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{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 2, "body": "While learning Japanese I'd like to watch some Japanese television, whether it\nis children's programming, drama, or news.\n\nI've found a few places online that allowed me to stream snippets, but nowhere\nto watch full shows. Is there a service similar to Hulu that has Japanese\nprogramming?", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T18:51:07.397", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "1", "last_activity_date": "2012-07-12T02:52:40.387", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-29T06:24:50.560", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "6", "post_type": "question", "score": 15, "tags": [ "resources" ], "title": "What are good sources for streaming Japanese language television?", "view_count": 5858 }

[ { "body": "<http://tvfromjapan.blog.fc2.com/blog-category-21.html>\n\n<http://wwitv.com/television/106.htm>\n\n<http://multilingualbooks.com/online-tv-japanese.html>\n\n<http://beelinetv.com/>\n\n[http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/?play_vc24&all](http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/?play_vc24&all)\n\n<http://www.ustream.tv/technology>\n\n<http://watch.squidtv.net/asia/japan.html>\n\n<http://tv.atcommons.com/>", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T18:53:26.953", "id": "2", "last_activity_date": "2012-07-12T02:52:40.387", "last_edit_date": "2012-07-12T02:52:40.387", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "14", "parent_id": "1", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 }, { "body": "<http://www.viki.com/> has some in a variety of languages, but many in\nJapanese. The subtitles are likewise available in several languages, sometimes\nincluding the transcripted original Japanese. I'm not sure how good the\ncontent is though, since I only saw ドラマ which isn't my thing.\n\nThey seem to be a legitimate business with VC funding, so I don't think it's a\npiracy site, which is a plus.\n\n<http://www.youtube.com/user/tokyomx> is a news channel available on YouTube.\nThe really nice thing is that many of their videos have Closed Captioning in\nJapanese (click the CC button on the video). So you can read the Japanese as\nthey speak it.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T18:56:43.457", "id": "4", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:02:22.360", "last_edit_date": "2011-05-31T19:02:22.360", "last_editor_user_id": "16", "owner_user_id": "16", "parent_id": "1", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "11", "answer_count": 4, "body": "I came across a Japanese girl in Germany who talked using words like あたし\ninstead of わたし, or ちっちゃい instead of ちいさい. When I asked her, she said that\nthese words or usages of words are more common in Japan.\n\n * Is this true?\n * How does the majority of Japanese people judge this?\n * Shall learners pay attention to such details or avoid this topic entirely?", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T18:54:00.623", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "3", "last_activity_date": "2014-02-14T00:28:08.837", "last_edit_date": "2012-05-30T13:42:29.113", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "7", "post_type": "question", "score": 21, "tags": [ "words", "colloquial-language", "register", "spoken-language", "diminutives" ], "title": "Commonness of casual phrases like \"あたし\" and \"ちっちゃい\"", "view_count": 3810 }

[ { "body": "Yes, they're common, but those words in particular are very casual and あたし is\nonly used by girls. Many women will not use it since it's so effeminate, but\nit's not uncommon.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T18:58:37.357", "id": "6", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T18:58:37.357", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "16", "parent_id": "3", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Only girls would use this kind of language, especially high school girls. If\nadults use it, it wouldn't sound right. You definatley couldn't use it within\na business!\n\nI think they use this kind of language to be kinda cute.\n\nIf you're learning the language, you should of course learn the proper words\nand maybe just look at these kind of feminisms to be aware of it to\nunderstand.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:01:04.093", "id": "10", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:01:04.093", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "21", "parent_id": "3", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Atashi is for females. Chicchai can be seen as more emphatic \"tiny\". They are\nboth quite common. Remember that in most textbooks for any language the most\nideal form of the language (often judged so by prescriptive grammarians) is\ntaught. As you familiarize yourself with real world usage (through travel,\nfriends, and media) you will discover all sorts of words you were never taught\nbecause they seemed \"too casual\". DO pay attention because casual speech is\nappropriate for casual situations; nothing sets you apart as a gaijin more\nthan using polite speech in every single conversation you have.", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:01:13.953", "id": "11", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:01:13.953", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "3", "post_type": "answer", "score": 24 }, { "body": "あたし ( _atashi_ ) is the female version of 私 for referring to yourself. わたし (\n_watashi_ ) is the neutral form for that, so you can use it always. あたし is\nonly used by females, while 僕 (ぼく, _boku_ ) one of multiple possibilities for\nmales is (although 僕 by itself is rather informal).\n\nThere are many words that are dependent on who it says, or who it is\naddressed. あたし is just one example there.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:01:18.617", "id": "12", "last_activity_date": "2014-02-14T00:28:08.837", "last_edit_date": "2014-02-14T00:28:08.837", "last_editor_user_id": "8", "owner_user_id": "8", "parent_id": "3", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 9, "body": "When a person is learning は and が in terms of particles, what are the best way\nto relate them to English equivalents?\n\nThe closest I can come to explaining them to others is \"the\" and \"a\" but I'm\nnot sure if there's a better way to explain them.\n\nThis applies to other particles as well:\n\nの relates to [of] or ['s]\n\nへ relates to [towards] etc.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:00:05.860", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "7", "last_activity_date": "2016-02-11T15:20:34.457", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-27T01:05:25.247", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "17", "post_type": "question", "score": 15, "tags": [ "grammar", "translation", "particles" ], "title": "What are other language equivalents to Japanese particles?", "view_count": 4470 }

[ { "body": "The problem is that as you learn more about particles you will come to realize\nthat not all of them have simple equivalents in other languages. Some express\ndifferent ideas based on what they are attached to (e.g. 電車で (\"by train\"), 鉛筆で\n(\"with a pencil\")), and others would require modifying the translation in\nvarious ways (に used to create an adverb from an adj-な).", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:10:53.510", "id": "17", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:10:53.510", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "parent_id": "7", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I think it would be fairly safe to say there are no exact English equivalents.\nGrammar concepts between two completely different language families rarely\nhave a 1:1 mapping between them.\n\nIt would be best not to try to come up with English \"equivalents\" to particles\nsuch as は and が. It will only confuse you when it inevitably won't work in all\nsituations. Personally I think that the correct usage and nuance differences\nbetween は and が are something that is best learnt by just reading a lot. I\ncouldn't explain when exactly to use which if asked - but I can tell you which\none to use in a certain situation.\n\nAnd this applies to all particles. Even の has a dozen other uses besides\nsimple ['s].", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:11:53.300", "id": "18", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:11:53.300", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "7", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "I'm afraid I don't think there is a 1-1 equivalent in English for は and が.\n\nOne explanation is what you've described there i.e. 'the' and 'a' and that\nanalogy will get you a little mileage, but unfortunately doesn't cover all\nusage.\n\nFor example:\n\n私はビールが好きです。\n\nHere it's used to show what it is you like (in this case beer). I'd recommend\ngetting used to the idea of not having clear mappings between English and\nJapanese, or you're going to struggle later.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:12:37.300", "id": "21", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:12:37.300", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "33", "parent_id": "7", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "There are no English equivalents to Japanese particles.\n\nSome, like に and へ, correspond fairly closely to prepositions, but many other\nparticles fulfill roles that in English are fulfilled by word order, sentence\nconstruction, or tone of voice. Some may not have an English equivalent at\nall.\n\nFor example:\n\n * The sentence-ending particles like か, ね, and よ indicate tone (questioning, expectation of agreement, and informational respectively). In English tone would be indicated by tone of voice, or by ending punctuation.\n * The particles の and ん indicate that a sentence is an attempt to explain some fact or present some conclusion. For instance, say you decided to leave a friend's party early. They might ask you \" _tsumaranai n desu ka_ \" : is it _due to the fact_ that the party is boring that you're leaving?\n * Particles like は, が, and を mark the topic, subject and object of a sentence, respectively. In English this is usually indicated by word order: \"The dog bit the girl\" vs. \"The girl bit the dog.\"\n * Some particles, like だらけ and なんて, can even indicate the feelings the speaker has about the preceding word.\n\nTrying to find exact English equivalents for Japanese particles is futile.\nInstead, focus on learning about the clever roles particles fulfill in\nJapanese grammar.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:29:17.663", "id": "29", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:29:17.663", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "7", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Prepositions, and their equivalents postpositions and case inflections\n(declensions), are some of the most idiosyncratic aspects of languages and do\nnot map well from language to language. Learners tend to have difficulties in\nthese areas because a lot of rote memory or experience is required to become\ngood at them.\n\nThe Japanese language concept of particles doesn't even map neatly to these\naspects of other languages though with English there seems to be greatest\noverlap between English prepositions and Japanese particles compared to other\nEnglish parts of speech.\n\nHaving said that, Korean has a much better alignment of particles to Japanese\nthan does English. Some even have the same or very close pronunciations\nbetween the two languages:\n\n * Japanese \"が\" (ga) : Korean \"가\" (ga) -- indicate the subject of a sentence\n * Japanese \"へ\" (e) : Korean \"에\" (e) -- indicate movement towards something\n\nThese are close in sound as well as meaning but there are more which are\nsimilar in meaning only. Also \"가\" (ga) is only used after vowels whereas \"이\"\n(i) is used after consonants.\n\nAside from Korean and aside from prepositions I have found that some languages\nhave a particle which indicates the direct object like \"を\" (wo), but usually\nonly under various circumstances:\n\n * Hebrew \"את\" (at) - Only when the direct object is semantically definite.\n * Korean \"을\" (eul) / \"를\" (reul) - Like many Korean particles, this works very similar to the Japanese particle.\n * Romanian \"pe\" - Only used when the direct object is 1) a proper noun; the name of a person or animal 2) a common noun referring to a specific person, generally known to both the speaker and listener 3) a common noun acting as a metaphor for a person 4) a common noun in a construction in which the subject and the direct object are the same noun and they precede the predicate.\n * Spanish \"a\" - Only used before words referring to people, pets, or personified objects or places that function as direct objects. This is called \"personal a\".", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T18:10:10.153", "id": "342", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-21T08:23:06.867", "last_edit_date": "2011-07-21T08:23:06.867", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "125", "parent_id": "7", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "Note: I am not a linguist, nor do I have lots of experience with \"other\"\nlanguages. This is something I read some time ago, I don't actually even have\na credible source...\n\nIn some languages, at least Polish (of which I am a native speaker) and some\nother Indo-European languages (slavic, Latin...), words have multiple\n[cases](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_case) which are used to\ndenote relations between words. In Polish there is a base word which can be\nmodified into cases (with some _very_ rough mapping--again, no 1-1 mapping\npossible):\n\n```\n\n szkoła (\"school\", the root is \"szkoł\")\n szkoły (used in negations and as genitive, like の, negative は, ...)\n szkole (locative, like で, に)\n szkołę (accusative, like　を)\n \n```\n\n...and so on (Polish has 7 cases, some languages have [much\nmore](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsez_language)). As you can see, the\ndifference is in the suffix, although some of the suffixes actually modify the\nroot part of the word.\n\nThere is a hypothesis that even in slavic languages those suffixes come from\ndistinct words that were simply appended to the base word -- but later when\nthose languages developed further, those suffixes were merged into the base\nword. And the hypothesis claims that in Japanese this process has simply not\nhappened due to some unknown reason. So while English has dropped the cases\nsystem, quite a lot of languages might had a similar mechanism which was\nsimilar to Japanese particles.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-09-11T12:49:41.830", "id": "3102", "last_activity_date": "2011-09-11T12:49:41.830", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "142", "parent_id": "7", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "As for the title of the question, when I first started Japanese, word\nparticles reminded me a lot of noun/pronoun declensions in Latin. The basic\nones cover real similar areas - things like topic/subject, direct object,\nfirst noun modifies another (genitive), etc. And a lot of the idea is the\nsame. Where there's not a whole lot of (or in the case of Classical Latin,\nliterally no) mandated word order, you instead just kind of take the basic\nnoun or pronoun and put something at the end of it. Same thing goes for\nomitting the subject. The concepts may be a little different, but they're\nstill similar.\n\nThe description of the question though focuses on English. I wouldn't really\ncompare them to anything in this language. I mean, we've got prepositions and\nconjunctions, and they're kind of similar, but there's a little too much\ndifference there. I would agree with you for の being like [of] or ['s]\n(genitive case, Latin by the way), and maybe for へ as well; but there's not\nreally any similarity between them and specifically English articles, and を in\nparticular has no equivalent word in English.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-02-25T04:28:39.570", "id": "14605", "last_activity_date": "2014-02-25T04:28:39.570", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1771", "parent_id": "7", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Playing necromancer a bit...\n\nWhen it comes to equating them to analogous elements in other languages, the\nmajor Japanese particles can be thought of as case markers. For example:\n\n * は = nominative case (indicates the subject)\n * が = dative case (indirect object)\n * を = accusative case (direct object)\n * の = genitive case (possession)\n * で = locative case (where things are happening) or instrumental case (tool the action was performed with)\n * に、へ = locative case again\n * から = ablative case (movement from something)\n\nThese are general approximations, but hopefully they get the point across.\n\nAdmittedly, part of the reason I took up Japanese was so that I didn't have to\nwork with Romance grammar, but the fact is that the same distinctions appear\nin most every language; it's just a matter of figuring out how they are\nindicated.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-03-17T22:32:45.027", "id": "14917", "last_activity_date": "2014-03-17T22:32:45.027", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "4914", "parent_id": "7", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "I teach Japanese, and have the basic particles pretty well sussed out for\nteaching purposes. I recently began to take up learning Latin. I had already\nencountered Korean and the almost but not quite mirror imaging of\npostpositional particles. But Latin for an English speaker provides the best\ncomparison, but it is most definitely NOT a 1:1 comparison. For example は has\nno counterpart, and should simply be explained away as the \"topic marker\", or\n\"topic case\". I think が is closer to being the nominative case. A great\nsentence is 象は鼻が長いです。The topic is the elephant, and the subject is the nose.\n\nTo the learner, で seems to cover a multitude of usages, until you tie\neverything together and label it the ablative of instrument. For the\naccusative, を is a no-brainer, and I am leaning more to the idea of に being\nthe dative. And the simple genitive is of course の. This in no way is a\ncomplete comparison - and there are many more particles, double particles, and\nso on.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2016-02-11T12:16:50.793", "id": "31080", "last_activity_date": "2016-02-11T15:20:34.457", "last_edit_date": "2016-02-11T15:20:34.457", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "12501", "parent_id": "7", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 4, "body": "I often run into kanji that I don't recognize and need some way to translate\nthem into kana, so that I'm able to look up the meaning.\n\nWhat's the most useful utility (in any form, web-based, application, iPhone\nprogram, etc) for performing this task? Something where I can draw in the\nkanji and have it identify it from that is probably best.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:00:19.947", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "8", "last_activity_date": "2015-04-17T15:43:32.267", "last_edit_date": "2014-04-16T04:24:39.747", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "32", "post_type": "question", "score": 5, "tags": [ "kanji", "resources", "writing-identification" ], "title": "What's the best utility for identifying kanji?", "view_count": 5171 }

[ { "body": "There are dozens of methods and approaches. Some you might have heard of are\n\"Bushu radical decomposition\", \"SKIP\", stroke-reading (as you directly copy\nthe kanji).\n\n<http://jisho.org/kanji/radicals/> is a pretty handy method if you're decent\nat decomposing kanji into radicals.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:01:51.643", "id": "13", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:01:51.643", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "29", "parent_id": "8", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "If you have a Nintendo DS then\n[漢字そのまま楽引辞典](http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/arjj/) (Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki\nJiten) is a great tool. It accepts kanji and kana entry via the touchscreen,\nand includes a JP->EN dictionary, a EN->JP dictionary, and a JP->JP\ndictionary.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:06:16.493", "id": "14", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:06:16.493", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "parent_id": "8", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "One tool for identify kanji is SKIP Codes, which were developed by Jack\nHalpern for his kanji dictionary. It works even if you don't quite know kanji\nradicals, much less the primary radical in a kanji.\n\n[basic-japanese.com](http://www.basic-japanese.com/Hilfsdateien/skipCode.html)\nhas some information about how to determine the skip code for a kanji.From\nthere you need a dictionary that understands skip codes.\n\n[Kanjidic](http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/kanjidic.html) includes SKIP\ncodes and is free. You can search it for example\n[here](http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-bin/wwwjdic.cgi?1B).\n\nJapanese.app for iPhones is one such tool with a good UI that makes skip codes\neasy to use:\n\n\n\nThere's also the iPhone Chinese handwriting keyboard for trying to reproduce\nthe kanji directly, but I've had limited success with that since Japanese is\nneither Traditional nor Simplified Chinese.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:09:41.420", "id": "16", "last_activity_date": "2015-04-17T15:43:32.267", "last_edit_date": "2015-04-17T15:43:32.267", "last_editor_user_id": "3275", "owner_user_id": "38", "parent_id": "8", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The first thing you need is a little knowledge about the radicals. If you can\nbreak a kanji down into it's radicals, you can look it up in books and\nelectronic dictionaries. It makes it easier to understand the kanji too, since\nyou can identify its parts. If you can name a few of them, you can often type\nthe names into an electronic dictionary to filter choices. Here's a couple of\nplaces to learn:\n\nNames of many radicals:\n<http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa070101a.htm>\n\nRadicals by stroke count: <http://nuthatch.com/kanji/demo/radicals.html>\n\nA dictionary lookup with radicals: <http://jisho.org/kanji/radicals/>\n\nThe next thing you need is to know about stroke order. Learn the general\nrules, like write left-to-right, and how a horizontal, then vertical stroke\ncount as one (like in 口, which has 3 strokes, not 4). You can learn most of\nthese rules by learning the first 30 or so basic kanji.\n\nWith these two things, you're ready to look up kanji in a book, but it is\ntedious doing it that way. Instead of this, find a touch-screen device and get\nsome software for it. Nintendo makes a good dictionary for DS, and iPhones or\niPads work well.\n\nWith iPhones, iPads (and even the touchpad on a newer MacBook) you can write\nin Chinese characters, but they still don't have support for Japanese kanji.\nPlenty of the Chinese characters are the same as Japanese kanji, but there are\nenough differences to make you confused. Find an app with a custom input\nmethod instead. I use\n[Daijirin](http://www.monokakido.jp/iphone/daijirin.html) to write in kanji,\nand it has a custom input method. After I find it, I either search in that\napp, or copy and paste into another app.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:39:26.683", "id": "38", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:39:26.683", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "36", "parent_id": "8", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "263", "answer_count": 4, "body": "I am a native Japanese speaker with a casual interest in languages. I\nsometimes have trouble explaining the Japanese grammar in English because I do\nnot know the established English translation of some technical terms in the\nJapanese grammar such as _joshi_ (助詞). (In this particular case, it seems that\n_joshi_ is usually translated as “particle.”)\n\nI can look up a Japanese-English dictionary for this purpose, but is there any\nmore easily accessible list of technical terms, preferably freely available\nonline?\n\n_Added_ : I know several general Japanese-English dictionaries and translation\nservices freely available online, which can be used to satisfy my need but not\nin the most convenient way. I am looking for a simple table of technical terms\nin the Japanese grammar written both in Japanese and in English, which may\nlook like:\n\n> * 文: sentence\n> * 段落: paragraph\n> * 名詞: noun\n> * 動詞: verb\n> * 助詞: particle\n> * …\n>", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:00:30.583", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "9", "last_activity_date": "2014-04-27T06:51:10.063", "last_edit_date": "2014-04-27T06:51:10.063", "last_editor_user_id": "4914", "owner_user_id": "15", "post_type": "question", "score": 23, "tags": [ "translation", "resources", "terminology" ], "title": "Is there an easily accessible list of terms in the Japanese grammar written both in Japanese and English?", "view_count": 4507 }

[ { "body": "Sounds like you are looking for a technical dictionary (i.e. [Japanese -\nEnglish Dictionary of Technical\nTerms](http://www.kanji.org/cjk/samples/japterm.htm)) which is more or less\nthe Japanese term followed by the English term and the reading. These tend to\nbe very specialized and domain specific (e.g. Computers/IT, medical, etc) so a\nstandard dictionary may or may not have all of the terms you are looking for.\n\nIn regards to finding such a resource, you might be better off looking for one\nwhat was written for native Japanese speakers trying to learn English as most\nof the resources I've been able to find (i.e [Japanese Grammatical\nTerms](http://thejapanesepage.com/terms.htm)) appear quite limited.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:39:35.920", "id": "63", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:39:35.920", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "9", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I found a [list of English grammar terms in Japanese](http://www.alse-\nnet.com/column/grammar-terms.htm), and a very exhaustive list of [English\ngrammatical terms](http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary.html) which you could\nuse with a dictionary to compile your own list. The Japanese-English list\nisn't authoritative, but has a good enough translation for many terms.", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:46:23.847", "id": "66", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:46:23.847", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "36", "parent_id": "9", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I found three fairly comprehensive lists online; each covers slightly\ndifferent areas.\n\n * <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Japanese/Vocabulary/Linguistics>\n * <http://thejapanesepage.com/w/index.php?title=Grammatical_terms>\n * <http://www.omegawiki.org/Part_of_speech/jpn>", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T07:28:12.267", "id": "263", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T07:28:12.267", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "9", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "Section 5 of the [ipadic user\nmanual](http://sourceforge.jp/projects/ipadic/docs/ipadic-2.7.0-manual-\nen.pdf/en/1/ipadic-2.7.0-manual-en.pdf.pdf) (warning: 271KB PDF) has a list of\nJapanese parts of speech which seems quite exhaustive. Each entry includes the\nname for the part of speech in both Japanese and English, an explanation in\nEnglish and several Japanese examples.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-07-27T10:35:40.157", "id": "6293", "last_activity_date": "2012-07-27T10:35:40.157", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1548", "parent_id": "9", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 1, "body": "Japanese uses both native and Chinese numbering numbering systems, the Sino-\nJapanese pronunciations being いち, に, さん, etc. and the native being ひと, ふた, み,\netc. For the most part they are used for different things. However, numbers\npast 10 generally always use the sino pronunciations in modern Japanese, with\nsome exceptions like 二十日 (はつか) or when fossilized in words such as 八百長\n(やおちょう). To different degrees, Sino- and native numbering systems are also\nused in Vietnamese and Korean (and maybe others?). When did the Japanese start\nusing Chinese numbers? When did native numbers past 10 fall into disuse?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:11:57.167", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "19", "last_activity_date": "2014-06-04T07:27:15.093", "last_edit_date": "2014-06-04T07:27:15.093", "last_editor_user_id": "24", "owner_user_id": "24", "post_type": "question", "score": 12, "tags": [ "numbers", "chinese", "language-change", "history" ], "title": "Japanese/Chinese numbers usage timeline", "view_count": 1008 }

[ { "body": "八百長 (やおちょう) is one word, if you extract first two \"八百\", it will become \"はっぴゃく\"\n(meaning - 800) there is no relation between those two.\n\nRegarding the word \"八百長\" timeline,\n[Wikipedia](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E9%95%B7), and\nGogen guide, it started to be used in the Meiji Era (1868–1912).", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:57:37.223", "id": "162", "last_activity_date": "2014-04-16T04:53:31.337", "last_edit_date": "2014-04-16T04:53:31.337", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "19", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "51", "answer_count": 5, "body": "When is it correct to use は but not が, and when is it correct to use が but not\nは? Are there any times when you can use either without changing the meaning of\nthe sentence? How does switching change the meaning of a sentence?", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:13:38.343", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "22", "last_activity_date": "2021-06-24T06:38:36.017", "last_edit_date": "2014-07-02T05:55:43.583", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "36", "post_type": "question", "score": 193, "tags": [ "grammar", "particles", "particle-は", "particle-が", "は-and-が" ], "title": "What's the difference between wa (は) and ga (が)?", "view_count": 42901 }

[ { "body": "は and が are a bit complex because they have several meanings, and some of the\nshades of meaning of wa and ga are a bit hard to distinguish casually.\n\nThe best coverage of this that I have read is [\"The Structure of the Japanese\nLanguage\"](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/0262110490) by Susumu\nKuno (written in English). I'm going to attempt to synthesize some of that\nhere, but Kuno's explanation is much more complete. I wrote most of this as an\nanswer to a similar question on an internet forum about a year ago, so if you\nfind it there, that's me too.\n\nThere are two meanings to は, and three for が. は is used for contrast and\nthematic reference. が is used as a direct object marker for certain\nverbs/verbals, an exhaustive subject marker, and as a 'neutral-descriptive'.\n\nは is often called the 'topic marker', in contrast to the 'subject marker' of\nが, but the key difference is context. Imagine, if you will, a big box of\nthings that have been mentioned in a conversation. We'll call this box the\n\"universe of discourse\". Certain constructions can only be used with things\nthat are in this \"universe\". This sounds ridiculously abstract, until you\nrealize that we do this in English as well.\n\n**English Anaphoric Phrases** :\n\n> The boy was bouncing a ball off the store wall.\n\nis not a valid sentence in isolation.\n\nNow, several of you are freaking out right now, since that seems like a\nperfectly reasonable English phrase. It is... but not without context. If I\nstart the conversation with that phrase, I've left out enough important\ndetails that you'd be reasonable to suspect I was playing a game of quotations\n(or insane...).\n\n> I saw a boy in Wallgreen's last night. The boy was bouncing a ball off the\n> store wall.\n\nprovides the needed context. The first sentence introduces a boy into the\ncontext of the conversation, the \"universe of discourse\", and \"The\" selects\nhim out of it as the particular object I wish to make a statement on.\n\n> A boy was bouncing a ball off the store wall in Wallgreen's.\n\nis perfectly reasonable. From this we can see that we use \"A\" to introduce\nelements to our \"universe of discourse\", and \"the\" to select them out. There\nare several things that are considered to be always in this universe, such as\npersonal referents. Note my first example is perfectly fine if your listener\nis aware you have a son. This can get a bit messy in English, so let's head to\nJapanese before the analogy fails.\n\n**Thematic wa**\n\nIn Japanese, the thematic は is used with generic noun phrases (\"the brits\") or\nthings that are already in the universe of discourse. It's sometimes tricky to\nnail down exactly what is there, but the general idea is that you don't\nintroduce things to the conversation using thematic は。 This is why you cannot\nuse question words with は, the non-specified referent cannot be in the\nuniverse of discourse. (だれは来ましたか?) <\\--- BAD! INVALID! DO NOT USE!\n\n**Contrastive wa**\n\nContrastive は, on the other hand, is much more free, and this partly explains\nwhy 「雨は降っていますが、たいしたことはありません」 is valid, while 「雨は降っています。」 is not.** Note that\nthis is more complicated than the textbook contrastive は, as the contrast\nextends through the meaning of the final predicate, not just the things before\nthe は marker.\n\nAnd unfortunately it can be ambiguous which は you're looking at. Kuno's\nexample is 「わたくしが知っている人はパーティーに来ませんでした」. If read as thematic は (if you were\ntalking about all the people you know... such as all your new Japanese\nfriends), it means \"Speaking of the people I know, they did not come to the\nparty\". If you read it as contrastive, it means \"People came to the party, but\nnone that I know.\"\n\nThere can be only one thematic は in a sentence. If you see a second one, the\nsecond is certainly contrastive, and the first might be.\n\n**On to が...** The first meaning of が is trivial, the direct object of certain\nverbs, particularly those having to do with personal capability or preference,\nreplacing the normal direct object particle を, e.g.「だれが映画が好きですか？」. This is\nadequately covered elsewhere, and aside from the curious subset of verbs on\nwhich this is used, is mostly uninteresting.\n\n**Exhaustive listing ga vs neutral description ga**\n\nThe other two meanings, exhaustive-listing and neutral description, are a bit\ntricky to understand. Any が can be an exhaustive-listing が, but neutral\ndescription only works with action verbs, existential verbs, and\nadjectives/nominal adjectives that represent state change. \"Sentences of\nneutral description present an objectively observable action, existence, or\ntemporary state as a new event.\" Neutral description is a valid way of\nintroducing something to the universe of discourse, but it is far from the\nonly one.\n\n**For predicates with stative verbs or adjectives/nominal-adjectives of\npermanent states, が can only be interpreted as exhaustive-listing.**\nExhaustive-listing works similar to contrastive は, implying contrast to the\nrest of the universe of discourse.\n\n> A:「だれが日本語を知っていますか？」 B:「ジョンが日本語できます」\n\nできる is a non-action verb, so this is exhaustive-listing. Assume that we are\ntalking about the three new students: Jon, Bill and Tom. If B knows that Jon\nand Tom can both speak Japanese, B just lied. If B knows Jon can speak\nJapanese, but doesn't know about the others, the contrastive は is appropriate\nto use instead of が.\n\nNote that this is only a quick overview of the whole topic, and each of these\nuses has special-cases that bends the rules... but this is a decent summary of\nthe common cases.\n\n** It's very hard to think of a valid way to introduce rain (in a non-general\nway) to the conversation without it falling. I'm sure someone can dream up a\nway for it to work, but for the general meaning of \"it's raining\", は is not\ncorrect.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:11:02.657", "id": "51", "last_activity_date": "2021-06-24T06:38:36.017", "last_edit_date": "2021-06-24T06:38:36.017", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "29", "parent_id": "22", "post_type": "answer", "score": 176 }, { "body": "If you already speak a little Japanese, compare these:\n\n> _Aiko-chan ga suki desu_ \n> I like (love) Aiko.\n\n> _Aiko-chan wa suki desu_ \n> Aiko likes it.\n\nI read a lot about this, theory about subjects and objects, but for some\nreason, this simple example (heard once I'd had a few months in Japan) most\nhelped me to \"get it\".", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-08T00:13:32.073", "id": "760", "last_activity_date": "2016-12-22T10:25:32.440", "last_edit_date": "2016-12-22T10:25:32.440", "last_editor_user_id": "14627", "owner_user_id": "220", "parent_id": "22", "post_type": "answer", "score": 32 }, { "body": "In my opinion, it is a bit of a mistake to think of は as being in opposition\nto が. There are times where は marks things that have nothing to do with the\nsubject of the sentence. There are times where you have to choose between は\nand を for example.\n\n今はどうしようかな？ = What should I do now? Sometimes the は will be left off, but が\ncould never be used here because it's not the subject (the subject is implied\nto be the speaker -- or it could be the listener or whoever the context\nsuggests). The function of は in a sentence like this is contrastive... \"I'll\ndo such and such tomorrow, but what should I do _now_?\"\n\nAs for when は replaces を, consider a sentence such as 魚はよく食べるけど、寿司はあまり食べない。\nHere you're contrasting the two things: \"As for fish, I eat it often, but as\nfor sushi, I rarely eat it.\"\n\nThink of は as separate from the subject of the sentence. Think of 私はもう行きます not\nas \"I'm going now\", but rather something more like \"As for me, I'm going now.\"\nNotice how \"me\" occurs twice in the latter sentence (the second time under the\nguise of \"I\", but both are 私). The 私は says \"We're gonna talk about me and what\nI'm gonna do.\" You could add 私が after it for the \"I\" in \"I'm going\" -- but why\nwould you? We already know that you're the one who's going to be going, since\n\"As for me, he's going\" would make no sense. I did this in my translation of\nthe fish/sushi example, too; notice the way I worded it when a more natural\ntranslation would have been \"I eat fish often, but I rarely eat sushi.\"\n\nAnother thing that helps is to imagine sentences as answering questions, even\nif the questions weren't actually asked. For example, to grasp the difference\nbetween 太郎さんは学生です and 太郎さんが学生です, consider that the former answers the question\n\"Who is Tarō-san?\" (太郎さんは誰ですか？) and the latter answers the question, \"Who is\nthe student?\" (誰が学生ですか？).\n\nThe book Making Sense of Japanese goes into more depth about this sort of\nstuff.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-08T03:17:08.653", "id": "780", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-08T05:31:44.983", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-08T05:31:44.983", "last_editor_user_id": "224", "owner_user_id": "224", "parent_id": "22", "post_type": "answer", "score": 23 }, { "body": "I think we should also mention that は is often favored by native speakers in\nnegative statements (but is context-dependent too). This may be a variant of\nthe contrastive-marker function, but you don't always need to explicitly state\nwhat it is contrasting. \n田中：バナナ **が** 好きですか。 \n山下：いいえ。バナナ **は** 好きじゃないです。\n\nSo in negative statements, the contrast is often implied by は rather than\nbeing directly stated.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2017-10-11T14:35:29.547", "id": "53742", "last_activity_date": "2017-10-11T14:35:29.547", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "25875", "parent_id": "22", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I like to use this as a guide. は denotes and emphasises what comes before it,\nwhereas が emphasises what comes after it. e.g. If I wanted to say \"I am Luke\"\nand wanted to make myself the focus of the sentence, I would say 私はルークです, but\nif I wanted to make my name the focus instead of myself, I would say 私がルークです. \nAnother example: \nThese sentences have the same English translation - \"The cat is blue\": \nねこは青いです - the cat is emphasised ねこが青いです - the colour of the cat is emphasised", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2018-01-21T07:02:25.097", "id": "56088", "last_activity_date": "2018-01-21T07:02:25.097", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "21867", "parent_id": "22", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "28", "answer_count": 1, "body": "When looking at the hiragana ぬ ( _nu_ ), ね ( _ne_ ), and る ( _ru_ ) one\nnotices a small circle in the symbols. In fact that circle is the only\ndifference when comparing them with the hiragana め ( _me_ ), れ ( _re_ ) and ろ\n( _ro_ ).\n\nIn the history of hiragana, is there any special reason that lead to this. And\nwhile I could see the relation of ね/れ and る/ろ (given that they sound similar),\nwhy are ぬ and め so different in their pronunciation?\n\n\n\n(Image was taken, and slightly adjusted, from the manga “Mahoraba” by Kojima\nAkira)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:19:06.957", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "23", "last_activity_date": "2012-12-15T06:25:02.897", "last_edit_date": "2012-12-15T06:25:02.897", "last_editor_user_id": "501", "owner_user_id": "8", "post_type": "question", "score": 28, "tags": [ "history", "hiragana" ], "title": "Origin of the circle in ぬ, ね, and る", "view_count": 1655 }

[ { "body": "They all originate from the cursive versions of kanji with the same/similar\npronunciation as the hiragana. Here's a picture [from\nWikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiragana#History) to illustrate:\n\n\n\nTo answer your question - there is no deep connection between the kana with\ncircles. The kanji they came from just happened to have a circle when written\nin cursive.\n\nAnd just to be complete, Wikipedia also has a picture on [the origin of\nkatakana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katakana#History). They're a bit more\nobvious because they're taken from the \"plain\" forms of the kanji.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:25:00.490", "id": "28", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:25:00.490", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "23", "post_type": "answer", "score": 34 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 2, "body": "What are the essential Japanese counter words?\n\nFor example -dai for machines, -mai for papers and stuff like that.\n\n * What else to expect/know? \n\nThank you", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:19:07.113", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "24", "last_activity_date": "2014-04-24T02:19:12.103", "last_edit_date": "2012-11-04T02:13:05.913", "last_editor_user_id": "1141", "owner_user_id": "7", "post_type": "question", "score": 5, "tags": [ "numbers", "suffixes", "counters" ], "title": "List of Japanese counter words", "view_count": 2124 }

[ { "body": "The [article at Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_counter_word)\ncovers the common ones as well as a decent number of extended ones, and lists\nthe exceptions for days, people, etc. as well as rendaku and number word\nchanges (e.g. 300->san*bya*ku, 4:00-> *yo*ji).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:23:50.853", "id": "26", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:23:50.853", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "parent_id": "24", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 }, { "body": "There are entire dictionaries for this (数え方の辞典).\n[Here's](http://www.hyou.net/ka/kazoekata.htm) a link to a whole bunch. 個 (ko)\nis the most commonly used one. Japanese people use it often even with words\nthat should have a special counter if it's a less-often used one. It can\nsometimes be annoying even for them to think of the proper 数詞! Here are most\ncommon ones I can think of:\n\n * 人 (nin) for people\n * 名（様）[mei sama] for people, used when referring to number of customers at restaurants, etc.\n * 本 (hon) for long skinny stuff (pencils, pillars)\n * 冊 (satu) for bound stuff (books, magazines)\n * 枚 (mai) for flat stuff (paper, cds、shirts)\n * 台 (dai) for machines like cars and computers\n * 匹 (hiki) for most animals (four legged, insects, fish, etc.) \n * For some other animals:\n * 頭 (tou) for cattle\n * 羽 (wa) for birds and sometimes rabbits\n * 回、度(kai, do) for number of times an action occurs\n * 隻 (sen) for big ships\n\nEtc. The list goes on. I happened to live near a harbor so the last one was\nuseful for me (though it was still often substituted with 個!). You can just\nlearn the few most common ones and use 個 for everything else, learning the\nless common ones as you go.", "comment_count": 9, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:31:54.007", "id": "31", "last_activity_date": "2014-04-24T02:19:12.103", "last_edit_date": "2014-04-24T02:19:12.103", "last_editor_user_id": "24", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "24", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "35", "answer_count": 4, "body": "As per the title, what should I look for in a dictionary to help me study\nJapanese? Are there certain things that I should look for in the dictionary or\nare they all pretty much the same?\n\nTo elaborate a bit, what should one be looking for when they are at the\nfollowing stages?\n\n * Casual traveler who is visiting Japan and wants to be able to communicate but does not wish to learn the language.\n * Student who is just starting to learn the language.\n * Student who is looking to move to being fluent in the language.\n * Individual who is already fluent in conversational Japanese but is looking for more specialized knowledge (e.g. computers, engineering, medical, etc).", "comment_count": 13, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:21:56.547", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "25", "last_activity_date": "2012-11-25T03:54:12.213", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-06T19:32:39.617", "last_editor_user_id": "94", "owner_user_id": null, "post_type": "question", "score": 9, "tags": [ "learning", "resources", "dictionary" ], "title": "What should I look for in a dictionary to help me study?", "view_count": 880 }

[ { "body": "There are a couple things to keep in mind when looking for a dictionary:\n\n 1. **How easy is it to find what I am looking for?** A given dictionary might prove to cover every single word in the Japanese language, but if you can't find what you are looking for then you will think it is just a waste of money. Your best bet here is to look for ones that are used by other students and try and examine it yourself. Also, remember that you will need to get used to Japanese before you feel really comfortable using the dictionary unless you limit yourself to the romanized ones (i.e. [Random House Japanese-English English-Japanese Dictionary](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0679780017)).\n 2. **How long can I use the dictionary for?** If you are planning sticking with Japanese and learning the language then investing in a more expensive dictionary might prove useful (i.e. [The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4770028555)); however, if you just need a quick reference for a trip then you don't need an extensive one.\n 3. **How will the dictionary help me learn?** Beyond the obvious use of the dictionary to look-up new works that you are unfamiliar with, some might prove better than others for learning the words once you look them up. Having the furigana (i.e. [Kodansha's Furigana Japanese Dictionary](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4770024800)) on hand with the kanji will help students in that they now see the words in question in two different scripts in addition to the the definition that they are looking for.\n\nBeyond that, a dictionary will come down to a bit of personal preference,\nwhile the ones previously mentioned could cover most of the basis and provide\na wide coverage of the language, you may eventually graduate to the point\nwhere a proper Japanese language dictionary is required or you may desire\nsomething a bit more exotic such as a loan-words only dictionary.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:32:34.313", "id": "32", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:32:34.313", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "25", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "An online dictionary is much more useful than a paper one. Online dictionaries\ncan be updated with new words and meanings and searched more quickly. There\nare a few free online Japanese<->English dictionaries, but the best one (in my\nopinion) is <http://jisho.org/>.", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:34:12.797", "id": "33", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:34:12.797", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "25", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "You will want:\n\n * No romaji. Romaji hurts your pronunciation and is a crutch. Get something with furigana, or even better, hiragana in parentheses.\n * Lots of example sentences. Context is invaluable in learning new words.\n * Electronic is better. It's faster and can be used mid conversation much more easily. Plus you can write in unknown characters with a stylus. Plus if you get a good one you might never need to replace it.\n * Once you are at a high enough level you will want to make use of a 国語辞典 (Japanese dictionary in Japanese). They are often more thorough, and some stuff is just hard to explain in English.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:34:42.630", "id": "35", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:28:01.160", "last_edit_date": "2011-05-31T20:28:01.160", "last_editor_user_id": "24", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "25", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 }, { "body": "In a kanji dictionary, or perhaps a J—E dictionary, make sure you're\ncomfortable with the method for looking up words, or use a dictionary that\noffers several methods.\n\nThere are methods such as looking up by the radical, the おんよみ and くんよみ, and\neven the number of strokes in the kanji.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:39:19.960", "id": "61", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:39:19.960", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "54", "parent_id": "25", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "39", "answer_count": 6, "body": "I saw a sentence like:\n\n> 「それ使{つか}ってる **っ** す。」\n\nand none of my dictionaries have an entry for just \"っす\". Is it a verb form,\ngobi, or something else?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:36:31.970", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "36", "last_activity_date": "2019-08-20T06:25:39.623", "last_edit_date": "2019-08-20T06:25:39.623", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "38", "post_type": "question", "score": 51, "tags": [ "copula", "contractions" ], "title": "What does っす at the end of a sentence mean?", "view_count": 18411 }

[ { "body": "It's a contraction of です. It's not quite as polite as that though - it's\nalways sounded a bit like \"thinking that one needs to be polite but not\nbothering to do it properly\" to me. I guess it comes somewhere between\nteineigo-level polite and casual in the politeness spectrum.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:39:50.580", "id": "39", "last_activity_date": "2019-03-12T13:02:22.177", "last_edit_date": "2019-03-12T13:02:22.177", "last_editor_user_id": "20", "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "36", "post_type": "answer", "score": 40 }, { "body": "It is a contraction of です--though as you'll note in your example sentence, it\nis often used in places where です would not be grammatically correct. It\nindicates politeness, but shows the (often young) speaker's ignorance of the\nproper polite forms. :)", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:44:02.207", "id": "41", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:44:02.207", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "36", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "It is a contraction of です, but you will also hear (mostly younger guys)\nputting it (without the っ) on greetings.\nこんにちはす！こんばんはす！[Here's](http://ameblo.jp/tee-ameba/entry-10766309960.html) a\nreal example (written like it's spoken). っす Is _not_ normal polite Japanese.\nThink of it as almost using a です when the situation is uncertain; for example,\na group of young guys who've met fairly recently. です・ます are rather stilted,\nbut they don't know each other well enough to use complete casual style. The\ncontraction っす is a nice halfway point. In the context that you saw it, it\ncould be expanded to これを使っているのです. Then then の turns into ん and then\ndisappears. The \"のです\" construction is used a lot more often than regular old\nます. Technically the first one is considered an explanation of something, but\nit is also less stiff than the latter.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:51:13.983", "id": "43", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T19:51:13.983", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "36", "post_type": "answer", "score": 27 }, { "body": "Similar to English, you can abbreviate common words with slang. I've heard\nおはよう become おっす, and similar. There isn't even a す in おはよう.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:35:25.810", "id": "93", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:35:25.810", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "84", "parent_id": "36", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "As others have noted, it's a corrupted form of ーです. It's usually found in\nsocial situations where both humility and some roughness are apropos, like in\nyakuza movies, when a lower-level thug is talking to the boss. Another example\nis when addressing sempai in after-school clubs, particularly athletics.\nおはようございます -> おはようーっす！, お疲れさまです -> おつかれっす, etc.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-06T23:06:14.830", "id": "1780", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-06T23:06:14.830", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "448", "parent_id": "36", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "It's lazy polite form. Dropped for ease of use and to add a level of casual\nfeel. Used nationwide.\n\nWhen I worked in bars and a few host clubs this style commonly used in place\nof normal 敬語 as it is too stiff for young women, who are the majority of our\ncustomers. However, we always reverted back to normal 敬語 when an older male,\nfemale(ママさん) or couple was the customer.\n\nI suppose you can also think of this as a slightly flirtatious polite form.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-10-19T06:36:01.123", "id": "8160", "last_activity_date": "2012-10-19T06:36:01.123", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1808", "parent_id": "36", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "48", "answer_count": 1, "body": "I'm trying to understand why 先 is not the best choice to use in these\nsentences. Is it wrong to use it in this way?\n\n× 先、学校で何かが起こった。 \n○ 以前、学校で何かが起こった。\n\n× 先の書いた本から十年間が過ぎました。 \n○ 前に書いた本から十年間が過ぎました。", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T19:58:36.453", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "44", "last_activity_date": "2015-11-16T13:45:50.760", "last_edit_date": "2014-04-27T07:01:17.620", "last_editor_user_id": "4914", "owner_user_id": "54", "post_type": "question", "score": 19, "tags": [ "word-choice", "adverbs" ], "title": "What's the proper way to use 先 versus 前に or 以前?", "view_count": 2365 }

[ { "body": "I'm going to assume you mean 先 as in さっき. It's usually written in hiragana to\navoid confusion.\n\nI think the first sentences are just fine. The × one sounds like spoken\nlanguage and ○ one sounds more like written language.\n\nIn the second × sentence, though, さっき would not work because it's used for\nthings that happened \"just now\" and ten years ago is not \"just now\". Also, the\nの there is not correct, it's only used when さっき is used to modify a noun or a\nnoun-phrase. You could say e.g.「さっき書いたメール」 for \"an e-mail [I] wrote just now\"\nthough.", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:05:22.843", "id": "48", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:05:22.843", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "44", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "159", "answer_count": 4, "body": "There are loads of words in Japanese which end in 込{こ}む, like 吸{す}い込む,\n読{よ}み込む, 入{はい}り込む, 打{う}ち込む, 売{う}り込む, 送{おく}り込む, 押{お}し込む. How does adding ～込む\nchange the meaning? What is the meaning that links all these words?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:01:17.110", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "45", "last_activity_date": "2017-03-27T19:49:37.093", "last_edit_date": "2017-03-27T19:49:37.093", "last_editor_user_id": "18852", "owner_user_id": "36", "post_type": "question", "score": 42, "tags": [ "meaning", "verbs", "suffixes" ], "title": "What does -komu (～込む) at the end of a word mean?", "view_count": 14353 }

[ { "body": "Usually it means to do something more thoroughly, completely, or intensely.\n\nSometimes it can also be like adding \"into\" after the verb: 押す, \"to push\"\nbecomes 押し込む, \"to push into.\"", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:04:46.487", "id": "47", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:04:46.487", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "45", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 }, { "body": "The examples given by the OP are pretty clear-cut, and covered well by\nAmanda's answer. Where 〜込む can get difficult is in the verbs that don't\ndirectly relate to an action.\n\nFor example, 思い込む, per Amanda's explanation, would mean to \"think thoroughly,\ncompletely, intensely, or to be packed in\"... not exactly intuitive for the\nexact meaning of \"to wrongly convince oneself of/talk oneself into something\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:58:19.030", "id": "102", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:58:19.030", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "45", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "込む by itself can be interpreted as a intransitive verb to mean \"jammed in\",\n\"packed in\", \"crowded\". For example 電車が込む\n\nHowever, when 込む is used with compound verbs it can have 3 different\ninterpretations.\n\n 1. ‘to enter; put something in/into’\n\nImplies a physical transition where an object (or a person) shifts from a\nplace into an enclosed location.\n\nExamples \n雨が吹き込む - Rain blows in. \n飛び込む - Jump in/Dive.\n\n 2. 'to do/become something thoroughly/fully/deeply/intensively'\n\nNormally denotes that someone undergoes a certain physical/psychological\noccurrence that produces physical/mental changes or development.\n\nExamples \n教え込む - Inculcate a thing (in a person’s mind); instill into (a person); give a\ngood training. \n思い込む - Be convinced; be under the impression; set one’s heart; fall in love.\n\n 3. ‘to continue an action within the same condition’\n\nIndicates that someone is involved in a physical recurrent action.\n\nExamples \n黙り込む - Fall silent; keep one’s mouth shut; clam up.\n\nReference: [高橋 直子, “Syntactic Complexity of _Komu_ -compounds in Japanese”,\n名古屋外国語大学外国語学部紀要 (Journal of School of Foreign Languages, Nagoya University of\nForeign Studies) 36 (2009), 169–193.](https://nufs-\nnuas.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=pages_view_main&active_action=repository_view_main_item_detail&item_id=294&item_no=1&page_id=13&block_id=17)\n([PDF](https://nufs-\nnuas.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=294&file_id=22&file_no=1))", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:52:11.713", "id": "159", "last_activity_date": "2017-03-26T13:26:41.617", "last_edit_date": "2017-03-26T13:26:41.617", "last_editor_user_id": "1628", "owner_user_id": "108", "parent_id": "45", "post_type": "answer", "score": 39 }, { "body": "The implication is often,I'd say, that the action is brusque, hasty or\nintrusive. E.g:\n\nはいる go in vs はいりこむ , burst in\n\nおもう think vs おもいこむ jump to a hasty conclusion\n\nのぞく peek, peer vs のぞきこむ peer intrusively in (through a keyhole or a gap in the\ncurtains)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2017-03-26T13:00:16.483", "id": "44897", "last_activity_date": "2017-03-26T13:00:16.483", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "20069", "parent_id": "45", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "59", "answer_count": 7, "body": "I've heard some names pronounced with 〜さん added to them (such as 佐々木さん) and\nsome without it. I believe it is related to respect or the age of the person\nnamed. What would be the guidelines or general principles to follow regarding\n〜さん?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:07:54.773", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "49", "last_activity_date": "2015-07-31T23:34:10.357", "last_edit_date": "2015-07-31T23:34:10.357", "last_editor_user_id": "1628", "owner_user_id": "66", "post_type": "question", "score": 16, "tags": [ "honorifics", "names" ], "title": "When should one add さん at the end of a name?", "view_count": 3026 }

[ { "body": "I would only use a persons name _without_ suffixing さん if I knew them very\nwell and they were at the same social standing (in whatever given context) as\nme.\n\nIn fact, scratch that, it would feel wierd not using -さん in any given\nsituation unless it was referring to family.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:11:47.643", "id": "52", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:11:47.643", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "33", "parent_id": "49", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "The general guideline is to use さん whenever you're unsure. As a learner, you\ncannot really go wrong with it.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:12:48.183", "id": "53", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-02T09:57:46.963", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-02T09:57:46.963", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "49", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "If you're talking with someone you don't really know, you definitely want to\nadd さん. If you add it for friends and family, it might upset them as it may\nmake the two of you seem a little distant with one another.\n\nAs to your age/respect thing, if you're below them, then just add さん. Like\nMatti said above, if you're just starting, you can't really go wrong with\nappending the さん after the name.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:15:16.693", "id": "55", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-02T09:58:16.463", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-02T09:58:16.463", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "18", "parent_id": "49", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "If you're talking to somebody who is not an extremely good friend, use さん, but\nif you're about to start a fight with someone, you should drop the さん. If\nyou're a foreigner and are on good terms with someone, you can often use their\nfirst name without さん, but using their family name like that will sound rude\nand abrasive. If you need to attract someone's attention in an emergency\nsituation, you can drop the さん too, as well as adding an imperitive\n(おい、山田！速く逃げろ！).\n\nOne of the exceptions is when talking about someone in your group (company or\nfriends) to someone outside your group. In that case, even when talking about\nyour boss, you drop the さん (or 社長, 部長, etc.) and just refer to them by their\nname. So if I'm talking to 鈴木さん (a person at another company) about my boss,\nYamada, I would say \"山田\", not \"山田さん\". (I'm not certain about this rule, so\ncorrect me if I'm wrong).", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:28:41.020", "id": "58", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-02T09:59:49.757", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-02T09:59:49.757", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "36", "parent_id": "49", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "\"-さん\" is an honorific suffix added to give respect. It can be used either with\n_males_ and _females_ , and also with given names and family names, **not** to\nyour own name, though.\n\nIt can be even used attached to the name of the occupation and titles.\n\nIt's ok to use it with people that you are familiar with, but it's kind of\nmandatory when you are talking to people you aren't familiar with or people\nthat are not close.\n\nFinally, as stated in this page about the \"[Proper use of\n\"-san\"](http://ezinearticles.com/?Japanese-Language-Learning-Tips---Proper-\nUse-of--San&id=3090046)\", don't drop the -さん suffix unless you're being\nspecifically invited to. You can see further info in that link I just gave\nyou.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:32:11.020", "id": "59", "last_activity_date": "2011-10-10T10:13:28.740", "last_edit_date": "2011-10-10T10:13:28.740", "last_editor_user_id": "37", "owner_user_id": "37", "parent_id": "49", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 }, { "body": "Also, while さん is right for almost all cases, [先]{せん}[生]{せい} should be used\nfor:\n\nDoctors, lawyers, politicians, professors, of course teachers, or anyone else\nthat's (a) a direct mentor or (b) has some serious professional qualifications\n(ala a professor).", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T12:59:13.123", "id": "417", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-02T09:57:37.480", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-02T09:57:37.480", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "49", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 }, { "body": "San, always a sign of respect, is used in a few other situations such as 象さん,\nthe elephant, precisely the kind of animal you do not want to make angry :-)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-20T06:56:40.577", "id": "1357", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-20T06:56:40.577", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "126", "parent_id": "49", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "3157", "answer_count": 5, "body": "Looking at [this](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/verbparticles),\nit seems that when the word 何 is used with the で particle, it roughly\ntranslates into \"by means of what\" or \"in what context.\" Personally, that\nsounds like asking \"how\". Is this assumption correct? Or can it change based\non situation? Also, would it be appropriate to add の/ん だ/です to the end of\nsentences that use this combination (since it seems that an explanation is\nbeing asked.)\n\nWould a sentence like this be correct?: 何で医者になったの？ (How did you become a\ndoctor?)\n\nThanks!", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:09:24.133", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "50", "last_activity_date": "2016-03-23T07:57:18.237", "last_edit_date": "2011-05-31T21:28:25.173", "last_editor_user_id": "10", "owner_user_id": "58", "post_type": "question", "score": 11, "tags": [ "grammar", "usage" ], "title": "Can 何で mean \"how\"?", "view_count": 1793 }

[ { "body": "Short answer is yes, 何で can mean 'how' as in 'How did you become a doctor?'.\nIt does however also mean 'Why did you become a doctor?' so it's a little\nambiguous.\n\nTo avoid that confusion you can use 「どうやって」 instead i.e.\n\nどうやってお医者さんになりましたか？\n\nHope this helps.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:14:08.567", "id": "54", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:14:08.567", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "33", "parent_id": "50", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Short answer: no. From your link: \"It is also written as 「何で」 but it is read\nas 「なんで」. This is a completely separate word and has nothing to do with the\n「で」 particle.\"\n\nLong answer: \"何で\" can be translated as \"how,\" but a more accurate translation\nwould be \"by means of what object\"? So from the link you posted, \"何できた？\" is\ncorrect, because it is asking \"By means of what object (bus, train, bike,\netc.) did you come?\"\n\nBut one does not become a doctor by means of an object; one becomes a doctor\nby taking an action. So as Ali said, a better way to ask this question would\nbe \"どうやって\": \" _What did you do_ to become a doctor?\"", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:19:36.133", "id": "56", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:19:36.133", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "50", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 }, { "body": "Another example of the overlap you can often hear is 何でわかった？, which literally\nwould be \"Why did you know?\" but is best expressed in English as \"How did you\nknow?\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-09T13:24:50.807", "id": "1825", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-09T13:24:50.807", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "486", "parent_id": "50", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I agree overall with the other three answers, but I feel there is a difference\ndepending on how it is read.\n\n * [何]{なん}で 'why'\n * [何]{なに}で 'by what'\n\nTherefore, `何で医者になったの` has different meanings depending on how it is read.\n\n> [何]{なん}で医者になったの \n> 'Why did you become a doctor?'\n>\n> [何]{なに}で医者になったの \n> 'By what did you become a doctor?' \n> Possible answer: [Supposing (counterfactually) that there are several other\n> routes for becoming a doctor] 医師国家試験で 'By passing the medical license test'", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-09-16T20:30:10.910", "id": "3157", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-02T10:02:16.090", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-02T10:02:16.090", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "50", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 }, { "body": "From my experience, なんで can be used as how, but it is context dependent and\ncan lead to confusion.\n\n> Native speaker: なんで帰る？ \n> Me: ?? Uh, because it's late... Oh wait, you mean \"how am I getting home?\"\n> Gotcha. By car.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-09-17T05:39:47.927", "id": "3163", "last_activity_date": "2016-03-23T07:57:18.237", "last_edit_date": "2016-03-23T07:57:18.237", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "647", "parent_id": "50", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "105", "answer_count": 8, "body": "I have progressed pretty far in Japanese, but when I construct Japanese\nsentences, I still get these two particles mixed up. For example, when talking\nabout being inside something, I don't know when to use \"の中に\" and when to use\n\"の中で.\" Likewise, when speaking about being next to something, I sometimes\ndon't know if I should use \"となりに\" or \"となりで.\" How do you know which one to use\nin a sentence?\n\nWhich of these is correct?\n\n> 部屋の中 **に** 泣いている。\n\nor\n\n> 部屋の中 **で** 泣いている。", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:36:57.090", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "60", "last_activity_date": "2016-09-03T03:07:29.617", "last_edit_date": "2014-10-19T04:30:20.520", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "69", "post_type": "question", "score": 61, "tags": [ "usage", "particles", "particle-に", "particle-で", "に-and-で" ], "title": "Particles: に vs. で", "view_count": 29653 }

[ { "body": "They are pretty similar, but で usually indicates that an action took place at\nthat location. So you use に when you're talking about _being_ inside or next\nto something, etc. and で when you talk about _doing something_ inside or next\nto something.\n\n**Edited to add** : 部屋の中で泣いている is correct, because the room is the location of\nan action (crying).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:39:21.053", "id": "62", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:26:50.300", "last_edit_date": "2011-05-31T22:26:50.300", "last_editor_user_id": "28", "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "60", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "This can depend on the arguments a verb takes. For example, いる uses に for\nlocation. かべでいる would make no sense. 書く takes an argument for something to be\nwritten on; 「壁に書く」 means \"write on a wall\", and 「壁で書く」 means \"write at a\nwall\".\n\nFor the 泣く example, you really could use either one, but で may be clearer\nbecause 泣く can take an argument marked by に to indicate cause, object or\nmonetary amount. For example, 「彼が｛借金・訃報・千円｝に泣く」(From [LCS\ndatabase](http://cl.it.okayama-u.ac.jp/rsc/lcs/) distributed by Okayama\nUniversity). 「部屋に泣いている」 could potentially mean \"he's suffering for/because of\nroom\".", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:07:48.223", "id": "71", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T21:50:00.060", "last_edit_date": "2011-05-31T21:50:00.060", "last_editor_user_id": "24", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "60", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 }, { "body": "> 部屋の中で泣いている\n\nis correct because 泣いている is an _action_ which takes place in 部屋の中.\n\nA good check for whether a short phrase is correct is to just Google it.\nGoogle has over 200,000 hits for the correct で version, and none for the\nincorrect に variation. Although.. I imagine Google will soon index this page!\n:)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:54:12.683", "id": "85", "last_activity_date": "2016-09-03T03:07:29.617", "last_edit_date": "2016-09-03T03:07:29.617", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "38", "parent_id": "60", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "In general, で is where an action is performed and に is the \"direction\"\ntoward/to/into which the result of an action happens.\n\n> * 部屋の中で泣いています → I'm crying in the room / \"The place where I'm at while I'm\n> crying is in the room\"\n> * 部屋の中に泣いています → I'm crying into the room (meaning like, your tears are\n> flowing from your face into the room). This doesn't make sense unless you\n> happen to be talking about where your tears flow when you cry. In the case\n> of the English saying \"crying in my beer\", ビールの中に泣いています **would** make\n> sense, although that's an idiom that you probably wouldn't directly\n> translate.\n>\n\nThe other example\n\n> * 部屋の中にいます → I'm in the room (\"My existence results in something being in\n> the room (namely, me)\" -- ??)\n> * 部屋の中でいます → \"The place where I am doing my existence is the room\" - Since\n> existing is not really a (one-time) \"performable\" action, this doesn't make\n> sense.\n>", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:18:06.933", "id": "105", "last_activity_date": "2013-04-11T14:34:37.433", "last_edit_date": "2013-04-11T14:34:37.433", "last_editor_user_id": "78", "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "60", "post_type": "answer", "score": 38 }, { "body": "What I have been taught in the college is that に is only used for verbs that\nimply motions which destination/position is required to be specified.\n\nFor example, if you say \"ikimasu\" (I'm going), unless already in the context,\nyou need to specify the destination otherwise the sentence does not make\nsense. So, you use \"ni\": \"asoko ni ikimasu\"\n\nOn the other hand, で is used when the location of the action verbs is just\nadditional information. For example, you can say 泣いています without specifying\nwhere you are crying and the sentence still makes sense.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:51:43.590", "id": "195", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:51:43.590", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "112", "parent_id": "60", "post_type": "answer", "score": 26 }, { "body": "I think the use of の中 here is anti-idiomatic. I would just say 部屋で泣いている。", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-25T13:56:03.823", "id": "2188", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-25T13:56:03.823", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "404", "parent_id": "60", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "* に is to indicate an interaction between two objects that are noticeably separate, initially, and that remain somewhat separate. \n\n * で is used to indicate objects from or becoming to similar groups, working in close unison to form some result.\n\nBetween English and Japanese, the most accurate analog I have found is:\nに:で;each other:themselves.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-25T15:30:18.603", "id": "2189", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-25T15:30:18.603", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "544", "parent_id": "60", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "に and で can be confusing in other uses as well, but since the example is about\nlocation, I will focus on that.\n\n**に:**\n\nspecifies a location into/toward which a movement takes place:\n\n * 部屋に入る enter the room\n * 学校に行く go to school\n\nspecifies a location where something exists (used with verbs いる, ある and 住む,\nbut not only). Focus is on _existence_ , not _action_ :\n\n * 彼は部屋にいる he is in the room\n * 本は机の上にある the book is on the table\n * 庭に木が立っている a tree is standing in the garden\n * 空に雲が浮いている clouds are floating in the sky\n\n**で:**\n\nspecifies a location where an action takes place (Focus is on _action_ , not\n_existence_ ):\n\n * 彼女は部屋で泣いている she is crying in the room\n * 子供が川で泳いでいる children are swimming in the river\n\n**Note that** there are cases where both で and に are possible, but the nuance\nis different:\n\n * 東京にアパートを借りた I rented an apartment in Tokyo (an apartment located in Tokyo)\n * 東京でアパートを借りた I rented an apartment in Tokyo (when I was in Tokyo)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-07T13:45:39.957", "id": "4594", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-07T13:45:39.957", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "60", "post_type": "answer", "score": 18 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "67", "answer_count": 4, "body": "Studying Japanese on my own, I've learned that in order to make a question,\nyou usually add the particle \"~か\", like this:\n\n> 今何時ですか。\n\nIt's also true that a question can be asked without it, using the rising tone\nof voice.\n\nBut then I found out that in certain contexts, the use of \"~か\" can be seen as\nsarcastic. My questions are:\n\n 1. Is this actually true?\n 2. And how do we decide when to choose which alternative?\n\nReference sites are appreciated.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:42:34.860", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "64", "last_activity_date": "2012-09-12T01:18:11.553", "last_edit_date": "2012-09-12T01:18:11.553", "last_editor_user_id": "501", "owner_user_id": "37", "post_type": "question", "score": 24, "tags": [ "grammar", "particles", "questions", "sentence-final-particles", "particle-か" ], "title": "Questions with ~か or without: how to choose?", "view_count": 5891 }

[ { "body": "You may want to look\n[here](http://jaerik.tatersalad.org/japanese/Particles/particlesexplained.html)\nand [here](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/question).\n\nOutside of polite language, か should be used with care. Generally, it has a\nvery masculine and rough sounding atmosphere. Generally, in informal language,\nit only used when being very direct or sarcastic.\n\nHere's a good example taken from the second link:\n\nそんなのは、あるかよ！(Do you think (I) would have that kind of thing!?)\n\nEither way, it doesn't have a really \"happy\" tone to it.\n\nHope I helped :)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:54:13.810", "id": "67", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:54:13.810", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "58", "parent_id": "64", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "The difference is more or less whether you're using casual forms or polite\nforms. With polite forms like your example question, it's a straightforward\nquestion. With a casual form like 今何時か it might be seen a little rude, or that\nyou're expressing surprise/frustration.\n\nIn casual speech if you want to ask a straightforward question you should use\nthe rising tone of voice or the explanation-seeking の？", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:54:48.313", "id": "68", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:54:48.313", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "38", "parent_id": "64", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "If you drop か, your rising intonation will indicate a question.\n\n * 今何時ですか。- canonical polite form\n * 今何時です- slightly less formal, feminine form.\n * 今何時- casual\n * 今何時だ- demanding and rude. Doesn't require rising intonation. Just watch something with gangsters and you'll hear it :)", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:12:27.890", "id": "73", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T21:12:27.890", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "64", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 }, { "body": "Slightly different, but on topic I believe: You in should never double up and\nwrite both か **and** a question mark, like so:\n\nどこですか？ (bad!)\n\nIt is better to use only one. Either the question mark if it is transcribed\nspeech, or the か for formal texts, or even a の if you try to be less brisk or\nmore feminine.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:29:54.407", "id": "90", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:29:54.407", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "84", "parent_id": "64", "post_type": "answer", "score": -1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "69", "answer_count": 2, "body": "二十歳 is a (to me) bizarre exception to the usual number+さい rule for discussing\nage. Is this rooted in 20 being the Japanese age of majority?\n\n_Added:_ To be more specific: why _isn't_ it pronounced にじゅうさい like the rest\nof the さい words for age?", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:45:13.467", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "65", "last_activity_date": "2021-08-18T10:35:35.187", "last_edit_date": "2011-05-31T21:00:55.033", "last_editor_user_id": "38", "owner_user_id": "38", "post_type": "question", "score": 38, "tags": [ "numbers", "words", "readings" ], "title": "Why is 二十歳 pronounced はたち?", "view_count": 7069 }

[ { "body": "The はた there is part of the same series of Japanese readings for numbers as\nひとつ、ふたつ、みっつ and so on. Where the ち comes from - that I do not know. It also\nmakes an appearance in some other common words, such as 二十日（はつか）, although in\na slightly mangled form.\n\nThere are readings for the tens after that as well - for instance 三十（みそ） makes\nan appearance in words such as 三十日（みそか） and 三十路（みそじ）. The rest of the tens are\nformed by adding そ to the corresponding \"ones\" stem: よそ いそ むそ ななそ やそ ここのそ.\n\nAlthough rarely used these days, the old way of counting was quite flexible.\n[Here's a Chiebukuro\nquestion](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q117210981)\nthat explains the old way pretty nicely - including how to count hundreds,\nthousands and tens of thousands!", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T20:56:14.790", "id": "69", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T20:56:14.790", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "65", "post_type": "answer", "score": 31 }, { "body": "Some theories from <http://gogen-allguide.com/ha/hatachi.html>\n\nPlease forgive and correct any mistakes I made.\n\nTheory: はた means 20. For example: 二十歳 はたち、二十人 はたとり、二十年 はたとせ。 ち (個)is a counter\nfor the ひと、ふた、み counting system.\n\nTheory (folklore): The 旗乳 (はたち)folktale. During the Warring States period, a\nyoung soldier who turned 20 years old wore a banner (旗 はた）of his lords family\ncrest on his back into battle. On that banner he put 20 decorative things (乳 -\nち) to match his age. So the theory associates the age of 20 with being old\nenough to risk your life at war, an adult.\n\nTheory (folklore): If you count your fingers and toes you _end_ up with 20.\nDeriving from 果て （はて）, you reach _the end_ (はて) at 20.\n\nThere are more on that site.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:34:48.520", "id": "77", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T21:34:48.520", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "54", "parent_id": "65", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "72", "answer_count": 2, "body": "Stolen _directly_ from Grigory M's question in the definition phase:\n\n<http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/7526?phase=definition>", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:05:18.160", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "70", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-12T15:01:00.300", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "33", "post_type": "question", "score": 16, "tags": [ "kanji", "verbs" ], "title": "What is the difference in nuance and usage of the two kanji forms for なおす (naosu), 直す and 治す?", "view_count": 5221 }

[ { "body": "They both mean \"to fix\"/\"to repair\"/\"to correct\", but\n[治す](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E6%B2%BB%E3%81%99&stype=0&dtype=3) is\nused in the sense of \"to heal or cure\" (\"to fix a disease\").\n\"[直す](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E7%9B%B4%E3%81%99&stype=0&dtype=3)\" is\nused for fixing, not healing.\n\nEDIT: As per Tsuyoshi Ito's correction (confirmed with a bit of googling),\nI've removed a misleading bit about the object of these verbs.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:09:48.540", "id": "72", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:05:38.060", "last_edit_date": "2011-05-31T22:05:38.060", "last_editor_user_id": "29", "owner_user_id": "29", "parent_id": "70", "post_type": "answer", "score": 19 }, { "body": "治す is only used **to heal** or **to cure**.\n\n直す has more meanings, it can mean:\n\n1) to fix; to correct; to repair;\n\n2) to replace; to put back as it was;\n\n3) to convert (into a different state); to transform;\n\nExamples:\n\nその本をなおしなさい。= Put back the book where you found it.\n\n次の文章を日本語に直しなさい。= Put the following sentences into Japanese.\n\n==\n\nSource: <http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-\nbin/wwwjdic.cgi?1MUE%E6%B2%BB%E3%81%99>", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-12T15:01:00.300", "id": "1881", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-12T15:01:00.300", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "264", "parent_id": "70", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "79", "answer_count": 6, "body": "I've always had trouble choosing which first person pronoun to use - 私\n(watashi), 僕 (boku), or 俺 (おれ). What kind of factors should I keep in mind\nwhen choosing between these? Is it common to vary one's choice by the social\ncontext, or do people tend to select one and stick with it all the time?", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:12:37.733", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "74", "last_activity_date": "2021-02-02T13:20:46.023", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-04T10:44:22.127", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "76", "post_type": "question", "score": 28, "tags": [ "first-person-pronouns", "word-choice" ], "title": "How should I select what first-person pronoun to use?", "view_count": 7665 }

[ { "body": "First off, if it's obvious from context that you're the subject of the\nsentence, then you do not need to say \"I\". If you need to use a pronoun, these\nare your most likely choices:\n\n * 私（わたし）- canonical, formal form. This should be your default.\n * 私（あたし）- same as わたし, but feminine (women can use it freely).\n * 私（わたくし） more formal and stiff than わたし. Good for business settings such as job interviews, etc.\n * 僕（ぼく）- This has a young boy feeling to it, though that doesn't limit its usage entirely to young boys. There are older men who use it regularly, as well as some young teenage girls (it's considered silly, but sometimes you want to be silly!).\n * 俺（おれ）- Many men use this as their default among friends; however, it is coarser than わたし and gives a sense of arrogance if used in an inappropriate context.\n\nUnder specialized circumstances (drama of some kind like cosplay or imitating\nan anime, etc.), you might use these less common options:\n\n * 俺様（おれさま）- overly dramatic egotist. Listen to some Dragonball Z and you'll find it.\n * わし- old people, male and female. The stereotype is that as they get older men and women start to sound the same.\n * 拙者（せっしゃ）- for samurais. Listen to some conversations in Rurouni Kenshin to hear this one.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:18:48.070", "id": "75", "last_activity_date": "2021-02-02T13:20:46.023", "last_edit_date": "2021-02-02T13:20:46.023", "last_editor_user_id": "24", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "74", "post_type": "answer", "score": 16 }, { "body": "The social context is absolutely the deciding factor, but your personality\naffords you some additional flexibility. Just like deciding whether to use 〜さん\nor not, your choice of pronoun depends on how familiar you are with the people\nin your audience, and relative social status.\n\nThat said, I personally still gravitate towards 僕 over 私 even amongst new\npeople since I'm a relatively young man and I feel like I can get away with\nit. :)\n\nAlso don't forget that not using the first-person pronoun is usually an option\nas well, which can nicely sidestep this issue.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:21:04.213", "id": "76", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T21:21:04.213", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "38", "parent_id": "74", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Are you a man? Are you a manly man? Use ore (俺). Are you a girly man? Use boku\n(僕). Are you being formal, unwilling to commit to 俺 or 僕, or just starting to\nlearn Japanese? Use watashi (私).\n\nAre you a girl? Are you a girly girl? Use atashi (あたし). (This rule isn't as\nfixed as the male rule). Are you a tomboy? Use boku (僕). Otherwise use\nwatashi.\n\nAre you speaking to a crowd, or being highly polite? Use watakushi (私,\nconfusingly).", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:37:40.770", "id": "78", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T21:37:40.770", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "36", "parent_id": "74", "post_type": "answer", "score": 18 }, { "body": "It depends a lot on the situation. I try to keep it simple and only use three\nmost practical forms of the pronoun:\n\n僕 (boku) :: I use it whenever I am not at work\n\n俺 (ore) :: Almost never use 俺 unless most people around me are already using\n俺, too informal.\n\n私 (watashi) :: What I always use at work. Never ever use _boku_ at work, or in\nan email, since somebody could consider that you are being rude and not too\nformal. (Happened to me a couple of times when I was a new graduate at a\nJapanese company).", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:44:23.967", "id": "79", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T21:58:31.657", "last_edit_date": "2011-05-31T21:58:31.657", "last_editor_user_id": "79", "owner_user_id": "79", "parent_id": "74", "post_type": "answer", "score": 23 }, { "body": "わたし (私) - Typical, everyday, formal/informal \"I.\" Err to this whenever\npossible.\n\nあたし (私) - Same kanji, used only for females. Same feel as _watashi_.\n\nわたくし (私） - Hyperformalized version of _watashi_. It is surely not to be used\nin all formal situations, but rather only to express extreme politeness.\n\n[僕]{ぼく} - Masculine (though not exlusively) \"I\" used to give informal\natmosphere. Not polite save for certain situations.\n\n[俺]{おれ} - In terms of masculinity, it runs along the lines of 僕. I will go as\nfar to say this is a rude expression. Unless you are sure that it is\nacceptable in any given situation, I would not use it, unless you're trying to\nbe mean or rude. However, when used acceptably, it is excellent to portray a\nvery informal mood.\n\nKeep in mind there are many more ways to say \"I,\" and these are only some of\nthe most common.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-07-16T03:18:47.723", "id": "17831", "last_activity_date": "2014-10-04T17:58:15.897", "last_edit_date": "2014-10-04T17:58:15.897", "last_editor_user_id": "6814", "owner_user_id": "6814", "parent_id": "74", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Some others that people are missing:\n\n * うち： Very informal, but relatively gender-free. Great for otaku.\n * あたえ/あたい: Colloquial female, related to わたし\n * [Name or Title] - You can use your own name or title as a pronoun: マリはあのおもちゃが欲しいの！ 先生はおこっていますよ。\n * おら - Regional male (or regional, colloquial female). \n\nSome pedants won't want to admit use of these informal pronouns, but you\nshould know that they exist and that people use them (even in 2014!).", "comment_count": 12, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-07-16T06:47:30.167", "id": "17833", "last_activity_date": "2014-07-22T13:49:13.983", "last_edit_date": "2014-07-22T13:49:13.983", "last_editor_user_id": "6542", "owner_user_id": "6542", "parent_id": "74", "post_type": "answer", "score": -1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "84", "answer_count": 8, "body": "Can you use へ and に interchangeably, as in:\n\n> 北海道 **へ** 行く\n\nand\n\n> 北海道 **に** 行く ?\n\nAre there any subtle differences in the use of these two?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:46:23.797", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "80", "last_activity_date": "2019-06-22T01:38:52.890", "last_edit_date": "2019-06-22T01:38:52.890", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "36", "post_type": "question", "score": 65, "tags": [ "grammar", "particles", "particle-に", "particle-へ" ], "title": "When going somewhere, is there any difference between e (へ) and ni (に)?", "view_count": 27655 }

[ { "body": "There is a very subtle difference between the two--with に, the destination is\nmore important; with へ, the journey is more important. You might use に if you\nwant to say you're going \" _to_ the store\" and へ if you want to say you're\ngoing \" _in the direction of_ the store [and ending up there].\"\n\nIs there a lot of practical difference in how they are used? Not really.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:50:03.940", "id": "81", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T21:50:03.940", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "80", "post_type": "answer", "score": 17 }, { "body": "I've always seen に as meaning going somewhere directly without any intention\nof stopping, whereas へ shows that they are going that way, but if they see\nsomething interesting they may stop or make a detour.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:51:10.893", "id": "82", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T21:51:10.893", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "parent_id": "80", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "* に emphasizes the location\n * へ emphasizes the direction\n * まで emphasizes the process or journey", "comment_count": 10, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:53:00.243", "id": "84", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T21:53:00.243", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "80", "post_type": "answer", "score": 64 }, { "body": "へ is also used to soften に in some cases, since it's slightly more vague. For\ninstance, at a restaurant I saw a sign posted over a counter that used\nsomething like 「こちらへ食器をお返し下さい」.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:56:09.473", "id": "86", "last_activity_date": "2016-03-23T08:08:07.090", "last_edit_date": "2016-03-23T08:08:07.090", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "16", "parent_id": "80", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "Side note to the question but relevant:\n\nUse **only** へ when you want to use the grammatical construct 〜への〜.\n\n> ◯ 改札口への階段はどこですか。 Where are the steps to the ticket gate?\n>\n> × 改札口にの階段はどこですか。", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:02:50.950", "id": "128", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:02:50.950", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "80", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Those 2 threads asking the same question should be merged and maybe become\nwiki to be edited easily (particles questions are recurrent)\n\nsee also: [How to use へ (-e), に (-ni), まで (made) and の方 (no-hō) with\ndestination and\ndirection?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/275/how-to-use-e-ni-\nmade-and-no-h-with-destination-and-directi)\n\nTo sum up and try to correct some of the answers already given:\n\n-へ is the direction particle. You could say it focuses on the journey\n\n-に is the destination particle. It focuses on the destination.\n\n-まで Is a final destination particle as well but implies that you're coming **from** somewhere (から) and thus that there's some distance between the 2 points.\n\n-のほう（の方） means in the direction of. It could be used in a case where you are giving direction to someone:\n\n郵便局の方へ３００メートルをあるいて、中学が右に見えます。\n\n(walk 300m towards the post office and you will see the middle school on your\nright)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:22:48.243", "id": "298", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T10:36:36.100", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:43.857", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "80", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "On a pedantic note, there is an old saying the goes like\n\n> 京へ、筑紫に、坂東さ (ca 1609)\n>\n> 京に、つくしへ、坂東さ (ca 1496)\n>\n> [[Source](http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/1274740.html)]\n\nwhich shows how each dialect used different particle to say 北海道○行く around that\ntime. 京 is for Kyoto, 筑紫(つくし) is Kyushu and 坂東 is Kanto/Tohoku.\n\nBeing just a layperson on Japanese linguistics, I'll just stop here, but I'm\nsure a more learned person will have a lot to say about why the place of に and\nへ are different between the two quotes above, and how these regional\ndifferences came about.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-14T10:24:12.193", "id": "1123", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-14T10:24:12.193", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "128", "parent_id": "80", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "へ is the direction に is the purpose\n\nWhen I say デパートへ行きます, I am just heading towards the department store. When I\nsay デパートに行きます, I am going to the department store with a purpose. The\ndepartment store is the location where I will complete my purpose.\n\nIt is the same as saying 買い物に行きます or 仕事に行きます Shopping and work are not\nphysical places but merely activities or purposes in this sentence. に cannot\nbe replaced by へ in that case.\n\nBut when we are speaking about a location, we could either used へ or に as we\nusually go to a place with a purpose. Japanese people tend to never use へ in a\nconversation but rather に", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2017-04-09T13:25:13.897", "id": "46386", "last_activity_date": "2017-04-09T13:25:13.897", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "21653", "parent_id": "80", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "96", "answer_count": 1, "body": "Whenever I communicate with my Japanese coworkers, I always finish my emails\nwith どうぞよろしくお願いします。I guess in the context of an email in English it could be\nakin to saying \"Cheers\" \"Regards\", so I unless I write どうぞよろしくお願いします, I will\nbe worrying that I was being too informal to that person.\n\nWhen writing an email in Japanese, is there an scenario when finishing with\nどうぞよろしくお願いします would be considered as being out of place or context?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T21:52:16.297", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "83", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-09T19:51:07.960", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-09T19:51:07.960", "last_editor_user_id": "15", "owner_user_id": "79", "post_type": "question", "score": 14, "tags": [ "set-phrases", "business-japanese", "greetings" ], "title": "At work, when is it not ok to finish an email with どうぞよろしくお願いします?", "view_count": 2366 }

[ { "body": "Your question is \"is there a scenario when finishing with [] would be\nconsidered out of place or context?\".\n\nAs you noted, 宜しくお願い is similar to \"Cheers\" or \"Regards\", but the main\ndifference is that neither of the latter are calls to action, whereas the\nformer has more of a feeling of asking something.\n\nAccordingly, among coworkers, it's fine to use when you're asking for\nsomething clearly scope of Things You're Allowed To Ask. I understand that may\nsound subjective, but that's part of the nature of the Japanese workplace:\nunderstanding your position.\n\nOn the other hand, if you're asking your boss to do something for you\npersonally, it may be too direct as it implies you think that the other side\nwill comply with your asking. In those more sensitive contexts, it may be\nbetter to say 〜して頂け[ますと/れば]幸い[です／に思います], literally translating as \"if you did\nindeed do that, I'd be happy\" without asking for it so directly.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:44:53.520", "id": "96", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T06:23:22.017", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T06:23:22.017", "last_editor_user_id": "87", "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "83", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "95", "answer_count": 3, "body": "When on business in Japan last year, a Japanese colleague said よろしくおねがいします to\nme as the group were leaving after dinner.\n\nI'm aware of its usage in initial greetings, as is usually taught in\ntextbooks, but what is its English meaning in this context?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:04:17.530", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "87", "last_activity_date": "2017-05-10T00:58:38.497", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-27T01:04:56.010", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "82", "post_type": "question", "score": 20, "tags": [ "translation", "set-phrases" ], "title": "What does よろしくおねがいします mean when departing?", "view_count": 26640 }

[ { "body": "Very roughly it translates I believe to 'treat me well please' but without the\nnuance those words carry in English.\n\nI think in the context you're describing it conveyed a feeling of wanting to\ncontinue a good (working!) relationship in the future.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:34:46.463", "id": "91", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:34:46.463", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "33", "parent_id": "87", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "In that context, I would interpret it as a wish for continuing good relations.\nIt's particularly applicable if you had discussed working together on\nsomething.\n\nIn general, it's most often used as a wish for everything to go well, when\ndoing something together or just being together, and very often when expecting\nsome form of support from somebody (or the general public). \"I wish you will\ntreat me (us) well\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:34:54.803", "id": "92", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:34:54.803", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "87", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "よろしくおねがいします can mean many things in different contexts.\n\nThe phrase is often first learned as a component of introductions, and thus\nmay be translated as \"pleased to meet you\" or \"how do you do?\" but its literal\ntranslation is \"please [treat me] well/favorably.\"\n\nOutside of introductions you'll often hear it:\n\n * When starting a new project with someone: \"Please be a good teammate to me.\"\n * When you've agreed to help someone or do them a favor: \"Thanks, and please help me like you promised.\"\n * When you're about to start playing a game with someone: \"Please don't cheat.\" :)\n\nDid you agree to help your colleague with something during dinner? That might\naccount for it.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:41:17.060", "id": "95", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:41:17.060", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "87", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "109", "answer_count": 1, "body": "Sometime in the early 20th century, usage of the now-historical kana ゐ and ゑ\n(and their katakana equivalents) dropped off, being replaced with い and え in\nmodern Japanese. What exactly happened here and why?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:20:42.663", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "88", "last_activity_date": "2017-01-24T22:22:05.727", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-04T01:06:22.347", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "76", "post_type": "question", "score": 64, "tags": [ "kana", "history", "obsolete-kana", "language-reform" ], "title": "Why were ゐ and ゑ eliminated?", "view_count": 5427 }

[ { "body": "Because the pronunciation was lost. \"Wi\" and \"we\" are still in some dialects,\nbut standard Japanese does not have those sounds. These characters were just\nspelling. Similarly in English, we pronounce \"through\" as \"thru\" because the\n\"gh\" sound is long gone and \"thru\" is now a common variant spelling used in\nthe US (I.E. Drive Thru)\n\nAfter World War II there was a massive language overhaul, and they\nchanged/standardized spelling and also made the Toyo (revised to Joyo) [kanji\nlist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_j%C5%8Dy%C5%8D_kanji).", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:24:14.067", "id": "109", "last_activity_date": "2017-01-24T22:22:05.727", "last_edit_date": "2017-01-24T22:22:05.727", "last_editor_user_id": "19278", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "88", "post_type": "answer", "score": 39 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "113", "answer_count": 2, "body": "The verb わかる can be written using either 分かる, 判る, or 解る - what's the semantic\ndifference between these forms, if any?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:23:21.390", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "89", "last_activity_date": "2019-05-13T10:43:49.210", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "76", "post_type": "question", "score": 29, "tags": [ "kanji", "word-choice", "homophonic-kanji" ], "title": "What's the difference between the kanji forms for わかる?", "view_count": 5599 }

[ { "body": "The answer lies in the kanji. This data is from EDICT/Jim Breen's kanji\nlookup:\n\n * 分: \"...understand; know...\"\n * 解: \"unravel...explanation; understanding; untie; undo; solve; answer...explain...\"\n * 判: \"judgement; signature; stamp; seal\"\n\n分かる is clearly the most common - just to know or understand something:\n\n> 私は日本語が分かります。 I know/understand Japanese.\n\n解る implies understanding of a problem, not simple knowledge.\n\n> やっとあの数学の問題が解りました。 At last (I) figured out that math problem.\n\nWhich implies to me that you solved the problem. If I read the same sentence\nwith 分かりました, I might not think twice -- but it could also mean that you didn't\nspend any time solving it at all; you already knew how to solve it (and\ntherefore did so immediately).\n\n判る is probably the least common use I've seen in the wild.\n\nBecause the word \"judgement\" is connected to it, ala 判断 (はんだん), so if a\njudgement was made that something WAS something, that might be 判る. A cursory\nGoogle search yielded [this Yahoo!\npage](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1152090766)\nwhich indicated the same.\n\n> 現場で指紋が見つかったからには、犯人が判るのも時間の問題です。 \n> Now that (we) found fingerprints at the scene, it's only a matter of time\n> before (we) know/figure out who the criminal is.\n\nDISCLAIMER: These sentences and translations are my own, and I'm no\ntranslator, nor a native speaker!", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:35:17.417", "id": "113", "last_activity_date": "2018-01-22T08:54:10.823", "last_edit_date": "2018-01-22T08:54:10.823", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "89", "post_type": "answer", "score": 20 }, { "body": "First, before getting into the semantic difference, it's worth noting that 分かる\nis rarely written with the two alternate kanji you listed. The general\nconsensus (after searching through several Japanese Q&A sites, since this is a\nquestion that native Japanese have about their own language) is that 分かる is\nuniversal enough to cover all situations. (And if you're not sure, you can\nalways resort to わかる, which is perfectly acceptable.)\n\nThis said, the difference can be summed up as follows:\n\n * 分かる: understand, know (a concept, a fact, etc)\n * 判る: (think 判断できる) judge, discriminate (between right and wrong, between two similar things, etc)\n * 解る: (think 理解できる) comprehend (a concept, an answer, etc)\n\nAs you can see, there's some overlap between 分かる and 解る, and depending on the\ncontext you could substitute them for each other. But while most people may be\nable to read all three versions, the safe choice is to stick with 分かる unless\nyou have a good reason not to.\n\nSources:\n\n * <http://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/1676345.html>\n * <http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1213146462>\n * <http://okwave.jp/qa/q54600.html>", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:43:50.140", "id": "117", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:43:50.140", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "89", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "748", "answer_count": 3, "body": "I've heard this used (also as 寝ぼけんじゃねぇよ！) in informal situations with nothing\nbut smiles all around. But when I tried to use it in an informal situation\nwith a colleague, I got the distinct feeling I'd just insulted him. I know\nit's tough (for me, at least) always to accurately gauge just how\n\"friendly/informal\" to be, and I try to err on the side of politeness always,\nbut this one just stumped me. How friendly do you have to be with someone\nbefore you can use this expression?", "comment_count": 13, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:39:46.923", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "94", "last_activity_date": "2011-12-27T01:14:01.510", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-27T01:14:01.510", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "85", "post_type": "question", "score": 9, "tags": [ "usage", "formality" ], "title": "How rude is it to say 寝ぼけてるんじゃねぇよ！", "view_count": 1607 }

[ { "body": "This phrase is definitely too informal for using with a colleague at work, for\nthree reasons:\n\n 1. It makes the assumption that the listener's mind is fuzzy from drowsiness, which (unless this detail is offered by the listener) is kind of a rude thing to assume.\n\n 2. It uses a strong negative command form (～んじゃない), further emphasized by the sentence-ending よ.\n\n 3. The ない is pronounced as ねぇ, which drops the formality level another notch.\n\nYou should reserve constructions like this for situations where your position\nrelative to the listener justifies your use of this form (i.e. when you are\nwell above the listener), or among very good friends who can take a verbal jab\nin good humor (since this sentence has a sharp bite to it).", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:20:19.407", "id": "106", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:20:19.407", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "94", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "the 「じゃねぇよ」 part is very very impolite as it is like yelling at them for even\nsuggesting that you were 寝ぼけ in the first place. It's how you would respond if\nyou were falsely accused of something. 「じゃないよ」 is much more more appropriate", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:20:54.417", "id": "107", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:20:54.417", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "97", "parent_id": "94", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Trust yourself. If you have to apologize for being too casual, that's fine.\nThat's just how you learn what's appropriate. Everyone here is just guessing\nat what they would do, etc. You're the only one who was there and really felt\nthe atmosphere.\n\nAlso, it may be hard to tell if he was insulted or if he was just surprised\nthat you would use that phrase. Maybe he's insulted that you're getting better\nand more confident in Japanese and don't fit into his impression of you\nanymore. (totally speculating)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-07T22:14:07.947", "id": "748", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-07T22:14:07.947", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "75", "parent_id": "94", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "99", "answer_count": 4, "body": "I was told a story where a male westerner learnt Japanese from his girlfriend\nand ended up speaking more like a female. The storyteller thought this was\nhilarious.\n\nWhat important differences should I look for between male and female speech?", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:47:59.243", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "97", "last_activity_date": "2016-04-12T18:16:17.920", "last_edit_date": "2016-04-12T18:16:17.920", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "73", "post_type": "question", "score": 34, "tags": [ "pronunciation", "register", "gender", "particle-わ" ], "title": "What differences should I look out for between male vs female speech?", "view_count": 6411 }

[ { "body": "It's not so much pronunciation as it is word selection. This includes things\nsuch as あたし vs. 僕, かしら vs. かな, わ vs. よ, and so on.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:51:16.510", "id": "98", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:51:16.510", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "parent_id": "97", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "There are almost too many to list, but the simple (grammatical) ones are:\n\n 1. Men should never use わ at the end of a sentence in place of よ. If you're REALLY good at Japanese as a man, you can get away with わ only when you're saying something to yourself aloud, such as 疲れたわ in passing, right before you decide to leave work, et al.\n 2. Women can end sentences with the nominalizer の (何しているの？). Men can informally (e.g. with their partners, family), but really should avoid it for the most part.\n 3. Young men sometimes transform ない into ねー (it's a sound change, nothing grammatical - basically anything ending in \"ai\", such as \"nai\", \"tai\" can become \"nee\" or \"tee\"). I've never heard a woman do this.\n\nWord selection is also important, but most dictionaries indicate this.", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:51:54.473", "id": "99", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:51:54.473", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "97", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 }, { "body": "There are a number of differences between masculine and feminine speech, but\nhere are some of the common markers of feminine speech:\n\n * Ending a question with の (instead of か or のか)\n * Using the sentence-ending particle わ (instead of よ)\n * Using the sentence-ending particle かしら (instead of かな)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:53:14.020", "id": "100", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T22:53:14.020", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "97", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Probably too vast a question to cover exhaustively, but I can offer a couple\npointers picked from experience (mine and foreigners I've met):\n\n 1. [First-person pronouns](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/first-person-pronoun) (kinda obvious, really). Beside straight-up pronouns, the use of your own name to address yourself is a big tell-tale of female speech (some older grandpas can get away with it, but I doubt that applies to you).\n\n 2. Sentence endings: generally stay away from 「わ」 and 「かしら」. Conversely, there are some typical male sentence endings, such as 「ぜ」,「ぞ」, 「い」(as in 「だい」,「かい」)...\n\n 3. Some very connoted colloquial expressions (ちょー etc.), which are sometimes acceptable by teenage boys as well as girls, but will mostly make you sound like a teenage girl if you use them as a grown man.\n\n 4. Gender-infused grammar forms (especially for questions/rhetorical questions): is an incredibly complex and vast topic, with a fair bit of subjective thrown in, but I have often heard that the over-use of \"soft\" forms (such as 「〜のです」, 「〜です？」) or even the over-use of full verbal forms (when they can be omitted) tends to make you sound effeminate.\n\nOverall, I'd say: pay attention to points 1~3 above and don't worry too much\nabout 4 until you reach a fairly advanced level.\n\n**Edit:** on a more general note, it is worth pointing that, if guy-foreigners\nusing feminine speech is the most common side of this (by virtue of the male-\nto-female ratio being high in this category), the opposite (women learning\nfrom native men and using male speech patterns) also exists and is not any\nless derided. In fact, unfair as it is, Japanese (esp. of the opposite sex)\nwill tend to be a lot more accepting of foreign-men-that-speak-like-women than\nthe converse.", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-13T07:44:40.473", "id": "1014", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-13T07:51:53.333", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.207", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "290", "parent_id": "97", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "125", "answer_count": 3, "body": "Are there web sites that transliterate Japanese text (katakana, hiragana and\nkanji) into romaji characters without translating the words into the English\nlanguage?\n\n(Note to moderators: I'm merely asking a yes/no question, not asking what\nsomeone's favorite transliterator is)", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T22:54:43.950", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "101", "last_activity_date": "2013-01-05T12:24:21.777", "last_edit_date": "2013-01-05T12:24:21.777", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "91", "post_type": "question", "score": -1, "tags": [ "resources", "website" ], "title": "Do machine transliteration websites exist?", "view_count": 977 }

[ { "body": "I don't know of a website that does this, but I do know of software that does\nit. A Japanese guy in the early 2000s created something called \"kana2rom\". It\nhad been long neglected.\n\nMy coworker rescued it, transformed it slightly, and it is now a [Ruby open\nsource project on GitHub](https://github.com/LongWeekend/kana2rom/). Buyer\nbeware - programming required to get it up and running, but it was used to\nfully translate all of the hiragana in each EDICT entry to romaji for my\ncompany's Japanese study software.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:15:28.910", "id": "103", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:15:28.910", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "101", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "[Here's](http://www.romaji.org/) one, though not perfect.\n[Here's](http://sanjiscripts.com/jtr/) another.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:16:55.650", "id": "104", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:16:55.650", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "101", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "You can try [Google Translate](http://translate.google.com/#)'s 'read\nphonetically' or 'listen' options.\n\nIf you need/want an offline tool as well\n[mecab](http://mecab.sourceforge.net/) can do this, among other things. For\nexample, if I enter これはミーカッブの変換機能テストです, it can produce:\n\n```\n\n これ 指示詞,名詞形態指示詞,*,*,これ,これ,*\n は 助詞,副助詞,*,*,は,は,*\n ミーカッブ 名詞,普通名詞,*,*,*,*,*\n の 助詞,接続助詞,*,*,の,の,*\n 変換 名詞,サ変名詞,*,*,変換,へんかん,代表表記:変換\n 機能 名詞,サ変名詞,*,*,機能,きのう,代表表記:機能\n の 助詞,接続助詞,*,*,の,の,*\n テスト 名詞,サ変名詞,*,*,テスト,てすと,代表表記:テスト\n です 判定詞,*,判定詞,デス列基本形,だ,です,*\n EOS\n \n```\n\nWith the right command-line flags it will produce raw hiragana. It can,\nhowever, be quite confused if it comes across words not in its dictionary.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:58:33.463", "id": "125", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:05:59.053", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T00:05:59.053", "last_editor_user_id": "76", "owner_user_id": "76", "parent_id": "101", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "111", "answer_count": 7, "body": "Is it a nuance difference? Is it formality?\n\n**EDIT**\n\nFor example:\n\n> 請求書のお支払いは現金のみとなりますので、ご了承くださいませ。\n>\n> 請求書のお支払いは現金のみになりますので、ご了承くださいませ。\n\nI just made that example up, but for some reason, my gut tells me it's the\nfirst one, even though I don't see anything grammatically wrong with the\nsecond, either. Is it formality level only?", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:21:40.987", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "108", "last_activity_date": "2022-04-20T04:25:01.657", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "87", "post_type": "question", "score": 58, "tags": [ "grammar", "particles", "particle-と", "particle-に" ], "title": "What is the difference between 〜となる and 〜になる?", "view_count": 19591 }

[ { "body": "Pretty finely nuanced, I'd say. と is a quotative particle, but is also used to\ndescribed the manner in which something is done, often figurative. ～となる can be\nused to mean \"become like a ~\" while ～になる is literally \"become a ~\".", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:29:07.493", "id": "111", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:29:07.493", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "108", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "`～となる` is also limited to nouns, I believe. The way I've heard it most often\nused is when the thing it becomes kind of fulfills some purpose. Kind of hard\nto explain. Here's my best example:\n\n> * 私は先生になります → I will become a teacher.\n> * 寄付となる金を貯金します → I deposit all money that will be (used for) donated.\n>", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:10:06.943", "id": "132", "last_activity_date": "2021-03-02T22:53:30.740", "last_edit_date": "2021-03-02T22:53:30.740", "last_editor_user_id": "30454", "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "108", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "From what I have learned and observed, ～となる implies a \"suppose if\"\nconditional, something similar to \"suppose if it is the case that [X] would\nbecome [Y] then\" where as ～になる simply means \"[X] becomes [Y]\".\n\n「請求書のお支払いは現金のみとなりますので、ご了承くださいませ。」 would mean something like \"Suppose if you\nneed to pay your purchase by cash, we hope to get your understanding.\". This\nimplies that there are times that the shop does allow you to pay using other\nmeans than cash.\n\n「請求書のお支払いは現金のみになりますので、ご了承くださいませ。」 lacks the \"suppose if\" connotation so it\nsimply means \"As a matter of fact, you need to pay your purchase by cash, so\nwe hope to get your understanding.\".", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:43:28.053", "id": "233", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T03:43:28.053", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "112", "parent_id": "108", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I've heard that ~となります is popular to use because \"it sounds formal\", but\nactually its usage is incorrect, since です should be used instead. I'd guess\nthat the same thing happens with になります、which would be just another form of\nsaying です incorrectly (in this context).\n\nFormalish way : 請求書のお支払いは現金のみとなりますので、ご了承くださいませ。\n\nCorrect way : 請求書のお支払いは現金のみですので、ご了承くださいませ。\n\nLink: <http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1119559566>", "comment_count": 11, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T07:26:54.607", "id": "262", "last_activity_date": "2021-03-02T22:59:30.813", "last_edit_date": "2021-03-02T22:59:30.813", "last_editor_user_id": "30454", "owner_user_id": "79", "parent_id": "108", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I've asked this very question in the past and my research led me to the\nfollowing definition which (surprisingly) differs from every other answer here\nso far:\n\n**～となる expresses a discrete change, while ～になる can express either a discrete\nor a continuous change.**\n\nYou can feasibly use ～になる for everything, since it covers all cases, but in\ncases where you want to use the most suitable grammatical phrasing (such as in\nformal situations), you often see this distinction made.\n\nExamples:\n\n> その島は去年、無人島 **となった** 。 (～となる because the change from \"inhabited\" to\n> \"uninhabited\" is discrete and happens the instant the last person leaves.)\n>\n> デビューした後、彼はだんだん人気者 **になっていった** 。 (～になる because popularity changes\n> continuously in unmeasurable steps.)\n>\n> スカイツリーは現在、日本一高い建造物 **となっている** 。 (～となる because the title of \"tallest building\n> in Japan\" applies to exactly one building, and a building cannot gradually\n> become the tallest. It either is or it isn't.)\n>\n> 季節はこれから夏 **になっていく** 。 (～になる because the change in seasons is a gradual,\n> progressive one.)\n>\n> 電線事故のため、新山口駅は終点 **となります** 。 (～となる because the title of \"terminal station\"\n> only belongs to one station, and a station can't hold it partially.)\n\nYour example in the question illustrates a discrete change in state (or more\nprecisely, a discrete difference between 現金 and all other forms of payment),\nso both ～となる and ～になる are acceptable. However, since ～となる is \"built\" for such\nsituations as these, it sounds more \"proper\" to use ～となる.\n\nI suspect this rule also applies to the ～とする and ～にする forms, but I would have\nto do more research to confirm this.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-07T19:52:20.777", "id": "739", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-19T12:25:38.500", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "108", "post_type": "answer", "score": 61 }, { "body": "According to \"A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese\", there are only 2\ndifferences between になる and となる.\n\n(1) となる is more formal and only used in written Japanese.\n\n(2) となる cannot be used with な-adjectives.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2017-11-07T18:46:33.187", "id": "54328", "last_activity_date": "2017-11-07T18:46:33.187", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "25875", "parent_id": "108", "post_type": "answer", "score": -1 }, { "body": "There's another distinction between になる and となる: when the resultant state of\nthe change is _irreversible_ or final, となる is preferable. See [this related\nanswer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/82134/32952).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2022-04-20T04:25:01.657", "id": "94193", "last_activity_date": "2022-04-20T04:25:01.657", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "32952", "parent_id": "108", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "116", "answer_count": 5, "body": "I've noticed that there seems to be different usage for 下さい and ください. Is this\npurely a personal preferences or is there an actual difference their usage?\n\nThis was actually a question the Japanese people at my work had a discussion\nabout, but couldn't come to a consensus.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:26:45.357", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "110", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-08T00:27:38.133", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T13:56:49.190", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "97", "post_type": "question", "score": 41, "tags": [ "word-choice", "kanji", "spelling" ], "title": "When do you use 下さい　as opposed to ください", "view_count": 8596 }

[ { "body": "Almost purely personal preference. Also, more Chinese characters gives a more\nformal feeling to a document. This has been compared to the way we use\nLatin/Greek for formal (\"salutations\") and Anglo-Saxon for less formal\n(\"hello\"). This is easier to see when sino-Japanese words are over native\nJapanese ones, but the rule I think still applies.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:32:46.520", "id": "112", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:32:46.520", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "110", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Personal preference, but if it's a written communication, I always use the\nkanji to imply formality if I am making a request of a superior/customer/etc.\n\nIn the exact opposite way, I use hiragana to subordinates or coworkers to\nimply familiarity and a casual \"よろしくね\" attitude.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:38:20.943", "id": "115", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:38:20.943", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "110", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "There is a usage difference when writing.\n\n * \"下さい\" is supposed to used when you request an item (Please give me the apple)\n\n * \"ください\" is supposed to used when you ask to do something (Please help/teach me, etc..)", "comment_count": 15, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:42:59.230", "id": "116", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T14:16:39.227", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T14:16:39.227", "last_editor_user_id": "100", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "110", "post_type": "answer", "score": 26 }, { "body": "In my company (Japanese company, I am the only foreigner), our policy is to\nalways use \"ください\" for emails, even though we often have to write very\nformally.\n\nSo I would say it is more a matter of personal choice and consistency rather\nthan a different level of formality.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:33:54.597", "id": "148", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:33:54.597", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "107", "parent_id": "110", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I'm surprised that none of the answers so far have touched on the actual\nsource of the distinction.\n\nThe rule is: ください when it attaches to the te form of a verb, and 下さい\notherwise. That's why 下さい is used in requesting an item, because it's not\nbeing used after the te form of a verb (それを下さい). The same goes for other verbs\nthat attach to the te form... the general rule is to write it in kana even if\nyou would write it in kanji if it were standing alone. For instance, if you\nwere to say \"I'm getting bored of my job\", the preferred way to write it is\n仕事に飽きてきている, not 飽きて来ている.\n\nIn practice, this rule is often ignored and ください and 下さい are completely\ninterchangeable. In fact, I've seen one page of a manga that was written\nentirely in kana _except_ for 下さい, despite it being used with the te form.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-08T00:27:38.133", "id": "766", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-08T00:27:38.133", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "224", "parent_id": "110", "post_type": "answer", "score": 21 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "122", "answer_count": 5, "body": "I have heard that Japanese has the largest number of words of any language\nbecause every Chinese word can also be a Japanese word. Is there any truth to\nthis statement?", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:37:09.200", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "114", "last_activity_date": "2016-11-24T22:19:53.337", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T03:13:04.903", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "86", "post_type": "question", "score": 11, "tags": [ "chinese", "loanwords" ], "title": "Chinese words in Japanese", "view_count": 7020 }

[ { "body": "The _Chinese_ calligraphy came to Japan approximately 1,500~2,000 years ago,\nso I'd argue that that statement goes the other way: Chinese people can read\nmany Japanese words and grasp quickly what they mean.\n\nChinese, on the other hand, uses many, many kanji that are not found in\nJapanese's ~2,000 常用漢字 _joyo-kanji_ taught in the education system. So, I\ndon't think it's true that Japanese people, without proper study, can read\nChinese words, nor does it mean that for that reason Japanese has so many\nwords.\n\nYou are correct in noting that Japanese does have a lot of words because\nvarious nuances can be formed by combining slightly different kanji with\nsimilar meanings. When I was learning about 状態, I was very frustrated to find\nthat 実態, 事態, 状況, 実況, and 事情 all more-or-less translated as \"circumstances\" or\n\"situation\" in my dictionary at the time.\n\nSoapbox: that's why learning kanji can be good for your vocabulary - it\nbecomes about understanding the nuance of the kanji, not rote memorization of\na bunch of words.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:45:43.507", "id": "119", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:45:43.507", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "114", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Not EVERY Chinese word. But lots and lots of them. China has always been the\ndominant culture in that area, so there are lots of Sino-Korean, Sino-\nVietnamese and Sino-Japanese words. Writing was imported from China and later\nadapted for Japanese. When the Dutch brought over all of their science and\nmedicine books, all of terms that didn't exist in Japanese were translated\nusing Sino-Japanese words.\n\nSlowly katakana English is taking over, however, meaning that there are a huge\nnumber of words with both English and Chinese counterparts. Even if Japanese\ndoesn't have the biggest vocabulary in the world (remember diglossia in Arabic\nsocieties, languages with morphology so complicated that it denies all\nattempts to count words, etc.) it still is huge.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:46:44.477", "id": "120", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:46:44.477", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "114", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Although it's true that there are a very, _very_ large number of kanji\ncompounds imported from Chinese to Japanese, it's not as direct as that\nstatement. There are Chinese words that don't exist in Japanese, and many\nChinese Kanji have different meanings or pronunciations, as well as\noccasionally being written slightly differently. These differences are\nparticularly profound in words with grammatical significance:\n\n * 你 (cn: nei5; jp: ni, ji, nanji) - Chinese for 'you'. Very common in Chinese, rare in Japanese (other words are used instead)\n * 我 (cn: ngo5; jp: wa, ware) - Chinese for 'me'. In Japanese carries a connotation of referring to yourself as a representative of a larger group, and is therefore somewhat uncommon.\n * 的 (cn: dik1; jp: teki) - Chinese possessive particle; has a function similar to の in Japanese. In Japanese, this is a suffix meaning 'the essence of'. You see this used in, eg, 攻撃的 or 積極的, but it is not used the same way as in Chinese at all.\n\nThere are also differences in usage patterns for modern inventions - eg,\nChinese uses 电脑 for 'computer', but in Japanese the katakana コンピューター is more\ncommon.\n\nAs for whether there are more words in Japanese than other languages, I\ncouldn't say. I would suspect, though, that if you looked at the set of\n_commonly used_ words, it would be about the same; if you were to include\nclassical words, loanwords, and rarely used native equivalents for loanwords,\nyou might see a bit more than the average language.", "comment_count": 13, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:52:56.620", "id": "122", "last_activity_date": "2016-11-24T22:19:53.337", "last_edit_date": "2016-11-24T22:19:53.337", "last_editor_user_id": "11104", "owner_user_id": "76", "parent_id": "114", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 }, { "body": "You need to know that languages will evolve over time. Parts of the Japanese\nlanguage was largely influenced by classical Chinese, so a lot of Japanese\nwords you see will make sense in Chinese and vice versa. However Japanese and\nChinese are different language so even if they share similar volcabulary they\nare not simliar grammatically wise.\n\nSome words in Japanese means the same thing in Chinese and Japanese. This is\nthe case about 75% of the time. Then there are cases where Japanese words make\nsense in Chinese, but Chinese people tend to not use them. For example the\nword 上手 means to be skilled at something. If you say that in Chinese people\nwill (probably) understand you but it's not natural because it's like saying\n\"grand fries\" in English rather than \"large fries\"\n\nThen there are cases where Japanese words means something completely different\nin Chinese. For example 勉強 means to study in Japanese, but in Chinese it means\nreluctance.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:26:08.477", "id": "142", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:26:08.477", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "23", "parent_id": "114", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "This actually came up in class awhile back and our sensei (native speaker)\nanswered roughly as follows:\n\n> A Japanese person going to China will recognize enough kanji to be able to\n> get around and maybe get the gist of a newspaper article but since Japanese\n> uses a limited subset of the sinographs, they will not be able to read\n> everything they see and will also encounter problems in regards to\n> interpenetration due to the changes since when they were first introduced.\n> Likewise, Chinese person will recognize enough kanji that they can also get\n> around if they visit Japan, but will encounter the same problems with\n> interpretation and would also need to learn the hiragana and katakana.\n\nCouple this with the differences in grammar (i.e. verb-final vs. subject-verb-\nobject) and the meaning of a sentence can also be lost even if you have a\nrough idea as to what the kanji mean.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:27:33.253", "id": "169", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:27:33.253", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "114", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "133", "answer_count": 4, "body": "Are there cases where gairaigo used in every day speech (`パン`, `アイスクリーム`,\netc...) have been ousted by native Japanese words?", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:44:29.440", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "118", "last_activity_date": "2017-02-12T12:46:22.377", "last_edit_date": "2011-10-24T23:21:18.300", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "86", "post_type": "question", "score": 13, "tags": [ "loanwords" ], "title": "外来語 (gairaigo) replaced by Japanese word?", "view_count": 1736 }

[ { "body": "Not all of them have one, but looks like \"アイスクリーム\" have this \"氷菓子\", but not\ncommonly used, so answer is No. They havn't ousted by native Japanese words.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-05-31T23:50:19.870", "id": "121", "last_activity_date": "2011-05-31T23:50:19.870", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "118", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "I can't think of any cases where this is the case. However, there is a current\ntrend, particularly in business, to use _waseigo_ or _gairaigo_ to appear more\n\"educated\". So going forward, one could assume that there are going to be more\nwords replaced by their _waseigo_ or _gairaigo_ equivalent.\n\nThere are cases where there is a _gairaigo_ , but the Chinese word is what is\nused in Japanese, like \"baseball\". Though I'm not sure what the timeline is\nfor 「ベースボール」 being replaced by 「野球」.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:11:04.183", "id": "133", "last_activity_date": "2017-02-12T12:46:22.377", "last_edit_date": "2017-02-12T12:46:22.377", "last_editor_user_id": "1628", "owner_user_id": "97", "parent_id": "118", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 }, { "body": "During world war two, there was [some movement to limit the use of foreign\nwords](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1147223331)\n(since they belonged to the enemy) - this can be compared to the [\"Freedom\nFries\"](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_fries) in the US. For example\n(from the above-linked chiebukuro answer):\n\n * サイダー → [噴]{ふん}[出]{しゅっ}[水]{すい} \n * カレーライス → [辛]{から}[味]{み}[入]{い}り[汁]{しる}[掛]{か}け[飯]{めし}\n\nHowever, just like the \"freedom fries\" in the US, it never really caught on,\nand even the soldiers in the front lines kept on using katakana gairaigo in\ntheir everyday conversation.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:21:31.583", "id": "205", "last_activity_date": "2011-10-24T23:20:27.163", "last_edit_date": "2011-10-24T23:20:27.163", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "76", "parent_id": "118", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Maybe worth pointing out that before western loanwords became popular and\n\"trendy,\" the fad for over a thousand years was Chinese or faux-Chinese\nloanwords like \"電話.\" Though they may seem more Japanese than katakana words,\nthey're based on old Chinese borrowings (i.e. on-yomi, or the approximated\nChinese pronunciations for kanji characters) and not really purely \"native.\"", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-09-09T17:43:54.770", "id": "18622", "last_activity_date": "2014-09-09T17:43:54.770", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "7253", "parent_id": "118", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "139", "answer_count": 5, "body": "At work, it is wrong to simply say 分かる to say that you understand something.\nIn what situation should I opt to use one of the previously mentioned forms?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:03:50.183", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "129", "last_activity_date": "2020-02-19T03:07:55.300", "last_edit_date": "2014-03-17T23:27:59.540", "last_editor_user_id": "4914", "owner_user_id": "79", "post_type": "question", "score": 18, "tags": [ "nuances", "honorifics", "business-japanese" ], "title": "What is the correct usage of 承知しました, 了解です and かしこまりました, the more formal forms of 分かる?", "view_count": 35351 }

[ { "body": "かしこまる／承知する are used mostly for answering requests from superiours (bosses,\nclients, etc.). Like, \"Yes, I understand what you're asking me to do (and I'll\ndo it).\" 分かる just implies you mentally understand.\n\n了解 is not formal as far as I know, and I hear it quite often. I learned it to\nmean almost like \"Roger!\" or \"copy that\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:15:26.810", "id": "138", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:15:26.810", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "129", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "かしこまりました is by far the most formal, and is a humble form (謙遜語). It says that\nyou are inferior to the listener. Most specifically this should be used to\ninterface with customers (hence why wait staff at a restaurant may say it).\n\n承知しました is polite (〜します), but not humble. It is also appropriate to use with\ncustomers or superiors.\n\n了解です is also polite in form, and is not humble, but has a certain curt feeling\nto it (this could be from its usage by the armed services as \"Roger\").\nInformally friends and family often say/text 了解 (without the です) in a context\nwhere they want to say \"Yep, got it\".\n\nThe difference between the latter 2 is nuance, I suppose. Both seem to\ntranslate as \"I acknowledge and understand\". My gut feeling having worked in a\nJapanese office is that 了解です, while polite, isn't formal enough for customers.\n承知 is better for customers or superiors.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:16:14.747", "id": "139", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:43:49.890", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T02:43:49.890", "last_editor_user_id": "87", "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "129", "post_type": "answer", "score": 19 }, { "body": "Mostly the usage. Remember, first, that Sino-Japanese is almost always more\nformal than native Japanese.\n\n * かしこまる is for use with customers. \"Right away, sir.\" It literally means \"to take a humble/respectful attitude\" (新和英大辞典).\n * 了解 is used in the military. \"Affirmative/Understood\". See final fantasy VIII. Used all of the time by groups when they want to show that they understood and will follow what they are told. \n * 承知 is a very formal way of saying you understood. Also used very often in customer service.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:00:48.983", "id": "163", "last_activity_date": "2020-02-19T03:07:55.300", "last_edit_date": "2020-02-19T03:07:55.300", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "129", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "I just want to add one point to other nice answers: 了解です is not a proper\npolite form for this meaning. The proper polite form is 了解しました. Saying 了解です\ninstead of 了解しました is acceptable and many young people use it but decreases the\nformality level. It shows an attempt to be polite, but at least if it is used\nby an educated native speaker of Japanese, it may imply that the speaker is\nnot bothering to use a proper form, which may decrease the politeness. If you\ngo this informality one step further, you get 了解っす which is even less formal\n(see [another question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/36/what-\ndoes-at-the-end-of-a-sentence-mean)).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:59:32.470", "id": "221", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:59:32.470", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.157", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "129", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "In my experience\n\n→Ryoukai(了解）、most Polite:Ryoukaiitasimasita(了解致しました)is generally used when you\nsay ok and i will follow it or i will do it as accordingly. Generally after\nsaying this you are supposed do something. →Syouchi(承知しました）most\npolite:Syouchiitasimasita(承知致しました）is normally used when you need to say i\nunderstand.genrally after saying this you are supposed that you knew, learned\nsomething.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2018-05-17T04:26:02.387", "id": "58730", "last_activity_date": "2018-05-17T04:26:02.387", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "29957", "parent_id": "129", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "137", "answer_count": 5, "body": "There are a number of verbs where there is a 〜xasu → xaseru transformation to\nproduce an transitive verb from an intransitive, eg:\n\n * 死なす→死なせる\n * 生かす→生かせる\n * 飲ます→飲ませる\n\nIs this some kind of generalized rule? (perhaps a classical conjugation?) Or\nis it something that must be handled on a case-by-case basis?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:05:16.480", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "130", "last_activity_date": "2019-06-27T09:11:38.497", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "76", "post_type": "question", "score": 6, "tags": [ "grammar", "verbs", "conjugations" ], "title": "Is there a general rule for deriving xasu→xaseru intransitives such as 死なせる from 死なす?", "view_count": 440 }

[ { "body": "There is another base form before ~asu, and yes, there is rules for that.\n\n```\n\n - 死ぬ (die)　　 ⇒　死なす　(let ~ die) \n ⇒　死なせる (make ~ die)\n - 生きる (live) ⇒　生かす　(let ~ live) \n ⇒　生かせる (make ~ live)\n - 飲みます(drink) ⇒　飲ます　(let ~ drink) \n ⇒　飲ませる　(make ~ drink)\n \n```", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:13:08.100", "id": "137", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:13:08.100", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "130", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Here are some pointers:\n\n-Verbs ending in anything besides iru/eru can be called 五段, besides you conjugate them using the five rows in the kana table (one for each vowel). So use the five vowels for different contexts-\n\n * 死な- 死なない I won't die 死なせる To cause to die.\n * 死に- 死にますI'm gonna die now.\n * 死ぬ- 死ぬI'm gonna die/to die\n * 死ね- 死ね！ die! 死ね- 死ねば- if I die\n * 死の- 死のうとする to try to die\n\nFor most verbs that end in iru/eru, called 一段 because they conjugate on the\nsame vowel row, use these instead:\n\n * 食べない - I'm not gonna eat eat 食べさせる- To cause to eat\n * 食べます - I will eat\n * 食べる - I will eat\n * 食べろ - Eat!\n * 食べれば- If I eat\n * 食べようとする - to try to eat \n\nThese forms are called 未然形、連用形、終止形、連体形、仮定形、命令形, repectively.\n\nDon't forget, though: I say \"most\" because there are iru/eru verbs that are\n五段. 走る, for example; the negative is 走らない.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:33:12.267", "id": "174", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:43:02.957", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T01:43:02.957", "last_editor_user_id": "24", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "130", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "It seems that there are several confusions in the question.\n\nFirst, 死なす and 死なせる are almost interchangeable (to make/let … die), and so are\n飲ます and 飲ませる (to make/let … drink). (I wrote “almost” just in case; honestly\nspeaking, I cannot think of any situation where one is correct is the other is\nnot.)\n\nSecond, the relation between 生かす (to make/let … live; to utilize) and 生かせる\n(can make … live; can utilize) is very different from the other two pairs of\nwords. The pair 生かす/生きさせる has the same relation as the two pairs 死なす/死なせる and\n飲ます/飲ませる.\n\nBoth 飲ます and 飲ませる are made from the verb 飲む. 飲ます is a verb derived from the\nverb 飲む (to drink). The derived verbs like 飲ます where the derivation adds the\nmeaning “make/let” are called 使役動詞 in the Japanese grammar. 飲ませる consists of\n飲ま (the 未然形 of 飲む) and an auxiliary verb せる (make/let). The same applies to\n死なす and 死なせる, both of which are made from the verb 死ぬ (to die).\n\nAlmost the same explanation applies to 生かす and 生きさせる, both of which are made\nfrom the verb 生きる (to live), but there are two complications here.\n\n * The verb 生かす has an additional meaning: to utilize. Therefore, 生かす and 生きさせる are not always interchangeable.\n * The phrase 生きさせる consists of 生き and させる. 生き is the 未然形 of 生きる, and させる is an auxiliary verb which has the same meaning as せる. The distinction between せる and させる depends on the verb to which it is attached, but I will not go into details now.\n\n生かせる is a verb derived from the verb 生かす using another method of derivation,\nand it means “can make … live” or “can utilize / can be utilized.”\n\n_Edit_ : In revision 1, I used the term “conjugation” incorrectly.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T04:26:48.420", "id": "238", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T04:38:24.513", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T04:38:24.513", "last_editor_user_id": "15", "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "130", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "All three cases are actually different.\n\n> 死なす→死なせる\n\nIn the standard (Tokyo) dialect, `死なせる` is the correct form, and `死なす` is\nmarginal. If `死なす` is allowed in any case, then `死なせる` will not be allowed,\nand hence these should be considered different dialects/idiolects used with\nthe same meaning. It is the causative form of `死ぬ` (See below).\n\n> 生かす→生かせる\n\nIn the standard dialect, `生かす` is the correct form, and `生かせる` is completely\nungrammatical (unless you are talking about the potential form).\n\n> 飲ます→飲ませる\n\nHere, you see the **causative** morpheme `-(s)ase-`. When the verb stem ends\nwith a consonant, the form `-ase-` is used.\n\n> kak-ase-ru 'cause someone to write something'\n>\n> kag-ase-ru 'cause someone to smell something'\n>\n> kas-ase-ru 'cause someone to lend something to someone'\n>\n> kat-ase-ru 'cause someone to win'\n>\n> kam-ase-ru 'cause someone to bite something'\n>\n> sin-ase-ru 'cause someone to die'\n>\n> nom-ase-ru 'cause someone to drink'\n\nWhen the verb stem ends with a vowel (`i` or `e`), the form `-sase-` is used.\n\n> mi-sase-ru 'cause someone to see'\n>\n> tabe-sase-ru 'cause someone to eat something'", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-09T04:00:59.163", "id": "1814", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-09T04:00:59.163", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "130", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "The basic answer:「せる」is the newer form and 「す」is classical. Both are correct\nand they have the same meaning.\n\nBut, as @user458 points out, the newer form is stronger in the Standard\nJapanese and the classical form is stronger in the Kansai dialect.\n\nAlso, as @Tsuyoshi Ito points out, some verbs have developed different\nmeanings for the two forms, even though historically they were the same.\n\nAlso, there are other, subtler reasons you prefer one over the other depending\non the verb.\n\nThe latter two are the reasons why the classical form is still sometimes used\nin the Standard Japanese.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2019-06-27T09:11:38.497", "id": "69129", "last_activity_date": "2019-06-27T09:11:38.497", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "9983", "parent_id": "130", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "136", "answer_count": 6, "body": "I've seen both こんばんわ and こんばんは used; which is correct here? If we interpret\nthe は as the topic particle, は would seem correct, but it seems that わ is used\nquite frequently anyway...", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:09:34.680", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "131", "last_activity_date": "2022-01-17T17:12:48.787", "last_edit_date": "2016-04-12T18:15:10.163", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "76", "post_type": "question", "score": 21, "tags": [ "particle-は", "spelling", "greetings", "kana-usage", "lexicalization" ], "title": "Which is correct: こんばんわ or こんばんは?", "view_count": 53005 }

[ { "body": "こんばんは is correct. The former is mostly a stylistic/emphatic usage.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:11:22.743", "id": "135", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:11:22.743", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "131", "post_type": "answer", "score": 17 }, { "body": "[こんばんは](http://gogen-allguide.com/ko/konbanwa.html) is correct, according to\nthat page in Japanese.\n\nMy gut feeling is the same - 今晩は -> こんばんは.\n\nThat said, a cursory Google of こんばんは yielded 13M hits, whereas こんばんわ yielded\n26M.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:12:52.640", "id": "136", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:12:52.640", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "131", "post_type": "answer", "score": 17 }, { "body": "こんばんは (今晩は) is the one in the dictionary for \"Good evening!\". I think that\nこんばんわ has a cuter feeling, maybe a little softer. It's a total guess, but it\nmight be related to the feminine わ at the end of sentences. Actually, [this\npage](http://gogen-allguide.com/ko/konbanwa.html) seems to be saying it's\nrelated to 和 (わ - peace) which gives it a nicer feeling.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:37:55.673", "id": "150", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:37:55.673", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "36", "parent_id": "131", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 }, { "body": "こんばんわ is cuter. こんにちは is more correct/formal/proper.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-07T21:01:27.733", "id": "740", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-07T21:01:27.733", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "75", "parent_id": "131", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Both こんばんは and こんばんわ sound the same as the ha (は) in こんばんは sounds like wa with\nits current context so basically there is literally no difference between the\nfeeling that わ adds since it doesn't make the it sound any different, just\nmaking it clear not delivering hate.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2019-08-01T03:24:44.577", "id": "69809", "last_activity_date": "2019-08-01T03:24:44.577", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "34864", "parent_id": "131", "post_type": "answer", "score": -1 }, { "body": "The right way is always こんいちは, こんばんは with the particle \"HA, は\" It's like that\nbecause it's the old Japanese way to say \"good day\". the \"ha / は\" works the\nsame as \"is\": \"Anata ha, watashi ha\" 「あなたは」, 「わたしは」 meaning something like,\n\"today is a good day\" etc. After some time, it becomes fused in everyday\ncolloquial language. Also, we should not forgot that Japanese Kana only\nrepresents \"sounds of spelling\". We are allowed to write こんばんわ with \"wa\", but\nwe need to check where we are using it. This way of using \"wa\" can only appear\nin informal text such as web chats, with close friends, and manga. For any\ndocument that is official or with strangers it's mandatory to use the formal\nway, with \"ha\" and preferentially using kanji with the particle 今日は, 今晩は.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2022-01-17T15:26:27.847", "id": "92989", "last_activity_date": "2022-01-17T17:12:48.787", "last_edit_date": "2022-01-17T17:12:48.787", "last_editor_user_id": "30454", "owner_user_id": "50270", "parent_id": "131", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "146", "answer_count": 4, "body": "If you follow any Japanese speakers on Twitter, you'll almost certainly see\nthem use [なう](https://twitter.com/#search?q=%E3%81%AA%E3%81%86) at the end of\na sentence, to say \"I am in this place/doing this thing **now** \". Where does\nthis use come from? Who started it? Is it anything to do with the (e.g. bus)\nannouncements that say \"なう\"?", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:21:54.077", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "140", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-25T00:15:07.493", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T23:34:11.097", "last_editor_user_id": "87", "owner_user_id": "36", "post_type": "question", "score": 19, "tags": [ "usage", "slang", "colloquial-language", "internet-slang" ], "title": "Where does なう on Twitter come from?", "view_count": 2508 }

[ { "body": "Twitter came from the US, so I'd argue that original Japanese twitter-ers\npicked it up from the English feeds that they followed. Additionally, \"now\" is\ncommon enough of a word that most Japanese know it in English, even if they\ndon't speak English fully, so I reckon it just caught on like that.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:23:27.417", "id": "141", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:23:27.417", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "140", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "It's not clear exactly who or what started it on twitter, but なう does indeed\ncome from the English \"now\". It became popular in 2009, shortly after the\nrelease of twitter (according to [this\nsite](http://www.paradisearmy.com/doujin/pasok_now.htm)). Here are some\nJapanese articles exploring the usage:\n\n * <http://nanapi.jp/258/>\n * <http://zokugo-dict.com/21na/nau.htm>\n * <http://www.paradisearmy.com/doujin/pasok_now.htm>", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:31:47.757", "id": "146", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:31:47.757", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "76", "parent_id": "140", "post_type": "answer", "score": 15 }, { "body": "I don't know for certain, but 「ナウい」(and later「ナウな」) was a trendy slang word\nbeginning in the 70's or so. (It is no longer trendy, and is in fact now very\ndated, so don't try using it to sound cool. :) So there was already a\nprecedence for this word.\n\n[Wikipedia article](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8A%E3%82%A6%E3%81%84)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-03T10:10:03.953", "id": "488", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-03T10:10:03.953", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "16", "parent_id": "140", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "The なう that you hear in the Bus announcements is actually \"なお\" meaning\n\"furthermore\" or \"in addition\". If I recall correctly, it is often used in the\npart of the announcement that is describing the locations near the next stop.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-25T00:15:07.493", "id": "1489", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-25T00:15:07.493", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "215", "parent_id": "140", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "145", "answer_count": 5, "body": "You see a lot of w and ww and even www in Twitter and casual chat. What does\nit mean? I've always thought it was わいわい but never found out. How is it\npronounced?\n\nHere's an example from\n[Twitter](https://twitter.com/ayav_v/status/75719460031430656)\n\n> なんでじゃろうねwwとりあえず電車なうだから間に合いそう笑", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:28:17.247", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "143", "last_activity_date": "2022-05-03T19:35:54.147", "last_edit_date": "2013-02-14T16:27:31.640", "last_editor_user_id": "78", "owner_user_id": "36", "post_type": "question", "score": 30, "tags": [ "slang", "internet-slang", "abbreviations" ], "title": "What is the meaning of all those \"w\"s in email and SNSs?", "view_count": 55437 }

[ { "body": "www is Internet slang like lol in Japanese. It stands for warai (笑い), often\nused on online message boards\n\n笑 is like www, it's another internet slang, like lol in Japanese. You will\nalso see people adding 笑 at the end of sentences on the Internet just like the\nexample you gave.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:30:43.177", "id": "144", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:47:21.603", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T00:47:21.603", "last_editor_user_id": "23", "owner_user_id": "23", "parent_id": "143", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 }, { "body": "They derive from 笑う(わらう). They're the Japanese equivalent of \"LOL\".", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:31:32.870", "id": "145", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:31:32.870", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "parent_id": "143", "post_type": "answer", "score": 27 }, { "body": "It is an abbreviation for _warai_ (laugh), and it comes from gamer slang. It\ncan be translated as \"LOL.\"", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:31:49.243", "id": "147", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:31:49.243", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "143", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "As the others have said, the \"w\" stands for 笑う(わらう).\n\n~~You might also see someone write \"ちょwww\" online. This is similar to somebody\nsaying \"ちょ~かわいい\" if you've seen that line before. In this case, the ちょ is\nactually 超(ちょう) so \"ちょwww\" would translate into something like \"so funny\" or\n\"very funny\" compared to the standard \"www\" or \"wwwwwwwww (ad infinitum)\"\nwhich would just be \"lol\" and \"roflmao\".~~", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:49:32.480", "id": "156", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-10T13:56:20.060", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-10T13:56:20.060", "last_editor_user_id": "18", "owner_user_id": "18", "parent_id": "143", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Incidentally, you can also use 草 (grass) instead of 笑 or www for the same\npurpose. This comes directly from the fact that www resembles sprouting grass:\n\n> 「www」と表現しているのが草が生えているように見えることから「草」と言われるようになりました。 Since it looks like\n> sprouting grass, people also started to say \"草\" to mean \"www\".\n\n[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pRzAj.jpg)\n\n[source](https://www.hamuwo.com/netslang-warai-kusa/)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2022-05-03T19:35:54.147", "id": "94354", "last_activity_date": "2022-05-03T19:35:54.147", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "32952", "parent_id": "143", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "153", "answer_count": 3, "body": "Recently I came across this sentence in a computing-related technical\ndocument:\n\n> some software と連携させ、 some feature のカスタマイズを作成します。\n\nI get the meaning (after having integrated some product, we will customize\nsome feature), but my question is:\n\nIn this sentence, does させ come from the verb 刺す or just する ?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:39:45.207", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "151", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-09T04:33:32.733", "last_edit_date": "2011-07-09T04:33:32.733", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "107", "post_type": "question", "score": 5, "tags": [ "grammar", "conjugations" ], "title": "Does \"させ\" comes from the verb 刺す or just する ?", "view_count": 204 }

[ { "body": "Just する. 連携する -> 連携させ is correct, 刺す has separate meaning.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:41:30.200", "id": "152", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:41:30.200", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "151", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "する--or to be more precise, させる. It is one way to abbreviate させる when used in\nthe middle of a sentence (more commonly you would see させて).", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T00:42:23.333", "id": "153", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T00:42:23.333", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "151", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I believe it comes from an old conjugation of す, which led to modern する. You\ncan see all of its conjugations\n[here](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B5%E8%A1%8C%E5%A4%89%E6%A0%BC%E6%B4%BB%E7%94%A8).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:11:16.897", "id": "168", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:11:16.897", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "151", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 3, "body": "かしら is generally considered to be a question particle for use by females; are\nthere any situations or dialects in which it is usable by males? I'm aware\nthat historically, it was used by both male and female speakers; I'm mostly\nconcerned about modern usage.\n\nEdit: I'm quite aware that, normally, it sounds quite odd. I'm more concerned\nabout whether there are exceptional situations or dialects where male かしら\nusage is common enough not to sound odd.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:03:03.273", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "164", "last_activity_date": "2012-09-12T01:14:20.543", "last_edit_date": "2012-09-12T01:14:20.543", "last_editor_user_id": "501", "owner_user_id": "76", "post_type": "question", "score": 13, "tags": [ "word-choice", "dialects", "register", "sentence-final-particles" ], "title": "Are there any situations where かしら is considered appropriate/normal for males to use?", "view_count": 1573 }

[ { "body": "Well, you are always free to use かしら, whether if people think if you are a\nweird is a different matter.\n\nIt's not as much as being inappropriate(in a social sense) as to sounding\nweird.\n\nLinguistically it's usually used by female speakers and male speakers who are\ncross-dressers/gay as far as I know.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:09:05.980", "id": "165", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:09:05.980", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "23", "parent_id": "164", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Not that this answers your question, but it's quite possible. In the Kansai\narea (and possibly elsewhere) it's quite normal for men to end sentences in わ.\nSo maybe there are places where they use かしら as well. Of course, you\n(presumably you're a male) should probably stay away from it until you know\nfor sure.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:09:35.603", "id": "166", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:09:35.603", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "164", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I did a search on this and found the following:\n\n> 昔、TBSの番組「ザ・ベスト10」で久米宏が なに気に 「〜かしら」と言ったのを見て初めは かなり衝撃でしたが\n> アナウンサーの業界では以外と使われている様です。 あと学者や解説者など、有識者や育ちのいい人が 今でも比較的違和感なく使っていますね。\n\nLoose translation:\n\n\"Back in the days, Kume Hiroshi used it quite frequently in the show \"The Best\n10\". While it may come as a shock to those who first experience it, it's\nactually used quite often by TV announcers.\"\n\nIt also mentions usage by scholars, commentators, and experts in their\nrespective fields.\n\n[Source](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1111801521)\n\n**EDIT**\n\nAs an edition, this was often used by one of the main male characters in the\npopular manga series のび太くん, as shown here:\n\n", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-07T21:27:58.777", "id": "744", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-12T22:44:13.367", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-12T22:44:13.367", "last_editor_user_id": "921", "owner_user_id": "180", "parent_id": "164", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "193", "answer_count": 2, "body": "「神{かみ}のみぞ知{し}るセカイ」 is the title of a manga/anime series but I'm not asking\nabout the anime. I'm just curious about the 「ぞ」 part in the title.\n\nI know there is a ぞ particle that is similar to よ, such that 行{い}くぞ is similar\nto 行くよ. But I have never encountered よ nor ぞ in the middle of a\nsentence/clause before, so this made me curious.\n\nWhich part of speech is that ぞ? What connotation does it bring and how do we\nuse it in a sentence?\n\np/s: I know the ぞ is not a part of のみぞ because when I entered のみぞ in my\nJapanese dictionary software it only returned のみ = “only\" so I deduced that\nthe ぞ is a separate word.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:28:44.457", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "170", "last_activity_date": "2015-12-14T00:19:44.730", "last_edit_date": "2015-12-14T00:19:44.730", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 11, "tags": [ "particles", "idioms", "parts-of-speech", "particle-ぞ" ], "title": "Which part of speech is the 「ぞ」 in 「神のみぞ知るセカイ」?", "view_count": 1698 }

[ { "body": "It's an emphatic particle from old Japanese. _Only_ God/Gods. There's another\none used with questions to show more uncertainty. \"どこぞで休んでいくか\" (デジタル大辞泉)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:37:23.057", "id": "182", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:37:23.057", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "170", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "If you look at koujien's entry for ぞ there are several uses (mostly outdated),\nbut I think the one which applies here is: 一つの事柄を特に指定し強調する｡ In other words, it\nplaces emphasis on something specific. So in reguards to this light\nnovel/anime series title I think it places emphasis on the fact that the/a\nworld which ONLY GOD knows about.\n\nAlso, this reminded me of a famous quote of Sakamoto Ryouma 世の人はわれは何ともいはばいへ\nわがなすことは我のみぞ知る something like \"No matter what society says, I know the meaning\nto my own actions\" basically, screw what society says, because I know the path\nI want to go down.\n\nI believe he's emphasizing that what matters is that HE knows what he should\nbe doing.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:47:48.720", "id": "193", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:47:48.720", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "109", "parent_id": "170", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "179", "answer_count": 6, "body": "I know the following two sentences give implication that \"not expecting me to\nunderstand (it)\" but I have a feeling that they give different nuances that I\njust can't put my finger on:\n\n> それは分{わ}かる **わけがない** でしょう。 _sore wa wakaru **wake ga nai** deshou._\n>\n> それは分{わ}かる **はずがない** でしょう。 _sore wa wakaru **hazu ga nai** deshou._\n\nWould someone explain what is the difference of the two sentences, and also\nhow to choose between using はず and わけ?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:30:01.257", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "171", "last_activity_date": "2015-11-14T02:26:06.467", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 24, "tags": [ "word-choice", "formal-nouns" ], "title": "What is the difference between 「はずがない」 and 「わけがない」?", "view_count": 9685 }

[ { "body": "I believe the difference emphasis.\n\nそれは分かるわけがないでしょう。 sore ha wakaru wake ga nai deshou. - I'd read this as\nわかりようがない\n\nそれは分かるはずがないでしょう。 sore ha wakaru hazu ga nai deshou. - and this as he doesn't\nhave a chance to understand this. This is the stronger of the two.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:32:41.857", "id": "173", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:32:41.857", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "97", "parent_id": "171", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I would expect the わけ version to be stronger. If you look at the meaning of わけ\nand はず in isolation, わけ means 'reason' - eg, in the pattern of\n「どうしてそうなったの？／〜〜〜〜したわけ。」 はず however expresses an expectation - 「こうなるはず。」 Thus,\nif you use わけ, you imply that you can't understand why such a situation would\nhappen; with はず, you imply that you simply wouldn't _expect_ such a situation\nto happen (or, retrospectively, you express that you, previously, strongly\nexpected it not to happen)", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:33:52.110", "id": "176", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:33:52.110", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "76", "parent_id": "171", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I'd translate them as follows:\n\n> 分かるわけがないでしょう。 _Wakaru wake ga nai deshō._\n\n\"There's no way _(he)_ can understand this.\" or \" _(He)_ surely doesn't\nunderstand this.\"\n\n> 分かるはずがないでしょう。 _Wakaru hazu ga nai deshō._\n\n\"I don't think _(he)_ understands this.\"\n\nはず is more of a personal inkling, while わけ is more of an\nobjective/direct/strong statement. Depending on how it's meant わけ can be used\ninsultingly:\n\n> 出来るわけないだろう。 _Dekiru wake nai darō._\n\n\" _(You)_ can't _(are unable to)_ do that!\" or \"Are _(you)_ crazy to think\n_(you)_ can do that?\"\n\n> 出来るはずはないけど… _Dekiru hazu wa nai kedo…_\n\n\" _(I)_ don't think _(you)_ can do it, but... _(maybe I'm wrong about that)_ \"\n\nMore, negated examples:\n\n> 出来ないわけがないでしょう。 _Dekinai wake ga nai deshō._\n\n\"It's not impossible, right?\" or \"It _should_ be possible, right?\"\n\n> 出来ないはずはないですが、今は難しいです。 _Dekinai hazu wa nai desu ga, ima wa muzukashii desu._\n\n\"I don't think it's impossible, but it's very difficult right now.\"", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:34:24.993", "id": "178", "last_activity_date": "2015-11-14T02:26:06.467", "last_edit_date": "2015-11-14T02:26:06.467", "last_editor_user_id": "9971", "owner_user_id": "88", "parent_id": "171", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "disclaimer: not a native speaker\n\nI think 'wake' implies that things happened as expected, where as 'hazu'\nimplies that what happened is not what was expected.\n\nOr, 'wake' is a bit more neutral, a \"matter of fact\", where as 'hazu' is more\nof a personal opinion/subjective kind of thing.\n\nThis is how I would understand the difference:\n\n> それは分かるわけがないでしょう。 sore ha wakaru wake ga nai deshou.\n\nYou're not meant to understand this .. it's normal.\n\n> それは分かるはずがないでしょう。 sore ha wakaru hazu ga nai deshou.\n\nI see no reason you could understand this .. so what's going on?", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:34:44.463", "id": "179", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:45:30.260", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T01:45:30.260", "last_editor_user_id": "113", "owner_user_id": "113", "parent_id": "171", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 }, { "body": "Wake is a reason or cause; hazu is an expectation. They can be used in the\nsame context, but still have a different sense.\n\n分かるわけない！ \"How would you understand?!\" (there's no reason to think you would\nget this) わかるはずはない \"He shouldn't understand\" (I expect that he doesn't).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:55:46.203", "id": "196", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:55:46.203", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "171", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Disclaimer: Not a native speaker.\n\nBased on how I hear it being used and also from the goo dictionary usage\nexplanation, I don't think the difference is that much (as to be worried about\nwhen to use which).\n\nEven if the dictionary gives different example sentences for the usage:\n\n[使い方]\n\n〔わけがない〕▽朝寝坊のあなたが、朝五時に起きられるわけがない\n\n〔はずがない〕▽小さい子供が四人もいるのだから、家の中がきれいなはずがないでしょ\n\nThey club it together in the \"proper use\" section\n\n[使い分け]\n【１】「わけがない」「はずがない」は、…する理由がない、…する道理がない、の意味で、ある事態の起こる可能性が全くないことを表わす。「わけはない」「はずもない」などの形もある。\n\nTo me, its as simple as:\n\nわかるはずがない： (I wasn't in town,so)How would I know?(what happened to him)\n\nわかるわけがない： (I wan't in town,so)No way of knowing(what happened to him)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2015-10-02T00:05:03.640", "id": "28427", "last_activity_date": "2015-10-02T00:05:03.640", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "11345", "parent_id": "171", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "192", "answer_count": 1, "body": "`ご[馳走様]{ちそうさま}でした` is the greeting that people say after being offered a meal\nwhile `ご馳走` by itself means “a feast”.\n\nI looked up this word in the dictionary to learn more about the kanji\ncharacters. It turned out that both `馳` and `走` have the meaning of “run”, or\nmore specifically `馳` is “to gallop” and `走` is “to run”.\n\nSo how come two “run” kanji characters give the meaning of “a feast”? Would\nanyone explain the etymology of the word?\n\nP.S. `ご` is just a prefix you add to a noun to make it sound more polite.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:31:21.227", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "172", "last_activity_date": "2019-07-01T09:43:11.367", "last_edit_date": "2019-07-01T09:43:11.367", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 16, "tags": [ "kanji", "etymology" ], "title": "About ご[馳走]{ちそう}: two “runs” would give you “a feast”?", "view_count": 702 }

[ { "body": "The original meaning is not a feast. 馳走 means to prepare food and treat\nguests, and also to run around doing a bunch of stuff. ご馳走 means that someone\nhas worked hard and treated their guests well.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:46:20.193", "id": "192", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T08:30:25.970", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T08:30:25.970", "last_editor_user_id": "24", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "172", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "187", "answer_count": 3, "body": "I recently came across the expression `前提に`:\n\n>\n> feature1はfeature2と同じく各コンテンツに分類用の識別子を埋め込む機能ですが、統制を重視したユースケースを前提に設計されているため柔軟さに欠けます。 \n> 'feature1, just like feature2, is a way to embed classification into\n> content, but it is designed for rigidity-focussed use cases, losing in\n> flexibility.'\n\nI think it means \"to require\", but I am very unsure, could someone\nconfirm/infirm this?", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:33:33.303", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "175", "last_activity_date": "2012-04-11T05:16:36.613", "last_edit_date": "2012-04-11T04:50:23.887", "last_editor_user_id": "290", "owner_user_id": "107", "post_type": "question", "score": 6, "tags": [ "words" ], "title": "Does 前提に mean \"to require\"?", "view_count": 409 }

[ { "body": "前提 has a meaning of on the assumption that, or on the premise of.\n\nIn your case its meaning is closer to\n\n> it is designed under the assumption of rigid focused use cases.\n\nor\n\n> Designed with rigid focused use cases in mind.\n\nAnother example from a site for something completely different:\n\n> 彼氏がいる **前提** で、彼氏の有無を確認する7つのフレーズ\n\nWhich means\n\n> **On the assumption** that there is a boyfriend, the 7 ways of confirming if\n> there's a boyfriend.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:42:56.923", "id": "187", "last_activity_date": "2012-04-11T05:16:36.613", "last_edit_date": "2012-04-11T05:16:36.613", "last_editor_user_id": "796", "owner_user_id": "23", "parent_id": "175", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "設計する is \"to design\" and 前提 could be interpreted as, say, \"condition\" or\nsomething that was proposed. So you could read it as \"something was designed\nfor the purposes of so-and-so\".\n\nI guess it's possible to read it as something related to requirements as\nyou're trying to satisfy some constraint but I don't think I've ever seen 設計する\nused as \"to require\" anyway.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:43:55.927", "id": "189", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:43:55.927", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "18", "parent_id": "175", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "前途 is \"premise\" and 設計 is \"architected\" (or in this context, \"designed\").\nXを前提に設計された therefore means \"designed under the premise of X\".\n\nBy the way, I would translate your sentence slightly differently:\n\n>\n> feature1はfeature2と同じく各コンテンツに分類用の識別子を埋め込む機能ですが、統制を重視したユースケースを前提に設計されているため柔軟さに欠けます。\n>\n> Feature1, like feature2, is a way to embed into content discriminatory flags\n> for classification. However, since they were designed under the premise of\n> unified (homogeneous) usage cases, they lack flexibility.\n\nMostly the same as your translation, except for \"designed for rigidity-focused\nuse cases\" :)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-12T16:42:15.420", "id": "1885", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-12T16:42:15.420", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "448", "parent_id": "175", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "191", "answer_count": 6, "body": "I'm a beginner and am learning from CD (Pimsleur). There are two native\nspeakers going through the dialogue. One, the man, pronounces が as I would\nexpect - 'ga'. The other (female) pronounces it as 'nga'.\n\nHow common is the latter? Which should I used? Is the usage split along\ngender, age or geographic lines?", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:33:55.800", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "177", "last_activity_date": "2017-01-19T00:31:52.257", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-04T01:50:16.133", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "99", "post_type": "question", "score": 44, "tags": [ "particles", "pronunciation", "particle-が" ], "title": "Pronouncing が as 'nga'", "view_count": 28958 }

[ { "body": "\"Ga\" and \"Nga\" are same in Japanese, just a personal difference. Some used to\nsay that old Japanese people used \"Nga\" more frequently than \"Ga\"", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:44:12.947", "id": "191", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:44:12.947", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "177", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "I mostly agree with YOU in that it is personal preference and perhaps more of\na broad preference that may be more prevalent in different parts of Japan.\nI've also noticed that the \"nga\" pronunciation seems more common when が is\nspoken in places such as ですが where it often sounds something like desu-nga. In\nterms of a slightly more formal reference the English Wiktionary describes the\nJapanese [particle が](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%81%8C#Japanese) is\ngiven the IPA of /ɡa/ which only confirms that although nga may appear in\nactual usage, \"ga\" is probably the more proper pronunciation.\n\nAs a side note, it's interesting to see that there also seems to be a form of\nthe が particle pronunciation popular in Okinawa that is [referred to as\nぎゃ](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%81%8E%E3%82%83) at least by Wikictionary\nwhich I had never heard of prior to looking it up. The IPA pronunciation is\nlisted as /ɡja/ and since I'm not a linguist I'm not able to confirm what this\nactually sounds like. Perhaps somebody with IPA background could confirm\nwhether that comes out to be anything close to \"nga\" and if so maybe it\nexplains a little bit of the variance in pronunciation of this particle.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:06:29.127", "id": "197", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:06:29.127", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "114", "parent_id": "177", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Ga and Nga are different, just like pronouncing を as \"O\" or \"Wo\". Saying Ga or\nO in this case is perfectly acceptable. However, the more correct\npronunciation is Nga and Wo.\n\n> \"nga\" pronunciation seems more common when が is spoken in places such as ですが\n> where it often sounds something like desu-nga\n\nI have suspicion that Ga and Nga used to be two different characters and have\nbecome one written character over the years. But don't quote me on that.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:22:39.213", "id": "206", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T23:33:57.483", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T23:33:57.483", "last_editor_user_id": "114", "owner_user_id": "97", "parent_id": "177", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "A late answer, but I thought I'd throw it in anyway. As the others have said,\nthey are allophones and mostly interchangeable. When I moved to Tokyo, I\nimmediately noticed this sound. The strange thing was that getting other\nJapanese people to hear the difference was very difficult and it took some\neffort to find out what was going on. Apparently most are oblivious to the\ndifference.\n\nOne thing I found very interesting was that the two pronunciations are (very)\noccasionally distinguished using a handakuten. i.e. nga = か゜. See for example\n[this article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakuten).", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-11-16T06:27:14.487", "id": "3739", "last_activity_date": "2011-11-16T06:27:14.487", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "826", "parent_id": "177", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Here's the English equivalents for the IPA: \n\n[ɡ] = the 'g' in 'get' \n[ŋ] = the 'ng' in 'sing' \n\nThe main difference is that [ŋ] is a [nasal\nconsonant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_consonant), whereas [ɡ] is not.\nIf you try plugging your nose and pronouncing [ŋ], you'll realize that it's\nnot possible. That's because air must flow through the nasal passage, but not\nthe oral passage, for [ŋ]. The simplest answer to your question is that [ŋ]\ncan optionally replace [ɡ] only in the _middle_ of the word or compound ([An\nIntroduction to Japanese Linguistics. Tsujimura,\n2013](http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1444337734.html)), so\nfor example:\n\n * ごま (sesame seeds) can be only [ɡoma]\n * 下駄 (garden clogs) can be only [ɡɛta]\n * 庭下駄 (garden clogs) can be either /niwaɡɛta/ or /niwaŋɛta/\n * 縞柄 (stripped pattern) can be either /ɕimaɡaɾa/ or /ɕimaŋaɾa/\n\nWords and phrases cannot start with a [ŋ]. Since [ɡ]→[ŋ] is optional, speakers\nare divided into 3 obvious categories:\n\n * Speakers who never use [ŋ]\n * Speakers who always use [ŋ] (when it is possible)\n * Speakers who sometimes use [ŋ]\n\nA study in 1941 showed that each category was equally about 30% out of 70\nmiddle-school students (Nihongo no Hensen. Kindaichi, 1967). Generally older\nspeakers use [ŋ] more and younger speakers less. In fact, here is a graph of\nthat relationship: \n\n \nThis graph comes from the paper [Variationist Sociolinguistics in The Handbook\nof Japanese\nLinguistics](http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631234944_chunk_g97806312349446)\n(download\n[here](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/84340191/Variationist%20Sociolinguistics.zip)).\nAlso, here is a map of the distribution: \n \nIt's a high-res map so to actually see it, you can download the original\n[here](https://www.ninjal.ac.jp/s_data/drep/laj_map/LAJ_001.pdf). But\nbasically the pink is [ɡ] and the green is [ŋ]. This map comes from a survey\ndone by the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics and you\ncan find more maps like it\n[here](https://www.ninjal.ac.jp/publication/catalogue/laj_map/map1/).\nGenerally [ŋ] is more prestigious than [ɡ] and a little bit of history\nexplains why:\n\n> \\- Before World War II, it was an emphasized point of elementary school\n> education that /g/ should be realized as [ŋ] in non-initial position. Today,\n> many trained television and radio broadcasters use non-initial [ŋ]. \n> \\- In early nineteenth-century literature (Ukiyoburo written by Shikitei\n> Samba), it is specifically mentioned that speakers in Edo had the nasal\n> word-internally [ŋ] while rural speakers had the plosive [g] \n> \\- The results of these analyses, along with the earlier findings and\n> observations, show that the change of word-internal [g] to [ŋ] in Tokyo\n> Japanese originated in yamanote in the early twentieth century and has\n> spread to the entire Tokyo speech community.\n\nAlso, there is no significant difference in usage by gender. As for the future\ntrend:\n\n> An overall increase in the use of word-internal [g] in the vernacular is\n> observed over several decades. The change is near completion, and the word-\n> internal [ŋ] has been replaced by [g] at a very rapid rate within three\n> generations.\n\nSo, [ŋ] is moribund (becoming extinct) at least in the areas major of Japan.\nAs a JSL student you'd prolly be better off just forgetting it even exists.\nBesides all that, there's a bunch of interesting details and exceptions\nregarding the [ɡ]/[ŋ] alternation, but that's prolly best left to a separate\nquestion on its own.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2013-05-06T12:44:21.460", "id": "11832", "last_activity_date": "2017-01-19T00:31:52.257", "last_edit_date": "2017-01-19T00:31:52.257", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "1454", "parent_id": "177", "post_type": "answer", "score": 31 }, { "body": "I'm a native Japanese speaker, and I definitely can't tell the difference\nbetween g and ng. I grew up in the Kanto region, and I'm not sure if I use the\ng and the ng interchangeably or not. I might know how to pronounce the ng, I'm\nnot sure.\n\nBut anyway, how you make a sound in Japanese isn't as important as using the\ncorrect intonation, which might be difficult for non-native speakers. A native\nJapanese speaker focuses more on the intonation, which might be why the native\nspeakers find trouble discerning between each different sounds. Depending on\nthe intonation, the word _kumo_ could be interpreted as either a spider, or a\ncloud. Again, this depends on the dialect... So _kumo_ spoken in a Kansai\ndialect could be said to mean a spider, but to a Tokyo dialect speaker it\ncould be taken to mean a cloud.\n\nMost native Japanese speakers can't tell the difference between z/s and th, l\nand r, n and ng, s and sh (except for す).", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2015-01-23T21:01:32.980", "id": "21423", "last_activity_date": "2015-01-23T21:07:43.447", "last_edit_date": "2015-01-23T21:07:43.447", "last_editor_user_id": "9217", "owner_user_id": "9217", "parent_id": "177", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "234", "answer_count": 6, "body": "I have been hearing **死ねばいいのに** twice last week, including once in a context\nwhere a bit of formality was required.\n\nWhat does it mean? Is it as violent as it sounds to me?\n\nI am not looking for a word-by-word translation. I think it has to be taken as\na whole expression, a kind of idiom.\n\nEDIT: I just found this usage example on\n[HATENA::KEYWORD](http://d.hatena.ne.jp/keyword/%BB%E0%A4%CD%A4%D0%A4%A4%A4%A4%A4%CE%A4%CB):\n\n> あいつ「練習なんでドタキャンしたんだよ」って聞いたら、「彼女がデートしようって突然言うからさぁ」だって。ははは。まったくあいつらしいや。死ねばいいのに。", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:36:29.183", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "181", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-12T16:05:01.100", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T02:19:00.117", "last_editor_user_id": "107", "owner_user_id": "107", "post_type": "question", "score": 9, "tags": [ "slang" ], "title": "Meaning and level of 死ねばいいのに", "view_count": 6390 }

[ { "body": "ばいいのに is used when you express regret that something isn't a certain way.\n\"Man, it'd be great if you died/gosh, why aren't you dead?/I wish I were dead\"\n(depending on the subject).", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:39:27.157", "id": "184", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:39:27.157", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "181", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "That mean \"~ better die\", normally use to say by young guys, which they refer\nto third person not in the same place with them when talking.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:42:13.587", "id": "186", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:42:13.587", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "181", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "死ねばいいのに is a pretty terrible thing to say to someone. It basically means, \"I\nwish you were dead.\" To break it down:\n\n * 死ねば - If (you) were dead\n * いい - (it would be) good\n * のに - wistful suffix\n\nFormality doesn't really matter here - it's terrible even if you try to say\nsomething like 死んで下さったら良いのに, just because of the meaning.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T01:43:40.787", "id": "188", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T01:43:40.787", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "76", "parent_id": "181", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Context:\n\n> Employee talking to the boss, jokingly.\n\nAs a joke, anything goes of course, but it does depend on many factors.\n\n> Boss: We received another request from our client: ... \n> Employee: またその話？死ねば良いのに。( -_-;;) _Mata sono hanashi? Shineba ii no ni._ \n> \"Again? I wish they'd just go away/die! *groan*\"\n\nIn this case I'd expect the two speakers to be on pretty good, colloquial\nterms with each other and have a mutual distaste for the client. If that\nwasn't the case, the employee should be reprimanded for insubordinate behavior\n(in any culture). It probably shows that he's _really_ fed up with the client\nand probably doesn't mean it too seriously, but it's still not good taste.\n\n> Boss: Do you remember that guy? He's done it again! *lol* \n> Employee: あはは、死ねば良いのに！（笑） _Ahaha, shineba ii no ni! *wara*_ \n> \"Haha, he should simply die! *lol*\"\n\nIf they were just bantering with each other I'd find it perfectly harmless,\ndespite the fact that the employee would creep me out to some degree. It's not\na nice thing to say in any language, but depending on the personality of the\nspeaker it may be a simple joke or seriously worrying.\n\nIn any case, saying it to someone's face is never nice.\n\n> あいつ「練習なんでドタキャンしたんだよ」って聞いたら、「彼女がデートしようって突然言うからさぁ」だって。ははは。まったくあいつらしいや。死ねばいいのに。 \n> \"So I asked him why he canceled the practice in the last minute, and he\n> said because his girlfriend suddenly asked him out on a date. Hahaha, those\n> guys are just so... I wish they'd simply die.\"\n\nApparently this was used in a skit and was likely the punchline (as far as\nJapanese use punchlines). Here it's funny, exactly because it's rude and\nunexpected. If the phrase is used in this manner channeling a comedian, it's\njust good fun. The preceding まったくあいつらしいや and its delivery are quite important\nto set up this joke.\n\nIt's pretty much a case of 空気読めば分かる (depends on the context). ;-)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T04:00:14.970", "id": "234", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T04:29:38.077", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T04:29:38.077", "last_editor_user_id": "88", "owner_user_id": "88", "parent_id": "181", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 }, { "body": "To me, it sounds kind of like \"Fuck that guy\" or \"Fuck those guys\", as in, \"I\nreally don't give a shit.\" I tend to translate things with a lot of four-\nletter words though.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-07T21:30:39.057", "id": "745", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-07T21:30:39.057", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "75", "parent_id": "181", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "死ねばいいのに literally means “I wish (someone) die” as already stated in other\nanswers, and it is a fairly strong phrase in this sense.\n\nHowever, in many cases it is used as a joke where such a strong phrase is\nabsurd. According to the webpage in Hatena Keyword you linked to, this joke\nwas spread widely after used frequently by a comedy duo\n[Downtown](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_%28owarai%29) in TV shows.\n\nOf course, whether this phrase is an acceptable joke or not depends on the\ncontext and people around you. Personally, I find it hard to understand that\nanyone uses this phrase when a bit of formality is required, but different\npeople have different standards.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-12T16:05:01.100", "id": "991", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-12T16:05:01.100", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "181", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "202", "answer_count": 6, "body": "Some song lyrics in the official lyric book that accompanies the CD is sung as\nanother word. Usually, the way it is sung is given as a furigana on the kanji:\n\n> Written: 君が希望に変わってゆく \n>  \n> (pardon the quality I took it using iPhone) \n> Sung: きみがゆめにかわってゆく \n> (ひとりじゃない by DEEN)\n>\n> Written: 未来を今描こう \n> Sung: あすをいまえがこう \n> (Pray by Every Little Thing)\n\nI wonder why write the word \"希望\" in the first place. Why not just print word\n\"ゆめ\" since you won’t hear the word \"きぼう\" in the song anyway? Is there a\ncultural/artistic reason for it?\n\n**EDIT by Scratch---Cat** : A really significant example in an extremely well-\nknown song (senbonzakura)\n\n> きっと終幕｛さいご｝は大団円", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:07:27.837", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "198", "last_activity_date": "2023-07-25T15:54:51.330", "last_edit_date": "2021-07-28T03:31:56.307", "last_editor_user_id": "112", "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 27, "tags": [ "kanji", "song-lyrics", "furigana", "creative-furigana" ], "title": "Why are some lyrics' words written in kanji whose usual reading is not how it is sung?", "view_count": 4536 }

[ { "body": "Songs are poetry; poets work hard to get _exactly_ the feeling they want from\nthe reader/hearer. Since kanji have semantic values to them, with readings\nthat fluctuate anyway, this happens pretty often. I guess here it gives the\nfeeling of a dream which is a hope, not just a vision seen while sleeping.\nYou'll find videogame/anime/manga stuff that has an English katakana above a\nkanji quite frequently, too - such as [瞬間移動]{テレポート}.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:14:34.180", "id": "199", "last_activity_date": "2023-07-25T15:54:51.330", "last_edit_date": "2023-07-25T15:54:51.330", "last_editor_user_id": "627", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "198", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "This shows up even in regular writing (i.e. not lyrics to a song). There's no\ncultural reason for it, it's more just a way for the writer to express two\ndifferent things at the same time.\n\nThe author might have a string of kanji written out but the furigana might end\nup being some foreign word in katakana or even in the Latin alphabet. For\nexample, I've seen 駄目's furigana be \"NG\" (\"No Good\" or \"Not Good\") instead of\n\"だめ\" before.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:16:56.887", "id": "200", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:16:56.887", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "18", "parent_id": "198", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "You will often find this in songs as well as many Japanese manga's. If you\nwatched ef (the anime), you will see this technique used exclusively.\n\nIt is done for artistic purposes just like you said. It is also to give reader\na deeper meaning behind the word that it is used on. In your case the sentence\nis meant to be pronounced 君がゆめに変わってゆく but the presence of 希望 gives ゆめ another\nspecial meaning.\n\nMore often or not they two words can be synonyms but they don't have to be.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:17:01.287", "id": "201", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:17:01.287", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "23", "parent_id": "198", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Writing the lyrics this way allows the artist to convey an extra bit of the\nulterior meaning. To use the first example, where 希望 is sung as ゆめ, we can\nassume that ゆめ was chosen because it fit well with the surrounding syllables.\nBut ゆめ by itself isn't specific: it could be an abstract dream of what one\nwants to do or accomplish, or it could be the sort of dream one sees while\nasleep. To show that the former is meant, the lyrics sheet has a synonym, 希望.\nReading 未来 as あす is explained the same way: does あす mean the day after\n~~tomorrow~~ today, or more figuratively, the time after today? Providing 未来\nin the lyrics sheet lets you know the artist means the latter.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:17:17.843", "id": "202", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-03T15:20:02.223", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-03T15:20:02.223", "last_editor_user_id": "94", "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "198", "post_type": "answer", "score": 20 }, { "body": "It's quite common on Japanese Songs, because they want to express the meaning\nmore precisely at lyrics.\n\n * 未来 - future (which mean - will forever ...)\n * あす - tomorrow (using \"future\" when singing will be overact or over.. something, so they pronounce it as あす)\n\nalso same for 希望 (hope, for long ), ゆめ (a dream - a short timed)", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:17:39.273", "id": "203", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:17:39.273", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "198", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "As you can see from the high number of answers this is part of the fun of\nlearning Japanese. I'd like to add _pride_ and _belonging_ to the list of\nreasons. Every kanji has several sounds, every sound has many kanji. Most of\nthe official kanji are simplifications or replacements of older forms. After a\nfew years in Japan, even I _felt_ the kanji used on the labels of rare,\nhandcrafted sake. Many Japanese couldn't read some of them - I was part of a\nselect group. The kanji system also opens up the written language to new kinds\nof puns unknown to English readers.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-07-30T19:18:25.853", "id": "6334", "last_activity_date": "2012-07-30T19:18:25.853", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1345", "parent_id": "198", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "216", "answer_count": 3, "body": "Why are the stroke orders for 右 and 左 different?\n\n右 starts with the vertical stroke, and 左 starts with the horizontal one.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:20:31.227", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "204", "last_activity_date": "2017-10-16T07:43:39.390", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "post_type": "question", "score": 31, "tags": [ "kanji", "stroke-order" ], "title": "Stroke order for left and right", "view_count": 4281 }

[ { "body": "Left side of those two words are different originally\n\n\n\n\n\nThere is some meaning that shorter stroke mean 手のひら \"Palm\", longer one is 腕\n\"arm\".\n\nNormally, shorter stroke which mean \"手のひら\" write first most of the time, so\naccording to original kanji, 右 \"Right\" need to write a vertical slant stroke\nfirst and 左 \"Left\" need to write horizonal stroke first.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:36:33.883", "id": "212", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:36:33.883", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "204", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "It has to do with the stroke order of the part underneath it. For this\nexample, I'll refer to 左 as ナ and エ, and 右 as ナ and ロ. For 左, since the first\nstroke of the underneath part (the エ) is horizontal, the ナ is started with the\nhorizontal stroke. For 右, since the first stroke of the ロ is vertical, the ナ\nis also started vertically.\n\nSimilarly for 有 and 布. Since 月 and 巾 both start vertically, the ナ also starts\nvertically. Can't think of anymore off the top of my head where the ナ starts\nhorizontally. But the rule is to look to the first stroke underneath the ナ.", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:42:02.133", "id": "216", "last_activity_date": "2017-10-16T07:43:39.390", "last_edit_date": "2017-10-16T07:43:39.390", "last_editor_user_id": "18189", "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "204", "post_type": "answer", "score": 22 }, { "body": "Although the modern characters are _very_ similar, they show a remarkable\ndifference when [written in seal\nscript](http://kanjidaisuki.com/2011/02/22/kanji-week-1/). Since the short\nstroke representing the hand is drawn first, and the hands are on the\ncorresponding sides of the character, the stroke drawn from the character's\nmeaning to the opposite (e.g. from left to right on 左) is drawn first.\n\n[](http://kanjidaisuki.com/2011/02/22/kanji-\nweek-1/)\n\n(Yes, I admit it. I lifted this from Tomehane. It's a must read for those\ninterested in calligraphy.)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-11T07:17:11.520", "id": "965", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-11T07:17:11.520", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "parent_id": "204", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "213", "answer_count": 7, "body": "In English it seems that cold is just always cold just as warm and hot\nregardless of whether the word describes a person's experience or the actual\nphysical state of an object. In Japanese however there seems to be a strange\ncase where when describing a _cold weather_ versus a _cold drink_ you would\nuse the words [寒]{さむ}い or [冷]{つめ}たい respectively, which both seem to translate\nto the word _cold_ in English. This difference has always been confusing to me\nand I can't seem to develop a rule-of-thumb to follow in order to choose the\nright word for the right situation.\n\nI've heard it described by some native Japanese speakers that 寒い should be\nused for things that you cannot touch. My assumption is that by \"cannot touch\"\nthis is referring to things in a more abstract concept such as _weather_ or\nthe _day_ and not things that are simply out of reach physically such as a\n_distant planet_ , however I haven't been able to confirm the last case.\n\nAnother point that I think is interesting is that the words _warm_ and _hot_\nin English do not seem to have the same Japanese word counterparts where one\nis more direct translation and the other means \"to the touch\" but instead warm\nand hot in Japanese appear to be simply あたたかい and あつい respectively. Am I\nmissing something, perhaps there are other word analogies for these other\nadjectives of which I'm just unaware.\n\nAs requested here are a few examples that demonstrate my confusion as far as\nproper usage of these two words.\n\n * 空気は寒い when speaking of feeling of the air when stepping out of the house.\n * 水は冷たい when wading through some cold water.\n * 私はさむい when describing one's physical feeling caused by any of the above.", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:27:24.373", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "207", "last_activity_date": "2016-02-11T16:30:28.020", "last_edit_date": "2016-02-11T16:30:28.020", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "114", "post_type": "question", "score": 21, "tags": [ "word-choice" ], "title": "What is the real difference between the proper use of the words さむい and つめたい?", "view_count": 4444 }

[ { "body": "\"寒い\" is typically used to describe weather, \"冷たい\" is used to describe a cold\nphysical object.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:30:31.290", "id": "208", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-02T09:51:52.483", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-02T09:51:52.483", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "23", "parent_id": "207", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "your japanese friend was correct in the being able to touch part. Typically\nthe air is samui and coffee would be tsumetai.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:30:49.303", "id": "209", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:30:49.303", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "97", "parent_id": "207", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "冷たい is for stuff, 寒い is for atmosphere. The same goes for 熱い/暑い and 温かい/暖かい,\nbut those are pronounced exactly the same.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:33:17.620", "id": "210", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:42:17.500", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T02:42:17.500", "last_editor_user_id": "24", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "207", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I can't think of a situation in which 冷たい would apply to anything but food or\ndrink. It think it's also mostly a positive feeling (a cool/cold drink), where\n寒い seems to be mostly undesirable. For cool weather, etc., though, you would\nuse [涼]{すず}しい.\n\nAn idiomatic usage of them is where さむい is used sarcastically like after\nsomeone tells a bad joke, and 冷たい is used to say that someone is\ncold/unforgiving/harsh.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:34:35.013", "id": "211", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-02T09:52:30.003", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-02T09:52:30.003", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "207", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "\"冷たい\" is used for physical objects that are cold to the touch.\n\n * Ice is \"冷たい\". A surface is \"冷たい\". A person can be \"冷たい\". Water is \"冷たい\".\n\n\"寒い\" is the feeling you get when cold, or something that causes that feeling.\n\n * Weather is \"寒い\". You can get \"寒い\" after touching a \"冷たい\" thing. The atmosphere of a situation can be \"寒い\" (if many \"冷たい\" people are present).\n\n> 水が冷たかったから私は寒いです。 \n> 'The water was cold, now I'm cold.'\n\n\"Warm\" has the to-the-touch differentiation only in its writing. \"熱い\" is\nhotter than \"暖かい\". \"暖かい\" implies a good feeling usually, while \"熱い\" can mean\nunpleasantly hot.\n\n * Weather is \"暑い\" or \"暖かい\", while coffee would be \"熱い\" or \"温かい\".", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:37:09.673", "id": "213", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-02T09:50:20.253", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-02T09:50:20.253", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "88", "parent_id": "207", "post_type": "answer", "score": 31 }, { "body": "Consulting the yahoo.co.jp dictionary definitions for\n[寒い](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E5%AF%92%E3%81%84&dtype=0&dname=0na&stype=0&index=09049507439400&pagenum=1)\nand\n[冷たい](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E5%86%B7%E3%81%9F%E3%81%84&dtype=0&dname=0na&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=15059512480700),\nwe can see that the difference between the two is that 寒い is an unpleasant\nsensation of low temperature, whereas 冷たい is merely an observation that the\ntemperature of something is lower than normal. So it would seem that 寒い is\nmore subjective (because one person's 寒い might be pleasant to someone else),\nbut 冷たい is an objective judgment of cold.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:38:17.507", "id": "214", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:38:17.507", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "207", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Another use: **People** can be つめたい, exactly as in English: Being cold to\nsomeone, by having no empathy or being unfriendly. Usually written such as\n心が冷たい.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T15:36:29.277", "id": "334", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T15:36:29.277", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "84", "parent_id": "207", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 6, "body": "最近、漫画好きな外国人が増えたので、日本のアニメや漫画で日本語を勉強する外国人も多くなっています。アニメの日本語が日常の会話であまり使わないので、アニメで日本語を勉強することで日本語をちゃんと学べると思いますか。\n\n(Many foreigners have been learning Japanese through manga and anime due to\nits popularity outside of Japan. Due to the fact that many phrases in anime\nare not used in normal Japanese conversation, can you learn real Japanese from\nanime/manga)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:40:55.380", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "215", "last_activity_date": "2015-06-30T15:29:53.763", "last_edit_date": "2015-06-30T15:29:53.763", "last_editor_user_id": "1628", "owner_user_id": "23", "post_type": "question", "score": 11, "tags": [ "learning", "manga", "anime" ], "title": "アニメと漫画で日本語を勉強することについて (On learning Japanese from anime/manga)", "view_count": 1948 }

[ { "body": "While i agree with you that there is a lot of Japanese from anime that can't\nbe used in daily conversation, it can still be a valuable learning tool in ear\ntraining, pronunciation, culture acquisition and vocabulary acquisition. And\nknowing the culture goes along way towards learning how the language is used.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:44:06.067", "id": "218", "last_activity_date": "2011-09-23T03:51:46.760", "last_edit_date": "2011-09-23T03:51:46.760", "last_editor_user_id": "28", "owner_user_id": "97", "parent_id": "215", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 }, { "body": "Well, when you are learning a language, everything would be useful, even\nAnime, TV commercials, and also even spam emails will let you learn a lot.\n\nYou just need to adjust or choose more common/polite usages when you really\nuse it.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:45:49.830", "id": "219", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:45:49.830", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "215", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I have a friend (anecdotal, of course) who has lived in Japan for 11 years. He\nlearned Japanese only 3 ways: (a) girlfriends, (b) manga & anime, and (c) male\nJapanese friends.\n\nHis pronunciation is very natural; he's so comfortable in the dirtier parts of\nthe language that he can bawl out a taxi driver. I've witnessed him tear apart\na guy on the street who had thrown his cigarette butt on the ground.\n\nIn a sense, his Japanese is REALLY GOOD. Yet, when we took the JLPT1 test\ntogether, I beat him by a point, even though I can't talk like he can. My\nknowledge of kanji and grammar is far better than his.\n\nSo, I suppose it's what your goal is. Do you want to be conversational, or are\nyou really fascinated by the language itself, and thus want to know all of its\nvarious grammars as well?", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:49:18.597", "id": "220", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T02:55:55.353", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T02:55:55.353", "last_editor_user_id": "87", "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "215", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 }, { "body": "The largest part of learning a language is vocabulary training, especially in\nJapanese where you pretty much have at least two words for every single thing.\nFor that, Manga and Anime are not the most practical (you learn a lot of\nvocabulary you do not really need all that often), but on the other hand,\nknowing more words is always good, even if they are not common at all.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:00:07.273", "id": "274", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T09:00:07.273", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "84", "parent_id": "215", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I'm old school and when I started to learn Japanese it was for the \"good\"\nreason. Love of the culture and will to go there to work.\n\nAfter a few years, the manga/anime wave invaded the West and we witnessed an\nincrease in registrations (university) of about 200% or even more with\novercrowded classrooms. (when I started, there were days when I was alone in\nthe class room with the teacher!)\n\nAll these new students came for the same reason: Mangas are cool! (and\ninterestingly the number of attendance dropped radically after the second\nyear...)\n\nTo answer the question: I see more and more students (and questions from\nbeginners here) using manga-like sentences. They understand the meaning but\nthey don't know how and when to use it (usually they shouldn't use it at all)\n\nWe could see 20 years old boys talking like 10 years old kawai girls or 20\nyears old girls talking like yakuzas! Needless to say they looked pretty\nstupid during their home-stay in Japan.\n\nExcept these 2 extremes (which we witnessed quite often), students coming from\na manga background had more vocabulary than \"normal\" students and learned more\neasily new things (although keeping their bad habit of speaking like a girl, a\ncute kid or a yakuza)\n\nTheir understanding of grammar and knowledge of kanji was generally very poor\nthough.\n\nIn conclusion:\n\n**Avoid learning from manga until you're at a level where you can make the\ndifference between what you hear and what you can say.**\n\nTv, drama and radio are ok though. They show you a lot of real life use of the\nlanguage.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T10:24:50.443", "id": "399", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T10:24:50.443", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "215", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "大丈夫と思います。漫画を読んだら読解力を増えて、早速適当な日本語を読めるようになる。読解力を増えることは一番大事な物です。\n\n(probably awkward grammatically).\n\nI think it's fine. If you're reading manga, it will bring up your reading\nlevel and you'll soon be able to read proper Japanese. Bringing up your\nreading level is the most important thing.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-07T22:00:24.467", "id": "747", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-07T22:00:24.467", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "75", "parent_id": "215", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "225", "answer_count": 4, "body": "Last week I saw the word 閾値 and when looking it up in Gjiten I see two\npronunciations, both marked as \"popular\":\n\n * 閾値 (いきち) (n) threshold (amount, dose, etc.); (P); \n * 閾値 (しきいち) (n) threshold (amount, dose, etc.); (P); \n\nWhich one should I use? \nIn the context of professional discussion with colleagues and clients, if that\nmatters.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T02:43:27.347", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "217", "last_activity_date": "2012-06-01T19:17:50.383", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-09T05:28:02.297", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "107", "post_type": "question", "score": 14, "tags": [ "pronunciation", "terminology", "mathematics" ], "title": "Pronunciation of 閾値 : いきち or しきいち?", "view_count": 563 }

[ { "body": "I can't say I really know, but the koujien definition for しきいち just refers to\nthe いきち entry, so perhaps the latter is more common or correct?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:04:19.367", "id": "223", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T03:04:19.367", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "109", "parent_id": "217", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "しきいち is the 湯桶読み (combination of 訓-Yomi & 音-Yomi, which is rare) of いきち\n(音-Yomi only) according to kotobank.\n\n * しきい + チ (訓読み + 音読み)\n * イキ + チ (音読み + 音読み)\n\nThey shouldn't have any meaning/usage different, but I heard しきいち more often\nthough.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:04:34.593", "id": "224", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:11:13.837", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T05:11:13.837", "last_editor_user_id": "100", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "217", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "(thanks to Ito's comment who pointed me in the right direction)\n\nThe characters 閾値 should read いきち as per their original pronunciation and is\nused as is by major dictionary Daijirin.\n\nしきいち is widely used because it's very close to the other word \"敷居\" (しきい) which\nalso means threshold.\n\nPronouncing しきい値 is thus grammatically considered a mistake although widely\nused.\n\nKey sentences:\n\n> 「しきい値」は「敷居」から来た別の単語だが、現在は閾値を「しきいち」と読むのも誤用の定着として容認されつつある\n>\n> 「閾＝敷居」という意味・音声上の類似があることなどが、このような混乱を生じた原因と思われる\n\nsources: <http://e-words.jp/w/E996BEE580A4.html>\n<http://d.hatena.ne.jp/keyword/%A4%B7%A4%AD%A4%A4%C3%CD>", "comment_count": 9, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:04:54.963", "id": "225", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T04:35:01.193", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T04:35:01.193", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "217", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "> Which one should I use?\n\nIf you talk to a medical doctor, a psychologist, a biologist or a specialist\neducated in a field related to medicine and life sciences, I think you should\nuse いきち. If you talk to an engineer, a natural scientist, a computer\nscientist, or a specialist educated in science and engineering, I think しきいち\nis more common. Those are their customs.\n\nWikipedia says \"生理学や心理学では「閾値」が、物理学や工学では「しきい値」が、学術用語として定着している。\"\n<http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%97%E3%81%8D%E3%81%84%E5%80%A4>\nslashdot.jp/journal/127124/%E9%96%BE%E5%80%A4", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-04-27T19:09:30.377", "id": "5351", "last_activity_date": "2012-06-01T19:17:50.383", "last_edit_date": "2012-06-01T19:17:50.383", "last_editor_user_id": "1119", "owner_user_id": "1119", "parent_id": "217", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "229", "answer_count": 4, "body": "A slight expansion of the existing thread [What is the difference between\n「はずがない」 and 「わけがない」?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/171/what-\nis-the-difference-between-hazu-and-wake), but what is the difference or use\ncases for when to use はずがない, わけがない, しょうがない?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:04:08.880", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "222", "last_activity_date": "2014-10-29T10:44:33.297", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.207", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "97", "post_type": "question", "score": 9, "tags": [ "word-choice", "formal-nouns" ], "title": "What's the difference between はずがない, わけがない, and しょうがない?", "view_count": 637 }

[ { "body": "One differnt with しょうがない than others is\n\n * You can use しょうがない alone, which means \"there is no way\", but はず、and わけ need a phrase before those.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:08:35.263", "id": "226", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T03:08:35.263", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "222", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "しようがない means \"there's nothing you can do about it\", which is completely\ndifferent from the other two.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:09:32.693", "id": "227", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T03:09:32.693", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "222", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Refer to the other thread for hazu vs. wake.\n\n～ようがない \"cannot do ~ because I don't have the means/method to do so\".\n\n行きようがない： \"I can't go\", but maybe because I don't have a vehicle, can't get a\nride, etc., not because I wasn't invited, etc.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:09:41.757", "id": "228", "last_activity_date": "2013-02-06T18:16:29.613", "last_edit_date": "2013-02-06T18:16:29.613", "last_editor_user_id": "78", "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "222", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "On はず and わけ, answers in the original question explain it better than I would\nso I'll leave it to them.\n\nBut on しょうがない, it's totally different from the other two. しょうがない is used when\nyou don't have other choice but to do it. It can also mean \"there's nothing\nelse you can do\"\n\np/s: thanks for expanding my question", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:10:54.283", "id": "229", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T03:10:54.283", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "112", "parent_id": "222", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "237", "answer_count": 2, "body": "I always get this two whenever I make a mistake. I think that more or less\nthey are similar but kind of have the feeling that 突っ込まれる has a bit stronger\nmeaning than 指摘される, is this correct?\n\nFor example,\n\n```\n\n He pointed out my mistakes (rough translation, I'd think)\n \n 彼に指摘された。\n 彼に突っ込まれた。\n \n```", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:20:35.723", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "230", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T04:21:59.327", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T03:49:46.970", "last_editor_user_id": "79", "owner_user_id": "79", "post_type": "question", "score": 10, "tags": [ "business-japanese" ], "title": "What is the difference between 指摘される and 突っ込まれる?", "view_count": 286 }

[ { "body": "指摘される looks more formal usage to me, like you got 指摘された by your manager, but\n突っ込まれる is more frank, like your college に突っ込まれる because you did something not\ncorrect.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T03:27:38.703", "id": "232", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T04:01:09.417", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T04:01:09.417", "last_editor_user_id": "100", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "230", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "You are right that they have similar meanings, but I think the connotations\nare different.\n\n指摘 is very neutral; you are simply pointing out a fact, not making a value\njudgement.\n\n突っ込む, on the other hand, has more of a connotation of pouncing on a weakness,\nespecially one the other person was hoping would pass unnoticed. So you can\npoint out a flaw in someone's story, a grammatical mistake--or, relatedly, a\njoke that the other person made with a straight face!", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T04:21:59.327", "id": "237", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T04:21:59.327", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "230", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "245", "answer_count": 7, "body": "-ず and -ぬ are two alternatives to the negative form -ない / -ません. But I noticed that depending on the word, it's either -ず or -ぬ, although it seems like some words can take both suffixes. Some examples I have encountered:\n\n# -ず\n\n知らず (lyric in song \"タッチ\" by Younha) \nわからず (lyric in song \"愛するもの\" by Angela Aki/アンジェラ・アキ) \nせず (song title: \"油断せずに行こう\") \nなれず (lyric in song \"未来へ\" by Kiroro/キロロ)\n\n# -ぬ\n\n気づかぬ (lyric in song \"ありがとう...\" by KOKIA) \n届かぬ (song title: \"届かぬ想い\") \nならぬ (lyric in song \"春雷\" by YeLLOW Generation)\n\n# both -ず and -ぬ\n\nとらず / とらぬ \nできず / できぬ\n\nSo are there rules for choosing between -ず and -ぬ?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T04:11:21.647", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "235", "last_activity_date": "2020-12-31T23:57:15.123", "last_edit_date": "2020-12-31T23:57:15.123", "last_editor_user_id": "30454", "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 73, "tags": [ "conjugations", "negation", "auxiliary-ず" ], "title": "What is the difference between the negative forms -ず and -ぬ?", "view_count": 32302 }

[ { "body": "This is an excellent question. I always think of this and don't know why I\ndidn't think to post it.\n\nAnyway, **-zu** seems to usually be an adverbial, connective form (often as\n**-zu** or **-zu ni** ), whereas **-nu** seems to be a modifier.\n\n> * 誰も知らずに家に入った - I entered the house without anyone (else) knowing\n> * 誰も知らぬ秘密 - A secret that no one knows.\n>\n\nThat's just my perception of them up to this point. I actually have a theory\nabout **-nu** that I really want to research into more.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T04:18:38.583", "id": "236", "last_activity_date": "2013-12-21T19:46:33.193", "last_edit_date": "2013-12-21T19:46:33.193", "last_editor_user_id": "78", "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "235", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "-ぬ is an archaic form of -ない. I suspect its use in song lyrics has more to do with fitting the word into the right number of syllables; as far as I know, there is no difference in meaning.\n\n-ず, on the other hand, indicates that one action took place without or in the absence of another action (the one with -ず). For example, 待たずに先に行く: to go on ahead _without waiting_.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:08:00.583", "id": "242", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:08:00.583", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "235", "post_type": "answer", "score": 27 }, { "body": "In the modern form, ず is only used as an adverbial (食べずに出る leave without\neating). ぬ can replace ない.\n\nIn 文語, the grammar used in writing until the reformations after WWII and still\nat least partially in many forms of poetry, songs, and very formal documents,\nthe use of ず and ぬ was/is grammatically constrained in a manner no longer\npresent in modern Japanese. ぬ was used with the 連体形 form of a word, meaning\nthat it connected with a following noun (and it still does that).\n\nず, on the other hand, connected with the 未然形 and was used for negative\nassertions. It had conjugations, too, but those are really really rare now\n(ざら、ざり、ざる、ざれ、ざれ).\n\nJust remember this: ず can end a sentence, but ぬ can't; ぬ modifies nouns, but ず\ndoesn't: 知らぬ人、人知らず.\n\nOf course they've also snuck into idioms and 慣用語: 我知らず (despite\noneself)、暑さ知らずの所 (a place that knows no heat), 知らぬ顔 (pretend\nignorance)、知らぬ存ぜぬで押し通す (persist in asserting one's innocence). (新和英大辞典)", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:18:05.787", "id": "245", "last_activity_date": "2015-11-17T11:29:37.263", "last_edit_date": "2015-11-17T11:29:37.263", "last_editor_user_id": "11104", "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "235", "post_type": "answer", "score": 62 }, { "body": "There is a distinction between 'ず' and 'ぬ' as in the other answers, but for\nthe combination with the verbs, there is no limitation, despite your\ndescription. I do not understand why you came up with that limitation.\n\n> 知らず / 知らぬ\n>\n> 分からず / 分からぬ\n>\n> せず / せぬ\n>\n> なれず / なれぬ\n>\n> 気づかず / 気づかぬ\n>\n> 届かず / 届かぬ\n>\n> ならず / ならぬ\n>\n> とらず / とらぬ\n>\n> できず / できぬ", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-09T04:17:15.813", "id": "1815", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-09T04:17:15.813", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "235", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "> So are there rules for choosing between {-ず} and {-ぬ}?\n\nWell, yes. Just look at how they are used, it should be obvious! It's probably\nsomething as below:\n\nproposition-verbず(に), proposition. \n親に挨拶をせずに、部屋に入ちゃった。 \nHe rushed into his room without saying hello to his parents.\n\nproposition-verbぬ \nこういう行為を許さぬ！ I won't tolerate such behaviour! (draw out your sword, and slash\nyour opponent for he danced on the table)\n\nProposition-verbぬ-nominalgroup… \n言ってはいけぬ言葉は許さない! (draw out your sword, and slash your opponent for he said\n\"sh*t\")\n\nYou'll see that it's no more that old-fashioned¹ \"〜ないで\" and \"ない\".\n\n¹: I don't like the qualification \"archaic\" for terms/words/conjugations I\nhappen to use :P PS: the two last examples may not be very natural…", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-09T04:55:37.970", "id": "1816", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-09T04:55:37.970", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "356", "parent_id": "235", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I came across the ぬ form in this proverb 触らぬ神に祟りなし which was loosely\ncorrelated with the english \"Let sleeping dogs lie\" I hear and use the {-ず}\nsuffix all the time however, so in my limited experience it's more common.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-09-20T14:27:42.263", "id": "3204", "last_activity_date": "2011-09-20T14:27:42.263", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "706", "parent_id": "235", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Both ず and ぬ came from the archaic negator ず in Heian period. The ず had\nconjugations ず (未然), ず (連用), ず (終止), ぬ (連体) and ね (仮定), as every Japanese\nlearns in high school today. The ぬ was originally the 連体形 (noun modifying\nform) of ず.\n\nAfter that, spoken Japanese lost the distinction between 連体形 and 終止形 in almost\nall cases. So, now we use ぬ or its variant ん as a sentence terminal form, and\nthe word is officially called ぬ instead of ず. You might know that ん is heavily\nused in Kansai dialects.\n\nThe modern ぬ(ん) is conjugated as ぬ/ん, ×, ず, ぬ(ん), ぬ(ん) and ね. The noun\nmodifying form is still used commonly, and the forms ず and ね are remaining in\nsome fixed expressions such as 〜ず、 (中止法), 〜ずに (=〜ないで) and 〜ねば (=〜なければ).\n\nThe archaic ず and its conjugations are, however, still used in poetry and\nproverbs with the classical grammar. 親の心子知らず and 弘法は筆を選ばず are examples.\nAnyway, you don't need to use the archaic ず or the modern ぬ when you speak.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-06-17T22:58:04.017", "id": "5886", "last_activity_date": "2017-06-04T23:04:25.897", "last_edit_date": "2017-06-04T23:04:25.897", "last_editor_user_id": "19530", "owner_user_id": "1119", "parent_id": "235", "post_type": "answer", "score": 15 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "246", "answer_count": 2, "body": "If you visit ニコニコ動画 or any Japanese message boards often you are bound to see\ncomments like ニコ厨 or 東方厨. Does anyone have good idea how did this originate\nand what do they mean?", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T04:42:51.143", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "239", "last_activity_date": "2011-12-27T00:46:26.973", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-27T00:46:26.973", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "23", "post_type": "question", "score": 18, "tags": [ "kanji", "slang", "internet-slang" ], "title": "Use of 厨 on the Internet", "view_count": 2041 }

[ { "body": "The [dictionary](http://www.eudict.com/?word=%E5%8E%A8&go=Search&lang=jpkeng)\nsays:\n\n> someone who makes childish posts (on a BBS, etc.) 厨 [ちゅう]\n\nAlso:\n[dic.nicovideo.jp/a/ニコ厨](http://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/%E3%83%8B%E3%82%B3%E5%8E%A8)\nhas a detailed definition.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T04:53:08.440", "id": "240", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T04:58:40.543", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T04:58:40.543", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "239", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "I believe the following theory, but I have never tried to back them up with an\nevidence:\n\nIt originates from a slang 中坊 (ちゅうぼう). It means “junior high student,” but\noften with an indication that the speaker looks down on the student he/she is\ntalking about. (The usual word for “junior high student” is 中学生.)\n\nOn a BBS, calling someone 中坊 would be just another way to insult the person\nwho is referred to; because the speaker does not know the age of the person\nreferred to, it can only mean that the speaker thinks the action of the other\nparty is childish as if he/she were a junior high student. But because 中坊 is a\nslang, popular IMEs cannot translate ちゅうぼう to 中坊. Because of this, the word 厨房\n(kitchen) with the same pronunciation but completely unrelated meaning was\nused in place of 中坊 on a BBS. Later the abbreviation 厨 came into use.\n\nニコ厨 means a childish Niconico Video freak, and 東方厨 means a childish freak of\ngames and/or game characters made by [Touhou\nProject](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touhou_Project). But the meaning\n“childish” is sometimes ignored and they are often used to just refer to a\nNiconico Video freak or a Touhou Project freak.\n\nAlso it may be worth noting that ニコ厨 has the same pronunciation as ニコ中, which\nis an old-fashioned abbreviation for ニコチン中毒 (“dependence on\nnicotine/smoking”), and therefore ニコ厨 may be a pun for some people. But I do\nnot know if this fact played any role in the etymology of the word ニコ厨.", "comment_count": 10, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:20:54.387", "id": "246", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:20:54.387", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "239", "post_type": "answer", "score": 26 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "251", "answer_count": 7, "body": "How do you get through this? Especially in regards to reading. How do you\npractice reading at beyond the beginner level (No little black sambo's or\nwhatever other children's books like I found in the local free bin when I was\na teenager) when a light novel is still light years beyond me. And a newspaper\nis just as hard.\n\nI know around 600-800 kanji, and I can pass the level 2 listening JLPT, though\nI'm not quite there for reading and grammar (I can barely pass level 3 on\nthose), but I feel like I've been spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere\nfor a long time now.\n\nWhat are good techniques for learning to read in Japanese? Especially for\nself-taught students of Japanese.\n\nWhat are techniques to push through the vast wasteland that is \"intermediate\"?", "comment_count": 9, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:06:43.957", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "241", "last_activity_date": "2013-12-28T00:18:30.433", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-06T07:22:12.837", "last_editor_user_id": "82", "owner_user_id": "124", "post_type": "question", "score": 22, "tags": [ "learning", "readings" ], "title": "Does anyone have advice on how to get over/through/around the intermediate language plateau? (Self-learner)", "view_count": 3294 }

[ { "body": "I've written down and practiced with flash cards alike programs for several\nhundred/thousands times for ~2000 kanjis when I was intermediate level at that\ntime.\n\nEdit: My method may be different with other does somehow. My aim was not to\ntranslate to another language to understand Japanese, but to learn just like\nhow Japanese people learn the language. I started learning with Roman-ji at\nfirst, but dropped it and changed it to Hiragana, Katakana, then after managed\nto learn some Kanjis, I tried to read native books and texts on internet, and\ntried to use Kokugo (Japanese-Japanese) dictionary first to get the meaning\nthat I don't know.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:21:43.947", "id": "247", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T07:19:14.653", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T07:19:14.653", "last_editor_user_id": "100", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "241", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "At your level you should be starting to read authentic Japanese materials, I\nrecommend manga, Japanese visual novels, and/or video games with dictionary\nbeside you. The only thing you will learn from textbook at this level will be\ngrammar and if you are only looking to speaking conversational Japanese\ngrammar isn't actually that important, but if you want to increase vocabulary\nyou have to rely on written material with dictionary. Anime/drama is a good\nway to do ear-training and retention exercise but they are rarely helpful for\nlearning new words because the pace is too fast. (at least in my case)\n\nThat being said it also depends on what your goal is. If your goal is purely\nto learn Japanese to understand more of manga/anime then you should focus on\nreading material and less on grammar because grammar usually comes naturally\nafter exposure to authenticate Japanese materials, and if your goal is to be a\nJapanese linguistics major then you should also be focusing on grammar as well\nbecause you need to understand the terminology behind it rather than just the\nintuition. But as with learning any language, after a while you will develop\nan intuition for grammar after exposure to the language for a long time so\nunless you need to teach Japanese you don't need to study grammar in detail.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:22:33.277", "id": "248", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:22:33.277", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "23", "parent_id": "241", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "* Study comprehensive grammars with lots of examples. Not textbooks. [These](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4789004546) are the best (there are three).\n * use a mnemonic kanji learning system. [This](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/0824831659) one is awesome. Learning meaning and reading separate is fine because it is more efficient. Utilize similarities between kanji as much as possible, as relating knowledge to new ideas will make learning much faster.\n * Go to Japan, and stay there for a long time. Talk to Japanese people as much as possible. \n * Make a regular study period of at least an hour every day. Never skip. Read materials that you are interested in, and write down the words you don't know. You can look up grammar in those books (organized alphabetically) or ask here.\n * Throughout the day, while walking or whatever, take out that list and study it. You can keep a list of Kanji to study, too. \n * Another great use of walking time is repeating difficult phrases. Tongue twisters (早口言葉) found on the internet or any phrase that you have trouble saying is fine. Say it a thousand times on the way to work and make sure it's fluent.\n * Never settle for \"kinda\" understanding something. Be thorough in studying out every new vocab, kanji or grammar that you find.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:33:34.147", "id": "251", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:33:34.147", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "241", "post_type": "answer", "score": 19 }, { "body": "Some advice from my own experience in that vast wasteland:\n\n * You won't push through without challenging yourself. You will never wake up one day after studying grammar and vocabulary and find that you can easily pick up a novel and read it; you have to pick up material that is too hard for you and make your slow way through with a dictionary.\n * That said, there is a wonderful literary form practically designed for learning intermediate Japanese: MANGA. Short sentences, furigana, illustrations, and a grade-school reading level make manga a pretty ideal way to learn a language.\n * Find a native speaker (or cross your fingers that this site takes off) to help you with questions about more advanced grammar, vocabulary, or usage rules. \n * This goes double if you want to get good at speaking and listening!", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:35:00.557", "id": "252", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T06:35:44.843", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T06:35:44.843", "last_editor_user_id": "28", "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "241", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I would stay away from newspapers since they use a lot of non-standard words\nand special shortened versions of words that you find in dictionaries.\n\nFor myself, what i did was translating short 1 page japanese essays into\nenglish. As I usually knew all the grammar, it was a great way to learn new\nwords.\n\nvideo games are great as well, except that it ceases being a game to have fun\nand becomes a studyign regime. So if you do this, my recommendation would be\nto not pick a game you want to do.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:38:36.827", "id": "254", "last_activity_date": "2013-12-28T00:18:30.433", "last_edit_date": "2013-12-28T00:18:30.433", "last_editor_user_id": "270", "owner_user_id": "97", "parent_id": "241", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "I'm currently in the same plateau, but I can give some advice based on some of\nthe things I'm doing.\n\n * Textbooks are longer used except for anything but explanations of grammar. In fact, sometimes just dictionaries of grammar work just as well, if not better. I recommend \"A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar\" and \"A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar\" by Michio Tsutsui. It is a great reference and covers a wide range of grammar with examples and explanations. Not to mention contrasts to similar grammar.\n\n * I've started reading Manga (I'm not a huge fan) but they're authentic material and have a lot of furigana. I started with よつばと, quite fun and easy to understand.\n\n * I've started my way through two books named \"Reading Real Japanese\" one focusing on short stories and one focusing on essays. They take famous essays and short stories and layout the Japanese on one page with explanations in English on the opposite page. These have been great because it allows you to read REAL Japanese but when you come across a term you don't know it's right there on the opposite page. It's practically training wheels for reading Japanese.\n\n * Speaking with natives. (Depends on your goals.) I live in Japan so I can find language exchange partners relatively easily, however for people overseas you can easily find language exchange partners on Skype for free. \n\n * Writing. You can start writing at lang-8.com for free where native speakers will correct it. This is a great way to reinforce everything you've learned from the methods above.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:51:59.477", "id": "256", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:51:59.477", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "108", "parent_id": "241", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I was at your level about a year ago, and I think you're closer to reading\nnewspapers than you think. To get to the point where you can read most\nnewspaper articles with reasonable comprehension (with only a little of help\nfrom **rikaichan**!), you should:\n\n * Learn between 1000-1200 kanji - you already know 800, so you're not far. **N.B.** Focus on [frequency of use](http://www.tidraso.co.uk/kanji_frequency.html) (It's quite eye-opening seeing those distribution graphs).\n * Work through the **core6000** decks in [Anki](http://ankisrs.net/)\n * These decks introduce the words by frequency of use in newspapers (actually there is a **core2000** deck that covers the first 2000 words, and then the **core6000** deck carries on from word 2001 - but **core2000** will probably be too easy for you).\n * They'll also improve your listening comprehension and get you used to reading whole sentences. You can find them simply by searching for \"core6000\" in the Anki shared decks. Even just doing the first 1000 words of this deck will get you a long way.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T10:35:08.230", "id": "403", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T10:35:08.230", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "141", "parent_id": "241", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "255", "answer_count": 3, "body": "There is a clause pattern 「XければXほどY」. For example, 「近【ちか】ければ近【ちか】いほど便【べん】利【り】」\nwhich means something like \"the nearer it is, the more convenient it will be\".\nCan I shorten the clause to 「近【ちか】いほど便【べん】利【り】」? Will it have the same\nmeaning?\n\nBut I have a feeling when I use 「XほどY」 when X and Y are opposite to each\nother, it will give the meaning of \"X yet Y\" in English. For example,\n「近【ちか】いほど届【とど】かない」 would give the meaning of \"close yet unreachable\", in a\npoetic sense. Am I right?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:15:58.687", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "243", "last_activity_date": "2015-07-17T21:58:21.703", "last_edit_date": "2015-07-17T21:58:21.703", "last_editor_user_id": "6896", "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 16, "tags": [ "grammar", "clause-pattern" ], "title": "Can 「XければXほどY」 clause pattern be shortened to 「XほどY」?", "view_count": 1882 }

[ { "body": "Yes, you can shorten it and it will have the same meaning.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:31:28.780", "id": "250", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:31:28.780", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "97", "parent_id": "243", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "\"chikakereba chikai hodo benri\" and \"chikai hodo benri\" have similar meaning.\n\nbut \"chikai hodo todokanai\" is not correct usage, if you want to join positve\n(chikai) + negative (todokanai), you need to use \"kedo\" like \"chikai kedo\ntodokanai\"", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:36:11.573", "id": "253", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:36:11.573", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "243", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "The answer to the first question is yes.\n\nThe answer to the second question is no. 近いほど届かない (chikai hodo todokanai)\nmeans “the closer it (or you, he, she, …) is, the more unreachable it (or you,\nhe, she, …) becomes,” exactly in the same way as 近いほど便利 (chikai hodo benri)\nmeans “the closer it is, the more convenient it becomes.” And in the sentence\n“the closer you are, the more unreachable you become,” the word “closer”\nprobably refers to physical distance but “unreachable” refers to the\ndifficulty of telling how the speaker feels about the person who is referred\nto to that person.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:41:12.130", "id": "255", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:41:12.130", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "243", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "249", "answer_count": 1, "body": "What is the difference between the \"わ\" sentence ender used by women in general\nand the one that is used by both Males and females in the Kansai area?\n\nI've asked my Japanese co-workers about it specifically and they said that\nthere is a difference to them, but unfortunately, like most native speakers of\na language, couldn't concretely explain what that difference is.\n\nOne comment was that women can say \"~わね\" where this cannot be said by men in\nthe Kansai area.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:15:58.880", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "244", "last_activity_date": "2012-09-12T01:10:32.137", "last_edit_date": "2012-09-12T01:10:32.137", "last_editor_user_id": "501", "owner_user_id": "97", "post_type": "question", "score": 19, "tags": [ "particles", "dialects", "register", "kansai-ben", "sentence-final-particles" ], "title": "わ usage at the end of sentences", "view_count": 8987 }

[ { "body": "One is feminine and the other is just very emphatic. Both are particles so\nboth can be used in the same context. The wa used by males is likely to be\nused with less formal language, but only because of the common language of its\nusers, not any grammatical constraint.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T05:22:35.273", "id": "249", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T05:22:35.273", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "24", "parent_id": "244", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "259", "answer_count": 1, "body": "My teacher who practices haiku told me that in haiku they still use the\n[traditional names for\nmonths](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_calendar#Common_names). I was\nwondering which other words are still used in haiku.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T06:03:01.277", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "258", "last_activity_date": "2011-12-27T01:13:03.923", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-27T01:13:03.923", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "102", "post_type": "question", "score": 6, "tags": [ "poetry" ], "title": "Archaic words used in haiku", "view_count": 694 }

[ { "body": "Similar one would be [Kigo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kigo) (season names)\n\n * Kigo list - [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/季語一覧](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%A3%E8%AA%9E%E4%B8%80%E8%A6%A7)\n\n * Kigo collections - <http://www.geocities.jp/tokihikok/masaji/haiku/kigo/>", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T06:12:58.783", "id": "259", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T06:12:58.783", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "258", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "308", "answer_count": 3, "body": "I have been taught that they are used when receiving something (or a favor)\nfrom someone. But how exactly do they differ? I've searched the web for an\nanswer and\n\n * One site suggests that くれます is impolite, もらいます is normal and いただきます is polite.\n * Another site says that くれます is just normal, and いただきます is very polite. \n\nI was wondering which one to use in which situations. Or should I just stick\nto いただきます to be safe? Are there any scenarios where it would be inappropriate?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T07:17:35.713", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "260", "last_activity_date": "2022-03-06T08:49:48.397", "last_edit_date": "2018-08-26T06:04:49.697", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "118", "post_type": "question", "score": 18, "tags": [ "word-choice", "usage", "keigo", "giving-and-receiving", "perspective" ], "title": "Differences between くれます, もらいます and いただきます", "view_count": 40760 }

[ { "body": "Polite forms are like this\n\n * kureru → kuremasu → kudasaimasu\n * morau → moraimasu → itadakimasu\n\nSo, if you want to use polite form, use kudasaimasu, or itadakimasu depends on\nsituation. or choose the formers if you prefer normal form.\n\nDifference between kuremasu and moraimasu is depends on the side of the\nsubject.\n\n * She gave me an apple (りんごを彼女がくれました）\n * I got this apple from her (りんごを彼女にもらった）\n\nThey are interchangable if you rephrase the words.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T07:23:14.903", "id": "261", "last_activity_date": "2011-12-30T09:19:10.583", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-30T09:19:10.583", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "260", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "You are entering dangerous waters when using keigo (敬語) I suggest taking\nspecial courses if you've already reached an average level. Foreign students\nonly learn keigo around the 3rd or 4th year at university while Japanese kids\nlearn it in primary school.\n\nTo make it simple:\n\n> あげる = You give to someone \n> くれる = Someone gives to you \n> もらう = To receive \n> いただく = polite form of 食べる or 謙譲語 form for もらう\n\nThere's really too much to say in one forum post, but concerning the three\nwords you mentioned specifically: _morau, kureru, itadaku_\n\n 1. もらう\n\n * It means \"to receive\".\n * Its modest form (謙譲語 kenjōgo) is いただく\n * Kenjogo is used to show modesty in an action you are doing. When you start eating or when you are taking something you can say: いただきます\n * So, **_morau_ = _itadaku_ in kenjōgo form** (modest)\n * _Morau_ can also be used for the case someone does something for you:\n\n> ちょっと聞いてもらえませんか？ \n> 'Could you listen for a moment please'\n\n 2. くれる, あげる\n\n * _Kureru_ and _ageru_ mean \"to give\" (the usage depends on who gives)\n * If someone gives you something and you need to use keigo, then you should use the sonkeigo form or respect form (尊敬語) of _kureru_ which is くださる\n * It can be combined with other verbs like _morau_ :\n\n> 田中さんが私を拾ってくださいました。 \n> 'Mr Tanaka chose me.'\n>\n> 私は田中さんに教えてくださいました。 \n> 'Mr Tanaka taught me。'\n\n * If you give something to someone you respect, you should then use the kenjōgo form (respect) of あげる which is: さしあげる\n\n 3. いただく\n\n * We saw it can be the kenjōgo form of _morau_ but it is also the formal form (simple politeness) for 食べる to eat which is probably the first sentence you learned: いただきます!\n * On the other side, if you need to say that someone you respect eats or drinks something you would need to use the sonkeigo form (honorific) of 食べる or 飲む which is:\n\n> 召し上がる － めしあがる\n\nIf this post didn't dissuade you from using keigo then I advise you to read a\nlot of business correspondence in Japanese and stick away from manga, read a\ngood book about keigo then propose a sentence to a native Japanese speaker and\nmake sure it is usable.\n\nDepending on whom you speak to, correct formal Japanese is better than\nincorrect keigo :)", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T12:42:56.290", "id": "308", "last_activity_date": "2022-03-06T08:49:48.397", "last_edit_date": "2022-03-06T08:49:48.397", "last_editor_user_id": "50401", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "260", "post_type": "answer", "score": 24 }, { "body": "くれます is \"to give\", but you can use it only when someone (NOT YOU) does the\naction.\n\nEx. 玲子さんがチョコをくれました。→ Good. \n僕は彼女にプレゼントをくれます。→ NG.\n\nもらいます is \"to receive\". You can use it no matter who does the action.\n\nYou can use くれます and もらいます in most of daily conversations without making\nothers uncomfortable at all.\n\nいただきます is 謙譲語（humble language）for \"to receive\". So you can use it only when\nyou do the action.\n\nEx. お客様からチョコレートをいただきました。 希望した商社から内定をいただきました。\n\nいただきます is appropriate if you are talking to your client or your superior, but\nusing it in conversations with your colleagues or friends sounds strange.\n\nAnother usage of いただきます is, we say it before eating. Expressing the gratitude\nfor the food.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2020-03-01T03:42:11.090", "id": "74710", "last_activity_date": "2020-03-05T05:25:32.087", "last_edit_date": "2020-03-05T05:25:32.087", "last_editor_user_id": "36915", "owner_user_id": "36915", "parent_id": "260", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "310", "answer_count": 4, "body": "I'm accustomed to saying `together with` using the `~ to issho ni` fragment,\nbut I've been noticing that some people I talk to phrase this using `~ totomo\nni` instead.\n\ni.e.\n\n> 彼女と一緒に日本へ来た。 \n> Kanojo to issho ni Nihon e kita.\n\nand\n\n> 彼女とともに日本へきた。 \n> Kanojo totomo ni Nihon e kita.\n\nseem to be fundamentally equivalent.\n\nAre there any nuances that the two have that dictates when and where they\nshould be used? Probably very slight meaning deviations? Or are they\nessentially perfect equivalents of each other when it comes to saying\n`together with` (and yeah, I'm aware that `~ totomo ni` has other meanings\naside from that)?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T07:42:28.153", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "264", "last_activity_date": "2021-01-02T17:29:18.173", "last_edit_date": "2021-01-02T17:29:18.173", "last_editor_user_id": "21657", "owner_user_id": "134", "post_type": "question", "score": 17, "tags": [ "grammar", "usage" ], "title": "What are the fundamental differences between the ～と一緒に and the ～とともに fragments?", "view_count": 3529 }

[ { "body": "It could be the case that とともに is more formal version of 一緒", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T08:36:18.420", "id": "266", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T08:36:18.420", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "97", "parent_id": "264", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "一緒に, as you say, is regularly used for saying doing something \"together\".\n共に(ともに) is more explicit about who you are performing this action with,\nthereby placing a stronger emphasis on the bond/camaraderie.\n\n私と一緒に戦います!\n\nFight together with me!\n\n私と共に戦います!\n\nFight hand-in-hand/side-by-side with me!\n\nSo I would say you'd pick which to use depending on whether you are trying to\nplace an emphasis on the action or the other person(s) involved.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T12:47:59.377", "id": "310", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T12:47:59.377", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "18", "parent_id": "264", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "According to page 91 of the 類義語使い分け辞典 [1], [quoted\nhere](http://nihon5ch.net/contents/bbs-study/old/mie-bbs.cgi?s=165), 一緒に\nrequires that the action take place in the same time and location. 共に does not\nhave this restriction, so the subjects may perform the action (let's say\n日本へ行く) at the same time but via a different route, or via the same route but\nat slightly different times. 「彼女と一緒に日本へ来た」 means that you and she came to\nJapan at the same time _and_ were together the entire way, but 「彼女とともに日本へきた」\n_could_ mean that you came to Japan at the same time, but took different\nflights to get there.\n\nTo provide another example (extracted from Google), consider\n「一緒に学ぼう！共にがんばろう！」. The first sentence shows that the action, 学ぶ, is being done\nat the same time and in the same location. The second sentence uses 共に instead\nof 一緒に, and so the best interpretation is probably that the action, がんばる, is\nbeing done by everyone at the same time, but in their respective locations.\n\nSources:\n\n 1. [類義語使い分け辞典](http://books.google.com/books?id=J5MxAQAAIAAJ) (Google Books)", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T13:21:38.127", "id": "315", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T13:21:38.127", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "264", "post_type": "answer", "score": 17 }, { "body": "No, they are not equal in meaning. \"一緒に\", as already stated by some people, is\nused more in casual situations. I can't imagine people saying \"共に\" in usual\nconversations but I can easily imagine a politician saying \"共に\". However, I\nwouldn't call \"一緒に\" an informal word or \"共に a formal word. I would say \"共に\"\nsounds more **_solemn_** than formal.\n\nNow, the question is where is the boundary to decide when to use which one,\n\"一緒に\" or \"共に\"?\n\n * a.)一緒にがんばろう [To your friend(s) or family member(s)] \n * b.)一緒にがんばりましょう [To your colleague(s) or people in business relationship. You can say this to someone you've just met if needed.]\n * c.)共にがんばろう [To your subordinates/students. Even though \"がんばろう\" is not a formal form, it would still sound weird in casual conversations among friends/family members]\n * d.)共にがんばりましょう [nearly the same as b.) probably because the situations where \"共に\" is allowed are overlapped by the ones where \"がんばりましょう\" is allowed.]\n\n\"共に\" sounds more solemn than \"一緒に\", by which I mean, \"共に\" places more\nimportance on the task that will be done _together_. \"共に\" makes you feel like\nyou are part of \"something big\" giving the speaker more power. This explains\nwhy it can't be used in casual conversations. \"共に\" gives the hearer more\nimpression and emphasizes the importance of the task.\n\nYou should use \"一緒に\" in usual conversations if you are not making a public\nspeech or talking to a business partner. Literature prefers ”共に\" because of\nits solemnity. Your example, 彼女とともに日本へきた。sounds like a sentence right out of a\nnovel or a character's monologue.\n\nAlso, \"共に\" tends to be used in advertising or invitation, in order to show how\nserious we are about what we are going to do _together_.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-12-29T15:38:05.927", "id": "9869", "last_activity_date": "2012-12-29T17:19:02.343", "last_edit_date": "2012-12-29T17:19:02.343", "last_editor_user_id": "3018", "owner_user_id": "3018", "parent_id": "264", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "270", "answer_count": 1, "body": "As the equivalent of Enlgish \"Oh really?\" / \"Yes really.\" as lone utterances I\nseem to hear both \"本当\" (hontō) and \"本当に\" (hontō-ni) in Japanese - is there a\ndifference?\n\nIt seems that hontō is a noun and -ni changes it into an adverb but that this\ndoesn't really matter for the purpose of such simple utterances. Am I thinking\nalong the right lines?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T08:36:43.060", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "267", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T08:49:17.600", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T08:41:55.253", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 15, "tags": [ "word-choice", "particle-に", "adverbs", "interjections" ], "title": "Is there a difference between ほんとう (hontō) and ほんとうに (hontō-ni) when used alone as interjection or question?", "view_count": 17257 }

[ { "body": "There is no difference in utterances for both words, if you speak those alone.\n\nBut if you add some words after that, you might need to use \"本当に~\" to get\ncorrect grammar.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T08:49:17.600", "id": "270", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T08:49:17.600", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "267", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "280", "answer_count": 5, "body": "When asking for something I seem to hear sentences end in both ください (kudasai)\nand お願いします (onegaishimasu). Is there a difference and how do I know when to\nuse which?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T08:47:27.273", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "269", "last_activity_date": "2021-04-01T00:52:46.517", "last_edit_date": "2013-06-11T15:51:12.767", "last_editor_user_id": "315", "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 79, "tags": [ "word-choice", "politeness" ], "title": "When to use ください (kudasai) or お願いします (onegaishimasu) in requests?", "view_count": 148182 }

[ { "body": "[Here](http://japanese.about.com/library/blqow15.htm) there's a nice\nexplanation, but I'll quote it here for easy reference, with some additional\ninfo:\n\nください and お願いします are both used when making a request.\n\n * ください (kudasai) is used:\n\n> 1. After the particle \"o\" を, for example when ordering food: \"水をください\" (\n> _Mizu o kudasai - Please, water._ );\n> 2. When asking something that involves an action, along with the verb in\n> the `-te` form, like: \"ちょっと待ってください\" ( _Chotto matte kudasai - Please, wait._\n> ). **Note** : do not use _onegaishimasu_ here.\n>\n\n * お願いします (onegaishimasu) is used:\n\n> 1. Also when ordering food, but in this case \"を\" is not necessary. Just\n> say: \"水お願いします\" ( _Mizu onegaishimasu_ ); **Note** : Onegaishimasu is more\n> polite/formal than kudasai.\n> 2. When calling for someone's attention; for example, a waiter/waitress to\n> your table.\n> 3. Use onegaishimasu when requesting a service that you cannot fulfill\n> yourself: \"東京駅までお願いします。\" ( _Tokyo eki made onegaishimasu. - Tokyo Station,\n> please_ [to the taxi driver]) **Note** : do not use kudasai here.\n> 4. Use onegaishimasu when asking for someone over the phone: 和子さんお願いします (\n> _Kazuko-san onegaishimasu. - May I speak to Kazuko?_ ) **Note** : do not use\n> kudasai here.\n>", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:10:20.100", "id": "280", "last_activity_date": "2013-06-15T08:59:12.573", "last_edit_date": "2013-06-15T08:59:12.573", "last_editor_user_id": "1789", "owner_user_id": "37", "parent_id": "269", "post_type": "answer", "score": 68 }, { "body": "The main difference is that onegaishimasu assume some action/favor by the\nother person. It's also a meaning of \"I trust this to you\".\n\nください Kudasai (and the more familiar chodai ちょうだい) it's used when you did a\nrequest you are entitled to do. You want something or you want someone of\nsame/lower status to do something for you (verb-te+kudasai).", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:59:38.960", "id": "288", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-24T06:20:14.813", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-24T06:20:14.813", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "60", "parent_id": "269", "post_type": "answer", "score": 24 }, { "body": "I just asked my sensei only this evening at my Japanese converstaion class. He\nexplain me that ください is less formal and used with '-て' verbs, but お願いします\nimplies favour involved (and is more formal).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2013-06-11T05:22:41.540", "id": "12112", "last_activity_date": "2013-06-11T05:22:41.540", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "3599", "parent_id": "269", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "To add to the answers, it's also a directional thing.\n\n[下さい is 尊敬語 for くれる](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/61762/m0u/), you are\nasking someone to do something in an honorific way. This is oriented to be\npolite toward the person you are asking to do something.\n\n[お願いします is 謙譲語 for\n願う](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/169770/m0u/%E9%A1%98%E3%81%86/), you\nare humbly making a request for yourself. This is oriented to be humble about\nthe request you are making.\n\n\"More polite\" is determined entirely by the situation. [This\narticle](http://www.bunka.go.jp/kokugo_nihongo/keigo/chapter4/detail.html)\ngives some crazy examples of how mucked up this can all get. If you are\nworking in a shop, using ください is more polite than お～します, and whatever you do\ndon't use 謙譲語 to refer to a customer's actions (that's just bad form).\n\n> 【1】受付の人に，「担当者に伺ってください。」と言われたけれど，客に対する言い方としては，何だか妙な感じがしました。どこが変なのでしょうか。\n>\n> 【解説１】 「担当者に伺ってください」の「伺う」は謙譲語Ⅰです。したがって，客の動作に用いる敬語ではありません。\n> **客を立てるためには，尊敬語を用いる必要があります。この場合は，「担当者にお聞きください。」あるいは「担当者にお尋ねください。」とすれば良いでしょう。**\n>\n>\n> 「伺う」は謙譲語Ⅰであって，「聞く・尋ねる」という動作の＜向かう先＞を立てる敬語です。したがって，「受付の人」側の人物である担当者を立ててしまうことになり，尋ねた客を立てる敬語とはなりません。\n> **同様に，「お聞きする」「お尋ねする」といった敬語も，「伺う」と同じ謙譲語Ⅰです。したがって，「担当者にお聞きしてください。」「担当者にお尋ねしてください。」なども「伺う」と同様に，客の動作に対しては用いることができません。**\n\n(Emphasis mine)\n\nIf someone offers to do something for you, using お願いします to accept is the\nproper response. Otherwise they are (generally) interchangeable for day-to-day\nlife.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2013-06-18T00:20:51.073", "id": "12164", "last_activity_date": "2013-06-18T00:20:51.073", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "3300", "parent_id": "269", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "I am not good at english just think about casually yourself\n\nJapanese people are called manners important virtue . It expresses in words .\ni think you knows, two expressions of differences to the through next view\n\n==== VIEW ====\n\nWHEN USING kudasai CASE, (when ordering your friends; a close acquaintanceship\n)\n\n## SIMILAR expression in enligsh : Water please\n\nOnegaisimasu case, (when ordering not your friends and the others; stranger or\none's elder)\n\nSIMILAR expression in enligsh : Would you Give me a cup of water please.\n\n# I think that two case of differences is politeness level are different.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2015-07-18T19:39:02.357", "id": "25787", "last_activity_date": "2015-07-18T20:08:02.650", "last_edit_date": "2015-07-18T20:08:02.650", "last_editor_user_id": "10655", "owner_user_id": "10655", "parent_id": "269", "post_type": "answer", "score": -3 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "277", "answer_count": 3, "body": "「ゆう」 is neither the kun'yomi nor on'yomi of 「昨」 and 「べ」 is not a pronunciation\nof 「夜」 either. The same can be said about the pronunciation 「きょう」 for 「今日」.\n\nSo how come the pronunciations of the two words are like those? If they are\nspecial, what was the origin of such pronunciations?\n\nEDIT:\n\nTo respond to Mark Hosang answer on ゆうべ, from my dictionary software:\n\n\n\np/s: yup, the \"sakuya\" pronunciation is also there :)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T08:51:07.970", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "271", "last_activity_date": "2019-04-24T13:41:05.963", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T13:00:35.993", "last_editor_user_id": "87", "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 20, "tags": [ "kanji", "pronunciation", "ateji" ], "title": "Why is 「昨夜」 pronounced as 「ゆうべ」 {yuube} and 「今日」 as 「きょう」 {kyou}?", "view_count": 8799 }

[ { "body": "The reading ゆうべ comes from the still-in-use word 夕べ（ゆうべ）, which [apparently\ncame\nfrom](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%82%86%E3%81%86%E3%81%B9&dtype=0&dname=0na&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=22829818716400)\nan old reading for 夕方（ゆうへ）(today usually read ゆうがた). The kanji are just\n\"gikun\" ([義訓](http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-\nbin/wwwjdic.cgi?1MUE%E7%BE%A9%E8%A8%93)), that is, they're used for their\nmeaning only and their reading is ignored.\n\nThe word 今日 was originally read けふ, which anybody who has read the [iroha-\nuta](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroha) probably knows. You can also still\nhear the old け today in the word 今朝（けさ）. It probably turned into けう and then\ninto きょう in the various kana reading changes over the years.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:02:40.687", "id": "277", "last_activity_date": "2019-04-24T13:41:05.963", "last_edit_date": "2019-04-24T13:41:05.963", "last_editor_user_id": "20", "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "271", "post_type": "answer", "score": 28 }, { "body": "The real pronunciation of 昨夜 is sakuya 「さくや」. ゆうべ is supposed to be written as\n夕べ, but since they have same meaning, people just use the same.\n\n今日 is read as きょう for normal everyday usage, but it could be read as こんにち or\nこんじつ when writing, and could sometimes mean \"this days\" or \"on this era\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:03:24.197", "id": "278", "last_activity_date": "2012-11-04T02:37:36.983", "last_edit_date": "2012-11-04T02:37:36.983", "last_editor_user_id": "1141", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "271", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "This is one of a few words that use kanji chosen purely for their meaning,\nrather than sound. Unfortunately, you just have to know about these words and\nnot pronounce them as written. Fortunately, such words are rare.\n\nOther examples:\n\n * 煙草: タバコ, cigarettes\n * 二十: はたち, twenty (years old)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-29T18:14:35.830", "id": "1636", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-29T18:14:35.830", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "448", "parent_id": "271", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "276", "answer_count": 4, "body": "Saying \"now\" is easy, with 今, but in my experience that doesn't express so\nmuch \"right now, this instant\" as it does \"currently\". I am looking for\nstructure that translates these examples well:\n\n * I have just now been thinking about that.\n * At that exact moment, X happened.\n\nEdit: I also know that I have heard a grammatical structure for \"I was in the\nmiddle of something (watching TV) and then I was interrupted by X (the phone\nringing / an earthquake)\". Anyone knows what I mean?", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T08:52:21.073", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "272", "last_activity_date": "2012-05-29T22:28:27.103", "last_edit_date": "2012-05-29T22:28:27.103", "last_editor_user_id": "921", "owner_user_id": "84", "post_type": "question", "score": 9, "tags": [ "grammar", "time" ], "title": "How can I say \"Right now\", or \"At that exact moment\"?", "view_count": 21058 }

[ { "body": "I would translate \"Right Now\" to \"tadaima\"「只今」 and \"At that exact moment\" to\n\"choudo sono toki\"「ちょうどその時」\n\nI would tranlste that two sentenses to\n\n * 只今、それを考えていました。\n\n * ちょうどその時、X がありました。", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T08:59:23.203", "id": "273", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T13:08:05.237", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T13:08:05.237", "last_editor_user_id": "100", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "272", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "If you are looking for the word for \"moment\", I think 瞬間 is the most\nappropriate.\n\nその瞬間に起こりました \nAt that exact moment, it happened.\n\nAs for \"I have just now been thinking about that\", you can use ただ今.\n\nただ今考えてました \nI have just now been thinking about that.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:01:29.113", "id": "276", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T13:29:27.880", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T13:29:27.880", "last_editor_user_id": "112", "owner_user_id": "112", "parent_id": "272", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I would tranlste that two sentenses to\n\n * ちょうど、今、そのことを考えていました。\n\n * まさにその時、Ｘが[起こりました/ありました/発生しました]。", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:27:55.120", "id": "282", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T09:27:55.120", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "90", "parent_id": "272", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Don't forget that 〜ているところ also means \"starting something right now\".\n\n母；部屋の掃除した？ (Did you clean your room?)\n\n子：片付けてるところなんだ！ (I'm starting to right now!)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T14:10:47.887", "id": "324", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T14:10:47.887", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "272", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "306", "answer_count": 2, "body": "It is common to ask [the difference between just \"へ\" (-e) and \"に\"\n(-ni)](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/80/when-going-somewhere-\nis-there-any-difference-between-e-and-ni) but it seems to get even more\ncomplicated when you also mix in \"まで\" (made) and even \"の方\" (no-hō).\n\nWhen Japanese people ask me where I'm going they always ask \"どこまで\" (doko\nmade)?\" rather than \"どこへ\" (doko e) or \"どこに\" (doko ni) that I expected.\n\nI know \"まで\" (made) can mean \"until\" but when I ask the difference with \"に\"\n(ni) and \"へ\" (e) I'm told \"へ\" (e) means \"to\" and \"に\" (ni) means \"in the\ndirection of\" but if this is the case then how do they differ from \"の方\" (no-\nho) which I already learned previously meant \"in the direction of\"?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:00:49.830", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "275", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-04T01:49:36.820", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.397", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 18, "tags": [ "word-choice", "particles", "particle-に", "particle-へ" ], "title": "How to use へ (-e), に (-ni), まで (made) and の方 (no-hō) with destination and direction?", "view_count": 15985 }

[ { "body": "It's hard to imagine a Japanese ask you specifically どこまで? A taxi driver\nmaybe?\n\nWith まで they ask you your exact destination as would a taxi driver.\n\nAs for どこの方, it just reads \"doko no kata\", asking for a person's origin\n(country, city, where are you from)\n\nYou would use ~の方 (no hou) with ~ being a place or area, like in the\nsentences: Towards the post office, to the north, in the direction to the\nschool...etc\n\n大阪の方（ほう）へ行くんですけどsounds like something I would use.\n\nSee my other answer there as well:\n\n[When going somewhere, is there any difference between e (へ) and ni\n(に)?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/80/when-going-somewhere-is-\nthere-any-difference-between-e-and-ni)", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:44:40.773", "id": "286", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T14:28:01.183", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.740", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "275", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "へ and に can both translate as \"to\" and are often interchangeable. The\ndifference is that へ focuses on the process or course of going in a direction\nor to a place, while に focuses on the destination itself [1]. まで, being a\nparticle that defines an upper bound, thus focuses on the distance traveled.\n\nThe function of ～の方（に／へ） depends on which particle follows. Followed by へ, it\ndoes indeed mean \"in the direction of\" as you previously learned. (東京の方へ行く。)\nFollowed by に, it's harder to pin to a specific meaning, but it often means\n\"in the general area of\" or \"on the side of\" (the latter being when 方 is used\nto indicate one of multiple options rather than a simple direction of travel).\n(東京の方にある。)\n\nSources:\n\n 1. [「彼女が待ってる新宿（ ）、恋する切符 5,100 円」──格助詞「に」と「へ」のイメージ──](http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/nichigen/menu7_folder/symposium/pdf/1/11.pdf) (PDF)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T12:42:03.310", "id": "306", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T12:42:03.310", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "275", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "290", "answer_count": 4, "body": "I've seen it used in many places, and sometimes it feels like a connection\nbetween words.\n\nFor example in 「鳥の詩」 (tori no uta), it looks as if the の is connecting 鳥\n(tori) and 詩 (uta), and I would like to know what it represents, in this case\nat least.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:31:31.120", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "283", "last_activity_date": "2014-11-03T07:34:48.157", "last_edit_date": "2014-11-03T07:34:48.157", "last_editor_user_id": "6840", "owner_user_id": "137", "post_type": "question", "score": 13, "tags": [ "grammar", "particles", "particle-の" ], "title": "What is the significance of の in 「鳥の詩」?", "view_count": 5371 }

[ { "body": "My Japanese teacher taught me to think of の to mean \"of\" and translate the {X\nno Y} as \"Y of X\". Her favorite example:\n\n_**watashi no tomodachi no amerika no chizu_** \nthe map of America of a friend of mine\n\nSo {tori no uta} would mean \"the song of birds\".", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:35:08.187", "id": "284", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T09:35:08.187", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "112", "parent_id": "283", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "\"の\" (no) can be thought of as a \"general connective\" in many ways just like\n\"of\" in English, \"de\" in the Romance languages, \"von\" and \"van\" in German and\nDutch respectively, and \"的\" (de) in Mandarin Chinese.\n\nUnlike English \"of\" however the items on the left and right of \"の\" (no) must\nbe switched. This makes it even more like the English possessive apostrope:\n\nAndrew の kuruma -> car of Andrew _or_ Andrew's car.\n\nJoining several nouns together differs between English and Japanese so often\nJapanese will have to add の between two nouns that English would just put next\nto each other. (And sometimes the opposite may be the case).\n\nEven in English when you think about it there are lots of places we use \"of\"\nwhich don't really indicate possession but rather just part of our idiom for\nconnecting nouns. The same happens with の in Japanese only it may seem more\napparent not being your native language.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T09:57:11.320", "id": "287", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-03T23:59:27.013", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-03T23:59:27.013", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "125", "parent_id": "283", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "The particle の \"no\" is mainly used to indicate _possession_ , it's also called\nthe **possession indicator**. An example could be:\n\n> 先生／私／和子の車。[sensei/watashi/Kazuko no kuruma.] ( _Teacher's/my/Kazuko's car._\n> )\n\nOr linking nouns like:\n\n> 車のトヨタ [kuruma no Toyota] ( _Toyota the car [company]_ )\n\nFor other usages as well, see\n[here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_particles#no).\n\nI'll directly paste them from [this\nsite](http://www.timwerx.net/language/particles.htm#no) here:\n\n 1. **It can sometimes replace ga, and is used especially in clauses that modify a noun:** \nHontou ni mondai no nai tabi deshita. (It really was a trouble-free trip.) \nWatashi no oshieru gakusei wa, eigo no dekinai ko bakari desu. (None of the\nkids that I teach can speak English.)\n\n 2. **It comes after some adjectives:** Kyoto no matsuri ni takusan no hito ga ita. (Many people were at the festival in Kyoto.) Kumi wa midori no fuusen ga hoshii. (Kumi wants a green balloon.) \n\n 3. **It makes informal questions:** Yuushoku wa tabenai no? (Aren't you going to eat dinner?) \nNanji ni kuru no? (What time will you come?)\n\n 4. **And it is also used between prepositions and nouns to make the noun the object of the preposition.**\n\n * **Compare the following sentences:** Kono tegami wa Yuuko kara kita. (This letter came from Yuuko.) \nKore wa Yuuko kara no tegami desu. (This is a letter from Yuuko.)\n\n * **And these:** \nKono tegami o Yuuko ni okuru. (I'm going to send this letter to Yuuko.) \nKore wa Yuuko e no tegami desu. (This is a letter to Yuuko.)\n\n_Note:_ Ni is not used with no in this way.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:03:07.477", "id": "290", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T10:03:07.477", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "37", "parent_id": "283", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "In addition to what the other says, it can also be used as an informal\nquestion signifier.\n\nそうなの？ _Sou na no_? \"Really?\" [Fem.]\n\nなんでだめなの？ _Nande dame no_ \"Why not?\" or \"What's wrong with it?\"\n\n何言ってんだけ分かってんの？ _Nani itten-dake wakatten no?_ \"Do you know what you're\nsaying?\"", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:04:03.557", "id": "291", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T10:04:03.557", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "85", "parent_id": "283", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "294", "answer_count": 3, "body": "How to write hiragana and katakana in Windows (XP/Vista/7)? My current locale\nis Swedish and I have a hard time writing hiragana and katakana characters.\n\nUsually I have a txt-file open in notepad and copy the individual characters,\nbut that is (obviously) not efficient.\n\nThe same also applies for kanji.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:01:30.627", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "289", "last_activity_date": "2011-12-25T23:27:32.253", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-25T23:27:32.253", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "140", "post_type": "question", "score": 4, "tags": [ "hiragana", "input-method" ], "title": "How to write hiragana and katakana in Windows?", "view_count": 31774 }

[ { "body": "You need to setup an additional Japanese keyboard IME in the 'Region and\nLanguage' options in your 'Control Panel'. On Windows XP you may be required\nto enter a XP disk for the installation though I think that might only be\nprompted for Asian fonts (which I presume you already have since you are using\nnotepad right now).\n\nOnce you've set it up you want your language bar to be set to 'JP' and then\nuse Alt+~ (the default keybinding) to switch between the entering of Japanese\ncharacters and the Latin alphabet.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:05:57.120", "id": "292", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T10:05:57.120", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "18", "parent_id": "289", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Windows has Language Packs available for other languages and alphabets. See\n<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/972813>, for example.\n\nThey allow you to write in a phonetic transliteration and then translate it\ninto kana; pressing the space bar converts familiar words into kanji and where\nmeaning is unclear you can choose kanji from a list.\n\nFor example, if I type \"totemo benri desu ne?\" in English with the language\npack it will give me とても便利ですね。 Very convenient, isn't it?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:07:33.930", "id": "294", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T10:14:57.170", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T10:14:57.170", "last_editor_user_id": "85", "owner_user_id": "85", "parent_id": "289", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Google's Mozc Japanese IME is pretty good -\n<http://www.google.com/intl/ja/ime/>\n\nYou can give it a try.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:33:22.383", "id": "300", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T10:33:22.383", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "289", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "301", "answer_count": 5, "body": "I've seen this symbol in various places, such as 「日々」, 「色々」, and 「人々」. What is\nit, and how does it affect the meaning and pronunciation of the word?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:12:46.593", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "295", "last_activity_date": "2021-01-11T16:29:30.397", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-25T23:39:43.273", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "post_type": "question", "score": 35, "tags": [ "kanji", "pronunciation" ], "title": "What is 「々」 and how does it affect meaning and pronunciation?", "view_count": 52737 }

[ { "body": "That's the repetition sign, called _kurikaeshi_. It means the kanji that\nprecedes it is repeated. It changes the meaning and sometimes the\npronunciation. For example, 「人々」in your example means \"people\" or \"everybody\"\nand is pronounced \"hito-bito\". 「日々」on the other hand has no change in\npronunciation ( _hibi_ , or less commonly _nichinichi_ ) but it means \"daily\"\nrather than referring to a single day.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:15:44.707", "id": "296", "last_activity_date": "2017-09-28T11:48:49.560", "last_edit_date": "2017-09-28T11:48:49.560", "last_editor_user_id": "3871", "owner_user_id": "85", "parent_id": "295", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "It's a character to let the reader know that the kanji preceding it has been\nrepeated.\n\nIn terms of pronunciation, it may or may not affect the pronunciation. For\n\"色々\", there is no change and is simply \"いろいろ\". For words like \"日々\", \"人々\", and\n\"時々\", they are \"ひび\", \"ひとびと\", and \"ときどき\", so the first character's\npronunciation was modified with the dakuten (\") marker.\n\nThere are cases where the dakuten is not applied though like \"佐々木\" for \"ささき\"\neven though the さ could become a ざ.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:21:42.710", "id": "297", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T10:21:42.710", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "18", "parent_id": "295", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "It's a repetition kanji or \"[ideographic iteration\nmark](https://secure.wikimedia.org/wiktionary/en/wiki/%E3%80%85)\", it means\nthat the kanji just before should be repeated. The pronunciation changes\naccording to the kanji being repeated, but a lot of the time, the second kanji\nwill be pronounced like the first one, but with a dakuten (hi->bi, to->do,\nha->ba). It often makes a word mean \"more than one of that thing\". Here's some\nexamples:\n\n * 日々(ひび）: days, or every day\n * 人々(ひとびと): people\n * 色々(いろいろ): various\n * 散々(さんざん): severe\n * 昔々(むかしむかし): a long, long time ago\n * 時々(ときどき): occasionally\n * 早々(はやばや): very early\n\nAccording to\n[Wikipedia](https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/%E3%80%85#Japanese),\nit's called an odoriji (踊り字 ) \"dancing mark\" in Japanese. I've heard the name\nthat Robusto mentions (\"kurikaeshi\") more often.", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:36:19.157", "id": "301", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T12:43:31.907", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T12:43:31.907", "last_editor_user_id": "36", "owner_user_id": "36", "parent_id": "295", "post_type": "answer", "score": 37 }, { "body": "As others have said, it just means you repeat the kanji. However, there is at\nleast one case I know of where there can be a difference between using the\nkanji iteration mark and not using it. 日々 is ひび (also にちにち, but I think that\nreading is rare) meaning \"daily\" or \"everyday life\". 日日 is ひにち and means \"the\ndate\" or \"number of days\". The latter is often written 日にち to avoid confusion,\nthough.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-08T00:35:43.287", "id": "770", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-08T00:35:43.287", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "224", "parent_id": "295", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "It repeats the last kanji and implements a tenten on the first hiragana\ncharacter within the pronunciation (if possible) if not, no change, just\nrepetition. 人々(hito.bito)(hi is the first character for the pronunciation, so\nit adds the tenten to turn hi into bi) If the first character already has\ntenten, no change, (no exception for b characters into p characters either).\nIf the first character has haran, I dunno if you'd keep it the same or add\ntenten. If the first character can't have tenten (no matter if anymore within\nthat character can), no change.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2020-03-23T12:24:27.943", "id": "75156", "last_activity_date": "2020-03-23T12:24:27.943", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "37256", "parent_id": "295", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "338", "answer_count": 2, "body": "Recently a friend of mine threw the term 意味くじピーマン (imi kuji pi-man) into a\nstory she was telling, and it totally threw me off. At first I thought,\nbecause I wasn't sure how to parse the くじ part, it meant something like\n\"meaningful peppers.\"\n\nThen a friend said it meant \"no meaning at all\", but that definition seemed to\nbe a little mundane given how colourful the expression is. Surely it has more\nnuance?\n\nI looked it up, but wasn't able to find a straight forward definition. And\neven if it does mean \"no meaning at all\", how do you get that from:\n\n```\n\n 意味 = いみ, meaning\n くじく = crush or break\n ピーマン = pepper\n \n```\n\n...?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T10:24:04.983", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "299", "last_activity_date": "2012-09-25T04:32:10.290", "last_edit_date": "2012-09-25T04:32:10.290", "last_editor_user_id": "501", "owner_user_id": "119", "post_type": "question", "score": 13, "tags": [ "etymology", "definitions", "loanwords", "idioms" ], "title": "What is the meaning and root of 意味くじピーマン?", "view_count": 602 }

[ { "body": "It is the slang used amoung young people in Okinawa, kanji \"意味\" was not used\nin original phrase, but katakana is used instead.\n\nイミ or イミヨー means \"意味がわかんない\" in Okinawa dialect, also \"イミクジピーマン\" is one form.\n\nAnd looks like some people use ~ピーマン in end of the phrase in Okinawa.\n\nrefs:\n\n * <http://www.okinawainfo.net/uchinaguci1.htm>\n * <http://yado-umino.sakura.ne.jp/page168.html>", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T11:22:15.300", "id": "302", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T11:22:15.300", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "299", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "I was waiting for your reply to my comment before giving an answer. (the one\naccepted is partly correct and missing some important background)\n\n意味くじピーマン is used as well as イミクジ解からん in Okinawa The former probably more often\nused by girls and kids and the latter by young men.\n\nYou assumed くじ comes from くじく but this is not correct. （イミ）クジ is an\nabbreviation for ブンクジ as in 文・故事 (ぶん・こじ)\n\nピーマン is just a fun word added by 小学生 You would also see イミクジがムサットゥ (Uchina-\nversion of I don't understand)\n\nAll of these, you already know, mean: I don't get it、意味わからない\n\n_All these years in Okinawa finally are paying off! :p_", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T17:29:08.107", "id": "338", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T05:17:58.390", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T05:17:58.390", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "299", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "325", "answer_count": 6, "body": "Given that there has been discussion by the Japanese government to use the\n[Japanese Language Proficiency Test\n(JLPT)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Language_Proficiency_Test) as\none of the measures by which permanent residences or citizenship might be\ngranted, how good of a measure of it of actual real world Japanese skill? Does\npassing the level N1 test mean that you are on par with a native speaker or\ndoes it just show that you have advanced knowledge of the language?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T12:36:53.250", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "303", "last_activity_date": "2015-06-30T15:23:41.027", "last_edit_date": "2015-06-30T15:23:41.027", "last_editor_user_id": "1628", "owner_user_id": null, "post_type": "question", "score": 19, "tags": [ "jlpt", "learning", "resources" ], "title": "Is the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) a good measure of my Japanese language ability?", "view_count": 6850 }

[ { "body": "First and foremost the JLPT does not have a speaking component. This means you\nmay be able to recognise and understand grammar when reading or listening, but\nyou may be unable to actually _speak_ the language with any proficiency. This\nis my case exactly, I can understand far more than what I can express.\n\nSecondly, the entire test is multiple choice. Multiple choice makes things a\nbit easier for the student and if you can eliminate the two \"obviously false\nanswers\" you're left with a 50/50 shot of getting it right - I've seen people\nfake their way through exams with minimal knowledge of the content, but great\n\"test taking skills\".\n\nIt's very hard to gauge proficiency in language. However, the JLPT is\ndefinitely a good way of guiding your study. I've mainly been using the JLPT\ntests not for the piece of paper I receive for doing it, but as a study guide\non where I should be focusing my study. It's a good guide to get you from\nbeginner to advanced in terms of which kanji/grammar points you should know.\n\nHowever, I guess if you're able to pass the JLPT N1 test, you're more than on\nyour way to being \"fluent\".", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T12:52:50.507", "id": "311", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T12:52:50.507", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "108", "parent_id": "303", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "I can tell you that N1 is not meaning on par with a native speaker. Actually\nmany japanese could not pass N1 with an high score without studying. That's\nbecause of many questions about grammar and kanji usage. Still the test\ndoesn't measure your active skill (speak and write) but only your passive\nones. I know people who passed N1 but are not really fluent in everyday\njapanese.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T12:53:54.500", "id": "312", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T12:53:54.500", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "60", "parent_id": "303", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "True fluency is rare, and involves more than passing a standardized test. I\nwill refer you to [an answer I\ngave](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/10335/how-would-you-define-\nfluent-level-in-english/10339#10339) in EL&U.SE which I quoted from my\ntreasured copy of Jack Seward's _Japanese in Action_. He is talking about\nJapanese, but I removed all the specific-language references because it's a\ngood measure for fluency in any language. **EDIT** : I've just added them\nback, since I found my copy of the book after cleaning out my office for the\nNew Year. **(^_^)** The passage is now given as written, with only slight\nadjustments.\n\n> To be accurately judged fluent in Japanese, I believe a foreigner should\n> have the following qualifications:\n>\n> 1. He should be able to conduct all his daily affairs (business, visits to\n> the doctor, TV-ing, bar-hopping, lovemaking, etc.) completely in Japanese\n> without strain.\n>\n> 2. His accent may not be perfect, but it should occasion no confusion or\n> merriment among his listeners.\n>\n> 3. He should be able to read Japanese (newspapers, weekly magazines, and\n> letters in the semi-cursive 行書 style), with only an occasional reference to\n> a dictionary.\n>\n>\n\nHe goes on to propose that a test for fluency in the language should require\nthe test taker to:\n\n> 1. Translate a newspaper article\n>\n> 2. Speak in Japanese on the telephone, as a test of accent.\n>\n> 3. Write a letter in Japanese.\n>\n> 4. Interpret a taped conversation between two Japanese.\n>\n> 5. Comprehend a newscast.\n>\n> 6. Identify five major dialects.\n>\n> 7. Read a letter written in 行書.\n>\n> 8. Take a dictation test involving the writing of fifty 漢字 (kanji) from\n> among the 当用漢字 (daily-use kanji) and give the principal readings of each.\n>\n> 9. Give the meanings of one hundred technical words or phrases (twenty\n> each from the fields of medicine, law, economy, science, and the arts), to\n> be selected by the testing committee as being understood by the average\n> Japanese college graduate.\n>\n> 10. Walk down the street and read the first twenty signs to be sighted.\n>\n> 11. Give a ten-minute, impromptu talk about an everyday topic of\n> conversation (sports, politics, travel, traffic, etc.), the topic to be\n> selected by lottery.\n>\n>\n\nBTW, much of the book is dated now, but is still a great source for\nunderstanding Japanese culture and language, and it's also very funny.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T14:16:20.393", "id": "325", "last_activity_date": "2014-01-04T12:10:21.450", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "85", "parent_id": "303", "post_type": "answer", "score": 21 }, { "body": "Well i don't know if you will find this info useful, but here goes:\n\n[Daniel Levitin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Levitin) claims:\n\n> The emerging scientific picture is that 10,000 hours of practice is required\n> to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert\n> in anything. In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction\n> writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and\n> what have you, this number comes up again and again.\n\n[Malcolm Gladwell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Gladwell) also claims\nthat the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of\npracticing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours.\n([Outliers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliers_%28book%29))\n\nSo if it [only takes around 900 hours](http://www.j-os.com/JLPT.html) to pass\nJLPT 1, then we have not even reached 10% of the 10,000 hours requirement to\nmastery....", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-26T23:49:38.343", "id": "1539", "last_activity_date": "2014-01-05T05:02:00.823", "last_edit_date": "2014-01-05T05:02:00.823", "last_editor_user_id": "264", "owner_user_id": "264", "parent_id": "303", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "My opinion: No. Speaking is not tested and the Japanese you're tested on is\nnot stuff you'll encounter in business or in daily conversation.\n\nI've passed JLPT 1級 and received J1 on the Business Japanese Test\n(<http://www.kanken.or.jp/bjt/>). Studying for the latter was much more useful\nto me professionally and felt like a better gauge of working Japanese.\n\nBackground: I've worked in Japan for five consecutive years now. Three years\nin Japanese companies in a management position. Two years as a host in clubs\nin both Kabukicho and Minami while attending college here.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-01-04T12:35:14.760", "id": "14042", "last_activity_date": "2014-01-04T12:35:14.760", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1808", "parent_id": "303", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "There is some useful information on this on the official website\n<http://www.jlpt.jp/>:\n\n * a summary of what organizers consider required for passing N1, and\n * a self evaluation of what successful candidates think they can do.\n\n**Summary of linguistic competence required for N1**\n\n> The ability to understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances.\n>\n> Reading\n>\n> ・ One is able to read writings with logical complexity and/or abstract\n> writings on a variety of topics, such as newspaper editorials and critiques,\n> and comprehend both their structures and contents.\n>\n> ・ One is also able to read written materials with profound contents on\n> various topics and follow their narratives as well as understand the intent\n> of the writers comprehensively.\n>\n> Listening\n>\n> ・ One is able to comprehend orally presented materials such as coherent\n> conversations, news reports, and lectures, spoken at natural speed in a\n> broad variety of settings, and is able to follow their ideas and comprehend\n> their contents comprehensively. One is also able to understand the details\n> of the presented materials such as the relationships among the people\n> involved, the logical structures, and the essential points.\n\n(<http://www.jlpt.jp/e/about/levelsummary.html>)\n\n**Can-Do self evaluation**\n\nThe following is an excerpt of what candidates who barely pass N1 think they\ncan do in Japanese:\n\nListening:\n\n * Less than one in four of those who barely pass N1 think they can understand the main points of TV news about politics, economics and similar topics.\n * Less than one in four think they can understand the general content when joining a conversation on a current topic currently covered by the media.\n * Between one and two in four think they can understand the general content of speeches in formal situations such as welcome parties.\n * Two to three in four think they can follow discussions when participating in school or work meetings.\n * More than three in four think they can understand the general content of small talk.\n\nSpeaking:\n\n * One to two in four believe they can express their opinion in a logical manner when joining discussions on topics they care about.\n * Two to three in four believe they can give a brief summary of the plot of a movie they have seen or a book they have read recently.\n * More than three in four believe they can give walking directions and directions for public transportation to locations they know well.\n\nReading:\n\n * One to two in four believe they can understand the main points in newspaper articles about politics or economics.\n * Two to three in four believe they can understand the main ideas in scientific and technical texts on topics they care about.\n * More than three in four believe they can understand the definitions given in a Japanese-Japanese dictionary.\n\n(<http://www.jlpt.jp/e/about/candolist.html>)\n\nI think this list makes it clear that passing N1 is far from being at native\nequivalent levels. The Japanese language school I attended considers N1 to be\nroughly comparable to B2 of the\n[CEFR](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-01-05T00:59:52.907", "id": "14062", "last_activity_date": "2014-01-05T00:59:52.907", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "2964", "parent_id": "303", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "313", "answer_count": 3, "body": "How do you handle learning new verbs that have both transitive and\nintransitive forms? Is it best to immediately memorize both forms?", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T12:45:01.530", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "309", "last_activity_date": "2011-09-17T02:26:21.433", "last_edit_date": "2011-09-17T02:26:21.433", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "61", "post_type": "question", "score": 6, "tags": [ "verbs" ], "title": "When learning new verbs, is it best to memorize both the transitive and intransitive versions up front?", "view_count": 533 }

[ { "body": "There are rules to transform each others most of the time, you don't have to\nmemorize both.\n\nHere is a list about 1200 verbs and derivation to transitive and intransitive\nforms.\n\n * <http://homepage3.nifty.com/jgrammar/ja/data/trans.htm>", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T13:20:21.030", "id": "313", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T14:20:15.273", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T14:20:15.273", "last_editor_user_id": "100", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "309", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Instead of memorizing the words and which form they are, you should memorize a\nsentence or two using each form. This way of memorizing is especially useful\nfor transitive and intransitive verbs.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T13:20:37.253", "id": "314", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T13:20:37.253", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "36", "parent_id": "309", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I would say \"yes\", it is probably better to learn the pairs (sometimes\ntriplets) at the same time. That way you can know the context of when to use\nwhich one. If you only learn the 他〜 or 自〜, you may use it incorrectly when you\nshould have used the other one.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T14:17:28.147", "id": "326", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T14:17:28.147", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "309", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "323", "answer_count": 2, "body": "The phrase 心の冷たい人 (which is given by Japanese-English dictionary on OS X)\nlooks wrong to me, but given that it's an example in a respected dictionary\nand confirmed by tens of thousands of Google hits, I have to assume it's\ncorrect. It's a lot less clumsy than how I'd naïvely write it, 冷たい心がある人, but\nits word order still doesn't line up with anything else I've seen. Is this\njust an idiomatic saying that I should just accept as correct, or is this a\npattern that shows up a lot?", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T13:35:48.240", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "316", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-24T12:23:31.377", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "38", "post_type": "question", "score": 8, "tags": [ "grammar", "words" ], "title": "Is the grammar of 心の冷たい人 idiomatic?", "view_count": 709 }

[ { "body": "This doesn't strike me as the slightest bit unusual. Relative phrases such as\nthis are very common in Japanese. You can easily substitute similar phrases\nfor 心が冷たい, such as 背が高い:\n\n * あの人は背が高いです。 (\"That person is tall.\")\n * 背が高い人 (lit. \"A person who is tall\"; \"A tall person\" [with the emphasis on 背])\n * 背の高い人 (lit. \"A person who is tall\"; \"A tall person\" [with no particular emphasis])\n\n背が高い, being a complete phrase, is perfectly legal as a modifier on a noun\n(although the が does often change to の depending on the emphasis).", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T14:03:20.930", "id": "323", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T14:03:20.930", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "316", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "The first point to note is that, to say \"A's B is C\", it is common to say\n\"AはBがC\", especially if B is an integral part of A. So to say \"That person's\nheart is cold\", you can say either of the below\n\n> あの人は心が冷たい → As for that person, (his/her) heart is cold.\n>\n> あの人の心は冷たい → As for that person's heart, (it) is cold.\n\nBoth are correct, but the former is more idiomatic in Japanese, probably\nbecause it makes more sense to make the person the topic of the sentence than\nhis/her heart.\n\nThe second point to note is that Japanese is both lenient and inexplicit about\nthe grammatical role that the modified noun has in a relative clause.\n\nTo put some color on that, 書く物 can mean\n\n * 物が書く → 書く物 something that writes (subject)\n * 物を書く → 書く物 something that _sby_ writes (object)\n * 物で書く → 書く物 something that _sby_ writes with (postpositional phrase)\n * 物に書く → 書く物 something that _sby_ writes on (postpositional phrase)\n\netc.\n\nNow all you have to do is to combine the above two points:\n\n * （あの）人は心が冷たい → 心の／が冷たい人 (topic)\n\nSo literally\n\n * As for that guy, the heart is cold → A guy as for whom the heart is cold\n\nClumsy nonsense in English, idiomatic in Japanese.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-01-24T10:51:09.170", "id": "4429", "last_activity_date": "2012-01-24T12:23:31.377", "last_edit_date": "2012-01-24T12:23:31.377", "last_editor_user_id": "1073", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "316", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "318", "answer_count": 5, "body": "There are several situations in which one of these words (phrases?) should be\nused but there's not usually a 1:1 mapping between any two languages.\n\n * Get somebody's permission. English: \"excuse me\", \"I beg your pardon\"; Spanish: \"disculpe\"\n * Getting past somebody or through a crowd. English: \"excuse me\"; Spanish: \"con permiso\"\n * Apologising: English: \"I'm sorry\"; Spanish: \"lo siento\", \"perdón\"\n\nIn Japanese, which of \"すみません\" (sumimasen) or \"ごめんなさい\" (gomen'nasai) works for\neach situation? (And did I leave out any situations or phrases?)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T13:36:38.707", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "317", "last_activity_date": "2014-07-05T05:48:26.513", "last_edit_date": "2012-09-26T02:33:47.530", "last_editor_user_id": "501", "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 53, "tags": [ "word-choice", "nuances", "politeness", "interjections" ], "title": "Usage of すみません (sumimasen) versus ごめんなさい (gomen'nasai)", "view_count": 65298 }

[ { "body": "On a basic level, すみません is to apologize for something that you have a \"right\"\nto do, such as when passing through a crowd or getting a waiter's attention at\na restaurant. ごめんなさい, on the other hand, is for when you have done something\ninappropriate. So on the way through a crowd, you would say すみません to ask\npeople to let you through, but if you accidentally step on someone's foot\nalong the way, you would use ごめんなさい to apologize.\n\nIncidentally, すみません is also for saying \"thank you\" when someone has gone to\nthe trouble of doing something for you, such as pouring a cup of tea. Although\nsome Japanese may consider it more honest (素直【すなお】) to simply say ありがとう, すみません\n(\"I apologize [for having caused you to go to the trouble of doing this]\") is\nthe more natural Japanese response in these situations.\n\n申【もう】し訳【わけ】ありません (or 申【もう】し訳【わけ】ございません) is a more formal version of ごめんなさい\nwhich literally means, \"There is no excuse.\" Often you'll hear it at press\nconferences when the latest company president to be caught up in some scandal\nhas to publicly apologize with a deep bow in front of the flashbulbs.\n\nBoth すみません and ごめんなさい have informal versions: すまん (or すまない) and ごめん. The usage\nrules stated above do not change with these versions, but as with as with all\ninformal constructions, you should reserve them for casual settings or\nsituations where your position is above that of the listener's.", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T13:44:38.210", "id": "318", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-29T14:53:52.150", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-29T14:53:52.150", "last_editor_user_id": "94", "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "317", "post_type": "answer", "score": 60 }, { "body": "すみません and ごめんなさい can be used interchangeably in some cases but there are some\ndifferences.\n\n> すみません:\n\n 1. It's a bit more formal than ごめんなさい;\n 2. In general, it's the one you use when you apologize to a senior or superior people (in this last situation, using \"ごめんなさい\" might sound childish - see the following point);\n 3. It's used more by older people than by younger people;\n 4. Apart from using it to apologize for some mistake, you can use it because you inconvenienced someone, expressing gratitude;\n 5. Like Derek said, the informal alternative for this one is すまん.\n\n> ごめんなさい:\n\n 1. Among family members or close friends, it's the preferred choice;\n 2. You can alternartive use ごめんね (casual) or ごめん (more casual);\n 3. It can _not_ be used like すみません in point 4 (see above).\n\nSee [this\nsite](http://www.123japanese.com/index.php?cmd=lessons&menu=phrases1) which\nhas a good schematized explanation (similar to this one).", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T13:56:11.943", "id": "320", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T00:55:54.040", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T00:55:54.040", "last_editor_user_id": "37", "owner_user_id": "37", "parent_id": "317", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Both すみません and ごめんなさい mean sorry. However, there is a slight difference:\n\nごめんなさい is an apologetic sorry. It's used when you've clearly done something\nWRONG, and is a very straightforward, \"I'm sorry\".\n\nすみません is a subtle sorry. You say this simply because you feel bad, guilty, or\neven embarrassed. It's more of a \"sorry for the inconvenience\" or \"sorry for\nthe trouble\" kind of sorry. With this in mind, it can also be used in a\nvariety of situations:\n\n * You're pushing through a crowd of people, and you feel like you're causing trouble or being an inconvenience.\n\n * Someone gives you something or does something for you. You feel like they went out of their way to do this, and you feel bad.\n\n * You enter/leave a room, and feel like you're being disruptive.\n\netc...\n\nAlso, most people consider すみません to be more formal because it's a more\nheartfelt. You're saying sorry because you feel like a douchebag, whereas\nごめんなさい is just a straight up \"I'm sorry\" and, depending on the situation, can\nsound like a \"oops, my bad\" kind of sorry.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2013-01-02T19:16:08.020", "id": "9878", "last_activity_date": "2013-01-02T19:16:08.020", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "3029", "parent_id": "317", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "very roughly speaking, すみません=excuse me and ごめんなさい= i'm sorry", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-04-03T15:00:15.047", "id": "15223", "last_activity_date": "2014-04-03T15:00:15.047", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "5071", "parent_id": "317", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I also found out that すみません can be used to express \"I am sorry\" when doing\nsomething wrong like unintentionally stepping on someone's foot.\n\nAnd for expressing \"pardon\" if we don't understand what the interlocutor says\nI think we can use 'はい?' with rising intonation. And 'はい?' here is a question\nlike \"yes?\" Or \"I'm sorry?\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-07-05T05:48:26.513", "id": "17670", "last_activity_date": "2014-07-05T05:48:26.513", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "6738", "parent_id": "317", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "322", "answer_count": 1, "body": "There are at least four verbs that mean \"to do\" in Japanese: する, なさる, いたす, and\nやる. What is the purpose of each, and when is it appropriate to use them?", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T13:54:40.827", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "319", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T14:05:50.373", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "post_type": "question", "score": 15, "tags": [ "verbs" ], "title": "What is the difference between these four forms of \"to do\"?", "view_count": 2248 }

[ { "body": "する is the most general, neither too polite nor too formal. やる is more informal\nand could tend to lean toward rudeness. Note that やる cannot replace する in\nsino-Japanese compounds. For example, 電話する could not change to 電話やる. なさる is\nkeigo (尊敬語), used for someone \"higher\" than yourself. いたす is humble keigo\n(謙譲語), referring humbly to yourself or others in your group.\n\nUsage-wise, there is not much difference between them, except for what I noted\nabove.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T14:01:47.907", "id": "322", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T14:01:47.907", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "319", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "333", "answer_count": 2, "body": "Here's a question for you experts. I've actually asked this to my Japanese\nfriends, but I want to see how you guys answer too.\n\nExplain the differences in the following verbs and which one(s) appear more\ncommonly in everyday speech:\n\n 1. [掴]{つか}む\n 2. [捕]{と}る\n 3. [捕]{と}らえる\n 4. [捕]{と}らえられる - passive\n 5. [捕]{つか}まえる\n 6. [捕]{つか}まえられる - passive\n 7. [捕]{と}らわれる\n 8. [捕]{つか}まる - see update below\n\n* * *\n\n**Update - 2012/05/08:** Looking back at this question after all this time, I\nknew there was a reason I was including the passive verbs (4 and 6 above).\nIt's because I left a verb out of my original set: `[捕]{つか}まる`. So then the\nquestion with the passives is, what's the difference between `捕まる`, `捕らえられる`,\nand `捕まえられる`?\n\nBased on @Derek Schaab's answer below, it seems that `捕らえられる` would mostly\napply to animals/things that \"are caught\". But which would be the most\ncorrect/natural way to say \"The criminal was finally caught\"?\n\n> 犯人がやっと(捕まった・捕らえられた・捕まえられた）", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T14:50:38.227", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "327", "last_activity_date": "2014-10-12T02:35:28.383", "last_edit_date": "2014-10-11T18:02:57.157", "last_editor_user_id": "78", "owner_user_id": "78", "post_type": "question", "score": 10, "tags": [ "words", "synonyms", "passive-voice" ], "title": "Fun with synonyms - \"to grab/catch/capture\"", "view_count": 2089 }

[ { "body": "Ignoring the passives, which can be inferred:\n\n * 掴む: grasp. 腕を掴む. The action ends once your hand closes on the object. This is in contrast to 握る, which focuses on the time spent gripping the object after it has been taken in the hand.\n * 捕る: capture, as in an animal. 魚を捕る. Can be substituted with 捕獲する. (There are many kanji for とる, the choice of which depends on the object, as I'm sure you know.)\n * 捕らえる: (also) capture, or subdue. (But I usually see this written as 捉える, preceded by と, and meaning \"perceive, see/recognize/take (as)\": 好機と捉える.)\n * 捕まえる: prevent something from running away, hold tight to something without any intention of letting go. Can be both physical (犯人を捕まえる) or abstract (人の心を捕まえる).\n * 捕らわれる: be bound/taken captive by something (often abstract). 恐怖に捕らわれる.", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T15:27:24.620", "id": "333", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T15:27:24.620", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "327", "post_type": "answer", "score": 15 }, { "body": "This is just a guess to answer your updated challenge based on then entries in\nthe プログレッシブ dictionary.\n\nWhereas 捕らえる puts the emphasis on the capture of a criminal, 捕まえる can be used\nto refer to either the capture (捕らえる） or the detaining (引き留める).\n\nIn your question you made the criminal the subject and used the word やっと to\nmean finally caught: The emphasis seems to on the capture not the detention so\n捕らえられた is least ambiguous but if one is better 捕まる feels more natural.\n\n> 犯人は[警察に]やっと捕まった。|｜The criminal was finally caught [by the police].\n\nIf the criminal was the object then (I think) the following, which is based on\nan example in the dictionary, is also natural:\n\n> 警察はやっと犯人を捕らえた。｜The police finally caught the criminal.\n\nI look forward to being corrected.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-10-12T02:35:28.383", "id": "19054", "last_activity_date": "2014-10-12T02:35:28.383", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1556", "parent_id": "327", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "331", "answer_count": 4, "body": "Two numbers in Japanese have two pronunciation alternatives.\n\n * 四 / 4 can be pronounced either \"よん\" (yon) or \"し\" (shi)\n * 七 / 7 can be pronounced either \"しち\" (shichi) or \"なな\" (nana)\n\nI know that \"し\" (shi) can be avoided because it has the same pronunciation as\n\"死\" which means \"death\" but how strong is the taboo and how does it relate to\nfactors such as formality and politeness when choosing which form to use? Is\nit just a matter of superstition or should speakers be more sensitive?\n\n\"しち\" (shichi) vs \"なな\" (nana) seems to be less discussed since it doesn't\ninvolve taboo or superstition as far as I know but again what about formality\nand politeness etc?", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T14:55:18.173", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "328", "last_activity_date": "2011-08-01T03:30:45.483", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T15:08:43.117", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 68, "tags": [ "word-choice", "pronunciation", "numbers", "readings" ], "title": "How to choose between \"よん\" (yon) vs \"し\" (shi) for \"四\" (4) and \"しち\" (shichi) vs \"なな\" (nana) for \"七\" (7)?", "view_count": 123592 }

[ { "body": "I don't know that there are any rules, per se. I just know that in certain\nsituations, you use one and not the other. Like ４月 is し・がつ, not よん・がつ, and\n9:00 is く・じ, not きゅう・じ. I think it's just a matter of memorizing these\n\"irregularities\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T15:03:48.907", "id": "330", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T15:03:48.907", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "328", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "よん is a 訓読み(kunyomi) reading of 4 and し is a 音読み(onyomi). なな is a kunyomi\nreading of 7 and しち is a onyomi.\n\nTo make a long story short kunyomi is a native Japanese pronunciation and\nonyomi are pronunciation that were derived from classical Chinese.\n\nIn the case of numbers shi and shichi (onyomi) is used when you are counting\nthings. For example, ichi ni san shi go, ... It is also used in months, like\n四月(shigatsu) and 七月(shichigatsu)\n\nWhen you point out that you have 70 yen you say nana juu en. (In this case use\nkunyomi) Kunyomi is typically used in cases where you point out you have X of\nsome item. Counting in kunyomi is very unnatural so you almost never hear\npeople say ichi ni san yon go, ... but it is used when you count backwards.\n\nThese are just basic rules, there is one exception I can think of and that is\npeople, sometimes you do hear 七人(shichi-nin) when you talk about people.\nHowever, as far as I know, it is very unnatural for people to use shi and\nshichi used when talking about large numbers in the 10's, 100's, etc so use\nthe kunyomi (yon and nana) for that.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T15:06:14.243", "id": "331", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T17:18:45.273", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T17:18:45.273", "last_editor_user_id": "23", "owner_user_id": "23", "parent_id": "328", "post_type": "answer", "score": 35 }, { "body": "When you are counting, the reading \"よん\" is more used, because, as you also\nreminded, \"し\" is too similar to \"死\" which means \"death\". \nUsually when a Kanji is \"alone\" you use the On reading, but in this case when\ncounting, you don't do that for 4 and 7.\n\nTo quote [this page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_numerals) here:\n\n> In modern Japanese, _the digits are given the On'yomi readings_ **except 4\n> and 7** , which are called yon and nana respectively. Alternate readings are\n> used in month names, day-of-month names, and fixed phrases.\n\nI want to highlight something else: With the number \"4\" there is an exception,\nfor example, when telling the time:\n\n> 四時 the reading is \"yoji\" and not \"*yonji\".\n\nor with the classifier つ:\n\n> 四つ the reading is \"yotsu\" and not \"*yontsu\".\n\nI can't recall exceptions regarding the number 7, but if I come up with\nsomething, I'll make sure to add it.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T16:47:52.503", "id": "336", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T16:47:52.503", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "37", "parent_id": "328", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "There is also a strong geographical, if not toponymic, component: at the\nanecdotal level, I have noticed that Kansai/Kyoto people are more likely to\nread 四 as し and 七 as しち (in newly encountered words), when Tokyo people will\ntend to opt for よん and なな.\n\nA most famous example would be the streets of Kyoto:\n\nKyoto is laid out in a grid pattern (or a shogi board, to be exact) with East-\nWest streets numbered from 1 to 10 (starting from the North): 一条, 二条, 三条 etc.\n\nIf you ask out-of-town (Japanese) visitors to read aloud the name for 四条 and\n七条, they'll have little idea how to go at it. When pressed, they will probably\nopt for よんじょう and ななじょう (particularly the latter), when it is in fact しじょう and\nしちじょう.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-08-01T03:30:45.483", "id": "2369", "last_activity_date": "2011-08-01T03:30:45.483", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "290", "parent_id": "328", "post_type": "answer", "score": 17 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 2, "body": "I think I know the answer to this, but it still creeps up in my mind all the\ntime; something I'd like to research more. I want to know technical\ndifferences as well as common usage.\n\nWhen do you use the passive form of a transitive verb versus just using the\nintransitive verb?? For example, 教【おし】えられる versus 教【おそ】わる.\n\nAmaze me with your answers!", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T14:58:33.837", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "329", "last_activity_date": "2014-01-21T04:12:44.840", "last_edit_date": "2014-01-21T04:12:44.840", "last_editor_user_id": "78", "owner_user_id": "78", "post_type": "question", "score": 25, "tags": [ "verbs", "transitivity", "passive-voice" ], "title": "Passive-transitive-verb vs. Intransitive-verb （他動詞の受け身 vs. 自動詞)", "view_count": 4412 }

[ { "body": "Generally, the difference between a transitive phrase and ukemi transitive\nphrase is emphasis. For example:\n\n```\n\n ①　田中さんが村田さんに他動詞の使い方を教えた。\n ②　村田さんは田中さんに他動詞の使い方を教えられた。\n ③　村田さんは他動詞の使い方を田中さんから教わった。\n \n```\n\nThe first sentence (transitive) is very much focused on 田中さん. 村田さん is only\nmentioned because he's involved with the action that 田中さん is performing.\n\nThe second (ukemi) and third (intransitive) sentences here is more focused on\n村田さん. We're talking about 村田さん's circumstances primarily; we could even remove\nthe 田中さんに or 田中さんから phrases, and still have a sensible sentence. However, with\n教えられた, there is a sense that someone's actively teaching. You might find 教わった\nmore used in situations where, eg, you learned something from TV or a book; in\nthese cases 教えられた would not be appropriate:\n\n```\n\n ×　私は他動詞の使い方を本に教えられた。\n ○　私は他動詞の使い方を本から教わった。\n \n```", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T19:10:27.677", "id": "346", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T19:39:00.323", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T19:39:00.323", "last_editor_user_id": "76", "owner_user_id": "76", "parent_id": "329", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 }, { "body": "My initial perception (that I had before asking this question) also dealt with\nthe focus of the sentence. With the 教えられる／教わる example, they both essentially\nmean \"X was taught\", but the X is different with each one.\n\n> * 学生は **日本語** を教わった - The students were taught **Japanese** (The subject\n> the students were taught was Japanese)\n> * **学生** は日本語を教えられた - **The students** were taught Japanese (The\n> recipients of the Japanese teaching were the students).\n>\n\nAnother example pair I often think about is 伝えられる／伝わる, where both essentially\nmean \"X was told/conveyed\".\n\n> * 私の意見は伝わった - My opinion was told (Whether or not anyone actually\n> physically heard it or paid attention to it is unknown).\n> * 私の意見は伝えられた - My opinion was told, and there were actually people who\n> physically heard and understood it (whether or not they agree with it is\n> unknown).\n>", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-05T18:40:13.003", "id": "640", "last_activity_date": "2013-01-03T06:49:07.640", "last_edit_date": "2013-01-03T06:49:07.640", "last_editor_user_id": "78", "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "329", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "15597", "answer_count": 5, "body": "Given the close proximity and long history of interaction of various kinds\nwithin East Asia, the great influence of Chinese in both Japanese and Korean,\nand the similar structures of Japanese and Korean, are there any old words\nknown to have come into Japanese from Korean, and if so, are there any which\nare written in kanji?\n\nWe know that modern Korean loanwords are written in katakana such as \"キムチ\"\n(kimuchi) from \"김치\" (kimchi) and \"ビビンバ\" (bibinba) from \"비빔밥\" (bibimbap), but\nsurely there must be some words taken much longer ago - what are some of them\nand how are they written?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T15:22:20.417", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "332", "last_activity_date": "2016-10-17T21:38:31.927", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T18:50:43.177", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 25, "tags": [ "kanji", "history", "etymology", "loanwords" ], "title": "Are there any old loanwords from Korean, especially any not written in katakana?", "view_count": 5583 }

[ { "body": "I won't vouch for its accuracy, but here's a list of words that\n[EDICT](http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/edict.html) claims to be of Korean\norigin:\n\n```\n\n て拳道 [てこんどー] /(n) (uk) Tae Kwon Do (kor:)/\n アイゴー /(int) argh (kor: aigo)/sigh/\n アボジ /(n) father (kor:)/\n ウォン /(n) won (unit of Korean currency) (kor:)/(P)/\n ウオン /(n) won (unit of Korean currency) (kor:)/(P)/\n オイキムチ /(n) cucumber kimchi (kor: oi kimch'i)/\n オモニ /(n) mother (kor:)/\n オンドル /(n) (uk) Korean floor heater (kor:)/\n カクテキ /(n) cubed daikon kimchi (kor: kkakdugi)/\n カムルチー /(n) northern snakehead (species of fish, Channa argus) (kor: kamultchi)/\n カムルチイ /(n) northern snakehead (species of fish, Channa argus) (kor: kamultchi)/\n カルビ /(n) beef ribs (kor: galbi)/\n キーセン /(n) Korean female entertainer (kor: gi-saeng)/\n コチジャン /(n) gochujang (Korean red chili paste) (kor:)/\n コチュジャン /(n) gochujang (Korean red chili paste) (kor:)/\n サンチュ /(n) Korean lettuce (kor: sangchu)/\n チゲ /(n) Korean stew (kor:)/\n チジミ /(n) buchimgae (Korean pancake) (kor: jijimi)/\n チヂミ /(ik) (n) buchimgae (Korean pancake) (kor: jijimi)/\n チョソンクル /(n) hangul script (North Korean name) (kor: choson'gul)/\n チョソングル /(n) hangul script (North Korean name) (kor: choson'gul)/\n テコンドー /(n) (uk) Tae Kwon Do (kor:)/\n テポドン /(n) Taepodong (kor:)/Taep'o-dong/North Korean ballistic missile/\n トック /(n) tteok (sweet Korean rice cake) (kor:)/\n トッポキ /(n) tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried Korean rice cake) (kor:)/\n トッポッキ /(n) tteokbokki (spicy stir-fried Korean rice cake) (kor:)/\n ハングル /(n) hangul (Korean script) (kor:)/(P)/\n パチキ /(n,vs) headbutt (kor: bakchigi)/\n パッチギ /(n,vs) headbutt (kor: bakchigi)/\n プルコギ /(n) bulgogi (Korean dish of grilled beef) (kor:)/\n マッカリ /(n) alcoholic beverage made from flour or sticky rice (kor: maggeoli)/\n マンセー /(n) banzai (celebratory or congratulatory cheer) (kor: manse)/\n マンファ /(n) South Korean comics (often of a style similar to manga) (kor: manhwa)/\n 温突 [おんどる] /(n) (uk) Korean floor heater (kor:)/\n 火病 [ひびょう] /(n) Korean anger syndrome (kor: Hwabyeong)/hwabyung/\n 妓生 [きいさん] /(n) Korean female entertainer (kor: gi-saeng)/\n 妓生 [こしょう] /(n) Korean female entertainer (kor: gi-saeng)/\n 参鶏湯 [サムゲタン] /(n) samgyetang (kor:)/chicken ginseng soup (Korean dish)/\n 総角 [チョンガー] /(n) (uk) bachelor (kor: ch'onggak)/\n 沈菜 [キムチ] /(n) (uk) kimchi (kor: kimch'i)/kimchee/spicy Korean pickled cabbage/\n 明太 [めんたい] /(n) walleye pollack (Theragra chalcogramma) (kor: myeongtae)/Alaska pollack/\n 両班 [ヤンバン] /(n) (uk) aristocrat (kor:)/\n 両班 [リャンバン] /(n) (uk) aristocrat (kor:)/\n \n```", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T15:52:07.510", "id": "335", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T15:52:07.510", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "332", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "There are also several old and common words which may have come from Korean,\nbut of course, unlike words that are easily recognized as Korean in origin\n(such as 両班 `Yangban` or 温突 `ondol`), these words would probably forever\nremain in controversy:\n\n寺 (てら) may have come from the Korean 절 (`jeol`). The Koujien dictionary also\nstates the Pali word `thera` (old, ancient) as a possible source, but if this\nis indeed the case, then it probably got there through the Korean 절 anyway.\n\n熊 (くま) and 곰 (`gom`) are very similar, and I wouldn't be surprised if they\ncame from the same origin, as words for animals often travel between\nlanguages.\n\n鶴 （つる), crane, is another animal word which probably comes from the same\norigin as the Korean 두루미 (`turumi`), though it doesn't necessarily means the\nKorean word is the origin for the Japanese one: it may be the other way\naround, or it may be that in both of them it comes from a third language which\nis now lost.\n\n幸 (さち) which now means happiness but originally referred to some kind of\nhunting weapon, may have the same origin as the Korean. 살 (`sal`, arrow).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T00:22:55.403", "id": "368", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T00:22:55.403", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "153", "parent_id": "332", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 }, { "body": "tsuka (hill) is an old Korean loanword", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-04-12T08:43:23.003", "id": "5209", "last_activity_date": "2012-04-12T08:43:23.003", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1300", "parent_id": "332", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "It is thought that the ancient word 城 read as き is of Korean (although not\nnecessarily closely related to modern Korean) origin.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-04-21T04:00:53.823", "id": "5248", "last_activity_date": "2012-04-21T07:51:50.787", "last_edit_date": "2012-04-21T07:51:50.787", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "332", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Any word read in on'yomi in Japanese and using the Sinic hanja reading in\nKorean is probably ultimately attributable to Middle Chinese, unless evidence\ncan be found of an independent coinage somewhere on the Japanese archipelago\nor the Korean peninsula.\n\nTerms like the ones below are likely borrowings from Middle or later Korean,\nrather than Chinese. We can guess at this even before delving into the\netymologies simply because the readings do not fully conform with the regular\nkinds of on'yomi for Japanese kanji. For instance, 温突 in normal on'yomi would\ninstead be _ontotsu_ , 妓生 would be _gisei_ , and 明太 would be _meitai_ or\n_myōtai_.\n\n * 温突 [おんどる] /(n) (uk) Korean floor heater (kor: ondol)/\n * 妓生 [きいさん] /(n) Korean female entertainer (kor: gi-saeng)/\n * 参鶏湯 [サムゲタン] /(n) samgyetang (kor: samgyetang)/chicken ginseng soup (Korean dish)/\n * 総角 [チョンガー] /(n) (uk) bachelor (kor: ch'onggak)/\n * 沈菜 [キムチ] /(n) (uk) kimchi (kor: kimch'i)/kimchee/spicy Korean pickled cabbage/\n * 明太 [めんたい] /(n) walleye pollack (Theragra chalcogramma) (kor: myeongtae)/Alaska pollack/\n\nSome words in kanji have multiple readings, where one is from Middle Chinese\nand one from Korean. 両班 can be read as _yanban_ , indicating an aristocrat in\nmiddle-ages Korea, or it can be read as _ryōban_ , indicating both the east\nand west lines of statuary in a Zen temple.\n\nLooking into sound correspondences discoverable from kanji / hanja readings,\nother patterns begin to emerge. For instance, Japanese 蜂 _hachi_ (\"bee\") is\nprobably cognate with Korean 벌 _beol_. Old Japanese initial /p/ developed into\n/w/ and /h/ in modern Japanese, while kanji ending in /chi/ in the on'yomi\npretty consistently match hanja ending in /l/ in the Korean. The slight\nmismatch in the vowel is an uncertainty; we do know that OJP vowels had\ndifferent qualities from the modern ones, and this might account for the\nshift. \n* JA /hachi/ → OJP /pachi/ → KO /pɘːl/\n\nHowever, this is very likely a case of **cognates** : words sharing a common\nroot that have been in the respective languages since some theorized point of\ndivergence, rather than **borrowings** that moved from one language into\nanother.\n\n**About 幸 _sachi_ and 살 _sal_** , the _sachi_ reading also refers to a hunting\ntool, possibly a kind of arrow. This reading again fits with the sound\ncorrespondence patterns, suggesting another cognate: \n* OJP /sachi/ → MK /sal/\n\n**About 熊 _kuma_ and 곰 _gom_** , see\n[Talk:구름](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Talk:%EA%B5%AC%EB%A6%84) and\n[黒#Etymology_2](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%BB%92#Etymology_2). The\nupshot of this is that there is a cluster of likely cognates surrounding the\nJA and KO terms for \"cloud\", \"black\", \"hole\", \"bear\", and \"spider\".\n\n**About 鶴 _tsuru_ and 두루미 _turumi_** , these are probably also cognates. See\nthe etymology sections at\n[鶴#Japanese](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E9%B6%B4#Japanese) and\n[두루미#Korean](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%EB%91%90%EB%A3%A8%EB%AF%B8#Korean)\n-- there are cognates in multiple regional languages, including Mongolian and\nTurkish.\n\n**About 塚 _tsuka_** , my JA materials state that this is cognate with OJP verb\n築く _tsuku_ (\"to build up earth or stone into a structure\"). The _-a_ ending on\nthe noun _tsuka_ would suggest the _mizenkei_ or incomplete form of the verb\n_tsuku_ , suggesting an original meaning of \"that which is being built up into\nan earthworks (but isn't finished yet)\". That said, the incomplete is also the\nroot of the passive form of all verbs, so the original meaning might simply\nhave been the passive sense of \"that which is built up into an earthworks\".\n\nGiven also the wide range of meanings and deep prevalence of the OJP verb\n_tsuku_ throughout the history of the language, and the close semantic overlap\nbetween the various senses of _tsuku_ , I would be very surprised indeed if\n_tsuka_ were a loanword. I would be much more open to the possibility that it\nis cognate with a Korean term.\n\n**Other cognates** not yet listed above probably include:\n\n * OJP 沼 _nu_ and KO 늪 _neup_ \"swamp, marsh\"\n * JA 島 _shima_ and KO 섬 _seom_ \"island\"\n * JA 日 _hi_ and KO 해 _hae_ \"sun\"\n * JA 星 _hoshi_ and KO 별 _byeol_ \"star\"\n * OJP 火 _pu_ and KO 불 _bul_ \"fire\"\n * OJP 水 _mi, mizu_ and MK 밀 _mil_ , KO 물 _mul_ \"water\"\n * JA 事 _koto_ and KO 것 _keot_ \"thing\"\n * OJP 海 _wata_ and KO 바다 _bada_ \"sea, ocean\"\n\n**Other borrowings** not yet listed above include:\n\n * JA チャリンコ _charinko_ \"bike\", apparently from Jeju dialect 자륜거 _jaryun-geo_.\n * JA 大后 _konioruku_ \"emperor's wife\", stated in JA dictionaries as coming from old Korean _kon_ or _koni_ meaning \"great\" (possibly 건 _geon_ \"rich\"?), with the _oruku_ part meaning \"wife\", but I have no idea what the KO term would be.\n * JA 王 _kokishi, konikishi_ is also from some variety of old Korean, with the same _koni_ element, and _kishi_ apparently meaning \"king, lord, ruler\".\n * JA 夫人 _hashikashi_ \"husband\", apparently borrowed from a Baekje dialect word.\n * JA 百済 _Kudara_ \"Baekje\" is probably also from a Baekje dialect word (the Chinese-derived on'yomi of _Hyakusai_ is another JA term for \"Baekje\").\n\nSorry that's so long, but I hope it's useful. Feel free to ping me on the EN\nWT. At a bare minimum, I might know where to look things up. :)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-04-25T23:45:11.230", "id": "15597", "last_activity_date": "2016-10-17T21:38:31.927", "last_edit_date": "2016-10-17T21:38:31.927", "last_editor_user_id": "5229", "owner_user_id": "5229", "parent_id": "332", "post_type": "answer", "score": 25 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 4, "body": "Both \"ようこそ\" (y­ōkoso) and \"いらっしゃいませ\" (irasshaimase) seem to mean \"welcome\" but\nwhat are the precise circumstances under which each should be used?\n\n * \"いらっしゃいませ\" (irasshaimase) is uttered in unison by all the staff whenever you walk into a restaurant or shop\n * \"ようこそ\" (y­ōkoso) was used in a recent \"Welcome to Japan\" advertising campaign\n\nBut this is just based on my very limited experience so I'm obviously missing\nlots of subtleties and insights.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T17:13:38.120", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "337", "last_activity_date": "2016-01-17T20:06:46.243", "last_edit_date": "2016-01-16T01:11:32.513", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 22, "tags": [ "word-choice", "usage", "keigo", "greetings" ], "title": "What's the difference between ようこそ and いらっしゃいませ?", "view_count": 50191 }

[ { "body": "ようこそ means welcome but it's mostly used in written context rather than\ncolloquial. いらっしゃいませ actually means \"please come in\" (literally) but it often\ncarries the meaning of welcome, this is why you hear staff saying that\nwhenever you visit a store, it is mostly colloquial.\n\nIn a big event you may also hear ようこそ、いらっしゃいませ used together as well.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T17:38:01.957", "id": "339", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T17:38:01.957", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "23", "parent_id": "337", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "**Y­ōkoso** = Welcome\n\nIt's not limited in space or context (written or not). It can be \"welcome\nhome\" or \"welcome to Japan\" or\" welcome to try that\" or \"you're welcome\" as in\nresponse to \"thank you\".\n\n**Irasshaimase** (you have a habit of asking _keigo_ questions!)\n\nis the _sonkeigo_ form of _to be_ and _to come_ ( **いらっしゃる** ) thus giving you\nan approximative translation \" _thanks for coming_ \" or maybe \" _It's an honor\nfor us to have you here_ \" :)\n\nPractically:\n\n*If you're invited to some friend's house, they might tell you as you enter:\n\nいらっしゃい、いらっしゃい (roughly = come in, friendly form of the sentence above)\n\n*They could as well tell you something like:\n\n私のうちへようこそ", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T17:38:17.743", "id": "340", "last_activity_date": "2016-01-15T20:23:16.520", "last_edit_date": "2016-01-15T20:23:16.520", "last_editor_user_id": "1628", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "337", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "The size of the area seems to be the most crucial factor. For example, you can\nuse ようこそ in welcoming someone to a country, prefecture, city, amusement park,\netc, but いらっしゃいませ is for welcoming someone into an establishment (such as a\nrestaurant or a store) within that larger area. いらっしゃいませ can also be used to\ninvite people into an establishment; ようこそ does not have this function. (This\nlast function explains why ようこそ、いらっしゃいませ is not redundant. ようこそ functions as\n\"welcome\", while いらっしゃいませ functions as \"please come in\".)", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T17:43:39.117", "id": "341", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T17:43:39.117", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "337", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "\"ようこそ、いらっしゃいませ\" and \"ようこそ、お越しやす,\" its popular Kansai version are a set of\nphrases welcoming the guest. \"ようこそ\" is a variation of \"よくこそ\" meaning “true /\nindeed / rightly.”\n\nよくこそ is used in such way as;\n\nよくこそ言ってくれた - Indeed, you said exactly what I wish to say.\n\nよくこそここまで来た - Really (Thank God), we came a long way up to here.\n\nThough the phrase, “いらっしゃいませ – welcome (your visit)” is heard very often at\nretail and food service establishments as you say – I’ve heard it even at a\nnoodle shop in Taipei recently - , it’s not so common to hear “ようこそ” by its\nown on day-to-day social occasions, except the campaign, or TV program title\n–“ようこそ! ジャパン,” you mentioned, because ようこそ” implies “feel of welcoming,” but\nit doesn’t make a complete sentence by itself.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2016-01-17T03:31:57.917", "id": "30478", "last_activity_date": "2016-01-17T20:06:46.243", "last_edit_date": "2016-01-17T20:06:46.243", "last_editor_user_id": "12056", "owner_user_id": "12056", "parent_id": "337", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "370", "answer_count": 4, "body": "What's the difference between ね and な as tag questions? For example: そうですね vs\nそうだな\n\nIs there any difference in level of politeness? Does one sound more masculine\nthan the other?\n\nEdit: The examples above are pretty vague (or even just plain wrong in terms\nof actually being tag questions). The more concrete example from Amanda S\nbetter illustrates my question: パーティは明日だな? (The party is tomorrow, right?) vs\nあの子はたけしですね? (That child is Takeshi, right?)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T18:18:39.910", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "343", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-03T04:21:57.833", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-03T04:21:57.833", "last_editor_user_id": "80", "owner_user_id": "80", "post_type": "question", "score": 17, "tags": [ "tag-question", "particle-な" ], "title": "What's the difference between ね and な as tag questions?", "view_count": 4253 }

[ { "body": "な by itself does not indicate a tag question; it is used to add emotional\nemphasis to a sentence. However, it can be combined with か. 〜かな can generally\nbe translated as \"I wonder if ...\".\n\nThere's also the other, unrelated form of 〜な which forms a casual command to\nnot do something. For example, 心配するな means \"Don't worry\".", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T18:24:16.913", "id": "344", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T18:49:27.230", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T18:49:27.230", "last_editor_user_id": "38", "owner_user_id": "38", "parent_id": "343", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "I don't know what you mean by tag question, but your example is a usage of\nemotional emphasis as explained by sartak.\n\nIn that case, ですね is implicitly more polite than だな, but that's more due to\nthe copula used (ですvsだ). Usage of な is seen more often in masculine speech;\neven when casually speaking, feminine speech tend to end with ね (i.e. そうだね). な\ncan also be used with です although it's mostly seen in older men. Some males\nwith 僕 personality (as opposed to 俺) tend to use ね instead, though I'm only\nspeaking from experience about this one.\n\nEDIT: after being given the wikipedia link by @Amanda, I can safely say the\nsame rule applies for tag questions too. E.g. あなたはまだ契約していないのですね is more formal\nthan あなたはまだ契約してないんだな", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T23:00:09.633", "id": "359", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T23:58:16.577", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T23:58:16.577", "last_editor_user_id": "154", "owner_user_id": "154", "parent_id": "343", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "I think that there's some confusion in the types of そう in your sentences. In\nthe first one (そうですね) the meaning is \"It is so\" or \"I agree with you\". It's\nused like this:\n\nA: さむいですね。(It's cold, isn't it?) \nB: そうですね。 (It is, isn't it.)\n\nIn the second one, the そうだな (or そうだなぁ with a rising tone) can be used to mean\n\"That looks/appears to be...\"\n\nA: さむそうだな。 (It looks cold) \nB: そうですね。 (It does, doesn't it)\n\nI might be wrong, but I think you can also answer this with \"そうだな\", which is\nagreeing in the same way as そうだね.\n\nAs for the other questions, な does sound more masculine, and not polite.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T00:00:17.030", "id": "366", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T00:41:45.417", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T00:41:45.417", "last_editor_user_id": "36", "owner_user_id": "36", "parent_id": "343", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The particles ね and な have several different uses, but one is to turn a\nstatement into a tag question. For example:\n\n * あの子はたけしです (That child is Takeshi) / あの子はたけしですね? (That child is Takeshi, right?)\n * パーティは明日だ (The party is tomorrow) / パーティは明日だな? (The party is tomorrow, right?)\n\nFor this usage:\n\n * ね is more formal and more feminine\n * な is more informal and more masculine", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T00:31:24.300", "id": "370", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T00:31:24.300", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "343", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "355", "answer_count": 1, "body": "I'll be visiting Yamagata City soon and would like to ask:\n\n * as an armchair linguist what features of the local dialect to look out for?\n * what are some common words, phrases, pronunciation differences that I could try to effect to make a nice impression on the locals?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T18:36:36.237", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "345", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T22:56:14.163", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 9, "tags": [ "dialects" ], "title": "What are the most prominent features of Yamagata-ben?", "view_count": 1129 }

[ { "body": "I can't help you with first-hand knowledge, but you can start by looking\n[here](http://www.jvnet.or.jp/~badz9005/tendo/hougen.htm). Some of the\ncomparisons (like 「んだ」 instead of 「そうです」) seems to be part of the standard\nTouhoku-ben fare.\n\n## Edit\n\nAccording to the [Wikipedia\narticle](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B1%B1%E5%BD%A2%E5%BC%81), there's\nsome good variety for the expression I quoted (「んだ」) in its formal version\n(which is equivalent to 「そうです」). In Murayama, for instance, it would be\n「んだず」,「んだべした」or「んだずにゃー」, while in Shinjou it would be 「んだじゅー」or 「んだにゃー」. I\ncan't find many explanations in that article, but it seems like quite a\nvariety.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T22:47:10.580", "id": "355", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T22:56:14.163", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T22:56:14.163", "last_editor_user_id": "153", "owner_user_id": "153", "parent_id": "345", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "352", "answer_count": 4, "body": "The ヶ in e.g. 一ヶ月 is a bit of an odd character - it looks a lot like a small\nversion of the katakana ケ, but is it derived from that katakana originally? Or\nis it a normal kanji? Or is it something else entirely?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T19:47:47.193", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "347", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-29T08:35:01.447", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-05T08:37:04.330", "last_editor_user_id": "162", "owner_user_id": "76", "post_type": "question", "score": 32, "tags": [ "kanji", "history", "etymology", "kana", "abbreviations" ], "title": "What are the origins of ヶ?", "view_count": 4597 }

[ { "body": "From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_ke):\n\n> It is an abbreviation for the kanji 箇, which is used as a counter word.\n> Although it resembles the katakana character ke (ケ), it is pronounced ka, ga\n> or ko, not ke.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T19:49:52.010", "id": "349", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T19:49:52.010", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "347", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 }, { "body": "Actually, it's a simplified version of any of the following: 箇・個・个", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T20:28:14.377", "id": "350", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T20:28:14.377", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "347", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "It has two main usages:\n\n * As an abbreviation of the counter word 個/箇. \n * More often it has a further word after it and it's read か. In this case it's sometimes written as ヵ or even か so the reading is more obvious. Examples: 一ヶ月（いっかげつ） 二ヶ国語 三ヶ所\n * Sometimes it's used alone just like 個 is (and it's read こ too), perhaps as shorthand. I've rarely seen people do this, but then again I rarely see handwritten text, where shorthand would be handy. Example: １ヶ（いっこ）\n * As something that roughly corresponds to the modern particle の in place names. In this case it's usually read が (especially in old Japanese the particle が has a close resemblance to the modern の). Examples: 西ヶ原（にしがはら） 鳩ヶ谷市\n\nPlace names will have some exceptions, as always, but I think these rules\ncover by far most cases.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T21:27:44.423", "id": "352", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-29T08:35:01.447", "last_edit_date": "2011-07-29T08:35:01.447", "last_editor_user_id": "20", "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "347", "post_type": "answer", "score": 30 }, { "body": "It results from one of the components in 竹 , which is in turn taken from the\nradical sitting on the top of 箇 (a generic counter for pieces).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-27T23:56:29.360", "id": "2257", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-27T23:56:29.360", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "542", "parent_id": "347", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "353", "answer_count": 2, "body": "The particle は is pronounced similarly to わ (unlike the rest of the ハ行 kana)\nwhen used as a particle; why is this? What historical shifts went on to cause\nthis irregularity?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T19:49:13.823", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "348", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-18T05:08:35.940", "last_edit_date": "2011-07-18T05:08:35.940", "last_editor_user_id": "501", "owner_user_id": "76", "post_type": "question", "score": 38, "tags": [ "particles", "pronunciation", "history", "kana", "language-change" ], "title": "Why is は pronounced as わ when used as a topic particle?", "view_count": 11526 }

[ { "body": "The sound 「わ」 used to be written は in old kana usage in some cases. Old kana\nusage was much more irregular than it is nowadays. The old way of writing has\nkind of stuck in some words.\n\nIt's the same thing with the readings for the particles へ and を too - the\nmodern sound 「え」 used to be written as へ in some cases and 「お」 as を. Of\ncourse, pronunciation varies and sometimes you can hear a clear difference\nbetween お and を for instance, but in all words besides the particles the old\npronunciation differences have disappeared as time has passed.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T21:17:39.623", "id": "351", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T21:32:26.093", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-01T21:32:26.093", "last_editor_user_id": "20", "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "348", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "In Old Japanese (probably before 800 BC), the pronunciation of 「は」 (and indeed\nthe entire ハ行) was **PA** , but it later changed to **FA** (more accurately,\n[ɸa], with a bilabial fricative), and this was the common pronunciation at\nleast up to the 16th century (we know this since early Portuguese\ntransliteration of Japanese words use the letter F where we would use H\ntoday).\n\nWhile the phoneme /p/ became /f/ in isolation or in the beginning of the word,\nit remained /p/ after a the consonant ん and in between vowels (except in some\ncompounds such as 魔法 まほう). This led to a verb such as 買う (Old Japanese: 買フ\n_kapu_ ) to be read as _kau_ (<\\- _kawu_ ) in Positive form and _kawanai_\n(instead of _kapanai_ ) in negative form, and also for the particle 「は」 (which\nregularly appears after a vowel) to be normalized as **WA**.\n\nUp to the spelling reform of 1946, Historical Kana Usage (歴史的仮名遣 れきしてきかなづかい)\nwas still the standard, so 買う was still written 買フ (Katakana was more commonly\nused for [Okurigana](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okurigana)back then), and\n買わない was 買ハナイ. That changed in the reforms, along with many other archaic and\nconfusing spelling, so much that the current Japanese spelling is almost\ncompletely phonemic. Only a handful of traditional spelling quirks remained,\nand using は for the particle that is pronounced **WA** is one of them.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T22:06:10.600", "id": "353", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T22:06:10.600", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "153", "parent_id": "348", "post_type": "answer", "score": 57 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "357", "answer_count": 8, "body": "Romaji is somewhat of a conversion from kanji and kana to the Roman alphabet.\n\nWhat are the disadvantages of learning only or mostly romaji aside from being\nunable to read/write in kanji? I don't think there are many advantages.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T22:44:57.443", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "354", "last_activity_date": "2021-05-29T16:57:23.230", "last_edit_date": "2014-11-03T05:56:15.560", "last_editor_user_id": "6840", "owner_user_id": "137", "post_type": "question", "score": 11, "tags": [ "kanji", "hiragana", "learning", "rōmaji" ], "title": "What are the advantages/disadvantages of writing in romaji instead of in kanji and kana?", "view_count": 4935 }

[ { "body": "The disadvantages are all in the corner cases. Some romanizations represent づ\nand ぢ as \"zu\" and \"ji\" respectively, which is less than perfectly accurate\nsince those are also used to represent ず and じ (I represent them as \"dzu\" and\n\"dji\" myself, but one can't force others to do so). And that's not even\ntouching upon the issues with katakana and strange combinations such as ウィ and\nthe like.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T22:50:58.067", "id": "356", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T22:50:58.067", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "22", "parent_id": "354", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Your question body contradicts the title, so I'll answer both questions:\n\nAdvantages of rōmaji (I never thought I'd say this!):\n\n * No need to learn new characters\n * Can be \"read\" by most people, even if not understood. Although anybody who doesn't know Japanese will get even the pronunciation wrong.\n\nDisadvantages of rōmaji:\n\n * **Complete inability to read and write in Japanese.** I can't just \"set this aside\". If you're learning a language, you will most likely want to/need to be able to read and write it as well. Japanese people write in Japanese, and by extension anybody who wants to learn Japanese beyond tourist-level \"Which way to the airport?\" or a few anime catchphrases _will_ need to learn to read and write in Japanese.\n * Kana make the way Japanese is broken into syllables much more obvious.\n * Due to the number of homophones, telling words apart is difficult (this applies to kana-only text as well)\n * Learning kanji enables you to understand where words come from. A _lot_ of words in Japanese are compound words formed from multiple kanji. If you know the kanji, you can usually guess the meaning of the word and its reading - even if you've never seen it before!", "comment_count": 11, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T22:51:53.593", "id": "357", "last_activity_date": "2021-05-29T16:57:23.230", "last_edit_date": "2021-05-29T16:57:23.230", "last_editor_user_id": "41132", "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "354", "post_type": "answer", "score": 20 }, { "body": "I personally think there are no advantages to using romaji whatsoever. I think\nit's just a crutch beginners use to not have to memorize them, but it should\nbe something you embrace. Hiragana and Katakana do not take that long to learn\n(assuming you have the motivation). Once you can read and write them well,\nit's almost hard to go back to reading/writing romaji. From there, you go on\nto kanji. It's also difficult to go back to using pure kana once you're\ncomfortable with kanji.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T22:52:07.973", "id": "358", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T22:52:07.973", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "354", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "The real question is \"Advantages/disadvantages _for whom_?\".\n\n**For students of Japanese** , Romaji is really useful when they start out,\nbecause they don't have to learn anything to be able to read it (although\nwithout learning Kana, they'll probably end up reading it incorrectly,\nespecially if they're native English speakers :(). Another advantage is that\nRomaji text (unlike normal Japanese text) has spaces, which can really help\nthe beginning student recognize word boundaries. Another minor advantage is\nthat Romaji (especially [Nihon-shiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihonshiki)\nor [Kunrei-shiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunreishiki), which is not so\ncommon in western Japanese teaching materials nowadays) sometimes makes it\nsomewhat easier to catch verb conjugations where the stem-final consonant\nremains the same but the vowel changes (e.g. `waka **r** u` -> `waka **r**\nanai`).\n\nThese advantages make usage of Romaji acceptable for beginners, but there are\ndisadvantages that make it a terrible burden for students who want to progress\nbeyond that level. Most of them have already been described by Matti, so I\nwouldn't repeat them.\n\n**Japanese speakers** are the second audience for Romaji usage, and they are\noften ignored in such debates. Most of the advantages and disadvatages for\nlearners of Japanese don't apply to them, since they can already perfectly\nread and write kanji and kana. The reasons they would choose to use Romaji (as\nthey, indeed, do quite often) is different:\n\n * Writing in Japanese when when using mediums that don't support Japanese text (such as computer software that has no Japanese support).\n\n * For typographic effect. This use of Romaji is incredibly common in advertisements and in logos.\n\n * For _typing_ Japanese on the computer. Japanese keyboards have kana, and you can certainly set it to kana-mode use the kana keys for input, but from my experience, most Japanese actually prefer to input Japanese in Romaji-mode instead.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T23:20:04.760", "id": "360", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T23:20:04.760", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "153", "parent_id": "354", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 }, { "body": "By transcribing everything into latin alphabet (heck, even to\nhiragana/katakana syllables), written Japanese will lose most of the\nlegibility than if it were to be written in full kanji+kana. It may be hard to\ndescribe, but let me give you a nonsense english sentence:\n\n> Wheel you go two the par tea two knight at ate? Eye think it's awed they are\n> having it so far aweigh. Eye wont to reed this book, have you red it? Herald\n> was in this mourning's gnus. Eye bet heal be surprised to here that.\n\nThe above is what Matti was saying in his third point about\nhomophones/homonyms.\n\nNot only that, by not using kanji, you lose the ability to instantly make out\nwhat is being said in a text, something that is very essential in speed\nreading (which is also why I have a hard time playing those FamiCom games;\nthey lack kanji for the most part).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T23:20:14.083", "id": "361", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T23:20:14.083", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "154", "parent_id": "354", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "I've softened significantly from my beginner-level \"all romaji should be\npurged from the earth\" fanaticism. There are two related questions here,\n\"Should I avoid a roomaji-based textbook like the plague?\" and \"Can I get away\nwith learning Japanese without studying kanji?\"\n\nThe TLDR version is \"No\" and \"Yes, but you obviously will be illiterate\".\n\n\"Should I avoid a roomaji-based textbook like the plague?\" - No, roomaji does\nhave some significant advantages in some contexts\n\n * If you use a computer, you're going to use it anyway. Not a single one of my Japanese coworkers types on the computer using kana keys. You type in roomaji and let the IME figure out the kanji/kana. Welcome to the future.\n * For those who are primarily focused on grammar, pronunciation and not really intending to learn the writing system, it provides a mechanism for them to look up and write down words (and ask questions on JL&U). Spaces look strange in kana, but workable in roomaji.\n * For absolute beginners, it allows them to actually look up a word you wrote to them\n * Since you asked about 'advantages in learning roomaji'... well... you don't learn them. As long as you pick an intelligent roomaji system (ie, not Hepburn), you can focus exclusively on pronunciation, and don't need to study the written language simply to read vocabulary words.**\n * If you use a roomaji-using language program, you can try one of the \"full set\" kanji studying methods simultaneously with studying Japanese structure without interference. Heisig is fairly adamant that you should learn ALL of the kanji in his book before studying onyomi, kunyomi or compounds. Using a roomaji based text would allow you to study the language while following his method.\n * To be bluntly honest, every textbook I've seen that has tried to mix studying grammar and kanji at the same time simply fails to do so. As a result, most texts do their actual coverage with a set of 1st-3rd grade kanji and the kana set, and then give you a dozen or so kanji to brute-force memorize (full readings, writing, and 3 token compounds) per chapter. Pedagogically, this is awful. If you're going to study both, and I recommend it, you're going to need to make your own curriculum anyways, so you might as well not skip out on roomaji-based resources that could be useful.\n * Many of the best Japanese resources in the world work with roomaji. GG4th (not sure about 5th) comes in a roomaji version, as does the Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.\n\n\"Can I get away with learning Japanese without studying kanji?\" - Sorta... but\nhere's where you'll face issues\n\n * Related to my last advantage. There are quite a few resources (reference works) that are only available with heavy doses of kanji. I don't know of a roomaji-version of a kokugo dictionary.\n * Again related to reading materials. If you skip studying kanji entirely, you don't get a chance to read manga, political fliers (more fun than it sounds), novels or Japanese newspapers.\n * There are occasional meaning-connections (and particularly bad puns) that only make sense with exposure to the kanji underlying a particular word.\n * \"Learning kanji enables you to understand where words come {from}. A lot of words in Japanese are compound words formed from multiple kanji. If you know the kanji, you can usually guess the meaning of the word and its reading - even if you've never seen it before!\" - stolen blatantly from Matti\n * \"Due to the number of homophones, telling words apart is difficult (this applies to kana-only text as well)\" - also stolen from Matti. But this isn't too much of a serious concern if you're explicitly not that interested in reading/writing.\n\n** Some have claimed that using roomaji somehow retards development of proper\npronunciation. This is simply false, and I have to question if those adhering\nto this idea have ever studied a western language. Does \"ll\" or \"j\" in Spanish\ncause anyone any trouble after the first 2 weeks?", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-09-01T21:48:55.273", "id": "2975", "last_activity_date": "2011-09-01T21:48:55.273", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "29", "parent_id": "354", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "One disadvantage of romaji is that some textbooks will say write `せんせい` as\n_sensee_ as opposed to **sensei**. If you learn the former, then when you go\nto learn actual kana, you'll get all confused. For instance, is it romaji?\nroomaji? or roumaji?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-06-09T22:38:18.770", "id": "5799", "last_activity_date": "2012-06-09T22:38:18.770", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "769", "parent_id": "354", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "I think learners should try to spend 99% of their time using the Japanese\nwriting system and not romanization:\n\n 1. Reading is a highly overlearned skill, and it takes absolutely huge amounts of practice to become literate in the Japanese writing system. Since learners have limited amounts of time, it's to their advantage to start using kana and kanji as early as possible.\n\n 2. The flip side of point 1 is that if you practice reading romanized Japanese, you'll get better at it. That might not sound like a disadvantage, but it is! When rōmaji seems easier than kana and kanji, some students develop bad habits like mentally converting, or even converting on paper! And this can be a major problem for some students who never manage to move beyond rōmaji.\n\n 3. There usually isn't a one-to-one correspondence between the two. Very rarely is romanization a transliteration of kana and kanji as you claim; instead, most systems of romanization are designed as transcriptions of speech. Generally speaking that's helpful, but it unfortunately means you'll have to relearn the spelling of a number of words when you switch, and relearning has a high cost. \n\nFor example, in one common system 王(おう) is _ō_ while 追う is _ou_. On the one\nhand it's helpful because unlike kana it represents pronunciation, but on the\nother hand it forces you to relearn down the road, which is unfortunate.\n\nSo I definitely would _not_ recommend romanization for learners in general.\n\n**_But!_**\n\nThere are advantages to romanizing! And as long as you spend 99% of your time\nusing kana and kanji, it shouldn't hurt to romanize when it's to your\nadvantage to do so. Most of these advantages are related to pronunciation or\nto being able to divide kana into CV pairs:\n\n 1. The biggest advantage is that it's much easier to discuss morphology using rōmaji. Why? Well, see [this post by Alexander Vovin](https://groups.google.com/d/msg/pmjs/RPK3wrzzO4o/2PYbpRAMIvoJ) for some discussion of how morpheme boundaries don't always line up with syllable boundaries. Kana forces you to segment things in an artificial manner that doesn't quite match the Japanese language itself―note that _most_ Japanese verb stems actually end on consonants and not vowels!\n\n 2. Phonemic romanization is very helpful for discussing phonology without worrying about kana boundaries. For example, we could talk about the historic /au/ → /oo/ sound change in 書かう→書こう, or we could talk about /ai/ → /ee/ in じゃない→じゃねえ, or the assimilation of /rn/ -> /ɴn/ in 分からない→分かんない, and so on.\n\n 3. It can also be useful to romanize older forms of the language, as in the [_Oxford Corpus of Old Japanese (OCOJ)_](http://vsarpj.orinst.ox.ac.uk/corpus/). Kana were not always pronounced the way they are now, and romanizing can prevent the reader from making certain false assumptions about sound-character correspondences.\n\n 4. Romanization is also helpful for communicating with linguists or others who are unfamiliar with the language and can't read kana or kanji themselves.\n\nYou've probably noticed these are all related to linguistics, and I don't\nthink that they're things beginners need to worry about. Personally, I'd say\nyou should learn to read kana and kanji first. Worry about this stuff down the\nroad, _after_ you're already comfortable reading Japanese as it's normally\nwritten.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-08-26T02:57:04.613", "id": "18413", "last_activity_date": "2014-08-26T03:09:30.400", "last_edit_date": "2014-08-26T03:09:30.400", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "354", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "363", "answer_count": 3, "body": "I know that romaji is the conversion from those to the roman alphabet, but\nwhat are the differences or characteristics between katakana, kanji, and\nhiragana?\n\nAre they used on a different context? Is one of them more formal than the\nothers? Do they have something in common?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T23:25:06.737", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "362", "last_activity_date": "2020-01-04T10:01:56.970", "last_edit_date": "2014-11-03T07:35:21.677", "last_editor_user_id": "6840", "owner_user_id": "137", "post_type": "question", "score": 30, "tags": [ "kanji", "katakana", "hiragana" ], "title": "What are the differences/characteristics between katakana, kanji and hiragana?", "view_count": 192579 }

[ { "body": "I think the [Wikipedia article on the Japanese writing\nsystem](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_writing_system) explains it\npretty well, but to summarize:\n\n * Hiragana and katakana (collectively referred to as kana) are syllabic writing, that is, each character represents a syllable such as \"ta\" or \"o\". They're purely phonetic so they don't have direct connotations as kanji do, and both have the same set of syllables. In modern writing: \n * Hiragana is generally used for Japanese words when they're not written in kanji, and for all the grammatical \"glue\" such as conjugations and particles.\n * Katakana is usually used for loanwords and onomatopoeia. There's no strict rule though, so you will see katakana used for other purposes as well, such as emphasis.\n * Kanji is ideographic writing, that is, each character represents a concept or an idea. For example, 水 means \"water\" while 朝 means \"morning\". Each character also has one or more readings, and the correct one depends on which word the kanji is part of. Many kanji (such as my two examples) can also act as stand-alone words.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T23:51:25.267", "id": "363", "last_activity_date": "2020-01-04T10:01:56.970", "last_edit_date": "2020-01-04T10:01:56.970", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "362", "post_type": "answer", "score": 33 }, { "body": "_Katakana_ and _hiragana_ are both forms of _kana_. They are a phonetic\nsyllabary for Japanese, as in each kana character represents a phoneme. No,\none is not more formal than the other. The main differences are that hiragana\nis used for phonetically spelling out Japanese words, and katakana is for\nforeign words. Katakana character strokes tend to be more straight while\nhiragana is more curvilinear.\n\n_Kanji_ is not a phonetic syllabary. Instead it is a set of characters that\nrepresent whole words. They are mostly borrowed from Chinese _hanzi_.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T23:51:51.097", "id": "364", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T23:30:46.873", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T23:30:46.873", "last_editor_user_id": "96", "owner_user_id": "96", "parent_id": "362", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 }, { "body": "Kanji is literally \"Chinese character\". They are ideograph; each letter\nrepresents a meaning. A select number of characters were used to represent the\nsyllables in Japanese (known as gojūon). They evolved into what is known today\nas hiragana and katakana (both of them we group as kana).\n\n * Hiragana: forms the basis of Japanese grammar particles, which may include prepositions and conjunctions, etc. Words of local origin are usually written in hiragana.\n * Katakana: Is used mainly for non-Han (Chinese) loanwords, like words introduced from English, Dutch, German, Korean, etc. Also sometimes used to denote emphasis. Is also used for showing the reading of kanji, esp. for proper nouns (like to denote how your kanji name is pronounced).\n * Kanji: is mostly used for words of Han origin, these make up most of the Japanese lexicon. May also be used for [ateji](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ateji): representation of words using ideographs.\n\nThe qualities make Japanese writing system somewhat unique from many other\nlanguages.\n\nIf used outside of the above context, hiragana usually has a softer nuance\nthan katakana, so sometimes parents name their daughters using only hiragana.\nUsing katakana for something usually written in kanji/hiragana may give it\nsome impact. Road gangsters like to use kanji with violent meanings to replace\nkana of similar sound. For example, the word よろしく ( _yoroshiku_ ) is often\nfound in graffitis as 四露死苦 (ideographs for four, mist, death, and suffering.\nNote that four has a meaning of death in east Asian superstition)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-01T23:53:25.497", "id": "365", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-01T23:53:25.497", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "154", "parent_id": "362", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": null, "answer_count": 3, "body": "These two dialects will sound very similar to an untrained ear. Can anyone\nhighlight the main differences between these two dialects?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T00:19:31.950", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "367", "last_activity_date": "2021-12-02T23:52:51.893", "last_edit_date": "2012-08-24T09:30:23.247", "last_editor_user_id": "501", "owner_user_id": "23", "post_type": "question", "score": 24, "tags": [ "dialects", "kansai-ben" ], "title": "What are the main differences between 京都弁(Kyoto-ben) and 大阪弁(Osaka-ben)", "view_count": 10799 }

[ { "body": "What I see often is that Kyoto-ben has this emphasis expression \"～え\" sentence\nending, like \"ええお天気どすえ\", \"いきまっせ!\" (ますえ contracted to まっせ), while Osaka-ben\nwill use \"～で\" sentence ending, like \"そないあほなことすると怪我するで。気をつけなあかんで。\". Osaka is\nmore likely to use わ ending.\n\nAlso, some verbs like 来ない are pronounced differently: Kyoto is きいへん while\nOsaka is けえへん (or was it the other way around? What about こおへん?)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T01:01:05.333", "id": "371", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T01:01:05.333", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "154", "parent_id": "367", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "Syockit already suggests in the answer, but to expand on this, consonant-\nending verbs take different negative forms:\n\nNegative forms (WRITE-NEGATION)\n\n * Kyoto dialect: `書かへん` (kak-ahen)\n * Osaka dialect: `書けへん` (kak-ehen)\n * Hyogo dialect: `書きひん` (kak-ihin)\n\nSince the negative form of Osaka dialect is confusing with the potential form,\nOsaka dialect prefers the long form potential form.\n\nNegative potential forms (WRITE-POTENTIAL-NEGATION)\n\n * Kyoto dialect: `書けへん` (kak-e-hen)\n * Osaka dialect: `書かれへん` (kak-are-hen)\n * Hyogo dialect: `書けひん` (kak-e-hin)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-10-27T02:38:04.777", "id": "3585", "last_activity_date": "2011-10-27T02:38:04.777", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "367", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "According to [this Chiebukuro\nquestion](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1315179928),\nthere isn't that much of a difference in accents or words/phrases, and it's\nmainly the differences in the negative forms of `カ変` (kuru) and `サ変` (suru)\nverbs:\n\n * Standard Japanese: 来ない・しない\n * Osaka-ben: けえへん・せえへん\n * Kyoto-ben: きいひん・しいひん\n\nHowever, it should be noted that there is some overlap and some people in\nKyoto use the Osaka forms and vice-versa.\n\nHere are a few other notable differences mentioned:\n\n * `いらっしゃい` is only said as `おこしやす` (and `おいでやす`) in Kyoto, not in Osaka. According to a [different Chiebukuro question](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1412180814), `おいでやす` is said to first-time customers and `おこしやす` is said to regular customers.\n * `え（～よ）` on the end of verbs and the `てね` in `よし（～してね）` is used much less frequently in Osaka than in Kyoto.\n * `はる` is frequently added as an auxiliary verb to indicate a light degree of politeness. In Osaka-ben it apparently only indicates respect (`尊敬{そんけい}`) when used, but when used in Kyoto-ben it's also more broadly used as `丁寧語{ていねいご}`. Apparently one of the answerers feels uneasy when it's used with animals as in `犬が走ってはる`, but says it's perfectly normal to say this kind of thing in Kyoto.\n * `～ねん` used on the end of verbs isn't used as much in Kyoto-ben as it is in Osaka-ben. `あの人何かしているよ` in standard Japanese can be `あの人なんかやってんで～？` in Osaka-ben and `あの人なんかしてはるよ？` in Kyoto-ben. However, the Kyoto-ben `してんで` and Osaka-ben `やっとるで` are often interchanged, and even in Osaka some people still use `してんで`.\n * It's mentioned that many people in Osaka talk at a faster pace and have a slightly \"rougher\" tone than in Kyoto.\n * Additionally, I think one other very commonly used word that wasn't mentioned might be `おぶ` used in place of `お茶` in Kyoto.\n\nLinks which might be useful:\n\n * At <http://www.arkys.net/kyotoben.html> there's a list of comparison phrases (mainly comparing standard Japanese with Kyoto-ben, but I think it still might be useful.)\n * <http://www.akenotsuki.com/kyookotoba/> for an in-depth look at Kyoto-ben (and [many relevant words/phrases](http://www.akenotsuki.com/kyookotoba/goishuu/)) and at the [College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas](http://www.laits.utexas.edu/japanese/joshu/kyookotoba/) for an incomplete translation of that same site. Particularly the [list of differences between Osaka-ben and Kyoto-ben](http://www.akenotsuki.com/kyookotoba/keihan.html).\n * [Check this site](https://web.archive.org/web/20081020101540/http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/%7Etsujii/language.html) for a more comprehensive list of words used in Kyoto by Maiko and Geisha.\n * [Here's a site](http://www.kansaiben.com/) in English that is designed for learning Kansai-ben and includes a pretty large set of video and audio examples. It mainly contrasts between kansai-ben and standard Japanese, but there is also a information about Osaka-ben (especially in the grammar notes).\n\n(I'm mainly translating this because I wanted to know more myself so there are\nprobably errors, but it's CW so feel free to edit/add to this!)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-10-27T07:44:37.150", "id": "3588", "last_activity_date": "2021-12-02T23:52:51.893", "last_edit_date": "2021-12-02T23:52:51.893", "last_editor_user_id": "30454", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "367", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "373", "answer_count": 2, "body": "This comment can be seen very often on Japanese message boards.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T02:08:26.273", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "372", "last_activity_date": "2017-09-07T13:48:26.937", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-03T23:44:24.120", "last_editor_user_id": "125", "owner_user_id": "23", "post_type": "question", "score": 35, "tags": [ "slang", "abbreviations" ], "title": "When Japanese say KY on the Internet, what does it mean exactly?", "view_count": 47723 }

[ { "body": "KY is short form of 空気読めない (Kuuki Yomenai)\n\nKY means _being unable to read the situation_ or _being unable to pick up on\nthe mood of a conversation_.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T02:10:48.297", "id": "373", "last_activity_date": "2017-09-07T13:48:26.937", "last_edit_date": "2017-09-07T13:48:26.937", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "372", "post_type": "answer", "score": 30 }, { "body": "It means _kuuki yomenai_. A friend explained this concept as follows:\n\n> In Japanese culture, the social protocol calls for utmost attention to the\n> right \"atmosphere.\" Certain actions can only be considered appropriate when\n> the \"atmosphere\" of the time and place allowed for them to be carried out.\n> In Japanese lingo, it is \"reading the air\" (空気を読む）and for every person\n> deemed to be lacking in such skill, the term \"KY\" (\"cannot read the air,\n> \"Kuki Yomenai,\" 空気読めない) is ruthlessly (albeit sometimes jokingly) applied.\n> The presence of these KY people is definitely a source of massive\n> awkwardness and discomforting bluntness in any social gathering, whether\n> work-related or otherwise.\n>\n> Well, being careful to avoid KY-ness is obviously of high importance in\n> certain work conditions. In the presence of one's superiors, or worse,\n> external guests, doing anything KY, i.e. making overly argumentative\n> comments against the others, aggressively doing something that should be\n> reserved to the superiors, and so forth, as a new graduate, is bound to be\n> highly humiliating and irritating for the superiors.\n\nSadly, one common example of KY is when leaving work. Unless you avoid KY, it\nwill be considered rude for you to leave work, but of course this depends on\nthe environment.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-02T19:28:43.460", "id": "1702", "last_activity_date": "2011-07-02T19:28:43.460", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "79", "parent_id": "372", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "381", "answer_count": 2, "body": "There is a song with title {hajimete no asa} and another song with title\n{hajime no hi}. There is also a manga title {hajimete no aku}, and not to\nforget the popular boxing manga {hajime no ippo}.\n\nSo what is the difference between 「はじめてのX」 {hajimete no X} and 「はじめのX」 {hajime\nno X}? How do we choose to use one over the other?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T02:52:31.293", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "375", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T04:03:42.653", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 14, "tags": [ "word-choice", "set-phrases" ], "title": "What is the difference between 「はじめてのX」 {hajimete no X} and 「はじめのX」 {hajime no X}?", "view_count": 6216 }

[ { "body": "はじめ _hajime_ is \"the beginning\", so はじめの日 _hajime no hi_ should be translated\nas \"The day of the beginning\" or \"The day it begun\" and はじめの一歩 _hajime no\nippo_ as \"The step that started it\".\n\nはじめて _hajimete_ is \"for the first time\", so はじめての朝 _hajimete no asa_ would be\n\"(My) first morning\" and はじめてのあく _hajimete no aku_ would be \"My first Aku\"\n(apparently officially \"My first Mr. Akuno\").\n\nIn normal English both expressions would usually be translated as \"first\"\nthough: \"The first day\", \"The first step\".\n\nCompare:\n\n * 初めのキス _hajime no kisu_ \\- **_The_** first kiss _(\"The kiss with which it began\")_\n * 初めてのキス _hajimete no kisu_ \\- **_(My)_** first kiss _(\"(My) first experience of kissing\")_", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T03:40:34.553", "id": "381", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T04:03:42.653", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T04:03:42.653", "last_editor_user_id": "88", "owner_user_id": "88", "parent_id": "375", "post_type": "answer", "score": 16 }, { "body": "「はじめてのX」refers to something that occurs _for the first time_ :\n\n * 初めてのデート (first date)\n * 初めての場所 (new place; a place one is visiting for the first time)\n * 初めての子ども (one's first child)\n\n「はじめのX」refers something as it is _in the beginning_ of something:\n\n * 始めの段階 (beginning stage)\n * 初めの一歩 (first step; step at the beginning of a journey)\n * 学年の初めの日 (first day of school; the day when the school year begins)\n\n[examples taken from [ALC](http://www.alc.co.jp/)]\n\nTo contrast the two, let's try replacing one with the other and seeing how the\nmeaning changes:\n\n * はじめの場所 (origin; place where one began)\n * 初めての一歩 (a baby's first step ever)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T03:51:21.833", "id": "383", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T03:51:21.833", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "parent_id": "375", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "451", "answer_count": 2, "body": "In Nate Glenn's answer to bdonlan's qestion [\"Why were ゐ and ゑ\neliminated?\"](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/88/why-were-and-\neliminated) he states:\n\n> \"Wi\" and \"we\" are still in some dialects, but standard Japanese does not\n> have those sounds.\n\nMy question is which dialects are they which preserve these sounds? Plus I\nwonder if these dialects are on occasion still written with these obsolete\nkana?", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T03:04:02.973", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "376", "last_activity_date": "2020-12-12T16:54:52.863", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.740", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 17, "tags": [ "dialects", "kana", "phonology" ], "title": "In which dialects have the sounds \"ゐ\" (wi) and \"ゑ\" (we) been preserved, and are their kana still occasionally seen?", "view_count": 1557 }

[ { "body": "It really all depends on how you define preservation, and whether you consider\nthe Ryukyuan languages (such as Okinawan) separate languages or dialects of\nJapanese, since ゑ and ゐ are used in _some_ Ryukyuan spelling systems (other\nsystems use other conventions such as writing these sounds as うぇ and うぃ).\nThere are one or two problems with considering that as a preservation of the\nhistorical ゑ and ゐ:\n\n 1. While most Japanese would count Okinawan as a dialect of Japanese (though it's usually officially called 沖縄方言, _Okinawan regional speech_ , and not 沖縄弁), most linguists tend to view it as an entirely different language related to Japanese, just like English and German are related. For what it's worth, Okinawan and Japanese are completely and utterly mutually unintelligible. So far that it's probably easier for an Italian to understand French than for a Japanese speaker to understand Okinawan.\n\n 2. I'm not very good on the history of Ryukyuan languages, and I don't have reference material about them, so I'm not entirely sure that what's written today as ゑ and ゐ actually derives from the original sounds those letters represented in Old Japanese, or whether it is a reflex of completely different sounds.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T22:49:08.077", "id": "451", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T22:49:08.077", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "153", "parent_id": "376", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 }, { "body": "As already mentioned, they are still used to some extent in Okinawan and Ainu\nlanguages. There is however also a very limited usage in standard Japanese.\n\nThe distinction in sound between ゐ-い and ゑ-え has not been around since the end\nof the Kamakura period (1333) and in 1946 the Japanese government released the\n現代仮名遣｛げんだいかなづか｝い in an attempt to standardize the writing. Here they decided\nto remove ゐ ゑ as they are no more necessary, considering their pronunciation\nhas merged with their counterparts. Why they decided to keep を however I do\nnot know, possibly because it is only used as a particle. Considering the long\ntime since they were actually being pronounced differently, it's doubtful that\nthe distinction has been able to survive in any Japanese dialect and in the\nscientific literature I've read there's been no mention of its actual usage\nanywhere in modern times.\n\nAs for its usage in writing, it's mainly in historical names as well as loan\nwords that entered Japanese quite early, such as ヰスキー. The loan words in\nnormal texts have since been replaced, but you can still encounter them,\nmainly in brands, e.g. ニッカヰスキー. The beer Yebisu also sometimes uses ヱビス, named\nafter the Shinto god 恵比須, which however comes from that Ye could be spelt\nusing both エ and ヱ after their respective sounds had already merged.\n\nIt is still allowed to use these special kana in names in the population\nregister and while it's uncommon to see people being given those spellings\nnowadays, they were frequently used before the war, so there are still many\nelderly people with them.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2018-01-23T11:04:40.737", "id": "56143", "last_activity_date": "2020-12-12T16:54:52.863", "last_edit_date": "2020-12-12T16:54:52.863", "last_editor_user_id": "18772", "owner_user_id": "20305", "parent_id": "376", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "449", "answer_count": 1, "body": "As far as I know only three words (or particles) have irregular, non-phonetic\nspelling in Japanese:\n\n * \"は\" - The topic particle is pronounced \"wa\" but the kana is otherwise pronounced \"ha\"\n * \"へ\" - The movement towards particle is pronounced \"e\" but the kana is otherwise pronounced \"h\"\n * \"を\" - The kana is only used for the object particle as far as I know and in the kana table takes the position of \"wo\" but pronunciation seems to hover somewhere between \"o\" and \"wo\"\n\nSo did the sounds of these particles change since the spelling was set down?\nOr were the spellings intentionally chosen for some reason? Are there any\nother irregular kana spellings I omitted?\n\n(P.S. I found the question [Why is は pronounced as わ when used as a topic\nparticle?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/348/why-is-pronounced-\nas-when-used-as-a-topic-particle) while working on this question but since\nmine is broader I decided to go ahead anyway, plus it might give an\nopportunity to test our duplicate marking strategies here)\n\n**EDIT**\n\nSome of the comments to Lukman's answer below suggests that these might not\nseem like irregular sounds or kana to native speakers. I was surprised that\npeople interpreted this question to be about romaji rather than being about\nkana and particles as I intended it.\n\nSo a further question: Are these particles and their kana and pronunciations\nseen as irregular by native Japanese speakers? Or just to learners of\nJapanese? And what do Japanese and non-Japanese linguists think?", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T03:38:02.493", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "379", "last_activity_date": "2014-05-22T01:22:58.103", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.260", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "125", "post_type": "question", "score": 68, "tags": [ "particles", "pronunciation", "hiragana", "irregularities-exceptions" ], "title": "Why are the particles \"は\" (ha⇒wa), \"へ\" (he⇒e), and \"を\" (wo⇒o) not spelled phonetically?", "view_count": 38728 }

[ { "body": "I'll give you the same one I gave to the other question: Yes, the sounds of\nthese words has changed since their spelling was set down. In general, no\nmatter the language, whenever you see a discrepancy between spelling and\npronunciation that is not entirely regular, this is the result of sound\nchanges. And while there are some counter-examples of words that have changed\ntheir spelling to something that doesn't reflect any prior pronunciation due\nto [folk etymology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_etymology) (such as the\nEnglish word `island`, which was thought to come from the Latin `insula` so a\ntotally superfluous `s` was inserted there) , they are rather rare.\n\nIn the case of the unruly Japanese particles を, は and へ, they all reflect an\nearlier pronunciation that was retained in spelling for many words in\n[historical kana usage](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_kana_usage),\nbut after the major language reforms of 1946, this conservative spelling was\nkept only for these 3 particles.\n\nTo see what happened here exactly, we first have to get acquainted with\ntraditional kana, that had two extra letters (ゑ and ゐ in hiragana). These\nletters are usually transliterated as WE and WI respectively, and that was\nindeed their pronunciation in Old and probably Classical Japanese. In the\nearly 20th century however, the entire W-column (ワ行) has merged with the\nvowel-column (ア行), except for the letter わ itself. As for the H-column (ハ行),\nit merged even earlier with the ワ行 in some positions (between vowels), as I've\nexplained in [my other\nanswer](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/348/why-is-pronounced-as-\nwhen-used-as-a-topic-particle). Since the ハ行 was already merged with the ワ行\nfor these positions, it also underwent the merger with the ア行 when it came. So\nto lay it out more clearly, this is the order of the changes:\n\n 1. /p/ softens to /f/ and becomes /w/ between vowels. \n 1. は (originally pronounced as PA) is now pronounced WA. \n 2. へ (originally pronounced as PE) is now pronounced WE. \n 2. /w/ disappears before all vowels except /a/. \n 1. は (previously pronounced as WA) remains WA. \n 2. へ (previously pronounced as WE) becomes E. \n 3. を、ゑ、ゐ (originally pronounced as WO, WE, WI) become O, E, I. \n\nUp to 1946, you could find, for instance, spellings such as アヲイ (for 青い, the\ncolor blue) and アヲヒ (a name for a family of flowers, sometimes translated as\nHollyhock). `awoi` underwent the disapperance of `w` and became `aoi`, while\n`awopi` became first `awowi` and then `aoi`.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T22:20:35.580", "id": "449", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T22:20:35.580", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.863", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "153", "parent_id": "379", "post_type": "answer", "score": 46 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "385", "answer_count": 2, "body": "As far as I know, 「[同じ]{おなじ}」 is not a 形容詞{けいようし} (-i adjective) so how does\nit become 「[同じく]{おなじく}」? Or does 「同じく」 not come from 「同じ」?\n\nAlso, are there any other non i-adjectives that have -ku counterparts\n(regardless of the answer for above)?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T03:38:58.873", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "380", "last_activity_date": "2020-06-05T02:11:02.383", "last_edit_date": "2015-12-15T14:24:10.973", "last_editor_user_id": "1628", "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 18, "tags": [ "conjugations", "etymology" ], "title": "About 「同{おな}じ」 and 「同{おな}じく」", "view_count": 7481 }

[ { "body": "同じ is mainly used as 形容動詞 ([Adjectival\nnoun](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjectival_noun_%28Japanese%29)) like:\n\n> 彼と父親の趣味は同じだ。 (His and his father's hobbies are the same.)\n\nbut it also can be used as an adjective (形容詞) with an irregularity that the\n`-i` ending is dropped. For example:\n\n> 彼は父親と同じ趣味をもっている。 (He has the same hobby as his father.)\n\nBut 同じく has a special usage to mean そして同じように. For example:\n\n> A-さん： 私は～部所属の～と申します。 (I am from ~ department and my name is ~)\n>\n> B-さん： 同じく～部所属の～と言います。 (I am also from ~ department and I am ~)", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T04:05:51.320", "id": "385", "last_activity_date": "2020-06-05T02:09:30.367", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-05T02:09:30.367", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "380", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "In fact, 同じく does come from 同じ. The key here is to look at the historical form\nof 同じ: it was originally a regular adjective, following the pattern of the\nshiku-type adjectives (シク活用形容詞).\n[[1](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/32229/m0u/)] If it had followed the\nnormal development of shiku-type adjectives, it would have become 同じい, which\napparently does occur, if rarely.\n[[2](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/32234/m0u/)]\n\nThere are some other -ku adverbs whose adjectival counterparts are\n(essentially) extinct in modern Japanese. For example, 如く (as in 〜が如く) was\noriginally derived from the adjective 如し, and similarly べく (as in なるべく) from\n可し. (The latter is not perhaps a good example, as some of its other forms\nsurvive, e.g. べき, べからず etc.)\n\nThere is a (probably) unrelated morpheme -(a)ku which nominalises verbs and\nadjectives. Examples include 曰く←言う and 思惑←思う. It is unproductive in modern\nJapanese.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-08-04T12:03:51.120", "id": "2433", "last_activity_date": "2020-06-05T02:11:02.383", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-05T02:11:02.383", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "578", "parent_id": "380", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "387", "answer_count": 2, "body": "When thanking someone, what is the rule for using ありがとうございます vs. ありがとうございました?\nMy sensei taught us to use ありがとうございました when the action you're thanking someone\nfor occurred in the past, but I've heard ありがとうございます used plenty of times right\nafter the action occurred. Does it have to do with how far in the past the\naction happened?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T04:04:36.617", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "384", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T17:20:06.807", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "28", "post_type": "question", "score": 32, "tags": [ "politeness", "tense" ], "title": "ありがとうございます vs. ありがとうございました", "view_count": 18235 }

[ { "body": "In my opinion,\n\nYou can use ありがとうございます most of the time, but ありがとうございました cannot used when the\nrequest is not finished yet. For example.,\n\n> Aさん: この報告の確認を頼んでもよろしいでしょうか？ (Could you please check the report?)\n>\n> Bさん: 了解! (ok)\n>\n> Aさん： ありがとうございます。\n>\n> (Bさん havn't finished yet the checking, so you better use ありがとうございます instead\n> of ありがとうございました)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T04:13:12.920", "id": "387", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T04:13:12.920", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "384", "post_type": "answer", "score": 18 }, { "body": "A quick search on Google of [\"ありがとうございます\"\n\"ありがとうございました\"](http://www.google.com/search?q=%22%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%81%8C%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86%E3%81%94%E3%81%96%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%22+%22%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%81%8C%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86%E3%81%94%E3%81%96%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%22)\nshows many discussions about the usage of these two expressions, mostly in\nJapanese (presumably by many Japanese people), and there does not seem to be a\ndefinitive answer.\n\nWhat your teacher told you about it is correct as a general rule, but as YOU\nsaid, ありがとうございます is appropriate also when you thank someone for an action in\nthe past. Some people claim that they feel annoyed by the phrase ありがとうございました\nbecause it implies that the thanks themselves ended in the past, but not\neveryone agrees on this.\n\nThere is one case where ありがとうございました is much more usual than ありがとうございます: when\nyou close a talk by saying “Thank you for your attention,” the common (and I\nthink formal) phrase is ご清聴ありがとうございました, not ご清聴ありがとうございます, although the action\nfor which the speaker thanks has been (hopefully) continuing as he/she says\nthis sentence. I cannot explain why, except that this is a fixed phrase and\nfixed phrases often break a general pattern.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T17:20:06.807", "id": "445", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T17:20:06.807", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "384", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "389", "answer_count": 2, "body": "What is the difference in usage between 行ったから and 行ってから and 行くから?\n\nIs there a sense of sequence implied in one and not the other?\n\nIn the following examples where would i be buying the book and where would i\nbe saying this? Like in I bought the book after i arrived in america.\n\n * アメリカに行くから本を買う\n * アメリカに行ってから本を買う\n * アメリカに行ったから本を買う", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T04:25:07.713", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "388", "last_activity_date": "2011-12-29T06:21:31.807", "last_edit_date": "2011-12-29T06:21:31.807", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "97", "post_type": "question", "score": 13, "tags": [ "usage", "tense" ], "title": "Difference between 行ったから and 行ってから　and 行くから", "view_count": 6683 }

[ { "body": "~ってから shows \"one after another\". \n行ってから means \"after I go\".\n\n~ったから shows \"cause & effect\". \n行ったから means \"because I went\".\n\nNote that 行くから is also valid, which means \"because I (plan to) go\"\n\nEDIT:\n\nTo answer additional question added by OP:\n\n> アメリカに行くから本を買う\n\nI'm going to buy the book because I'm going to America. -> You buy the book\nbefore you go, and you buy it because you are going.\n\n> アメリカに行ってから本を買う\n\nI'm going to buy the book after I go to America. -> You buy the book after you\ngo. The reason you buy the book may not be related to you going there at all.\n\n> アメリカに行ったから本を買う\n\nI'm going to buy the book because I went to America. -> You buy the book after\nyou went, and you buy it because you went.\n\nNote: in 行ってから本を買う the location where you buy the book can be in America or\nafter you return back to your place. You may need to use specify あそこで to show\nthat you are going to buy the book in America, or use 行って来て to show that you\nare going to buy it after you return home.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T04:29:07.390", "id": "389", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T04:57:08.100", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T04:57:08.100", "last_editor_user_id": "112", "owner_user_id": "112", "parent_id": "388", "post_type": "answer", "score": 15 }, { "body": "行った is the past tense, 行って is the _-te_ form.\n\n * 行ったから - because (I) went, から here means \"because\" \n * 僕が行ったから君やってよ - You do it, because I _(already)_ went _(to get something)_.\n * 行ってから - after (I) go, から here means \"from\" or \"after\" \n * それは行ってから考えましょう - Let's think about this after we go _(there)_.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T04:29:56.370", "id": "390", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T04:36:06.273", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T04:36:06.273", "last_editor_user_id": "97", "owner_user_id": "88", "parent_id": "388", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "400", "answer_count": 2, "body": "I've been told during my Japanese classes, and I've also observed in anime and\nJapanese dramas & movies, that sometimes when talking Japanese people tend to\nstop halfway and omit the end of sentence especially when the sentence has\nsome negative connotation (e.g refusal etc). For example:\n\n> 鈴木: これをもっと安くしませんかねえ。 \n> 田中: それはちょっと。。\n>\n> Suzuki: kore wo motto yasuku shimasen ka nee. \n> Tanaka: sore ha chotto ..\n\nAnother example:\n\n> 鈴木: ブラウンさんの日本語はなかなか上手ですねえ。 \n> ブラウン: いや、私はまだまだ。。\n>\n> Suzuki: buraun-san no nihongo ha naka naka jouzu desu nee. \n> Brown: iya, watashi ha mada mada ..\n\nSo is there a cultural reason for this behavior? What is term for it? And how\nshould non-Japanese interpret or react if our questions or invitations are\nreplied with such responses?\n\nMeta note: I notice myself that the last question is a bit subjective. Should\nwe or should we not allow this kind of subjective questions in Japanese SE?", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T04:42:22.433", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "391", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T10:27:36.730", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T05:00:58.493", "last_editor_user_id": "112", "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 9, "tags": [ "colloquial-language", "spoken-language" ], "title": "About cutting the sentences short", "view_count": 360 }

[ { "body": "In my opinion,\n\n> 鈴木: これをもっと安くしませんかねえ。\n>\n> 田中: それはちょっと。。\n\n。。。 would be\n\n> それはちょっと(安く)出来ないですねぇ。\n\nAbove could be intentionally omitting the rest to get more politeness by not\ndirectly saying the rejections.\n\nRegarding ambiguities of the word \"ちょっと\", please take a look at this Research\nPaper from Hokkaido Bunkyo University.\n\n * [http://libro.do-bunkyodai.ac.jp/research/pdf/treatises05/06OKAMOTO&SAITOa.pdf](http://libro.do-bunkyodai.ac.jp/research/pdf/treatises05/06OKAMOTO&SAITOa.pdf)\n\n 1. 依頼や、希求、指示行為の負担をやわらげる (To relieve forceness of Requests, Demands and Instructions to someone else)\n 2. 否定的内容の前置き (Pre-Phrases / Prefixes? on rejections. I supposed this is the one in your example)\n 3. 断りを受けやすくする (to gracefully deny something)\n 4. 呼びかけ (To call out someone)\n 5. とがめ (To relieve feelings of guilty / for the sake of someones/somethings)\n 6. 間つなぎ (Just to connect some words)\n\nSecond one would be\n\n> 私はまだまだ。。\n\nsomething like\n\n> 私はまだまだですよ\n\nThat one just omitting です。 which is quite normal, IMHO.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T05:06:04.833", "id": "392", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T05:23:29.790", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T05:23:29.790", "last_editor_user_id": "100", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "391", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Omission of syntax to allow the user to infer meaning (for politeness or\nwhatever reason) is one of the many characteristics of Japanese. What remains\nunsaid is often stronger than what is actually said. The Japanese abhor\n\"spelling things out\" for you, because it is not \"harmonious\" and puts them in\na position of having to be direct. If you've read こころ by 夏目漱石, you may recall\na passage where the narrator feels revulsion for a Westerner he met, in part\nbecause the man does not understand the Japanese feeling that what can be said\nin a look may be vulgar to put into words, etc", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T10:27:36.730", "id": "400", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T10:27:36.730", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "85", "parent_id": "391", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "1784", "answer_count": 6, "body": "The Japanese language has a lot of patterns for \"if\" clauses. What are the\ndifferences among the following patterns and how do we choose to use one over\nthe others?:\n\n * 行くと\n * 行ったら\n * 行くなら\n * 行けば\n * 行くんだったら\n * 行くのなら\n * 行くとしたら\n * 行くことになったら\n * 行くならば\n\np/s: Please add any other additional \"if\" patterns", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T05:12:11.927", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "393", "last_activity_date": "2022-09-15T02:58:07.923", "last_edit_date": "2022-09-15T02:58:07.923", "last_editor_user_id": "5010", "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 146, "tags": [ "grammar", "conjugations", "suffixes", "conditionals" ], "title": "Differences among -たら, なら, -と, -んだったら, -ば, etc", "view_count": 56676 }

[ { "body": "I would translate those as\n\n> * 行ったら - If you went (there), ...\n>\n> * 行くなら - If you going to go (there), ...\n>\n> * 行けば - If you go (there), (you will) ....\n>\n> * 行くんだったら - If you are about to go (there), ...\n>\n> * 行くのなら - If you (have plan/are thinking) to go (there), ...\n>\n> * 行くとしたら - (Let's say) if you go (there), ...\n>\n> * 行くことになったら - If you have to go (there), (what will you) ...\n>\n>", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T05:38:03.327", "id": "394", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T05:38:03.327", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "393", "post_type": "answer", "score": 18 }, { "body": "* 行ったら - \"if you (happen to) go\" (simple possibility)\n * 行くなら - \"if you're going _(anyway)_ \" (often in the sense of _while you're at it_ )\n * 行けば - \"if you('d) go\" (emphasis on the condition that must be fulfilled before something happens)\n * 行くと - \"when you go\" ( _\"…you'll find that…\"_ , focuses on what happens when the condition is fulfilled)\n * 行くんだったら - \"if you're about to go\" (similar to 行くなら, but more immediate, possibly implying a catch)\n * 行くとしたら - \"suppose you were going\" (hypothetical)\n * 行くことになったら - \"if it came to you going\" ( _if the situation progressed to the point where..._ )\n\n行くのなら can have a few difficult shades of meaning that I'm honestly having\ntrouble summarizing in one phrase:\n\n * ただ、面白いブログを書くために、人のブログを読むのなら今日から出来る \n\"However, if you're going to read people's blogs in order to write an\ninteresting blog, you can do that right away.\"\n\n * 来たいのなら私達と一緒にきても良いです。 \n\"You may come with us if you want to.\"\n\n * 万一彼が忙しいのなら、手伝いなさい。 \n\"If he should be busy, help him.\"\n\n * 僕のいうことを信じないのなら、自分で行ってみてごらん。 \n\"If you don't believe me, go and see it for yourself.\"\n\nPerhaps _\"in case\"_ is the best English equivalent. 〜のなら is not usually used\nin speech, more in writing.\n\n_(Examples from the[WWWJDIC](http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi-\nbin/wwwjdic.cgi?10))_", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T06:16:56.443", "id": "395", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T11:53:20.683", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T11:53:20.683", "last_editor_user_id": "88", "owner_user_id": "88", "parent_id": "393", "post_type": "answer", "score": 40 }, { "body": "**行ったら** is conditional form but it implies that the condition will not\nnecessarily happen:\n\nアメリカへ行ったら、わかるはずだ。\n\nIf you went to ... you would know that...\n\nまずトイレに行ったら？ (or to give an advice) What about you go to the bathroom first?\n\nIts polite form:\n\n**行けば**\n\n**行くなら** is conditional and implies that the condition will happen: if or\nsince\n\nアメリカに行くなら、ipadをもって帰って。\n\nSince you're going to America bring me back an ipad.\n\n**行くんだったら**\n\nIs composed of: 行く の です + conditional form seen above.\n\n**行くのなら**\n\nIs composed of: 行く の です + conditional form seen above and it becomes 行くのなら,\nnot 行くのですなら\n\n**行くとしたら 行くとすれば**\n\nBased on the above 2 conditional forms it adds another way to express a\ncondition: ～とする\n\nadding a layer of condition, insisting on the condition. (～とする is a simple\ncondition that can be combined with others to emphasize the if)\n\n明日行くとして、いいんですか？\n\nAssume we go tomorrow, is it ok?\n\n明日行くとしたら、いい？\n\nIf we suppose we go tomorrow, is that ok?\n\n**行くことになったら**\n\nAs opposed to the other expressions above, ～ことになる is not a condition.\n\nIt means, Verb becomes a reality\n\n行くことになる\n\nIt happens I will go\n\n行くことになったら...etc\n\nIf it happened I go there...etc", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T06:25:13.473", "id": "396", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T06:25:13.473", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "393", "post_type": "answer", "score": 19 }, { "body": "_I liked the practical nature of the other answers, here's a more precise\nexplanation I posted under a dupe thread._\n\nYeah, these are not so easy as there is a complex set of circumstances where\nyou can use one over the other. I'll try to cover the most common usages and\ndifferences.\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** (goukaku sureba, sotsu gyou ga dekimasu) If I pass I can\ngraduate.\n\n**雨が降れば、試合が中止になります** (ame ga fureba, shiai ga chuushi ni narimasu) If it rains\nthe match will be cancelled.\n\nIt can also be used for hypothetical statements, such as\n**明日もし雨が降れば、テレビを見ましょうか？** (moshi ame ga fureba, tereba wo mimashouka?) If it\nrains tomorrow, shall we watch tv?\n\nIt should generally not be followed by an expression of a wish, desire or\ncommand, and never by an action that has completed.\n\nOn the other hand, ~たら is usually used to indicate a particular condition\nbeing satisfied and it CAN be followed by an expression indicating a wish,\ndesire or command, or followed by an action that has completed.\n\nFor example:\n\n**パチスロに着いたら電話ちょうだい** (pachisuro ni tsuitara denwa choudai) Please give me a\ncall when you get to Pacinko!\n\nOr used with a completed action: **焼酎の瓶を飲んだら、歩けなくなった** (shouchuu no bin wo\nnondara, arukenaku natta) I was unable to walk after drinking the bottle of\nshochu.\n\nOr like ~ば it can be followed by a hypothetical statement:\n**明日もし雨が降ったら、テレビを見ましょうか？** (moshi ame ga futtara, tereba wo mimashouka?) If it\nrains tomorrow, shall we watch tv?\n\nJust to boggle us further, there is ~と (more similar to ~ば) and ~なら which is a\nlong conversation all by itself.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-04T05:56:39.367", "id": "564", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-04T05:56:39.367", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "168", "parent_id": "393", "post_type": "answer", "score": 16 }, { "body": "## と, ば\n\nThe main clause must be a constant non-volitional reaction to the conditional\nclause unless the conditional clause shows state or if the subjects of the two\nclauses differ.\n\n> お金を入れてボタンを押すと、切符が出ます。 \n> 'When you put in money and press the button, a ticket will come out.'\n\n> 春になると、観光客が増えます。 \n> 'When spring arrives, tourists increase.'\n\n> 早く行かないと、遅刻します。 \n> 'If you don't leave soon, you'll be late.'\n\n> × お家に帰ると、連絡してください。 \n> お家に帰ったら、連絡してください。 \n> 'Please contact me once you return home.'\n\n> × パリに行くと、凱旋門【がいせんもん】にも行ってみたい。 \n> パリに行ったら、凱旋門にも行ってみたい。 \n> 'When I go to Paris, I'd like to see the Arc de Triomphe.'\n\n> × 帰宅すれば、必ずお風呂に入りなさい。 \n> 帰宅したら、必ずお風呂に入りなさい。 \n> 'When you get home, be absolutely sure to take a bath.'\n\n> わからないことがあったら、いつでも聞いてください。 \n> わからないことがあれば、いつでも聞いてください。 \n> 'If there's something you don't understand, ask me anytime.'\n\n> 父が許してくれれば、彼と結婚するつもりです。 \n> 'If my father lets me, I intend to marry him.'\n\n## と\n\nThe conditional clause must be non-past.\n\n> × 窓を開けたと、冷たい風が入ってきた。 \n> 窓を開けると、冷たい風が入ってきた。 \n> 'When I opened the window, a cool breeze came in.'\n\n> × デパートに行ったと、チョコレートが山積みになっていた。 \n> デパートに行くと、チョコレートが山積みになっていた。 \n> 'When I went to the department store, I found mountains of chocolate piled\n> up.'\n\n## ～ば\n\n 1. The condition must have not happened yet.\n\n> 明日もし雨が降れば、どうしますか。 \n> 明日もし雨が降ったら、どうしますか。 \n> × 明日もし雨が降ると、どうしますか。 \n> 'If it rains tomorrow, what should we do?'\n\n> × 注射を打ってもらえば、すぐ直りました。 \n> 注射を打ってもらったら、すぐ直りました。 \n> 'When I had the injection, I got better right away.'\n\n 2. ～ば is the most common conditional when the emphasis is on what is required to bring about a _desired_ result. Thus, use ～ば when the focus of the sentence is on the conditional clause:\n\n> どうすれば、東大に入学できますか。 \n> What should I do to get into Tokyo University?\n\nConsequently, when the succeeding clause describes an undesirable result, ～ば\nsounds unnatural:\n\n> ？ 徹夜すれば、体調が悪くなります。\n\n> Instead: 徹夜すると、体調が悪くなります。 \n> If you stay up all night, you'll damage your health. (～たら is also OK)\n\nBut when the preceding clause uses さえ to show the minimal criteria needed to\nachieve a result, ～ば is your only option:\n\n> お金さえ払えば、だれでも入会できる。 \n> So long as they pay, anyone can join. (Neither ～たら nor ～と work here.)\n\n 3. Use when talking about what _would_ happen if something (which is not actually true) were true:\n\n> あと1000円あれば、このコートを買えるのに。 \n> If I had 1,000 yen more, I could buy this coat.\n\n> あのとき右に曲がれば、どうなっただろう。 \n> If I had turned right back then, I wonder what would have happened.\n\nNote that the tense of the following clause shows whether you're speculating\non the past or non-past, and that past-tense verbs are allowed in this case.\n\n## ～たら\n\n 1. Use when expressing a one-off (as opposed to constant or general) dependency. _Like_ ～ば, this can be used when it is unknown whether the preceding clause will come true:\n\n> 雨が降ったら、試合は中止です。 \n> If it rains, the game will be called off. (～ば is also OK)\n\n_Unlike_ ～ば, ～たら can be used when it is a known fact that the preceding clause\nwill come true:\n\n> 午後になったら、散歩に行きましょう。 \n> In the afternoon (\"When it becomes the afternoon\"), let's go for a walk.\n> (～ば is not OK)\n\n 2. Use when the following clause shows intent, desire, or is a command/request:\n\n> 食事ができたら、呼んでください。 \n> When the food's ready, call me. (～ば is not OK unless the sentence is one of\n> the exceptional cases mentioned above)\n\n 3. Use like ～と to show a sequential, cause-and-effect relationship between the two clauses:\n\n> 田中さんにメールを送ったら、すぐ返事が来ました。 \n> When I texted Ms. Tanaka, I got a reply right away. (～と is also OK, but not\n> ～ば)\n\n 4. ～たら can also take the polite form (along with ～と), but this is usually heard only in formal settings:\n\n> ご感想がございましたら、ぜひお寄せ下さい。 \n> If you have any feedback, please send it to us.\n\n## ～なら\n\n 1. Use when you are drawing out a conclusion based on the first clause:\n\n> A: スーパーに行ってくるよ。 \n> I'm going to the supermarket.\n>\n> B: スーパーに行くのなら、しょうゆを買ってきて。 \n> If you're going to the supermarket, bring back some soy sauce.\n\n> 大学院に進むなら、この本を読みなさい。 \n> If you're going to go to graduate school, read this book.\n\n 2. Use when you need the freedom to have the succeeding clause happen before the preceding clause. This is something ～と, ～ば, and ～たら _cannot do_ :\n\n> 旅行に行ったのなら、写真を見せてください。 \n> If you went on vacation, please show me your photos. (A→B)\n\n> 旅行に行くのなら、カメラを持っていくといいですよ。 \n> If you're going on vacation, you should take a camera. (B→A)\n\n> 飲んだら、乗るな。乗るなら、飲むな。 \n> If you've had a drink, don't drive. (A→B) If you're going to drive, don't\n> drink. (B→A)\n\nDo note that the rule of drawing out a conclusion based on the first clause\nstill applies in these examples.\n\n 3. Alternate forms:\n\n * なら will sometimes have a の or ん in front of it; the meaning does not change.\n * In speech, のなら sometimes becomes のだったら (or んだったら), again with no change in meaning.\n * I believe ならば is a more formal, written version of なら, but I don't have a solid reference on this.\n\n## ～としたら\n\nThis is one of many forms of ～とする. The ～とする form is used when setting up a\nsupposition as the basis for succeeding statements:\n\n> 有名人にばったり会うとしたら、どうする？ \n> Supposing you happen to meet someone famous, what would you do?\n\n> 新しい車を買ったとしても、それで幸せにはならないと思う。 \n> Even supposing I were to buy a new car, I don't think that would make me\n> happy.\n\n> じゃあ、犯人はこの部屋に入ったとしよう。目的はなんだったんだろうね。 \n> So let's suppose the criminal entered this room. What do you imagine he was\n> after?\n\n## ～ことになったら\n\nThis is a combination of the ～ことになる form (\"end up\", \"turn out to\") and the ～たら\nconditional:\n\n> 結婚することになったら、結婚式で歌っていただけませんか。 \n> If it so happens that I get married, would you please sing for me at the\n> wedding?\n\n> 海外に行くことになったら、手紙を毎週書いて送るよ。 \n> If I end up going overseas, I'll write you every week.\n\n## Variances among dialects\n\nAs if this wasn't complicated enough, a study done in 1989 by Shinji Sanada\nshowed that Tokyo speakers and Osaka speakers sometimes differ greatly in\ntheir use of conditionals. A few examples:\n\n> もっと早く｛起きると／起きれば／起きたら｝よかった。 \n> I should have woken up earlier.\n\n * Tokyo: 4% と; **94% ば** ; 2% たら\n * Osaka: 0% と; 20% ば; **78% たら**\n\n> 右に｛行くと／行けば／行ったら｝、ポストが見えます。 \n> If you turn right, you can see a mailbox.\n\n * Tokyo: **75% と** ; 16% ば; 8% たら\n * Osaka: 4% と; 13% ば; **83% たら**\n\n* * *\n\nSource for ～と, ～ば, ～たら, ～なら, and dialectical variance study:\n[初級を教える人のための日本語文法ハンドブック\n(2000)](https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%88%9D%E7%B4%9A%E3%82%92%E6%95%99%E3%81%88%E3%82%8B%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E3%81%9F%E3%82%81%E3%81%AE%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E6%96%87%E6%B3%95%E3%83%8F%E3%83%B3%E3%83%89%E3%83%96%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF-%E5%BA%B5-%E5%8A%9F%E9%9B%84/dp/4883191559)\n\nSource for ～としたら and ～ことになったら: personal experience", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-07-06T23:28:00.180", "id": "1784", "last_activity_date": "2021-10-27T04:45:16.207", "last_edit_date": "2021-10-27T04:45:16.207", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "393", "post_type": "answer", "score": 139 }, { "body": "１：仮定（かてい）２：結果 ３：習慣（しゅうかん） ４：以外（いがい）５：未来（みらい）\n\n１＝たら、ば、なら。In this case But と **使えません** \n２＝たら、と、ば。In this case But なら **使えません** \n３＝たら、と だけ 使える。 \n４＝たら、と だけ 使える。 \n５＝たら だけ 使える。\n\nとおもいます。Hope this help you out.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2018-06-02T13:05:15.137", "id": "59171", "last_activity_date": "2018-06-02T15:13:00.620", "last_edit_date": "2018-06-02T15:13:00.620", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "30132", "parent_id": "393", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "398", "answer_count": 1, "body": "In some situations everybody around me use 重い, and when I went to the bicycle\nshop everyone was only using 重たい.\n\nBoth mean heavy, but what is the difference in meaning or context between\nthem?\n\nCan something be 重い but not 重たい? Or 重たい but not 重い?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T06:26:29.483", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "397", "last_activity_date": "2018-09-12T10:04:40.580", "last_edit_date": "2018-09-12T07:33:55.703", "last_editor_user_id": "107", "owner_user_id": "107", "post_type": "question", "score": 25, "tags": [ "word-choice" ], "title": "Difference between 重い and 重たい", "view_count": 2719 }

[ { "body": "重たい is supposed to be used when talking about personal opinions (subjective),\nwhile 重い is for general usage (objective).\n\nBut that said, when someone uses 重たい in a situation, another person may use\nthe same word unintentionally because they are very similar.\n\nPersonally, I think 重たい has more feelings than 重い because you can stress the\nsound \"たい\", so it is like saying that you know how heavy it is by experience.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T06:40:19.380", "id": "398", "last_activity_date": "2018-09-12T10:04:40.580", "last_edit_date": "2018-09-12T10:04:40.580", "last_editor_user_id": "17571", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "397", "post_type": "answer", "score": 23 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "406", "answer_count": 2, "body": "My brother got on a scholarship to go to university in Japan, he was given a\nyear an half language training and then had to apply to Japanese universities.\n\nI suggested he study in Osaka as I'd visited there and knew some people he\ncould hang about with but he was advised not to study too far away from Tokyo\nas people would look down on him if he gained a regional accent.\n\nIs this actually the case? I appreciate that they might make fun of locals\nwith a regional accent but is would this apply to foreigners too?", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T10:33:23.107", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "401", "last_activity_date": "2016-11-24T22:19:37.490", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "139", "post_type": "question", "score": 9, "tags": [ "dialects", "learning" ], "title": "Do people actually look down on you if you use a regional dialect as a Gaijin?", "view_count": 1691 }

[ { "body": "There is a lot of people from Osaka in Tokyo, so that Kansai-ben (Osaka-ben)\nare not so strange here. And I don't think they will get looked down for that\ncase.\n\nBut many of non-Japanese's pronunciation and intonations are a bit different\nwith native, so some people with less international communications will\nsomehow look at strangely for few first times.\n\nOnly that people from Osaka are looks more friendly than from Tokyo, so may be\nwhen you ask something to unknown people, will probably get less responsive\nthan that does in Osaka.\n\nBut still I don't think that is the problem, I believe he will get use to it\nwithin few months if he comes to Tokyo.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T11:00:20.527", "id": "406", "last_activity_date": "2016-11-24T22:19:37.490", "last_edit_date": "2016-11-24T22:19:37.490", "last_editor_user_id": "11104", "owner_user_id": "100", "parent_id": "401", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I have a number of gaijin friends in Tokyo who learned Japanese in Kansai.\nRather than being looked down upon, Japanese friends think it's cool\n(関西人面白いでしょ？).\n\nYet, business is different - again, the relationships of the people involved\nmatter. Unless you're in a Kansai office with a bunch of Kansai-jin, sticking\nto \"標準語 (hyoujungo)\" is never a bad idea. Also, if your Kansai-ben isn't that\ngood, it's probably better to forget it - it definitely takes a little bit of\nmoxie to get it right (admittedly I'm terrible).\n\n_As a gaijin_ , I've been commended by more than a few older Japanese males\nfor speaking \"proper Japanese\" -- e.g. syntactically correct standard 標準語. So,\nis that better? Dunno, I guess it depends whom you want to impress - but their\npositive feedback was more positively comparing my speech to that of Japanese\nyouth, who they deemed to not speak properly, rather than of a certain\ndialect.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T12:46:29.073", "id": "415", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T12:46:29.073", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "401", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "404", "answer_count": 2, "body": "Just to avoid repeatedly saying いただきました too much, can I occasionally switch it\nwith 下さりました or 下さいました?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T10:33:40.843", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "402", "last_activity_date": "2019-09-01T13:05:22.040", "last_edit_date": "2016-02-03T14:34:46.433", "last_editor_user_id": "11849", "owner_user_id": "79", "post_type": "question", "score": 10, "tags": [ "grammar", "politeness", "て-form", "perspective" ], "title": "Is it ok to use ～て下さりました instead of ～ていただきました?", "view_count": 4180 }

[ { "body": "いただきました is past tense of いただく, which is a polite version of もらう, which means\n'to receive'.\n\n下さいました is past tense of 下さる, which is a polite version of くれる, which means 'to\ngive'.\n\nThey are different words but can be used in the same context as long as you\ncorrectly assign who is the giver and who is the receiver. But do take note\nthat the emphasis of the sentence and the particles used may change if use one\nover the other. Example:\n\n> これは先生からいただきました。 \n> This was received from Teacher.\n>\n> これは先生がくださいました。 \n> Teacher gave (me) this.\n\nNote: In general, くれる is only used when the giver is the third person (neither\nthe speaker nor the person he/she is speaking to) or if the giver is second\nperson and the receiver is first person. If the giver is first or second\nperson, あげる should be used. Or another way to see it, くれる is used when the\ngiver is out-group, and あげる is used if the giver is in-group. Maybe it's\neasier to see from a diagram:\n\n\n\nNote: the receiver always uses もらう or its variants.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T10:38:18.553", "id": "404", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T11:29:35.010", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T11:29:35.010", "last_editor_user_id": "112", "owner_user_id": "112", "parent_id": "402", "post_type": "answer", "score": 17 }, { "body": "Lukman already gave a nice answer, but let me add some comments in the context\nof the question.\n\nThe question is about ～ていただきました and ～てくださいました, two different methods of making\n敬語 out of other verbs. While strictly speaking Lukman’s answer focuses on the\nbasic use of いただきました and くださいました as receiving and giving physical items, the\nsame explanation also applies to ～ていただきました and ～てくださいました. In short, they are\n_not_ interchangeable unless you change the other part of the sentence\nsuitably.\n\nFor example, a master of ceremony can introduce a speaker before a speech as\n“Today we have Prof. Tanaka from Kyoto University (as a speaker)”:\n\n> * (correct and appropriate) [今日]{きょう}は[京都大学]{きょうとだいがく}の[田中先生]{たなかせんせい}\n> **に** [来]{き}て **いただき** ました。\n> * (incorrect) [今日]{きょう}は[京都大学]{きょうとだいがく}の[田中先生]{たなかせんせい} **に** [来]{き}て\n> **ください** ました。\n> * (correct, but see below) [今日]{きょう}は[京都大学]{きょうとだいがく}の[田中先生]{たなかせんせい}\n> **が** [来]{き}て **ください** ました。\n>\n\nThe first sentence does not have a subject, but the implicit subject would be\nsomeone who “received” the visit, in other words, “us.” The second sentence is\nincorrect. The third sentence has subject 田中先生 and is correct.\n\nHowever, as a separate issue, some people may find the third sentence _not_\nappropriate, because it is usually more polite to avoid using a person to be\nrespected as a grammatical subject of a sentence.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T16:17:34.340", "id": "444", "last_activity_date": "2019-09-01T13:05:22.040", "last_edit_date": "2019-09-01T13:05:22.040", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "402", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "525", "answer_count": 2, "body": "I recently confused 励{はげ}ます for the ~ます form of 禿{は}げる.\n\nAlthough this actually lead to a rather amusing conversation, I'm wondering if\nthere are other examples of this to watch out for?", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T10:52:15.363", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "405", "last_activity_date": "2015-12-15T14:22:55.860", "last_edit_date": "2015-12-15T14:22:55.860", "last_editor_user_id": "11830", "owner_user_id": "141", "post_type": "question", "score": 9, "tags": [ "verbs", "conjugations", "words" ], "title": "Which verbs have 辞書形 (dictionary forms) that look like ~ます conjugations?", "view_count": 358 }

[ { "body": "While YOU's examples all end in ～ます, you can easily see that they are not\nproper ～ます verbs, because they don't match the conjugation patterns for either\ntype of verb.\n\nBut this is an interesting question, so I wrote a quick python script to\nconjugate 3,100 verbs from EDICT and compare the ～ます form of every verb to the\nplain form of every other verb. 励ます (matching either 禿げます or 剥げます) is the only\nverb that turned up as a \"false positive ～ます\". So assuming my script is\nworking correctly, you've found the only pair that exists.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T13:30:23.983", "id": "422", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T13:30:23.983", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "94", "parent_id": "405", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Looking at [EDICT](http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/edict.html) following\nDerek, I found two other examples, but in these cases two interpretations are\nnot drastically different as your case. Both are compound words where the\nsecond component is 増す (ます; to increase).\n\n * 建て増す (たてます; to extend (a building)) has the same pronunciation as 建てます, the polite form of 建てる (たてる; to build) and also as 立てます, the polite form of 立てる (たてる; to make (sthg.) stand; can stand). There are many other verbs of the pronunciation たてる whose polite forms are pronounced as たてます, too. Basically all of them are made from verbs whose pronunciation is たつ by deriving transitive verbs or deriving 可能動詞.\n * 積み増す (つみます; to expand (a budget etc.)) has the same pronunciation as 積みます, the polite form of 積む (つむ; to pile). There are several other verbs of the same pronunciation つむ (摘む and 詰む), and their polite forms are also pronounced as つみます.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-03T23:38:00.173", "id": "525", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-03T23:38:00.173", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "405", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

{ "accepted_answer_id": "413", "answer_count": 3, "body": "As in the question title, what is the difference between the two sentences\nbelow?\n\n> 一{いち}時{じ}間{かん}ほどかかります。 \n> ichijikan hodo kakarimasu.\n>\n> 一時間ぐらいかかります。 \n> ichijikan gurai kakarimasu.\n\nHow do we choose to use one over the other?", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T11:39:24.780", "favorite_count": 0, "id": "408", "last_activity_date": "2015-12-15T14:22:45.357", "last_edit_date": "2015-12-15T14:22:45.357", "last_editor_user_id": "11830", "owner_user_id": "112", "post_type": "question", "score": 16, "tags": [ "word-choice", "particles" ], "title": "What is the difference between 「ほど」 (hodo) and 「ぐらい」 (gurai)?", "view_count": 6887 }

[ { "body": "Those two sentences mean the same thing, but the one with ほど sounds somewhat\nmore polite. When they're used in the meaning \"approximately\", I'd say they're\nmore or less interchangeable.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T12:00:03.843", "id": "409", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T12:00:03.843", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "20", "parent_id": "408", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Matti's answer is sufficiently correct, but I'd also like to add that ほど seems\nto have more of an implication of the translation \"extent\" whereas \"くらい／ぐらい\"\nis more like \"amount\".\n\nIn the example you gave, I'd say they mean the same thing, but to me the\nformer sounds more like \"up to one hour (and very likely to be one hour)\"\nwhereas the latter is really \"about an hour\".", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T12:36:45.070", "id": "413", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T12:36:45.070", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "87", "parent_id": "408", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "I learned something different: If you use ぐらい or ごろ, then you are talking\nabout an approximation, either of a time span (二時間ぐらい) or of a specific point\n(2メートルごろ). But if you say ほど, it's a metaphor.\n\n死ぬほど笑った。\n\n\"I laughed so much it nearly killed me.\" But of course you didn't really die.\n;)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2011-06-02T12:42:59.593", "id": "414", "last_activity_date": "2011-06-02T13:35:20.230", "last_edit_date": "2011-06-02T13:35:20.230", "last_editor_user_id": "84", "owner_user_id": "84", "parent_id": "408", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]