The "I found some Japanese I don't understand" thread.

[thisiskyleMember]

I found some Japanese I don’t understand.
Help me!
「ジャレッド」サイモンがよんだ。気がつくと(1)、みんなはもう玄関前にいて、つっ立って(2)家をながめているのはジャレッドひとりだった。 (source kanji usage)

Here’s what I think:
“Jared” Simon called. ???,everyone had moved toward the entrance and Jared was left alone, staring at the house.

The questions are:
1. What is つくと?
2. What is つっ立って?

[thisiskyleMember]

edit: question 2 answered. つっ立って＝突っ立って＝the te form of 突っ立つ which means stand with some emphasis of some kind maybe…

[thisiskyleMember]

edit: question 1 answered. 気がつと is some form of 気がつく which means to become aware or to find oneself.

“Jared” Simon called. Everyone had already moved toward the entrance and Jared found himself staring up at the house alone.

Thanks guys. Sometimes all it takes is a listening ear. Although I still don’t get the と part…

[thisiskyleMember]

Hahahaha edit edit. it’s 気がつくと　not 気がつと　they are treating it like a noun but just didn’t put the の there! The と just means “and”. Take that Japanese!

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

「そう思う / そう思います」 – “think so”

Saw quite a few sentences over on jisho.org that have this little phrase in them. Why doesn’t it use the と particle – shouldn’t it be 「そうと思う」?

Off topic: Is it just me or does it look like thisiskyle is having a conversation with himself here :P Maybe the other posts aren’t showing up for me.

[thisiskyleMember]

Conversations with myself have often proven useful in problem solving. It’s a form of externalization.

Anyway, I think you use と for quotes or things like quotes like
-I think the moon is a government conspiracy.
“the moon is a government conspiracy” is like a quote out of my mind so this would get a と. “I think so.” on the other hand, does not contain any sort of quotish phrase.

However, it may be that the と is grammatically always needed but is just dropped in casual speech.

Howeverforever, I asked a girl if she’d seen a movie and she responded with ないと思う (short for 見たことがないと思う) which was in as casual situation as can be imagined and the と is still there which leads me to believe that what I said first was correct.

[thisiskyleMember]

I’m back.

車の中から荷物をおろそうと、サイモンの後についていきかけたときだった。

The subject is left off but I’m pretty sure it’s “Jared”.

Here’s my best guess:
(Jared) was trying to get the luggage out of the car and was about to follow Simon.

I really dont get the end part (ときだった) it seems like “at that time” or something maybe…

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

An example sentence from Tae Kim: 「私は学生なので、お金がないんです。」

Why does he use BOTH ので and んです? Does that not make them both explanatory clauses? It just doesn’t make sense to me (“Because I am a student, because I have no money.”) :S

Danke :)

[thisiskyleMember]

It’s probably just added emphasis. I’ve seen similar things of doubling up meaning in grammar and vocabulary. Like the word 詰め込む for example. I’ve also seen quite a few cases of だけ and しか (which both mean “only”) being used in the same sentence for emphasis.

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

Yeah, I guess that kinda makes sense – thanks :)

Another question though:
I was watching a programme on NHK World about a river in Japan, and the presenter was having a look around a hostel that was formerly a schoolhouse. The manager is showing him around and he asks something like “So where’s my room then?”. The manager starts off her reply with what sounds like「きょうはですね。」(left kanji out because I’m not sure if whether or not it’s supposed to be 今日). Is that some kind of idiomatic expression? She definitely didn’t say 「きょうは・SUBJECT・ですね。」. Can you just leave the subject out like that? Even if she did just leave the subject out, it’s a funny way to start answering “Where is my room?”. Am I just being an idiot? XD

TO EVERYONE: Feel free to post :P This isn’t supposed to be just me and Kyle’s thread hehe

[SheepyModerator]

Well 今日 was the subject, Its just “for today then?” or by context ” This is it for today”.

Its kind of like saying 明日は卵です。　Tomorrow isn’t literally 卵。 Sort of like how 今日はですね。 Is sort of like “this is today” which is the room to be used for that day. But yeah I can’t hear it so I assume its a statement and not a question lol

edit: thats my take on it anyway, could be wrong, or possibly you heard wrong. lol

• This reply was modified 13 years, 5 months ago by  Sheepy.

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

Why, when it comes to words like “Mars” and… some others I can’t remember, the カタカナ form is with a ス instead of a ズ （マルス as opposed to マルズ）? Is it the same reason they use キャ instead of カ: they’re just weird like that? :P

[DevinMember]

Ok, I kind of know this one, but am not 100% certain yet on what exactly it means.

よろしくお願いします

Apparently it’s a greeting of sorts; but what exactly does it mean/say?

[RevenantMember]

よろしくお願いします
yoroshikuonegaishimasu
(願 = request, petition)

+ pleased to meet you, thanks for having me / let’s get along.

Kind off. It’s a more polite version of “yoroshiku”.

If not already answered: 気がついて = ki ga tsuite = coming to ones senses, waking up. The kigatsukuto seems weird to me.
It could be “before he realized”, everyone went to the entrance..

• This reply was modified 13 years, 4 months ago by  Revenant.
• This reply was modified 13 years, 4 months ago by  Revenant.

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

「さっきからずっと電話のベルがなり続けています。」

I know it’s something about the telephone’s bell continuing to do something, but I’m not sure what haha I assume it’s continuously ringing, but what does なる（なり続ける） have to do with it? Also, it’s annoying that you have to type づ as “du” and not “dzu” XD

「「あのう・・・」と言って、田中[たなか]さんは話しだしました。」

If「話しだしました」means “…suddenly began to speak”, why is「と言って」there as well? Also, should「話しだしました」be written as「話し出しました」? Sorry, the grammar book I’ve started reading only has kanji specific to it’s level (old JLPT 3). Also, there are no English translations for the example sentences. It’s kinda stupid that the example sentences have grammar in them that is only covered later in the book – keep having to flick back and forth haha

• This reply was modified 13 years, 4 months ago by  MisterM2402 [Michael].

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