Need a word or phrase translated?

[Buntaro]

Fantt,

"あなたの国に何がありますか"

-->What does your country have? is correct.

However for 動物園に何がいますか。 I would probably say, "Doubutsuen ni, donna doubutsu ga iimasu ka?" because the only interest is in what kinds of animals, not the other stuff like buildings, trees, etc.

 

[Elizabeth]

Fantt,

"あなたの国に何がありますか"

-->What does your country have? is correct.

However for 動物園に何がいますか。 I would probably say, "Doubutsuen ni, donna doubutsu ga iimasu ka?" because the only interest is in what kinds of animals, not the other stuff like buildings, trees, etc.

Really? I would say "What is in your country?" is more on spot with the use of "ni" :? And perhaps make it あなたの国には、何がありますか

 

[Elizabeth]

I've got a couple random questions that should probably be easy to translate, but I get the feeling there are far more natural ways to express them than the ones I've been able to think of... so I'd love some opinions.

I asked someone about the hair dye one and these were her suggestions :

髪の毛の染めすぎで痛んでいませんか？」とか「髪の毛の染め過ぎで痛んでるんじゃない？」
または、「染めすぎて髪の毛が痛んでるんじゃない？」

 

[Fantt]

Thank you Buntaro and Elizabeth! Those were both questions out of the Genki Vol 1 text in the lesson where あります and います are introduced.

As for the zoo question, doesn't the います imply that you're only interested in the animals, and not the buildings, etc? Or does it sound a little odd? Either way, it's just an exercise question, and not necessarily a natural sounding sentence.

 

[Eve]

i reckon theres a lot of ways of saying good bye isnt it? The most common one is sayonara, dewa (?), ja. How do you say like "I'll talk to you later" or "I'll see you later"

and how do you say "Dont leave me alone"

 

[pipokun]

"I'll talk to you later"
Ja, mata atode(ne)

Soredeha, mata nochihodo.

"I'll see you later"
Rather difficult to imagine a situation where I meet you without talking, so the same as the above.

"Dont leave me alone"
All depend upon situations, but
Hitori ni shinaide.
I am sad when I am alone.
Hitori ja samishii.

 

[Elizabeth]

"I'll talk to you later"
Ja, mata atode(ne)

Soredeha, mata nochihodo.

"I'll see you later"
Rather difficult to imagine a situation where I meet you without talking, so the same as the above.

Nochihodo is only for meeting someone again shortly (usually the same day),
though isn't it ? Similarly for "atodene" ? All I remember being told was that the nuance of those was a little different than the standard "(Soredewa/jaa) matane."

 

[pipokun]

Ja, mata atode(ne)
Soredeha, mata nochihodo

yes, the differnce is very little. Personally I often use more nochihodo in business.

 

[Elizabeth]

たとえば、アメリカから日本へする電話の件は、話を切るときの挨拶ですか。私は、親しい人の場合だと
「あとでね」「のちほど」じゃなくて、「またね」「じゃあね」とかを使います 。

 

[pipokun]

たとえば、アメリカから日本へする電話の件は、話を切 るときの挨拶ですか。私は、親しい人の場合だと
「あとでね」「のちほど」じゃなくて、「またね」「じ ゃあね」とかを使います 。

電話ね！忘れてた。
You're right.

 

[pika la]

Another few questions from my way:

1- are "shikata ga nai" and " shou ga nai" similar, but one is more pessimistic/optomistic? What is the real meaning of each?

2- how to say: like.. "you'll need a to get card"
"how would I go about doing/getting that?" ** How to ask that?

3- "who am i kidding?"
"i'll find a way to make it work"

Thanks you guys!!!

 

[nhk9]

1. both are very similar. As far as I know the differences are very minor. Many grammar books that I have read do not differentiate the two. But there may be some minute nuance that I am not too familiar about. Have to ask an expert on this

2. I don't know what "you'll need a to get card" exactly means... but if you have meant "you'll need to get a card", then it is something like "カードを持たなければならなくなるだろう"

 

[pipokun]

minna or minasan means everybody.
minasama is more formal.

If you pronounce minnasan as mi_n_na_san, it is not correct.

I imagine that the accent of girl name, Minna, is placed in the first syllable and you perhaps pronounce it like Mee_na, Mi. But the accent of minasan in Japanese is 2nd one, mi_NA_san.
There is J name called MINA, and this is also girls' name.

>Just got lost

 

[Elizabeth]

2. I don't know what "you'll need a to get card" exactly means... but if you have meant "you'll need to get a card", then it is something like "カードを持たなければならなくなるだろう"

I vote for something along the order of
カードを手に入れる必要がある。or maybe カードを所持しなければならないのでしょう。

How do I get it ? どうしたら入手できるでしょうか

 

[Elizabeth]

"who am i kidding?"
"i'll find a way to make it work"

Thanks you guys!!!

"Who am I kidding" is an idiom that probably translates as "Who am I trying to deceive?" +"What am I saying !?" I'm not really sure...:sorry:

I'll find a way (in what sense to you mean 'to make it work,' here?)

 

[pipokun]

"i'll find a way to make it work"
何とかしてみます。
Or simply
努力します。
がんばります。

 

[Elizabeth]

"i'll find a way to make it work"
何とかしてみます。
Or simply
努力します。
がんばります。

Hehe....always something easier than I try to make it

 

[pika la]

to make it work... i just meant like "i'll sort it out" "i'll figure it out" "i can do it" "i'm doing somethign difficult but i'm dedicated to follow through on it"

 

[pika la]

Oh and speaking of that, what does どうしたら mean? I've heard it before... I think it was.. どうしたらいい??

(Thanks for the help)

 

[Elizabeth]

to make it work... I just meant like "I'll sort it out" "I'll figure it out" "i can do it" "I'm doing something difficult but I'm dedicated to follow through on it"

Maybe 最善を尽くします (I'll do my best) or がんばります are the most general ways of saying this.

 

[pipokun]

Oh and speaking of that, what does どうしたら mean? I've heard it before... I think it was.. どうしたらいい??

What/How

どうしたらいい??
Tell me what to do or how to react.

Still not sure what you really mean by "Who am I kidding", どうしたらいい？

 

[pika la]

Oh okay.

"Who am I kidding" I don't think there's a direct translation ne? It's an expression?

 

[pipokun]

"Who am I kidding"
Maybe, そんなバカな or そんなアホな

んなアホな in Osaka

it may change more in context.

 

[epigene]

I think the translation changes with the context in which it's used, too.

そんなわけないよ。
そんなわけないよね。

(Used when you have doubts that things will turn out the way you wish they would.)

HTH! :emoji_blush:

 

[Elizabeth]

I think the translation changes with the context in which it's used, too.

そんなわけないよ。
そんなわけないよね。

(Used when you have doubts that things will turn out the way you wish they would.)

HTH! :emoji_blush:

Do you also use "nantoka naranai" ? for "There must be a way !" or "It must be possible ?!" :emoji_thinking: