Short Grammar Questions (Part 2)

Could someone help me with the grammar of あげればいいわけです please.
(Full sentence: 自分じぶんが2年生ねんせいだったら1年生ねんせいおしえてあげればいいわけです)

I don’t have a full grasp on the whole わけ thing …

Does that mean it’s the reasonable thing to do (the teaching of younger students)? That it makes sense to teach them?

Hi, I think that this わけ is not referring to that 訳 which would translate as reason (or excuse, I think) but rather a form of assurance in what the speaker is saying. Then, regarding the 教えてあげる , I think it just roughly means “teach to” and has no direct connection to わけ .
So if I try to translate it in this sense, "If I were a sophomore, I could (definitely) teach the first years. "

I hope I helped, and feel free to correct me :slight_smile:

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Ok, I think I got it.
So, a clumsy English, but closer-to-Japanese translation could be:

“If I am a sophomore, if I were to teach a freshman it would be good” is logical reasoning (a logical thing).

This turning into: As a sophomore, I should/could teach a freshman. (leaving the わけ untranslated)

Right?

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Would the context be by any chance someone (a teacher for example) saying some to several people (students for example)?

It’s from the Thinking in Japanese podcast, the episode “Half learning, half teaching 半学半教”.
He’s talking about how you learn by teaching others and how to use that phenomenon for your advantage in your own learning endeavor.

Here’s the full paragraph:
これは学生のときもそうですね。自分が学生でも、ほかの人に教えてあげたほうがいいと思います。自分が学んだことを人に教えます。もしわからない人がいたら、その人に教えてあげるんですね。自分が2年生だったら1年生に教えてあげればいいわけです。それによって、自分の学びもよくなります。

As imagined.

自分 in Japanese is not only used as “I”, but also as “self” as in yourself. In some dialects it gets to the point where 自分 means straight out “you”.

This sentence is saying
“If you are a second year you could/should teach a first year”

The わけ is a speech mark, it shows that this sentence is an explanation (in this case an example) for what was said before. 「学んだことを人に教えます」

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I understood the sentence, I know that 自分 is self (it comes up often enough), the translation was not my issue (it doesn’t really matter if you use I or you for general statements. Using “one” sounds a bit too royal, though. In German, we have an extra word for a general pronoun).

It’s the use of わけ I find hard to wrap my head around.
Thank you for your explanation that it refers to the sentence before that!

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Yeah, i think I got distracted by your use of “I” in your translation, sorry for that.
Glad you got the わけ part.

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Yes thank you…I need to review this form for sure. So does this mean something like, “I am thinking if I should take the pains to become a ‘good girl’” ?

Could someone explain to me what し is? I’ve tried reading about it but still don’t quite understand. It’s like から I think? The author of the book I’ve been reading uses it constantly, take a look;

Example 1:

服の定位置
干す場所は決まってる

別にタンスでなくても

自分にとって楽な場所を定位置にしていいのでは

Example 2:

自炊でもっとうまく野菜とつきあいたい

体量えらいことになってる

来月健康診断が。。。

や、野菜を。。。

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The grammar point itself is the addition し.

However, when used like this (without a second clause being added), it gives this nuance that you are giving a reason with a bit of emphasis, also implying that there could be other reasons (or that what you are saying is supposed to be known to the parties)

This site goes a bit over that on numbers 3 and 4.

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I’ve read these pages before, but I still only have the vaguest idea of what’s going on…

Can you elaborate on what exactly is tripping you up? Is it the sentence ender し where there’s a part that’s implied?

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where there’s a part that’s implied?

This is my single biggest issue. I’m just now exposing myself to this kind of native content so it’s just been a humongous struggle… I’d say the other sentences more or less make sense, but only a bit more than the ones including the し. This is one without the し that makes little sense to me;

自分にとって楽な場所を定位置にしていいのでは

There’s some other sentences in my post with that “implied” bit that kill me too. The unfortunate thing is I feel like I been asking you guys more or less the same question each time I’ve come here about this book lol. Wishful thinking, hoping some magic answer will allow me to understand all the blank spaces. :pleading_face:

Place where you leave [store] your clothes
Where you hang them is already decided anyway [as in it shouldn’t be a problem, we shouldn’t need to care about it]
So I think it’s fine if [isn’t it OK if?] you just put them wherever is easy for you
Even if that’s not your closet

Does the above help in any way?

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Well, it helps me realize I already had it understood!!! :exploding_head:

Though, with that ‘subtitle’ you added for the sentence including し, that definitely changes my perspective on how to view that ‘particle’. I do have a couple questions about the last part, though. I assume にしていい is supposed to be understood like にする + てもいい? And I see のでは a lot, can I always assume it’s のではないか?

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Yup. (but without the も).

Yup again, it’s extremely common to leave it at のでは and not complete the clause, or even んじゃ in casual speech.

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Yes, except that ていい is more firm than てもいい. For example, in the context of asking for permission, in the former the asker is highly likely to take the action. The latter carries more of the nuance of “it’s ok if not” and allows more leeway.

For your example:

This is a pretty good approximation of ていい. For てもいい it would kind of like implying that there’s equal value in doing it or not but that’s not the case here.

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Hi everyone, I have a grammar question relating to a song I am sure everyone knows.
「海の見える街」
My question is why is the particle「の」used here? I’ve read on some other sites that you can use the 「が」particle as well. But why is 「の」used here instead? Does it bring any difference in meaning? Thanks everyone in advance for reading and replying

Wondering what would you write in an email in the like of " I wish you a great holiday for Obon".
Is there a special formulation?