Help with "Maybe, May, Probably" (in romaji please)

SayoNatchi · 31 May 2008

Thanks for checking my post.
But I need help on the proper translations and use for these words.
Kindly sample in Romanjin please because I can't read characters so well.

Words:
Maybe, May, Probably

Desired Sentences:
I MIGHT be a bad person to you.
You MAY not like it.
It's probably just a test.

Thank you in advance.
☝

Haruspex · 31 May 2008

omae ni totte iya na yatsu ka mo shirenai, ore wa
kirai ka mo shiremasen
tabun shiken dake da

This is what I came up with.
And its romaji, not romanjin.

gRimmDesu · 31 May 2008

Derfel said:
omae ni totte iya na yatsu ka mo shirenai, ore wa
kirai ka mo shiremasen
tabun shiken dake da
This is what I came up with.
And its romaji, not romanjin.

tabun tada shiken desu
tabun shiken dake desu
i was wondering what the difference is because the way i always saw it was that tada meant "merely" (it is probably just/merely a test)
And dake was literally "that" as in that is all that there is (it is probably just a test / a test only)
I dont know how to make it clear in writing but in english depending on how you emphasize the words they have slightly different meanings and i was wondering if my assumption of tada and dake was correct (sorry to take it of topic a bit >.>)
ON TOPIC: For maybe i only personally know how to use Kamoshirenai (Kamoshiremasen) and tabun. But there is also
moshikasuruto - perhaps, By some chance
kedashi - perhaps/probably
(taken from e-dictionary)

epigene · 1 Jun 2008

Derfel said:
omae ni totte iya na yatsu ka mo shirenai, ore wa
kirai ka mo shiremasen
tabun shiken dake da

That's not the way a girl would speak.
This kind of error comes when your source of Japanese language use comes primarily from manga/anime.

You'd better learn more neutral/standard usage and honorifics.

Kirakira1232 · 1 Jun 2008

gRimmDesu said:
tabun tada shiken desu
tabun shiken dake desu
i was wondering what the difference is because the way i always saw it was that tada meant "merely" (it is probably just/merely a test)
And dake was literally "that" as in that is all that there is (it is probably just a test / a test only)
I dont know how to make it clear in writing but in english depending on how you emphasize the words they have slightly different meanings and i was wondering if my assumption of tada and dake was correct (sorry to take it of topic a bit >.>)
ON TOPIC: For maybe i only personally know how to use Kamoshirenai (Kamoshiremasen) and tabun. But there is also
moshikasuruto - perhaps, By some chance
kedashi - perhaps/probably
(taken from e-dictionary)

Both Tada and dake mean "only" or "just" but the connotations are different.

Tada is implying that it could have been more than a test. Tada in that sense kinda means "only that but...". Its sort of a softer way of saying "just" or "only". Most people translate it as "merely".

Dake on the other hand is stronger and more definite..."Tabun shiken dake desu." means "It is probably only a test" and there is no speculation otherwise.

I dont know if my explanation made sense...but the way to think about it is "Tada" is a softer way of saying "only" or "just" and dake is stronger and more definite.

At least thats how I see it....

Elizabeth · 1 Jun 2008

Derfel said:
omae ni totte iya na yatsu ka mo shirenai, ore wa
kirai ka mo shiremasen
tabun shiken dake da

In case you're wondering, you continually get corrected into neutral, polite Japanese because these questions are like test cases. Which means the situation is completely unknowable and out of our control.

Like Epigene said, PLEASE stop it with the "ore," "omae" and "yatsu" stuff, already !

It isn't even how most guys would speak, never mind girls.

Finally, "warui hito" is better than "iyana" anything for "bad person."

Haruspex · 1 Jun 2008

Ok, ok, my bad hehe. But actually, there are a lot of polite characters in manga/anime who exhaust everything that keigo stands for, so you can't blame anime and manga
And umm, it may not be how most guys speak, although, most people don't speak with that much grace and eloquence when talking to their mates, no, actually, most healthy chaps my age use quite a thick vocabulary rich in swearwords and curses. And lol, I've seen girls swear like they're holding a contest.
I don't know how's Japan doing on that front, but if it can happen physically, there'll be a few thousand among the millions who will do it. And they'll only increase in numbers.

Toritoribe · 2 Jun 2008

gRimmDesu said:
tabun tada shiken desu
tabun shiken dake desu
i was wondering what the difference is because the way i always saw it was that tada meant "merely" (it is probably just/merely a test)
And dake was literally "that" as in that is all that there is (it is probably just a test / a test only)
I dont know how to make it clear in writing but in english depending on how you emphasize the words they have slightly different meanings and i was wondering if my assumption of tada and dake was correct (sorry to take it of topic a bit >.>)

"ただ(tada)" as the meaning of "just/only/simply" is the adverb, so you need to put "の(no)" before the noun "テスト/試験(tesuto/shiken)".

It's probably just a test.:
多分ただのテストです。
tabun tada no tesuto desu.

When modifying verb/adjective, it's used with "だけ(dake)" in most cases.

verb;
ただテストを受けるだけです。
tada tesuto o ukeru dake desu.

i-adjective;
ただテストが面白いだけです。
tada tesuto ga omoshiroi dake desu.

na-adjective;
ただテストが嫌いなだけです。
tada tesuto ga kiraina dake desu.

多分試験だけです(tabun shiken dake desu) sounds something like "Probably, what you/we/I have to do is just take an exam".

Tomii515 · 2 Jun 2008

Toritoribe:

Thanks, even though I didn't ask anything~! You cleared up my questions about "just/only". xD

Elizabeth · 2 Jun 2008

Toritoribe said:
"ただ(tada)" as the meaning of "just/only/simply" is the adverb, so you need to put "の(no)" before the noun "テスト/試験(tesuto/shiken)".
It's probably just a test.:
多分ただのテストです。

Yes, in this case "test" is more logical as a "trial drill/test run" or これは試運転（訓練？）だけ kind of experiment or exercise. Sounds like an emergency preparadness earthquake/tsunami strategy or whatnot.

Kirakira1232 · 2 Jun 2008

Toritoribe said:
"ただ(tada)" as the meaning of "just/only/simply" is the adverb, so you need to put "の(no)" before the noun "テスト/試験(tesuto/shiken)".

It's probably just a test.:
多分ただのテストです。
tabun tada no tesuto desu.

When modifying verb/adjective, it's used with "だけ(dake)" in most cases.

Ahhh much clearer! Thanks totoribe-sensei! ^^;

Elizabeth · 3 Jun 2008

Kirakira1232 said:
Ahhh much clearer! Thanks totoribe-sensei! ^^;

Yeah, think of "dake" as just in the sense of "exclusively/only doing/nothing less than" and "tada" as "simply/merely/nothing more than"

Some others for the OP if she ever returns...

1. Anata ni totte, watashi wa warui hito (hito ga
warui) kamoshiremasen.

Watashi wa, anata ni totte warui hito kamoshiremasen.

Anata wa, watashi ga warui hito da to omotteiru kamo shiremasen.

Kirakira1232 · 3 Jun 2008

Elizabeth said:
Yeah, think of "dake" as just in the sense of "exclusively/only doing/nothing less than" and "tada" as "simply/merely/nothing more than"
Some others for the OP if she ever returns...
1. Anata ni totte, watashi wa warui hito (hito ga
warui) kamoshiremasen.
Watashi wa, anata ni totte warui hito kamoshiremasen.
Anata wa, watashi ga warui hito da to omotteiru kamo shiremasen.

Ahh yeah I was thinking in that general direction. Thanks very much for defining it a bit more clearly for me Elizabeth-sensei and Totoribe-sensei ^^;;

Help with "Maybe, May, Probably" (in romaji please)

SayoNatchi

Teach Me!

Haruspex

先輩

gRimmDesu

先輩

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Kirakira1232

素敵な冒険始まる！

Elizabeth

先輩

Haruspex

先輩

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Tomii515

やった～！

Elizabeth

先輩

Kirakira1232

素敵な冒険始まる！

Elizabeth

先輩

Kirakira1232

素敵な冒険始まる！

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