10 comments

1. >There is a difference in nuance between connecting one verb to another verb through the conjunctive form, or through the use of the conjunction particle て. The former implies that ‘(A) is being done in the way of (B)’, while the latter implies that ‘(A) is being done, and then (B)’.

   What exactly does this [Bunpro article](https://bunpro.jp/grammar_points/つづける) mean by ‘A being done *in the way of* B’ when talking about the difference between the ます-stem + 続ける versus て-form + 続ける?

2. Can someone help me with the literal translation of this sentence? The to particle is throwing me off a bit, or maybe I’m missing something obvious.

   実際に行くとなるとイージーがいいよな

3. What is the te-form doing in について? It doesn’t seem to be a command, I don’t think it’s connecting because I see it at the end of sentences, what is it for?

4. What kind of に particle is this?

   彼は会社で微妙な立場にあります

5. Japanese Listening (Comprehensible Input) Youtubers WITHOUT Hard Subs?

   There are many Youtubers making videos with easy Japanese and/or easy to follow topics that are great for our listening practice. Unfortunately, it looks like most of them use hard subs. I find it impossible to watch them speak without peeking at the subtitles. I’d rather rely on just my listening and turn on CCs if I need to clarify a word.

   Do you know of any Youtubers like Yuyu, Okkei, or Naoko, etc, that don’t use hard subs?

   So far, the only one I’ve found is Akane’s Japanese Class https://www.youtube.com/@Akane-JapaneseClass

6. Is the u sound in ございます for words like おはようございます and ありがとうございます not spoken? In the genki app it sounds like it only pronounced the s.

   Edit: Japan times oto Navi app

7. Is this a correct Japanese sentence? 何を勉強しているのですか？
   My Japanese is very very limited.

   What I’m trying to ask is that isn’t 何を勉強しているの? Casual form of asking “what are you studying? And when desuka is attached it becomes polite (?)

   I never encountered this so far. And I am currently using chat GPT to see very basic sentences thrown at me to get used to reading basic sentences.I am just playing around with it to see if I could use it just to learn basic sentences. I have been using deepDL on top of it to check to make sure I am not learning fake Japanese.

8. あんだけ探して出てきたのががきんちょのおもちゃいっこ

   いっこ is 一個 right?

9. I have a question. Of course, it’s not that I already have the right answer or anything. I’m just curious about what others do, so I’m asking.

   For those who are not native speakers of Japanese but are learning the language and interacting with native speakers, what strategies do you use when the dialog is so indirect or implicit that you’re not entirely sure what the theme is? If you’re completely lost and the dialog is important, then obviously you have no choice but to ask questions—so in that case, this question doesn’t really apply. What I’m actually asking about are the strategies people use in situations other than that.

   **EXAMPLES**

   Strategy 1: Simply nodding 相槌 along without confirming the theme. Risk: You might agree to something you don’t understand, give inappropriate responses, or miss crucial information. The longer it goes on, the harder it is to admit you didn’t understand from the beginning, leading to potential embarrassment for both parties.

   Strategy 2: Intentionally introducing a related but slightly off-topic theme hoping for clarification. Risk: This can be confusing for your conversation partner. They might try to follow your new theme, or they might feel their original point wasn’t understood or respected, potentially leading to frustration or a feeling of being ignored rather than prompting clarification.

   Strategy 3: Reflective Listening (Paraphrasing or Summarizing). Showing you’re engaged, even if you’re not fully understanding. You attempt to rephrase what you think you heard or summarize the last few points. 「〇〇が原因で、△△になったということですか？」”Are you saying that 〇〇 was the cause, and △△ was the result?” ~~When~~ If you can pick out a cause-and-effect relationship, you try to articulate it.

10. I have a question. Of course, it’s not that I already have the right answer or anything. I’m just curious about what others do, so I’m asking.

    For those who are not native speakers of Japanese but are learning the language and interacting with native speakers, what strategies do you use when the dialog is so indirect or implicit that you’re not entirely sure what the theme is? If you’re completely lost and the dialog is important, then obviously you have no choice but to ask questions—so in that case, this question doesn’t really apply. What I’m actually asking about are the strategies people use in situations other than that. (Of course, it’s perfectly valid to say, “Well, honesty is best, so I just ask.”)

    **EXAMPLES**

    Strategy 1: Simply nodding 相槌 along without confirming the theme. Risk: You might agree to something you don’t understand, give inappropriate responses, or miss crucial information. The longer it goes on, the harder it is to admit you didn’t understand from the beginning, leading to potential embarrassment for both parties.

    Strategy 2: Intentionally introducing a related but slightly off-topic theme hoping for clarification. Risk: This can be confusing for your conversation partner. They might try to follow your new theme, or they might feel their original point wasn’t understood or respected, potentially leading to frustration or a feeling of being ignored rather than prompting clarification.

    Strategy 3: Reflective Listening (Paraphrasing or Summarizing). Showing you’re engaged, even if you’re not fully understanding. You attempt to rephrase what you think you heard or summarize the last few points. 「〇〇が原因で、△△になったということですか？」”Are you saying that 〇〇 was the cause, and △△ was the result?” ~~When~~ If you can pick out a cause-and-effect relationship, you try to articulate it.