Confused with the Kanji 方

[Janet Merai]

So I am learning Japanese with Rosetta Stone (I have used other methods in the past) and even though I translated 方 already, there are some example sentences which make no sense to me.

Anyone know how to better clarify this?

私はオレンジよりりんごの方が好きです
watashi wa orenji yori ringo no hou ga suki desu
I like/enjoy Apples more than Oranges.

I can understand what is going on and all the other kana/kanji, but what I am confused about is the USAGE of 方, why is it used and what does it mean?

I have translated it to meaning "side/direction/way" but I am still confused.

Any help here?

 

[Amigo]

Hi!

Well, you need to think in Japanese.

I think that the meaning of the kanji 方 has to do a lot with the Japanese way of thinking. Side, direction, way, person (politely) ... and, in my opinion, addressing to, sense, about something...

...の方が... is just a set phrase that mean "more than" as you wrote.

I don't know how to translate it but I try to understand just the concept trying to think in Japanese.

Maybe, The Rosetta Stone method is not a good resort to this kind of problems.

I try to translate the way of thinking instead the word.

That's an unavoidable problem about learning languages.

 

[Putrefaction]

I think it is taken as a "side to", as in, I side to liking apples more than oranges. Perhaps you were thinking side, as in four sides to a triangle? It's more like, in this situation, siding with someone in a fight.

 

[Janet Merai]

Thank you people, I appreciate the help you have provided and it makes more sense now

I still continue to push my skills

 

[Red5]

So if we say same her sentence without の方 so the sentence will be :

私はオレンジよりりんごが好きです

this sentence now right or it's completely wrong ?!!!
thanks for all

 

[Damicci]

I believe, より takes the translation of more than, not の方が.

Whether or not you can take の方が out of the sentence and it still be grammatically, I don't know?

 

[Nall-ohki]

so if we say same her sentence without の方 so the sentence will be :
私はオレンジよりりんごが好きです
this sentence now right or it's completely wrong ?!!!
thanks for all

Completely okay.

の方 in this case is merely a more explicit way of emphasizing the side you are specifying.

Here's a bit of a more "natural" conversation that might occur?

父さん！りんごとオレンジどっちがいい？
おぉ！お父さんはリンゴの方が好きね。

A completely okay response would be:
おぉ！お父さんはオレンジよりりんごが好きね。

 

[Janet Merai]

Thank you for the help people

Rosetta Stone really is helpful once I think in a Japanese way lol
I mean, before it was like "what?" but now I am becoming clear with how Japanese form their sentences and how its structured and what it means to think differently

Of course, I need PLENTY of practice every-day, but I improve so much :3