Death Note | Week 4 Discussion

Chapter 3 - 家族

Start Date: 12th February
Previous Week: Chapter 2
Next Week: Chapter 4

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Vocabulary List

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7 Likes

I finished this one yesterday and overall grammar wise it’s okay, but there is one grammar point that’s worth mentioning: https://jlptsensei.com/learn-japanese-grammar/なり-nari-meaning/

Its use in the manga is a little strange I felt, but you can probably figure it out from context :slight_smile:

4 Likes

I haven’t started reading this week’s part yet, but coincidentally I did encounter なり in a book I was reading yesterday. Japanese dictionaries have several different subheadings for なり (the 三省堂 has seven!) so maybe one of the other submeanings makes more sense. I’ll look into it when I encounter it.

2 Likes

I’m a silly willy. I actually have the dictionary of grammar patterns that I recently bought :man_facepalming:

The sentence (page 97, bottom):

他の者は捜査を続けるなり、今日はあがって体を休めるなりしてくれ。以上だ。

The closest meaning I see in the Dictionary of Grammar Patterns is likely:
Choosing between two things in the same group. It implies that there are some other possibilities in addition (…).

However, to me it feels like the speaker is expressing contrast rather.

5 Likes

I haven’t read the manga, but just looking at that sentence (and with google’s help of course) it feels like it’s a mix of both meanings you listed (the JLPT sensei one and the DoGP one).

The first なり takes the “right after” meaning.

他の者は捜査を続ける なり,
After the others continue the investigation,

And the second one I admit, I didn’t get at first, but I think it’s using this meaning I found on Wiktionary

“Used when giving an example, without the implication that it might be the best or the only option”

今日はあがって体を休める なり してくれ
Give yourself some rest or something for today

5 Likes

I had watched the anime many years ago, but have since forgotten most details, so it still came as quite the suprise when the identity of Light’s father was revealed. Complications abound!

This seems to fit. Either do this, or do that. Although I’d expect clearer instructions to be given… :thinking:

6 Likes

Given the context of the previous bubble:

では夜勤は2組。
Well then, group/team 2 is doing the night shift.

I would translate the sentence a little differently:

他の者は捜査を続ける なり
The other/remaining people continue the investigation,
今日はあがって体を休めるなりしてくれ。
or are done for today and can rest.

Which then kind of fits the 〜なり〜なり pattern mentioned.

I’m kind of watching the anime alongside and although some of the sentences sound a little different, it’s almost 1:1. Also, the slight difference in phrasing sometimes really helps in getting the nuance :slight_smile: .

I honestly thought it’s either for emphasis or まさか is here a な-adjective.

I think your “ace up my sleeve” sounds pretty good :slight_smile: . I found it quite vague as well, but to me it sounds like “something that gives one confidence”.

I figured out it means something along the lines of “to slip up” or “to make a mistake”.

6 Likes

Ahhh, yeah, I think you’re right here! My bad lol

1 Like

I think this is short for そんな. It’s often shortened to んな, so this would be taking it further. But it makes sense in context, too. :thinking:

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Thanks, this makes sense.

There’s some major revelations about Light in this chapter. First of all, the revelation of who his father is! No wonder Light is feeling one step ahead of the investigation, when his own father is heading it and spilling top secret information at the dinner table.

Then, just as we’ve gotten a glimpse of who his family is, we end on the note of Light contemplating having to kill them all! Bone-chilling! :cold_sweat:

6 Likes

Thank you for maintaining the vocab list.
I am trying to Anki it before reading for a change.
Feels great to meet a new word and understand the meaning of the whole sentence, thought most will be forgotten soon without SRS.
Anybody tried this approach?

3 Likes

I usually add words to Anki as I go, but if the vocab list is populated and you can use it before, I think that’s a pretty good approach for smooth reading :slight_smile: .

Textbooks typically take the reverse approach - let you read the text and afterwards explain the unknown words.

2 Likes

I found the page where he meets his dad on the stairs so ominous and well drawn

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The plot thickens even more! :smiley: I’m liking the manga so far. I wonder how long it can keep up the twists and turns :smile:

For some reason, I had a really tough time with page 87 (the magazine quotes), so it was a bit of a rough start, but the rest was okay difficulty-wise (let’s say: pleasantly challenging).

So, his sister is basically called “abundant cosmetics” :wink:.

I liked how Ryuk annoyed Light by revealing at the very last moment that Light shouldn’t let Sayu touch the Death Note :smile:.

It was also pretty funny how the police mostly got phone calls from curious people asking questions instead of actual tips. Probably also quite realistic, though…

Yes, and a great reveal.

Quite! A 殺人鬼 indeed.

Yes, I agree with that. The 三省堂 has this as the fourth meaning for なり: 自由に一つをえらばせるときのことば。So I think it expresses that the remaining people are free to choose whether they continue working or take a rest.

I think you’ve hit the nail in the head because it is listed as idiom in the 三省堂 with the following meaning: 失敗する。へまをする。

8 Likes

Been some years since I last watched it, but read the English manga around the same time, and found it to be so much closer to 1:1 than any others I did both for!
Haven’t compared the Japanese manga with the Japanese audio though, just the main story and characters (read English and Watched both languages (English on re-watch, while playing games)
Will be interesting to watch it again after reading to see the few nuances <3

3 Likes

I think I have problem with this one.

そして土・日・休日は午前11時から深夜までかなりのバラツキがあります。

What is バラツキ? How does the grammar / sentence working work?

Furthermore, I can’t find はん directly as a vocabulary for 斑 in the dictionary (but I know of まだら). I wonder, if not with Furigana, how would I read it?

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On reading manga, or something not on PC, how do you usually add vocab to Anki? (Though, I am not a Yomichan user.)

Also, some just aren’t in the dictionary? Like 人気のない. (人気ひとけ is found, but it failed to add with Takoboto, because of 人気にんき, I think.)

土・日・休日は - on weekends/holidays
午前11時から - from 11 am
深夜まで - until deep into the night
かなりのバラツキがあります - there is quite a scattering (of deaths)

The バラツキ is this

8 Likes

Either through the app on mobile or ankiweb :slight_smile: