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Can someone break this sentence down for me?

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Astrobrite
New in Town
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Joined: January 21st, 2009 6:20 pm

Can someone break this sentence down for me?

Postby Astrobrite » July 1st, 2010 8:25 pm

こんばんわ!
I'm currently using Rosetta stone plus various text books since my first year college course has ended. As RS doesn't have translations, I'm having trouble understanding exactly what this sentence means:

女の子はのどがかわいます。

From the pictures I believe it to be "the girl is thirsty".

Can someone break it down for me?

どうも!

rodostajin1691
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Posts: 21
Joined: July 1st, 2010 11:54 pm

Postby rodostajin1691 » July 2nd, 2010 8:00 am

You are right!

女の子は = The girl
のどが= throat
かわいます= dry or thirsty

This is the only phrase I've ever heard to express being thirsty. However, the verb is usually the -te form because that is happening at the moment: 渇いている。

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QuackingShoe
Expert on Something
Posts: 368
Joined: December 2nd, 2007 4:06 am

Postby QuackingShoe » July 2nd, 2010 11:47 am

..but note that ha is a particle and ga is a particle. 'nodoga' isn't throat, but rather, 'nodo' is.

Astrobrite
New in Town
Posts: 5
Joined: January 21st, 2009 6:20 pm

Postby Astrobrite » July 2nd, 2010 1:22 pm

Thanks guys. I expected ga to be a particle. It's more the verbs that I'm struggling with at the moment.

Clienad
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Joined: April 22nd, 2006 10:00 am

Postby Clienad » July 2nd, 2010 3:24 pm

If its Rosetta stone then it probably is the girl is thirsty
so I'm assuming it will be
女の子はのどが渇いています。

渇く「かわく」=Thirsty
ています=in the state of being

therefore in the state of being thirsty
In normal English "is thirsty."

for example
子供たちは飛んでいます。
the children are in the state of jumping
as opposed to
子供たちは飛ぶところです。
The children are about to jump.

rodostajin1691
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 21
Joined: July 1st, 2010 11:54 pm

Postby rodostajin1691 » July 2nd, 2010 11:27 pm

One thing I learned is that your throat is only two things in Japanese 99.99% of the time, and the same in English I suppose. It's either thirst or sore.

1. thirsty のどが渇く 
2. sore のどがいったい

Since the choice is very limited、that should help to figure out the meaning.
:D

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