Questions tagged [polarity-items]
極性項目. Words that appear exclusively in affirmative or negative (or interrogative) environments. For example, the adverbial particle しか only appears in negative contexts. Some words have an association with one polarity but also appear outside that context; for example, 全然 appears chiefly in negative contexts but also appears in affirmative contexts. Some words, such as あまり, are polarity items only in certain uses.
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Do Positive Polarity Items ever induce pitch changes?
1 Context: NPIs Induce Pitch Changes
In Japanese, when various words are used as a Negative Polarity Item (NPI), their pitch often changes to Heiban. For example, this post illustrates this with なんの:
...
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Is there a difference between ます and ません for sentences carrying an exclusive connotation(しか)?
私は野菜しか食べません。
apparently means "I only eat vegetables"? Shouldn't there be a negative connotation with the ません-ending?
If that's the case what does 私は野菜しか食べます mean?
Is there a special ...
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How does 一回だって in this sentence mean "not even once" when there's no negative?
I came across this sentence watching March Comes In Like a Lion. I'll transcribe it to the best of my ability: (here's the episode though, and the quote happens at 5:46)
僕【ぼく】は遠慮【えんりょ】することにばかり気【き】...
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Negative in Japanese, but positive in English translation. Why? 俺は自分が生き残ることしか考えていなかった
俺は自分が生き残ることしか考えていなかった.
the only thing I thought about was surviving.
ore ha jibun ga ikinokoru koto shika kangaeteinakatta.
I don't really understand why in Japanese it uses 考えて in the negative, ...
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人間では決して勝ちえることのできぬ存在, how to handle 決して?
人間では決して勝ちえることのできぬ存在.
In this sentence, how should 決して be translated? My dictionary says this should be "never" but I'm thinking it should be "able". Otherwise, with the ぬ at the ...
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別に恥ずかしいとか思わない。別に I dont get it
別に恥ずかしいとか思わない。
What is 別に? I didnt get it. Ive already read some articles about it, but sill..
The first article I read. I learned the meaning of it, which can be "not really, not particularly", and ...
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Difference between よもや and まさか?
They seem interchangeable when used in the meaning of conveying disbelief of something.
まさかこの時点でやめる気じゃないよね？
よもやこの時点でやめる気じゃないよね？
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-まい suffix usage in sample sentence
This sentence is rather confusing. あの人は、二度と嘘をつくまいと誓ったのです。
Apparently the translation is: 'That person had sworn to never lie again' but I previously thought まい is a negative intention so surely it ...
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あまり when used to answer a negative question
When answering a negative question with あまり, it will normally be the positive (by japanese rules). For example:
person A: 彼に来ないで欲しいですか？
person B: あまり
By literal translation, person A is asking ...
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Does ません sometimes not negate?
彼ら は 自分 の 事 しか 考えて いません。
The translation of this sentence from my learning materials is apparently "They only think of themselves."
Now it all makes sense to me until the ません at the end. To ...
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誰でも, 誰も, 何でも, 何も
何でも食べる
何も食べない
"it is as much as something, eat." = if it's anything, I'll eat it/I eat it.
"as much as something, not eat." = if it's anything, I will not/don't eat it.
何でもない = &...
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What is the grammatical function of と in the sentence 同じ心を持った人は二人といない
What is the grammatical function of と in the sentence:
同じ心を持った人は二人といない。
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どうしてもね potential meaning
A and B are talking about a technology.
A: Bは"technology"の導入には反対だったな
A/B: reason 1 しreason 2 から, どうしても……ね
I'm not sure what is the supposed meaning of どうしてもね here. Also the reason I'm ...
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Does 稀に have negative polarity?
In English, you have the following phenomenon:
○ I sometimes play jazz piano.
? I rarely play jazz piano.
That is, when you have a predicate that usually does not take place, you can use "...
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What verb form is くださねばなるまい
The following is from a mystery manga. The criminal mastermind is lamenting that his accomplice Masumi failed to properly kill Kimisawa.
ますみの奴・・・
最後の最後でしくじったな
あの至近距離でよもや急所をはずす
...
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どこにでもある or どこかにある
When I translate this sentence "The stone could be anywhere." into Japanese, How can I do that?
I asked a native English speaker this meaning, he said it means "The stone can only be in one place but ...
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Why does 何も mean "anything"?
That is, why does adding the 「も」 particle to question words give it a universal, for lack of a better term, word. It's not even always required to be there, as in sentences like
お好み焼きが何よりいい
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必ずしも within this sentence
I was learning about 限らない and encounter this particular sentence.
社長の意見が必ずしも正しいとは限らない
I'm pretty sure that the meaning would be
"Manager's opinion is not always right"
But if I check the ...
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How to use ～でも and ～も?
I have looked up 誰 in the dictionary, and found that both
誰も
誰でも
can mean everyone and everybody.
If there is a difference between them, what is the correct way to use each of them?
It is not ...
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Can tokidoki only be used in a negative sentence?
I heard that ときどき can only be used in an affirmative sentence, and never in a negative sentence. Is that true?
If anyone could please provide an example of ときどき in a negative sentence, that would be ...
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Uncertain about なにも
I encountered a short sentence that I'm having trouble understanding completely.
なにも遊ぶのは人間だけじゃない。
The context is, a young girl is playing with a dog for the first time.
I'm pretty sure I at least ...
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誰も used in a positive sentence
I am reviewing the interrogative words like 何、誰、どこ etc. and I saw 誰も being used in a positive sentence, I wonder what the difference would be if みんな were used instead. For example:
誰もが知っている
...
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"again" word: 二度｛にど｝, 再び｛ふたたび｝ - usage, difference
Do they mean the same thing when used as a sequence word ("again, a second time") or is there any difference (apart from 二度 also being used to mean "two times")?
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Using double negative
Would appreciate if someone helped me understand the following word patterns with examples:
なかなか〜ない
ほとんど〜ない
ぜんぜん〜ない
Can any of them be used in a positive context too?
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The role of と particle in 「二度としない」
What is the role of と particle in 「二度としない」? Is it quotative, adverbialisation, change of state or supposition?
Also, what extra nuances does it contribute to the expression compared to if も is used ...
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The reason for using 何も+negative, but 何でも+positive
In one of the Japanese classes I attended, I've been taught that while we use 「何も出来ない」to say "He cannot do anything", to say "He can do anything" we use 「何でも出来る」 instead of 「何も出来る」.
Why is there a ...
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