Comments on: I’m soooo boring! Hee hee *snort* http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/ Japanese, Chinese, and a dash of Korean Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:42:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ベン http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-11022 ベン Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:41:02 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-11022 I read a good post on this topic here: http://forum.koohii.com/viewtopic.php?id=3407 About the 17th post down, by a guy named magamo(a native Japanese speaker, but his English is seriously good). For the lazy, he essentially says that if you're saying Xは/がY, you use は if the focus is on the Y, and が if the focus is on the X. I really recommend reading the post, though. Has examples and shiz that clear it up properly. He also makes another post a few posts down which is probably worth reading. I read a good post on this topic here: http://forum.koohii.com/viewtopic.php?id=3407
About the 17th post down, by a guy named magamo(a native Japanese speaker, but his English is seriously good).

For the lazy, he essentially says that if you’re saying Xは/がY, you use は if the focus is on the Y, and が if the focus is on the X. I really recommend reading the post, though. Has examples and shiz that clear it up properly. He also makes another post a few posts down which is probably worth reading.

]]> By: Chronopolis http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-10664 Chronopolis Sun, 17 Jul 2011 04:13:09 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-10664 When I looked over "The identifier: it’s this one" I had a random thought. Would "You are the one" (from The Matrix) become something like "Kimi ga."? When I looked over “The identifier: it’s this one” I had a random thought. Would “You are the one” (from The Matrix) become something like “Kimi ga.”?

]]> By: taekk http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-8056 taekk Wed, 10 Nov 2010 19:56:01 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-8056 This should not come as a surprise but Americans are in some ways even more sensitive and easily offended (especially in areas of politics, race, gender, and religion). It goes without saying as an adult that you have to be socially aware and watch what you say. So don't say anything you wouldn't in any other language. On the other hand, Japanese people are just as frank, funny, and inappropriate as anywhere else in the company of friends and close acquaintances. Otherwise, it would be a very boring place indeed. This should not come as a surprise but Americans are in some ways even more sensitive and easily offended (especially in areas of politics, race, gender, and religion). It goes without saying as an adult that you have to be socially aware and watch what you say. So don’t say anything you wouldn’t in any other language. On the other hand, Japanese people are just as frank, funny, and inappropriate as anywhere else in the company of friends and close acquaintances. Otherwise, it would be a very boring place indeed.

]]> By: Richard http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-8055 Richard Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:25:25 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-8055 I hate to belabor this subject, and I don't want to sound dull or tedious, but I'm just not comfortable with simply declaring the party to be boring, even if I can be inferred that this is only my opinion, as if someone who's having fun at this same event is wrong. It just doesn't seem correct that a native Japanese speaker would offend another guest or a host like this. This is, I think, a major problem for intermediate students like myself: out of all the choices, better or worse, just how would a native Japanese speaker say this? It's an "A litle knowledge can be a dangerous thing" problem. 私がこのパーティはつまらないと思うって。 "I think this party is boring me." No. たいくつする wouldn't this have to be a passive verb, and are we running into the same problem as above? mitai? rashi? "This party seems boring to me? I hate to belabor this subject, and I don’t want to sound dull or tedious, but I’m just not comfortable with simply declaring the party to be boring, even if I can be inferred that this is only my opinion, as if someone who’s having fun at this same event is wrong. It just doesn’t seem correct that a native Japanese speaker would offend another guest or a host like this. This is, I think, a major problem for intermediate students like myself: out of all the choices, better or worse, just how would a native Japanese speaker say this? It’s an “A litle knowledge can be a dangerous thing” problem.

私がこのパーティはつまらないと思うって。 “I think this party is boring me.” No.

たいくつする wouldn’t this have to be a passive verb, and are we running into the same problem as above?

mitai? rashi? “This party seems boring to me?

]]> By: Andrew http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-7970 Andrew Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:26:43 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-7970 I had the hardest time explaining "bored" and "boring" to one of my Chinese ESL students. She kept on messing up and it was pretty hard not to laugh sometimes... I can't remember how I tried to explain it now but for some reason I just couldn't make it stick for her. Anyway, fun to hear about it here too (I think it's totally a normal thing to mess up). I had the hardest time explaining “bored” and “boring” to one of my Chinese ESL students. She kept on messing up and it was pretty hard not to laugh sometimes… I can’t remember how I tried to explain it now but for some reason I just couldn’t make it stick for her. Anyway, fun to hear about it here too (I think it’s totally a normal thing to mess up).

]]> By: okdubu http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-7863 okdubu Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:51:31 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-7863 hehe yes the more i think about it the more it seems to match up, thank you! hehe yes the more i think about it the more it seems to match up, thank you!

]]> By: taekk http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-7852 taekk Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:37:48 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-7852 I believe the Korean version work in mostly the same way. I believe the Korean version work in mostly the same way.

]]> By: okdubu http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-7836 okdubu Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:58:00 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-7836 Is there any way you can correlate this to korean grammar? Does は＝은/는 and が＝이/가? Always, sometimes, never? i've gone through genki I and II over 4 semesters at school but this still confuses me. Is there any way you can correlate this to korean grammar? Does は＝은/는 and が＝이/가? Always, sometimes, never? i’ve gone through genki I and II over 4 semesters at school but this still confuses me.

]]> By: Alex http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-7334 Alex Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:06:06 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-7334 Sure, it's really not that difficult of a concept. In certain languages, the subject usually needs to be explicitly stated, like in English. For example, we don't just say, "Am eating" We need an 'I' in there, even though the existence of 'am' doesn't allow for any other possible subject. In other languages, you don't need to explicitly state the subject, like in Spanish and Japanese. In Spanish, the verb expresses the subject ('tengo' versus 'tienes'). In Japanese, the subject carries over from previously being mentioned. The subject exists, but we don't need to say it out loud. Sure, it’s really not that difficult of a concept. In certain languages, the subject usually needs to be explicitly stated, like in English. For example, we don’t just say, “Am eating” We need an ‘I’ in there, even though the existence of ‘am’ doesn’t allow for any other possible subject. In other languages, you don’t need to explicitly state the subject, like in Spanish and Japanese. In Spanish, the verb expresses the subject (‘tengo’ versus ‘tienes’). In Japanese, the subject carries over from previously being mentioned. The subject exists, but we don’t need to say it out loud.

]]> By: Jacob http://www.guidetojapanese.org/blog/2010/02/20/im-soooo-boring-hee-hee-snort/comment-page-1/#comment-7330 Jacob Sun, 14 Mar 2010 02:18:59 +0000 http://nihongo.3yen.com/?p=146#comment-7330 @Alex, yes I agree pro-drop can helpful for students of Japanese, any knowledge of linguistics can help SLA, but bear in mind that in the original G&B framework, Chomsky did not want pro-drop to be applied to Japanese, or any of the asian languages where pro-dropping is extensive. @Alex, yes I agree pro-drop can helpful for students of Japanese, any knowledge of linguistics can help SLA, but bear in mind that in the original G&B framework, Chomsky did not want pro-drop to be applied to Japanese, or any of the asian languages where pro-dropping is extensive.

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