2024 is almost upon us, but would you like one more Japanese Phrase of the Month before the new year?
You would? Perfect! Here we go…
Category: usage
Japanese Language Corner: When “But” Doesn’t Really Mean “But”
The Detail Woman here, back with another Japanese learning and translation post.
Have you ever felt betrayed by your introduction to Japanese words for “but”?
If so, I get it. が、けど、しかし、and それにしても are all Japanese words that first get taught to us as “but,” and yet they often seem to mean something else in context.
I’d bet that a lot of readers are already familiar with this issue when the “buts” come in the middle of a sentence. However, my Japanese Phrase of the Month for December will be the sentence-beginning それにしても, and that one is pretty tricky if you don’t already have a handle on the “buts” that occur mid-sentence.
So if you’re a beginner, or you’d just like a refresher on mid-sentence “buts,” I’ve got you covered in this post. And if you already know all about these, feel free to skip to the next post! Continue Reading →
Japanese Phrase of the Month 復活！！ – November 2023
復活！ Japanese Phrase of the Month is back!
Welcome to the relaunch of Japanese Phrase of the Month. Now that I own my own business and have the time, this little corner of the internet will be guaranteed monthly for the first time ever!
This month, we start out with something a little different: a dive into the word “stoic,” and how it behaves differently in English vs. in Japanese.
「ストイック」
Have you been translating it correctly?
Japanese Phrase of the Month – June 2021
Welcome to the Japanese Phrase of the Month for June 2021!
Yeah, I know it’s been a few months. I did admit from the beginning that this might not be monthly…
This month, let’s talk Japanese pronouns! And in particular about a common pronoun trap in anime, manga, and video games.
I’ll give a pronoun overview for general readers, and then get into some concrete details about the pronoun trap.
「手前」and Friends
Have you been translating them correctly?
Word Usage Quiz for Writers #4
Want another word usage quiz to keep you sharp during quaran-times? Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered.
[ays_quiz id=’6′]
If you missed the first three quizzes, you can find them here:
Word Usage Quiz for Writers #3
If you’re like me, any healthy distraction is welcome in these quaran-times. The smaller, the better. And ideally, something I can do without guilt.
So it seems like the perfect time to resurrect “Which Word?”
If you missed the first two of my word usage quizzes, you can find them here:
And now, on to…
[ays_quiz id=’3′]
Word Usage Quiz for Writers #2
It’s baaaaack… Following up on my first quiz on commonly confused words, here is a second set of ten word-pair errors I see during proofreading. As always, the theory is that even if you already know the difference between the words in each pair, practice making deliberate choices may help prevent mistakes in the future.
New for this quiz: by reader request, you can now see the link to more information when you answer correctly too, instead of only seeing it if you answer incorrectly.
[ays_quiz id=’4′]
Note: If you’re concerned that I’ll be able to see your answers, don’t be! This quiz doesn’t collect your name or email address, so I only receive anonymous data.
If you have any trouble with the quiz functionality, let me know!
Word Usage Quiz for Writers
When you choose the right word for the right situation, your writing looks polished and professional, but sometimes it’s almost like English is out to get you with all its little pitfalls.
It’s easy to read advice about commonly confused words, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get them right later. Yesterday I started wondering whether seeing the two next to each other and making an active, deliberate choice between them would help people store the information where it can be easily reached the next time the choice needs to be made.
So… I taught myself how to make quizzes embedded in my blog. Here, have a quiz!
You’ll see no preference-based rules like “as” vs. “like” or “that” vs. “which,” because they’re just not worth the worry. In the words of Paul Brians: “Like you care.”
[ays_quiz id=’5′]
Note: If you’re concerned that I’ll be able to see your answers, don’t be! This quiz doesn’t collect your name or email address, so I only receive anonymous data.
I’m planning to do a series of these with different word pairs, so if you have any trouble with the quiz functionality, let me know!