Question about ー

[Totakeke423]

I've been studying Japanese (albeit off and on) for a while now, but I can't remember ever encountering this. I just purchased the Japanese version of Animal Crossing, おいでよどうぶつの森, and I've encountered something in the text. It's in the sentence "あとどけものでーす," and my question is, what is that little dash after the で? I've seen it before, but I don't remember what it's for.

Thanks for the help. (By the way, what does that sentence mean? It should be something along the lines of, "Delivery!" or "I have a delivery!" I should've mentioned I own the American Animal Crossing as well.)

[Sairana]

It just elongates a sound.

As in... DEEEEEEESU!

[Totakeke423]

I see, that's interesting. Thanks. That's also why I purchased the game, because I like video games and how better to learn Japanese from fluent Japanese speakers than through a video game lol?

So it doesn't double the vowel, it just makes the sound longer?

[becki_kanou]

it just indicates that the sound is being held longer, or said in an exaggerated style. Also that probably should be おとどけものでーす！

[Yudan Taiteki]

So it doesn't double the vowel, it just makes the sound longer?

What's the difference?

[Totakeke423]

What's the difference?

I thought if it was meant to be long or held longer then it would be "でえす."

Oh, and I translated it myself (I think lol). I used WWWJDIC and "todokemo" translates into something along the lines of "article to be delivered," which seemed to fit. So does it mean (roughly), "It's a delivery"? I'm also guessing the "o" at the beginning is the polite "o" that comes before some nouns?

[becki_kanou]

Oh, and I translated it myself (I think lol). I used WWWJDIC and "todokemo" translates into something along the lines of "article to be delivered," which seemed to fit. So does it mean (roughly), "It's a delivery"? I'm also guessing the "o" at the beginning is the polite "o" that comes before some nouns?

Correct and correct.

[Yudan Taiteki]

What's the difference?

I thought if it was meant to be long or held longer then it would be "でえす."

There's no difference between でえす and でーす; in practice, でえす does not exist. (My question was sort of rhetorical, a doubled vowel and having the sound longer are the same thing.)

[Totakeke423]

There's no difference between でえす and でーす; in practice, でえす does not exist. (My question was sort of rhetorical, a doubled vowel and having the sound longer are the same thing.)

Heh, I guess I was kind of redundant. Yeah, kind of figured it was rhetorical, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong with my question. I knew I was kind of stating the same thing, but didn't notice at the time. So why don't they just use ー instead of doubling the vowel, such as どーも instead of どうも?

[Sairana]

There's no difference between でえす and でーす; in practice, でえす does not exist. (My question was sort of rhetorical, a doubled vowel and having the sound longer are the same thing.)

Heh, I guess I was kind of redundant. Yeah, kind of required it was rhetorical, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong with my question. I knew I was kind of stating the same thing, but didn't notice at the time. So why don't they just use ー instead of doubling the vowel, such as どーも instead of どうも?

Too much thinking in English for you.

Imagine you don't know any English. ど is just ど, not the equivalent of 'd+o'.

The ー character here isn't actually part of the word. The word is です. He's drawing it out cutely. Think "sing-song", or of a bouncy, hyperactive girl going "deeeesu!"

[Yudan Taiteki]

Just convention. ー is mostly associated with katakana, and only shows up with hiragana in very casual writing, almost always in representations of casual speech in things like manga. I think maybe your question did make sense; the ー only shows a lengthening of the sound and not actually a *lexical* vowel doubling.

[Totakeke423]

I think maybe your question did make sense; the ー only shows a lengthening of the sound and not actually a *lexical* vowel doubling.

That's what I meant exactly. I knew it doubled the sound, but wondered why it didn't change the meaning or spelling, like a regular vowel doubling would.

The ー character here isn't actually part of the word. The word is です. He's drawing it out cutely. Think "sing-song", or of a bouncy, hyperactive girl going "deeeesu!"

Nice way of explaining it.

Thanks for all the help.

[Totakeke423]

Just an update. I actually ran into "どーも" today in the game lol.

[NocturnalOcean]

There's no difference between でえす and でーす; in practice, でえす does not exist. (My question was sort of rhetorical, a doubled vowel and having the sound longer are the same thing.)

Heh, I guess I was kind of redundant. Yeah, kind of figured it was rhetorical, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong with my question. I knew I was kind of stating the same thing, but didn't notice at the time. So why don't they just use ー instead of doubling the vowel, such as どーも instead of どうも?

In fact sounds with OU aren't always just OO. I often hear the U sound pronounced alot in such words, rather than just a prolonged vowel.