日本語 Japanese Ask Questions Thread 7

If you have a question about the language, ask it and fellow 4channers might see it and answer it for you.
日本の方からのご協力も大歓迎です。


■USEFUL TOOLS

Rikaichan
http://www.polarcloud.com/rikaichan/
A pop-up dictionary for Firefox that shows readings and definitions when you hover over words.

Rikaikun
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jipdnfibhldikgcjhfnomkfpcebammhp
Same as above, but for Chrome.

Anki
http://ankisrs.net/
Flash card program mainly useful for vocab and kanji repetition. Can sync decks between computers and your phone.


■WEB-BASED DICTIONARIES

ALC
http://www.alc.co.jp/
Offers a web interface to the Eijirou dictionary, made for use in translation work.

kotobank
http://kotobank.jp/
Pretty good for J-J lookups. J-E/E-J definitions from Progressive.

Tangorin
http://tangorin.com/
The best interface to Jimu Buuriinu-sama's EDICT, which is a mess, so don't use this unless you have to.

weblio 類語辞典
http://thesaurus.weblio.jp/
It's an extensive thesaurus.

(If you want the best J-E/E-J dictionary, get an EPWING copy of Kenkyusha.)


■MEDIA

D-Addicts
http://d-addicts.com/forum/torrents.php
It's a horrible community, but it's THE go-to for drama series. Many variety shows turn up there as well.

JPopsuki
http://jpopsuki.eu/
It's a private music tracker with an extensive selection of just about everything.

KeyHoleTV
http://www.v2p.jp/video/english/
An application that lets you stream live TV in shit quality.

Tokyo Toshokan
https://www.tokyotosho.info/
anime anime anime anime anime


■PREVIOUS THREADS

See >>2 for links.

>>280
If you're having that much trouble parsing things, you should probably look at more example sentences that have translations with them/study grammar more.

と is a particle, as is よ, so there are certainly particles there. I'm not entirely sure what's tripping you up because rikaichan picks up the conjugation of おっしゃる just fine.

>避けようって
This is not one word, it's 避ける conjugated into 避けよう which is then followed by って. The meaning will depend greatly on the context because there are a multitude of uses for って.

>>281
So does that mean that だと isn't a word on it's own? As in, 罠だ is followed by と rather than だと following 罠?

And you're right, I haven't spent as much time as I should have on the -te form. Where would be a good place to look for an explanation? Guidetojapanese?

>>282
Tae Kim's is fine. You should be aware that 仰ってました is 仰っていました, i.e. 仰っている, which is a form I hope you are already familiar with.

だと is listed as one entry but that's mostly for convenience (it's also not correct in this application, assuming you're looking at the EDICT entry "if it's the case"). The definition of "a word" isn't so simple, you can look at it however you like.　だと is the copula だ followed by the particle と, and in this case it's a quote: "He was saying it's a trap". It could also be the conditional と, but that doesn't make sense in this application given the past tense.

>>283
I'm aware of -masu and it's difference to -iru. It's just sentence structure I'm struggling with.

Anyways, your help is much appreciated.

>>284
Just break apart sentences. And stop putting your mind in a box by finding "words" or any other patterns you're accustomed to in English. Though they have parallels, English and Japanese have no absolute equivalents in anything. Learn the language on its own terms.

Someone help me to study English. Please talk me.
So I'll teach you Japanese.

Someone help me to study English. Please talk me.
So I'll teach you Japanese.

Not >>279 but I'm interested in hearing what you guys have to say on this. (I feel like I'm in a similar spot; I can read okay, but listening? Yikes)

>>286
Have you tried lang-8.com?

Almost complete beginner here. I'm looking to start an online Japanese course, but I have no idea how to choose a good one. Which should I go with? JapanesePod 101? TextFugu? Nihongo o Narau? Something totally different?

Do any of you know of well-written Japanese textbooks on mathematics, computer programming, economics, physics, or chemistry?

Dear /lang,

I'm using a number of resources to learn Japanese and I've encountered something ambigous. Bear with me, I'm only at a low-beginner level and my mothertounge is not English.

So, if I want to say I'm telephoning someone, which one of the two below is correct (or are these two forms equally correct)?
電話をします
電話します

I'm asking this because the textbook software called Human Japanese says that if you use a noun before します　you are saying "to do X". Like 練習します, 料理します、, etc.
But in the Michel Thomas Japanese Foundationd & Advanced course they always use 仕事をします、リラックスをします, etc.

Then again, in Human Japanese they say that ピアノを練習します。

So... which usage is correct? I suspect that both, but if you specify a direct object (like piano), you have to put を　after it, otherwise you can decide if you use one or not.

>inb4 real language usage: I googled these sentences in both forms and the difference between hits was in the margin of error (I believe).

>>287
Maybe i can help. Want to Skype?

>>291
Both are technically correct but there are nouns that are suru verb compatible and those that aren't. Those that can be enacted with suru do not necessarily require wo and thus become complete suru verbs.

For one, instruments have their own associative verbs, hiku for string, tataku for percussion, etc.
http://jisho.org/words?jap=piano&eng=&dict=edict

Notice the "suru verb" subtext.
http://jisho.org/words?jap=denwa&eng=&dict=edict

>>293
Thank you very much for your answer. I haven't used jisho.org befire, but from now on, I believe I'll frequently refer to it in my continuing studies of Japanese.
Thank you again.

>>292
Thanks. My skype Id is [yoh-mo].
Please contact me.

Hello jplang!
Is it OK to  omit え for に when using as a partial (directional?)
Is there times when it would sound ungrammatical
Because it seems like one of those like dropping the u off desu type slurs
Is there any times where you should use e not ni

Sorry for noob, thanks for help...

>296
It's written へ, and へ and に are not the same. に indicates an end destination (in the sense you are talking about) while へ indicates a direction. Sometimes they are interchangeable, but the meaning will change.

Thank you I will study more to understand it.

I'm JLPT N4 level, are there any LNs that I would be now able to comprehend at some basic level? Or if anyone knows site with Japanese children books in PDF that would be great

>>299
Google Aotori Bunko books, or buy some on Amazon. Pre-high school level stuff. Classics, greek myths, fairy tales, good stuff.  It will put you up to N3.

>>299
you can get started with light novels as long as you know how to break apart sentences

I've been leafing through this anki deck, and there's something that's confusing me. It translates the two sentences as follows:

あの本を読んで良かった。
I'm glad I read that book.

あの本を読めれば良かった
I wish I had read that book.


However, I can find no other source that says the ば conditional is used this way. Is this right or not?

Japanese shame & goofball & bugouter is Okazaki.
His skipe ID is "gjaogjaojoev3"
Please whip whip whip, lol.

>>301

It should be 読めばよかった (I wish I had read that book vs I wish I had been able to read that book) but there's nothing strange or peculiar about this usage. It's just "(would have been) good if (I) read that book".

>>302
"Wish I 'was able' to read that book"

>>305
The distinction doesn't exist in Japanese.

>>306
After looking up the distinction between was vs had been, I think you are right in that 'had been' doesn't make much sense without some other context.

I only avoided 'was able' due to confusion with the subjunctive 'were able'.

>>306
What distinction? Between was able and had been able? Everyone here understands what the original sentence means. Who cares.

>>308
If no one cares, why bother to correct? I agree with what you are saying, in any case.

>>309
Now HERE's a distinction: supplementation and correction

goodevening /lang/ how is it best to interpret this?

>緊急帰投性能

emergency return ability? its from a Gundam game, here is a screen shot if you can help it would be appreciated.

https://images.4chan.org/m/src/1355962858644.jpg

>>311

Why does this confuse you? Yes, that is exactly what it means. Something you'd hit and be able to return quickly to base by teleporting or rocketing away or something.

i havent started playing yet, just helping out with some translations so i dont know the game in regards to why there would be a stat that you can increase that would improve emergency escape/ homing/ return ability?

>>313
Integrity of the hull, power of the boosters or teleport mechanism. If the technology is better the stat is higher I'd assume.

What's the best way to learn Japanese online?

Right now I use japaneseclass.jp

ありがとうございます。

When is 明日 read as あす？

>>315

NHKニュース
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/

This is the official site "NHK".
The reason I recommend NHK is as follows.

1. NHK is Japan's public broadcasting organization.
So, The grammar of the text on the site is accurate.

2. As well as text, you can learn pronunciation on videos.
Pronunciation of the announcer is best among Japanese.

3. The site is a news site, you can obtain information on Japan.
News is constantly updated. You will be seen Long time.

4. In addition, no slang, no dialect, no racism,
also Japanese see, Etc, there are a variety of benefits.

※　However, it is not a site for foreign learners.
If you are a beginner, then you may be feel too difficult.

なお、わたしは日本人です。英語がまちがっていたらすみません。
わたし自身も上の理由から、CNNニュースで英語を学んでいます。

>>317

ふりがな 付けます
http://trans.hiragana.jp/ruby/http://www.hiragana.jp/

RomajiDesu Japanese Dictionary and Romaji Converters http://www.romajidesu.com/

The first site has the ability to add phonetic.
Second site has the ability to search in romaji.

Of course, it is not only about the site of NHK,
You can also use other sites. Please use.

One attention. NHK is a news site.
So, there are many proper nouns such as names of people and places.

You do not need to memorize the Proper name.
Even the Japanese do not remember most of them.

However, it is useful to guess the meaning of the Proper name.
Also, it is useful to read without knowing the meaning.

Because, you are taught it from someone.
If you can not read it, you can not question it.

So, please practice.

Why is it ウィキペディア and not ウィキピディア?

在：https://twitter.com/KASIWAGI_73