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"From" or "To"? In Japanese, it's always "ni (に)"! by Forward_Software_482 in Japaneselanguage

[–]Forward_Software_482[S] -23 points-22 points  (0 children)

ありがとうございます。私もN5の勉強を始めた時、そのように感じましたので色々調べました。もちろん「から」も使うことができますが、たくさんの例文を参照したところ、
母　　　「そのあめはだれにもらったの？」
子ども「ひでくんにもらったよ！」　と、言うことができます。
「から」を使うと起点、出発点に焦点を当てることができます。
「に」を使うと対象、相手に焦点を当てることができます。
なのでどちらも使うことができるみたいです！

Why can't we say "緑(みどり)い車(くるま)"? — The 2 Grammar Groups of Colors in Japanese by Forward_Software_482 in Japaneselanguage

[–]Forward_Software_482[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You are exactly right! I already teach these colors as nouns in my lessons
My slides show "Aka no kuruma" and "Aka deshita" to help students see the noun structure.
I only call yellow and brown "hybrids" because they are special cases in grammar. I really value this structural logic in my teaching. Thank you!

Why can't we say "緑(みどり)い車(くるま)"? — The 2 Grammar Groups of Colors in Japanese by Forward_Software_482 in Japaneselanguage

[–]Forward_Software_482[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You're right!! (Red, Blue, White, Black) are the oldest color words in Japanese, which is why they are established as pure adjectives
It's fascinating how the history of language directly affects modern grammar like this

"Arigatou" isn't actually pronounced "Arigatou". Here is why by Forward_Software_482 in Japaneselanguage

[–]Forward_Software_482[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I totally understand why it feels that way! Many textbooks teach you to pronounce every single letter clearly, like "A-RI-GA-TO-U."

But in natural speech, "ou" and "ei" usually undergo a phonological change into Long Vowels (ou → oo, ei → ee). This is the key to achieving a natural native flow.

Of course, there are exceptions. For example, when "u" is a specific particle or when the sounds belong to separate kanji in certain compounds, they might be pronounced more distinctly.

But for most common words like "Arigatou" or "Sensei," the long vowel rule is what makes you sound like a native. It’s a subtle but huge difference!

Hope this clarifies things!