日本語 Japanese Ask Questions Thread 8

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

英語でも日本語でもOK
日本の方からのご協力も大歓迎です

See >>2 for recommendations of
■ useful software
■ dictionaries
■ sites to get media
■ other resources

See >>3 for links to previous threads.

NOTE: For those new to the text boards, know that they work a little different from the rest of the site. If you click on the thread title you are only shown the first 40 posts. Use the "Entire Thread" link at the bottom of this thread to see the rest.

■ USEFUL SOFTWARE

Rikaisama
http://rikaisama.sourceforge.net/
A pop-up dictionary for Firefox that shows readings and definitions when you hover over words. Rikaisama is a fork of Rikaichan that has among other new features added EPWING support, so you can use proper dictionaries for your lazy lookups.

Rikaikun
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/jipdnfibhldikgcjhfnomkfpcebammhp
Rikaichan clone for Chrome. It works really badly and is a poor man's alternative to the Firefox extension, sadly.

Anki
http://ankisrs.net/
Flash card program mainly useful for vocab and kanji repetition. Can sync decks and stats between computers and your phone, utilizing a clever algorithm for spaced repetition, helping you study efficiently.

AnkiDroid
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ichi2.anki
Third party free software implementation of the Anki system for Android. Allows synchronization with the PC software.

EBWin
http://www31.ocn.ne.jp/~h_ishida/EBPocket.html#download_win
The best EPWING dictionary viewer for Windows, allowing you to to cross-dict lookups using Kenkyusha, Kojien and friends.

DroidWing
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aokabi.android.droidwingfree
Another solid EPWING viewer, but for Android.


■ 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 keep relying on this if you want to get serious with your studies.

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. Add Kojien for J-J lookups and you've got complete protection.)


■ 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. (Japanese subtitles are available here: http://jpsubbers.x10.mx/Japanese-Subtitles/)

Jコミ
http://www.j-comi.jp/
An ad-supported site offering DRM-free comics that have gone out of cirulation in print. Lots of various genres and completely legal, it is a fantastic source of reading material for learners.

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 (Japanese subtitles are available here: http://kitsunekko.net/dirlist.php?dir=subtitles/japanese)


■ OTHER RESOURCES

/a/'s Daily Japanese Thread
https://boards.4chan.org/a/catalog#s=daily+japanese
Recurring thread for beginners mostly focused on learning Japanese to be able to read manga and watch anime. Their OP contains huge amounts of links and book downloads, so it might be worth checking out if you're just starting out.

/int/'s 日本語スレッド
https://boards.4chan.org/int/catalog#s=日本語
A cultural exchange hub of sorts, where Japanese and international posters meet to banter about whatever they feel like. Lots of shitposting, lots of fun.

Lang-8
http://lang-8.com/
Language exchange website powered by its users. Sign up and write some entries about any topic of your liking, and native speakers come by to correct your mistakes. Just don't be an ass about it; go correct their attempts as well.

■ PREVIOUS THREADS

Japanese - Ask questions thread
https://dis.4chan.org/read/lang/1174719097/

日語 Japanese Ask Questions Thread2 質問
https://dis.4chan.org/read/lang/1206158123/

日本語 Japanese Ask Questions Thread 3
https://dis.4chan.org/read/lang/1267485093/

日本語 Japanese Ask Questions Thread 4
https://dis.4chan.org/read/lang/1302350850/

日本語 Japanese Ask Questions Thread 5
https://dis.4chan.org/read/lang/1330050873/

日本語 Japanese Ask Questions Thread 6
https://dis.4chan.org/read/lang/1330084899/

日本語 Japanese Ask Questions Thread 7
https://dis.4chan.org/read/lang/1346695382/

乙であります

Hello guys. I cannot understand how to translate 「ミリ単位で見切るなよ、達人かと思うだろ！」 sentence.
Mu guess: "Don't measure(look closely) it in millimeters, you think you're an expert."
http://piccy.info/view3/5281205/492dd5510ee918ef4e137d281d22919a/orig/

btw ワンタッチって胸のこと

>>5
>Don't measure(look closely) it in millimeters
How does that even begin to makes sense? It's pretty obvious this is used in the metaphoric sense.

ミリ単位で見切る means to see things at only an infinitesimal scale, i.e., to be myopic, shortsighted, quick to judge, intolerant, etc.

達人かと思うだろ！

Depending on what comes after this, it could be understood as "Don't act like you know what I have up my sleeve!" "You think you're some kind of expert!", essentially questioning her authority to make such a distinction. Typically Japanese asshat.

達人かと思うだろ or more generally just ~と思うだろう is "One would think ~ (if you do something that came before)". He's talking about himself here, so it's "(if you compare on the level of millimeters) I'll start thinking you're some kind of expert"

The millimeters comes because she's splitting hairs about whether he touched her clothes or her tits, which is something no one can really tell (unless you are 達人 and you know exactly how far his hands went, down to the millimeter).

It's never going to be "don't act like you know what I have up my sleeve" (I don't really know where you're getting that from) and it's not saying anything about what she thinks of herself.

And just to explain further, the reason it's not "you think you're some kind of expert" is due to the tense and lack of ん. If it were "you think you're some kind of expert (don't you)", it would be 達人だって思ってんだろ (思ってるんだろ)or something similar.

>>8
Got the subject wrong

>>9
No, I didn't. He's not talking about her, because he's using the infinitive.

>>10
No... actually you DID, because I was talking about me.

>>11
Ah, I see. My apologies.

>>7
>>6
Thank you very much for your reply guys. Also, I'am not completely understood the part about lacking of ん would change sentence meaning, as far as I remember it's the same as の, and I cannot grasp it's ifluence in (思ってるんだろ). Could you be so kind to explain this part to me or give me link about it.
Again thank you very much.

I want to translate these lines into Japanese.

"What's he doing?  Is he stupid?"
"My brother is not _entirely_ retarded, you know."

何をしているの？ばかな？
兄はまったく無能じゃないね。

Is this valid Japanese, and does it convey the intended implication?  What could be done to improve it?

>>14
You could leave out particles and slur it
何してるの

>>13
I take back what I said. The main reason is due to the subjunctive and the difference in tense. I think I confused myself because 思ってんだろ is an abbreviation for 思ってるだろ.

>>16
Ok, I think now it's clear, thanks.

>>14
>ばかな？
That "na" reads a little weird with that question mark. ばかか？ばかじゃないか？ばかじゃないの？ would all be suitable.

>まったく
Sounds a little awkward to me. 完全に works.

>>14
One of translation example:

"あいつ何してんの？バカなの？"
"兄貴は完全あっぱらぱーっつーわけじゃないよ。分かってると思うけど。"

Is the brother feeble minded or having some disorder in his brain?

>>15 >>18
Thank you the tips.  In general, when is it more appropriate to use まったく and when to use 完全に?

>>10
The idea is that older brother is well-known for doing stupid things all the time (though not actually mentally disabled), but for once what he's doing actually makes sense.

Hello everyone. Is it correct to translate 「それを今さら。」 in the following sentence like "What's a point in talking about it(視界の端にちらつく道化師) now(after such a long time)"

視界の端にちらつく道化師。焦点を合わせようとするとフッと逃げるこの幻は、１０年間、ギーの視界に在る。誰にもこの幻の話はしたことがない。この程度の異常なら、この都市じゅうに嫌というほど溢れている。それを今さら。

Thanks for help.

>>21

"それを今さら" describes that
"そのくらいありふれたことを、なぜ、今になって、わざわざ話題にしなくてはいけないのか？(だから、誰かの前で話題にする必要はないよね。)"
"Do I have to talk about the clown of my sight even we're used to see other abnormal things in this city?).

>>20
"まったく(全く)" (totally) v.s. "完全に" (entirely, completely)

Good: "彼はまったくの無能というわけではないよ。"
So so: "彼は完全に無能というわけではないよ。"

Good: "お金がまったく無い。"
So so: "お金が完全に無い。"

Good: "困ったもんだよ、まったくもう！"
Don't make any sense: "困ったもんだよ、完全にもう！"

Good: "完全に正しい人などいない。"
Weird: "まったく正しい人などいない。" => Better: "まったく全てにおいて正しい人などいない。"

Good: "完全に詰んだ。"
Bad: "まったく詰んだ。"

Good: "まったくもって変な話だね。"
Don't make any sense: "完全もって変な話だね。"

It's hard to describe the rule of how to use them...

I've noticed this often so I need to ask, what does 派 mean? Example:
スイカには塩をかける派？

Because of the context, I guess it is "Do you guys put salt in watermelon?" but would literal translation be something like "Do you guys belong in clique where salt is being put on watermelon?" or something like that. Am I correct?

>>24
Yes, you are.

"XXX派" means "a group of XXX", and this implies that there are supporters and opponents.

あなたは共和党派？民主党派？
銃規制賛成派？反対派？

>>23
全く

１ 完全にその状態になっているさま。すっかり。「―新しい企画」「回復の希望は―絶たれた」
The completeness of a situation. Thoroughly, entirely. "A completely new plan" "Hope of recovery was completely lost"
２ 打消しの語を伴って、完全な否定の意を表す。決して。全然。「彼は事件とは―関係がない」「―話にならない」
In accordance with a negative, expresses complete negation. Never. Not at all.
"He has absolutely nothing to do with the incident" "This is completely ridiculous"
３ ある事実・判断を強調する気持ちを表す。本当に。実に。「今日は―寒い」「―けしからん話だ」「―君の言う通りだよ」
Expresses a strengthening of emotion in regard to a certain fact or judgement. Really. Truly. "Today is totally cold" "This is an utterly outrageous conversation" "It's exactly as you say"

完全

１ 欠けたところや足りないところがまったくないこと。必要な条件がすべてそろっていること。また、そのさま。
Completely lacking any deficiency or insufficiency. Something that has or appears to have all of its necessary conditions or requirements.

Why "に" particle sometimes is used in meaning close to "と"?
For example in Bentou EP10 in this scene Shaga says
"生徒会長に副会長" upon seeing them both (HorribleSubs 00:02:03 Prez and Vice-Prez!). I've noticed such use of に on many occasions but can't understand what's the difference with と and when it's appropriate.

>27

It's for enumeration, and indicates "one thing on top of the other", as opposed to と which indicates more of a connective relationship.

http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/thsrs/17179/m0u/

【２】「と」と「に」は、該当する例をすべて挙げる場合に用いる。ただし、「に」が例をつけ足していくだけであるのに対して、「と」の場合はその結びつきが強く、列挙した例全体で一まとまりの名詞相当となる。たとえば、「君と僕との仲(＝二人の仲)」のような用法は「に」にはない。それに対して、「に」には「梅にうぐいす」「月に雁(かり)」などのように、対比的・対照的に並列する用法がある。なお、「と」は「XとYと」の形が本来であるが、現在では後の「と」を省いて、「XとY」の形で用いられることが多い。「に」は「XにY」の形で用いられる

>EBWin

How do I get the dictionary "files" I guess?

>28
Thank you very much! However, is something generally implied in modern Japanese by such use? The article you linked to basically states that equal entities (that we are able to group) should go with "to", isn't that the case with 生徒会長と副会長? So does に usage mean they are not equal? One follows the other?
Where is 対比的・対照的 component in this case?
I don't get examples 「梅にうぐいす」「月に雁(かり)」 they have there, what do they even mean?

Both "梅にうぐいす" and "月に雁" mean those impressive seasonalities.
First one implies day of Spring, latter implies night of Autumn.
But in this case, I think if they used "と" instead of "に", we could have got them...

"に" is a little bit more poetic or ironic more than "と".
And most of small children can't use に effectively.

>>30
>So does に usage mean they are not equal? One follows the other?
>「に」が例をつけ足していくだけであるのに対して、「と」の場合はその結びつきが強く、列挙した例全体で一まとまりの名詞相当となる。

It might be an issue of analysis to come to the determination whether or not words are (or can be) "equal" in Japanese, but the above should give you a fair appreciation of the difference. It has more to do with grammar than it does conceptualizations. Using "to" groups words together, where "ni" simply lists or enumerates them. Just take that and move on. 90% of coordinating junctions will be "to" anyway.

>32
Thank you for detailed explanations.
>Both "梅にうぐいす" and "月に雁" mean those impressive seasonalities.
This blew my mind. Why Japanese must be so difficult?

What would be Japanese equivalent to "anon", "anons"?
I understand their boards use 名無しさん but do they actually call each other that? 名無し達　?

>>34
Yes, "名無し" is basically equivalent term to "anon".

But we don't use "名無し" to call an anon.
">>Number" is often used to call a specific anon.
e.g. >>1はネトウヨ。

On the news-sokuhou board of 2ch, they often use prefecture name of Japan such as "北海道", "香川" instead of >>Number form.
(Prefecture name of person who have posted to the news-sokuhou board is publicly visible.)
e.g. 北海道がまたクソスレ立てたのか。

"おまえら" is used as the equivalent to "anons(you guys)".
e.g. おまえらのせいでまた自殺者が増えるのか。

"おれ(俺)ら" is used as the equivalent to "us".
e.g. 俺らｷﾀ━━━━(ﾟ∀ﾟ)━━━━!!

In www.2chan.net and around, "としあき" or "○○あき" is totally equivalent to "anon".

>>34
Seasonality is the main theme of Japanese traditional literature.
"梅にうぐいす" and "月に雁" derived from the Japanese traditional literature, kind of.

But, you know, we use simpler Japanese language in our daily life.
Most of Japanese people don't think the seasonality when they saw "梅にうぐいす", "月に雁" until they are asked about it.

Don't worry.

>>35
How do you say 'OP' in futaba? I've been told that スレあき　is what you call 'OP' @ futaba

>>35
Thank you for useful explanations!
But I didn't quite understand the part about "としあき" or "○○あき", what does it mean and how is it used?
Also, in "北海道がまたクソスレ立てたのか。" example, what if there are several people from 北海道 in one スレ, and they don't necessarily share the same opinion, how are they distinguished from each other?

>>36
When googling on this topic I encountered this page:
http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1020346630

To be honest I totally don't understand any of this:
広重の「月に雁」は構図の絶妙さと、画賛の「こむな夜か又も有うか月に雁」が絵に実に言い得て名作として知られ、落款の「鹿」は「福」を、「馬」は「寿」にデフォルメされ、「馬鹿」と「福寿」の二重の意味を隠す。

浮世絵切手は広重１０点、北斎８点、写楽４点、歌麿３点で他を抑えており、広重は北斎に比べ絵がやわらかく変化に富んで、特に「月に雁」は人気がある。
What does this mean, could you provide at least a rough translation or explanation? Perhaps it's a bit too much to ask but it's just baffling how little information I (as gaijin) can infer from this text. It's like some sort of alien code.

As for this part
花鳥風月は美しい自然の風景を観賞し、それをもとに詩歌や絵画を創作することで、この「月に雁」も秋の風物として多くの画家により制作がなされています。
I assume it means something like that:
Traditional themes of natural beauty and admiration of splendid scenery inspired a lot of poetic and artistic works. Depiction of "Wild goose and a moon", a haracteristic scene of autumn in Japan, is one of the popular motives in a large number of artworks by various painters.

>>38
1. "としあき" is a kind of "Jane Doe", and about a form "XXあき",
"XX" can be various word manipulated to connect to the following "あき".
e.g. A person who has created the thread is called "スレ(thre)あき".
e.g. A person who has stayed in ばら(Bara - gay porn) board is called "ばら(bara)あき"
In other cases, author's name can be formed as "XXあき", this is an actual example.
http://blog.livedoor.jp/yukkuri_anko/archives/33175939.html
You can see the "XXあき" names denoting a specific author.

2. Depending the context of the posts.
And each person has ID column displayed in the name header of the post. It's like a session ID of web apps, but view-able from everyone. This is calculated based on the date and the IP address. Sometimes we use the ID to specify a person.