05/25/19

Understanding the usage of もう with present tense verbs?
I think when a lot of people first learn もう it's as "already', right? There's also the meanings of "anymore", "soon", "now", "more', "another" and its use as an interjection. That's a lot of... more
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05/25/19

The grammar of ~かれ~かれ?
Consider these: > - 遅かれ早かれ > - 良【よ】かれ悪【あ】しかれ What is the underlying grammatical make up of this `~かれ~かれ` pattern (if any)? Is this pattern productive(i.e. can be extended to arbitrary... more
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05/25/19

Difference and nuance between することはない and する必要はない/する可能性はない?
I understand the grammar point "Verb (Dictionary Form) + ことはない" can mean either "There is no need" or "There is no possibility" depending on context. However, what are the differences? Are there... more
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05/24/19

ならば vs なら. both are totally interchangeable without affecting the nuance of the sentence?
is it true that なら is merely a short form of ならば and as such, both are totally interchangeable without affecting the nuance of the sentence? Also, a second question is is ならば more "formal" than... more
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05/23/19

When is it okay to use あります with a living subject?
When learning Japanese everyone's taught いる is for a living thing and ある is for non-living things. However, I recently saw the following sentence ... >あと、サッカー選手でもあります。 ... which ends in ある /... more
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05/23/19

Different ways to show intention to do something?
How can one say "I am going to", express intention to do something in the future. I know some expressions such as: >たいと思う - 　I'm going to/ I want to >ましょう - I will/ Why don't I >... more
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05/23/19

Sentence (question) ending かい - how is it different from just か?
I sometimes find questions that are normally ended with the question particle か to end with かい. For example: > いいかい？ > そうかい？ > あいつがどうかしたかい？ And sometimes with just い without か (if I... more
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05/23/19

What does のですが mean in the following sentence?
焼き鳥屋さんで集まったのですが、とても楽しい、かつ有意義な時間を過ごしました。
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05/21/19

What is 〜からです and when is it used? How does it differ from 〜ですから and 〜んです?
I have seen this expression a few times, and have never quite understood it. In particular, it seems to be equatable both to ですから and to んです, but I can't figure out where it would be used over... more
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05/21/19

Understanding どうしたら?
On the 100th anniversary of the first anime 東京国立近代美術館フィルムセンター said: > **どうしたら**このアニメがこれから１００年残っていくか考えてほしいと思います > ??? We want you think about how these anime will be here 100 years from... more
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05/20/19

What is the difference between "に" and "には"?
The title should be pretty self-explanatory. What meanings does each convey? And in what kinds of circumstances would one be used instead of the other? For example, what are the differences... more
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05/19/19

Difference between にとって and として?
What differences are there between にとって and として ? To the best of my understanding, both have meanings of stating something from a certain point of view or perspective. However, I think that... more
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05/16/19

verb た-form + そう, hearsay or observation?
`Verb る-form + そう` indicates hearsay. >帰るそうだ 'I hear he will go home.' 帰らないそうだ [Negative] `Verb masu stem (i.e. conjunctive form 連用形) + そう` shows information obtained through the senses,... more
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05/15/19

What is the difference between "〜がる" and "〜がっている"?
I want to know the difference between `〜がる` and `〜がっている`, and in what situations I can use them. My friend said `〜がる` is used for a regular activity that someone does every day or every week, and... more
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05/15/19

What does it mean when この is in front of a personal pronoun?
As in このオレさま and この僕も. I know the literal translation, but I never understood what the intent of it is.
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05/14/19

Is there a subtle difference between 少なくても and 少なくとも？
My sense is that the meaning is identical but that 少なくとも is somewhat more formal than 少なくても. Is that observation valid?
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05/11/19

How do I stop translating in head and start thinking in English like a native?
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05/11/19

Using に with adjectives?
I want to know if there is a rule or way of thinking that makes it easier to understand which adjectives can be used in the following... more
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05/11/19

Usage of て-form in 知っての通り?
I have just come across the phrase `知っての通り〜` (as you know...) I have never noticed this usage of て-form before and can't find an explanation. What is the difference (if any) between this and... more
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05/11/19

sometimes だけ gets mildly confusing..?
If someone says それだけ、食べないでください, does it mean: 1. Please don't eat only that [eat other things too!] or 2. [You can eat anything you like but] only that, please don't eat it. ---------- What... more
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05/10/19

Can a noun + suru have an adjective modify the noun as well?
”I did some difficult studying last night." Could I say, "昨夜、難しい勉強しました。”? Basically, my question is: can an adjective, relative clause, or adjectival phrase modify a noun that has する attached,... more
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05/10/19

How do I express sentences like: He is dying?
For instance, "He is eating" is "Kare wa tabete iru". However, "He is dying" is not "Kare wa shinde iru". Another example is "He is going to Japan" is not "Kare wa nihon ni itte iru". So if I can't... more
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05/09/19

Passive form - The exact difference between を and が?
I've seen this question asked before, but i feel the answer didn't quite answer all my questions, so here goes. Now, I am rather sure that this: >ケーキが食べられた Means: >The cake was eaten. (by... more
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05/07/19

いい人そう。using "seemingly" そう with nouns?
Recently I've been trying to wrap my head around the differences between 「らしい」「よう」「みたい」「そう」. I thought I was making some progress when I gave this example to a Japanese friend. >... more
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05/07/19

Difference between intransitive and passive?
I was thinking about Japanese passive and made the following example 壊すー>壊される which means to be broken But looking at the English definition of "to be broken", isn't there another Japanese... more
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