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I'm learning Japanese at the moment, and maybe one of you bright sparks can answer a question I have. What's the formal name/description/term for the -tai desu construction? Is the verbal adjective created with -tai a gerund (or am I just bringing Latin grammar where it doesn't belong)?

And I'm learning spoken Japanese first and foremost, so I don't know [much] kana or kanji yet.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1761

Xurvi

Original post by jismith1989

I don't think bringing latin here is indeed relevant... I'm not sure what you mean by gerund; the gerund I know is for instance the -ing form in English or the -ant form in French and it seems rather obvious it isn't the same idea in the -tai adjectives (the gerund in Japanese would rather be the -teiru/-tearu forms I guess).

I couldn't find the japanese name for this -tai form on google, I'll ask my teacher tomorrow if I remember. I expect it to be named simply like "desire verbal adjective" or something.

Reply 1762

faber niger

Original post by Xurvi

Sorry, I meant to say the gerundive, but I don't think that's quite right either as the Latin gerundive implies necessity more than desire.

Anyway, thanks. There may not be a formal name, I was just curious.

Reply 1763

Xurvi

Original post by jismith1989

I asked one of my Japanese lecturers. She said she needed to check her books, and that even then, names often differ from one book/expert to another so there isn't a formal name per se.

Reply 1764

screenager2004

Japanese lessons in Japan are super intensive! I've got 85 new kanji down since tuesday D: There's no way in hell I'll be remembering all that!

Reply 1765

atheistwithfaith

Original post by Xurvi

I asked one of my Japanese lecturers. She said she needed to check her books, and that even then, names often differ from one book/expert to another so there isn't a formal name per se.

Totally read that as 'check her boobs'.

Reply 1766

Xurvi

We had a meeting this afternoon to be explained how student exchanges would work with Japanese partner universities.

It made it much more concrete suddenly that I was in a competition with 60-65 other students to earn one of the mere 14 places available next year. It's a bit daunting. I'm one of the good students in the class, but there are so many other students wanting to go to Japan for their 3rd year, some of them so much better than I am.

I was like "meh" for my exchange in Ireland - I'm able to speak good English for quite some time now. But I still feel so lame at Japanese, particularly in spoken Japanese as I don't understand anything at all and I'm so slow at speaking. I'm torn between feelings of "****, I want to go" and "****, I'm not good enough yet".

I guess all I can do is do my best :s

Reply 1767

Pi!

Thought this might be useful for people learning katakana.

Reply 1768

HomeKAZOKU

Anyone heard of ヒャダイン?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xxnp0Q1GYQ&feature=related
I can't stop listening XD

Reply 1769

Facticity

Original post by HomeKAZOKU

Anyone heard of ヒャダイン?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xxnp0Q1GYQ&feature=related
I can't stop listening XD

No but I have heard of Home Made Kazoku :ninja:

Reply 1770

Not a Zergling

Just applied for Japanese Studies / Japanese Studies with Computer Science, now terrified of getting denied from the only uni I can actually go to. It's going to be a painful wait!

and in other news still trucking along with Read the Kanji and vocabulary

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1771

fait

最近はどうして　いま　したか？俺って、まだ日本語を続けている。段々よくなってると感じてい　ます。けどさ、もっと　ペラペラになりたい。

Damn this.

Reply 1772

SoulfulBoy

Audiobooks with their corresponding books (pdf)? Anyone know where can I get them? Also, is anyone at Birkbeck doing japanese? :P

Reply 1773

screenager2004

Hey could someone help me with a phrase please?

I heard this in a conversation yesterday "懐疑的に成らざるをえない"

And I had no idea what it meant. I thought it meant "I just couldn't help but be skeptical"
But the person said it was a way to express that you like something?

So I'm so confused now!
Could someone explain the nuance of the phrase?

Reply 1774

fait

Original post by screenager2004

A quick Google search and I found 私はこのことについては、大変懐疑的にならざるを得ないのです。Though it seems like an extremely long winded way of saying you like something, which is weird since we know how Japanese like to shorten things as much as possible. o_O No clue, sorry. I'm kinda interested myself!

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1775

BWCW

Hiya again,

Thought this might be the place for another (comparably basic...) question about some Japanese!

Was just trying to determine what the difference between 働く and つめる in meaning 'to work'? I'm under the impression that アルバイトをする means to work part-time, is that right?

Arigatou! :smile:

Reply 1776

fait

Original post by Paramore<3

You mean 詰める? That means to pack/cram. I've never heard since it being used as 'work'. Check out some examples; http://jisho.org/sentences?jap=%E8%A9%B0%E3%82%81%E3%82%8B&eng=

Yup, that's fine although most people say バイトをする instead. =] Hope that helps!

Reply 1777

Ash S

Original post by Paramore<3

I assume you mean 勤める（つとめる） rather than つめる?

働く is literally like 'to work' in English, whereas 勤める is more like to be employed somewhere.

So,
私は銀行で働いています = 'I work at a bank'. = You're doing bank work at the bank, and yes you're probably an employee there but you don't necessarily have to be (like you could be a worker from another company brought in temporarily or something).

私は銀行に勤めています = like I am employed at a bank.

Note that in this case 働く uses で, and 勤める uses に and that might help you understand the different nuances as well.

And yeah, アルバイトをする would be fine for to work part-time ^_^

Hope I helped >_< I always write stupidly long explanations T_T

Reply 1778

asabashoyuki

務める→working as (job position)
勤める→learning

both つとめる but not つめる

Reply 1779

fait

Ah, 務める. Right, didn't know that! Haha.

Does anyone have an idea about screenager's post 懐疑的に成らざるをえない being used to like something? I've asked some Japanese people but they have no idea....