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1500 questions
12
votes
2 answers
Colloquial Contraction Confusion
This is taken from one of the mindless pop songs I shouldn't even be listening to:
なんてったって ラッキー！
I know what なんて and ラッキー mean, of course, but I can't figure out in a way that makes sense to me what the contracted forms after なんて are. Any help?
Oren Ronen
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1 answer
When to use 〜す verbs or their する verb counterparts
Consider the verb pairs 表【ひょう】する and 表【ひょう】す、or 訳【やく】する and 訳【やく】す。
I realize the distinction may be academic(for example, either way the ます form is always spelled 訳します), but what is the functional difference between these pairs, and when is one…
Khakionion
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12
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1 answer
What does the sentence ending particle や mean?
Out of all sentence ending particles, I cannot really pinpoint what や means. I don't meet it often (or maybe I don't have enough experience or exposure) and in situations which don't really explain themselves. Also, is it a real particle…
Szymon
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12
votes
1 answer
How do you pronounce みずうみ? (lake)
I was wondering, I learnt an う lengthens the sound before it. When I learnt the word みずうみ I thought it is a long u and saw it as a whole new word, but I noticed みずうみ exists of 2 words: みず (water) and うみ (sea), the u does not function as lenghteing…
user2667257
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12
votes
1 answer
On "おてもと" and its many variants for "chopsticks"
I've always known the Japanese word for "chopsticks" to be (お)箸{はし}.
Today in my usual practice of reading everything around me I looked up what was written on the wrapper of the disposable chopsticks that came with my supermarket bento:
おてもと
I was…
hippietrail
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12
votes
2 answers
What does it mean for the 'feel' of a sentence / text when it's written in all hiragana?
When a Japanese-language sentence is written out in all katakana, it's supposed to be either stilted, robot-like speech or something to simulate ALL CAPS.
How is that with hiragana? Does it make te text look like it was written by a nine-year old…
Bakabaka
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12
votes
2 answers
とまる / とめる and such pairs of verbs
I'm a beginner in Japanese. At my classes I'm taught like this: とまる / とめる is a pair intransitive/transitive verb.
This I understand and can memorize a table of such verbs.
I can't help, though, notice a certain phonetic change pattern in all those…
Alexander
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12
votes
1 answer
When would I use 飛行場【ひこうじょう】 over 空港【くうこう】 for airport？
So my flashcards say 飛行場【ひこうじょう】 means airport.
But actual airports in Japan always use 空港【くうこう】, like 成田【なりた】空港【くうこう】.
What are the differences between these?
And in what situations (if any) would I want to use 飛行場【ひこうじょう】 over 空港【くうこう】？
icchanobot
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2 answers
what is the name of the abbreviated writing style used in newspapers?
To make articles as short as possible in newspapers, certain conventions are used. One such convention is that when a sentence ends with サ変名詞{へんめいし}、「をする」is omitted. Another is that the full names of companies, such as "三菱重工業株式会社" can be abbreviated…
davewp
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12
votes
1 answer
人：difference between ひと and -うと
There are two readings of 人, as in these two examples: 恋人【こいびと】 and 素人【しろうと】
Why is 素人 (among others) the way it is and not しろひと or しろびと?
Furthermore, 狩人 is かりゅうど. Why is the final mora voiced here?
HAL
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12
votes
2 answers
Using に with adjectives
I want to know if there is a rule or way of thinking that makes it easier to understand which adjectives can be used in the following pattern.
体にいいです。
健康にわるいです。
酒によわいです。
電車に詳しいです。
その場にふさわしかった。
I tried using
子供に怖い and it was unacceptable, so I wish…
Nathan
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12
votes
5 answers
Can ～たり～たり end with verbs other than する?
In the past, I have come across several examples of ～たり～たり seemingly being used with other final verbs than する, which is generally taught to be mandatory at the end of ～たり～たり phrases.
Is this grammatically acceptable?
Here are some example phrases…
rintaun
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12
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1 answer
Is there a different meaning for ごちそうさま!
I have posted a "status" on Facebook:
Dear santa, I would like for you to bring him for christmas
My boyfriend commented:
Your Wish is my command!
And my Japanese manager (from our office) commented:
ごちそうさま!!
In this case, what does ごちそうさま!!…
Nyein Nyein Chan Chan
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12
votes
4 answers
Does the word 名前 have English roots?
I know it's a stretch, and I'm pretty sure it's not, but is 名前 related to name? I always thought it was weird that they were so similar in pronunciation.
user3457
12
votes
1 answer
What does かの日 mean?
In my Japanese Bible, I've seen several passages that use the phrase かの日. Here are a couple.
ある人たちの習慣に倣【なら】って集会を怠【なまけ】ったりせず、むしろ励【はげ】まし合いましょう。かの日が近づいているのをあなたがたは知っているのですから、ますます励【はげ】まし合おうではありませんか。 － ヘブライ人への手紙 / 10章…
istrasci
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