Ah, yes, thank you!
What?!? I thought we were going to do Yotsuba& volume 2 after finishing Kiki’s Delivery Service!
I must have missed some further discussion. But dang — I don’t think I have time to do both books, but I hate to miss either one. I really enjoyed Yotsuba vol. 1 (and I’m really enjoying Kiki so far too).
Well, I guess I’ll try to do both. I guess the stretch will be good for me.
This is separate from the beginner reading club. Here we’re just reading the よつばと!books! Check out the home thread as that explains why:
The beginner thread will now probably end up reading something else after Kiki, but many people who weren’t at Kiki’s level didn’t want to have to wait 6 months to read (or discuss) volume 2, so that’s why this exists.
Hi Leinna - great you’ve joined us! I also struggled with the first chapter of Vol. 1, but someone commented in the Vol. 1 thread that it is one of the more difficult chapters in the series - the first chapter of Vol. 2 was much easier. I downloaded the reading packs that BobaGakusei has provided a link to and they have rsally helped, though I do still have some queries!
Yup, this! I bought Kiki’s at the same time as Vol.2, and wow, what a difference in comprehension levels. So happy this has been set up, thanks folks!
Page 13
Sorry, a real beginners question here.
On page 13 みうら introduces herself and her name by saying 早坂みうらってゆーんだ
I’m guessing this is either some kind of extreme contraction or else a very casual form.
Any pointers? Thanks again!
って is colloquial for the quoting particle と
ゆー is colloquial for 言う, to be called
ん is colloquial for the explanatory particle の
Kumirei, you are a star! Thank you!
P. 19, bottom right, Yotsuba describes her drawing as 「なかなかうまいな-」; now, I’ve learned in WK that 中々means ‘very, considerably’ and Jisho agrees, though it also tells me it’s usually only written in kana, but the reading pack translates it as ‘not bad’ - while I wouldn’t expect someone (Japanese) to describe their own drawing as ‘very skilled’ that is what seems to be written. What am I missing?
First item. Fairly/quite good ≈ not bad. It’s quite the versatile word, actually, and has a much broader meaning than “very, considerably”.
Yes, I looked up this page - I’m not getting anything as understated as ‘not bad’ from it, so was wondering if there was something I was missing.
A few minutes later…: Alright, I’ve just looked up なかなか usage on Maggie sensei, and while still giving ‘very’ as one of the translations, it is a lesser very than とても or すごく, so the understated bit I was looking for seems to be inherent, which I hadn’t picked from WK or Jisho.
http://maggiesensei.com/2015/02/09/how-to-use-なかなか-nakanaka/
I THOUGHT MIURA WAS A BOY THIS WHOLE TIME!
I don’t know how the ちゃん didn’t give it away. I’m an idiot.
My adult student 誠 (まこと), in his 50s, was still called まっちゃん by his aunt!
p. 19, bottom left, みうらちゃん:
Is つーかさ = 通過さ, to pass (an exam, etc.)? Is she saying, “No, it (only) gets a pass”?
It happens to everyone
You also seem to be missing that it’s Yotsuba the one that says that!
Thanks, I was looking at who the bubble was over, not at where the rather small ‘pointy bit’ (which I’m sure has a proper name) was coming from. That does make it more contextually appropriate, ta!
The reading pack says this is a contraction of ていうか:
I mean (used at the beginning of a sentence)
And then さ
well; who knows; I don’t know…; uh; hmm
I think Miura is basically saying “I mean, I don’t know (about Yotsuba being good)”. And in the next bubble she outright says that Yotsuba is bad.
Can’t see for staring! Don’t know how I missed that, thanks.
Is it ever explicitly stated that みうら is a boy or girl? I too have been assuming they were male…