となっている

A sentence + となっている can be used to describe something that is beyond the speaker's control. It's often translated as "it turns out that..." or "it's been decided that..." The general sentence structure is usually A は B となっている.

この映画は午後７時からとなっています。
It turns out that the movie starts at 7 PM.

期末試験はキャンセルしてるとなってるんだよね！
It's been decided that final exams are cancelled!

そのスピーチコンテストに出られるのは、日本に１年以上住んだことがない外国人だけとなってる。
The rule is that only foreigners who haven't lived in Japan for more than a year can participate in the speech contest.

大学の寮に犬を連れてくるのは禁止したとなってる。
It turns out that bringing a dog to the school dorms is forbidden.

～ということ

A plain form sentence + ということ changes that entire sentence into a noun clause. It's generally used in writing to further express things about the previous sentence, and it adds no actual meaning to the sentence.

この本を読むと、昔のギリシャにも日本のように色々な神様がいたということがよく分かる。
When reading this book, I'm discovering that even Greece used to have a lot of various gods like Japan.

日本語の授業で、日本には宗教的習慣や行事はたくさんあるが、宗教に熱心な信者はあまりいないということを学んだ。
In Japanese class, I learned that there are a lot of religious customs and events in Japan, but there are not very many deeply religious people.

ファーストフードの特徴は色々あるが、まず、速くて安いということが言えるだろう。
It can be said that fast food characteristics vary, but first and foremost they are fast and cheap.

奨学金をもらうためには、なぜ日本に留学したいかということについて、エッセーを書かなくてはいけない。
In order to receive the scholarship, I have to write an essay on why I want to study abroad in Japan.

Ghost Stories Outro

I'm not sure if I've hit a new low, but I decided to translate the outro for the classic Ghost Stories anime. The anime is about a group of middle schoolers, so the fact that they picked "Sexy Sexy" for the outro music is pretty frickin' weird, but whatever.

夕暮れのかなたから蜃気楼
I miss you, I miss you
I need you, I need you
Sexy sexy (woo)

ねぇ？部屋にこない？
ナイショのハナシ 聞かせてあげる
ふらちな夜に心も濡れた
時はもどせない
Come back, come back, come back

情熱のかなたから蜃気楼
揺らして 揺らして
揺らして 揺らして
気持ちいいことパラダイス

燃えさかるあの場所で出会えるのなら
揺らして 揺らして
揺らして 揺らして
Sexy sexy (woo)

***

A mirage that lies beyond the twilight
I miss you, I miss you
I need you, I need you
Sexy sexy (woo)

Now, won't you come to my room?
I'll let you in on a secret
Even my heart was drenched on that scandalous night
And now time cannot be turned back
Come back, come back, come back

A mirage that lies beyond the passion
Shake it, now shake it
Shake it, now shake it
This feeling of pleasure is paradise

If we can meet where it burns the brightest
Shake it, now shake it
Shake it, now shake it
Sexy sexy (woo)

そう言えば

The phrase そう言えば can be used at the beginning of a sentence to mean something like "that reminds me", or "now I remember." The person saying it has been reminded of something, based on remarks from the other speaker in the conversation.

Ａ：今日、田中さん、クラス休んだね。
Ｂ：そう言えば、昨日、お腹が痛いって言ってたよ。病気かもしれないね。
A: Tanaka-san skipped class today.
B: That reminds me - yesterday, he said his stomach hurt. He might be sick.

Ａ：ねえ、あの人、どこかで見たことない？
Ｂ：そう言えば、昔、どこかで会ったことがあるような気がする。
A: Hey, have you seen that person somewhere before?
B: Now that you mention it, I have a feeling that I met them somewhere a long time ago.

リー：おい、キチンで猫がいるんだよな。
アリス：ええ、新しい猫だよ。そう言えば、昨日子猫を見つけたんだ。
Lee: Hey, there's a cat in the kitchen.
Alice: Yeah, it's our new cat. That reminds me, I found her kitten yesterday.

なかなか

The word なかなか is synonymous with 結構, which we just learned in our last lesson, and can be used with other adverbs or adjectives to add the meaning "pretty" or "fairly." The difference between the two is that なかなか is not used with words that have negative meanings, such as つまらない.

この携帯電話のコマーシャルはなかなか面白い。犬が話すのがとてもかわいい。
This cell phone commercial is pretty funny. The talking dog is really cute.

この間の旅行はなかなか楽しかった。泊まったホテルもなかなかよかったし、料理も結構美味しかった。
Our trip from the other day was pretty fun. The hotel we stayed at was nice, and the food was pretty good too.

夕べデートした女はなかなかかわいいけど、だらしないそうだったんだよ。
The woman you went on a date with last night is pretty cute, but I heard she's slutty.

私は絵を描くのは得意じゃないけれど、これはなかなか上手に描けたと思う。
I'm not good at drawing, but I think I was able to draw this pretty well.

結構

The word 結構 can be used to mean "pretty", "fairly", or "rather." It means that the degree of something is higher than average, but not extraordinarily so.

この辞書のサイトは結構便利なので、よく使う。
This dictionary's site is pretty useful, so I use it a lot.

この新入生は結構かわいいけど、ちょっと不器用みたいんだな。
The new girl is pretty cute, but she also looks kind of clumsy.

子供は５歳ぐらいになれば、一人で結構何でも出来るようになる。
Once a child reaches about 5 years old, they can do pretty much anything on their own.

マクドナルドの食べ物は結構美味しいけど、バーガーキングが好きだよ。
McDonald's food is pretty good, but I prefer Burger King.

でよければ

The phrase でよければ can be used to express something like "if X is alright/acceptable" or "if you don't mind." It can also be used to politely offer something to the listener.

今日は忙しいけど、来週の日曜日でよければ、一緒に行けるよ。
I'm busy today, but if Sunday next week is okay with you, we can go together.

ピザでよければ、セーサルスで食べるもいいですか？
If you're okay with pizza, is it alright to eat at Caesar's, then?

何もないんだけど、コーヒーでよければ、すぐ入られるよ。飲む？
I don't have anything, but if coffee is alright, I can make some now. Want some?

明日はアリスの家に行くとき、金曜日でよければと聞いてくれ。
When you go over to Alice's tomorrow, ask her if she's okay with Friday.

わけ

The word わけ, which generally means "reason", can be used in a few scenarios. First, the speaker can use it to provide a reason for a statement they've made. Second, the speaker can use it when they've reached a logical conclusion based on what they've just learned. Third, the speaker can use it when expressing they understand the reason behind something they've just heard or discovered.

あっ、ヒーターが止まっている。寒いわけだ。
Ah, the heater is stopped. No wonder it's cold.

Ａ：スミスさんは日本に２０年も住んでいたんですよ。
Ｂ：なるほど、それで日本語がとても上手なわけですね。
A: Smith-san has lived in Japan for 20 years.
B: Ah, so that's why his Japanese is so good.

東京は電車や地下鉄やバスが便利な街なので、車がなくても生活できるというわけです。
Tokyo is a convenient city with trains, subway, and buses, so that's why they say that you can live there even if you don't have a car.

先週リーさんのお母さんが亡くなってしまった。今朝は話さなかったわけだね。
Lee-san's mom passed away last week. So that's why he didn't talk this morning.

真 + Adjective/Noun

The prefix 真 can be used with the stem of an adjective to express that "the degree of something is very high or at the highest level." For example, 真っ赤 means bright or deep red, due to the 真 prefix affecting 赤 and taking it to the extreme.

Tobira states that 真 + a noun "indicates the center of a space or time span." However, looking at the examples they give, I don't think this is a great definition. I think it's best to think of it as an intensifier, and learn the words generally used with it individually. For example, 真っすぐ means straight/dead ahead. 真下 means right under or just below.

橋の上から真下にある川を見ると、とても怖い。
Seeing the river just below the top of the bridge is really scary.

私は帰ってくる間に、道で真っ赤の血を見つけたんだ。
While I was coming home, I found deep red blood on the road.

夕べ隣の人が真夜中までパーティーをしていてうるさかったので、全然寝られなかった。
Last night the neighbor was noisy and had a party going until midnight, so I couldn't sleep at all.

真夜中に起きたけど、部屋で真っ黒で怖かった。
I woke up in the middle of the night - my room was pitch black, and it was scary.

ばかり

The word ばかり has a variety of uses, and one of them is to express the idea that someone does one thing all the time, and does nothing but that particular activity. For example, "Alex does nothing but play soccer."

Its placement depends on the type of sentence. With a noun + verb construct, it can replace the particle there (such as を). With する verbs, the pattern would be the verbal noun + ばかり + する. It can also be placed directly after the て form of a verb (before the いる) to express something ongoing.

弟は肉ばかり食べて、野菜や果物は全然食べようとしません。
My little brother eats nothing but meat, and he never tries to eat fruits or vegetables.

リーさんは日々部屋でテレビばかり見て、悩み始めてるんだけど。
Lee-san does nothing but watch TV in his room day after day, and I'm beginning to worry.

赤ちゃんが泣いてばかりいるので、母親になったばかりの洋子さんはとても困っている。
Since the baby does nothing but cry, Youko-san, who just became a mother, is very troubled.

毎日勉強ばかりしたいけど、お母さんは外でもっと遊ぶの方がいいってんだな。
I want to do nothing but study every day, but my mom says I should play outside more.

Verb stem + 続ける

A verb stem + 続ける can be used to describe an action that continues to occur. Tobira states that it's used when the subject continues volitionally.

外国語が上手になりたかったら、あきらめないで毎日勉強し続けることが大切です。
If you want become skilled in a foreign language, it's important to not give up, and to continue to study every day.

子供は寒かったのに、友達と外で遊び続けた。
Even though the child was cold,  he continued to play outside with his friend.

赤ちゃんが朝まで泣き続けたので、お母さんは全然寝られなかった。
Because the baby continued to cry until morning, the mother couldn't sleep at all.

スバル君はお腹が空いたから、月光の下に血を吸い続けてた。
Subaru-kun was hungry, so he continued to suck blood beneath the moonlight.

らしい

らしい is an i-adjective that can be added to words to express conjecture, based on what you've learned through another source or through observation. It can be translated as "I heard that", "apparently", or "it seems like."

昨日、日本で大きい地震があったらしいですね。田中さんのご家族は大丈夫でしょか。
I heard that there was a big earthquake in Japan yesterday. I wonder if Tanaka-san's family is okay?

来年はリーさんとアリスが結婚するつもりらしいんだよ。
Apparently Lee-san and Alice are going to get married next year.

先輩によると、あの先生の授業は大変らしい。
According to senpai, that teacher's class is tough.

アヤトによると、あの新入生は優しくなくてかわいくないらしいんだよね。
According to Ayato, the new student doesn't seem nice or cute.

それぞれ

The word それぞれ can be used to provide the meaning "each" or "in one's own way." It's intended to focus on each individual or thing within a group.

学校が終わって、子供達はそれぞれ自分の家に帰って行った。
School ended, and the children each went to their own home.

それぞれフォーマットやデータプロトコルが違い、コンテンツの処理方法も異なっていた。
Each one had its own formats, data protocols, and different ways of dealing with content.
(Example found here)

それぞれの国には、それぞれの文化や習慣がある。
Each and every country has its own culture and customs.

ここはセルフサービスですから、それぞれ自分の好きな食べ物を取って食べて下さい。
Since it's self service here, take the food you like and eat it as you want.

These translations are awkward since we often don't word these statements in such a way, but I've done my best to make them natural while still conveying the original idea.

Noun も Verb ば, Noun も Verb

Well, that title contains a painful grammar pattern. I wonder if people are able to instantly recognize what that's referencing. Anyway, Tobira states that the pattern [Noun も Verb ば, Noun も Verb] is used: "to present some members in a group, things in a category, actions someone takes, characteristics of something/someone, etc., among others."

That's a bit of a mouthful. But the usage of this grammar often translates as one of the following: "some do ~ and others do ~", "something ~ and also ~ among other things", "sometimes ~, and other times ~", "~ and ~ as well."

It's important to note that the conditional ば form of the verb here does not actually translate as "if" or anything similar.

寿司が好きな人もいれば、嫌いな人もいます。
Some people like sushi, and some people hate it.

この教科書は、会話も練習できれば、文化も学べます。
With this textbook, you can practice conversation, and also study culture.

このリゾートはきれいな海で泳ぐことも出来れば、山にハイキングに行くことも出来る。
At this resort you can swim in the beautiful sea, and also go hiking in the mountains.

田中先生の研究室には、百年以上前の辞書もあれば、最近の映画のＤＶＤもある。
In Tanaka sensei's office, there's a dictionary from over a hundred years ago, and also the latest English DVDs.

そんな / こんな / あんな

The words そんな, こんな, and あんな are equivalent in meaning to そういう, こういう, ああいう, although they are also more colloquial. They mean "this kind of" and "that kind of" respectively.

絶対に怒らない人がいるのだろうか。私は絶対にそんな人はいないと思う。
I wonder if there are people who never get angry. I definitely don't think I'm that kind of person.

あんなテストは難しすぎるだなあ。合格しなかったら、怒ってるんだよね。
That kind of test is way too difficult. If I don't pass, I'm going to be angry.

田中さんが昨日着ていたような、あんなシャツが欲しいなあ。
I want a shirt like that one that Tanaka-san was wearing yesterday.

こんなセリアルはヘルシーだそうだよ。
I hear that this kind of cereal is healthy for you.

のだろうか

A sentence + のだろうか is a self-addressed question, which can often be translated as "I wonder..." The question can be either yes/no or a wh-question.

漢字を練習する時いつも、どうしてこんなにたくさん漢字があるのだろうかと思う。
Whenever I study kanji, I always wonder, why are there so many kanji?

血があると、どうしてアヤトがわくわくなってるのだろうか？
Why does Ayato get so excited whenever there's blood?

なぜ彼は私のことを愛してくれないのだろうか。私は彼がこんなに好きなのに。
Why doesn't he love me? Even though I like him so much.

明日スバル君とデートするなら、カナトがアングリーになっているのだろうか。
I wonder if Kanato will be angry if I go on a date with Subaru-kun tomorrow.

ように + 願う / 祈る

A plain, non-past sentence + ように (と) 願う or 祈る can be used to express "I hope that..." or "I pray that", respectively. The と is optional. I'm going to use all of Tobira's sentences here because I initially had trouble with a couple of them and want to have them to demonstrate their grammar points.

子供達が幸せな人生が送れるようにと願っています。
I hope that the kids can live a happy life.

多くの人々が早く世界が平和になるように願っている。
Many people hope that the world will become peaceful soon.

弟が大学の入学試験に合格できるようにと毎日祈っています。
Every day I pray that my little brother can pass his college entrance exams.

毎年お正月に神社に行って、今年も大きな病気をしないように神様に祈ることにしている。
Every New Year's I go to a Shinto shrine, and this year I decided to pray to god that I don't get a major illness.

に気がつく

The phrase に気がつく can be used after a noun or an entire sentence to express that you have noticed or realized something. If a sentence is used, it must be nominalized with こと beforehand.

家に帰って初めてかばんの中の財布がなくなっていることに気がついた。
It was only after I returned home that I realized that my wallet was missing from my bag.

食料品に店に買いに行くあとで、お金がなかったことに気がついてしまった。
After going to the store to get groceries, I realized that I didn't have any money.

引っ越す前は、アパートの前の道がこんなにうるさいことに気がつかなかった。
Before moving, I didn't realize that the street in front of my apartment was this noisy.

今日学校に行った時に、レイジはいなかったことに気がついた。
When I went to school today, I noticed that Reiji wasn't there.