question dict | answers list | id stringlengths 1 6 | accepted_answer_id stringlengths 2 6 ⌀ | popular_answer_id stringlengths 1 6 ⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
{
"accepted_answer_id": "412",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "When I was studying this, my 先生 kind of brushed over the point, and then years\nlater, I realize that they are different, but I don't know exactly how.\n\nThe only thing I understand is that ので is more polite. I suppose that's\nbecause ので isn't actually \... | [
{
"body": "I find the best way to discriminate between these two is the following:\n\n * ～ので marks an objective cause: 電車が遅れたので、間に合わなかった。 The fact that the train ran late is an objective, verifiable fact. The emphasis of the sentence is not so much on the cause as it is on the effect (or the sentence as a whol... | 411 | 412 | 412 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "419",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I know that we say にっぽん instead of にほん when we want to inject a little\nnational pride into the word, but I've never had a good understanding of the\ndifference in meaning/nuance/usage between やはり and やっぱり.\n\nI would guess that there is some variation in... | [
{
"body": "やっぱり「矢っ張り」 is a bit stronger in sense than やはり「矢張り」, but most of the time, it\nis a personal preference.\n\nThere are some more versions of やはり like\n\nやっぱし、やっぺし、やっぴし、and also やっぱ is widely used.",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-02T13:08:2... | 418 | 419 | 420 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "435",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "When are なんて and なんか used as emphasis in casual speech? Are they used when\nyou're surprised, angry or can it be both? What sort of feeling does it convey\nto the listener compared to a normal sentence without it.\n\nFor example, in the following 3 senten... | [
{
"body": "They are basically \"weak\" form of は in this context. My grammar book says\n「〜を大切ではないと考えている（軽視する）時の言葉」. Basically when you're kind of ignoring the\nimportance of, or even slightly putting down, the topic of the sentence.\n愛なんか要らない。(I don't need love!)\n\nSo like for your first example to me sounds l... | 421 | 435 | 450 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "1758",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "While it is generally safe to use -さん when taking to someone and the use of\n-先生 is appropriate for use in a school environment when talking to a teacher,\nwould the use of -先生 carry over outside of the school environment if encounter\nthe person under d... | [
{
"body": "If you talk to a teacher, it is always appropriate to use -先生. If you are a\nstudent and talk to a teacher, you should always use -先生, even outside the\nschool. If you are a teacher and talk to a fellow teacher, depending on the\nrelation (you are a boss or the other teacher is a boss, you are younge... | 423 | 1758 | 430 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "434",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "I know, since they are of different word classes, なるほど ( _naruhodo_ ) and やっぱり\n( _yappari_ ) may not be used interchangeably within the same sentence, but\ncan they be used within the same situation instead?\n\nDoes it make sense if the same person says ... | [
{
"body": "In this example, やっぱり functions as something like \"as I thought\" and shows\nthat the speaker had a preexisting suspicion that a certain matter was indeed\ntrue. なるほど shows that a greater understanding of the surrounding context has\nbeen gained from the confirmation of the fact referred to by そう. S... | 432 | 434 | 434 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "437",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "I see phrases like 200人ぐらい, 半々ぐらい, and 何分くらい, which seem to indicate that くらい\nand ぐらい are synonymous, if not interchangeable. Is there any kind of rule for\ndeciding which to use, or is it a stylistic preference?",
"comment_count": 4,
"content_licens... | [
{
"body": "くらい and ぐらい are synonymous when they mean “approximately.” I find the\nvariation ぐらい colloquial, but quick lookup in online dictionaries does not\nback up my feeling: [Daijirin\ndictionary](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%8F%E3%82%89%E3%81%84&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=0&index=10555190... | 433 | 437 | 437 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "442",
"answer_count": 6,
"body": "To my knowledge there are three words which can be used in thanking and they\nseem to be usable together in some combinations:\n\n * どうも (dōmo)\n * どうもありがとう (dōmo arigatō)\n * ありがとう (arigatō)\n * ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu)\n * どうもありがとうございます (dōm... | [
{
"body": "A page I linked recently had it schematised, I'll report it here in a better\nway:\n\n> There are different ways to thank someone in Japanese depending on who you\n> are speaking to. Just like other phrases in Japanese the politeness levels\n> change in different settings.\n>\n> * どうもありがとうございます [ _... | 438 | 442 | 442 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "505",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "I noticed in an anime I watched, one of the characters said something like\nbelow:\n\n> さっき食べたじゃない。\n\nAnd what I think the meaning is: Didn't you just eat a few while ago?\n\nFrom what I have learned in Japanese classes, 「じゃない」, which is the shortened\nf... | [
{
"body": "I'd probably say that you misheard, and that there was in fact a 「ん」 in there.\nThe usage of 「の」 is outlined in [this grammar\npage](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/nounparticles). I am a\nbeginner myself, but from what I can tell, it appears that the phrase is being\nused for explanatio... | 453 | 505 | 505 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "485",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "According to Denshi Jisho, [いい and\nよい](http://jisho.org/words/?jap=ii&eng=&dict=edict) share the same kanji, and\nthat both roughly mean \"good\". Why are there two different pronunciations\ndespite the similarity, and what are some ways to figure out wh... | [
{
"body": "i believe that よい is the more polite form of いい. But it coudl also just be an\nease of pronunciation thing that they are different.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-03T01:25:58.173",
"id": "457",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-03T0... | 454 | 485 | 485 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "461",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Here's an example sentence from 北斗の拳 which uses a fair amount of furigana\nthroughout.\n\n> xxxに残された命は三日...\n\nWhich includes furigana for のこ, いのち, and, bafflingly, even the か of 日, but\nnone for 三. While I already know that 三日 is みっか, there are plenty of... | [
{
"body": "The number kanji are included on the list of [first grade\nkanji](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%8Diku_kanji#First_grade_.2880_kanji.29)\nthat all Japanese children, theoretically, should know by they are in the\nsecond grade of elementary school. The other kanji you list (except for 日, but\nthey... | 455 | 461 | 461 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "463",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "I was told in class by a Japanese teacher that なるほど can not be used when\ntalking with people above, but in the same lesson we listened to a CD\n(training material) where a student was saying なるほど to his teacher.\n\nHere at work I often hear my Japanese c... | [
{
"body": "Technically speaking, なるほど is something of a casual/frank word. However, it\nseems that [native\nspeakers](http://komachi.yomiuri.co.jp/t/2010/0614/323211.htm) can be confused\nas well, and there are plenty of people who use it anyway in business\nsettings. Apparently it's not a particularly noticeab... | 462 | 463 | 463 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "In my Japanese class we were taught that one does not need to thank a cashier\nwhen they check you out or a server when they bring you your meal, but I\nalways feel awkward remaining silent. Was my sensei wrong? Specifically:\n\n * What is the usual excha... | [
{
"body": "I don't think it is necessary to thank them. I do though out of the habit from\namerica. However, I have heard stories that in Osaka you do thank the\nwaitstaff and cashiers.\n\nI've seen Gochisou used more as an indicator to the staff that you are done\nwith your meal and ready to pay, though that i... | 465 | null | 1976 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "709",
"answer_count": 10,
"body": "It's happened several times: I'll be chattering away with a friend in\nJapanese, and they'll sneeze, and without even thinking about it I'll revert\nback to English to say \"bless you.\" Is there a set phrase in Japanese I can\nuse after someone sneezes?... | [
{
"body": "In my understanding, Japanese normally does not interfere with other's\npersonal stuff most of time. So, they don't use those after sneeze. But if\ninfluenza is hot during that time, they may ask \"Are you ok?\".\n\nAnd some people think that silent and unchanged facial expresssions are\nelegent on s... | 468 | 709 | 709 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "475",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "In English, we just have one word for the conjunction `and` which works just\nfine for many categories, but in Japanese, there are separate words:\n\n * `と` joins nouns together in a closed list\n * `や` joins nouns together in an open list\n * `そして` do... | [
{
"body": "**と** and **や** are used to connect two or more nouns.\n\nMost of the time, と can only be used for a fixed number of items like:\n\n> キーボードとマウスがいる。\n>\n> We need a keyboard and a mouse.\n\nBut や is used when there is a variable/unknown length like:\n\n> キーボードやマウス、それにLANケーブルとかもいるかも。\n>\n> We need a ke... | 474 | 475 | 475 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "479",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "This is an extension of the question: [Using なるほど (naruhodo) and やっぱり\n(yappari) in the same\nsituation](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/432/using-naruhodo-\nand-yappari-in-the-same-situation)\n\nFrom what I understood from the answers to the... | [
{
"body": "I'd say なるほど can be used in this situation, even if it contradicted your\nexpectations, since it basically expresses a neutral _\"I see\"_. Depending on\nthe situation this may be the best to choose, since you're not usually\nsupposed to show that you are thinking along completely different lines tha... | 477 | 479 | 479 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "504",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I noticed in songs, there are lyric lines that push the demonstrative\nadjective (*) この, その etc to the middle of sentences by switching it with an\nadjective/verb that describe the subsequent nouns. For example:\n\n> この小さな 街{まち}で becomes 小さなこの街で\n>\n> あの ... | [
{
"body": "There is no difference. And they have the same meaning. Personally, 戻れないあの日々\nand 小さなこの街で sound more literary than the others to me.",
"comment_count": 4,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-03T09:34:40.967",
"id": "486",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-03T... | 484 | 504 | 504 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "490",
"answer_count": 6,
"body": "Does the -ou / -you / -mashou (the \"let's X\") form have a negative\ncounterpart? For example, how do I say \"let's not X\" for the following?:\n\n * 行こう\n * 食べよう\n * 寝ましょう\n\nAs far as I can remember, the Japanese courses I took in college did not te... | [
{
"body": "The -ou/-you form does have a negative counterpart, but it's considered rather\nliterary, and in any case never used in a cohortative meaning (\"Let's X\").\nThat form is the なかろう form, e.g.: 食べなかろう, which means \"[He/I/etc.] probably\nwouldn't eat.\" and is equivalent to the more colloquial form \"食... | 487 | 490 | 490 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "492",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Furthermore, what is its different in meaning between the both? When I was in\ntraining as a fresh graduate at a Japanese company, they told me to use\nいつもお世話になっております all the time and so I did. But after being a assigned to a\ndepartment they told me to s... | [
{
"body": "The 2 equivalent forms (from your question title) should be:\n\nお世話になっております and お世話になっています (not なります)\n\nThe former being the humble form (keigo use) and the latter being the neutral\nform.\n\nThis way you can see that います has been changed into the humble form おります (if\nyou prefer おります = います but very... | 489 | 492 | 492 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "495",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Thanking and apologizing in several forms is essential in a Japanese working\nenvironment. I currently have the following list that I have picked up from\nmails amongst my Japanese coworkers but I'm curious what could be other\nexamples to do this...\n\n ... | [
{
"body": "I would also use \"ご指摘、ありがとうございます。\"\n\n指摘 has meaning pointing out, and 指導 is more like guidance.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-03T11:06:54.933",
"id": "495",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-03T11:06:54.933",
"last_edit_date... | 494 | 495 | 495 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "499",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "I heard this phrase a few times but I still can't grasp its meaning. Does it\nmean, \"as much as you would like\"?",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-03T11:07:25.667",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "4... | [
{
"body": "You can translate it as \"Knock yourself out\". It means \"Go ahead and do that\nthing, if you want to\". Sometimes it's said sarcastically, as if the thing the\nother person wants to do/try isn't going to work out. Sometimes it's just used\nas \"Please, go ahead\", without a sarcastic tone. If there... | 496 | 499 | 499 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "498",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Can you give an example of when 帰る should be used instead of 戻る, and vice\nversa?\n\nThe reason I ask is that I sometimes get corrected when using the two, such as\nin:\n\n> × そのとき私は日本から **戻って** きて、大学に **戻って** 入りました。 (ignore the other problems with\n> thi... | [
{
"body": "Examples would be\n\n * 仕事に戻る。(go back to work from appointment or something)\n\n * 家に帰る。(go back to home, (when there is no plan in mind to go back to same place for today))\n\n * 財布忘れたので家に一旦戻る。（Forgot the wallet and go back to home once (need to go back same route again)）",
"comment_count": ... | 497 | 498 | 498 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "501",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I know that \"わさび\" 'wasabi' can also be written using kanji as \"山葵\" and that\nthese two characters mean respectively \"mountain\" and \"hollyhock\", but\nhollyhock doesn't seem at first glance to be related.\n\nSo are the hollyhock and wasabi plants re... | [
{
"body": "I don't have a full answer here (at least not yet), but I do want to note that\nthe kanji here are definitely not any kind of _ateji_ \\- they are actually the\nexact opposite, a _gikun_ (義訓 - 'meaning reading'), since 山 has no reading わさ,\nand 葵 has no reading び.\n\nThat means the etymology of the w... | 500 | 501 | 501 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "521",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "I would like to know if there is a shift in nuance in questions such as these:\n\n> 誰が参加したんですか。 vs. 誰が参加しましたか。\n>\n> いつ着いたんですか。 vs. いつ着きましたか。\n\nI wish to limit discussion to only non-yes/no questions (so questions asking\nWho? When? Where? Why? and so on... | [
{
"body": "のか is an abbreviation for のですか (んですか spoken) \nIt's a rather manly expression very colloquial.\n\nI haven't read the paper, so I'll base my comment on what you got out of it:\n\n-It doesn't put any burden on the askee other than the lack of respect it shows. (unless you talk to a friend in which cas... | 506 | 521 | 521 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 0,
"body": "> **Possible Duplicate:** \n> [Can somebody explain the various words and combinations thereof used for\n> thanking?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/438/can-somebody-\n> explain-the-various-words-and-combinations-thereof-used-for-thanking)\... | [] | 509 | null | null |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "511",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I guess we could use the native Japanese numbers, 一つ, 二つ, 三つ...but we'd run\ninto a problem at or after ten (not sure how とお works — same for はたち).\n\nIs there a general counter word that we can fallback on? For example, if\nsomething is mechanical I'd pr... | [
{
"body": "You'd fall back to 個. It's understandable to count everything as 個, and in\nmany cases it's acceptable (or the only common way) as well.\n\nCounting animals as 個 does sound quite weird though, so you might want to\navoid that. And never count people as 個. That's just wrong.",
"comment_count": 5,
... | 510 | 511 | 511 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "746",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "I asked a female Japanese friend to translate a sentence for me and it ends in\n\"nano\" which I took to be either an alternative question particle to -ne or\n-ka; or possibly two particles I don't know which could come together.\n\nBut just now I looked ... | [
{
"body": "なの is kind of a conclusion used at the end of explanation with a calm/quit\nsense. Example.,\n\n> 彼女は大学生なのよ She is university student, **you know**.\n\nIt is just combination of two particles な and の.\n\nなのです is polite form, and なの is same with なのだ just omitting だ after that.\n\nsometime it is used a... | 514 | 746 | 746 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "519",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Can anyone explain the difference between the words 創{そう}立{りつ}, 設{せつ}立{りつ} and\n樹{じゅ}立{りつ}? They all basically mean \"to set up / to found\", and from what I've\nresearched, it's all very 微{び}妙{みょう} to me.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC ... | [
{
"body": "そうりつ「創立」 is used for foundation/establishment of buildings (refer to physical\nitems, have some sense about first time establishment one's life or pioneer\nalike)\n\n> この学校は1970年に創立された This school was founded in 1970.\n\nせつりつ「設立」 is used for foundation/establishment of organized associations (kind\no... | 517 | 519 | 519 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "560",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "What is the proper response when someone tells you, for example, that their\nmother has died? Relatedly, what should you do to express your sympathy? Do\nyou send a card? flowers? bake a casserole?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.... | [
{
"body": "> （お[母上]{ははうえ}[様]{さま}のご[逝去]{せいきょ}を）[心]{こころ}よりお[悔]{く}やみ[申]{もう}し[上]{あ}げます。\n>\n> \"I'm so sorry to hear (of your mother's death).\"",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-03T22:35:47.660",
"id": "523",
"last_activity_date": "2017-03-15T15:... | 522 | 560 | 560 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "558",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "Feet are 足, and legs are also 足.\n\nIs there a word or method with which I can easily talk about one and not the\nother? And if not, why is there no word for feet in the Japanese language?\n\nCaveat: I know that one can just use フィート but that feels so ver... | [
{
"body": "I think the problem here is that languages in general don't always equate 1:1\nwith other languages. For instance there is also no difference in Japanese\nbetween pigeons and doves or squirrels and chipmunks. The problem is that we\nknow English in which there are two distinct words to tell the diffe... | 524 | 558 | 558 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "542",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "I noticed that 「もう」 can mean both \"already\" and \"additional\", such as the\nfollowing sentence:\n\n> もう二本飲みましたよ。\n\nCan mean either one of:\n\n 1. I already drank two glasses.\n 2. I drank additional two glasses.\n\nHow can I differentiate between th... | [
{
"body": "I guess that the most reliable way is decide from the context. But at least in\nthe Tokyo dialect and other dialects with the same accent pattern, they have\ndifferent accents.\n\n * _I think_ that もう meaning “already” is pronounced as HL (where H is high and L is low). Therefore もうにほん becomes HLHLL... | 530 | 542 | 542 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "14974",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "This is my understanding but please correct me if some of my details are\nwrong:\n\n * In 1946 the Japanese language underwent a reform and standardization process\n * A set of 1850 kanji were made official and others more or less obsoleted\n * A sma... | [
{
"body": "I do not know any name for rewriting of kanji (because of a kanji reform)\nusing a similar-looking kanji.\n\nI am not sure if 濠洲 was replaced by 豪州 because they look similar. I guess that\nthe biggest factor that contributed to this rewriting was they can be read in\nthe same way. Because 濠洲 is ateji... | 531 | 14974 | 535 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "559",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "It seems that there are (at least) three words for \"tuna\" in Japanese:\n\n * \"マグロ\" / \"鮪\" / \"まぐろ\" (maguro) - Seems to be the native name for the creature and used at least in sushi\n * \"ツナ\" (tsuna) - Seems to be from English and used for canned... | [
{
"body": "まぐろ (also written as マグロ and 鮪) is the Japanese word for\n[thunnus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunnus), a specific kind of tuna. It\nrefers to both the living fish and the food. Traditionally, まぐろ also referred\nto [billfish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billfish) because billfish was\nconsidered ... | 533 | 559 | 559 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "557",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "> **Possible Duplicate:** \n> [Differences among -たら、なら、-んだったら、-えば,\n> etc.](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/393/differences-among-\n> etc)\n\nThere are different ways to say \"if\" in Japanese. I want to concentrate on\nthese two verb endi... | [
{
"body": "Yeah, these are not so easy as there is a complex set of conditions and\ncircumstances where you can use one over the other. I'll try to cover the most\ncommon usages and differences.\n\n~ば is used in the case of a consistent relationship of cause and effect.\n\nFor example:\n\n**合格すれば、卒業が出来ます** (gou... | 534 | 557 | 557 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "577",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "When sending emails, I've noticed that Japanese colleagues use all sorts of\nkanji/kana combinations for the simple phrases ありがとうございました and よろしくおねがいいたします.\n\nFor example:\n\n 1. ありがとうございました\n 2. 有難うございました\n 3. 有難う御座いました\n 4. ありがとう御座いました\n\nand\n\n 1.... | [
{
"body": "According to my wife (native Japanese), go with the simple rule of thumb:\n\nhiragana for friends\n\nありがとうございました\n\nlots of kanji for formal/work emails.\n\n有難う御座いました",
"comment_count": 7,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-04T09:15:01.713",
"id": "569",
... | 565 | 577 | 577 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "612",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "At university our most learned lecturer in Japanese once mentioned there were\nnon-phonetic usages of hiragana at the end of kanji verbs and adjectives pre\nWWII. Apparently books printed prewar used this writing system, meaning old\nprints are illegible ... | [
{
"body": "There is\n[indeed](http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/w3c/kokugo/rekishi/GendaiKanadsukaiS21.html)\nsome kanji system changed at 昭和２１年１１月６日（1946 Nov 6) by Prime Minister Yoshida\nShigeru 「吉田茂」\n\nAnd according some sentences in\n[this](http://www.geocities.jp/nkcjw883/maruya.html) page, Meiji ７年 (1874),\... | 567 | 612 | 612 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "574",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "If you want to state what you think you can put と思います at the end of a\nsentence. However I noticed that sometimes you're supposed to put だ before\nと思います so that it becomes だと思います, and sometimes you're not. How do you know\nwhen to put だ before と思います and w... | [
{
"body": "Each time you can write のです then you can write のだ.\n\nThen you can combine this (using と) with a variety of verbs including:\n思う、信じる、言える。。。\n\nHere is what should be your thinking process when building a sentence:\n\n * \"This is not correct.\" (less formal, more blunt):\n\n> 正しくない。 (tadashikunai)\n... | 570 | 574 | 574 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "576",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I've heard phrases sometimes like:\n\n> チェックいただければと思います。 _chekku itadakereba to omoimasu_\n\n\"If you check this ... I think.\"? Why is that ~と思います at then end of the\nphrase?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date":... | [
{
"body": "It should be\n\n> チェックしていただければと思います。 chekku shite itadakereba to omoimasu\n\nand it means \"It will be great if you could check (this (for me))\"\n\nalso there is other similar usages with straight forward meaning.\n\n> 〜していただける **と幸いです** 。 ~ shite itadakeru to saiwai desu.\n>\n> (If you could do thi... | 575 | 576 | 642 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "1004",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Grammatically speaking it shouldn't be an issue, but I have heard from some\npeople that a non-japanese using 僕{ぼく} sounds really weird. Has anyone else\nheard this? And if so, is there a reason?",
"comment_count": 7,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0... | [
{
"body": "It should be okay, at least I used it mainly more than 私 and 俺. But, sometimes\nwhen everyone in the conversation is a guy, I use 俺.\n\nBut Japanese guys only use 俺 most of the time within conversation, so may be\nusing 僕 or 私 would be kind of obvious if speaker is non-Japanese, and of\ncourse that w... | 580 | 1004 | 1004 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "585",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "I noticed that even though Japanese language has kanji characters for numbers\n(e.g. 十、百、千、万 etc), there are many places where Arabic numerals are used\ninstead, for example, prices for shop items are written as １００円 instead of\n一百円.\n\nI am curious about... | [
{
"body": "What I can think of is Japanese numbers are using when registration of house,\nfamily registrations, and some contracts.\n\nBut they used 壱 弐 参 拾 萬 instead of ー 二 三 十 万 on those kinds of registrations,\ncontracts to prevent obvious modifications. And according to [trade law,\nsession 2, No.\n48](http... | 584 | 585 | 585 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "599",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Most -eru and -aru pairs of verbs that I know are transitive/intransitive\ncounterparts of each others. For example, 見つかる is the intransitive counterpart\nfor the transitive 見つける, and 変わる is the intransitive counterpart for the\ntransitive 変える.\n\nBut the... | [
{
"body": "The pair 預ける・預かる is actually not irregular at all: it belongs to a class of\n_verbs of conveying_ (mostly giving and saying) that behaves differently in\nthis regard in many languages.\n\nTo see that we have to look at the relations between transitive and\nintransitive verbs (as well as passive and a... | 586 | 599 | 599 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "592",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Are first, second, and third person nominals in Japanese used in the same way\nas in English? What should English speakers keep in mind when considering the\nthree persons in Japanese?\n\nParticularly for the second person, English _you_ is used to direct... | [
{
"body": "I would argue that there is a correspondence between the two languages with\nall three viewpoints. There are pronouns that are commonly used for the first,\nsecond, and third person just like in English; however, there is a bit of a\ncultural difference on when it is appropriate to address someone by... | 591 | 592 | 592 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "595",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "Are 低い and 短い interchangable or do they have specific uses?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-05T01:11:29.290",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "594",
"last_activity_date": "2019-04-05T16:01:18.830",... | [
{
"body": "低い _hikui_ is \"short in height\" or \"low\", 短い _mijikai_ is \"short in length\".\n\n * 私は背が低い - I'm short (in stature)\n * 天井の低い部屋 - a room with low ceiling\n * 短いスカート - a short skirt\n * 髪を短く切る - cutting one's hair short\n\n_(Examples from プログレッシブ英和・和英中辞典)_\n\nA short piece of string cannot be... | 594 | 595 | 595 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "639",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "They all carry the meaning of \"secret\" in English, but are there differences\nin nuance and usage of each of them:\n\n> [内]{ない}[緒]{しょ} \n> [秘]{ひ}[密]{みつ} \n> [隠]{かく}し[事]{ごと} \n> [秘]{ひ}め[事]{ごと}\n\nIncidentally, why is it that there is [内]{ない}[緒]{しょ}... | [
{
"body": "I can't speak for the difference in usage, but Naishobanashi is actually one\nword, hence why you don't need the \"no\", whereas himitsu no hanashi is phrase.\nI've confirmed with two two dictionaries that Naishobanashi is indead one word\nand that himitsu no hanashi is two words.\n\nEdit: if you are... | 597 | 639 | 639 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "615",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "> _____ってあれだよね\n\nWhat is あれ in this context? Is the speaking making a positive or negative\nstatement about _____?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-05T02:47:59.120",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "... | [
{
"body": "It's one of those terrifically vague statements that doesn't mean much by\nitself. It can mean anything, depending on the context and how well the\nlistener knows the speaker and what he's talking about. The speaker may be\nstalling while he's thinking about what he's trying to say. He may be talking... | 600 | 615 | 606 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "604",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "Just curious about this one. I'm never sure what to say when I ask for\nchopsticks in Japanese. I know that \"by-the-book\", you can count them with\n～そろい （揃い) or ～ぜん （膳）. So I always say 「お箸を 一揃い（ひとそろい）／一膳（いちぜん） お願いします。」 to ask\nfor a pair. But as with o... | [
{
"body": "In a restaurant it is usually enough to simply ask for お箸を下さい. It is perfectly\nunderstood that that means _\"enough chopsticks for me [and my companions],\nplease\"_. Anything more specific is usually unnatural.\n\nIf you do need to specify how many pairs of chopsticks exactly, you'd usually\nuse 〜膳... | 602 | 604 | 604 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "610",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I heard both forms of [plain form of verb]～そう and [root of verb]～そう in an\nanime I watched, reproduced below, so I'm wondering how are they different and\nhow to choose to use one over the other?\n\n> 行けるそう \n> 行けそう\n\nWhat are these conjugations called... | [
{
"body": "plain form + sou = hearsay, as you have heard it from someone マークはアメリカにいくそうだ。\n\"i heard mark is going to america\"\n\nverb stem + sou = what somethign appears to be. good example of this is \"She\nseems she can do it” できそう\n\nNote, that plain form soudesu and らしい are different but very simliar. The\... | 607 | 610 | 610 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "614",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "When using the potential form of a verb, I was taught that the particle を\nbecomes が. However, in real life this seems to not always be the case. I've\neven heard Japanese people use を instead of が quite often.\n\nWhat's the difference between the followi... | [
{
"body": "In the が + potential construction, the focus is on the noun.\n\n> 新聞が読める (what I am able to read is newspapers [as opposed to other written\n> media])\n>\n> ここで切符が買えますか (is this where tickets [as opposed to other items for sale] can\n> be bought?)\n\nIn the を + potential construction, the focus is on... | 609 | 614 | 614 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "613",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "This is a variant of the top definition question @ Area51:\n<http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/7526/japanese-language-\nusage/7529#7529>\n\nWhen to use 「とにかく」 and when to use 「とりあえず」? I have heard both adverbs used in\nsimilar sentences so I'm won... | [
{
"body": "**とにかく** is usually translated 'anyway', and just like 'anyway' in English,\nit's used to change the subject of the conversation.\n\n**とりあえず** has a more specific meaning. It's often translated as 'for the time\nbeing', which is quite an accurate (if cumbersome) translation, since it's\nused only in ... | 611 | 613 | 613 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "637",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "When can one use the sentence ender ぞ? I've only ever heard it anime, so I'm\nunsure of it's actual usage in the real world. Is it not used that often or\nlimited to specific age/gender groups?",
"comment_count": 6,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
... | [
{
"body": "As far as I noticed, many people use\n\n> 行くぞ - Lets's go\n\nand it is used like 行こう/行きましょう（意向形）with a bit stronger sense when talking to\ngroup of people, mainly if speaker is kind of coordinator / leader.",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06... | 617 | 637 | 637 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "629",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "I know there's あいうえお, but what about at the consonant level? Also, are there\nany common mnemonics used by Japanese children to remember these?",
"comment_count": 2,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-05T13:58:15.133",
"f... | [
{
"body": "Hiragana syllables are always schematised in a given order which is this one\n(from right to left, as you may already know):\n\n* * *\n\n**HIRAGANA** \n\n* * *\n\n**KATAKANA** ![enter image description\nhere](https://i.stack.imgur.c... | 628 | 629 | 629 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "633",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "This is from deceze, but what is the counter used for doors. Is it 枚(mai) or\nsomething else?",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-05T14:21:35.470",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "630",
"last_activity... | [
{
"body": "[According to this page](http://www.benricho.org/kazu/ta.html), it's 一枚、一本\n(いちまい, いっぽん). Found it under 戸 (と).",
"comment_count": 7,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-05T15:08:02.397",
"id": "633",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-05T15:08:02.397",
"l... | 630 | 633 | 633 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "635",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "Is there a native, non-loanword for \"pen\" (the writing instrument)? Or is\nthere only 「ペン」?\n\nThere is one for \"pencil\" (鉛筆), one for \"ruler\" (定規), one for \"paper\" (紙) and\neven though the one for \"eraser\", 消しゴム, is half loanword due to the ゴム,... | [
{
"body": "There's one for a fountain pen: 万年筆 (まんねんひつ), but pens haven't been around\nthat long, so everything else seems to be ペン. Mr. Biro only started [making\nhis ballpoints](https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Ballpoint_pen)\nin the 1940's.\n\nEven one of the types of pencil has become a pen - ... | 634 | 635 | 635 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 0,
"body": "There's the movie \"Seven Samurai\", which would sound strange as \"Seven\nSamurais\", but [in the news you often read\nabout](https://www.google.com/news/search?q=tsunamis) \"hundreds of tsunamis\".\nSome people say they know 500 kanjis, but I've always t... | [] | 638 | null | null |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Are there any commonly ~~used~~ known 四{よ}字{じ}熟{じゅく}語{ご} that use/are\n当{あ}て字{じ} besides the following? Just crossed my mind, and now I'm curious.\n\n滅{め}茶{ちゃ}苦{く}茶{ちゃ}, 夜{よ}露{ろ}死{し}苦{く}, 無{む}理{り}矢{や}理{り}",
"comment_count": 10,
"content_license": "CC B... | [
{
"body": "Here is the list, I've filterd from dictionary with a script, and added links\nto jisho.org for reference.\n\nRegarding commonness, I would choose some like 伊勢海老, 回転寿司, 有耶無耶, 大馬鹿者, 我武者羅,\n興味津津, 一人相撲, 滅茶苦茶, 読売新聞.\n\n>\n> 「[浅草海苔](http://jisho.org/words?jap=%E6%B5%85%E8%8D%89%E6%B5%B7%E8%8B%94&eng=&dict... | 641 | null | 792 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "655",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "In the last century, the [ゐ and ゑ characters were\neliminated](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/88/why-were-and-\neliminated) from common use. But it seems like there used to also be a \"wu\"\ncharacter that has since been lost. Given that it'... | [
{
"body": "The [English Wikipedia article on Kana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kana)\nsuggests that there has never been a \"wu\" sound in Japanese.\n\n> There are no kana for Ye, Yi or Wu, as corresponding syllables do not occur\n> in Japanese natively[.]\n\nThe [Japanese Wikipedia article on the sound that w... | 643 | 655 | 655 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "652",
"answer_count": 7,
"body": "I'm aware of some words in Japanese that have the same reading but different\nmeaning depending on the pitch of each syllable. The canonical example is\n**はし** (hashi), which can mean either **chopsticks** (HAshi) or **bridge**\n(hashi or haSHI).\n\nHowev... | [
{
"body": "It's still understandable without correct accents, most of the time, but if\nyou were able to use the correct intonation, then you would gain better\nfluency in Japanese obviously. I sometimes check at this\n[site](http://accent.u-biq.org/) to check the the correct accents.\n\nFor example for that ch... | 646 | 652 | 652 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "651",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "For verbs of group 2, whose ～ます form is formed by dropping the ending ～る from\nthe plain form, both the passive and potential forms have the same\nconjugation: ～られる. Example:\n\n> 食べられる \n> 1\\. to be eaten \n> 2\\. can eat / edible\n\nOther than look... | [
{
"body": "I don't think there is way to decide that without looking at context.\n\nAnd there is another meaning for ～られる, which is used as polite form (keigo),\nwhich means 食べられる can be used as similar meaning with 召し上がる (meshiagaru), but\nof course special usage 召し上がる is more polite than 食べられる for this case."... | 649 | 651 | 651 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "673",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Having watched jidai-geki for a long time, I have come across many Samurai-\nisms, but I can recall only a few. I would like to be able to do this more\nbelievably the next time I'm at the Izakaya.\n\nWhat words and phrases are most commonly heard in jida... | [
{
"body": "Well, there is indeed a stereotypical \"Samurai way of talking\" that you can\nsee in Samurai films or in historical dramas (時代劇, Jidaigeki) on TV, but it's\nfar from being authentic. In fact, Samurai talked in many different ways,\ndepending on the era and their home province (after all, they were s... | 653 | 673 | 673 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "657",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Which dialects would one normally encounter when visiting/living in Japan (in\npopular places like Tokyo, Kyoto and and so on) or reading something produced\nin Japan?",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-0... | [
{
"body": "The biggest dialects that often come up are.\n\n * Standard Japanese (Tokyo - What TV announcers speak)\n * Osaka-ben (Manzai and Comedians)\n * Kyoto-ben (Supposedly prettiest female dialect in all of Japan)\n * Okinawa-ben (It's totally out there, and is supposedly the closest to orig. Japanese... | 654 | 657 | 680 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "675",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I am particularly interested in the phrase 「水{みず}色{いろ}時{じ}代{だい}」. Did it come\nfrom the old manga that used the phrase as its title, or has the phrase been\ncarrying that particular cultural connotation long before the manga?\n\nSo how and when did the te... | [
{
"body": "According to [Wikipedia](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B0%B4%E8%89%B2),\n\n> 日本語の水色は平安時代から見られる色名であり、古くから「水＝青い」というイメージが存在していたこととなる。\n\n水色 is used since the Heian Era (794年-1185年/1192年) and 水 is something like 青い.\n\nThere are some words like\n\n * 青春 (せいしゅん) meaning \"youth\",\n * 青二才 (あおにさい) mea... | 663 | 675 | 675 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "674",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Sometimes I hear Japanese people say ういた in conversation when describing\nsomething (usually someone) unpleasant. I asked my coworker once \"what is this\nword\", but I got a very poor explanation (not her fault, it just seems very\nmuch like a \"sense\" ... | [
{
"body": "Basically 浮く (うく) means to float, but has many other meanings.\n\nWhen used for a person or an action of a person, 浮く can mean “being out of\nplace,” “not belonging to the place he/she is,” “being the odd one out,” and\n“not being able to interact with others well.” For example:\n\n * 田中さんは会社で浮いている。... | 664 | 674 | 674 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "669",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "While having fun looking up random words in my dictionary software, I found\nout that the phrase \"めちゃめちゃ\", which is often used in colloquial sentences like\n\"めちゃめちゃかわいい\" has two kanji variants:\n\n> 滅茶滅茶 \n> 目茶目茶\n\nFor the first variant, 滅茶滅茶, I ca... | [
{
"body": "I don't think that the kanji have any specific meaning and are just used for\ntheir sounds, ergo Ateji.",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-06T07:21:29.997",
"id": "668",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-06T07:21:29.997",
"last_edit... | 666 | 669 | 669 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "672",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "As per the title, when asking 'What is your name?' or 'What is your job?', why\nis it 'は' not 'か'? For example, we are taught this:\n\n> おしごとは。 \n> 'What is your job?'\n\nBut I don't understand why it isn't this?\n\n> あなたはしごとですか。 \n> 'What is your job... | [
{
"body": "It is more polite if you omit or not using straight form when asking personal\nthings.\n\n> お しごと は\n\nmeans\n\n> お しごと は なんですか？\n\nAnd following is not correct\n\n> あなた は しごと です か\n\nwhich means \"Are you a work?\"",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date":... | 670 | 672 | 672 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "677",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Can someone explain the differences between v-ていく and v-てくる for me. I know\nthat they both express some kind of ongoing action (like a place getting\ncrowded). For example, what's the difference between 込んでいく and 込んでくる, or is it\neven possible to use both... | [
{
"body": "～ていく and ～てくる (usually written in kana, since they are such common suffixes)\ncan express both physical movement (such as in 行【い】 ってくる \"go and come back\")\nor a continued change in state. Since your question regards the latter usage,\nI'll restrict my answer to that.\n\nTo use your examples:\n\n> 雨... | 676 | 677 | 677 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "682",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Can someone give some good context and scenarios for using these? Not only\nwhen to use them, but when **NOT** to use them as well. I know あげる is kind of\nthe most common, but I'm just not sure of the nuances between them.",
"comment_count": 0,
"conte... | [
{
"body": "**あげる**\n\nUsually involves the transfer of a physical object from one person to another\nof equal (or sometimes lower) status.\n\n> 友達に洋服をあげる\n\n**与える（あたえる）**\n\nCan function as あげる, but in modern Japanese it comes with a formal ring and\noften involves something given as a favor for someone of lowe... | 681 | 682 | 682 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "684",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "If someone says,\n\n> あなた は Chris-さん です か。 \n> Are you Chris?\n\nDo you answer\n\n> Chris です\n\nOr\n\n> Chris-さん です",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-06T20:51:13.583",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id":... | [
{
"body": "> Chris です。\n\n`さん` is never used (except jokingly perhaps) to refer to oneself. The same\ngoes for other common endings such as `くん`, `ちゃん`, `さま`, `先輩` and `先生`.\n\nThat's because these endings usually convey a kind of relation: for instance,\n`さま` conveys respect, `くん` and `ちゃん` convey some endearm... | 683 | 684 | 684 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "725",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "What's the difference between に and で when speaking of the time of an action?\nI know に is very specific about time, but I'm not sure when, or how to use で.\nCan で only be used in certain instances?\n\nSupposing we want to say \"After eating breakfast, I ... | [
{
"body": "I agree with Amanda, a great question. To summarise with regard to 'time':\n\n**\"後で\"** means you are using the time you have later to do the action,\nwhereas...\n\n**\"後に\"** implies you choose \"later\" from amongst other options (e.g. instead\nof 'now', 'never' or even 'undefined') for performing... | 685 | 725 | 725 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "In a book I was reading, a tomboyish character complained about the\nexpectations her parents had of her as their only daughter. She said:\n\n> 「蝶よ花よと育てたかったらしいんだけど」\n\nEDICT defines 蝶よ花よ as \"bringing up (one's daughter) like a princess.\" Is this\naccurat... | [
{
"body": "According to\n[JapanKnowledge](http://dic.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?ei=UTF-8&p=%E8%9D%B6%E3%82%88%E8%8A%B1%E3%82%88&fr=dic&stype=prefix)\nand [Idiom Dictionary](http://www.geocities.jp/kuro_kurogo/ko-\njien04/page10.html),\n\n蝶よ花よ usage can be found at 1745 on **Natsumatsuri Naniwakagami** 「夏祭浪花鑑」, a... | 687 | null | 723 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "How do you say \"to post something on the Internet\"? Are there different words\nfor different kinds of posts, for example:\n\n * a blog entry\n * a comment\n * a piece of information, like a translation or a recipe\n * a video or photo\n * etc.",
"... | [
{
"body": "I've heard する like Blogするand アップする when referencing putting stuff on the\ninternet.",
"comment_count": 4,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-07T03:28:51.087",
"id": "690",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-07T03:28:51.087",
"last_edit_date": null,
"l... | 688 | null | 691 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "692",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "What's the difference in usage between 氏名 (しめい) and 名前 (なまえ)?\n\nI often see these two words used interchangeably, but more often than not I\nsee 氏名 on websites. Is this a politeness difference or an actual word\ndefinition difference?",
"comment_count"... | [
{
"body": "氏名 always refers to a person's full name, both family and given. It also has\nthe connotation of \"legal name.\"\n\n名前 also refers to a person's full name--but it can also mean their given name,\nin the right context (for instance, \"We gave the baby a name\" or \"I want you\nto call me by my name\")... | 689 | 692 | 692 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "695",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "Related to this question: [What is the Japanese word or phrase for \"to post on\nthe internet\"?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/688/what-is-the-\njapanese-word-or-phrase-for-to-post-on-the-internet)\n\nI have noticed that when you post some... | [
{
"body": "Well in English Twitter doesn't use the word \"Post\" but \"Tweet\". Twitter's\ntranslator decided to make it an equivalent word that would make sense to\nsomeone who had never heard of it before.\n\nCheck out this J article covering the use of フォローする and つぶやく.\n<http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/article... | 693 | 695 | 695 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "702",
"answer_count": 6,
"body": "I study mathematics and computer science, and I'm starting to learn japanese.\nCould you suggest me dictionaries/sites/etc where I could learn terminology on\nthese subjects?",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": ... | [
{
"body": "I have been using [JquickTrans](http://www.postmeta.com/) dictionary software\nfor years (had to pay $15 before but it's freeware now), and it has a few\nspecialized dictionary catalogs that could be useful to find science and math\nterms:\n\n\n\n![REGEX](ht... | 698 | 702 | 702 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "721",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Are there certain rules for knowing what role a radical plays in a kanji? I've\nheard sometimes a radical tells us about how to read the kanji, and sometimes\nit tells us the meaning of the kanji. But that's all I've heard.\n\nCould you tell me more about... | [
{
"body": "I'll have a start at an answer, but not sure I'm able to completely answer it.\n\nIn many cases, radicals on the _left side_ of the kanji indicate the \"class\"\nor meaning that the kanji belongs to. This seems to be _moreso_ the case with\nphysical objects rather than abstract concepts.\n\nFor examp... | 700 | 721 | 721 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "706",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "As a near native speaker of Japanese, I find it annoying to be called 外人 since\nit seems to imply that I \"know nothing about Japan\" (outsider). I much prefer\n外国人.\n\n**In modern usage** , how do native speakers regard the differences between\n外人, 外国人 a... | [
{
"body": "First, I am not native, but let me share my idea on how I feel.\n\nI also prefer 外国人, but I don't feel offended with 外人.\n\nIt could be because they think 外人 is a more common word than 外国人 or everyone\naround them use 外人, and Japanese use short-form of the words a lot, so may be\nthey don't intend to... | 701 | 706 | 706 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "720",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Both {まじる} and {まざる} with both initial kanji characters 交 and 混 are\nintransitive verbs that are translated into this by rikaichan:\n\n> to be mixed; to be blended with; to associate with; to mingle with; to join \n> (まじる has an extra meaning \"to inter... | [
{
"body": "I'm not sure what is the status of questions that can be answered by looking\nin a dictionary, but here are some tips to get you started:\n\n＊IME standard input has a tooltip when you browse different kanji: (other\ndictionaries might also give you more example sentences and nuances. Use\n[EDICT](htt... | 704 | 720 | 720 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "1673",
"answer_count": 6,
"body": "Using my computer, I type a lot of numbers in Japanese text, and I am not sure\nwhen to use half-width or full-width.\n\nAre there rules?\n\nRight now I only use half-width, is it fine?\n\n_Off-topic:[Here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/N1g2R.png) is a pictu... | [
{
"body": "I don't really think it matters. And even in your image, the full-width\nnumeral is used only to take up the same amount of space as the pair of half-\nwidth numerals next to it.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-07T08:55:36.660",
"id":... | 710 | 1673 | 1673 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "717",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Superficially, I get the sense that あの is for something far away from both\nspeaker and listener, and その is for something closer to the listener than\nspeaker. However, I seem to get in trouble when dealing with time and past\nevents, so I'm wondering if ... | [
{
"body": "Your explanation of sono and ano in terms of places is correct.\n\nas far as when dealing with time this is how it seems to me.\n\nあの時 - This one time\n\nその時 - At that time\n\nso その時 gets used when it is a continuation of previous topic, whereas あの時\nwould be more of a introducing a topic.",
"com... | 713 | 717 | 717 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "727",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "As time goes on in our age of increasing reliance on computerized kanji input,\nthis question may become increasingly irrelevant, but when I'm writing a\nsentence with (gasp!) pen and paper, I have always struggled to remember where\nthe dividing line bet... | [
{
"body": "Other than brute-force memorization (棒暗記), the only thing I can suggest is\nmaterial regarding the Kanji-Kentei (漢検), because I know some of the (lower?)\nlevels focus on 送り仮名. Some materials I have are books of tests from previous\nyears (問題集), and a Nintendo DS 漢検 game. However, I got all of this i... | 726 | 727 | 734 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "750",
"answer_count": 9,
"body": "Apparently there are so many ways to write {かっこいい}.\n\nHiragana/katakana only:\n\n * かっこいい \n * カッコいい \n * カッコイイ \n\nEDICT:\n\n * 格好いい \n * かっこ好い \n\nOther possible variants:\n\n * 格好良い\n * かっこ良い \n * カッコ良い \n * 格好好い\n * 恰好いい (notice that a diff... | [
{
"body": "かっこいい is only the result on the one of my Japanese-English dictionary and has\nmost hit according on Google search results. So I would like to assume かっこいい\nmost commonly used one.\n\nAnd there is now decent one char (unicode) variant for かっこいい, which is \"△\"\n\n> \"本田△\" → 本田さんかっけい（三角形） → 本田さんカッコイイ... | 728 | 750 | 750 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "812",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "How did it come about historically that\n[っ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_tsu) preceding a sound would geminate\nit? Is it really a little つ or are they just near homomorphs?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_... | [
{
"body": "According to the [Wikipedia page for\n促音](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BF%83%E9%9F%B3), it used to be a big つ,\nthen was changed by law to a small one in the Heisei era. I'm not sure what\nthe history of using つ to lengthen a sound is.\n\n**Edit** Ah, like Brendan says, it's the つ that's trouble... | 751 | 812 | 812 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "778",
"answer_count": 10,
"body": "I'm pretty new to Japanese, and I've been trying to learn hiragana and\nkatakana. I know that in hiragana, wo (を) is used only for as an object\nparticle, and it is always pronounced like o (お).\n\nThis made me wonder what the katakana form (ヲ) would be ... | [
{
"body": "The use of katakana ヲ is quite rare indeed; as you surmise, the use as a\nparticle is Hiragana in modern Japanese. In older dialects, Katakana was used\nfor particles as well, however, and you can see ヲ in use there. In modern\ntimes, it's also occasionally used for ironic or stylistic purposes, such... | 758 | 778 | 778 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I know one implies the thing I'm comparing actually _is_ the thing I'm\ncomparing it to, and the other doesn't.\n\nCan someone suggest an easy example or trick for remembering which is which?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"... | [
{
"body": "～にしては means \"Considering X is Y, ...\"\n\n> トムはお金持ちにしては、あまりぜいたくな人生をおくらない (Considering Tom is pretty rich, he doesn't\n> lead a very luxurious lifestyle\n\n～としては mean \"As a / In the capacity of X, ...\"\n\n> 弁護士であるわたしとしては、それを勧めるわけにはいかない (As a lawyer, I cannot recommend (doing) that)\n\n~~So the latt... | 762 | null | 779 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "786",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I'm not sure if this is actual keigo, or just a polite form of adjectives.\nAnyway, there are several that we're all familiar with that are still used\ntoday.\n\n> * はやい → おはようございます\n> * ありがたい → ありがとうございます\n> * めでたい → おめでとうございます\n>\n\nThere are a co... | [
{
"body": "I will answer the two questions separately.\n\n### How to make the form of i-adjectives before ございます\n\nGrammatically はよう, ありがとう, めでとう, たのしゅう, おいしゅう in these examples are called ウ音便\n(うおんびん) of はやく, ありがたく, めでたく, たのしく, おいしく, respectively. 音便 (おんびん) means the\nform modified for easy pronunciation.\n\nT... | 765 | 786 | 786 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "955",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "In some older learning material I came across, they use 「電話をかける」 for \"to make\na telephone call\". When/why did this come to be replaced by 「電話する」 in popular\nusage?",
"comment_count": 4,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06... | [
{
"body": "I feel like 電話をかける is more formal when writing. And there is 電話のかけ方 (How to\nmake a call) but I don't think people use 電話し方.\n\nBut of course there is Keigo usage like お電話させていただきます, 電話する would be more\npopular.",
"comment_count": 2,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "201... | 776 | 955 | 955 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "813",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "One thing I notice is that {～もあり} can follow an adverb, such as:\n\n> 良くもあり、悪くもあり\n\nOther than that, when do we use {～もあり、～もあり} clause pattern instead of\n{～もあって、～もあって}? Is using {～もあり} considered more stylish than {～もあって}?\n\n> 自転車もあって、バイクもあって\n\nvs\n\n... | [
{
"body": "Just use these two search patterns on teh Google to find examples:\n\n\"*もあって*もあって” takes nouns 震災もあって、寒さもあって 笑いもあってアクションもあって\n\n\"*もあり*もあり” takes adverbs as Ignacio said. 楽しくもあり、難しくもあり 安くもあり高くもあり\n\nBut also I see indicators あれもあり！これもあり！",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0... | 781 | 813 | 788 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "According to _A Guide to Remembering Japanese Characters_ , 森 (38) is woods\nand 林 (75) is forest.\n\nBut some material I've found online related to Japan seems to indicate 森 is\nthe more correct Japanese word for forest.\n\nIs the book correct or do nativ... | [
{
"body": "林 is usually used for \"copse\", and 森 for \"forest\".",
"comment_count": 8,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-08T03:28:45.907",
"id": "783",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-08T03:28:45.907",
"last_edit_date": null,
"last_editor_user_id": null,
... | 782 | null | 783 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "790",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "The following sentence occurs in The Legend of Zelda:\n\nナンカ コウテ クレヤ\n\n(This would be なんか買うてくれや！ and was famously translated as \"Buy somethin', will\nya!\".) From the 買うて, it's obvious he's speaking Kansai-ben, and I suspect that\nthis usage of や is Kan... | [
{
"body": "This actually most likely Oosaka-ben's variation of 「や」as「よ」, becoming\nsomething like:\n\n> なんか買ってくれよ！\n\nThe usage is explained in more detail here:\n\n<http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%82%84?dictCode=OSAKA> (Japanese)\n\n**EDIT**\n\nThe original quote from the just in case site downtime happens:\n... | 785 | 790 | 790 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "796",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "In Japanese classes, I was taught that 全然 can only be used with negative-\nmeaning words/phrases/clauses, for example:\n\n> 全然出来ません \n> 全然だめです\n\nHowever, I've observed that, especially in spoken Japanese, some positive na-\nadjectives are allowed to fo... | [
{
"body": "[全然](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E5%85%A8%E7%84%B6&dtype=0&dname=0na&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=12860710588100)\nhas slang form, which means like exceptionally, extremely.\n\nSo you can use it in both forms.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_d... | 794 | 796 | 806 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "801",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "What is the reason/meaning for cashiers to use ちょうど when accepting money?\n\n> 500円ちょうどいただきます。\n\nThis I understand, since 500 Yen are a \"round\" amount. _\"Exactly 500 Yen.\"_\n\n> 812円ちょうどいただきます。\n\nIf I'm supposed to pay exactly 812 Yen, I understand ... | [
{
"body": "「1,112円ちょうどいただきます。」 = \"I receive exactly ¥1,112.\"\n\nI see this as a confirmation of what the cashier has received, much as handing\ntwo $20 bills would make a cashier confirm \"40 dollars\" (only without the\npoliteness, since that isn't the style here). This gives the customer an\nopportunity to ... | 798 | 801 | 801 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "804",
"answer_count": 7,
"body": "I am starting a new project and have to come up with a name for it so that\neverybody knows what we are talking about.\n\nThe project is the renewal of an IT application that I will call エックスワイゼッド.\nImproving the existing software and adding a few feature... | [
{
"body": "May be\n\n> エックスワイゼッド **改善** プロジェクト\n\nSince **改善** (かいぜん) has direct meaning of \"improving the existing and adding\nnew features\"",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-08T11:01:31.350",
"id": "802",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-08T... | 800 | 804 | 804 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "809",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "I've had a teacher flatly tell me that とっても is incorrect, but I do see it\nwritten here and there and I'm pretty sure I hear it as well. Is it just so\ninformal relative to とても that I should never use it in a classroom or on\nschoolwork?",
"comment_coun... | [
{
"body": "とっても is a spoken variant of とても, just like すんごい is a spoken variant of すごい and\nあんまり is a spoken variant of あまり. If you're writing a paper or speaking in a\nformal setting, it's better to use とても.",
"comment_count": 5,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-08T12:21:... | 808 | 809 | 809 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "835",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "In Aikido, different dojos seem to latch on to using either _dori_ or _tori_\nwhen describing grabbing attacks. For instance one dojo might say:\n\nKatate **Dori**\n\nAnother would say:\n\nKatate **Tori**\n\nEach dojo will profess that their way of saying... | [
{
"body": "Looking at goo.ne.jp's dictionary (based off 大辞泉):\n\n> １ 手の中におさめる。手に持つ。\n\nSource: <http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/161480/m0u/%E5%8F%96%E3%82%8B/>\n\nWith the last part of the definition meaning to hold in one's hand. This\nmatches more closes with the definition of denoting a grab that you ar... | 816 | 835 | 835 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "937",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "The phrase \"Unable to see the forest for the trees\" implies one is too\nentangled in a situation to understand what is transpiring from a larger\ncontext, and thus, unable to determine the correct course of action.\n\nI'd like to know whether a native J... | [
{
"body": "I would say yes, but I'm not native. (><;\n\n<http://www.ymknu200719.com/kotowaza/koto-ki-0026.html>",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-08T22:30:44.803",
"id": "830",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-08T22:30:44.803",
"last_edit_da... | 818 | 937 | 937 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "826",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "When we want to say _\"Hey, hurry up! you'll be late!\"_ , which would be more\nappropriate? :\n\n 1. 遅刻するぞ！\n 2. 遅くなるぞ！\n 3. any other suggestions？",
"comment_count": 4,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-08T17:00:29.99... | [
{
"body": "The second one is good, and you can add 急いで (いそいで) to it to say \"Hurry up\"\n\n> 急いで！遅くなるよ。\n\nYou can use 遅刻する as \"to be late\". It has a more specific meaning (late for\nschool, an appointment). So if you're saying \"Hurry up, you'll be late for\nschool\", say\n\n> 急いで！遅刻するよ。or 急いで！遅刻になるよ。",
... | 820 | 826 | 826 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "5123",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "After I've say watched a film with some friends (or read a fable or something)\nand learned something from it, i want to say `\"It [the teachings of this\nfable/film] serves as a good reminder for me\"`. I'm wondering is there a\nphrase in japanese which... | [
{
"body": "Even if it might sound awkward to a native-speaker, I think the point you are\nmaking would still make its way across languages. But, as a nit-picking aside,\nhow would something be a _reminder_ if it is something you _just_ learned? :)\n\nAlthough it's not the explicit meaning you are wanting to use... | 821 | 5123 | 5123 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "3173",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I'm curious if there is any difference in nuance between these two sentences:\n\n 1. 彼は少なくとも週に一度車を洗う。\n 2. 彼は週に少なくとも一度車を洗う。\n\nI'm aware that grammatically speaking both are 100% right, but this question\nis not targeted at this issue.",
"comment_cou... | [
{
"body": "I don't detect any difference in meaning, but splitting frequency expressions\n(週に一度, 年に３回, etc) as you did in the second sentence sounds disjointed. As far\nas general adverbs go, technically you can put them just about anywhere, but\nmost often you'll find them right in front of the verb they modif... | 823 | 3173 | 3173 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "829",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "EDICT gives almost the same translation for these two expressions:\n\n> 出来る限り; できる限り 【できるかぎり】 (n) as ... as one can\n>\n> できるだけ 《出来るだけ》 (exp) (uk) as much as one can; as much as possible; if at all\n> possible;\n\nEven the example sentences are almost th... | [
{
"body": "Quoting from a \"teach me goo\" question of the same content:\n\n> 最大限の度直をするという基本的には同じ意味ですが、「できるかぎり」の方が最大限で最高というか「できるだけ」よりも努力する強さがより大きいです\n>\n> 使い分けは微妙にあります\n>\n> 自分が何かを行う場合は「できるかぎり」の方が強い意志を相手に感じさせるでしょう 「できるだけ」と言うと場合によっては手抜きに感じられる場合もあります\n\nSource: <http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/4891438.html>\n\nThe ge... | 827 | 829 | 829 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "832",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "A little while back I was working my way through the Book \"Japanese Sentence\nPatterns for Effective Communication\" When I got to page 156 it explains the\ntopic of the section which is \"The te form of a verb, followed by ください,\nexpresses a polite requ... | [
{
"body": "The two sentences are actually completely grammatically equivalent. Phrases\nending in particles can be placed in an arbitrary order so long as they all\nprecede the verb. That's because the particles indicate the function of the\nphrase, not the word order. For example, the following two sentences a... | 831 | 832 | 832 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "What are the common 謙譲語 verbs that start with 「拝」? I know these ones:\n\n> 見る → 拝見する (to see), 拝観する (to view something -- limited usage)\n>\n> 聴く → 拝聴する\n>\n> 読む → 拝読する\n>\n> 会う → 拝謁する (although I've never heard this used, and know that 目にかかる is more\n> co... | [
{
"body": "「拝啓」 （はいけい） is also quite common on writing letters.",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-06-09T03:16:20.470",
"id": "849",
"last_activity_date": "2011-06-09T03:16:20.470",
"last_edit_date": null,
"last_editor_user_id": null,
... | 838 | null | 849 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "865",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "The other day I posted a picture of some food on Facebook, and I noticed that\nall of my Japanese friends were saying 「おいしそう」. I made a good guess to what it\nmeant, but I wasn't certain what exactly they were saying. I've seen this\nstem+そう with other i-... | [
{
"body": "It seems ...\n\nFor instance\n\n * おいしそう = it seems delicious\n * 行けそう = it seems I will be able to go\n\nIt is not slang, it is grammatically correct.\n\nDetailed explanation: <http://www.guidetojapanese.org/similar.html#part4>",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"... | 850 | 865 | 865 |
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