Need a word or phrase translated?

[Fantt]

Does 'よこはま は きのう みました。' make sense? I saw Yokohama yesterday?

 

[GaijinPunch]

Not really. I think Buntaro might be on to something, although the two together aren't exactly ebony & ivory. Any chance you can rip the audio and post it somewhere?

 

[Fantt]

I agree that what Buntaro said could be correct, but up to this point in Pimsleur, the word for 'tree' has never been covered. They've never thrown new words into dialogues like that without either having covered the word previously or covering it during the lesson. Neither is the case.

I'd rip the part I'm stuck on, but this is a 29 minute file. I've ripped the CDs into MP3s so that I can listen to them in my PDA, but I don't know how to take out a part of an MP3. Any ideas?

 

[Glenn]

Is this correct? -> I'm going by car. == かるま で いきます。

One minor thing -- car is くるま.

 

[Fantt]

D'oh! Was too busy trying to figure out stuff I had no clue on to get the stuff that I should have known correct. Thanks, Glenn.

 

[Elizabeth]

Also, I think the standard English spelling would be Ito, just as the standard English spelling of the capital of Japan is Tokyo. If I was writing stuff in romaji, I'd use Itou. But I'm just nitpicking... In this case, I don't think it matters.

The convention for people's names is to leave the long o/u out in romaji as well, (Never Itou, tarou, etc).

 

[PaulTB]

The convention for people's names is to leave the long o/u out in romaji as well, (Never Itou, tarou, etc).

There's a distinction between what Fantt called 'standard English spelling' (and what I'd call 'writing names for the benefit of gajin') and 'romaji'. I very much doubt that "the convention" for romaji text (e.g. with Japanese other than the proper names) in which long o/u is included for other words is for them to be excluded for proper names.

Besides anything else I've seen little evidence that "the convention" is a meaningful concept when it comes to romaji.

 

[Elizabeth]

There's a distinction between what Fantt called 'standard English spelling' (and what I'd call 'writing names for the benefit of gajin') and 'romaji'. I very much doubt that "the convention" for romaji text (e.g. with Japanese other than the proper names) in which long o/u is included for other words is for them to be excluded for proper names.

Besides anything else I've seen little evidence that "the convention" is a meaningful concept when it comes to romaji.

I probably shouldn't have spoken so broadly :sorry: since the only case I've been instructed in directly is not to extend the male suffix "rou" in romaji.

 

[GaijinPunch]

Elizabeth:
I've seen both ways used -- in text books even. Is there now an official "way" of romanizing. I do find it ironic though, as the worst people at following any romanization rules I've come across are Japanese.

 

[PaulTB]

I probably shouldn't have spoken so broadly :sorry: since the only case I've been instructed in directly is not to extend the male suffix "rou" in romaji.

Take 士郎. Possible romaji versions include
1. shirou
2. shiroo
3. shiro
4. shirow
5. shiroh

Google searches for 士郎 XXXX の produced the following results, in no particular order. Which do you think matches up with which from 1 to 5 ?
11
2360
1560
77
2


ANSWERS
1. 77
2. 2
3. 1560
4. 2360
5. 11

P.S. Yes I did cheat in my choice of name

 

[Bonnie]

Hi, I was wondering if someone might be able to help me? How do you say Thanks for letting me have lunch with you all in Japanese?

Thank you so much!

 

[Kamisama]

but I don't know how to take out a part of an MP3. Any ideas?

go to cnet.com's section of downloads.
find something such as an MP3 editor. find one that cuts files.

i've done it before.. i just don't know of any programs off hand that are the best.

 

[Fantt]

Thanks Kamisama! I'll see if I can find something... it would be nice to understand what they're saying in that dialogue. There's the 'kimo' line and something else that sounds weird too...

 

[GaijinPunch]

Cool Edit will work (with Wavs... and I *THINK* Mp3s) and you can download a free demo for 30 days or something.

 

[Fantt]

I'm going to try to get that dialogue ripped tonight. First though I've got another couple of problems.

I have the following question and answers that I'm trying to translate:

それはなぜしませんか？
できませんからしません。

This looks like:
q. Why are you not doing (that)?
a. I can't do it... from.. not doing it? Huh?? Don't get the construction of the answer...

Next set:
それはどうしてコピーしませんか？
もうコピーしましたからしません。

q. How are you not copying that? I don't get this one either...
a. I already copied it from not doing??? Duhhhh...

I know, I know - I need a good grammar textbook, and I'm ordering the genki books and the horribly expensive CDs for Christmas. Can someone help in the mean time?

In case you're wondering these come from "Reading Japanese" by Jorden...

 

[PaulTB]

I'm going to try to get that dialogue ripped tonight. First though I've got another couple of problems.

I have the following question and answers that I'm trying to translate:

それはなぜしませんか？
できませんからしません。

This looks like:
q. Why are you not doing (that)?
a. I can't do it... from.. not doing it? Huh?? Don't get the construction of the answer...

Why won't you do that?
I'm not doing it because I can't do it.

それはどうしてコピーしませんか？
もうコピーしましたからしません。

q. How are you not copying that? I don't get this one either...
a. I already copied it from not doing??? Duhhhh...

Why won't you copy this?
I'm not copying it because I've already copied it.

 

[Buntaro]

Fantt,

The ~masu form and ~masen form can be used as future tense:

Naze shimasen ka?
--> Why won't you do it?

There is no future tense in Japanese, so they use the present tense as future tuense. If you look at your sentences as future tense, they should make sense to you.

 

[Fantt]

Thanks Paul!!

Is there a difference, grammatically (however you spell that) between 'why aren't you doing xx?' and 'why won't you do xx?'

I was relying to heavily on the notes in the "Reading Japanese" book (there's very few grammar notes) and didn't bother picking up my "Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar." I had forgotton about using から as 'because' - lately in Pimsleur it's been all about 'from.' But there it is in my grammar dictionary - page 179.

I had also over looked どうして meaning 'why' I was stuck on どう meaning 'how.'

Thanks for clearing that up!

Thanks Buntaro! Now I see how it can be 'won't.' Does it exclude it from being 'are not doing?'

 

[Buntaro]

Fantt,

Context will tell you if it is present or future tense:

Mainichi benkoyu shimasu.
--> I study everyday.

Ashita benkyou shimasu.
--> I will study tomorrow.

 

[Fantt]

In the samples above, though, is there context that shows? Also, I'm still not sure if it can mean 'why aren't you doing xx'

Thanks!

 

[GaijinPunch]

For all intents and purposes of what's stated above, there's really no difference. However, technically, the difference in your two examples (why aren't you and why don't you) is mainly in the verb tense, no?

I suppose:
どうしてしませんか？ Why don't you
vs
どうしてしていませんか？ Why aren't you

would work, but the differences are quite subtle.

 

[Fantt]

Here is a link to my snipped version of the Pimsleur dialogue that I'm having a hard time with.

Here is my attempt at a transcription of the dialogue. I'll indicate where I'm clueless. If you're able and so inclined, please listen to the file and help me figure out the parts I'm having a hard time with.

Thanks!

a. ビルさん、もう かまくら を みましたか？
Bill, have you seen Kamakura already?

b. かまくら？ まだ めていません。かまくら は どこ ですか？
Kamakura? I haven't seen it yet. Where is Kamakura?

a. ここから あまり とくありません。とても けれいな ところ ですよ。
It's not far from here. It is a very beautiful place.

b. そう ですか？ よこはま は きのう みました。でも かまくら は みていません。
I see. I saw Yokohama yesterday. But I haven't seen Kamakura.

That last bit. I don't really know what he's saying before "but I haven't seen Kamakura." What's the kinou or kimo? Am I translating that correctly? What else could it be?

a. じゃあ。あした いっしょに かまくら え いきませんか？
Well then, would you like to see it with me tomorrow?

b. いいですね。でも あしたのあさ は しごと が あります。
That sounds good, but I have to work tommorow morning.

a. じゃあ、いつ がいですか？
Well, then, when?

What's that last sentence she says? I have no idea what all she's saying there.

b. あさって は？
Day after tommorow?

a. ええ けっこ です。
Yes. That's fine.

Thank you very much if you can help!!

 

[Buntaro]

Kinou means yesterday

Yokohama kinou mimashita.
--> I saw Yokohama yesterday.

Your translation was correct.

Itsu ga ii desu ka?
--> When is a good time (to do such a thing)?

I think you mistakenly connected the ga with the ii. They are separate words.

 

[Fantt]

Ahhh... enlightenment! Thank you very much Buntaro-sensei!

I feel glad that I was finally correct with the whol Yokohama bit. But it was VERY hard for me to hear the double vowel on the kinou part.

 

[Buntaro]

I know exactly how you feel. We pound and pound our head trying to figure this stuff out. Then BOOM we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yatto satori ga dekita!

I have found the short-syllables vs. long-syllables to be one of THE most difficult things in Japanese.