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【No. 0906】Miyage

Jun 11, 2017 10:38
If you look up the Japanese word "miyage" (土産) or "omiyage" (お土産) in an English-Japanese dictionary, you can find the English word, "souvenir."

I thought that both of them have almost the same meaning, but the way of use seems to be different.

Both imply local products or specialties for the land, but miyage basically refers to what you buy as gifts to your friends or colleagues.

On the other hand, souvenirs refer to what you buy just for yourself.

(Miyage can be used in both cases.)

Incidentally, many of miyage in various places in Japan are food -- it might be related to the fact that Japanese people tend to present miyage for many people in their workplaces or schools.
土産

日本語の「土産」や「お土産」を辞書で引くと、"souvenir" が出てきます。

私はこれらはほとんど同じ意味だと思っていましたが、日本語と英語では使い方が大きく異なっているようです。

どちらもその土地にちなむものや名産品を意味する点では同じですが、土産は基本的に、友人や同僚に配る目的で買うものを指す一方、souvenir は自分自身のために買うものを指します。

(自分に買うためのものも土産と言うことはできます。)

日本各地の土産は食べ物であることが多いのですが、これは土産を職場や学校で配る文化があることに関係しているのかもしれません。

Corrections (2)

No. 1 Trey
  • Miyage
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • If you look up the Japanese word "miyage" (土産) or "omiyage" (お土産) in an English-Japanese dictionary, you can find the English word, "souvenir."
  • If you look up the Japanese words "miyage" (土産) or "omiyage" (お土産) in an English-Japanese dictionary, you can find the English word, "souvenir."
  • I thought that both of them have almost the same meaning, but the way of use seems to be different.
  • I thought that both of them have almost the same meaning, but the way theyof are used seems to be different.
  • Both imply local products or specialties for the land, but miyage basically refers to what you buy as gifts to your friends or colleagues.
  • Both imply local products or specialties fromr the lareand, but miyage basically refers to what you buy as gifts ftor your friends or colleagues.

    I assume you mean the local area for land... unless you literally meant the "land" like dirt etc...

    Then it'd be "from the land"

  • On the other hand, souvenirs refer to what you buy just for yourself.
  • On the other hand, souvenirs refer to what you buy just for yourself.

    This isn't 100% true. Souvenir itself just means something you buy from somewhere you visited as a way to remember it/you liked it/you can't get t where you're from.

    Normally you buy them for yourself but people often buy stuff for their friends (it's not a tradition/custom though like in Japan).

    It's kind of a joke too. There's shirts and stuff that say "My friend went to NYC and all I got was this t-shirt".

    Oh! A souvenir in the USA isn't usually a food either

  • (Miyage can be used in both cases.)
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Incidentally, many of miyage in various places in Japan are food -- it might be related to the fact that Japanese people tend to present miyage for many people in their workplaces or schools.
  • Incidentally, many of the miyages in various places in Japan are food -- it might be related to the fact that Japanese people tend to present miyages for many people in their workplaces or schools.

    Ok so I corrected this one as if it was the word souvenir and made it plural. There's a chance that the word wouldn't be miyages (and use miyages for both plural and singular like fish) but miyages looks right to me

Toru
Thank you so much for correcting my post again!

> Souvenir itself just means something you buy from somewhere you visited as a way to remember it/you liked it/you can't get t where you're from.

It means that 'souvenir' can also be used as stuff for other people, right?
Actually, I read a blog that explains something like "stuff that you buy for your friends or family should be referred to as 'gift' or 'present' instead of 'souvenir'," so I wrote such a sentence.
Anyway, I think that I should have used terms that indicate trends or frequencies, like "usually" or "mainly."
Trey
Yes, you can buy a souvenir for other people too. You can also use the word "gift" or "present" but you can use those words whenever you buy something for someone else. Although sometimes it's just more casual.

IE I bought you a soda.
I bought you a present/gift. (soda)
Toru
Thank you for letting me know the information! (^^)
No. 2 クライド
  • (Miyage can be used in both cases.)
  • (The word 'Miyage' can be used in both situations.)

    This is OK, too! :D

Good job, kanotown! :D

Toru
Thank you so much always for correcting my post, クライドさん! :)

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