[YuriTokoro]

Originally Posted by sarvodaya

I have just been reading about this in Japanese. In the first example makes it clear that "the premise" is the focus and "their discussion" is the topic. Doing so emphasises your surprise that this formed a premise of their discussion. To be clear, a premise is something that is taken for granted, it has a logically distinct position in an argument. It is something that an argument relies upon, but which is not questioned in itself; rather it is assumed to be true. Thus, by using the word order I showed you, you are emphasising that it surprised you to see that the professor was taking this statement for granted.

I see. The Japanese language’s order comes like the second sentence, and in Japanese, more important focus often comes at the end the end of the sentence.
I will remember I should put the focus at the top in English.
Still, “upon which ….was based” is too difficult to say!!!

Ah, I see, that makes more sense. So you meant "we can’t help feeling you are aggressive because we do not have the culture of debate"
I think a good word for you to use would be "overbearing"; do you know this word?

That’s it! I didn’t know this word, and I just looked it up in a dictionary.
I’m sorry, I say you are overbearing, but we also consider that we are kind of chicken-hearted.

Yes, you can. In this case there is a slight difference. The first example suggests that there is a well-defined expectation that some people have, that Japanese culture definitely differs from that expectation and that the reader may or may not be such a person as to hold that expectation. On the other hand, the second example merely suggests that it is possible that Japanese culture is different from what you expect as an individual.

I see. Thanks.
I had had some stereotype which you (foreign people) might expect about Japan. This stereotype was the premise upon which my remark was based!!!!!!

Thus, in using the first of the two sentences, you emphasise that you are aware of either particular disparities between Japanese culture and foreign cultures or particular misconceptions that people commonly have about Japanese culture.

Yes, I had thought there were particular misconceptions that people commonly have about Japanese culture.
That was stereotype. I shouldn’t say things based upon such idea.

[quote]

You have written “the Japanese”.
Does this mean “all Japanese people”? [/QUTEO]
Technically, yes, although it is usually understood as "most Japanese people" or "the majority of Japanese people" because everyone knows you can't really generalise to a whole nation.

This seems to be very useful expression!

Yes. The only reason I changed it was because it sounds a bit odd to say "people" twice so close together! In English we usually avoid repeating the same word too often unless we have a particular reason to do so.

The Japanese don’t mind when we repeat the same word, so this is a little hard to get use to me.

"the Japanese people" has a connotation of "the Japanese nation". Here "the people" is being used as a collective noun. As a result a sense of unity is implied. Compare the famous statement: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union..." This phrase "we the people" has come to symbolise the idealised democratic process. As a result of this unity, claims about what "the Japanese people" do or don't believe etc are akin to statements about the public consciousness, which, though useful, can be nebulous.

OK, thanks.
the Japanese　are 　日本人というものは
the Japanese people is 日本国民は
Japanese people are 　日本人は
all Japanese people are　日本人、一人残らず

If that is what you want to say that's fine, but I find it hard to believe! No nation can be so perfect.

I’m sorry, I seem to have lost.
Is this from what I said about Japan?
Japan is not perfect. Instead, I’m sure you regard the Japanese might be kind of fool because the national debt is too huge, and the prime ministers change too many times. Still, I love Japan. I believe you would say you love your country.



About “ね”.

“ね”which is added at the end of a sentence is 終助詞（しゅうじょし）.
You say ね when you ;

1．Get agreement or confirmation. （同意）
「これはいいですね」　This is good, right?
「今日は寒いね」It’s cold, isn’t it?
「疲れたね」(When all of you are tired.)
「ああ、そうだね」Yes, that’s right.

2.Comformation.
「これはあなたのカサですね↑」This is your umbrella, isn’t this? 「はい、そうです」Yes, that’s right.
「あなたも行きますね↑」You will go (like other people), won’t you?「はい、行きます」Yes, I will.

3. Making a point
After other person say something to you, you reply trying not to be overbearing.
それは違いますね。That’s not correct.
私は、そうは思いませんね。I don’t think so.

If you simply say それは違います, sometimes you sound a little bullhead or gruff.

4. Request and invitation
きっと来てくださいね。 Be sure to come, right?

5. Question　（This is elderly men’s way. If you say this, you would sound odd. However, when you read novels, you would see this way to say things.）
君は行くかね？ Will you go?

If you don’t understand, ask me.