How to ask clarification of a word and uses.

Treesgotowar · 4 Jul 2023

Trying to come up with a phrase on how to ask for clarifications on word uses.
For example the word guide in English can be used to guide around a location, or guide a student like a guidance counselor.

I know 案内する means to guide only for locations, but if i didn't would this be a good phrase to look for clarification? 関してのみ使えるんですか This is a gpt translation. Trying to figure out the structure of this kind of question.
Example.
案内するは、場所に関してのみ使えるんですか

Majestic · 4 Jul 2023

Hmm. 案内 has a range of meanings, not only guiding a person around a location, but also introducing a selection (such as a menu selection, or a list of the day's activities). So already your your assumption about guide being "only for locations" is going to prompt a complicated response. But putting that aside, say something like

案内ってどんな時に使えますか？or
案内っていう言葉は行き方を教える以外のときにも使えますか

make sense?

Treesgotowar · 4 Jul 2023

Yes it makes sense thanks.
案内っていう言葉 i have not see this before, is this basically qualifying the verb as a noun?
I am studying genki, and its the only form that seem close to this.

Majestic · 4 Jul 2023

No, it is just setting aside, or isolating, the word you want clarification on. In a sense, it puts the word in brackets, so the listener knows you are talking about that word, as opposed to using that word in a sentence.

Actually you can abbreviate it even further by just saying 案内って as in: 案内ってどういう意味？

Edited for clarity.

Majestic · 4 Jul 2023

For beginners, you could also try "案内の意味は何ですか？" (What is the meaning of annai?)
But that prompts the listener to give either the one most common meaning, or conversely to give all the possible meanings. So that question format doesn't seem to work for the specific case you mentioned.

Treesgotowar · 5 Jul 2023

Thanks.

How to ask clarification of a word and uses.

Treesgotowar

Registered

Majestic

先輩

Treesgotowar

Registered

Majestic

先輩

Majestic

先輩

Treesgotowar

Registered

Similar threads