The dreaded "方・ほう/hou" Particle

Janet Merai · 14 Feb 2011

So I have been playing games and reading some stuff which uses hou a LOT and I keep asking myself... "just how can one read it?"

For example:
あなたはWINDOWSとMACを好きですか
私はWINDOWSの方が好きです。

あの人は方が行ってですね。

Okay, so my question is... how can one perceive hou?
I know it can also be kata at times or maybe I am wrong.

My Japanese friend on Skype mentioned that it is used as a "comparitive" thing like "yori."

Does anyone have more modern/down to earth insight about this off-particle?

srintuar · 14 Feb 2011

You read it "hou", just as you suggested.
Your example sentences dont make sense though、maybe:

WINDOWSとMACどちらが好きですか。
私はWINDOWSの方が好きです。

あの人は方が行ってですね。

I have no clue what this sentence is about.... Do you know what it is supposed to mean ？

Toritoribe · 15 Feb 2011

By the way, 方(both ほう and かた) is a noun. (Some usages of かた belong to suffix.)

Janet Merai · 15 Feb 2011

srintuar said:
You read it "hou", just as you suggested.
Your example sentences dont make sense though、maybe:
WINDOWSとMACどちらが好きですか。
私はWINDOWSの方が好きです。
I have no clue what this sentence is about.... Do you know what it is supposed to mean ？

I meant that a person is over there waiting for us and I was quick about it.

あの人はここにと待っているの方がです。
That person there is waiting for us.

I just don't really fully understand "hou's" exact thing other than comparatives and directions.

undrentide · 15 Feb 2011

Janet Merai said:
I meant that a person is over there waiting for us and I was quick about it.

あの人はここにと待っているの方がです。
That person there is waiting for us.

I just don't really fully understand "hou's" exact thing other than comparatives and directions.

For the example sentence you mentioned does not require 方（ほう） because you do not have to pick up "which" - there's only one person.
あそこにいる人は私たちを待っています。

方（かた） which refers to a person can be used, though.
あそこにいる方（かた）は私たちを待っています。

srintuar · 15 Feb 2011

The english sense of "over here" "over there" such as in "the person over there is waiting for us" does not become 方 (ほう)

Instead, you can refer to a person with ここの、そこの、あそこの、こっち、そっち、あっち、 and many other ways. Undrentide-san used あそこにいる人.

One of my favorite constructions: "どこのどいつ" meaning "who the hell"

Elizabeth · 16 Feb 2011

Janet Merai said:
So I have been playing games and reading some stuff which uses hou a LOT and I keep asking myself... "just how can one read it?"
For example:
あなたはWINDOWSとMACを好きですか
私はWINDOWSの方が好きです。
あの人は方が行ってですね。
Okay, so my question is... how can one perceive hou?
I know it can also be kata at times or maybe I am wrong.
My Japanese friend on Skype mentioned that it is used as a "comparitive" thing like "yori."
Does anyone have more modern/down to earth insight about this off-particle?

You may be seeing it with abnormally extended formation rules as well. Because ほう is sometimes used by young people not to indicate the direction of an alternative but incorrectly when the speaker does not want to be exact about a message or idea. Just to have it there. ⇒若い人でよく仕事のほうの環境が．．．．などと使う人がいますが。

NANGI · 17 Feb 2011

Konnichiwa Mina-san!

Generally speaking, "Hou" is used as a "direction", "comparative", and "field ".

The airport is east of this point.
Kuukou ha Higashi no Hou ni aru.
空港は東の方にある。or 空港は東の方行にある。

He's taller than me.
Kare no Hou ga Watashi yori Se ga Takai.
彼の方が私より背が高い。

Medicine is out of his field.
Kare ha Igaku no Hou ni Utoi.
彼は医学の方に疎い。or 彼は医学の方面に疎い

I think "direction" is different from "field " in English. But sometimes 「方向」and 「方面」have the same meaning in Japanese.

He went on to the medical world.
Kare ha Igaku no Houkou heto Susunda.
彼は医学の方向へと進んだ。
Kare ha Igaku no Houmen heto Susunda.
彼は医学の方面へと進んだ。

And "Kata" is used as a "person".

"This is Mr. Nangi" or "This person is Mr. Nangi".
Kochira no Kata ha Nangi-san desu.
こちらの方は南木さんです。

「こちらは南木さんです」 is not wrong, but 「こちらの方は南木さんです」is more polite.

NANGI

The dreaded "方・ほう/hou" Particle

Janet Merai

先輩

srintuar

支離滅裂

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Janet Merai

先輩

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

srintuar

支離滅裂

Elizabeth

先輩

NANGI

先輩

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