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全然 {ぜんぜん} with positive adjective / na-adjective

In Japanese classes, I was taught that 全然 can only be used with negative-meaning words/phrases/clauses, for example: 全然出来ません 全然だめです However, I've observed that, especially in spoken Japanese, some positive na-adjectives are allowed to follow 全然…
Lukman
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When Japanese say KY on the Internet, what does it mean exactly?

This comment can be seen very often on Japanese message boards.
Ken Li
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The differences between ～がたい、〜にくい、〜づらい

I was wondering what the differences are between these three: ～がたい、〜にくい、〜づらい They all seem to be some sort of variant of "Hard to do ~". But it seems they are used with different verbs and/or imply slightly different things. However, I'm not sure on…
phirru
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Do 以上 and 以下 include the number preceding them?

I was having a discussion with a colleague and we couldn't recall how they both worked. Does 一人以上 mean a) 1 or more persons or b) more than one person?
crunchyt
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What is the difference in nuance between 間違う and 間違える?

I've heard from a Japanese native speaker friend of mine that both 間違う and 間違える are correct usage, but he wasn't able to explain the difference in nuance between them. Is there a difference, and if so, what is it?
bdonlan
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Where does "もしもし" (moshimoshi) for answering the telephone come from?

Does the term "もしもし" (moshimoshi) predate the telephone? Does it have any use besides answering the phone? Where does it come from, is it just a reduplication of "もし" (moshi) "if", and if so how does that work?
hippietrail
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When is 行く pronounced as いく, and when is it ゆく?

Are there any rules or guidelines as to when to pronounce 行く as いく or ゆく? I looked it up on jisho.org, and the two pronunciations have the exact same definition. I tend to hear ゆく more often in songs, but that is just anecdotal.
syin
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Why is the topic marker often used in negative statements (ではない, ～とは思わない)?

What function does は provide in statements such as 本ではない or 本だとは思わない? I notice the は after と is often left out, at least if a Google search for 思わない is any indication, but there still seems to be a general trend of sticking は into negatives where I…
Kef Schecter
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Particle と with へ; ～へと

Consider ～へと in these cases: ～へと下がる : (of some quantity) to fall to ~ ～へと先送りされる : to be postponed to ~ ～へと旅立つ : to make a trip to ~ ～へと広がる : to spread to ~ へと seems to be equivalent to へ or even に. How is へと different from へ? How is へと different…
Flaw
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～うございます - keigo い-adjectives

I'm not sure if this is actual keigo, or just a polite form of adjectives. Anyway, there are several that we're all familiar with that are still used today. はやい　→　おはようございます ありがたい　→　ありがとうございます めでたい　→　おめでとうございます There are a couple of others I've…
istrasci
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Kanji for native Japanese concepts: Kun'yomi spanning multiple morphemes

There are a few words, which are written with Kanji imported from China, but where the intended native Japanese meaning would prefer a different choice of Kanji. My favourite examples are 雷 vs. 神鳴り (cf. 海鳴り) 鶏 vs. 庭鳥 向日葵 vs. 日回り Does there already…
Earthliŋ
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How to say f*** yeah in Japanese

I often get asked about swear words by Japanese people. As I sometimes watch Netflix, I can see how other translators approach these phrases and get helpful hints. Specifically, I'm curious about the phrase 'f*** yeah', expressing strong agreement…
Robert
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Differences between 度 and 回 when counting occurrences

What are the differences between using 度 and 回 when used to count number of occurrences? For example: そんなことは一度もしたことがない そんなことは一回もしたことがない Are there any restrictions on what kind of actions referred by そんなこと that can be used with 度 or 回 in the…
Lukman
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What connotation does なんだ add?

Specifically, in the expression 好きなんだ (I love you) why not just say 好きだ or 好きです ?
Goku
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Japanese Buts: でも, しかし, ただ, ただし, ところが, が, けど, けれど, けれども

I'm sure someone asked a similar question but I did a search and couldn't find any. Usually I just translate everything into but, but (no pun intended) I think it's about time I got into the nitty gritty of the buts, similar to the different kinds…
Lord of Gall 胆 Bladder
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