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Columbine (Offline)
Busier Than Shinjuku Station
 
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: United Kingdom
09-01-2010, 03:02 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by BabyAzerty View Post
4/ I think that German started in University. (What does いと mean ?)
In this one, you're breaking up the sentence in the wrong place. I'll put spaces in to show you how it should be:
4. 大学 で ドイツ語 を 始めたい と 思います

the と particle here links 思います with 始めたい. [と 思います] really means, "i think". と is used a lot with verbs of expression like 'feel', and 'say' and 'think'.

with 始めたい the たい ending expresses want or desire. ie; 何かを食べたい is " I want to eat something" 宇宙に行きたい is "i want to go to space".

So, literally ドイツ語を始めたいと思います is "I'm thinking that I want to start german", but the "I want" doesn't always need to be translated literally (besides, 'I'm thinking I want' sounds odd in English!), so it tends to come out as simply "I'm thinking of~".

Sashimister can probably explain (6) better, but yes, まだ〜ばかり is a phrase. I guess if you want it literally, it's like saying "I've already done such and such, but only just", which is pretty long-winded and redundant in English, so it's better to translate as "I have just~"
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