Expressing Opinions ～と思う


I am doing an exercise in Genki Book I. The question is:

> Translate "I don't think Chieko likes Mayumi" into Japanese.

I think the answer is:

> ちえこさんはまゆみさんが好きじゃないと思います。

Is the meaning of this Japanese sentence ambiguous? Could it instead mean that
Chieko thinks Mayumi doesn't like (something)?

If I wanted to include 私は, to make it clear that this is my opinion, what
happens with the particles in the rest of the sentence? Does the は after ちえこさん
become が? Is this the only thing that changes?

> 私はちえこさん **が** まゆみさんが好きじゃないと思います。

Is this correct?




> "I don't think Chieko likes Mayumi."

Your TL of that is:

> 「ちえこさんはまゆみさんが好きじゃないと思います。」

Your translation is good if the purpose of the lesson is to learn to use 「思う」
in the affirmative form even though the sentence in question is clearly in the
negative form "I don't think".

As a Japanese sentence, it is impeccable. Its meaning is **_not_** ambiguous
at all **unless you say it in a situiation where talking about who Chieko
likes or dislikes is clearly irrelevant**. Japanese is an incredibly contexual
language; Take that from a veteran native speaker.

If you wanted to use 「私は」, I would suggest you place it right in front of the
verb at the end instead of at the beginning of the sentence. That would be:

> 「ちえこさん **は** まゆみさん **が** 好きじゃないと **私は** 思います。」

It is, of course, grammatical to say:

> 「 **私は** 、ちえこさん **は** まゆみさん **が** 好きじゃないと思います。」

Mentioning all three persons at the beginning makes it look/sound kind of
crammed, which is why I used a comma after the 「私は」.

「私は」 is not required **_at all_** in Japanese though it might take time for
you to get used to it.

> Could it instead mean that Chieko thinks Mayumi doesn't like (something)?

Again, it could if it is said in a situation/context where the topic of the
discussion is who likes or dislikes **_something_** (instead of who likes or
dislikes **_someone_** ), which is why I have to type the same sentence here
everyday: "Japanese is a contextual language".

The exact same phrase/sentence can mean completely different things.

Finally, your sentence:

> 「私は、ちえこさん **が** まゆみさん **が** 好きじゃないと思います。」

means a different thing than:

> 「私は、ちえこさん **は** まゆみさん **が** 好きじゃないと思います。」

To say the former sentence, you need to have been talking about multiple
people who might or might not like Mayumi. Then you are saying that out of all
those people, it is Chieko who does not like Mayumi.

To say the latter, no particular context is needed. You are just saying that
Chieko does not like Mayumi.

If nothing I am saying makes sense to you, do not worry too much about it now.
You will get used to our particles in a few years. As if I had met someone who
had mastered the particles in a few years...




> "I don't think Chieko likes Mayumi."

Your TL of that is:

> 「ちえこさんはまゆみさんが好きじゃないと思います。」

Your translation is good if the purpose of the lesson is to learn to use 「思う」
in the affirmative form even though the sentence in question is clearly in the
negative form "I don't think".

As a Japanese sentence, it is impeccable. Its meaning is **_not_** ambiguous
at all **unless you say it in a situiation where talking about who Chieko
likes or dislikes is clearly irrelevant**. Japanese is an incredibly contexual
language; Take that from a veteran native speaker.

If you wanted to use 「私は」, I would suggest you place it right in front of the
verb at the end instead of at the beginning of the sentence. That would be:

> 「ちえこさん **は** まゆみさん **が** 好きじゃないと **私は** 思います。」

It is, of course, grammatical to say:

> 「 **私は** 、ちえこさん **は** まゆみさん **が** 好きじゃないと思います。」

Mentioning all three persons at the beginning makes it look/sound kind of
crammed, which is why I used a comma after the 「私は」.

「私は」 is not required **_at all_** in Japanese though it might take time for
you to get used to it.

> Could it instead mean that Chieko thinks Mayumi doesn't like (something)?

Again, it could if it is said in a situation/context where the topic of the
discussion is who likes or dislikes **_something_** (instead of who likes or
dislikes **_someone_** ), which is why I have to type the same sentence here
everyday: "Japanese is a contextual language".

The exact same phrase/sentence can mean completely different things.

Finally, your sentence:

> 「私は、ちえこさん **が** まゆみさん **が** 好きじゃないと思います。」

means a different thing than:

> 「私は、ちえこさん **は** まゆみさん **が** 好きじゃないと思います。」

To say the former sentence, you need to have been talking about multiple
people who might or might not like Mayumi. Then you are saying that out of all
those people, it is Chieko who does not like Mayumi.

To say the latter, no particular context is needed. You are just saying that
Chieko does not like Mayumi.

If nothing I am saying makes sense to you, do not worry too much about it now.
You will get used to our particles in a few years. As if I had met someone who
had mastered the particles in a few years...

