Hi guys, I’m hoping some of you will chime in with your favorite phrases for how to get by in a classroom or in Japan when you don’t quite understand what someone is saying.
I never took japanese classes in a school so the only question I know how to ask is ”\_\_\_ってどういう意味ですか?” meaning of course “what does \_\_\_ mean?” and sometimes I don’t want to switch to english to say “uhh did you mean me or you when you said 自分 ?”
What did your teachers teach you to say when you didn’t quite understand them? Set phrases would be great as well as anything specific.
Thanks!
3 comments
hope I can get some ideas from this thread all I can remember is
XYZの使い方はどうですか and XYZの意味はなんですか
意味ですか means what is the meaning. But
~は意味何ですかwhat is the meaning of “this”. It’s a subtle difference
For example.
寒いは意味何ですか。 what does 寒い mean.
寒い意味何ですか what is the meaning of 寒い。
So… what does it mean to be cold? Or… what does “cold” mean.
This might not be your question but based on your Japanese in the post it seems you might be asking open ended questions.
Japanese is a high context language. Specificity is key!
Also. 自分 specifically means myself – so it would never mean anyone else.
Unless you were to say something like 「自分の町」について話す. Which is where they’re saying “talk about “my city” by that, it’s inferred that as you’re asked to do it, it’s about you.
ちょっと何言ってるか分からない /s
For any Sandwich man fans out there lol