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harpoondude (Offline)
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Posts: 6
Join Date: Aug 2008
Post Japanese Questions - 08-07-2008, 08:28 PM

Ok, it seems I didn't read the forums properly. I'm really sorry, it seems for questions THIS is the forum to be in. This is the topic:

http://www.japanforum.com/forum/lang...ting-help.html

I'll quote what I wrote here if that's ok. If a mod can delete or... move the old post that would be great. Sorry once again.

Quote:
Heya, thanks for offering your help!

There's just a few things I'm confused about. I'll just ask like, a couple of questions now and then. So I'll start with some really basic ones.

First is, Honorifics. When putting an o before Namae (なまえ) Correct me if the hiragana is wrong, but that makes it honorific. Just interested, what falls under the catagory of honorific. It only applies to people correct? But I can't use this infront of a persons name? So what else can I use it for? I wouldn't be able to use this with animals for example? Because from what I know Ookami (おおかみ) would become like, Oookami, and kami (which I believe is god) would become... wolf?

Secondly, the word Mate(matte?)(まあて). This means 'Too see' almost? Not literally eyesight but as in, 'to meet' 'to see'. Am I right to assume that?

Edit: Sorry not matte, matta. The reason I assume this is because 'dewa mata'(ではまた) means see you later. And because 'Mata ashita'(また明日) means see you tomorrow. The way I'm seeing it is that mata is 'too meet' and dewa is later and ashita is tomorrow. But thing is, dewa arimasen means something is 'not' something, so would that mean when you say:

Neko wa dewa arimasen

You are actually saying:

The cat is later not

Surely not? So what is the meaning of dewa? See, I'm in all these loopholes I'm so confused.

Another question. Why does 'dewa mata' have the mata at the end, and 'mata ashita' has it at the beginning? Does this have something to do with the meaning of dewa?
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