Daily Thread: simple questions, comments that don’t need their own posts, and first time posters go here (February 17, 2024)

5 comments

1. How does one determine what reading will be used in a Kanji when they appear in Compounds (e.g. 英国, 中国, and 雪国 all use different readings for 国)?

   Is there a way to understand (or at least “predict”) the “formula” for this? When people (esp. Natives) make neologisms in Japanese, do they instinctively “know” which readings to use, or do they just pick whichever one they prefer (in the event that they’re creating a “new” word)?

   Bonus; I know that 火影 is read as 「ほかげ」, and even has entries in various Dictionaries (I think that this is probably a real word that was simply popularized, but I could be wrong), but if someone were to write 「恩影」 (I went out of my way to make a nonsense word/compound with no entries in any JP Dictionaries for the sake of the discourse), how would this be read (or would the one who coined it be the one to decide), and why?

2. > 石畳を踏み抜くように駆ける。

   Is this an idiom or something? I found this sentence weird. “Run as if you are treading on stone paving.”

   How is that different than any other type of running?

   Context: A character is hungry and wants to steal a sausage and run away from the shopkeeper.

3. >近くに人がいないのを適当に確認すると、私はしっぽをブンブンと振って駆け出した。

   Came across this sentence while reading. In what sense is 適当 being used here? Does it mean she checked properly or did she check halfheartedly?

   Looking at the dictionary definitions I can see both, and I’ve honestly been confused about 適当 for a while now.

4. So far, Wanikani has taught me three different vocab words for “girl” – 女の子, 女子 and 少女.

   From the descriptions it appears 少女 relates more to “teenage girl” (which makes sense as its a word I’ve heard before in the context of anime/manga) – is that correct? Are there any other distinctions between the three?

5. Hi all, I’m a few months into learning japanese. I got 2 Q’s today

   1. I’ve learnt, what seems a few months late, that Katakana is also used for onomatopoeia and emphasis. can someone expand on these for me as I couldn’t find much when I looked.

   what I read was that onomatopoeia can be written in both Kana’s but hiragana is for a more elegant/feminine/refined sorta basis while katakana is used for coarse/rough basis?

   the best example was hiragana being used for a mature calm woman and katakana being used for a brash young girl/teen which seemed more like a personal view? I couldn’t find anything for katakana’s use in ’emphasis’

   2. I’ve been practicing writing and have noticed some variances in script. (I think the term is allograph [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allograph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allograph) ).

   is there known/common handwriting versions of some kana? I’m probably being pedantic but am quite curious, I haven’t found an article/blog post on it yet (and no luck with google or AI)

   here are examples of variances though

   [https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mtYNVE–bwA/TVdrz8C0HXI/AAAAAAAAABg/lQEtCdW4N1s/s1600/ki_handwriting.png](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mtYNVE–bwA/TVdrz8C0HXI/AAAAAAAAABg/lQEtCdW4N1s/s1600/ki_handwriting.png)

   [http://blog.livedoor.jp/gisui_shodo/archives/1025421641.html](http://blog.livedoor.jp/gisui_shodo/archives/1025421641.html)

   [https://www.quora.com/How-should-I-write-ki-or-sa-in-hiragana-the-original-way-or-not](https://www.quora.com/How-should-I-write-ki-or-sa-in-hiragana-the-original-way-or-not)