Need a word or phrase translated?

[CorDarei]

Thanks, Elizabeth! blade_bltz, the "-cha" is an informal contraction of "-reba", and in your case it means "you mustn't/may not demand things" or "you're not allowed to demand things". Not to be confused with "-kucha ikenai" which means "must".

Actually, "motomecha ikenai" is a contraction of "motomete ha ikenai", although your translation is correct. "Must" is expressed by either "-nakute ha ikenai/naranai" or "-nakereba ikenai", which are contracted to "-nakucha" "-nakya", respectively.

 

[Elizabeth]

Actually, "motomecha ikenai" is a contraction of "motomete ha ikenai", although your translation is correct. "Must" is expressed by either "-nakute ha ikenai/naranai" or "-nakereba ikenai", which are contracted to "-nakucha" "-nakya", respectively.

Do you even need the "ikenai" part ? I vaguely remember reading somewhere that "cha" could stand as essentially a contraction for the entire suffix.

 

[John Lemon]

I've heard many people leave out the naranai/ikenai in very informal speech. I'm guessing "-kya" comes across as really childish-sounding, though. I "earned" a couple of laughs from a native speaker in his early twenties when using it once.

 

[Elizabeth]

I've heard many people leave out the naranai/ikenai in very informal speech. I'm guessing "-kya" comes across as really childish-sounding, though. I "earned" a couple of laughs from a native speaker in his early twenties when using it once.

Yeah, I use slangy stuff like "ikanakucha" (for mou ikanakereba naranai) and "dekakanakucha" all the time without giving a second thought to the image problems it may be creating.

 

[epigene]

Yeah, I use slangy stuff like "ikanakucha" (for mou ikanakereba naranai) and "dekakanakucha" all the time without giving a second thought to the image problems it may be creating.

I don't think there is any "image problem" here... :?

I don't see any problem using -kya or -kucha in colloquial speech. I use it, and so do all the Japanese I know (here in Japan).

 

[Cryptnotic]

Yeah, I use slangy stuff like "ikanakucha" (for mou ikanakereba naranai) and "dekakanakucha" all the time without giving a second thought to the image problems it may be creating.

It seems to me that if you're a gaijin woman in Japan, you have a lot of leeway as to what language you can use. I've read that men can have more of a problem of sounding gay or effeminate if they use polite speech in inappropriate circumstances. It seems like you'll be able to use whatever you want. Worst case is you get invited to be on a talk show.

 

[Elizabeth]

asahi.com : ニュース特集

小林容疑者は逮捕容疑のほか、女児を殺害して遺体を遺棄したことも認めており、捜査本部は殺人、死体遺棄容疑でも立件する。

The use of "hoka" here, it's beyond my power of smooth translations.....besides being arrested as the suspect, Kobayashi admitted to committing the murder and abandoning the remains. The prosecutor's office is building a case of homicide and suspicion of illegally disposing of a dead body ?

Anyone with an understanding of the Japanese judicial system and language, please suggest something more reasonable.

女児の両親は逮捕を受けて「このような事件は二度と起こってほしくありません」との談話を出した。
調べによると、小林容疑者は１１月１７日午後１時５０分ごろ、女児の自宅から約１００メートル離れた奈良市内の路上で、下校途中の女児に声をかけて車に乗せ、わいせつ目的で連れ去った疑い。また「自宅の浴槽で、女児の頭を水につけて殺害した」と供述しているという。小林容疑者は、女児とその家族とは全く面識はなかったという。

 

[epigene]

Hi Elizabeth,

You already have a good idea of how the sentence is structured. I think that you are puzzled by 逮捕容疑のほか because of 逮捕容疑. 逮捕 is arrest, and 容疑 is suspicion or charge (suspect is 容疑者）. It can be translated into "charge for which he was arrested."

死体遺棄 is abandonment of corpse.

参考になれば、うれしいです！

 

[Elizabeth]

Thanks, epigene ! So the 認めており bit refers to an admission of the charges under which he was arrested. Although the investigation is obviously continuing with the police confiscation of fresh evidence from his home and further analysis of security camera photos etc....is it even possible I wonder for prosecutors to negotiate a sentence with his side (lawyers?) or will the judge need to rule on that after hearing all the testimony ? Not that there would necessarily be much of Kobayashi's own testimony that hasn't been leaked to the press....certainly fewer rights for suspects than in the US.... :emoji_blush:

 

[pika la]

you are all so thoguhtful for helping~

how to say "i pretend that you are here" i couldn't figure the grammer right ><; like when somone's not here you pretend they are still there so you can still be happy?

 

[epigene]

So the 認めており bit refers to an admission of the charges under which he was arrested.

Yes, you're right.

I wonder for prosecutors to negotiate a sentence with his side (lawyers?) or will the judge need to rule on that after hearing all the testimony ?

I only have layman knowledge of the Japanese judicial system and think that there is no room for negotiating a sentence, because the criminal code applies. Sentence is issued strictly by the judge, based on hearing arguments from both sides.
I have heard this morning that the guy has been arrested twice before for molesting little girls (once for ATTEMPTED MURDER). The last arrest was 12 years ago, and my guess is that the police is investigating into other unsolved cases in the past that may be linked to this pedophile. There is also talk of a Japanese "Megan Law" in the media, but I'm doubtful of it ever being passed, considering the slow and cautious action the government takes in addressing problems. ☝

A summary of the Japanese judicial system here: The Japanese Judicial System

how to say "i pretend that you are here" i couldn't figure the grammar right ><; like when someone's not here you pretend they are still there so you can still be happy?

I'd say:
あなたが（まだ)ここにいるつもりでいます。
If you add the part in parentheses, it will mean: I pretend that you're (still) here.
Hope it helps!

 

[pika la]

aa! thanks i was close..ish.. >< thankl you!

 

[John Lemon]

I'd say:
あなたが（まだ)ここにいるつもりでいます。
If you add the part in parentheses, it will mean: I pretend that you're (still) here.
Hope it helps!

I'm now officially confused. Isn't that the same つもり as つむりである meaning "planning to do something"? Could you say that "tsumori" used with が has the meaning of "pretending that something is there?"

So does "友達がいるつもりです" mean "I pretend to have friends"?

 

[Elizabeth]

I'm now officially confused. Isn't that the same つもり as つむりである meaning "planning to do something"? Could you say that "tsumori" used with が has the meaning of "pretending that something is there?"

So does "友達がいるつもりです" mean "I pretend to have friends"?

The only way I know to put that would be using ふりをする。 Correct as well ?

 

[epigene]

John and Elizabeth,

You have pointed out usage that I just assumed to be common.

つもり means "plan to," too, but it is also used to mean "pretend" (but with suggestion of "hope," most likely as extension of the original meaning "plan to").
振り also means "pretend" but with suggestion of camouflage of the truth.

振りをする means you pretend, knowing very well that it is not true.
つもりでいる means you pretend, knowing that it's not true but hoping that it is. Another usage is to be convinced that it is true (although it may not be).

友達の振りをする implies pretending to be a friend but probably don't want to be (friendship absent).
友達のつもりでいる implies the speaker has a strong wish to be a friend, although it may not be possible.
Additional usage of つもり： 知ってるつもりでいる means the person is confident he/she knows (which in reality he/she doesn't)

Hope you get the idea...
ちゃんと説明できたつもりです！(Translation: I hope I explained well!)

 

[John Lemon]

Here's a new one: how do I say "the (family name) family", for example "the Yamada family"? Do I need to add a suffix like "氏" to the family name, or is there another way to do this? 山田という家族 somehow doesn't sound too good to me.

 

[bentenmusume]

Here's a new one: how do I say "the (family name) family", for example "the Yamada family"? Do I need to add a suffix like "氏" to the family name, or is there another way to do this? 山田という家族 somehow doesn't sound too good to me.

家 （read 「け」） is the suffix that you're looking for to refer to "the (X) family" or "the (X)es". The Yamada family would be 山田家 ("Yamada-ke"), or if you were addressing them in a letter or something you'd probably want to say 山田家の皆さん or the like. 山田氏 ("Yamada-shi") would be "Mr. Yamada". (氏 is like さん, except it's more 硬い and is typically used to refer to males.)

I'm pretty confident about this, but hopefully I'll be corrected by a native (or near-native) speaker if I've made any glaring mistakes/oversights.

 

[John Lemon]

According to Google, you may just be right. Thanks!

Bonus question: I keep on forgetting the Japanese equivalent of "created/written by". I'm pretty sure it was a kanji compound that had ﾂ催ｬ in it and was placed after the author's name. How would you say "a manga by Osamu Tezuka", for example?

 

[Elizabeth]

According to Google, you may just be right. Thanks!

Bonus question: I keep on forgetting the Japanese equivalent of "created/written by". I'm pretty sure it was a kanji compound that had 作 in it and was placed after the author's name. How would you say "a manga by Osamu Tezuka", for example?

 

[epigene]

John,

You can say 手塚治作 if it is followed by the title of his work, such as：
手塚治作「鉄腕アトム」は、大変面白い。

Also, 作 can be used by itself on the cover or title page of a book:
我輩は猫である
作：夏目漱石 (or 夏目漱石作）

Additional note: If there is a translator, the name of the translator may be written like this: 村上春樹訳

 

[Elizabeth]

Also, 作 can be used by itself on the cover or title page of a book:
我輩は猫である
作：夏目漱石 (or 夏目漱石作）

That's interesting, epigene. 著 is the character I've seen most after an author's name. Does that in some way signify a more serious work than Sosekis I wonder....

 

[epigene]

Oh, oh! You are correct, too.

I'd say that 著 is "more sophisticated."
I just used Natsume Soseki 's name because that was the only name I could think of at that time.

Oh, yes, and 著 is used for writers only, while 作 is used for artists in general.

 

[Elizabeth]

Additional usage of つもり： 知ってるつもりでいる means the person is confident he/she knows (which in reality he/she doesn't)

Hope you get the idea...
ちゃんと説明できたつもりです！(Translation: I hope I explained well!)

ちゃんとわかりました。 ありがとう。

「つもり」は、Intend, wrongly assume] などの意味がありますね。
Epigeneさんの書いた例と関して、よく使われる意味としては[Be under the impression, be convinced of (例：手紙を出したつもりですが。。。I was under the impression I mailed the letter)」がありますか？

 

[Ed-E]

皆さん、今日は！

Hmmm, right, I'm trying to translate a sentence here and it's puzzling me a bit. Here it is:

この物語は
ガーガルヴの先に世界はなく
大蛇の背骨の果てにも世界はないと信じられていた時代、最後の物語である。

It's the first bit of introductory text from a PSP RPG (called 'Gagharv Trilogy', so that's what that funky katakana is ). I think I'm just having a bit of trouble with the sentence structure, really - I've got a gibberish translation that needs to be modified into something that makes sense, but it's too embarrassing at the moment to post here. The biggest thing that's confusing me is the 'なく' at the end of the second line - my guess is that it's some sort of form of 'ない', as in the informal negative form of arimasu. A wrong assumption?

Anyway, yeah - if anyone could translate the sentence and explain the grammar within, I'd be forever indebted.

Thanks!
Ed

 

[Ed-E]

Okay! I'm gonna post up my attempt. I KNOW it's very grammatically incorrect, which is why I was asking for help - but this should prevent you having to look up any words.

[As for] This story... in an era where it was believed that beyond Gagharv there wasn't another world, and that there also wasn't a world at the end of the backbone of a giant serpent.

And then I've got the last line "is the end of the story." floating about somewhere but I dunno where to put it.

Thanks guys and gals!
Ed