Translation Help?!

V

vramkissoon

後輩

12 Jun 2013

8

0

• 5 Aug 2013

• #1

So I've just finished Lesson 9 of the Genki Textbook and I'm working on translating some sentences. I've done a few, but I'm not sure whether I've translated them correctly. Does anyone mind looking over them to see if they make sense? どうもありがとう！
I think Tadashi's father was good-looking when he was younger- わかいの時、ただしさんのお父さんはかっこういなかっ たと思います。
I think the concert began at 9 o'clock- 九時にコンサートをはじまらなかったと思います。
I don't think Mie received a letter from Mari- まいさんはまりさんからてがみをもらわなかったと思 います。(I'm really confused about this one)

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 6 Aug 2013

• #2

First of all, what do you think about this?

I think Tadashi's father was good-looking when he was younger.(affirmative)
わかいの時、ただしさんのお父さんはかっこういなかったと思います。(negative)

I think the concert began at 9 o'clock.(affirmative)
九時にコンサートをはじまらなかったと思います。(negative)

I don't think Mie received a letter from Mari.(negative)
まいさんはまりさんからてがみをもらわなかったと思います。(negative)

 

Glenn

一切皆苦

8 Jan 2004

7,842

200

• 6 Aug 2013

• #3

Second of all, -i adjectives modify nouns directly, so it's わかいとき, not わかいのとき.

 

V

vramkissoon

後輩

12 Jun 2013

8

0

• 6 Aug 2013

• Thread starter
• #4

ごめんなさい！I didn't realize I put all the sentences in the same tense. So the first example would be わかい時、ただしさんのお父さんはかっこういかったと思います and the second example should be 九時にコンサートをはじめたと思います right?

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 6 Aug 2013

• #5

いい conjugates a bit irregularly.

いい
よくない (negative)
よかった (past)
よくなかった (negative past)


はじめる is transitive, whereas はじまる is intransitive. コンサートをはじめた means you started the concert.

 

Glenn

一切皆苦

8 Jan 2004

7,842

200

• 6 Aug 2013

• #6

かっこいかった may be acceptable, but I'm pretty sure かっこよかった is more common. Otherwise it looks pretty good. イケメンだった or something like that may be a better word choice, but it's a well-formed sentence otherwise.

Your English sentence says "I think the concert began at 9 o'clock," but your Japanese sentence says 九時にコンサートをはじめたと思います. Do you see the difference?

[Edit] Well... I was a little late on this one. Oh well...

 

V

vramkissoon

後輩

12 Jun 2013

8

0

• 8 Aug 2013

• Thread starter
• #7

Thank you!