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28
votes
6 answers
Why are there two versions of the kanji for 冷?
The screenshot below is from Kotoba for iPhone.
It shows the character for "cool", 冷 as used in the word 冷たい. However, the character in the stroke order diagram is slightly different to the main one displayed top-left!
Why is this? Which one is…
MatthewD
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2 answers
What is the difference between 様子、状況、状態、and 事情
I'm unsure of the difference between these four words. They all seem to indicate some type of "condition" or "circumstances".
(1) Are they interchangeable?
(2) What are some example sentences which show their differences.
phirru
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28
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1 answer
Origin of the circle in ぬ, ね, and る
When looking at the hiragana ぬ (nu), ね (ne), and る (ru) one notices a small circle in the symbols. In fact that circle is the only difference when comparing them with the hiragana め (me), れ (re) and ろ (ro).
In the history of hiragana, is there any…
poke
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28
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8 answers
Does the Japanese language only have negative terms for flirting?
I am looking for terms in the Japanese language which can describe the act of flirting in a positive light. This probably requires inventing terms to close a lexical gap, because as far as I know, all terms that are related to flirting in Japanese…
Questioner
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28
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3 answers
I don't understand what のも means in 生まれたのも育ったのも京都なんですよ
Here's the sentence in question:
生まれたのも育ったのも京都なんですよ
I thought using の in a sentence signified possession (e.g. 私の本 [My book]). If I interpret the sentence as such, it doesn't make any sense.
Then I came to the conclusion that I should include the…
Korclus
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28
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2 answers
What does さあ (saa) mean?
I have seen this term used a lot in many different ways.
「さあ、忘れましょうその未来が」 saa, wasuremashou sono mirai ga — in this sense, I assume it means "come".
But I have also seen it used as
「でもさあ」 demo saa — which I would assume means "well you know" or some…
Nick C.
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28
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2 answers
明日: あす & あした; Is there a difference in meaning and when each is used?
Is there a difference between these two words for "tomorrow" and when each is used? (and is it just coincidence that あした sounds like the past tense of あす?)
We tend to be taught あした and then discover あす when we listen to the programs like the weather…
Tim
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28
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2 answers
If Vて+いる isn't a gerund, then what is it?
I always thought that a verb ending in the て form along with the いる suffix was the English equivelent of the "ing" form of a verb.
Thus:
see = 見{み}る, seeing = 見{み}ている
do = する, doing = している
However, according to the Wikipedia entry on gerunds, a…
Questioner
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27
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4 answers
What does the final て in 待ってて signify?
In this scene a young girl, Yotsuba, drops in on her neighbors for some breakfast. The mother who's cooking breakfast says:
「今お父さんの焼いてるからその次ねー。ちょっと待っててー。」
So I guess she's preparing her husbands food first, and tells Yotsuba to hang on for a…
Louis Waweru
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27
votes
3 answers
What is the difference in usage between 準備, 用意 and 覚悟?
The dictionaries translate these three words roughly as preparation/preparedness or ready/readiness.
I don't think I understand the subtleties of their usage.
Not to mention できる also has another meaning, "to be ready", as in 「ご飯できてるよ！」to mean that…
Brandon Tyrell Syms
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27
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2 answers
Why is it なさそう and not なそう
"It seems there is none" is なさそう, which escapes the usual rule for 形容詞 (イ-adjectives), which says "drop the い and add そう".
Is there a historical explanation for this exception? And does it have anything to do with なさいません?
Earthliŋ
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When would you use 新{あら}たな and 新{あたら}しい
To say new, the first way that I learned is to use the i-adjective 新しい. But I noticed that the na-adjective 新たな is used a lot in written texts. Is there any difference in when either is used?
Nap
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27
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10 answers
What to say after someone sneezes
It's happened several times: I'll be chattering away with a friend in Japanese, and they'll sneeze, and without even thinking about it I'll revert back to English to say "bless you." Is there a set phrase in Japanese I can use after someone…
Amanda S
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27
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2 answers
The meanings of ものだ
Could someone please explain to me the different meanings that ものだ can have at the end of a sentence ? Here are some examples I understand the general meaning of, but I don't understand the logic/grammar behind…
Sp4zzy
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27
votes
1 answer
What are the differences between 〜ので and 〜から?
When I was studying this, my 先生 kind of brushed over the point, and then years later, I realize that they are different, but I don't know exactly how.
The only thing I understand is that ので is more polite. I suppose that's because ので isn't actually…
makdad
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