Need a word or phrase translated?

[Buckaroo Banzai]

ちょっと、質問があります。 「いい加減」という慣用語はどういう意味でしょうか。 自分で分析することによって分かってみたけど、駄目になった。 もちろん、「加」というのは「to add」の意味で、そうして「減」というのは「to subtract」の意味です。 でも。。。

誰かが助けてくださいませんか。

 

[undrentide]

ちょっと、質問があります。 「いい加減」という慣用語はどういう意味でしょうか。 自分で分析することによって分かってみたけど、駄目になった。 もちろん、「加」というのは「to add」の意味で、そうして「減」というのは「to subtract」の意味です。 でも。。。
誰かが助けてくださいませんか。

「加減」でひとつの言葉です。
加、減それぞれの漢字の意味を調べても「加減」の意味はわからないと思いますよ。
加減 means adjustment, level, condition, etc.
の英語・英訳 - プログレッシブ和英中辞典 - 英語辞書
So literal translation of いい加減 is good adjustment.
However, いい加減 has two different meaning which contradict each other.
1. Set/adjusted at a very good level, in good condition, well tuned, etc.
2. Perfunctory, half-baked, halfhearted, etc.

 

[Buckaroo Banzai]

AH....I think I can see how it would mean 'adjustment,' though. You add a little, you subtract a little. Level and condition are less obvious, but related.

Interesting that the meanings contradict. On a related note, wouldn't 中途半端 have a similar meaning as the second one for いい加減?

ありがとうございます。

 

[Elizabeth]

Ah, well, for instance:
彼女の英語語能力より僕の日本語能力のほうがずっと高いのに、いつも英語で言われた。

I would change to
彼女の英語より僕の日本語の方が高度なのに、いつも英語でしゃべます。


...and if you really don't like the fact that she decides to speak in English you could use くせに instead of のに, but that is pretty strong.

Add whatever connotations you want to the sentence, of course.

くせ would be unnatural in my opinion without the explicit mention of his having asked specificially to be spoken to in English and continually been rejected included as part of the grammar. In the sentence as is, のに is good but 高度 is heavy for everyday life. A better alternative would be じょうず、うまい etc.

> She smiled like an angel.

Sure, but there is a difference between:

天使のように微笑んだ。
and
天使の微笑みのようだ。

That's what I pointed out.

Can you give an example of the usage for 天使の微笑みのようだ。??

The first below seems to emphasize more that the way or conditions under which she smiled (perfectly on cue, adoringly etc) was similar to that of an angel. The second that the smile itself was such --
Which is not to say there is a distinction between よう、みたい in terms of wondering whether she indeed is a genuine angel (thought that was the point of your earlier post. Sorry for any misunderstanding. )

彼女は、天使のように（みたいに）微笑んだ。

彼女の微笑みは天使のよう（みたい）だ。

 

[Buckaroo Banzai]

Ah, okay. Didn't know that about 高度. I guess that does seem kind of bragging in comparison to うまい。 Haha, I'm more advanced than you!

Yeah, I got the impression that he wanted to be spoken to in Japanese but that she would always just refuse to. That's why I thought it might be OK to use くせに, but that's more, how would you say it, reprimanding or contemptuous than のに. Is this a good way of describing the difference between the two?

 

[undrentide]

Yeah, I got the impression that he wanted to be spoken to in Japanese but that she would always just refuse to. That's why I thought it might be OK to use くせに, but that's more, how would you say it, reprimanding or contemptuous than のに. Is this a good way of describing the difference between the two?

彼女の英語より僕の日本語の方が高度なのに、いつも英語でしゃべます。
...and if you really don't like the fact that she decides to speak in English you could use くせに instead of のに, but that is pretty strong.

Yes and No.
Yes, のに makes it sound contemptuous/degrading compared with のに.
But no, you should not use くせに in the above sentence, as it is unnatural.
Following usage is OK.
彼女の英語より僕の日本語の方が上手いのに、いつも英語でしゃべります。
彼女の英語は僕の日本語より下手なくせに、いつも英語でしゃべります。
彼女の英語は僕の日本語より下手なのに、いつも英語でしゃべります。

 

[Charles Barkley]

Ah, okay. Didn't know that about 高度. I guess that does seem kind of bragging in comparison to うまい。 Haha, I'm more advanced than you!
Yeah, I got the impression that he wanted to be spoken to in Japanese but that she would always just refuse to. That's why I thought it might be OK to use くせに, but that's more, how would you say it, reprimanding or contemptuous than のに. Is this a good way of describing the difference between the two?

Very few outright refusals over here. You'll encounter it as soon as you do get over here, but its more a persistence on the part of others in using English despite, for example, my having initiated the conversation in better Japanese. Not something to look forward to.
I don't think 高度 is necessarily bragging--it just is not something you would naturally hear people say in these kinds of situations. That was actually the main motivator for my earlier post, not the post about literature--it is very difficult for non-native speakers, except for a select few like Elizabeth and Orochi who have lived here long term (and have Japanese spouses), to suggest natural sounding things with a high degree of confidence. I myself can't do it for all but the simplest of sentences, so I am very selective in offering help to people who are asking for natural ways to say things, and I've been here over a year and a half now!

 

[Buckaroo Banzai]

I see the difference.

Like, 彼は大人のくせに、まだ運転できないよね。

 

[orochi]

高度 sounds like you're talking about the high specs of something, such as a computer or some kind of technology.

Usage is the hardest thing to learn about a word. Its definition is usually easy enough to tackle, but figuring out how and when to use it appropriately and with style takes time and practice.

 

[Buckaroo Banzai]

Oh yes, this is so true. I know quite a few words but probably only half of them if not less can I use naturally. Most likely the latter. Not only are kanji compounds often tough to master, but particles especially. For me it's now a matter of figuring out when to use what particles to express what emotion. For some reason those are always the toughest. I think I probably won't fully get them until I live amongst them!

Hey, what happened to my sig...oh, there it is...weird

 

[undrentide]

I see the difference.
Like, 彼は大人のくせに、まだ運転できないよね。

Hey, what happened to my sig...oh, there it is...weird

I've read somewhere that one's signature is shown only once in each page.

 

[Ashikaga]

Following usage is OK.
彼女の英語より僕の日本語の方が上手いのに、いつも英語でしゃべります。
彼女の英語は僕の日本語より下手なくせに、いつも英語でしゃべります。
彼女の英語は僕の日本語より下手なのに、いつも英語でしゃべります。

OK, the second example does not sound quite natural. The reason for that is the Subject, Her English. KUSENI is used when the subject is a person (or sometimes an anthropomorphized object). If you MUST use KUSENI, it would have to be something like, 彼女は、自分の英語が僕の日本語よりも下手なくせに、いつも英語で話します。

 

[Elizabeth]

how about the "It's like......."

Like, what is said before

"It's like a ham and cheese sandwhich."

How would you say that?

Orochi's comment got me thinking on this....Say your comparison is recognized as clearly NOT being a sandwich, like fake food or something, and you want to make sure no one else even THINKS you think plastic or rubber is the same as ham and cheese. Then

それはハムとチーズのサンドイッチに似ています。is good. Wow ! My ideal image of a ham and cheese sandwich ! :gohan:

When you're not sure whether it actually is or not (say the other one is turkey and cheese etc), のよう、or みたい works because it is more ambiguous and you're never really wrong...

 

[Lotorie]

その門流は相継いで十三代におよんだ
I am going to go against my own advice that I just gave buckaroo, since this reading is above my level, and say that this probably means something like:
That (clan/family/religious sect/tradition/practice) extended over (was inherited by and stretch on for) 13 generations.
門流 comes up in a 国語辞書 as meaning 一門の流派.

I should have talk about context
My fault, sorry.
It's about the senryuu; school which had a lot of success in making senryuu, sort of comical and popular japanese poetry in XVIII century.

thanks for your help!

 

[Elizabeth]

OK, the second example does not sound quite natural. The reason for that is the Subject, Her English. KUSENI is used when the subject is a person (or sometimes an anthropomorphized object). If you MUST use KUSENI, it would have to be something like, 彼女は、自分の英語が僕の日本語よりも下手なくせに、いつも英語で話します。

I don't even see the point of using 下手 in a sentence like this unless your intention is to indirectly but aggressively insult the other person's character, maturity, cooperativeness, language learning tactics or whatever. To imply blame specifically for not helping with Japanese if they had promised to, or in a case like "I've asked you so many times to please speak English, why don't you ever even try," etc くせに is one way to complain :

「日本語で話すといってたくせに、英語ばかり話してますね。」

Like, 彼は大人のくせに、まだ運転できないよね。

Not a mistake, but on the other hand usually functioning as a way to present the critical contrast. This time with undeniably juvenile behavior. Such as not being able to get to sleep without hugging a stuffed animal which is (hopefully) rare among adults.

For instance, 「彼は大人のくせに、クマを抱っこしないと慣れれないんだって 」

 

[GoldCoinLover]

I need this translated. Also wouldl ike to know what への means.

えりこさんへのお友達リクエストが許可されました。
さっそくココからあなたのお友達一覧をチェックしてみましょう！

 

[Buckaroo Banzai]

Now with this ^^ I can definitely help

へ indicates the direction of an action. If you add の, as in への then it has to be followed by a noun and what the の does is indicate that what precedes it is a quality of what comes after it. For instance, there was a recent movie called 「硫黄島からの手紙」(いおうじまからのてがみ), which means "Letters from Iwo Jima." What kind of letters? (this is what の indicates) Letters from Iwo Jima. Basically, it is a noun phrase.

So, 「えりこさんへのお友達リクエストが許可されました。」 means "Your friend request to Eriko-san was allowed/permitted."

「さっそくココからあなたのお友達一覧をチェックしてみましょう！」 would mean "From here, try checking/you can check everything about your friend at once/immediately."

 

[GoldCoinLover]

Now with this ^^ I can definitely help

へ indicates the direction of an action. If you add の, as in への then it has to be followed by a noun and what the の does is indicate that what precedes it is a quality of what comes after it. For instance, there was a recent movie called 「硫黄島からの手紙」(いおうじまからのてがみ), which means "Letters from Iwo Jima." What kind of letters? (this is what の indicates) Letters from Iwo Jima. Basically, it is a noun phrase.

So, 「えりこさんへのお友達リクエストが許可されました。」 means "Your friend request to Eriko-san was allowed/permitted."

「さっそくココからあなたのお友達一覧をチェックしてみましょう！」 would mean "From here, try checking/you can check everything about your friend at once/immediately."

Ooph, that is confusing. Thank you for the help anyways. I'm not good with English (even though I speak it fluently and am native in English)

English was my worst subject so modifying nouns, etc, is very difficult for me.
This only makes Japanese harder to learn.

Thanks again

 

[Blace]

Translation

I have a very important favor to ask... I need something translated, it's a signature of some sort and I need to know what it says, like I said, it's very important and if someone can give me an accurate answer to what it says, I'd really appreciate it. It's a little small and out of contrast, but I'm sure there is someone out there skilled with using computers and can sharpen it up and translate what it says. Here it is, it's in my sig, if it doesn't show up there alone, just click the link and it should direct you to a page with the piece I need translated there. Hope someone out there can do this for me, thank you in advance.

 

[Elizabeth]

「さっそくココからあなたのお友達一覧をチェックしてみましょう！」 would mean "From here, try checking/you can check everything about your friend at once/immediately."

一覧 here is a list, in this context most likely a questionaire or checklist/survey ?

It'll take an acquired understanding of youthspeak to finish this one off.

 

[Buckaroo Banzai]

Hmm...okay. Yeah, I know nothing about youthspeak!

I believe those two lines are from Mixi or Facebook or something.

 

[ハダカ]

Okay that was like that!

As I've promised, sound files! Help handle this!

 

[Mars Man]

I have a very important favor to ask... I need something translated, it's a signature of some sort and I need to know what it says, like I said, it's very important and if someone can give me an accurate answer to what it says, I'd really appreciate it. It's a little small and out of contrast, but I'm sure there is someone out there skilled with using computers and can sharpen it up and translate what it says. Here it is, it's in my sig, if it doesn't show up there alone, just click the link and it should direct you to a page with the piece I need translated there. Hope someone out there can do this for me, thank you in advance.

Please excuse me for a second. I have moved this above quoted post from a different area, to where it belongs, here. due to the timing of posting, it is covered over by later posts here in this thread. Although it is probably going to be hard to 'see' it, could someone please take a look at it? Thanks !! MM

 

[undrentide]

I have a very important favor to ask... I need something translated, it's a signature of some sort and I need to know what it says, like I said, it's very important and if someone can give me an accurate answer to what it says, I'd really appreciate it. It's a little small and out of contrast, but I'm sure there is someone out there skilled with using computers and can sharpen it up and translate what it says. Here it is, it's in my sig, if it doesn't show up there alone, just click the link and it should direct you to a page with the piece I need translated there. Hope someone out there can do this for me, thank you in advance.

Please excuse me for a second. I have moved this above quoted post from a different area, to where it belongs, here. due to the timing of posting, it is covered over by later posts here in this thread. Although it is probably going to be hard to 'see' it, could someone please take a look at it? Thanks !! MM

I'm afraid that the picture is too small, and nothing happens if I click on it (maybe the "link" is not active)
I think you can attach the picture to your message, if not, please upload it somewhere and post the url (you can do it if you omit "http://" part.)

As the picture in your signature is too small and not very clear as Mars Man pointed out, I cannot tell what is written, but as far as I see it it does not look like Japanese writing...

 

[Blace]

No, that's as big as I can get it, hope someone out there is able to translate it to English for me, I'd really appreciate it, like I said, it's really important to me, the reason is private but if there is some way someone out there can blow it up and sharpen up or something, that would be awesome.