Need a word or phrase translated?

[pika la]

Is it sensible to name a pet 草子 (kusa ko) or is it something that would not make sence, sound stupid, or not be done?

(Name for a rabbit) I thought it sounded cute, at least. =)

If so... would you pronounce it KU-sa-ko, ku-SA-ko, or ku-sa-KO ? Where is the intonation?

Let me know, eh? (Or other cute possible names)

 

[Glenn]

Hi gang!

Just a little grammar question! I know that you can use the -masu stem verb form (sometimes called the 'connective form', I think) to make a noun out of a verb and it can also be used to connect sentences (amongst a few other things). My question is, when should you use it as a connective? What difference does it have from using -te?

Thanks everyone. You're ace! ^^

From what I remember reading use the -masu stem in more formal situations, and when the two clauses aren't connected in a causal way. That is, you can use -te for light causality, but the -masu stem bears no hint of causality.

 

[Leroy_Brown]

Is it sensible to name a pet 草子 (kusa ko) or is it something that would not make sence, sound stupid, or not be done?

(Name for a rabbit) I thought it sounded cute, at least. =)

If so... would you pronounce it KU-sa-ko, ku-SA-ko, or ku-sa-KO ? Where is the intonation?

Let me know, eh? (Or other cute possible names)

草子? There are no women/girls named that.
But for a pet siwwy wabbit? Since wabbits eat grass? Why not.
But I would go with something like "Kusa-chan" because using 子 in a name makes it sound too much like a human female. Just my two Yen.

 

[epigene]

Yeah, I think Leroy's suggestions are cute (Kusako or Kusa-chan).

Another alternative I can think of is: Pyon-chan (Jumpy).

You can also go by color, such as Shiro-chan (Whitey) or Kuro-chan (Blackie).

Would love to see your wabbit!!

 

[pika la]

would it be okay to call kusako though? ^^;;

 

[epigene]

would it be okay to call kusako though? ^^;;

Yes, it's absolutely OK!

 

[Leroy_Brown]

But make sure you spell it right. Don't misspell it "Kusaiko."

 

[Jadrien24]

"Watashi ga Inuyasha o daisuki datte koto yo!"
Yeah this is from manga... and as such the "daisuki" is generally meant as "love" instead of "like very much". I'm just confused about the grammar and "datte" part. The object of "suki" is followed by "ga", so is it only replaced by "o" because "watashi" takes "ga"? And then what does "datte" mean?

 

[TheKansaiKid]

I'll take a stab at helping you on that one

"Watashi ga Inuyasha o daisuki datte koto yo!"
And then what does "datte" mean?

My study of Japanese has been mostly"hands on" as opposed to from a book so this may be wrong look at it in context see if it makes sense.

the "da" in datte is the plain form of "desu" and the tte is used kinda like a quotation signaler for example.

bobby : ouch
obaachan: nan tte? (what did he say?)
emi: itai datte. (he said it hurts)

I'm assuming that the conversation in the manga was going along the lines that she said something hinting about the fact she likes inuyasha whereupon inuyasha says something like "dou iu koto" ("what do you mean" literally "what said thing")

then she responds with the original question sentence meaning (the thing of me liking you)




"Datte koto" is also used as kind of a short cut (this may be kansai specific) :?
for "da to iu koto" which means I hear that or I understand that


don't know if that helped or not sometimes even if I understand something explaining it in English is VERY hard.

Ganbatte

 

[Jadrien24]

Kansai Kid:
Thanks for taking a stab at it(and so quickly after I posted!), but I think from the context, that's not the connotation of "datte". She was kind of declaring that she loves Inuyasha to other people (not to Inuyasha). She's never before said this to anyone, only thought of it to herself, so I can't imagine that she would need to quote it. In my Dictionary of Japanese Particles book, it says that koto, found in women's language and at the end of a sentence, softens an opinion that is expressed- so I don't worry about that so much, and it does seem to fit the situation (but koto as always been confusing to me, and have many different meanings, so I could be wrong). There are also some entries for datte in the book, but their situations don't seem to fit either. Sighhhhh....

 

[Glenn]

Perhaps it's this then: "I'm saying that I love Inuyasha!"

If she's talking about her own speech, then she's quoting herself, right? Does that make sense?

 

[TheKansaiKid]

hmmmm

Guess we'll need to leave it for a native to answer for ya I'd ask my wife but she is visiting home for a week. (thus my boredom and hours on the computer)

 

[TheKansaiKid]

Perhaps it's this then: "I'm saying that I love Inuyasha!"

If she's talking about her own speech, then she's quoting herself, right? Does that make sense?

The quotation markers can also be used to quote your own silent thoughts.

ie:

kimi ga utsukushii na tte kangaette itta

(I was thinking how beautiful you are)

 

[Jadrien24]

Originally Posted by Glenn
Perhaps it's this then: "I'm saying that I love Inuyasha!"
Hmm, well that's the best translation that I've heard yet. That could definitely fit the situation. Thanks, Glenn!
But, if you remember this when your wife comes back Kansai Kid, maybe you could ask her??? Onegai?

 

[TheKansaiKid]

I'll ask her

she gets back on the 23 but we are on vacation in Southern Calif till the 29th send me a note if I don't get back to it

 

[epigene]

"Watashi ga Inuyasha o daisuki datte koto yo!"
Yeah this is from manga... and as such the "daisuki" is generally meant as "love" instead of "like very much". I'm just confused about the grammar and "datte" part. The object of "suki" is followed by "ga", so is it only replaced by "o" because "watashi" takes "ga"? And then what does "datte" mean?

"Datte koto yo" is the informal form of "..da to yuu koto da/yo."

Because ii says "watashi ga" rather than "watashi ha," the sentence stresses that the person who loves Inuyasha is ME and no one else.

Translation: It means that it is ME who loves (really likes) Inuyasha.

HTH!

 

[crimson]

I have a few sentences that I'd like help with. They're from a war manga that I'm translating into English, but since my Japanese is pretty basic I had to use an online translation service, and it gave me really awkward sentences.

少佐殿があんなつまらん有象無象まとめて燃やし尽くしてくれるさ!!

私達がこの戦争のネジを巻き直すんだ

そうやすやすと終わらせてたまるものか

 

[Glenn]

少佐殿があんなつまらん有象無象まとめて燃やし尽くしてくれるさ!!

"The Major will deal with such boring rabble and burn it out completely (for us)!" Eh, that one sucks. I hope someone can do a lot better than that with that one.

私達がこの戦争のネジを巻き直すんだ

Literally - "We're the ones re-turning the screws of this war." Or maybe "We're the ones who will re-turn the screws of this war." I think it's saying that the speakers are going to start the war over in terms of strategy or something and do it right this time. I welcome corrections to this one as well.

そうやすやすと終わらせてたまるものか

"No way am I going to let it end so easily!"

 

[crimson]

Thank you Glenn! I guess I'm really bad at Japanese after all... I tried making sentences out of the ones I got from the translation services, and... well, let's just say they're nothing like the ones you gave me. And don't worry about sucky translations; in context they make sense. Thanks again!

 

[Elizabeth]

そうやすやすと終わらせてたまるものか (溜まるものか ？)

Personally, I don't completely understand the use of 溜まるものか as a set phrase here....if there something which comes after it, that may help.

 

[Glenn]

て形＋たまる, I would imagine, has the opposite meaning of て形＋たまらない, which means "can't stand..." or "can't take..." The もの（もん）か is used as a rhetorical question to mean something like "you think..." or "how could..." So, in this case, it's like "do you think I can stand to let it end so easily?" or "how could I stand to let it end so easily?"

 

[Elizabeth]

Ok, thanks Glenn, In that event it would be 堪るものか. Kanji should be used at all costs whenever possible, wouldn't everyone agree ? It's just that 溜まるもの is so much more common....

 

[GaijinPunch]

Kanji should be used at all costs whenever possible, wouldn't everyone agree ?

Not necessarily. Over-kanjing is one quick way to get you laughed at.

 

[epigene]

I have to agree with GP-san.

Just like simplicity and clarity are important in English writing, the standard for modern Japanese writing is 平易（へいい）、簡素（かんそ）＆丁寧 （ていねい）(plain, simple and courteous/detailed).

If you read Japanese newspapers, you will see that some words and expressions that you may be able to write in kanji are written in hiragana. Newspaper writers set the standard for Japanese writing and kanji usage, based on recommendation by linguists. "Over-kanjiing" that GP-san describes makes reading unnecessarily difficult for readers in general. Since this doesn't happen with native Japanese writers (unless it's intentional), you betray to native speakers that you haven't achieved "real" kanji usage with "over-kanjiing."

Overuse happens very frequently among Japanese language learners in their enthusiasm/love for kanji. So, as you advance in Japanese language skill, I suggest that it is quite all right to be able to write in kanji but don't do it in ordinary Japanese writing. (Of course, novelists and other authors may deliberately use kanji extensively to suit the purposes of their works.)

 

[Elizabeth]

Not necessarily. Over-kanjing is one quick way to get you laughed at.

I was speaking mostly out of frustration finding definitions of words like tamaru with multiple kanji possibilities (this one being a corruption of taeru?) and that aren't easily accessible by dictionary.

Jisho ni dete konai you na kotoba no baai dake deshou. Mochiron 'everything, as much as possible' mo kono baai chotto oogesa desu.

apologies for the romaji.....my critically impaired IME is even more of a headache at this point than the readings themselves. :?