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薄める its usage

  Tags: Idiom | Japanese
 Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages Post Reply
Maximus
Senior Member
United Kingdom
Joined 6509 days ago

417 posts - 427 votes 
Studies: Spanish, Japanese, Thai

 
 Message 1 of 6
02 May 2008 at 2:46pm | IP Logged 
I understand that 薄める has the meaning to "to water down/ to dilute". This obviously covers the physical process of altering a substance. However, in Japanese can it be used to refer to the quality of efficiency of a system. For example in English we could say for example that a certain style of martial arts or a language course or whatever it may be has been "watered down". In Japanese can this too be expressed using 薄める. For example, 最近教育は薄められた. Would this be correct usage

Luke
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Captain Haddock
Diglot
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Japan
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Speaks: English*, Japanese
Studies: French, Korean, Ancient Greek

 
 Message 2 of 6
03 May 2008 at 2:28am | IP Logged 
In my limited knowledge, I don't think so. 薄める means "to make something 薄い", which means to make a liquid thin or weak.

I believe a Japanese idiom corresponding to the English metaphor "water something down" would be 手心を加える 〔てごころをくわえる〕.
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Alec
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United Kingdom
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Speaks: English*
Studies: Italian, Japanese

 
 Message 3 of 6
13 May 2008 at 12:12am | IP Logged 
The examples in my dictionary all refer to food or drink. In my experience, I've never heard 薄める in relation to anything other than drinks.
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Monox D. I-Fly
Senior Member
Indonesia
monoxdifly.iopc.us
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 Message 4 of 6
19 October 2016 at 3:27pm | IP Logged 
Captain Haddock wrote:
手心を加える 〔てごころをくわえる〕.


Adding to the heart of hand?
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Rhian
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France
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 Message 5 of 6
19 October 2016 at 6:34pm | IP Logged 
Monox D. I-Fly, this thread is eight years old, I
think it's long since dead.
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Monox D. I-Fly
Senior Member
Indonesia
monoxdifly.iopc.us
Joined 4895 days ago

762 posts - 664 votes 
Speaks: Indonesian*

 
 Message 6 of 6
22 October 2016 at 2:46pm | IP Logged 
But it doesn't mean that I wouldn't get answers from other members, right?

Edited by Monox D. I-Fly on 22 October 2016 at 2:48pm



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