Q/A and advice for 2012/Future VCE Japanese Students

[RazzMeTazz]

Thanks so much for the advice/help AngelWings! I'll definitely put them into action!

Also, can anyone explain how you attribute counters to nouns?

e.g. If I wanted to say two books would I just use the を particle and say 本を二さつです。

What about for relating counters to people and living things?

[RazzMeTazz]

Would it be correct to say that the words こちら、そちら、あちら、どちら have three sets of meanings?

The first one set of meaning being in terms of direction:  this direction/that direction/that direction over there/which direction?

And the second meanings being the polite form of これ、それ、あれ、どれ?

And lastly the third meanings, being the polite form of ここ、そこ、あそこ、どこ？

Also, for the set of words:　これら、それら、あれら would the question word be どれら?

Thankyou

[Deshouka]

Would it be correct to say that the words こちら、そちら、あちら、どちら have three sets of meanings?

The first one set of meaning being in terms of direction:  this direction/that direction/that direction over there/which direction?

And the second meanings being the polite form of これ、それ、あれ、どれ?

And lastly the third meanings, being the polite form of ここ、そこ、あそこ、どこ？

Also, for the set of words:　これら、それら、あれら would the question word be どれら?

Thankyou

The question word or plural form of どちらis actually どれ.
でも、僕が知っている限りでは「どれら」は言葉じゃないと思います。

[jibba]

@Razz

Great understanding! You're right. It's a little confusing with どちら because it also has the meaning of polite form of where.

どれ also has the meaning of which of three and どちら has the meaning of which of two.

as said before どれら doesn't exist.

I wouldn't worry too much bout the polite forms at this stage, mainly the different between which of three and which of two.

[RazzMeTazz]

Thanks Jibba and Deshouka!

Is ううん the casual way of saying いいえ in Japanese?

Thanks

[Fyrefly]

Thanks Jibba and Deshouka!

Is ううん the casual way of saying いいえ in Japanese?

Thanks

Yes.
And うん is casual for 'yes'.

[RazzMeTazz]

Thanks Fyrefly!

In my textbook (Wakatta) for the そう pattern to describe how things look/sound it says:

"If you are looking directly at something or someone and it is obvious what it or he/she is like then you will not use the そう pattern. If you are looking at a cute baby, you would not use そう and say the baby looks cute because everyone can see that the baby actually is cute."

This confused me. Then when would it be okay to use そう to describe what something looks like? Is it only when you are not directly looking at the object?

But then one of the example sentences given in the book is: けんたろうくんのお父さんはうれしそうでした。In this case wouldn't the speaker have to be looking directly at Kentarou's father to comment on what he looks like?

Any explanations would be great

[RazzMeTazz]

If I wanted to say: " My grandmother gave my sister flowers" would the correct word to use be くれる?

Thanks

[Deshouka]

If I wanted to say: " My grandmother gave my sister flowers" would the correct word to use be くれる?

Thanks

Yep! A good way to remember is that when a more distant person gives you or a closer person something, its くれる。

[AngelWings]

Thanks Fyrefly!

In my textbook (Wakatta) for the そう pattern to describe how things look/sound it says:

"If you are looking directly at something or someone and it is obvious what it or he/she is like then you will not use the そう pattern. If you are looking at a cute baby, you would not use そう and say the baby looks cute because everyone can see that the baby actually is cute."

This confused me. Then when would it be okay to use そう to describe what something looks like? Is it only when you are not directly looking at the object?

But then one of the example sentences given in the book is: けんたろうくんのお父さんはうれしそうでした。In this case wouldn't the speaker have to be looking directly at Kentarou's father to comment on what he looks like?

Any explanations would be great

Context is everything here. The speaker may have seen him indirectly, like a photo or something, I guess, or just made a guess from what Kentarou or some other person has said. For example, if I said my father's strict (not that he is), and you paraphrased it into "Angel Wings' father seems strict.", the only evidence would be from hearsay, but you would not have actually seen my father. Does that make sense?

[RazzMeTazz]

Yes that makes a lot of sense! Thanks so much AngelWings for the explanation!

[RazzMeTazz]

I'm a bit confused with tense!

If I needed to use the よう grammar pattern to say: "They don't seem to be married" what tense would my verb before the よう be in?

Would it be correct to say: あの人たちは、けっこんしていないようです?

Also if in general, I had : verb positive plain present form + よう does that mean "seems I/they will do *insert verb*  " ?

Thanks

[RazzMeTazz]

I don't quite understand the usage of 'Verb dictionary form + のに ' to emphasise  the means or lack of means for achieving a purpose. (As explained by Wakatta textbook!)

Some example sentences and their translations which have been given are:

着物を着るのにじかんがかかる。It takes time to put on a kimono.

車を買うのにお金がたりない。I don't have enough money to buy a car.

Is it similar to the ために pattern?

Any help would be appreciated!

[jesterino]

Hey guys, I'm in desperate need of help when it comes to essay writing. I have a solid grasp of the grammar patterns and vocabulary however when the time comes to writing, I can't string together a sentence that is, you could say, up to par with Japanese 3/4. The entire essay ends up being very robotic and formulaic, consisting of statements after statements which lack the "flow" and cohesion that would be present in a conversation or an email. Its strange but honestly, I just don't know what to write or even how to start, no matter the topic. Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated!

[sarangiya]

Hey guys, I'm in desperate need of help when it comes to essay writing. I have a solid grasp of the grammar patterns and vocabulary however when the time comes to writing, I can't string together a sentence that is, you could say, up to par with Japanese 3/4. The entire essay ends up being very robotic and formulaic, consisting of statements after statements which lack the "flow" and cohesion that would be present in a conversation or an email. Its strange but honestly, I just don't know what to write or even how to start, no matter the topic. Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Try reading really easy Japanese novels/books/articles/written things on the internet. Use Lang-8 and make a few story-like entries and ask for advice on cohesion and composition. The best thing you can do is read it or just in general be exposed to Japanese and take notice of the flow or how things are expressed. I'm personally against 'grammar patterns' because I think it's treating a language too much like a mathematical formula - and as such there is that lack of 'flow' or the artistic element that all languages have.