Have I got this right????

[fregus75]

Hi everybody.
I am trying to write ”Japanese minority rights” but I´m not sure if I got it right.
I have a Japanese oral exam coming up soon and one of the question will probably be related to this.
This is what I have so far:
日本のしょうすうみんぞくけんりです。
Thanks to you all!
Cheers
Fred / Australia

[nice gaijin]

the final "desu" isn't necessary if you just want the noun; as it stands it's a sentence.

Otherwise, it seems to make sense, although I'm not sure if there's a special vocabulary for that phrase.

[epigene]

What nice gaijin says about "desu" is right.

However, 日本のしょうすうみんぞくけんり is odd in Japanese.

The options are:
日本のしょうすうみんぞくのけんり
If you want to create a compact noun phrase, you need to take another approach and say:
日本のしょうすうみんぞくもんだい (Japan's minority ethnicity issue/problem)
There is also:
日本のしょうすうみんぞくのじんけん -- which points specifically to "human rights"

HTH! :-)

[Elizabeth]

What nice gaijin says about "desu" is right.
However, 日本のしょうすうみんぞくけんり is odd in Japanese.
The options are:
日本のしょうすうみんぞくのけんり

I suppose you could also say 日本のしょうすうしゃのけんり although that might mean something slightly different or not be as common...

[epigene]

I suppose you could also say 日本のしょうすうしゃのけんり although that might mean something slightly different or not be as common...
I think that's awkward Japanese in this case, Elizabeth. Also, shousuusha makes no reference to ethnicity but has a very broad definition that covers anyone in the minority (on political/social issues, etc., and even problems on the personal level), making your suggestion too vague.

[Elizabeth]

I think that's awkward Japanese in this case, Elizabeth. Also, shousuusha makes no reference to ethnicity but has a very broad definition that covers anyone in the minority (on political/social issues, etc., and even problems on the personal level), making your suggestion too vague.
OK, that makes some sense. I really don't know what conception most Japanese have of "minority rights" besides maybe some laws to protect certain marginalized indigenous groups such as the Ainu or Burakumin, or Okinawajin ?
:-)

In English the term out of context most likely refers to racial, ethnic or national origin but I think can technically also cover religious, class, linguistic or sexual minorities, etc.

Shousuusha may be more akin to how we would express "rights of the minority" which sounds a little more context dependent (minority in a very specific population) and could target everyone from a political, ethnic, gender, religious nondominant group to smokers and the physically disabled.


I have a Japanese oral exam coming up soon and one of the question will probably be related to this.
Good luck ! Hopefully you'll be able to keep the conversation above this level of detail ! :relief: :p