TAKOBOTO

? (sentence ending particle - question) [F]
What is it you don't get?

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「なっとくいかないんですよ」「なにが？なにがですの？」

"I just can't accept that!" "What? What is it that you can't accept ? "

おとこ・おんな：もうおみせやっていないの？！まだじだよ。

Ths shop is already closed, is it? It's still 4.

なんでかのじょがいないの？

Why don't you have a girlfriend ? [M/F]

わるいけどたにようじがあるの。

I'm sorry, I have another engagement .[F]

「どうしたの。」「すこしほうっておいて。あなたにはかんけいないことなの。」

"What's wrong with you ?"[F] "Leave me alone for a while. It's none of your business."[F]

「いまでかけてはいけない。」「どうしてだめなの。」

"You mustn't go out now." "Why not ? "[F]

わたし、きょねんからあたらしいことをはじめたの。

I started a new practice last year .[F]

「わたし、じどうしゃにしょっちゅうのってるの。だから、がわたしにコンタクトがとれないってもんくをいうの。」

"I'm on the road a lot, and my clients are complaining that they can never reach me." ."[F]

おんな：「ときどき、かれとりこんしようとおもうの。」おとこ：「じょうだんだろう！」

"Now and then I think of divorcing him ." [F] "You must be kidding!" [M]

「ふとっているひとはみんなダイエットすべきだとおもう。」「あなた、わたしのことをいってるの。」

"I think all fat people should go on a diet."[M/F] "Are you referring to me ?"[F]

じはんにおきなければいけなかったんじゃないの。

I thought you had to get up by 7:30 .[M/F]

しーでぃーをどれくらいもっているの。

How many CDs do you have ?[M/F]

あなたのことをともだちいじょうにはかんがえられないの。

I can't think of you as more than a friend .[F]

In informal situations, during a conversation with friends or the family, women can use "no" instead of "ka".

Stefanie

Aren't there expressions that use this ending の that are used by both men and women or is it ALWAYS female speech?

yookoso

I hear males sometimes use this の.

Miki

何がですの would mostly be female speech. Men would be prone to say 何がですか.

bamboo4

何しているの is a female saying?

g

You may often hear female use it but this is used by male, too.

Miki

heh so that's why I get all those strange looks from guys, I sound like my GF ^_^ I'll try to add some more examples after the fact of real-world conversational stuff :)

ninja_k

何しているの is short for 何をしているのですか. Latter is polite but the former is casual. I think you use it in a wrong situation. It is not strange at all that men use it. ;)

Miki

[F] denotes use in female speech.

Amatuka

Where did you pick up the example? This sounds like from anime, game or a girl from a rich family.

Miki

Hmm, looks like fan-fiction actually. ^^v
Hope it isn't too bad.

Amatuka

Yes, this example is not strange at all. I am learning Japanese from a Japanese male, and this is how he explained the familiar usage of "no". It's not uncommon, he says, and you only add "desu ka" for polite company.

Christopher

Is it safe to say that the "-no" question particle is representative of the word "it", as how "it" was used in both examples?

caith

caith - not really... the translation just comes accross a bit differently in natural english. the の nominalizes the preceding clause, hence why it, in this case, is the natural equivalent. But it's not a 1-1 mapping the other way...

ninja_k

men can say 〜の but it is technically only for females.that's becasue it sounds very effeminate. many men now are saying 〜の and even 〜ね, butif i were a guy, i would stay away from it！

ellieluvsu

A simple rule of thumb is, if you are a man, skip "no" at the end and you won't be led into that ambivalent world.

bamboo4

In an interrogative sentence, の by males is common, but perfectly not in an affirmative.
#882 ですの is old-fashioned. We prefer to 何で?(if he/she is familiar) or 何がですか?(if not)

sato

[#3260]: "still" should be changed to "only". "Still" implies that it has been 4 o'clock for a long time. But of course, it is only ever 4 o'clock for an instant.

seanohagan

どしたの？ What happened? To a child who's suddenly crying. Said by everyone, whether you're male or female.

bgaskin