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.

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>>37
You mean OP (Original Poster)?
Yes, すれ(thre)あき is.

This is totally off the topic, OP of 小町 http://komachi.yomiuri.co.jp/ is called "トピ(topic)主(ぬし - owner)".

>>40
Fascinating!

>>39
You've chosen hard topic. lol.

広重(Hiroshige - a person's name)の
>「月に雁」(月に雁 is a picture work of Hiroshige, 雁 is a species of birds)は
構図(picture's layout)の絶妙さ(superb, remarkable)と、
画賛(an affirmative comment for this picture)の
>「こむな夜か又も有うか月に雁」が (I didn't get this. Too old Japanese...)
絵に実に言い得て (is correct opinion)
名作として知られ (known as a masterpiece)、
落款(stamp, the red stamp put on the bottom)の
>「鹿(deer)」は(into) 「福(fuku - happy)」を、
>「馬(horse)」は(into)「寿(fuku - long life)」にデフォルメ(deformed)され、
>「馬鹿(stupid)」と「福寿(happy long life)」の二重の意味(double meaning)を隠す(implies)。

In shortly, this paragraph describes that the Hiroshige's picture "雁に月" is a masterpiece and the bottom stamp has double meanings "fool" and "happy long life".
OMG, it's so difficult.

浮世絵(Ukiyoe - a classic picture form of Japan)切手(portal stamp)は
広重(Hiroshige)１０点 (点, in this context, means 10 variations)、北斎(Hokusai)８点、写楽(Sharaku)４点、歌麿(Utamaro)３点で
他を抑えており、 (Hiroshige takes advantage (of the number of variations))
広重は北斎に比べ (Hiroshige is better than Hokusan by following reason)
絵がやわらかく (picture is gentle) 変化に富んで (varies gratefully)、
特に「月に雁」は人気がある。 ("月と雁" is notably famous)

I felt asleep. Someone nice will posts...

Thanks for all this effort!
Basically it says that somewhere in inscription here http://image.tnm.jp/image/1024/C0028299.jpg there are hidden kanji for 馬鹿 (such an ancient word?), however I can not read any of the symbols.

http://ammo.jp/monthly/0312/img7/7_01.jpg
and these seem to be stamps based on original prints, can １０点 mean a value of stamp?

So basically Hiroshige is more popular than his contemporaries because his images are renowned for richness in subtle variations?

「こむな夜か又も有うか月に雁」 I did not get this either, looks like a classical Japanese to me.

>>44
It's not hidden. It's implied.

So he trolled whoever was looking at the image?

>>44
点 is a counter for number of items. You see it used in checkout lines, etc.

Hello guys. I cannot understand what is やんわりと遠回しに来るな、と意思表示。 means in the following dialogue.

透の思い：　そう、とテレビに目を戻す咲。芸態人の破局がどうとかいうニュースを見ながら。
透「なあ、咲。別に朝から俺にわざわざつきあわなくてもいいんだぞ。」
透の思い：　やんわりと遠回しに来るな、と意思表示。
咲「嫌よ。それに本当にわたしに気を遣うなら朝からうちでご飯を食べてほしいって言っているじゃない」

Thank you very much.

やんわりと遠回しに
"Softly, in a roundabout way"
来るな
"don't come"
と
quote particle (can be direct or indirect)
意思表示
display of intent

"softly in a roundabout way, he tells her not to come, showing his intentions".

>>49
Thank you very much！

Any J/a/panese here can explain why lyrics are so complicated? How do people even write them?
I mean, these
http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/bloodc/junketsuparadox.jis
http://www.animelyrics.com/anime/symphogearg/vitalization.jis
Have a lot of Kanji that have nothing to do with what is actually sang (like 弦の琴-調べ-　迷宮-楽園-に誘う  - what is the point of such constructs?). So people are supposed to buy CD, read lyrics booklet and only then they will see the actual Kanji (and meaning?)
Also I have no idea what the song itself actually means.
http://j-lyric.net/artist/a02e166/l019b6e.html
http://www.evesta.jp/lyric/artists/a188774/lyrics/l136926.html
Gazette is incredibly awesome but what the fuck do they sing about? Even in Engrish parts what he sings sounds nothing like "
In the bottom of the dark sea" (more like "dark dead sea").
So, anyone has any insight on lyric composition process?
I can only say that in my native language there are some performers who really have nonsense lyrics that don't mean much.

>>51
what is the point of such constructs?
Just complacency of embarrassing lyric writer who thinks this sort of ruby is cool.
But many Japanese may feel that those lyrics are really weird.
Old people who have never seen this kind of lyrics will certainly laugh out loudly when see that.

>So people are supposed to buy CD, read lyrics booklet and only then they will see the actual Kanji (and meaning?)
Yes, they will.

I can't get what she sings as well as you, even I'm a Japanese.
I think Japanese song's lyrics are too abstract and able to interpret in multiple way.

>Gazette is incredibly awesome but what the fuck do they sing about?
Maybe unfortunately, they tried to translate their cool and gothic Japanese lyrics into English directly.

Even in Engrish parts what he sings sounds nothing like "
In the bottom of the dark sea" (more like "dark dead sea").

The lyrics you've linked is wrong.
"the dark dead sea" must be correct.

Many Japanese lyrics writer thinks that occasional appearance of English lyrics is a cool thing however the English text is correct or not.
Listeners of their song are Japanese too, and they won't get which English expression is right. That's why there's no problem. ;-p

ELISA has a lot of Engrish lyrics but her voice is so adorable it sounds cool.
http://www.kasi-time.com/item-50637.html
http://www.kasi-time.com/item-42522.html
"bottom of the dark sea" apparently this is an official version from CD booklet, that's why the confusion
Ok, thank you for clarifying, those are indeed confusing. So basically we can learn the lyrics (as they sound), sing them in Karaoke and not look like weaboo doing it even if we don't get some obscure meaning?

それに本当にわたしに気を遣うなら朝からうちでご飯を食べてほしいって言っているじゃない

Besides, if you were really bothering yourself about me, wouldn't you be saying that you want me to eat breakfast at my place.

-Is this an accurate translation?

>>54
Yes, it's the subjunctive.

>>55
>>54
Well, it's correct except for the end. In English we don't use personal pronouns in indirect quotes, so we'd say "wouldn't you be saying that you want me to eat breakfast at your place". Minor issue, though. Also, "bothering yourself about me" is kind of awkward, even if the meaning comes through.

Can we translate あっちの友達 in the following like "some friends of mine".

「ねえ、知ってる？」
「ネットであっちの友達から聴いたんだけど」

>>57
That's fine. It's important to remember to incorporate the internet in there though: "some friends of mine on the internet" or "some internet friends of mine"

>>58　Got it, thanks.
Also I've got another question, the translation "Right, right. Absent-mindedness is everyone's healing ground(support)" to 「そうそう。みんなの癒しのヨリドコロだもんねー」 seems legit ?

真琴「光奈、ぜんぜん話に参加してないじゃない」 
光奈「ちゃんと聴いてたよ。頭の中で、参加した」
真琴「言葉じゃなきゃ、コミュニケーションじゃない！」
カナ「まあまあ、光奈のぼんやり病はいつものことでしょ」
リカ「そうそう。みんなの癒しのヨリドコロだもんねー」

They're talking about 光奈 being everyone's bastion of "healing", which happens because she's always kind of lost in space, and never too caught up in the moment. This "healing" is the same as in 癒し系, if you've ever heard that term. It's something that is calming or relaxing, or cute or funny.

>>60
Thank you very much!

せめて、ボンクラ男子が憧れる名誉も光栄もなく、地獄を這いずり回る名無し部隊のポジションを目指そう・・・・・・。コーヒーが苦くなるような感じで

Hi guys. I'm confused in modifying「ボンクラ男子が憧れる」. It modifies only 名誉 and 光栄 or the whole 「名誉も光栄もなく」 ?

Thank you very much.

>>62
Grammatically it could be either, but logically there's no reason to think it would only be the first.

Hello. If i'm looking to learn this language what are the initial steps i should begin with? i've already learned some romaji sentences/phrases/words spoken and written but i'm wondering about stepping into Katakana/Kanji. Is there a process to make this easier? would it be better to continue learning to speak and write in romaji and then advancing into Katakana or should I dive straight in and learn the symbols? thanks a lot. I appreciate it, this is a very complicated language but I enjoy the challenge.

Hi guys, I'm having trouble translating these sentences. Can someone help me?
アメリカでは、大学生は独立した人間と考えられているから、親がそんな手紙を書くなんていうことわないんですって説明したんですけど、何だよくお分かりにならないようでした

Hi guys, I'm having trouble translating these sentences. Can someone help me?
アメリカでは、大学生は独立した人間と考えられているから、親がそんな手紙を書くなんていうことわないんですって説明したんですけど、何だよくお分かりにならないようでした

>>66
In America, because college students are thought to be independent human beings, I tried to explain that parents simply don't such write letters but they/he/she didn't seem to understand

>>64
Drop romaji. Learning hiragana and katakana takes days or a week tops. After that, start working on vocab and grammar with a textbook. I only have experience with Genki at beginner level, it's alright. Learn kanji as they appear, write them if you want but I never did myself. When you get further you'll be able to branch out in the direction you're most interested in focusing on, and diving into native material.

Hey guys! I've only started a few months ago, progressing slowly. Already finished with Hiragana/Katakana, currently going through Tae Kim's stuff.

My problem is with the kanji. My current method is as follows: Encounter a new kanji while studying grammar -> Look it up on jisho.org and kanjidamage -> learn and write all the radicals that make it up, then the kanji itself.

The thing is, that I find it really hard to remember the different on/kun readings, as opposed to the meaning and the writing.

I wanted to use Anki, but Rikaisama's import tool only adds　kunyomi and it's a pain in the ass to do it by hand.

Should I just switch to a different method that has a pre-made deck, or just go and make my own paper flashcards?

Thanks in advance.

>>69
How would adding the readings yourself be more time-intensive than making your own flashcards?

>>69
Learn the readings of kanji through the context of sentences not in isolation.

http://www.thewebcomiclist.com/o/8538

>>69
Don't try learn kanji readings in isolation. There are so many irregular readings, so it is better to learn readings through vocabulary.

Hardest part of learning the kanji is remembering the shape, not readings or meanings.

>>70
Writing kanji by hand is pretty fun, and I could never make my anki cards look the way I wanted.

>>71
>>73
I see, really appreciate the advice. So the best method would be to start grinding though a pre-made vocab deck like core2k? I don't really have an issue with remembering the shape, as long as I learn the radicals first.

I'm a bit of unsure about the following sentence - 「知らない人の声が頭の中に聞こえ、そんな異常事態をなんとなく受け入れてしまっている自分がいる。」. There are lots of strange things happening to MC and one of them is hearing voices inside her head. Is it correct to think that そんな異常事態 is about strange things other than hearing voices?
Maybe my question is unclear, that is why I try to write a translation of this sentence: "And there is me, who hearing the voices of unknown people, somehow or other accepting this abnormal situation." is this translation looks fine or not?

Full:
「回線が開きっぱなしでは危険よ・・・・・・」
あれは、確かに、頭の中で、聞こえた。思い返してみれば、電車の中で遭った女の子の声もそうだったような気がする。
知らない人の声が頭の中に聞こえ、そんな異常事態をなんとなく受け入れてしまっている自分がいる。
「わたし、どうしちゃったんだろ・・・・・・」

>>75
Correction: "And there is me, who hears the voices of unknown people inside own head..."

>>75
"そんな異常事態 is about strange things other than hearing voices?"

Not necessarily. そんな means that and things like that, such, or that sort of. So yes, "that kind of strange thing" would demonstrate that she's familiar with these occurrences to some degree, but they're linked primarily by the fact they're 異常事態, not solely "hearing things in one's head".

"And there I am, somehow accepting the bizarre fact I hear strange voices in my head."

(Rikaisama's transparency feature sample image is from SAO, dohohoh)

>>77
Got it, thank you very much!

>>74
Voca deck (core2k is good) + reading some Japanese media is the best combination and then suitable balance between "real" and "fun" studying.

https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/4221416043
This is the deck I started with. There might be better ones out.