HOW DO I SAY "…." THREAD

[PencilMember]

^Sorry I never thanked you at the time, Gigatron, but now I’ve re-found this thread, I can at least offer this very belated apology. ^_^;;;;

Before I start making any videos, I’d like to make a lang-8 blog and I’m just now drafting out a rough introduction post. I want to say something like that improving my Japanese would make me very happy, so please criticize me as much as possible.

I know that Japanese tend to be polite, and what I’m trying to get across is that I’d like every ounce of ‘weirdness’ beaten out of me, (What’s the Japanese counterpart of Engrish? XD) and that the meaner people are, the better?

[ゼロスMember]

so, if you go to buy something and you set the item on the counter to check out would you then say
これおねがいします

someone I know said you would say
これをかいたいです

But I was sure it would be
これおねがいします

so if anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated :D

[JoelMember]

Pencil: Not really sure if there’s a Japanese equivalent to Engrish. 下手な日本語 would get the idea across, though. Maybe. Or 変な日本語?

ゼロス: これをかいたいです is a bit more tentative, I think – it kinda sounds like you’re still looking for the item you’d like to buy, like you’re just pointing to a picture of it in a catalogue that you’re holding. これをおねがいします works better. Alternately, so does これをください.

[JoelMember]

So, my turn to ask a question: how to do potential forms of compound verbs. So, 持って来る means “bring something” , but how would I say “could not bring something”? Do changes made to the 来る affect the whole verb, or just the 来る？ That is to say, is the line I’m looking for “持って来られない”, or is that saying that I’m not able to come at all?

[マーク・ウェーバーMember]

Can’t you just say it like this:
持ってくることはできない

持ってくる事はできない

That is the first thing that come to mind.
As for your other question I think changes affect the whole verb, because when hoovering over it with rikaichan it says the entire verb is potential and negative.

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

Well when you make a compound verb, it’s no longer 2 separate verbs any more – it just functions as one, a verb that happens to end with る. I’d say it should be 持って来られない, like you suggested. I could be wrong though.

[ゼロスMember]

Ok, so I am going to go see a movie tonight at a theater so I was wondering how you would ask for a ticket
Like for example I am going to go see Titanic so would it be

タイタニックお願いします

Or… would it be something else Please help!

[JoelMember]

タイタニックのきっぷをお願いします would be more explicit, but I couldn’t say whether such specificity is necessary. Also, if you want to say “the six-thirty Titanic” (for example), just stick 六時半の on the front.

[thisiskyleMember]

That’ll do fine. BTW, are you in Japan? If so, you’ll need to know how to tell the clerk which seats you want. Saying you don’t care and anything is fine will result in nothing but a deer-in-the-headlights stare.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by  thisiskyle.

[ゼロスMember]

Ha ha yeah I know usually they give you a chart and i can point at the ones I want… Yes I am in Japan but I am probably only at a 3 year olds level of speech XD
Thank you Joel and Kyle

[GigatronMember]

@ゼロス, your 3-year-old speech level is a far sight better than my 2-year-old speech level. XD

So I have been struggling to figure out how to say something like “When you get a chance, please do/get X for me.” or basically asking for something but making it clear that they can do so at their convenience and that there’s no rush.

Also, what’s a nice polite way to say “Can I give you a hand?” or “Would you like me to help?” like if I see a person with their hands full and I want to offer assistance. I figured “手伝って上げてもいいですか？” but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s utterly wrong.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by  Gigatron.

[JoelMember]

Currently being reminded of that scene in Azumanga Daioh when Kagura was struggling to work out how to ask a foreigner if he needed help in English, and wound up just screaming “HELP ME!” at him. =P

Anyway, I can’t see anything fundamentally wrong with what you said, but like you, I’m getting a bit of a feeling. Part of it might be that I’m not sure it doesn’t say “can you help me” and part of is I’m not sure if there’s some other way it’s usually said in Japan. My phrasebook isn’t any help here. Maybe I should dig out my copy of Azumanga Daioh and see if I can hear what Kagura said in Japanese. =)

[マーク・ウェーバーMember]

時間がある時に、手伝ってもかまいませんか？ / 時間がある時に、手伝って上げてもかまいませんか？
When you have time do you mind helping me? / When you have time, do you mind giving me help?
How does that sound, dunno if it is worth anything though? :s

• This reply was modified 12 years, 8 months ago by  マーク・ウェーバー.

[KiaiFighterMember]

For asking someone to help you, I might use..
時間があれば、手伝ってもらってもいいですか？ (If/when you’re free, could I receive your help?)

To offer help, I wouldn’t say ‘Do you want me to help?’ as it could be interpreted too directly and perhaps rude. (手伝って欲しいですか？） Rather, Let me help you would be easier for them to refuse if they don’t need/want your help.
手伝わせてください。

[PencilMember]

Is there a way to say “X is short for Y”? Like how ‘Dick’ is short for Richard, or how 声優 is abbreviated from 声の俳優.

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