Learning Japanese on Duolingo.

[Cerebrum123]

You got it right. In direct quotes the "to" there is equivalent to quote marks - "X," I (or someone) said/thought/wondered etc. or in indirect quotes to "that" - I (etc) said (etc) that X.

I think I understand that, but sometimes it takes longer to truly "stick" in my mind.

[rogue06]

I think I understand that, but sometimes it takes longer to truly "stick" in my mind.

Came out as "I think it's very impossible" when I highlighted it and clicked the little blue Google translate box that appeared by it

[Cerebrum123]

Came out as "I think it's very impossible" when I highlighted it and clicked the little blue Google translate box that appeared by it

"Impossible" is one of the meanings of "無理", so it wasn't entirely wrong.

[tabibito]

Came out as "I think it's very impossible" when I highlighted it and clicked the little blue Google translate box that appeared by it

The general translation for "muri" is "impossible" but context throws it to "unreasonable" (or equivalent) quite often - the "totemo" (very) makes "impossible" an unreasonable translation - "kanari" (quite) would leave it open to either.

[tabibito]

I think I understand that, but sometimes it takes longer to truly "stick" in my mind.

Usually the と should have a leading verb - so 無理ですと思います - but what you have is fine for casual speech.

[rogue06]

The general translation for "muri" is "impossible" but context throws it to "unreasonable" (or equivalent) quite often - the "totemo" (very) makes "impossible" an unreasonable translation - "kanari" (quite) would leave it open to either.

The use of "very impossible" tends to suggest that the translation wasn't perfect -- or very perfect

[tabibito]

The use of "very impossible" tends to suggest that the translation wasn't perfect -- or very perfect

Try parsing "The weather was very."

[tabibito]

I just realised that we are way off topic. Maybe shift the offending parts to the duolingo thread?

[rogue06]

Try parsing "The weather was very."

Indeed it was. Especially if you ever lived in Florida.


Our constitution contains the phrase "in order to form a more perfect union."

[rogue06]

I just realised that we are way off topic. Maybe shift the offending parts to the duolingo thread?

Kinda realized the same thing as I hit respond to your last post

[tabibito]

Indeed it was. Especially if you ever lived in Florida.

That phrase is in the Florida dialect? Say it isn't so Ethel.

Our constitution contains the phrase "in order to form a more perfect union."

Don't see a problem with "more perfect," - "more" corresponds with "closer to" and "perfect" with "complete." It's a rare usage these days, but by no means obsolete (if only as a set phrase.)

[rogue06]

That phrase is in the Florida dialect? Say it isn't so Ethel.

No, the weather is very in Florida. You can drive in a straight line for a couple miles and go through alternating bands of sunny and rainy. And I'll never forget playing in the sun on the one side of the street while it was raining fairly hard on the other.

Yup. Weather is very in Florida.

Don't see a problem with "more perfect," - "more" corresponds with "closer to" and "perfect" with "complete." It's a rare usage these days, but by no means obsolete (if only as a set phrase.)

It's like being pregnant. You are either perfect or you're not. There are no degrees.

[tabibito]

No, the weather is very in Florida. You can drive in a straight line for a couple miles and go through alternating bands of sunny and rainy. And I'll never forget playing in the sun on the one side of the street while it was raining fairly hard on the other.

Yup. Weather is very in Florida.

Ah yes - We have a point in Adelaide where the same phenomenon can often be observed, on the western side of the airport.

It's like being pregnant. You are either perfect or you're not. There are no degrees.

In contemporary English, agreed - it doesn't SEEM that the same can be said of past usages. However, it is not only the weather that I've heard to be "very." "The holiday," and "the party" also have been so described. You have to check the speaker's facial expression to determine whether the interpretation is "terrific" by current usage or that of 100+ years past.

[tabibito]

"Flying Colors"

based on a story in the memoirs of a cram school teacher. I've played with a few of the subtitles, black text on yellow background.

Two sets of subtitles are available on the Youtube version - with the second set being soft-subs, which are a major improvement on the original subs.

[tabibito]

Duolingo really blew it with their latest update - they should have backed it off and reverted to the previous version.