# Japones/Spanish: genki desuka omae



## D_R_A_K_O

*guenki deska ame*

Holap..

Me podrian ayudar con esta frase...

Me la acaban de decir.. Pero no se que es..

SALUDOS..!!


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## Flaminius

I take you are asking what the phrase means.  Could I prevail upon you to please allow me to reply in English?
_
Genki desuka_, for this is the standard transcription, means, "How are you?"  I am intrigued by _ame_.  It can mean either rain or candy but I cannot fit neither into a meaningful conversation.  Can you tell us more about the background situation in which you heard/read the sentence?


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## sayuri2005

Hola, 

Concuerdo con lo que dijo Flaminius,

_*Genki desuka*_ (fonéticamente los hispanohablantes diríamos "guenki deska") quiere decir *Cómo estás?*

_Ame_, tal y como figura, puede interpretarse como "lluvia" o "caramelo, dulce", habría que ver la frase original en japonés para comprender el significado real. Mi humilde opinión por el momento es que la frase entera no tiene mucho sentido. 

Nos podrías dar más información del contexto y si es posible, decirnos cómo está escrito en japonés?

Saludos!


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## Aoyama

> _Ame_, tal y como figura, puede interpretarse como "lluvia" o "caramelo, dulce", habría que ver la frase original en japonés para comprender el significado real. Mi humilde opinión por el momento es que la frase entera no tiene mucho sentido.


and, as well


> Could I prevail upon you to please allow me to reply in English?


it is true that* ame* can mean : 
*rain*
*sweet*
*candy*
not caramel, which is the same word in Japanese (*karameru*)
This being said, I wonder if the phrase in question could be :
*genki desuka ne*  which would then mean (colloquially) : *How do ?* _*What's up ? You('re) alright aren't you ?*_ etc.


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## sayuri2005

Aoyama said:


> not caramel, which is the same word in Japanese (*karameru*)


 
*FYI*, in Spanish "caramelo" means both "candy" and "caramel" as used in English. If you don't believe me, you can look it up in the Spanish-English Wordreference (I can't paste the link cos I don't have enough posts).


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## Aoyama

> in Spanish "caramelo" means both "candy" and "caramel" as used in English. If you don't believe me, you can look it up in the Spanish-English Wordreference


I believe you (why shouldn't I, at my age I don't fight over sweets anymore - I wish I still did   ).
Still, I'm not sure (but stand to be corrected) if *ame* would be the same as the Spanish *caramelo* (a _kind_ of dulce).
The equivalent in _French_ is *bonbon* which can then be in Japanese ボンボン ...
The Japanese also use the word カラメル　(キャラメル) for a kind of soft sweet (close to what is called *toffee* in English), probably coming from _French_ (same meaning in French).
For those with a sweet tooth ...


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## vmunoz

Aoyama said:


> Still, I'm not sure (but stand to be corrected) if *ame* would be the same as the Spanish *caramelo* (a _kind_ of dulce).
> The equivalent in _French_ is *bonbon* which can then be in Japanese ボンボン ...
> The Japanese also use the word カラメル　(キャラメル) for a kind of soft sweet (close to what is called *toffee* in English), probably coming from _French_ (same meaning in French).
> For those with a sweet tooth ...



Yes, *ame *can be translated as _*caramelo*_, though it slightly depends on the country I guess. I'm Chilean, and I would translate *ame *as "dulce", and I would prefer *caramelo *for a kind of syrup (in fact, I thought カラメル had the same meaning in Japanese). I guess *caramelo *ismore commonly used to mean _*ame*_ in other countries (Mexico maybe?, for instance). It might even depend on the city you live, or your own family usage... It's not simple. By the way, there is also a _*bombon*_ in Spanish, but it refers to some small sweet, covered with chocolate.


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## Aoyama

We should avoid drifting too much from the original question of this thread, which now concerns *ame* (and may not be correct in *genki deska ame*), but for the sake of clarity, let's go a bit further into that _diversion_ :
*ame* (飴） means a kind of sweet originally made from _barley_ (cf. _sucre d'orge_ in French and _chufa_ -_orchata_ [not sure of the spelling]_ de chufa_ ). 
From 飴 there is a kind of thick sweet transparent syrup called 水飴 -mizu ame-.
Another kind of dark sweet syrup, close to _molasses (melaza)_ , but different from liquid caramel, is called 黒蜜　- kuro mitsu- made from unrefined black sugar.
By the way, Japanese also uses キャンディ　for *candy* and スイート　for *sweet *in some cases.


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## SpiceMan

Since the original question is about something drako was told, I think that maybe it wasn't "ame" but "omae".

Asking teineini to someone and addressing that person as omae doesn't fit well, but who knows how much Japanese nuances grasps the one who said it...


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## Aoyama

> Since the original question is about something drako was told, I think that maybe it wasn't "ame" but "omae".


BRILLIANT ! That is absolutely what it must be !
*genki desuka omae (how do man) *? And that throws my candies, syrups, sweets and the like _to the drains ._


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## I_like_my_TV

Aoyama said:
			
		

> And that throws my candies, syrups, sweets and the like to the drains .


I suggest give them all to SpiceMan as a well-deserved reward!  

PS: I'd have liked to ask the OP whether the person who said it is Japanese. It's a shame that D_R_A_K_O, the OP hasn't been seen again since his posting of the question.


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## allegheny

"Omae" or "omaesan" is used as a term of endearment in Japan. It was long ago and I dont recall the literal translation. It may be slang and could even be derived from the English "Oh my!". The Japanese like to bastardize foreign words and phrases.


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## Flaminius

Hello allegheny,


> The Japanese like to bastardize foreign words and phrases.


Probably it does, as much as it bastardise its own off-springs.    But omae is not the case.  It was attested long before English was heard around here.


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## allegheny

Flaminius-
 Are you saying that you are familiar with the term "Omae" or "Omaesan"?
If so, could you give us the translation?


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## Aoyama

> omae is not the case. It was attested long before English was heard around here.


That one is the truth of the truth.
 Beware of funny etymologies (but that would be the subject of an undless thread) . Food for thought :
 - *namae* (名前） coming from *name*
 - *arigato* influenced by *obligado*
 - *aka *(閼伽）coming from latin *aqua* (defying the laws of phonetics)
 - *samurai* coming from hebrew *shomer* (guard, guardian) as in *shomerei Israel* (that one I like ...)
   Still ...
  - *sebiro* (背広） would come from *Saville Row* in London
  - *waishatsu* （ワイシャツ）from white shirt or Y shirt ...
My my my ...


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## Aoyama

Regarding *omaesan* (old speech), it is more polite than omae.
Linked to *omae* (お前 but originally 御前 _onmae_ polite speech = the one in front) is also *teme-e* (手前), an inferior (disrespectful) way to call somebody, below *omae*.


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