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Particle は is the topic marker. The topic is not the same as the subject – the topic is what the sentence is about, while the subject is the doer of the verb.
As for directly equating either は or です with “is”, neither is really correct. As Terry Pratchett would put it, it’s a lie that helps you understand. Personally, I’d say です is closer though, because as a coupla, it kinda functions as the verb in the sentence when no other verb is needed, rather like “is”.
The “better” way to explain it is the way that makes the most sense to you. In the end, it’s an aid to help you learn.
Aye, I know what you mean. Can’t speak for Koichi’s accuracy, though – I’ve occasionally been told I put the emphasis on the wrong syllable too. =P
The search function is hiding well enough that I’ve still not managed to find it, though there used to be one that was slightly less-well-hidden (but still hidden). It’s like Koichi doesn’t want us to draw on the knowledge of our peers. =P
Someone will be along shortly to suggest Google site searches, though. =)
Tone as in pitch or pronunciation?
Aye, I think someone pointed that out before. You try submitting a bounty? Koichi’s in Japan right not, so he won’t be doing much.
Susheemi, kamakazee and karry-okie too. But yeah, Japanese isn’t alone at having loanwords mangled when they’re introduced into English – that’s what English does.
Well, like in English, if an adjective is modifying a noun, it goes before the noun. So the sentence would be これはうるさいコンピューターです. You wouldn’t use two は particles in a sentence unless you’re specifically making a comparison (or a direct quotation).
これは = This is [something] – for example, これはコンピューターです = this is a computer.
この[noun] = This [something] – for example, このコンピューターはうるさいです = this computer is noisy.
It probably could have. On second reading it feels a little disjointed, so I’m hoping I conveyed my point properly. =P
Double particles tends to be one of my weak areas…
It’s another way of writing it – fits with the pattern of sa-si-su-se-so. シ is still used to transliterate English “si” sounds into katakana. Similarly with ti for ち, tu for つ and hu for ふ. That’s why typing “di” and “du” into an IME produces ぢ and づ. However, shi, chi, tsu and fu are the current standards, because they give a much better idea of how the sound is actually pronounced.
“Jyo” and the like are a fairly old romanisation style – the current standard is “jo” et al. It’s up to you which one you prefer, really, but try to avoid relying too much on romaji at all.
This is a case of は being used as a comparison marker – it can combine with or supplant other particles in a sentence as needed. In fact, more often than not, it’s replacing が, you just don’t notice it. This can give you double particles like には and では. For example, 事務所に行く時、電車では車よりいいですよ – when going to work, it’s better to go by train than by car. Here, the は is performing exactly the same function.
が and を are always replaced by は (so you’ll never get, say, をは), and that’s what’s happening in your example. Don’t forget: は marks the topic of the sentence, not the subject of the verb. In this case, ビール is the object of the verb, and the object marker を is being implied.
Eh. To me, the order of amount-of-liking is
大好き
好き
嫌いじゃない
好きでも嫌いでもありません
好きじゃない
嫌い
大嫌いUnless you’re being the male equivalent of tsundere, I guess. =P
They’re kinda like the difference between “to” and “toward”, though they’re fairly interchangeable.
The grammar dictionary says で indicates the time something terminates, or the amount of time a period of activity has taken place. By comparison, に indicates a point in time at which something takes place.
It clarifies the difference between に and で by giving an example where either particle is grammatical:
春学期は五月十日(に/で)終わる (The spring term ends on May 10th)
When で is used, the nuance is that the spring term lasts up to May 10. When に is used, however, the sentence simply indicates the time when the spring term ends.
And also a few sentences where only で will do, like 木村さんは三日でこのレポートを書いた (Kimura-san wrote this report in three days).
I’m thinking the difference is something like that between に and へ. =)
