The "What's this word/phrase?" thread

Index » The Japanese language

Reply #6901 - March 05, 8:08 pm
yudantaiteki Member
Registered: 2009-10-03 Posts: 3619

Nah if your Japanese friend agreed with you that's probably right.  Out of context stuff is easier for native speakers to figure out.

Reply #6902 - March 05, 9:13 pm
Chronopolis Member
From: Canada Registered: 2012-05-18 Posts: 14

Thanks for the answer, everyone! I actually don't know the preceding lines (they may or may not matter), but I'll look them up and post them when I find them.

Reply #6903 - March 05, 9:21 pm
yudantaiteki Member
Registered: 2009-10-03 Posts: 3619

Since we're mostly non-native speakers here, it's always a good idea to provide context -- even just something as basic as where you got these sentences and who this speaker (narrator?) is would be a big help. 

One thing I've found is that non-native speakers in general need a lot more context than native speakers do to figure out the meaning.  In this case I would trust the native speaker drdunlap asked; they're probably using their lifetime of experience in the language to automatically know what contexts are likely for that kind of phrase.

Advertising (register and sign in to hide this)
JapanesePod101 Sponsor
 
Reply #6904 - March 09, 9:34 pm
ezra50 New member
From: USA Registered: 2012-03-27 Posts: 4

風が心にささやくの
このままじゃダメなんだと

can someone explain to me what the と is doing at the end? And for anyone wondering this is a sentence from the Japanese version of "Let it Go" from Frozen the movie.

Last edited by ezra50 (March 09, 9:35 pm)

Reply #6905 - March 09, 9:44 pm
drdunlap Member
From: 水の都 Registered: 2009-06-01 Posts: 364 Website

It's pointing to 「このままじゃダメなんだ」as what the wind is whispering.
Change up the order and you get,
このままじゃダメなんだと、風が心にささやくの

Edited because I am an idiot who doesn't look at things after he types them. :x

Last edited by drdunlap (March 10, 7:22 am)

Reply #6906 - March 09, 9:56 pm
ezra50 New member
From: USA Registered: 2012-03-27 Posts: 4

WOW I feel stupid for not noticing that xD. Thanks A bunch!

Reply #6907 - March 10, 7:15 am
yudantaiteki Member
Registered: 2009-10-03 Posts: 3619

drdunlap wrote:

このままじゃダメなんだと、風邪が心にささやくの

Apparently Elsa's problem was just that she was sick.

Reply #6908 - March 10, 7:21 am
drdunlap Member
From: 水の都 Registered: 2009-06-01 Posts: 364 Website

今気づいた(笑)

And remember kids, if your cold is talking to you, you may be crazy.

Last edited by drdunlap (March 10, 7:23 am)

Reply #6909 - March 19, 10:30 am
Northern_Lord Member
From: Norway Registered: 2013-02-26 Posts: 110

I came across the sentence 「彼は、目標のために手段を選ばなかったわね」 in Core6000, translated as "He did everything to achieve his goal".
I just wonder if someone here knows if there is some kind of logic behind 「手段を選ばない」? How does "not choosing a means/way/measure" become "doing everything in order to".
I'm not troubled by this, I'm just curious tongue

Reply #6910 - March 19, 10:38 am
dtcamero Member
From: new york Registered: 2010-05-15 Posts: 653

Hi, could someone give me the specific nuance of this phrase please?
「これからも、Xさんには協力して頂く機会があるかと思います。」

is it:
I am thinking that in the future there will be opportunities to work together with Mr. X.
or
I wonder if in the future there will be opportunities to work together with Mr. X.
or
In the future there may or may not be opportunities to work together with Mr. X.
or
I am questioning if there will be any future opportunities to work together with Mr. X.

or something other than all 4 perhaps?
Thanks for the help. Cheers,

Last edited by dtcamero (March 19, 10:46 am)

Reply #6911 - March 19, 11:01 am
Ash_S Member
From: UK Registered: 2011-02-24 Posts: 156

First option. He positively thinks that there will be opportunities.

Reply #6912 - March 19, 11:04 am
dtcamero Member
From: new york Registered: 2010-05-15 Posts: 653

thanks for the reply...so then why put the か after "協力がある"?
how is that different from
「これからも、Xさんには協力して頂く機会があると思います。」?

Reply #6913 - March 19, 12:43 pm
yudantaiteki Member
Registered: 2009-10-03 Posts: 3619

It makes it less definite, and more wondering.  I like your second sentence better as a translation.

Northern_Lord: We discussed this a couple of pages ago, I think -- 手段を選ばない means that you don't choose the method, so you use every method available.  It usually has a negative connotation.

Reply #6914 - March 19, 2:15 pm
dtcamero Member
From: new york Registered: 2010-05-15 Posts: 653

ok, brilliant. thank you

Reply #6915 - March 19, 8:30 pm
Ash_S Member
From: UK Registered: 2011-02-24 Posts: 156

The か definitely softens it but I don't think it's as wishy-washy as "I wonder if...". The speaker thinks that what they are saying is most probably true.

A few examples from ALC to show what I mean:

2、3日中にお手元に届くかと思います。
You should receive it within a couple of days.

2~3日で届くかと思います。
You will receive my payment within a couple of days.

3週間以内に商品を発送できるかと思います。
I believe that I will be able to ship your order in 3 weeks.

XXがお客様のニーズに一番合っているかと思います。
I believe that XX will be the most suitable for your needs.

Last edited by Ash_S (March 19, 8:42 pm)

Reply #6916 - March 19, 8:59 pm
dtcamero Member
From: new york Registered: 2010-05-15 Posts: 653

Huh, ok that's really helpful, thanks.
Passed n1 and I never came across the かと思います grammar point before... Strange because it seems super practical.
Kind of similar to でしょう in terms of the degree of certainty maybe...

Last edited by dtcamero (March 19, 9:03 pm)

Reply #6917 - March 24, 8:25 am
CK_Byuu Member
Registered: 2013-08-16 Posts: 13

Picked from Photoshop CG illustration book.

はじめに考案したストーリーを念頭に、まずはPHOTOSHOP上でキャラクターの設定を考えながらスケッチする。

What's the rough translation of the above? I was wondering about what 念頭に does here.

Thanks.

Reply #6918 - March 24, 9:58 am
yudantaiteki Member
Registered: 2009-10-03 Posts: 3619

I think it's saying to keep the story you've come up with in your mind as you sketch the characters in photoshop?

Reply #6919 - March 25, 9:38 am
CK_Byuu Member
Registered: 2013-08-16 Posts: 13

yudantaiteki wrote:

I think it's saying to keep the story you've come up with in your mind as you sketch the characters in photoshop?

Alright got it, thanks smile

Reply #6920 - March 26, 10:37 pm
sparky14 Member
Registered: 2013-10-28 Posts: 50

Hey guys, need some help with a long string of kanji from a manga. The "|" represents column breaks, not sure if that will help...

えーこちら|栄長浜町電波塔|上空の映像です。

Reply #6921 - March 27, 12:11 am
Ash_S Member
From: UK Registered: 2011-02-24 Posts: 156

sparky14 wrote:

Hey guys, need some help with a long string of kanji from a manga. The "|" represents column breaks, not sure if that will help...

えーこちら|栄長浜町電波塔|上空の映像です。

This is an image of the sky above (上空) the Einagahama-cho(??place name) (栄長浜町) telecommunications tower (電波塔).

Last edited by Ash_S (March 27, 12:12 am)

Reply #6922 - March 28, 8:21 am
dethlore New member
Registered: 2014-03-28 Posts: 5

Hi. Readng Higurashi I came across a sentence that cuases me some problems:

わかった?この部活は常識に囚われてちゃ勝てないわけよ

The meaning is clear to me but I don't understand what is this ちゃ doing here. I'm only aware of  ちゃ as the contracted form of ては but it doesn't seem to fit here.

Reply #6923 - March 28, 10:36 am
Vempele Member
Registered: 2013-06-16 Posts: 615

That's what it is: 囚われていては.

Reply #6924 - March 28, 12:28 pm
yudantaiteki Member
Registered: 2009-10-03 Posts: 3619

ては is a way of saying "If..."  So in this case Mion(?) is telling Keiichi that if he's trapped in normal ways of thinking he's not going to win anything against their club members.

Reply #6925 - March 28, 2:07 pm
dethlore New member
Registered: 2014-03-28 Posts: 5

Thank you very much.
It really seemed weird to me that it was attached to ~te form of the verb. What I failed to realize is that it is not ~te form but ~teiru, which got contracted too. Too much contractions for me in one verb, I guess ;]
Once again thanks for your answers, they were very helpful.