Japanese - Ask questions thread

Basically if you have a question about the language, ask it and fellow 4channers might see it and answer it for you.

To start it off. When an animate object (iru) dies, is it considered inanimate(aru)?

正確にゃあ
正確には
たぶんそんくらいじゃ
たぶんそんなくらいじゃないか
guess work

most of time as far I'm concerned old people (or any guy over the age of 40) might as well be chinese or yakuza... I don't get what they say at all

sort of related: http://www.jingai.com/yakuza/introduction.html
うすっ！

>>320
Haha so wrong.
I learn 10x faster from just reading than fucking writing shit down. I just read Japanese stuff and I pick up a fuck load of words and kanji at the same time, and I'm picking it all up quick. I obviously won't use rikai chan for a word I know, but if It's a must, I'll use it.

>>322
Same here. I learnt lots of shit from Rikai-chan. It detects more colloquial words and slangs than some online dictionaries too. It also picks up most four-word proverbs. Of course, grammar has to be picked up somewhere else.

How the fuck do you talk to someone in Japanese when you don't know their name?

Like saying "you" is impolite, and let's say you don't want to ask for their name just to fucking talk to them

Omae is impolite, anata is just weird, and a lot of the time just reserved for old ladies for a way to say "dear"

>>324
just ask for their name genius.
who gives a fuck if you dont want to.
if you can get away with it just dont use a subject, this is japanese, not english.

In anime when someone ask for a stranger's name, sometimes they go  "etto..." (Erm...).
Then the other party will know he's asking for his name.
Does this happen in real life?

>>324
I was waiting for someone who had lived in Japan to answer but,
あ、ちょっと or すみませんが seem to work as attention getters

For actual conversation not knowing the person's name isn't a problem at all. As you probably know the language has a lot of "directed" expressions (for example ～と思う is always you). Another consideration is that you have to avoid using the person's name just as much as personal pronouns at the risk of sounding aggressive.  あなた is acceptable and more neutral than what basic textbooks might say to avoid overuse by students. Other possibilities to　address someone else directly 僕・君・おじさん・お兄さん・おばさん・お姉さん・profession+さん・お客さん

Finally all signs point to that as an outsider you're cut a lot of slack on politeness to the point none of what I just wrote matters until you sound natural enough that people expect you to know how to be polite.

>>As you probably know the language has a lot of "directed" expressions (for example ～と思う is always you).

What the fuck does that even mean?

>>Other possibilities to　address someone else directly 僕

Maybe if you're 80 and talking to a 4 year old you would address them as 僕

Hint: if you are struggling with this concept, then your Japanese isn't at a level where you need to be worried about it. Any Japanese people you encounter will just be tickled pink that you can blurt out semi-coherent sentences in Japanese.

僕確

these compact signs... what are they called? They don't look like the usual japanese to me

What the fuck does that even mean?
so angry anonymous
I meant that と思う always refers to what you're thinking therefore pronouns are unneeded since it has a "direction"
Maybe if you're 80 and talking to a 4 year old you would address them as 僕
I threw that out because I only found out after a long while that it isn't strictly a 1st-person pronoun

these compact signs... what are they called? They don't look like the usual japanese to me
do you mean kanji versus kana?

>>326
simple answer is yes, although it is overused in anime
anime is a horrible way to learn japanese, you would never speak like most characters do

>>331
What is a good way to learn real Japanese? In b4 go to Japan.

>>332
classes, take some college courses

When learning to read/write Japanese, do you learn the hiragana, katakana, or kanji, or a mix of the three?

When learning to read/write English, do you learn the uppercase letters, lowercase letters, or whole words, or a mix of the three?

When learning to walk/run, do you learn to use your left leg, your right leg, or left-right coordination, or a mix of the three?

Anyway, I took college courses before, and many of the students there:
1. Refuse to use or learn any words outside of the course textbooks.
2. Can't make any sentences with proper grammar, but like to use Japanese words that make them sound cool. i.e. muttering mendoukusai or mukatsuku randomly.
3. Laugh any people who are worse than Japanese than themselves, even though they suck themselves.

The only good thing is there were many girls.

this has been bugging me..

Do both machimasen and mattemasen mean the same thing(to no wait)?

My guess would be that "machimasen" means "i don't wait" while "mattemasen" means "i cannot wait".　Not sure though.

machimasen means "I'm not going to wait".
mattemasen is short for matteimasen, which means "I'm not waiting (now)".

Okay. Then, how would you say "i cannot wait"?

>>341
matenai
待てない

>>342
Is plain form. Polite form would be matemasen

summary:
polite/plain
machimasen/matanai - I won't wait
mattemasen/mattenai - I am not waiting
matemasen/matenai - I can't wait

About the previous questions of "I", when do I use "boku", "ore", or "watashi"? I'm afraid of making a fool of myself.

Do Japanese people think in casually even when let's say, talking to someone formally?

>>344
If your a guy younger than 30 use "boku" all the time else "watashi"

People will tell you at certain times you'd want to use "watashi" or even "watakushi" or "ore" but as a foreigner with little skill in Japanese, it doesn't matter. When you get good enough to where it actually matters what pronoun you use, by then you'll know from hearing others which you should use. It's not something that can be taught simply, especially not at your current level. Its something many Japanese themselves struggle with. With "boku" you won't make a fool out of yourself. It has the right mix of everything to be used in all occasions.

>>345
Yes

>>330

yes. I've a japanese dictionary but I don't see any of those signs in that tablet.

>>348
Your tablet appears to be broken, my son. Do not fret, for the lord is always in your heart and one need only look within to see the tablet betrowth'd upon moses and share in its wisdom and faith.

How do you say I eat Dogs and Cats and my pet parrots in japanese?

僕は犬と猫と鸚鵡を食べる。

>>351
fucking rook

犬や猫を食えば飼ってる鸚鵡も食う

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you got some n's and V's up in there fucking up the 断

>>I use that for translating anime. It's a good thesaurus too.

How do you do that? Do you open a document in firefox and just use it? Maybe I should try that myself for my translating woes. Then again I use JWPce for writing the words from scans so maybe I wouldn't really gain anything. (Or is Rikaichan better than JWPce's dictionary?)

Anyway, thought I'd start with asking if there is any other good site/forum where I can ask questions about how good certain translations I've done are, and what other sentences mean?

Because I enjoy translating and understanding the sentences, but can't really solve all sentences everytime.

Here are a few of the most difficult ones I've encountered in a story. (Most important at top, less important further down, atleast I think so). Going to attempt photoshopping in the text when done and see if I can spread it afterwards. Because I really like the art + story in this one. (of course I won't take credit for the translation after getting help)

こうして　弟に　四つん　言いで　犯されたかった　んだよね！！

それから　お姉ちゃん　途中から　全然　牛　やってないじゃん

今　度　喋ったら　その場で　抜いちゃうからね！

本当は　初めから　牛に　なりたかった　んでしょう！？

フフ。。。　いやそうな　フリ　して　本当　いじられるの　好きな　んだ

あたしも　好きよ

かわいい。。　もう　だれにも　触らせ　たくない

いいよ。。　出しにあさい

お姉ちゃんに　好きなように　ミルク　絞られて　喜ぶ牛

なんだ　お姉ちゃん　だって　もう　腿の内側　ベチャベチャ　じゃん

だって　そりゃ。。。

気に　する　こと　ないのに　大きさ　なんて

お姉ちゃんも　この胸　他の奴に　触らせちゃ　やだからね

でも　この　おっぱいは　どれだけ　絞っても　ミルク　出ないよね

よしよし　この乳首を　絞ると　どんな　ミルクが　出るかな？

よしよし　それじゃ　いい　声で　鳴じぇよお

どう　お姉ちゃん？　種付けされる　気分は！？

Keep putting those random spaces in your Japanese, you're sure to be an expert in no time.

Make sure to post random lines with no context too. Thats how you can be sure to get the best possible translation.

Hugs

I'd hardly call the spaces random. They are added where I assume words start and end (though with particles still attached). It is to help me break sentences down and translate them. It would also show you if I'm splitting something incorrectly so you could point out that so-and-so should be that.

The context part I can relate to. Often when I look up words they can have many meanings, which makes it harder to guess what it should be. But it isn't the easiest to explain the situation in a H-manga. I should probably have included my translations on those to give a better idea.

A brief situation description:
Brother and Sister plays "farmer" with sexual activities. The cow isn't allowed to speak.

本当は　初めから　牛に　なりたかった　んでしょう！？
Because it really is your first time as a cow, right?
<While having sex>

それから　お姉ちゃん　途中から　全然　牛　やってないじゃん
???
<no clue, but before the actual sex starts>

今　度　喋ったら　その場で　抜いちゃうからね！
If you talk a lot now, then ... (?)
<I assume it is a threat about not letting her get an orgasm (through sex) if she talks while being the cow. It also comes after talking about positioning her ass in his direction.>

でも　この　おっぱいは　どれだけ　絞っても　ミルク　出ないよね
But... how long have I squeezed these breast without any milk coming?
<He's been squeezing a while on sister's breasts>

お姉ちゃんも　この胸　他の奴に　触らせちゃ　やだからね
Big sister also has other things than her chest for guys to touch, right?
<Thinking of moving I assume>

知ってるよ
What have we here!?
<He moves from nipples to vagina>

なんだ　お姉ちゃん　だって　もう　腿の内側　ベチャベチャ　じゃん
What is this, big sister is already wet from earlier, her inner thighs are all messy.
<When it is the brothers turn to be farmer and sister is cow>

いいよ。。　出しにあさい
Good... that was a shallow excuse
<This one was odd. It comes after the brother saying もう instead of モオ. Which I guess is wordplay as well as a sign on him being near orgasm and harder to make sounds. Sister also asked something before him saying もう, which might have been a logical answer. Question is そんなに　気持ちいいの？>

かわいい。。　もう　だれにも　触らせ　たくない
How cute... this is the first time someone touch you.
<Sister while *milking* the brother>

あたしも　好きよ
I feel good too.
<Sisters comment while touching her brother>

フフ。。。　いやそうな　フリ　して　本当　いじられるの　好きな　んだ
*giggle* It will probably feel nice if I do this.
<When sister starts stroking his penis>




There. More information to help the translating. The order and amount of lines may have varied from previous post (in general this batch goes from end to beginning because I had a faint memory of the last pages being hardest), but I think I got most things close to right, and just need a few translations, and a few opinions on how close I am.

The spaces are still there, but as I said it is to help me think, and it might show you places I were thinking wrong.

I hope someone can help me now. I mean, more info + less sentences must be cake. (I always worry the lenght will scare people away)

>>357
You are a god damned faggot. Judge not lest ye be judged they say, but thats because they never knew anyone would reach such levels of faggotry to try and translate a comic book about "Brother and Sister plays "farmer" with sexual activities. The cow isn't allowed to speak."

Fucking japs.

>>本当は初めから牛になりたかったんでしょう！？
The truth is you wanted to be a cow all along right!?

Jesus fucking christ.

Oh shit, extra faggotry trunctuated.

今度喋ったらその場で抜いちゃうからね！
Next time you talk I'm pulling it out!

でもこのおっぱいはどれだけ絞ってもミルク出ないよね
But no matter how much I squeeze these tits, no milk is gonna come out.

お姉ちゃんもこの胸他の奴に触らせちゃやだからね
I don't want you letting anyone else touch your chest.

知ってるよ
I know

なんだお姉ちゃん だってもう腿の内側ベチャベチャじゃん
What the fuck sis, your thighs are already sticky.

いいよ。。　出しにあさい
This is probably mistranscribed or something. Scan the page or something.

かわいい。。　もうだれにも触らせたくない
Adorable. I don't wanna let anyone else touch you.

あたしも好きよ
I love you too

フフ。。。　いやそうなフリして、本当いじられるの好きなんだ
Pretending like you don't like this, you really like being groped.


Man what an ego boost. I feel like god damned Rico Suave compared to you now. Holy shit. Talk about a win-win situation.

this thread just went from zero to hilarious