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2 answers

Why is 二十歳 pronounced はたち?

二十歳 is a (to me) bizarre exception to the usual number+さい rule for discussing age. Is this rooted in 20 being the Japanese age of majority? Added: To be more specific: why isn't it pronounced にじゅうさい like the rest of the さい words for age?
sartak
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4 answers

Usage of commas in Japanese sentences

This might sound like a strange question, but how does the usage of commas differ when used in Japanese compared to English? I believe りんご、オレンジとバナナ wouldn't work, but that it's OK to list like りんご、オレンジ、バナナ or りんご、オレンジ、またはバナナ. When should…
cypher
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Why is は pronounced as わ when used as a topic particle?

The particle は is pronounced similarly to わ (unlike the rest of the ハ行 kana) when used as a particle; why is this? What historical shifts went on to cause this irregularity?
bdonlan
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What are the guidelines for omitting particles?

I've recently discovered that certain particles could be omitted from a Japanese sentence (to help make it shorter), and still preserve the original meaning. Unfortunately, most resources about this topic that I've looked at are vague at best; and…
Miguel
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3 answers

Why was "一匹" used for Godzilla?

I've heard someone say that "一匹{いっぴき}" was used at the end of the original Godzilla movie, with Dr. Yamane saying that Godzilla wasn't the last one of "them". Why did he use that, as opposed to "一頭{いっとう}"? Do Japanese speakers sometimes use the…
Andrew Grimm
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What is the equivalent of "alphabetical order" in Japanese?

I know there's あいうえお, but what about at the consonant level? Also, are there any common mnemonics used by Japanese children to remember these?
zakvdm
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Must do : ～なければならない vs ～なくてはいけない

What are the differences when using ～なければならない and ～なくてはいけない, or their colloquial contracted forms ～なきゃ and ～なくちゃ when saying "must do"? For example, what is the difference in the nuance and usage of the following "must eat" statements: 食べなければならないよ。…
Lukman
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Why does 今度【こんど】 mean "next time"?

The word 今度【こんど】, though its literal meaning is "this time" is in my experience used pretty heavily to refer to tbe next time or some unspecified point in the future. For example: 今度【こんど】こそ一緒【いっしょ】に行【い】こう！ Let's go together next time! This has…
rintaun
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Is there a rule for when to use くらい vs ぐらい?

I see phrases like 200人ぐらい, 半々ぐらい, and 何分くらい, which seem to indicate that くらい and ぐらい are synonymous, if not interchangeable. Is there any kind of rule for deciding which to use, or is it a stylistic preference?
sartak
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寝る vs. 眠る, what's the real difference?

What's the real, definite difference between [寝]{ね}る and [眠]{ねむ}る? I know they both mean "sleep", but also that each carries some additional (sometimes, figurative) meanings. Where do the meanings overlap? In what scenarios are they…
istrasci
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36
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5 answers

What is 「々」 and how does it affect meaning and pronunciation?

I've seen this symbol in various places, such as 「日々」, 「色々」, and 「人々」. What is it, and how does it affect the meaning and pronunciation of the word?
Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams
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The difference between くらい and ほど in hyperbole

The following two sentences, I believe, are grammatically okay, however I'm not sure on how they differ in nuance. もう[歩]{ある}けないほど[疲]{つか}れた！ もう歩けないくらい疲れた！ Additionally, why is it that: [死]{し}ぬほど[恥]{は}ずかしい is grammatically okay…
phirru
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Contrasting っぽい、らしい、みたい

For example, the following 3: 女っぽい (おんなっぽい) 女らしい (おんならしい) 女みたい (おんなみたい) In what situations would you use っぽい over らしい？ Does っぽい have negative connotations? Are 女らしい and 女みたい interchangeable as in 彼女は本当に女らしい／彼女は本当に女みたい? I would love if someone…
phirru
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How do we construct sentences ending in わけ?

The is a certain way of talking where you can end just about anything you say in わけ. What is the sentence structure for this way of talking?
language hacker
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What differences should I look out for between male vs female speech?

I was told a story where a male westerner learnt Japanese from his girlfriend and ended up speaking more like a female. The storyteller thought this was hilarious. What important differences should I look for between male and female speech?
gak
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