some questions on numbers and particles

[pacerier]

ok i'll write ある in kana in the future, anyway how would i know if usually something is written in kana or kanji, like ある or 在る? also will the いる in 持っている be written in kana or kanji

as for バスを待っている間新聞を読みます and バスを待ちながら新聞を読みます, which would you prefer to say if you are telling your friend that you will read the newspaper while waiting for the bus


i was thinking abit about the counter 部 and 枚 again, if now we have a stack of 300 flyers (each flyer is only 1 page, the kind made of low-quality paper that are usually given to passerbys on the road which 99% of people throw with/without reading), will that be thick enough to be considered 部?

[Sashimister]

Originally Posted by pacerier

ok i'll write ある in kana in the future, anyway how would i know if usually something is written in kana or kanji, like ある or 在る? also will the いる in 持っている be written in kana or kanji

You just have to read a lot. I pesonally NEVER write ある using a kanji, never.

As for いる, good writers write it in kana. Poor ones try to impress others by using as many kanji as possible and fail. "Others" know better.

as for バスを待っている間新聞を読みます and バスを待ちながら新聞を読みます, which would you prefer to say if you are telling your friend that you will read the newspaper while waiting for the bus

Probably the first one, but there isn't much of a difference.

i was thinking abit about the counter 部 and 枚 again, if now we have a stack of 300 flyers (each flyer is only 1 page, the kind made of low-quality paper that are usually given to passerbys on the road which 99% of people throw with/without reading), will that be thick enough to be considered 部?

That's 部 officially. Casually, 枚 can also be used.

It just needs to be one sheet of paper to be counted as 部.

[pacerier]

ok cool, if possible please correct me whenever i use kanji to write a word usually written in kana, or when i use kana to write a word usually written in kanji, thanks alot



also will blank colored-papers be considered 部 officially as well? (the ones we'd get at the bookstores, usually for art purposes).

sometimes they sell the stack of colored-papers stack by stack, each stack enclosed in plastic covering. the problem is that each stack does not only consist of 1 color, but 5 colors, with each color having 10 pieces totalling 50 per stack. this would qualify as 部 too right?



that aside, i was wondering instead of saying this:
アさんのスーツはビさんのとおなじです
could i also say this (without weirdness):
アさんのスーツとビさんのはおなじです

[Sashimister]

[quote=pacerier;803545]
also will blank colored-papers be considered 部 officially as well? (the ones we'd get at the bookstores, usually for art purposes). [quote]

No. They've gotta have something printed on them to be counted with 部.

sometimes they sell the stack of colored-papers stack by stack, each stack enclosed in plastic covering. the problem is that each stack does not only consist of 1 color, but 5 colors, with each color having 10 pieces totalling 50 per stack. this would qualify as 部 too right?

No. Go back and read my post (#6 on page 1). You may be learning too fast without proper reviewing. Post number is on top right of each post.

that aside, i was wondering instead of saying this:
アさんのスーツはビさんのとおなじです
could i also say this (without weirdness):
アさんのスーツとビさんのはおなじです

That's correct and natural. Wanna learn the kanji 同じ as it's easy?

[pacerier]

ok i will reread the posts to make sure i don't forget them. i'd thought if its colored it would make an exception to the blank rule, guess not.

thanks for pointing out the kanji 同じ, i'll use it next time =P


anyway are both of these acceptable:
次にボタンを押してください
次、ボタンを押してください
and i was wondering when should we be using commas, or are they completely optional?


also i've grabbed this example sentence somewhere: 頭皮が痒いのです. what exactly does the の signify in that sentence? will there be a change in meaning if i rip the の off and had something like this left: 頭皮が痒いです

[Sashimister]

Originally Posted by pacerier

thanks for pointing out the kanji 同じ, i'll use it next time =P

Seriously, remember not to cram too many kanji into your brain in a limited time period. Always learn them in context. If you can't form a phrase or sentence using a particular kanji, that kanji is not for you yet. Give yourself enough time.

anyway are both of these acceptable:
次にボタンを押してください
次、ボタンを押してください
and i was wondering when should we be using commas, or are they completely optional?

Both are very natural.

The rules regarding the comma are much stricter in English than in Japanese. In Japanese, it's pretty much left to the writer's discretion. You use a comma whenever you feel would help the reader read your sentence better. Generally speaking, though, better writers use fewer commas. This means that when the sentences are well-structured, the reader doesn't need many commas to read them correctly.

also i've grabbed this example sentence somewhere: 頭皮が痒いのです. what exactly does the の signify in that sentence? will there be a change in meaning if i rip the の off and had something like this left: 頭皮が痒いです

You sure you want to learn the kanji 痒 at this stage? Only you can decide, though.

Those two sentences convey different "meanings". I assure you, however, that many people who have been studying Japanese for 3-4 years usually don't know the difference.

The latter is the dead, dictionary form. You will see that in language textbooks. It's 100% correct but you will seldom hear a native speaker say it. I'm a native speaker and I can't think of a situation where I would ever say it.

The former is what you will say to your dermatologist or anyone who may ask you what's wrong with you because you're constantly scratching your head. In oral speech, almost everyone changes the の to ん. This の（ん） indicates that what you're saying is news to the other person. Your head being itchy is not a normal situation for you. It's a recent development. Maybe it just started a minute ago. The little の（ん） carries all that important information, which is amazing considering ん doesn't even constitute a syllable.

[pacerier]

ok i'll take it slowly, but learning the kanji actually makes it easier for me to remember the word because some of the meanings of the character correspond to that of chinese, which is my mother tongue.

regarding the structure of the の（ん）, does it only apply for [Adj]+の（ん） or is it usuable like this as well [Noun]+の（ん）: それはパソコンのです


i grabbed this from somewhere: 彼女はいつも自分の部屋をきれいしておく
is the sentence valid? i'd thought きれい is an adjective, what does きれいしておく means?

[Sashimister]

Originally Posted by pacerier

ok i'll take it slowly, but learning the kanji actually makes it easier for me to remember the word because some of the meanings of the character correspond to that of chinese, which is my mother tongue.

Cool. One needs to "forget" the Chinese pronunciations of the kanji, though, when studying Japanese.

regarding the structure of the の（ん）, does it only apply for [Adj]+の（ん） or is it usuable like this as well [Noun]+の（ん）: それはパソコンのです

No. Verbs and adjectives.

それはパソコンのです is a correct sentence but I don't think you know what it means. It has nothing to do with the "news" aspect I discussed last time.

The sentence means "It's the PC's." You'e holding a small product and asks "What's this for?" or "Where does this belong?" then someone says "それはパソコンのです"

i grabbed this from somewhere: 彼女はいつも自分の部屋をきれいしておく
is the sentence valid? i'd thought きれい is an adjective, what does きれいしておく means?

It's valid/natural/correct. You name it, it has it.

"She always keeps her room clean."

How do you just grab sentences? If you aren't studying systematically, it's difficult to offer help. Know what mean? You see a phrase somewhere that you naturally don't understand. Since it bugs you and you ask here. Think about this.

[pacerier]

oh i found some of these examples while searching for words online, usually through free online dictionaries. i've read a few guides but there's still alot that they don't teach.

anyway regarding the previous question, what does しておく mean, does it mean to do something in advance?

[jesselt]

~ておく means to do something in advance.

I would suggest buying a textbook to help you study, that way you can learn things in a systematic order. Since textbooks give you examples when you learn a new grammar topic, you will probably be better able to understand things and wont have to ask as often.