Daily Thread: simple questions, comments that don’t need their own posts, and first time posters go here (September 28, 2022)

5 comments

1. Shinkanzen N2 L13 Grammar Exercise

   帰化とは希望してその国の国民になる(ことである)。

   Why is ことである preferred here over 意味である? Can’t tell the difference between the two.

   Thank You

2. I was wondering about this:

   > サイダーは温まって生ぬるくなっていたが、口の中でシュワーと泡立ち、それが何ともいえずうまかった。

   For context, someone is drinking some cider that was in their backpack and they are pretty exhausted.

   I was wondering, what is いえず? I think うまかった would be うまい (delicious)

   So I think it means, “The cider was warm, it became lukewarm but, it (シュワー?) and bubbled in his mouth, and it was really (?) delicious.”

   Maybe シュワー is some drinking sound.

3. I need to write to my academic supervisor to arrange an appointment but I’m always a bit unsure when it comes to using keigo, could you guys please have a look at my email and tell me if there’s anything I need to fix? (ofc I’m omitting personal information)

   〇〇大学〇〇研究科
   教授　〇〇　〇〇　先生

   突然のご連絡、失礼いたします。
   私、〇〇大学〇〇学科の〇〇と申します。

   この度、〇〇先生にご挨拶のお時間を頂きたく、ご連絡致しました。

   私は先生が研究していらっしゃる〇〇の分野に大変興味があり、私の博士論文の研究プロジェクトに先生のご教示やご指導を頂く存じます。
   つきましては、直接お会いしてお話を伺う時間を頂戴できましたら幸甚でございます。

   ご多忙のところ大変恐縮ではございますが、
   ご検討のほど、何卒宜しくお願い申し上げます。

4. When am I supposed to use *ga* instead of *wa*?

   My teacher told me that *ga* is used when you’re asking a question where you need information on the subject that you think someone else would know, whereas if you used *wa*, it’s like you’re asking someone something assuming they know the answer, but you also know it, so why even ask. But if that’s the case, then if you say something like, “kore wa nani desuka?” why am I not supposed to put “kore ga” instead? Because I’m asking “what is this?” and I am needing information regarding whatever “this,” the subject, is.

   I’ve also heard it’s used to emphasize what the subject did in a sentence as well.

5. I’m having trouble with the following headline from [an article about musicians.](https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/6058c388dc8fd8036bf746a1cb72e0a62bfbbc3a)

   “Ado、椎名林檎のボーカルディレクションで受けた**刺激**を明かす”

   My attempt to translate it is “Ado reveals the encouragement she received from Sheena Ringo’s vocal direction”. The word 刺激 is throwing me off though. The definitions from jisho.org seem a bit unclear in this context. Is there a better way to translate this headline?