Expressing opinions, expressing superlatives

f4senkyo69 · 8 Feb 2005

How would I translate these sentences to Japanese?

I don't like summer all year long. I think the airconditioner is the greatest invention ever.

So far, based on my limited knowledge, this is all I can come up with.

Mainen no Natsu wa kirai desu. Air-con wa 最も大きい発明desu.

What is the pronounciation for the kanji like?

seasurfer · 8 Feb 2005

毎年の夏は嫌いです。エアコンは最も大きい発明です。

Mainen no natsu wa kirai desu. Air-con wa mottomo ookii hatsumei desu.

好き(suki) ＝ like

Is this what you want?

orochi · 8 Feb 2005

I have some trouble understanding your first sentence in English. When you say "summer all year long" do you mean "a summer that lasts all year round (i.e. hot all year)" or "the summer that comes around once every year." Your translation in Japanese points to the second one.

For your second sentence, you're probably better off using すばらしい (subarashii) instead of 大きい, in my opinion.

Also, instead of 最も, you could say 一番 (ichiban), or #1.

f4senkyo69 · 8 Feb 2005

orochi said:
I have some trouble understanding your first sentence in English. When you say "summer all year long" do you mean "a summer that lasts all year round (i.e. hot all year)" or "the summer that comes around once every year." Your translation in Japanese points to the second one.

For your second sentence, you're probably better off using すばらしい (subarashii) instead of 大きい, in my opinion.

Also, instead of 最も, you could say 一番 (ichiban), or #1.

I mean the former; ie in Singapore we don't have seasons, it's hot all year round. How about this?

Watashi no koku, Mainen no gatsu wa Natsu desu; kirai desu.
[I'm trying to say, In my country, it's always summer, and I don't like summer.]

Air-con ha ichiban subarashii no hatsumei desu.
[I'm trying to say, air conditioners are the greatest invention.]

Elizabeth · 8 Feb 2005

f4senkyo69 said:
I mean the former; ie in Singapore we don't have seasons, it's hot all year round. How about this?

Watashi no koku, Mainen no gatsu wa Natsu desu; kirai desu.
[I'm trying to say, In my country, it's always summer, and I don't like summer.]

Air-con ha ichiban subarashii no hatsumei desu.
[I'm trying to say, airconditioners are the greatest invention.]

'Mainen no gatsu' doesn't really make sense (the months of every year?), maitsuki maybe, every month ? or all year round, ichinichijuu ?

Also, do you actually only have one word for the seasons in Singapore or does it only feel like summer ? If they are not all called 'summer' (Hoka no kisetsu na no ni, natsu no you na atsui no toki wa) you would need to say something like "Maitsuki, maru de natsu no you desu" or "Singapore wa itsumo natsu mitai desu."

Air-con ha ichiban subarashii no (take out the 'no' here) hatsumei desu.

orochi · 8 Feb 2005

OP,
Ok, now I see what you mean.
私の国は一年中暑くてきらいです。エアコンは最もすばらしい発明だと思う。
Watashi no kuni wa ichinenjuu atsukute kirai desu. Eakon wa mottomo subarashi hatsumei da to omou.

I hate it because my country is hot all year long. I think that air-conditioning is the most wonderful invention.

I think it's useful to tag the ～と思う at the end because you are expressing an opinion.

f4senkyo69 · 8 Feb 2005

This is something I have not reached yet. What does ～と思う mean?
My translator runs it across as 'To omou', which means 'to think/feel', but how is it used?

Elizabeth · 8 Feb 2005

I think it's useful to tag the ～と思う at the end because you are expressing an opinion.

Yeah, I thought about that as well but wasn't sure if that would sound more serious than the questioner intented. Is it really the best invention ever, ahead of computers, automobiles, telephone, electricity etc. or does it just feel like it in the middle of a Singapore heat wave ? Maybe "desune" or some other more informal tag is more appropriate to express a strong feeling but not expecting to be taken at face value.

orochi · 8 Feb 2005

Elizabeth,
The problem you're hinting at, I think, is the difference between natural Japanese and English. There are things that you would say in English, like "This is the best..." but in Japanese, you probably wouldn't say it unless you really meant it, like you were trying to prove a thesis or argument. To convey the same thing in more natural sounding Japanese, I'd probably say something like:

シンガポールは一年中暑くていや。エアコンがないと、もう死ぬって感じ！

f4senkyo69 · 9 Feb 2005

What does that second sentence mean exactly?

eakon ga naito, mou shi nu ? tei kanji.

orochi · 9 Feb 2005

It would translate to:
If there was no air conditioner, it would be like I'm gonna die! or I'd be a goner without the air conditioner. That's the gist at least. I just used more a more colloquial, spoken form of Japanese.

Elizabeth · 9 Feb 2005

Also, instead of 最も, you could say 一番 (ichiban), or #1.

Initially I thought so as well, but have been informed "ichiban subarashii" is not correct. It must just be used more idiomatically than "motto mo" which I sort of suspected anyway since you tend to see "motto mo" a lot more in the sense meaning most of something.

Hiroyuki Nagashima · 9 Feb 2005

"エアコンがないと、も～死ぬ！？て感じ。"

It is a language of gal of a Japanese female high school student.

"私の感情を表すなら「私は、エアコンがないと死んでしまうと叫びたい。」"
If it expresses my feeling, it is
"I want to shout that I die if there is not an air-conditioner."

KONO ENGLISH GA ATTUTE IRUNOKA AYASII. :sorry:

orochi · 9 Feb 2005

It is a language of gal of a Japanese female high school student.

That's my punishment for teaching junior high school students here in Japan... I end up talking like them! hehe

orochi · 9 Feb 2005

Initially I thought so as well, but have been informed "ichiban subarashii" is not correct.

Really? I'll have to check that out myself. I guess it comes from the meaning of subarashii... It's not like it's measuring size or something where one thing can easily be better, bigger, worse, smaller, etc.

Glenn · 12 Feb 2005

orochi said:
OP,
Ok, now I see what you mean.
私の国は一年中暑くてきらいです。エアコンは最もすばらしい発明だと思う。
Watashi no kuni wa ichinenjuu atsukute kirai desu. Eakon wa mottomo subarashi hatsumei da to omou.

I hate it because my country is hot all year long. I think that air-conditioning is the most wonderful invention.

I think it's useful to tag the ～と思う at the end because you are expressing an opinion.

I think it would be better for it to be と思います so that you don't switch politeness levels between sentences. I'm assuming this is addressed to the same person or people.

Elizabeth · 12 Feb 2005

orochi said:
Really? I'll have to check that out myself. I guess it comes from the meaning of subarashii... It's not like it's measuring size or something where one thing can easily be better, bigger, worse, smaller, etc.

Yeah, wonderful being by its very nature anything that causes admiration or pleasure....it does make some sense that nothing could be called number one in it. 物の言い方にルールはない方が多いですね。

Glenn · 12 Feb 2005

Oh yeah, what about 最高 for the best? エアコンは最高の発明ですね, or something like that.

Expressing opinions, expressing superlatives

f4senkyo69

先輩

seasurfer

先輩

orochi

便利屋

f4senkyo69

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

orochi

便利屋

f4senkyo69

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

orochi

便利屋

f4senkyo69

先輩

orochi

便利屋

Elizabeth

先輩

Hiroyuki Nagashima

TAN

orochi

便利屋

orochi

便利屋

Glenn

一切皆苦

Elizabeth

先輩

Glenn

一切皆苦

Similar threads