Agony or Fun?! Second Language Learning

The section 27 is basically to learn the potential expressions using one of verb conjugation patterns “Potential form”. Today’s sentence construction can use potential form of verbs, but it is not always necessary to use them, ordinary verb predicates can also be applied to today’s construction. Look at today’s sentence construction and its examples;

1. [Noun1] wa [Verb1] masu ga, [Noun2] wa [Verb2] masen.

Examples;

2. Eigo wa Hanase masu ga, Nihongo wa Hanase masen.

(Although I can speak English, I can’t speak Japanese.)

 — “Hanaseru/Hanasemasu” is the potential form of “Hanasu/Hanashimasu”

3. Souji wa Shi masu ga, Sentaku wa Shimasen.

(Although I am going to clean (the room), not to wash my clothes.)

 — “Shimasu” is not the Potential form.

Therefore, whether the Verb1 and Verb2 in the construction 1 are in potential form or not is not an major issue. It is just up to what you want to express about two actions. If there are other issues to talk about the sentence construction 1, I would bring two things out; (1) particle “wa” for comparison, and (2) conjunctive particle “ga”. As for (2), it was already explained at A5 S26. So let us learn (1) now.

(1) Particle “-wa” for comparison.

Interestingly enough, “-wa” is not a “case particle”, while “-ga” and ”-o” are case particles. But I don’t think it’s important to introduce a meta language to name the group of particles including “-wa”. What is important is to know the following three functions of “-wa”.

1) “-wa” for the subject of a sentence

2) “-wa” for the topic of a sentence

3) “-wa” for comparison

1) “-wa” for the subject of a sentence

“-wa” is introduced in the first day of Japanese learning.

4. Watashi wa Daigakusei desu. (I am a university student.)

“-wa” in the sentence 4 is the subject marker and the topic marker at the same time. Before the introduction of the particle “-ga”, “-wa” can be regarded as the particle for subject marker. Once “-ga” is introduced as subject marker, you need to select “-wa” or “-ga” to make a word the subject in a sentence. How to select “-wa” or “-ga” is as shown below;

[Known Subject] wa [Name/Condition/Action to be explained].

[Subject to be specified] ga [Known Name/Condition/Action].

“Subject+wa” is used to explain the subject, and “Subject+ga” is used to specify who/what the subject is. Or, more simply;

[Subject] wa [Important Information].

[Important Information] ga [Predicate].

Look at two examples that have “-wa” or “-ga” for subjects;

– Watashi wa Nihonjin desu. (I am a Japanese.)

– Watashi ga Nihonjin desu. (I am the Japanese whom you are looking for.)

Which do you think is more often uttered? It’s “Watashi wa”. Since “-wa” is more broadly used, this particle should be taught in the first day of learning Japanese.

2) “-wa” for the topic of a sentence

Because of being used more broadly, “-wa” can be a topic marker. “Wa-ga construction” is the typical example in which “-wa” functions as topic marker.

5. Nihon wa Sakana ga Oishii desu. (In Japan, fishes are very tasty.)

Usually in this kind of “wa-ga construction”, “-wa” is called “topic marker” and “-ga” is “subject marker”. But it also seems like “-wa” is the marker of broader subject and “-ga” is more specified subject.

And when a word with other particle becomes the topic of a sentence, “-wa” takes place of the particle and the word moves forward. Take a look at the following conversation;

A: Doko de Sakana o Tabe mashitaka. (Where did you eat fish?)

B: Nihon de Sakana o Tabe mashita. (I ate fish in Japan.)

Both in A and B, the word “Sakana” is with the particle “-o” because “Sakana” is the object of transitive verb “Taberu”. Then, let us make “Sakana” the topic;

A: Sakana wa Doko de Tabe mashitaka. (As to fish, where did you eat it?)

B: Sakana wa Nihon de Tabe mashita. (As to fish, it was Japan where I ate it.)

You see that the particle “-o” is replaced by “-wa” to make “Sakana” the topic of the sentences. And the word “Sakana” has moved forward to be placed at the beginning of the sentence.

3) “-wa” for comparison

This is what we learn in the exercise A6 in the section 27. Actually, either of “-wa” for subject and topic, there are a little bit of nuance of comparison. If there are several sentences like follows;

Watashi wa Daigakusei desu. (I am a university student.)

Soshite, Satou-san wa Daigakuinsei desu. (And, Sato-san is a graduate student.)

Sorekara, Suzuki-san wa Kaishain desu. (In addition, Suzuki-san is a company employee.)

In these three sentences, the particle “-wa”(s) are subject markers with nuance comparing three people. Let’s look at today’s construction again;

1. [Noun1] wa [Verb1] masu ga, [Noun2] wa [Verb2] masen.

In this construction, two “-wa”(s) indicate that Noun1 and Noun2 are to be compared.

(2) Conjunctive Particle “ga”

In the sentence construction

[Clause1] + ga, [Clause2].

Functions of the conjunctive particle “-ga,” has already been explained at A5 S26. The summary was like below;

<1> “-ga,” for But-However connections should be taken as basic especially in writing.

<2> “-ga,” for Introduction is used in conversation.

<3> “-ga,” for Ambiguous connection is to be avoided.

Let’s look at the example 2 again;

2. Eigo wa Hanase masu ga, Nihongo wa Hanase masen.

(Although I can speak English, I can’t speak Japanese.)

The conjunction particle “-ga,” in the example 2 functions mainly as <1> and slightly as <2>. It is <1> because two opposite clauses are connected; Clause1 is positive but Clause2 is negative. At the same time, it is <2> because Clause1 is like an introduction of Clause2.

For your reference, a little more examples are shown below;

– Verb predicates that are not in potential forms;

6. Terebi de Nyu’usu wa Mi masuga, Dorama wa Mi masen.

(I watch news program, but don’t watch drama on TV.)

Note that “Nyu’usu o Mimasu” turned to be “Nyu’usu wa Mimasu” to make Nyu’usu the topic.

– Verb predicates in Potential form

7. Ku-ji no Nyu’usu wa Mirare masuga, Sichi-ji no Nyu’usu wa Mirare masen.

(I can watch News at 9, but can’t at 7.)

Probably this person works over hour, he/she could get to home at 8p.m. or so. Note that “Nyu’usu ga Mirare masu” turned to be “Nyu’usu wa Mirare masu” to make Nyu’usu the topic.

– Spontaneous verb that we learn at the exercise 3 is used.

8. Umi wa Mie masuga, Shima wa Mie masen.

(I can see the sea, but I can’t see any islands.)

Since English translation use “can” and “can’t”, the meaning is about potentiality. However, the verb “Mieru” is not the potential form of “Miru”, but a spontaneous verb. And the potential form of “Miru” is “Mirareru” as in the above example 7.

Today’s construction can have not only verb predicates but also other predicates.

– I-adjectives;

9. Soto wa Atsui desuga, Naka wa Suzushii desu. (It’s hot outside, but it’s cool inside.)

– Na-adjectives;

10. Anime wa Suki desuga, Eiga wa Sukidewa arimasen. (I like Animations, but don’t like Movies.)

– Nouns;

11. Watashi wa Daigakusei desuga, Satou-san wa Daigakusei dewa arimasen. (I am a university student, but Sato-san isn’t.)

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This post was written with reference to the exercise A6 on Section27 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”