「difference」の使い方

I wrote about "difference" the other day. Take a look at that post for review:

http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2010/09/differdifferentdifference.html

Over the weekend, I visited Niigata. The cooler weather was really pleasant.

× There's a big difference with Tokyo and towns in the mountains.
◯ There's a big difference between Tokyo and towns in the mountains.

When you use "difference", don't forget this pattern:

• difference between _(n)_ and _(n)_

In Naeba, there wasn't a Seven Eleven or Family Mart, and there were far fewer vending machines. That was a bit inconvenient.

• vending machine〔飲料｛いんりょう｝などの〕自動販売機｛じどう はんばいき｝(definition from Eijiro on the Web)

That's not the only thing, though. There's also a difference between the air in Tokyo and the air there. The air in the mountains was clean and had the wonderful smell of plants. The air in Tokyo is mostly fumes from buses, taxis, and smokers.

• vehicle fumes 車両｛しゃりょう｝の噴煙｛ふんえん｝［排（出）ガス］(definition from Eijiro on the Web)

Despite that, I think I prefer the convenience of the city. Still, it was nice to escape for a few days.

私は日本語の使い方に注意した方が良い。(part 3)

I forgot the particles in my headline the other day: に and が.

• 助詞 particle

It was my post about good food in Singapore, like the vegetarian masala noodles in this picture. Take a look:

http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2010/08/blog-post_25.html

I always appreciate people pointing out my mistakes. Otherwise, I'm wandering around in the dark.

in the dark
1. 暗やみの中で、見えない状況｛じょうきょう｝で
2. 見当｛けんとう｝がつかないで、（何も）知らずに、秘密｛ひみつ｝に ...I'm completely in the dark about ~. : ～のことは皆目見当がつかない。(definitions and example from Eijiro on the Web)

Learning another language takes years! That means it takes patience and a thick skin, too!

• take ～を要する、必要｛ひつよう｝とする (definition from Eijiro on the Web)
• have a thick skin〔批評｛ひひょう｝などに対して〕神経｛しんけい｝がずぶとい、鈍感｛どんかん｝である

Me forgetting particles is like many people in Japan forgetting articles.

× When I am watching movie at home, the phone may ring.
◯ When I am watching a movie at home, the phone may ring.
× One of TVs doesn't work well.
◯ One of the TVs doesn't work well.

Think of these mistakes like noise in your English:

http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2009/09/blog-post_9921.html

Don't hesitate to point out my mistakes, because I'm sure I make a lot of them, and please, develop a thick skin!

「differ、different、difference」の違いは何?

I'm out! 

• be out of something ～がなくなって、～を切らしていて、～が切れて、～を失って
  We're out of sugar. : 砂糖を切らしている。(definition and example from Eijiro on the Web)

This is a really delicious paste that I picked up in Okubo at a small import food shop. It has a strong flavor and can turn a dish red. I've made curry and soup with it. I'm still not an expert on Indian food, but I think the flavor is South Indian.

× It is different to Japanese curry roux.
◯ It is different from Japanese curry roux. <- "Different" is an adjective.

•  curry roux 《料理》カレーのルー (definition from Eijiro on the Web) <- note, the pronunciation of "roux" is the same as in Japanese

× There is difference from Japanese curry roux.
◯ There is a difference between Japanese curry roux and this masala paste. <- "difference" is a noun, so "a" is necessary

◯ Japanese curry roux differs from this curry paste. <- too formal! Don't say this! "Differ" is a verb. 

However, now I have to get another jar of it, so that means a trip to Okubo.

Here's the website of the company that makes it.

http://www.priyafoods.com/india/masalapastes.htm

There are some different pastes on that site; maybe this time I'll look for the biryani paste, too!

Sorry about last month!

Last month I couldn't manage to do as many blog posts as usual.

• manage to  何とか～する (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

That's partly due to my trip to Singapore.

•  due to ～が原因｛げんいん｝で、～に起因｛きいん｝して、～のせいで、～によって、～の理由｛りゆう｝から、～のおかげで、～のため、～の故に、～の結果｛けっか｝、～という要因｛よういん｝を背景｛はいけい｝として (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

It's also owing to my catching a cold on my return to Tokyo.

• owing to ～のおかげで, ～のせいで (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

In the end, I think the heat had a role to play as well.

• play a role in causing
  
  
  ～を引き起こす一因｛いちいん｝となる、〔疾患｛しっかん｝など〕の発現｛はつげん｝［発症｛はっしょう｝］にかかわる (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

Summer is hard for me, and I bet it is hard for many of you all, too.

Air conditioning is said by many to be no good for our health. However, sometimes I feel I need to be in a building like this one I saw in Singapore. Look at all of those air conditioners! I didn't go in; I wonder how freezing it is inside.

This month I'm going to do my best to bring you a lot of posts, though. Wish me luck!

シンガポールには、良い食物がいっぱいある！

Singapore is a great place to eat Indian food. Though the majority of the population in Chinese, there's a large number of Indians as well.

• the majority of the population 人口の大半 (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

This restaurant has an interesting concept. It's a kind of charity.

• charity 施し,慈善,博愛,善根,仁恵,仁愛,慈悲,篤志 (definition from jmdict)

There are no prices on the menu. People just pay what they feel they can or should pay. Someone who is down on their luck can pay 50 yen. Another person who isn't having trouble making ends meet might pay 500 yen. Both of them could eat the same meal.

• down on one's luck 運が傾いて、つきに見放されて (definition from Eijiro on the Web)
• make ends meet 生活の収支を合わせる、収入の範囲内でやりくりする［やっていく］ (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

My host felt that 200 yen was appropriate. That sounds great for people in Tokyo, right?

So, what's in the photo? On the plate, there's rice mixed with lentil curry. Next to the plate, there are three vegetable curries, each of which had a very different flavor. This was a south Indian meal.

• lentil レンズ豆

Because of all of the great food I ate in Singapore, I gained 2 kgs!

• gain weight 重さ［重量・体重・目方］が増える［増加する］、太る◆【反】lose weight

Mustafaは英語の使い方に注意した方が良い。

I guess I caught a cold on the plane on the way back from Singapore, because last night I had a fever and a sore throat. I took it easy all day today and took Chinese medicine. Now I'm feeling much better, and hopefully tomorrow I'll be back to normal.

Singapore is a really interesting place. English is an official language, and a lot of people speak it really well. However, I could still find mistakes like this one at Mustafa, a 24-hour discount store in Little India:

× please put back after trythanks

◯ Please put them back after trying them on. Thanks!

Spaces between words and punctuation are basic rules. Nothing more needs to be said.

"Put back" needs an object. Because the simplest object in this case is "them", which is a pronoun, we should put it between the two parts of this phrasal verb.

• phrasal verb 句動詞 (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

The last point is about using "after". It can be a preposition or a conjunction. My correction uses it as a preposition. A preposition must be followed by a noun, so we need to use "ing" with the verb.

On top of that, we usually don't "try" clothing or shoes. We "try it on". <- "try on" is another phrasal verb

• try on 試着する、着てみる、履いてみる  (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

When I'm back to 100%, I'll show you the delicious stuff I could eat in Singapore.

恵比寿駅は英語の使い方に注意した方が良い。「because」と「because of」の使い方

As a blogger talking about English, I like Ebisu Station because I can consistently find English mistakes there.

The sign says:

× The restroom cannot be used because of under construction.
◯ The restroom cannot be used because it is under construction.

• under construction 建築｛けんちく｝［建設｛けんせつ｝・建造｛けんぞう｝］中で (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

"Because of" is a phrase ending in a preposition. Because "of" is a preposistion, you need to follow it with a noun.

• Because of their English mistakes, I have something to blog about. <- "mistakes" is a noun

"Because" is a conjunction. It should be used to connect two sentences.

• Because they made an English mistake, I have something to blog about. <- "they" is the subject, "made" is the verb

Because the restroom at Ebisu Station is currently closed, you will probably have to go into the department store above the station to find one. Some people are likely to be inconvenienced because of this construction.

Because "because" can be used in two ways, be careful!

「～によって」は英語でどう言う？「depend on」の使い方

A few weeks ago, somebody was telling me about Japanese pickles. They told me:

× The flavor is different by each prefecture.
◯ The flavor is different in each prefecture.
◯ The flavor differs according to the prefecture.
◯ The flavor depends on the prefecture.

• depend on ～によって決まる、～次第｛しだい｝である

That last pattern is really useful! Take a look:

• _(n/noun phrase)_ depends on _(n/noun phrase)_

You probably know I like chocolate by reading my blog, which has posts like this one:

• http://upgradeenglish.blogspot.com/2010/05/3.html

This is some dark chocolate that I was eating the other day. It's a bit sweeter than I like, but the flavor was really rich.

• rich flavor 《a ～》豊かな風味 (definition from Eijiro on the Web)

Dark chocolate is one of my favorite things to eat. I should learn more about why dark chocolates can taste so different. What factors does the flavor depend on?

• factor 因子, ファクター, 因 (definition from jmdict)

If I were a rich man, I'd sample a different kind of dark chocolate every day. Right now, the kinds of chocolate I eat depend on what people give me. I seldom have the time to wander around the basement of a department store sampling chocolate. Some day...