Need a word or phrase translated?

[Glenn]

wakarimasen's "limited knowledge" seems to be pretty vast.

2. 「日本語は難しいけど、勉強して話せるようになれると良いですね！」 Japanese is difficult, but ... what? Something about studying -- got that ... ^_^

It means "Japanese is difficult, but I hope you can get to where you can speak it through study." 勉強して can be seen here as the verb equivalent of the instrumental で, but it can also serve as a gerund and "verb, and..." 話せる is the potential form of 話す, and means "can speak." ようになる means "to get to the point where..." For instance, 日本語を自由に読むようになった means "I got to where I could freely read Japanese." なれる is the potential form of なる, i.e. "can become." Finally, a clause plus と良いですね means "I hope that," but literally it's like "if... it will be good, won't it?"

3. 「ジョナサンの日本語は正しいと思いますよ。」 (jonasan no nihongo wa tadashii to omoimasu yo.) What purpose does "to omoimasu" serve here? My Japanese is excellent and ... and someone thinks something?

The と here is the と of quotation, but it marks inner dialogue. The subject of the sentence is "I" and is unstated. So the sentence means "I think your Japanese is correct." Adding と思います serves to make the sentence less direct.

 

[Damicci]

Ok she told me what she was confused about.
Here is the gist of the emails.
These are all in English as she wants to practice English too.
Me: it's probably about 4 am when I write this email. When is a good time to call?
Friend: Wow it is 16 hour difference. I hope I don't keep you up late. You should get some sleep please.
Me: If it is you then I don't mind. I wanted to talk so I will try to call you.
Friend: 時々Damianの言葉は冷たい気がする （Her understanding was "Your nothing to worry about" )
I explained to her that wasn't the case and what i really meant.

All is well, carry on.

 

[Elizabeth]

ところで、日本語だと、気にしないでくださいは「あなたを嫌っている訳ではないです」と言う意味が
言葉の裏側に隠れています。

The language is much more open to these sorts of nuances than English, but just for future reference, using "ki ni shinaide kudasai" for asking the person not to do anything too troublesome in Japanese tends to also carry the hidden implication "It doesn't mean that I dislike you...." or really, really don't want to hear from you, etc.

 

[Exidez]

I am having trouble on the meaning of this...
そういえば、Bradの仙台の友達であたしと一緒に遊んでくれる人いないかなぁ？

Does it mean something like... "do you(Brad) have any friends in Sendai that I could hang out with?"

We were talking about each others relationships before that sentence but I'm not sure weather or not that has anything to do with this one.

Am I right with this translation?

 

[PaulTB]

we were talking about each others relationships before that sentence but I'm not sure weather or not that has anything to do with this one.

The そういえば indicates it is related to something you've said beforehand.

そういえば、Bradの仙台の友達であたしと一緒に遊んでくれる人いないかなぁ？

Does it mean something like... "do you(Brad) have any friends in Sendai that I could hang out with?"

Yup pretty much.

 

[wakarimasen]

Glennさん,
Thanks for the compliment. ...and also for your deconstruction of that sentence, which helped me take my guessing and turn it into actual understanding!

And to everyone...

I received a letter recently with this sentence:
英語の勉強をしに行きます
The context is that she's studying English and thinking about going to Canada.

My best translation, interpreting the "に" as the "in order to" type, is: "I'll go in order to study English." ...but I think it would make more sense the other way around...?!

Could someone please tell me if I'm interpreting this wrong? Also, does the presence of を hold any special significance, or is it just optional between 勉強 and する?

Thanks very much,
Justin

 

[J44xm]

Okay, I'm composing a message to my Japanese acquaintance. How's this look:

私は非常に病気でした。禁断症状です。米国史試験はできましたけど、
[watashi wa hijô ni byôki deshita. kindanshôjô desu. kome kokushi shiken wa dekimashita kedo, ]
Intended meaning: I've been [very] ill. It's withdrawal from medication. I took the US history test, but ...

I was hoping I could finish this sentence with something like "I didn't do well because I felt so bad." Suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Damicci]

Probably want drop the kedo part start the next sentence it will be assumed that your relating the following sentence to the fact that you took the US History test.
Maybe:

米国史試験をする事ができましたが病気でしたからよく ないをした。

Ｏｒ ｍａｙｂｅ Ｉ ｊｕｓｔ ｍａｄｅ ｉｔ ｗ ｏｒｓｅ．．．．． Ｌｏｌ

 

[Damicci]

I received a letter recently with this sentence:
英語の勉強をしに行きます
The context is that she's studying English and thinking about going to Canada.

My best translation, interpreting the "に" as the "in order to" type, is: "I'll go in order to study English." ...but I think it would make more sense the other way around...?!

Could someone please tell me if I'm interpreting this wrong? Also, does the presence of を hold any special significance, or is it just optional between 勉強 and する?

Thanks very much,
Justin

I would look at it the same. "I am going to study English."
like すし天で食べるに行きます。 Ｉ ａｍ ｇｏｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｅａｔ ａｔ Ｓｕｓｈｉ Ｈｅａｖｅｎ。
（Ｌｏｃａｌ Ｒｅｓｔａuｒａｎｔ）

 

[Elizabeth]

I would look at it the same. "I am going to study English."
like すし天で食べるに行きます。 Ｉ ａｍ ｇｏｉｎｇ ｔｏ ｅａｔ ａｔ Ｓｕｓｈｉ Ｈｅａｖｅｎ。
（Ｌｏｃａｌ Ｒｅｓｔａuｒａｎｔ）

That one is a little off though. You need to say :

Sushiten e tabe ni ikimasu. Essentially, "I'm going to the Sushi restaurant to eat."

 

[Damicci]

Ok I was under the impression you were supposed to use the dictionery forms in order to present the "to (verb action)"
and the e particle can be used with out a verb representing travel? transitive or something?

 

[Elizabeth]

Ok I was under the impression you were supposed to use the dictionary forms in order to present the "to (verb action)"

No, it's like the しに行きます in the earlier example. To use the dictionary form you'd need "tame ni", "no ni" "you ni" or something similar.

and the e particle can be used with out a verb representing travel? transitive or something?

Ikimasu is "travel" I suppose what you mean in this instance. You can make it すし天に食べに行きます。

I don't think it has to be transitive, but that's something I'll need to think about. :note:

 

[epigene]

I received a letter recently with this sentence:
英語の勉強をしに行きます
The context is that she's studying English and thinking about going to Canada.

My best translation, interpreting the "に" as the "in order to" type, is: "I'll go in order to study English." ...but I think it would make more sense the other way around...?!

Could someone please tell me if I'm interpreting this wrong? Also, does the presence of を hold any special significance, or is it just optional between 勉強 and する?

Thanks very much,
Justin

I think you understand it correctly, because "ni" here states the purpose.

The use of "wo" usually makes no difference between "benkyou suru" and "benkyou wo suru," but the use of "wo" implicitly suggests that you made a choice in action--that you're not sleeping, eating or playing but studying.

Just my two cents.

私は非常に病気でした。禁断症状です。米国史試験はで きましたけど、

I would rephrase that like this:
薬を飲むのを止めたので、離脱症状でひどく具合が悪かったんです。
なんとか、アメリカ史の試験は受けましたが、よく出来ませんでした。

禁断症状 is "withdrawal" but is used for withdrawal from addiction (alcohol, narcotic, etc.)

Hope it helps!

 

[J44xm]

禁断症状 is "withdrawal" but is used for withdrawal from addiction (alcohol, narcotic, etc.)

Whoa! Thanks for that tip. That was NOT the impression I sought. (0_o)

 

[pika la]

Do these sentences make sense?

今度はがんばるんだよ！
離れたにいることが嫌いでした。
本当にもう悲しいになりたくない。

Thanks!

 

[pika la]

Also, I have a few short questions:

*日本語を本当に学びたい
本当に日本語をまなびたい

Which way do you say it?^

*How do you say "tooo"? As in.. "That's toooo cute!" and "I'm too tired to go"

 

[Glenn]

Do these sentences make sence?

今度はがんばるんだよ！
離れたにいることが嫌いでした。
本当にもう悲しいになりたくない。

Thanks,

First one looks find.

Second one I'm not sure what you're going for. Maybe 離れた時が嫌いでした (I disliked being away/separated/apart).

Third one should be 本当にもう悲しくなりたくない。

Also, I have a few short questions:

*日本語を本当に学びたい
本当に日本語をまなびたい

Which way do you say it?^

*How do you say "tooo"? As in.. "That's toooo cute!" and "I'm too tired to go"

Emphasis changes depending on where the 本当に is. If it's closer to the verb, it's emphasized more.

Maybe a bit too literal, but かわいすぎる for the first, but probably better as なんてかわいい！ 行くには疲れすぎる for the second should be OK.

 

[Elizabeth]

Maybe a bit too literal, but かわいすぎる for the first, but probably better as なんてかわいい！ 行くには疲れすぎる for the second should be OK.

For the second, maybe something like 疲れすぎて行きたくない. I'm too tired and I don't want to go is also pretty natural.

 

[Damicci]

Most girls i have heard them say sugoku kawaii or sugoi kawaii

 

[wakarimasen]

Many thanks to Damicci and epigene for helping me with my last query.

Thanks in large part to this board, I'm getting much more confident in both reading and composing Japanese sentences. Could someone please confirm that my translation of this sentence is correct? Here it is:

私 は出来るだけ長くカナダで過ごしたいです。
I want to stay in Canada for as long as I can.

Thanks much.
Justin

 

[Glenn]

You are correct, sir! :emoji_thumbsup:

 

[epigene]

Which way do you say it?^

*How do you say "tooo"? As in.. "That's toooo cute!" and "I'm too tired to go"

I vote for Elizabeth's suggestion of 疲れすぎて行きたくない

For "toooo cute":
なんてかわいい is very acceptable standard Japanese.
かわいすぎる or かわいすぎ～ is colloquial usage.
すごくかわいい is also acceptable standard Japanese
すごいかわいい is colloquial/substandard (grammatically incorrect but widely used by young people).

Allow this "obasan" to rant: Young Japanese suffer from a very small working vocabulary, describing everything as "kawaii"!! :emoji_dizzy_face:

 

[PaulTB]

Allow this "obasan" to rant: Young Japanese suffer from a very small working vocabulary, describing everything as "kawaii"!!

How about
かわゆい
and
か'いい
?

(Not sure how the second one is spelt)

 

[epigene]

How about
窶堋ｩ窶堙ｭ窶堙､窶堋｢
and
窶堋ｩ'窶堋｢窶堋｢
?

(Not sure how the second one is spelt)

Hmm... I've heard the first one in a jidai-geki, by an old man looking at a young prospective concubine...
In everyday situation, I think it's used humorously.

The second one, I don't know. But, with so many people trying to invent words, it may be some modern usage that is not yet popular so I don't know. :?

 

[ralian]

I would translate
"I want to stay in Canada for as long as I can."
出来るだけ長くカナダに滞在したく思っています。

It just sounds natural this way, because you care expressing your opinion/wish.

Also I would say:
"I'm too tired and I don't want to go"
すごく疲れているので行きたくない。

There are so many different ways to say.

Love & peace