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[DeepL Translation - needs review] Thanks, I knew it, so-so, so-so... The Japanese language we use is full of ambiguous expressions. We pursue the Japanese way of thinking through words.
When you say, "Most people are ......," what percentage of people do you have in mind? In Chinese, it is said that "most people" is 90%, "many and a half" is 70%, "one and a half" is 50%, and "small and a half" is 40%. So what's the general rule? Unlike other languages, which try to express things as clea...
Specs
Page Count:
224
ISBN:
4101073112
ISBN13:
9784101073118
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(3/5)1 rating1 review
pm215says
June 7, 2025
This is a book of short essays (each 8 to 10 pages long) on various words and phrases of Japanese: やっぱり, 気のせい, まあまあ and so on. In each, the author reflects on the oddities of the Japanese language and theorises about what this tells us about the character of the Japanese people and their environment (e.g. Japanese use どうせ a lot because they give up easily, which is because the Japanese natural environment is so bountiful and safe). This is of course nihonjinron, so better avoided if you're aller
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