meowbrown

[meowbrown]

It's meowbrown's 1 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳 (April 10th)

Reminding me to post more as well 💖

[meowbrown]

That's true / You're right / Showing agreement (そっか / たしかに / まあね)

As always, the nuance in Japanese needs me to document this down.

そっか - also means I understand you, shows empathy

たしかに - had different opinion, but now I agree you're right

まあね - subtle agreement, may have a slightly different opinion, but don't want to say it aloud

A: 今日、パスタ食べに行かない？ B: うーん、パスタか... 。昨日も食べたんだよね。 A: そっかー。 [A immediately understands and acknowledges B's reason for not wanting pasta (ate it yesterday).] B: じゃあ、和食は？OOOの定食、美味しいらしいよ。 A: 和食か... 。ちょっと高いんだよね、あそこ... B: あ、そうだった？ランチは手頃な値段って聞いたけど。 A: たしかに、ランチなら大丈夫かも。夜は高いけど。 [A initially hesitates about Japanese food due to price. B provides new info (lunch is cheaper). A uses "たしかに" to agree with B's point about "lunch price" specifically, shifting from initial price concern to accepting lunch as an option.] B: よかった。じゃあ、和食にする？ A: まあね、和食もいいね。たまには。 [A agrees to Japanese food, but "まあね" and "たまには (tama ni wa - once in a while)" show subtle agreement. It's acceptable, but not a passionate "YES! Japanese food!".] B: うん、そうしよう。

[meowbrown]

See you 👋 じゃね！

Its original form is:

では、また会いましょうね well then... see you again

では can be shortened to じゃ, it's common in Japanese speaking

また会いましょう part is often omitted because it's implied

ね adds a softness to the tone

So it becomes:

じゃね or じゃあね

[meowbrown]

絶対領域 (ぜったいりょういき)

I didn't expect Ariana to speak Japanese 😮

私の絶対領域はとてもセクシーです。

There's a Wikipedia entry for 絶対領域 too.

Here's the Wikipedia link, as the link preview feels a little NSFW 😱

[meowbrown]

Could you pretend it did not happen?

Feels like a useful phrase, but I probably don't know how to make this sentence from scratch, so I might as well write it down 😅

なかったことにしてくれない？

なかった - did not exist, did not happen

こと - thing

にする/にして - A を B にする means to treat A as B, to make A into B

くれない - くれる means to do for me, くれない is would you not do it for me? which is more like "could you please do it for me"

In this sentence, there is a hidden item, like spilling the juice or an "oopsie" is the thing that we want to treat as なかったこと (the thing that didn't happen).

The literal translation would be: Treat it (the oopsie) as something that didn't happen, could you please do it for me?

The context I heard this in was A and B almost had a one-night stand.

A: 昨日の夜のこと... B: なかったことにしてくれない？

[meowbrown]

Baby talk - そうでちゅか

This means そうですか here.

In short, replace す with ちゅ.

When used with babies it's cute. When used with adults, it sounds sarcastic/mocking.

For example:

すごいですね → すごいでちゅね (amazzinggg)

かわいいですね -> かわいいでちゅね (kawaiiii)

お利口(りこう)ですね -> お利口でちゅね (good boy/girl/kid)

ご飯ですか -> ご飯でちゅか (wanna eat?)

If used between adults, sometimes it's like sarcastic or mocking like はいはい、すごいでちゅね Now, aren't you great?

Learned from this Facebook post.

Guess I'm going to be either a) learning Japanese or b) relying heavily on the translation guide that exists lol

[meowbrown]

思う vs. 思っている

In my last week's diary, I wanted to express that the "old web" was more interesting to me.

So here's the sentence

昔のウェブはもっと面白い思う。 昔のウェブはもっと面白い思っている。

思う is meant to be more for the moment. 思っている has a longer duration for the thought, or it has been a belief.

In my case, both make sense but with a slight nuance. If I wanted to say I always thought the old web is more interesting, then 思っている would be better than 思う.

A helpful analogy I found was that 思う is like "put on," and 思っている is like "wear."

[meowbrown]

昔のウェブサイト

Note: I made a mistake. It is こだわり not こたわり on the last page in the video.

Transcript

昔のウェブサイト。

先週私はたまごっちについて話しました。それあとで私は Tumblr の Neocities コミュニティを見つけました。Neocities では、みんな90年代スタイルのウェブサイトを作っています。 私もたまごっちウェブサイトを作りました。

画面のURLを見てください。

こういうウェブサイトを作った人は、たいていアニメが好きとか、ゲームをすることが好きな人だと気づきました。

昔のウェブはもっと面白いと思っています。今はみんなインスタ、ティックトック、ユーチューブ、ツイッタなどのプラットフォームを使っています。そのせいで、同じようなものばかりを見ていて、ちょっとつまらないです。

昔のウェブサイトはその人の好みとか、個性とか、こだわりが詰まっていて、その人の家みたいな感じだけど、今はみんな同じマンションで、同じ小さい部屋のような感じ。

歳をとったと感じます。

Vocabulary

好み (このみ) - taste, likings

個性 (こせい) - personality, character

こだわり - special touches, meticulous efforts

詰 (つ) まる - full of, stuffed with

Study tip

Copy the YouTube link to Miraa to practice shadowing.

[meowbrown]

Verb Conjugation Practice 動詞の活用

This is like me trying to do potential, causative, causative-passive, and passive forms. I find myself doing the conjugation step by step which is way too slow for speaking.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 🌈SAYA’S JAPANESE LESSON🌈 (@saya_japanese_lesson)

This is by far the best interface that I've used! It doesn't have causative-passive, though. That's okay because I can practice that when I get the others down.

Alternatives

For my reference.

This one has more challenging modes, like changing from a non-dictionary form.

For causative-passive practice

And the above is also a great resource if you're using the Genki textbooks.

[meowbrown]

Can't believe how many vocabulary and grammar is here for me in one sentence.

語彙

覆い被さる (おおいかぶさる) - covering

咲き誇る (さきほこる) - blooming magnificently

里桜 (さとざくら) - it's pronounced as りお when it's a name

日差し (ひざし) - sunlight

遮る (さえぎる) - to block

The village cherry blossoms, blooming magnificently as if to cover everything, block the sunlight.

文法 - ように (adverb)

Meaning: as if/like

Usage:

verb (casual)/noun + の + ように + verb/adjective

Examples

覆い被さるように咲き誇る - blooming magnificently as if to cover (everything)

風のように走る - running like the wind

Related - ような (na-adjective)

Meaning: as if/like

Usage:

verb (casual)/noun + の + ような + noun

Examples

雲のような白いドレス - white dress like cloud

世界が終わるような大事件 - an event as if the world is ending

Reference

I actually like this reference more than treating ように and ような as different cases like most articles on the internet.

I think it is best if you just treat 様 (よう) as a normal noun. With other nouns, you should be using のよう because that is how nouns modify each other. With na-adjs, you should be using なよう because that is how they modify nouns.

sunshade

2017年、 立会川緑道。

覆い被さるように咲き誇る里桜が日差しを遮る。

[meowbrown]

てもらう and てほしい timeline

While talking about てもらう, my teacher asked me what's the difference between てほしい 🤔

I was mentioning that てほしい sounds demanding if you're asking someone to do something for you. If it's asking someone for a favor and I'd use てもらう. This feels more like てほしい vs. てもらいたい instead.

We talked more on the aspect of "timeline of events happening".

Basics

てほしい - Expresses my wish/desire

てもらう - Focuses on me "receiving" the favor

Timeline of events

Nothing has happened yet, it's only me hoping in my head お母さんに今日の夕ご飯を作ってほしい。

Asking mom for the favor お母さん、今日の夕ご飯を作ってもらえますか？

After mom agrees, I tell my brother that mom will be making dinner お母さんに今日の夕ご飯を作ってもらいます。

Notes

If still would like someone to do something with てほしい, usually people will add んですが to make it softer

レポートを確認してほしいんですが…

[meowbrown]

I remembered this one from Frieren, and decided to look for more anime examples.

たった１０年の冒険だよ (00:18)

From: Frieren - 🥰

The second た sounds like だ to me, so I always get it wrong, now is the time to correct this!

いや　それだけじゃないな

From: Chobits - this one brings me so many memories. I even bought the book だれもいない町 in the anime.

That's why I want to help you all.

Audio

No, that's not all...

Audio

そこの店で買ったばかりの　シベリヤです

From: The Wind Rises - another Studio Ghibli classic

It's sponge cake. I just bought it.

Audio

すばらしい では あとは行動あるのみ

From: Fruits Basket - I just realized they had a remake! Thinking whether to watch it or not

Wonderful! Now we just need to stick to the plan.

Audio

Important resource

While writing this, I recalled only the one from Frieren. Super happy to have learned about https://www.immersionkit.com!!!! Fantastic for searching Japanese phrases that return anime clips. MUST HAVE!

ways to say "only", "just" in Japanese

When I started learning Japanese, I quickly discovered that “only” translates to だけ (dake). Soon after, I learned about しか (shika) and then ばかり (bakari). This led me to wonder how many ways there are to express the idea of "only" or "just" in the Japanese language. I began exploring the fascinating world of adverbs that convey limitation or exclusivity, each with its own specific nuance.

Here are some of the terms I’ve discovered (which I may continue to expand upon):

だけ (dake): Strongly emphasizes exclusivity, meaning that nothing else is included or considered. Example: 水だけください。 (Please give me only water.)

しか (shika) (used with a negative verb): Often conveys a sense of disappointment or limitation, implying that there’s nothing but the mentioned item, often with a sense of restriction. Example: 私は日本語しか話せません。 (I can only speak Japanese.)

ばかり (bakari): Suggests the dominance or prevalence of something, often with a sense of excess or monotony and a negative nuance. It does not imply strict exclusivity. Example: お菓子ばかり食べている。 (I’m only eating snacks.)

ばかし (bakashi): A casual variant of ばかり, used mostly in spoken language. It conveys a similar meaning but carries a more informal tone. Example: 遊んでばっかしいる。 (He’s only playing.)

のみ (nomi): Used in formal or written contexts, conveying exclusivity. It can sound elegant and refined. Example: 本日のみ有効です。 (Valid only today.)

ばかりか (bakari ka): This expression expands the meaning by introducing additional information, indicating more than just "only." Example: 彼は優しいばかりか、面白いです。 (He is not only kind but also funny.)

だけしか (dake shika) (used with a negative verb): This term combines だけ and しか, emphasizing strong exclusivity when used with negative constructions. Example: これだけしかない。 (There is only this.)

こそ (koso): Indicates that the highlighted item is particularly special or the best choice, often implying that nothing else can compare. Example: 今日こそ勉強する。 (Today, of all days, I will study.)

たった (tatta): Implies that an amount is minimal and often inadequate, highlighting a sense of limitation. Example: たった一人で旅行した。 (I traveled with just one person.)

わずか (wazuka): Emphasizes a minimal quantity or degree, often with a sense of surprise. Example: わずか10分で終わった。 (It only took 10 minutes.)

ほんの (honno): Indicates a small or trivial amount, often used to downplay something. Example: ほんの少しだけ食べた。 (I ate just a little bit.)

に限る (ni kagiru): This expression is used to convey that something is the best or only suitable choice for a situation. Example: 夏はアイスクリームに限る。 (Ice cream is the best for summer.)

だけでなく (dake de naku): Similar to ばかりか , this phrase is used to express that there’s more than just one thing happening. Example: 彼女は賢いだけでなく、優しいです。 (She is not only smart but also kind.)

単に (tan ni): Indicates simplicity; often used to clarify or explain something in a straightforward manner. Example: 単に冗談だよ。 (It’s just a joke.)

あくまで (akumade): Suggests that something is true only to a certain extent or in a specific context. Example: あくまで私の意見です。 (This is just my opinion.)

たかが (takaga): Often carries a dismissive connotation, suggesting that something is not very important. Example: たかが試験一回でどうなるものか。 (It’s just one exam; it won’t change much.)

I love discovering all these subtle differences and nuances, even if it can be frustrating at times. If you know of any more, please share!

[meowbrown]

てもいいですか and できますか

てもいいですか

Focuses on permission (is it allowed?)

ここで写真を撮ってもいいですか？ May I take a photo here? Asking if it’s allowed to take a photo.

できますか

Focuses on feasibility or ability (is it possible?)

この写真を撮ることができますか？ Can you take this photo? Asking if the person is able to take the photo. Maybe they don't have a camera, so they can't take it.

[meowbrown]

で vs. では

I was talking about how I like the nostalgic websites on Neocities.

I initially said: Neocities でみんな90年代スタイルのウェブサイトを作っています。

My teacher suggested: Neocities では、みんな90年代スタイルのウェブサイトを作っています。

で

Simply states where the action is happening. The word is neutral.

If I had to translate the sentence it would be like: Everyone is making 90s-style websites on Neocities.

では

は is the topic marker, so it gives emphasis to the place.

So it sounds more like: On Neocities (as opposed to other platforms), everyone is making 90s-style websites.

One more example

学校で勉強します。 I study at school. (neutral)

学校では勉強しますが、家ではゲームをします。 I study at school, but I play games at home. (contrasts between school and home)

Check out my Neocities site and join the Tamagotchi community if this is also your thing. The site is kinda playable too ❤️

[meowbrown]

Don't use ゲームを遊びます for "play a game"

The following all works:

ゲームで遊ぶ - using the means of the game to have a good time

ゲームをする - do action on the game

ゲームをやる - slightly more vulgar (I'm thinking of maybe more used by males?)

ゲームをして遊ぶ - て form +遊ぶ meaning doing an action to achieve having a good time

Why

遊ぶ is 自動詞 (intransitive verb)

Its meaning is "to have a good time doing things you like or are interested in"

て form + 遊ぶ

At first, I was confused about して遊ぶ, so I looked for more examples:

シーソーに乗って遊びます - ride on seesaw (action) to enjoy the time -> playing on a seesaw

船に乗って遊ぶ - ride a boat (action) to enjoy or play -> playing on a boat

Reference

[meowbrown]

試す vs. 試してみる

Context: I was trying to say a friend suggested an app, and I tried it out and liked it.

このアプリを試して、すごく便利です。

このアプリを試してみて、すごく便利です。

I was curious about the nuance in the two sentences.

試して - try

try something without the additional nuance

試してみて - try out

みて adds a sense of "giving it a try" or "testing it out" with less commitment

sounds softer and more conversational

implies experimentation or evaluation

So, probably for my case, I wanted to be more conversational and more like testing it out, so 試してみて might sound better.

Reference: https://ja.hinative.com/questions/24016276

[meowbrown]

後：あと or ご？

In my recent diary, I wrote 一週間後, and I noticed Google's Speech to Text was pronouncing it as ご instead of what I was thinking: あと

After searching around, here's a quick summary.

あと

Used alone or in casual phrases

後で電話します。I'll call you in a bit.

後は任せるよ。I'll leave the rest to you.

仕事の後で after work

ご

Used in compound words or formal expressions

一週間後 after a week

放課（ほうか）後 after school

So if I want to use あと, it would be 一週間の後, now あと is considered used alone instead of part of the compound word.