Can someone please translate this?

G

GoldCoinLover

後輩

24 May 2004

1,046

12

• 16 Apr 2007

• #1

I said I am terrible at japanese and this person said this:

漢字を知ってるからスゴイ！！


Is he saying because he knows a kanji he is terrible? or does mean terrible or good? スゴイ

 

Damicci

先輩

4 Nov 2003

2,479

52

• 16 Apr 2007

• #2

Because you know kanji your amazing!

 

G

GoldCoinLover

後輩

24 May 2004

1,046

12

• 16 Apr 2007

• Thread starter
• #3

Damicci said:

Because you know kanji your amazing!

Click to expand...

How do you know he's referring to me?

 

JimmySeal

Tubthumper

5 Mar 2006

1,516

78

• 16 Apr 2007

• #4

Because given the situation it wouldn't make sense any other way.

 

Cue

今北産業

6 Jun 2006

454

24

• 18 Apr 2007

• #5

Yeah.
You said to him you're terrible at Japanese, right?
He meant, 'But still, I'm impressed, because you know kanji!'
If he said でも、漢字を知ってるからスゴイ！, it might have been easier for you to see he was referring to you, I guess.

We drop subject(who, I, You, etc.) very often(or in almost all cases) in a casual conversation, so if you are not sure who the other person is referring to, you could ask them 'Who? Me? or You?'
I sometimes do that myself, when I can't guess from their face expressions, tone of voice and whatnot...

Btw, I guess you're mixing up Sugoi with Hidoi...
Sugoi means, good, cool, amazing, awesome etc.

Q

 

Damicci

先輩

4 Nov 2003

2,479

52

• 18 Apr 2007

• #6

But for some reason may online translation sites translate it as terrible.

 

Glenn

一切皆苦

8 Jan 2004

7,842

200

• 18 Apr 2007

• #7

Which is why you shouldn't ever trust online translation sites.

 

JimmySeal

Tubthumper

5 Mar 2006

1,516

78

• 18 Apr 2007

• #8

What Glenn says is 100% true, but I should mention that すごい can mean "terrible," but most of the time, すごい does not have a negative connotation.

"Bad" words can be used with a non-negative connotation in English too:
She looks awfully happy.

 

Glenn

一切皆苦

8 Jan 2004

7,842

200

• 18 Apr 2007

• #9

"That's one bad mutha!"
"That dude's one sick player!"
"She's so smart it's stupid."

Or, combining, "that dude's one sick mutha!"

Sorry, just wanted to play around a little.

 

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

Twenty-year veteran

15 Mar 2002

16,758

2,298

• 19 Apr 2007

• #10

JimmySeal said:

What Glenn says is 100% true, but I should mention that すごい can mean "terrible," but most of the time, すごい does not have a negative connotation.

"Bad" words can be used with a non-negative connotation in English too:
She looks awfully happy.

Click to expand...

Sometimes in seemingly self-contradictory ways.

"She's pretty ugly; but she's awfully nice".