NATSUME Soseki, a novelist whose portrait was on the one thousand yen note, wrote the critically-acclaimed novel “wagahai ha neko de aru.”
wagahai is an old word used by men that means watashi (I).
Therefore, this (the title) means “I am a cat.”
There are two styles of writing in Japanese.
One of them is the de aru style that ends in -de aru, and this includes other endings such as “-da” and “-ru.”
The other is the desu/masu style that ends in -desu or -masu.
The de aru style gives a firm and incisive impression, and is often used in theses and reports.
Most newspapers and magazines are written in the de aru style.
The desu/masu style makes a polite and gentle impression, and is often used in notices from schools or government offices and the like as well as in letters.
It will come across as rather awkward if you use both styles in a text.
Most Japanese language texts are written in the desu/masu style.
You have to decide which style to use before you start to write.
Japanese people choose a style, depending on the content.
The impression made by a translation would be different depending on whether the original text is written with the de aru or the desu masu style.
千円札
sennennsatsu
(the) one thousand yen note
肖像にも
shouzou nimo
(whose) portrait
夏目漱石の
natsume souseki no
Natsume Soseki
傑作といわれる
kessaku to iwareru
critically-acclaimed
小説に
shousetsu ni
(the) novel
「吾輩は猫である」が
wagahai ha neko dearu ga
wagahai ha neko de aru
「吾輩」は
wagahai ha
wagahai
「私」の
watashi no
(that) means I
日本語の
nihonngo no
Japanese
文体
bunntai
(of) writing
2種類
nishurui
two styles
一つは、
hitotsu ha,
one (of them)
(他に「~だ」
hokani -da
other endings -da
含む)
fukumu
(this) includes
「である調」
dearu'chou
(the) de aru style
もう一つは
mouhitotsu ha
the other
「です・ます調」
desumasu'chou
(the) desu/masu style
である調は、
dearu'chou ha,
(the) de aru style
引き締まった
hikishimatta
incisive
印象が
innshou ga
a[n] impression
使うことが
tsukau kotoga
used
新聞
shinnbunn
newspapers
である調
dearu chou
(the) de aru style
書かれています。
kakarete imasu.
are written
です・ます調は、
desumasu'chou ha,
(the) desu/masu style
印象が
innshou ga
a[n] impression
役所
yakusho
government offices
スタイルを
sutairu wo
styles
一つの原稿
hitotsu no gennkou
a text
ぎこちない感じ
gikochinai kannji
rather awkward as
がします。
ga shimasu.
(it) will come across
日本語学習のテキストの
nnihonngo gakushuu no tekisuto no
Japanese language texts
です・ます調
desumasu'chou
(the) desu/masu style
書かれています。
kakarete imasu.
are written
書く
kaku
(you) start to write
決めなければなりません。
kimenakereba narimasenn.
(you) have to decide
日本人は
nihonnjinn ha
Japanese people
書く内容
kaku naiyou
(the) content
使い分けています。
tsukaiwakete imasu.
choose (a style)
翻訳文でも
honnyakubunn demo
(made by a) translations text
である調か
dearu'chou ka
(with) the de aru
です・ます調
desumasu'chou
(or the) desu masu style
かで
kade
depending on whether
原文の
gennbunn no
(the) original text (is written)
印象は
innshou ha
the impression
変わります。
kawarimasu.
(would be) different