Basically, the section 26 is to learn “-ndesu.” and “-ndesuka.”. These are a kind of Modality expressions; “-ndesu.” is for the feelings of confession and/or telling reason/cause. “-ndesuka” is for surprise and asking reason/cause. In the sense of grammar, conjugation words, especially verbs, can connect to the sentence ending “desu.” by placing the nominalizing particle “no” between the verb and “desu.” This could be “[V]+no+desu.”, but usually shortened to be “[V]+ndesu.” in conversation.
Today, too, the sentence uses “-ndesu.”, but the main focuses are not much on “-ndesu.”. Let’s take a look at the example sentence below.
1. Shashin ga* Hoshii n desuga, Dejitaru De’eta o Okutte Itadake masenka.
(I need photographs, so could you please send me the digital data?)
There are two important things to learn in the sentence 1; One is (1) Introductory “-ga,”. the other is (2) Polite Request “V-te Itadake masenka.” Since there are a lot of things about these two, only (1) is explained today. (2) will be explained tomorrow.
(1) Introductory “-ga,”
The following is not about the case particle “ga”, but about the conjunctive particle “-ga,”. Fundamentally, It is for “But-However connections”. Some other Japanese teachers may say differently about “-ga,”, but let us learn “-ga.” by three uses as shown below.
<1> “-ga,” for But-However connections.
This is introduced in the section 8, far earlier than the introductory function in the section 26. However, “-ga,” for But-However connections is not dealt in the exercise A. It appears in ex4, B5, and C1 in the section 8 of Minna no Nihongo.
– Apa’ato wa Dou desuka. — Atarashii desuga, Fuben desu.
(What is it like in your apartment? — It’s new, but inconvenient.)
“New” is good, but “inconvenient” is bad. The evaluation is going opposite, and English translation uses “but”, therefore, “-ga,” functions as But-However connection. When writing a technical paper, it is better to use “-ga,” only for But-However connections.
<2> “-ga,” for Introduction
In the construction of “[Clasue1]+ga, [Clause2].”, the evaluation doesn’t go opposite from the clasue1 to clause2. Before saying the clause2, you just say clause1 as an introduction.
– Ame ga Futte iru ndesuga, Kasa o Kashite Itadake masenka.
(Since it is raining, could you let me use your umbrella?)
Raining and using umbrella are not mutually exclusive. Clause1 is uttered as an introduction of clause2. This use of “-ga,” quite often appears in conversation.
<3> “-ga,” for Ambiguous connection
It’s not a good use of “-ga, but quite often happens in not-disciplined speaking and not-good edited writing. It should be avoided.
– [No good] Ashita nandesuga, Tenkiyohou wa Hare desuga, Tsuri ni Ikitaindesuga, Isshoni Ikimasenka. (When it comes to tomorrow, the weather forecast says it’ll be good, I kind of want to go fishing, why don’t you come with me?)
You see three “-ga,” in one sentence. The conjunction particle “-ga,” should be used just once a sentence. More than twice, the sentence looks or sounds disjoined and sloppy. To avoid using “-ga,” twice or more, just end your sentence short.
The above explanation tells you about uses of “-ga,” in three steps.
<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.
The section 26 introduces <2>. Using “-ga,” in this way is okay in conversation, but if you use “-ga” as <2> too much, you may forget use of <1>. Put in your mind using “-ga,” for But-However connections helps you understood by others well.
* This “ga” is to identify what is needed. “wa” is not applicable in this sentence, because “Shashin” has not been shared between the speaker and listener before this utterance. If there is a case to use “wa” when to say “Shasin [?] Hoshii”, it would be a comparison like;
– Shashin wa Hoshiidesuga, Onsei wa Irimasen. (I don’t need audio, but I need photos.)
** Saying differently means that “-ga,” can be both But-However connections and So-Therefore connections. I don’t think it is good to tell Japanese learners that one-word (-ga,) has two dichotomous functions. Such an explanation is okay to a native Japanese speaker, but for learners of Japanese as a second language, I think that a teacher needs to teach “-ga,” by more understandable way.
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This post was written with reference to the exercise A5 on Section26 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
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