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Comma
Numbers are usually connected with commas. Take a look at this example:
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| Jujutsu Kaisen; Volume 1; Gojo shows Yuuji his new room. |
２ ３年は今出払ってるけど
2nd and 3rd-year students are out (not here) but...
出払う(ではらう) - to be all out (of people), to be elsewhere
In this example from Jujutsu
Kaisen, a comma is missing, and there’s space between 2 and 3. The Japanese comma
takes up a lot of space, and it might have been omitted for stylistic/editorial reasons. In speech, you will make a short pause to indicate two separate numbers.
'・' (this little dot)
This dot・ is used to connect/separate names, but also nouns. In the following example, Megumi gives us reasons (in the form of nouns) why curses are born/created. In speech, you will make a pause after each word. The same thing happens in English and other languages as well. You don't always need a connector. We omit them for effect.
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| JJK; Volume 1; p.27 (I might be wrong) |
辛酸・後悔・恥辱 人間が記憶を反芻する度
Harshness, regret, shame... Every time a human being ruminates on a memory
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辛酸 |
しんさん |
hardships |
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後悔 |
こうかい |
regret; repentance; remorse |
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恥辱 |
ちじょく |
disgrace; shame; insult |
Adjectives of opposite meaning (good/bad) can also be separated/connected with a comma.
写真がうまい、へたは関係ない
skillful or unskillful; comma = or
You’ll often see commas joining different ideas within a paragraph. (This thing is the most confusing. Sometimes the sentence/idea between the commas won’t be even related to the main point of the paragraph).
You can use a comma to separate verbs, but verbs are usually in their て form, or し, or pre-masu form, etc.
As for adverbs, they are usually separated by commas as well.
Using と to connect nouns
Some things to remember:
- It must be used after every item but the last one. You need to insert a case particle (を;に;で; etc.) after the last noun because noun strings where nouns are connected with と act like the subject of a sentence; however, you’ll see sentences with と + case particle after the last item as well.
- It can be used for exhaustive lists of items as well. (There can only be two items in your list or 100).
- It also means ‘together with’ (Anna and me; together with Anna).
- It is used with nouns only.
Using とか to connect verbs and nouns
とか is used with nouns and verbs. とか is considered 話し言葉 (はなしことば), which means 'spoken language'. When you use it with nouns, you loosely list items, but implicitly, you suggest there are more items.
It works just like や (や is 書き言葉 (かきことば), written language, but it’s used in speech too.)
とか with verbs is used when you want to give
advice, i.e. What about cooking; What about doing things like cooking or
singing? You need some context to use it in a sentence. If you want to
list your hobbies, then たり～たりする is a better option.
- It can be translated as ‘and (the like); or; things like...; ... and so on’ (whatever sounds natural in English).
- It can be
used after nouns and verbs. My grammar books say it can be used after adjectives and between phrases, but I haven't found any examples of that, so I'd be cautious.
- It can be used more than once in a sentence, and, in fact, should be used after every item (after the last item, you use とか + appropriate particle or whatever is necessary; A とか B とか; you must use it after the last item).
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| Jujutsu Kaisen; Vol 1; Chapter 3; Interview with the principal. |
This example is a good example of why learning with manga might cause some headaches. Grammatically speaking, Yuuji's sentence is ok, but semantically, it is not of the best quality. Why? Because とか after verbs is used (mostly) to advise people. Yuuji is not advising anyone. He's stating some facts. In this panel, he was fighting with Principal Yaga's cursed dolls, and after exchanging punches with the dolls, he came up with that conclusion. In English translation, we've got passive voice "get hurt or stunned."
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| English Translation |
し as an answer to 'Why?'
彼は私たちのお客様さまだから、しなければならない。
Using や to connect nouns
や works similarly to たり～たりする which means you don’t limit the list
to the items on your list; they are just examples (things like
[examples]). Implicitly, you’re stating there are other things as well;
you just don’t want to list them. It is used with nouns only. - It can be translated as ‘and (among others)’ or ‘or.’
- It is usually used once (you usually list two items only, which makes sense because even in English, you won't be listing nouns forever using 'or'; it will get weird at some point.).
- Don’t use it after the last item on your list.
- In writing, if you want to insert more items, the third/fourth/fifth item is separated by a comma or ・ ← this dot. (You’ll definitely see AやBやCや on the Internet.)
- A や B など is also a common structure.
- Some people say it is a bit more formal than とか (とか being more conversational).
や vs と vs とか
Gojo: As for the Sukuna fingers, I or Fushiguro can collect them.
By using や you show representative items, therefore, the best examples and the best examples should be considered.
とか, on the other hand, represents non-specific and often fluid items. Just because you list something because it occurred to you at the time, it doesn’t mean you’ll list it again; general ideas, non-specific items; you might not recall the same ideas twice.
や suggests that you will list them again because they are the best examples; specific and related to the topic; you’ll easily recall them.
Following this logic, in our Jujutsu Kaisen example, Gojo is using himself and Fushiguro as "the best examples" because Yuuji at that time didn't know anyone else, and if one of them was to recall the examples again, they would use the same examples. However, if Yuuji knew others at that time, maybe next time, they would use someone else as an example.
Using など to show examples
- It can be translated to 'etc.' or 'so on.'
- It can also be used to give examples and indicate quotes.
- It can only be used once in a sentence (A, B, C など).
- A とか B など is also a common structure (A and/or B, etc.).
- It is usually seen after nouns, but it can be used after verbs (formal equivalent of たり).
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| JJK; volume 1; chapter 1 |
[...] The particle has been translated into English as “like”. When we want to pick an example from the group of similar things and concepts, this “nado” is very helpful. (source)
We can assume then that Sukuna gives us a little hint, namely that a cursed spirit’s flesh [and other forms cursed spirits can take = など ] is no fun.
Using か to show alternatives
- It gives us alternatives.
- It can be used with every part of speech.
- With な adjectives, な disappears.
- You don’t need to add の・こと to verbs to say, 'It’s either eating or drinking.' Just insert か after the plain verb form.
- Don’t use it to connect two alternatives in a question (Is it good or is it bad?). You need two regular questions, and それとも introduces the second question.
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| JJK; volume 1; chapter 2 |
Yuuji is given two alternatives: you can either die now, [...] or after eating all the fingers.
今すぐ死ぬか [...] 取り込んでから死ぬか
More Examples
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| JJK: volume 1; the very first page |
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| The English translation for comparison |
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| JJK; volume 1 |
Yuuji is visiting his grandfather in the hospital. He brought flowers. His grandfather was a grumpy man and said, "Don't be buying flowers all the time! Say some money."
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| JJK; volume 1 |
Fushiguro is wondering who is speaking, Sukuna or Itadori. Two alternatives.
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| This one might be from Chapter 3, Vol 1. |
特に学校や病院にのような
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