Japanese Language Stack Exchange
Japanese Language Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [chinese]

中国語. Although totally unrelated, the Chinese language has had perhaps a greater impact on the Japanese language than Latin has had on English, especially in the form of a vast number of loanwords and the writing system.

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Japanese kanji with different meanings in Chinese

湯 in Japanese refers to "hot water." In Chinese, it means "soup." How common are kanji with different meanings in Chinese? Also, why do differences occur in the first place? Were the meanings in both languages originally the same and gradually…
Alan C
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Can I use my Chinese name as my Japanese name?

Im Chinese and my name is 陈依仁 (Chén Yī Rén). Can I use this as my Japanese name, and if so how do I read it in Japanese? Or would it be better to use the Katakana version of my English name which is タン・スジン?
chinsuujin
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When Chinese personal names are written in Japanese in kanji is there always an obvious reading?

In their comment to an answer on the question "Are foreign personal names usually written in katakana rather than Romaji?", user sawa says: ... Chinese names should be written in kanji rather than katakana and read by the Japanese pronunciation.…
hippietrail
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Can a Japanese person understand something written in traditional Chinese

If I didn't know any japanese, could I potentially communicate with Japanese people just by writing in traditional Chinese? I've heard and seen this in movies, how true is this?
mugetsu
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What does "齓" mean?

I've found this kanji during Shodo practice. My teacher (Japanese) didn't know the meaning (she recognized the Tooth bushu/radical but not the "word"). I tried to look it up on the electronic dictionaries I own, both Japanese and Chinese, but while…
p.marino
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Why is 犬 used to refer to "dog" in Japanese?

In Chinese there are two words that refer to "dog" - 狗 and 犬. In most use cases 狗 is more frequently used, as it refers to a specific dog. In Japanese however, 犬 is used exclusively. Did 狗 exist in the past? If not why was 犬 picked over 狗?
user7048
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Are Japanese counter words still being created?

That is, are counters (助数詞) an open class of words? If yes: Is there an example of a counter that was added recently (say, post-Taishō) and is now in current use by a community of speakers (i.e. not a single writer)? If no: When did new counters…
melissa_boiko
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Japanese/Chinese numbers usage timeline

Japanese uses both native and Chinese numbering numbering systems, the Sino-Japanese pronunciations being いち, に, さん, etc. and the native being ひと, ふた, み, etc. For the most part they are used for different things. However, numbers past 10 generally…
Nate Glenn
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Chinese words in Japanese

I have heard that Japanese has the largest number of words of any language because every Chinese word can also be a Japanese word. Is there any truth to this statement?
Peter
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Can kanji-heavy Japanese be easily translated into Chinese?

How much is changed or lost in translating (say) an old Japanese text that's mainly written in kanji into hanzi? How does it compare to translating into a completely foreign language like English? I'm curious if I should pick up a Chinese…
Guy
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If you learn the 2000 most common kanji, how many of the 2000 most common hanzi would you know?

For someone interested in learning both Japanese and Mandarin, how much overlap is there? How many more characters would you have to learn to know the 2000 most common hanzi?
temporary_user_name
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Which readings are used for 漢文？

If I am reading a Chinese text to a Japanese audience, how can I know which reading to use for each character? Of the 音読み, there can be 呉音, 漢音, and 唐音 to choose from. Also for pronunciation, would rhythm be modified to stress individual characters…
HAL
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Is it acceptable in Japanese to write kanji characters in the Chinese style?

In Japanese, is it acceptable to write kanji letters in the Chinese style? For example, is it acceptable to write 田 with the 3rd and 4th strokes swapped, or 着 with the 6th and 7th strokes combined?
ixsccd
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Are 变 and 変 the same?

Is there a difference between 变 and 変 or are they different versions of the same thing i.e. traditional/simplified?
bahrta sai
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Similarity between 挟む and 狭む

today I came across a certain sentence and I was confused by one word in it: 親指の腹で石を支えながら、人差し指と中指の間に挟む。 When I read this, I mistook 挟む for 狭｛せば｝む, and apparently, 狭｛せば｝む is barely used outside literature. When I type せばむ on my computer, it won't…
Noord
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