~•~Help Center~•~

[chiakaiyuki]

really? haha, stupid kana.

 

chokoreeto

 

Thanks again. ^^

[chiakaiyuki]

Saaagaaa, come to harass you again...

 

I've been trying to understand the meaning of 前に and 後で ... mae ni is before and ato de is after?

But then, if you were to say A comes before B, it would be B mae ni A??

 

Also, does the grammar of this sentence make sense -> 子供の時、私は本が好きでした。

How would you say 'I liked to read books'?

[Saga]

-pokerface while is holding a cup of coffee- 分からないよ。

 

Just kidding,LMAO.

Hello,chi. (:

You ask some good questions,I like them.

The first one is a bit confusing,but I guess you ask how the sentence will be constructed with ''Mae ni'' and ''A to de''.

 

Sample:

ごはんをたべる前に、手をあらいます。

Before eating my meal,I am going to wash my hands.

 

The rule with using ''Mae ni'' is simple,the verb which will be followed by ''mae'' should be in a normal form - infinitive.

 

Sample:

手をあらった後で、ごはんをたべます。

After washing my hands,I'm going to eat my meal.

 

The rule is,the verb before 'ato' should be in past tense.

 

The next,

 

First the construction of ''liking'' + action.

 

。。。ことが好きです。

 

When you like doing something,you put the verb in normal form,followed by ''koto''(thing) and then the well known ''ga suki desu''.

 

I like reading books.

本をよむことが好きです。

 

There are two ways of saying it,in fact many ways. But I'd like to stuck to the formal one.

Same for the past tense,I'll stuck to the formal one.

 

You'll turn the 'desu' verb into 'deshita'. Past tense.

 

I liked reading books.

本をよむことが好きでした。

 

 

Hope I helped. (:

[chiakaiyuki]

If you don't know, I have no hope lol ...Warning... Massive failure ahead....

 

 

Right so the last verb is always -mas, at least when your talking about future actions. How would you do past... mashita?

With maeni, the first verb is normal form, with atode it's past tense.

 

eg. 水を飲む前に、チョコレートをたべます。　水を飲んだ後で、チョコレートをたべます。 (yes I like chocolate)

 

I'm still not very good with verbs, I probably got drink and drank wrong. XD

__________________

 

(I + wa +) noun + o + verb norm. + koto + ga suki desu/deshita is that a rule? (please say yes) >.

 

like... (私は)水を飲むことが好きです。　I like to drink water. omg... I like to drink, I like drinking. is there any difference in Japanese?

 

 

Sorry for so many Q... oh by the way.. you put 'stuck' twice instead of stick. ^^

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer. *gives cookies*

[Saga]

It's ''masu''.

And yeah,the past tense of ''masu'' is ''mashita''.

 

The sentences are correct. (:

 

Well,if it makes it easier for you,yes,it's a rule though,it's more grammar than a rule.

 

Basically the construction I gave you doesn't have any difference,it's the meaning I like doing the certain action. I like to do the certain action. No biggie.

 

And,sorry. I was quite sleepy in the morning and I tend to put 'stuck' a lot instead of stick - so,I fucked it up while still waking up.

[chiakaiyuki]

It's... right? *dies*

 

THANKS.

[Kisecchi]

Okay I need help, there is some lyrics that I like , so found it as kanji but there is 2 form of it. can you tell me which one is right form . TY

 

寂しさを知る為に出逢うのだと - 口付けを交わすまで知らなくて

 

寂しさを知るために出会うのだと - 口づけを交わすまで知らなくて

[Saga]

This is the last time I overlook this. The threads are created for education purpose like questions. Even if I rush into explanations,I doubt you are interested,or will understand me.

I said not for first time,it's not for helping you guys with song lyrics,manga raw or drama raw...

 

You've chosen the right way to put it for your signature,if that answers your question.

[Kisecchi]

well yeah I know what you mean and sorry I asked my question in here. I have found the answer anyhow, yep Thanks anyway

[chiakaiyuki]

それぞれ

 

That word....

 

Can you explain it to me? I hear it in songs all the time, and the dictionary says it means 'each, respectively' but how would that work in a sentence?

Eg, if you wanted to say 'each time...' you would use sorezore? But that's tabe ni.... and 'each person' is kakujin. (me thinks) So where do you use it?

Also how would the respectively part come into it?

 

This has been annoying me for some time. It seems like a common word, but I just don't get how it can be used. D:

 

Thank you in advance. ^^

[Saga]

~_~

 

One advice,don't learn Japanese from songs.

 

To the topic, which is pain in the ass.

Hm,how to explain it... this is so ''colorful'' to its usage,that I can't tell. =/

 

-after the five minutes spent in staring- I better make the coffee first. ;D

 

よしよし,

So,yes,firstly,the meanings you listed are right ones - ''each,respectively''.

I will not comment on the words you just listed. You've understood ''それぞれ'' (夫々) in a wrong way. Yes,the kanji in the brackets is the kanji for ''sorezore'',but you should know,Japanese REALLY rarely use the kanji.

 

As a meaning of ''Each'' :

It doesn't hold the meaning of ''every''. As in, ''every day'', ''every person'', ''every...whatever''.

When we say ''each'' with それぞれ,it means the certain subject is unique on its own.Separately. Let me give you an example better. Because you are an English native,and so for you それぞれ might be frustrating since sometimes it doesn't get a translation and it is ignored in English.

 

English:

There are two birds over there. Both with white wings.

Romaji:

Asoko ni tori ga niwa arimasu. Sorezore no tsubasa wa shiroi desu.

Kana:

あそこに鳥が二羽あります。それぞれの翼は白いです。

 

Explanation:

With time,Chi,you will see and realize that those who speak Asian language,be it Japanese,Korean,Chinese,Indonesian,Thai and so on - they will know much more better the meaning of a sentence. They will be with richer ''sense'' of what expression and ''sub-meaning'' is put. Than those who will have a bit less, or poor, if can call it this way,sense since they just watch/read the certain thing with the translation. Translators and rules in each language can't allow an exact translating(sometimes). Why am I saying it... because it is true that it gets the meaning that ''two birds with white wings,each of them''. But the ''sub-meaning'' is that the wings are uniquely different,yet both are white. You can say that each line of the certain wing is EXACTLY the same as the other wing,even if twins. You've studied biology and know that even twins are different in a biologic way. Do you get the idea,dear? It's translated as ''each of them are white'',but それぞれ is not only put to show ''each of'',but yet ''uniquely each of''. Never ever you should translate it as ''uniquely'' because it doesn't have this meaning,it's just a ''sense'' that native speakers get from just being native.

That's why it doesn't mean ''each'',as in,''every''. Understood?

 

As a meaning of ''Respectively'':

It shows it's not unit,but kind of one-to-one,the other-to-other,respectively.

 

Don't get scared. Ahahaha,it's rather easy though no dictionary can explain what I'll show you and tell you now. I will not give you example of the first usage,but may be on the second usage.

 

First usage:

Imagine you are in class,your teacher tells you what homework you get for next week. But to get the homework done,you should first read the small ''lessons'' in your textbook. So, if lesson one is named ''X¹" and lesson two is ''X²". And the teacher will use それぞれ in a sentence like this one ''Read lesson X¹ and lesson X², solve questions Y¹ and Y², (respectively)."

Now, it means that it is respectively separated as X¹ is to Y¹ and X² is to Y². It is NOT united. It means that in your textbook,the questions are not united,as in after all lessons,you get the quiz,sort of. But it means,at the end of each lesson you have a quiz. Got the idea? See how we AGAIN mention ''each''? This is the basic meaning of ''sorezore''.

In English sometimes it can be omitted from the translation.

That's why I told you those who speak the language get the ''sense'' better than those who use translation.

 

Second usage:

It can be used with names,respectively.

 

English:

In the anime,(three main characters), Yamada,Ishida and Puri are casted by the children voice actors Takano,Yoshida and Hanako,respectively.

Romaji:

Kono anime sorezore de Yamada,Ishida to Puri kyasuto wo tsutomeru ko koe no akutaa wa Takano,Yoshida to Hanako desu.

Kana:

このアニメそれぞれで「山田」、「石田」と「プリ」キャストを務める子声のアクターは高野、吉田と花子です。

 

Explanation:

''Respectevily'' in the sense that it goes by the order, Takano as Yamada,Yoshida as Ishida and Hanako as Puri. So now you know that each of the anime characters are respectively uniquely played by as follows the order bla bla.

Gave you the full sense of 'sorezore'. (:

 

Here one interesting thing,can you guess what might ''sorezore no ashita'' means?

Yes, ''each of the tomorrows'' - ''forever''. Since everyday is a new day. (:

Hope I helped.

[chiakaiyuki]

Now I know why I never understood it XD

 

Thanks for explaining in so much detail. ^^ I think I get why it's translated as each now, though it's kinda a combination of each and both.

And respectively as well. That sounds pretty simply compared to the first meaning. >.

 

Eeeh, Saga, I learn all my Japanese from songs, lol. ...usually I just use them for new vocab

[Saga]

Well,combination maybe,but not fully. (:

Just be prapared for big jumps in Japanese,there might be language gasp that can trip you. =/

 

If you study it from songs,it means you'll bump into reversed grammar,slangs and many Japanese bent words. (: Be careful.

[chiakaiyuki]

I heard a word a while ago and I can't remember what it is. >.

 

It was something like kurakura-ta meaning crazy? Pretty sure it was in hiragana as well. Just wondering if you knew what it was? (I think it came with a hand action as well, much like the english for crazy).

[Saga]

Uh, I think even you don't know what you're asking.

Kurakura means 'dizziness' in Japanese.

 

But,let me ask, was it in anime?

[chiakaiyuki]

no, it was in a conversation with a Japanese guy. XD I know kurakura means dizzy, but this was defiantly crazy, insane, stupid.... maybe kurokuro, since the hand action was twirling your finger...　　

 

 

Ahhh.... I played around with the letters, and it's kurukuru-pa loool

 

Kuru-kuru-pa, on the other hand, is a colloquialism meaning "crazy." It comes with its own hand gesture, too—use the same American gesture for crazy, twirling an index finger around the ear and then when getting to the pa part of the phrase, close the hand and open quickly, extending all five fingers.

[Saga]

Ah,it's not a slang though. You know these talk-shows, and TV shows when suddenly on your monitor some Korean/Chinese/Japanese character pops out,describing or more like, completing the current situation? For example,someone screams "IT HUUUURTS!" and a sign with "ITA!" pops up.

 

So,it's rather used in that aspect,coloring your actions. But to say,or call someone odd/crazy/insane or stupid,they are more proper ways of constructing the sentence. (:

 

But first time hearing them using it though. I asked about anime because many words like this one comes from there. Like tsundere, tsun-tsun and dere-dere. Or sketto-dansu. So,yeah. (:

[empress19]

Saga sensei, I got problem with Japanese grammar ==;;

 

there so many grammar and I can't remember it expect the Jikoshoukai ==; tatsukete onegaishimasu

[Saga]

I am listening to your question. (:

[Sloan]

I cannot find any grammar lessons online that focuses on the use of NTA or NDA or NDE in the ending of verbs or nouns. I understand nande is way of saying things with confidence but I have trouble figuring the stem verb sometimes because when conjugated with these forms, it doesn't look like regular verb or noun.

 

For example., 嬉しいんだ [+], 使わないんだ [-?]

 

Is it advanced grammar? I'd like to learn more about this lesson. Because I am currently trying to learn more of the explanatory tones right now, no~n at the end. and with this, it can be confusing.

Often I've seen bloggers typing in this manner, especially males.

[Sloan]

Anyone alive???? ]_____:

 

I must strengthen my JAPANESE. RAWR! I have like tons of questions. Muahahahaha.

 

♥

[Saga]

Well,....this needs a whole lesson,to be clearly and fully explained. I am busy lately,but will continue with the lessons. For you I will sneak the ''N'' role. But ''NDE'' and ''NDA'' are from the ''ND"-form which is past sentence ''TA''. Certain verbs go to ''NDA''. The ''NDE'' is from the ''ND''form ,present tense. -''TE'' form. It is confusing now because I am damn sleepy,already in bed. So I will make you a specified lesson,to not confuse them with the ''N'' add-on in sentences. Like - "WasureruNda''(for example). It's not a past tense,some people confuse it. Anyhow,it needs a whole lesson and I can't explain it clearly with only two paragraphs. (:

[Sloan]

GO SLEEP NOW DO IT DO IT.. hahaha

 

-♪(o￣∇￣)┌┛you in bed and tucks you in-

 

There, there dear. get all the rest you need. I appreciate it.

:leaf5:

[Saga]

Lol,thank you. ;D

I rested well and now reading my explanation I am like ''wtf I tried to say'' xD

 

Now,

Let's try to get it explained properly.

 

What I tried to say is that ''N'' adding to an end of a sentence is different from ''TE'' / ''TA'' form.

In the rule for ''Te''/''Ta'',we have verbs ending on ''bu'',''nu'',''mu'' as a group which have to be transformed to ending ''Nde''/''Nda''.

NDE

 

This is present tense,continuous or simply ready to be used for a formal way of asking something.

Example:

 

(Excuse me but I am on a tablet,simply switching to Japanese input takes my nerves wracked,so I will use romaji)

 

Verb - Shinu (To die)

ShiNDE kudasai

 

In English it has a kinda....odd way of translating. But in Japanese is like a sarcastic way of asking one ''Oh,please,why not die'' or ''Please die.''

Here a sentence that might make sense,

 

''Atashi no tame ni shinde kudasai'' - ''Die for my behalf'' or ''Please die for me''

 

As for present continuous tense,let's use ''tobu'' (jump)

 

''Tonde imasu'' - Am jumping.

 

(:

 

NDA works same way but only for past tense. Simple past tense.

 

Anyhow, those have nothing to do with ''-n desu''.

In English there is no certain equivalent. But I'll try to explain. Japanese use it often,and it gives to a sentence..''in that case'' or ''because of that reason..'' sense.

 

If you and I meet on the street,you see me all ready to go to the beach,but still you are curious.

''Saga san wa biichi ni iku'n desu ka?''

It's like asking me for confirmation that I am going to the beach.

Let's say it more informal and you will recognize your answer to the question you asked.

 

''Saga san wa biichi ni iku'n da?'' (With a questionable intonation)

 

Basically ''-n desu'' is like ''desu'' but with a meaning of being curious,explaining yourself (like confirming someone's guesses)

 

Let's see ,it works as well with the plain form of a verb,but as well with nouns and negative forms of verbs. Until now you saw the questionable ''desu ka'' with ''-n desu ka'' version.

 

Let's try with noun.

 

''Mabushii'n da...''

 

You are illuminated by the moon,you are gazing up and sigh with ''mabushii'n da...'' -> In English it's ''Dazzling,isn't it...'' but as well as if talking to the moon ''Dazzling,aren't you (my moon)''.

It can be ...today's moon is biggest and you go ''in such a situation / case (when it's biggest) it's so dazzling." Just the sense depends on one's way of expressing things,so you can understand in what way they wanted to express the noun. Anyhow,

 

With negative verbs it just goes with after the -nai ending.

Let's take ''Shiranai'' -> "Don't know'' verb.

 

''Anata no kimochi wo shiranai'n da kara ....atashi wa... kekkon suru'n da....''

Here very informal way of saying out your hurt feelings.

''Because I didn't know about your feelings,I married (him).''

The sentence can be constructed in many ways,but I am giving you the most informal way.

 

Let's see ''Nan da'' ending which is different from ''nani desuka '' - ''Nanda'' xD

Nan'da is actually the informal of the ending ''na no desu''. In some cases when the sentence ends in original with ''da'' it turns to ''na''. (:

It means to give a reason. Let's take the beach question you asked me when on the street.

I'll reply,

''Ee, kyou wa atsui da. No daikirainanda. "

 

''Yeah,it's hot today. Since I hate heat (I'm going)''

Or ''Because I hate hot weather,that's why going"

The sub-meaning is ''because''.

 

Let's make it formal,

''Hai,kyou wa atsui desu. Daikirai na no desu.''

(:

 

Hope I helped. (:

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

P.S. To add one last thing, mainly guys use these,but it's not surprising if a girl uses it in speech too. (:

[Sloan]

OMFG. Saga, Thank you so much for your explanation here. It's getting cleared up

Seriously, all the N's nad TA's in there, is easy to get confused.

 

I understand the Te forms for bu, mu, etc. group. I think the ending with A in 'NDA' is what causes my confusion sometimes. Because of all these so loved だ's XD.

 

きた past tense /ta

読んだ past tense of mu.bu.nu group. /da

 

for nouns, verbs, and adjectives

かわいいだ declarative, masculine

かわいいのだ　declarative, feminine

の- asks for confirmation

then use のだ　to confirm above

なのだ- explains it is so

 

 

ん- after the verb, asks for confirmation/expection

んだ-explains action, responds to above. not past tense like mu.bu.nu verbs

 

See how it can be confusing??? hahaha

 

If you have easily switchable keyboard to hiragana, please.. if you dont mind, type in hiragana. It's just.. well. HOW EMBARRASSING!

 

:leaf7: I'M BAD AT READING ROMANJI. I know I write/read English very well, but the romanji just confuse me because of spelling and pronunciations don't even follow English's. ＩＤＫ my brain doesnt function easily that way. I read hiragana better and faster since I am more used to it.

 

But I think I got it.

 

なの+だ-long form is for explantionary tone, and suggestions, right?

なん+だ-short form の, has been removed, thus becoming ん　just to make things easier to say. But same thing.

can be in plain, past, negative, negative past, depending on conjugations..

 

WHEW!

 

I'm not sure about the nouns, though. The moon example, you gave the one with n with the noun is weird/odd. I'm not sure if I've seen things of that sort. Most nouns look like na adjective, and な is already there to conjugate into なんだ but not adding just ん on that.