Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Japanese grammar primers

Recommended by 佐藤先生:

A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar
Both ed. by Seiichi Makino & Michio Tsutsui
Published by The Japan Times

Note: these books aren't cheap! I looked them up on Amazon.com and Abe.com, and they're each no less than about $40. Perhaps we can explore 佐藤先生's copies a bit before deciding whether these would be helpful enough to justify purchasing.

Monday, September 28, 2009

伊勢神宮


読み物の中に伊勢神宮が出てきましたが、伊勢神宮もサイトがありました。(写真は伊勢神宮のサイトから)

Friday, September 25, 2009

試験(1)について

  1. 漢字の読みと表現(60%)
  2. 本文内容(40%)
  • 主語、指示語、修飾部分
  • 構造がよくわかるように翻訳

鑑真の表現

1.(やっと)(動詞の語幹)あげる/あがる

(finally)(Verb stem)+あげる/あがる= finish doing sth. V. up sth.


2. どういうわけ(訳)か

I don't know why, somehow, for some reason


3. ばかり

1) only, just, nothing else but only, a moment ago

2) A ばかりか  Bまで

not only A but also B


4. 出かけて行く

go out to


5. はるばる(遥々)

from afar


6. さっそく(早速)

at once, immediately


7. せっかく(折角)

even if, (though one puts so much...it still turn out ...negative result)


8.やっと

finally, at last (positive result, affirmative)


9.むな(虚)しく

despite


10.Objectを ねた(妬)む vt

be jealous to, envy+hate


11. いくじ(意気地)をな(無)くす

become weak-minded, coward


12.とうとう(到頭)

in the end (followed by either positive or negative)


13.思われる

naturally, I naturally think, it goes without saying (?)


14.ちょうど(丁度)

exactly, perfectly


15.おもいた(立)つ

decide to

Thursday, September 24, 2009

法隆寺を支えた木:表現 

  1. 元々(もともと): By nature; originally
  2. そうした: Such + Noun.
  3. に対して(たい): Toward; to; regarding
  4. 恐らく(おそ): Probably; maybe; perhaps
  5. 敬意を払う(けいいをはらう): To respect
  6. 染み染み(しみじみ): To soak into (meaning: to enjoy; to appreciate)
  7. 今(も)尚(いまもなお): [It's] still…now.(meaning: it is still the case now, nothing changed.)
  8. (なぜなら)~からです: It is because...
  9. じわじわと : Gradually, slowly
  10. (~程で)はないにしても (~ほどではないにしても):not to the degree of...
  11. ...程で)はないにしても...、...てはない: Neither..., nor...
  12. ~にしても : Even for...
  13. ~という様に:Such as
  14. べき : Should (Because it is socially or morally appropriate to do.)
  15. ~に関連しで(にかんれんして): Regarding, with respect to
  16. ~でありながら,~.: Both A and B
  17. ~から見て(も): To be seen from... To consider something from...
  18. ~とは言え: Even though,...
  19. 至難の業(しなんのわざ): Almost impossible to do something; herculean task
  20. ~退ける(のける): To put aside
  21. ~の外(は)ない: Nothing but...
  22. X 位/程~はない/いない: Nothing is as adj. as X.
  23. ~にしても: Even (meaning: Something is still adj., even according to [a standard].)
  24. ~ にしては: As far as something goes,.../ For ~, ...
  25. ~訳です(わけです): That's why; no wonder...;
  26. A(だからといって)、 B訳ではない:A doesn't mean B.


“東京の悩み”の表現

1)〜てくる (& 〜ていく)

With controllable verbs

A. (“to do something and come”; showing directionality [toward the speaker]; and the “errand form,”—てきてください)

B. Time (Continuation into the present moment of an action or event that began in the past)

With uncontrollable verbs

C. Begin to (“雨が降ってきた”)

The same is true of 〜ていく, except in the case of Uncontrollable Verb + ていく, which means to something happens beyond one’s control (“日本語を忘れていった”)


2) 〜に (しか) 過ぎない: “nothing more than”; “just/only”; “nothing but. . .”

3) (だから) 〜訳 です: “”that’s why”; “in other words”

4) その結果: “As a result”

5) 極めて: “extremely”

6) 〜合う: “mutually”; “together”; “with one another” (e.g. 話し合います)

7) (〜こと) も + 珍しくない: “even (such an example) is not rare)”; here, means “even”

8) Sentence clause + 中には: “among them”; “among such [referenced in the first clause]”

9) 〜もいます: “some. . .”

10) [X は Y] に比例して [+ verb]: “in proportion to. . .”

11) 〜にしても、にしても、〜: whether A or B. . .

12) いわゆる: “so-called”; “in other words. . .”

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

法隆寺の漢字(1)

さかのぼる:遡る
スギ:杉
クス:楠、樟
ヒノキ:檜、桧
マキ:薪
 
Header Image from Bangbouh @ Flickr