elementary questions..but difficult for me!

[Leslie]

Hello everyone!

Could you help me? I have a few questions about some Japanese exercices I have to do.
First, just to be sure :

- in sentences like "Te wa, ittai donna shigoto wo shiteiru node chyô" = is it an indirect question since there is "donna" but the sentence does not end with "ka". What does "node chyo" means at the end?
- erabenasai = in the polite form erabete kudasai?

Second, I have a text about what you can do with your hands (like eat, say hello etc...). Each paragraph deals with one thing you can do, and at the end of each paragraph there is a little conclusion saying "the work of the hand is to ...".
I do not really understand what I have to do for this question : "kono bunchyô niwa, te no shigoto nitsuite matomete kaite aru bun ga ikutsu arimasuka. Sino bun no sugute wo kaki deshinasai". I understand I have to say how many things a hand can do according to the text and to write what those things are. But should I recopy the sentences from the text or summarize it in my own words??

Thank you for your kind help! and don't hesitate if some of you want help in French!

 

[JimmySeal]

"donna" means "what kind of." It has no connection with directness or indirectness.

"node chyo" means nothing. "Chyo" is not valid romanization for anything.

erabinasai is a polite command form used by superiors towards inferiors or on written instructions. The -kudasai version would be "erande kudasai."

Please don't use accents in your posts. They are not displaying correctly.

There are a lot of mistakes in your romaji. Please carefully go over the instructions again, consulting a kana table if necessary.

This is what you wrote:
Sino bun no sugute wo kaki deshinasai
しの ぶん の すぐて を かき でしなさい

 

[Leslie]

Sorry for the mistakes, I wrote it too quickly! Moreover, I didn't know
they were not displaying correctly. In France, we use accents for long vowels : when I write chyo (with an accent on the "o"), maybe I should write it shyou?, it is a ch with a little yo and a "u". I don't know...

Here is the correct spelling of my sentence :
"kono bunshyou niwa, te no shigoto nitsuite matomete kaite aru bun ga ikutsu arimasuka. Sono bun no subete wo kaki deshinasai". I hope it's ok

-for me "donna" is an interrogative pronoun, so it signifies there is a question, no??
- I know "no chyou" does not mean anything, but I dont understand the end of the sentence...

 

[chickie]

In France, we use accents for long vowels : when I write chyo (with an accent on the "o"), maybe I should write it shyou?, it is a ch with a little yo and a "u". I don't know...
Here is the correct spelling of my sentence :
"kono bunshyou niwa, te no shigoto nitsuite matomete kaite aru bun ga ikutsu arimasuka. Sono bun no subete wo kaki deshinasai". I hope it's ok
-for me "donna" is an interrogative pronoun, so it signifies there is a question, no??
- I know "no chyou" does not mean anything, but I dont understand the end of the sentence...

I think we usually use "shou" or "sho" instead of "chyo".

"kono bunshyou niwa, te no shigoto nitsuite matomete kaite aru bun ga ikutsu arimasuka. Sono bun no subete wo kaki dashinasai".
この文章には、手の仕事についてまとめて書いてある文がいくつありますか。その文のすべてを書き出しなさい。

I understand I have to say how many things a hand can do according to the text and to write what those things are. But should I recopy the sentences from the text or summarize it in my own words??

You're right about the former and you have to recopy the sentences from the text.

 

[Elizabeth]

Oh, thanks to Chickie for the valid response ! I was confused about kaki dashinasai. Everyone please use care when handling romanization !!!!
Something's gonna get lost or broken if not !

 

[Leslie]

thank you for your help!

 

[chickie]

I was confused about kaki dashinasai.

I pondered for a while and got it finally. I love guessing
TBH, it's a bit hard for me to read romaji, correct or not...

 

[Leslie]

It's me again! I'm having hard times with these exercices. Could you help me understand those two sentences? It an exercice where you have to fill in the blanks with a verb, but I don't understand two sentences.

- bukkyou ga nihon he (blank) kita nowa itsuka shitte imasuka.
Buddhism in Japan (blank) do you know when?
I do not understand kita, does it corresponds to North?

- chansan wa watashi no te wo shikkari to (blank) "iroiroto arigatou. genkidesune" to itta.
= Chan ... with my hand (blank) "thank you for everything. It's ok, isn't it" he said.
I dont understand "shikkari".

Thank you very much. I was careful about the romajis, I hope it's ok. When I have a little time I'll look at how to use Japanese writting (I saw there was a thread on it)

 

[epigene]

- bukkyou ga nihon he (blank) kita nowa itsuka shitte imasuka.
Buddhism in Japan (blank) do you know when?
I do not understand kita, does it corresponds to North?

No, "kita" here is past tense of the verb "kuru (to come)." This kind of misunderstanding can be avoided if you stick to Japanese characters rather than romaji.

- chansan wa watashi no te wo shikkari to (blank) "iroiroto arigatou. genkidesune" to itta.
= Chan ... with my hand (blank) "thank you for everything. It's ok, isn't it" he said.
I dont understand "shikkari".
Thank you very much. I was careful about the romajis, I hope it's ok. When I have a little time I'll look at how to use Japanese writting (I saw there was a thread on it)

"Shikkari" means firmly and steadfast. So, here, the verb is "to hold"--"nigiru" in Japanese.

 

[Damicci]

Sorry I don't know about the 1st one I was thinking it was asking "Do you know when Bhuddism came to Japan" but like I said I am not sure.

しっかり means firmly or tightly sounds like they want to say,
"Chan-san grasped my hand tightly and said "Thanks for evething".

It's odd seeing しっかり used this way. I thought it was more for concentration.
しっかりしなさい - pull your self together. Tighten up

 

[epigene]

bukkyou ga nihon he (blank) kita nowa itsuka shitte imasuka.
仏教が日本へ来たのはいつか知ってますか？
(This one doesn't have any blanks to fill in.)

chansan wa watashi no te wo shikkari to (blank) "iroiroto arigatou. genkide[su]ne" to itta.
チャンさんは、私の手をしっかり握って、「いろいろとありがとう。元気でね」と言った。

 

[Glenn]

It's odd seeing しっかり used this way. I thought it was more for concentration.
しっかりしなさい - pull your self together. Tighten up

It's one of the many words that has related but different meanings.

No, "kita" here is past tense of the verb "kuru (to come)." This kind of misunderstanding can be avoided if you stick to Japanese characters rather than romaji.

Well, it could happen if you only knew kana, too. But I agree that sticking to Japanese characters is better.

 

[Leslie]

Thanks! I understand the meaning of the sentences now!
Do you think I could say "bukkyou ga nihon he tsutawatte kita nowa itsuka shitte imasuka." The form in TE seems strange here but I have no other idea... I think tsutawaru is the good verb to put here.

For the second sentence "chansan wa watashi no te wo shikkari to (blank) "iroiroto arigatou. genkidesune" to itta." , I want to use "nigiru" like epigene said, but should I use a -Te form or a -nagara form? I think niginagara is appropriate.

 

[Damicci]

LMAO

I freaked thinking I posted in the wrong forum....(WHAT THE HELL Why did I post in this thread.)

In Densha otoko the girl said some thing like "ちゃんと握って" when he lost her in the crowd. on the 1st date.

Also use the te form as Epigene posted, it shows a listing of actions.

 

[Leslie]

Ooups, I answered too slowly, did not saw your last posts.
- for the sentence on buddhism, there is a blank to fill in, I'm sure, its the role of the exercice! hihi
- ok for the form in -TE for the 2nd sentence. But the -nagara form wouldn't fit?
- for my mistake on "kita" I think it is due to the fact that the word was written in hiragana, not in kanji!

 

[Glenn]

Tsutawattekita looks good to me. Tsutaeraretekita would be another choice (but if you haven't learned passives yet, ignore that).

 

[epigene]

Ooups, I answered too slowly, did not saw your last posts.
- for the sentence on buddhism, there is a blank to fill in, I'm sure, its the role of the exercice! hihi
- ok for the form in -TE for the 2nd sentence. But the -nagara form wouldn't fit?
- for my mistake on "kita" I think it is due to the fact that the word was written in hiragana, not in kanji!

伝わって is OK. Actually, I should have thought of it!

しっかり握りながら is also OK. But, it doesn't necessarily have to be!

 

[JimmySeal]

Tsutawaru is verb that I guessed for the first sentence, and you have put it in the correct form.

I think the -nagara form would be acceptable for the second one, but it would convey a fairly different meaning (and sounds slightly unnatural to me). I think the -te form is what they're looking for.

Looks like epigene beat me to the punch, but I'll post this anyway.

 

[Leslie]

thank you to all of you for your help! It's nice of you!

 

[Elizabeth]

伝わって is OK. Actually, I should have thought of it!
しっかり握りながら is also OK. But, it doesn't necessarily have to be!

How common is 伝わってきた ？ I don't recall ever having seen it. In any case the passive is probably much more natural in this sentence if you don't have a subject...

 

[epigene]

epigene said:
伝わって is OK. Actually, I should have thought of it!
しっかり握りながら is also OK. But, it doesn't necessarily have to be!
How common is 伝わってきた ？ I don't recall ever having seen it. In any case the passive is probably much more natural in this sentence if you don't have a subject...

That's because we know "introduction of Buddhism" as 仏教伝来 . 伝わってくる points to the introduction of cultural institution, religion, etc., while 来る points to coming in general.

I think the question is being asked with conscious awareness of this expression.

 

[Leslie]

Hey! Me again! I was wondering what expression I should use to say something like "We use our mouth to eat" = should I translate "to" by Youni ?
thanks!

 

[Leslie]

Moreover, how could I say "to breathe by the mouth", kuchi DE iki wo suru?

 

[JimmySeal]

I think that sentence is fine.

I think "we use our mouth to eat" would be one of the following:
Taberu no ni kuchi wo tsukau.
Taberu tame ni kuchi wo tsukau.

 

[Leslie]

I promise it's my last question! what does "shitemite kudasai" mean? Thanks a lot!