2級 Grammar 186-91

It figures we would plow through dozens of grammar points in the past few weeks only to stall out with a paltry six to go. The good news? Here they are! The bad news? The test is in only 13 days. By now anybody taking the test should have gotten their voucher and be all set to go. As we enter these last two weeks and activate hyper-study mode, I believe that we will still be able to put out a few entries... but don't be surprised if they're test-centric.

Enough stalling. Let's slay this giant.

186)　～を問わず（とわず）
Regardless of ~ , ...
Without no concern of ~ , ...
～にかかわらず

It's the same as "にかかわらず" in a lot of ways, though cases where the preceding phrase are two opposite things - "Regardless of rain or sun," "With no concern of skill or lack thereof" - are particularly common.

Ex.　テストが来たら、僕は嬉しい悲しいを問わずに受けます。試験に関するスキルの中に感情がいるわけないだよ。


187)　～をぬきにして（は）　・　～はぬきにして
without ~
leaving out ~

This one hearkens back to the "ぬき" grammar point. The big difference is that this seems to be more in the realm of intangibles, cases where a higher formality is required, and theoretical situations. Can any native speakers verify this?

Ex.　四字熟語や表現などをぬきにして、このブログまだほとんど４０文法についてポストがあります。すごいものだね。


188)　～をはじめ
Starting with ~ and going on to...
~ for starters, and then...

Almost as simple as it seems, save that this expression starts a list of similar things. The book goes on to explain "AをはじめB, C", where A is representative of how the list will continue.

Ex.　今日の勉強予定：漢字練習をはじめ、文法など復讐します。


189)　～をはじめとする
Starting from ~,

This one has a much trickier construction that was woefully under-explained. Grammar point 188 is when you are going to list other objects or actions that follow the first. 189 is used when you're setting up a subject, ie 新幹線をはじめとする交通機関が雪のためストップしていうます。 "Starting with the shinkansen, transportation services are being shut down due to snow."

Ex.　今日をはじめとする僕は本当に毎日の３、４時間ぐらい勉強するはずだが。。。


190)　～をめぐって　・　～をめぐる
about ~
concerning ~

How to discern this from the million other ways to say "about?" This one is particularly suited to problems and topics of discussion, and is probably bandied about willy-nilly when election season comes around.

Ex.　やっぱり今週は来月の試験をめぐる文法例文は多いだね。


191)　～をもとにして
Based on ~,
With reference to ~,

This last one proved a little tricky for me, so to clarify things, I'm going to relay the key point to you all:
「AをもとにしてB」 AはBの材料　・　Bを作るヒントになったもの。
In other words, "A" is a key component in making "B", whether it's because "B" is about "A" or because "A" provides hints or guidance on how to make "B".

Ex.　前の文法例文をもとにして、新しい文をきちんと書きましょう。あれ？もう終わった？

2級 Grammar 181-185

Today was a pretty incredible day for America, and not just from a political standpoint. Anybody who muddled through the examples will have realized exactly who I was rooting for and why I might be tempted to assault you all with a slew of new sentences now that everything is decided. I will, however, refrain. There are dozens of sites already devoted to the subject, but only one site dedicated to providing five Japanese grammar points. Which will be about Nintendo's new handheld, the DSi!

181)　～をきっかけに　・　～をきっかけとして（にして）
Taking advantage of ~, ...
Since ~, I figured ....
Since ~, I may as well ...

Another one that's kind of tricky to provide a direct translation. Something happens that makes it easy for something else to happen, and so you go ahead and do it. "Since I had a kid, I figured I would stop smoking". Only applicable after nouns.

Ex.　新しいDSiの発表をきっかけに、僕の昔のDSヘビーを代わる。




182)　～を契機に　・　～を契機として　・　～を契機にして
See above, add formality

Ex.　日本のDSLiteの販売は下りを契機にこの新しい品物を発表するごとは偶然ではありません。


183)　～をこめて(込めて）
put ~ into it

Okay, I admit that one definition is a little dirty (to me), but it's a good broad definition for this phrase. The key point is that it's mostly used for intangibles, like when you "put some love into your cooking", or "put all your strength into your baseball swing".

Ex.　任天堂に信用を込めてDSi買ってしまった。ちょっと衝動買いなんですけど。。。

184)　～を中心に　・　～を中心として　・　～を中心にして
~ becomes/is the core/center/focus/heart

Snag this sucker onto a noun and it does just what that definition implies - emphasize that noun as the most critical part of something else.

Ex.　DSiはDSLiteと異なることはカメラを中心として、PSPでもこの特徴がない。


185)　～を通じて　（をつうじて）　・　を通して　（をとおして）
Through ~, ...
By means of ~, ...
Via ~, ...

You use this when some third-party helps in accomplishing something. "Through your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!". Again, only on nouns!

Ex.　ベスト電器に働いている友達を通じて、誰もより早く予約できた。

And that's it for today's grammar. Just six more entries to go!

2級 Grammar 176-180

BONUS POST! Chiming in with only about three grammar posts left, in between running around Florida and trying to teach Yuri about American Culture.

176) ～わけだ
~ is naturally the case

This one is useful for indicating when things are "rightfully so." This room is cold? Rightfully so, this is where we keep the transplant organs. Tired of getting cavity searched at the airport? Well it's cavity search するわけだ。 We're on Amber Alert!

Ex. ユリはチョコを食べ過ぎていることを心配しているけど、Ｈａｌｌｏｗｅｅｎはキャンディを食べ過ぎるわけだ。






177) ～わけがない
~ is no reason

Used to specify something there is no cause or no reason for. My book provides a sentence that speaks directly to my previous example sentence: ｢チョコレートばかり食べていたら太らないわけがないだろう。」 Just like in the other わけ constructions, it's used to indicate something that's only natural. There's no reason you WOULDN'T get fat, if all you eat is chocolate.

Ex. Ｈａｌｌｏｗｅｅｎは妖怪か幽霊の格好をし、パーティをする祭日です。だから気持ち悪い顔しても、恥ずかしいと思うわけがないです。







178) ～わけではない
~ it does not mean that
~ not entirely/ not completely

This one is best understood through examples.
人間は働くために生まれてきたわけではない。

梅雨には雨が降るけれど、ザーザー強く降るわけではありません。

「クラスの学生は来ましたか。」
「来ました。でも、全員来たわけではありません。」

Ex. フロリダは暖かい所ですが、毎日はらく泳げるわけではない。

179) ～わけにはいかない
~ impossible to do (although you want to)

This is something the Nirav taught me a long time ago, though I didn't quite get all of the nuances of it until later. The key here is that there's an external force or reason, like a societal restriction or taboo, that prevents you from doing whatever it is. The Nirav example, which I will never forget was: [クラスの前に先生の間違えを正すわけには行かない。」

Ex. 俺とブレットも大分忙しくなってきたので、ブログにＵＰする時間があまりないけど、ここまでしてきたから、途中で止めるわけにはいかない。

180) ～わりに　・　のわりに
~ on the contrary
~ but
~　なのに

The book says,　AのわりにB = Bの状態はAらしくない。

Ex. ユリが和食が大好きという割りに、毎日ハンバーガーを食べているばかり。

2級 Grammar 171-175

Hello, denizens of the net, and welcome to another thrilling installment of The Daily Yoji!

So! It looks like I didn't make good on a lot of the promises of the previous posts. To be completely honest, I really lost track of time last week. And not in the "goodness gracious, is it tea time already? Jeeves, fetch the scones, we've company en route!" sense of the word, but in the "wha...what day is it today? Where am I? I don't remember putting on these pants this morning..." meaning. Some of you might have noted posts went up on days they weren't supposed to, and that was just one symptom of my losing synchronization with reality. What can I say: things here have been pretty busy. With the balloon festival coming up, Saga was working all cylinders, meaning I - after 2 years spreading my roots - was, too. Even this three day weekend that just finished up was more tiring than relaxing.

All that being said, I apologize for the delay, and I know this next week might be a little crazy, too. If not for me, then at least for anybody in America. Why? Election Day.

171)　～ものなら
If だれだれ were able to ~,
If だれだれ could ~,

You tack this on to the potential (ie. 行ける, 食べられる, etc) form of verbs, and it expresses something you would like to do, but probably won't be able to.

Ex. アメリカに投票できるものなら、絶対オバマと票する。しかし不在投票まだ来なかったので。。。


172)　～ものの
~, but...
although ~, ...
~のに

I'm not sure how this differs from ~のに, but I'm going to hazard a guess and say...formality? Expert-on-Japanese commenters - ACTIVATE.

Ex.　オバマは投票結果でかっているものの、十一月の五日までなんか緊張する。。。


173)　～たいものだ
always wanted to ~
always dreamed of ~

When there's something you've always wanted to do or always wished would happen, this is the grammar point for you. It doesn't work for short periods of longing, but rather long-felt desires and dreams.

Ex.　ブッシュは投票されたから、僕はずっと民主党な大統領がいる時代に帰りたいものだ。


174)　～ようがない
There's no way one can ~
~ can't be done.
~できない

The format for this one: verb ます形, minus the "ます", plus ようがない. Besides that, the definition speaks for itself.

Ex.　もしマケインが投票されたら、アメリカは世界の人々の尊敬をもらいようがない。

175)　～ように
in order to ~,
for ~,
~ために

Again, I'm pretty sure anybody who has taken 3級 will recognize this one. Some important usage hints: the ~ will be for something the speaker cannot control, but they're making their efforts regardless. Also, potential and negative forms of verbs pop up a lot with this one. Class dismissed!

Ex.　安心と予報するように、毎日　www.pollster.com　を見てる。やりすぎるかな。。。


A quick note: it just occurred to me that there are, statistically, some people who read this who are probably very conservative-minded. My goal with these examples is never to be inflammatory or to turn readers away, but usually just to get some practice in by stating what's on my mind. Seeing as the past few months have been pretty exhaustive topic-wise, and that today is election day, I hope you'll let it slide. And besides - it should help a little that despite all my partisan example sentences, I still won't manage to get to vote due to an absentee ballot blunder.

On the other hand, if you're a bit more left-leaning - sorry!

2級 Grammar 166-170

And closer still, to finishing both the book and the test. Although sometimes coming up with a topic for these sentences (which was my idea, way back in the day, when Jeff had been doing whatever came to mind. Oh how I wish I kept my mouth shut...) can be a task, I'm pretty glad I've kept coming back to do them. It is actually completely unheard of that I would spend so much time studying for anything, save perhaps the SATs way back in the day. I'll have to go back and review everything in the coming weeks, but it's nice to know it's all gone through my head at least once before. Review is WAY easier than learning new grammar from scratch.

A single glance at today's grammar points was enough to remind me of my one-time fling with the Italian space synth sensation, Koto! Imagine my delight when a few searches revealed that there are TWO bands with the name Mono! And one of them is Japanese Post-Rock! What does that even mean?! Here's a video to find out!(EXCLAMATION POINT!)!



166)　～ものだ（１）
Of course ~
Naturally, ~
Is meant to ~

While the direction translation is hard to nail down, the idea isn't as bad. You tag this onto statements of a general or assumed nature, ie "Of course you should obediently listen to your parents", or "naturally your legs get weaker with age", to cite two book examples.

Ex. 物と言うバンドのポストロックを単に定義するものではありません。


167)　～ものだ（２）
Really ~
Truly ~

Think of this as a "とても" for an entire sentence. Explanation: ACCOMPLISHED.

Ex.　コトと物は共同制作すれば大層ないいものだ。


168)　～ものだ（３）
Was always ~
Was ~ all the time.

The key difference here is that this one can only be tagged onto past tense sentences, and simply serves to illustrate that you did something often in the past.

Ex.　日本の「物」を聞いた前に、イギリスの「モノ」しか聞かなかったものだ。


169)　～もの
～から
～ので
because of ~

As simple as it seems, and most often used when stressing a reason you are doing something. In spoken Japanese, it's shortened to "もん".

Ex.　今前に買ったCDを全部焼いている。「物」と比べられないもので。


170)　～ものか
Definitely do not want to ~
Definitely think ~ is not the case.

Another sentence where you're emphasizing what you do not want to do or don't believe. In spoken Japanese it's shortened to "もんか", and before now I saw/heard it a TON in anime/manga, and though I had somewhat inferred the meaning, this helps quite a bit. And it's so easy to use!

Ex.　「物」に聞いてやめるもんか！死ぬまで聞くぞ！


And that concludes this Tuesday's grammar post. With any luck, we'll have a yoji for you all on Wednesday, and even MORE luck will see an expression topping off Thursday's grammar. See you at Saga Station!

Ok, see you then!

2級 Grammar 161-165

As the date of the test gets closer, my correspondance with Jeff becomes scarcer and more panicked. We have, interestingly, managed to study all the vocabulary that the other person has NOT, so every case of "Do you know XXXX?" just ramps up out depression. Who would've thought a different language would be so full of words?

On that note, today's theme is the test and things we've done for it. Enjoy~


161)　～まいか
won't ~
whether one should ~ or not

This one is hard to pin into a straight translation since every single sentence the book gives pairs it with the affirmative form of the same verb. Example from the book: 二人のけんかを止めようかとめるまいか。 Should I stop those two from fighting or not...? It seems pretty safe to say that this expression is used when you are deliberating doing something or not, and the contruction has the "～よう" construction on the same verb before modifying the same verb again as per the guidelines Jeff laid out in 159/160. It's really simpler than all that - just look at the example sentences.

Ex.　今夜２級の日本語能力試験のために勉強しようかするまいか。

162)　～向きだ　・　～向きの　 (向き＝むき）
Is suiteable/appropriate for ~
Is made/geared for ~
Suits ~

A pretty easy one - just tack it onto a noun and you know what something is made for. For my sentence, I'm going to throw it into the negative.

Ex.　このブログは日本語をちっとも話せない人向きじゃない。日本語もうちょっと知っていて裏を見たい人向きだ。


163)　～向けに　・　～向けの
With ~ in mind
Intended for ~

This one is remarkably similar to the previous one. The only real difference is the "に" on the end, meaning you can tie it into sentences in all the wonderful ways に allows.

Ex.　パソコンでできる勉強が大好きの人向けに作られたAnkiと言うソフトウエアに頼ってしまっている。。。

Fun note: Google image searching "anki" gives you Captain Kirk/Spock slash fiction pictures. I wish I was making that up.

164)　～も～ば　、　～も～　・　～も～なら、～も～
~AND~ apply/are true.

I'm not sure exactly what to make of this, so I'll give you the lowdown on what I DO know. This seems like a way to emphasize the "と" of a list, the same way "こそ" can be used to emphasize the subject of a sentence. For an example, the book's sentence: あの子は１５歳なのに、お酒も飲めば、タバコも吸う。両親が困っているだろう。 There there is no discernable (to me, at least) order of importance/surprise like a lot of the other grammar points stress, but the two things stated DO have to be similar topics. You wouldn't say the kid in the above sentence is drinking AND skateboarding (unless they rank similarly to you).

Ex.　２級テストと言えば、文法も多ければ、漢字もたくさんあるので心配している。


165)　～ものがある
~ deeply/profoundly.

This one can only be added to adjectives and verbs, and the translation I've given doesn't get much more simple than that. The expression does always seem to follow a noun tagged with the "には" particle-pair, but I don't know if that's dumb luck or a rule. Before I maim this with my own example sentence, a bit from the book: 彼女の歌には人を勇気づけるものがある。

Ex.　僕とジェフには二ラブのレベルを目指すことが無理みたいなものがある。それのかわりに一応２級を受けたら十分です。

Man, Nirav - did YOU know about this?

2級 Grammar 156-160

I'm sitting at home alone on a Saturday night, after a lazy day of studying at the beach. Florida is awesome. Don't believe me? Look at this picture of a tiny crab.

But money is stressing me out, because that job I told you I got... even that has been slowing down, so they only need me for like, a handful of hours each week. So to deal with my money problems, I went ahead and bought a bunch of Florida Lotto tickets, and oh man, if I win... 24 million dollars!

What would you do with that kind of cash?

156) ～（より）ほかない
~ is the only way/option/choice
~nothing to do but X

I like this one, cause it's pretty basic and because it's easy to conceptualize for me, in the same way I could deal with ～にほかならない (point 136). ほか is just 他 so when you think about it like that, Ｘより他ない becomes, "better than X, no other," or in sensical English "There's nothing better/other than X."

Ex. 不景気のため、お金の事を気にしているよ。ぜんぜん稼げないので宝くじを買うよりほかない。

157)　～ほどだ　・　～ほどの
~around
~about
~almost

Used for your near hyperboles.
The train was so crowded, the doors can hardly close.
The water is so cold, it almost hurts.
It's almost SHOCKING how good at Japanese I am.

ほどだ or ほどです comes at the end of a sentence; ほどの is when you want to continue the sentence. ほどの takes a noun after it.

Ex. 宝くじを言うと、高校生の時を思い出す。Pabloというバカな知り合いが選んだ番号は６分の５を当たって、むかつくほどの賞品分量をもらった。
How WOULD you say this? He hit 5 out of 6 numbers and won like, 9,000 bucks. It's not that much, I know but... that dude was an asshole. つまり「むかつくほど」.

158)　～ほど
~ as it gets X-er

This is not your basic ほど that you learned back in introductory Japanese. You remember：｢私たちはニラブほど日本語が上手ではない: We're not as good as Nirav at Japanese.」　This one is similar in usage to 「～ば　～ほど」 constructions, like ｢早ければ早いほどいい: the faster, the better.

My book uses it to say things like "As the war stretches on, casualties rise." or "The mark of an experienced mountain climber is that the more experience they have, they more cautiously they'll conduct themselves on the mountain." Japanese follows for both.

戦争が長引くほど死者が増える。
経験がある登山家ほど山で注意深く行動するものだ。

Ex. 「宝くじ切符をいっぱい買う人ほど当たるチャンスが高くなるかな」と思いながら、１０枚を買いました。１０枚なら、当たるべきだろう。

159)　～まい(1)
~ don't intend to
~ will not

This is basically equivalent to つもりではない or しないつもり: it expresses your resolve to not do something. Add it to verbs in dictionary form, or by adding　まい to the ます-less root. (考えます=考えまい.)

Ex. お金持ちになったら、友達や親戚や知り合いが僕にお願いして来る恐れがあるから、当たったら、皆に言うまい。

160) ～まい(2)
~ probably not
~ probably doesn't/won't

Used to make a guess about something that won't happen. Taking this expired medicine PROBABLY won't kill you.
Follow the same rules of construction as above.
Question: Can this be used with 過去形？

Ex. だから、今のうちに｢ジェフは当たりまい」と思っておいてね。私、当るのは当たり前と思っているけど。

Jesus, that's a terrible joke. It probably doesn't even work....

2級 Grammar 151-155

If we manage to stay on track, it looks like we only have four more weeks before we've exhausted the grammar points of our book of choice. Which is good, since we only have about 7 or 8 weeks until the test. For those of your reading this with the test in mind, it would be a good idea to click on the "2 kyuu" tag at the bottom of this post. It will automatically call up ALL of our grammar posts for your perusal, making it a pretty sweet study guide. Also, if anybody declares their interest, I'm in the process of making an anki deck that includes all of these grammar points. Pretty swish, huh?

If you don't know what anki is, check it out here. I'm normally pretty lax at reviewing a lot of things, largely because I don't have a good system for it and I feel like sitting down without a set goal just makes me bored and/or frustrated. But the nice thing about anki is it lets you set your own daily goals and whatnot, not to mention edit and synch your cards. Go check it out if you're in need of a good computer-based review system.

All that out of the way, this last weekend I went to the Tokyo Game Show, a trip I had also made last year. It's fun for a lot of reasons, but it's also just as taxing - if not more so - than it is entertaining. And I'll tell you why.

151)　～はともかく　・　～はともかくとして
Right now ~ isn't the issue/problem/concern/reason, it's ...
Putting ~ aside, ...

I'm having trouble coming up with an apt English translation for this phrase. The idea is that you are talking about two things that are somehow related, but the first thing you mentioned is not the current subject or point of interest. What you write AFTER it is.

Ex. TGS (Tokyo Game Show)の出席者達は、ヲタクともかくとして、あんまり洗わない人が多すぎると思う。僕が気にしなかったんですが、つれた友達はずっと体臭について文句言った。


152)　～はもちろん
~is a given, but .... is also true.
Not only ~, but also ...

This one is best explained with examples, but I'll hazard more forms speculation anyway. The word you mention before this phrase is something that should be obvious, and the things that follow it are less so. Both things are nouns. BEHOLD.

Ex.　TGS言えばゲームはもちろん、ブースベーブと言うモデルやライブ演奏もある。


153)　～はもとより
Not only ~, but ....

This one is almost exactly like the previous はもちろん, with the addition that whatever phrase you use after this expression has more emphasis. Not to say the above can't be the same way, but はもとより　stresses that point even more.

Ex.　そのゲームショーに行きたいなら、旅行時間はもとより線で待ち時間も我慢できないぐらいある。


154)　～反面　（～半面） (both read as "はんめん")
On one hand, ~, on the other, ....

Another nice cleancut grammar point. You use this to string together two contradictory aspects of the same thing, LIKE SO.

Ex.　TGSで四回目のコスプレできました！コスプレするごとは楽しい反面仮装を作ることが難しい。


155)　～べき　・　～べきではない
~should/must and shouldn't/mustn't, respectively

Another one I knew from a long time ago, if only from hearing "守るべき" a MILLION times in as many different anime. And since you just tack it onto a dictionary form of a verb, usage couldn't be easier.

Ex.　ゲームが好きと日本に住むなら、一回少なくともTGSを見に行くべきだ。しかしその一回は多分もう十分です。

I should be adding some pictures once I upload them. BRETT, OUT!

2級 Grammar 146-150

No sooner than I start bragging about being all on the ball with my Japanese studies, and I'm running about half a week late on a grammar post! You have my sincere apologies.

But I managed to find a part time job, and I'm trying to make as much as I can, so I've been taking on a bunch of hours, plus I went to New Orleans this last weekend for a friend's birthday.

So now that I'm catching up, what would you rather I write about: my weekend in New Orleans, or spending eight hours a day conducting telephone surveys?

Yeah. I thought so.

146)　～のみならず
~ not only
~ as well as

This one is pretty straightforward: when you use it, you're placing the emphasis on whatever follows the のみならず clause. X のみならず Y means that while X might be the norm, Y is surprising, or of particular interest. Here's some book examples:

人間のみならず動物もストレス感じるという。

この株は、安定性が高いのみならず、将来性も

Here's mine:
Ex. New Orleans は Mardi Gras　という淫乱な祭りのおかげで有名なので、お酒やパーティが好きな人に人気な旅行先です。しかしながら、New Orleans のパーティのみならず、文化も歴史も‘興味深くいい旅が出来ました。

147)　～のもとで　・　～のもとに
~ at the feet of (under the influence of)

Used to discuss something that abstractly influences, something else. Under the instruction/influence of Brett's hardcore taiko group, he has become a taiko master. that kind of thing.

Ex. New Orleans は元々フランスに設立のもとで展開されたので、New Orleansの料理はフランスに影響されているものです。

148)　～ば　～ほど
~ the more (you) 'x,' the more you 'y'

Again, this seems pretty basic. You can use it with either verbs or adjectives, to stress an increasing change, kind of in the same way you would use につれて(131) or にしたがって(115). The more you drink, the drunker you get; that's liquor: 酒は飲めば飲むほど酔っ払うものです。

Ex. Bourbon Streetという道は賑やか過ぎで、早く面倒くさくなります。そこに時間を過ごせば過ごすほど、冷静なところに行きたくなります。

149)　～ばかりか　・　～ばかりでなく
~ not only
~ as well as

The definition for this one is actually IDENTICAL to the definition of のみならず in every way except one: のみならず doesn't have のみならず listed as a synonym. :)

Ex. 土曜日の夜、New Orleans の有名な殺人事件やお化けの屋敷や幽霊が表すといわれる場所のツアーに行きました。その案内してもらったところは不気味ばかりか、ツアーガイドのお兄さんの話もいけ好かないから、友達のウィルが気持ち悪くなって、倒れてしまいました！救急車を呼ぶことになりました。

150)　～ばかりに
~ for the sole reason

～ばかりに is used to specify the cause of something bad.

Ex. New Orleans　で人がよく飲みすぎるので、医療補助者が「コイツ、飲みすぎたばかりに、倒れただろうな」と思ったけど、その日ウィルは一口も飲みませんでした。

2級 Grammar 141-145

In an idea that is half laziness, half inspiration, and one hundred percent guaranteed disaster, I am leaving today's example sentences to YOU, the lucky readers! To help lubricate this idea, I'm going to include one example from the book so you have a slightly more solid idea of how the grammar point works in action. When you post your grammar sentences, make sure you post one that nobody else has posted on yet. If you have a picture to go with it, go ahead and post the link in the comments and I will make it so. If you don't have a picture but would like one custom made (or searched) for you, just say so, and it shall be done. Now go forth and grammar!

Also note - I will replace the book sentences with your sentences as they come in. In the event that nobody suggests any sentences, I'll gradually do them myself.

141)　～によると　・　～によれば
According to ~,

This one is relatively clean cut. The translation is given as "～の話では", or "according to the story give by ~". The three examples are all pretty telling, too - the newspaper, the TV news, and a friend. Sweetness.

Nirav's sentence: 今朝のニュースによると、「日刊四字」の更新率が最近安定しているそうです。


142)　～にわたって　・　～にわたり　・　～にわたる
over the course of ~,
over the range of ~,
over a period of ~,
throughout ~,

This one can apply to a wide range of subjects, such as time, distance, or scope/range on a less tangible scale. Think the scope of a plan to build a new highway in the city, or somebody's range of expertise. Fun hint - it can only be used after a noun.

Kiwial's sentence: 三年に渡って、日本ハムファイターズがパ・リーグのクライマックスシリーズに入りました。

143)　～ぬきで　・　～ぬきに　・　～ぬきの
without ~
not including ~

I learned this one after I gave a confusing order to a employee at a fast food restaurant. I wanted to order a hamburger without mayonnaise, and I (in retrospect) humorously said something like "マヨネーズはありません". THERE IS NO MAYONNAISE. Since there clearly WAS mayonnaise, she didn't circle the "no mayo" bubble and I began to feebly gesture and mutter until Nirav, standing right behind me, just whipped out "マヨネーズぬきでお願いします。" Problem solved, grammar learned. Like the last one, pair these guys up with a noun.

Book sentence:　これ、あなたが作ったケーキですか。おせじぬきにおいしです。


144)　～ぬく
To ~ until the end
To ~ completely or thoroughly

The construction for this one is Verb-ます form minus the ます, plus ぬく. It emphasizes the fact that whatever verb you tag it onto is happening at an X-TREME level.

Book sentence: 難しい数字の問題を考えぬいて答えが出せたときは、うれしかった。


145)　～の末に　・　～た末に　・　～た末の (末=すえ)
following ~,
as the result of ~,
after ~, ~ FINALLY happened.

Man, I feel like an idiot for not realizing this kanji existed. When I first saw it I thought, "huh, that's a unique way for the 未 kanji to show up..." To my credit, though, I was suspicious from the get go. Not from a grammatical point of view, however, but just because the shape seemd off. and sure enough it was. 末 is NOT 未, as it would turn out. And with that tidbit, we meet this grammar point. Although it's not listed, I get the feeling this one has a little more emphasis than just "後" might provide.

Book sentence: 必死で練習した末の大会出場だから、本当にうれしい。

2級 Grammar 136-140

Two weeks in a row on grammar, I've picked back up on all my kanji studies, and I've got four other posts for this site coming. I'm back on my Japanese study game and all thanks to how incredibly unemployed I am. Man it was nice being in Japan, oblivious to how screwed up the American economical and political landscape has become. Let me do my best to tell you about in Japanese...

136) ～にほかならない
~ nothing short of
~ is guaranteed

Use this to make extremely strong statements of equation: War means death. Think of the ほかならない in terms of what it means conceptually: it won't be(come) anything else.

Ex. Palin副大統領の地位は、ファースにほかならない。　

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

137) ～に基づいて　・　に基づく
~ to be grounded in
~to be rooted in
~to be based on

This is a pretty easy one. 基づく means "to be based on; to originate from." You could use this to say that hiragana and katakana are derived from kanji, or that all computer software is based on binary code. Or how about this one?

Ex. 今の不景気はサブプライムローン危機に基づいている。

138) ～によって　・　により
~ according to
~ by means of
~ due to

によって or により is used to identify the cause or the means of something. My book's examples use によって to say "supported by volunteers," and により to say "due to the blackout."

Ex. 不景気により、ずっと探しても仕事はまだできない。

139) ～によっては
~ depending on

I'm not entirely clear on this one, so I could use a little help, but I think that によっては is used to say,　"in this situation, X is the case." I chose to define it as "depending on" because my book's examples lend themselves to that interpretation. Like 「たいてい遅く帰宅しますが、日によっては６時ごろ帰れる場合もあります。」 I read that as, "Usually I head home late, but depending on the day, I can also leave around six." Maybe "...on some days, I can leave around six," would be a better reading. Let's see if I can use it accurately, despite a spotty understanding, and see if Nirav, Clay, or Blue might be able to help iron out the wrinkles.

Ex.　私は 経済のことを心配しているけど、人によってはビジネスは前よりうまく行っているみたい。



140) ～による
~ because of
~ due to
~ is the cause of

Not looking a whole lot different from 138, huh? This is another case where the main difference is in how this phrase can be fiddled with grammatically, and how it finds its way into sentences. It's pretty much the same difference between 132 and 133, wherein this grammar point actually changes the focus of the sentence. The word preceding による acts as something of a modifier, whereas the actual subject is now the noun that follows it. And yes : it can only be followed up by a noun (or noun phrase).

Ex.　外国に住んでいるアメリカ人は、経済による不安を完全に理解できないと思う。

2級 Grammar 131-135

Another week, another grammar entry. I actually wrote all the definitions down really early today, but then stopped when I realized there was nothing really on my mind that could yield 5 example sentences. I also figured I'd get started on this sooner...but I figure a lot of things.

SO. In the interest of finishing these off so I can hunker down over some more kanji before sleeping, the sentences for this week are going to be about...things in my range of vision. Fair warning, though, I will embellish freely when appropriate, and sometimes when not.

131)　～につれて, X
as ~, X also happens
~ happens along with X
～とともに
～にしたがって

Knowing "つれて"'s usual meaning, this is a pretty simple point. The only part to look out for is that につれて　can only come after the plain dictionary form of a verb.

Ex. 僕は毎週の文法を書いて始まるにつれて、大事な電子辞書を開く。でも今日忘れたので、想像な辞書を使ってしまう。


132)　～にとって　・　～にとっては　・　～にとっても
for ~,
～からみて (pt 3o)

This is another one that you've probably already heard if you've been immersed in Japanese for a length of time, my first usage of this one went something like "英語しか話せない外国人にとって、日本語はやっぱり難しいだろう。". "For foreigners who only speak English, Japanese is, as expected, difficult." The clincher - only use it after nouns.
Ex.　僕の彼女はきれいなことが好きだから、いつもなんかが汚れられたら、彼女もうすぐに掃除する。僕にとって、食べかけのパスタやぬれたタオルを置きっぱなしでいいでしょう。


133)　～にとっての
for ~
see above

This one is almost exactly like 132, with the grammatical difference that it must be followed and preceded by a noun, and it's possessive. I couldn't change the example sentence I snuck into grammar point 132's explanation because I'm not saying "the foreigner's Japanese". Another way to put it - the using this grammatical form makes the subject whatever comes AFTER the grammar point instead of before it.
Ex.　友達にとっての一番の忘れたものはシャツです。例えば、ソファから三枚を見える。


134)　～に伴って　・　～に伴い　・　～に伴う　（伴＝ともな）
as ~,
See 131

The only difference I see between につれて　and に伴い is that the former is more sequential, ie A changes, then B changes along with it. For に伴い, though, the two are closer to simultaneous. Remember, though, that A and B in these cases are not interchangeable. Just because as A happens, so does B, does NOT mean as B happens, so does A. The other big difference - this one can be paired up with verbs and nouns alike.

Ex.　テレビのリモートコントロールの電源ボタンを押すに伴ってテレビが爆発した。それは変でしょう？普通はそのボタンを押すとホットココアに注がれる。　

(you are crazy if you think I'm googling "chocolate shower")


135)　～に反して　・　～に反する (反＝はん）
To be inconsistent with~
Contrary to ~,
The OPPOSITE of 85, ～とおり

反 is a good kanji to know all by itself as a general opposition kanji. 反対, 反面教師, etc etc. Knowing this makes this definition more or less self-explanatory. When using the ~に反する version, there should be a noune on either side. For ~に反して, just a noun to the left will do. It is most commonly paired with 予想, 期待 and other predictiony/evaluative words.

Ex.　任天堂Wiiの天候チャンネルの予報に反する雨が上海に降っている。

2級 Grammar 126-130

This marks the first day that I have cracked my Japanese study books open since I've returned to America. My prolonged LACK of studying is an ANTI-accomplishment that I can only describe with one word: やばい。 I need to get back on my game and FAST, cause otherwise I'm not gonna be ready for the JLPT in December. So today, I'll bring you the next five grammar points, and let my example sentences explain just why I've been so busy.

126) ～については　・　についても
Take a good long re-read over grammar point 125 in Brett's Tuesday post, because you'll need it for this one and the next. Got it? Good. This usage of について is only an explanation of how to attach particles to make it fit into different situations.
As Brett said について書く or について考える is to write about or talk about. 戦争について本 also works. By attaching は at the end however, you're making your 'about whatever' the subject of the sentence. Does that make sense? 戦争について本　is a sentence about a book. Check this one out: 今、経済について章です。戦争については後で書いてあるのかな？
についてもworks the same way. You're just attaching the idea of "also about:" この本は経済だけではなく、政治についてもいっぱい書いてあります。

Ex. やっぱ、例文を作るのが難しいので、アメリカの生活については後で伝えます。家族のことについても書こうとします。

127) ～についての
Reference the previous point. Anytime you want to use について followed by another noun, you have the option of using it with の. In my book's examples, the nouns that follow are all preceded by honorifics, so I'll assume that this is the way to use について + noun in situations that call for formality.

Ex. Aさん: Jeff様のご両親は日本についてのご質問をたくさんありますか？それとも、日本の事は、もう、詳しくごぞんじますか？
Jeff: いや、それとはちょっと違うですね。私、日本のことをよく話しますが、相手が聞きたいかどうか。。。良く分かりません。

128) ～につき
~because of
~ per

This is used just like なので. You attach it to a noun that serves as the explanation for the clause that comes next. When should it be used instead of なので? As reader Mark let me know in the comments below, it's a formal expression WRITTEN on SIGNS and BULLETINS. All of my book's examples would fit neatly on a sign, flier, or notice.

Ex. 姪子のＫａｌｉちゃんは昼寝中につき、私もじぶんの寝室に限られている。うるさくなって、赤ちゃん起こさないようにね。

129) ～につけ
~ whenever (implies something invariable)

The book, in its ultimate wisdom, defines this as の時、いつも。It's used when you want to say When X happens, Y ALWAYS. X provokes the same reactions, feelings, or outcome, invariably.　There's another usage as well, which involves doubling up on your につけs. If you want to say "In this case, or in that case, the result will always be Y," you can say: 私が料理すると、味が薄いにつけ、濃いにつけかぞくから文句が出る (book's example.)

Ex. フロリダは一年中暖かいので、フロリダに帰るにつけ、毎日、実家のプールで泳ぎます。



130) ～につけても
~no matter what

This one is almost universally used with 何 or 何事 to form "no matter what." そのものだよ。

Ex. アメリカの生活は忙しくて楽しいよ。だが、プールがどんなに気持ち良さそうでも、Ｋａｌｉちゃんがどんなにかわいくても、日本語の勉強はいくらしないといけなくても、何事につけても、マンガを読む時間が一番大事でしょう？

Yes, I am that much of a geek.

2級 Grammar 121-125

I don't know if last weeks Tuesday post served to rouse anybody's interest, but rest assured steps are being taken to make good on the promise. Until then, I have employed the help of my friend Vanessa to make today's sentences and pictures. Just like with Jeff, I was given five random words. Completely unlike Jeff, I got to choose my own pictures. I will, however, leave them in the order she gave me. HERE WE GOOO!

121)　～に相違ない
~must be so.
~is definitely the case.
Undoubtedly, ~.

If you know that "相違" （そうい） means dissent, difference, and other negating words, this one comes naturally. Another note - this is a very formal way of saying it, so save it for your boss. We have one for your friends down the page.
Ex.　それで最初の人間対ワニの両手じゃんけん大会は終わりました。もちろん来年も同じ悲劇で終わりたいに相違ない。理由は：面白かったです。



122)　～に沿って　（～にそって）
along with ~
parallel to ~

This one can be used with both physical and intangible things. You can go alongside the river to the ocean just as well as you can follow along with fashion trends.
Ex.　奴隷解放宣言以上に、アメリカの内乱戦争に沿ってこの超美味いぺろぺろキャンディーが出ました。やっぱり時々戦う価値がある。


123)　～に対して　・　～に対する　（～にたいして・する）
towards~
to~
for~

Lots of potential uses for this guy. The fact that one of the definitions is simply "~に" should emphasize how many different potential uses you're looking at. Not sure how to clarify it down any more than that...
Ex.　やっと、このでかいレンチで本物のガンダムに対する作る可能性があった。


124)　～に違いない　（～ちがいない）
There's no mistake that ~
~ is definitely the case.

This one lends itself to easy explanation, since "違う" just means "wrong". So "違いない", but a tiny leap of imagination, can mean naught but...well... "not wrong". This is the less formal equivalent of number 122, and arguably the easier remembered of the two.
Ex.　「我慢！」顔しても、ペッパースプレーがありえないぐらい痛いに違いない。

125)　～について
about ~
concerning ~

Anybody who reads this page enough undoubtedly knows this grammar point already, or at least they should since I'm certain I've used it multiple times in example sentences. Arguably the less formal form of "に関する", this phrase's pre-built-in "て" makes it easy to verb about something. For example, "何々について書く" is "to write about something, "何々について考える" is "to think about something". It's naturally not limited to this use, but it's good to know nonetheless.
Ex.　日本にいる時間は一週間以上に過ごすとアメリカのハムサンドについて夢をよく見るようになる。でもそれはただの夢だよ、この写真みたいなサンドが全然ないから。

Aannnd that wraps up Tuesday, even thought today is a national holiday. I swear, the things I do sometimes for you people...

As ever, your comments and feedback are appreciated. Feel free to guess the exact words that led to these images getting found. The award for our winner - MORE GRAMMAR POINTS!

2級 Grammar 116-120

Consider this a preview of what should be updated by later today - Grammar points! My apologies for not having them fleshed out earlier, but this long weekend was long on the activities, short on the free time. I've glanced through the definitions and example sentences, and I can say there will be a few surprises in the definitions. These terms aren't all as clear-cut as they seem.

Update: So I ended up not being able to update these yesterday, and things look a little iffy on whether or not I'll be strictly on time with Thursday's update. But seeing as yet again I don't have a lot of time, I'm cutting this foreword short and going to the grammar points. Also, this week's subject: hints of a possible expansion on the Daily Yoji.

116)　～にしたら
In the case of ~,
From the perspective of ~,

This is one of the most plain-cut of this week's group, since it more or less adheres to its "~たら" roots. Use after a noun!

Ex.　このブログは日本語を勉強している人にとって便利です。しかし、もっと面白くてやばい日本語について興味があるけど文法とかを知らなくてもいい人にしたら、なんかつまらないでしょう。そうすればいいかな。


117)　～にしても
Even for ~,
~, also,

Again, another one with few surprises. Like so many of the others recently, only hook this up with a noun.

Ex.　ザ・デーリー・四字は皆のためブログです。アメリカ人や日本人も読んでくれています。小さい子どもにても読んで分かる。だから悪い言葉とかあんまり使えない。


118)　～にしては
even though ~,
Considering that ~,
For ~,

Some clarification is needed for the definitions to make sense. It only works when the second half of the statement is contradictory to the first. "Considering he has no experience, he did quite well". "For a fat girl, you sure don't sweat much". Feel free to use that second one as a pick-up line. Oh, and after nouns...AND dictionary forms of verbs. Cool beans.

Ex.　これは「何を書いてもいい」ブログにしては、日本語の裏を氷山の一角くらい見せました。


119)　～にしろ　・　～にせよ
Even if,
Whether ~ or ~,
It doesn't matter if ~,

This one was kind of a surprise as I expected more of a command-form, as "せ" and "ろ" usually lend themselves that way. It can be used in a sequence of things, as in "It doesn't matter if it's chocolate or vanilla, I don't like ice cream", or just one thing. "Even if he works all day, he'll never finish this paper."

Ex.　四字熟語にしろ、文法にしろ、俺らは日本語の全体を見せてあげたい。


120)　～にすぎない
Nothing more than ~.
Merely ~.

Another one that makes perfect grammatical sense after learning up to 3級! If すぎる is too much, then すぎない is not too much, nothing in excess. Piece o` cake!

Ex.　このヒントは始めにすぎない。ちゃんと発表を楽しんでね～

Oof - that's it! Sorry for the sparseness of pictures, though maybe Jeff's last post made up for it.

2級 Grammar 111-115

Hey guys! It's Jeff! And I'm doing grammar again!

I know, I know, you're all saying "Jeff? On Grammar? Not likely!" And deservedly so. Recently I've been leaving the studying Japanese aspect up to Brett, and involving myself more in the "Having Japanese people buy you stuff" elements of what we do here...

But today, I do have some limited internet access back, and to prove my grammar merits, I'm accepting a challenge. Because I've found myself in a situation where I can't upload photos to the site, I had to ask Brett to upload them for me. He uploaded five pictures, and I have to figure out a way to tie each grammar point to the pictures he chose. Please keep in mind that the sentences should be taken in CONTEXT of the photos. Thanks.

Wish me luck, and off we go: 111-115.

111)　～に加え（て）
~ on top of
~ in addition
~ not just... (but....)
~ plus
~ and

My book lists a number of examples that help clear this one up:

In addition to forest fires, highway construction is contributing to deforestation.
He won gold medals AND silver medals, so he's pretty happy.

Basically it's used in situations when you want to emphasize a second cause, effect, or factor. It only gets attached to nouns though.

Ex. 県大会に加えて、全国騎士大会にまで優勝したから彼は最近かなり自慢してるよ。ほかの選手なんて誰一人もいなかったのに何盛り上がってるのか分からないけどね。


112)　～にこたえて　・　～にこたえる
~ in order to meet

You might be familiar with のため（に） as the way to say "for the sake of," as in 愛のため, or 家族のため. If you were to get more specific with these concepts though, and not say simply love or family, but "the demands of love" or the "expectations of family," you'd encounter the same linguistic change in English. You don't say "for the sake of the demands/expectations" you say "in order to meet..."


Ex. この旅の必要性に応えるために、食料品をいっぱい集め、天気がよく川の状況もよい日を待っていました。それでようやく川を渡渉することができそうです。



113)　～に際し（て）
~ on the occasion of
~when

Another ceremonial expression, used just as you would use 「の時に」 or 「の場合に」, but when you're speaking formally, at the conduction of a ceremony or event where formality is required. The book's examples involve presidential visits, or graduations. How about this one?

Ex. 世界ひげ大会の開会に際して、こちらBrighton市では世界のさまざまのひげを展覧することにいたしました。。


114)　～に先立って　・　～に先立つ
~ before

This one is attached to nouns, and seems pretty simple. If there are any nuances as to WHY it should be used instead of の前に, I'd love to hear them!

Ex. 僕との例文が写真に合わせるチャレンジに先立って、ブレットは変な写真をたくさん調べました。こういうのなら、無理だよ。だから、ちゃんとした例文も、この下に書きます。

ちゃんとしたEx. アメリカの野球の試合に先立って、「ザ・スター・スペングルード／バーナー」は歌われます。


115)　～にしたがって
~ as

The definitions for this one all reference other grammar points we've studied/are studying, like とともに、or につれて. It's specifically used to describe something that two things that are changing due to some sort of causal relationship. The point is that A changes AS B changes.

Ex. 自分の勝手な思い込みかもわからないけど、世界のペンギンの数が減らすにしたがって、ぺんぎんの肉がもっと美味しくなっていると思わない？

2級 Grammar 106-110

Before I go on, I'd like to make a little note that the rest of this week should be daily postings. Some of these are already primed and ready to go, while others are still in the "man, I gotta get that yoji written..." phase. Will we make it through? Vote in the comments for your own personal validation!

Recently I've been searching around for a post-JET job, and it's had mixed results. I know there are some opportunities out there, but for a lot of them I lack experience. Then there's the whole issue of job hunting almost a year before your current contract is up. It's hard to take it seriously when I don't want to leave my current contract so early, but at the same time I don't want to just sit around doing nothing. That's part of what the yoji is, really - letting me at least sharpen my Japanese while I have a secure job. Anyway, all that job-huntin` stuff will be the topic of these sentences. I promise something more entertaining for Thursday!

106)　～にかけては　・　～にけけても
on the point of ~,
when it comes to~,

Piling higher still on the mountain of grammar that reminds you powerfully of other grammar, this one is - again - pretty self-explanatory. The two handy points that will help you differentiate this one are as follows: 1. It can only be used at something you excel at, and 2. it always follows a noun. The second point, now that I think about it, is apparent given my examples. One couldn't say "when it comes to run, I'm the fastest!". Still, those grammatical points don't always transfer, so I'll go ahead and clarify.

Ex.　レジュメの内容に関してどう書けばいいかわからない。「ゲームすることにかけては俺が誰にも負けないから、ゲームを作ること多分同じだ！」と書いたら会見者が笑って、「冗談でしょう！出て行け！」と返事する。


107)　～にかわって　・　～にかわり
In place of ~,
Instead of ~,
On behalf of ~, (for people)
In lieu of ~,

I've actually known a close version of this phrase before, but I've always used "の代わりに", which is great to know if you don't already. Xの代わりにY, "Instead of X, Y". How is this grammar point different than my old fall-back? After a lot of research, I have some decent answers. First of all, these phrases are most commonly used to replace people in the sense of "on behalf of so-and-so, I'd like to present this award!". BUT, it can be used with inanimate objects, too, in the event that it's not a one-time replacement, but a general transition. "DVDs are being used in place of VHS these days," might be a good example.

Ex.　ある仕事の場合で経験のかわって熱情と才能が足ります。その仕事探すぞ！
NOTE: This sentence has been found wanting by Japanese peers! Check out the comments for in-depth clarification from one of our regulars, blue!


108)　～に関して　・　～に関する
Concerning ~,
About ~,
Regarding ~,

Another one I feel like I've known for a long time. Just as the other two examples above show, it's like ~について, though perhaps a little more formal. Use after a noun, and if you use に関する, use another noun after it, too.
Ex.　求職に関しては、早く探すことがとても大切です。給料をまだもらっているの間に、新しい仕事を得るほうがいいから。

109)　～に決まっている
It goes without saying that ~
It's quite certain that ~

This one you could probably figure out even without the hint. If something is "already decided", there's no room for debate, as is the case of this grammar point. Use this when there is very little room for doubt. Since it can basically be tagged onto any parts-of-speech without modification, it's also ridiculously simple to use. BEHOLD.

Ex.　JETプログラムの契約の更新限界は五年ですけど、僕は三年間続けると決めた。ということは、あと１年で終わりなので、求職をしなければならないに決まっている。


110)　～に比べ（て）
Compared to ~,
In contrast to ~,

I was surprised to find this one in the grammar book, especially since the definition and synonyms were completely blank. Why? Because the word IS the grammar point. "比べる", or "くらべる", means simply to compare. Furthermore, since it can only be used with nouns, it's not especially complicated.

Ex.　日本に来るのは運命だった。JET除いて別の仕事に応募しなかった。前の仕事を探すこと比べて今はまた話が別です。

2級 Grammar 101-105

Holy Grammar Points, Batman!

I'm in kind of a rush with this post, so the topic is just going to be random thoughts/observations of the last few days, and the examples shall be even more generic than you are anticipating! BEHOLD!

101)　～において　・～においては　・～においても　・～における
In/at ~,

When it comes to ~,

In terms of ~,

Finding this one a bit difficult, I consulted Nirav moments before he had to attend a class. He gave the above examples that pretty much explain themselves. Fun fact that I didn't know before - おける （於ける）means "in/at". It can be applied to both situations, subjects, AND physical locations, making it a pretty dynamic joiner.

Ex. 日本の生活状況において、佐賀の支払いは悪くないだろう。

102)　～にもかかわらず
though ~,

in spite of ~,

notwithstanding ~,

~, nevertheless...

So for this one, it's handy to know that "かかわる" means "concern", so "かかわらず" means "without concerning". Add in the "にも", and you get where the "not concerning this information" part of it comes from. Make sense...?

Ex.　皆さんの文句にもかかわらず、天気は良くて涼しいと思う。

103)　～にかかわらず　・～にかかわりなく　・～にはかかわりなく
regardless of~,

With no concern for~,

Just look above for insight into this grammar point's meaning. One fun point on this one - it works very well with a "whether X is true or not" statements, like "whether it is cold or hot", "If it's crowded or not", as is shown in the below sentence.

Ex.　ジェフかニラヴが佐賀にいるいないにかかわらず、僕が続けます！

104)　～に限って
especially ~

It's always the case that ~

*gasp!* Grammer point 15 returns...but in a different guise! I found this one difficult to give a solid English equivalent. As a sample, the song "Ironic" would use this a million times, in the case that "When you have 10 million sporks, it's always the case that you just need a spoon". The examples in the book run something like "Although there are usually taxis everywhere, it's only when you're in a hurry that they aren't around". It's not only to emphasize that something always happens under a certain condition, but that something is especially true for a reason. Another book example - "He is Christian, so he would definitely not commit suicide". Hopefully these have shed some light on when to use it and what it means...if not, hopefully my example sentence will fill the gap. Fun grammar point - it can only be used with nouns

Ex.　僕はいつも暇なんですけど、予定が急に起こるときに限って彼女に電話される。

105)　～に限り　・～に限らず

only~

As simple as it sounds. The kicker - like the last one, it can only be used with nouns.

Ex.　ロボットにかぎりこんなにいっぱい勉強を我慢できる！

2級 Grammar 96-100

Wow - 100 grammar points. It's not quite as amazing when you consider that it was made over a period of at least 20 weeks, but could be made special if it were to mark the moment we would begin double-timing grammar points. I can't make any promises yet, but our grammar book goes up to 191. Given that we don't have another 20 weeks to finish that up, the only way to make things work will be to buckle in and throttle up the output. Which means I have to waste less time in these crazy openings, and more time actually doing the grammar. But what the hell, I can dally a bit, right?

As both Jeff and I noted in our recent posts, the Yoji has again become an erratic affair. This was largely due to Jeff's displacement, but also due to 夏バテ. As if that weren't enough, the times we weren't afflicted by summer grogginess we were instead consumed by summer super happy fun times, and enjoyed such activities as wakeboarding, climbing waterfalls, beach barbeques... the list goes on. With Jeff heading off for the states soon and summer officially ending next week - scholastically, anyway - I figured I'd use these 5 grammar points to reminisce about the good ol` days.

96)　～ないことはない　・　～ないこともない
It's not that I don't ~, it's just that...
It's not that ~ isn't the case, it's that...

Good lord, I wish I had known this one a long time ago. There's one example I would've run so ragged that I can't help but sharing it now before I make my own: 納豆は、食べないこともないんですが、あまり好きじゃないです。 It's not that I won't eat natto, it's just that I don't really like it. Beautiful. The little trick here is that you're not flat-out denying something, you're just insisting that it's not 100% true. Like for the previous example, you wouldn't go so far as to say you won't eat nattou at all... but it is true that you don't really like to eat it. For flat out denials, see Grammar point 89.

Ex.　夏の間学校に行きたくないことはないんだが、毎日いすを暖めることは退屈なんだ。


97)　～ないではいられない
It's difficult not to ~
I can't help but want to ~

This is a pretty fun one that, like so many grammatical points, is used in connection with another clause. At least in written text. It's always important to consider that while a stand-alone example sentence may require all kinds of forethought and explanation, a lot of these grammar points don't necessarily require the full setup when given in context. Anyway, this one can only be used with the negative form of verbs, so choose wisely.

Ex.　夏のスポーツは好きだけど、痩せられない。なぜなら、太陽の下で遊ぶと、たくさんのアイスを食べないではいられない。


98)　～ながら　・　～ながらも
Even though ~, ...
Despite ~, ...

Another of the long lists of variations on "のに". It goes Aながら, B. Where the definition ends up being "Even while A persisted, B - a contrary force - continued." That makes it sound way more complicated than it is, eh?

Ex.　夏の暑さで毎日汗をかきながら、なんとなく風邪をひいた。なんでかな。。。


99)　～など　・　～なんか　・　～なんて
~は
~とは

Just like "こそ", the nature of Japanese sentence construction prevents me from making a solid English translation. In short, this emphasizes the previous sentence clause. Pointer - なんか and なんて are only used in spoken language!

Ex.　ウェークボードなんて簡単！だから少なくとも一回やって見たほうがいい。


100)　～にあたって　・　～にあたり
At an important time/event like ~,
～の時 or ～の際

This one is reserved for big events, so don't use it for something unimportant or common.

Ex.　新学期にあたり、僕は別れのスピーチを用意した。

2級 Grammar 91-95

Summer vacation is an interesting time to be a teacher in Japan since you get stuck in a weird working purgatory. Teachers still have to come in (or they're supposed to come in, a difference which the staffroom picture at right will help clarify), but their duties are either reduced or nonexistent. Point in case, I am being serenaded right this moment by the rhythmic snoring of my slumbering vice principal, who has been passed out on the couch with a newspaper over his face for the past hour. Many other teachers take catnaps on their desks, a trend which I have learned to do a bit of myself, and nobody sees a problem with it. That we're permitted this much latitude is the only thing that makes summer bearable when you have nothing to do...

Nothing, that is, except talk about summer vacation in 5 grammar points.

91)　～としたら　・　～とすれば
If ~,
In the case that ~,
Since ~,

This is one you'll hear quite a bit in normal speech, and it's not surprising why. The text even lists this point alongside old fallbacks like "なら、ば、と、and もし～たら" without any points on what separates it from them. The one usage point - it is tacked between clauses after sentences using dictionary form, or な adjectives + noun + だ. Piece of cake.

Ex.　教頭先生が居眠りするとしたら、他の教師は帰っていいかな。


92)　～として　・　～としたは
(As) for~,
When it comes to ~,

Again, pretty self-explanatory, with the only condition that you can only use this after a noun.

Ex.　教師になることの悪いところとして、生徒達がいなくても僕らは来なければならない。差別！


93)　～としても
Even in the case that ~,
Even if ~,

Again, an easy one that harks back to the days of 3級. The usage here is the same as any "~っても" construction.

Ex.　でもいいところもあるよ。夏休みだったら朝の十時に学校に着くとしても、全然大丈夫だね。


94)　～とともに
Together with ~,
Along with ~,
In time with ~,

This one is a little trickier than the other ones this week. The first time I was introduced to it was the song 島唄, where you go to cross the sea 鳥とともに on the 島唄の風. Just remember that it might mean together with, but it's for intangibles, and if one thing changes, the other will, too. If you're going somewhere with a friend, then use more standard grammar. However, if you're planning an amazing cross-Japan trip in Spring where you'll ride motorcycles from Kyushu north "in time with" the 桜全線, then とともに is your best friend.

Ex.　夏の初めて学校へ行く日が近くなるとともに、起きる時間は次第に早くする。


95)　～ないことには
~ without
~when you don't have...
~ unless you do...

This one goes like this: Without A, you can't do B. You attach ないことには to a verb, adjective, or noun and it becomes something that is necessary to the second clause. My book example lists "Without knowing the address, there's no way to contact so-and-so, でしょう?"

Ex. ｢夏休み」という時期なのに、先生たちの休みにならない。仕事に行かない日でないことには、ゆっくり休むことができないだろう。