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p1atdev

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japanese-stackexchange

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[ { "body": "No, they aren't adjectives.\n\nThey mostly follow the same basic grammatical rules (with a few exceptions)\nthat い adjectives do.\n\nHowever there are several grammatical constructs that only work with either\n～ない verbs or い adjectives.\n\nMore over in classical Japanese ～ない was things like ～ず ～ぬ ～ん most of the time.\nThose constructs have zero resemblance to い adjectives. So anyone attempting\nto argue that ～ない is effectively an adjective would have to argue that\nnegative verbs became adjectives only in modern times.\n\nMost importantly Japanese text books clearly classify them differently. 動詞の否定形\nand い形容詞.\n\nIn addition ～ません has very little relevance to this question because ～ます is\nless of a verb form and more correctly the continuative(い ending) form of a\nverb + an irregular verb.", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-21T03:50:48.467", "id": "4751", "last_activity_date": "2023-08-19T08:42:26.923", "last_edit_date": "2023-08-19T08:42:26.923", "last_editor_user_id": "32952", "owner_user_id": "1129", "parent_id": "4746", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Modern Japanese is very different from archaic Japanese (and some modern\nformal written Japanese, which is itself rather archaic) in regard to the\ntopic at hand. Initially there were distinct conjugations of verbs and\nadjectives known as predicative and attributive. Predicative (also called\nconclusive) was used for the final verb in a sentence, and was finite. The\nattributive form was used nominally and for relative clauses (remember that\ntechnically \"adjectives\" in Japanese are relative clauses), and seems to be\nnon-finite. Rather than the modern -い ending of adjectives, adjectives had the\nending -し in predicative form and -き in attributive (for modern ない that would\ngive なし and なき, respectively).\n\nFor an example of this, and an example that shows this is still in use in\nwritten Japanese, take the title 藍より青し. Here, 青し is the predicative form of\nthe adjective, with the original -し suffix.\n\nAt one point Japanese underwent a radical morphology change, and actually lost\nthe predicative form entirely, completely replacing it with the attributive\n(at least in form; the semantic distinction between finite and non-finite\nremained). At this point a large number of old verb suffixes disappeared. The\nold negative suffix, for example, mostly disappeared, replaced by -ない (at some\npoint the attributive -き suffix of adjectives was reduced to -い, as well).\nPresumably the old suffixes required finite verb forms, and were lost when the\nmorphologically finite forms disappeared, replaced by the morphologically non-\nfinite forms that had the same meaning (i.e. -ない).\n\nNow, I imagine when you heard that negative verbs were adjectives this was\nbased on the fact that ない is the head of the verb phrase for negative verbs\nand it's an adjective. This is indeed a change that occurred at one point, and\nwas not always the case, as I spent the majority of this post explaining. My\nhypothesis is that the old suffixes used with predicative verbs were\nthemselves predicative (auxiliary) verbs, and the old attributive and modern\nsuffixes are in fact adjectives or nouns (or derived from them).", "comment_count": 9, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-23T03:33:09.737", "id": "5087", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-23T03:33:09.737", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1194", "parent_id": "4746", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Arguing about whether certain words \"are\" something or other is missing the\npoint in this context, I think. We do not classify words based on some innate,\na priori nature that we discern within them. We classify them based on\n_behaviour_. And there is no a priori set of standards for that classification\neither: we have to choose our own. It's completely arbitrary. But if we aim to\nbe scientific, we will generally want to choose standards that are as simple\nas possible while explaining as much as possible (with as few inconsistencies\nand exceptions as possible).\n\nSo, take the polite nonpast negative ending -nai. It ends in -i, like an\nadjective. It takes endings like -katta and -kereba like an adjective. It can\nbe used adnominally or conclusively, like an adjective (\"shiranai hito\" vs\n\"ano hito wa shiranai\"). Particles like \"kedo\" and \"shi\" attach to it like an\nadjective. (Both of these last two points apply to verbs too, of course.) On\nthe other hand it can't be passivised like a verb.\n\nIn short, we can list many ways in which it acts like an adjective, and many\nways in which it doesn't act like a verb. On that basis, we might decide that\nit is simpler to just call it an adjective than a verb-in-disguise. We would\nadvance a theory in which we have a category called \"adjective\" that includes\nwords like \"akai\", \"hiroi\", \"kanashii\" but also \"ikanai\" and \"shiranai\".\n\nOn the other hand, objections can be raised. In this thread, Ian has raised\nsome. I find them unconvincing (for the reasons given in dainichi's comments),\nbut we can find other differences. For example, the \"-ide\" ending does not\nseem to be available to \"natural adjectives\": we can say \"ikanaide\" but not\n\"akaide\" or even \"akakunaide\". So we have to adjust our theory to account for\nthis. Maybe we say \"There are two kinds of adjectives, one natural and one\nderived from verbs via the -nai ending; they behave very similarly but we\nobserve these differences...\" Or maybe we say \"Verbs in the negative nonpast\nremain verbs; they exhibit some very adjectivelike behaviour but we can tell\nthe difference because...\" We have to decide which theory fits the facts best,\nideally in the sense of \"best\" described above (simplest, most powerful, etc.)\n\nNow, all of the above said, let's look at the -masen ending. It doesn't seem\nto behave much like an adjective at all, except in very trivial ways So even\nif we define our category of \"adjective\" such that it includes words with the\n-nai ending, we probably won't put words with the -masen ending in there too.\nWe _could_ \\-- it's arbitrary! -- but doing so wouldn't help us explain very\nmuch. It would just make our theory more complicated. So, we don't.\n\nThus, what I think the wiki editor whose description you read meant was \"\n**once the plain nonpast negative ending -nai is attached to a verb, the\nresulting word behaves so much like an adjective that it makes more sense to\nclassify it as one (in the classification scheme I am implicitly adopting).**\n\" Not \"any negative verb phrase is an adjective by definition,\" or anything\nextreme like that.\n\n===\n\nDainichi's comment on your question is another example of the principle that\nwe are free to set up our categories in any way we like. Adjectives and verbs\nare obviously different in many ways, but there is also a sense in which they\nare similar. Given the structure \"Hana wa X\", a verb like \"saku\" could fit in\nthere, or an adjective like \"akai\". They fit into the same \"slot\" like that.\nThis isn't true of English; we can say \"the flower blooms\" but not \"the flower\nred\"; we have to say \"the flower _is_ red\" (and, incidentally, for this reason\nmost linguists working on English will recognize a category that contains both\n\"blooms\" and \"is red\").\n\nSo in _that_ high-level sense, Japanese adjectives and verbs form a unified\nsuperclass of words, one that can be distinguished easily from, say, nouns, or\nparticles. That isn't any less true just because we can subdivide that\nsuperclass into \"verbs\" and \"adjectives\" based on morphology. There might be\ncases where using this superclass makes things easier for us (e.g. looking at\nhigh-level syntactic patterns), and there might be cases where it's easier to\nkeep verbs and adjectives distinct (e.g. looking at word endings). Neither\nanalysis is wrong; they're just different tools for different tasks.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-23T11:41:45.790", "id": "5092", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-23T14:06:13.677", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-23T14:06:13.677", "last_editor_user_id": "921", "owner_user_id": "531", "parent_id": "4746", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "As others have argued, it's pretty much a question of definition. But it seems\nobvious that in _form_ , there's overlap between i-adjectives and plain verb-\nnegatives.\n\nI'm going to try to be constructive about it by starting a list of forms that\nexist in either or both of the cases. Please add or comment (or fix my\nformatting) as you see fit.\n\n```\n\n ○食べない　　　　○赤い\n ○食べなく　　　　○赤く\n △食べなくない　　○赤くない\n ○食べなくはない　○赤くはない\n ○食べなかった　　○赤かった\n ○食べなそう　　　○赤そう\n ○食べないで　　　×赤いで\n ×食べなさ　　　　○赤さ\n ○食べなすぎ　　　○赤すぎ\n \n```\n\nThe correspondence seems pretty good to me. And the slight problem with なくない,\nI consider inherited from ない, since 無くない itself is considered wrong by some.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-26T02:30:10.447", "id": "5110", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-26T02:30:10.447", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4746", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 } ]

[ { "body": "As you correctly understood, よりを戻す is an idiom meaning for a broken couple to\nget back together.\n\n[[縒]{よ}る](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E7%B8%92%E3%82%8B&stype=1&dtype=0&dname=0ss)\nmeans “to twist threads together to make a thicker string.”\n[[縒]{よ}りを戻す](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?dtype=0&dname=0ss&p=%E3%82%88%E3%82%8A%E3%82%92%E3%82%82%E3%81%A9%E3%81%99)\nliterally means to undo this process and turn a string into several threads\napart. This may sound like the opposite of getting back together (certainly it\ndoes sound like the opposite to me), but I guess that the analogy here is that\n“twisting” refers to the conflict between a couple, and removing the twist\ncorresponds to getting back together.\n\nおこう in [止]{や}めておこう is etymologically derived from 置く (to put), but here …ておく\nmeans “to do … for now.” In this context, よりを戻すのをやめておく means to avoid getting\nback together for now.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-21T03:16:58.477", "id": "4750", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-21T03:16:58.477", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "4748", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

[ { "body": "I think we usually use the verb '[添付]{てんぷ}する'. \n～を添付します。/～を添付しております。/～を添付させていただいております。etc... \nOr maybe you could say \n～を添付ファイルにて送信させていただきます。/～を添付ファイルで送らせていただきます。/～を添付ファイルにて送信させていただきますのでご確認ください。(Hmm,\ntoo polite?)", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-21T05:34:16.467", "id": "4754", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-21T05:40:19.610", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-21T05:40:19.610", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4752", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 } ]

[ { "body": "I'm sorry to say that the short answer is that, no, there is no easy way to\nlearn particles. They are probably the trickiest part of learning\nJapanese...there is only so far you can learn them using brute force\nmemorization, then you just have to get a feel for them. Like Tsuyoshi says,\nthe small, grammatically heavy words in languages (in English we have\nprepositions) are the toughest to learn. (I'm saying this from personal and\nsecond-hand experience, I'm not looking to start a debate on the hardest part\nof a language to learn.)\n\nWith that being said, there are resources out there. The Kodansha reference\nbook, _[A Dictionary of Japanese\nParticles](http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/4770023529)_ , is a great\nbook to help you get a grip on particles.\n\nThis is also a situation where Google can be your friend. Of course, this\ndoesn't work during a conversation, but if you have a relatively general\nphrase, plug it into Google and see what kind of hits you get. It's not an\nexact science, but it can help.\n\nMy last piece of advice is \"don't panic\". Particles are hard. They have been\nreally tricky for me too, they still are really tricky, and to be honest\nthey're still going to be really tricky for me for a while. If you keep at\nthem, they will come more naturally and you'll get the feel for them better.\nStudy diligently but don't beat yourself up, you'll get there.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-21T16:02:14.303", "id": "4764", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-21T16:02:14.303", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "921", "parent_id": "4755", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "I think 当ててみて is more natural than 推測してみて in daily conversations. Maybe you\ncould also say 'どのくらいだと思う？(か、言ってみて。)' or 'いくらくらいだと思う？(か、言ってみて。)'.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-21T13:46:10.993", "id": "4763", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-21T13:46:10.993", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4759", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 } ]

[ { "body": "まし is usually used to mean \"preferable\" in the \"less bad\" sense, i.e. you're\nchoosing the lesser of two evils. ぐらいなら reinforces this point, i.e.\n\n> 魚を食べるぐらいなら飢えたほうがましだ If I had to go as far as eating fish, starving would be\n> less bad.\n\nぐらい can come after nouns as well, but with this specific nuance, it is not\noften used after nouns. So we could say\n\n> 恥をかくぐらいなら死んだほうがましだ Dying is preferable to facing disgrace\n\nHowever, if we're using the noun 恥, it would be more natural to rephrase to\nよりも (or よりは)\n\n> 恥よりも死のほうがましだ Death is preferable to disgrace\n\nBy the way, your example sentence is comparing a noun to a verb, 恥 and 死ぬ.\nWhile maybe not exactly wrong, I feel rewriting 死ぬ to the noun 死 sounds\nbetter.\n\nBeware that ぐらい can also be used in the opposite sense, to reinforce that\nsomething is easy or small (like \"only\"). In this sense, it's used after nouns\nas well\n\n> ちょっと待つぐらいならいい I don't mind waiting (if it's only) for a bit \n> ケーキ五個ぐらいなら食べられる If it's only 5 cakes, I can eat them", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-22T00:48:04.317", "id": "4766", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-22T01:09:08.913", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-22T01:09:08.913", "last_editor_user_id": "1073", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4760", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

[ { "body": "I think あるまい is a literary version of ないだろう. \n飲むまい means 飲まないだろう(I think s/he won't drink)/飲まないでおこう(I won't drink), no?", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-21T13:25:58.460", "id": "4762", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-21T13:36:39.400", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-21T13:36:39.400", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4761", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "* `ません` expresses negation in polite form.\n * `まい` expresses a guess or intentional future, both in negation. So its entailment is weaker than `ません`, but implies willingness. A close counterpart in English is `shall not` as opposed to `will not`. `まい` can be used with other verbs as well.\n\n> もう酒は飲みません \n> 'I will not drink liquor any more.' (polite)\n>\n> もう酒は飲むまい \n> 'I shall not drink liquor any more.' (guess) \n> 'I shall not drink liquor any more.' (declaration)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-21T16:22:56.313", "id": "4765", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-22T05:33:54.837", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-22T05:33:54.837", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4761", "post_type": "answer", "score": 14 } ]

[ { "body": "`自慢` is a suru-noun, `得意` is an adjectival-noun (na-adjective), and `誇らし` is\nthe root of an i-adjective. I think `げ` turns them all into adjectival-nouns.\nA clear diagnostics is that you can create the attributive form with `な`.\n\n> 自慢げな態度 \n> 得意気な態度 \n> 誇らしげな態度", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-22T05:02:42.427", "id": "4770", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-22T05:12:11.133", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-22T05:12:11.133", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4768", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "～げ, although usually written with hiragana, can also be written as ～気, and\nmeans something like \"have an air of...\". These can be used as na-adjectives:\n\n> 自慢げな態度 an attitude with an air of boastfulness \n> 得意げに話す speak with an air of (over-)confidence \n> 悲しげな顔 a face with an air of sadness\n\nSome can also be used as nouns, but beware, not all of the ones that can be\nused as na-adjectives are used as nouns. The nouns are most commonly used with\nない (but other uses also occur).\n\n> 大人{おとな}げ(が)ない immature (no air of matureness) \n> かわいげ(が)ない impertinent (lit. no air of cuteness)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-22T05:56:40.093", "id": "4772", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-22T15:47:32.677", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-22T15:47:32.677", "last_editor_user_id": "1073", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4768", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 } ]

[ { "body": "`新しい` is a famous example of metathesis. Originally, it was `[新]{あら}たし`. Over\nthe time, the positions of `ら` and `た` have switched, and the new form\n`[新]{あたら}し` was created, which evolved into today's standard form `新しい`, and\ntoday, the old form is preserved only as the na-adjective `新た`. Na-adjectives\nare often used to incorporate Chinese words, and those words generally have a\nformal impression as opposed to i-adjectives, which are well familiarized\nwords. `新た` is no exception. It is used in formal contexts or when you want to\nhave some literary effect.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-22T05:29:39.257", "id": "4771", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-22T18:00:41.800", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-22T18:00:41.800", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4769", "post_type": "answer", "score": 30 }, { "body": "新たな sounds more literary, as already pointed out. In addition, the usage of 新た\nis limited.\n\n新た is only used to describe something is created/started from scratch. When\nsomething is compared by age or freshness, 新しい is the only choice.\n\nIn addition, in modern Japanese 新た only works as a modifier (新たな is an\nattributive - \"brand-new\", 新たに is an adverbial - \"from scratch\"), and cannot\nform the predicate 新ただ.\n\nConsider the following example:\n\n * [correct usage] こちらの本の方が新しいです。\n * [incorrect usage] もっと新たな本を読みたいです。\n * [incorrect usage] こちらの本の方が新たです。", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2017-04-10T03:59:41.910", "id": "46428", "last_activity_date": "2021-06-10T06:46:17.960", "last_edit_date": "2021-06-10T06:46:17.960", "last_editor_user_id": "3371", "owner_user_id": "5010", "parent_id": "4769", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 } ]

[ { "body": "`しょうもない` is a contracted form of `しようもない` \"there is no way to be done,\" \"there\nis nothing we can do about it.\" `し` is \"do\", `よう` is \"manner.\" `しよう` is\n\"manner in which to do.\" It is mainly used in Kansai dialects. In Tokyo area,\n`しょうがない` is used.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-23T03:17:40.183", "id": "4777", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-23T03:23:42.657", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-23T03:23:42.657", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4775", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "There's a couple of similar expressions with overlapping meanings here, so\nI'll elaborate on @sawa's answer to add some color.\n\nしょーむない is probably a cute slangy way to say しょうもない, which is a common\ncontraction of しようもない, which means \"silly\" or \"useless\". This is mainly used\nin western dialects, and the standard would be しようがない (often contracted to\nしょうがない) or くだらない.\n\nしようがない, however, also has the meaning \"there's nothing we (you, I etc) can do\nabout it\", similar to しかたがない. In western dialects, this might be expressed as\nしゃーない, and I'm actually not sure which one of the above this is a contraction\nof.\n\nThere is also an expression どうしようもない (どうしようもない) which does _not_ have a\nparticularly dialectal feel to it, and can mean both \"silly\"/\"useless\" or\n\"there's nothing we can do about it\".\n\nFinally, there is no どうしようがない, since the どう requires the も, but どうにもしようがない is\ncommon as well.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-23T04:13:59.473", "id": "4779", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-23T04:13:59.473", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4775", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

[ { "body": "What about:\n\n> 姓－名の順\n>\n> 名－姓の順\n\nfrom the\n[Wikipedia](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A7%93#.E5.90.8D.EF.BC.8D.E5.A7.93.E3.81.AE.E9.A0.86)\npage", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-23T04:44:47.747", "id": "4780", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-23T14:47:00.920", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "1065", "parent_id": "4778", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "My colleague said this:\n\n> Surname order - 苗字{みょうじ}順\n>\n> Firstname order - 名前{なまえ}順\n\nOr How about:\n\n> Japanese - 和順\n>\n> Western - 洋順", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-23T08:28:12.460", "id": "4785", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-23T23:57:30.717", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "786", "parent_id": "4778", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

[ { "body": "かけちゃお = かけてしまおう\n\nつないじゃお = つないでしまおう", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-23T05:12:28.430", "id": "4783", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-23T05:12:28.430", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1065", "parent_id": "4781", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "They're contracted from かけちゃおう and つないじゃおう, which are colloquial versions of\n駆{か}けてしまおう and 繋{つな}いでしまおう, \"let's run\" and \"lets connect\", in this case 手を繋ぐ,\n\"hold hands\"\n\nThe auxiliary verb しまう usually means \"do something accidentally\", but in this\ncase in the volitional form, it's used to express carefreeness.\n\n> 手を繋いじゃおう Let's hold hands (and not care about the consequences)\n\nA similar use is in the imperative\n\n> やっちゃえ！ Do it (and worry later)!", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-23T05:17:18.443", "id": "4784", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-23T05:17:18.443", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4781", "post_type": "answer", "score": 18 } ]

[ { "body": "* When you want to tell that you have a clear idea to agree with the proposition in question, then use 確かに:\n\n> 確かにあなたは怠け者だ。\n\n * When you assume (often falsely) that the origin of the idea is the second person, and you agree with it, use なるほど:\n\n> なるほどあなたは怠け者だ。\n\n * When you want to temporarily accept an idea and continue with a statement pointing to the opposite direction, you can use the ones above:\n\n> 確かにあなたは怠け者だが、それはそれでよしとしよう。 \n> なるほどあなたは怠け者だが、それはそれでよしとしよう。\n\n * When you want to exemplify, or formally prove an abstract statement, use 実際. Unlike 確かに or なるほど, the first person is the one who is showing it to the second person.\n\n> 彼は怠け者だ。実際、彼の文には句読点がない。 \n> 全ての人が怠け者というわけではない。実際、ちゃんとした文章を書く人もいる。", "comment_count": 6, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-23T23:25:35.053", "id": "4787", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-23T23:41:34.253", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-23T23:41:34.253", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4786", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "If you're looking for a translation to the (mainly British) _interjection_\n\"Indeed!\" which you seem to hint in a comment, you should neither use 確かに nor\n実際に.\n\nThe below are common colloquial expressions:\n\n> へー used a lot in Japan for expressing awe, surprise or disbelief etc. Has\n> back-channel qualities as well. \n> 本当(に)？ Really? \n> マジ(で)？ Seriously? (Slangy, but very common among mainly younger speakers) \n> う(っ)そー You're lying! \n> まさか You don't say... (expressing some level of disbelief)", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-24T01:12:01.047", "id": "4788", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-24T01:12:01.047", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4786", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "This may not directly answer your question. But there exists this concept of\nleast perceptible difference which is the smallest detectable difference\nbetween two \"levels\" of a particular sensory stimulus. The corresponding term\nin Japanese is `最小可知差異`.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-24T08:18:14.897", "id": "4792", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-24T08:18:14.897", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "542", "parent_id": "4789", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "```\n\n \"The pronunciation of bun and ban are different enough to make a difference.\"\n \n```\n\nIf you said this to me, I would say \"make a difference in what?\". Maybe you\nare trying to say:\n\n`\"The pronunciation of bun and ban are different enough that I can hear the\ndifference.\"`\n\nI'll make two example sentences:\n\n```\n\n ①bunとbanの発音には、聞き分けられるくらいの違いがある。\n ②bunとbanの発音の違いが聞き分けられる\n \n```\n\nThe first (①) expresses the \"relative difference\" and I think it what you are\nlooking for. However, I think it still would be strange because you are\nimplying that \"everyone should be able to hear the difference\", whereas I\nthink you want to say that \"I can hear the difference\" which would be sentence\n②.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-07T23:21:09.827", "id": "4950", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-08T01:04:14.190", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-08T01:04:14.190", "last_editor_user_id": "1217", "owner_user_id": "1217", "parent_id": "4789", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "Not exactly the same question, but the answer applies as well:\n\n[Is じゃないです equally correct as\nじゃありません?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2574/is-%E3%81%98%E3%82%83%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84%E3%81%A7%E3%81%99-equally-\ncorrect-as-%E3%81%98%E3%82%83%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-24T06:52:07.150", "id": "4791", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-24T06:52:07.150", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.157", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4790", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "It's not grammatically correct, but happens often in daily speech. It wouldn't\nbe any more or less correct if you dropped つもり from the end, but as you say\nthe meaning would change, becoming less clear if you're talking about when/if\nit rains.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-24T19:27:12.687", "id": "4794", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-24T19:27:12.687", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1185", "parent_id": "4793", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "If you are around friends... I have the feeling they wouldn't mind if you left\noff the bookish-sounding grammatically correct ending of 〜たりする (something like\nyour second example sentence.)\n\nHowever, your first sentence's meaning almost sounds like this (to me):\n\n```\n\n 雨が降ったら、買い物をしたり、おいしい物を食べるつもりです。\n If it rains, I plan on going shopping and eating good things.\n \n```\n\nThe second sentence's meaning sounds like this (to me):\n\n```\n\n 雨が降ったら、買い物をしたり、おいしい物を食べたりするつもりです。\n If it rains, I plan on going shopping and eating good things.\n \n```\n\nIf you want to keep the context all in check, it's a good idea to end the\n〜たり、〜たり pattern with する, here, though young people probably won't care... and\nyou might find yourself in informal conversations where people break all sorts\nof grammatical rules. :)", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-25T07:32:55.093", "id": "4808", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-27T03:24:31.170", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-27T03:24:31.170", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4793", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "In Martin's 1975 _Reference Grammar of Japanese_ , he writes on page 567 that\n\"the structure V1 たり V2 たりする is tending to be replaced by V1 たり V2 る\". (This\nwas back in 1975, and he cites an NHK book from 1970 as a reference, so this\ninformation is now somewhat dated, but I think it's still true.)\n\nHe gives examples like the following, which he says appeared in 週刊朝日:\n\n> 親が子を **殺したり** 、子どもが親を **殺す**\n\nPresumably the above has the same meaning as the following:\n\n> 親が子を **殺したり** 、子どもが親を **殺したり** する\n\nYou may want to insist on using ～たり～たりする yourself because that's what your\nteacher tells you to do, but you should be able to understand it when other\npeople use ～たり～る instead. I don't think people always use ～たりする at the end of\nthis sort of structure.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2014-05-23T02:49:19.650", "id": "16098", "last_activity_date": "2014-05-23T02:49:19.650", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4793", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

[ { "body": "`の` is a noun with general reference. The na-adjective attributively modifies\nit. `は` is the topic marker. So you get `人気なのは` \"as for the thing that is\npopular\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-24T20:13:07.380", "id": "4796", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-24T20:13:07.380", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4795", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "> Why is 味わわせる often pronounced as 味あわせる?\n\nI can only speculate that this is a kind of onbin to ease pronunciation. The\ntwo medial approximates /w/ are only separated by a vowel. Approximates, also\nknown as semi-vowels, share some similarities with vowels. The reduction of\none in rapid speech is small while still understandable. The reduction of the\nfirst rather than the second is similar to baai <> bawai, which tries to avoid\nrepeating the same vowel twice.\n\n> What makes the former form unnatural, and what is the mechanism that changes\n> it to the latter form?\n\nI would not say that the former is necessarily unnatural. Rather that in\nspoken language the former takes more effort to say and as such sounds stiff\nor formal. See above for speculation for the mechanism.\n\n> If the first place, what it the -waw- attached to aji (besides the obvious\n> answer that it is an affix that derives a verb)?\n\nAs you already said, it is just an affix that attaches to nouns to derive\nverbs. Etymologically it is suggested to be 這う・延う, but evidence is minimal.\nThere are both yodan and shimo nidan versions.\n\n> Are there other words (inside or outside of Japanese) that follow the same\n> phonological pattern?\n\nIf you are asking for other words with the same affix waw-, then yes.\n\n * tiwa[w]-u\n * nigiwa[w]-u\n * sakiwa[w]-u (and saiwa[w]-u)\n\nAnd then there is the nominal forms (cf ajiwai), though the corresponding\nverbal forms do not seem to exist:\n\n * nariwai\n * urawai\n * kusawai\n\nThese are more verbal than affix, but for reference, there is also:\n\n * haraba[w]-u\n * neba[w]-u", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-25T04:29:27.030", "id": "4800", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-25T04:29:27.030", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4797", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "I don't know French and am guessing from the result of what English websites\nsay about it. If my understanding is correct, the Japanese counterpart is\nゼッケン.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-25T06:22:34.970", "id": "4804", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-25T06:22:34.970", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4802", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I think this is more a matter of English<->French translation than anything\nelse. Once you know that the English word for 'dossard' is 'bib', then WWWJDIC\ngives you:\n\n> ゼッケン (n) cloth bib with number or logo worn by athletes, etc. (e.g. over\n> their shirts) (ger: Decken)\n\n:-)", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-25T07:09:38.383", "id": "4805", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-25T07:09:38.383", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "290", "parent_id": "4802", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

[ { "body": "Wiki says it is usually expressed like 「ラックする」「ラックを組む【くむ】」「ラックを立てる【たてる】」.\n\nSee also: [ラック\n(ビリヤード)](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%A9%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF_%28%E3%83%93%E3%83%AA%E3%83%A4%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89%29)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-25T15:08:41.180", "id": "4810", "last_activity_date": "2014-06-18T04:09:33.613", "last_edit_date": "2014-06-18T04:09:33.613", "last_editor_user_id": "3437", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4809", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "\"As one would expect\" doesn't have to be a compliment. In the example you've\nprovided, the meaning is \"as one would expect I'm sleepy\", with the reason for\nbeing sleepy implied to be known to the listener/reader. For instance, not\nhaving slept last night because you were finishing a report.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-25T17:29:28.473", "id": "4812", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-25T17:29:28.473", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1189", "parent_id": "4811", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I think the translation \"as one would expect\" often misses the mark for `さすが`\n(even in reference to others). It's close but a little more complicated than\nthat.\n\nHere is [Daijisen's](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E6%B5%81%E7%9F%B3/)\ndefinition, with added translations.\n\n> **1** ［形動］［文］［ナリ］ １ 評判や期待のとおりの事実を確認し、改めて感心するさま。なるほど、たいしたもの。「この難問が解けるとは\n> **さすが** だ」 \n> Feeling renewed appreciation for a fact after confirming it matches\n> reputation or expectations. \n> \"You **really are** skilled to be able to solve a problem this difficult.\"\n\n> **2** ［副］１\n> あることを認めはするが、特定の条件下では、それと相反する感情を抱くさま。そうは言うものの。それはそうだが、やはり。「味はよいが、これだけ多いと\n> **さすがに** 飽きる」「非はこちらにあるが、一方的に責められると **さすがに** 腹が立つ」 \n> Holding feelings of acceptance towards something, but opposition to it\n> under specific conditions. \n> \"The taste is good, but when there's this much of it I **just am** going to\n> tire of it\" \n> \"I'm at fault, but being blamed over and over is going to anger you\n> **regardless** \"\n\n> ２ 予想・期待したことを、事実として納得するさま。また、その事実に改めて感心するさま。なるほど、やはり。「一人暮らしは **さすがに** 寂しい」「\n> **さすが** （は）ベテランだ」 \n> Accepting as fact (becoming convinced of) something expected or hoped for;\n> feeling renewed appreciation of that fact. \n> \"Living on your own **is indeed** lonely / **really is** lonely (\n> _accepting as fact_ )\" \n> \"He **sure is** a veteran ( _renewed appreciation_ )\"\n\n> ３ （「さすがの…も」の形で）そのものの価値を認めはするが、特定の条件下では、それを否定するさま。さしもの。「 **さすが**\n> の名探偵も今度ばかりはお手上げだろう」 \n> (In the form \"さすがの…も\") Accepting the merit of something, but rejecting it\n> under specific conditions. \n> \" **Even** the famous (merit/strength) detective would throw their hands up\n> at this one.\"\n\nYour example falls under either 2.1 or 2.2 depending on the context.\n\nIf someone asked you to do something, and you replied with a sigh `さすがに眠い`,\nthe meaning is \"I'd normally be in favor, but because I am (too) tired, I'm\nopposed\" (2.1).\n\nIf you were saying this line to yourself seemingly at random, it would be you\ninternally admitting / acknowledging the fact that you're tired (2.2).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-25T22:39:04.700", "id": "4816", "last_activity_date": "2022-02-14T02:14:10.727", "last_edit_date": "2022-02-14T02:14:10.727", "last_editor_user_id": "30454", "owner_user_id": "315", "parent_id": "4811", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 } ]

[ { "body": "The historical answer to this still appears to be somewhat of a mystery.\nHowever, there is speculation on why the あ (of the こそあど) appears to be\nirregular.\n\nNomichi Sumire gives a hint in [this\nanswer](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1038306870)\nas to why あ is different. 「ここ・そこ・あそこ・どこ」 were all written in Kanji in the\npast, like this: 「此処・其処・彼処・何処」 When written out in Kanji, all of the words\nappear to be the same length of characters. _But this doesn't really answer\nyour question._\n\nThe interesting thing about 「彼処{あそこ}」 is that it can also be read as 彼処{あこ}.\nSo, at least one point in time, あこ (itself) was used.\n\nThere is other speculation about why it's currently 「あそこ」 instead of 「あこ」 in\nan essay (labeled as fictional... so take it with a grain of salt,) on this\npage: [The Mystery of ASOKO](http://sairin.com/asokon.html).\n\nNamely, the focus point of this essay is in this paragraph:\n\n> 場所を尋ねたのに対し、「ここ」「そこ」と、 近称・中称で断定するのは良いが、 遠称で答えては正確な場所を特定できず、 わからないのと同じである。\n> だから「あこ」は存在しない。 その代わり、遠称を断定するために、 「こそあど」の遠称である「あ」を中称の「そこ」に加えて、\n> 「あそこ」と言う表現を用いたらしいのである。 これなら明確に場所を特定しながらも、 「そこ」より遠くを示すことを伝えられるからだ。\n\nBasically, (and earlier in the article,) the writer is suggesting that\n「ここ」and「そこ」are used when the locations being discussed are known locations\n(near or kind of near places.) But when the place is somewhere far away...\n(when the location is not completely known,) perhaps 「あそこ」is used because it's\nadding the 「あ」of the _distal pronoun_ (遠称) and adding it to the「そこ」of the\n_mesioproximal pronoun_ (中称) as a way of saying something to the effect of:\n\"it's a place somewhere _far over_ （あ＋そこ）there\".\n\nAgain, it's hard to know for sure when that idea seems to be just speculation\nby the writer. But it gives a better idea of why 「あそこ」came in to common usage.\nIt could very well also have to do with the vowel idea of yours; with\nlanguages like Japanese and Pacific languages (like Hawaiian, for example,)\nkeeping the consonant-vowel combination tends to be important.\n\nFor the second part of the example in your question: the「こう・そう・ああ・どう」, try\nthinking about it like this: each of those expected ones 「こう・そう・どう」 have a\nlong \"o\" vowel sound. It's similar to when the 「ー」 sign is used for a long\nvowel sign. When you have a long vowel sound for 「あ」, what do you use? 「あー」,\nright? Which is a long「あ」sound.", "comment_count": 11, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-25T23:04:07.920", "id": "4817", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-25T23:34:10.270", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-25T23:34:10.270", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4815", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "> あそこ (expected あこ)\n\nThere was an ako. From the 1775 text 物類称呼 (Iwanami Bunko ISBN4-00-302691-8 p.\n146):\n\n> あそこ こゝといふを 西國にて・あんなけ こんなけと云 肥前にて・そこねい こゝねいと云 尾州にて・あそこなて こゝなてと云 京にて・あこと云\n\nHowever, there are ample usages of asoko in much earlier works from the 13th\ncentury and on, so this is likely an abbreviation of asoko > ako.\n\nHistorically, in Old Japanese there was the ko/so/ka system. The ka form are\nthe ancestor of modern a-forms, with the initial /k/ dropping out leaving only\n/a/. However, in the Old Japanese corpus, the ka forms are extremely rare and\nof those few that exist, they are all attributed to an eastern dialect. As\nsuch, it is thought that the distal (遠称) series had not been fully developed\nuntil yet early middle Japanese. It was a two-way system of speaker vs. non-\nspeaker rather than priximal/mesial/distal. So that is one reason to not\nexpect regularity in the [k]a-series. Further, the early signs of the [k]a-\nseries are found in eastern dialects, so yo can expect variation when it\nmerges with the western dialects.\n\nAlso, you seem to expect *あう based on こう, そう, and どう. However, I must take\nissue with こう and そう. The etymology of こう is kaku > kau > kɔː > koː, with a\nonce medial -k-. For そう, it is sau > sɔː > soː. These two do not share a\ncommon etymology, so you cannot draw any conclusions from this alone for a ああ\nvs. あう. Besides, if it were あう, this would have regularly developed into au >\nɔː > oː (おう).\n\nAs explained above, I think the question is based on a false premise so it\ncannot be answered satisfactorily.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-26T06:15:01.010", "id": "4821", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-26T06:15:01.010", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4815", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 } ]

[ { "body": "These should work:\n\n * eastern Tokyo: 東京(の)東部 or 東東京 (like you mentioned)\n * northern Hokkaido: 北海道(の)北部 or 道北{どうほく} (and some people might even use 北北海道）\n\n## Notes:\n\n * The neat thing about Hokkaido terms is that one can often cut the name down to:\n\n> **道〜 (something)** if the context is fairly clear that one is talking about\n> Hokkaido. \n>\n>\n> For example:\n> [道産子{どさんこ}](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%A9%E3%81%95%E3%82%93%E3%81%93)\n> (someone who grew up in Hokkaido.)\n>", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-26T02:54:48.333", "id": "4820", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-28T17:32:23.560", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-28T17:32:23.560", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4819", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "While 東東京 is correct and is used relatively often....\n\nIn most cases you are better off the state the exact area you wish to talk\nabout.\n\nRemember Japanese people think in terms of Prefecture - City - Station - etc.\nIf you start talking too geographically you are likely to confuse them.\n\nMany Japanese exchange students in my city say they are confused when people\nuse absolute directions, despite the fact there is a huge land mark to the\nsouth.\n\nSo I would say use 東東京 if absolutely needed, but avoid it whenever possible.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-26T07:12:42.263", "id": "4822", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-26T16:32:59.110", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-26T16:32:59.110", "last_editor_user_id": "1129", "owner_user_id": "1129", "parent_id": "4819", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 } ]

[ { "body": "In this case, Verb＋ないうちに means something like: `while Verb hasn't happened\nyet...`\n\nIn this case, ならないうちに also goes with the context; namely, the verb that\nprecedes it (くつろぐ・to feel at home with someone.)\n\nSo it becomes: `while a Japanese person hasn't had a chance to feel at home\nyet with a stranger...` _or more naturally put_ : `before a Japanese person\nfeels at home with a stranger...`.\n\nFor your second question, I believe the writer is partly using the `、` here to\nbreak up the sentence in order to indicate the second major subject of the\nsentence (相手) in this case, _as well as to indicate that 相手の is not modifying\nthe following noun, as @Hyperworm suggests in the comments._", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-27T04:46:29.243", "id": "4825", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-27T05:53:44.477", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-27T05:53:44.477", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4824", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "うち means \"inside,\" \"between,\" \"while.\" In this example, it is about the\ntemporal span. As `まだ` suggests, it is assumed that at some temporal point,\nthe person will become relaxed (`くつろいだ気分になる`). Until then, there is a time\nspan, and that time span corresponds to `くつろいだ気分にならないうち` \"within the temporal\nspan where one has not become relaxed.\"\n\nAbout the punctuation in Japanese, it is true that a standard has not yet\nsettled, and where to put them largely depends on the person, but in this\ncase, the writer put the punctuation to disambiguate the sentence. Without it,\nthere are at least two possibilities as for the modifee of `相手の`. That is\n`相手の年齢や地位` or `相手の...事柄`. By putting the punctuation, you can tell that\n`年齢や地位...事柄` is a unit to which `相手の` attaches and modify, which would mean\nthat `相手の` is modifying `事柄` rather than `年齢や地位`.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-27T05:04:49.727", "id": "4826", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-27T16:41:00.267", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-27T16:41:00.267", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4824", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "Crocodiles are [ambush\npredators](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambush_predator); they hide mostly\ninside water and wait for prey to come within striking distance as a means of\npredation. By analogy to this, men who wait for women in mixed-bathing hot\nsprings are called ワニ.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-27T12:34:06.180", "id": "4829", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-27T12:34:06.180", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "4828", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "I think that modern common sense would assume that men at kon'yoku who wait\nfor women to come would be similar to the crocodile who quietly waits for\ntheir prey. However, while easily understandable, think that is folk\netymology.\n\nThe term is used outside of hot springs as well. Also, you need to remember\nthat crocodiles originally did not originally habitat Japan. The term wani\noriginally referred to another creature, generally thought to be a type of\nshark.\n\nEarly citations for this usage may be found from the early 18th century. It\nseems that it is an analogy to these ferocious shark predators.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-27T13:39:58.500", "id": "4830", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-27T13:39:58.500", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4828", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 } ]

[ { "body": "\"no\" performs its role as a genitive case particle.\n\nThis structure may appear more familiar/recognizable:\n\n> これが私たちのprecious heartbeat(だ)\n\n(the fact that there is no copula superficially doesn't necessarily mean that\nthere is no copula)\n\n\"私たちのこれがprecious heartbeat\" is one of the possible orders. The possessor can\nshift (in a relatively non-complex sentence) and maintain the same meaning.\n\nIt is `これが`+[`私たち`+`の`+`precious heartbeat`]+(`だ`) then the modifier noun\n`私たち` shifts to the front without changing its relation to the modified noun\n`precious heartbeat`. It is still underlyingly `[私たちのprecious heartbeat]`.\n\n* * *\n\nGenitive Case: It is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying\nanother noun. A genitive construction involves two nouns - the head (modified)\nnoun and the modifier noun. The modifier noun modifies the head noun by\nexpressing some property of it.", "comment_count": 11, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-27T14:19:25.313", "id": "4832", "last_activity_date": "2012-08-07T06:02:39.710", "last_edit_date": "2012-08-07T06:02:39.710", "last_editor_user_id": "542", "owner_user_id": "542", "parent_id": "4831", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "The particle が can also act as の.\n\nFor example: 我{わ}が国{くに} (\"my country\") can also be written as わたしの国. (cf.\n[example source](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%88%91%E3%81%8C%E5%9B%BD))\n\nSo, in the example sentence from the lyrics posted, it could potentially also\nbe written like this:\n\n```\n\n わたしたちのこれのprecious heartbeat.\n \n```\n\nBut for something artistic, variety might look better than repetition. I see\nthis が usage most often in poetry or lyrics.\n\nThe が here could be being used to place emphasis on the \"THIS is our precious\nheartbeat\" part, as well.\n\n_Note for the anonymous downvoters:_ just a reminder that song lyrics (as well\nas poetry,) can often be wide open to interpretation. Unless one talks to the\nsong writer to get the original intent behind a line in a song, lyrical\ninterpretation is mostly speculation. Even when the original meaning is found\nout from an author, there still may be more ways to read a line than the\nauthor intended.", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-27T16:13:33.777", "id": "4834", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-27T18:52:02.267", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-27T18:52:02.267", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4831", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "For some reason I don't seem to be able to comment on Flaw's non-answer, so\nI'm writing my own non-answer in response.\n\n\"There is nothing special going on here. \"no\" performs its role as a genitive\ncase particle.\n\nGenitive Case: It is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying\nanother noun. A genitive construction involves two nouns - the head (modified)\nnoun and the modifier noun. The modifier noun modifies the head noun by\nexpressing some property of it.\"\n\n...yes, my entire analysis (and confusion) was based on the fact that\n\"watashitachi no\" was indeed a genitive phrase. As stated, my question was how\nthis genitive phrase ended up at the beginning of the sentence, separated from\nthe nominal it modifies - \"precious heartbeat\" - by the subject of the clause.\nYou seem to indicate in a comment that this is possible (without assuming that\nit was topicialized, as I wondered about). If you could explain the rules\ngoverning such movement in Japanese, that would answer the question I asked.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-28T04:14:56.350", "id": "4840", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-28T04:14:56.350", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1194", "parent_id": "4831", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

[ { "body": "* `～てください` comes from the appending the verb `くださる` in imperative form. But because `くださる` is considered a polite verb (meaning \"give to me\"), its imperative is not felt as a direct command but a request. It is used when the speaker feels socially lower than the listener. (Asking for someone to do something for you especially if it's not expected of him places you \"in debt\" to the person, making you feel lower with respect to him)\n\n * `～てくれ` comes from appending the auxiliary verb `くれる` in imperative. `～てくれる` means \"to do for me\". `～てくれ` would be a command to ask someone to do something for you. It is rather neutral and can be used among peers of relatively equal standing.\n\n * `～て` comes from elision of the auxiliary verb that commands. As with many cases of elision, it is informal. It can be used among peers of relatively equal standing and has feminine undertones.\n\n * `～なさい` comes from the imperative form of the verb `なさる` which means \"to do\". It can be used when the speaker feels socially higher than the listener. (And the conjugation is 止めなさい or `Verb-masu + なさい`)\n\n * **Contributed by Chocolate:** `～とけ` is a contracted form of `～ておけ` (て+お→と). It sounds more colloquial. `～ておけ` is the imperative of `～ておく` which means to do and leave it as it is.\n\n * `～ろ`(or よ) is just `ろ`(or よ) appended to the plain imperative form (止め). It is not particularly polite. It is direct though. Used when the situation does not call for politeness or it's more important to be quick and direct than to be polite.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-28T04:29:56.420", "id": "4841", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-28T08:34:35.007", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-28T08:34:35.007", "last_editor_user_id": "542", "owner_user_id": "542", "parent_id": "4839", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 }, { "body": "I have some opposing opinions from what Flaw said, so I'll just give it here\nas a separate answer and let the voters decide if it's justified. There's\nhopefully some truth in both answers.\n\nFirst, it is my understanding that ～ろ is simply not used unless you\nessentially want to bark at someone.\n\n～なさい would be used not when you're \"socially higher\", but when you want to put\nyourself higher than the listener because you think you know better. Thus it\nwould be quite impolite to use when talking to other adults, but it's common\nfor commanding children.\n\n～て is informal as Flaw says, and ～てください essentially becomes \"please do ..\".\nHence the first is ok among friends or when you're talking to someone socially\nlower than you, and the second is more appropriate when talking to strangers\nor aquaintances (note that they don't have to be socially higher than you, but\nif they are, the second is more appropriate).\n\nI'm not sure about ～てくれ more than that it comes from くれる as Flaw points out.\nHere I'd just like to say that requests are often better made in the form of a\nquestion. (would you (please) do .. (for me)?) One way to do so would be\n~てくれませんか, although this one is best used among somewhat socially equal parts.\nIf you're talking to your boss or some such, it would be more appropriate to\nuse ~ていただけませんか. I'm sure there's even more polite ways to make requests, but\nnone that I am aware of at this point. And if you want to ask a close friend\nto do something for you, something like ~てくれない？ may be the way to go.\n\nI hope I gave accurate descriptions, I think it's really difficult to think\nabout these things as \"this one is used in this situation\". It's probably\nbetter to understand the \"feel\" of the different words/phrases (there's a word\nfor that, I'll edit as soon as I find it.. connotation?) and go from there.\nThen of course the one thing holds true no matter how you form your\nrequest/command is that informal speach patterns is best used among friends or\nsocially lower aquaintances. For example, a waiter may be socially lower than\nyou, but it's probably still appropriate to ask for help with the cooking at\nthe table using ~てくれませんか.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-28T10:02:02.507", "id": "4842", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-28T10:02:02.507", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1173", "parent_id": "4839", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

[ { "body": "[http://jisho.org/words?jap=%E3%82%88%E3%81%93&eng=&dict=edict](http://jisho.org/words?jap=%E3%82%88%E3%81%93&eng=&dict=edict)\n\n 1. horizontal (as opposed to vertical); lying down;\n 2. side-to-side (as opposed to front-to-back); width; breadth;\n 3. side (of a box, etc.);\n 4. beside; aside; next to;\n 5. unconnected\n\nMaybe? Where did you hear the word? Sure it's not yooko or some such?", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-28T13:09:02.917", "id": "4844", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-28T13:09:02.917", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1173", "parent_id": "4843", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Yoko (横) is a fairly generic term meaning \"side\".\n\nHowever, there are some less common, negative meanings associated with this\nword meaning \"wrong\", \"invalid\", \"illogical\", and \"disorder\". It also has a\nsense in which a prostitute to leave a client in secret to meet another man\n(\"yoko ni iku\"). And of course there are negative terms derived from this as\nwell such as yokoshima meaning \"evil\" or \"wicked\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-28T13:37:26.537", "id": "4845", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-28T13:43:32.037", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-28T13:43:32.037", "last_editor_user_id": "1141", "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4843", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 } ]

[ { "body": "[Some](http://yokkunfund.blogspot.com/)\n[people](http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%84%E3%82%89%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8D%E3%82%83%E6%90%8D%E3%81%8B%E3%82%82%EF%BC%81%EF%BC%9F%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%EF%BD%97/lm/RQI27Y1LJCT9)\n[do](http://togetter.com/li/259110) use nouns after やらなきゃ.\n\n> For example, something like: やらなきゃ詐欺{さぎ}だ. i.e. _\"it is necessary fraud\"_ \n> (or, _\"it is fraud that I have to do\"_.)\n\nBut if anything, I normally see something like 〜いけない come after something like\nやらなきゃ. (And then, after 〜いけない placing a noun, or perhaps, a clause.)\n\n> Example: 〜やらなきゃいけないこと \n>\n>\n> or: 〜やらなきゃならないこと\n\nFor clarity, in this case, I would suggest using something like the full\nやらなきゃいけない〜 line.\n\nBy itself, the やらなきゃ seems to sound like: \"gotta do\" (something). I don't\nthink it has to do with the \"unless\" in this case, though the translated\nnuance is 微妙 and I could be wrong.\n\nIf one was using something like 〜しないと it would be more like an _\"unless (I do\nsomething... it's gonna be bad!)\"_ type of thing.\n\nGenerally, with modern Japanese (at least,) it's often easier just to use set\nforms of phrases and clause combinations... so that people better know what\none is trying to say.", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-28T16:17:17.820", "id": "4847", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-29T00:50:31.493", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-29T00:50:31.493", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4846", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "No you cannot. `やらなきゃ時` and `やらなくちゃ時` are ungrammatical. `やらなきゃ` or `やらなくちゃ`\ncannot be used as a relative clause (or attributively).", "comment_count": 13, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-28T18:25:07.633", "id": "4850", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-28T18:25:07.633", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4846", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Both やらなきゃ and やらなくちゃ are colloquial contractions of やらなければ \"If does not do\".\n\nAll of the above 3 can be short for やらなければいけない/ならない \"have to do\" when used\nsentence-finally, but not when used in an appositive/relative clause.\n\n> × やらなきゃこと \n> × やらなきゃとき\n\nThere are cases where やらなきゃ and やらなくちゃ happen to be followed by a noun, but in\nthese cases they're conditional clauses, not appositive/relative clauses. I.e.\nthey're versions of やらなければ, but **not** やらなければいけない/ならない.\n\n> やらなきゃ損だ If you don't do it, it's a loss.\n\nAs a final FYI, in slang/colloquial speak, you sometimes hear やらなければいけない/ならない\nshortened to やらなきゃだ in clause-final positions, expecially when combined with\nclause-ending or sentence-ending particles\n\n> ? もう行かなきゃだよ You should go already \n> ? もう行かなきゃだし、出るか！ We have to go so... let's get out of here!", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-29T03:44:56.163", "id": "4855", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-29T06:42:44.937", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-29T06:42:44.937", "last_editor_user_id": "1073", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4846", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "I hear ありたい used when it is more of a long term desire:\n\n> i.e. \"I want to be a kind person.\"\n\nI hear ほしい used when it is more of a short term desire:\n\n> i.e. \"I want an ice cream cone.\"\n\nEdit:\n\nAs far as your question goes about how the two sentences differ, I still think\nthat you'd want to use ありたい for something that is more of a long term desire\n(i.e. something one wants to become.) Otherwise, it sounds (to me, at least,)\nthat you only want to be beautiful on the inside... but just for the moment.\n\nEdit Two:\n\nFor double-checking your translation, we could try breaking up the sentence\nlike this:\n\n> 心がいつも美しくありたいです ↓ \n> \n> ありたいです (want to be) \n> \n> 美しくありたいです (want to be beautiful) \n> \n> いつも美しくありたいです (want to be always beautiful) \n> \n> 心がいつも美しくありたいです (Would that my heart be always beautiful.)", "comment_count": 11, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-28T18:25:06.833", "id": "4849", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-28T22:25:35.280", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-28T22:25:35.280", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4848", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "* `たい` is used when the expected change is on the subject or it is about the subject's action.\n\n> お菓子を食べたい \n> 'I want to eat some/the snack.'\n\n * `ほしい` is used when it is about something other than the subject.\n\n> お菓子を食べてほしい \n> 'I want someone to eat some/the snack.'\n\nYour second sentence is ungrammatical because `心` is the object. It should be:\n\n> 心をいつも美しくして欲しいです\n\nBut this sentence cannot be interpreted as describing your own mind. It has to\nmean the mind of someone else. The same thing can be said about your third\nsentence.\n\nA possible rewrite of the first example is:\n\n> 心がいつも美しくなりたいです", "comment_count": 10, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-28T18:47:56.950", "id": "4851", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-28T18:55:29.653", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-28T18:55:29.653", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4848", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "I've seen both of those (first two) sentences used, before. As long as you are\nimplying the (私は・私も, etc.) they should be alright.\n\nAs far as your other forms go:\n\n> 長い髪が欲しい -- is fine \n> 美しい心の持ち主でありたい -- is fine \n> \n> (though I often think of _shop owners_ , for some reason, when I think of\n> **持ち主**. It might be related to how 持ち主 has some synonyms like: 店主、経営者、and\n> オーナー.) \n> \n> It almost seems like 持ち主 is used, sometimes, in a _sarcastic_ type of way,\n> as well. For example: \"This person is _the proud owner_ of a pretty pair of\n> eyes.\"\n\nYou could always [check out a thesaurus entry on\n持ち主](http://thesaurus.weblio.jp/content/%E6%8C%81%E3%81%A1%E4%B8%BB), if\ndesired.\n\nBut still, you may also just want to leave the sentence _as is_ (from the\nfirst, earlier usage...) unless you are working in the context of literature,\nor something... where you often want to break out of \"regular\" or \"overused\"\nphrases.\n\n**Edit (for your \"Edit after seeing answers\"):** \n \n「私は鼻が高くなりたい」is an interesting phrase... because it normally [can mean\nmore](http://ejje.weblio.jp/content/%E9%BC%BB%E3%81%8C%E9%AB%98%E3%81%84) than\njust one wanting one's (physical) nose to be \"tall\". 鼻が高い actually can also\nmean something like \"(to be) proud\". So in general, it would seem the\ntranslation might (more likely,) be:\n\n> 「私は鼻が高くなりたい」 _I want to be proud (of something/someone.)_ \n> 「私は(鼻が高)い」 _I am proud (of something/someone.)_\n\nAlthough, if it was clear that this was about one's physical nose, that\nmeaning is still ([however accurately](http://ameblo.jp/beauty-\ncosme-k/page-2.html),) possible.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-29T01:52:51.143", "id": "4853", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-02T06:42:24.660", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-02T06:42:24.660", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4852", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "There is a difference among the first two examples you give. `髪が長くなりたい` sounds\nmore unnatural than `心が美しくありたい`. The latter sounds perfectly okay.\n\nI think what is relevant here are the notions that are technically known as\n_stage level_ predicates vs. _individual level_ predicates, or in other words,\n_alienable_ property vs. _inalienable_ property. To say it in less technical\nterms, the point is whether the predicate is expressing a temporary property\nof the subject or a permanent property. `髪が長い` \"the hair is long\" is a\ntemporary property. The length of the hair can easily change by growing or\ncutting. On the other hand, `心が美しい` \"have a clear/beautiful mind\" is a\npermanent property. The clearness/beauty of someone's mind is a rather stable\nproperty, and is hard to change. I don't have a full analysis, but my hunch is\nthat you can use this construction for individual level (permanent property)\npredicates whereas using this construction with stage level (temporary\nproperty) predicates makes it ungrammatical. Depending on the context and on\nthe fact of the real world, one predicate can change among stage/individual,\nand so the grammaticality of the sentence can change accordingly. And\ndifferent predicates have different degrees of how likely it can be\ninterpreted as one or the other, so there can be a continuum of\ngrammaticality. I list the following examples. The higher in the list, is more\nlikely to be stage level, and the construction sounds ungrammatical.\n\n> 目が点になりたい, 手の甲がひび割れになりたい ↑ ungrammatical \n> 髪が長くなりたい, 爪が長くなりたい \n> 爪が紫色になりたい \n> 心が美しくありたい \n> 鼻が高くなりたい, 目が青くなりたい, 足が長くなりたい, 髪がちぢれ毛になりたい ↓ grammatical\n\nRegarding your sentences:\n\n> 長い髪が欲しい \n> 美しい心の持ち主でありたい\n\nthey are not completely ungrammatical nowadays, but are still somewhat\nunnatural. They are much too nominalized. Probably it is only after the\nmodernism of Japan that Japanese started to allow these kind of sentences\nunder the influence of Western languages, particularly English.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-29T03:17:38.393", "id": "4854", "last_activity_date": "2019-09-09T13:33:37.413", "last_edit_date": "2019-09-09T13:33:37.413", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4852", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "It has nothing to do with flying. Tondemonai derives from an older todemonai.\nSome speculate that the initial to is to be identified as 途 (to, \"road\").\nWhile you may want to further break it into to demo nai, there is little\nevidence to support this so you should treat it as a single word. That being\nsaid, modern re-analysis of the final nai into a separate morpheme is quite\ncommon resulting in tondemo arimasen, a supposedly more polite form.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-29T07:52:35.647", "id": "4857", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-29T08:22:28.917", "last_edit_date": "2012-02-29T08:22:28.917", "last_editor_user_id": "1141", "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4856", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Rough extraction/translation from <http://gogen-\nallguide.com/to/tondemonai.html>:\n\nOriginally from 途{と}でもない, 途{と} meaning \"way\", \"road\", \"path\". Combined with\nadjective 無{な}い, this becomes 途{と}でもない \"off the path\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-29T08:02:11.767", "id": "4858", "last_activity_date": "2014-06-17T19:41:16.197", "last_edit_date": "2014-06-17T19:41:16.197", "last_editor_user_id": "5229", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4856", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 } ]

[ { "body": "A tatakidai is quite literally a raised platform (台) that is hit / beat (叩く).\nUsually it is used by retailers who beat it in an attempt to attract customers\nwhile they shout out gradually reducing prices. Hence there is a sense of sale\nassociated with it.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-02-29T11:26:46.083", "id": "4860", "last_activity_date": "2012-02-29T11:26:46.083", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4859", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "There are a lot of meanings related to たたき台 (as noted by the comments and\nposts above.)\n\nIn one case (from your picture posted above,) たたき台 actually means something\nlike **\"a pounding stand\"** for baseball gloves. (Along with a たたき台, there is\nalso another tool used when pounding baseball gloves like this, called a たたき棒;\nthe actual glove-hitting tool.)\n\nWhen you buy a typical baseball glove, it is usually made out of some sort of\nleather. Leather usually requires some sort of maintenance from time to time\n(and especially before a glove, in this case, is first used.)\n\nOne type of glove maintenance is the art of _\"creating a pocket\"_ so that a\nbaseball fielder can more-easily catch a fly-ball... or field a ground ball...\nduring a game of baseball.\n\nThe following (commercial) website describes what the process of _\"creating a\npocket\" can_ look like: \n<http://bba.co.jp/kakou-teire_shinka.html> **_(see step 7)_**", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T00:47:11.833", "id": "4861", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-01T00:53:31.483", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-01T00:53:31.483", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4859", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

[ { "body": "It is pronounced ikkasho (いっかしょ).", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T08:26:46.317", "id": "4863", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-01T08:26:46.317", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4862", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "`さえ` is similar to `も` for many cases. It means \"even\".\n\n> どのような企業も1、創業期には全社員が昼食をとること **さえ 2**忘れてしまうほど3、忙しくフル回転していたものです。\n>\n> * Even(も1) for any enterprise in its establishment period all the workers\n> are so busy in full operation to the extent(ほど3) that they will forget\n> even(さえ2) to have lunch.\n>\n\nHowever there is a special thing that `さえ` does when used with a conditional\nclause. When in a conditional clause it expresses \"If only\", \"as long as\".\n\n> 私はお酒 **さえ** あれば、幸せです。\n>\n> * If only I have _sake_ , I am happy.\n>\n> * As long as I have _sake_ , I am happy.\n>\n>\n\n>\n> Do note that さえ with a conditional clause happens most with ば-conditional,\n> and less frequently with たら-conditional and なら-conditional, and never with\n> と-conditional.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T09:47:37.417", "id": "4866", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-01T09:47:37.417", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "542", "parent_id": "4864", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 }, { "body": "As @Flaw mentioned, `さえ` is similar to `も` meaning \"even\" (it can be combined\nwith other particles as well). However, it carries the nuance of referring to\na/the most \"basic\" or \"obvious\" thing in the context. Here are some examples:\n\n> * 先週の病気は本当に辛【つら】かった。水 **さえ** 飲めなかった。 → \"My illness last week was really\n> bad. I couldn't **even** drink water!\"\n> * When one is sick, you expect them not to be able to drink alcohol,\n> soda, etc. But water should be OK for most people. **Even water** , the most\n> basic thing was intolerable for this person.\n> * えりこは親友の花子 **にさえ** 知らせずに外国へ旅立った。 → \"Eriko left on a trip to a foreign\n> country without telling **even** her best friend Hanako.\"\n> * You'd expect her to not tell her co-workers, acquaintances, etc. But\n> best friends usually tell each other everything, and she didn't tell\n> **even** her.\n> * 山の上には夏 **でさえ** 雪が残っている。 → \" **Even** if it's summer, there is snow left\n> on the top of the mountain.\"\n> * You expect snow to be on top of a mountain in winter, and some\n> leftover in the spring. But usually by summer it's all gone, but for this\n> mountain the snow remains **even** then.\n>", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T16:18:18.603", "id": "4870", "last_activity_date": "2020-10-05T00:10:55.750", "last_edit_date": "2020-10-05T00:10:55.750", "last_editor_user_id": "78", "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "4864", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Adding to the other answers, I believe that `どの～も` can also be translated to\nbe \"no matter (what/who etc)...\", for example:\n\n> **どのような** 企業 **も** 、創業期には全社員が昼食をとること **さえ** 忘れてしまう **ほど** 、忙しくフル回転していたものです。\n>\n> **No matter what the form** of [business/enterprise], in the [founding\n> period/start-up period] all of the employees are of a fired-on-all-cylinders\n> busyness **even to the [point/extent]** of forgetting to have lunch.\n\n[Space ALC defines](http://eow.alc.co.jp/%E3%81%A9%E3%81%AE+%E3%82%82/UTF-8/)\n`どの～も` as:\n\n> any and every (an emphasized expression of \"any\")", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-05T22:59:38.910", "id": "4920", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-06T00:03:29.887", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "4864", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "Same as in the previous answer, but this time with a different counter:\nikkajō. This one is well known and should be searchable in a number of history\nbooks. Or you could try a dictionary as well:\n<http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/132721/m6u/%E5%8D%81%E4%B8%80/>", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T10:03:33.417", "id": "4867", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-01T10:03:33.417", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4865", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "Some times, the correct form/reading is not settled, just like there are two\nforms `got` and `gotten` for the English past participle. In careful slow\nspeech, it is いちかじょう. In casual ordinary speech, it is いっかじょう.\n\nThe source you cited mixed these forms into an ungrammatical form. In your\nparticular example, you should be able to tell it is wrong because (i)\ni-epenthesis: \"it-kasho\" → \"itikasho\" and (ii) gemination: \"it-kasho\" →\n\"ikkasho\" are independent strategies to repair a phonological sequence \"tk\"\nthat is not allowed in Japanese, and there is no reason to apply both.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T16:10:12.790", "id": "4869", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-01T16:15:21.410", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-01T16:15:21.410", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4865", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

[ { "body": "In this case, なす appears to translate to something like \"made\" or \"like\" (as\nin, \"made-green\" or \"like-green\" in regards to the growth of foliage.) 緑なす can\nalso relate to one having glossy, dark hair.\n\nBut I would suggest that なす preceded with a color does not always equate to\nthis type of usage. 緑 seems to be special as it relates to natural colors or\nfoliage (see second definition on [this dictionary\nentry](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E7%B7%91).)\n\nIn regard to the actual use of なす here, it may historically be a remnant from\npoetic usage. See [this possible\nexplanation](http://cgi21.plala.or.jp/mizuhote/oshietebbs/oshiete.cgi?pastlog=0002&no=636&act=past&mode=allread)\n(No.640) for more information (though this is only, evidently, speculation.)\n\nAlthough it's not preceded by a color, this possible explanation cites a use\nof なす in a particular poetic verse by\n[加藤楸邨{かとうしゅうそん}](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8A%A0%E8%97%A4%E6%A5%B8%E9%82%A8)\n([reference](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E7%81%AF%E3%82%92%E6%B6%88%E3%81%99%E3%82%84%E3%81%93%E3%81%93%E3%82%8D%E5%B4%96%E3%81%AA%E3%81%99%E6%9C%88%E3%81%AE%E5%89%8D)):\n\n> 灯を消すやこころ崖なす月の前", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T19:25:44.087", "id": "4871", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-02T02:05:25.167", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-02T02:05:25.167", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4868", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "nasu is a suffix that is attached to nouns and means \"like\" or \"similar to\".\nSome of these phrases are more common than others such as 山なす大波 \"a mountain-\nlike large wave\".\n\nBut in this case, \"midori nasu\" is a common phrase meaning for trees and\nplants to grow in abundance. So it is a peninsula rich in plant life.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T22:45:06.407", "id": "4876", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-01T22:45:06.407", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4868", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "Since they are clipped, I can only guess.\n\n * The First line is probably `渋谷道玄坂に`, with the first character clipped. Means \"at Shibuya Doogenzaka\". It's a place known for young people gathering.\n\n * The second line is clipped, and I can only reconstruct `の快楽探し` part. I don't know what was clipped off on the left side. On the right side, `し` is probably clipped. It means \"finding pleasure of ...\" (... part is clipped).\n\n * There is something between V and C, but I cannot tell. The three characters I can recognize are `ル`, `メ`, and `素`.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T21:53:48.277", "id": "4873", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-01T21:53:48.277", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4872", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "> Hello. Are you fine? Thank you for your e-mail. Here everyone is ok. Since\n> Person's contact information is private information, we cannot tell you\n> that, but we can e-mail Ephismen's contact information (to Person). Shall we\n> e-mail to Person?\n\nYou got the message correctly overall (except that it does not explicitly say\nPerson does not study there anymore, but probably that is the case).", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-01T22:02:25.130", "id": "4875", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-01T22:02:25.130", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4874", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 } ]

[ { "body": "Naming a library for something related to computer programming?\n\nAccording to [Weblio辞書](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E8%AB%B8%E5%85%83), yes,\n諸元 can be used for \"spec\" (as in a language specification, etc.)\n\nIn other cases, 諸元 can be used about data for a particular item (the various\nparts or factors that make up an item, for example.)\n\nAs you know, words can have various meanings depending on the context; and it\ndoesn't hurt to check. :)", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-02T04:54:10.993", "id": "4878", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-02T04:54:10.993", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4877", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "> ピンチ\n\nA pinch/crisis, noun.\n\n> ピンチの時\n\n_At the time of_ a pinch crisi. If ピンチ was a な-adjective, then you would say\nな時 instead, but since it's a noun, you must say の時.\n\n> アナタがピンチの時\n\nSubject introduced, _At the time of_ **your** pinch/crisis, or to make a\nsmoother (slightly off) translation; When you are in a crisis. The whole\nclause before the は is still a noun phrase though, so that there's no verb or\ncopula is ok.\n\nSorry for the dumb answer at first, I think I got it right after this edit. ;)", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-02T08:20:41.937", "id": "4880", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-02T08:42:30.240", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-02T08:42:30.240", "last_editor_user_id": "1173", "owner_user_id": "1173", "parent_id": "4879", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "The most straightforward way to analyze this is to regard の as a 連体形{れんたいけい}\nform of copula, which only comes after nouns (and の-adjectives).\n\n> あなたがピンチだ you're in a pinch \n> あなたがピンチの時 when you're in a pinch\n>\n> 明日は雨だ tomorrow it will rain \n> 明日が雨の場合 if it rains tomorrow", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-05T01:01:08.923", "id": "4914", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-05T01:01:08.923", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4879", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "Easy one:\n\nIt does not look like a relative clause, because **it is not a relative\nclause** (in Japanese nor in English). If you really must give it a\ngrammatical label, it is a _[subordinate\nclause](http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/subordinateclause.htm)_ linked to the\nmain clause by the [subordinate\nconjunction](http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/subordinateconjunction.htm)\n\"when\".\n\nAs long as you don't try to make this a construct that it is not, I think it\nis fairly straightforward to understand:\n\n> あなたがピンチ の時は...\n>\n> [When/In times where] you are in a pinch, [main clause]", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-05T02:53:38.660", "id": "4915", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-05T02:53:38.660", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "290", "parent_id": "4879", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

[ { "body": "I can only offer this:\n\n * レズビアンの男役 literally meaning \"male role\" in a lesbian pair\n\nI suppose we could synthesise レズビアンの女役 for the \"female role\" but I'm not sure\nif 女役 is a recognized compound. Either that or レズビアン is by default referring\nto the female role, and the male role has to be specified. (I am entirely\nunsure on this so it'll be good if someone could confirm this)\n\nAlternatively:\n\n * ダイク\n\n * フェム/ファム", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-02T09:33:44.933", "id": "4882", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-02T09:33:44.933", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "542", "parent_id": "4881", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I haven't talked to my lesbian friend in a long time, but I'll offer some\nwords from my memory and from \"Japanese Street Slang,\" by Peter Constantine.\n\nレズ - This corresponds to the English dyke, or lesbian. I think it has more of\na \"dyke\" butch feel to it than just plain old lesbian.\n\nおたち - \"The Japanese equivalent of 'bull dyke', used in lesbian circles, and\noriginally deriving from a term from Kabuki theater たちやく, which designates the\nsturdy, masculine role\".\n\nねこ、ねんね - \"Cat\" and \"Girly\", both derived from homosexual male street slang,\nmeaning passive homosexuals or femme lesbians. (last two answers paraphrased\nfrom \"Japanese Street Slang\")\n\nI am not familiar with the proper spelling or usage of the last three words,\nso any other information provided would be appreciated.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-03T03:15:30.853", "id": "4888", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-03T03:15:30.853", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "706", "parent_id": "4881", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 } ]

[ { "body": "I am not sure if the person that corrected your sentence understands Japanese\nenough, or understands your intention. Your original sentence means:\n\n> Today, I will read a warning in my friend's car, and do a Japanese to\n> English translation (of it).\n\nThe modified sentence means:\n\n> Today, I will do a Japanese to English translation of the\n> portion/chapter/section/etc. titled \"warning\" that I read inside my friend's\n> car.\n\nA natural translation for `ところ` in this case is \"portion\" (some place within a\ntext).", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-02T13:46:44.117", "id": "4884", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-02T13:46:44.117", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4883", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "In this case, (という)ところ just refers to the place (or \"part\") of _what is going\nto try to be translated_ by the speaker of that subject.\n\nという can be used almost anywhere:\n\n> Xという人 -- An X type of person. -or- A person called X. \n> Xということ -- An X type of thing.\n\nIn English, という is **kind of like** using (the somewhat dated phrase) \"so-\ncalled\" along with quote marks `\"\"` around something that is being referred\nto, like this:\n\n> The _so-called_ \"problem\" ...\n\n(Though it can be more accurate to use といわれる (or いわゆる,) here, for an actual\n\"so-called\" translation.)\n\nFor という, however, most people would probably use _\"what you call\"_ , like\nthis:\n\n> (It's,) _what you call_ , the \"problem\" ...", "comment_count": 10, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-02T18:30:34.440", "id": "4885", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-05T03:51:38.570", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-05T03:51:38.570", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4883", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "[An explanation of\nというところ。](http://books.google.com/books?id=qY4y4ICziw8C&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=to%20iu%20tokoro&source=bl&ots=cDbba1tYzC&sig=-S8ozmrq5FGX0VrbUkhsIANhulY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WZxST-\nGJAaeIsgLz5ujvBQ&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=to%20iu%20tokoro&f=false)\n\nIt's in section 2.4.9 on page 15 and 16. I found it interesting that someone\ncan use というところ when talking about unfamiliar topic or the topic is being\nbroached or described in an unusual way.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-03T23:10:59.870", "id": "4910", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-03T23:10:59.870", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "769", "parent_id": "4883", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "I'm guessing it derives from `通{つう}ずる` (literary form `通{つう}ず` [according to\nDaijisen](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E9%80%9A%E3%81%9A%E3%82%8B&dtype=0&dname=0na&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=12293000)),\nwhich is classified by edict as a \"zuru verb alternative form of -jiru verbs\"\n(an alternative form of `通{つう}じる`).", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-03T07:19:26.470", "id": "4890", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-03T07:19:26.470", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "4889", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "通ず comes from the verb 通ずる _(to lead to)_. In this case, ず is used as another\nway to conjugate the 〜する/〜ずる verb.\n\nReferences:\n\n * **[About henkaku doushi/irregular verbs](http://www.imabijapaneselearningcenter.com/lesson16.htm)** ( _Near the bottom of this page, the writer suggests that ずる is related more to classical Japanese, as you were suspecting._ )\n * ( **[サ行変格活用動詞](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B5%E8%A1%8C%E5%A4%89%E6%A0%BC%E6%B4%BB%E7%94%A8)** ・サぎょうへんかくかつようどうし _general reference_ )\n\n**In answer to your question:**\n\n> Noun + ずる verbs can also be written as Noun + ず.\n\nHere are just a few examples [based off of this\npost](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1464126419) by\nurutorasenpaiさん where this ず can commonly be seen:\n\n * 案{あん}ずる -> 案{あん}ず \n * 感{かん}ずる -> 感{かん}ず\n * 弾{だん}ずる -> 弾{だん}ず\n\nSeeing that 〜ず, in this case, seems to happen most often in ことわざ or classical\nJapanese would seem to indicate that this is possibly more of a poetic,\nstylistic conjugation and use of the verb. It helps with fitting verbs into a\nsmaller amount of syllables, as well.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-03T07:53:28.500", "id": "4891", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-03T09:18:31.953", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-03T09:18:31.953", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4889", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "It means \"just like this\", \"just as you see\". Probably the governor was bowing\nor something to show the act of begging, and wanted to show how serious he/she\nwas. The nuance would be something like \"Please look at me. I am begging\nseriously just like this.\"", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-04T04:48:27.223", "id": "4912", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-04T04:48:27.223", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4911", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "As @sawa answered earlier, it means _\"like this\"_ or _\"in this way\"_.\n\nFor future reference, 〜通り{どおり} can also be used in many places:\n\n * 教科書通り{きょうかしょどおり} -> by the book\n * 憲法通り{けんぽうどおり} -> by the constitution\n * 規則通り{きそくどおり} -> by the rules", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-04T07:07:36.473", "id": "4913", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-04T07:13:15.093", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-04T07:13:15.093", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4911", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "この通りでございます。この通りです。お許しください。許してください。 「この通り」means I beg you.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-16T16:40:08.983", "id": "5031", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-16T16:40:08.983", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1244", "parent_id": "4911", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

[ { "body": "\"Japanese Core Words and Phrases\" by Kakuko Shoji has a little bit about\n~が早いか. The book contrasts it with ~たと思ったら instead of with ~や否や, saying that\n\"the focus here is on what actually happened rather than on what the speaker\nperceived\". Unfortunately, the book doesn't have anything on ~や否や.\n\nLooking at the sample sentences for ~や否や on [this JLPT practice\nsite](http://www.tanos.co.uk/jlpt/skills/grammar/sentences/?grammarid=294),\nthe examples aren't necessarily consistent with the idea that in Aや否やB, the\ntwo events can be overlapping in time. For instance, the two events in the\nbelow example should be instantaneous:\n\n> その部屋に入るやいなや彼らは話をやめた。 \n> The minute I entered the room, they stopped talking.\n\nThe description on [this grammar\nsite](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/close_actions.html) suggests the two are\nessentially the same.\n\n[This Chiebukuro\nanswer](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1132796656)\nsuggests the same thing, but adds that ~や否や has the additional meaning ~かどうか,\nand clearly cannot in this capacity be substituted with ~が早いか.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-06T03:52:03.643", "id": "4923", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-06T03:52:03.643", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "816", "parent_id": "4916", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "Any movie will still use ひとり、ふたり, etc. Why? Because anything with human-like\ntraits (including humans) will use ひとり、ふたり、etc. However, there is an\nexception, for example in a movie where humans are the \"prey\", 匹 will be used,\nbecause in those situations you are starting to treat humans like other\nanimals (二匹捕まえたぞ!)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-07T06:38:33.290", "id": "4943", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-07T06:38:33.290", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1217", "parent_id": "4917", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

[ { "body": "The kanji script that you see in the first (rightmost) line of your picture,\nas well as in the seal at the bottom left is called 篆書体【てんしょたい】.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-05T15:00:35.983", "id": "4919", "last_activity_date": "2015-10-12T14:59:52.450", "last_edit_date": "2015-10-12T14:59:52.450", "last_editor_user_id": "3437", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4918", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "It is 篆書 ( _Mandarin_ //tʂʷan ʂu//), and more precisely it is 小篆 ( _Mandarin_\n//ɕʲɑu tʂʷan//).\n\n * 篆 means write, seal\n * 書 means write/writing, books etc.\n * 小 means tiny, small.\n\nThere exists another kind of 篆書 is called 大篆 (大 \"big, huge\"). The Chinese\nwritten in the top-right corner are 枝頭覓春.\n\n * 枝 branch, twig\n * 頭 head, top\n * 覓 find, search, seek, get\n * 春 spring (the season)\n\nToday 篆書 is no longer used in daily hand writing but in artworks only, for\nexample calligraphy pieces or paintings. But about two thousands years ago, it\nwas used in formal writing and government documents but not just artworks. (It\nwas formalized by the first great empire of China.)\n\n(Ha, I am a native Chinese speaker and I don't know much about Japanese\nlanguage. I hope my answer can help you. Just tell me if I can bring you more\ninfos.)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2015-10-12T14:57:44.157", "id": "28634", "last_activity_date": "2015-10-12T15:45:43.933", "last_edit_date": "2015-10-12T15:45:43.933", "last_editor_user_id": "1628", "owner_user_id": "11422", "parent_id": "4918", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "I think it means:\n\n> \"Yeah, I finish(ed) [work/my job/the job] earlier than (I) expected.\"\n\n`思った **より** 早く` = [\"earli **er than** one\nexpected\"](http://eow.alc.co.jp/%E6%80%9D%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E3%82%88%E3%82%8A%E6%97%A9%E3%81%8F/UTF-8/)\nor \" **more** early **than** one expected\"\n\nSee also\n[`思ったより`](http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E6%80%9D%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E3%82%88%E3%82%8A)\nat Space ALC for more examples.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-06T01:54:56.020", "id": "4922", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-06T02:58:25.550", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-06T02:58:25.550", "last_editor_user_id": "796", "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "4921", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "\"A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar\" seems to indicate that the way the\nverb 思う combines with より is an exception:\n\n> Either a noun phrase or a sentence precedes yori. When verbs precede yori,\n> they are usually nonpast. However, there are a few cases where past tense\n> verbs are used, as in その試験は思ったよりやさしかった。 (The exam was easier than I\n> thought.)", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-06T04:07:03.927", "id": "4924", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-06T04:07:03.927", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "902", "parent_id": "4921", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "In newspapers, omission is extreme. The case particles `を` and `が` are\nrespectively omitted. Normally, it would be as follows:\n\n> 女子高生に唾液 **を** かけた疑い \n> 'suspected of having put spit (= spitted) on a female high school student'\n>\n> 困る姿 **が** 楽しい \n> '(watching) the figure being bothered is fun'", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-06T04:48:18.407", "id": "4927", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-06T04:53:43.830", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-06T04:53:43.830", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4925", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "> 女子高生に唾液かけた疑い\n\n\"On suspicion of spitting on a high school girl.\"\n\n> 逮捕の男「困る姿楽しい」\n\nAdding a little context will always help in getting better answers. In this\ncase, I just read this in the news so am familiar with it. The full quote is:\n「(制服姿の女子高生に興味があり、唾液をかけられて)困る姿(を想像するのが)楽し(かった)」.\n\n\"(I am interested in uniformed high school girls, and) I enjoy(ed imagining\nher) distressed (figure with spit on it)\", says arrested man.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-06T05:00:21.343", "id": "4929", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-06T05:00:21.343", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "4925", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

[ { "body": "(1) Does 自分の唾液を入れた modify ポリ袋?\n\nYes.\n\n(2) Does it make sense?\n\nYes.\n\n(3) Is ポリ袋 the object of the verb 投げ付けた?\n\nYes.\n\n(4) What does として mean?\n\n'As of', 'for', 'claiming that'. I.e., 'arrested for throwing ...'\n\nTranslation is:\n\n> **Claiming him to have** thrown a polyethylene bag containing his own saliva\n> to the back of a female high school student, Tanashi police station of the\n> Metropolitan Police Department arrested the suspect 工藤清哉, temporary\n> technician and **resident of** 埼玉県新座市野寺, **by** the sixth day **for** the\n> suspicion of assault.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-06T04:51:05.300", "id": "4928", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-06T17:44:59.387", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-06T17:44:59.387", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4926", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "(1) Does 空き缶などに入れた modify 唾液?\n\nYes.\n\n(2) Does it mean 唾液 was put in an empty can?\n\nNo. It means \"spit that was put in an empty can\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-06T05:27:28.997", "id": "4932", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-06T05:27:28.997", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4931", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

[ { "body": "Your translations are wrong.\n\n * The Japanese word `ピンチ` in this usage is not the same as the English word `pinch`. You may consider it as meaning \"in a crisis\".\n\n> 日本が **ピンチ** だ \n> 'Japan is **in a crisis**.'\n\n * The nominal used with weather is the topic when used with `は`, and the focus when used with `が`. `が` is not always the nominative case marker. It is sometimes the focus particle. Probably, it is making it difficult to you because English needs the expletive `it` when there is no meaningful subject, whereas Japanese does not need such thing.\n\n> 明日 **は** 雨だ \n> ' **As for** tomorrow, it will be raining.'\n>\n> 明日 **が** 雨だ \n> ' **It is** tomorrow **that** it is going to rain.'", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-07T04:25:59.307", "id": "4938", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-07T04:54:01.627", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4936", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Perhaps part of the solution is the dropping of words assumed from context?\n\n明日は雨だ → 明日(の天気)は雨だ\n\nYou could consider this as a type of sentence known as \"ウナギ文\".\n\n<http://www.sf.airnet.ne.jp/~ts/language/unagi.html> \\- has a nice explanation\n(in Japanese), exemplified by the exchange (ordering in a restaurant):\n\n甲: 僕は天丼にするよ。\n\n乙: 僕はうなぎだ。\n\nHere the second speaker means that they are going to order the eel, not that\nthey are an eel. Where appropriate が can be used instead of は in this type of\nsentence as well (example given at link).\n\nFor the other, I'd have a look at\n<http://www.geocities.jp/niwasaburoo/02meisibunhosetu.html> .This link has\nsome description of (starting within section 2.3 from 「～が～だ」の形の記述文 and going\nonwards) the type of thing you're looking for.\n\nThis is basically the website author's summary of things from some linguistic\ntexts, the one of interest is:\n\n> 砂川有里子『文法と談話の接点』くろしお出版 2005\n\nIt describes sentences like (clipped) 家が火事だ as expressing the status (状態) at\nthe time of speaking, and goes on to split \"コピュラ文\" (copula sentences) into\nvarious subtypes. The author of the book calls these particular sentences\n現象描写文タイプ.\n\nI think by comparison with 家が火事だ ( _the house is **on** fire_ rather than _the\nhouse is a fire_ ) we could fit 日本がピンチだ quite neatly into that category.\n\nNote: I couldn't even begin to guess at how widely accepted the work of this\nparticular person is, and there are clearly various different ways of\ncategorising コピュラ文 depending on which linguist you ask.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-07T17:00:50.327", "id": "4948", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-07T17:00:50.327", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "571", "parent_id": "4936", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Both 日本がピンチだ and 明日は雨だ are just usual subject-noun-copula sentences in\nJapanese. The fact that they are not translated to subject-copula-noun\nsentences in English has nothing to do with the structure of the Japanese\nsentences per se.\n\nSome people call nouns that are typically translated to adjectives “no-\nadjectives.” While this notion may be convenient for learning purposes, you\nshould be aware that this notion is only defined in relation to other\nlanguages to translate into. As far as the Japanese language itself is\nconcerned, so-called “no-adjectives” are just nouns. ([More on no-\nadjectives](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2770/so-\ncalled-%E3%81%AE-adjectives-how-does-%E3%81%AE-really-work/2771#2771).)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-10T23:40:18.527", "id": "4977", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-10T23:40:18.527", "last_edit_date": "2017-04-13T12:43:44.260", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "4936", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 }, { "body": "No. 3 is the correct interpretation, to the best of my linguistic knowledge.\nAs indicated in the Wikipedia article, だ and its related forms (e.g. です) are\nderived from で+ある (or some other existential verb) and similar things. Here ある\nmeans to exist, and で is a general adverbial case marker, serving simply to\nmake a noun into an adverb. As this is a very vague case (in general Japanese\ngrammar is extremely vague in comparison to English), there are a wide array\nof possible interpretations. The literal meaning of 日本がピンチだ would be \"Japan\nexists as/by/with/in [a] pinch\", where \"in\" is the correct meaning, here (note\nthat with other verbs で can also mean \"at\", but with verbs of existence that's\nexpressed via the dative of possession).\n\nFor a cliche similar example, take あなたが好きです. Here, \"with\" is the closest\nliteral translation of で.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-11T02:16:12.810", "id": "4978", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-11T02:16:12.810", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1194", "parent_id": "4936", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "~ようにしている might fit the bill. For instance,\n\n> 肉を食べないようにしている。\n>\n> I'm trying not to eat any meat.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-07T05:28:10.240", "id": "4939", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-07T05:28:10.240", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "816", "parent_id": "4937", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "心掛ける is a good one to learn.\n\n```\n\n 毎日Xをするように心掛けている。\n I'm working hard at doing X everyday.\n \n```\n\nAlso, 努める or 努力する\n\n```\n\n 毎日Xをするように努める(努力する)\n \n```\n\nIf you overly use 頑張る, it sounds strange, especially when you use it for\nthings like \"reading a newspaper\". You should use it for something more\n\"important\" like studying for a test or trying to get a job or something.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-07T05:40:17.373", "id": "4941", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-07T05:46:12.437", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-07T05:46:12.437", "last_editor_user_id": "1217", "owner_user_id": "1217", "parent_id": "4937", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 }, { "body": "> 毎日、ニュース記事をひとつ読んで頑張っている I'm making an effort to [read a news article every\n> day]\n\nsounds fine to me, as long as you move the を to after 記事 (ひとつ should be used\nadverbially).\n\nTo me, this formulation doesn't sound like the material is difficult to you.\nMore like keeping up the habit is difficult.\n\nIf, on the other hand, you say\n\n> 毎日、ニュース記事をひとつ頑張って読んでいる I'm [making an effort to read a news article] every\n> day\n\nit's more likely to sound like the material is difficult to you.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-07T06:17:52.390", "id": "4942", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-07T06:56:34.773", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-07T06:56:34.773", "last_editor_user_id": "1073", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4937", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "I would use なるべく.\n\n> 毎日なるべく一つの記事を読むようにしている。\n\nI'm trying to eat lots of vegetables.\n\n> (なるべく)野菜をたくさん食べるようにしている。\n\nAlso 'I'm making it a rule to...'\n\n> 毎日一つの記事を読むことにしている。", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-08T12:51:00.443", "id": "4961", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-08T12:56:18.097", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-08T12:56:18.097", "last_editor_user_id": "1038", "owner_user_id": "1038", "parent_id": "4937", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "* 結界石{けっかいせき}: rules tablet/barrier stones\n * 布薩堂{ふさつどう}: confession hall (or: _Uposatha hall_ [1](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanavara/uposatha.html))\n * 講堂{こうどう}: auditorium (or: _lecture hall_ ) \n * サーラー さぁらぁ: open pavilion (or: _open pavilion for resting_ ) \n * 僧坊{そうぼう}: monk cell (or possibly: _monks' temple quarters_ , but \"cell\" seems to be more of a set phrase) \n * 鼓楼{ころう}: drum tower (or almost: _bell tower_. Depending on the audience, perhaps, \"bell tower\" might help readers better understand that a \"drum\" here, is used like a \"bell\". [2](http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E9%BC%93%E6%A5%BC)) \n * 三蔵庫{さんぞうく}: library (or: _library for the three branches of Buddhist sutras_ ) \n * 仏教教育学校{さんぞうきょういくがっこう}: Buddhist school \n * 普通教育学校{ふつうきょういくがっこう}: regular school (or: _common_ school / almost: _secular_ school) \n * 火葬場{かそうば}: funeral hall (or _crematorium_. However, here, using _funeral hall_ helps to include the idea that funerals are often held at crematoriums, at least in Thailand. [3](http://www.thai-blogs.com/2011/08/05/what-to-expect-if-you-are-invited-to-a-thai-funeral/)) \n * 仏塔式納骨塔{ぶっとうしきのうこつとう}: bone keep in pagoda (or: _pagoda columbarium_ [4](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbarium)) \n * 壁式納骨所{かべしきのうこつば}: bone keep in wall (or: _columbarium wall_ ) \n * 瞑想場{めいそうば}: meditation hall (Note: I've seen this written as めいそうじょう as well; perhaps because it's a place where people can **practice** meditation?) \n * 洞窟内仏像祭壇{どうくつないぶつぞうさいだん}: altar in cave (or: _Buddhist cave shrine_ ) \n * 精霊祠{しょうりょうし}: guardian spirit house (or just: _spirit house/shrine_ because the spirits are not always guardians. [5](http://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E3%83%94%E3%83%BC%E4%BF%A1%E4%BB%B0#.E5.88.86.E9.A1.9E), [6](http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/spirit_house.html)) \n * 碑文{ひぶん}: epitaph/scriptures (seems more like _epitaph_ , here, unless a sutra is found on an epitaph, perhaps.)\n\nHope this helps!\n\n_References:_\n\n 1. <http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanavara/uposatha.html> (found in Glossary under Uposatha part 3)\n 2. <http://www.weblio.jp/content/%E9%BC%93%E6%A5%BC>\n 3. <http://www.thai-blogs.com/2011/08/05/what-to-expect-if-you-are-invited-to-a-thai-funeral/> (near middle of page)\n 4. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbarium>\n 5. <http://ja.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E3%83%94%E3%83%BC%E4%BF%A1%E4%BB%B0#.E5.88.86.E9.A1.9E>\n 6. <http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/spirit_house.html>", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-09T07:36:15.293", "id": "4970", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-10T07:19:19.670", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-10T07:19:19.670", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4945", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I don't understand at all what you mean by \"performed on the subject\", but in\nthe most natural interpretation, the sentence you gave is not passive. It is\nsubject honorific form. And the sentence `明日の会議に行きませんか？` that you suggested\nwill mean a different thing.\n\nAnd although very unnatural, it is in principle possible to interpret your\nexample as passive. In that case, it will not be a direct (ordinary) passive,\nbut will be adversative (aka indirect) passive, meaning someone did something,\nwhich (often negatively) affected the subject. The standard way to literally\ntranslate this into English is to use `on <subject>`.\n\n> 雨に降られた \n> '{The rain fell/It rained} **on** me.' \n> '{The rain fell/It rained}, affecting me.'\n>\n> 二階の人にピアノを弾かれた \n> 'The person on the second floor played the piano **on** me.' \n> 'The person on the second floor played the piano, affecting me.'\n\nSo a very unnatural interpretation of your sentence as adversative passive\nwill be like this:\n\n> 明日の会議に行かれるんですか？ \n> 'Will the person go to tomorrow's meeting **on** you?' \n> 'Will it be the case that you will be (negatively) affected due to the\n> person's going to tomorrow's meeting?'", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-07T15:30:04.570", "id": "4947", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-07T15:41:46.397", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4946", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "```\n\n 明日の会議に行かれるんですか？ Are you going to tomorrow's meeting?\n \n```\n\nThe above sentence should not be interpreted as passive, it is 敬語. In other\nwords depending on context, the forms される、行かれる、etc. can mean either passive or\nhonorific form (usually it is easy to tell the difference by the context).", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-07T20:42:36.560", "id": "4949", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-07T23:24:05.593", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-07T23:24:05.593", "last_editor_user_id": "1217", "owner_user_id": "1217", "parent_id": "4946", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "`対称` 'symmetry' has many instances. It means that if you switch some set of\nproperties, coordinates, values, etc. in a certain way, the result can be\nassimilated in some way to the original.\n\nIn Japanese high school, students learn about `対称式` (symmetrical polynomials)\nlike \"a^2b + ab^2\" and `基本対称式` (elementary symmetrical polynomials) like\n\"a+b\", \"ab\". I can also recall my memory from high school that in physics,\nthere are things like `CP-対称性` 'C(harge)-P(arity) symmetry' or `CPT-対称性`\n'C(harge)-P(arity)-T(ime) symmetry'.\n\nIn Japanese elementary school, students usually learn two types of symmetry:\n`線対称` (line symmetry; symmetry with respect to folding along a straight line)\nand `点対称` (point symmetry; symmetry with respect to rotation around a point).\n`左右対称` is a special case of `線対称`, particularly when there is a notion of\nwhich way is left and which is right. You can also have `上下対称`, etc. To\nexpress `左右対称の漢字` in English, you can say something like \"a Chinese character\nthat is **line symmetric with vertical axis** \" or \"a Chinese character that\nis **line symmetric horizontal-wise** \".", "comment_count": 9, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-08T02:43:11.697", "id": "4954", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-09T22:59:56.547", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-09T22:59:56.547", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4952", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Isn't this a question for English Language & Usage rather than Japanese, since\nyou are clear on the Japanese meaning and looking for a way to express it in\nEnglish...? I hate constantly seeing questions closed here though...\n\n...In any case I disagree that \"symmetrical\" is closer to \"proportional\" than\n\"if you flip it over the shape doesn't change\". Symmetry is the precise\ntechnical term for the latter concept -- there is no more fitting word. To be\nmore descriptive, you could say they have \"vertical symmetry\", or less\nambiguously, \"left-right symmetry\".\n\n[See the Wikipedia article on\nsymmetry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symmetry).", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-08T02:47:50.653", "id": "4955", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-08T02:47:50.653", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "315", "parent_id": "4952", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Here are some:\n\nKey:\n\n1 - Original spelling in katakana \n2 - Newer spelling in katakana (tends to be closer to pronunciation)\n\n```\n\n 1. アステリスク\n 2. アスタリスク \n \n```\n\nAnything with `ファ`、`フィ`、`フェ`, etc. <\\--- Originally were not in Japanese\n(introduced in Meiji Era, but many elderly still use `フア` and `フイ`)\n\n```\n\n 1. フアン\n 2. ファン\n \n 1. フアイル\n 2. ファイル\n \n 1. フイート\n 2. フィート\n \n 1. デズニ－ランド\n 2. ディズニーランド\n \n 1. キャンデー\n 2. キャンディ\n \n```\n\nAnother more recent trend is adding the ッ to make it more close to the English\npronunciation.\n\n```\n\n 1. ドーナツ\n 2. ドーナッツ\n \n```\n\nAlso the use of ヴィ instead of ビ (This example doesn't actually fit the\npattern, both ビ and ヴィ have the same pronunciation, but since ビ and be also\n\"bi\", to make a distinction between \"bi\" and \"v\", ヴィ was introduced):\n\n```\n\n 1. ビンテージ\n 2. ヴィンテージ\n \n```\n\nThere are 2 versions of the word \"smooth\" in katakana, however according to\nthe comment from @Matt there are historical references to スムーズ from 1918 which\ndate before スムース, so it may not be applicable, if anyone has any evidence as\nto the etymology between the two words it would be appreciated:\n\n```\n\n 1. スムース\n 2. スムーズ\n \n```", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-08T04:25:31.523", "id": "4957", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-12T20:51:04.783", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-12T20:51:04.783", "last_editor_user_id": "1217", "owner_user_id": "1217", "parent_id": "4956", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "Actually, there are also examples of a different, almost opposite phenomenon.\nFor example, ドル, which looks like it represents the sound as heard, and the\nmodern form オイルダラー based on American English pronunciation. I'm also reminded\nof the story I heard once that the word カメヤ (I think) was current during the\nMeiji period as a word for 'dog'. It was based on 'Come here!', which would\nnow be カムヒヤー (yuk!). Also ズロース for 'drawers' (clothing), which is a wonderful\nrendition of the actual English pronunciation, much closer than ドロアーズ would\nbe.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-08T12:19:14.710", "id": "4959", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-08T12:19:14.710", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1038", "parent_id": "4956", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Not sure if this one counts:\n\n> ボディー body, talking about wine etc \n> ナイスバディー nice body, talking about physical appearance. ナイスボディー also gets\n> Google hits, though\n\nEdit:\n\nRemembered another:\n\n> パイナップル Dictionary version \n> パインアップル Not sure where this came from. Possibly thought to be truer to the\n> English word pineapple in some sense. \n> パイナポー Apparently there's a TV program called おはようパイナポー", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-09T02:32:51.150", "id": "4969", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-12T00:48:33.610", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-12T00:48:33.610", "last_editor_user_id": "1073", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4956", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "Excuse me if I'm beside the point but, I think most people write and\npronounce: \nクレイジー, フェイク, フェイス, サブウェイ, メイク (イ over ー) \ninstead of \nクレージー, フェーク, フェース, サブウェー, メーク\n\nwhile they still write and pronounce: \nケーキ, セーフ, セーフティ, ステーキ, プレート (ー over イ) \nrather than \nケイキ, セイフ, セイフティ, ステイキ/ステイク, プレイト. \nWonder what causes this difference...\n\nAnd now we rather write: \nコンピュータ, ナイスバディ, スパゲ(ッ)ティ, プリティ (with no ー at the end) \nwhile we often pronounce them as \nコンピューター, ナイスバディー, スパゲッティー, プリティー.\n\nBut we say and write: \nカレンダー, フラワー, シェーバー, ヒーター, ドライヤー (with ー at the end) \nrather than \nカレンダ, フラワ, シェーバ, ヒータ, ドライヤ.\n\nHmm, why? \nBy the way, do you say/write プリンター or プリンタ?", "comment_count": 14, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-09T09:07:48.393", "id": "4972", "last_activity_date": "2016-03-02T22:11:45.813", "last_edit_date": "2016-03-02T22:11:45.813", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4956", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I'm not sure how often some of these are used, but I think this might be one\nof them:\n[\"Tyrannosaurus\"](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3%E3%83%A9%E3%83%8E%E3%82%B5%E3%82%A6%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B9).\n\n * The most commonly used today: `ティラノサウルス`\n * Others currently used: `ティランノサウルス`, `タイラノサウルス`, `テュランノサウルス`\n * The classical forms: `チラノサウルス`, `チランノサウルス`\n * Others which I found in Edict: `ティラノザウルス`, `タイラノザウルス`", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-14T00:50:06.463", "id": "5006", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-14T00:55:38.860", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-14T00:55:38.860", "last_editor_user_id": "796", "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "4956", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

[ { "body": "Both those explanations seem slightly off to me. My own suspicion is that it\nwas because Chinese characters were associated with the language of\nadministration (the class of scholar-bureaucrats in China), and women were not\nexpected to serve in government positions. Since the educational purpose of\nlearning characters was to produce government officials, and women didn't\nnormally become government officials, then they automatically weren't expected\nto learn characters.\n\nSo \"not given the same level of education\" seems to have been written from a\nmodern 'universal education' viewpoint. 'Masculine pursuit' makes it sound as\nif characters were a pursuit in themselves, which probably wasn't the case for\nmost. Men learnt the characters for a purpose, not as a 'masculine pursuit'.\nWhile the exclusion of women from administration was no doubt sexist, it has\ndifferent implications from saying that women weren't given the same level of\neducation as men. The problem is that people interpret the past in 21st\ncentury terms, which isn't always a very accurate way of seeing things. As\nsomeone said, \"The past is a foreign country\".", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-08T12:33:14.973", "id": "4960", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-08T12:33:14.973", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1038", "parent_id": "4958", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "Form what I remember, Kanji where used in official (read: \"court\") documents.\nWhen you add this to the fact that the Japanese (and Chinese court, too) held\nthe opinion that women had no place at court, it could be intuited that most\nwomen where not taught Kanji because they didn't need to know it.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-08T15:24:25.577", "id": "4963", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-08T15:24:25.577", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1206", "parent_id": "4958", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Yes, there is a general word:\n\n> 身に着ける\n\nSo, you can say:\n\n> 帽子を身に着ける \n> 服を身に着ける \n> ズボンを身に着ける\n\nHowever, in daily conversation it is more common to say `着る` or `履く`. Also,\n`身につける` can mean something different like `知識を身につける`.\n\nOr, after rereading your question, it looks like you don't want to specify\nwhat you are wearing. In that case, the other answer is correct.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-09T02:19:34.030", "id": "4968", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-09T14:23:40.660", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-09T14:23:40.660", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1217", "parent_id": "4965", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 }, { "body": "> Or must the \"method\" of putting on be specified?\n\nThis might not be exactly what you're asking, but in Japanese, all the verbs\nfor putting something on, like 着る, 履く or 身につける, are change-of-state verbal\nphrases, i.e. in their base form, they mean \"put on\", not \"wear\".\n\nIn order to express \"wear\" you have to express the resulting state, which is\ndone by ～ている (でいる)\n\n> シャツを着る put on a shirt → シャツを着ている wear a shirt\n\netc.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-09T07:48:43.233", "id": "4971", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-09T07:48:43.233", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "4965", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "A more formal and concise term would be 着用する\n\n```\n\n 帽子を着用\n 服を着用\n ズボンを着用\n \n```", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-15T19:48:55.653", "id": "5027", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-15T19:48:55.653", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1242", "parent_id": "4965", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "To express wearing clothes, various verbs are used.\n\nGeneral words like 身【み】に着【つ】ける or 着用【ちゃくよう】する has meaning of to wear something\non one's body. Not only clothes but including anything carried/held by oneself\nsuch as intelligence, technology, skill, medal, armband, good-luck charm,\npistol, helmet, armor, etc.\n\nKanji 着 had original meaning of \"to attach/touch/contact\" in Chinese. It was\nassigned to Japanese indigenous word きる (to wear) so that 着【き】る was resulted.\n\nSpecific words are as below.\n\n * 着る： to wear clothes to cover upper or whole body\n * 被【かぶ】る： to wear something to cover head or face\n * かける： to make object in state of 被る with something\n * 穿【は】く： to wear clothes to cover lower body\n * 履【は】く： to wear something on foot, such as footwear\n\nUsually セーターを着る indicates action of putting one's head or shoulder into\nclothes and pull it down, while ズボンを穿く indicates action of putting foot into\nclothes and pull it up. Therefore, 着る has sense of wearing from top down and\n穿く has from bottom up. Certainly, exceptions may occur.\n\nAs a matter of fact, kanji 穿 is also used for another verb 穿【うが】つ meaning of\nwhich is dig/drill/bore. My impression is that wearing trousers could be felt\nsimilarity of drilling/boring. I'm wondering whether ancient people had same\nfeeling to assign this kanji to 穿【は】く.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2019-01-23T11:09:09.423", "id": "65036", "last_activity_date": "2019-01-23T11:09:09.423", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "32184", "parent_id": "4965", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

[ { "body": "For something like パーティー, just type it like this: `pa-thi-`. The \" **thi** \"\nwill create a `ティ`.\n\nHowever, if only one letter needs to be small, that can be done by typing: `x\n+ letter` \n(or `l + letter` on some versions.)\n\n> For example: \n> \n> ぁ: x + a \n> ぃ: x + i \n> ぅ: x + u \n> ぇ: x + e \n> ぉ: x + o \n>\n\nFor further reference:\n\n 1. [12 Japanese IME Tips](http://nihonshock.com/2010/04/12-japanese-ime-tips/)\n 2. [Romanization of Japanese](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Japanese#Kana_without_standardised_forms_of_romanization)", "comment_count": 8, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-10T07:43:01.090", "id": "4974", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-10T07:48:30.583", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-10T07:48:30.583", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4973", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 } ]

[ { "body": "It doesn't change the meaning much as far as I know.\n\nAccording to the second definition of Edict:\n\n> (sentence end, mainly masculine) indicates assertion", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-11T12:14:34.590", "id": "4980", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-11T13:10:06.857", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-11T13:10:06.857", "last_editor_user_id": "796", "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "4979", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "This さ is similar to だ in meaning, but it is less assertive. Unlike だ, it\nattaches not only to nouns and the stem of na-adjectives but also to the\ndictionary form of verbs and i-adjectives.", "comment_count": 9, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-11T12:16:01.063", "id": "4981", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-17T00:01:13.127", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-17T00:01:13.127", "last_editor_user_id": "15", "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "4979", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "When it comes to personal/social relations, Japanese is more delicate than\nmost other languages in the world. English is on the other extreme. It does\nnot even have a simplex word to distinguish \"younger brother\" and \"older\nbrother\" or \"younger sister\" and \"older sister\", and people call even teachers\nby their first name without polite prefix in English, and shop clerks say \"hey\nguys\" even to the customer.--Pretty much unbelievable to a Japanese learning\nEnglish for the first time.\n\nFollowing are roughly listed from less intimate to more intimate.\n\n * 知人, 知り合い 'acquaintance'\n * 同窓生 'schoolmates', 'people who graduated the same school (often in the same fiscal year)'\n * 同期 'people who entered the same school/company/institution etc. in the same fiscal year'\n * 同級生 'classmates'\n * 同僚 'colleague'\n * 友達 'friend'\n * ダチ slangish way of saying 'friend'\n * 友人 formal way of saying 'friend'\n * 仲間 'buddy'\n * 旧知 'long acquaintance'\n * 親友 'close friend'\n * マブダチ slangish way of saying 'close friend'\n * 連れ 'partner'\n * 相棒 'partner (of a duo)'\n * 友達以上恋人未満 'friend or more but less than a lover'", "comment_count": 9, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-12T01:29:13.420", "id": "4983", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-14T07:05:16.390", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-14T07:05:16.390", "last_editor_user_id": "91", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4982", "post_type": "answer", "score": 16 } ]

[ { "body": "On [this webpage by Japan\nAirlines](http://weather.jal.co.jp/seasonal/1/seasonal_1d.html), it says that\nthe word originates from North Eastern China or Northern Korea to describe the\nwinter climate where anticyclones from Siberia strengthen and weaken in a\n7-day cycle, causing repetition of cold and warm days:\n\n> 冬の時期に寒い日が３日くらい続くと、そのあとに比較的暖かい日が４日続くという意味の言葉で、寒暖の周期を表しています。\n> もとは中国の東北部や朝鮮半島北部で冬の気候を表す言葉として用いられました。冬のシベリア高気圧から吹き出す寒気が７日ぐらいの周期で、強まったり弱まったりすることに由来する言葉とされています[。]\n\nAnd it goes on to say that it is actually rarely literally observed in Japan,\nand in recent Japanese, this word is used to describe early Spring rather than\nWinter. This is a departure from its original usage:\n\n> 実際に日本では３日間寒い日が続いたあとに、４日間暖かい日が続くという周期が現れることはほとんどないのです。 ...\n> その後、[この言葉は]日本に伝わりました。 ... 最近では ...\n> 本来使われる冬ではなく、春先に使われることが多くなっています。日本では、早春に低気圧と高気圧が交互にやってきて、低気圧が通過し寒気が流れ込んで寒くなった後、今度は高気圧に覆われて暖かくなり、周期的な気温の変化を繰り返すことが多くなります。このため、日本では寒暖の変化がはっきりと現れる春先にこの言葉を用いる人が多くなったと考えられます。", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-12T17:02:43.440", "id": "4987", "last_activity_date": "2019-03-23T12:54:26.730", "last_edit_date": "2019-03-23T12:54:26.730", "last_editor_user_id": "10045", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4984", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I think you probably can say \n\"[念]{ねん}のため(に)(or [一応]{いちおう})[伝]{つた}えとくけど、プリンタ[壊]{こわ}れてるよ/[故障]{こしょう}してるよ\" \n\"念のため(に)(or 一応)伝えておきますが、プリンタ壊れてますよ/故障してますよ。\"(polite) \n\"念のため(に)(or 一応)[言]{い}っとくけど、プリンタ故障してるよ。\" \n\"念のため(に)(or 一応)言っておきますけど、プリンタ故障してますよ。(polite)\" \nor maybe more casually \n\"(あ、)そうそう、(~~さん、)プリンタ故障してるよ/してますよ。\" \n\"(あ、)そうだ、そう言えば(~~さん、)プリンタ故障してるよ/してますよ。\"", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-12T16:53:12.167", "id": "4986", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-12T16:53:12.167", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4985", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "An alternative to Chocolate's answer is the adverb `ちなみに`.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-12T17:13:53.420", "id": "4988", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-12T17:13:53.420", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4985", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "1. Yes. The meaning of `きる` common to those examples is to `complete doing ...`.\n\n 2. `てしまう` does not necessarily mean `complete doing ...`. So they are different.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-13T02:07:52.990", "id": "4990", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-13T02:07:52.990", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4989", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Well, ～しまう kinda means that you ended up doing something, or that something\nhappened that you don't feel so great about. I often use it at work to say\nsomething like そうすると、難しくなってしまう which gives the nuance that it's regrettable,\nbut it will ended up being hard if you do it like that.\n\n～きる means do something thoroughly. A common example is 本当にそう言い切れるのか？ Can you\nREALLY say that (and mean it/be sure about it)? Another one would be 使い切る\nwhich means use something until it's gone/used up.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-16T15:52:47.233", "id": "5030", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-16T15:52:47.233", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1243", "parent_id": "4989", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "1. >Can I say 「人間にはその道が歩けない」 \nYes I think you can say that. Maybe you can also say 人間にはその道は歩けない/人間にその道は歩けない. \n\n 2. Hmm... Would it be something like... you can say 君に(この車が)運転できるかい? but not 僕に運転できます。?? 私には耐えられない/私に耐えられるだろうか but not 私に耐えられます。?? or maybe 私にやって行けるだろうか/私にはやって行けない but not 私にやって行けます。??", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-13T06:46:14.687", "id": "4996", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-13T07:33:52.973", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-13T07:33:52.973", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4991", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Looking at the examples in [the paper linked\nabove](http://roa.rutgers.edu/files/324-0699/roa-324-woolford-1.pdf), of\nJapanese sentences purportedly showing \"dative subjects\" (page 8 in the PDF),\nI note that **the nouns marked by に in the Japanese are only subjects after\ntranslating into English**.\n\nFor verbs in the potential, much as in passive constructions, the に in these\nsentences marks the **agent** , not the subject.\n\nCompare:\n\n * Passive: 「彼に英語が話される」 → \"English **is spoken by** him.\"\n * Potential: 「彼に英語が話せる」 → \"English **is speakable by** him.\"\n\nIn both sentences, the verbs are intransitive, 英語 is the subject of those\nintransitive verbs, and 彼 is marked as the agent of the actions.\n\nNotably, intransitive verbs of potential that are derived from transitive\nverbs, like 話【はな】せる above, still semantically describe an action happening\nupon something, where that something is not the agent -- this is different\nfrom a \"regular\" intransitive verb, which semantically does not happen upon\nsomething, but instead describes an action occurring by means of that\nsomething itself.\n\nMore [here in an older answer\npost](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/91189/why-\nis-%e3%81%99%e3%82%8bs-potential-\nform-%e3%81%a7%e3%81%8d%e3%82%8b/92681#92681), regarding the development and\nsemantics of Japanese potential verbs.\n\nIn like fashion, the verbs わかる and できる mark the subjects with が and the agents\nwith に. While not derived from transitive verbs, they function grammatically\nand semantically in a similar way -- they describe a quality of the subject,\nas something that is \"do-able by\" an agent marked with に.\n\n* * *\n\nThe author of [the linked paper _Case\nPatterns_](http://roa.rutgers.edu/files/324-0699/roa-324-woolford-1.pdf) is\none Ellen Woolford, who appears to be [this\nperson](https://www.umass.edu/linguistics/member/ellen-woolford). She\nspecializes in syntax, but doesn't seem to have any particular familiarity\nwith Japanese itself.\n\nIn the linked paper, she pulls the Japanese examples of purported \"dative\nsubjects\" from Masayoshi Shibatani's 1977 work _Grammatical Relations and\nSurface Cases_ , available [here via\nJSTOR](https://www.jstor.org/stable/412912) (free registration required).\nShibatani goes in quite deeply, and his work is rife with abbreviations that\nmake it quite difficult to read for non-specialists. That said, his analysis\nfrom page 799 (referenced by Woolford's paper) consistently describes subjects\nmarked by に and objects marked by が, for sentences using verbs that Japanese-\nlanguage references consistently describe as 自動詞 or \"intransitive verbs\" that\ntake no objects -- verbs that only become \"transitive\" after translating into\nthe common English glosses, verbs like intransitive ある translated as the\ntransitive \"to have\".\n\nReading a bit further in Shibatani on pages 800-801, he makes a complicated\nargument about \"subject\"-ness based on how reflexive (using 「自分」) and\nhonorific constructions focus on the noun marked with に. I posit that\nconstruing this as \"subject-ness\" is a mistake -- this indicates not that the\nに-marked nouns are subjects, but rather that the agents in such constructions\nhave a higher primacy of focus for reflexives or honorifics than do the\ngrammatical が-marked subjects of the intransitive verbs.\n\nRe-casting this as \"dative subject\" and \"nominative object\" for verb\nconstructions like ある is a strange stretch. Many languages use intransitive\nconstructions not dissimilar to Japanese ある (\"there exists\") to express that\nsomeone \"has\" something. Compare:\n\n * JA: 彼には家がある → \"by him, there is a house\" → \"he has a house\"\n * HU: _[nek]{に}[i]{彼} [ház]{家}[a]{POS} [van]{ある}_ → \"by him/her, a [third-person singular possessor] house there is\" → \"s/he has a house\"\n * NV: _[kin]{家} [bee]{彼に} [hólǫ́]{ある}_ → \"a house by him/her there is\" → \"s/he has a house\"\n\nIn each case, the verb is simply a marker that something exists -- this is not\ntransitive in any of these languages, and the statement only manifests any\ntransitivity after translation into idiomatic English using the transitive\nverb \"have\". Claiming the existence of a \"dative subject\" and \"nominative\nobject\" violates the principle of [Occam's\nrazor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor), and does much to muddy\nthe waters.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2022-05-17T18:53:00.933", "id": "94546", "last_activity_date": "2023-03-13T22:45:05.753", "last_edit_date": "2023-03-13T22:45:05.753", "last_editor_user_id": "5229", "owner_user_id": "5229", "parent_id": "4991", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "You could always try using endings like this:\n\n> 〜じゃん (ex: イケメンじゃん！) \n> 〜ぞ (ex: イケメンだぞ！) \n> 〜だ (ex: イケメンだ！)\n\nThey provide at least some emphasis... though, it's not quite the same as in\nEnglish. Using だ just by itself can even work... as long as the vocal emphasis\nis placed somewhere near だ.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-13T05:25:09.137", "id": "4993", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-13T05:25:09.137", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "4992", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "There is no syntactic counterpart to `the` in Japanese. Among world's\nlanguages, there are languages that do have articles and languages that do\nnot. English and Japanese belong to the former and the latter respectively.\nThis is a fundamental difference, and you just cannot map an article from one\nlanguage to another language that does not have it.\n\nSince this website is biased towards programmers, to give a close counterpart\nto the two types of natural languages in programming languages, natural\nlanguages with articles like English correspond to class-based object oriented\nprogramming languages like C++, Java, Ruby. Natural languages without articles\nlike Japanese correspond to prototype-based object oriented programming\nlanguages like Javascript. And as you may be able to guess, articles in\nnatural languages correspond to constructors in programming languages.\n\nBut it you want to express a similar nuance using different syntactic\ncomponents, then you can use expressions like `その`, `唯一の`, `先ほどの`, `例の`,\n`問題の`,`問題になっている`, `話題になっている` depending on the context.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-13T05:58:55.640", "id": "4994", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-13T06:10:37.700", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-13T06:10:37.700", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4992", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Maybe [`本物{ほんもの}の～`](http://eow.alc.co.jp/%E6%9C%AC%E7%89%A9%E3%81%AE/UTF-8/)\n\"the real deal...\"?\n\n> * かれは **本物の** 男だ。 \n> He's a _fair dinkum_ man. \n> (might even be able to use `漢{おとこ}` in place of `男`.)\n>\n> * **本物の** 首相に会いたいの？ \n> You want to meet with the _actual_ president?\n>\n> * **本物の** 2011年チャンピオンなのか？ \n> The _real deal_ 2011 champion?\n>\n>", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-13T06:02:06.853", "id": "4995", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-13T07:40:52.017", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-13T07:40:52.017", "last_editor_user_id": "796", "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "4992", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "本物may be a little informal. そのものwould be a more formal emphasis word:\n\n * そしてその勢いで1912年には民主党推薦の大統領に、続いて1913年の3月に大統領そのものにも就任していた", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-15T20:06:24.497", "id": "5028", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-15T20:06:24.497", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1242", "parent_id": "4992", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "＞would I say ハッピーホワイトデー, or ホワイトデーおめでとう \nProbably you could say the former but I don't think I've ever heard or seen\nthe latter.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-13T13:21:57.617", "id": "4998", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-13T13:21:57.617", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "4997", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I agree to the comments by oldergod and sawa: we do not usually greet in a\nspecial way on White Day (or on Valentine’s Day for that matter).\n\nAlthough I think that it is uncommon, some people say ハッピーホワイトデー and (even\nrarer) ホワイトデーおめでとう.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-13T13:42:25.983", "id": "4999", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-13T13:42:25.983", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "4997", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "> 「相手を十分納得させるに **たる** データを示す必要がある。」\n\nThis たる is \"足る\", \"足りる\" = to be enough/sufficient\n\n「させるに」is not a noun. I think it's a shortened form of 「させるのに」or 「させるために」. So\nthe sentence could be rephrased as:\n\n「相手を十分納得させるのに足りるだけの量のデータを示す必要がある。」 \n「相手を十分納得させるのに足りるだけのデータを示す必要がある。」 \n「相手を十分納得させるのに足りる量のデータを示す必要がある。」 \n「相手を十分納得させるのに十分な(量の)データを示す必要がある。」", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-13T17:08:56.580", "id": "5002", "last_activity_date": "2015-07-13T19:18:58.397", "last_edit_date": "2015-07-13T19:18:58.397", "last_editor_user_id": "3437", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5001", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

[ { "body": "In classical Japanese, 死ぬ is an irregular verb (ナ行変格活用動詞). Its principal parts\nare as follows:\n\n * Irrealis (未然形): 死な〜\n * Continuative (連用形): 死に〜\n * Predicative (終止形): 死ぬ\n * Attributive (連体形): 死ぬる\n * Realis (已然形): 死ぬれ〜\n * Imperative (命令形): 死ね\n\nThe difference between the predicative and attributive forms is roughly\nanalogous to the difference between 〜だ and 〜な for the adjectivial nouns in\nmodern Japanese. Here is an example of 死ぬる as used in classical Japanese:\n\n> 死【し】ぬる子は 眉目【みめ】よし\n>\n> The face of a dying child is always beautiful.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-13T19:13:33.103", "id": "5004", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-13T19:13:33.103", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "578", "parent_id": "5003", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 } ]

[ { "body": "Your definitions were mostly OK I think.\n\nI'm not an expert on grammar, so take this as a temporal answer until other\npeople answer, but my interpretations thus far are...:\n\n * `～たいと思う` means \"I think I'd like to...\":\n\n> 本を読みたいと思う \"I think I'd like to read a book\"\n\n * `～ましょう` means \"let's do...\" (polite form):\n\n> 本を読みましょう \"Let's read a book\"\n\n * `～しようと思う` means \"I think I'll...\":\n\n> 本を読もうと思う \"I think I'll read a book\"\n\n * `～しようとする` means \"I'll try to...\" as you said:\n\n> 本を読もうとする \"I'll try to read a book\"\n\n * `～するところ` means \"I'm about to...\"/\"I'm at the point of...\" or \"place for (do)ing...\":\n\n> 本を読むところ \"I'm about to read a book\" or \"place for reading books\"\n\n * `～つもり` means \"I intend to\", slightly less formal than `～予定がある` I think and is less likely to be used in business etc:\n\n> 本を読むつもりだ \"I intend to read a book\"\n\n * `～する予定がある` \"I have plans to\" as stated:\n\n> 本を読む予定がある \"I have plans to read a book\"\n\n * `～する気がある` \"I am of a mind to\":\n\n> 本を読む気がある \"I am of a mind to read a book\"\n\n * I think `～ことにする` translates differently depending on the context, but that it generally means \"(will) go with (do)ing...\":\n\n> 今週こそは本を読むことにする \"I will go with reading a book this week\"\n\nI'm not sure about `～まいとする` and `～まいと思う`. I think the difference between\n`～予定がある` and `～つもり` might need it's own question.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-14T03:42:00.650", "id": "5008", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-14T04:01:06.290", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-14T04:01:06.290", "last_editor_user_id": "796", "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "5005", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 } ]

[ { "body": "痛み refers to the sensation of pain, while きず the trace or mark left behind by\nthe pain inflicted.\n\nThe visible cut/gash is きず. Abrasion is 擦り傷{すりきず}. But they don't refer to the\npain.\n\nFor most sores or muscle aches, there are various words ending with 痛{つう},\ne.g. the generic muscle sore is 筋肉痛{きんにくつう}.\n\nWhen used metaphorically, 痛み still refers to the pain felt, and 傷{きず} the\nmetaphorical 'cut'.\n\n> 彼との{ }死別{しべつ}でできた心の傷がまだ{ }治{なお}っていない\n>\n> The wound in the heart from the time when seperated from him by his death\n> has not yet healed.\n\nFor the throbbing sensation, there are many words for it: 苦痛{くつう}, 激痛{げきつう},\n疼痛{とうつう}. I think 疼痛 fits the description, but I hardly see it in use;\ninstead, the pain is described in some other way.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-14T07:37:45.647", "id": "5009", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-14T07:37:45.647", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "154", "parent_id": "5007", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "> Bruise; aching, tender(pain upon pressure) → あざ、打撲傷【だぼくしょう】、血豆【ちまめ】(?) \n> \n> Cut/Gash; sharp pain, prickly sensation → 切【き】り傷【きず】(cut, gash),\n> {ひりひり・ぴりぴり}{する・痛む} (to sting, prickle, burn -- either a wound, or can be\n> used to describe the feeling of eating hot/spicy foods) \n> \n> Abrasion; tingling/prickly sensation → 擦【す】り傷【きず】 \n> \n> Muscle strain; dull and sore aching (Like after rigorous exercise the\n> muscle feels sore) → 筋肉痛【きんにくつう】 \n> \n> (For various injuries); Throbbing pain → ずきずき{する・痛む}", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-14T14:39:05.117", "id": "5010", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-14T14:39:05.117", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "5007", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "Use `初【はつ】(の)〜` or `初めての〜`.\n\n> 初デート → First date \n> 初恋【はつこい】 → First love \n> 初めての[経験]{けいけん} → First experience", "comment_count": 11, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-14T15:59:07.283", "id": "5013", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-16T12:32:03.077", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-16T12:32:03.077", "last_editor_user_id": "15", "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "5011", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "What about something like:\n\n> 死の窓から眺めること.\n\nOr even:\n\n> 死の窓から眺める 風景{ふうけい}.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-14T16:12:13.907", "id": "5014", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-14T16:12:13.907", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "5012", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "If you mean \"from the perspective of the afterworld\", which I inferred from\nthe comments, then a corresponding expression may be:\n\n> 三途の川の向こう側から \n> 'from the other side of the [sanzu\n> river](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanzu_River)'", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-15T02:22:24.300", "id": "5023", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-15T02:22:24.300", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5012", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "How about 「死の世界から」 or 「死後の世界から」?? (--Hmm maybe not.)", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-25T11:35:42.157", "id": "5103", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-25T11:35:42.157", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5012", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "I asked my manager and here is his explanation:\n\n> 引充 - ある目的にあてる\n>\n> \\- ある用途にあてる\n>\n> 引当 - 目的が必要はない\n\nBasically the use of 引充 is rare. And is used when a goal is attained. While\nthe commonly used 引当 does not necessarily need a goal before.\n\nSo far, he said Japanese also rarely use the 引充 also. But it is Japanese. I am\nasking from a 55 years old so maybe the word just got extincted. He just used\nit in our Specification though.", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-23T08:51:33.560", "id": "5091", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-23T08:51:33.560", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "786", "parent_id": "5017", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "I think you can try using `～の倍数で～`", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-15T01:26:17.723", "id": "5019", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-15T01:26:17.723", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "542", "parent_id": "5018", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "* 記憶 is a neutral term for memory. It can be of any while ago, from sub-mili-seconds or shorter to milleniums or longer. It can be used for physical effects like hysteresis effects or memory on an electronic device. It can be used for humans as well.\n\n * 思い出 is subjective. It implies nostalgia, good memories or bad memories. The past it is referring to is usually between a few days to a lifespan of time ago. The subject of it is usually humans.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-15T01:41:10.403", "id": "5021", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-17T23:26:24.887", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-17T23:26:24.887", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5020", "post_type": "answer", "score": 23 }, { "body": "Only adding a small amount here, but analyzing the Kanji of those words using\nUnihan/CCDict:\n\n`記憶`:\n\n * `記` means \"record\" or \"remember\".\n * `憶` means \"remember\" or \"memory\".\n\n`思い出`:\n\n * `思` means \"think\" and is often used in a subjective way. \n(`思い` means \"thought\" among [various other\ndefinitions](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E6%80%9D%E3%81%84&dtype=3&stype=0&dname=2na&pagenum=1).)\n\n * `出` means \"come out\".\n\nLooking at those, I think it's possible to see why they have those\nconnotations.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-15T02:02:39.330", "id": "5022", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-15T13:20:55.640", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-15T13:20:55.640", "last_editor_user_id": "796", "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "5020", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "As Chocolate wrote in a comment, there were two different words いざ and いさ in\nclassical Japanese.\n\n[いざ](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%84%E3%81%96&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=1&pagenum=1&index=100874000000)\nis an interjection used when the speaker encourages someone to do something\ntogether or the speaker starts something important enthusiastically. In modern\nJapanese, さあ is much more common for this purpose. I do not think that there\nis a perfectly corresponding word in English. Example: いざ行かん = さあ行こう = Let’s\ngo!\n\nThe いざ in いざ尋常に is this word, but it probably requires more explanation. いざ尋常に\nis short for いざ尋常に勝負せよ.\n[尋常](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E5%B0%8B%E5%B8%B8&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=110024600000)\nhas several meanings, and in this example it means “without unseemly fuss.” So\nいざ尋常に means something like “Fight a duel against me without trying to avoid\nit.”\n\n[いさ](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%84%E3%81%95&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=1&index=100873900000&pagenum=1)\nis an interjection used when the speaker expresses unsureness about what was\nbeing asked. Interestingly, it is also さあ in modern Japanese. It is also used\nas an adverb in the form いさ知らず, in which case it just emphasizes the 知らず part.\n\nIn later time, いざ and いさ were conflated and いざ has been used in both meanings.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-15T11:46:20.093", "id": "5026", "last_activity_date": "2014-12-05T13:15:29.957", "last_edit_date": "2014-12-05T13:15:29.957", "last_editor_user_id": "7717", "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "5024", "post_type": "answer", "score": 15 } ]

[ { "body": "`真逆` seems very similar to the expression \"total opposite\" in English.\n\nI think we can take `真` here to be an intensifier/emphasis rather than\nsomething that affects the meaning. It emphasizes that something is not just\n`少し違う`, but in fact `逆`.\n\nI'd even say that not even `真逆` requires you to be absolutely precise. Let's\nsay someone wanted to head east (0°). West (180°) would be `逆`. If you saw\nthem going in essentially entirely the wrong direction -- almost due west --\nyou might want to use `真逆` to emphasize how badly they're going wrong, **even\nif** their true course isn't **exactly** 180°.\n\nIt's an abuse of terminology, technically, but I think this is how the\nlanguage is used.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-16T21:36:13.873", "id": "5033", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-16T21:36:13.873", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "315", "parent_id": "5032", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "There are some grammatical differences.\n[色々](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%84%E3%82%8D%E3%81%84%E3%82%8D&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=1&pagenum=1&index=101315900000)\ncan be used as a na-adjective, but\n[諸々](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%82%82%E3%82%8D%E3%82%82%E3%82%8D&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=1&pagenum=1&index=119513200000)\nis used only as a noun. So we say 色々な but 諸々の. (We can also say 色々の, but it is\nless common than 色々な.) In addition, 色々 can be used also as an adverb.\n\nOther than these grammatical differences, 諸々 sounds more formal than 色々 to me\nwhen used in contexts other than fixed phrases such as その他諸々.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-17T18:14:40.513", "id": "5035", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-17T18:14:40.513", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "5034", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "In addition to Tsuyoshi Ito's point, I have the intuition such that both mean\nthere is a list of things, and `もろもろ` means that the things in the list vary\nwidely whereas `いろいろ` does not have such connotation.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-17T20:35:31.040", "id": "5036", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-17T20:35:31.040", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5034", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 } ]

[ { "body": "Here's what I found on the net. <http://nhg.pro.tok2.com/qa/doushi-9.htm>\n\nLooks like there is no clear standard answer. From the answer below, it seems\nlike\n\n```\n\n 『済む』= 『きちんと終わる』\n \n```\n\nBut the difference is very small\n\n[Quetion]\n\n済むのなかにも、いくつか意味があり、終わる、間に合う、解決する、完了するなどの意味が辞書にあります。\nその中の「済む」がもつ「終わる」の意味について質問します。\n\n日本語を教えている学生から、「パーティーは何時におわりますか。」を「パーティーは何時に済みますか。」と言ってもよいかと質問されました。\n\n確かに済むは終わるという意味をもっていますが、なんとなく意味が違うように感じました。済むという言葉が、解決するなどの意味をもっているからかどうかわかりませんが、「済む」には、何か困難なことがおわったり、自分の気持ちにもよりますが、\n何か嫌な事を終えるような印象が私にはあります。\n\nだから、「パーティーは何時に済みますか。」というと、少し、パーティーがいやだという印象がして、変な感じがしました。\nただ、辞書の例文を探していくと、食事が済むというものがあり、これには、私の考えはあてはまらない気がしました。 ご意見をいただければ幸いです。\n\n[Answer]\n\n私は『済む』を『終わる』の意味で使うとき、 基本的には『きちんと終わる』というニュアンスがあるように思います。 でも、いろいろな使い方がありますね。\n\n * 単に『終わる』という意味で使われる場合 例：食事が済んでから電話します。\n * 『きちんと終わる』とう意味で使われる場合 例：宿題が済んでから遊びなさい。\n * 『困難なこと』『嫌なこと』が終わるという意味で使われる場合 例：やっとのことで会議が済みました。 \n\nでも、これってどれも『済む』を『終わる』に置き換えてもＯＫです。 ということは、『済む』と『終わる』の違いはほんのわずかだということでしょう。\n「パーティーは何時に終わりますか。」「パーティーは何時に済みますか。」ですが、 誰が誰に尋ねているかでも違ってきます。\n\n * （１）パーティーに参加する人が、パーティーの主催者に尋ねている。\n * （２）パーティーに参加する人が、他の参加者に尋ねている。 \n * （３）パーティーに参加する夫に、妻が尋ねている。\n\nまだ他にもいろいろ考えられます。 状況設定が示されないとお答えしにくいことがありますが、 この場合「置き換えてもＯＫだと思う。」と、とりあえず答えます。", "comment_count": 10, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-19T18:43:20.277", "id": "5041", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-19T19:38:45.027", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-19T19:38:45.027", "last_editor_user_id": "1242", "owner_user_id": "1242", "parent_id": "5039", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "As _Tomei Ningen_ wrote about earlier, part of the difference (or nuance,)\nwith using 済む seems to be something like:\n\n> Use 済む when you mean that something is \"completely finished\".\n\nExample:\n\n> After you have _(completely) finished_ your homework, you can have fun.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-19T20:53:01.573", "id": "5042", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-19T20:53:01.573", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "5039", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "終わる/済む = intransitive. \"to end/to come to an end/to be over/to finish etc.\" \n終わらせる/終える/済ませる/済ます = transitive. \"to finish/to end/to complete etc.\" \n \n終わらせる sounds to me like \"to make(force) something finish/to put an end to\nsomething\", while 済ませる sounds like \"to let something finish/to let something\nbe over\", and I think 済ませる is more used when you're talking about finishing\nsomething unfavourable. \n \nWe can say \"~~との関係を終わらせる\"(dump~~/break up with~~)/\"~との関係は終わった\"(broke up\nwith~~) but not \"~~との関係を済ませる\"/\"~~との関係は済んだ\". \n \nI think \"(~~と/との)話を終わらせる\" and \"(~~と/との)話を済ませる\" can mean the same thing (=\"to\nfinish~~\"). \"話を終わらせる\" can also mean \"to stop talking to someone (before you\nfinish)\" but \"話しを済ませる\" can't. \n \nI don't see any major difference between \"宿題が済んだらゲームしよう\" and\n\"宿題が終わったらゲームしよう\"/\"仕事を済ませて帰宅する\" and \"仕事を終わらせて帰宅する/\"仕事を終えて帰宅する\".(\"終えて\" sounds a\nbit literary.) \n \n\"済ます/済ませる\" can also be used to say \"~~なしで済ます/済ませる(=do without~~)\",\n\"~~で済ます/済ませる(=~~で間に合わせる/make do with~~)\", but we can't rephrase them as\n\"~~なしで終わらせる\"/\"~~で終わらせる\". \n \n\"済む/済ませる\" can also mean \"解決する/to settle\", e.g. \"このままでは済まされないぞ\"(We can't let\nthe matter go at this)/\"金で済む(or済まされる)問題じゃない\"(You can't settle the matter with\nmoney)/\"軽いけがで済んだ\"(I escaped with only a minor injury)/\"気が済むまで殴れ！\"(Hit me until\nyou're satisfied), and you can't use 終わる/終わらせる for these expressions. \n \nYou can say \"任務を終えて帰国する\"(carry out one's duty)/\"70歳で生涯を終える\"(die at the age of\n70) but not \"任務を済ませて/生涯を済ませる\". \n \n(Hmm I don't think this is all...there must be a lot more than this.)", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-24T15:39:47.150", "id": "5093", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-24T16:01:33.707", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-24T16:01:33.707", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5039", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "In my mind 「済ませる」 is much more commonly used for negative things. In many\ncases rather than \"finishing something\" I'd translate it to \"getting something\nover and done with\".\n\nFor example, the phrase 「宿題を済ませた」 could imply a dislike of homework, or a\nfeeling of inconvenience where 終わる seems more neutral. For another example\nwhen paying the bill, 「会計を済ます」 seems to the more common usage.\n\nThere's also the pattern 「・・・ないで済ませる」to describe getting by without something,\nwhere the use of 済ませる emphasises the hardship.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-04-02T14:25:59.860", "id": "5154", "last_activity_date": "2012-04-02T16:41:59.050", "last_edit_date": "2012-04-02T16:41:59.050", "last_editor_user_id": "1272", "owner_user_id": "1272", "parent_id": "5039", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "Looking at [this dictionary\nreference](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E7%B5%82%E3%82%8F%E3%82%8B&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=0),\nit seems like the times where 終わる might be used like a transitive verb would\nbe when one is _putting an end to_ something.\n\nFor example:\n\n> これで私のスピーチを終わります。\n\nOr another example (according to \"bridge road hight\"さん in [this\nanswer](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1213636922),)\n:\n\n> 「授業を終わる」→先生（講師）側 \n> 「授業を終える」→生徒（受講者）側\n\nBasically, a teacher might say something like _\"I finished (teaching) the\nclass.\"_ whereas a student would say something like _\"I finished (taking) the\nclass.\"_", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-20T04:19:06.517", "id": "5044", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-20T04:19:06.517", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "5043", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "終わる is used both as a transitive verb and an intransitive verb, whereas 終える is\nused only as a transitive verb. When 終わる is used as a transitive verb, it is\nalmost synonymous to 終える. The only exception I can think of is that a closing\nword of a speech or other verbal communication is usually …を終わります instead of\n…を終えます.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-20T12:55:44.603", "id": "5046", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-20T12:55:44.603", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "5043", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 } ]

[ { "body": "In reference to Sawa's request for an example, キャンディ is a case of キャ being\nused to transcribe English _ca_.\n\nI asked my Japanese teacher exactly this question many years ago. The reply\nwas that the vowel in English _candy_ is higher (in phonetic terms) than the\nlow front vowel in RP English _cast_. The fact that キャ is palatalised raises\nthe vowel and makes it sound more like it does in English.\n\nEDIT: Other examples of this effect, for reference, include キャラクター, キャンペーン,\nキャベツ and others.\n\nIt's also interesting that this only happens to velars (キャ, ギャ), so we don't\nhave, for instance, ミャン for 'man'.", "comment_count": 10, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-20T14:31:26.037", "id": "5048", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-21T01:10:15.090", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-21T01:10:15.090", "last_editor_user_id": "816", "owner_user_id": "816", "parent_id": "5047", "post_type": "answer", "score": 20 } ]

[ { "body": "If you interpret both `ほんの` and `だけ` as 'only', then it is redundant. But\nnotice that `だけ` has another meaning: 'exactly' (This is similar to the\nEnglish word `just`; it means 'only' or 'exactly'). If you take it that`ほんの`\nmeans 'only' and `だけ` means 'exactly', then it is not redundant. But probably\nthe interpretation is a little bit strange: 'only exactly an instant'. I am\ndoubtful whether there is a precise notion of how long an instant is.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-20T20:30:22.193", "id": "5050", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-20T23:46:39.423", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-20T23:46:39.423", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5049", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "Yes it might be redundant and ungrammatical, but I think I say and write that\nway quite often... I think I also use 一瞬だけ and ほんの一瞬 but I think I tend to use\nほんの一瞬だけ when I want to emphasize 'only'. I think it's similar to\nたった一回だけ/たった一度だけ, which seem also redundant but I use quite often... so maybe\nthese expressions are rather casual and colloquial.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T11:41:32.817", "id": "5077", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-22T11:41:32.817", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5049", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "When the clerk asks me if I'm looking for anything particular (`何かお探しですか?`), I\nusually say `あ、だいじょうぶです。` or `あ、もうちょっと見てから。`.\n\nWhen the clerk says at places like boutiques `よかったらどうぞ試着してみてくださいね～`(Please try\nthem on) or `他のサイズ/お色もご用意してますのでね～`(We have different sizes/colours too), I say\nquite shortly `あ、はい` or `あ、ども`.\n\n\"to shoo away\" = [追]{お}い[払]{はら}う...?", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-21T06:32:11.070", "id": "5057", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-21T18:20:54.660", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-21T18:20:54.660", "last_editor_user_id": "162", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5056", "post_type": "answer", "score": 19 }, { "body": "Normally just say something like「いや、ただ見ているだけです。」", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T15:33:03.447", "id": "5080", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-22T15:33:03.447", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1253", "parent_id": "5056", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "I normally say \"いいえ、結構です！\". If you use \"(いいえ、)大丈夫です\" then you are consenting\nto their help.\n\nKekkou means more 'the situation is fine as it is', whereas daijoubu is 'ok'.\nThere are some parts of town you can get yourself into trouble if you're not\ncareful. (eg. \"Masa-ji?\" Never reply daijoubu!)\n\nI often find that I have to be a little more direct, as there aren't many\nforeigners in my area who speak Japanese, so \"今頃お手伝いは結構です\" (I'm fine for the\nmoment) or \"いりません” (I don't need help!) usually does it. It's polite and to\nthe point. The downside is that they might decide to have a conversation with\nyou instead as you speak Japanese.\n\nIf everything else seems to be failing, then try getting down into unkoza\n(squatting like you're going to use one of holes in the ground) to look at\nsomething. If you're a guy you'll look like a hood/uncouth person, but it\noften has the desired effect.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-23T04:17:28.153", "id": "5089", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-23T04:44:01.083", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-23T04:44:01.083", "last_editor_user_id": "162", "owner_user_id": "1255", "parent_id": "5056", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "These clerks are doing their job exactly as if they were trained, and the\nbehavior of clerks is something that every Japanese person is used to; it is\nexpected. You are the customer (an important person) and you do not ignore an\nimportant person. They are not trying to sell you anything. The clerks will be\nvery helpful if you do need something.\n\nYou do not have to say anything; it is not actually expected. I find myself\nsmiling and making a tiny head movement (because the clerk is also an\nimportant person, and you do not ignore an important person).\n\nWatch how locals react to the clerks and do the same thing.\n\nJust play along and everyone feels good.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-29T00:24:26.737", "id": "5133", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-29T00:24:26.737", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1266", "parent_id": "5056", "post_type": "answer", "score": -1 } ]

[ { "body": "It never hurt to improve your knowledge, but I don't think you should do\nlinguistic if it's not something you like already. It will be a waste of time\nand waste of motivation in the middle/long term. All the linguistic I know use\nit from the beginning of their learning because that's their way to do it and\nbecause they love it.\n\nI don't know what your japanese level is but when you want to go to the next\ndeep step; it is about reading newspaper/books, speaking/converse with people\nand write (you could start a diary in japanese), not emails, write for real,\nexpress your ideas, argue and everything.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-21T13:47:08.800", "id": "5061", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-21T13:47:08.800", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1065", "parent_id": "5060", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "To the extent that studying linguistics helps you understand some of the more\ncomplex patterns, you will probably find it useful. But a great deal of\nlinguistics is dedicated to finding common systems to describe all languages,\nwhich (by necessity) isn't terribly useful for using a particular language.\n\nSome texts are written somewhat 'in the middle' for both linguists and people\ntrying to speak/understand/read/write the language. I wouldn't necessarily\nignore those, since they can be extremely valuable.\n\nI've personally found Susumu Kuno's book, Structure of the Japanese Language,\nvaluable in this regard.\n\nOne danger to be aware of is that language learners seeking linguistic\nexplanations are sometimes seeking \"the secret code\" to how it all works,\nforgetting in the process that linguistics is a descriptive project.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-21T15:56:52.317", "id": "5062", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-21T15:56:52.317", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "29", "parent_id": "5060", "post_type": "answer", "score": 13 }, { "body": "From how I understand it, studying linguistics will give you knowledge about\nlanguages and how they work, but does not necessarily let you _speak_ that\nlanguage. My Japanese teacher studied linguistics, and while he could tell you\nanything about the German language, he couldn't speak it for the life of him\n(by his own admission). Of course, he was also fluent in Japanese and English,\nso I'm sure he could learn it if cared to...On a related note, you may not be\nable to focus on just Japanese linguistics, but others (German, Spanish,\nEnglish etc) as well.\n\nIf you're really looking for a way to further your studies, I would suggest\nlooking into studying for the JLPT. It's not exactly something that will set\nup for fluent Japanese per se, but it has a benefit of a nice certificate that\nemployers really take into account, and some jobs even require it. I've also\nfound it's a good way for focusing your self-studies, and there are a great\nmany sources on the internet to help you out.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-21T22:25:42.967", "id": "5065", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-21T22:25:42.967", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "921", "parent_id": "5060", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "As the other answers have mentioned, it's not a bad idea to delve into\nlinguistics as a way to break down a language into formulas.\n\nBut if your overall goal is further language fluency, you may just want to\ncontinue interacting with others in the language. Keeping up your literacy by\nreading news articles or books doesn't hurt, either.\n\nAnother thought is translation and interpretation. Those are marketable\nskills... and can end up helping with both your Japanese (as well as your\nEnglish.)", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-21T22:28:17.503", "id": "5066", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-21T22:28:17.503", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "5060", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "I think it would be like a musician studying acoustics, or avid dog\nowner/trainer studying canine anatomy. It probably all depends on what your\nfuture goals are with Japanese. If you're planning to move to Japan, or just\nkeeping that option open, and working and perhaps marrying a Japanese, then\nyou should just remain as a JSL (Japanese as a Second Language) learner.\nLinguistic analysis of Japanese won't be of much pragmatic value, it's too\ntechnical, and it doesn't make for good dinner-party conversation. Most\nJapanese natives aren't even aware of the things that Japanese linguists\nstudy, much less care when you tell them about it. If, however, you've lost\ninterest in Japanese as a social hobby, then going the linguistic route is\ncertainly one way to progress in the study of Japanese. But linguistics is a\nscience in the same way that biology or programming is a science in that it is\ngrounded in formal model building. It's going to take a lot of time, and\nunless you're in school, you won't meet many people that share your interest.\nIt's also not going to help you pronounce or write better. Just like studying\ncalculus won't make you better with mental arithmetic.\n\nThey say that linguistics is the most human of the sciences and the most\nscientific of the humanities, but without a doubt the demand for rigour and\nthe application of the scientific method in linguistics make it a serious\nscience. You should pick up [An Introduction to Japanese Linguistics\n(Tsujimura,\n2006)](http://ca.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405110651.html).\nThis book contains a short intro to some linguistic theory and applies it to\nJapanese. Although not a very rigorous book, if you find it boring, then\nchances are Japanese linguistics is not for you.\n\nI'll show you some of my reading list for Japanese and linguistics books to\ngive you an idea of what others like you might be doing. These are just some\nof the phonetics and phonology textbooks that I am currently occupied with and\nwould definitely recommend. I haven't yet got to syntax or semantics, nor the\nother fields of linguistics, so I couldn't tell you what's good to read. Like\nyou, I've been a JSL learner for about 5 years, but studying linguistics for\nabout 1.5 years now. It's just a armchair hobby of mine, but studying\nlinguistics sure has been an expensive hobby due to the cost of textbooks:\n\n 1. [Contemporary Linguistic Analysis, Sixth Edition](http://www.amazon.ca/Contemporary-Linguistic-Analysis-William-OGrady/dp/0321476662/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342553399&sr=1-3) In my opinion, the only intro level ling text you will need. Very good text. I haven't read later editions.\n 2. [Introductory Phonology](http://www.amazon.ca/Introductory-Phonology-Bruce-Hayes/dp/1405184116/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342553518&sr=1-1) Really good book once you have been introduced to a little phonology already\n 3. [Introduction to Japanese linguistics](http://www.amazon.ca/Introduction-Japanese-Linguistics-Natsuko-Tsujimura/dp/1405110651/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342553310&sr=8-2) A little too easy for my taste, but an excellent place to start.\n 4. [The Sounds of Japanese with Audio CD](http://www.amazon.ca/Sounds-Japanese-Audio-CD/dp/0521617545/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342553630&sr=1-2) Goes into the finer detail of articulatory Japanese, and covers IPA transcription for Japanese. The CD is useless though.\n 5. [The Phonology of Japanese](http://www.amazon.ca/The-Phonology-Japanese-Laurence-Labrune/dp/0199545839/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342553696&sr=1-1-spell) A little more advanced, but one of the few textbooks on the subject.\n 6. [Acoustic Phonetics](http://www.amazon.ca/Acoustic-Phonetics-Kenneth-N-Stevens/dp/0262692503/ref=sr_1_34?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342553803&sr=1-34) You will need to be familiar with Fourier analysis and a little bit of physics and computer science for this one.\n 7. [Principles of Phonetics](http://www.amazon.ca/Principles-Phonetics-John-Laver/dp/052145655X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pdT1_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=20YZHWKE802EW&coliid=I21QCD1WHVGSJN) 700 page monster on phonetics. Covers everything up to the acoustic signal analysis aspects of phonetics. I've only read parts of this at my uni library, but it seems like the most comprehensive treatment of phonetics in existence (within a certain level of detail and application of course)\n 8. [Mathematical Methods in Linguistics ](http://www.amazon.ca/Mathematical-Methods-Linguistics-Barbara-Partee/dp/9027722455/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342554040&sr=8-1)A real eye-opener on just how deep linguistic science is. Covers the mathematical model of language laid down (or at least advanced) by Chomsky. It has some pretty advanced mathematics, some of which certain schools reserve for graduate level classes, but it doesn't presume a background in calculus or linear algebra, so it is accessible, if dense, to a student in any program. Most people are not even aware that this subject matter exists, but if you take your shit seriously, I think you should read this.\n 9. [Foundations of Statistical Natural Language Processing](http://www.amazon.ca/Foundations-Statistical-Natural-Language-Processing/dp/0262133601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342554400&sr=8-1) Good for starting your own projects in Japanese linguistics. Assumes familiarity with statistical science", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-07-17T19:58:46.393", "id": "6165", "last_activity_date": "2012-10-06T00:50:30.990", "last_edit_date": "2012-10-06T00:50:30.990", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1454", "parent_id": "5060", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "I will not comment on whether or not linguistics is helpful for learning a\nlanguage, but just want to say that traditional Japanese study, most saliently\nknown by the works of 橋本進吉 and is taught in Japanese elementary schools and\njunior and senior highschools, is harmful for either learning Japanese or\nlearning linguistics. Its the kind of grammar that uses terminology like 五段活用,\nclaims that 来る and する are the only irregular verbs, or that the verb 見る does\nnot have a stem. It is just wrong or non-scientific. Do not waste your time\nwith those unuseful terminology.\n\nAnd, if you are picking a linguistic book, my advice is that a linguistic book\ncoauthroed by too many authors is mere collection of academic articles and\ndoes not have a coherent structure, even if it says it is an introductory\nbook. It would not be useful unless you are interested in a particular topic\nand would read only the relevant chapter. At the introductory level, pick a\nbook that was written by a single author.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-07-17T23:07:22.493", "id": "6166", "last_activity_date": "2012-07-17T23:18:56.270", "last_edit_date": "2012-07-17T23:18:56.270", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5060", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 }, { "body": "Just going to throw my 2￥ in here.\n\nLearning anything is good. More information is always better than less\ninformation.\n\n**But** learning linguistics is _absolutely unneccesary_ when learning a\nlanguage. Just as learning the physics of throwing a ball is not at all\nneccessary to playing a sport.\n\nIf linguistics excites you, then get into it. If not, don't worry about it.\n\nFor more discussion on engaging a language effectively, I recommend looking\naround on the web site [All Japanese All The\nTime](http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/). I don't necessarily agree\nwith everything there, but it does make the point very clearly that when it\ncomes to learning language, how effectively you will learn is determined more\nby individual enthusiasm than by particular techniques.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-07-19T03:51:36.323", "id": "6181", "last_activity_date": "2012-07-19T03:51:36.323", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "119", "parent_id": "5060", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "* When you want to express a purpose for doing something, you can use `ために`. You used `kara`, and that is completely wrong. Accordingly, you shouldn't need the `て` form for `やる`, but you seem to be having it: you have `yate`, and this conjugation is wrong anyway. If you wanted the `て` form of `やる`, it is not `yate` but is `yatte`.\n * When you want to connect predicates in Japanese, there is not counterpart to the English `and` in Japanese, so you would rather have to use the counterpart to the English participial construction in Japanese, that is `...て...`. You seem to be understanding that correctly.\n\nYou should have:\n\n> 勉強して犬に餌をやるために家にいました。\n\nNotice that this implies temporal order, that is, you first study, and then\nfeed the dog. If you do not want to imply this, then you should use the\nconstruction that istrasci comments below.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-21T17:36:30.737", "id": "5064", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-27T22:17:31.300", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-27T22:17:31.300", "last_editor_user_id": "581", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5063", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 }, { "body": "Just adding to sawa's reply and itrasci's comment.\n\nIf you wanted to exhaustively list your reasons for staying at home without\nthe temporal relation that sawa mentions, you could duplicate the ため\n\n> 勉強するためと犬に餌をやるために家にいました \n> Benkyō suru tame to inu ni esa wo yaru tame ni ie ni imashita\n\nBut this sounds a bit over-explicit. The most idiomatic way would probably be\nto turn the verbs into nouns to make the と more natural\n\n> 勉強と犬の餌やりのために家にいました \n> Benkyō to inu no esayari no tame ni ie ni imashita", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-23T03:10:09.547", "id": "5085", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-23T03:10:09.547", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "5063", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "Unlike `では` (or its contracted form `じゃ`), `早速ですが` implies that the thing to\nbe done is (i) something that has been looked forward to, and (ii) people have\nbeen waiting for it. You can only use it when you have that implicature.\n\nIf a teacher says to the students:\n\n> 早速ですが、試験を始めましょう。\n\nthen, it would imply (either in reality or ironically) that the students are\nwilling to and have been waiting for the examination to start, perhaps meaning\nthat the students are well prepared for the examination or want to be freed\nfrom it. Or, it can mean that the teacher was eager for the examination to\nstart.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T00:42:22.773", "id": "5068", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-22T00:48:21.297", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-22T00:48:21.297", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5067", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "早速ですが has a nuance of making an excuse for jumping to the main point directly,\nwhere some might expect a bit of smalltalk or an introduction beforehand.\n\nWhereas では or じゃ are pretty neutral like \"Well\", 早速ですが would probably be\ntranslated like \"Let's get right down to business\", \"Let me get straight to\nthe point\" or \"Sorry for being a bit rushed\". Or sometimes a translation\nwouldn't be necessary in English.\n\nI do not share sawa's viewpoint that you necessarily use it for things that\nyou have been looking forward to.\n\n> 早速ですが、会費お支払いの催促です。 \n> (Sorry for jumping straight to the point.) This is a reminder about payment\n> of the membership fee.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T09:40:04.717", "id": "5075", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-23T00:34:58.793", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-23T00:34:58.793", "last_editor_user_id": "1073", "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "5067", "post_type": "answer", "score": 11 }, { "body": "I agree with dainichi.\n\nI generally use 「早速ですが」when I am getting to the point without typical small\ntalk, 「早速ですが、まず今度の面談についてお聞かせください。」 or when asking for something or someone's\nhelp with something, etc. 「早速ですが、一つお願いしたいことがあります。」", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T13:12:45.057", "id": "5078", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-22T13:12:45.057", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1253", "parent_id": "5067", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "It does not really fit with your examples but in my opinion,\n\n> AをするにB ⇒ objective. That you have to go by B to do A is a fact. Not an\n> opinion, not a goal, it is like that.\n>\n> AをするためにB ⇒ subjective. Here, that you have to go by B to do A is not a\n> natural truth. It sounds more like an advice, an opinion etc...\n\nMaybe it could help to show us which of your sentences have been corrected.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T02:06:21.180", "id": "5070", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-22T02:06:21.180", "last_edit_date": "2020-06-17T08:18:27.500", "last_editor_user_id": "-1", "owner_user_id": "1065", "parent_id": "5069", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 }, { "body": "The crucial difference is the absence vs. presence of the topic marker `は`.\nPossibility of omitting `ため` or `に` is dependent on this, and does not change\nthe meaning so much, if any.\n\n * A **(ため)には** is used for conditionals. It does not necessarily mean that `A` actually happened, but it means that whatever to follow is a necessary condition for `A` to happen. (There may be alternative ways to do it, but provided that context, that is the only salient way.) \"in hope that A may happen, ...\".\n\n> 仕事で成功する **(ため)には** 、家で、喜んで私を助けてくれる夫が必要なのです。 \n> 'If I were to succeed in my business career, I would need a husband at home\n> who would be happy to help me.' (subjunctive)\n>\n> 花粉症を予防する **(ため)には** 、眼鏡やマスクをして花粉から目や鼻を守ることが重要です。 \n> 'If you wanted to prevent hay fever, it is important to protect your eyes\n> and nose from pollen by wearing glasses and a mask.\n>\n> 日本語の単語の背景色を灰色にする **(ため)には** 、二つのバッククォート（``）を使う。 \n> 'If you wanted to change the background color of a Japanese word to gray,\n> use two back quotes.\n\n * A **ため(に)** is used when you are sure that `A` will actually happen, or `A` already happened.\n\n> 仕事で成功する **ため(に)** 、家で、喜んで私を助けてくれる夫が必要なのです。 \n> 'I need a husband at home who would be happy to help me so that I can\n> continue being successful in my business career.' (indicative)\n>\n> 花粉症を予防する **ため(に)** 、眼鏡やマスクをして花粉から目や鼻を守ることが重要です。 \n> 'It is important to protect your eyes and nose from pollen by wearing\n> glasses and a mask in order to prevent (the on going) hay fever.\n>\n> 日本語の単語の背景色を灰色にする **ため(に)** 、二つのバッククォート（``）を使う。 \n> 'In order to change the background color of a Japanese word to gray (right\n> now), use two back quotes.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T03:03:34.467", "id": "5071", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-22T03:37:36.640", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-22T03:37:36.640", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5069", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "You are right in that when translated to English, they both become “in order\nto,” but they have different meanings.\n\nAするにはB means “ _If_ I/you/someone wants to do A, then B.” AするためにB means “B,\nand it is in order to do A.”\n\nSometimes the distinction between these two are not important. If it has been\nalready established that A is desirable, then both constructs can be used\nwithout changing the meaning much. I think that the first two sentences in\nyour question are such cases. However, it is not always the case. For example,\nconsider a sentence “Press the red button to launch a missile.” This English\nsentence can potentially mean two very different things:\n\n * ミサイルを発射するには赤いボタンを押してください。 Press the red button if you want to launch a missile.\n * ミサイルを発射するために赤いボタンを押してください。 Press the red button; it is in order to launch a missile.", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T03:14:27.730", "id": "5072", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-22T03:14:27.730", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "5069", "post_type": "answer", "score": 8 }, { "body": "ため can be tricky, since it can indicate both a cause-effect relation and a\n(let's call it) method-purpose relation.\n\nWhen used for method-purpose, ために（は） is used after the _purpose_. Other\nreplies have explained this thoroughly.\n\nWhen used for cause-effect, usually ため (without the に) is used after the\n_cause_. This might seem counter-intuitive, since the cause can seem more\nsimilar to the method than the purpose:\n\n> 雨が降ったため、試合が延期された \n> Since it rained, the game was postponed ( _not_ the game was postponed in\n> order for it to rain)\n\nEven more confusingly, even for cause-effect, ために (with the に) is sometimes\nused after the cause\n\n> 雨のために試合が延期された \n> The game was postponed due to rain\n\nI think this is mostly used after noun phrases (i.e. in the form のために), and\nwhen the cause-effect relation is evident.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-23T02:41:56.567", "id": "5083", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-23T02:41:56.567", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "5069", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "I think it's...げつまつしめ、よくげつまつばらい.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T07:17:03.783", "id": "5074", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-22T07:17:03.783", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5073", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "I would read it as げつまつじめ、よくげつまつばらい. I was surprised to see that Chocolate\nreads 月末締 as げつまつしめ, but I suppose that it is either personal or dialectal\ndifference.\n\nOkurigana of a noun such as め in 締め and い in 払い is sometimes omitted,\nespecially when the word is used as part of a compound word.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T11:08:17.947", "id": "5076", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-22T11:08:17.947", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "5073", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 } ]

[ { "body": "`違い` simply means \"difference\". `差` means difference in the sense of a margin\nor gap, and seems to relate to things that are calculable.\n\n> [誤差]{ご・さ} → Margin of error \n> [時差]{じ・さ} → Difference in time - (時差ぼけ → Jet lag)\n\nIt seems like you could replace most instances of `違い` with `差`, but not the\nother way around. `差` is definitely more appropriate when talking about sample\ndata, etc.\n\nHowever, there might be times when the two have distinct meanings. For\nexample, say you have a boy who is 10 years old, and another who is 20. `年齢の差`\nwould be \"10 years\", but `年齢の違い` might describe how the characteristics of\ntheir ages differs; like \"10-year-olds have more energy, but 20-year-olds are\nsmarter.\" Not sure if this is correct, but seems different to me.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T18:16:27.787", "id": "5081", "last_activity_date": "2022-12-20T17:57:59.723", "last_edit_date": "2022-12-20T17:57:59.723", "last_editor_user_id": "78", "owner_user_id": "78", "parent_id": "5079", "post_type": "answer", "score": 12 }, { "body": "I agree in general with istrasci's answer. Just to add, `差` is used\nparticularly for things whose difference is evaluated by the _difference in\nthe mathematical sense_ (that is, by subtracting the value of one from that of\nanother). Times and ages are usually compared in this way, so it it\nappropriate to use `差`.\n\n`違い` is a general term for describing differences. Difference among things\nthat do not have a clear quantity or things that are not evaluated by\nsubtraction is expressed as `違い`. Things like the difference between Picasso\nand Monet's paintings, which cannot be easily quantitized, or the volume of a\nsound, which is usually evaluated as magnitude rather than difference, can be\nexpressed as `違い`.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-22T20:04:39.573", "id": "5082", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-31T02:39:54.733", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-31T02:39:54.733", "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5079", "post_type": "answer", "score": 10 }, { "body": "You can use both to denote a \"difference\" in a casual conversation. E.g. in\nmany contexts, 違いが分からない ＝ 差が分からない. If a person is really nice to your friend\nand really mean to you, you could say「この（扱いの）差はなんだ……？」. Similarly you could\nuse 差 to describe change, e.g.「一年前との差」. In both cases, you could replace 差\nwith 違い if you wanted to.\n\nThe differences are as follows:\n\n * Only 差 can be used for [mathematical differences, as given here](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%B7%AE-67667) (second definition under さ) \n * Only 違い can be used to denote [a \"mistake\", as given in the second definition here](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%81%95%E3%81%84-559087). However, note that only 差 can be used to denote a calculable \"error\" in a mathematical/scientific context, e.g.「誤差」= \"margin of error\".", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2019-05-12T13:39:43.947", "id": "68152", "last_activity_date": "2019-05-12T13:39:43.947", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "34007", "parent_id": "5079", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "( _First, a note:_ because there is a ご at the beginning of ごくろうさま, that お〜 is\nactually not there. :)\n\nI've most often heard ご苦労様{くろうさま} used by people older than myself, when I\nhave done something for the person (or in some way have helped the person,)\nusing that phrase. (Besides age, this could also happen in a business\nsituation, where a senior worker is speaking to a junior worker.)\n\nFor reference, more information can be found in the following article:\n[御苦労様](http://d.hatena.ne.jp/tinuyama/20060727).", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-23T03:15:27.993", "id": "5086", "last_activity_date": "2022-12-13T06:35:37.677", "last_edit_date": "2022-12-13T06:35:37.677", "last_editor_user_id": "1188", "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "5084", "post_type": "answer", "score": 7 }, { "body": "From how I understand it, it is sort of a subsection of when you might say\n`お疲れ様でした`, for when people are \"just doing their job\" so to speak. Like if a\nfirefighter gets a cat from out of a tree, or you're leaving your job site and\nare talking to your co-workers. It seems to me that this is said to police\nofficers a lot.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-23T04:05:44.657", "id": "5088", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-23T04:05:44.657", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "921", "parent_id": "5084", "post_type": "answer", "score": 0 } ]

[ { "body": "You have misunderstood what 軽い means when used for a person or behavior of a\nperson. It means something similar to “frivolous,” “giddy,” or\n“rattlebrained.” So チャラ男 means “rattlebrain,” not a cool person.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-25T01:32:29.000", "id": "5096", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-25T01:32:29.000", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "15", "parent_id": "5094", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 }, { "body": "chara has several meanings: 1) a lie or joke \"chara wo iu\", 2) even, zero\n\"kari / hanasi wo chara ni suru\". However, chara chara is rather different. Of\nthe various meanings, frivolous and talkative are most relevant.\n\nIt is hard to miss out on the chara-phenomenon for those that live in Japan.\nEspecially in 2011, Fujimori Shingo (藤森慎吾) made it into a very popular\nconcept. Rather than chara, it is chara chara \"frivolous\" and \"talkative\"\nwhich are most defining. It is something that you know when seen, but\ndifficult to define. So I referred to the Wikipedia article on it. It gives\nseveral defining characteristics, which seem appropriate:\n\n * salon-tanned skin\n * brown or blonde-tanned hair\n * always hitting on girls (nanpa)\n * always going to random dinner dates (gōkon)\n * wears various accessories\n * from a girls perspective, charao are: easy to talk with, fun, easy to be with; however, likely to cheat\n\nMen who are like this are charai. Look up 藤森慎吾, who is the representative\nexample of this. In 2011, he also made popular the phrase \"kimi mo kawawiiii\nne\", where kawawii is a contraction of kawaii.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-25T01:42:18.627", "id": "5097", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-25T06:06:02.323", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-25T06:06:02.323", "last_editor_user_id": "91", "owner_user_id": "1141", "parent_id": "5094", "post_type": "answer", "score": 18 }, { "body": "According to\n[Daijisen](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9&dtype=0&dname=0na&stype=0),\n[Daijirin](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9&dtype=0&dname=0ss&stype=0)\nand the [Yahoo JE\ndictionary](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?stype=0&ei=UTF-8&dtype=3&p=%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9),\n`ちゃらちゃら` can mean:\n\n * The sound of jingling (the sound of something small and metallic clashing against other metallic/hard objects, e.g. coins)\n * Smooth-talking/non-stop talking\n * Lavishing with flattery; in a cheap-looking showy outfit; behaving in a frivolous way\n\nFor\n[`ちゃら`](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%A9&stype=0&dtype=0):\n\n * `ちゃらを言う`: can mean \"random speech\"/\"saying [something careless/nonsense]\"\n * [`ちゃらにする`](http://eow.alc.co.jp/%E3%81%A1%E3%82%83%E3%82%89%E3%81%AB%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B/UTF-8/): can mean \"forgive a debt\"/\"wipe the slate clean\"/\"go as if something never [happened/existed]\"\n\nIt looks like they can go away from those definitions a lot though.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-25T03:18:00.373", "id": "5098", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-25T03:59:39.263", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-25T03:59:39.263", "last_editor_user_id": "796", "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "5094", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "Yes they are interchangeable. They exist in these forms:\n\n * 箇\n * 個\n * 个\n * ヶ", "comment_count": 4, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-25T07:57:19.107", "id": "5100", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-25T07:57:19.107", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "542", "parent_id": "5099", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 } ]

[ { "body": "たまえ=給え/賜え. \nIt is the imperative form of 給う/賜う/たまう(or たまふ/たもう), the archaic and honorific\n(尊敬語) form of [与]{あた}える \"to give\". \n~~(して)くれたまえ is ~~(して)ください/~~(し)なさい, 与えたまえ is 与えてください/与えなさい in modern Japanese.", "comment_count": 2, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-25T08:35:14.587", "id": "5102", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-25T08:35:14.587", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5101", "post_type": "answer", "score": 9 } ]

[ { "body": "が is common at the end of a sentence or to connect two sentences into one, and\nit may mean something like \"but\" or \"although\". It's difficult to say without\nmore context, but I'm guessing the だ you speak of is the short form です, in\nwhich case I see no problem. (although I more often hear だけど (and ですが) than\nだが)", "comment_count": 3, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-25T19:57:05.243", "id": "5106", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-25T19:57:05.243", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1173", "parent_id": "5105", "post_type": "answer", "score": 4 }, { "body": "Lot of people have a different opinion on Japanese language. Like I personally\nthink that きみ is used in everyday conversation, you just need the right\nenvironment.\n\nだが is not used much but it is still used and it is not weird to use it if it\nmatches the way you speak. It depends on the person's speaking level/style a\nlot.\n\nref: <http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/thsrs/2220/m0u/>\n\nIt is written that だが is literary language and then, not really used by woman.", "comment_count": 1, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-26T00:22:58.833", "id": "5109", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-26T06:32:27.520", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-26T06:32:27.520", "last_editor_user_id": "1065", "owner_user_id": "1065", "parent_id": "5105", "post_type": "answer", "score": 1 }, { "body": "Ah, I just noticed we don't use だが very often in daily conversation. I think\nwe often use だが in these three patterns (normally in written style):\n\n 1. ~~。だが、~~。(~~. But~~.)\n 2. ~~だが、~~。(Although~~, ~~.)\n 3. ~~, ~~だが。(~~, ~~ though.)\n\nI personally don't use it when I talk, maybe because it sounds rather\nmasculine I guess. I think older, say middle-aged men (like my dad, my uncle,\nand my boss) say that sometimes. I think I've heard my dad say\n\"だがしかし、あれだな～...\" while watching TV or reading a newspaper and my boss say to\nmy colleagues \"だがねえ、きみ...\"\n\nAs for きみ, I don't use that either, but I think my boss sometimes calls my\ncolleagues きみ, and I've heard many of my teachers/professors call their\nstudents きみ at school/college.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-27T18:56:46.453", "id": "5122", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-28T03:11:45.673", "last_edit_date": "2012-03-28T03:11:45.673", "last_editor_user_id": "162", "owner_user_id": null, "parent_id": "5105", "post_type": "answer", "score": 6 } ]

[ { "body": "I think the individual parts of it are:\n\n * 遊{あそ}ばにゃ → 遊{あそ}ばなきゃ → 遊{あそ}ばなければ (see also [遊ぶ](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E9%81%8A%E3%81%B6&stype=0&dtype=3))\n\n> unless one plays/unless one has fun/unless one enjoys oneself\n\n * [損{そん}](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E6%90%8D&dtype=3&dname=2na&stype=0&index=02491300&pagenum=1)\n\n> loss/disadvantage\n\n * っ[てな](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E3%81%A6%E3%81%AA/)もん → というようなもの\n\n> (mainly for emphasis, I don't think it changes the meaning much here)\n\n * [だろう](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?p=%E3%81%A0%E3%82%8D%E3%81%86&enc=UTF-8&stype=0&dtype=3) (the plain form of the polite でしょう)\n\n> I think\n\n * が\n\n> though\n\n * [おう！](http://eow.alc.co.jp/%E3%81%8A%E3%81%86/UTF-8/)\n\n> (an exclamation, sometimes translated as \"oh!\" or \"hey!\" etc)\n\n> ...遊ばにゃ損ってなもんだろうがおう！ \n> ...遊ばなければ損というようなものでしょうがおう！ \n> ...It's a loss if you don't enjoy yourself I think though. _Alright_!\n\nI think that translation loses a lot of the feel of the original colloquial\ntext though.\n\n**EDIT:** For the time being, I've assumed the \"な\" was a typo. Also hopefully\nfixed the exclamation part.", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 4.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-25T23:44:59.257", "id": "5108", "last_activity_date": "2020-11-24T03:40:50.407", "last_edit_date": "2020-11-24T03:40:50.407", "last_editor_user_id": "9831", "owner_user_id": "796", "parent_id": "5107", "post_type": "answer", "score": 2 } ]

[ { "body": "Try looking at the sentence without that その10倍もの part, first:\n\n```\n\n 人間の脳には、約140億の神経細胞と神経細胞を支持する細胞があります。\n \n```\n\nThe sentence seems to be focusing on the following types of cells in the human\nbrain: \n`神経細胞` and `神経細胞を支持する細胞`\n\nBut the first type of cell has a numerical amount given: `約140億の`.\n\nWhen the `その10倍もの` part is added before `神経細胞を支持する細胞`, it seems to be building\noff of the numerical amount of the first type of cell (the 140億,) and using も\nas a way to say:\n\n> \" **as much as** 10 times the amount _(of the previously-written 140億\n> amount)_ \"\n\nBasically, without も, the sentence might not have the same emphasis (regarding\nthe massive amount of \"support nerve cells\" in the human brain.)", "comment_count": 7, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-26T03:26:53.860", "id": "5112", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-26T03:26:53.860", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1188", "parent_id": "5111", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]

[ { "body": "As @fefe mentions, the 4th one is wrong for the examples you mention. I think\nyour grammar book forgot about the potential.\n\nI don't know the detailed etymology, but I guess somehow 愛する, 訳する, 熱する, 察する\nare more like \"proper verbs\" (although they inherit most of the irregularities\nof する), whereas 勉強する etc. are still more like a compound: noun+する, thereby\ninheriting also the suppleted potential of する, できる.", "comment_count": 5, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-27T05:32:27.053", "id": "5114", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-27T05:32:27.053", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1073", "parent_id": "5113", "post_type": "answer", "score": 5 }, { "body": "In order here.\n\n1 These are valid words, but not valid する verb forms. That is to say the verbs\nin these cases are 訳す, 愛す, etc. In the case of some of these the す verb is\nmuch more commonly used than the する verb and can probably be considered the\n\"correcter\" version of the verb.\n\n2 + 3 These are valid and in fact the exact same thing. They are both ～得る when\nwritten in kanji. An example word using this grammar form would be ありえない. For\nthe exact difference between this and the common modern potential forms\nconsult your grammar book.\n\n4 できる is the correct potential form for most する verbs in modern Japanese.\nHowever it is not valid in the case of す verbs. 達できる, 熱できる, etc are wrong.\n\nIf you are in doubt about the correct potential form of one of these verbs use\n～うる when writing since both する and す verbs result in the same thing in these\ncases. When speaking use ことができる if you want to be safe.", "comment_count": 0, "content_license": "CC BY-SA 3.0", "creation_date": "2012-03-29T21:53:19.607", "id": "5142", "last_activity_date": "2012-03-29T21:53:19.607", "last_edit_date": null, "last_editor_user_id": null, "owner_user_id": "1129", "parent_id": "5113", "post_type": "answer", "score": 3 } ]