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Some help with 'why'?

magevampjoe

Sempai
5 Dec 2007
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Hiya. Sorry I haven't posted in several weeks, been revising.

K, my question is, how would I ask these two questions? The second one is related to the first, but I would like both if possible so that I can see how you made the second one out of the first.

1) Why are you singing?
2) Why are you singing that song?

This would be greatly appreciated. Tae Kim doesn't make this sort of grammar fully understandable, and it is the grammar guide I have been using. I have tried making these sentences, with poor results

1) どうしてが歌いますか。 (Sorry, I am really poor at verb conjugation, it is what you get when you learn polite form first)
2) どうしてはリートが歌いますか。

Anyway, thanks for your help. If possible, an explanation would be appreciated, but isn't necessary. I can work out how it is done from example, but it takes longer :p

Thanks again

Joe
 
1) どうして歌いますか
I cant help but imagine hearing 「どうして歌うの?」
2) どうしてその曲を歌いますか
Here, I imagine "歌いますか" wouldbe left out, leaving only: どうしてその曲を
 
Don't count on me, but I'll try:

1) どうして歌っていますか。/どうして歌ってる(の)?
2) どうして歌を歌っていますか。/その歌、どうして歌ってる(の)?

Not sure about the informal ones; not even realy sure about the formal ones.
But hopefully they're right and I helped.

:)
 
Hiya. Sorry I haven't posted in several weeks, been revising.
K, my question is, how would I ask these two questions? The second one is related to the first, but I would like both if possible so that I can see how you made the second one out of the first.
1) Why are you singing?
2) Why are you singing that song?
This would be greatly appreciated. Tae Kim doesn't make this sort of grammar fully understandable, and it is the grammar guide I have been using. I have tried making these sentences, with poor results
1) どうしてが歌いますか。 (Sorry, I am really poor at verb conjugation, it is what you get when you learn polite form first)
2) どうしてはリートが歌いますか。
Anyway, thanks for your help. If possible, an explanation would be appreciated, but isn't necessary. I can work out how it is done from example, but it takes longer :p
Thanks again
Joe
First, a not so simple source of misunderstanding/mistranslation between the two languages. Is the verb "singing" meant in the sense of a present progressive (going on as the speaker asks) or future (will be singing at a recital or karaoke or something?). It makes a big difference with the forms of 歌う in Japanese.


To more of an attempt at an explanation, is どうして your subject? が for the sentence here is a postpositional subject marker. Meaning it comes after the subject. Find a real text or good exercise book and read up on particle placement if at all possible. :)
 
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Hi again, sorry I don't have the money to spend on Japanese really, as I am having to buy revision books for my exams.

Singing as in you catch someone singing or humming a song while they are doing something.
Like I said, I haven't much knowledge about it.


Thanks for the answers though, they really help.

Joe
 
Romaji please!!!

My guess would be:

1. Doushite utau no?/Doushite utatte imasu ka?

2. Doushite ano uta wa utau no?/Doushite ano uta wa utatte imasu ka?


Right? I can't read the characters. Sorry. 😌
 
Romaji please!!!
My guess would be:
1. Doushite utau no?/Doushite utatte imasu ka?
2. Doushite ano uta wa utau no?/Doushite ano uta wa utatte imasu ka?
Right? I can't read the characters. Sorry. 😌
Why can't you read ? It's getting long...but here are my ideas/corrections. 😌


1. Nande utatte iru (no)? (Casual softer)
Nande utatte iru ka? /Nande utatte irunda! (Casual/manly)

Doushite/naze utatte iru no desuka ? (Standard polite)


2. Nande sono uta wo ? Nande sono uta na no(ka)? Nande sono uta ? Why that song ? !

Nande sono uta utatte iru (no) ? Nande sono uta utatte iru ka ?

Doushite/naze sono uta wo utatte iru no desuka ? Why are you singing that song ?
 
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Why don't you install Japanese language support?

On Mac it usually comes pre-supported, in windows there are numerous guides and it is easy on any debian linux system. Why not just install it?

On windows, you might need to install SP2 if you are on XP.

I got rid of hassle by being on ubuntu :)

Yeh, thanks for the help everyone!
 
n addition to Elizabeth's

1.
なんで歌ってるの?(casual softer)
nande utatteru no?

なんで歌ってんの?(more casual/a little bit manly)
nande utatten no?

男性特有の言い方としては「なぜ/なんで歌って(る)んだ?」のほうでしょうね。
ただこの台詞を歌ってる本人に対して言う場合は、気を つけないときつく (問い詰めているような感じに)聞こえる可能性がありま す。第三者に言う場合(例えば「なんであいつは歌って( る)んだ?」)はそこまできつくはないんですが、どちら も文脈にもよりますね。:)

疑問の終助詞「か」を「なぜ」「何を」「いつ」という ような疑問文で使う言い方

なぜ歌っているか?
何をしているか?
いつ帰ってきたか?

は、現在では男性でもほぼ使わないです。使うとしたら 「特定の集団に属している人」でしょうね。 (「貴様、何をしているか!」 というような言い方ですね。😅)

2.
polite in "Why that song ?" context

どうして/なぜその歌なんですか?
doushite/naze sono uta nan desuka?
 
In addition to Elizabeth's
1.
なんで歌ってるの?(casual softer)
nande utatteru no?
なんで歌ってんの?(more casual/a little bit manly)
nande utatten no?
男性特有の言い方としては「なぜ/なんで歌って(る)んだ?」のほうでしょうね。
ただこの台詞を歌ってる本人に対して言う場合は、気をつけないときつく (問い詰めているような感じに)聞こえる可能性があります。第三者に言う場合(例えば「なんであいつは歌って(る)んだ?」)はそこまできつくはないんですが、どちらも文脈にもよりますね。:)
そうですね。 そのときによって使い方は、変わりますが、たとえば、歌っているのはそのときと場所にふさわしくないと、私は思ったら、「なぜ/なんで歌って(る)んだ?」がとても適当な言い方でしょうね。 一方では、「ただ、歌っているところを聞きたくない」という問題だと、「なぜ/なんで歌って(る)んだ?」は 乱暴な感じ,ちょっと責めている感じになりますね。


ほかに、「語尾」について話すのが難しいですけど。。。

「なぜ/なんで歌って(る)んだ?」という文の後ろに、「よ」を付けていれば、意味や、感じが
変えてくると思いますか?

疑問の終助詞という意味で使われる「よ」自体にはあまり意味はないと思いました。
でも、日本人の友達は、「だよ」は、ただ「だ」とちょっと違うといっていました。。。


 
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そうですね。

なんで歌ってるの?/なんで歌ってんの?/なんで歌ってんだ?

はどれも、本当に歌ってる理由を尋ねる文脈 (答えが「今日はいいことがあって」とか 「この曲好きだから」とか)でも、今は/ここでは歌ってはいけないという文脈でも使えるけど、「なんで歌ってんだ?」は後者の場合に使うことのほうが多いでしょうね。


「よ」に関してでは、「なんで歌ってるんだよ」は「歌ってはいけない」の意味がより強くなりますね。理由を聞く文脈では多分使わないでしょう。
あと、「なんで歌ってるの?/なんで歌ってんの?」は男女共に使いますが、「なんで歌ってるのよ/なんで歌ってんのよ」は女性しか使わないです。これもやっぱり「よ」がつくと「歌ってはだめ」の意味になりますね。
ただ言い方やアクセントにもよるから、文字だけから判断するのは難しいですけどね。 😌


「か」についての補足ですが、「はい/いいえ」で答えられる一般的な質問には使えるけど、「誰が/いつ/どこで/何を/なぜ」という疑問文には会話では使わないということですね。つまり、お父さんが子供に

もう宿題やったのか?

とは聞けるけど、

今日の宿題はなんだったのか?

とは聞かない、という感じですね。:)


語尾の助詞は難しいんですよね。意味が変わらない場合も大きく変わる場合もあるし、男女共に使う場合もどちらかしか使わない場合もあるし。ある意味 polite form より難しいかもしれないですね。😌
 
In addition to Elizabeth's
1.
なんで歌ってるの?(casual softer)
nande utatteru no?
なんで歌ってんの?(more casual/a little bit manly)
nande utatten no?
Nande works the same in a formal (aratamatta bashou) context. I just heard it on the news for the first time. "Nande, sono pirotto buzoku nan desune."
In connection with the Skymark fiasco. No doubt an announcer so blown away with the cancellations he was unable to contain himself on air. 😌
 
Nande works the same in a formal (aratamatta bashou) context. I just heard it on the news for the first time. "Nande, sono pirotto buzoku nan desune."
In connection with the Skymark fiasco. No doubt an announcer so blown away with the cancellations he was unable to contain himself on air. 😌

I wonder if it could be either
- nande (=why)? (nazenara) pairotto busoku nan desu ne
or
- nande pairotto busoku nan desu ka ne?
(= I wonder why there's shortage of pilots?)
or
- nanda (=oh, I see), pairotto busoku nan desu ne
...?
 
I wonder if it could be either
- nande (=why)? (nazenara) pairotto busoku nan desu ne
or
- nande pairotto busoku nan desu ka ne?
(= I wonder why there's shortage of pilots?)
or
- nanda (=oh, I see), pairotto busoku nan desu ne
...?
Unfortunately, this is NHK news which means the relevant link has already been taken down.

Context was one announcer summarizing the developments in preparation for an interview on the story. 😌 Unless it's totally out of left field, I'm sure of the "sono pairotto" phrase -- this is a direct reference to the Skymark situation/pilots specifically.
 
It might be "なんで、その、パイロット不足なんでしょうね?" ; the same usage of あのー、えーと.
でもどっちにしても「なんで」じゃなくて「なぜ」「ど うして」を使うべきだったような
 
Unfortunately, this is NHK news which means the relevant link has already been taken down.
Context was one announcer summarizing the developments in preparation for an interview on the story. 😌 Unless it's totally out of left field, I'm sure of the "sono pairotto" phrase -- this is a direct reference to the Skymark situation/pilots specifically.

I can't imagine a NHK announcer using NANDE during a newscast.... then again, I have read somewhere that NHK is trying toloosen up a little bit to compete with the commercial networks. I would really like to know what he/she said exactly.
 
I can't imagine a NHK announcer using NANDE during a newscast.... then again, I have read somewhere that NHK is trying toloosen up a little bit to compete with the commercial networks. I would really like to know what he/she said exactly.
"Nande, sono pirotto buzoku nan desu (deshou???) ne" was what he said. The "nan de" was extremely emphatic. I tried to understand it first in the sense of "by what means" but obviously that makes even less sense.
There may have been a split second hiccup of something after "desu" but it didn't come out like "deshou." More like a slight throat clearing created disfluency.


It is a very, very odd situation, obviously, with Skymark to have an airline grounding 10% of their planes and cancelling service as a result of 1 pilot retiring and another taking sick leave so this so-called "outburst" didn't necessarily sound at the time like anything other than the appropriate level of shock and surprise.

But this was radio news so maybe that makes a difference, too. :p
 
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