There are commonly contracted forms that are used in casual speech in Japanese. I'm familiar with several of them, but Tobira listed a couple that I haven't seen as frequently, or that I haven't seen altogether.
ておく = とく
てあげる = たげる
ておいてあげる = といたげる
友達を空港まで送ったげなきゃいけないから、明日は、早く起きなくちゃ。
I've gotta take my friend to the airport, so I've gotta wake up early tomorrow.
先生の言ったこと、ノートに書いとかないと、忘れちゃうよ。
If I don't write down what the teacher says in my notebook, I forget.
飲み物、買っといたから、何も持って来なくていいよ。
I bought some drinks, so you don't gotta bring anything.
私も宿題を出しに行かなくちゃ行けないから、マイクの宿題も出しといたげる。
Since I've gotta go turn in my homework, I'll turn in Mike's for him too.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Friday, February 9, 2018
くせに
The word くせに can be used similarly to のに to express things like "even though", "in spite of", "and yet", and "although." It's a stronger word and tends to express frustration or disagreement with the situation. It can only be used in sentences that maintain the same subject throughout them - not in sentences where the subject changes after the くせに portion.
兄は自分で料理しないくせに、いつも私の作ったものに文句を言う。
My older brother doesn't cook for himself, and yet he always complains about the things I make.
リーさんは数学がきらいってくせに、クラスのあとで数学のクラブに行くんだよ。
Lee-san says he hates math, and yet after class he goes to the math club.
姉は怖くて夜眠れなくなるくせに、ホラムービーばかり見ている。
My older sister is scared and can't sleep at night, and yet horror movies are all she watches.
クリスはお金がないってくせに、この間新しいパソコンを買ってしまったんだ。
Chris says he has no money, and yet the other day he bought a new PC.
兄は自分で料理しないくせに、いつも私の作ったものに文句を言う。
My older brother doesn't cook for himself, and yet he always complains about the things I make.
リーさんは数学がきらいってくせに、クラスのあとで数学のクラブに行くんだよ。
Lee-san says he hates math, and yet after class he goes to the math club.
姉は怖くて夜眠れなくなるくせに、ホラムービーばかり見ている。
My older sister is scared and can't sleep at night, and yet horror movies are all she watches.
クリスはお金がないってくせに、この間新しいパソコンを買ってしまったんだ。
Chris says he has no money, and yet the other day he bought a new PC.
Noun + Onomatopoeia + する
We use onomatopoeia so little in English, but they're painfully prevalent in everyday Japanese language. I say painfully because they're extremely difficult to memorize, seeing as many of them have nothing that would clue you in to the meaning, other than obvious ones like どきどき.
Anyway, a noun が + onomatopoeia + する can be used to describe your physical/psychological state, or the way something looks or feels. It basically translates to "is" with the onomatopoeia being an equivalent adjective or verb in English.
机がガタガタして、書きにくい。
The desk is rickety, so it's difficult to write.
アヤト見ると、心がドキドキする。
Whenever I see Ayato, my heart races.
歯がシクシクする。歯医者に行かなきゃなんないけど、いやだなあ。
My tooth is throbbing. I've gotta go to the dentist, but it suuucks.
シュウの目がキラキラして、きれいだね。
Shuu's eyes are glittering, they're so beautiful.
Anyway, a noun が + onomatopoeia + する can be used to describe your physical/psychological state, or the way something looks or feels. It basically translates to "is" with the onomatopoeia being an equivalent adjective or verb in English.
机がガタガタして、書きにくい。
The desk is rickety, so it's difficult to write.
アヤト見ると、心がドキドキする。
Whenever I see Ayato, my heart races.
歯がシクシクする。歯医者に行かなきゃなんないけど、いやだなあ。
My tooth is throbbing. I've gotta go to the dentist, but it suuucks.
シュウの目がキラキラして、きれいだね。
Shuu's eyes are glittering, they're so beautiful.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
としたら
A sentence + とする can be used to present a situation translated roughly as "Suppose that..." So if we take a sentence + としたら (which is する in its "if" form), it translates as "If we suppose that..." It can be used for presenting hypothetical scenarios. To make it even clearer that the situation is hypothetical, you can add もし to the beginning of the sentence.
もしタイムマシーンがあるとしたら、どの時代に行って、誰に会ってみたいですか？
If you had a time machine, what time period would you go to, and who would you want to meet?
動物になるとしたら、一日中に寝たいから、猫になりたいんだよ。
If I were to become an animal, I'd want to sleep all day, so I'd want to be a cat.
これらの辞書の中で、もしどれか一つを選ぶとしたら、やはり電子辞書にするだろう。
Of these dictionaries, if I were to choose one, I would probably go with the electronic one.
トムの彼女は優しくない人から、別れるとしたら、私はうれしくになるよね。
Tom's girlfriend is not a nice person, so if they were to break up, I would be happy.
もしタイムマシーンがあるとしたら、どの時代に行って、誰に会ってみたいですか？
If you had a time machine, what time period would you go to, and who would you want to meet?
動物になるとしたら、一日中に寝たいから、猫になりたいんだよ。
If I were to become an animal, I'd want to sleep all day, so I'd want to be a cat.
これらの辞書の中で、もしどれか一つを選ぶとしたら、やはり電子辞書にするだろう。
Of these dictionaries, if I were to choose one, I would probably go with the electronic one.
トムの彼女は優しくない人から、別れるとしたら、私はうれしくになるよね。
Tom's girlfriend is not a nice person, so if they were to break up, I would be happy.
傾向がある
The phrase 傾向がある (or 見られる) can be used to express "There is a tendency to..." with the previous portion of the sentence describing that tendency.
日本の学生は高校まではよく勉強するが、大学に入ってからはあまり勉強しない傾向がある。
Japanese students have a tendency to study a lot up through high school, and then once they enter college, not study very much.
リーさんは週末に食べ過ぎるという傾向があるんだ。
Lee-san tends to eat too much on weekends.
初めにくだけた話し方で日本語を覚えてしまった人は、助詞をよく間違える傾向がある。
People who are first learning how to speak casual Japanese have a tendency to confuse particles.
もどかしくになって時、たくさんのチョコレートやジャンクフードを食べるという傾向があるよ。
When I get irritated, I have a tendency to eat a lot of chocolate and junk food.
日本の学生は高校まではよく勉強するが、大学に入ってからはあまり勉強しない傾向がある。
Japanese students have a tendency to study a lot up through high school, and then once they enter college, not study very much.
リーさんは週末に食べ過ぎるという傾向があるんだ。
Lee-san tends to eat too much on weekends.
初めにくだけた話し方で日本語を覚えてしまった人は、助詞をよく間違える傾向がある。
People who are first learning how to speak casual Japanese have a tendency to confuse particles.
もどかしくになって時、たくさんのチョコレートやジャンクフードを食べるという傾向があるよ。
When I get irritated, I have a tendency to eat a lot of chocolate and junk food.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
ということになる
A sentence + (という) ことになる can be used to express that the situation stated earlier in the sentence leads to another situation or logical conclusion. It can be translated as "X means that..." or "With X, we end up with..."
メールが戻って来たということは、このアドレスはもう使われていないということになる。
The fact that mail was returned means that this address is no longer being used.
家賃があがったので、引っ越さなければならないことになってしまった。
Since the rent was raised, I now have to move.
今のうちに勉強しておかないと、後で卒業できないということになるかもしれない。
If you don't start studying, you may not be able to graduate later.
メールが戻って来たということは、このアドレスはもう使われていないということになる。
The fact that mail was returned means that this address is no longer being used.
家賃があがったので、引っ越さなければならないことになってしまった。
Since the rent was raised, I now have to move.
今のうちに勉強しておかないと、後で卒業できないということになるかもしれない。
If you don't start studying, you may not be able to graduate later.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
X は Yに当たる
The construct X は Yに当たる can be used to express "X corresponds to Y" or "X is equivalent to Y." It's often used to compare words across different languages, organizations, sectors, etc.
日本の環境省はアメリカの Environmental Protection Agency に当たる。
Japan's Ministry of the Environment is equivalent to America's EPA.
日本語の「いただきます」や「ごちそうさま」に当たる言葉は英語にはない。
There is no equivalent in English to the Japanese phrases いただきます and ごちそうさま.
彼女は私の母の姉の娘ですから、私のいとこに当たります。
She is my mom's sister's daughter, so that makes her my cousin.
英語の president に当たる言葉は、日本語の場合、会社では「社長」、大学では「学長」、米国政府では「大統領」です。呼び方が違うので気をつけて下さい。
As for words equivalent to the English word "president", in the case of Japan, for a company it would be 社長, for a university it would be 学長, and for the US president it would be 大統領. Please take note since what you call them differs.
日本の環境省はアメリカの Environmental Protection Agency に当たる。
Japan's Ministry of the Environment is equivalent to America's EPA.
日本語の「いただきます」や「ごちそうさま」に当たる言葉は英語にはない。
There is no equivalent in English to the Japanese phrases いただきます and ごちそうさま.
彼女は私の母の姉の娘ですから、私のいとこに当たります。
She is my mom's sister's daughter, so that makes her my cousin.
英語の president に当たる言葉は、日本語の場合、会社では「社長」、大学では「学長」、米国政府では「大統領」です。呼び方が違うので気をつけて下さい。
As for words equivalent to the English word "president", in the case of Japan, for a company it would be 社長, for a university it would be 学長, and for the US president it would be 大統領. Please take note since what you call them differs.
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