Expressing "how" in Japanese (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

Expressing "how" in Japanese
Tags: Grammar \| Japanese
Share with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon
Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages

13 messages over 2 pages: 1 2

metordorus
Newbie
United States
Joined 5540 days ago
26 posts - 31 votes
Speaks: English*

Message 9 of 13

26 March 2011 at 11:06pm | IP Logged

So, Arekkusu, how would you say in Japanese, "How do you write your name in kanji?"?
1 person has voted this message useful

Arekkusu
Hexaglot
Senior Member
Canada
bit.ly/qc_10_lec
Joined 5173 days ago
3971 posts - 7747 votes

Speaks: English, French*, German^C1, Spanish, Japanese, Esperanto
Studies: Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Estonian

Message 10 of 13

26 March 2011 at 11:12pm | IP Logged

metordorus wrote:

So, Arekkusu, how would you say in Japanese, "How do you write your name in
kanji?"?

Sorry about my previous post; I must have been half asleep.

I'd say: お名前を漢字でどう書きますか？

How is generally どう.
1 person has voted this message useful

ericspinelli
Diglot
Senior Member
Japan
Joined 5575 days ago
249 posts - 493 votes

Speaks: English*, Japanese
Studies: Korean, Italian

Message 11 of 13

27 March 2011 at 10:02am | IP Logged

metordorus wrote:

In English, we can use the word "how" with just about any verb and
make an idiomatic question. I can't find parallels in Japanese for this broad usage of
　“どう”　for "how,"

Perhaps we're looking at this from different perspectives. If you're looking for one
word that will always match "how" you're not going to find it. This shouldn't be
surprising as Japanese is not English. You're going to have to come to terms with this
or you'll spend a lot of time looking for words that don't exist. Just because どう
doesn't always fit for "how," however, does not in any way make it limited in use.

metordorus wrote:

Were you able to find direct uses of "どう" with verbs like "書く"　in
interrogative sentences?

Yes. If it helps you can look at a search for
どう　ても
or どうなる
, though those aren't the only constructions you'll see it in.

metordorus wrote:

there were many uses of "どう" with various particles: "どうも," "どうでも"
and so on.

どう does appear with particles (e.g. どうでも、どうか) but どうも is one word, not どう＋も.
2 persons have voted this message useful

metordorus
Newbie
United States
Joined 5540 days ago
26 posts - 31 votes
Speaks: English*

Message 12 of 13

28 March 2011 at 2:13am | IP Logged

Thanks everyone!
1 person has voted this message useful

Bird
Diglot
Newbie
Japan
Joined 5486 days ago
20 posts - 45 votes
Speaks: Japanese*, English

Message 13 of 13

29 March 2011 at 10:03am | IP Logged

If you'd like polite expressions, these are what I'd recommend:

お名前は漢字でどう書くんですか。
お名前は漢字ではどう書くんですか。

1 person has voted this message useful

This discussion contains 13 messages over 2 pages: << Prev 1 2

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login. If you are not already registered you must first register

Printable version

You cannot post new topics in this forum - You cannot reply to topics in this forum - You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum - You cannot create polls in this forum - You cannot vote in polls in this forum

This page was generated in 0.6719 seconds.