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3 answers

Does 今度 mean "this time" or "next time"?

My dictionary gives many meanings for 今度, they include "this time" as well as "next time". How can it mean both? Since it is 今 in it, shouldn't it only mean "this time"? Also, I am confused between 今回 and 今度. The dictionary says that both translate…
quantum231
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What does the "~ておく" mean in "任せておく"?

Good afternoon all, From what I understand, "~ておく" basically has 4 meanings: to do something for a purpose / reason used as a softener (source) to do.. for now or for the time being (source, source), in other words to leave a situation as it is for…
Pacerier
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What is the difference between 悪い and だめ?

What is the difference between 悪い and だめ? They're not really the same, but in English they both can be translated to "bad". あの人が悪い。In my limited experience, this is bad in the sense of evil. あの人がだめだ。This sounds more like hopeless, untrustworthy or…
B Seven
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What differences are there between the English word "memo" and the Japanese word "メモ"?

What differences, if any, are there between the English word "memo" and the Japanese word "メモ"? Does the Japanese word "メモ" have connotations to do with memorisation or memory that don't exist with the English word "memo"? Also, do native speakers…
Golden Cuy
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Different ways to report one's impression/guess (~そう/~みたい)

雨が降りそうです 雨が降るみたいです Is there any difference between the two? Which one would be the most common way to say this? このセーターは家で洗えそうです このセーターは家で洗えるみたいです Both these also seem valid, but imo the second one sounds a bit more awkward. Can I take away from…
gibbon
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2 answers

What's the difference between なんと and どう

I'm having a lot of trouble working out the difference between なんと and どう。 どう is "How" e.g. これはどう書きますか "How do you write this?" and is easy for me to understand. The problem is なんと、the dictionaries translate it as "how?" and "what?". If I want to…
edwinbradford
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What's the difference between differences? 差 and 違い

What's the difference between 差 and 違い? When would I use each? Which (if either) would I use for describing the difference between something like sample data and the best fitting equation?
Matthew
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Why is the を particle used twice here

I came across this sentence in the basic kanji book くつを一足とくつ下を四足買いました The sentence has two を particles even though I thought the を particles can only be used once in a sentence. I thought since the と particle connects two nouns together it would…
Hamzeh
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Difference between yamero and yamete

I often hear this from animations and read it among users when making jokes on the internet, but I wonder exactly: what's the difference between yamero and yamete?
Fabián
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The meaning of うがった見方

I'm kind of lost with the phrase うがった見方 used in NHK's special news program subtitles. They were showing U.S. President Trump speaking about his Russia ties allegations. The voice commentary was トランプ大統領はロシア疑惑に対して否定を繰り返しています and then the program…
macraf
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Can 何で mean "how"?

Looking at this, it seems that when the word 何 is used with the で particle, it roughly translates into "by means of what" or "in what context." Personally, that sounds like asking "how". Is this assumption correct? Or can it change based on…
Miguel
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What is the formula to say "I'm trying to do X regularly"?

I was trying to think of a way to say "I'm trying hard to read a news article every day" (in the sense that I'm trying to find the time to sit down and pay attention long enough to read, not necessarily that the material is very difficult). What I…
silvermaple
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What exactly does この通{とお}りmean?

I know that その通り can mean "Exactly" or "That's right". But I was watching an anime (Samurai 7) and heard one of the characters say "この通り" and something else right afterwards which I didn't catch. For context, the scene was the governor of the city…
dotnetN00b
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Etymology of とんでもない

Where did とんでもない (meaning "not at all" or "outrageous!") come from? Could it be 飛んでもない? ("will not even jump/fly" in a similar way how "When pigs fly" is considered a remark for something outrageous?) Or is there a more complete sentence from…
Flaw
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Where does the word 青年 come from?

I know the word 少年 means boy or lad, and it is composed by the kanjis for few (少) and year (年), so it makes sense for me to associate boy with few years. In the other hand, 青年 means young man (usually refering to young adults as far as I know), but…
Roäc
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