Hi everyone! Thank you for visiting Maggie’s room.
Feel free to leave a message (Even just say Hello! 👋 )
I don’t do translations, check your long writing or help your homework for school here but I can answer one or two simple Japanese questions.
Love you all! 🐶❤️ New Maggi’s Room (2024)
Hi everyone! Thank you for visiting Maggie’s room.
Feel free to leave a message (Even just say Hello! 👋 )
I don’t do translations, check your long writing or help your homework for school here but I can answer one or two simple Japanese questions.
Love you all! 🐶❤️
133 Comments
Good evening Maggie, I have a question about 演奏. This kanji refers to:
1 – Just playing a musical instrument
2 – Playing a musical instrument or singing
Some sites say that it can perform both actions, but others only refer to the part of playing the musical instrument.
おはよう、Pedro!
Technically, 演奏 includes any performance of sound-related music, such as both instrumental music and singing. For example, when discussing copyright, 演奏 can also include singing. However, in daily conversation, 演奏 usually refers to instrumental music, not singing.
Good evening Maggie, I have a question about the following sentence「嬉しいなあ、現代でも僕の英雄譚が語られるなんて」
What is the function of なんて in this sentence? I thought なんて was used to exemplify something.
Hi Leandro
I have a lesson on なんて
→Link is here
As I explained in that lesson, you use なんて
→1) When you emphasize the word or sentence which comes before なんて（ = nante) and express your feelings such as surprise (either positive or negative), disgust, admiration, happiness, disbelief, etc.
So let me rephrase that sentence.
現代でも僕の英雄譚が語られるなんて嬉しいなあ。
It expresses the writer’s excitement by emphasizing what comes before in this case 現代でも僕の英雄譚が語られる
Good evening Maggie. I would like to know if the following sentence is grammatically correct: 稲妻に来た刀を速攻食べちゃう妖怪。
Hi Dito
What do you mean by 稲妻に来た?
I wonder if you meant 打たれた(was hit/struck)
稲妻に打たれた刀 = a sword struck by lightning
Hello Maggie Sensei. Yesterday I took JLPT N3 test and there is a question that really make me confused. I don’t find the explanation in the textbook (soumatome bunpou) about ~まま
ズボンのポケットに財布 。。。。。洗濯をしてしまった。(as I remembered)
These two choices are really make me confused が入ったまま or を入れたまま ?
I chose が入ったまま but I’m not really confidence.
So, I want to ask about what the different between が入ったまま and を入れたまま on this sentence?
Thank you Sensei…
Hi Diva
It’s a tricky question, huh?
The most natural way to say this would be 財布を入れたまま
I’ll tell you why.
First, let’s look at the difference between 入れる and 入る
入れる = いれる is a transitive verb
The basic form is →Someone が somethingを入れる
In this case ポケットに財布を入れる = さいふをいれる = The speaker puts the wallet in the pocket
→The subject is a speaker/writer
ポケットに財布を入れたままだった
（Focusing on your own action)
入る = はいる is an intransitive verb
something/someone comes in/enters /goes into/fits in some space
Ex. 部屋に入る = へやにはいる = someone enters the room
But with ている form, you can describe the state that something is in (place)
ポケットに財布が入っている = There is a wallet in the pocket /The wallet is in the pocket)
→The subject is a wallet （Focusing on the state of wallet)
Now, let’s focus on the main action
洗濯をしてしまった = accidentally did the laundry/washed it
→The subject is a speaker/writer
It will be more natural to have the same subject for these two actions:
putting the wallet in a pocket (and leaving it) and doing the laundry
ポケットに財布を入れたまま洗濯をしてしまった
→The subject of both actions is a speaker/writer, so it sounds more natural.
Good evening maggie, I found the following phrase:この一妻多夫婚の是非については、マハーバーラタ中でも、しばしば問答がある。
What does 一妻多夫婚 mean? Polyandric marriage?
I’m having trouble understanding the function of 婚. Does 一妻多夫 become an adjective for 婚?
Hi Leandro
Yes, 一妻多夫婚 means polyandric marriage, where “one woman is married to multiple men.”
( 一夫多妻婚 means “one man is married to multiple women” (polygyny).)
婚 means “marriage.”
一妻多夫 is not an adjective. It is part of a noun phrase that modifies 婚, specifying the kind of marriage being referred to.
Good evening Maggie. What does 官位 mean?
こんにちは、Pedro
官位 means the rank or position of government officials in the old days of Japan.
Hello (again) Maggie Sensei,
今日の質問: 戻ると帰ると来るの中で,どれが正しいですか
In all examples below, the speaker is in Tokyo, Japan.
1. 戻る translates as ‘return’ and seems to have a ‘行く’ nuance, going/moving away from speaker (in English, ‘return’= ‘go back to’).
O: 江戸東京博物館に戻りたい。
O:岡山に戻りたい。
However, the next sentence may not be correct
X: 日本に戻りたい。
because speaker is already in Japan.
2. 帰る also translates as ‘return’ and often translated as ‘return home’, but I think a more general translation is ‘return to origin’ (depends on context).
What about
?: ホテルに戻る。
?: ホテルに帰る。
I heard a Japanese speaker say: …ホテルまで帰りました。 (talking about trip in different country). So, can 帰る be used for ‘return to hotel’ (hotel = temporary place of origin)?
…ホテルに帰る。
3. 来る is for movement to the speaker.
‘I want to return to Japan’ is correct English, even when spoken in Japan, but both 戻る and 帰る do not seem to be good translations.
Another way to express the thought in English is ‘I want to come back to Japan’, which better fits 来る.
?: また日本に来たい。
正解は ..
Hi Michael
1. If you simply want to say “ I want to go to ~ “, you say
→ 江戸東京博物館に行きたい
→ 岡山に行きたい
→ 日本に行きたい
You say 戻りたい only when you were there before and want to temporarily return to the place you were previously.
For example, you took a taxi from the museum and realized you left your umbrella there. You tell your taxi driver, 江戸東京博物館に戻ってください。
2.The basic difference between 帰る and 戻る is
帰る Moving to a place you belong to or consider your base.
戻る Temporarily returning to a place you were previously at.
You can use both ホテルに戻る and ホテルに帰る in conversation, but the nuance changes slightly:
戻る: Implies you go back to the hotel temporarily, perhaps to pick something up or take a break, and then leave again.
帰る: Implies you go back to the hotel as your day is over or to stay there for the night, treating it as your base.
So if someone says, ホテルに帰りました, it implies this person is returning to the hotel to stay, likely because their day is over or to rest for a while.
Note: If you add a word such as 一旦 ( いったん= temporarily) you can express returning to the hotel temporarily
ホテルに一旦帰ります。
3. If you want to say “I want to go back to Japan,” you say: また日本に行きたい – “I want to go to Japan again.”
But if Japan is a place you visit often or consider your second home or base, you can also say: 日本に帰りたい – “I want to return to Japan.”
It expresses your emotional connection to Japan and it is a quite common expression.
And your Japanese friends might welcome you by saying:
お帰りなさい – “Welcome back.”
And once you are in Japan, you can say また日本に来たいです。= “I would like to come to Japan again.”
It implies “I would like to come back to Japan.”
sorry for the delay in replying: I am now on my way to Japan.
Anyway, thank you for giving feedback. In particular, I was impressed by this comment:
“But if Japan is a place you visit often or consider your second home or base, you can also say: 日本に帰りたい – “I want to return to Japan.”
It expresses your emotional connection to Japan and it is a quite common expression.”
I have heard 帰る being used in this way, and sometimes in a more abstract or poetic way … such as wanting to return to a previous situation in one’s life.
Hopefully I will have some more language adventures in the coming month.
Hi Michael
I have heard 帰る being used in this way, and sometimes in a more abstract or poetic way … such as wanting to return to a previous situation in one’s life.
→Yes, 帰る/戻る can be used to refer to going back to certain moments in your life.
Ex.あの頃に戻りたい/帰りたい = “I wish I could go back to those days.”
Oh, so you are coming back to Japan. I can say お帰りなさい. 😉
Have a great time in Japan!
Good evening Maggie, I came across the following sentence: その映画の、主役の二人が甘い抱擁を交わすシーンがとても美しかったよ。
I would like to know if it is correct , as there are two ga particles in this sentence.
Hi Pedro
Yes, that sentence is correct.
It is true that you sometimes have to avoid using the same particle in one sentence if it is possible but in this case, it sounds/looks just fine.
Hello Maggie Sensei,
My Japanese speaking skills usually receive some comments (always positive) when I am in Japan. I have been thinking about giving a short explanation for why I taught myself Japanese. The simplest answer is something like “日常生活の方が易しい(楽?)です”.
However, I am not comparing daily life to something else (the の方が part). A complete thought would be something like:
“Speaking Japanese is better than not speaking Japanese, because speaking Japanese makes daily life easier.”
A more natural conversation would be “You speak Japanese very well.” “thanks, it makes daily life easier.”
:-( Am I thinking about this too much?
Hi Michael
Speaking Japanese is better than not speaking Japanese, because speaking Japanese makes daily life easier.”
You can say, 日本語を話せた方が（話せないより）、日常生活が楽になります。
or 日常生活が楽になるから日本語を話せた方がいいです。
And
“You speak Japanese very well.” “thanks, it makes daily life easier.”
will be
「日本語お上手ですね。」
「ありがとうございます。（話せた方が）日常生活が楽になりますから。」
However, if you are visiting Japan, the word 日常生活 may not fit here, so it might be better to say
話せた方が、旅行が楽になりますから。
And I agree with you. ☺️
Hello!
My question disappeared from Maggie’s Room a day after you posted your answer, and I didn’t have a chance to reply. Now you are back.
I was quite happy with your reply because it made me realize that I was trying to translate literally from English to Japanese and, because of the different grammar structure, this had resulted in a lot of confusion for me. This, even though I understood the Japanese grammatical form.
With the model [A] の方が [B] より[X] (X= adjective), in English we conjugate X, whereas in Japanese, [A] is marked with の方が. In other words, a more accurate and literal translation would be “[A] has more [X] than [B]”. I don’t know why, but for some reason this trivial detail makes it easier for me to think in Japanese, rather than thinking in English then translating to Japanese.
Also, the implication is that, since [X] is not conjugated in Japanese, the [X] can be a full sentence, as in [X] = 「日常生活が楽になりますから。」
And, I agree that, for my situation, 旅行 is better than 日常生活.
(やった!)
Thanks, Michael
Hi Michael
Happy to hear from you, as always! Regarding the comments, sometimes there’s a delay in displaying them due to the recent caching settings. But whenever I see your comment, I’ll be happy to respond.
When you want to say A>B (A is more ~ than B)
you can say
→AはBより ~
→BよりAは ~
→Aの方がBより~
→BよりAの方が~
But in conversation, you often drop A when it is obvious what you are talking about. Or instead of mentioning A, you can just say
その方が~
You’ve done a good job of breaking down the structure.
Once you get used to it, you don’t have to translate in your head. ☺️
Good morning Maggie, I would like you to answer some of my questions.
A) こともできる can be translated as “To be able to do (Having more intensity than ことができる” and “To also be able to do”?
B) The following sentence is correct: 愛欲の化身をなめないでください！. I am unsure whether ないでください is correct or not.
C) In the following sentence: 問題解決にリーダーシップを一番発揮していたのは誰ですか。, how would you translate 問題解決に?
Hello Thiago
A) to be able do something also/ can also do something
So the idea is one can do something and also (or even) do something
Thiagoは、日本語を話すことができます Thiago can speak Japanese.
Thiagoは、日本語を話すこともできます。 Thiago can even speak Japanese (suggesting that speaking Japanese is an additional skill or option)
B) Yes, you can say 〜ないでください = Do not/Don’t ~
Don’t underestimate （愛欲の化身)
C)It means “in solving the problem”
B)
Hello,
I have been doing my own translations and making subtitles for anime, to help myself improve listening/recognition ability. Recently I have been working on a slice-of-life anime set in Tokyo. A lot of the characters were ending their sentences with ‘jan’ = じゃん, which is something I hadn’t noticed in other anime.
I did a web search, and the first link that showed up was to Maggie Sensei, with an entire lesson on ‘jan’.
The coverage on your site is amazing. Congratulations once again. I don’t know how you do it. I wonder if it’s because you make a lot of lessons in reply to user requests. This can really open up the topic of Japanese language to a wide variety of idiosyncratic and/or rare expressions that would be very difficult to cover in a formal, basic Japanese grammar course.
Michael
Hello Michael
Welcome to my site, and thank you so much for your kind words! It truly means a lot to me. I enjoy making lessons, and I wish you the best of luck with your Japanese studies and translating! I hope you come back to visit the site again. Happy learning!
:-)
I’m the ‘other’ Michael who has been around for a while, asking a lot of questions. Perhaps I should use a less common name, to make me easier to recognize.
I should probably come directly here and use your site’s search function.
I just noticed the disaster of how I misspelled my own name!
ごめんなさい! ごめんなさい!
Ahh, Of course, I know who you are, Michael! 😊 Since your name was different, the site made me approve the comment, and I thought it was from someone new. Sorry for the confusion!”
これからもよろしくお願いします。U^ェ^U❤️
Good evening Maggie. I came across the following sentence: 回数に関係なく浮気は不貞行為となる。
I would like to know if it is correct or if I should change the position of 浮気 with 不貞行為?
こんばんは、Pedro
While 浮気 (cheating) is a specific type of behavior, 不貞行為 (adultery) refers to a broader category of unfaithful actions. So, if you switch the positions of 浮気 and 不貞行為, it might sound a bit unnatural because 不貞行為 isn’t limited to just 浮気.
Good evening Maggie. Regarding the following sentence: パイプをくわえたその紳士は有名な評論家です。
A) I saw that one of the translations of パイプ is cigarette holder. Does this refer to circular cigarettes or the tube that someone uses for holding a cigarette while they are smoking it?
B) Can I replace 有名 with 有数?
Hi Leandro
1) When you say, パイプ it usually means “a pipe” for smoking.
2) 有名 = famous 有数 = one of the leading
So if you just replace the word with 有数, it doesn’t sound as natural unless there is a word specifying the group, category, area, or country.
Ex.日本でも有数な評論家です。
こんにちはマギー先生、帰えってきますね。質問がいくつかあるし。
時々「クリームの入ったビスケット」や「友達の言う意味」のような文法に出会います。When you use a verb clause in a noun phrase, you can replace が with の？普通、「が」を使われるんじゃないのです？その例えでは「の」を「が」と置き換えることができて、そして「クリームが入ったビスケット」などになるといいです？
よく「似ている」が「に」と一緒に使われることを見るが、誰か「と」と使うのを一度見たことがあります。違いがあります？
「人の多く」と「多くの人」は違います? まだ日本語のわかりが苦手ので英語で答えの大半をください。書き物を練習したいだけなんです。なんか変みたいに聞こえたら教えてくれば幸いです。^^;
こんにちは Terry
1)When you modify a noun, you can use both の and が
クリームが入ったビスケット/クリームの入ったビスケット
友達が言う言葉 or 友達の言う言葉
If you want to learn more details, please check this lesson
How to modify a noun
2) You can say both ~に似ている and ~と似ている. I would say に is more common.
〜に似ている something or someone resembles another thing or person
〜と似ている Two parties/things share similarities
私は、弟に似ています I resemble my little brother
私は、弟と似ています My little brother and I are similar— we look alike.)
3) Slightly different
多くの人 = Many people
人の多く = Many of the people/ “many” or “most” from a specific group of people.
→You usually specify what kind of people first
Ex. ここにいる人の多くは = Many of the people who are here
Wow, I can’t believe in the three Japanese college courses I took, they never mentioned that you could use の there! わかりました。いつものように本当にありがとうございます。
よかったです！☺️ I’m very happy to hear that.
Good evening Maggie. I would like to ask a question about the kanji 押さえつける. Does this kanji imply that the action will be to press the target to the ground and then hold it tightly, or is the action just to hold it tightly, no matter where the target is?
Hi Pedro
押さえつける means pressing or holding something tightly. The English translation could be “holding or pressing something/someone down firmly,” but the action doesn’t necessarily involve pressing someone to the ground. For example, the target could be pressed against a wall.
Hello Maggie sensei,
Suru nouns (vs. verbs) are a mystery for Japanese language learners. I’m familiar with the usual explanations: suru nouns are (i) Chinese origin (ii) more formal (iii) more common when written.
I finally found an example of suru noun vs. verb that does have an English language equivalent. The difference is in meaning, not (i) to (iii).
This example comes from your page about staying at hotels:
予定が変わったので２泊に変更して頂けますか？
My question is: why 変更する instead of, for example, 変える?
An acceptable answer is “That’s just the way we speak.” :-)
I will explain the English difference after you reply.
Thanks in advance.
Michael
Hello Michael
元気でしたか？
The meaning of noun + する can vary depending on the noun, “to do/make/have/take ~ ” etc. Sometimes, there’s an equivalent verb, and sometimes there isn’t.
In the example sentence you brought up, 変更する (or 変更をする) can be rephrased using 変える.
For this sentence, I would pick (iii). 変更（を）する sounds more formal.
Also,
変更（を）する is often used for changing plans or schedules.
変える is more general and can be used for things like changing clothes, furniture, opinions, hairdo, etc.
“変更（を）する is often used for changing plans or schedules.
変える is more general and can be used for things like changing clothes, furniture, opinions, hairdo, etc.”
大正解! うれしいなぁ。:-)
This is very close to the difference in English.
‘To change’ (=変える) also has this general meaning, but with the implication that the noun object is completely replaced.
‘To make a change to’ (=変更をする) has a more precise meaning, because it implies that only some part of the noun object is changed.
For example: ‘I change my shirt’ means that I wear a different shirt. ‘I make a change to my shirt’ implies that I am doing repairs to the shirt.
To ‘change a reservation’ is, at best, ambiguous because it isn’t clear whether the entire reservation is to be changed, or just some part of it. Of course, in a real world conversation it will be obvious in 5 seconds what the change is. So, practically, it doesn’t make a lot of difference what you say. ‘Make a change to a reservation’ is more precise. For me, 変更（を）する is closer to what I would normally say in English.
This is an example of something in language that you can only learn by speaking — what to say when and where. There are not any fixed ‘right or wrong’ rules. ‘Make a change to’ is probably more common among a group of people working on a project, and they are discussing details. For everyday life, it may not make much difference for most people.
Excellent! 👏 You’ve already figured them out.
変える – to change (in general)
変更する – to make a change (to alter/revise/modify, etc.)
I’m sure you’ll learn even more by using these words on your next trip to Japan!
I recently found these two sentences.
1. person is at airport money exchange office, talking to employee:
この１万円さつを千円さつに両替えしてもらえますか。
2. Person is simply telling someone what he did:
私は両替機で１万円札を千円札に替えます。
:-) I’m going to make a collection. The more polite you want to be, the more words you use.
This seems to be the guideline for many languages. However, Japanese culture has made it a more explicit national characteristic.
Hi Michael, it’s me again.
It’s true that polite Japanese can be more complicated.
However, in real conversations, you can omit many words without sounding rude.
For example
1. この１万円さつを千円さつに両替えしてもらえますか。
If you are holding 一万円さつ and showing it to the employee
すみません。これ千円さつに両替してもらえますか/両替できますか？
= Excuse me, can you exchange this for 1,000 yen bills?
2.私は両替機で１万円札を千円札に替えます。
If you are simply telling someone what you did (past tense)
→両替機で１万円札を千円札に替えました (You can omit 私は and when you can start the sentence with 両替機 to emphasize what you used)
If it is obvious that you are talking about 万円札→千円札 part in the previous sentence
just say 両替機で替えました
Other than ~ てもらえますか？
the patterns verb+ たいんですが..I would like to do ~/noun がほしいんですが… I would like ~ are also very common.
when making a polite request.
両替したいんですが…
替えたいんですが…
千円札がほしいんですが…
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Good morning Maggie. I have a question about the following sentence: ついでに竪琴、音楽、芸術、弓術、予言、牧畜の神様でもある。
I saw that ついでに means to do action B while doing action A. But in the translation of the sentence, this kanji was translated as By the way. Is this correct?
こんにちは、Antonio
First of all, I have a lesson on ついでに
Link is here
As you said it means to do action B while doing action A. /while you are at ~ / taking the opportunity
The sentence, ついでに竪琴、音楽、芸術、弓術、予言、牧畜の神様でもある。
There must be a sentence before and this person adds some more information.
It/He/She is also the god of ~~
It can be easier to add some verb after ついでに
ついでに言うと = Additionally, (You can also translate it as “By the way”)
ついでに補足(ほそく）すると = To add a supplementary note
Hello Maggie Sensei,
I found this sentence:
静かな田舎で暮らしたいものだ。
I was wondering what the grammatical/meaning function of もの is. Does this sentence fit the pattern of [sentence] + X, where X adds a ‘color’ or nuance to the entire sentence, similar to how でしょう , そうです, んです(か) are used to add something to the sentence?
Thanks,
Michael
Hello Michael
静かな田舎で暮らしたい simply express one’s desire
I want to live in quiet countryside
→静かな田舎で暮らしたいものだ:
~たいものだ(or ものです） is used for long-held wishes or wishes that are difficult to achieve.
By adding “ものだ,” the sentence expresses a deeper/stronger desire or one’s belief.
That’s very interesting. Before I posted the question I interpreted もの literally ( = ‘thing’) and tried to think of an English expression that used the word in this way. In fact, there is one: ‘to have a thing for/about’, where ‘thing’ is a greater than average interest in something, possibly even a preoccupation or obsession.
For example,
A: You’ve been reading a lot about Japan lately. Why’s that?
B: I’ve always had a thing about Japan. I want to visit next year.
Or:
A: What’s with John? He’s been acting weird lately.
B: Oh, he has this thing for Mary and it’s messing with his head.
But this is a very colloquial way of speaking, and might even not be common in different English-speaking regions (USA vs Australia vs England vs Canada). I don’t know if I would use this as a translation for ものだ (= I have a thing about wanting to live in the quiet countryside). That sounds too casual for the Japanese. Still, there is an overlap in how もの=thing is being used for emphasis in both languages.
Ah, very interesting.
The term ~もの can mean a thing or things but
“To have a thing for/about ~” is translated as 気になる (to be concerned about), 好き (to like), 好意をもっている (to like someone), or 夢中になる (to be obsessed with/crazy about ~), etc. but not with もの.
もの and こと are used to nominalize a verb and there are many expressions. I explained in one of my old lessons.
Link
Thanks for the extra information. Literal translations of slang, idioms and other colloquial expressions in a language can be dangerous .. especially when two different languages seem to use the same words but in a completely different way.
Anytime! ☺️
Anytime! ☺️
two different languages seem to use the same words but in a completely different way.
→That’s one of the reasons why learning languages is interesting. 😉
Good evening Maggie. I would like to know if 色合い refers to aspects of a color such as hue, clarity and brightness, etc. or can it just be translated as color (like yellow, red, etc.)
Hello Eduardo
色合い means aspects of a color/tone/hue/clarity/brightness not basic colors (yellow/red.etc.)
It is also used figuratively referring to the tone of a situation or matter
Good evening Maggie. I would like you to tell me the function that the kanji 以外 has in the following sentence: 平民 – 古代ローマで、貴族・奴隷以外の一般市民。プレブス。
Does the following sentence make sense grammatically? 彼は背後に殺気を感じた。
Hi Dito
以外 = いがい means “except/other than/excluding”
ordinary citizens other than nobles and slaves.
彼は背後に殺気を感じた。
Yes, it makes sense.
He sensed/felt the murderous intent behind him
Hi, Maggie!
I was just passing by, while googling for difference between 高校 and 学校, but I don’t really have any questions so, well, just best wishes to you 😊
Hello Sergei
学校 = がっこう means “school” in general.
高校 = こうこう means “high school”
Good evening Maggie. Does the following sentence make grammatical sense?
この過酷な連行で、たくさんの捕虜が死んだ。
Hi Lucas
Yes, it makes sense.
~で (reason) + result/consequence
Good evening Maggie.
1) 画像 means still image (In real life and on the internet)?
2) In the following sentence: 伝説の最後の部分は後世付け加えられたものだ。, should 後世に be used instead of just 後世?
Hi Rafael
1) 画像 means image or picture
2) Yes, you can say 後世に instead of 後世
Good evening Maggie. I came across the kanji 無造作 and am having difficulty with its second meaning. It’s second meaning basically means: Casual or careless, right?
Hi Leonardo
Yes. You usually use that word with に as an adverb
無造作に + verb (to do something casually, carelessly)
Ex. 無造作に置く = to put something carelessly
Good evening Maggie. I would like you to translate the following sentence: あらかじめ計画して人を殺すこと。
Hi Fernando
あらかじめ計画する means to plan beforehand
So あらかじめ計画して人を殺すこと means to kill someone with prior planning.( = premeditated murder)
Good evening, Maggie. I was researching the meaning of 中庸 and I saw on a website that one of its meanings is To be ordinary. Is this correct?
Hi Iraci
中庸 (ちゅうよう) is a word originating from Confucian philosophy. Though it is not commonly used in daily conversation, it means being balanced and harmonious.
Good evening Maggie,
1) What does 得意とする mean?
2) Does そこら mean anywhere or everywhere?
HI Matheus
1) to be good at, to be skilled at
2) そこら（辺） =thereabouts (an unspecified location near the speaker)
Idiom そんじゅそこらの = ordinary/run-of-the-mill
→Sometimes you skip そんじゅ = そこらの + noun = something or someone that is not special or remarkable
Thanks for the response, Maggie. But I have a few more questions. What does: 幸せを１００％する and 100%の確率で mean?
Hi Matheus
幸せを１００％する You don’t say 幸せを する
I think it is missing something in this sentence. Ex. 幸せを１００％ものにする/確約する etc.
Or 幸せに100%する = to make someone happy 100 %
１００％の確率で with a 100% probability ・ with a 100% chance
→確実に = surely/without fail
Good evening Maggie, I have some questions.
When I researched the kanji すする I found the following definitions: 液状のものを吸い込むようにして口の中に入れる and 音を立てて少しずつ口に吸い込む。Which would be the most correct?
What is the most correct reading of 荒野? I found three different readings.
What does 可憐 mean?
Hello Pedro
すする: Both. You can slurp noodles, hot soup with or without making a slurping sound.
荒野 = You can read it こうや/あらの. I think こうや is more common
可憐 = かれん = pretty/lovely/sweet (It describes delicate beauty or innocence.)
こんばんは、マギー先生。
Is the tai form of verbs essentially an i-adjective? I came across the phrase “読みたくなった” (started wanting/came to want to read?) which made me think of the adj + なる/する lesson. Can you also then do たい+する, like 食べたくした (made me want to eat)?
Hi Terry
Sorry. I answered your question once yesterday but I misunderstood what you meant by ” the tai form of verbs essentially an i-adjective? ” part. So let me try again.
When you use なりたい/したい with adjectives,
かわいくなりたい = I want to be cuter
かわいくしたい = I want to make something/someone cuter.
Verb + たい
読みたい / 食べたい
When you express the change of your feelings,
→ 読みたくなる/食べたくなる (past tense) 読みたくなった/食べたくなった
Since Verbたい is one’s spontaneous desire and you can’t control someone’s desire
you don’t say
X たべたくした (not natural)
That makes sense. So is there an equivalent in Japanese to saying “____ makes me want to _____”? ie. “The smell of food makes me want to eat,” or “Reading books makes me want to write.” I guess for the first you could say something like ご飯の香りだから食べたくなる, but what about the second? Is there a grammatical structure that handles both? ありがとうございます。
The common patterns are
Vたら/Vていたら〜たくなる/なった
Vと〜たくなる/たくなった
The smell of food makes me want to eat
食べ物の香りで食べたくなる
食べ物の香りが食欲をそそる。
Or I would say いい匂いで食べたくなる。
Reading books makes me want to write.
本を読むと/読書をすると書きたくなる。
1) Is the Kanji 美貌 only used for face or does it refer to face and body?
2) Is the Kanji 顔かたち only used for face or does it refer to face and body?
Hi Thiago
1) face
2) face
So 美貌 means 美しい顔かたち
こんにちは先生。
My bf was talking to me in Japanese using Google translate, and he said “なんと面倒なことだろう.” I could get what he was trying to say but the なんと part specifically is confusing? It’s “what” with と quotation particle, right? Like in 何と言う？ So how does it make sense?
こんにちは、Terry
なんと/なんて〜だろう/でしょう is a pattern of exclamatory sentence and it means “What a ~/ How ~!”
Actually you don’t use it in conversation so much because it sounds too dramatic but you may see in a written form
especially when you translate English sentences, such as
What a nice person you are./How nice of you! なんて親切な人だろう。
What a surprise! なんという驚きだ
Again, it is very rare to hear this in daily conversation.
You just say ああ、面倒くさい。 = It’s such a pain. instead of なんと面倒なことだろう
そうですか。Goes to show computer translations still aren’t great with nuance
ありがとうごさいます。
どういたしまして 😊
Good evening Maggie. I have a question about the kanji 出頭. This kanji means: Some person going anywhere or some person, specifically, going to court, government office, etc.
Hi Jason
出頭する = しゅっとうする means “to turn oneself in to the police station or to appear in court voluntarily
Hi Maggie-sensei. I don’t have any question, I just want to thank you for creating this super helpful site. I managed to pass N3 this year, thanks to your fun and clear (and cute!) explanations of scary Japanese grammar rules (lol) ^_^ ありがとうございます！これからもよろしくお願いします。
Hello Noi
Thank you for your kind words.
そして、N3合格おめでとうございます！！！ 私もうれしいです！！
こちらこそこれからもよろしくお願いします。🐶❤️
Good evening Maggie. I have a question about the kanji 一言
Does this kanji mean both “a word” and “a short phrase”?
Hi Breano
Yes, that’s right. It means “a word” but you can use it for a few words/brief speech
一言で言うと = If I put it in one word ~
一言言ってもいいですか？ = Can I say something? / Can I say a few words?
一言、スピーチをお願いします。= Could you give a brief speech?
Good evening Maggie. I have doubts about some phrases.
1) Does the 政府役人 part of the sentence 政府役人の豪邸が略奪された make sense? I searched but couldn’t find anything on the subject.
2) What is the function of として in words like 突如として? From what I researched, 突如として and 突如 have the same meaning.
Hi Daniel
1) Yes, it make sense. It is talking about a mansion ( = 豪邸) and the mansion belongs to 政府役人 = 政府の役人 = government official
2) 突如として is an expression, suddenly and you can use it without として
So you are right. They have the same meaning. ~として is a more formal expression.
Good evening Maggie. Thanks for the answer.
But I have one more doubt. I came across the adjective 漠然とした and realized that it means vague. What is the difference between using として or とした after an adjective?
Hello again Daniel
The difference between として and とした
〜とした + noun
Ex. 漠然とした態度
~として + verb/sentence
Ex. ( ~は、)漠然としている
Good evening Maggie. I would like to know what the function of どの is in the following sentence: どの群れにも必ず黒い羊がいる.
Hi Thiago
That どの means “any” or “every”
(There is always a black sheep) in any flock/every flock
Thanks for the response Maggie. But I still have a doubt. I thought どの meant which or which way. Why was this sentence translated the way you did?
You are right. どの means “which” but どの (dono) can be used as “which” or “any/every,” depending on the context.
Ex. どの国もインフレに苦しんでいる。 Every country is suffering from inflation.
Ex. このレストランは、どの料理も美味しい。Every dish at this restaurant is delicious
こんにちは先生。
Since potential verb form is the same as passive verb form, how would you make a both potential and passive verb?
Example sentence: He can’t be stopped.
Something like 止められることをできない?? Seems weird. How do you do it?
こんにちは、Terry
I would say it is not common to use passive form + できない because it looks/sounds confusing.
He can’t be stopped. : The most natural way to say this in Japanese is to say would be
“I/We can’t stop him.”
→彼を止められない or 彼を止めることはできない (Nobody can stop him.”誰も彼を止められない・誰も彼を止めることはできない)
If you want to use a passive form, it is a less direct but you say
彼は止めらることはない
Indeed it looked and sounded confusing to me ^^; ありがとうございます！
どういたしまして。Good question. It made me think. 😉
Good evening Maggie. I discovered the following phrase 三角形で、先がとても鋭利な形状だ。and I had some doubts.
1) Does this sentence make sense grammatically?
2) I translated this sentence as: It has a triangular shape and the ends are quite sharp. Is this translation correct?
Hi Lucas,
1) Yes, It makes sense.
2) Whatever thing you are talking about has a triangle form and have sharp tips.
Hi Lucas,
1) Yes, It makes sense.
2) Yes. Or It has a triangle form and have sharp tips.
I was having trouble understanding what 言う辺り means in this sentence from a popular light novel- なんでもないことのように言うあたりが、とても思いつきの噓に思えずロレンスはか固唾を飲んでしまったが、ハッとしてホロの口元に目をやった
Thank you in advance
Hi Chris,
言う辺り means the fact/the aspect/the way that [someone] says [something]
Hi Maggie Sensei, I’ve been studying Japanese for 3 years now. My current book at school is TRY N2 (although I don’t feel at all I am N2, not even N3).
I have a question regarding the structure of Japanese grammar. Basically TRY and also other books I have seen don’t really teach you grammar as in western languages. Rather, it is full of this forms (e.g. niyotte, nitotte, nitaishite, monda, bakarida, etc.) that sound very much like idiomatic expressions to me.
So far everything looks very random, which makes it also more difficult to learn and memorize.
Are those “expressions” qualified collectively somehow? And is there any actual classification/categorization or any booklet summarizing them in a structured way (e.g. by topic, use, scope) to make it easier to memorize?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Kuki
First of all, I apologize. I have to admit, my site is pretty random 😆, but I believe there are many excellent Japanese learning sites that provide good classification and categorization in a structured way.
I think many of them are categorized by JLPT level. So, JLPT websites or textbooks might offer better categorization.
Learning Japanese grammar could be quite different from learning Western languages. In Western languages, grammar is often taught separately from vocabulary and expressions, focusing on things like tense and conjugation, conditional forms at different levels. But with Japanese, especially in JLPT study materials, the focus is not just on grammar but also on using expressions effectively.
I understand it could be confusing, but I believe that if you already know the basic grammar, all you need to do is to build complicated sentences and increase your range of expressions, which would help.
Hi thank you for your kind reply. Just to be clear, I wasn’t referring to your site but to the textbooks, I find them pretty random, which is surprising for a textbook imho!
Hi Claudio
I know you weren’t. 😉
Good evening Maggie. I was looking at the definition of 風格 and came across the following definition: 味わい。趣。
Can you tell me what it means? I’m trying to find out but I’m not having any success.
風格
If you are talking about a person,
あの人は風格がある
He/She has a presence. (to have dignified presence)
You can also describe classy buildings, houses, area, streets with 風格
味わいがある/趣がある
You don’t usually use these words to describe a person.
味わいがある = the place has got a style
趣がある = quaint
So, if I understand correctly, 風格 and 味わい have the same meaning, but 風格 refers to people and things while 味わい mainly refers to things.
Hi Pedro
You may encounter some exceptions when using ‘味わいがある’ for people as a metaphor but that’s right.
Good evening Maggie. I would like to know if the following sentence is grammatically correct: 彼女は亡くなった夫の冷凍精子を用いて受精した。
Hi Bruno
I would say 夫の冷凍精子を用いて→”凍結した夫の精子で”
How would you say your husband is dead?
It depends on the relationship with the speaker/ how formal you want to speak with the person but
ご主人はお亡くなりました。
Maggie Sensei, あけましておめでとうございます。(.. if it is not too late to say this).
Would you be interested in reading about some of my most recent language learning experiences in Japan? I think you will find it interesting. I don’t think it would be appropriate to post it here. I could send to your email address (which I already have), if that is OK. Then you can read at your leisure, whenever you have some time.
Michael
Hi Michael
あけましておめでとうございます！
Yes, I’d love to read your experiences. Sent it by email.
楽しみにしています。
Maggie
just found out this website, i think is really wholesome that youve been doing this for so long , you can tell when someone puts love in what they do. thanks for your work, ill check some of your lessons.
Hi Alvaro
Welcome to our site. Hope you can learn something here. ☺️
Good evening Maggie. I came across the following phrase: 幽閉 – ある場所に閉じこめて外に出さないこと。and I had some doubts.
1) In this sentence, is 外に read as ほかに or そとに?
2) When do I use 外に (ほかに) instead of 外に (そとに)? Can you give me an example?
3) I searched the internet and discovered on a website the following word 外に出さない. Is this an expression?
Hi Angelo
The meaning of 幽閉/閉じ込めること is confinement/lock ~ in
外に出さない = そとにださない = Not let that person outside
It is not a set expression but 外 means outside so you can figure out the meaning.
ほか: When you use this word as “others/another”, you use the kanji 他
You read 外, ほか in expressions like
思いの外 = おもいのほか = unexpectedly.
Good afternoon Maggie. I have some questions that I would like you to answer.
1) In the sentence この問題が解けなかったら、罰ゲームが待っていますよ！, the verb 解けなかったら is derived from 解ける or解く? I’m having trouble figuring this out.
2) In the sentence もうお利口さんにしないとお仕置きしますよ。, what is the function of しない? I researched and I think it has the function of: to serve as; to act as; to work as; , but I’m not sure and would like confirmation.
Hello Matheus,
1) 解けなかったら is from 解ける (to be able to solve)
解ける is a potential form of 解く
問題が解ける/解けない (can solve/can’t solve)
問題を解く/解かない (involves one’s will)
If you use the verb form 解く, the sentence will be
この問題を解かなかったら 〜
2) That する/しない means “to (try) be/act/behave”
お利口さんにする = to be good/behave well
みなさん、明けましておめでとうございます！
今年もよろしくおねがいします！
Happy New Year, everyone!
Happy New Year Maggie Sensei! Thanks for all you do for us!
I hope this is the year we all finally achieve our New Year’s resolutions! (Mine is learning Japanese…and then becoming a host for a kids TV show that teaches English! Dream big! XD)
Happy New Year, Douglas!
I hope all your dreams come true this year.
いっしょにがんばりましょう！ ٩(^‿^)۶