1,755 Answered Questions for the topic grammar

04/01/19

Is "a me mi" nowadays accepted a correct written language?
I remember when I was young that using "`a me mi`" was considered wrong.For example saying `a me mi piace giocare a calcio`.But I also remember that it was so largely used that it was made "legal"... more
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Grammar Italian

04/01/19

Use of "prossimo" instead of "questo" referring to a timeline?
Today is 7th June 2017. Consider the following phrase>Questo sabato andiamo al mare"This" Saturday is definitely interpreted by everyone as the 10th of June.Now consider the following>Sabato... more
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Grammar Chinese

03/31/19

以来 - Chinese dictionary says noun. "Since" in English dictionary says preposition, conjunction. Distinction?
A couple of Chinese dictionaries I used says for 以来, part of speech is 名 (noun). Since in an English dictionary says preposition first. Is it incorrect to assume a direct correlation between... more
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Grammar Chinese

03/31/19

Is there a difference between 凡事 and 所有？
Recently, I've been reading a bit of 鲁迅 and I've run into the word 凡事 a number of times. Everytime, I see it translated it seems to mean 所有。 It seems to me that 凡事 is either an older usage or is... more
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Grammar Italian Adverbs

03/30/19

Are "mattina" and "pomeriggio" also adverbs?
Clearly "mattina" and "pomeriggio" are nouns. For example *"la mattina ha l'oro in bocca"* uses "mattina" as subject of the phrase.However, when I say "Ci vediamo domani mattina" is "mattina" an... more
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03/30/19

About preposition in front of a time period?
> Lavoro la mattina.> > Lavoro di mattina.> > Viene a mezzogiorno.>> Bevo caffè alla mattina.Apparently all of them are correct! I am completely confused as to when to use... more
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03/29/19

the different usages of つもり?
Hi all I understand that つもり means "intention" like say 夏休みにはゆっくり休むつもりです。 = I intend to rest during the summer vacation. But what does 分かっているつもりだ。 means? Well if I translate directly, it seems to... more
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03/29/19

The difference between が and を with the potential form of a verb?
When using the potential form of a verb, I was taught that the particle を becomes が. However, in real life this seems to not always be the case. I've even heard Japanese people use を instead of が... more
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03/29/19

して行｛い｝かない versus しないで行｛い｝く?
Do they have the same meaning? > A: 宿｛しゅく｝題｛だい｝を**して行｛い｝かない**生｛せい｝徒｛と｝が多｛おお｝いです。 > B: 宿｛しゅく｝題｛だい｝を**しないで行｛い｝く**生｛せい｝徒｛と｝が多｛おお｝いです。
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03/29/19

Does Italian language have 'phrasal verbs'?
Phrasal verbs: > A phrasal verb consists of a verb and a preposition or adverb that modifies or changes the meaning; 'give up' is a phrasal verb that means 'stop doing' something, which is very... more
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03/29/19

How does one use the "[V ます stem] に [Vタ]" pattern (as in 待ちに待った)?
Every now and then I hear 待ちに待った, as in: > 待ちに待ったライブ a long-awaited concert I started wondering if this pattern can apply to other verbs, and it certainly seems to, if Google is any... more
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Grammar Chinese

03/29/19

Does an existential sentence with "有" only carry a non-specific noun?
Sentence 1: 桌子上有一本作业 Sentence 2: 桌子上有我的作业 I think both sentences are correct. However, I just watched a grammar video which mentioned the existential sentence with "有" can only carry a... more
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Grammar Chinese

03/29/19

When is the 把 construction forbidden?
I would like to understand which (if any) of these sentences are incorrect and why. 1. 我给了我妹妹一支笔。(being the most basic, this is the one I think I understand) 2. 我把那支笔给我妹妹了。 3. 我把一支笔给我妹妹了。 4.... more
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03/29/19

Can 「XければXほどY」 clause pattern be shortened to 「XほどY」?
There is a clause pattern 「XければXほどY」. For example, 「近【ちか】ければ近【ちか】いほど便【べん】利【り】」 which means something like "the nearer it is, the more convenient it will be". Can I shorten the clause to... more
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03/29/19

How very dare you!?
The phrase: > *How very dare you!* ... was originally used by English comedian and actor Frankie Howard, but has since found fame in the UK through the Catherine Tate show. 1. In this sentence,... more
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03/29/19

Problem converting 'even though' clause to 'despite' clause: 'Despite losing...'?
I stumbled across this question in 'Intermediate Language Practice' by Michael Vince: 'Even though they were losing at half-time, City won in the end. Despite________________________________' The... more
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03/29/19

Translation of "whichever comes first"?
I'm wondering if there is a common way to translate this phrase in Italian.My Italian is rusty, but my attempt would be either "qualunque prima viene" or "qualunque che viene prima."
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Grammar Japanese Suffixes

03/29/19

What is the usage of 〜げ and how does it differ from 〜そう or 〜っぽい?
How do these two differ, for example: 寂しそう vs 寂しげ 楽しそう vs 楽しげ 言いたそう vs 言いたげ 大人げ vs 大人っぽい（...？ Not sure if this one works.)
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03/29/19

What is the conceptual distinction between coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions?
While it is easy enough to identify coordinating and subordinating conjunctions by memorizing lists of them, the actual distinction seems arbitrary. Coordinating conjunctions are said to join... more
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Grammar Japanese

03/29/19

Meaning of 増える in this sentence?
In the following sentence: > 魚は三匹に増えていた。 I don't know whether to interpret に as **to** or **by**. So if I start with one fish then: > The number of fish increased **to** three (there are... more
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Grammar Japanese Meaning

03/29/19

Can I eat here?/ Is it ok to eat here? in Japanese?
I went to Japan and want to ask the food vendors whether I can eat in front of his shop. Basically, I want to say "Can I eat here? or Is it ok to eat here?" I know that >ここ = Here 食べる = Eat... more
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03/29/19

What's the difference between くる and やってくる?
Can someone explain the nuance between them? They both mean "come", but I'm unsure of when they are interchangeable. My perception is that `やってくる` seems to put more emphasis on the actual action of... more
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03/29/19

What are other language equivalents to Japanese particles?
When a person is learning は and が in terms of particles, what are the best way to relate them to English equivalents? The closest I can come to explaining them to others is "the" and "a" but I'm... more
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03/29/19

Why do Italian road signs use the infinitive tense and not the imperative?
Why do Italian road signs use the infinitive tense in their warning, while, for example, those in English use the imperative?> Turn off lights> Spegnere le luci (and not "Spegnete le luci" or... more
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03/29/19

ないで vs なくて: combining phrases with negative verbs?
Can you use 〜なくて instead of 〜ないで in the following sentence without changing the meaning? > 病気になると、一切化学薬品や抗生物質を使わ**ないで**、鍼や指圧や漢方薬で直します。風邪の時は何もしないで暖かくして、寝ているだけです。 In general, what's the... more
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