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how to say never?

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mieth
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Joined: June 7th, 2007 7:55 pm

how to say never?

Postby mieth » January 23rd, 2010 5:48 am

I have a question about what I should say for never in Japanese. Not as in never having a particular experience but rather as not doing something as a habit.

for example

I have never taken a taxi to school (this refers to never having the experience of taking a taxi to school)

however

I never take a take a taxi to school. ( in this sentence the speaker hasn't necessarily never done this before. But it is not what they do as a habit)

any hints?

Ben Bullock
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Joined: January 12th, 2010 2:12 pm

Re: how to say never?

Postby Ben Bullock » January 23rd, 2010 8:14 am

mieth wrote:I have a question about what I should say for never in Japanese. Not as in never having a particular experience but rather as not doing something as a habit.

for example

I have never taken a taxi to school (this refers to never having the experience of taking a taxi to school)

タクシーで学校に行ったことがない/ありません。
If you want to really emphasize it you can say
タクシーで学校に行ったことがいっさいない/ありません。
mieth wrote:I never take a take a taxi to school. ( in this sentence the speaker hasn't necessarily never done this before. But it is not what they do as a habit)

タクシーで学校に行くことがない。
Again, if you want to really emphasize the "never" bit, you can use an adverb:
私はタクシーで登校することはまったくありません。

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mieth
Expert on Something
Posts: 147
Joined: June 7th, 2007 7:55 pm

Postby mieth » January 23rd, 2010 9:08 am

返事してくれてありがとうございます。やっぱりそう言う風になるんだね。もちろん -したことがないというのはそのする行為は経験としtなかったということだね。 それにたいして -することがないと言うパターンが習慣を示すわけか。じゃこうはどう思いますか。一般的には電車で行かない。または 普通に電車で行かないとか。 あまり別のニュアンスなしで -することがないと同じ言い表せるだろうね。どうも

Jessi
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Joined: November 25th, 2007 9:58 am

Postby Jessi » January 25th, 2010 12:51 am

For "usually", or "normally", you could use a phrase like 普段(ふだん):

普段は電車に乗らない (I don't normally take the train)

It doesn't mean you never do, it just means that normally you don't :) I find this phrase pretty useful (it doesn't have to be used with a negative, either).
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mangara99
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Postby mangara99 » January 27th, 2010 5:26 pm

Well, for me both, -SHITA KOTO GA ARU and -SURU KOTO GA ARU denote that you've lived the experience of doing something but since you're asking the way to express something you normally do, a habit, I think what Jessi suggests is more appropiate. You can use FUDAN NI or FUTSUU NI to express that kind of action, or I think maybe simply using a negative sentence would do.

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