Difference between hiraite and aite

[user64344]

Hello, everyone.

I am wondering what the difference is between hiraite and aite. I have encountered them in contexts where something is shown as being open. x wa hiraite imasu and x wa aite imasu (Ｘは開いています for both since they are spelled the same). Are they both interchangeable? If someone asks me: "panya wa aite imasu ka", can I then answer: "hai, panya wa hiraite imasu" ? An explanation would be greatly appreciated.

Kindest regards, fragan.

 

[Toritoribe]

ひらく and あく are not always interchangeable. For instance, you can's say 花があく for "to bloom". As for the general difference between あく and intransitive ひらく, see the the explanation in the dictionary.
あく【開く】の類語・シソーラス - 類語辞書 - goo辞書

One of the keys is that ひらく can be both transitive and intransitive and the topic marker は can indicate both the subject and object of the verb. I.e., パン屋はひらいています can mean パン屋をひらいています (to set up a store) depending on the context. はい、ひらいています is used as an answer to the question パン屋はあいていますか in your example, so it's not misinterpreted, though.

 

[user64344]

Hello again.

Thank you for your elaborate reply, just one more thing I'd like clearance on: Can I answer (in verbatim as I originally heard it): "hai, panya wa hiraite imasu", for "yes, the bakery is open" ?

 

[user64344]

I edited my message quite extensively and was going to post but it said the time limit had past and I lost everything. Awful.

I will attempt to re-write, but that time limit thing is simply dangerous...

...

I actually still do not understand this fully. I have heard both "mado wa hiraite imasu" and "mado wa aite imasu", for "as for the window, it's open". How does that work? I don't understand the difference in use when seem identical to have an identical meaning as for telling that something is open. Does one of them only apply for one thing exclusively that the other can't be used for; is there a critical difference between them, and could you then give an easy example of it? If I am asking whether as store is open (for service), can I ask "mise wa hiraite imasu ka", since it seems to be possible to say "hai, mise wa hiraite imasu" ?

I really want to get a grip on this. Thank you.

 

[killerinsidee]

I'm guessing that your Japanese is not good enough to read the text in the link Toritoribeさん provided? There's a clear explanation for your "window" question in that link.

Basically, as Toritoribeさん already wrote, you need to think about the transitivity and also the context. Imagine that 窓 is not the object in this case; I think that 窓があいている and 窓がひらいている are interchangeable in this case, however, there are cases when you'd use one over the other. It gets a bit complicated and I'm not sure you'd want to break your head over this kind of thing just yet if you're early in your studies. Briefly, it is explained in that link that you would use ひらく for a "french window", i.e., window that opens outward, while あく would be used for a "sliding" window, i.e., one direction movement.
On the other hand, if 窓 is an object, あく can't be used. Only ひらく and あける can be used. あける can only be transitive. I think あける is preferred in this case.
There are a few more "guidelines" to the あく、ひらく、あける in that link, though. I suggest you keep an eye out on which verb is used for what objects and cases, it's not random or something.

About your 店 question. I think 店は(が)がひらく and 店は(が)あく are interchangeable (assuming that ひらく is intransitive here).

Note: I'm not an expert, still learning myself so wait for someone more knowledgeable to confirm my answer.

 

[Toritoribe]

Can I answer (in verbatim as I originally heard it): "hai, panya wa hiraite imasu", for "yes, the bakery is open" ?

You don't need to say パン屋 in the answer since it's obvious from the context. Or rather, your mentioning it unnecessarily emphasizes パン屋, therefore は performs as the contrastive marker and it can imply a nuance that, for instance, the bakery is open, but the coffee shop is not open yet.

I actually still do not understand this fully. I have heard both "mado wa hiraite imasu" and "mado wa aite imasu", for "as for the window, it's open". How does that work? I don't understand the difference in use when seem identical to have an identical meaning as for telling that something is open. Does one of them only apply for one thing exclusively that the other can't be used for; is there a critical difference between them, and could you then give an easy example of it? If I am asking whether as store is open (for service), can I ask "mise wa hiraite imasu ka", since it seems to be possible to say "hai, mise wa hiraite imasu" ?

When it means "the window is in the state of open", there is no significant difference between 窓はあいています and 窓はひらいています. (I think the former is more commonly used, though.) However, since ひらく can be transitive and は can indicate both the subject and the object as I mentioned previously, 窓はひらいています can be present progressive "I'm opening the window now" depending on the context.

As for your last question, yes, you can use 店はひらいていますか. I think あいていますか is more common also in this case, though.

If you have interest in the difference between "transitive -te iru" and "intransitive -te iru", see the following pdf file(p.13~p.16) thesuker-san provided previously.
http://faculty.washington.edu/ogihara/papers/Ogihara_teiru.pdf

 

[user64344]

You don't need to say パン屋 in the answer since it's obvious from the context. Or rather, your mentioning it unnecessarily emphasizes パン屋, therefore は performs as the contrastive marker and it can imply a nuance that, for instance, the bakery is open, but the coffee shop is not open yet.


When it means "the window is in the state of open", there is no significant difference between 窓はあいています and 窓はひらいています. (I think the former is more commonly used, though.) However, since ひらく can be transitive and は can indicate both the subject and the object as I mentioned previously, 窓はひらいています can be present progressive "I'm opening the window now" depending on the context.

As for your last question, yes, you can use 店はひらいていますか. I think あいていますか is more common also in this case, though.

If you have interest in the difference between "transitive -te iru" and "intransitive -te iru", see the following pdf file(p.13~p.16) thesuker-san provided previously.
http://faculty.washington.edu/ogihara/papers/Ogihara_teiru.pdf

Thank you for you clarification, Toritoribe.

 

[killerinsidee]

When it means "the window is in the state of open", there is no significant difference between 窓はあいています and 窓はひらいています. (I think the former is more commonly used, though.)

Just wondering about those differences explained in あく【開く】の類語・シソーラス - 類語辞書 - goo辞書 (window/sliding door thing).Do people bother with those "guidelines" in actual conversations?

 

[Toritoribe]

I think あく and ひらく can be used for both type of windows.

I edited my message quite extensively and was going to post but it said the time limit had past and I lost everything. Awful.

I will attempt to re-write, but that time limit thing is simply dangerous...

@fragan5 san, hope the following thread is helpful for your problem.
The time limit has come while editting a post | Japan Forum