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Why does 今度【こんど】 mean "next time"?

The word 今度【こんど】, though its literal meaning is "this time" is in my experience used pretty heavily to refer to tbe next time or some unspecified point in the future. For example: 今度【こんど】こそ一緒【いっしょ】に行【い】こう！ Let's go together next time! This has…
rintaun
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Is there a rule for when to use くらい vs ぐらい?

I see phrases like 200人ぐらい, 半々ぐらい, and 何分くらい, which seem to indicate that くらい and ぐらい are synonymous, if not interchangeable. Is there any kind of rule for deciding which to use, or is it a stylistic preference?
sartak
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What is 「々」 and how does it affect meaning and pronunciation?

I've seen this symbol in various places, such as 「日々」, 「色々」, and 「人々」. What is it, and how does it affect the meaning and pronunciation of the word?
Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams
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What is the difference in nuance between 間違う and 間違える?

I've heard from a Japanese native speaker friend of mine that both 間違う and 間違える are correct usage, but he wasn't able to explain the difference in nuance between them. Is there a difference, and if so, what is it?
bdonlan
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全然 {ぜんぜん} with positive adjective / na-adjective

In Japanese classes, I was taught that 全然 can only be used with negative-meaning words/phrases/clauses, for example: 全然出来ません 全然だめです However, I've observed that, especially in spoken Japanese, some positive na-adjectives are allowed to follow 全然…
Lukman
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How to say f*** yeah in Japanese

I often get asked about swear words by Japanese people. As I sometimes watch Netflix, I can see how other translators approach these phrases and get helpful hints. Specifically, I'm curious about the phrase 'f*** yeah', expressing strong agreement…
Robert
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Do the Japanese actually use the word "Hentai" to mean "Anime Porn", like in English?

The English word "Hentai" likely came from 4chan. Thus, like a lot of Japanese loanwords that come from 4chan, I have to ask whether the Japanese actually use the word to mean "Anime porn" like in English. If it isn't, or if a different word is more…
Tirous
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When Japanese say KY on the Internet, what does it mean exactly?

This comment can be seen very often on Japanese message boards.
Ken Li
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What connotation does なんだ add?

Specifically, in the expression 好きなんだ (I love you) why not just say 好きだ or 好きです ?
Goku
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Do 以上 and 以下 include the number preceding them?

I was having a discussion with a colleague and we couldn't recall how they both worked. Does 一人以上 mean a) 1 or more persons or b) more than one person?
crunchyt
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Where does "もしもし" (moshimoshi) for answering the telephone come from?

Does the term "もしもし" (moshimoshi) predate the telephone? Does it have any use besides answering the phone? Where does it come from, is it just a reduplication of "もし" (moshi) "if", and if so how does that work?
hippietrail
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Japanese Buts: でも, しかし, ただ, ただし, ところが, が, けど, けれど, けれども

I'm sure someone asked a similar question but I did a search and couldn't find any. Usually I just translate everything into but, but (no pun intended) I think it's about time I got into the nitty gritty of the buts, similar to the different kinds…
Lord of Gall 胆 Bladder
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Why is the topic marker often used in negative statements (ではない, ～とは思わない)?

What function does は provide in statements such as 本ではない or 本だとは思わない? I notice the は after と is often left out, at least if a Google search for 思わない is any indication, but there still seems to be a general trend of sticking は into negatives where I…
Kef Schecter
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What differences should I look out for between male vs female speech?

I was told a story where a male westerner learnt Japanese from his girlfriend and ended up speaking more like a female. The storyteller thought this was hilarious. What important differences should I look for between male and female speech?
gak
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Particle と with へ; ～へと

Consider ～へと in these cases: ～へと下がる : (of some quantity) to fall to ~ ～へと先送りされる : to be postponed to ~ ～へと旅立つ : to make a trip to ~ ～へと広がる : to spread to ~ へと seems to be equivalent to へ or even に. How is へと different from へ? How is へと different…
Flaw
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