なぜ？どうして？Finished!

Japanese Language Book Clubs
1658

Page 49

My translation is a bit different:

タイの人たちに = to Thai people
とってもあまりに長いため = for being so very long
バンコクのことを = Bangkok
いちばんはじめだけとって「クルンテープ」とよびます = calling it only by the very beginning, “Krung Thep”,

Altogether: For being so very long (a name) to the Thai people, Bangkok is called after only the very beginning (of the official name), “Krung Thep”,

The rest is pretty similar.

Can someone explain とって though? The meaning is clear, but I would like to learn how to use it. It appeared previously, but we just brushed over it.

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1659

I believe it’s a casual という、と言う

Edit: Forget what I said. Probably it’s the T-form of: 採る

to adopt (method, proposal, etc.), to take (measure, course of action, etc.), to decide on

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1660

Cool, that makes sense. Thank you!

1661

That wouldn’t be a grammatical way to say “able to do” for the verb that comes first.

1662

In @Leebo I trust.

How would you translate the sentence? Why is it incorrect?

1663

Maggie sensei’s explanation is that there are two ways of using 出来る to mean be able to do:

  1. With a する verb it replaces する

e.g.

  • 勉強します - I study
  • 勉強出来ます- I am able to study
  1. With others verbs you use the dictionary form and ことが出来る

e.g.

  • この漢字を読むことが出来ます
  • I am able to read this kanji

http://maggiesensei.com/2015/04/02/how-to-use-出来る-できる-dekiru/

4 Likes
1664

I think I got that right, please let me know if I’m wrong!

1665

Have to say I learnt something about Bangkok… looked it up on wikipedia and the audio file of the name lasts 14 seconds long! I struggle with katakana and seeing this much in a row, I’ve no idea whether I got it right or not…

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1666

Page 49

タイの 人たちに とっても あまりに 長いため、バンコクの ことを いちばん はじめだけ とって 「クルンテープ」 と よびます.

Another とって question! But this one is about the とっても in the earlier part of the sentence.

Jisho tells me that とっても is an emphatic form of とても, “very”.

And I’m sure that’s right, but I just have an odd feeling I’m missing something here (on no basis whatsoever!). Tell me I’m an idiot.

PS - I used to live in Thailand and it is great fun when you ask one of your Thai friends to say the full name of Bangkok!

1 Like
1667

It’s にとって plus も

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1669

Page 49

Thank you!

for, concerning

“For [Thai people…]” + “also”

Okay, got it! “For Thai people too this name is very long…”

1670

Thanks! It was so obvious for me that に was a particle…

I should have thought about it, because, why two “very” together? But I was: Japanese is redundant some times, and it’s a very very long name…

Also, the Thai people seemed to be the subject, and the に didn’t make sense. I checked if it was a passive form… but no.

There were so many clues…

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1673

Page 50:

Actually, because it’s a picture is hard for me to read it. I’ll check once someone posts the “transcription” :stuck_out_tongue:

Also, it would be great is someone could post the pictures for the next chapter to know where the pages start and end. (That penguin looks awesome :stuck_out_tongue:)

1674

Page 50

もっと知りたい！

I want to know more!

国っきの 絵がらが あらわすもの

What flag patterns stand for

国っきの 絵がらからは、その国の とくちょうなどが 一目で わかる ことが あります。

There are times where you can determine characteristics of a country by a glance at that country’s flag.

たとえば、三日月と 星の 絵がらは イスラム教、十字の 絵がらは キリスト教を あらわします。

For example, a crescent and star represents Islam, and a cross represents Christianity.

三日月と星
アゼルバイジャン トルコ
パキスタン マレーシア

Crescent and star
Azerbaijan Turkey
Pakistan Malaysia

十字
イギリス ガリシア スイス
ジャマイカ ジョージア ノルウェー

Cross
England Greece Switzerland
Jamaica Georgia Norway

6 Likes
1675

That り and い look the same for me in the book!! that り looks like the い in the Yotsuba manga

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1676

The book font looks similar to handwriting to me…
The right side of り is longer than the left side and the bottom of the stroke slants towards the left (into the character).
The left side of い is slightly longer than the left side of り. The right side of い is slightly shorter than the left side, and the bottom of the stroke slants towards the outside of the character.

1677

Nice translation. :slight_smile: Pretty much what I have also.

1678

Page 50

Can I ask where you got the “there are times” bit in your translation? I can’t see it in the original, can you point it out for me? Thank you!

1679

こと can be quite flexible in translation - could also be read as “There are situations where…”

3 Likes
1680

Page 50

Wow, @Rowena, you and @Saruko must have better glasses than me!

This is what I see:
わかる - to understand
こと - nominalizing suffix, turning “to understand” into “understanding”
が - が particle
あります - there is

I can’t translate it myself, my Japanese is awful, but neither can I see where “there are times” or “there are situations” comes into it. What am I missing? What do I not understand here?

1 Like