This grammar structure is quite interchangeable. You can move yoku around. But, for 私は本をよく読みます。could be interpreted as 私は本を良く読みます。 For a Japanese person, the yoku in the 1st sentence could be interpreted as meaning well or often. So in the case of 私は本をよく読みます, it would depend on context. But, this isn't a problem for a Japanese listener, because the surrounding sentences would easily allow them to tell if you meant well or often because you'd be talking about how much you've read or how well you understand everything you have read.

The second structure, 私はよく本を読みます。, could mean "I read good books" or "I often read books". It's another context issue.

I would also recommend the first form, but they're not all that different.

Ecael

United States6703 Posts

June 18 2009 03:46 GMT

#22

On June 18 2009 12:34 gamecrazy67 wrote:
This grammar structure is quite interchangeable. You can move yoku around. But, for 私は本をよく読みます。could be interpreted as 私は本を良く読みます。 For a Japanese person, the yoku in the 1st sentence could be interpreted as meaning well or often. So in the case of 私は本をよく読みます, it would depend on context. But, this isn't a problem for a Japanese listener, because the surrounding sentences would easily allow them to tell if you meant well or often because you'd be talking about how much you've read or how well you understand everything you have read.

The second structure, 私はよく本を読みます。, could mean "I read good books" or "I often read books". It's another context issue.

I would also recommend the first form, but they're not all that different.

No, the second structure can only indicate that you often read books, the context doesn't even matter, you can't use よく to modify a noun.

On June 18 2009 12:33 konadora wrote:
It just sounds slightly off, there's nothing wrong with the meaning

Yeah I know what you mean, but when you just try to say it a few times you naturally pause at places and start inserting like さ lol

So no fek

United States3001 Posts

October 04 2009 15:39 GMT

#23

Bumping this thread instead of creating my own, since the subject is actually really close to what I'm curious about. I'm taking a Japanese and think I'm doing much better than I did in high school (since I'm, you know, actually studying and all), but I'm still a bit unclear on a few things.

For clarification, the frequency adverb (yoku in this case) can either be inserted before before the subject or after the subject particle, right? I've seen it done both ways, and I'm just trying to make sure that once a sentence gets a bit more complicated, it doesn't move around at all.

My second question is about what particle to use for a sentence.

The sentence is:
Tanaka-san wa, konban _ kuji _ telebi _ memasu.

With the underscores being particle placement (on the homework). I currently have no particle for the first, as I'm pretty sure it's not needed for words such as konban. I have o for the third, but I'm unsure of the second. I had to look up kuji as I haven't seen it in my book, and it means lottery if I'm not mistaken. So I'd assume that it would be de since the lottery is taking place on tv. I'm just a little unsure because all of my notes indicate that place it's being held comes before the subject (toshokan de eiga, Kyouto de matsuri, etc).

So would de be the right particle, or did I space on something entirely?

Thanks for the help, and sorry for bumping the thread. >_>

Funnytoss

Taiwan1471 Posts

October 04 2009 17:48 GMT

#24

In general you can move stuff around in Japanese sentences fairly easily, save for the ending verbs.

Tanaka-san wa, konban kuji ni telebi wo mimasu.

I'm assuming the sentence is saying Tanaka will be watching TV at 9 (kuji).

So no fek

United States3001 Posts

October 05 2009 00:00 GMT

#25

On October 05 2009 02:48 Funnytoss wrote:
In general you can move stuff around in Japanese sentences fairly easily, save for the ending verbs.

Tanaka-san wa, konban kuji ni telebi wo mimasu.

I'm assuming the sentence is saying Tanaka will be watching TV at 9 (kuji).

Oh shit, I had forgotten all about 9. It went entirely over my head. Thanks for saving me a really stupid mistake.

Ecael

United States6703 Posts

October 05 2009 00:46 GMT

#26

For よく, you can stuff that in a lot of places, one of the most flexible adverbs since it denotes both frequency and quality, so try to make proper distinctions once sentences get complicated.

Funnytoss' answer looks right to me too...but where is that comma after は coming from.

So no fek

United States3001 Posts

October 05 2009 03:49 GMT

#27

I'm taking it directly from my handout, which is presumably printed/supplementary to the book. Obviously it's not the English style comma, just as the text isn't in romanji, but hiragana. All of the questions on the printout have a comma after the は.

gamecrazy

United States421 Posts

October 05 2009 04:37 GMT

#28

The comma after [(subject) は] is completely discretionary. You can choose to put it in or leave it out, doesn't matter. After a while, you stop caring, so you leave it out. よく could mean frequent or well, and although it doesn't matter where it goes, I think easier to denote frequency by putting it in front of the subject.

Funnytoss already got your sentence right:
田中さんは今晩九時にテレビを見ます。

たなかさんはこんばんくじにテレビをみます。

Tanakasan ha konban kuji ni terebi wo mimasu.

Tanaka will watch TV at nine tonight.

So no fek

United States3001 Posts

October 05 2009 04:59 GMT

#29

Yeah, as soon as I read it, it clicked. I have absolutely no idea what was keeping my mind from reading it as 9 o'clock, and trying to make sense of the sentence from there. The particle was more than clear once I was able to get past that.