The Japanese Language Help Thread

[やみのディアルガ]

[Isamu Akai]

Just a question about something Pokemon-related.

Would 'Yadon' (Slowpoke) and 'Yacon' (Gym Leader Clay) happen to rhyme?

[jda95]

Well.... sort of? It's not a perfect rhyme, but the last character is of the same sound, so yes, it can be considered a rhyme.

[Isamu Akai]

Okay, thanks. I figured that it wouldn't be a perfect one.

I have one more question,

I'm practicing doing a sumi-e attempt. And I know that with most sumi-e works, one writes their name on the right side. Since I don't actually want to write my real name because I'm insecure like that, I've been considering just going with something that would translate to "Nameless". Would anyone know how to write that? A brush stroke guide for writing it correctly would also help with it, but mostly knowing what "Nameless" would be would be good. Thanks.

I'm aware that a serious sumi-e artist wouldn't really go by no name, but still.

[Kthleen]

Well, there's nanashi (名無し) and mumei (無名). Both contain the same kanji (stroke order for both), just in a different order.

[Isamu Akai]

Thank you.

That's a pretty good site actually. For future reference, are the strokes supposed to start at the red dot, or end at it?

[Kthleen]

You're welcome. :D

It's supposed to start at the red dot.

[クリスタル]

Hello!
These sentences...what do they mean?


In Google Translate, it translates into...
You are not yet even once Nekashitsuke the Pokemon. Please register again in a Nekashitsuke the Pokemon.

This is just a rough translation, it seems. And what does "nekashitsuke" in this sentence even mean?
Thanks!

Are you going to the Pokemon Dream World website?

You haven't put your Pokemon to bed yet. Please register again after you had put your Pokemon to bed.

BTW, "put to bed" also mean "sleep"

Well, there's nanashi (名無し) and mumei (無名). Both contain the same kanji (stroke order for both), just in a different order.

Nanashi (名無し) is the correct one for nameless or anonymous. Mumei (無名) can also be used, but other than the meaning of anonymous, it also contains second meaning of not famous, not well-known, unheard of, etc.
So if you want the one that is purely mean anonymous, rather use nanashi (名無し).

[Xenidal]

I have a question... what does "nippon" mean? I mean, I know it's Japan, but is there any difference between that and "nihon"? I've always learned "nihon". The word "nippon" has never even been mentioned in any of my Japanese classes. Is it obsolete or obscure or something? Or is it used for something that we never learned about?

[Okamidna]

I have a question... what does "nippon" mean? I mean, I know it's Japan, but is there any difference between that and "nihon"? I've always learned "nihon". The word "nippon" has never even been mentioned in any of my Japanese classes. Is it obsolete or obscure or something? Or is it used for something that we never learned about?

i dont think its obscure. Acording to my sensei, both are used equally in japan, but 'Nippon' is more formal. Also, i hear it used just as much as 'Nihon' when watching anime and for 'japanese' or a japanese person, its both Nihonjin and Nipponjin.

[Xenidal]

i dont think its obscure. Acording to my sensei, both are used equally in japan, but 'Nippon' is more formal. Also, i hear it used just as much as 'Nihon' when watching anime and for 'japanese' or a japanese person, its both Nihonjin and Nipponjin.

So, formal like how in English you can say "I am from the United States" or "I am from America" and both have the same meaning but the first is more formal? Or is it one of those politeness things?

[jda95]

There's a pretty good explanation here. Basically, you're a lot more likely to hear Nihon. Nippon's mainly for official purposes.

[PTOldMan]

Can anyone please translate these two sentences to English, please?

1) 具体的な数字での身長や年齢は決まって無いかもしれませんが、 大体そんな感じじゃ無いかと思います （年齢は2人とも20歳代じゃないかと思います）
2) その逆でサトシたちのコスチューム を着たロケット団の名乗りは描いたような気がします

[クリスタル]

Can anyone please translate these two sentences to English, please?

1) 具体的な数字での身長や年齢は決まって無いかもしれませんが、 大体そんな感じじゃ無いかと思います （年齢は2人とも20歳代じゃないかと思います）
2) その逆でサトシたちのコスチューム を着たロケット団の名乗りは描いたような気がします

1) The height and/or age may not decided yet on a specific concrete number, but they feel more or less like that (ages of both seems to be at twenties)
2) On the opposite, the name of the Team Rocket dressed in Ash and the co.'s costume seems to had been written.

Translation is done based on the meaning of sentence, not according to meaning of word by word.

[Satoshi_Pikachu]

This is something that I still can't understand. What is the difference between the particles が and は?

And this is more of a Japanese learning question, but how did it take you to learn all Jouyou kanji? What would be a good quantity to learn per week/month?