Monday, 6 July 2015

How to say 'What is this called in Japanese?'

これは日本語でなんと言いますか。

Source: http://wiredinjapan.blogspot.com.au/2009/09/asking-how-to-say-in-japanese.html

Difference between the particles は and が

Refer to post by Tae Kim http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2005/02/05/the-difference-between-and/ and also the post by Lloyd Vincent http://nihonshock.com/2010/02/particles-the-difference-between-wa-and-ga/

Topic: a non-grammatical context for the whole sentence.
Subject: a grammatical relationship only to the verb.

Example conversation 1:
スミス:どなたピアノをひきますか。(Since どなた is an interrogative pronoun, が is used after it.)
田中:さとうさんひきます。
スミス:歌歌いますか。(歌 is a new topic introduced, and so は is used.)
田中:キムさん歌います。
スミス:バイオイン
田中:バイオリンすずきさんいいます。


Example conversation 2:
キム:どこ静かですか。
ホワイト:あの部屋静かです。(Using the "removal test" in the nihonshock post, I would say が is the particle used.)
キム:じゃ、あの部屋で勉強しませんか。
ホワイト:そうですね。あの部屋いいですね。

Example conversation 3:
ホワイト:田中さん何を飲みますか。
田中:私コーヒーいいです。
ホワイト:ケーキ
田中:そうですね…。チーズケーキを一つお願いします。

Example conversation 4:
リサ:本田さんはスポーツ好きですか。
本田:いいえ、でも、音楽大好きです。(You can imagine a 私は before the 音楽, and therefore が must be used.)
リサ:どんな音楽好きですか。(From what I've seen, が always precedes 好き)
本田:クラシックです。
リサ:そうですか。私ロック好きです。スポーツテニスとクリケット好きです。

Example conversation 5: (喫茶店で)
田中:どこいいですか。
スミス:あそこのテーブルいいですか。
田中:何いいですか。
スミス:そうですね。この店美味しいですか。
田中:チーズケーキ美味しいです。(Not too sure for this. は also works I think)
スミス:じゃあ、チーズケーキを食べます。
田中:私はチョコレートケーキにします。飲み物は何いいですか。
スミス:私はコーヒーを飲みます。田中さんは?
田中:えーと、じゃ、私はコーヒーにします。すみません。
ウエイター:はい。
田中:コーヒーを二つお願いします。
スミス:それから、チーズケーキとチョコレートケーキをお願いします。
ウエイター:はい。





Thursday, 9 August 2012

Difference between 予定 and 計画

予定: Schedule; something that is decided in advance; what you think of doing whether you do or not.

計画: Plan; design; image you built concretely for action.

明日その計画を発表する予定だ。
I am scheduled to announced the plan tomorrow. (I am going to announce the plan tomorrow)

計画がだいなしになる: A plan comes to nothing
計画をねる: Consider a plan
計画的はんこう: Deliberate attack


予定どおりに着く: Arrive on time
しゅっさん予定日: Expected due date

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081127024654AAYkPuW

Thursday, 2 August 2012

Some Phrases

What did you say?
何と言ったのですか。

Could you please repeat that?
もう一度言ってもらえますか。

Could you speak more slowly?
もう少しゆっくり話してもらえますか。

I don't understand what you said.
あなたの言ったことが分からない。

Source:
http://japanese-phrases.sakura.ne.jp/page16j.html

How to say 'I don't understand what you said'

Sorry, I don't understand what you just said. 
すみません、なんと仰ったのか分かりません。

仰る is the honorific form of 言う




I don't understand what you're saying.
りかいできません。Or
あなたが言っているをしりません。



Casually,
What are you saying?
何言ってるの?

I can't understand what you're saying.
何言ってるのか分からない。

Source:

Tuesday, 3 July 2012

けど

In many cases when けど is used at the end of sentence, the original meaning "but" fades away, and it simply functions as a softener to avoid an abrupt remark.

野球が好きですか。Do you like baseball?
はい、好きですけど。Yes, I like it.

When making a phone call and identifying yourself, "kedo" is often used as a softener.
田中ですけど。This is Tanaka.

Source: http://japanese.about.com/blqow1.htm

Levels of politeness with どう

どうする?- What will you do? (Lit. How do?)
どうしますか?Regular polite
どうされますか?Passive polite
どうんさいますか?Honorific
どうなさいますでしょうか?Honorific + a lesser degree of certainty.

Source: http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/causepass

Saturday, 30 June 2012

的=-ic; -li; -al; -like; -ish; -ly

How to use 的
E.g.一般=general, 一般的=generally

So: different ways to use 的
一般的な意見です。(的+な+Noun)
It is a generally held opinion.

一般的に普及しています。(的+に+Sentence)
It is in general use.

一般的です。(的+です)
It is general.


Some vocabulary involving 的
主観的(しゅかんてき)- Subjective(ly)
客観的(きゃっかんてき)- objective(ly)
合理的(ごうりてき)- rational(ly)
効果的(こうかてき)- effective(ly)
全体的(ぜんたいてき)- whole(lly)
否定的(ひていてき)- negative(ly)
肯定的(こうていてき)- affirmative(ly)
平均的(へいきんてき)- (on) average
専門的(せんもんてき)- specialized (professionally)
伝統的(でんとうてき)- traditional(ly)
論理的(ろんりてき)- logical(ly)
社会的(しゃかいてき)- social (ly)
精神的(せいしんてき)- spiritual (ly) / mental (ly)
封建的(ほうけんてき)- conservative (ly) / feudalistic (ally)
協力的(きょうりょくてき)- cooperative (ly)
画一的(かくいつてき)- stereotypical (ly)

Source: Pera Pera Penguin Vol. 7

Informal: ~そうです.

~そうです(I heard that~)

そうです→って

小林さんが新しいステレオを買ったんだって。
I heard Kobayashi bought a new stereo.

Special usage of 思う and たい

私は作家になりたいです。= 私は作家になりたいと思います。
I want/I'd like to become an author. (Does not translate to 'I think I want to become an author')

Informal speech ~と言って

Informal form of ~と言って is just って

智子さんは来年、海外に行くんだって。
Tomoko said that she's going overseas next year.

Further reading: http://www.guidetojapanese.org/quotation.html

Informal speech of てしまう

てしまう→ちゃう
でしまう→じゃう

とか

To break uncomfortable silences while you are searching for words, use とか as filler as follows:

~とか...~とか...

Example:
友だち:どんな食べ物が好きですか?
Poleさん:えーっと…さかなとか…肉とか…です。Let's see...I like fish...meat...and so on.

As seen from the example, also used to list several items. This is similar to や~など。

Source: Pera Pera Penguin Vol. 7

Thursday, 28 June 2012

Difference between なんか、なんて、など

なんて and なんと/など are completely separate from なんか.
なんて is the formal way of expressing yourself. It's almost like a prefix in English (except for the part that it's not thrown in front of a word, but instead it's just put in front of a sentence).

So you could say:
きれいな 女の人 だろうね
That's a beautiful girl.

If you throw in なんて, you only stress the meaning of what you are saying.
So
なんてきれいな女の人だろうね
What a beautiful girl she is!
The meaning is the same; all you've done is stress what you're saying.


That said, you can also throw なんて in the middle of a sentence.
トムがおばけのことなんてしんじられない
Tom doesn't believe in ghosts.
I'd like to note that you are being emphatic when you say this though. Much more so than had you left なんてout.


If なんて is at the beginning of the sentence, you can use なんと instead.
If it comes in the middle of the sentence, you can replace it with など. Simple as that.
Just note, that なんと and など are more familiar, so should only be used in casual situations.


なんか: That is the word that is similar to  "like". That's the word you throw in when you're trying to think of what you're going to say.
Example:
なんか、どうしよう?どこ行くだろう?あのさあ、なんか、この町のおいしいところはどこだろう?
Like, what should I do? Where should I go? Excuse me, but umm... where can I go for some good food around here?"

なんか is basically used for "like" or "umm" as we would English, and I don't think I need to explain to you that it's very informal.


Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100424195808AAGfq7F

ではありません

ではありません is a polite version of じゃない, which is the plain negation of BOTH ある and いる. When you negate in plain form, you don't make a distinction between animate and inanimate.
ではありません is a stock phrase used regardless of the living status of what it describes.

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=As79K9A1AsPCbB2hT9BiQWjq1KIX;_ylv=3?qid=20110605101603AAgM4x4

Difference between 持っている and ある


持っている - to hold, carry or have
ある - something is there or present.

Main difference between 持っている and ある: (when used as "have")
持っている is transitive (it can take an object)
ある is intransitive (it cannot take an object, the object being "had" is the subject).

Example:
ぼくは本がある.
I have a book (using subject + ga + aru).

ぼくが本を持っている.
I have a book (using object + wo + motte iru).

If you want to specify that the book is not with you, you're going to have to add another part to the sentence saying so. Like for example:
本がある。たぶんかばんにあるでしょう。
I have a book with me, maybe in my bookbag.



You can say 本がある or 本を持っている for saying you have a book but not with you.
You can only say 本を持っている if you have a book and you are currently carrying it.

Usually though, in conversation, you don't just say this. I can't remember anytime when someone has asked me, "Do you have the book?" without just wanting a simple "Yes, I have it with me right now" or "No, but I do own it" and it's all obvious by context.

Teacher: (You need a book for class) Do you have the book?
Me: Yes, it's right here.
Me: No, it's at home.

You wouldn't say, "Yep, I have it" when you don't have it currently with you without clarifying. Like "Yeah, I have it, but now with me right now."
Same for Japanese.


Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081203203119AADtIoq

どうする

どうする?
What should I do?
What will I do?

どうするの?
What are you going to do?

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100804201600AA16o4K
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuJ08l7kQs8ULa1zNggFugIjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20120117173000AANaM74

How do you say "I give up?"


give up:
もう止める(もうやめる)
もう参った(もうまいった)
降参(こうさん)
諦める(あきらめる)

When to use different forms of saying 'give up':

I give up (もう止めた,もう待った, 降参)
give up smoking. (止める)
give up the ideas (諦める, すてる)
give up trying to help him (諦める)
give up the presidency (ゆずる)
give oneself up to the police (自首(じしゅ)する)
its too early to give up (あきらめる)

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080207060222AAY9mBH

When to use 母、父、お父さん、お母さん

父 and 母 - When introducing your parents to someone else.

John: あの方だれ?
Bob:あっ、父です。


お父さん and お母さん - When introducing someone else's parents to someone else, or when you talk to your parents.

John:そして田中のお父さんです。

山田:お父さん!どうしてビデオゲームをできないの?全部で宿題をしてしまったんだよ!

When to use other family terms:

Talking about them:
父(ちち)、母(はは)、兄(あに)、姉(あね)、弟(おとうと)、妹(いもうと)、祖母(そぼ)、祖父(そふ)、いとこ。

Calling them, talking to them, or talking about other people's family:
お父さん(おとうさん)、お母さん(おかあさん)、お兄さん(おにいさん)、お姉さん(おねえさん)、弟さん(おとうとさん)、妹さん(いもうとさん)、おばあさん、おじさん、いとこさん、ごりょうしん

Source:http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080603180324AAzm1ZB
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100924181747AAovYYE

Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Difference between する and やる

ゲームをやる。Do game.〇
ゲームをやる。Do game.〇

想像する。Imagine.〇
想像やる。Imagine.×

やる means 'to do' only as a physical action. So while its okay to say やる for doing a game, you can't use it with mental processes since they don't involve any physical movement.


やる can also be used as a way to give things or do something for somebody while looking down at that person.する does not have this property.
Example:
お前にこれをやるよ。I give you this. (looking down)
ぜったいに勝ってやる!I'll win (beat you) for sure!

Source: http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2005/04/21/difference-between-and/