Need a word or phrase translated?

[Elizabeth]

Elizabeth: I encountered it twice two days ago: once in one of my JLPT practce problems, and then another time on TV. It didn't seem to emphasize the act of going to work, so much as showing up or being there on a specific day agaist the backdrop of possible/real absence. I.e., people were wondering when the boss would come back from his vacation and then it was reported that he would '会社に出る' the next monday.

Oh, I see (well not really...) but hypothetically speaking these sightings and contexts put it much more in the vein of "coming into work" or "be in the office." Much more interchangable, in other words, with 出社する than 会社に行く. 多分、「会社に出る」と「出社する」は同じ意味だと思いますね。
ただ「出る」という言葉が熟語になったかどうかの問題だと思う。。。

But I asked a friend just to make sure. Here is his response :

会社に出る」という表現は使いません。
「会社に行く」といいます。

「会社に行く」は自宅から出社する感じがします。
「出社する」は、自宅からでも、出張先からでも会社に行くという感じがします。
上記は個人的な感覚で、人により差がないと感じる人もいるはず。

 

[bnicholson9597]

Couple problems here.

Faith would be better as 信仰.

Belief is very vague. Give us more background. Belief in who/what/etc?

智慧 is usually written 知恵. Use the later.

Oh yeah. I highly recommend you not get any sort of kanji tattoo.

Why?
I just really like the calligraphy style.

 

[82riceballs]

Couple problems here.

Faith would be better as 信仰.

Belief is very vague. Give us more background. Belief in who/what/etc?

智慧 is usually written 知恵. Use the later.

Sorry about this!

Oh yeah. I highly recommend you not get any sort of kanji tattoo.

I agree w/ this. Most of the people who give you tattoos don't understand the language. They won't understand the kanji and won't know how to write it. This results in very ugly tattoos. (Trust me- I've seen soooo many ugly kanji tattoos on people. Please don't be one of them!)

 

[bnicholson9597]

i agree too, but i was planning on getting someone from japan who knows how to write the words i want. and who knows the language very well. and then once the person has written it out all i have to do is get someone to copy from the piece of paper onto my arm. i also heard that japanese calligraphy is something that not a lot of people know how to write?
would there be anything offensive if i was to get a tattoo with this on my arm?

 

[orochi]

I was planning on getting someone from japan who knows how to write the words I want. And who knows the language very well. And then once the person has written it out all I have to do is get someone to copy from the piece of paper onto my arm.

Unfortunately, it's not that easy.

 

[Charles Barkley]

I just had a struggle with some of the English teachers trying to figure out how to translate a phrase into English. They wanted to know how to translate the phrase 毒舌, but the one guy's communication skills are just really poor in English--when he has a question he just keeps repeating the same words without giving any context and pointing at the dictionary (which he believes is infallible because thats how he learned his English) and so its impossible to figure out what he means. I tried to explain to him in simple English that I didn't know what he was talking about, and he would need to explain the situation better or give an example, but he didnt understand this and just kept pointing at the dictionary and asking if it meant 'rancor' or 'acrimonious.' Anyway, English wasn't working here so I tried my japanese (which I try not to use with the English teachers).

住みません、全然訳分かりません。文脈を無私にしたら、無理です。詳しい例文を作ったら、たぶん出来ます。

This didn't accomplish much either, but I don't know if it was because the japanese itself was incoherent, or because the guy himself, as I said before, just doesn't have communication skills. Eventually we got this science teacher who speaks fairly natural English to come over, and then he (thank god) actually explained the situation: apparently the science teacher had been making fun of the communication-skills-lacking-teacher in a joking manner, but the latter had thought it a bit harsh, so he told the science teacher that he had a 毒舌. Anyway, I then translated it as something like 'fooling around with someone' or 'making fun of someone.' Later I remembered the british expression 'taking the piss' and thought it more appropriate, but that just spawned communication-skills-lacking-teacher to have to look up 'piss' in the dictionary and then get even more confused. Sigh.

Anyway, 2 questions:

-One: how was my japanese in this situation? What would you recommend saying? There's a lot of times when people just keep stammering out the same word they want me to translate, and I need to tell them to elaborate or I can't do anything.

-Two: does taking the piss work as a translation?

 

[K-Young]

Anyway, 2 questions:
-One: how was my japanese in this situation? What would you recommend saying? There's a lot of times when people just keep stammering out the same word they want me to translate, and I need to tell them to elaborate or I can't do anything.
-Two: does taking the piss work as a translation?

１それだけではわかりません。それはどういうときにつかうのですか？ ぐたいてきにおしえてください。 I can't answer, given only the word. In what context is it used? Let me hear more situations where it is used.

２毒舌 means " The person who says anything in a harsh and severe way or that way of saying." It might be a "sharp tongue" in English. Often ironically or sarcastically, and in some cases, he/she says something the listener wants it unsaid. Not to make fun.

 

[K-Young]

「会社に出る」と「出社する」は同じ意味だと思いますね。

A very small difference I feel...

会社にでる is "show oneself in the office." It sometimes implies the situation where he/she wants not to do so, or he/she is forced to do so.
日曜なのに、会社に出るよ 嫌だな

出社する is almost the same meaning, but it is often used with a word or phrase of TIME.
今日は十時に出社します。
In a sentence using this phrase, WHEN is focused.

 

[Elizabeth]

１それだけではわかりません。それはどういうときにつかうのですか？ ぐたいてきにおしえてください。 I can't answer, given only the word. In what context is it used? Let me hear more situations where it is used.

This is a way I thought of putting it that you can use in almost every tight situation. Not really anything different than K-Young's examples. If it's a sentence you're wondering about just substitute 一文 etc for この単語.

前後の文があれば、もっとわかりやすいかもしれないけど、この単語だけを見ると意味が良くわからないですね。

 

[Elizabeth]

A very small difference I feel...
会社にでる is "show oneself in the office." It sometimes implies the situation where he/she wants not to do so, or he/she is forced to do so.
日曜なのに、会社に出るよ 嫌だな
出社する is almost the same meaning, but it is often used with a word or phrase of TIME.
今日は十時に出社します。
In a sentence using this phrase, WHEN is focused.

Thank you !! I am going to try and not worry about 会社にでる too much, though. Because Japanese people probably wouldn't use it 99% of the time....

 

[Charles Barkley]

１それだけではわかりません。それはどういうときにつかうのですか？ ぐたいてきにおしえてください。 I can't answer, given only the word. In what context is it used? Let me hear more situations where it is used.

２毒舌 means " The person who says anything in a harsh and severe way or that way of saying." It might be a "sharp tongue" in English. Often ironically or sarcastically, and in some cases, he/she says something the listener wants it unsaid. Not to make fun.

The thing about 'sharp tongue' is that I don't feel comfortable using that English. I don't know why, but the phrase just seems a bit old/out of use/something like that (maybe its just me). I think in your explanation, you hit on what I would probably call it: harsh. I actually suggested this to my teachers, but then the (science) teacher said that in this situation, it was somewhat in jest, which was why I went with 'taking the piss (out of someone),' which is basically a pretty intense, half-joking way of making fun of someone.

Thanks to both of you for your suggestions on how to get more detailed information. As this is something that happens all the time, it will save a lot of time to have a couple really clear phrases--I eventually make myself clear, but it can take a while.

 

[orochi]

I am going to try and not worry about 会社にでる too much, though. Because Japanese people probably wouldn't use it 99% of the time....

I'm surprised there's so much skepticism about this term. I hear it all the time in my (Japanese) office, read it in books and newspapers, and hear it on TV. It's a very common phrase.

 

[Elizabeth]

I'm surprised there's so much skepticism about this term. I hear it all the time in my (Japanese) office, read it in books and newspapers, and hear it on TV. It's a very common phrase.

Well, it was only one person in Tokyo who told me in no uncertain terms the term was extremely uncommon and that I should totally forget about it. Maybe it only serves to remind him of being forced do work at inconvenient hours. ☝

I also don't have time right now for tons media basically outside of listening to NHK radio news all day (where I've never heard it) but will start asking around a little more...thanks for the heads up.

 

[Sasquatch]

Thanks for all the help guys.

I have another question though.

What's a good dictionary site? I mean to translate words and stuff?

I know I can ask on here, but I don't want to bother anyone..... I guess that is what this site is for though, so I'll just ask another question.

I got a letter that say "Mousugu X'mas dane. Ii X'mas ni Narimasu yo ni.

I think I know some of the words, but all I have is "Pretty soon it's Xmas ????

Good xmas in become ?? in?

That's all I could find out.

 

[epigene]

I'm surprised there's so much skepticism about this term. I hear it all the time in my (Japanese) office, read it in books and newspapers, and hear it on TV. It's a very common phrase.

Yes, I agree. It's just colloquial and won't hear it in NHK News that tend to choose formal and "educated" words, which means people don't necessarily talk like that in casual conversation.

@Sasquatch,
Your letter says: Christmas is approaching. Hope you have a good Christmas.

Translation sites aren't all that reliable, but you can try Babelfish if you just want to figure out the basic meaning.

 

[Elizabeth]

Yes, I agree. It's just colloquial and won't hear it in NHK News that tend to choose formal and "educated" words, which means people don't necessarily talk like that in casual conversation.

OK, that helps explain why I haven't heard it said by NHK interviewees either. I've even seen them "dress up" direct quotes on their web site to make it the wording fancier than what the person actually used.

Why my friend was so embarrassed/defensive about it is still a mystery but at least it's not a bad or dirty word. And not anything careless to ruin our relationship over...

@Sasquatch,
Your letter says: Christmas is approaching. Hope you have a good Christmas.

Translation sites aren't all that reliable, but you can try Babelfish if you just want to figure out the basic meaning.

I don't know how much kanji Sasquatch knows, but the more the better for automated translation. You will have to use kana input at a minimum.

 

[Sasquatch]

Yes, I agree. It's just colloquial and won't hear it in NHK News that tend to choose formal and "educated" words, which means people don't necessarily talk like that in casual conversation.
@Sasquatch,
Your letter says: Christmas is approaching. Hope you have a good Christmas.
Translation sites aren't all that reliable, but you can try Babelfish if you just want to figure out the basic meaning.

Thank you very much. I got it kinda, right?

What does dane mean? I tried looking it up but couldn't find it. ):

As for the kanji, I know very little. I only know watashi and hito..... and a few others I can't remember. Any steps to learn that? are there basics?

Before when I watched a Japanese show I couldn't understand anything, but know I am slowly hearing more!

 

[tokapi]

Christmas is approaching. Hope you have a good Christmas.

クリスマスが近づいてきている.良いクリスマスを過すことと思います.Is this accurate 日本語翻訳,おしえてください.

 

[briareos]

Can anyone help translate this? Was playing Second life when my chat partner said this.

watashino sunderu tokorowa gosurori inai node..
totemo akogaremasu

 

[Lotorie]

Alright, first post in this subforum:

ポストモダンの大きな流れの中で、古着感覚は、新しさ と古さとの折衷主義を素材で表現した端的なー例。わざわざ開発したしわしわ感やよれよれ感は腕を通 したとたんに何年も着慣れたような懐かしさが伝わって くる仕掛け。

古着のような。

Hope you can help me!

 

[Leprechaun]

Could someone help me with this? I am trying to say... "From us to you, with love" in japanese. My aunt wanted to be able to write/say this with a birthday gift for my cousin, who's been studying Japanese for ages, as a surprise and asked me for help. I just started learning the language though, and have no idea... I would really appreciate any help with this phrase or maybe something similar you say while giving a gift...? Thanks!

 

[Charles Barkley]

使い親しむ I encountered this the other day, the context was 使い親しんだ家具 . The meaning is pretty evident, but what I am wondering is are there any other verbs that 親しむ is attached to that work in a similar way?

 

[regregreg]

Can anyone help translate this? Was playing Second life when my chat partner said this.
watashino sunderu tokorowa gosurori inai node..
totemo akogaremasu

I think, the first sentence means, "there are no gothlolis where I live". I'm not sure about the second one, though. Totemo means very and IF akogareru means to long for (I looked it up in a dictionary), then I guess it's something like, "that's why I long for them very much" or "that's why I'm really attracted by them".

However, my Japanese is not even on JLPT level 4. Someone, who actually understand that all, shall correct me.

 

[Elizabeth]

クリスマスが近づいてきている.良いクリスマスを過すことと思います.Is this accurate 日本語翻訳,おしえてください.

No, not really. The most appropriate translations are the two that were used.

Could someone help me with this? I am trying to say... "From us to you, with love" in japanese. My aunt wanted to be able to write/say this with a birthday gift for my cousin, who's been studying Japanese for ages, as a surprise and asked me for help. I just started learning the language though, and have no idea... I would really appreciate any help with this phrase or maybe something similar you say while giving a gift...? Thanks!

First of all, the process of giving a gift is quite different in Japan which means essentially all accompanying expressions are not easily interchanged between written and said. Let us know which of those you want and the rest will follow quite easily.

 

[Elizabeth]

Alright, first post in this subforum:
ポストモダンの大きな流れの中で、古着感覚は、新しさと古さとの折衷主義を素材で表現した端的なー例。わざわざ開発したしわしわ感やよれよれ感は腕を通したとたんに何年も着慣れたような懐かしさが伝わってくる仕掛け。
古着のような。
Hope you can help me!

Within the great current of postmodernism, the sensation of old clothes is a direct, material expression of the eclecticism of old and new. The feeling of
wrinkled up shabbiness is the mechanism that was purposefully developed to transmit nostalgia as in the feeling of familiar old clothes just as the arm is passing through the sleeve.