Beyond Sleepy’s (pillow fort?) study log

Typo :smiley:

It is just the topic marker. It introduces the shoes as topic and leaves everything she now might say with the shoes as topic to the imagination. Hard to translate. Maybe “What about shoes?”

てもらう is a grammar meaning somebody does something for the benefit of me. Its in past tense so she had someone (I also expect the Dad but its not clear) buy her shoes recently. Since she is saying くつ and not スリッパ she is not talking about the ones she is currently wearing though. That’s the whole thing with the previous part where Fuka introduces くつ as topic and yotsuba now fills the topic with life ^^.

I take the same interpretation as you. Basically I think that is just yotsuba being a child. Nobody would seriously say that in this moment.

Much to deliberate for just 2 Pages of “easy” Manga right? ^^

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Fixed :smiley:

That is hard to translate. Is she basically saying “[insert pertinent comment about shoes]”? :stuck_out_tongue:

… I’ve recently noticed I have a blind spot for the past tense. I know that the た-form means past tense and I recognize it when I see it, but when reading and translating it often slips my mind for some reason:/

もらう is to receive (something) right? So that makes sense, if you’re receiving an action from someone then they did it for you.

I thought that might just be Yotsuba having a broad understanding of the term 靴 that also encompasses slippers:p Isn’t that sort of thing common with children? So I wasn’t sure if she was referring to the “shoes” she was wearing or to some other shoes.

I don’t feel that way :smile: it’s my first time reading anything in Japanese so I didn’t expect it to be easy, I’m learning a lot (slowly, but still) and I’m enjoying the process.

Thank you for taking the time to help me out :heart:

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I could be wrong, but I think it just works as a clarification here. Like “And [aren’t you wearing] just slippers? [As your] footwear.”
I’ve noticed Japanese is quite flexible with moving sentence parts around, and especially clarifying the topic after the original sentence is ubiquitous in speech (which makes sense, because you cannot undo a spoken sentence to insert the topic after you’ve realized you’d better specify it :grin:). Sometimes it’s even with は omitted, so you can figure out that this is what’s happening only from the context.

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Generally I totally agree with you but I don’t think that’s the case here. Specifically the に before the slipper means its a continuation of the list she started with pyjamas (Getting used to when one uses ni lists is a whole topic in and of itself). So if the sentence would have been flipped, the topic would apply to pyjamas AND slippers and that makes no sense since the topic is shoes.

I’m still more in favor of my ellipsis theory.
EDIT: at least yotsuba understands it the same way otherwise her answer wouldn’t fit as well I feel.

Hope you can follow my reasoning?

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Yeah, I think you’re right, it’s probably something of an implied question. I guess I didn’t pay enough attention to Yotsuba’s reply :sweat_smile:
By the way, it’s interesting that these two uses sound quite differently when spoken, so were it an anime there would be no confusion :grin:

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I read two pages today, I’ve included some questions with my translation attempt. E.g. what’s with the demon world here?

よつばと!vol1, cha2, pp77-78 🍀

——— 77 ———

ただいまー‼︎

I’m home!!

どーぞ、おあがりたまえ‼︎おまかいですが

Welcome, please step up!! (basically please come in, but phrased that way because the Japanese have that lowered shoe-area, right?), (to) the demon world (お魔界, :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:, probably not right?)

え、いや私は…おまかい?

Eh, no I’m… demon world (again, prolly not :stuck_out_tongue:)

えんりょするな‼︎とーちゃーん‼︎

Don’t hold back/show restraint (something like, “feel like home”?)!! Dad!!

いや、あの…

No, um…

——— 78 ———

こんなんあった

This was there

よつばへかいものへいくるすばんしてろ

To Yotsuba (can へ be used like that?), I’ve gone shopping, wait at home/watch the house/house-sit (while I’m gone).

あら、るすばんしてなさいだって

Oh, it says you should house-sit

よし!じゃあお姉ちゃんも一緒に留守番してあげよう

Alright! Then I’ll house-sit together with you (as a favor, because あげよう is “to give” or in this case to “do for someone”??)

ホントか⁉︎

Really?

それだれ?

Who’s that?

とーちゃんだ!ふーかもなんかかけ!

It’s dad! Draw something as well, Fuuka!

おねーちゃんはうまいぞおー

I’m good at it

——— end ———

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It’s likely she misstated (こま)かい as おまかい. Yotsuba…gets words wrong now and then. (It’s one of the challenging aspects of the series for a first-time reader!)

As noted on the Yotsuba volume one reading club, this is something you might hear when entering someone’s home:

“Make yourself at home” is a good English counterpart.

I hope so, because as you read more and more material, you’ll see this a lot over time (on letters) =D

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I read two pages of よつばと! again :slightly_smiling_face: I don’t think I’ve gotten much faster, but I’m noticing reading is way less mentally draining than it was at first. I’m also slowly recognizing more and more common words thanks to the 1k Anki deck. Geh! I’m just super happy that I chose to embark on the read every day challenge, I don’t have the words​:stuck_out_tongue::blush:

よつばと!vol1, cha2, pp79-80 🍀

——— 79 ———

そういえば、よつばちゃんてどっから引っ越してきたの?

Speaking of, Yotsuba, from where did you move?

……えーと… ……

:thinking: hmm…

ひだりー

From the left

そ、そっか左かぁー…

I- is that so, from the left huh…

おちゃれん、もつほう

(Something about how to hold something?)

お、よくしってるねー

I know the proper way to (… hold the pencil :pencil2: ?)

よつばちゃん絵うまいねー

You’re good at drawing/your picture is good

そーか⁉︎

Really!?

ふーかはへただな

Fuuka, you’re bad (at drawing)

えっ、うぞっ⁉︎

Eh- No way!?

——— 80 ———

ねちゃった…

She fell asleep…

トイレどこかな…

Now where’s the toilet…

あれ?

Huh?

——— end ———

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Currently not at home to look into it (more context/typos?) but just with these kana I seriuosly can’t imagine what this sentence should mean.

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It’s written so small that it’s difficult to tell if it’s わ or れ or ゆ. (Even harder if you’re looking at the page on ComicWalker like I am, where the scans are low resolution.)

In this case, it’s お茶碗(ちゃわん).

(The picture does indeed help.)

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ほう refers to one of two sides (which can also give a sense of direction). Yotsuba is talking about the side one hold’s their お茶碗(ちゃわん), which is the left hand (as opposed to the right hand).

Note that ほう can also be two sides like two competing sports teams, or like “people who prefer dogs” and “people who prefer cats”.

This is Fuuka praising(?) Yotsuba for her answer.

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It has the two horns as well, so I even wondered if it was や…

This is the sense of ほう that I’m familiar with and which I suspected was used… thanks for clarifying the other uses :pray:

Any idea how Yotsuba might have arrived at the topic of お茶碗ちゃわん?

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When I was a kid, the way I learned the difference between right and left is that I “hold a fork with my right hand”. Same thing for Yotsuba and her rice bowl. In panel two, she has both hands up and she’s thinking, before pointing left in panel three. I’m guessing she was trying to figure her right from left in panel two.

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Thanks for the context :pray: :blush: I never learned any special way of distinguishing left and right (that I can remember) and I wouldn’t have been able to come up with that interpretation myself at this point.

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Short one today, basically one page worth of text :four_leaf_clover:

よつばと!vol1, ch2, pp81-82 🍀

——— 81 ———

あれ⁉︎壊れてるよ⁉︎あかない⁉︎えっ⁉︎

Huh!? It’s broken!? It won’t open!? Eh-!?

えーと…これは…

:neutral_face: um… this is…

よつばもどってきてるかなぁ…

I wonder if Yotsuba has returned…

——— 82 ———

え…あの…

Eh…umm…

——— end ———

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Once again only one page, I feel I have to pace myself and prioritize my uni studies over pouring hours into Yotsuba at the moment…

よつばと!vol1, cha2, pp83

——— 83 ———

おじゃましています

“I’m being a hindrance” (but also a variation on something people say when entering someone else’s home)

あ、いや…

A, no…

あっあのっ、ちょっと聞いて下さい小岩井さん‼︎怪しいと思われるでしょうがこれはよつばちゃんと留守番を

Uh-um-, please listen for a moment mr. Koiwai!! This seems suspicious right?, (but) I’m house-sitting with Yotsuba

いや 大体 わかるから… カギ壊れてるんで…

Don’t worry, first of all, I understand the situation… the lock is broken and thus…

あ…で…えっと…あの…

A… so… um… umm…

つっかえて動かなくなっちゃったんです… 引っぱってもらえませんか?

I became stuck and can’t move… Could you help pull me (out)?

あー…

A-…

——— end ———

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Excuse a reply to a pretty old post, but are you by any chance an English/Literature major? or are you taking those classes for fun? Either way, I commend you for trying to tackle your Japanese reading every day on top of reading some chunky novels that I’m sure you have analyze and write essays for as well.

I was an English major taking 4, even 5 lit classes per semester at one point on top of a Japanese class. I finally had to drop my Japanese minor, and I sometimes kick myself for it because I was only about 2 classes away to keeping it, but the senior year project required my full attention.

Anyway, having a different subject to dip into when you’re overwhelmed with nothing but the same subject every day can be refreshing too. Just like anything, balance is key! If you just have time to maybe read a panel or two between periods, say you’re doing that throughout the day, you’ll probably be getting at least a page done every day.

I’m assuming you’re not taking Japanese as a course and you’re just studying for fun, and that’s truly admirable, especially since you’ve been really pushing yourself to read a little every day. Sticking to that habit is important, but giving yourself some much needed rest when some days are too much is far more important. Also make sure to rest your eyes when you can because reading all day (especially reading or writing essays on a screen) can result in some gnarly headaches.

I was told that looking at green can be really good for your eyes since it’s the easiest color for your eyes to see. Looking at something far away can especially be helpful (it’s good exercise to focus on distance because you’re more likely to be using your eyes to focus on something close to you for long periods of time).

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I am. I’m studying to become a teacher in Norway which involves getting a master’s degree in one of your subjects (and 60 study credits, i.e. one year of study, in any other subject you want to teach), and I’ve chosen English literature because I like reading and thinking about books and it sounded like a chill time… it’s not but I’m enjoying it nevertheless :upside_down_face:

Good advice! I’ll try this, until now I’ve been thinking in one page chunks rather than in panels so I’ve only tried reading when I’ve been able to set aside an hour for it.

My optician tells me to look out the window or down a hallway for about a minute ever 20 minutes… I have a bad habit of only remembering to do so when I get a headache:p I also try to break up my reading periods by getting some of the course books as audiobooks (in addition to my physical copy) and listening while taking a walk.

Here are some photos from yesterday’s walk while listening to “The Tiger Flu” by Larissa Lai







Thank you for your praise, encouragement, and advice :heart:

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I read the last five pages of chapter two today :four_leaf_clover::smiley::four_leaf_clover:

よつばと! vol1, cha2, pp84-88 🍀

——— 84 ———

ああっ⁉︎

Aaa-!?

あ、あさぎ姉ちゃん、こ、これはね…:interrobang:

A- Asagi, th- this is…!?

——— 85 ———

えなーえなーきてごらーん

Enaaa Enaaa come and see

ほら

Look

なに?なに?

What is it x2?

——— 86 ———

何してるの?

What are they doing?

さあー、新しい遊びじゃない?ルールよく知らないけど

Who knows, not a new game? But I don’t know the rules well

あははははは

Hahahahaha :joy:

——— 87 ———

どうもご迷惑おかけしまして申しわけありません…

(Pretty sure this is) Thank you, I’m sorry for causing you trouble. (however, what is おかけしまして, and why ありません, what “isn’t”?)

いやいや

Don’t mention it

ゔー‼︎ かっこ悪い‼︎

(Not sure about this sound)-!! So uncool!!

なんでこんな事に‼︎

(Guesswork:) what’s with this incident!!

あさぎ姉ちゃんにはバカにされるし

The thing is I did something ridiculous in front of Asagi (not sure what kind of に and し this is but I’m interpreting the し as indicating that she is giving the reason for why she feels so embarrassed, and the には as the topic being “something directed at Asagi”)

えーいやそのーなんてゆーか… まぁ…

Eh, no the fault/accident(なん), or how should I say it… come now…

——— 88 ———

まぁ気にすんなよくある事だ

Now now, having such feelings is a normal thing

テキトーななぐさめ

(Koiwai) gives vaguely consoling words

そ… そうですよね!

Th… that’s right isn’t it!

ごまかし

(Fuuka) pretends to accept them

——— end ———

I’ve also started trying out bunpro since I’ve been hearing about it for a year without looking into it. I’ve only tried it for three days but it seems like something I can benefit from, I’ll make a final judgment when the free trial runs out in a month tho.

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One aspect you’ll see a lot of is じゃない at the end of a sentence acting like “isn’t it?” at the start or end of an English sentence.

For example, “Isn’t it a new game?”

I wonder if it’s related to 「迷惑をかける」, which essentially means “to cause trouble (for someone)”.

I think 申しわけありません breaks down as 「申し+わけ」 “reason to say” + 「ありません」 “there isn’t”. Maybe overall it’s like saying, “I inconvenienced you and it’s inexcusable”? (I’m just kind of guessing here!)

I think it’d be something like a groan/“Ugh!” in English.

()にする is a common expression for having something be on your mind. Here, it’s the negative, so it’s along the lines of, “Don’t let it bother you.” The second part is essentially, “It happens often.”

The rectangle boxes, I want to say is something like “The proper (てきとう) way to console someone (なぐ)…is to lie (ごまかし).”

As always, you’re making good progress, especially considering the other priorities you’re focused on.

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I’m terribly sorry, this is going to hurt a bit ^^. So what you see here is one part of polite language. You have different registers in japanese you can speek in. Depending on the definition up to 4 different registers. The important ones are Casual, Standard (mas/des) and Keigo. Here you see kenjougo which is a form of keigo you use to lower yourself compared to the person you are speaking to. Therefore you can only use it for your own actions and NEVER for actions of the person “higher” in rank than you.

For some verbs there are totally different verbs for kenjougo and sonkeigo (the form you use for the higher person). Other verbs just have rules how to conjugate them to arrive at keigo. As @ChristopherFritz correctly identified the “normal” form is 迷惑をかける to cause trouble. かける doesn’t have a special keigo form so to produce kenjougo you use the mas stem → かけ put an o in front and a shimas after → おかけします and you have the kenjougo form. You maybe have heard that form in stores for example when the staff says: おまたせしました → “We’ve kept you waiting” in polite register by lowering oneself since it was an action performed by the staff. (verb being mataseru)

Soo then you take this and put it in te form (しまして not して since you are talking keigo ^^) since you want to continue the sentences by saying you are sorry for the action. 申し訳ありません is the kenjougo version of すみません you can just learn it as such. Literally it means something like “there is no excuse for it” which is where the negative verb comes from.

Puuhh yeah. Got a liiiittle bit long but keigo is one aspect you have to learn. At the latest when you want to take N3 :smiley:

The verb is in passive voice. So the one doing the action is marked with ni. Asagi s doing the action. The action being バカにする which is a set phrase meaning “making fun of someone”, “painting them an idiot”. This is in the passive voice バカにされる. So all in all “I will be made fun of by Asagi”, “I will be made a fool by Asagi”
So basically she is dreading the teasing from asagi in the coming days :joy: . し is like you said some kind of emotive reason marker why she doesn’t like this situation.

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