"Isn't that skirt thin?"
Translation:そのスカートは薄くないですか？
22 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
Here are some alternatives without です:
- そのスカートはうすくない？
- そのスカートはうすくないの？
- そのスカートはうすくありませんか？
- そのスカートはうすうございませんか？ (...I think, haha.)
At least I think I got those right. I'm only a learner too. Hopefully someone might correct me if any of those are incorrect. ^^
Nope. ^^
うすい（薄い）is an い-adjective, not a な-adjective.
Here's something to help understand why I've spelt it the way I did. I'll show how the same thing happens with two other い-adjectives that might look a little familiar...
い-adjectives in dictionary form
- うすい（薄い）"thin"
- ありがたい（有り難い）"thankful"
- はやい（早い）"early, quick"
い-adjectives in adverb/infinitive form
- うすく（薄く）
- ありがたく（有り難く）
- はやく（早く）
- おはやく（御早く）
い-adjectives in く → う sound changed form
- うすう（薄う）
- ありがとう（有り難う）
- はよう（早う）
- おはよう（御早う）
い-adjectives in a formal ~ございます form
- うすうございます（薄う御座います）
- ありがとうございます（有り難う御座います）
- おはようございます（御早う御座います）
What I wrote was spelt the way I intended. ^^
Wow, and that's how you break down all those formulas we've known for years without ever knowing where the complexity came from? I'm impressed...
319
2020.5 5 There's a bunch more when you go crude or super polite
そのスカートはうすくないかい？
そのスカートはうすくでございませんか？
そのスカートはうすくねー？
そのスカートはうすくねん？
etcetera
薄い（うすい）is used for a thin layer of something flat, like for a piece of cloth or paper, or clothing like in this case. 細い（ほそい）means more like "fine line" or "narrow", like would be used for a thread or string. There is also another adjective with the same kanji, 細かい（こまかい）which means something like "finely detailed", like a miniature picture that might be drawn with lines that are 細い (thin)!
Duolingo is getting ridiculous here. Some questions in this lesson ask for the formal form, being くありません and others are asking for the more informal form, being くないです. The annoying part is that they both mean the same thing and yet are not both accepted. Some accept only formal and some accept only informal, with no warning as to which version they want.
What happened to ですね for "Isn't it" ? Why does this question use ですか if it is asking for agreement?
From what I can tell, when Duolingo asks for a translation that starts with "isn't [thing] [this way]?" it wants that negative question form (in this case うすくないですか？), but if they put it at the end like "[thing] is [this way], isn't it?" they're looking for ですね
You are correct.
The "isn't it" in the end of a sentence is not actually a question. It's only ask for your agreement.
- 1032
Given a skirt is more or less cylindrical, it seems like it might make sense to use 細い to indicate "thin" in terms of radius, but I'll admit it'd be pretty rare that's what you meant in English, you'd generally use "skinny".
- 319
2022.3.15t
A skirt is made from a fabric so would use 薄い to describe the thickness or thinness of the material. It wouldn't make sense here to use 細い。「細い」can be used to describe if a person is thin as in lack of body weight or thickness
