I'm sure you're like me and have come across at least one sentence that you understood the meaning of but in that sentence there was a word/kanji that could be read multiple ways and you just could not tell which one to use.

This has happened to me enough times now to break down and just ask the more knowledgeable people here on this forum (I'm very independent, you see).

I did search around on the forum and didn't find a similar thread (admittedly I didn't spend hours looking) and I realize that it is similar to the "The 'What's this word/phrase?' thread". However there is a difference. That thread seems to more for sentences that you do not understand as a whole. This thread is for sentences that you DO understand but have a nagging itch when it comes to reading a kanji (or a combo of kanji).

Any way to start off..

Tonight I came across this example sentence in Yahoo! dictionary:

客観的に見て彼の方が正しいと思う。
Viewed objectively, he seems to be right.

What I'm trying to figure out is the reading of 方 to use（ほう／かた）. I'm thinking it's かた but I'm just not sure.

It's a kanji that's been nagging me for a while and I'm sure others have/still struggle(d) with it.


Thanks guys!

Should be ほう. In the form の方 where it's prefixed with の, it's usually read as ほう.

Readings in general are tricky and I think it just requires more exposure to get used to which contexts require which readings.

it's ほう.

basically it's comparing かれ の ほう as correct compared to someone else の ほう if that make's any sense. Where ほう represents his 'way' (of thinking etc) or 'side' (of the argument or whatnot). かた is a polite way of referring to people あの方、先生方々、etc or expresses a 'way' of doing something when attached to a verb stem, eg. 食べ方 way of eating.

got another one. I know the readings for the rest, expect one:

再臨の死将・[[亡都]]に新生せし翼

[one that is bracketed is what I want to know]

亡都
なみやこ

亡都
なと (also makes sense)

(wait I think I just figured it out, just right now lol)

I can't find that word in any dictionary, I guess it's made up?

Anyway, I'd read it ぼうと, following the same pattern as 亡父、亡兄、亡君、亡魂　etc.

なと or なみやこ would seem a pretty weird reading, unless it's actually referring to a place name instead of an ruined city or something because you're leaving out the き in the kunyomi 亡き. maybe it could be read like 亡き都 (なきみやこ) though...　

nadiatims Wrote:なと or なみやこ would seem a pretty weird reading, unless it's actually referring to a place name instead of an ruined city or something because you're leaving out the き in the kunyomi 亡き. maybe it could be read like 亡き都 (なきみやこ) though...　

Yes, this is important to remember as a general rule -- if a kun-yomi is representing a verb (or adjective), you're not going to be able to use that kanji with a reading that only represents a part of the word that isn't a valid conjugation.

In other words, although I'm certain it's read ぼうと here, it would be possible to read it as なきみやこ (despite the lack of an okurigana). なみやこ is absolutely impossible, though, because な is not a conjugation of なく.

nadiatims Wrote:it's ほう.

basically it's comparing かれ の ほう as correct compared to someone else の ほう if that make's any sense. Where ほう represents his 'way' (of thinking etc) or 'side' (of the argument or whatnot). かた is a polite way of referring to people あの方、先生方々、etc or expresses a 'way' of doing something when attached to a verb stem, eg. 食べ方 way of eating.

Cool. Makes sense. Thanks a bunch!

I am leading toward nadiatims' reading for 亡都 as ぼうと since it seems to have been derived from 亡国(ぼうこく）. Thus means 亡（ほろ）びた都／滅びた都, a translation should be a ruined (doomed・lost) capital.

I was able to find 『大東京三十五区 亡都七事件（ぼうとななじけん）』.

It does seem to be an newly coined word.

please can anyone tell me when 包む is つつむ and when it's くるむ?

oh yeah, also, i'd been reading 身体 as からだ whenever it's not in academic writing, but recently in an 伊坂幸太郎 short story, it was used throughout the story, then when the narrative switched to a wolf's voice, it had 振り仮名 over it indicating it was read からだ then. I suppose that the rest were supposed to be read しんたい then? So, i was wondering, what are the conditions on it being しんたい and being からだ?

I think くるむ has a nuance of warmth to it, so it is used in reference to wrapping up a babies, small animals etc, where as the more common つつむ just means wrap as in seal up and is used for things like parcels etc.

I think I've always read 身体 as からだ, so don't know about that one.

IceCream Wrote:please can anyone tell me when 包む is つつむ and when it's くるむ?

In most cases it's つつむ, although the similar 包める is always read くるめる。 After some quick reading up, the primary distinction seems to be that while つつむ implies neatness, such as when packing a gift, くるむ is less tidy and carries a connotation of rolling something up, such as in a blanket or towel.

つつむ can also be used in a more general/metaphorical sense, such as 霧に包まれる, or 包み切れない喜び。

nadiatims Wrote:I can't find that word in any dictionary, I guess it's made up?

Anyway, I'd read it ぼうと, following the same pattern as 亡父、亡兄、亡君、亡魂　etc.

なと or なみやこ would seem a pretty weird reading, unless it's actually referring to a place name instead of an ruined city or something because you're leaving out the き in the kunyomi 亡き. maybe it could be read like 亡き都 (なきみやこ) though...　

strange, I actually initially read like that ぼうと, but I switched it(guess my instinct was right)

yea it's from final fantasy 13-jp version of it. I couldn't find it either, in both rikiaichan+monolingual dictionaries