Destination and (Base 2 +)に行く

[denkou]

I understand that Base 2 stem plus に 行く allows me to state a reason for going (and reason for coming works the same way). So I could say 傘 を 買いに 行く to say that the reason I'm going is to purchase an umbrella.

This might seem obvious to most of you, but I am a newbie so I appreciate the help. If I want to state the place I am going to in order to buy it, would I just add "Location に" to the start of the above sentence?

e.g. 東京に傘を買いに行く.

Or is that way off?

Also, while you're here anyway, could you quickly translate something for me? I think I understand it, but it doesn't make much sense in context...

"どうやって友達になって良い？"

I seem to understand each part of the sentence, but it just doesn't make sense in context. Does it mean something like "how come I didn't know until now that you are good?" and they are referring to me as a friend?

ありがとうございます!

 

[Toritoribe]

If I want to state the place I am going to in order to buy it, would I just add "Location に" to the start of the above sentence?

e.g. 東京に傘を買いに行く.

Yes, that's right.

Also, while you're here anyway, could you quickly translate something for me? I think I understand it, but it doesn't make much sense in context...

"どうやって友達になって良い？"

I seem to understand each part of the sentence, but it just doesn't make sense in context. Does it mean something like "how come I didn't know until now that you are good?" and they are referring to me as a friend?

I suppose that's a non-native's composition. Probably s/he was trying to say どうやって友達になればいい/なったらいい？; "How can we be friends?/What should I do to be your friend?"

 

[denkou]

I have no idea if this person is non-native or not... To be honest it still doesn't make much sense in context!

Thanks a lot for the help. I really do appreciate it.

 

[denkou]

Turns out this person is non-native, but was an English Prof in Japan for 7 years! Would you say that was pretty bad Japanese he used? I suppose he was just missing a ら really.

 

[Toritoribe]

Turns out this person is non-native, but was an English Prof in Japan for 7 years! Would you say that was pretty bad Japanese he used? I suppose he was just missing a ら really.

No. You can see "なって and なったら". They are quite different.

If the sentence is just 友達になっていい？ without どうやって, it means "May I be your friend?"

 

[denkou]

ありがとうございます。

I might as well ask since it's a bit on-topic and saves starting another thread... I'm interested in learning:

"Did you mean..."

I've been researching this but haven't had much luck. I got contradicting answers from a book and a couple of websites. Say someone said something odd, like good morning at night time. In English I would say:

Did you mean "goodnight"?

How do I form this question in 日本語?

 

[Elizabeth]

No. You can see "なって and なったら". They are quite different.
If the sentence is just 友達になっていい？ without どうやって, it means "May I be your friend?"

Is it OK as どうやって友達になって良いか(わからなかった). It may be my ear, but I hear "~~て良いか" a lot, actually....:?

何をしていいかわからなかったので、何もしなかった....

 

[Glenn]

I might as well ask since it's a bit on-topic and saves starting another thread... I'm interested in learning:

"Did you mean..."

I've been researching this but haven't had much luck. I got contradicting answers from a book and a couple of websites. Say someone said something odd, like good morning at night time. In English I would say:

Did you mean "goodnight"?

How do I form this question in 日本語?

(という)わけ(です)か I think is the way to go. But if you mean it like "did you mean to say 'goodnight?'" probably 「おやすみ」と言いたかった? would work.

 

[Elizabeth]

ありがとうございます。
I might as well ask since it's a bit on-topic and saves starting another thread... I'm interested in learning:
"Did you mean..."
I've been researching this but haven't had much luck. I got contradicting answers from a book and a couple of websites. Say someone said something odd, like good morning at night time. In English I would say:
Did you mean "goodnight"?
How do I form this question in 日本語?

You would ? I would either say nothing if it would seem rude or lightly repeat the offending phrase at a certain comfort level. Goodnight ?


It's a cultural thing. ;-) Not easily perverted or shocked, used to a good drunken slur, coming from a stranger I think Japanese also tend to let go with a wink and smile. Depending on the situation, as always....

 

[Toritoribe]

I might as well ask since it's a bit on-topic and saves starting another thread... I'm interested in learning:
"Did you mean..."
I've been researching this but haven't had much luck. I got contradicting answers from a book and a couple of websites. Say someone said something odd, like good morning at night time. In English I would say:
Did you mean "goodnight"?
How do I form this question in 日本語?

Colloquially, you may be able to use "ってこと？" in some cases.

Did you mean "goodnight"?
おやすみってこと？

Is it OK as どうやって友達になって良いか(わからなかった). It may be my ear, but I hear "~~て良いか" a lot, actually....:?

何をしていいかわからなかったので、何もしなかった....

Right. It can be correct as an indirect question clause. But you can't say "どうやっていい？" directly, can you?;-)

×どうやっていい？
○どうやっていいかわからない。
○どうやれば/どうやったらいい？

×どうやって友達になっていい？
○どうやって友達になっていいかわからない。
○どうやって友達になれば/なったらいい？

 

[Elizabeth]

Colloquially, you may be able to use "ってこと？" in some cases.
Did you mean "goodnight"?
おやすみってこと？

There's also "You say (What? What?) Say WHAT??!!" 「えっ、なんだって？！」 ＜カジュアル＞

For those little everyday surprises that just can't go unchallanged. ☝

 

[Elizabeth]

Colloquially, you may be able to use "ってこと？" in some cases.
Did you mean "goodnight"?
おやすみってこと？
Right. It can be correct as an indirect question clause. But you can't say "どうやっていい？" directly, can you?;-)
×どうやっていい？
○どうやっていいかわからない。
○どうやれば/どうやったらいい？
×どうやって友達になっていい？
○どうやって友達になっていいかわからない。
○どうやって友達になれば/なったらいい？

It just seems you should be able to leave off the か and make どうやって友達になっていい? work with a rising intonation, similar to どうしたらいい? etc. Because it makes perfect sense and it doesn't interfere with any other usage.

 

[Toritoribe]

It just seems you should be able to leave off the か and make どうやって友達になっていい? work with a rising intonation, similar to どうしたらいい? etc. Because it makes perfect sense and it doesn't interfere with any other usage.

No. どうやって is the key. You can say どうやればいい？/どうやったらいい？, but you CAN'T say どうやって友達になっていい？/どうやっていい？ even in any intonations.

どうやって and どうやったら are not interchangeable.

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