Daily Thread: simple questions, comments that don’t need their own posts, and first time posters go here (September 10, 2022)

4 comments

1. Is there an anki deck or resource for set phrases or expressions? I just learned 「今となってはもう遅い」and I would like to learn more set phrases like it. Is there a name for idioms like this? I can’t seem to find what I’m looking for in Google. Thanks in advance!

2. I’ve been a huge weeb my whole life, approaching 50 and still loving everything Japanese. After 2 months of self learning, I decided to signup for an actual class at a Japanese language school. I had a blast yesterday! Just having a native speaker talk to me in Japanese throughout the 3 hrs and having to converse with her was intimidating as hell but also exhilarating. I now understand how different and better a class environment is compared to self learning.

3. Is there any free, online guide that gives an exhaustive list of uses for each of the Japanese verb and adjective conjugations — 未然形, 連用形, 終止形, 連体形, 仮定形, 命令形?

   Especially hoping to find a guide that discusses which particles can go with each conjugation.

4. In anime, when there’s a difficult but humorous situation and someone says 神さま to the air, like sort of to themselves, sort of speaking/requesting something to the God, it usually is translated as God, in singular. I’m wondering if this is the right interpretation, and if it is, what is the logic? I’ve always found it odd because I’m guessing they are saying kami-sama within a Shinto context and there isn’t just one god. Is it called Kami-sama because it’s clear they are speaking to some particular kami (even though it’s not clear which to the viewers)? Is it a Western influence which turned into a figure of speech? Any input would be appreciated 🙂