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YuriTokoro (Offline)
Busier Than Shinjuku Station
 
Posts: 1,066
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Kawasaki,Japan
12-21-2010, 12:10 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by KyleGoetz View Post
To build on what YuriTokoro said, じゃ is a contraction for では. In English, using contractions in formal writing is considered bad. Mixing じゃ and ます form is like that times a hundred.
When speaking Japanese, foreign people often say「じゃーありません」or「じゃあーありません」instead of 「ではありません」.
If they can pronounce 「じゃありません」properly, it might sound OK (depends on the situation), but they say 「じゃあーありません」, and it sounds strange.


Hello, I may not understand English very well and I may lack words but I will try to understand you.

If you have questions about my post or Japanese customs, don't hesitate to ask.

I YamaP
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