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1. Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 19-Dec-2022 09:58:04 UTC Bernie

   • Srevin Saju

   I was trying to decode 「私のせい」 (watashi no sei), but look how many kanji map to せい!

   https://jisho.org/search/%E3%81%9B%E3%81%84
   #japanese @srevinsaju

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 19-Dec-2022 10:03:54 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Srevin Saju

     From context, I was able guess it's 所為 = consequence, outcome, blame, fault.

     Jisho also has a note: "usually written using kana alone, often ...のせい".

     @srevinsaju #japanese

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 19-Dec-2022 10:18:20 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Srevin Saju

     Writing せい using these two kanji makes sense, but just barely:

     所 - place, extent
     為 - do, change, make, benefit, as a result of

     The reading せ for 所 is also unusual.

     And the negative connotation ("it's my fault") adds another level of indirection.

     But it's apparently a common expression, so it's good to know!

     @srevinsaju #japanese

   • Srevin Saju (srevinsaju@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 19-Dec-2022 10:23:53 UTC Srevin Saju

     in reply to

     @codewiz I always thought 私のせいalways meant “it’s because of me”, but didn’t know that if we use a different kanji, it would be “it’s my fault”, but both of them make sense.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Thursday, 22-Dec-2022 16:53:45 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Srevin Saju

     I asked a Chinese friend if these characters are also used together in Mandarin, and she replied:

     "In Chinese it is used as 4 words idiom to enthesize what was done (usually by a person). Shortened it to two words means the same. But it could mean 'why' if it is used as the first word of a sentence and it will literally turn it into a question."

     The idiom is: 所作所為 (place make place do).

     @srevinsaju #japanese #chinese #kanji