Japanese 101

[DragonScythe]

In the end, its quite complicated when you want to copy paste the exact structure of the Japanese English into language so "Samurais" would be just fine since you are taking the Japanese word and using it in the English context adding the "S".

It's possible to do it that way, and people would understand what you were trying to say, but it would be incorrect. Just like if you were to say "I eated a hamburger yesterday." would be comprehensible, but grammatically incorrect. English is a language that has irregular words and rules governing them, and many of those rules are more concerned with the sound of the word rather than the spelling due to how much spelling has varied over the centuries. As a result Samurai sounds better than Samurais, thus it is more in accordance with the established rules.

One way of getting around this problem is to use words like Samurai and Zaibatzu as descriptors which is why one might often see "Samurai warriors and Zaibatzu conglomerates" when referring to them in the plural.

 

[Synicus]

Clique conglomerates is a bit redundant or implies they have a singular goal.

 

[Magnificent Genius]

It's amazing that anyone ever learns how to speak English besides native speakers. The rules aren't so much rules as guidelines.

You generally don't add -s to samurai or zaibatsu to pluralize them. Usually the determination is supposed to be made by context.

 

[Comintern1919]

The way to pluralize that many Samurai are present, you simply say "Samurai tachi", or "Samurai tachi/shuudan/gunndann" depending on how many there are as in several/band/dozen/scores/company etc. Others have also asked about the Japanese way to pluralize words besides "tachi", few example are "ra" as in "bokura", whereas "boku" (no pun intended) means I, and "bokura" would mean "us". Usually in Japanese when you refer to "Zaibatsu" as in plural, the term that is used is "Yonn Dai Zaibatsu (because you don't includes "s" in the end of the plural in Japanese)" which means "the four great Zaibatsus" when you want to indicate that you are referring to them all, and when you want to refer to a single one you just indicate which Zaibatsu you are referring to by saying its name.
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Yeah, you can Pluralize Substantives in Japan. You just don't do it unless absolutely necessary, and even then most times you don't. I've never heard anyone actually say Samurai-Tachi. There wouldn't be any need since in 99% you'd know from the context what is meant. And if there is no need to specify, you mostly don't do it in Japanese.

Not that it is unheard of in Japanese. It's just comparatively uncommon.

 

[Misaka_Complex]

Yeah, you can Pluralize Substantives in Japan. You just don't do it unless absolutely necessary, and even then most times you don't. I've never heard anyone actually say Samurai-Tachi. There wouldn't be any need since in 99% you'd know from the context what is meant. And if there is no need to specify, you mostly don't do it in Japanese.

Not that it is unheard of in Japanese. It's just comparatively uncommon.

Whelp, I was born and raised in Japan, and I can say for sure that its quite common in Sengoku (Japanese feudal warlord era) games to say that the "Samurai-tachi" of the whatever armies are coming to attack. Its not that Samurais still exist in modern Japan so in a modern day conversation the term is barely used unless you study history or play historical video games.

 

[Comintern1919]

Whelp, I was born and raised in Japan, and I can say for sure that its quite common in Sengoku (Japanese feudal warlord era) games to say that the "Samurai-tachi" of the whatever armies are coming to attack. Its not that Samurais still exist in modern Japan so in a modern day conversation the term is barely used unless you study history or play historical video games.

Hm, in most Novels (both historical and fiction) and Movies I read / hear Samurai are often referred to as 武士 (Bushi) instead of 侍, and when 侍 is being used, then almost never as 侍たち, because as I said, usually context shows you what is meant. Just out of interest, do you have an example of it? A Video on Youtube or a book or game where you've heard or read it? Maybe I am just too oblivious and always miss that たち.

It's just that neither I, nor my Japanese friends use Tachi, or some other kind of Pluralization very often. Except 君たち, though my friends say I do say that too often.

By the way, I did spent a year in Japan, and plan to do it again, just for context.

 

[Misaka_Complex]

Hm, in most Novels (both historical and fiction) and Movies I read / hear Samurai are often referred to as 武士 (Bushi) instead of 侍, and when 侍 is being used, then almost never as 侍たち, because as I said, usually context shows you what is meant. Just out of interest, do you have an example of it? A Video on Youtube or a book or game where you've heard or read it? Maybe I am just too oblivious and always miss that たち.

When they are referred to as 武士, the term changes to ども when its pluralized, "tachi" would still work but its more the more commonly used context for "bushi is "domo". For example, "ano bushi domo ha Nobunagagunn ni shozokushiteiru" would be a normal sentence. 侍 represent more of a social ranking with respect to the 士農工商 bureaucracy in feudal Japan, whereas in the English context, anyone wearing Japanese garb with a katana would be considered as a "samurai" regardless of their social rank whereas 武士 refers to warriors from the 士 ranks of Japanese society.

 

[Tempestra]

It's amazing that anyone ever learns how to speak English besides native speakers. The rules aren't so much rules as guidelines.

Is there any language that you couldn't say this for?