Thanks everyone, it definitely was weird when I was reading that.

I was trying to find something for this phrase that we use in English:

"You seeing anyone?"
"No but there is a girl I'm talking to."

Not like talking talking but like you're interested in her and starting to like her.

Is there anything I can say in Japanese for that?

「好きになってる」 is close to the meaning but I was wondering if there was something different.

spleenlol Wrote:I was trying to find something for this phrase that we use in English:

"You seeing anyone?"
"No but there is a girl I'm talking to."

Not like talking talking but like you're interested in her and starting to like her.

「彼女いますか。」
「いないけど、好きな人がいる。」

Unfortunately 「好きな人」 can be used even if the other person doesn't know you exist. Also, the same phrase can also be given as a reason why you won't date Boy B, because you are hoping that Boy A might ask you out. (It doesn't matter how hopeless of a situation that might be ...)

One thing that's kind of important to remember is that 恋愛関係 has it's own language and translating the feelings and emotions behind the expressions is far more important than the words used.

Ah that makes more sense.
Thanks man

Hey, I didn't want to make a new thread for this, but I was curious, is the reason the word 二十歳　is usually read はたち because にじゅっさい has the word にじゅ (demon of ill health) in it?
I find it pretty interesting how the Japanese seem to avoid words that sound morbid.

I'm pretty sure that's just a coincidence.

There's a kanji for twenty in RTK1: 廿. I'd guess any 20-related irregularities would come from that one.

On an unrelated note, 二十歳 can apparently also be read にじっさい.

It doesn't have anything to do with kanji; the word はたち (like all the native Japanese numbers) predates the introduction of writing into Japan. It's not clear why they chose to retain the Japanese numbers only for certain uses, but it's not because of kanji.

Sorry, brain fart (I meant to say something to the effect of "from the word the kanji was imported for (because why import a kanji for 20 if there isn't a special word for it)" but forgot).

I googled some. So there are multiple theories as to the exact origin of はたち and armchair etymologists will pick one at random if asked?

On a related note, I have no idea how the Japanese can use word like 秩序 without provoking snorts of laughter. I guess Beavis & Butthead never made it to Japan.

"Fnar fnar, he, like, totally said 膣."

anotherjohn Wrote:On a related note, I have no idea how the Japanese can use word like 秩序 without provoking snorts of laughter. I guess Beavis & Butthead never made it to Japan.

Clearly you've never heard the news announce train lines running again ... 運行しています gets me every single time.

In Core 2000 there is the sentence 「地図を見て来てください」 whcih is translated as "Please look at the map"
What exactly does 来る do in the Japanese sentence? Is this the 来る as in 持ってくる (which by the way I thought normally was not written by kanji), or does this sentence perhaps actually mean "Please come look at the map"?

It sounds to me like it should mean something like "Please come, having looked at the map" (i.e. look at the map before you come). Since that's the literal 来る, writing in kanji would be normal.

EDIT: It can't mean "come look at the map" because of the order; XてY, where X and Y are both actions, almost always means do X, and then do Y. If it's "Come to look" then you need to use the Xに来る construction (地図を見に来る) or maybe just 来て地図を見る.

Which version of Core? In the one I have, it's translated as "Please look at the map to get here". Unless it's a magical map that teleports you when you look at it, the English feels a bit unnatural to me...

Vempele Wrote:Which version of Core? In the one I have, it's translated as "Please look at the map to get here". Unless it's a magical map that teleports you when you look at it, the English feels a bit unnatural to me...

That's more of a meaning translation, I think what they're trying to say is "Use the map to help you get here", which is a likely meaning of the sentence.

@VEMPELE/@YUDANTAITEKI
It was in one of the decks on Anki web, one of the series that goes under the name "Japanese Core 2000 Step [XX] Listening Sentence Vocab + Images" divided into 10 decks of 200 vocab items. I don't know what version of Core it is.

Yes, "Please look at the map to get here" sounds weird in my opinion too. But they might be trying to include the connotation of "coming" which is completely left out in my translation.

Could this phrase be something you would say in a situation where someone asks how to get to your house, and you'd reply "Please look at the map [and then come]"? Couldn't this fit with your translation, @YUDANTAITEKI?

EDIT: saw your last post yudantaiteki. I guess that is probably it. Thanks for the help guys.

Yeah. One other thing is that while the XてY (with both being actions) means that X occurs (or at least begins) and then Y, the actual meaning depends on context. It can be "Y because X", or just "X then Y", or in this case it's almost like "Doing X before Y will help you do Y."

Edit: nevermind

仕事の見通しがたたない。

I don't understand the たたない part of the sentence. I couldn't find anything in the DoBJG and the closest thing I got in the dictionary was "立つ to find oneself (e.g. in a difficult position)". Is that the right definition?

彼女はにっこりほほえんだ。
彼女はほほえんだ。

how does the addition of にっこり　affect the meaning of the sentence?


and last question..
冬はまめにうがいをします。

what's the function of まめに? I referenced the dictionary and DoBJG but couldn't find anything either.
Thanks!

1. Here's the relevant definition of 立つ from the Green Goddess:
9 〔成り立つ・確かなものになる〕 be formed; be laid; be established; be worked out; 〔通用する〕 hold good; hold water; be reasonable; be valid; be acceptable; pass; 〔独立する〕 be independent; establish oneself.

Most of the examples look like set phrases to me, so it's probably best to think of 見通しが立たない as one as well.

2. にっこり specifies that it's a cheerful smile.

3. It's まめ (忠実, which is normally ちゅうじつ - hence, まめ is usually in kana), に just makes it an adverb. Green Goddess:
2 〜な 〔達者な〕 healthy; well; fit.
まめに　diligently; assiduously; with assiduity.

thanks Vempele!

If it's any consolation, 見通しが立たない seems to be the cause of some perplexity among the Japanese too:link

alc.co.jp is often helpful:

alc.co.jp Wrote:見通しが立たない
be nowhere in sight

I'm currently reading Yotsubato (and enjoying it enormously btw) but tripped up on this:

ちなみに燃えるゴミは月木、燃えないゴミは土曜日ですから

Is the burnable waste collected on Monday and Thursday, or from Monday to Thursday?

The former would be my guess but it would be nice to be sure.

Monday and Thursday.

This kinda weird conjugation of 任せる popped up in my JLPT1 grammar book:

小川氏は財政のことは自分に任せうと言いってはばからないが、本当にできるのだろうか。

The question was about はばかる, but I hadn't seen that conjugation before. I got the impression it was like an antiquated form of 任せて...

Any ideas what's going on there? Cheers