Grammar Syntax

Damicci

先輩

4 Nov 2003

2,479

52

• 27 Nov 2012

• #1

What I want to say:
Japan also puts their hand over their heart? (in regards to singing the national anthem.)
or
While singing the national anthem, Do Japanese also put their hands over their hearts?
My Attempt:
日本も手が心の前に置きます？
or
日本国歌を歌う間に日本人も手が心の前に置きます？

I am sure there is probably a better way to say this.
thanks for the assistance?

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 27 Nov 2012

• #2

The heart as an organ is 心臓.

国歌を歌うとき、日本でも手を心臓の上に置きますか。

 

Damicci

先輩

4 Nov 2003

2,479

52

• 27 Nov 2012

• Thread starter
• #3

I was juggling using either 上 or 前. I was thinking 上 might be too literal when translating into japanese.

Everything else I understand my mistakes. thanks as always.

 

M

masaegu

先輩

16 Aug 2007

247

27

• 27 Nov 2012

• #4

Toritoribe said:

The heart as an organ is 心臓.
国歌を歌うとき、日本でも手を心臓の上に置きますか。

Click to expand...

As always, you accommodate yourself too readily to the Japanese-learners' way of thinking for their immediate and superficial sort of contentment rather than their true comprehension in the long run.

Show me a Japanese-speaker that would actually use 心臓 in that context and I will show you a liar. The vast majority of us Japanese-speakers would opt for 胸, not 心臓. In fact, 心臓 would be a horrible and highly unnatural word choice here. You belong in a very small minority if you would actually believe otherwise.

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 27 Nov 2012

• #5

When a non-native Japanese speaker is talking about their costom "to put one's hand over the heart", not about a Japanese costom, don't you think 手を心臓の上に置く works perfectly fine as a Japanese translation of the phrase, just as a native Japanese speaker did in her blog? Indeed, if you mentioned about the Japanese costom, for instance 日本では、国歌斉唱のとき胸に手を当てながら歌う人は さほど多くはありませんが、アメリカではどうですか, 心臓 is not used as you suggested, but the context is different here.

 

Last edited: 27 Nov 2012

Damicci

先輩

4 Nov 2003

2,479

52

• 28 Nov 2012

• Thread starter
• #6

So the wife exlpained that she also would not use 心臓. She describes as the difference being that putting your hand over your chest is a more literal statement than putting your hand over your heart. So since 心臓 is a not an item that can be held like spirit or will, it would not be used in this context.

 

B

BrianLewis

先輩

27 Nov 2012

317

33

• 1 Jan 2013

• #7

As far as I understand it, 心臓 is only used as an organ.