mind in English and in Japanese?:

  a. 3 × 4 = OOOO + OOOO + OOOO
  b. 3 × 4 = OOO + OOO + OOO + OOO


texts: Is it possible ～ておく in continuous state (～ている)?

texts:
I'm curious now since I read in Tae Kim's Guide that ておく means to prepare/do something for the future.

So for example, if one is currently in the progress of studying for the future would it be this?

  勉強しておいている


texts:
The sentence in question:
そうした逆風の中、潜在的な需要を掘り起こそうと各社とも知恵を絞った対策に乗り出しています。

For full context:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/business_tokushu/2018_0621.html?utm_int=news_contents_tokushu_004

My attempt at translation:
"All companies certainly set out to new measures which squeezed out wisdom, trying to dig up potential demand in the midst of such adversary circumstances (="adverse wind")."

I'm also not sure whether I interpreted the use of volitional form correctly here, so some feedback on this part would be nice as well.

I think that I know where the phrase 知恵を絞った is going, but I lack the creativity to come up with a proper translation, since the literal one definitely is very very "clunky" and almost incomprehensible. I think its about "using all their brain power" to come up with a good idea to deal with the problem at hand.

Finally, jisho outputted とも as the particle meaning "certainly". It definitely works here, although I wonder whether the algorithm parsed correctly because it doesn't add much. On the other hand, splitting it into と and も seems wrong to me. So I just wanted to ask for confirmation.


texts: How did the verb 掛ける come to have many meanings?

texts:
I think that this verb is the only one I've seen in Japanese that has so many definitions.　とる　and つく have multiple definitions as well (quite a bit IIRC). But not as many as 掛ける. In any case, I am just wondering if anyone knew the reason.

Secondary question, do people tend to use an alternative more often than the 掛ける version? For example: でんわをする instead of でんわを掛ける.


texts:
I'm studying Japanese, and found this phrase:

  漢字を書くのが嫌いだけど読むのは好きです。

I was thought that the particle that is always with 好き is が but in this case is は, is there an explanation for this???


texts: Does "おつまみ" (otsumami) mean "snack" or "rice crackers" or "crunchy snack" like chips and peanuts, or something else entirely?

texts:
This is a word I learned by reading and not by studying or in conversation with Japanese.

After learning the kana years ago I had occasion to fly with JAL and the pre-meal snack was a little packet of various savoury crunch things like nuts and what I assume were a kind of rice cracker. Perhaps some included nori. On the pack in hiragana as I recall was written "おつまみ". To what specifically does this refer? I'm often surprised that my Japanophile friends don't know what I'm talking about when I use this word.


texts: Help understanding these uses of 「取っぱらい」

texts:
Yet another sentence in a taiko performer's memoirs that I can't quite grasp...

  総ての枠を全部取っぱらって、というのはやっぱり難しいけれど、投銭興行でやったのも一つの取っぱらいだった。

I know 「取っぱらう」means "to throw away" or "set aside", etc. The context of this sentence involves the performer discussing what it's like for him to be up on stage, versus in the practice room; he sees being on stage as a unique opportunity to get to know a different side of himself as a performer.

I believe the first half of this sentence says something along the lines of: "I completely let go of all of the restrictions I had put on myself, and though doing so is quite difficult..."

I also know that 「投銭興行でやった」is working as a street performer, or performing for "tossed coin" donations, but I'm uncertain of how 「取っぱらいだった」interacts with this (and, I'm also not really sure how 〜の is functioning here).

Thank you for your help!


texts: く usage in 場所は昨年と同じく、たから市民会館ホールです

texts:
本年もまたお願いいたしたく、ご連絡申し上げました。

  場所は昨年と同じく、たから市民会館ホールです。

What is the use of く here?

I think it is something like conjugating the verb to ます form then removing ます to connect sentences.

For example:

  交通ルールを守り、安全運転をしましょう.
  Let's follow the rule and drive safely.

But, in the sentences I mentioned above, it's an い-adjective and a な-adjective (お願いいたしたい and 同じ). So, I would like to inquire about how this structure is formed.

Is it:

Verb = conjugate verb to ます form then remove ます

い-adjective = conjugate to くて and remove て

な-adjective/Noun = add く after

PS. I got some great answers here Removal of て in Japanese novels　but I'm not sure about this 同じく.


texts:
そんなメアを飛鳥がカメラに何度も収めている。

Asuka gathered(?) many (photographs) of Mare via his camera  ??

Aside from the odd use of 収める, why did they use に over で in this sentence?

Thank you


texts:
In a TV show I am watching (孤独のグルメ, perhaps many of you have heard of it) the gentleman is about to drink some coffee but pauses to savour the aroma.
He says

  いい かおり だ

Which I translate as "good aroma".
Am I right in saying that におい is simply "smell"?

So perhaps

  台所から　においに来ています　　a smell is coming from the kitchen

and

  台所から　かおりに来ています　　an aroma is coming from the kitchen

(this may not be correct Japanese, please correct me)

So in example #2 it is implied there is a nice smell like food is cooking ("aroma") but in example #1 something could be burning or rotting.


texts: ジ in Asia (アジア) sounds different to ジ in John (ジョン)

texts:
Why is ジ a soft "ji" in Asia (アジア), but in John (ジョン) - ジ is a hard "ji"?

Is it just pronunciation or is there an actual discernable/readable difference?


texts:
To compare two things, I would use:

  りんごのほうがみかんより美味しいです。

i.e. noun のほうがnoun よりadjective

But how can I say, "Out of these five fruits, apples are the most delicious"?
Or "Out of Seoul, Tokyo, and Shanghai, Shanghai is the biggest"?


texts: Is the word Canon キヤノン (camera brand) related with キャメラ?

texts:
I am not sure whether it is on-topic here, but the following question was asked on English Language and Usage.

What does the word “Canon” (the digicam brand) mean?

I searched the word and its company name キヤノン株式会社 on the internet, but I couldn't find any useful information. Is the brand キヤノン related with キャメラ?

I believe I've always used カメラ before, but are the two words キャメラ and カメラ completely interchangeable?


texts: Is there a rule to writing verbs in hiragana or kanji when used as a suffix?

texts:
A common pattern I've noticed is for verbs like 行く and 来る after the て form of another verb. I know this is grammatically simply verb listing, but in terms of meaning the verbs often times sort of merge.
For example:

やってくる
入っていく
登っていく
出てくる

I find that in these cases the second verb (くる / いく) is often times written in hiragana instead of kanji. Is this a rule?


texts: translation - how come the word "home" isn't in here

texts:
So I translated "you can't go home again" into Japanese, from Google translate, and the output looks more akin to "you"ll never return"

Output: もう帰ることはできません

Why doesn't the sentence make any mention of home (in the sense of a place of feeling at home, not essentially a house)?

Is this translation incorrect?


texts: Recently, in the US the word 'alternative facts' have prompted a lot of discussion. I wonder what this phase is known in Japanese. Thanks in advance.


texts: Alternatives to 「…」というラベルが付けられている

texts:
As I understand it, the phrase 「…」というラベルが付けられているもの literally translates to something like 'a thing with a label reading "..." attached to it'. Unlike in English, there is no verb equivalent to 'labeled'.

That said, this phrase alone seems insufficient to cover all cases that, in English, would use the word 'labeled', where the label is not a distinct object from the thing being labeled. Some other cases have other obvious translations. For example, if the label is directly written on the object in question, something like 「…」と書かれたもの would work. For others however I cannot think of an adequate translation, for example if words have been burned/branded onto an object.

Some alternatives I've considered are 付く, which unlike 付ける seems to include meanings like 'marked' or 'imprinted' as well as 'attached', and 表示する. However, I've been unable to find any examples using either in the way I'd like. I have only seen 付く used to describe things as being marked without specifying what the mark read, and 表示する seems to be limited to things like computer screens, when not being used to mean 'expression' or 'display' in a more abstract sense.

Would either of my alternatives, or some other possibility I've yet to find, do the job? Or am I overthinking either 「…」というラベルが付けられているもの or
「…」と書かれたもの, and thinking that they are more specific in meaning than they actually are?


texts: Question about Ikkyu anecdote in "3 Pillars of Zen"

texts:
I've loved this English Zen fable since I was a teenager, but not sure of the correct kanji translation for "attention" - is it 念?

One day a man of the people said to Zen Master Ikkyu:
“Master, will you please write for me some maxims of the highest wisdom?”
Ikkyu immediately took his brush and wrote the word, “Attention.”
“Is that all?” asked the man. “Will you not add something more?”
Ikkyu then wrote twice running: “Attention. Attention.”
“Well,” remarked the man rather irritably, “I really don’t see much depth or subtlety in what you have just written.”
Then Ikkyu wrote the same word three times running: “Attention. Attention. Attention.”
Half angered, the man demanded: “What does that word ‘Attention’ mean anyway?”
And Ikkyu answered gently: “Attention means attention.”
Roshi P. Kapleau, The Three Pillars of Zen


texts: Unsure how to translate this relative clause - 使うことができるワクチン

texts:
This is an excerpt from NHK Easy article: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/k10012806691000/k10012806691000.html
My literal translation would be:
今年の６月までに６０００万人に使うことができるワクチンを買います
[The government] will purchase the vaccine that can be used on 60 million people by the end of June this year.
The only way I can see this translated in more natural English would be:
[The government] will purchase enough vaccine for 60 million people by the end of June this year.
The grammar I am struggling with here is the relative clause 使うことができるワクチン - vaccine that can be used? Is my problem that I am trying to translate too literally, when I should just accept that this relative clause is approximately the same as saying "enough vaccine for..."?


texts: How to say "Getting/experiencing through different situations"?

texts:
I am writing about the language and I wish to say, that the language can be learnt best, when you can visit it's country, so you could master it by:

  "getting through different situations" or "experiencing through different situations"

I came up with 「様々な【さまざまな】状況【じょうきょう】を通して【とおして】経験【けいけん】すること」, but I think there are much more natural ways of expressing this idea. Also, I am not sure, if the word 状況【じょうきょう】as for "situation" fits well here...

Thank you in advance!


texts: Computer calculation: is there a better word than "オンザフライ" to say "on-the-fly"?

texts:
As a valuable feature of my software product, I want to say that results are calculated on-the-fly, meaning the user does not have to wait and receive results by email: results are displayed after two seconds.

Should I say オンザフライ as advised by my friend alc?

The context would be something like "オンザフライ結果表示" in a bullet list


texts: What does いきなりはじめんといてよ mean

texts:
from what I know, does it mean "starts from all of a sudden"?
I thought the sentence could be separated as いきなり+ はじめん+といてよ？


texts: understanding what sounds like 「だけどお値段はもっていません。」

texts:
西友 CM 盛ってます編

懐中電灯盛り。                       The flashlight style.
角ハンガー盛り。                     The corner hanger style.
延長コード盛り。                     The extension cord style.
ジャポニカ学習帳盛り。               The Japonica study book style.
サンダル盛り。                       The sandal style.
折りたたみ自転車盛り。               The folding bike style.
だけどお値段はもっていません。？？
暮らしのものは安く。西友。           Items for living are cheaper. Seiyu.

I'm trying to understand the following phrase at the 10 second mark of this commercial.

だけど...something...はもっていません

It sounds like
だけどお値段はもっていません。＝ However, we don't have prices??

This doesn't make much sense, though.

What is the original phrase and what does it mean? Also, is it correct to translate 盛り as "style" in this context?


texts:
The main character describes her life on an island:「そこで、なんてことないあたしは暮らしている。」 It's translated as "[on this island] I lived my ordinary life."
I don't think -ない can qualify anything other than a noun, so なんてことない must be qualilfying あたし. Does she say something like "[...] the completely ordinary me lived my life"?
Also, I couldn't find the meaning of "なんてことない" as "ordinary" in a dictionary; could someone link a good definition?


texts: Cheering Japanese (volleyball) team (ゴーリゴーリ)

texts:
Watching Volleyball World Cup on TV now, I started to wonder where does the cheering 「ゴーリゴーリ」 come from? Seems to be independent of which team serves, but is more loud when Japanese hold the ball.

Is it used in other sports or specific to volleyball?


texts:
I am reading an article about a pro figure skater who is recovering from an injury. The author talks about the skater beginning to heal, but then re-injuring herself.

順調に快方に向かうかと思えたが、暗転したのは＜日付＞。

I thought that 暗転 would mean something like "took a turn for the worse" but my dictionary said that it means "theatrical blackout" (not able to perform?) Is that correct? Can you also use it as "took a turn for the worse"

Thanks


texts:
I was never able to make any sense out of the following Japanese proverbs or idiomatic expressions:

豆腐の角に頭をぶつけて死んでしまえ。
'Hit your head against a corner of a cake of tofu, and die.'
...の爪の垢を煎じて飲む。
'take extract from one's dirt/wax under the nail, and drink it'

They are nonsense to me, and the latter is also disgusting. How can you die in such a way? What is the purpose of drinking such thing? How can you make a sense out of them?


texts: What's the definition of "subject" in japanese?

texts: In spanish, the subject is "a syntactic function, the element of the sentence that matchs in number and gender with the verb". In japanese, verbs arent affected by the subject (in number or gender) . As a spanish speaker, I really dont like the spanish definition because it doesnt help to understand the language at all, moreover, it seems to justify some sentence constructions that after comparing them with other languages you start to find odd and in some senses non-sensicals, and that over-complicate the language. When we were in primary school, we were introduced to another , now obsolete or perhaps always considered wrong definition of subject that made more sense and helped to understand languages. So my question is, what's the definition of subject in japanese? I would like to see if it is something more congruent with the idea most people have of what's the subject of the sentence and not something like our official spanish definition


texts: Trouble with this sentence: 未曽有の被害をもたらした７月の西日本豪雨災害

texts:
未曽有の被害をもたらした７月の西日本豪雨災害。その災害から私たちを守ってくれるはずの避難所で、命の危険を感じて被災した自宅に引き返した人たちがいます。「食物アレルギー」がある人や、アレルギーのある家族がいる人たちです。避難所にアレルギーに対応した食品がなかったため、避難所にとどまることができなかったのです。災害大国とも呼ばれる日本で、なぜ教訓が生かされないのか？被災地の１つ、広島県の自治体を通して見えてきた課題を取材しました。(source)

未曽有の被害をもたらした７月の西日本豪雨災害 means that ７月の西日本豪雨 is a disaster that has caused unprecedented damages but I don't understand if we only talk about heavy rains or all types of disasters(for the damage comparison), if it's unprecedented in comparison to other heavy rains/disasters in western Japan, in Japan, or in the world?

Also, I don't know what is the (omitted)object of the verb 引き返す(the verb appears as transitive on jisho)?


texts:
私に聞こえるように大きい声で話してください

Couldn't it have simply been something like:

  私が聞けるように大きい声で話してください

?


texts: てくれる vs てもらう when the topic or subject is implied

texts:
From my understanding てくれる and てもらう "mean the same" from the "receiver" point of view, but the way the topic and subject are placed is a bit different, for instance:

  僕は友達にゲームのやり方を教えてもらった　and 友達は僕にゲームのやり方を教えてくれた　(I was taught by my friend how to play the game / My friend taught me how to play the game )

Now, my question is, When the topic is implied and therefore hidden, is it ok to use any of these?

  (Talking to my friend) ゲームのやり方を教えてくれた　and ゲームのやり方を教えてもらった。

I got this question because latelly i've been hearing a lot of things like these

  言ってもらって助かった

So is it ok to use both　（does the meaning change?), or should I stick to one? Or should I stick to the most common to set phrase in question?

Thanks in advance, and i'm sorry for any mistakes.

Edit: removed ありがとう from the sentence to avoid confusion and misleading from the main point of the question.


texts:
I am not really sure if I understood the following sentence correctly:

  「しかも攻撃パワーは並の上といったところ！」

The pattern in bold is what makes me struggle here. I found this explanation of the last part of the sentences https://j-nihongo.com/toittatokoroda/, in which 「といったところ」 was described as being used for expression amounts that are not very high. Judging from that I believe that the amount of power is not exceptionally large here. However, the 「並の上」 would be indecipherable to me without the meaning of 「といったところ」. When checking the dictionary entries I felt like picking exactly what I had to in order to "make the pattern fix the situation".

The problem is matter not very complicated but I feel like I am missing something about the pattern.


texts:
寝るばかりになっていた

I'm trying to understand how ばかりになっていた modifies the preceding verb. I can think of two possibilities for the above sentence:
a) I was just about to go to sleep   (involuntary)
b) I had just become/got ready to go to bed/sleep. (preparation)

Are either one of these correct (I'm favouring option a. since I think なる is more about things that happen on their own and する is for when you bring about an action)? If not, please explain meaning and use of ばかりになる. Can I use this expression more generally? Thanks.


texts: Do you need です before から at the end of sentence?

texts:
バスに乗りましょう。タクシーは高いですから。

or can you simply say タクシーは高いから  without the です?


texts: What is the meaning of 「ご安心いただければと存じます。」?

texts:
Is the google translation "We hope you feel relieved." accurate?

While I was searching the net for this. I found in this link , based from my understanding of the first and second sentence the polite way of saying「安心してください！」or 「安心してほしい！」is 「ご安心いただけましたら幸いです」.

For me, 「安心してください！」or 「安心してほしい！」both expresses a feeling of irritation from the deliverer of the messages.

Is it correct for me to think that 「ご安心いただければと存じます。」also expresses as sense of irritation or a negative emotion? or is this also based on the context of the conversation?


texts:
曲がりくねった道
  地図さえない
  それもまた 人生

In this beautiful song from Misora Hibari, I don't understand the last line.

It surely means something like "That is life" but I don't understand the use of も and また. Why not saying それ人生? (I know, it couldn't fit in the song, but still from a grammatical point of view.)


texts: Kanji that don't use their specified readings

texts:
Hello I'm trying to understand something about kanji readings.
As far as I understand each Kanji character has multiple readings and each of these readings can be used alone or in conjunction with different kanji.

My question is, how is it that sometimes I see words that do not use any specified reading of the kanji, for example:

日
can be read as ひ, -び, -か，ニチ, ジツ

but in the word いっぴ (一日)
it is used as ぴ


texts: Can すごく be used to describe a person or only an inanimate thing?


texts: When to read "その後" as "そのご", "そのあと" or "そののち"?

texts:
I've recently been seeing あと as well as ご as Furigana on top of 後 in その後, but is there a difference in usage or meaning between the different readings?

Looking at the Yahoo thesaurus, it seems it can also be read as のち. When would this reading be used over the others?


texts:
I have two sentences:

このホールで時々コンサートがある (Kono hooru de tokidoki konsaato ga aru)
このホールでコンサートが時々ある (Kono hooru de konsaato ga tokidoki aru)

The former (provided by textbook) should mean "There are sometimes concerts in this hall".
Does the latter (created by myself) mean the same thing as the fomer? Does it have a nuance to it (e.g. emphasis on it being a concert?)? Is it even grammatically correct?


texts: Why is the same english meaning of ため tied to different japanese meanings in different dictionaries?

texts:
On http://jisho.org/word/%E7%82%BA

consequence; result; effect has an example sentence

  それは、おまえの声をよく聞くためだよ。(It is in order to hear your voice well.)

On http://tangorin.com/general/%E3%81%9F%E3%82%81

consequence;  result;  effect has an example sentence.

  霧のため全列車は運転休止となった。(Railroad service was suspended because of the fog.)

In the former, consequence; result; effect seems to mean in order to or aim. In the latter, consequence; result; effect seems to mean cause or because of.

It seems some translations from japanese to english are confusing.

How should I interpret japanese-english dictionaries in this case?

Edit 1. The second entry on http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/je/46719/meaning/m0u/%E3%81%9F%E3%82%81/ seems more accurate

〔理由，原因〕 because

  昨日風邪のため学校を休んだ (I was absent from school yesterday because of a cold.)


texts:
I'm having trouble understanding the following sentence from a small Pokémon comic I found online.

それに本当に自分と同じ色だったら同族嫌悪して自分から近づくはずがない.

Here's a link to the comic for context: https://e621.net/posts/569425 (The ad at the top of the page may be NSFW.)

I'm able to parse the sentence just fine, but when I put it all together it doesn't make sense to me.

Here's my translation: In addition, if they really are the same color as myself, it's impossible for me to approach them because I hate the same type as myself.

The reason why it doesn't make sense to me is because the Pikachu already tried to approach the Lucario in the first panel, so why are they thinking it would be impossible to approach now?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!


texts: Why is this は positioned like that here?

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:
山田さんによると、八王子は何度か大規模な火災に見舞われ、戦時中は大規模な空襲も受けたことから、古い資料なども多くは残っていないということで、江戸時代の隕石を探すのは容易ではないと話していました。

My attempt at translation:
"According to Mr.Yamada, Concerning Hachioji, He said that because it was struck with large scale fires several times and also suffered air raids during war, there not being left many old documents,  the search for a meteorite from the edo area won't be simple."

I really have no idea why this は in 多くは (bold) is at this very position. I also have no idea why it has to exist in this phrase at all, and therefore I also don't know what it does and just translated the sentence as if it wasn't there xD


texts:
I found this word in one of the Akutagawa Ryūnosuke's short stories called 夢.  the story begins like this:

  わたしはすっかり疲れていた。肩や頸の凝るのは勿論、不眠症もかなり甚しかった。のみならず偶々眠ったと思うと、いろいろの夢を見勝ちだった


texts: "What is そいつら and what kind of conjugation is 知らんからな?

texts:
I was wondering what そいつら means, and is 知らんからな slang? Here is the sentence:

  俺はそいつらのことよく知らんからな。

I know they slur their vowels to make things easier to say.  Or maybe this is a new word that I can't find in the dictionary.


texts: How can I translate these workplace goals into Japanese?

texts:
I'm an ALT and my supervisor asked me to write my goals in Japanese this year. I'm trying to keep it simple, but I really struggle with putting English into Japanese.
Here is my attempt

Deepen my relationship with students. Learn more about them and spend more time talking with them.
生徒とrelationship深まります。生活についてもっと知って行きたいと思います。
Always be available to students. Encourage them to talk with me and ask me questions.
生徒に向かって助けることがいつでもできそうに進みたいです。私と話すし、私の質問をお勧めします。

Any help making these statements clear and acceptable for my supervisor to read would be much appreciated. Direct translation is not necessary at all, just a good, polite goal statement.


texts: Until I looked it up recently, I'd never really noticed that the verb 逃げる is intransitive, but it makes sense now that I think of it. But there's still something that bothers me, and that's that this verb can still be used with the particle を. The same goes for the verb 逃れる, which is also intransitive. None of these uses (such as 責任を逃れる, 都会を逃れる, 役員を逃げた) that I've found seem to fit with rules that allow を to be used with intransitive verbs. So does anyone know what's going on here? The dictionary that I'm using doesn't seem to list these senses as transitive, so I want to know whether these are exceptions or not.


texts: Can anyone help me identify what some kaomoji mean please?

texts:
I've started to talking to a new friend in Japan and I can't work out what some of the kaomoji he uses mean :/ I've found lists and lists and lists on the Internet but can't seem to spot some he's used :/

(´｡• ω •｡`)

(°∀° )/

(´°д°`)

(´•̥ ω •̥` )

(｡•́ω•̀｡)

That's all I have rn, thank you so much!


texts: How do I know when to use の with が in a "good/bad at" sentence?

texts:
In all sentences that describe someone being good or bad at something, as well as liking/disliking doing something, the particle が is used. I know for a fact that you use が for like/dislike.

In some sentences, the particles のが are there.
i.e: "I don't really like doing the laundry"

  私はせんたくをするのが好きじゃないです。

Why is there a のが instead of just が？


texts: What is the usage of 〜げ and how does it differ from 〜そう or 〜っぽい?

texts:
How do these two differ, for example:

寂しそう vs 寂しげ

楽しそう vs 楽しげ

言いたそう vs 言いたげ

大人げ vs 大人っぽい（...？ Not sure if this one works.)


texts: Difference between the questions 「男じゃないんですか？」 and 「男じゃないですか？」

texts:
I was wondering if there is a difference if you add that ん. Is the first one correct and the second one not?

  男じゃないんですか？

  男じゃないですか？


texts: Do adjectives/adjective-like verb forms in informal speech need a copula?

texts:
The class I go to uses the «Minna no Nihongo» textbook, and according to it you can say the following in informal language:

そのカレーライスおいしい？
わたしは富士山にのぼりたい。

(See book 1, lesson 20)
So I gathered, the copula can be omitted in adjective-like predicates. However, when I posted on Lang-8 applying the new-found knowledge, people corrected me:
ドイツはいちども行ったことがないから、ずっと行きたかった行きたかったんだ or 行きたかったです。
Hence, the question: why だ／です is necessary here? What's the general rule?


texts: What is the difference between 清潔 and 清浄

texts:
According to one Japanese guy I know:

  洗浄とは、きれいにすること。

  清潔とは、きれいであること。

He also says that the correct adjective in the sentence below is 清潔 and 清浄 is incorrect.

  山中では空気はとても　清浄だ　/　清潔だ。

However, according to the dictionary,　清浄　is correct.

http://tangorin.com/general/%E6%B8%85%E6%B5%84

Can someone explain this to me?


texts:
What nuance does "ことなく" have?

If we compare the following two sentences:

(For example, at a footrace:)

最後まで、あきらめないで走ります！
vs
最後まで、あきらめることなく、走ります！

Is ことなく stronger than simply saying ないで? Does ことなく show will and volition more than the ないで version?


texts:
I recently heard of the poem named Koto ni Kanzu, and I came across this page that provides the poem's text, along with a pretty convincing interpretation.
The poems reads as follows (I only added the furigana for the words my question focuses on):

花開けば蝶枝に満つ
花謝すれば蝶[還]{また}稀なり
惟旧巣の燕[有]{あ}あり
主人貧しきも[亦]{また}帰る

I have the following questions regarding the vocabulary used in this poem:

Why is 還 read また? I found the kanji in Jisho, which says that it can be used instead of 帰 in 帰{か}える, but I could not find it being used as また. Is this some kind of play on words based on this kanji's meaning of returning?
Why are 還 and 亦 both used for また? Is there a negative connotation in the former, and a positive in the latter? What about 又?
What is the meaning of 有あり?


texts: What is the proper way of saying "can" about an action?

texts:
出来る is a verb meaning "Can/be able to".

Which ways of attaching a verb to it is correct?

〜で出来る

i.e. 覚えて出来ます。

の／ことが出来ます

i.e. 覚えるのが出来ます。

I feel, like both should be correct, but I'm just still just a half year learning japanese, so sorry for trouble. Are there any other ways to say "can"?


texts: how to say pretend in the context of a sentence

texts:
How to say "pretend as if carrots tastes like chicken and eat it"

  人参が鶏肉ふりをして食べて

or would

  人参が鶏肉まねをして食べて

be better?


texts:
Is the pronunciation of 対応済 たいおうすみ or たいおうずみ ?

Context: Software

Example:

ユーザが押したときに問題が起こらないように対応済


texts: Meaning of ことにはわからない

texts:
それだって、実際に選んでみないことにはわからないのだ。

I often see something like 私にわからない meaning "I don't understand", but what does it mean when the particle に attaches to こと?

From the context I think what this sentences means is "Nevertheless, I must try to make a choice". So I'm thinking ことにはわからない means something like "it is not possible" but I don't see that supported in any of the dictionaries where I checked the definitions of わかる.


texts: Can the possessive の particle be used like this? あの かさ は だれ の ですか

texts:
I was reading about possession on the particle の and it stated one of the ways you can show possession was

  これ は だれ の かんばん ですか

and I was just wondering if this would also work

  あの かさ は だれ の ですか

I'm not sure if you need to have something for the の to connect to or if you can just do it this way.


texts: Which is correct? Understanding the term マシ

texts:
少しはマシになってきたな - it's getting a bit better.

I asked someone and they told me I wrote " You're looking a bit better"


texts:
While looking up some grammar points I stumbled across this paper which describes something that it calls "indirect passives". I can't think of anything similar in English, and I'm having trouble understanding how it works. It seems that this involves using a passive-voice verb in a sentence that specifies different agents and indirect objects/agents. The paper gives several examples, including the following:

Taroo-ga kodomo-ni nak-are-ta. (太郎が子供に泣かれた)
"Taro was adversely affected by the child's crying."
Taroo-ga tuma-ni taore-rare-ta. (太郎が妻に倒れられた)
"Taro was in trouble because his wife got sick in bed."
Hanako-ga tonari-no gakusei-ni piano-o asa-made hik-are-ta. (花子が隣の学生にピアノを朝まで弾かれた)
"Hanako was adversely affected by the neighboring student's playing the piano until morning."

I suppose that these sentences could be perhaps ungrammatically translated into English as something like the following:

Taro was cried by the child.
Taro was collapsed by his wife.
Hanako was played the piano until morning by the neighboring student.

But what is it about this grammatical construction that infers a negative outcome? Especially the last example, which does make sense in English but doesn't seem to suggest anything negative in English.
Could anyone provide an explanation on how this pattern works?


texts: When is +かける's meaning to start and leave unfinished?

texts:
I recently learned that the construction +かける means to start something, but with an implication that the action was left unfinished:

ビールを飲みかけたことがあるんだけど、味を全然好きなかった。
"I've had a beer before, but I didn't like its taste at all." (かけた here tells us I did not finish the beer.)

But I've also learned that in certain cases, there is no such implication of something being left unfinished:

だんだん、彼の気持ちがわかりかけてきた。
"I have gradually started to understand his feelings."

(This example is from maggiesensei.com)
How can I tell when a sense of incompletion is implied? Not knowing this could lead to some confusion and poor translation.


texts:
Here is the full sentence. An old man talking himself with this one about a boy who should have been staying at home but he should not.

かえってきやがったら ただではすまさんぞ。

I'm not sure if it is conjugated from 済ます in a specific spoken dialect.


texts:
If you make plans to meat with someone, what's the best way to confirm the plans are still on. Something like "We're still meeting up tonight, right?"

Would anything like the following work, or is there a set phrase for this type of situation?

まだ今晩会いますね。

まだ今晩会いたいでしょう。


texts:
今闘技場にいる観衆は外に出すな、モンスターが脱走したことを悟られてもいかん！

What meaning does いかん have in this sentence? I've never seen this before.


texts: What is the difference between 代表取締役 and 取締役?

texts:
I tried looking up at dictionary also the meaning of both of seems.

Could anyone please tell me the exact difference between these two?


texts:
If a person says " レイどんな顔をするだろうな"

Is it more correct to translate it as:

I wonder what face Rey would make.

Or

How do you think he will react?


texts: いまさら後悔してみたところで、してしまったことは取り返しがつかない

texts:
The official JLPT N1 sample contains this sentence:

  いまさら後悔してみたところで、してしまったことは取り返しがつかない。

Which I would translate as:

  Even if it is too late I tried to feel sorry, but what has been done can be undone.

If my translation correct, I fail to see any situation where anyone would say this, especially the "tried to feel sorry" part. The sample does not give any context unfortunately. Can you imagine any scenario where someone sane would actually say this?


texts:
やっぱりゆきのさんにはもったいないな

I think it means 'You are not worthy of Yukino-san'

Is this correct?


texts: How is 候 used in this line of Nōgaku dialogue?

texts:
I am studying some nōgaku. In particular, the play 卒都婆小町, which I find has some interesting, beautiful lines.

At the start of the play, a priest says:

これは[高野山]{こうやさん}より[出]{い}でたる[僧]{そう}にて[候]{そうろう}。[我]{われ}このたび都にのぼらばやと思ひ[候]{そうろう}。

which Waley translates as:

  I am a priest of the Koyasan. I am minded to go up to the Capital to
  visit the shrines and sanctuaries there.

But what is [候]{そうろう} doing? Its meaning does not seem clear at all.


texts: How accurate is the ふりがな on Aozora Books?

texts:
I would love to use Aozra Books as a learning tool, but the accuracy of its ふりがな concerns me.  This book, for example, claims 私 is pronounced わたくし instead of わたし.

Is the former a proper pronunciation?


texts: ～ておく or ～とく for preparation (conjugation and nuance)

texts:
A few quick questions regarding ～ておく and the casual form ～とく

Firstly, when changing from ～ておく to the more casual ～とく　I'm assuming the verb is first conjugated to the ～て　form then the ～て is dropped and replaced with とく and it can then be conjugated following the godan conjugation pattern as in the examples below.

I.e.

  勉強して　→　勉強しておく　→　勉強しとく

～とく conjugates as godan such that 勉強しときます and　勉強しときました.  In the case of verbs that have a ～で ending do they conjugate as どく？

I.e.

  読んで　→　読んでおく　→　読んどく

～どく　also conjugates as godan such that 読んどきます and 読んどきました

Is my understanding correct here?

Also, are there any nuances that make it outright different from ～つもりです in terms of preparing for something?　Is it simply that one of the sentences below feels more natural than the other?

For example

  明日試験があるので今晩勉強しておきます
  vs
  明日試験があるので今晩勉強するつもりです

Thanks


texts: I came across this question on Yahoo where the answerer claims that the expression 手取り足取り is based on a Portuguese phrase, transliterated as テトゥーリァ・シトル and supposedly meaning "to describe in great detail". Is there any evidence for this? If so, how is the original phrase spelled?


texts: What does なら mean in メンバーを１人紹介するなら？

texts:
I was translating a text from my textbook and I can't understand the meaning of なら in these two phrases.

  メンバーを１人紹介するなら？
  逆にお兄さんに紹介するなら？

Can someone translate this for me, so I can understand it?


texts:
I got "As expected" is the meaning of this word from Google Translate (is it correct?) and I guess this word is used in casual conversation (what is the polite version?).

I would like to know it's meaning and usage(both is casual and formal conversation)


texts: Shouldn't this phrase using だけのこと mean "just for that"?

texts:
In a grammar textbook I have, there is this phrase:

  幸{さいわ}い日本{にほん}で日本語{にほんご}を勉強{べんきょう}して、かなり話{はな}せるようになりました。日本{にほん}に行{い}っただけのことはありました。

The translation given is:

  Fortunately, I studied Japanese in Japan and now I can speak it fairly
  well. I didn't go to Japan for nothing.

The thing that confuses me is in that last part, where the translation is "I didn't go to Japan for nothing".

It seems to me that だけのことがありました literally translates to something like "there was just that thing". だけ, to me, implies exclusion of other things.

So to me, the sentence should be something like "That's all I went to Japan for", or perhaps "That's all I got from being in Japan". The way I read it has more of a negative implication than the given translation.

What am I not understanding about this phrase in order to see how the given translation makes sense? Or perhaps is the given translation not as good as it could be?


texts:
I learnt both of these words as an equivalent to "nurse". What is the difference in meaning between those two ?
Also what is the pitch accent for 介護士 ?


texts:
I have encountered this word a few times whether in games or just spoken in drama/anime. In the game, it just written as しょせい without any kanji while being placed at the beginning of the sentence.
I have tried searched every possible kanji but doesn't seems to fit in the context.
I don't have the full sentence right now but, from my understanding from the context, the meaning should be near to "anyway, anyhow"
Anyone have info on this word please do enlighten me. Thanks :)


texts: Orthography at the turn of the previous century

texts:
A couple of days ago I purchased an old book published in 1908.

It uses a strange orthography I haven't encountered before. Everything that is not in kanji is written in katakana, including particles, inflections, etc.

Was this the normal way, or one of the normal ways, of writing Japanese at that time?

The book is a handbook of the Okinawan language for Japanese speakers. All the Okinawan is written in katakana while all the Japanese is written in Kanji plus katakana. So it could be that the author of the handbook made a stylistic choice because of the type of book and didn't use the normal Japanese orthography of the day.

Here's a tiny sample:

My camera is terrible at macro shots so here's my attempted transcription:

  和泉{イヅミ}屋ニテ　買ヒマシタ。


texts:
The following is an excerpt from a dialogue with my language partner.
For some context, I told her that I went to the restaurant with my girlfriend and her family on christmas eve. She then replied the following:

  クリスマスイブの食事の話をおもしろく読みました。日本では、クリスマスイブディナーというと、恋人同士で行くイメージですね。

My attempt at translation:

  "I enjoyed reading your story about the christmas-eve-meal. In Japan, there is the impression that..."

So, I think that 恋人同士で行く is an attribute to イメージ which itself is part of the sentences predicative via the copula です(ね). I think 恋人同士で行く means "To go as a couple (literal: To go being a couple). My main issue is that I have little to no idea how to connect that with クリスマスイブディナーというと.
From my more recent questions, I've learned that という can put the two elements on both sides into a "A = B" relationship. Then, whenever と isn't used as a quotative or conditional particle, and when it also doesn't connect two nouns like "ミラーさんと田中さんはもう帰りました。", my last idea would be the functionality of "AとBは違います。" = "A differs from B".
However, if the latter should be the case, then it really gives me a headache how to integrate クリスマスイブディナーという and 恋人同士で行くイメージですね into each other, especially since I also dont really know how to handle the direct succession of と to という.


texts: What's the difference between 「殺人者」「殺戮者」 and 「大量殺人者」?

texts: Is it a matter of the degree of the crime like "satsurikusha" is worse than "satsujinsha" and "tairyousatsujinsha" is worse than "satsurikusha"? Or are "satsurikusha" and "tairyousatsujinsha" on the "same" level?


texts:
Why are there no dictionary entries for ですので?
I've searched JED, Tagaini Jisho, and Rikaichan. It seems to have an equivalent meaning with だから、but I'm not exactly sure.
However I've heard it being used by my Japanese president, my Japanese teacher, and others.


texts: Trying to convey "Confection" or "Sweets" using Japaneese number wordplay

texts:
I am trying to convey a meaning using old Japanese numeral wordplay. The idea is to say something similar to the word for Sweets or Confection with up to 3 numbers. My understanding is that this word is Okashi. I have gotten as far as to get 0_4. I seem unable to complete this word however, as I am missing a number that represents the "Ka" sound. How should I best convey the idea of a cake, candy, or other sweet confection through this method?
This is apparently a code used on old Japanese pagers.
For example: 831 converts to Veggie, 049 = Swim, 187 = Spark


texts:
Which translation is most apt for ずっとそう思っていました。?

"I always thought so."
"I have always thought that..."
"It is always on my mind"
"I am always thinking about"

When and how is the phrase/expression usually used?


texts: Loanwords not being pronounced in a normal moraic rhythm?

texts:
Here's a spectogram of a speaker's rendition of “プロトタイプ” from English “prototype”, collected from Forvo

It should be clear from this spectogram that the pu-mora is pronounced in half a mora; the mora-length in this segment is about 0.16 ms and pu takes about 0.08 ms; the entire tai is also pronounced in about 1.5 moræ.
I've definitely encountered this multiple times in speech, and it wasn't hard to find examples on Forvo at all. I couldn't find any published research on the matter; is this normal? I've heard “ナイス” from English “nice” pronounced with nai as seemingly one mora, and it again wasn't hard to find examples of this on Forvo and confirm it with acoustic analysis.


texts:
Is my sentence correct?
My version is 魔女たちは空へ飛びあがって、一斉に「どこか遠くへ連れていって」と言いました。
I wanted to say: "The witches rose up to the sky and said together "Take us somewhere far away!"
It is a fairytale.
Should I use 一緒に insted of 一斉に?
Can witches command to their broomsticks どこか遠くへ連れていって or it should me another words?


texts:
Would appreciate if someone helped me understand the following word patterns with examples:

  なかなか〜ない
  ほとんど〜ない
  ぜんぜん〜ない

Can any of them be used in a positive context too?


texts:
I tried to say "I'm not a high school student". But I read you can use じゃない to 'deny' something. In this case which one should I use? ではありません or じゃない?

私{わたし}はこうこうの学生{がくせい}ではありません。or  私{わたし}はこうこうの学生{がくせい}じゃないです。?


texts: Is my Hiragana and Katakana handwriting correct?

texts: I don't have a teacher and I'm not going to any Japanese classes. I learn Japanese by myself and on the internet. but Content on the Internet is contradictory. I freaking out that I learned all this wrong. Please tell me my mistakes. TNX


texts: How can I say "I appreciate your consideration"?

texts:
I am sending an email and I want to say "I appreciate your consideration for...".
Would 「…に配慮を有り難がります」be appropriate?


texts:
Yes, this sounds like a really confusing question. But I suddenly realized that する seemed to be a perfectly regular 上二段活用 (kami nidan; upper bigrade) verb with a stem of s-:

未然形: し (as in しない)
連用形: し (as in して, します)
終止形: す (fossil in words like 愛す, 決す)
連体形: する
已然形: すれ (as in すれば)
命令形: しろ (せよ seems mostly dead)

Is this a coincidence, or does サ変 have any sort of etymological connection with 上二段?


texts:
I've been reading a book and met a phrase I don't understand.
I have translated it like that:

一時期繁く通った程度のことらしいが、そこに居を定める人間に出会ってみると、懐かしくなったものとみえる。

It seems to a degree of being there for one hour frequently, but when it comes to meeting the human being who lives there, it seems to be nostalgic.

But what I'm not sure about is the [一時期繁く] part. What exactly frequency is that? Is it translated as "every one hour"?


texts: How to politely address an older relative's birthday card

texts:
I am a 69 year old English speaking Canadian woman. I am about to send a birthday card to a second cousin in Japan. We have never met. This woman is going to turn 100yrs old. How should I address her in the card?
Should I use her family name Mrs.____-san? or her given name ____-san? or Dear cousin?


texts: Onegaishimasu meanings, reply and when to use

texts:
Onegaishimasu is used by Japanese people a lot. What does it mean, in what context is it used, and how do I respond to this?
I found on the web that it means:

Please take care of me.
I am in your care.
Do me this favor.


texts:
What does コテッと mean?
the sentence it's from コテッと首をかしげる


texts: Is it necessary the object of 近づける movable?

texts:
Assume that there is a pond in the garden in which a boy is playing around with his father.

What is the correct expression that his mother must use?

A: 息子を池に近づけるな！ Keep away the son from the pond.
B: 池を息子に近づけるな！ Keep away the pond from the son.

My feeling says that I have to use A because the object of 近づける must be movable. Is my understanding correct?


texts:
I self study Japanese and among the things I do is reading easy NHK news articles.

Here is one article I read. In the article appears the word 首都 capital city.
Hovering over it would give the following sentence:

  その国の議会や中心になる役所のある都市

If I am not mistaken this sentence should mean something along the lines of:

  City with a public office becomes the capital and the center of the country.

Now, whether the above translation is correct or not, I have not idea how this sentence works, I can't wrap my head around it. I understand each part (word, particle, verb, etc.) separately (to a certain degree for I can't understand this sentence) but, I can't understand how those individual parts integrate and form this sentence.

With that said I would like to receive your help with translating this sentence and helping me understand it, the sentence structure, word order, grammar and any other thing that would help me understand the sentence and how it was created.

Unless you have to please refrain from using rōmaji in your answers.


texts: Particle は replacing を - where does the stress lie?

texts:
I've recently learned that the particle を can be replaced by either particles は/が. However, the stress on the focus of the sentence doesn't make sense to me.

My book gives this example:

  ご飯を食べました。 (I've eaten DINNER; focus is on the fact that dinner was eaten)
  ご飯はたべました。 (I've EATEN dinner; focus is on the fact that it was dinner that was eaten)

Shouldn't it be the other way around? From what I understand of は/が, the preceding word is set as the topic/focus of the sentence. So concerning the sentence ご飯はたべました。, the focus would be on dinner and not that they had already eaten dinner right?


texts:
Watching a drama I came across the sentence

  犯人は背後から女性に近づき、殴りかかった。

I would have translated it like:

  The perpetrator came up from behind and hit the woman.

Unfortunately I am not to confident in my interpretation since I don't really understand the usage of かかる and what kind of nuance it adds to the sentence...

Thanks for your help in advance :)


texts:
Can you drop the "の方” in the AよりBのほうが... construction? I'm asking because I heard this line in a song I was listening to:

野菜よりお肉が食べたい

Thanks in advance.


texts:
This is from Minna no Nihongo Chapter 15. It's a description of Santa Claus.

  でも世界の子供はみんな私を知っています。

みんな seems like a counter of sorts (I don't know how else to describe it) for　世界の子供. I always thought it was of the same grammatical category as 彼 and 彼女. So is みんな basically a "counter"? All the time? Most of the time? Depends on the situation?


texts:
In a non creepy way maybe?

(additional question, how would I respond to that claim with 'it turned out to be someone else')


texts: "Children ask their mothers which hand to hold their chopsticks in"

texts:
If I want to say someone asked (something) can I use 言います, or must I use the proper verb?

  子供はお母さんに「左か右、どっちのほうがいいですか？」と尋ねた。

Does the following make sense for reported speech? I'm not sure about the use of と as an article, if the verb is correct, or if the use of どっち is right in this context.