Questions tagged [topic]
The topic tag has no usage guidance.
24 questions
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“ことはある” for topicalizing the entire sentence?
“ことはある” is often explained as the topical form of “ことがある” which simply means that things sometimes happen, or one has past experience with something when following a past verb.
However I keep seeing ...
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Introducing an explicit subject into a sentence with a topic already existing
Consider for instance the following sentence:
わかった、忠告ありがとう。でも、ミコトがどんな子かは自分で見定める。
The obvious context is that someone has been warned about ill behavior of his new friend by others but wants to make ...
- 2,117
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2
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Nonsense sentences with だ
I recently encountered these sentences which must be nonsense because AはBだ means 'A is B'.
私は１０５号室だ
「ノルウェーの森」は村上春樹だ
東京は初めてだ
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て-form as a topic [duplicate]
I saw a particularly interesting sentence in the wild just yet:
陛下は度々僕の部屋にやってきては手を握って何かを考えるんだ。
The interesting thing to me are the two te-forms in the sentence, with the former being made a topic, ...
- 2,117
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は vs が when the subject is modified by a relative clause
Please note that the question is not whether the subject in a relative clause should be followed by は or が. (In that case I am aware that the thematic は cannot be used.)
I was reading section II.2, Wa ...
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The role of って in 「コーヒーって若いうち**は**あまり飲まないほうがいいんですか。」
Consider
コーヒーって若いうちはあまり飲まないほうがいいんですか。
Is it best to not drink a lot of coffee while you're young?
Here, is って just short for と言う, and it acting as a topic marker (は)? If so, would the sentence ...
- 2,970
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In ジョンは台所で本を読みました。does で modify book or kitchen?
I'm trying to teach myself about linguistics, and one example of Subject-Object-verb word order was ジョンは台所で本を読みました
Which the Wikipedia article translates as
John read a book in the kitchen.
But ...
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2
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Can the は particle be a topic and contrast marker at same time?
I know the は particle can function as a topic marker or contrast marker. But can it be topic and contrast marker at the same time?
Here are a few examples:
A) ビールは飲{の}まない。
B) 肉{にく}は食{た}べないけど魚{さかな}は食{...
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私の or 私が to introduce a possessed topic
If I want to say "I lack of imagination" for example, or "My car is red" is it better to use 私の or to use 私は? what are the differences between these examples ? are they correct and ...
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What is the exact difference between the particles が and は? [duplicate]
I understand that が is meant to mark the subject and that は is the particle placed after the topic, but still after a heck ton of research, I haven't been able to truly comprehend the meaning of both ...
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3
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2
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136
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Does も change the topic?
Given a simple pattern like this, I'm wondering what the topic of the third sentence is.
クラウスさんは学生です。
私も学生です。
日本語を勉強します。
After using も in the second sentence, is the topic of the third sentence still ...
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1
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480
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は after words like 何か or 誰か
So I know you can't use は after an interrogative word like 何 or 誰. However, if you add a か after them, they're no longer interrogative words, right? So I should be able to say something like:
...
- 525
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1
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Can が be replaced by something else in this structure?
So reviewing basic grammar I've come across a structure where you use は and が to show contrast in the following way:
(私は)土曜日は暇ですが、日曜日は忙しいです。
This sentence sounds right to me, but it would sound ...
- 525
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1
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Can と indicante the object or the topict too as well as the を and は particles do?
I saw sometimes と indicating a topic. Like in the sentence: そんな既視感に戸惑いを感じていると、こちらを見つめる視線に気が付いた ( My attempt of tranlation is "I felt confused by that deja vu feeling by noticing the line of sight ...
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I need some clarification with でも as particles!
Here is my question:
I started to learn particles and one of the lessons is that when a location is the topic I can attach は and も to the particles に, へ and で.
I understand most of it, except when ...
2
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1
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535
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Use of ni or wa for " I always eat with my older brother on monday"
In my textbooks solution it says
getsuyoubi ha itsumo ani to
isshoni tabemasu
I thought it would be
getsuyoubi ni
Thank you in advance
- 115
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Who is doing the action in the second sentence?
I'm translating the following two sentences from a book written in first person.
女の子は動かない。
[悠然]{ゆう・ぜん}とナイフを構えたまま、 [身体]{≪からだ≫}の向きだけを変えてくる。
Is the person turning their body in the second sentence the ...
- 1,490
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3
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277
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Sentence topic without grammatical function
From here:
このスポーツは、海の上を走る水上オートバイから足に付けたボードにホースで水を送って、ボードから出る水の強い力で空中を飛びます。
In this sport you fly through the air using the force of water ejected from a board attached to the feet. Water is sent ...
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Sudden shift in this conversation
MC:「部活か？ 夏休み中なのにお前の調理部午前中から張り切りすぎだろ」
妹:「部活は部活だけど、最近はウチ料理しないで手芸部と化してるから。今みんなで羊毛フェルトにハマってるの」
Context: breakfast table, mc, and his sister and parents
I'm having a hard time relating not cooking ...
- 2,570
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2
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179
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What is the inheritance order of も and は topics?
Can a topic that is identified via the も particle be included in a は topic that comes AFTER it?
e.g. Two sequential sentences from a book I'm reading:
1st Sentence: ほかの鳥は、もう、よだかの顔を見ただけでも、...
- 621
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Where is the topic in a Japanese sentence?
I'm currently learning Japanese, and I realise that the language has something known as a topic, something which is unheard of in English.
According to Wikipedia,
It is written with the hiragana は,...
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3
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265
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When to use は instead of other particles
I have seen that は acts as a sort of negation (or contrast) particle, although I'm not sure how it works, for example:
1) わたし は ともだち が いません
2) わたし の ともだち が いません
Is 1) the only correct sentence? Why? ...
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1
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472
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More complex sentences - When to use は? When to use が?
I know the basics about the difference in the usage between は and が.
Nevertheless, when it comes to more complex sentences, I encounter difficulties that I want to explain on base of some examples. ...
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1
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について as a topic marker
I don't know if this question is appropriate for this site or not, but I am going to ask this question hoping for clarification.
When I hear について It feels like the declaration or introduction of ...
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