Things your Japanese teacher never told you. . . another language topic

[barok 0]

So yeah, it's been done before, but I am creating this thread in hopes that other people will post Japanese language questions or at least answer mine.

 

So here are two things that I can't get a clear explanation for or wrap my mind around. . .

 

1) What's the deal with --んです。?? I learned this about a year ago, but I can't really get a good explanation for it and it's everywhere. Is it an explanation, like

"This is why I am going to the park." or "This is where I am living." ? Or is it more of an embedded clause "Why is it that you can use chopsticks?" or "Where is it that you are going?"

Either way, it is difficult to figure out when and when not to use it.

 

2) Anyone wanna take a shot at は vs. が? Allz I have ever gotten from the native-speakers is 「むずかしいね。」 or "direct object" the English meaning of which I never really understood.

 

Thanks in advaaaaaaaance.

[bobby12 0]

I think '-ndesu' is just emphasis of '-desu'

 

'ha' and 'ga' are too complex to go into. I dont understand it fully. I know sometimes which to use but I still make a lot of mistakes. Im picking it up slowly by osmosis.

 

When 'ga' means 'but', its easy to pick up cos its usually emphasised by the speaker.

 

e.g. ikitai desu GA, ikenai. i want to go but i cant.

 

 

My question:

 

Whats the deal with 入る　and 入る ?

(はいる　and　いる）

 

I always thought that はいる was used for people and いる for things, but I just found out thats not so. Anyone care to clarify?

[mogski 0]

The んです qualifies an adjective and is a shortened version of のです the correct form. This should not be confused with the のです of belonging to something "...'s" as in あおいさんのです "It's Aoi-san's."

 

In as far as where and when it should be used, in general on adjectives, but ask a Japanese person and they wouldn't be able to tell you. Therefore my reccomendation to you is to not be too concerned and enjoy!

 

I am open to corrections on this one cause it has been a while since I was at school learning this stuff.

 

As for our freinds は an が　you could do a whole Sesame Street episode on them and still not know how or when. One rule that you should know is the when the verb is in its ...たい form, as in 食べたい、飲みたい、やりたい the particle that comes before should be が. It is gramattically incorrect to use は but it is not a sin as the reality is that alot of people do. Again if you are implying an action in your sentence that the subject or the action taker more often than not takes the が as opposed to は.

 

Man I wish I hd paid more attention in English so I could get them thinks like conjunctive verbs and stuff correct. Couldn't for the life of me give a break down of my own language.

[badmigraine 0]

 Quote:

The んです qualifies an adjective and is a shortened version of のです the correct form.

OK, so now tell us what does のです mean?!

[mogski 0]

YOU TESTING ME BOYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[Bowler 0]

i was under the impression that んです was just a less formal way of speaking and can be used with pretty much any word that です goes with. the sort of speach done with buddies and kohai's. not the sort of speach used with, for example, my head teacher (yes, im a JET), right???

 

as for は and が, my japanese mates tell me that が is stronger than は. what the F*** does that mean. i think it means that が puts more emphasis on the subject of the sentances. not sure!!! check a grammar dictionary!

[Markie 0]

Oh good. I love these threads. I often think that gaijin who have mastered the language can give a better explanation of the "whats whens and whys" than the native Japanese speakers because gaijins can explain it in our perspective and that makes it easier to relate to.

One gaijin explained the "n' desu" to me as being the equivalent of the "desu" without the "n'" except that by adding it, it makes it a little make polite and friendly as opposed to formal.

So "toi desu ka?" and "toi n' desu ka" becomes:

"is it far?" and "is it, like er, far?". Again I am no expert, but this is what I was told.

 

Next, here is my question: any difference between "okii" and "oki na" when used in the following way?:

Ano okii tatemono.

Ano oki na tatemono.

[miteyak 0]

From what my teacher told me, it adds a note of interest and emotion to a subject. So "Where did you get those shoes?" (like I really care) becomes "Where did you get those shoes ?" ('cause they're rather nice and i'd really like a pair myself).

[Yuki's Passion 1]

Id put it on a memo somewhere to ask your teacher what the 駅弁 "体勢" is!!! Once ya know you gotta try it

[barok 0]

hey bobby12,

 

I think its hairu, ireru that you are talking about? I'm not sure what iru is, 'cept for to be(living things), or to need.

 

If that is what you are talking about it is the transitive/intransitive verb thing.

入る/入れる

泊まる/泊める

出す/出る

etc.

 

Also very difficult for me, but the pairs are like

something enters vs. put something in

stay somewhere vs. put someone up

put something out vs. something goes out

 

Still not 100% on ndesu - what does that mean mogski - qualify an adjective ? Like to assign an adjective to a noun? Like "THAT sushi is delicious." miteyak's adding an element of emphasis sounds kinda like what I am thinking - "Where did you buy those shoes." vs. "Where is it that you bought those shoes?"

[bobby12 0]

Thanks barok i just remember thats what it is. I'm not too hot on transative verbs but I'm getting there. I skipped through some basic grammar points like that and they are haunting me now I'm doing 2kyu.

 

about が　and は...

 

Often, は　emphasises what came BEFORE it. がemphasises what comes after it.

 

１．　このコーヒ　がおいし。

This coffee is DELICIOUS!

 

２．　このコーヒ　はおいし。

THIS coffee is delicious.

[Siren 0]

This is interesting. Let me try.

 

As far as I know, there are three uses of が:

 

1) but...

 

2) Emphasis

 

e.g. あなたは悪くない。私が悪い。(You are not bad. I am!)

 

3) Used in relation to certain objects which sensitivity is considered important. This use is normally abstract and difficult for foreigners.

 

e.g. お金が大切。(Money is important)

[pie-eater 207]

Japanese lessons! Goodie. I know what you mean Markie, its better to hear from a gaijin in the know than a Japanese who cant explain well.

[woywoy 0]

How about gutter japanese!? I know they didn't teach me much of that at university. And it is really the easiest stuff to remember out of anything.

 

若布酒 ... for starters!!!

[Weegeoff 0]

You people in Jland must have a lot more keys on your keyboard.If I could read it and understand it I could not print it

[barok 0]

Anyone know how to say - "We'll have to agree to disagree."

[indosnm 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by pie-eater:
its better to hear from a gaijin in the know than a Japanese who cant explain well.

reverse that and make it for Japanese students and all gaijin here would be out of a job!

[six-six-six 0]

And so they should be

[KlingKlang 1]

when I was much younger, I imagined a Chinese computer keyboard to be the size of a room so it could fit on all the characters needed to type into it. I wondered just how many keys there must be.