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- "三つのもんだいにこたえてください。"
"三つのもんだいにこたえてください。"
Translation:Please answer the three questions.
45 Comments
Both are used, but the correct grammatical usage is that ください is used as a helping verb and 下さい is used with objects. Here's a Japanese source, and here's an English source.
A helping verb (or auxiliary verb) is used together with another verb to add meaning to the verb.
Sorry, I had a mistake in my original post. I edited it so maybe it makes more sense now. "Kudasai" is the helping verb, which you can use with any -te form verb to mean "please do ~". When you use it with -te form verbs, it's recommended to write it in kana.
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I can't find a good link on it, but it's to my understanding that ください is used when a verb ends in て and 下さい is meant to be used in all other instances, though nowadays ください crops up in more places than that depending on context and choice of the writer
So cotae can be used for both questions not just answering verbal questions?
We were talking about the word "kudasai", so I'm not quite sure what you're asking. Could you give an example?
Don't worry I just got confused. Because someone I believe said shitsumon is for question someone asks. So I thought cotae is just a verbal reply, but now I see it works for both.
Sorry to have bothered you, I often get confused when I learn or read too much.
It was no bother. I see what you mean now. You're right, "kotae" can be a verbal or written answer.
What is your name? What is your quest? What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
目 (me) is something you add after a counter to indicate the position of something in a sequence.
Maggie-sensei has a lesson on it if you're interested in reading more.
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1) What... is your name? 2) What... is your quest? 3) What... is the average air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
I wonder how the pacing of those questions would be interpreted in a Japanese translation without losing the humor..
Actually "Mondai" has two meanings, "question" and "problem". But the meaning of "Mondai" question is different from that of "Shitsumon" question. When the questioner knows the answer (ex. Quiz show, examinations), the question is "Mondai". The question of which the questioner also does not know the answer is "Shitumon".
What would differentiate between "three OF the questions" and "THE three questions"? Purely context? What if i havent seen any of the questions yet and don't have that context to draw upon? Would i never be able to tell?
問題の三つ would be "three of the questions", but don't worry, I don't think you will ever be asked to answer questions in a situation completely devoid of any context.
yes, の is needed to link 三つ and 問題 unless you place 三つ after 問題 and its particle.
三つの問題に答えてください。
問題に三つ答えてください。
Yes, it's an intransitive verb so it can't have a direct object (which would be marked with を).
There is; しつもん is an actual 'question' (something you ask people) and もんだい is a question like you'd see on a test (also translatable as a 'problem').
"Please answer three questions" (without "the") was also accepted. Could this then be used to instruct students to select three out of four or more questions to answer?
