question dict | answers list | id stringlengths 1 6 | accepted_answer_id stringlengths 2 6 ⌀ | popular_answer_id stringlengths 1 6 ⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2399",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "since 受ける is the same verb associated with \"sustaining damage\", \"incurring\nlosses\", \"suffering injury\", all 3 seemingly have _negative_ nuances, I'm\nwondering when we use it (受ける) with 試験, does 受ける imply anything on the 試験? are\nthere any clues t... | [
{
"body": "受ける does not by itself imply a negative outcome:\n\n> 注文を受ける receive an order\n>\n> 援助を受ける receive aid\n>\n> ボールを手で受ける catch a ball in the hand\n\nTherefore 試験を受ける does not tell you anything about the type of exam or whether\nit is a difficult or easy exam. It simply means to \"undergo (take) an exam... | 2398 | 2399 | 2399 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2403",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Looking for a phrase that has the same meaning as \"May I?\" in English. One\nthat would work in situations that would indicate I would like to try to solve\na problem at hand, or receive control over something. For example, if someone\nis stuck with a R... | [
{
"body": "Like pretty much anything in Japanese, it entirely depends on context and your\nrelation with the person you are addressing.\n\n`よろしいですか？` or `いいですか？` sound perfectly fine for most situations.\n\nIf you are offering your help to someone of higher status, the kenjōgo\nconstruct `させていただきます` is a good s... | 2402 | 2403 | 2403 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2412",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "I have only found 行 being pronounced as いく, ゆく and おこなう for kun'yomi and as コウ\nand ギョウ for on'yomi, but my dictionary software also lists down なみ, なめ, みち and\nアン as the other pronunciations of this kanji.\n\n![Pronunciations of 行](https://i.stack.imgur.... | [
{
"body": "Names, mostly. Hence most of them being\n[nanori](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanori) readings. But [a few as\n「アン」](http://dic.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?ei=UTF-8&p=%E8%A1%8C%20%E3%81%82%E3%82%93&fr=dic&stype=prefix)\nas well.\n\n * 行火 (あんか) - foot warmer\n * 行脚 (あんぎゃ) - pilgrimage\n * 行宮 (あんぐう) ... | 2408 | 2412 | 2412 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2415",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Are there any other verbs than 死ぬ whose plain forms end with ぬ? Why are they\nso rare? Is it because the verb 死ぬ itself has special etymology why it ended\nup having the ぬ ending?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_d... | [
{
"body": "Tough one!\n\nI think that 去ぬ/往ぬ (いぬ) is the only other such verb, and is not standard\nJapanese. It survived in dialects only, according to\n[http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ナ行変格活用](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8A%E8%A1%8C%E5%A4%89%E6%A0%BC%E6%B4%BB%E7%94%A8)",
"comment_count": 0,
"conte... | 2409 | 2415 | 2415 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "In Japanese mathematics, the word\n‘[functor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functor)’ is translated as\n[関手【かんしゅ】](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%96%A2%E6%89%8B). What is the\netymology of this word?\n\nI suspect that it is a pun on\n[関数](http://ja.wikipe... | [
{
"body": "I do not have a definitive answer to either of your questions, but let me post\nmy thoughts anyway because definitive answers may be hard to obtain.\n\nAs for 1, kanji 函手 is also used, for example, in 圏論の基礎, the Japanese\ntranslation of _Categories for the Working Mathematician_ written by Saunders\n... | 2416 | null | 2431 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2422",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Sometimes a Japanese person will say to me:\n\n> そんなに丁寧な言葉を使わなくてもいいんですよ。\n\nThis is an invitation to be less formal. But how much less formal? As I have\nexperienced, sometimes [unintentional\ngaffes](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/94/how-r... | [
{
"body": "As others have said, this is a really hard question to answer because it is\nalways so context-dependent. This is the sort of thing that Japanese people\nthemselves struggle with, to an extent, especially when people from different\ngenerations or backgrounds (Tokyo vs Osaka etc.) are speaking with e... | 2420 | 2422 | 2422 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2425",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "So ワンコイン refers to a 500円 coin, but is there other names for the other coins?\n\nAlso in conversation does ワンコイン refer to any specific currency or only to 500\nyen (as in the sense of being a default).",
"comment_count": 4,
"content_license": "CC BY-... | [
{
"body": "I'm not sure how SE works and why there are only comments with answers and no\nactual answers...\n\nHowever, ワンコイン, as mentioned by Dave and others in the comments, is not a term\nfor any particular coin, but just a sales practice by any shop. Whenever they\nsell items where you can pay using just on... | 2423 | 2425 | 2425 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2435",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I am familiar with contraction of の to ん before です (and variants で, だ, でした\netc) but I noticed that の is also contracted before 家 in spoken set-phrases\nlike あたしんち and おれんち.\n\nAre there any other instances where の is contracted before some particular\nn... | [
{
"body": "[Chakoshi](http://tell.fll.purdue.edu/chakoshi/public.html) to the rescue!\n(Chakoshi is a tool for searching both the Aozora and conversational Japanese\ncorpora at Nagoya University.)\n\nA quick search for a \"[noun]ん[noun]\" pattern in the conversational corpus\ngives 262 results, most of which ar... | 2427 | 2435 | 2435 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2432",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Look at this conversation from Twitter. Do you know what dialect it is?\n\n> shohei110h: やっとdead stock手に入りました(´ω`)田舎にはなかなか無くて東京で購入しやしま \n> mao_sid: おれもど田舎だったから気持ちわかるなぁ。ありがとう。\n\nThe part I don't understand is しやしま at the end of the first sentence. What... | [
{
"body": "My guess is that it's a typo of either しやした or しました.\n\nAt first glance, た looks pretty hard to mistype as ま, but on second thought,\nit's likely to happen on mobile phones. Considering that most Japanese mobile\nphones have keypads like:\n\n> `あ``か``さ`\n>\n> `**た**`` な``は`\n>\n> `**ま**`` **や**`` ら`\... | 2428 | 2432 | 2432 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2436",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I found this particular proverb on WWWJDIC when I looked up for なんじ :\n[艱難]{かんなん}[汝]{なんじ}を[玉]{たま}にす. It is translated into English as: Hardship makes\nthe man.\n\nHow do we parse the proverb? I know 艱難 {かんなん} means \"hardship\". But 汝 {なんじ}\nmeans \"thou... | [
{
"body": "The sentence is classical Japanese, not modern Japanese, and should be parsed\nas such. I analyse it as follows:\n\n> 艱難 汝を 玉に す \n> kannan nandi-wo tama-ni su \n> hardship thou-ACC jewel-LOC make \n> _Hardship will make you into a jewel._\n\nIn classical Japanese, the subject of a main clause ... | 2434 | 2436 | 2436 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2438",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Is it true that the べつに when used to mean \"nothing particularly\" is pronounced\ndifferently from when it is used to mean \"separately / apart\" ?\n\nLike am I right to say that these 3 examples belong to the same \"sound\":\n\n 1. たまに朝飯を抜いたって別に悪いことじゃな... | [
{
"body": "The difference does not appear on `別に`, but appears on the part following it.\nIn the first usage ('nothing particularly'), the word following `別に` maintains\nits own accent nucleus, so the tone lowers at the beginning:\n\n> **Capital = High tone, Lower case = Low tone** \n> \n> beTSUNI waRUi koto... | 2437 | 2438 | 2438 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2442",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I'm not familiar with either word, but just looking at the characters, 達人\nwould seem to indicate 'accomplished' (ie an accomplished pianist). While 名人\nseems more like 'renowned'. Is that a valid assessment?",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": ... | [
{
"body": "Consider the following:\n\n> 達 as a kanji has the meaning \"accomplish\", \"(to) reach\"\n>\n> 名 as a kanji has the meaning \"name\" or \"reputation\"\n\nKanji compounds:\n\n> 達成 : \"achievement\"\n>\n> 名高い : \"famous, celebrated\"\n>\n> 威名 : \"fame, prestige\"\n\nAnd in Chinese, `名人(míng rén)` has n... | 2440 | 2442 | 2493 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2443",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "For example, 'a tennis master'?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-04T15:51:53.627",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "2441",
"last_activity_date": "2015-09-22T14:50:35.550",
"last_edit_date": "2015... | [
{
"body": "If you are looking for adjectives to describe skill here's a few:\n\n> 上手【じょうず】 (generally speaking) _good at_ ~\n>\n> 巧妙【こうみょう】 _mysteriously skillful at_ ~\n>\n> ～の天才【てんさい】 _a genius in_ ~\n>\n> 熟練した【じゅくれんした】 This one is my favourite, it has the meaning of _practised to\n> perfection_.\n\nSome exam... | 2441 | 2443 | 2443 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2447",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Lately ふう has been on my mind. Often it seems interchangeable with よう:\n\n> 1. これを｛こんな **ふう** ／この **よう** ｝にしてください。 Please make it like this.\n>\n> 2. あれを｛どういう **ふう** ／どの **よう** ｝に解釈しますか。 In what way do you interpret that?\n>\n> 3. 家を出るとき、帰りにケーキを買って... | [
{
"body": "First of all, as you already implicitly show in your examples, their modifiers\nare not interchangable.\n\n> {こ/そ/あ/ど}んなふうに \n> × {こ/そ/あ/ど}のふうに \n> △ {こ/そ/あ/ど}んなように \n> {こ/そ/あ/ど}のように\n\nI think `ふう` means some manner freely picked out, whereas `よう` is a manner\nchosen from the possibilities set... | 2446 | 2447 | 2447 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "For someone who has studied standard Japanese, how hard is it to learn Kansai\ndialect? Is there a lot to learn, or not much? What are the basic things to\nlearn in order to speak in this dialect? All I know so far is that the\nsentence ending particles ar... | [
{
"body": "> For someone who has studied standard Japanese, how hard is it to learn\n> Kansai dialect?\n\nMany people who spent years studying a language something not being able to\nlearn anything. Your question's logic is not well formed.\n\n> Is there a lot to learn, or not much?\n\nRe-learn bits of grammar,... | 2449 | null | 2451 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2510",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I'm writing a short (3-5 page) business plan in Japanese. I'd like to include\nan \"estimate\" of the sales for the next 3 years.\n\nThe question: what would you choose for the graph titled:\n\n> 2012 Fiscal Year Sales Projections\n>\n> 2012年度の売上高の_ ** _... | [
{
"body": "Hopefully someone with experience in the financial industry will chime in on\nthis, but in the meantime, after poking and prodding some dictionaries and\nGoogle, it looks like you have these options:\n\n> 売上高の予測 sales predictions/projections _(seems to be the most common)_\n>\n> 見積売上高 estimated sales... | 2453 | 2510 | 2510 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2456",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I came across this sentence in a manga:\n\n> なにすんじゃこんガキャ―――！！\n\nThere is no kanji use in that speech-bubble, making it hard to work out the\nmeaning. In fact, I haven't been able to find the meaning of anything past なに\n(which I already knew means \"wha... | [
{
"body": "I believe the sentence, as written in more conventional Japanese, would be:\n\n> なにするのだ、このガキは？\n\nWhere:\n\n> なにすん = なにするの (の here makes it a question)\n>\n> じゃ = だ\n>\n> こん = この\n>\n> ガキャーーー = ガキは\n\nThe ーーー at the end is just an extension of the last vowel, probably because\nthe speaker is screamin... | 2454 | 2456 | 2456 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2469",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "[This question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2423/are-there-\nnames-like-for-the-other-coins) about alternate terms for coins focused on the\nuse of ワンコイン, but it got me thinking about slang terms for money in general.\n\nIn all the years... | [
{
"body": "My Google-fu isn't doing any better, so the best I can do is throw my single\ndata point into the ring and say that I have heard, on multiple occasions,\n\"Yukichi\" (not \"Fukuzawa\") used in colloquial conversation to refer to a\n10,000-yen note. So if you really wanted to, I suppose you could say ... | 2455 | 2469 | 2469 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2498",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I understand that 適当【てきとう】 can mean both \"appropriate\" and \"whatever/vague\".\nHow do you know 適当な人を教えてください means \"please inform me of the appropriate\nperson\" as opposed to \"please tell me about whatever kind of person you want\"?\nIs this determi... | [
{
"body": "You can sometimes explicitly differentiate between them.\n\nIn case of 適当, if you write or pronounce it テキトー (colloquial) then it will\nexplicitly mean \"whatever\". If you put strong accent on てき and pronounce とう\nshort (i.e. as opposed to トー), it will explicitly mean appropriate. In a\nformal writt... | 2457 | 2498 | 2498 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2466",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "[This question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2288/historical-\ndifferences-between-colors-that-are-i-adjectives-and-those-that-are-si) about\ncolours got me thinking:\n\nWhy, and how, did `オレンジ` come to replace `橙【だいだい】` to refer to the c... | [
{
"body": "Ah, I found something on this particular example...\n\n>\n> 支那の色名である「橙色（とうしょく）」が日本語になったと考えられている。[...]橙色は、英語のオレンジに対応する日本語の色名として用いられたが、橙色も元々は借入語であり、英語より橙色の方が借り入れたのが早かったに過ぎない。なお、「橙」の漢字が教育用漢字に採用されなかったために、赤と黄との中間色相は日本でもオレンジ色と呼ばれることが多くなった。\n\nsource: <http://www.7key.jp/data/design/color/orange/daidaiiro.h... | 2459 | 2466 | 2466 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "What conjugation rules are applied in 恥ずかしながら?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-05T05:30:18.157",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "2460",
"last_activity_date": "2011-08-05T22:02:06.890",
"last_edit... | [
{
"body": "The particle ながら attaches to the continuative form (連用形) of a verb or directly\nto the stem adjective. 恥ずかしい is an adjective with step 恥ずかし, so this is a\nregular formation.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-05T05:43:06.923",
"id": "246... | 2460 | null | 2479 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Can it be 不倫の原因で家庭が崩壊したり？ What's the main clause and what is a subordinate\nclause?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-05T07:06:48.560",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "2463",
"last_activity_date": "2... | [
{
"body": "The subject is\n\n> 不倫が原因で家庭が崩壊したり、離婚に至る例(も)\n\nThe main clause is your whole citation.\n\nThe subordinate clause is:\n\n> 不倫が原因で家庭が崩壊したり、離婚に至る\n\nwhich is an object/complement of `例`.\n\n> 不倫が原因で\n\nis further a subordinate clause of this clause.",
"comment_count": 2,
"content_license": "CC ... | 2463 | null | 2465 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "My question is how is the concept of \"getting to know\" or \"knowing\" someone\nconveyed? How do you invite someone to get to know you better? I was posting a\nmessage on mixi and could not figure out what the phrase for this was.\n\nSentence example so y... | [
{
"body": "知{し}り合{あ}う is used for \"getting to know\"; with the noun 知り合い being used to\nmean \"an acquaintance\" or \"someone you know a little (less that a close\nfriend)\".\n\n* * *\n\n**Examples**\n\n> * 留学の時、ほかの留学生と **知り合った** のに、親しい関係だとは言えない。 → During my time as an exchange\n> student, even though I got ... | 2472 | null | 2473 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2485",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "To say something is a 見物, does it have a derogatory nuance like we are making\nfun of that person / that thing?\n\nIf so, is it derogatory to the extent that even if I intended it as a fun joke\nit seems a bit too much, or is it just _a bit_ derogatory a... | [
{
"body": "I don't think it's derogatory per se. My dictionary defines it as \"a\nsight/attraction/something worth seeing\".\n\nBut if used sarcastically I guess it would be.\n\nFor everything in general, it's not just what you say, but how you say it.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA ... | 2474 | 2485 | 2485 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2481",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "What does the phrase 乞うご期待 mean in English? Can you show some example\nsentences?",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-05T20:28:20.463",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "2476",
"last_activity_date": "2... | [
{
"body": "I was reading this\n[chiebukuro](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q144975334),\nI think the gist of it is that movie theaters would give a preview of what\nthey had coming to the screen, and a big **乞うご期待** would be written on the\ntrailer. I guess this is like the **Coming Soo... | 2476 | 2481 | 2481 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2480",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "In Final Fantasy VIII, Bahamut has a little speech:\n\n> …G.F.とは我らのことか \n> 我らを力として使うとは… \n> **恐るる** べきは人間どもよ\n\nI'd never seen two るs doubled up like that. Which conjugation is this? It\nseems to have plenty of Google hits so it's not a typo, as far ... | [
{
"body": "A short answer: the form 恐るる (おそるる) is the attributive form (連体形; れんたいけい) of\nthe verb 恐る (おそる) in classical Japanese.\n\nA long answer is as follows.\n\nClassical Japanese has different conjugation rules from modern Japanese. The\nverb 恐れる (おそれる; to fear) in modern Japanese was 恐る (おそる) in classical... | 2478 | 2480 | 2480 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "If you look in the dictionary for the definition of 氏 you'll find it defined\nas: family name; lineage; birth.\n\nHowever I have seen it used in such a way that it is doubtful that it means\nany of those things in certain contexts.\n\nHere's an example sen... | [
{
"body": "The list of respectful honorifics, with more respectful at the top, goes like\nthis:\n\n 1. 殿{どの}\n 2. 氏{し} \n 3. 様{さま}\n 4. さん\n 5. チャン、くん\n 6. (not putting an honorific)\n\nThere are more, with obscurities like `刀自{とうじ}`, and you can see a [full list\nhere (in\nJapanese)](https://ja.wikipedia... | 2482 | null | 5568 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2484",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "My impression is that 町 tends to be used for smaller cities and 街 tends to be\nused for larger ones. Is this correct? If not, what _is_ the difference?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-06T00:11:03.2... | [
{
"body": "That is correct. According to 文化庁, 町 is similar to `town` whereas 街 is similar\nto `street` or `avenue`. 街 can also refer to a developed town with lots of\nstreets and avenues, so to say.\n\nFor example, you can say センター街 (center-gai), but not センター町 (center-cho). This\nis because センター街 refers to \"st... | 2483 | 2484 | 2484 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2488",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Take this example:\n\nAったらB\n\nCould this mean, \"After doing A, B happened?\"",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-06T05:22:49.873",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "2487",
"last_activity_date": "2011... | [
{
"body": "Yes, if B is in the past tense. This adds a flavor of surprise at the results\nto the sentence.\n\n> 「食事できた」といったら、ぼくらが食べなかった！\n\nSource: [Tae Kim](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/conditionals)",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-... | 2487 | 2488 | 2488 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2490",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I would like to know what's the difference of じゃん and だろう／でしょう.\n\nthe meaning I know it's similar, but when I should use each of them?\n\nIs it same to say:\n\n> これはすごいじゃん！ ＝ これはすごいでしょう！ ＝ これはすごいだろう！\n>\n> 昨日、楽しかったじゃん？ ＝ 昨日、楽しかったでしょう？ ＝ 昨日、楽しかっただろう？\n>\... | [
{
"body": "じゃん is じゃないか, i.e., ではありませんか\n\nWhen you say \"すごいじゃん\", you actually _affirm_ \"that's great, isn't it?\", you\ngive your opinion, and don't care about any one else. The intonation is that\nof a strong affirmation.\n\nだろう/でしょう is rather an introspective form, or an \"open to suggestions\"\naffirmati... | 2489 | 2490 | 2490 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2518",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Consider the sentence:\n\n> 今度の旅行は **全部で** 何人行きますか。\n\nI would roughly translate it literally to:\n\n> For this trip, **in the domain of \"total\"**(abstract location), how many\n> people will be going?\"\n\nAnd then more naturally as:\n\n> How many peop... | [
{
"body": "Another definition of the particle `で` is _\"the condition/state of how the\naction takes place\"_. This is the definition that your example fits in to. I\nsuppose if it helps you to think of it as an \"abstract location\", then feel\nfree to do so (as I firmly believe each individual has the right t... | 2494 | 2518 | 2496 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2619",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Sitting in a restaurant yesterday I saw a sign advertising a mango flavoured\nbagel. It was described as `トロピカルな味`.\n\nThat just got me wondering... whenever a `外来語【がいらいご】(word taken from a foreign\nlanguage / \"loan word\")` is used as an adjective, is ... | [
{
"body": "Reading up on sound symbolism, I found this\n\n> Nasal consonants like n and m convey warmth, tactuality, softness, and sound\n> more personal and subjective.\n>\n\n>> e.g. むちむち (plump)\n\nThe な in な-adjectives is a nasal sound. I conject that they are subjective\ndescriptions.\n\n* * *\n\nAlso consi... | 2497 | 2619 | 2619 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2501",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "In modern Japanese, the kana ゑ/ヱ (we) and ゐ/ヰ (wi) are largely obsolete. Words\nformerly containing them now are pronounced with /e/ and /i/, so they were\nreplaced by え and い, respectively.\n\nBut when referring to the letters themselves, it would be am... | [
{
"body": "**_Update:** I originally said these characters were obliterated from the\nlanguage. I was wrong about that, as shown in the accompanying picture._\n\n\n\nAs you can see in the picture above, the character does pop up now and ag... | 2499 | 2501 | 2509 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2519",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "What are the differences when using ～なければならない and ～なくてはいけない, or their\ncolloquial contracted forms ～なきゃ and ～なくちゃ when saying \"must do\"?\n\nFor example, what is the difference in the nuance and usage of the following\n\"must eat\" statements:\n\n * 食べ... | [
{
"body": "I had learnt the difference ages ago, but ha forgotten it since. I asked my\nfriend\n[Chie](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1019084605),\nand she said:\n\nしなければいけない -> when _you_ think that there's no other choice \nしなければならない -> when you've been told to do it, or when it's r... | 2500 | 2519 | 2519 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2520",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Excerpt from a JLPT practice question:\n\n> Background information: the writer was looking for rental apartments.\n>\n> 次に行ったところは小さい会社ですが、そこの人は大変優しい人でした。 それにいいアパートもたくさんありました。 私は **その中[Blank]**\n> 好きな家を借りました。 今、住んでいるアパートより少し高いですが、新しくきれいなアパートです。\n>\n> The ... | [
{
"body": "`その中に` would mean \" _to_ within that [selection of apartments]\". Kind of\nnonsensical.\n\n`その中で` would mean \" _at_ within that [selection of apartments]\". Also kind of\nnonsensical.\n\n`その中から` means \" _from_ within that [selection of apartments]\". Clunky because\nliteral translations are clunky... | 2503 | 2520 | 2520 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2515",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "From what I understand, `は` is the topic marker, `が` is the subject marker,\nand `を` is the object marker.\n\nOne of the first sentences I learned doesn't seem to fit the rules I described\nabove. The sentence is:\n\n> わたしは日本語がわかります. \n> watashi wa nih... | [
{
"body": "There is a class of Japanese verbs (and more generally, predicates) whose\nsubjects _and_ objects take が.[1] For example:\n\n * あの学生がその本が要る。( _Ano gakusei ga sono hon ga iru._ \"That student needs your book.\")\n * 猫が魚が好きだ。( _Neko ga sakana ga suki da._ \"Cats like fish.\")\n * 私が日本語が分かる。 ( _Watas... | 2505 | 2515 | 2515 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I've heard sometimes that イコール is used sometimes to imply that things are\nsimilar. What would be a correct expression to use イコール? Furthermore, how is\nit different from using 同じ to say that things are similar?\n\n以上、どうぞよろしくお願い致します。",
"comment_count": 0... | [
{
"body": "イコール is \"equals\", and 同じ【おなじ】 is \"same\".\n\nThe terms have exactly the same implications as they do in English. You could\neven say they are _equal_ to their English counterparts. ;)",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-08T01:09:32.373",
... | 2508 | null | 2521 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2514",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Is it true that all verbs have a corresponding noun form (which is formed by\nmaking the -masu form and removing the -masu)?\n\nLike 遊び and 遊びます 飲み and 飲みます 生き and 生きます 死に and 死にます",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_... | [
{
"body": "For the most part, yes. There are a few outliers that don't though. Most 尊敬語\nand 謙譲語 verbs don't form nouns with their 連用形. And some 連用形, such as 「なり」, are\nspecialized almost to the point of uselessness.",
"comment_count": 9,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-... | 2513 | 2514 | 2514 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2531",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I noticed that some i-adjectives have specific prefixes that can be used to\nintensify the quality of the states that are described by the adjectives,\nsimilar to \"flaming hot\", \"freezing cold\" etc in English. Some examples:\n\n> 物{もの}凄{すご}い\n>\n> 蒸{... | [
{
"body": "複合形容詞 appears to be the generic term for a compound adjective.\n\n<http://ir.lib.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/metadb/up/kiyo/AN10281005/Hiroshima-\nIntStudentCenter-kiyo_16_13.pdf> \\- this article covers the various types, and\ngives many examples.\n\nI don't know of any particular lists of these words, but so... | 2523 | 2531 | 2531 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2538",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "When does one use 欲しがる instead of 欲しい? For example, in phrases like:\n\n> 先生は野菜を食べて欲し｛いです・がっています｝。\n\nMy incomplete understanding is that the がる form is more formal/polite, but it\ncan only be used when the subject is not currently present in the room. ... | [
{
"body": "Quoting [an answer from rintaun to one of my own\nquestions](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/1520/is-suffix-\nlimited-to-specific-adjectives-only/1523#1523):\n\n> ～がる is a suffix for representing a third party's apparent emotion.\n\nSo I would say the major difference between 欲しがる and 欲し... | 2524 | 2538 | 2538 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2529",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Examples first.\n\n 1. **空 {そら}**. \nAlmost all compound nouns for which 空 is the second component pronounce it as\n**ぞ** ら **_zo** ra_:\n\n * 青空 {あおぞら}\n * 夜空 {よぞら}\n * 星空 {ほしぞら}.\n\nThere is at least one exception though: 美空 {みそら}.\n\n* * *\... | [
{
"body": "The phenomenon that the beginning of the first consonant of the latter\ncomponent of a compound word is often altered as k→g, s→z, t→d, and h→b\n(sometimes h→p) is called [rendaku](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendaku)\n(連濁). I explained it a little in [another\nanswer](https://japanese.stackexchange... | 2526 | 2529 | 2529 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2537",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "How do I form a sentence pattern for:\n\n> The more/less X happens, the more/less Y happens\n>\n\n>> E.g. The more you stir, the faster the salt dissolves.\n\n>>\n\n>> The colder the weather, the more time it takes for snow to melt.",
"comment_count": ... | [
{
"body": "Anyone who took formal courses on Japanese would have learned this pattern:\nX-eba X hodo Y.\n\n> The more you stir, the faster the salt dissolves. \n> 混ぜれば混ぜるほど塩が混ざるのは早いです。\n>\n> The colder the weather, the more time it takes for snow to melt. \n> 雪が解けるのは寒ければ寒いほど時間がかかります。",
"comment_count": ... | 2528 | 2537 | 2530 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "What is the learning curve like for learning Japanese writing?\n\nAre you able to use what you've learnt as you're progressing, or are you only\nrealistically able to start reading real text once you've learnt about two or\nthree thousand kanji?\n\nRelated... | [
{
"body": "First, I think you would agree with me if I say that there is no silver bullet\nfor learning Japanese writing. It takes practice and determination. There is\nalso the factor of individual; different people may need different amount and\nkind of efforts to be invested to achieve the desired fluency in... | 2532 | null | 2540 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2535",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Was nihonshu (what English refers to as \"sake\") always called nihonshu, or was\nit only called that once western alcoholic beverages were introduced to Japan?",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-08T1... | [
{
"body": "The 日本国語大辞典's earliest cite for 日本酒 (nihonshu) is 1886, in Tsubouchi Shoyo's\n内地雑居 未来之夢, which is to judge from the title a book about foreigners in Japan.\nI'd say the chances are good that 日本酒 (nihonshu) is a recent coinage, and\nbefore that, the drink was simply called 酒 (sake).\n\nIncidentally, a... | 2533 | 2535 | 2535 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "There are a number of Japanese words which have distinct compounding forms:\n\n * -a/-e alternation: 天・雨、酒、上、風、目 — many examples.\n * -u/-i alternation: 神（[神]{かむ}[集]{つど}ふ）、月（[月]{つく}[読]{よみ}）\n * -o/-i alternation: 木（[木]{こ}の[葉]{は}）、火（炎【ほのほ】）\n * -a/-o al... | [
{
"body": "1) I don't think that you have missed anything or that you should really be\nconcerned about it too much. Even without exhaustive research, people who know\na lot about kanji know that these readings stand out as being special. Perhaps\none of the readings is used in two, rather than just one word, b... | 2534 | null | 3753 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2541",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Is it true that 寂しい can be used to describe someone as \"pathetic\" ? (pathetic\nin the sense like someone is cheating in a game: pathetic. and like someone is\nrobbing a grandma: pathetic. and like someone who doesn't wish to work and\njust wanted to li... | [
{
"body": "I hear 寂しい used as a derogatory word, usually in the form 寂しいやつ. The literal\nmeaning of 寂しいやつ would be “lonely person,” but it means more like “a person\nwithout friends.” So calling someone as 寂しいやつ is equivalent to claiming that\nthe person has no friends, and it could be an insult.\n\nI consider ... | 2539 | 2541 | 2541 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2545",
"answer_count": 6,
"body": "I saw 火信 tattooed on a gentleman's neck. I looked up the words, but couldn't\nmake sense of their combination... \nWhat does it mean?",
"comment_count": 2,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-08T19:39:51.847",
"favorite_... | [
{
"body": "Firewire (火-fire, 信-communication/transmission)??? Nothing in Japanese anyway.\nNot to say it doesn't mean something in Chinese. Maybe 当て字 for his name or\nsomething. But chances are it's just one of those tattoos that's supposed to\nlook cool, but doesn't mean a dang thing and ends up looking stupid... | 2542 | 2545 | 2545 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Is there a term that describes multiple foreign words sharing the same\nJapanese-language loanword?\n\nFor example, Wikipedia's disambiguation page for フォーク (Romaji: foku) covers\nboth the English word \"fork\" and the English word \"folk\", because Japane... | [
{
"body": "The term you're looking for could be \"homonym\". Or perhaps it could be a\n\"homophone\" - words that share the same pronunciation but different in\nmeaning. The term for this in Japanese should be 同音異議語 (どうおんいぎご)",
"comment_count": 4,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": ... | 2548 | null | 2552 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2551",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "The textbook I'm currently using defines both of these grammar points as:\n〜のだから、絶対にする／しないのが当然だ\n\nWhat is the difference between the two grammar points, can they be used\ninterchangeably like the following:\n\n自分でやると言った **からには** 、最後まで責任を持ってやってください。 \nv... | [
{
"body": "They're basically the same. It means, \"Hold onto your responsibilities until\nthe bitter end because your word is your bond.\"\n\nIf there's some slight difference in nuance, then the second sentence would be\nmore officious. If two people, a boss and his or her subordinate were talking,\nit would b... | 2549 | 2551 | 2551 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2554",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "There is female Japanese name \"Midori,\" and I want to know the ways I can\nwrite it. I know it means \"green,\" but maybe the name and \"green\" are\ndifferent words sometimes.\n\nI used google-translator to get variants. I want to know if all of those... | [
{
"body": "Searching on a name dictionary you'll get a [long long list (93) of \"midori\"\nas a girl's given\nname](http://www.nihongoresources.com/nbrowse/midori?action=names§ion=dictionaries&page=names&sub=&type=start&search=midori&nametype=0&submit=+search%3E+).\nThis excludes \"midori\" being used as a ... | 2553 | 2554 | 2554 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2558",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Is there an expression in Japanese that is equivalent to \"as far/long as I/you\nX\", for example \"as far as I know\", \"as far as I'm concerned\", \"as much as you\nwant\", \"as long as he is still alive\" etc? Or perhaps are all those English\nexpress... | [
{
"body": "Usually that construction is achieved by using 「限り」.\n\n> * 知る限り (as far as one knows)\n> * できる限り (as far as possible)\n> * 生きている限り (as long as one lives)\n> * 私に関する限り (as far as I'm concerned, i.e. \"for my part [but I won't speak\n> for others, because they disagree with me]\")\n>\n\nThe co... | 2557 | 2558 | 2558 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2567",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "In the context of a personality quizz, what does 共同志向性 means?\n\nI feel it is something like the quality of being a good team-player, but not\nsure.\n\n[Google does not\nknow](https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=%22%E5%85%B1%E5%90%8C%E5%BF%97%E5%90%91%... | [
{
"body": "`共同` \\- doing together, cooperation\n\n`志向` \\- intention\n\n`性` \\- characteristic (-ity, -ness)\n\nI would say combining them would yield \"the characteristic of the willingness\n(of an individual) to cooperate\" or the \"cooperativeness\" of the person.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_lice... | 2561 | 2567 | 2567 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2577",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "Text books normally teach that the negative of です is じゃありません. However it seems\nvery common to hear native Japanese use じゃないです.\n\nIs this slang or somehow less correct than じゃありません? Would it be marked as\nincorrect in a JLPT exam?\n\nIf they are both eq... | [
{
"body": "`じゃないです` is a colloquial, uneducated way of saying `じゃありません`. It is not\ntotally ungrammatical, but is not totally correct either.\n\nMy reasoning for this is because it is not the shortest way of saying it.\nAssuming that `ない` results from obligatory deletion of `ara` in Tokyo dialect\nand that the ... | 2574 | 2577 | 2577 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2581",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "Well, 以上 is used after a speech to indicate that the speech has been concluded\n(i.e., 'Everything before this has been said.'). 以上 is used in numbers to mean\n'or more', as in `八十%以上` (as in, 'Everything after this is included.'). If you\nwant to say, \... | [
{
"body": "I thought about it a little. Maybe 以上です means, \"Everything up until now has\nbeen included,\" and, \"８０％以上\" means, \"Everything up until now has been\ndiscarded.\" So 以上 could just mean, 'Everything up until now has been {some\nverb for 'excluded'}'. You can't really say '上から', either, I think.",
... | 2578 | 2581 | 2581 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2585",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Soon I am leaving my job and I would like to leave an e-mail for future\ncorrespondence with my colleagues. How do I write in Japanese something like\n\"Please direct all your future correspondence to **my private email** \"?\n\nI could go with some simp... | [
{
"body": "> 今後何かありましたら、my email のほうにメールをお願いします。",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-11T01:03:15.297",
"id": "2585",
"last_activity_date": "2021-05-14T19:08:07.343",
"last_edit_date": "2021-05-14T19:08:07.343",
"last_editor_user_id": "30... | 2584 | 2585 | 2585 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2591",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I am aware that the phrase 「おかわり」 that is used when asking for second helping\n(of meals especially) is an idiomatic expression, so its usage is understood\nas it is. But, I'm curious about the origin of this phrase because it seems to\nbe derived from 替... | [
{
"body": "I always assumed it was exchanging an empty bowl/beverage for a full one.",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-11T03:17:03.910",
"id": "2588",
"last_activity_date": "2011-08-11T03:17:03.910",
"last_edit_date": null,
"last_edito... | 2587 | 2591 | 2591 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2592",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Apart from using verb-specific humble and honorific versions (e.g. 参る < 行く <\nいらっしゃる), the general method of turning a verb into humble is by using お+[verb\nstem aka 連用形]+する while the general method of turning a verb into honorific is\nby using お+[verb s... | [
{
"body": "In both forms, the `お + [verb stem]` is acting like a noun. The humble form is\nanalogous to the `[verbal noun] + する` construction like `勉強する` and the `お +\n[verb stem]` in an honorific form is followed by `に` which indicates that this\npart is a noun. Verb stems often can be used as a noun, but that... | 2590 | 2592 | 2592 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2605",
"answer_count": 5,
"body": "皆さんこんにちは、\n\n日本語で質問を聞かせていただきますので、ご協力ください。 回答やコメントなどは、日本語か英語、どちらの言語でも喜んで読みます。\n\nでは。 \n此間友達と喋っていて好みの話をしていた時一人が「ホラー映画やB級映画が大好き」と言うやいなや「あなた安いな〜」ともう一人が反応しました。\n\nその「安い」は、英語に「cheap」と直訳すれば同じ意味が通じるそうなので、もしかしたら英語からきた表現じゃないかと思ってきました。(その逆もありえるのですが、あんまり想像できません)。JL... | [
{
"body": "私の理解では、その「安い」は相手の予想通り **簡単に** 入り込んでしまう、信じてしまう、騙されやすいなどの意味だと思います。似たような言い方で、「あたた\n**単純** だね」とか「あなた **天然** だね」とかあると思います。\n\nあとホラー映画は他の映画よりシーンが少なく屋内で作成できるのが多いため制作費がかなり低いと言われていますので、金額が安いという意味で、安物で満足出来ているという意味もあるかもしれません。\n\nで、個人的には英語からきた表現ではないと思います。",
"comment_count": 2,
"content_license": "CC BY-S... | 2593 | 2605 | 2605 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2601",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I'm wondering what does 食べやすい mean exactly? \"easily-eaten\" doesn't seem to\nmake any sense at all.. Does 食べやすい mean that something is soft and easy to\nswallow, or does it mean that something tastes nice?\n\nDoes 食べにくい mean something that is hard to bi... | [
{
"body": "Lukman gives a good answer in the comment. If Lukman turns it into an answer,\nI will remove this answer.\n\n`やすい`, `にくい` respectively mean 'easy to' and 'difficult to'. Reason can vary\ndepending on the context.\n\n * It may be so because it tastes good/bad\n * It may be at the right temperature o... | 2598 | 2601 | 2601 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2602",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "> **Possible Duplicate:** \n> [～うございます - keigo\n> い-adjectives](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/765/keigo-\n> adjectives)\n\nI still remember the introductory lecture of the first Japanese course I took\nin college, my sensei told the clas... | [
{
"body": "These forms are archaic in Tokyo except for a few fixed expressions like\n`おやようございます`, but may be observed in Kyoto. You attach `-u ございます` to the\nadjective root. The polite prefix `お` is optional. As you wondered, it is\nprobably unnatural to attach `お` for `おおきい` because of so may consecutive\n`お`s... | 2600 | 2602 | 2602 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "There seems to be a tendency to have a heading (or emphasized text) in\nEnglish, but the body of the text in Japanese.\n\nFor example, Tokyo train stations have posters with [Saving\nElectricity](http://urbanbrat.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/2011%E5%B9%B406%E6... | [
{
"body": "I think there are three variants of this. 1. Translation or summary for the\nbenefit of foreigners. 2. \"Copy\" which is there just to make things look\npretty. 3. Words that pretty much became part of Japanese and are used as part\nof the Japanese text (words like no, yes, on, off, hello, world etc.... | 2603 | null | 2618 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2611",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "皆さんこんにちは、 日本語で質問がお聞きしてみたいのですが、言葉や文法を間違えたらお許しください。\n\nでは、「かしこまりました」とは誰かに命令や注文を頼まれた場合などの返事とすることもよくありますが、「かしこまる」と言う自動詞がこの表現以外で使われる場合はありますか？\n\n\"kashikomarimashita\" is usually used as a response to somebody's order or\nrequest, but are there places where t... | [
{
"body": "Yes. かしこまる\n([Daijirin](http://www.excite.co.jp/dictionary/japanese/?search=%E3%81%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%93%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8B&match=beginswith&itemid=DJR_kasikomaru_-010),\n[Daijisen](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/40482/m0u/%E3%81%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%93%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8B/))\nhas three usages which a... | 2604 | 2611 | 2611 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2616",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Consider the two sentences below:\n\n> (1) 私の **`ほう`** が田中さん **`より`** よく飲む。(I drink more than Mr. Tanaka.)\n>\n> (2) 私はビール **`より`** 酒の **`ほう`** をよく飲む。(I drink more sake than beer.)\n\nI think the pattern for the second one is a reverse of the first to pu... | [
{
"body": "Depending on whether you put の方 or より before, you emphasise on one or the\nother. It's natural to say first the most important thing, so:\n\nIn (1) you are the topic of the sentence, _you_ are the one who drinks most.\n\nIn (1') Tanaka is the topic. As far as Kobayashi is concerned, no one knows.\nBu... | 2606 | 2616 | 2616 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2614",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "**(Question 1)**\n\nAre there any differences in nuance and usage of conjunctive form of verb\n(連用形) + をする compared to the plain form of [those verbs whose conjunctive forms\ncan be used as nouns](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2513/is-it-\... | [
{
"body": "**Q_1** I find those forms very unnatural, and even though some seem to be\nsomehow used, it might be a mistake…\n\n間違え as a name has no occurrence in ALC, so I find this name suspicious.\n\n考え as a name is quite common. I found many occurrences preceded by a な-adj,\nlike \"否定的な考えをする\", and also expr... | 2613 | 2614 | 2614 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2617",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "I came across the sentence `混乱する気持ちもよーくわかる` in my manga. I have translated it,\nbut the use of the dash (which was vertical in the actual vertical text)\nstumped me for a bit (I thought it was よう at first, not よお). I was under the\nimpression that a dash... | [
{
"body": "In Katakana, we use ー for some long vowels indeed. But words with it, like ユーロ\nare spelt this way!\n\nHowever, in your case, there is no such word よーく、 ようく nor よおく. What this dash\nmeans is that the _sound_ is lengthened. The word is just \"よく\". So, when the\nauthor wrote \"よーくわかる\" he meant \"I re... | 2615 | 2617 | 2617 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2621",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Both 間 {あいだ} and 内 {うち} can be used to describe time span relative to specific\nsituations, similar to \"while\" in English. But are they interchangeable all\nthe time? Are there any scenarios where one can use one of them but not the\nother? Are there d... | [
{
"body": "**Edited to replace the word \"measure\" with a better concept.**\n\n`間` refers to the time space between two points; speaker feels he has the\nability to determine a start and end point at the moment of making the\nstatement. (間 has explicit time boundary)\n\n`内` however refers to \"time space withi... | 2620 | 2621 | 2621 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2643",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Explain the differences in the following vocabulary. They all essentially mean\nsome form of investigation, inspection, etc. Please don't just write the\ndefinitions; I'm lost on how they differ, when to use one over others, what\nthey apply to, and so o... | [
{
"body": "Here are a few I can tell without hesitation. I'd see ALC to get example\nsentences for the others…\n\n 1. 検査【けんさ】 -> The nuclear safety agency _inspected_ the people from Fukusima as well as their luggage.\n 2. 検討【けんとう】 -> We _consider_ adding another wheel to our latest unicycle.\n 3. 審査【しんさ】-> ... | 2625 | 2643 | 2643 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2627",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "My friend recently said to me:\n\n> 眠くなってきた 【ねむくなってきた】\n\nWhich, I think means \"I became sleepy\".\n\nBut it seems to me that it is the same as saying:\n\n> 眠くなった\n\nHow does the addition of `きた` change this phrase?",
"comment_count": 3,
"content_li... | [
{
"body": "phirru's comment is almost correct: Addition of `くる` in this case means that\nit happened gradually. It also means that it might not yet be complete.\nHowever, the one without `くる` does not necessarily mean suddenly. It just does\nnot mention the process. It may or may not have happened suddenly. `いく... | 2626 | 2627 | 2627 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2629",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "WWWJDIC states that 「だらしない」 can be written with kanji as 「だらし無い」, which\nsuggests that the phrase is a negative construction that uses 「無い」, unlike\nwords like 「すくない」 and 「あぶない」. Furthermore, 「だらしが無い」 and 「だらしの無い」 are listed as\nthe other two variants of... | [
{
"body": "Interesting question. The 日本国語大辞典 says that だらしない appears to be an inversion\nof しだらない, quite possibly a self-conscious thing like せるき for きせる (the Edo-\nperiod book Ukiyoburo explicitly claims this).\n\nThe roots of しだらない are murkier. しだら has negative connotations on its own, and\nmay come from Budd... | 2628 | 2629 | 2629 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2635",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I always know that 歩く is the verb to use when talking about walking. But I'm\naware the kanji 歩 has another verb 歩む. In WWWJDIC, the example sentence given\nis:\n\n> ビルはあの会社の社長になるまで成功への道を歩み続けた。 \n> Bill climbed the ladder of success until he became the... | [
{
"body": "Let's look at what the dictionaries say.\n[Daijirin](http://www.excite.co.jp/dictionary/japanese/?search=%E6%AD%A9%E3%82%80&match=beginswith&itemid=00591000):\n\n> **あゆむ** 【歩む】\n>\n> (1)あるく。 「本道を―・む」\n>\n> (2)経て来る。経験する。過ごす。 「父の―・んだ人生」\n\nThis seems to support your hypothesis that 歩む has a more abstra... | 2631 | 2635 | 2635 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2642",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "1. What's the difference between 言わないでほしい and 言ってほしくない ?\n\n 2. If the intended message is \"I don't want you to say it\" which of the two above would be more suitable?",
"comment_count": 2,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "201... | [
{
"body": "This is a question of whether the predicate presupposes the excluded middle.\nIn principle, there should be three possibilities:\n\n> 1. I want [the proposition] to happen \n>\n> 2. I want [the proposition] to not happen \n>\n> 3. I do not have particular preference for whether [the propositi... | 2632 | 2642 | 2642 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2645",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "i was taught that verbs are either transitive or intransitive.\n\nbut what kind of verb is 分かる ?\n\n[WWWJDIC lists it as intransitive.](http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-\nbin/wwwjdic.cgi?1MUE%E3%82%8F%E3%81%8B%E3%82%8B)\n\nYet the replies/comments ... | [
{
"body": "A general answer: The definition of intransitive is the negation of\ntransitive. Logically, a verb is either intransitive or transitive; there is\nno other possibility. You may say that a verb becomes either of them depending\non its usage, but a verb is never \"neither intransitive nor transitive\".... | 2636 | 2645 | 2637 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2640",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I noticed that verb ending syllables cover all of -u syllables (る,く,ぐ,す,つ etc)\nexcept ず,づ, ふ, ぷ, しゅう, ちゅう and じゅう.\n\nI suspect that ず is reserved for the negative conjugation thus no plain form\nverb is allowed. しゅう, ちゅう and じゅう were mostly reserved fo... | [
{
"body": "I agree with Ignacio. You can also find some old words that ended with づ. I\nthink--am actually pretty sure--the chances were for pronunciation. As you\nknow, much of Japanese's pronunciation guidelines were derived from Chinese\nlanguage. Well, there are also derivatives of Korean words and original... | 2638 | 2640 | 2640 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2648",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I am wondering what the reading and meaning of 公け is in the following\nsentence: \n彼女のことが公けになることを好まず、ひそかに離縁しようと決心した。",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-15T03:11:55.600",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id"... | [
{
"body": "The reading is `おおやけ`. The meaning is 'public'. In this context, the person\ndoes not want (the existence of) her / girlfriend to become public.",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-15T03:32:47.703",
"id": "2647",
"last_activity_date":... | 2646 | 2648 | 2648 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I see 対応（たいおう） quite often, but I can't seem to grasp exactly what this word\nmeans or how to use it properly.\n\nChecking a dictionary I get about 5 different definitions, all quite different\nfrom one another.\n\nMy question is, what does this word actua... | [
{
"body": "In my opinion, the notion of 対応 that you will most likely run into in the wild\nis as follows:\n\n_showing a draft of a document for example_\n\n```\n\n A: Hey, you forgot to add X thing to the document\n B: すみませんでした、今すぐ対応します。\n \n```\n\nwhich means something like, \"Sorry, I'll deal with it... | 2649 | null | 2650 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2659",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "1) What is the difference between 言うな！ and 言ってんじゃねぇぞ!, in other words can we\nuse them interchangeably at all times?\n\n2) which is ruder?",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-15T07:23:22.737",
"favor... | [
{
"body": "1. The answer to this question is almost always no. (Why have more than one way to say the same thing, if there really is no difference?)\n\nIn technical terms, 言うな is an imperative form, whereas 言ってんじゃねえぞ is a slightly\nindirect request, of a similar form as 行くんだ (except in the negative). There's\na... | 2652 | 2659 | 2654 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2657",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I'm unsure of the difference between these four words. They all seem to\nindicate some type of \"condition\" or \"circumstances\".\n\n(1) Are they interchangeable? \n(2) What are some example sentences which show their differences.",
"comment_count": ... | [
{
"body": "* `状況` Situation\n\n> この状況からして、式は中止になるだろう。 \n> 'Judging from this situation, the ceremony will probably be canceled.'\n\n * `状態` State (mostly of a thing)\n\n> 散らかった状態の部屋 \n> 'room in a messy condition'\n>\n> 物質には4つの状態がある。固体、液体、気体、プラズマである。 \n> 'Mass has four states: solid, liquid, gas, and pla... | 2653 | 2657 | 2658 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2656",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "What nuance does \"ことなく\" have?\n\nIf we compare the following two sentences:\n\n(For example, at a footrace:)\n\n最後まで、あきらめ **ないで** 走ります！ \nvs \n最後まで、あきらめる **ことなく** 、走ります！\n\nIs ことなく stronger than simply saying ないで? Does ことなく show will and volition\n**... | [
{
"body": "I think both conveys the same meaning. ことなく is though a bit more formal. For\nexample, you'd be a bit surprised if a 10 year old would say ことなく, whereas ないで\nwould be very common.\n\nHowever, ことなく can be used in colloquial usage, especially if you are using 敬語.\nEven when you are talking in non 敬語, y... | 2655 | 2656 | 2656 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2664",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I can't find this in any dictionary, but it seems to mean something like\npicture. Is that right?\n\nI don't have an example sentence, because that word was the whole sentence.",
"comment_count": 8,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date... | [
{
"body": "I think it comes from 撮影【さつえい】 where つ becomes ちゅ for some reason (slang?). A\nbit like おやちゅみなさい.\n\nSeems to me that さちゅえい refers to\n[撮影会](http://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%92%AE%E5%BD%B1%E4%BC%9A&oldid=38536575)\nevents. There are many types of 撮影会 but the main ones are for amateur\nph... | 2661 | 2664 | 2664 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2663",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Consider this phrase:\n\n> 今は(event)二十分前です。\n\nDeconstruction of the above phrase yields:\n\n> Now is twenty minutes before (event).\n\n**(Q1)** Can I reconstruct the statement using 後 in this manner?:\n\n> 今は後で(event)に二十分がある。(I'm not sure if I used に co... | [
{
"body": "Notice that `は`is a topic marker, and there is often a corresponding form\nwithout the use of such particle. In this case, the correct standard form will\nbe using `から`\n\n> 今 **から** その式まで時間が後二十分ある。\n\n 1. When you topicalize a modifier (as opposed to an argument), the postposition cannot be omitted... | 2662 | 2663 | 2663 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2680",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "There are several adjectives that are formed by attaching 「手」 to more common\nadjectives:\n\n * 手厳しい\n * 手堅い\n * 手早い\n * 手広い\n * 手短い\n\nBut most of the time this does not seem to change the meaning of the adjective\nvery much.\n\n * 厳しい _severe; st... | [
{
"body": "It is an intensifier that attaches to a gradable adjective/adjectival noun.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-16T07:15:44.040",
"id": "2669",
"last_activity_date": "2011-08-16T07:15:44.040",
"last_edit_date": null,
"last_edi... | 2665 | 2680 | 2680 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2670",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "Consider these two sentences:\n\n> (1) 母はついてくるようにアリスに合図した (Mother signaled to Alice to follow her)\n>\n> (2) 父は手で私に部屋を出ていくように **`と`** 合図した。 (Father gestured to me to go out of the\n> room)\n\nAnd another sentence which I suspect has the same use of と as ... | [
{
"body": "The `と` in (1, 2) is the same `と` as used in quoting. It leads a subordinate\nclause. Unlike predicates like `言う` 'say', which can take direct or indirect\nquotation, predicates like `合図する` 'signal' cannot take quotation. It expresses\nan accompanied message. Without `と`, it is ambiguous. It may be a... | 2666 | 2670 | 2670 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2672",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I'm wondering whether it makes sense to say [v]ませんでしたら instead of [v]なかったら.\n\nWhen I googled for that conjugation there were very few results, but since\nthere _were_ results, I wonder if people actually use [v]ませんでしたら.\n\nFor example <http://homepage3.... | [
{
"body": "First of all, the person probably intended to write\n\n> お名前を聞きませんでしたからまた\n\nwhich is still wrong. It should not be in polite form, or `ので` should be used\ninstead.\n\n> お名前を聞かなかったから \n> お名前を聞きませんでしたので",
"comment_count": 2,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-16... | 2671 | 2672 | 2672 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "I've been meaning to ask this for a while.\n\nWhat is the difference between these 3 words. I was taught they all mean\n\"why\", but obviously, being different words they convey different nuance and\nwould be used in different situations.\n\nWhat would be ... | [
{
"body": "From dictionary@goo:\n\n * [なぜ](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/164059/m0u/%E3%81%AA%E3%81%9C/) is for asking 理由 (reason/motive) and 原因 (cause).\n\n * [どうして](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/srch/jn/%E3%81%A9%E3%81%86%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6/m0u/) covers なぜ usage, plus 方法 (method/process). Also, there is... | 2673 | null | 2674 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2679",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I found quite a few website tables and software conversors, but none that was\nboth complete and authoritative. Is there any place I can find such a list in\ndigital format?\n\n拡張新字体 would be a nice bonus, but what I’m really interested is the official\n... | [
{
"body": "The official list of [jōyō\nkanji](http://kokugo.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/joho/kijun/naikaku/kanji/joyokanjisakuin/)\n常用漢字 contains simplification information (e.g. 悪（惡） means \"悪, which is the\nshinjitai of 惡\").\n\nThe list of [jinmeiyō kanji](http://www.moj.go.jp/content/000058122.pdf) (PDF)\n人名... | 2676 | 2679 | 2679 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2678",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "According to\n[jisho.org](http://jisho.org/words?jap=tsukuru&eng=&dict=edict&common=on) they\nhave the same meaning. How to know which to use?",
"comment_count": 2,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-16T19:32:39.063",
"f... | [
{
"body": "This is one of the many cases where ancient Chinese had finer distinctions for\na single concept in ancient Japanese, which lead to the same pronunciation and\nvaried ways of writing in Japanese. As usual, there is a general one, in this\ncase `作る` 'make'. Then, there are the specific ones: `造る` 'cra... | 2677 | 2678 | 2678 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2685",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "I learnt:\n\n * 食べるところ：about to eat.\n * 食べているところ：in the middle of eating.\n * 食べたところ：just ate.\n * 食べたばかり：just ate.\n\nI would like to know if I can change ところ for とこ in spoken language.\n\nand if there is any difference between 食べたところ and 食べたばかり. w... | [
{
"body": "…したところ can be changed to …したとこ in informal speech.\n\n…したところ and …したばかり are almost synonymous. I feel that …したばかり has a stronger\nemphasis on how recent the event took place, and I am not very sure. There is\nno difference in politeness.",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0"... | 2681 | 2685 | 2685 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "# Japanese\n\n以下の文を比較すると、\n\n> でき得るならば、独立して事業を始めたい。\n>\n> できれば、独立して事業を始めたい。\n\n意味が同じですか？どう違いますか？すみませんが、説明して頂けませんか？\n\n# English\n\nIf we compare the following two sentences:\n\n> でき得るならば、独立して事業を始めたい。\n>\n> できれば、独立して事業を始めたい。\n\nIs the meaning the same? How ... | [
{
"body": "はい。同じ意味です。でも、\"できれば、独立して事業を始めたい\" はもっといいと思います。",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-17T03:18:08.050",
"id": "2684",
"last_activity_date": "2011-08-17T04:30:39.030",
"last_edit_date": "2011-08-17T04:30:39.030",
"last_editor_user... | 2682 | null | 2690 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2688",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I agree that ～たら is one practical tool that could express lots of meanings.\nbut sometimes it became one problem for students of japanese.\n\nIf I say:\n\n * 日本に行ったら、友達を訪ねます。\n\nit's : If I go to Japan, I will visit my friend.(?) \nor: When I get to Ja... | [
{
"body": "These examples sound more like \"when\" to me. If you wanted to emphasize an\n\"if\", you could add もし to the beginning.\n\n * もし日本に行ったら、．．．\n * もし卒業したら、．．．\n\nHowever, \"when\" may also carry a bit of uncertainty to it, so it's a little\nambiguous. \"When I go to Japan...\" You might be certain th... | 2686 | 2688 | 2688 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2708",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "I'm a little confused on the difference between [凍る]{こおる} and [凍える]{こごえる}.\n\nFrom what I've researched, it seems like 凍る focuses more on the physical\nprocess of something freezing, and the result being ice or frozen solid. Like\nwater freezing into ice... | [
{
"body": "I would agree with your general description: 凍る is physical freezing - usually\nof water or other liquid - or freezing cold. It is more objective (you can\nmeasure a freezing point). Exception: when used metaphorically as in 血{ち}も凍る\nwhich is probably close to the English \"blood-curdling\".\n\nIt ca... | 2687 | 2708 | 2708 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2719",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "Way back in the day when I was first learning Japanese, I learned that you\ncould add `ことができる` to a verb to indicate potential. Like so:\n\n> 食{た}べることができる\n>\n> _(I) can eat (something)_\n\nIt became my habitual way of expressing possibilities.\n\nThen l... | [
{
"body": "I think `～ことができる` has more to do with the potentiality (real word?) of things\nout of your control and `～（ら）れる` has more to do with your abilities or things\nyou can control.\n\n> * 雨が止んだら、テニスにいくことができるよ！ → After the rain stops, we'll be able to go play\n> tennis (can't control the rain).\n> * こつこ... | 2689 | 2719 | 2719 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2697",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Of course `来る` is most often read as `くる`. However, it can also be read as\n`きたる`. Is `きたる` mostly an archaic reading? Does it carry a different, or any\nadditional meanings?? When are \"appropriate\" (socially, grammatically, etc.)\ntimes to use it?",
... | [
{
"body": "Basically, it is literary (and archaic), but there are some situations when it\nis still appropriate to use it in a modern context.\n\n * In the sense of \"the coming [time or event]\" e.g. 来【きた】る土曜日 = \"the coming Saturday\"\n * Related to the above, in the form 来【きた】るべき, meaning \"the coming [thi... | 2693 | 2697 | 2697 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2763",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "I came across the phrase `言ったりしたら【いったりしたら】` in one of the\n[Tintin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Tintin) books I'm\nreading. It means something like \"if I say [it]\".\n\nWhat I can't figure out is how it's different from simply saying ... | [
{
"body": "I think there is an implication that there could have been other things done\nor showing lack of sequence that you get with 言ったりしたら but not 言ったら.\n\nMy geuss is that he is saying there where other things that could have been\ndone, but all tintin could think of was saying something.\n\nI couldn't tra... | 2694 | 2763 | 2695 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2699",
"answer_count": 4,
"body": "Is wasei-eigo or wasei-kango looked down upon by Japanese language purists (as\nopposed to English or Chinese purists!) as informal, inauthentic, incorrect or\nthe like?",
"comment_count": 5,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date": "201... | [
{
"body": "I think most people don't even know whether a word is wasei-eigo. Just to give\nyou a sense, there are plenty of people who think `パン`, `バイト`, and `アベック` come\nfrom English. I think most won't care if they find that out (which they do\nbecause sometimes the TV discusses this. For most people it's jus... | 2698 | 2699 | 2699 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": null,
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "> 焼き鳥屋さんで集まった **のですが** 、とても楽しい、かつ有意義な時間を過ごしました。",
"comment_count": 1,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
"creation_date": "2011-08-17T10:49:19.867",
"favorite_count": 0,
"id": "2700",
"last_activity_date": "2020-12-24T17:08:57.577",
"last_edi... | [
{
"body": "～のですが (or ～のですけれども, or ～んだけど, or any of a number of variants) is often used in\nthis way to \"set the stage\" and provide a context for a succeeding clause or\nsentence. Here, the purpose of ～のですが is to mark information that will help the\nlistener understand the second half of the sentence. As such,... | 2700 | null | 2705 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2704",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Is it true that only girls will use うち to refer to themselves?\n\nSo when a guy say うち he is referring to his in-group / company / family, and\nnot referring to himself, right?",
"comment_count": 0,
"content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"creation_date... | [
{
"body": "うち is mostly used by girls to refer to themselves, but this usage is only\ncommon in Kansai-ben and perhaps other regional dialects as well, and it is\ngenerally not considered to be part of standard Japanese. See\n<http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q148192694>\n\nSo to answer y... | 2701 | 2704 | 2704 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2784",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "Initially I wanted to compare the rudeness level of `[v]ないでくれ。` and`[v]な。` but\nsince that may be a rather vague question:\n\n 1. In what situation is it appropriate to use `[v]ないでくれ。` but not `[v]な。` ?\n\n 2. In what situation is it appropriate to use... | [
{
"body": "* [v]な is an order, in plain imperative form: \"Don't [v].\"\n * [v]ないでくれ is a request/plea: \"Please don't [v].\" (It is basically the plain form of [v]ないでください, since 〜てくださる is the respectful form 尊敬語 of 〜てくれる.)\n\nBoth [v]な and [v]ないでくれ are in plain form and cannot be used in situations\nwhere res... | 2702 | 2784 | 2784 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2709",
"answer_count": 2,
"body": "[An entry of Tae Kim's\nblog](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2008/07/26/on-the-possible-origin-\nof-%E3%80%8C%E5%87%BA%E6%9D%A5%E3%82%8B%E3%80%8D/) suggested that 出来る came\nfrom Chinese word 出来 that does have the nuance of potentiality, but the most... | [
{
"body": "First, a general comment: one must always remember that there are two major\ncategories of ‘native’ Japanese words, namely the true native vocabulary\ninherited from the prehistoric Japanese language, and the nativised vocabulary\nimported from Chinese. Although there are some words whose classificat... | 2706 | 2709 | 18068 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2741",
"answer_count": 3,
"body": "Putting な after a plain verb turns it into [negative\nimperative](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/1585/about-the-part-\nin-negative-imperative-verb-form-e-g).\n\nBut I noticed that in spoken Japanese, putting な after conjunctive form (連用形)\n... | [
{
"body": "By popular demand:\n\nThat's not the negative imperative particle. Rather, it's an abbreviation of\nなさい, probably via the elided form なはい or なあ. See\n[here](http://www.excite.co.jp/dictionary/japanese/?search=%E3%81%AA&match=beginswith&itemid=14953500).\nIt's colloquial _and_ standard (meaning everyo... | 2707 | 2741 | 2741 |
{
"accepted_answer_id": "2736",
"answer_count": 1,
"body": "**In a professional setting, would two professors/doctors/lawyers—who would\nnormally be addressed as \"sensei\"—refer to _each other_ (as peers) using\n\"sensei\"?**\n\nNote: This question used to be asking about Japanese formality in English. Now\nI'm ... | [
{
"body": "_(now that the question is finally on-topic, I am happy to contribute my 2\nyens ;-)_\n\nThe general use of 先生 (sensei) when addressing a professor/doctor/etc. is\nalready [discussed elsewhere on\nJLU](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/423/is-the-use-of-and-\nsimilar-titles-context-sensiti... | 2710 | 2736 | 2736 |
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