Question

Updated on 8 Feb 2023

yama__

2 February

Japanese

English (US)

Question about English (US)

Which way is the more natural? Or how would a native speaker say this?

I somehow had that feeling.

I had that feeling for some reason.

Answers

SyLambert

2 February

Featured answer

English (US)
Italian Near fluent

@yama__ By "somehow", you mean なんとなく, right?
You want to translate the phrase 「なんとなくそんな感じでした」or something like that into English.

From my understanding of Japanese, the なんとなく makes your sentence "softer", like you are not stating as strong a fact. I think the main point is that it helps you avoid making yourself seem arrogant.

In English you don't need the "somehow" because it is less important. As a sentence, "I had a feeling that would happen" already implies it is just personal and not a strong fact. It will seem arrogant or not arrogant based on how likely the thing is you claimed to feel, not how you say the sentence.

For example:
"I had a feeling that Mike wouldn't do his homework today."
-If Mike NEVER does his homework, then nobody would find this statement arrogant, because your feeling is totally natural.
-If Mike has ALWAYS done his homework every single day before now, and you say that, maybe your friends are like "how could you possibly have that feeling?"

Maybe I am misunderstanding your concern. If not, I hope this helps.

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Deleted user

2 February

The first one

Deleted user

2 February

But the second one works too, I think maybe it depends on context a bit

emtrivoli

2 February

English (US)

1 - sounds strange to me
2 - sounds better

best: "I HAD A FEELING THAT.... (he would do this - they would do that - that would happen)

you can skip "somehow" or "for some reason"

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yama__

2 February

Japanese

@emtrivoli @junujunujun

Can you explain why it sounds strange?

emtrivoli

2 February

English (US)

Can't really explain. i mean.. it's FINE to say "I somehow had that feeling" but it's better to say I HAD A FEELING THAT.....

if you need to include the word SOMEHOW, you could say I somehow had A FEELING that...

but you don't need to use that extra word.

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tiri05

2 February

English (UK)
English (US)

@yama__ I think (in my personal opinion) it sounds like an unfinished sentence.
For example "I somehow had the feeling he would fall" (Meaning before he fell, you had the feeling that he would fall but you maybe don't know why or you are unsure why you had that feeling.)
Or "I had a feeling he would fall" (meaning you knew he would fall before he fell.)

"I had a feeling that..." sounds more natural.

Both sentences seem unfinished like they need context or they both sound like a reply.

I apologize if I couldn't help. I tried my best and i hope it helped.

SyLambert

2 February

English (US)
Italian Near fluent

@yama__ By "somehow", you mean なんとなく, right?
You want to translate the phrase 「なんとなくそんな感じでした」or something like that into English.

From my understanding of Japanese, the なんとなく makes your sentence "softer", like you are not stating as strong a fact. I think the main point is that it helps you avoid making yourself seem arrogant.

In English you don't need the "somehow" because it is less important. As a sentence, "I had a feeling that would happen" already implies it is just personal and not a strong fact. It will seem arrogant or not arrogant based on how likely the thing is you claimed to feel, not how you say the sentence.

For example:
"I had a feeling that Mike wouldn't do his homework today."
-If Mike NEVER does his homework, then nobody would find this statement arrogant, because your feeling is totally natural.
-If Mike has ALWAYS done his homework every single day before now, and you say that, maybe your friends are like "how could you possibly have that feeling?"

Maybe I am misunderstanding your concern. If not, I hope this helps.

Highly-rated answerer

yama__

2 February

Japanese

@SyLambert @tiri05 @emtrivoli
I see. I guess I shouldn't have been thinking in Japanese. I'll follow your advice! Thank you all so much!!!🙇‍♂️

SyLambert

2 February

English (US)
Italian Near fluent

@yama__ It's totally natural to be thinking in your native language! I sometimes have a hard time with it. Knowing what you want to say and knowing the proper way to say it... there is so much culture at play, too! You've got this!

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yama__

3 February

Japanese

@SyLambert

Ohh, your words are encouraging! Thank you so much!! Good luck to both of us!!!

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Which way is the more natural? Or how would a native speaker say this?

I somehow had that feeling.

I had that feeling for some reason.

Which way is the more natural? Or how would a native speaker say this?I somehow had that feeling.I had that feeling for some reason. See a translation

The first one

But the second one works too, I think maybe it depends on context a bit

1 - sounds strange to me2 - sounds betterbest: "I HAD A FEELING THAT.... (he would do this - they would do that - that would happen) you can skip "somehow" or "for some reason"

Can't really explain. i mean.. it's FINE to say "I somehow had that feeling" but it's better to say I HAD A FEELING THAT..... if you need to include the word SOMEHOW, you could say I somehow had A FEELING that... but you don't need to use that extra word.

@yama__ It's totally natural to be thinking in your native language! I sometimes have a hard time with it. Knowing what you *want* to say and knowing the *proper* way to say it... there is so much culture at play, too! You've got this!

Which way is the more natural? Or how would a native speaker say this?

I somehow had that feeling.

I had that feeling for some reason.

1 - sounds strange to me
2 - sounds better

best: "I HAD A FEELING THAT.... (he would do this - they would do that - that would happen)

you can skip "somehow" or "for some reason"

Can't really explain. i mean.. it's FINE to say "I somehow had that feeling" but it's better to say I HAD A FEELING THAT.....

if you need to include the word SOMEHOW, you could say I somehow had A FEELING that...

but you don't need to use that extra word.

@yama__ It's totally natural to be thinking in your native language! I sometimes have a hard time with it. Knowing what you want to say and knowing the proper way to say it... there is so much culture at play, too! You've got this!