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