{"id":147,"date":"2009-11-15T01:09:48","date_gmt":"2009-11-15T05:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/?p=147"},"modified":"2009-11-15T01:09:48","modified_gmt":"2009-11-15T05:09:48","slug":"letsshall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/letsshall\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s\/Shall"},"content":{"rendered":"

For today’s grammar point, let’s look at a sentence like this, “\u30ec\u30b9\u30c8\u30e9\u30f3\u3000\u306b\u3000\u3044\u304d\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong>“. (\u30ec\u30b9\u30c8\u30e9\u30f3 <\/strong>= restaurant. \u306b<\/strong> = ni particle. \u3044\u304d\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong> = let’s go.) This sentence means, “Let’s go to [a\/the] restaurant”. To form the “let’s” construction, just add \u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong> to the stem of the verb. In this case the verb we used was \u3044\u304f<\/strong>, which means “to go”. When you conjugate this verb in the present polite affirmative you get\u00a0\u3044\u304d\u307e\u3059<\/strong>. When you leave off the \u307e\u3059<\/strong> you get the stem \u3044\u304d<\/strong>. Take the stem and attach it to \u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong>. So let’s take a verb like \u305f\u3079\u308b<\/strong> following the same steps we used for \u3044\u304f<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In the present polite affirmative \u305f\u3079\u308b<\/strong> becomes \u305f\u3079\u307e\u3059<\/strong>. Leave off the \u307e\u3059 <\/strong>and attach \u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong>. You get \u305f\u3079\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong> as the final product. The interesting thing about using the “let’s” construction is that sometimes the “let’s” construction can be a veiled form of a wish or command. For example my housemate had this tendency to sleep late into the afternoon. My host mother would often say in an irritated voice, “\u3044\u307e\u3000\u304a\u304d\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong>“. (\u3044\u307e<\/strong> = now. \u304a\u304d\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong> = get up.) Literally this would mean “Let’s wake up”. Now normally sentences with the “let’s” form is used when you want to suggest a plan of action.<\/p>\n

However in this situation, it’s more of a command. Since the host mother is not my housemate’s real mother, she can’t really “command” the housemate to wake up. Also, in an effort to be polite, she is using a gentle method to get the housemate to do something. Sometimes Japanese people are careful so as not to\u00a0 seem overbearing or commanding. That’s why normally verbs with the \u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong> ending literally mean “let’s” but it all depends on context.\u00a0Like in all languages, the tone of the person’s voice (whether the person sounds happy, annoyed etc) can also help you better figure out the context of the situation.<\/p>\n

Now let’s look at a sentence like this, “\u3066\u3064\u305f\u3044\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046\u304b<\/strong>“. Here in addition to the \u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong>, you have \u304b<\/strong> added to \u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046<\/strong>. In English, the addition of this \u304b<\/strong> turns this sentence in the “shall” form. So in English this phrase would mean, “Shall [I] help?” Now depending on the context, this same phrase may not be a question, but a offer of help. In other words, “\u3066\u3064\u305f\u3044\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046\u304b<\/strong>” could mean “I’ll help”. In turn “\u3042\u3051\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046\u304b<\/strong>” could mean “Shall [I] open [it]?” or it could mean “I’ll open [it]”. If the person is already walking across the room to open a window, this phrase\u00a0may make more sense\u00a0to mean “I’ll open [it\/window]” but if the person is hesitating and waiting for your response, this phrase may mean “Shall [I] open [it\/window]?”. Again, it all depends upon the context.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For today’s grammar point, let’s look at a sentence like this, “\u30ec\u30b9\u30c8\u30e9\u30f3\u3000\u306b\u3000\u3044\u304d\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046“. (\u30ec\u30b9\u30c8\u30e9\u30f3 = restaurant. \u306b = ni particle. \u3044\u304d\u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046 = let’s go.) This sentence means, “Let’s go to [a\/the] restaurant”. To form the “let’s” construction, just add \u307e\u3057\u3087\u3046 to the stem of the verb. In this case the verb we used was \u3044\u304f, which…<\/p>\n

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