Topics related to finding a phrase that fits a given context or meaning.
Questions tagged [phrase-requests]
225 questions
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votes
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Is there a term for Japanese characters as a whole?
There are kanji, katakana and hiragana, but is there a native word or phrase for the union of these sets?
Neith
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How do you ask for "the bill" at a restaurant?
This is probably a bit of a silly question, but what do you say in Japanese when you're asking for the bill in a restaurant? Or is it unusual to say anything at all?
When I was in Japan I could never really catch any particular phrases and when I…
Kafka Fuura
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How to say 'X, let alone Y' in Japanese?
How to say X, let alone Y in Japanese?
For example, how would one translate:
I don't know hiragana, let alone kanji.
He couldn't boil water, let alone prepare a dinner for eight.
I haven't enough time to look in the mirror, let alone go to see…
Philip Seyfi
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How should I start an email when requesting something from someone I don't know well?
In English, there is a certain etiquette to follow when writing a business letter. From what I've seen so far, the same seems to be true in Japanese as well.
If I was making a business-related request to someone who has helped me a lot in the past,…
Troyen
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3 answers
"Strike while the iron is hot" - Japanese equivalent
Is there an equivalent expression in Japanese for "strike while the iron is hot"?
I've seen a few questions on here with phrases and their equivalents. Does anybody know of a site where these are collated?
VictorySaber
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14
votes
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What's the 日本語 equivalent of saying "That's none of your business"?
What's the Japanese equivalent of saying "None of your business", or "None of your concern"?
Tirous
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Is はじめまして only suitable for the first contact?
When I'm contacting a colleague for the first time and we're communicating online, I can use はじめまして as part of my greeting. Likewise, if I'm meeting someone for the first time and it is an in-person meeting, I can say はじめまして during my…
Troyen
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What do you say when giving something to somebody?
In English when you hold out something to someone, sometimes a vocal prompt like "here" or "there" is said to indicate that you are giving it to the person.
In Chinese (or at least in Singapore) we sometimes use something that sounds like "na" or…
Flaw
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3 answers
How to say to "persuade into doing something"?
I am looking for a Japanese phrase or an idiom which could be used to describe a situation in which a person A persuades person B into doing something, not required for the person B, but beneficial to the A.
Like selling a trekking map for a very…
macraf
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How to invoke God/spirits in Japanese
No, this is not about any Buddhist chant or mantra that can be used to call forth Japanese gods or heavenly spirits, but rather about any specialized words or interjections that attract attention of the God/spirits that we want to communicate with.…
Lukman
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What is usually written at the end of a slides presentation to imply "Thanks for listening"?
I've seen this phrase a couple of times but couldn't read the Kanji so I don't remember it.
Otherwise, what phrase would be good to include in the last slide to imply "Thanks for listening!"?
For example, after giving a presentation about project…
wallyqs
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10
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3 answers
How do you say "You have gotten better at X"?
I was just reminded on another site that "being good at something" is expressed as [上手]{じょうず}/[上手]{うま}い, not いい. How do you tell someone they "have gotten better at something"? Xさん, 料理することがもっと上手いですね。 would be my thought. Is that right? Would that be…
dotnetN00b
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What is the formula to say "I'm trying to do X regularly"?
I was trying to think of a way to say "I'm trying hard to read a news article every day" (in the sense that I'm trying to find the time to sit down and pay attention long enough to read, not necessarily that the material is very difficult).
What I…
silvermaple
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Are we done here?
Today I was getting help from someone behind a counter and when I had handed in my form and shown my ID, I wasn't sure if I needed to do anything else, or if I was free to go. Usually in that situation I say something like "いいですか？" and the employee…
infinitecardinal
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Proportion and Rate
How do I form a sentence pattern for:
The more/less X happens, the more/less Y happens
E.g. The more you stir, the faster the salt dissolves.
The colder the weather, the more time it takes for snow to melt.
Flaw
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