Thursday, April 26, 2018

まま

The word まま can be used in a sentence alongside nouns, verbs, and adjectives to express that the state of X remains unchanged, or that someone does something without changing X's state. Its exact translation is pretty heavily context dependent.

あのまま日本に残っていたら、もっと日本語が上手になっただろう。
If I had stayed in Japan as I was, I wonder if my Japanese would have gotten better.

このお菓子は、冷たいまま食べるより、電子レンジで温めた方がおいしく食べられますよ。
You can enjoy this candy more if you heat it up with an electric range, rather than eating it while still cold.

疲れていたので、電気をつけたまま寝てしまった。ネクタイもしたままだった。
Since I was sick, I went to sleep with the lights still on. My tie was still in place, too.

日本の家には、靴を履いたまま入ってはいけないということを知っていましたか。
Did you know that with Japanese houses, you must not enter them while still wearing your shoes?

ずっと

The word ずっと can be used to express that a state or action is ongoing or continuing in some state from one point in time to another. It often translates as "all the time", "all along", "throughout", or "ever since."

何年も前からずっと戦争が続いている。いったいいつ終わるだろうか。
War continues even through all these years. When on earth will it end?

リーさんは子供の時からずっとピアノをひくことが出来てるよな。
Lee-san has been able to play the piano all along, ever since he was a child.

私は彼のことが小学校の時からずっと好きだったんです。
I've liked him all along, ever since we were in elementary school.

夕べからずっと雪が降ってるんだな。
It's been snowing ever since last night.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

でもある

The structure X は Y でもある can be used to describe an additional property or trait that X has, where X has multiple such properties.

私と弟は年は3歳違うが、同じ日に生まれたので、今日は私の誕生日でもあり、弟の誕生日でもある。
My little brother and I are three years apart, but since we were born on the same day, today is my birthday, and also his birthday.

モールに行った時に、 プレッツェルのスタンドがあって、たくさんのセールでもあったんだ。
When I went to the mall, there were pretzel stands, and also lots of sales.

私が住んでいるアパートは周りが静かなだけでなく安全でもあるので、学生に人気がある。
The area around the apartment that I live in is not only quiet, but also safe, so it's popular with students.

結婚式では、たくさんの舞があった、美味しい食べ物でもあったんだよね。
At the wedding, there was a lot of dancing, and also a lot of delicious food.

さ(あ)

The word さ or its elongated form さあ can be used after phrases or entire sentences to catch the listener's attention. However, it can also be used as a filler word to give pause or provide a "you know" or "like" meaning.

A: あれっ、その足、どうしたの。
B: 実はさあ、昨日、階段でころんじゃってさあ、骨、折っちゃったんだよ。
A: Hey, what happened to your leg?
B: To tell you the truth, yesterday I fell down the stairs and fractured a bone.

おい、夕べ徹夜しちゃったんだからさあ、今朝は食べたくて寝たいんだな。
Hey, I was up all last night, so this morning I want to eat and sleep.

キムさんってさあ、フランス語がぺらぺらなんだけど、日本語も上手なんだってさ。すごいね。
Kim-san is fluent in French, but her Japanese is good too. It's amazing.

チキンかステーキはさ、どっちのほうがいいのが分からない。
Chicken or steak - I'm not sure which one's better.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

こそ

The particle こそ can be used to add emphasis to the previous word or phrase. It replaces the particles は, が, and を. It translates widely depending on context, but can often be read as "this is the X", "definitely", "only", or "it is X that..."

今年こそ日本に留学したいと思っている。
I think this is the year that I want to study abroad in Japan.

不動産屋に昨日見たアパートこそ買いたいんだと言ってたんだよ。
I told my real estate agent that the apartment I saw yesterday is definitely the one I want to buy.

サッカーの面白さはテレビで見ているだけでは分からない。スタジアムに行って実際に見てこそ本当の面白さが分かるのだ。
I don't understand the interest in just watching soccer on TV. I do understand the interest in going to the stadium and actually watching there.

結婚式でデザートはケーキとクッキーこそ欲しいんだな。
At our wedding, for desert I definitely want cake and cookies.

Verb stem + 込む

A verb stem + 込む can be used to mean a number of things. In general it tends to intensify the meaning or further express what is occurring with the original verb - to be deeply, thoroughly, or completely doing something. It can also express putting something into something else, or getting into something. It's best to learn the verbs individually and understand the meaning via context.

大きい音に驚いて、ガムを飲み込んでしまった。
I was surprised by a loud noise and ended up swallowing my gum.

日本の電車のアナウンスでは、よく「かけ込み乗車はおやめ下さい」という。
Japanese train announcements often say "Please do not rush aboard."

昨日は、久しぶりに会った友達と一晩中話し込んで、徹夜してしまった。
Yesterday in the evening I was deep in talk with a friend I hadn't met in awhile, and I ended up staying up all night.

自分は絶対に正しいと思い込んでいる人とは、あまり話したくない。
I don't really care to talk with people who are convinced that they are absolutely always right.

Monday, April 23, 2018

なし

なし can be added to words as a suffix to mean "without." It's used with で to modify verbs, with の to modify nouns, and with だ to form a predicate.

今はもうコンピュータなしの生活は考えられない。
Now, life without a computer is unimaginable.

犬と猫なしのリーさんはすごく悲しいよなぁ。
Lee-san without his cats and dogs is very sad.

あのレストランは週末は混んでいるけど、今日は水曜日だから、予約なしでも大丈夫だろう。
That restaurant is crowded on weekends, but since today is Wednesday, we'll probably be okay even without a reservation.

ヒントなしでBlue's Cluesのゲームをされるようになりたいんだよね。
I want to get to where I can do a game of Blue's Clues without any hints.

ことから

The phrase ことから can be used to express the reasoning for something. It often translates as "because" or "from the fact that..."

エコカーは空気を汚さず、ガソリン代もあまりかからないことから、環境にやさしい車だと言える。
Since eco cars don't pollute the atmosphere and don't take very much in gas, it's said that they're a good car for the environment.

どんな所にでも自動販売機が置いてあることから、日本は犯罪が少ない安全な国だと言う人もいる。
There are people who say that Japan has little crime and is a safe country, based on the fact that there are vending machines placed no matter where you are.

土の中から魚の骨や貝などが出てきたことから、ここは大昔、海だったということが分かった。
Because things like fish bones and shells turned up in the earth here, they've discovered that it used to be ocean long ago.

リーさんは野菜が好きじゃなくて果物だけ食べてることから、誕生日にりんごの木を贈ってあげるのが決めてたんだ。
Because Lee-san doesn't like vegetables and only eats fruits, for his birthday I've decided to get him an apple tree.

Friday, April 20, 2018

生かす

The verb 生かす literally means "to keep alive", but it is also commonly used to mean "to make the most of", "to make the best use of", or "to use effectively." This is often used in reference to skills, an experience, or other things like the property of an object.

将来は自分の能力を生かすことが出来る会社で働きたい。
In the future I want to work at a company where I can make the most of my abilities.

日本人は、「サービスが第一」という考え方を、ビジネスの様々なところで生かしている。
Japanese people utilize the notion of "service first" in various aspects of business.

プラスチックが持つ様々な特長は、多くの製品の中で生かされている。
The various merits of plastic have been utilized in many products.

日本に留学した経験を生かして、大学の留学アドバイザーになるつまりだ。
I plan to make the most of my experience studying abroad in Japan and become a university adviser in foreign studies.

考えられない

The i-adjective 考えられない can be used to express that something is unimaginable, unthinkable, or inconceivable.

漢字が800も書けるようになるなんて、日本語の勉強を始めた時には考えられなった。
Getting to the point where I could write 800 kanji was something inconceivable when I began studying Japanese.

アヤトは彼女の血の美味しさが考えられないって言ってた。
Ayato said that the taste of her blood is unimaginable.

将来、誰でも宇宙旅行が出来るようになるということは、考えられないことではありません。
In the future, the notion getting to where anyone can to take a trip to outer space isn't something that's unthinkable.

リーさんの中国と日本の歴史の知識は考えられないんだな。
Lee-san's knowledge of Chinese and Japanese history is inconceivable.

Thursday, April 19, 2018

関する

The expression 関する literally means "related to", but it's often used in the same sense as について to modify nouns and verbs with a similar "concerning" or "regarding" meaning. It's also more common in spoken language.

この大学の図書館には、アジア経済に関する本がたくさんあります。
At this university's library, there are lots of books regarding Asian economics.

ウィキペディアのこの人物に関する情報は正しくないようだ。
Wikipedia's information regarding those figures seems to be incorrect.

コンピュータの知識に関しては、彼が一番だと思う。
When it comes to knowledge concerning computers, I think he's the best.

このサイトはとても役に立つけれど、セキュリティに関しては、問題が多い。
This site is really useful, but there are a lot of problems with regards to the security.

第一

The word 第一 can be used with the particles の or に to modify nouns or verbs. It's generally translated as "first", "first of all", or "to begin with."

試験に合格できた第一の理由は、覚えた言葉や漢字が全部試験に出たことだ。
The number one reason I was able to pass the test is that all the words and kanji that I studied appeared on the test.

リーさんは猫と犬の健康が第一だと言ってたんだ。
Lee-san said that the health of his cat and dog comes first.

彼女の第一印象は悪かったのに、なぜか私と彼女はとてもいい友達になった。
Even though my first impression of her was bad, somehow her and I became really good friends.

週末時に、いつも第一に食べる食べ物はラーメンとお菓子だよね。
When it's the weekend, the first food that I eat is always ramen and sweets.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

とされている

The phrase とされている can be used after making a statement to express that it is something generally thought, believed, or considered to be true.

昔はいいとされていたことが今はよくないとされていることがある。タバコはその一つだ。
There are things that were considered good long ago that are now considered bad. Tobacco is one of those things.

吸血鬼が悪いとされているけど、会った吸血鬼は優しいね。
Vampires are believed to be bad, but the vampires I've met are kind.

この絵はモネによって描かれたとされているが、絵の中にモネのサインは入っていない。
It's thought that this painting was painted by Monet, but his signature isn't there in the painting.

ダイヤモンドは希少だとされているけど、調査によると、そうじゃないの。
It's believed that diamond is rare, but according to the investigation, that's not the case.

いったい

The word いったい alongside a question word can be used to intensify whatever you're expressing or asking about. It often translates as something like "[what] on earth."

そんなにやせてしまって、いったいどうしたの?
How on earth did you lose so much weight?

いったいどうしてリーさんにおうむをあげたんだ?
Why the heck did you give Lee-san a parrot?

会議が始まってからもう3時間以上経っている。いったいいつ終わるのだろうか?
It's already been over three hours since the conference began. When on earth is it going to end?

いったいどこに私の靴を置いたんだな?
Where the heck did you put my shoes?

Friday, April 13, 2018

同士

The word 同士 can be used after a noun to express that X nouns do something together, or to/for/with/against one another. How wonderfully vague!

このサイトでは、iPodのユーザー同士が意見を交換し合うことが出来ます。
On this site, you can exchange opinions together amongst other iPod users.

お盆には毎年兄弟同士で集まって、両親の墓参りに行くことになっている。
Every year at the Festival of the Dead, siblings gather together and go visit their parents' graves.

次の試合は、強いチーム同士の戦いになるから、どちらが勝つかまったく分からない。
The next match will be strong teams competing against one another, so I'm not entirely sure which one will win.

子供同士のけんかが原因で、親同士の関係も悪くなってしまった。
Because of the kids fighting with one another, the parents' relationship with one another worsened.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

まったく

The word まったく can have different meanings depending on how it's used in a sentence. In affirmative sentences, it's used to add emphasis, as in "totally", "completely", "entirely", or "extremely." In negative sentences, it's used to indicate complete negation, as in "not at all." In the construct まったく~わけじゃない, it's used for partial negation, as in "it's not that it's completely..."

このレポートはまったくだめだ。もう一度、書き直した方がいいと思う。
This report is completely awful. I think you should rewrite it again.

このカレーは辛すぎて、まったく食べられない。
This curry is too spicy, I can't eat it at all.

あの映画はまったく面白くなかった。時間のムダだった。
That movie wasn't interesting at all. It was a waste of time.

その人のことをまったく知らないというわけではないが、あまり話したことはない。
It's not that I completely don't know that person, but we haven't talked very much.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

おそらく

The word おそらく means "probably", and often occurs in a sentence alongside the words でしょう and だろう.

おそらく来年は、日本に行けるだろう。
I can probably go to Japan next year.

宗教の問題が解決しない限り、おそらくこの戦争は終わらないだろう。
If we don't resolve these religious problems, this war is probably not going to end.

今度、隣の土地に新しいビルが建つので、おそらくうるさくなるでしょう。
There's a new building being built on my neighbor's land soon, so it's probably going to get noisy.

まったく同じ絵を美術館で見たことがあるから、この絵はおそらく偽者でしょう。
I've seen that exact painting at an art museum before, so this one is probably a fake.

と並んで

The phrase と並んで can be used to provide examples to compare to the main subject of a sentence. It's usually seen in written language and is often translated as "as well as" or "just like."

アラビア語は、日本語やロシア語と並んで難しい言葉だと言われている。
Arabic is a language that's said to be difficult, just like Japanese and Russian.

リーさんは、彼女と並んで、優しい人だよね。
Lee-san, along with his girlfriend, are nice people.

この大学のビジネス学部は、医学部と並んで入るのが難しいらしい。
This university's business department seems to be difficult to get into, just like medical school.

作ったケーキは、野菜や果物と並んで、このパーティーに美味しい食べ物だな。
The cake that I made, as well as the fruits and vegetables, will be delicious foods for this party.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Noun の上で

A noun + の上で, or a noun + の上 can be used to indicate that a statement only refers to that particular noun. It's common in written language and generally translates as "in terms of", "from the viewpoint of", "as far as", or "according to."

日本の国土は狭そうに思われているが、数字の上で見ると、そうでもない。
Japan's national land is thought of as small, but when you look at it from a numeric perspective, that's not the case.

この公園は地区の上では家から近いように見えるが、歩くと結構時間がかかる。
According to the map, this park looks like it's close to home, but when walking it takes a fair bit of time.

田中さんは、健康上の問題があって、仕事を辞めた。
Tanaka-san had health problems, so he quit work.

日本の歴史上、明治維新は大きい意味を持っている。
In terms of Japanese history, the Meiji Restoration holds great significance.

Monday, April 9, 2018

からすると

The phrase からすると is typically used after a noun or noun phrase to introduce the source or basis for one's judgment. It generally translates as "judging from..."

キッチンから流れてくるにおいからすると、今日の晩ご飯はカレーライスかなあ。
Judging by the smell coming from the kitchen, I wonder if tonight's dinner is curry rice.

リーさんの顔からすると、日曜日に試合でチームは敗れちゃったんだな。
Judging by Lee-san's face, his team was defeated in the match on Sunday.

この内容からすると、このマンガは子供向けではなく、大人向けのマンガだろう。
Judging by the contents, this manga probably isn't aimed at kids, but is aimed at adults.

猫のお腹からすると、焼き鳥をたくさん食べたばかりよね。
Judging by the cat's stomach, he just ate a bunch of the roast chicken.

べき

A plain verb + べき can be used to express the strong judgment that someone should do something. If a する verb is used, it can be written as either すべき or するべき. The べき portion can be conjugated to the negative or past with じゃない and だった as if it were a normal noun.

自分で出来ることは、自分ですべきだ。
You should do things that you can do on your own, on your own.

電車の中や病院などでは、携帯電話を使うべきではない。
In things like trains and hospitals, you shouldn't use your phone.

彼は彼女と結婚するべきではなかったと思う。
I don't think that he should've married her.

するべきことが多すぎて、時間はいくらあっても足りない。
I have too many things I should do, and not enough time.

Friday, April 6, 2018

に至るまで

The sentence structure Noun1 + から Noun2 + に至るまで can be used to indicate a span of time or space, while emphasizing the size or distance of it. It can be translated as "from X all the way to Y" and is generally used in writing.

北海道から沖縄に至るまで、同じ時間に同じNHKニュースが見られます。
From Hokkaido all the way to Okinawa, you can watch the same NHK news at the same time.

私の家からリーさんの家に至るまで、ガソリンスタンドがないんだな。
From my house all the way to Lee-san's, there is no gas station.

このゲームは子供から大人に至るまで、誰でも楽しめます。
From kids all the way to adults, anyone can enjoy this game.

スバル君はここから海岸に至るまで、砂だけだと言ってたんだよね。
Subaru-kun said that from here all the way to the coast, there is only sand.

~ずつ

A number or amount + ずつ can be used to express that something happens X at a time, or per X interval, or little by little.

私は毎日漢字を五つずつ覚えることにしている。
I make it a practice to learn five kanji every day.

みんなが同時に話さないで、一人ずつ順番に話して下さい。
Without everyone speaking at the same time, please speak in turns, one at a time.

「とびら」サイトを利用する人が毎日少しずつ増えている。
The amount of people using the Tobira site increases a little each day.

ホテルのビュッフェで色々な種類の料理をちょっとずつ食べてみた。
At the hotel buffet, I tried the variety of food little by little.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

と共に

The phrase と共に (とともに) can be used to express that something occurs or is done alongside X. It generally translates as "together", "with", or "along with."

地震と共に、火事やつなみが起こった。
Along with the earthquake, fires and a tsunami occurred.

両親が亡くなった後、私は兄と共に二人で助け合って生きてきました。
After our parents died, my brother and I helped one another to continue living.

言葉は時代と共に変化する。
Language changes together with the time period.

コンピュータの普及と共に、Eメールを使う人が増えた。
With the spread of computers, people who use email increased.

The suffix 風 (read as ふう) can be added to nouns to say "X style/type" or "looks like X." Nouns become no-adjectives when they're in this state.

このさむらい風の人形は、いくらですか。
How much is this samurai-style doll?

デパートでアリスはねこ風のを買ったんだ。
At the department store, Alice bought a kitty-style backpack.

A: 今、誰かここに来ませんでしたか。
B: ええ、ちょっと前にサラリーマン風の人が来ました。
A: Hasn't anyone come here yet?
B: Yes, a salaryman-looking person came a little while ago.

リーさんは洋風のレストランが好きだと言ってたんだよ。
Lee-san said he preferred Western-style restaurants.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

ばかりでなく

The structure X + ばかりでなく + Y can be used to mean "not only X but also Y." It's rather similar to another structure we learned, which used だけ instead of ばかり. It's typically used in written language.

一生懸命勉強したら、日本語が上手になったばかりでなく、成績もよくなった。
When I studied Japanese as hard as I could, not only did my Japanese get good, but my grades improved as well.

リーさんはかっこいいばかりでなく、お金持ちだよね。
Lee-san is not only handsome, but also rich. (I'm having flashbacks here)

京都には日本国内からばかりでなく、世界中から観光客が来る。
Tourists come to Kyoto not only from inside Japan, but also from around the world.

お祭りに行った時、たこ焼きばかりでなく、焼き鳥も食べたんだ。
When we went to the festival, we ate not only takoyaki, but also yakitori.

The word 各 can be used as a prefix to mean "each" when paired with its noun. If the noun following it is not known, then its meaning is closer to "various" instead.

各学年から選ばれた学生が、スピーチコンテストに出ることになった。
Students selected from each grade will participate in a speech contest.

リーさんは各子に花をあげたんだよね。
Lee-san gave flowers to every girl.

アメリカでは、お酒が飲める年齢についての規制は、各州でそれぞれ違う。
In America, laws regarding the age at which you can drink alcohol differ in each state.

公園に行った時、怖そうかな。だから、各子供が逃げてたんだな。
When I went to the park, I wonder if I seemed scary, because every kid ran away.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

で言うと

The phrase で言うと can be used to relate something to a different system or framework, as Tobira says. Examples include a different unit of measurement (in to cm), different languages, or different types of calendars. It often reads as "in terms of", "according to", or "from the viewpoint of."

今の気温は華氏で50度だから、摂氏で言うと10度ぐらいだ。
The current temperature in Fahrenheit is 50 degrees, so in Celsius it's about 10 degrees.

西暦2000年は平成で言うと平成12年に当たります。
The year 2000 AD in terms of Heisei would equate to 12 Heisei.

僕の身長は6フィート、メートル法で言うと約180センチだ。
I'm 6 feet tall, and according to the metric system that would be 180 centimeters.

病気の人に言う「お大事に」という表現は、英語で言うと "Please take care." に当たります。
The expression 「お大事に」that you say to sick people is equivalent to "Please take care" in terms of English.

~からにかけて

The structure Noun 1 + から Noun 2 + にかけて is often used in writing to indicate a span of time or space. It's generally translated as "from Noun 1 to Noun 2."

年末から年始にかけて、ヨーロッパを旅行しました。
From the end of the year to the beginning of the year, I traveled Europe.

学校からリーさんの家にかけて、アパートも十軒あるんだな。
From the school to Lee-san's house, there's as many as ten apartment buildings.

ここから隣の町にかけて、スーパーやレストランが並んでいるので、道がとても混む。
Since supermarkets and restaurants line the area from here to the next town over, the streets are very crowded.

今から永遠にかけて、いつもきみを愛してるよ。
I'll always love you, from now to eternity.

Monday, April 2, 2018

を通して

The phrase X を通して can be used to express that something is done or something occurs through or via the medium of X. In general, X can be any type of noun.

彼が私を好きだということは、彼の友達を通して聞いた。とても嬉しかった。
I heard that he likes me through a friend of his. I was so happy.

インターネットを通して、夫を会ったんだよ。
I met my husband via the internet.

コンピュータウイルスは、インターネットやメールだけでなく、DVDやCDを通して入ることがあるので、気をつけて下さい。
Since you can get computer viruses not only through the internet and email, but also DVD's and CD's, please be careful.

同僚を通して、リーさんは仕事を辞めてると聞いたけど、誰にも教えてはいけないね。
I heard via a co-worker that Lee-san is quitting his job, but you can't tell anyone.

少なくない

The word 少なくない is a double negative from the original word 少ない. It generally means "many", "much", "plenty of", or "not a few." It cannot be used to directly modify nouns.

給料は少なくないのに、あまり貯金が出来ないのはどうしてだろうか。
I wonder why I can't save very much money, even though I have a good salary.

この学校でバカ学生は少なくないから、仲良くしにくいんだな。
Since there are so many stupid students at this school, it's hard to make friends.

日本に住んでいた時は地震が少なくなかったから、本棚のそばには寝ないようにしていた。
When I was living in Japan there were a lot of earthquakes, so I made sure not to sleep next to bookshelves.

友達は好きなホラーの映画は少なくないけど、ロマンチックの映画は嫌いんだ。
There are plenty of horror movies that my friend loves, but he hates romantic movies.