Need a word or phrase translated?

[Chidoriashi]

Lotorie> I recognize all the characters as being used in the Japanese Language, but I cannot see any words that they may be forming. It may just be jibberish. It could be chinese, but i doubt it because when i look at chinese there are usually a lot of characters that are not used in the Japanese language.
to the best of my knowledge the characters mean individually something like this 今＝now 古=old, ancient 有＝exist 神＝God 奉＝offer 志＝will 士＝man, samurai

 

[diceke]

「でも果たしてそうなっただろうか？君は父成るものを殺し、母なるものを犯し、姉成るものを犯した。」

It's pretty clear this is a reference to Sophocles's Oedipus myth and Freud's Oedipus Complex. Murakami's spin on this theme is original. ☝

Oedipus - Wikipedia

 

[Charles Barkley]

The reference is not really disguised--freud and oedipus are referenced frequently throughout the book. But the theme/content of the book aren't difficult, just the nuance of certain passages/unfamiliar grammar points.

 

[Lotorie]

Lotorie> I recognize all the characters as being used in the Japanese Language, but I cannot see any words that they may be forming. It may just be jibberish. It could be Chinese, but i doubt it because when I look at Chinese there are usually a lot of characters that are not used in the Japanese language.
to the best of my knowledge the characters mean individually something like this 今＝now 古=old, ancient 有＝exist 神＝God 奉＝offer 志＝will 士＝man, samurai

Thank you very much!!!!!

 

[shinza]

"The voter named below is eligible to vote on the district listed:"って
「下記の選挙人は記載されている選挙区についての選挙権があります」となるのでしょうか？

"vote on"ってところが気になってるんで場所ではなく、「選挙区の問題についての選挙権がある」というの方が正しいじゃないかなと思うんですが。。。文法的に、言葉選択もへんなところあったら、教えて下さい。よろしくお願いします。

 

[Ashikaga]

"The voter named below is eligible to vote on the district listed:"って
「下記の選挙人は記載されている選挙区についての選挙権があります」となるのでしょうか？

"vote on"ってところが気になってるんで場所ではなく、「選挙区の問題についての選挙権がある」というの方が正しいじゃないかなと思うんですが。。。文法的に、言葉選択もへんなところあったら、教えて下さい。よろしくお願いします。

Voter（registered voter)は日本語では普通 「有権者」という言い方をします。でもこの文に於いては微妙ですね。投票者なんて言い方も出来そうですが何だかぎこちないですしね。あえてVoterをそのまま訳そうとしないで、「下記の者は」といったほうが自然かもしれません。 前後の文があったらもっと解かりやすいと思うのですが。

Vote on 以下はshinzaさんのおっしゃるとおり、選挙区・地区 に関して投票することが出来るということだと思います。

「下記の者は記載された地区についての採決に参加することが出来る。」っていうのはどうでしょう。 まわりくどい表現かもしれませんが、意味は明解ですし、自然に聞こえると思います。

 

[SushiShin]

I wanna know how you write correct the following sentences it's homework everything has to do with interpreting romance:

1) Do you had many boyfriends?
2) Do you had many girlfriends?

3) How is your boyfriend?
4) How is your girlfriend?

5) What's your boyfriend's name?
6) What's your girlfriend's name?

7) Do you love your boyfriend?
8) Do you love your girlfriend?

9) Can I be your boyfriend?

 

[Davey]

I wanna know how you write correct the following sentences it's homework everything has to do with interpreting romance:
1) Do you had many boyfriends?
2) Do you had many girlfriends?
3) How is your boyfriend?
4) How is your girlfriend?
5) What's your boyfriend's name?
6) What's your girlfriend's name?
7) Do you love your boyfriend?
8) Do you love your girlfriend?
9) Can I be your boyfriend?

How about you give it a try yourself as well, shin.

I know your Japanese isn't pera pera, but I'm sure you can speak a little bit. So please try to put your own input in it... かれし、 かのじょ。。。meaning boyfriend and girlfriend...

 

[Ashikaga]

Someone's trying to pick up Japanese girls online!! It's for a homework? Suuuuuuuureeeee. Go get 'em, Tiger!! y:

 

[shinza]

That works!

Voter（registered voter)は日本語では普通 「有権者」という言い方をします。でもこの文に於いては微妙ですね。投票者なんて言い方も出来そうですが何だかぎこちないですしね。あえてVoterをそのまま訳そうとしないで、「下記の者は」といったほうが自然かもしれません。 前後の文があったらもっと解かりやすいと思うのですが。
Vote on 以下はshinzaさんのおっしゃるとおり、選挙区・地区 に関して投票することが出来るということだと思います。
「下記の者は記載された地区についての採決に参加することが出来る。」っていうのはどうでしょう。 まわりくどい表現かもしれませんが、意味は明解ですし、自然に聞こえると思います。

いろいろ細かい説明をしてありがとうございます。その訳文を使わせていただきます。
I want to give e-props...

 

[lilyofthevalley]

what does ごりよう mean? As in ごりようありがとうございます. Of course I know ありがとうございます, but ごりよう isn't in any dictionaries...

 

[Toritoribe]

What does ごりよう mean? As in ごりようありがとうございます. Of course I know ありがとうございます, but ごりよう isn't in any dictionaries...

御利用: the polite form of 利用

ごりようありがとうございます: Thank you for your use.

 

[Ashikaga]

What does ごりよう mean? As in ごりようありがとうございます. Of course I know ありがとうございます, but ごりよう isn't in any dictionaries...

Like Toritoribeさん said, they are thanking you for using (their service).

 

[Charles Barkley]

Quick question: what is the difference between 先祖 and 祖先? Is there any? The entry in the dictionary is kind of はっきりしてない。

 

[Ashikaga]

They are interchangeable in most cases. My understanding is that 先祖 is the more colloquial of the two. It is usually used when referring to a person or persons who came before you in your family bloodline. We sometimes refer to them endearingly as ご先祖様.

祖先 can be used in the same way but it can have broader meanings such as when talking about evolution but then again, I doubt anyone would correct you if you used 先祖 in such case. I think it is more appropriate to use 祖先 in formal settings.

Now let us wait for someone who really knows what she/he is talking about to shed some light on this.

 

[sigmentofb]

Hello,

Is there anyone here that can read the first and third kanji for me? Here is what I have so far: ?弟?平山九平ヨリ分家 Thank you!

 

[Toritoribe]

Hello,
Is there anyone here that can read the first and third kanji for me? Here is what I have so far: ?弟?平山九平ヨリ分家 Thank you!

the first one
後? or 従?

the third one
違

後弟違(のち、おとうとちがい?)
or
従弟違(いとこちがい?)

 

[Simi]

I would really appreciate some help with some confusion I'm having over this sentence. I wish to say 'I feed the cat everyday before school.' But I'm not sure what the right way of saying it is exactly. Does 大学前に猫に餌をあたえます make sense? or is it better to use あげます or ...?
Also how would you expand the sentence to read 'I always feed the cat twice a day: once before school and once in the evening.' or something along those lines?

Thanks.

Hope you all have a good day.

 

[undrentide]

I would really appreciate some help with some confusion I'm having over this sentence. I wish to say 'I feed the cat everyday before school.' But I'm not sure what the right way of saying it is exactly. Does 大学前に猫に餌をあたえます make sense? or is it better to use あげます or ...?
Also how would you expand the sentence to read 'I always feed the cat twice a day: once before school and once in the evening.' or something along those lines?

to feed the cat is 猫に餌をあたえます or 猫に餌をやります.
あげます is a kind of honorific and too polite to use for pets. ;-)

You can say "before school/university" in English but in Japanese it does not really make sense, you should add "going" i.e. "before going to school/university" 学校／大学に行く前に.

I always feed the cat twice a day: once before school and once in the evening

いつも猫には（＊）１日２回（＊）餌をやります。
学校に行く前と夕方 can be put where marked with *.

いつも猫には学校に行く前と夕方の１日２回、餌をやります。
いつも猫には１日２回、学校に行く前と夕方に餌をやります。

Either is possible.

 

[Ashikaga]

to feed the cat is 猫に餌をあたえます or 猫に餌をやります.
あげます is a kind of honorific and too polite to use for pets. ;-)

Hmmm... I think あげる is quite commonly used for pets. I use it.

To me, 餌をやる sounds a bit too condescending while 餌をあたえる sounds condescending, too formal and impersonal. I think 猫に餌をあげる is perfectly acceptable. If anything, it just shows the amount of affection you feel toward your beloved pet/s.

I wub you, Fluffyyyyyyy!!!!!!

 

[Simi]

Thank you very much for the help. I really appreciate it!

 

[Simi]

Another quick query.

Does this make sense?
午前中時間が在りませんので朝ごはんを食べません。
I'm not really sure about the tense.. and whether you can use masu form with node.
The sentence is suppose to mean. I don't eat breakfast because I don't have time in the morning.

Also how would you expand the sentence to say "I don't eat breakfast because I don't have time in the morning and also don't really like it."
朝ごはんも好きではありません。 ??

 

[undrentide]

Hmmm... I think あげる is quite commonly used for pets. I use it.

To me, 餌をやる sounds a bit too condescending while 餌をあたえる sounds condescending, too formal and impersonal. I think 猫に餌をあげる is perfectly acceptable. If anything, it just shows the amount of affection you feel toward your beloved pet/s.

I wub you, Fluffyyyyyyy!!!!!!

I know that there's tendency to regard やる as if it were a rude, rough or condescending word while あげる is a neutral word for "to give".
Maybe it is because there's another word やる which can replace する.
The latter does sound impolite thus people (my assumption) tend to avoid using やる and use あげる instead.
To me
花に水をやる
猫にえさをやる
子供に飴をやる
sound perfectly normal/polite but many might find them not.

And I did get your sentiment/affection towards pets...

 

[undrentide]

Does this make sense?
午前中時間が在りませんので朝ごはんを食べません。
I'm not really sure about the tense.. and whether you can use masu form with node.
The sentence is suppose to mean. I don't eat breakfast because I don't have time in the morning.

In this particular context 午前中 is a bit broad word for morning because you mention breakfast which is "morning meal" in Japanese.
Also the polite form is usually used only at the end of the sentence, so ありません is replaced by ない.
朝は時間がないので朝ごはんを食べません。

Also how would you expand the sentence to say "I don't eat breakfast because I don't have time in the morning and also don't really like it."
朝ごはんも好きではありません。 ??

There are many ways to express it.
朝は時間がないし、たいして（朝ごはんが）好きでもないので朝ごはんは食べません。
(Just an example.)
たいして can be replaced by あまり or べつに.

 

[Tomii515]

Hey~! I was wondering if anyone can help me translate this sentence from my book.

国では、うめぼし、のりなどを見たことも聞いたこともありませんでした。
I think I get the basic meaning... But I'm not sure.

What I got is "In my country, I've never seen nor heard of dried plums, seaweed, and so forth."

I'm not sure... like

国では = 'in my country' or something

うめぼし、のりなど = I'm not really sure. Like I know what umeboshi and nori is, it's just i had to look up 'nado', and i got "and so forth" or something, so i though maybe "dried plums, seaweed, and so forth"

見たことも聞いたこともありませんでした = Well, I can see like that it comes from 見たことがあります and 聞いたことがあります. Since it's in the negative, and has も, I would think instead of 'too' it would be 'nor, neither', right? so like 'haven't ever seen nor heard (of)" im guessing.

Anyways, thanks for you helpz :]