Japanese Discussion 日本語の討論会

[Guest littlemisssunsunshine]

can someone tell me what ビジン means in english, please? thanks a lot!

[Guest plumplum]

can someone tell me what ビジン means in english, please? thanks a lot!

Like 美人? It means hot girl.

[Guest akira53]

Can anyone help me translate these terms? They're from a reading in my textbook and I've asked some Japanese people but I still don't really know what a close english translation would be

感覚的

脱俗行為 (I asked 2 Japanese people about this one and they didn't know what it was in Japanese, so maybe someone could help me out?)

大倉庫

実存的

[Guest plumplum]

Can anyone help me translate these terms? They're from a reading in my textbook and I've asked some Japanese people but I still don't really know what a close english translation would be

感覚的

脱俗行為 (I asked 2 Japanese people about this one and they didn't know what it was in Japanese, so maybe someone could help me out?)

大倉庫

実存的

感覚的 is sensible. It's a na-adjective like all adjectives ending in 的.

脱俗行為 is, like... unworldly conduct. I had to look this one up.

大倉庫 is Ookura warehouse, maybe? 倉 and 庫 have similar meaning, but Ookura is a name.

実存的 is existential, but it's an obsolete word. It comes from 実存 which is existence. I had to look this one up, too.

[Tamago86]

you reading about buddhism or something?

脱俗is like free from worldly concerns or cares..non attachment. it's a buddhist concept

if you copy some of the text from where you read it we could translate it, can't be certain about the meaning without that

[Guest akira53]

^ no, the reading is actually about shopping

単調の日常性からの転換である。感覚的にそこに生きがいが生まれているのだ。

近代功利主義に毒されている人間は「非合理な買物」はできない。ばかげた買物を平気ですることは日本人の特質かもしれない。だが非合理な買物こそ実存的で人間存在の根本にふれるものではないか。買物でホットになることは日常性を破り、脱俗行為そのものにつながる。ふるえるほど生きている実感を味わう。買物によって自己を解放し神聖化する。

[Tamago86]

^ no, the reading is actually about shopping

単調の日常性からの転換である。感覚的にそこに生きがいが生まれているのだ。

近代功利主義に毒されている人間は「非合理な買物」はできない。ばかげた買物を平気ですることは日本人の特質かもしれない。だが非合理な買物こそ実存的で人間存在の根本にふれるものではないか。買物でホットになることは日常性を破り、脱俗行為そのものにつながる。ふるえるほど生きている実感を味わう。買物によって自己を解放し神聖化する。

A change from the monotony of everyday life. Our reason for existence is sensuously brought into being from it.

Those people who are poisoned by modern utilitarianism can't bear "impulse shopping". Idiotically buying this and that without giving it a second thought may be one of the special qualities of being Japanese. However isn't impulse shopping itself existential, something which touches the very roots of human existence? Helping oneself relax through shopping breaks this daily monotony, and leads to "unworldliness" itself. It makes one feel so alive they tremble. Through shopping one emancipates himself and becomes like a god!

haha woo

interesting textbooks you read

非合理な買物..wasn't sure how to translate that really, never even seen it in japanese before..illogical shopping

[Guest akira53]

A change from the monotony of everyday life. Our reason for existence is sensuously brought into being from it.

Those people who are poisoned by modern utilitarianism can't bear "impulse shopping". Idiotically buying this and that without giving it a second thought may be one of the special qualities of being Japanese. However isn't impulse shopping itself existential, something which touches the very roots of human existence? Helping oneself relax through shopping breaks this daily monotony, and leads to "unworldliness" itself. It makes one feel so alive they tremble. Through shopping one emancipates himself and becomes like a god!

haha woo

interesting textbooks you read

非合理な買物..wasn't sure how to translate that really, never even seen it in japanese before..illogical shopping

Thanks Tamago! The vocab in this reading is quite difficult...I don't even know what some of the words are in English ><

yeah I know. It's the textbook for the 400-level "basic reading" course for Japanese majors at UH T_T

I bought it here in Japan so I could try to catch up..since I'm not required to take those classes when I get back. But I think I will end up taking at least one reading class when I get back to catch up. gah...not looking forward to next semester back home

[Guest littlemisssunsunshine]

Like 美人? It means hot girl.

ahh thank you ! (:

this thread is beautiful <3

[Guest ★ rain-a-sky ★]

Can someone translate the instructions/how to use part of a hair product?

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r143/rainasky/hair1.gif

and

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r143/rainasky/hair2.gif

Just the part that tells you how to use it, b/c I have no idea how XD

thank youuu!

[Guest understanding_fiction]

Does anyone think that it's even remotely possible for someone who has learned Japanese for roughly seven months to take the JPLT level 2 and pass? ._.;;;

I need to take a Japanese qualification test, but the only two I can take before univ application(I'm going to a Korean univ so I apply this Sept) are the JPT(a Japanese test administered in Korea) and the JPLT level 1/2.

The JPT is way different from the JPLT in both test format and in the fact that there's only one test, and you get a grade depending on how well you do on it. I think it goes from A~D and with F being fail? A 'D' would probably suffice for me for that test, but I bought the prep book and realized that it's actually really, really, REALLY hard ;_; and I'm not sure if I can even get a D. My japanese tutor looked at it and went WTH ._.;;; So, I was wondering if there was any chance with the JPLT 2...

My kanji knowledge isn't that bad, since when I lived in Korea I learned a lot of kanji. And, my grasp of grammar is pretty okay because Korean and Japanese grammar has a lot of similarities, which makes things easier.

The problem is that my vocab level is really bad. I have a horrible memory..; Knowing some kanji makes it easier for me to figure out the meaning, but I won't be able to understand them if I hear them because I don't know how to pronounce the kanji. And, with words that are just in hiragana, I'm screwed.

Help? ;_;

[Tamago86]

Does anyone think that it's even remotely possible for someone who has learned Japanese for roughly seven months to take the JPLT level 2 and pass? ._.;;;

Help? ;_;

It's possible yeah but would be difficult, the JLPT doesn't test speaking and the listening section isn't a major part. I forget the exact number but I think you need around a 70% to pass maybe lower.

You do need somewhat of an expanded vocabulary though. I'd suggest you use http://www.jgram.org and http://www.jlpt-kanji.com to study. On JGram you can look at all the grammar sorted by JLPT level and on JLPT Kanji you can also sort the kanji and also vocabulary by level as well.

[Guest <3 Kim]

There's something that's really bothering me in Japanese class lately,

I'm really confused to when to use は and が, I can't tell the difference on when to use them ><

Say for example:

あそこに大きいいぬがいますよ

あのいぬ はセントバ-ナードですね

I can't tell when I should use the "wa" or "ga"

And also, how do I know when to use "います" or "です"?

[Guest dangdut_asik]

oh wow.. this thread is cool..

can someone help me?

how do u say minor in Japanese?

like major would be 選考 or 専門 right?

[Guest understanding_fiction]

There's something that's really bothering me in Japanese class lately,

I'm really confused to when to use は and が, I can't tell the difference on when to use them ><

Say for example:

あそこに大きいいぬがいますよ

あのいぬ はセントバ-ナードですね

I can't tell when I should use the "wa" or "ga"

And also, how do I know when to use "います" or "です"?

Read this: http://japanese.about.com/library/weekly/aa051301a.htm

Um, if you know Korean, 'wa' corresponds to 은/는 and 'ga' corresponds to 이/가.

Not sure if you know Korean though ._.;;;

います is the 'is' as in "the cat is on the roof," "the dog is in the room," etc.

です is the 'is' as in "he is a boy," "she is a girl," "dogs are cute," etc.

[Guest Shiget^]

can someone help me translate this in japanese:

If you werent able to exchange you're ticket, do you like to sell your ticket to us?

Thank you ^^

edit.//

nevermind got it

[Guest miss_kizuna]

how do you say:

i'll leave you alone if you want me to.

or

i'll go away if you want me to

edit:

nevermind i figured it out ^^

[Tamago86]

Can someone translate the instructions/how to use part of a hair product?

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r143/rainasky/hair1.gif

and

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r143/rainasky/hair2.gif

Just the part that tells you how to use it, b/c I have no idea how XD

thank youuu!

The first one says

"After shampooing, dry hair and apply an appropriate amount of product directly all over hair and mix it in."

Second one:

"After shampooing, dry hair appropriately and apply an ample amount of product all over hair. For semi-long hair use an amount equivalent to the size of a ping-pong ball (approx. 15 grams). Most effective when left in hair for five minutes after mixing in. Afterwards wash hair as needed."

Both say avoid contact with eyes, do not apply if you have open wounds on your scalp and discontinue use if rash or other anomalies appear (dur).

[uruchai]

me again. just really need help for a major presentation. basically, if the ff. sentences make sense at all and are roughly grammatically okay in structure.

ひみつを教えてあげたいです。

だれもいませんねえ。私のためにそれはちょっとかわいそうですから、もっと”X"のことを教えようと思います。

”X"のおかげで、日本にいる時、いろいろな友だちと会ったことがあります。そして、”X"の日本人ファンが会えました。

Please and thank you. Just indicate if it makes sense at all.

[Guest Raw Sugar]

Haha, cramming for a quiz right now and I got some last minute question on verbs.

So, correct me if I'm wrong but for strong verbs (group 1), in order to conjugate the verb to present negative informal form, you would take away the ”う" and add "ない" right? So in the case of かう, you would change it to かあない? Am I doing it wrong because かあない doesn't sound right.

Could anyone clarify for me please? Thanks. (:

Oh, and please check over these conjugations (dictionary form to present negative informal form) for me please? THANKS!

いう　-> いあない

ならう　-> ならあない

おしえる　-> おしえらない

おぼえる　-> おぼえない