Ryuk スパ外国人 Joined 25 Dec 2007 Messages 122 Reaction score 1 5 Feb 2008 #1 I was wondering which way would be the correct way of saying this: 私は日本語が少ししか話せません。 or 私は日本語が少ししか話せます。 The second one makes more sense to me but I read somewhere that the first one is the correct way to say this. Domo
I was wondering which way would be the correct way of saying this: 私は日本語が少ししか話せません。 or 私は日本語が少ししか話せます。 The second one makes more sense to me but I read somewhere that the first one is the correct way to say this. Domo
undrentide Japa'n vagyok Joined 18 Jan 2006 Messages 3,652 Reaction score 310 5 Feb 2008 #2 Ryuk said: I was wondering which way would be the correct way of saying this: 私は日本語が少ししか話せません。 or 私は日本語が少ししか話せます。 The second one makes more sense to me but I read somewhere that the first one is the correct way to say this. Domo Click to expand... Yes, the former is correct, but the latter does not sound right because しか is normally used in negation. You should use だけ instead of しか in the second sentence. 私は日本語が少しだけ話せます。
Ryuk said: I was wondering which way would be the correct way of saying this: 私は日本語が少ししか話せません。 or 私は日本語が少ししか話せます。 The second one makes more sense to me but I read somewhere that the first one is the correct way to say this. Domo Click to expand... Yes, the former is correct, but the latter does not sound right because しか is normally used in negation. You should use だけ instead of しか in the second sentence. 私は日本語が少しだけ話せます。
J Jaseur 後輩 Joined 27 Dec 2007 Messages 6 Reaction score 0 5 Feb 2008 #3 I think of しか as more like "except" (than "only"). 私は日本語が少ししか話せません。 "I don't speak Japanese except a little." Doesn't make much sense in English but then, not much Japanese grammar does...
I think of しか as more like "except" (than "only"). 私は日本語が少ししか話せません。 "I don't speak Japanese except a little." Doesn't make much sense in English but then, not much Japanese grammar does...
Elizabeth 先輩 Joined 22 Apr 2003 Messages 9,839 Reaction score 135 5 Feb 2008 #4 Jaseur said: I think of しか as more like "except" (than "only"). 私は日本語が少ししか話せません。 "I don't speak Japanese except a little." Doesn't make much sense in English but then, not much Japanese grammar does... Click to expand... What you're really saying is "I don't speak enough Japanese" (and therefore am disadvantaged in this situation). Like at the resturant "Ahhhh, what happened to my purse ??? Now I only have $5.00 !" Therefore "don't have enough money to pay for dinner...." etc.
Jaseur said: I think of しか as more like "except" (than "only"). 私は日本語が少ししか話せません。 "I don't speak Japanese except a little." Doesn't make much sense in English but then, not much Japanese grammar does... Click to expand... What you're really saying is "I don't speak enough Japanese" (and therefore am disadvantaged in this situation). Like at the resturant "Ahhhh, what happened to my purse ??? Now I only have $5.00 !" Therefore "don't have enough money to pay for dinner...." etc.
Ryuk スパ外国人 Joined 25 Dec 2007 Messages 122 Reaction score 1 5 Feb 2008 Thread starter #5 Thanks, that has cleared things up a lot.