友達 and 仲間

Question about Japanese
What is the difference between 友達 and 仲間?

Answer:
The meanings of those words are very close.

If a group of people has common aim, and if they cooperate together for getting the goal, 仲間 is more suitable.

What does 対 mean?

Question about Japanese
What does 対 mean?

Answer:

対（たい）　versus
対（つい）　pair

Additionally, "対" has several different meanings depends on the contexts.

[about]
この議題に対して何か意見はありませんか？
Do you have any opinion about this issue?

[anti, against]
対戦車ミサイル
Antitank missile
万人の万人に対する戦い
The war of all against all

[whereas, while]
彼が南に向かったのに対して、彼女は西へ歩いていった。
She walked toward the west, whereas he went to the south.

causative sentences

Question about Japanese
How do you know the difference between "make somebody do" and "let somebody do" using causative sentences in Japanese.

Ex: お母さんは子供に本を読ませた。

(The mother made/let her child read the book)

Answer:
It's impossible. More information is needed to distinguish that.
If you want to tell the difference clearly, please read the examples below.

お母さんは子供が本を読むことを許した。
The mother let her child read the book.

お母さんは子供に本を読むように命じた。
The mother made her child read the book.

下手(へた)と苦手(にがて)

Question about Japanese
下手(へた)と苦手(にがて)はどうちがいますか

Answer:
See Figure 1 below.

Assume that there is a person (John) and a target. The target can be anything, for example; running, swimming, cooking, a job, another person, etc.

When he does some action to the target, he gets some feeling from a response from it.

Basically, the difference between “下手” and “苦手” is as follows:
“下手(へた)” is an evaluation word for skill.
“苦手(にがて)” is an explanatory word for feeling.

“下手” is used by another person for evaluating John’s skill. Such as:

Another person(Kelly) can say her evaluation of John’s skill as:
Kelly: Johnは泳ぐのが下手だ。( John is bad at swimming)

As opposed to that, “苦手” is used by John for explaining his own feeling. Such as:

John: 私は泳ぐのが苦手です。(I feel bad about swimming)

Basic meanings are shown as above.
However, actually Japanese use those two words interchangeably.
Therefore, all of following four expressions are natural.
1. John: 私は泳ぐのが下手です。I’m bad at swimming.
2. John: 私は泳ぐのが苦手です。I feel bad about swimming.
3. Kelly: John は泳ぐのが下手だ。 John is bad at swimming.
4. Kelly: John は泳ぐのが苦手だ。 John is bad at swimming.

Note the 4th sentence. Kelly cannot know John’s feeling without any explanation from him, so “苦手” in Kelly’s saying means same as “下手”.

Despite the above examples, “下手” and “苦手” are different words which explain different aspects.
Therefore, the following sentence is a natural expression in Japanese.

John: 私は泳ぐのが下手ですが、苦手ではありません。好きです。
　　　I’m bad at swimming, but I don’t dislike it. I like it.

みせ(店) and しょうてん(商店)

What is the difference between みせ(店) and しょうてん(商店) ?

みせ(店) is a generic word usable for stores, shops, restaurants and some kind of business offices.
しょうてん(商店) represents small retail stores only.

"言う" and "話す”

”言う”　と　”話す”　には違いがありますか？
What is the difference between ”言う” and ”話す” ?

”言う” say
"話す" say, communicate, talk

(a) スーザンはスティーブと彼の事業の戦略について話しました。
Susan talked with Steve about the strategy of his business.

The sentence above represents a bilateral communication. So "話す" is suitable. "言う" is not.

(b) スーザンはスティーブにその戦略ではうまく行かないだろうと言いました／話しました。
Susan said to Steve that the strategy will not work well.

The sentence above represents a Susan's opinion. This case, both of "言う" and "話す” can be used.

"らしい" and ”みたい"

"らしい” と "みたい" の違いは何ですか？
What is the difference between "らしい" and ”みたい" ?

Basically, "みたい" is used for an assumption based on some grounds.
On the other hand, "らしい" is used for hearsay information.

See example below:
There are four people; Bill, Steve, Larry, and Bob.
One day Steve saw Bill. He was leaving home equipped with mountain-climbing gear.
Steve said to Larry, "ビルは登山に行ったみたいだよ".
After that, Larry said to Bob, "ビルは登山に行ったらしいよ".

Steve saw Bill leaving, so he can use "みたい".
Larry didn't, so he used "らしい" as the meaning of hearsay information.