Grammar question (since grammar thread has been archived)

Japanese Language Grammar
1

I came across this in my Anki deck:

なるべく早く仕事を終わらせてください。
Please finish your work as quickly as possible.

I’m confused about the use of the 終わらせて causative form, and why it is needed. Isn’t it OK to just say なるべく早く仕事を終わってください。

2

Just shooting from the hip here, but isn’t 終わる generally an intransitive verb, so を終わる would run contrary to that, but I’ve been tricked by that before. So using causative allows you to transform it to “bring about the end of”. I wouldn’t necessarily say that を終わる is impossible without a native’s input, but I can see why this construction is possible and not necessarily “needed.”

3

Yes. And there’s also 終える, confusing things further. Check this out on 終わらせる:

4

Thanks, to both of you.

I just wanted to let you know I’m not ignoring you, but am following the links into the rabbit hole.

5

ANOTHER GRAMMAR QUESTION:

 **彼らは拍手のしすぎで手の感覚がなくなった。**

** They clapped so much that they could no longer feel their hands.**

I understand the vocal and know the verbs, but it seems to be like it should use the te-form of すぎる。In other words, wouldn’t the correct sentence be: 彼らは拍手のしすぎて手の感覚がなくなった?

Please advise.

6

I believe it’ just a difference of nuance.

Using で to indicate the means
彼らは拍手のしすぎで手の感覚がなくなった。 => They lost feelings in their hands from clapping

Using て to connect verbs
彼らは拍手のしすぎて手の感覚がなくなった。 => They clapped their hands too much and lost feeling

7

しすぎ is a noun here and で is just the normal particle.

I think if you wanted to use the て-form, the の would need to go: 拍手しすぎて、…

Kumirei was quicker about why it was done this way.

1 Like
8

It’s as clear as a ringing bell now. Thanks to both of you for the quick responses.

9

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