I’ve been playing the japanese version of Animal Crossing: Wild World in order to improve my japanese, and while I can understand enough to get by I still find myself stumped sometimes.

Context:
In Animal Crossing the player’s mother will sometimes send them letters about various topics,「エミリー」is my character’s name.

Image text:
エミリーへ
たまにはね
よわねはくのも
いいものよ
かあさんたまには たよられたいな
ドーンときなさい ははより

  • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    To Emily,

    You know, it’s fine to express to me your struggles sometimes. I’d like to be relied upon once in a while. Give me what you got! From Mom.

    Interestingly, たまには (tamaniwa) is used twice here, it’s a nice succinct way to say sometimes, now and then, occasionally etc. depending on context. It’s tends to mean less often than ときどき, the more direct translation for “sometimes” in situations when they could be interchangeable.

    It can be hard and I used to struggle with this playing games with only hiragana, to figure the meaning when the word division is unclear and some connector words like が or を are left out. In particular, the expression よわねはく is 弱音吐く, but not knowing that expression you’d wonder if は is wa or ha, and if haku was 吐く(to spit up)or like 履く(like wearing shoes).

    • k0e3@lemmy.caM
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      2 months ago

      Thanks for the additional info! I was out having lunch today and found this. たまにあるフーチバー lol