Desuu ka?

Anime2Envy · Post by **Anime2Envy** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 11:19 pm

I just started watching Steel Angel Kurumi and I noticed at the end of virtually every sentence Kurumi adds a “Desuu”. Sometimes even adds it as parts of other words, such as “Skee-da-suu”.

Anyone know if this has some meaning that I am unaware of? Or maybe it’s just a cute catch phrase?

OtakuMegane · Post by **OtakuMegane** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 11:48 pm

'Desu' just makes something into a sentence. Example:
'Yasui' means 'cheap'.
'Yasui desu' translates(approximately) to 'It is cheap.'

'Ka' simply turns it into a question. 'Yasui desu ka?' translates to 'Is it cheap?'
Remember though, anime tends to have a lot of slang and somewhat butchered language(not unlike American fare). It is not a good way to learn Japanese.

Hey, my Japanese class was useful for something. Word.

Anime2Envy · Post by **Anime2Envy** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 11:57 pm

Thanks, Good to know. All the constant desu's were just starting to get on my nerves.

I knew what ka meant from my limited Japanese, I just added it to mean "what is Desu". But I guess that didnt work in context to what desu really means

Lounge Fly · Post by **Lounge Fly** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 12:20 am

yeah but not every sentence will contain desu in it. I believe that she uses it to be more cutesy. I think I asked this in the animenation forums a long time ago.

Trident · Post by **Trident** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 2:30 am

Oh lor... watch this series dubbed. Seriously. This is one time where the dubs actually make the show much more hilarious than the subtitles...

Miyavi-type · Post by **Miyavi-type** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 3:50 am

desu = is

I haven't been studying Japanese for very long but like Lounge Fly says, it's not used in every sentence.

SS5_Majin_Bebi · Post by **SS5_Majin_Bebi** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 5:50 am

Anime2Envy wrote:I just started watching Steel Angel Kurumi and I noticed at the end of virtually every sentence Kurumi adds a “Desuu”. Sometimes even adds it as parts of other words, such as “Skee-da-suu”.

Anyone know if this has some meaning that I am unaware of? Or maybe it’s just a cute catch phrase?

I think that word you're talking about at the end there, that "sukidesu" (you dont say the "u"

) means "I like you" or just "like". Coz it gets used alot when people say that. So it must be.

Either that or the damn subbers at the DVD companies know not what is being said

doughboy · Post by **doughboy** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 7:31 am

Miyavi-type wrote:but like Lounge Fly says, it's not used in every sentence.

It's only used in "proper" Japanese sentences, so if you want to be polite or honorific... "desu" is the way to go. You won't hear it in casual conversations, mostly just in the workplace/family settings.

koronoru · Post by **koronoru** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 10:25 am

Another anime character with a cute speech mannerism: Misora from Mao-chan. She says "arimasu" (which is a polite form of the verb "to be", approximately similar to "desu") pretty much every single time she opens her mouth. Compare her to Sylvie, who habitually speaks informally, almost to the point of actual rudeness. The overall result is toxic levels of cuteness.

Declan_Vee · Post by **Declan_Vee** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 10:49 am

koronoru wrote:Another anime character with a cute speech mannerism: Misora from Mao-chan. She says "arimasu" (which is a polite form of the verb "to be", approximately similar to "desu") pretty much every single time she opens her mouth. Compare her to Sylvie, who habitually speaks informally, almost to the point of actual rudeness. The overall result is toxic levels of cuteness.

Mao-chan is a rather interesting example for sentance suffixes. While I can't remember the exact details very well (been a while since I saw it) most of the main cahracters speak differently, in that regard.

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