A little doubt

kamuizero · 1 Mar 2005

Hello I'm having some problems here with sentence building again....

If I want to say : "how do you read this kanji" ..... wich one of the following is correct?? :

どうやったらこの漢字を読みますか。

どうやったらこの漢字を読むかしっていますか。

この漢字のよみかたは何ですか。

Surely I have some errors, I doubt a little in the last one, I don't know if it's "Yomikata" or "Yomukata"
:? and the other ones are correct??

ありがとうございます!!

orochi · 1 Mar 2005

"この漢字のよみかたは何ですか。"

This is a good way to say it, but the others are a little bit off. That being said, that way is a very stiff and formal way of saying it. Here are some more other ways:

この漢字をどう読む？

Remember, simpler is always better!

kamuizero · 1 Mar 2005

hahaha wow thanks =P!!, but are the other ones gramatically correct???

Elizabeth · 2 Mar 2005

kamuizero said:
hahaha wow thanks =P!!, but are the other ones gramatically correct???

I think どうやったら is used more when you encounter an unexpected piece of news, like 'Wow! How can I/anyone do that ?' sort of impact, but it was explained a while back so I'm not entirely sure....I just know it has to do with how to do something (mechanically) which is incompatible with 'yomu.'

漢字はどのように読みますか？
漢字の読み方を教えてください。

are two more easy and natural possibilities.

nhk9 · 2 Mar 2005

"Dou yatte" is the colloquial form for "dono youni" and it literally means "How"

Kanji ha dou yatte yomimasu ka = kanji ha dono youni yomimasu ka.

As for douyattara, normally followed by something like "ii"

dou yattara ii darou kana would mean "How should I do it so that (everything) would be fine... I wonder"

kamuizero · 2 Mar 2005

OK, so the Douyattara has to be always followed by an "ii"?? and what's the diference between Douyatte and Douyattara??

GaijinPunch · 2 Mar 2005

No, not always followed by "ii", and I think Elizabeth's description of the difference between the two is about as good as you're going to get. I doubt you should worry about that much.

kamuizero · 2 Mar 2005

eh I have a little doubt now, it's not related with this but I didn't want to start another thread =P

- あの女の人をしっていますので、うれしいですよ。

"because I know that girl I'm happy" my doubt is with the Ureshii, can I just put it like that to express my feelings???

Elizabeth · 2 Mar 2005

文法的にも問題ありませんし、「うれしい」感じがいいと表現されていると思います。

kamuizero · 2 Mar 2005

Uhm ok Elizabeth, I'm not really good in japanese so I'll tell you what I think you said =P :
"According to the gramatic there is no problem, I think "Ureshii" Can express/represent good feelings"?? sorry I just trying to "deciphrate your message hahahaha

Elizabeth · 3 Mar 2005

kamuizero said:
Uhm ok Elizabeth, I'm not really good in japanese so I'll tell you what I think you said =P :
"According to the gramatic there is no problem, I think "Ureshii" Can express/represent good feelings"?? sorry I just trying to "deciphrate your message hahahaha

I was trying to say I don't think there are any grammatical problems and the expression of the feeling of 'ureshii' is fine. Someone let me know if anything isn't there that should have been .... Although 'Shitte iru node' is much more natural, especially in a sentence expressing happiness excessive politeness might sound a little unbalanced.

nhk9 · 3 Mar 2005

kamuizero said:
OK, so the Douyattara has to be always followed by an "ii"?? and what's the diference between Douyatte and Douyattara??

Think of the tara as "if"...

Although I am not good at explaining grammar, I think Douyatte is more often used when you want instructions.

"dou yatte gakkou ni ikimasu ka" - How does (one) go to the school? In this case you are probably asking for road directions.

As for Dou yattara... as I said it's normally followed by something like ii (but not always)... and in such cases you are asking for advice (advice are usually more subjective to the opinion of the person giving you advice)

say you are asking advice from your best friend:
あの男の人と付き合うかどうかわからないわ。。。どうやったらいい？
I don't know whether I should build a relationship with that man. What should I do?

GaijinPunch · 3 Mar 2005

Here's a question... have you learned the different ways to say "if".

なら vs ったら vs ば ? If so, it might make a bit more sense. In nhk9's example, you could also says something like どうすればいい? If you've not learned them yet, I would start there, as you're asking generally the same question. Be warned though, they can be hellish at first. I learned in my 2nd year by our Chinese TA... that was 50 minutes of pure confusion.

Elizabeth · 4 Mar 2005

The below sentence is one reibun found in a dictionary. The given translation is "Trying to get the kids to eat vegetables is one big headache" or, my own, "Wondering how the kids will ever learn to eat their vegetables is one big headache."

どうやったら子供たちが野菜を食べてくれるのか、私の頭痛のたねです。

Elizabeth · 4 Mar 2005

In nhk9's example, you could also says something like どうすればいい?

In fact, I'd say どうしたらいい、どうすればいい are probably the safer choice in that case since they can imply thoughts or feelings as well and don't inherently smack of behaviors, operating methods or a recommended action plan.

nhk9 · 4 Mar 2005

Elizabeth said:
The below sentence is one reibun found in a dictionary. The given translation is "Trying to get the kids to eat vegetables is one big headache" or, my own, "Wondering how the kids will ever learn to eat their vegetables is one big headache."

どうやったら子供たちが野菜を食べてくれるのか、私の頭痛のたねです。

This is indeed an interesting example... I have never previously thought deep about this topic.

I think the example is like "how should I do, so that the child would eat vegetables (for my favour)?"

I think in douyatte's baai, the sentence subject would be you, instead of "kodomotachi"

douyatte (watashi ga) kodomotachi ni yasai wo tabesaseru no ka... although the meaning is slightly different, but hopefully you get what I mean...

what do you think?

A little doubt

kamuizero

先輩

orochi

便利屋

kamuizero

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

nhk9

先輩

kamuizero

先輩

GaijinPunch

遠いから行きません

kamuizero

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

kamuizero

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

nhk9

先輩

GaijinPunch

遠いから行きません

Elizabeth

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

nhk9

先輩

Similar threads