Hi!
Does anyone have a nice resource or tips for wrapping my head around the differences between all the そう、そうに、ように、ようだ、らしい、とみえる、にみえる、みたいに、etc? I just can’t seem to get the nuances between them, and I keep mixing them up on Bunpro despite all the examples, because I haven’t properly understood them…
Did you read any of the links they provided for additional reading? They all come with secondary references to read.
Yes (not all of them though) – but even when taking notes there seemed to be circular references which confused me a lot. That’s why I think I’ve missed something possibly obvious or important in my understanding…
Question about 逆に：The easy way for me to use this is something like:
おまわりさんは強そうです。逆に引きこもりは弱そうです。
“Mr. officer seems strong. On the contrary, the hikikomori seems weak.”
But can it also be used with the の particle to indicate what the other thing is being compared to? For example:
日本の逆にアメリカは新幹線がありません。
“In contrast to Japan, the US doesn’t have bullet trains.”
I did a quick search just to make sure, but didn’t see any results for that pattern. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
Some patterns that struck me as fitting your needs instead:
～と（は）逆に - Following a specific aspect of whatever it is you’re contrasting. 「交通が多い日本と逆に、アメリカは新幹線もありません。」“In contrast to Japan’s many public transportation options, the U.S. doesn’t (even) have bullet trains.”
～に対し - Same thing; slightly more literary feel, requiring slightly different sentence arrangement. You’d tend to end on the aspect of contrast, using nominalizers の or こと as needed. 「日本では交通が多いのに対し、アメリカは新幹線もありません。」
If you don’t want to specify a specific point of contrast in the first clause, you could also just use ～とは違って。「日本とは違って、アメリカは新幹線がありません。」“Unlike Japan, the U.S. doesn’t have bullet trains.”
The grammar dictionary omits the usual “formation” section for 逆に, but looking at the example sentences, it appears it’s always used to connect two clauses or sentences, not words. It also adds “when 逆に is preceded by a clause, the clause often involves ～たら, と or のに.”
Unless I’m mistaken, that’d be the same use as と逆に, just substituting the particle, following a nominalizing の. 日本では交通が多いのに逆に…"
Pretty sure that’s the “even though” のに.
I had to guess without seeing the example and now have to live with my mistake.
Yep, that’s what I found as well. Nothing wants to fit properly.
And no, I don’t think I will contact that dude again. His reply was vague on the first attempt already and he didn’t confirm whether it was 映し or not.
I can’t imagine how it could be. I can’t find a single source where I can see how that would tie into a ‘melancholy’ gloss. 
The closest thing I can think of is it would have to be some word with an origin in the kanji 憂 maybe from the word 憂い. That’s the only kanji that I can find with any kind of reading that contains ゆ that are in words that are glossed with a melacholy/gloomy/etc. type meaning.
So I did some back and forth with one of my Japanese friends about this (and ultimately went to find the whole chapter so we could both actually read it for some context), and we came to the conclusion that it’s not supposed to be “melancholic”. Quite the opposite actually, as we believe it’s supposed to be 愉げ・ 遊戯 . 「ものは」 as well is a set 古文 phrase.
The girl in question isn’t being possessed or anything, she’s conjuring a dark spirit as part of whatever thing they’re doing (the same panel has her requesting for it to get her fruit, hence the 祈事), so that speech bubble is her referring to herself.
Didn’t come up with any solid or all-encompassing translation during our discussion, but it’s more along the lines of “A sudden joyous girl’s wish”, followed by the line she says in the next bubble asking for the fruit (which gets the other dude’s apple taken).
Wow, very interesting. Thanks for that insight!
Also makes me wonder how Dark Horse is going to translate it whenever the next tankōbon comes out. They have their own issues with sometimes mistranslating things as well. Would be curious if they also do the ‘melancholic’ or ‘gloomy’ (as I saw in another translation I stumbled across) translation. Though at the rate Miura has been working lately, that could still be years away. 
Hi could someone help me out with what function 〜てきた plays in this sentence:
彼女はあの話を忘れたかのような顔をして、また、同じことを聞いてきた。
Thanks 
Maybe the literal “came and asked the same thing again”?
Instead of the metaphorical sense, that is.
I think it must be that, thanks!
すみませんが、この本はどこにありますか。
I came across this sentence on Bunpro.
I haven’t seen が used after すみません to start a sentence.
Could someone please explain the usage here?
Is it just being used to emphasize that they don’t want to be a bother?
This is が-as-but. “I’m sorry, but…”
You can even just say すみませんが… on its own to imply a following request without actually saying it. “Excuse me, but… (I want to get past, so please move out of the way).”
I’d say that’s it. It’s the same が you also use with “〜をしたいんですが…”.
It’s not a literal “but”, just to soften the request a bit.
Thanks for that. ^ _ ^
Does anyone know a good webpage that explains this usage like Tae Kim or Imabi?