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Igakusei
United States610 Posts
Are these both appropriate ways to say "I often read books?" watashiwa hon o yoku yomimasu watashiwa yoku hon o yomimasu If so, is one more natural sounding? Basically I'm wondering if it's okay to stick the adverb anywhere in the sentence. Also since I'm here, yoku can mean either often or well (as in yoku hanasemasu, or can speak well). Is context your only clue to differentiate these two rather different meanings?  | ||
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allluckysevens7777
United States53 Posts
As for the often/well, I think you're correct there as well. | ||
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VIB
Brazil3567 Posts
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EchOne
United States2906 Posts
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Shauni
4077 Posts
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Cambium
United States16368 Posts
You'll soon find out that the Japanese language depends heavily on context, which can be annoying at times. | ||
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Ecael
United States6703 Posts
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Tbird
Canada42 Posts
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Igakusei
United States610 Posts
My book tends to use the second form as well (torrented the genki elementary books), but I've been listening to pimsleur and they seem to prefer the first form.. which also seems more clear to me. Trying to memorize kanji too. I'm at 40 now, but they're quickly becoming very complicated. I need a pen pal  | ||
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Ecael
United States6703 Posts
EDIT - Actually that's kind of a bad example since the location of よく was made to make meaning more obvious, not quite the same as "clearer". | ||
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Cambium
United States16368 Posts
よく= often | ||
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Cambium
United States16368 Posts
On June 18 2009 07:20 Ecael wrote: Well, it is best if you don't start trying to divide it into forms right away, for example, 私はよく本屋で本を読む is more common than 私は本屋で本をよく読む. It really depends on the clarity imo, the location of the よく changes depending on what other things might be in the sentence to a place where the meaning would be the least ambiguous. EDIT - Actually that's kind of a bad example since the location of よく was made to make meaning more obvious, not quite the same as "clearer". Actually, I think there's a slight difference between the two sentences you gave: I often go to a book store to read books (where "go to" is implied), versus When I'm at a book store, I often read books (where "when I'm at" is implied). That's at least how I interpret those two sentences. | ||
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Ecael
United States6703 Posts
Well, if you want to say "when I am at a bookstore", that's a conditional, in which case you'd say 私は本屋にいったら時によく[そこに]本を読む instead of 私は本屋で本をよく読む. The meaning of the two that I gave does differ slightly, that's why I added in the edit about how in those two the former is clearer about the intended meaning. The point is more that as we elongate the sentences and add in more implications, the よく can change locations too. Or rather, as the よく change location, the implication can change like you said, it is hard to pin it down to a form more used. | ||
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VIB
Brazil3567 Posts
Oh well... I guess that whatever is fine >< | ||
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konadora
Singapore66364 Posts
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onihunter
United States515 Posts
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KurtistheTurtle
United States1966 Posts
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konadora
Singapore66364 Posts
On June 18 2009 11:14 onihunter wrote: Both are fine. Second one is barely used because the way the sentence is phrased is slightly off | ||
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Ecael
United States6703 Posts
On June 18 2009 12:16 konadora wrote: Second one is barely used because the way the sentence is phrased is slightly off In print maybe, with speech there are plenty of ways for you to pause and indicate what it means. | ||
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konadora
Singapore66364 Posts
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gamecrazy
United States421 Posts
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. | ||
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Ecael
United States6703 Posts
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 | ||
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So no fek
United States3001 Posts
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. >_> | ||
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Funnytoss
Taiwan1471 Posts
Tanaka-san wa, konban kuji ni telebi wo mimasu. I'm assuming the sentence is saying Tanaka will be watching TV at 9 (kuji). | ||
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So no fek
United States3001 Posts
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. | ||
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Ecael
United States6703 Posts
Funnytoss' answer looks right to me too...but where is that comma after は coming from. | ||
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So no fek
United States3001 Posts
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gamecrazy
United States421 Posts
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. | ||
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So no fek
United States3001 Posts
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madnessman
United States1581 Posts
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