Tobira Sentence Dissection - 10/16/2017

I've been having trouble with a few sentences in Tobira in chapter two, so I figured it was worth making a post about them as I figured them out. Here's one that I was stumbling over:

これは相手の気持ちを大切にする日本人の考え方が日本語に表れている表現の一つですから、「。。。」が使えるようになると、会話が上手に聞こえます。

これは - This
相手の気持ちを大切にする - valuing a person's feelings
日本人の考え方 - Japanese way of thinking/mindset
日本語に - in Japanese
表れている - embodying
表現の一つ - one of the expressions
「。。。」が使えるようになると - when you're able to use "..."
会話が - conversations
上手に - well, better
聞こえます - able to be heard

Put all those broken pieces together and we get:

This is one of the expressions in Japanese that embodies the Japanese mindset of valuing a person's feelings. So when you're able to use "...", the conversation is able to be heard well.

At the start of the sentence, "this" is referring to "...", where you let your sentence trail off and allow the other person to infer the meaning, rather than directly saying something that could be perceived as hurtful.

何 + Counter + か

Using 何 + a counter + か results in a quantifier meaning "some." For example, 何枚か would be like "some sheets of paper."

いく can also be used instead of 何, though it's not very common these days other than in いくつ and いく人.

おみやげにＴシャツを何枚か買った。
I bought some t-shirts for souvenirs.

先生は図書館で本を何冊かくれたんだ。
Sensei gave me some books at the library.

おいしい日本のみかんをいくつかもらいました。
I got some delicious Japanese mandarin oranges.

今朝学校の前に犬が何匹かいたんだよ。
There were some dogs in front of the school this morning.

では / じゃなくて

The structure Noun1 + じゃなくて + Noun2 can be used to indicate that a piece of information is incorrect, and then afterwards, present the correct information. It translates as something like "Not A, but B."

This structure can also be used with phrases. In writing, it's often written as ではなくて or ではなく.

私が取っているのは、中国語ではなくて日本語です。
The one I'm taking is not Chinese, but Japanese.

アリスの誕生日にもらったプレゼントはコンサートのチケットじゃなくてパーキングのチケットだったんだ。
The present that Alice got for her birthday wasn't concert tickets, but a parking ticket.

これはアメリカについての本だが、英語ではなく、スペイン語で書かれている。
This is a book about America, and yet it's not written in English, but in Spanish.

庭で見つけた動物は熊じゃなくて小さい犬だったんだよ。
The animal I found in my yard was not a bear, but a little dog.

場合 for Describing Situations

Using 場合 plus は or には will form an adverbial phrase that translates as something like "In the case of..." or "When..." It's similar to 時 in the following sentences (from Tobira):

雨の (場合 / 時) は、ピクニックはしません。
If it rains, we won't have the picnic.

分からない (場合 / 時) は、行って下さい。
If you don't understand, please tell me.

However, 場合 cannot be used like 時 if the situation described refers to a specific instance or time, like in the following sentence:

私が行った時には、ミーティングが始まっていた。
When I went there, the meeting had begun.

So again, 場合 is best used in a hypothetical scenario that does not refer to a specific occasion or instance occurring.

明日になっても犬が見つからない場合は、ペットレスキューセンターに探しに行きましょう。
If we still can't find my dog tomorrow, let's go search at the pet rescue center.

君は学校に来る場合、赤いシャツを着たなぁ。
In case you come to school tomorrow, wear a red shirt.

東京に来る場合は、連絡して下さい。会いに行きますから。
If you come to Tokyo, let me know so we can meet up.

雪の場合でも、クラブはまたビーチに行くつもりなんだよ。
Even if it snows, the club is still planning on going to the beach.

必要 to Express Necessity

Use a plain, non-past verb + 必要がある to express "I need to do X" or "it is necessary to do X." To express the negative form, 必要はない is used, with the は often replacing が.

寮に住めば、食堂でご飯が食べられるから、自分で料理する必要はありません。
If you live in the dorms, you can eat your meals in the cafeteria, so you don't need to cook yourself.

リーさんのパーティーでお酒を飲めば、帰ってくる前にタクシーを呼ぶ必要があるんだ。
If you drink at Lee-san's party, you need to call a taxi before coming home.

海外旅行に行く前にパスポートを取る必要があります。
Before traveling overseas, you need to get your passport.

今晩はそのステージに行ったら、パンツを履く必要があるんだよ。
If we're going to that concert tonight, you need to put on pants.

また as Again or Also

The word また can be used in a sentence to mean "again", "also", or "additionally." It's generally used at the beginning of the sentence or phrase that it's paired with, regardless of which meaning is being expressed.

あのコンサートはすごく楽しかったから、また来週に行きたいんだよ。
That concert was really fun, so I want to go again next week.

また朝寝坊してしまって、また授業に遅れた。
I overslept again, so I was late for class again.

リーさんはやさしく、頼もしいんです。また、日本語が上手ですよ。
Lee-san is very kind and trustworthy. His Japanese is good, too.

トマトはおいしいし、色々な料理に使える。また、体にもいい食べ物だ。
Tomatoes are delicious and can be used in a variety of cooking. They're also a good food for your body.

ようになる

Tobira states that ようになる is used to "indicate a gradual change over a certain period of time." It essentially expresses the idea that someone has come to the point where they do (or can do) something, or don't (or cannot) do something. This grammar is often used with the potential form of verbs.

Verb + ないようになる is pretty similar to Verb + なくなる, except the former expresses a more gradual change over a period of time. It must be used with the plain form of a non-past verb.

日本人の友達ができてから、日本語が上手に話せるのようになった。
Since I've made a Japanese friend, I've come to be able to speak Japanese well.

息子を養ってから、寝れないことに慣れるようになった。
Since I adopted my son, I've gotten used to not being able to sleep.

父は病気になってから、お酒を飲まないようになった。
Since my dad got sick, he's gotten to the point where he's stopped drinking.

この子は赤ちゃんのころはよく泣いていたが、４歳になって、あまり泣かないようになった。
When this kid was a baby he cried all the time, but since he turned 4, he's gotten to where he doesn't cry very much anymore.

でしょう and だろう

I'm already somewhat familiar with the usage of でしょう and だろう, but it can't hurt to review.

When でしょう or だろう are used with rising intonation, they are asking for the listener's confirmation. When used with falling intonation, they indicate conjecture. This may be obvious, but でしょう is more polite and more commonly used by girls, and だろう by guys. The final う is often dropped in casual speech.

このケーキ、おいしいだろう。有名な店で買ったんだ。高かったんだよ。
This cake is delicious, isn't it? I got it at a famous restaurant. It was expensive.

アヤトと兄弟はすごくかっこういいでしょ。
Ayato and his brothers are so hot, aren't they?

田中さんもあの映画、見たんですか？私も先週見たんですよ。とってもよかったでしょう。
Tanaka-san, did you see that movie too? I saw it last week and it was so good, wasn't it?

昨日見つけた犬はかわいかったんだろう！
The dog I found yesterday was so cute, wasn't he?

Noun か Noun か

The structure A か B か, where A and B are either nouns or phrases, is used to "present alternatives", as Tobira says. It generally translates as something like "either A or B" or "whether A or B." If B is followed by a particle, the second か is usually dropped.

東京から九州まで新幹線で行くか飛行機で行くか、まだ決めていないんです。
I haven't decided whether to fly or take the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyushu.

その店がおいしかったかまずかったか覚えていますか？
Do you remember whether that restaurant was good or bad?

最近のケータイは複雑すぎて、便利か便利じゃないか分からない。
The latest cell phone is too complicated. I don't know whether it's convenient or not.

私は毎朝ジュースか水を飲む。
I drink either juice or water every morning.

ために for Reason or Cause

If  ために is preceded by an i-adjective, na-adjective, or past form of a verb, then it generally indicates reason or cause. In sentences like these it could easily be replaced by から or ので, although ために is more formal than either of those. It's easy to confuse the meanings that ために holds though, so the best way to determine what it means is via context.

コンピュータが壊れたために、レポートが書けませんでした。
My computer broke, so I couldn't write the report.

アリスほしがってるテレビが高すぎるために、本を買おうと思います。
The TV that Alice wants is too expensive, so I'm going to buy her a book.

今年はあまり雪が降らない。そのためにスキーが出来ない。
It didn't snow very much this year. Because of that, we can't ski.

あいつは弟を殴ったために、やっつけに行くんだ。
That guy hit my little brother, so I'm going to go beat him.

Gensou No Kyrie - Shiki

This is a character song from my favorite Dance With Devils character - Shiki. He's a depraved individual, but I love him for it. This song is likely my favorite out of all the DWD character themes, and it suits him quite well.

A note on "Alea iacta est" - it's a Latin phrase that's translated as "The die is cast." It's generally used to mean that things have passed a point of no return. It's funny because there's a Diabolik Lovers versus song I'm currently translating whose title is "Die is Cast." Must be popular among depraved boys.

白と黒の狭間、眠る揺籃(クレイドル)で
窓からの木漏れ日を憎んでた
耳触りが悪い　鎮魂歌(レクイエム)だけ
求め、茨の道、歩くのさ────………

Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!!
染まりかけた悪意に、そう恥じらいなど！！

炎の渦中(なか)で　焼かれるキミを
取り合う遊戯(ゲーム)は、もうすでに終わって
昏い眼光の末路(ゆくすえ)は、決して教えてはならない
望みを喪失(な)くし、討たれたボクが
信じた「遊戯(ゲーム)」も、すでに終わって

響いてる幻想(メロディ)は、合せた鏡の様
そんなキリエを Ah 愛して
歌う────………

頬を張れば見えた？ 醒めた「誘惑」なら
空の端、沈(しず)みかけた太陽さ
肌触りの良さは　天鵞絨(ヴェルヴェット)の様
薔薇の棘刺された痛みだね────………

Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!!
凍りついた善意に、そう躊躇いなど！！

煙に巻かれ、平伏す愛を
眺めて審判(ジャッジ)は、あの日に決まった
罪に歪んでる涙なら、決して乾きはしないから
来世を求め、蔑むふたり
厳しい「審判(ジャッジ)」を、天が降して

響いてる幻想(メロディ)は、合せた鏡の様
そんなキリエを Ah 愛して
歌う────………

Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!!
錆び付いてた総意を、そう裏切るのさ！！

炎の渦中(なか)で　焼かれるキミを
取り合う遊戯(ゲーム)は、もうすでに終わって
昏い眼光の末路(ゆくすえ)は、決して教えてはならない
望みを喪失(な)くし、討たれたボクが
信じた「遊戯(ゲーム)」も、すでに終わって

響いてる幻想(メロディ)は、合せた鏡の様
そんなキリエを Ah 愛して　歌う────………
壊す────……… 壊す────………
Ah「世界(すべて)」を、壊す────………

「………ゾクゾクするねぇ」

In between this black and white, asleep within a cradle
Hating the sunlight that pours in through the window
This detestable noise, little more than a requiem
And so as I wish, I'll take a walk along this thorny path...

Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!!
This malice deeply tainted before you, ah you hold such shame

Fighting for you as you're burned amidst the flames
But this game is already over
Never can I reveal to you this sorrowful judgment of your fate
Any hope you held for my defeat is gone
This "game" of ours has already ended

A resonating melody of illusions, as if reflected within a mirror
Such a Kyrie, ah, it's loved
Now sing...

Do you see something upon my face? This temptation has awakened
The sun has begun to sink deep into the sky
Like the texture of a luscious velvet
It's the painful prick of a thorn from a wild rose...

Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!!
Your virtuous mind has frozen, and now you hesitate

Gazing upon an elusive, revering love before you
This judgment was decided on that fateful day
And so never will I dry those tears, distorted by sin
Desirous of another world, the two of us are held in contempt
An unsparing judgment passed down from heaven

A resonating melody of illusions, as if reflected within a mirror
Such a Kyrie, ah, it's loved
Now sing...

Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!! Alea iacta est!!
Their harmony has crumbled, and now we shall betray them

Fighting for you as you're burned amidst the flames
But this game is already over
Never can I reveal to you this sorrowful judgment of your fate
Any hope you held for my defeat is gone
This "game" of ours has already ended

A resonating melody of illusions, as if reflected within a mirror
Such a Kyrie, ah, it's loved, now sing...
Destroy... destroy...
Ah, destroy it all...

"Thrilling, isn't it?"

ために for Purpose

In some contexts, the word ために can be used in a sentence to demonstrate sake or purpose. This is the case if it's preceded by a noun or non-past verb. It can hold several meanings, such as "in order to", "for the purpose of", "for the sake of", or just "for."

父は家族のためにいっしょうけんめい働いている。
Dad works as hard as he can for the sake of our family.

私は健康のため、エレベーター乗らないで階段を使うことにしています。
For the sake of my health, I've decided that I'll use the stairs and stop riding the elevator.

日本中を安く旅行するために、JR バスを買おうと思っている。
In order to cheaply travel throughout Japan, I've decided to buy a JR bus pass.

これは敬語の使い方を練習するためのサイトだ。
This is a site for practicing how to use keigo.

の代わりに

The phrase の代わりに is used after a noun to express "instead of" or "in place of" and show that that noun is being replaced by something else. That "something else" is generally listed later in the sentence. If the context is clear, the noun + の part before 代わりに can be dropped.

今お姉さんはクラブがいるから、代わりに私が晩ご飯を作るんだ。
My big sister is at her club right now, so I'm cooking dinner instead.

ペンの代わりに鉛筆を使って書いてください。
Please use a pencil to write instead of a pen.

レストランで魚の代わりにラーメンを食べると思う。
At the restaurant I think I'll have ramen instead of fish.

最近、日本でも現金の代わりにカードを使う人が多くなった。
Recently, even in Japan there are many people who use cards instead of cash.

にとって

X にとって means something like "to X" or "for X." So 私にとって would be like "To me..." before I go on to describe something that is personally true for me. X is often a person, geographic unit, or organization, according to Tobira.

僕にとって忘れられない場所は、彼女と初めて会った喫茶店です。
For me, a place that I can't forget is the cafe where I met my girlfriend for the first time.

私にとって、最も難しいことは別れを告げるのことだ。
For me, the most difficult thing is saying goodbye.

きみにとって、一番大切なものは何？
What's the most important thing to you? 

私にとって一番大切なものは私の猫だが、猫にとって一番大切なものは食べ物ようだ。
To me, the most important thing is my cat, but to my cat, it seems like the most important thing is food.

Using 一つ as "One of the..."

The following formula can be used to express something like "X is one of the..."

Noun は Plural Noun の 一つ / 一人

An equivalent example in English would be something like "Cats are one of the most popular pets." The counter word needs to be used in accordance with whatever your plural noun is, so 一人 if you're talking about people, etc.

アラビア語は最も難しい言葉の一つだと言われています。
It's said that Arabic is one of the most difficult languages.

ソフィアヴェラガラは最も人気がある女優の一人と思う。
I think that Sofia Veragara is one of the most popular actresses.

漢字は日本語の勉強で最も大切なものの一つです。
When it comes to studying Japanese, kanji is one of the most important parts.

ファンフィクションを書くのは私が一番好きなことの一つだよ。
Writing fanfiction is one of my favorite things.

など to Express "Etc"

The word など can be used after listing multiple nouns or phrases to have an effect like "etc."

Noun 1 や Noun 2 など = Noun 1, Noun 2, and others or Noun1, Noun 2, etc

Noun 1 や Noun 2 などの Noun 3 = Noun 3 such as Noun 2 and Noun 1

日本の食べ物の中では、すしやてんぷらなどが好きです。
I like Japanese foods like sushi and tempura.

今学期は日本語やアジアの歴史などのクラスを取っています。
This semester I'm taking classes like Japanese and Asian history.

夏休みはイタリアやギリシャなどに行こうと思っています。
For summer break, I've decided that I'll go to places like Italy and Greece.

日本語には、「いらっしゃいます」 や 「召し上がります」 など、色々な敬語がある。
In Japanese, 「いらっしゃいます」 and 「召し上がります」 are various examples of keigo.

More on Have To/Must

I know I've already been over the grammar points for expressing "have to" or "must", but Tobira has added a few details that are worth mentioning. First, both of the following two forms can be used interchangeably:

～なければ　いけない / ならない
～なくては　いけない / ならない

The first is shortened to なきゃ while the second is shortened to なくちゃ. I know I posted those forms earlier, but I didn't realize where each was coming from, so that makes more sense now. Also, ならない can be shortened to なんない.

Next, although いけない and ならない can both be used, ならない is "commonly used when the speaker states his/her sense of obligation, while いけない is commonly used when the sense of obligation is directed toward the hearer (i.e., when the speaker wants to impose a certain obligation on the hearer)." Thanks, Tobira.

国民はみんな税金を払わなければなりません。
All citizens must pay taxes.

このクラスの学生は十二時半に食堂に行かなければいけないんだ。
Students of this class have to go to the cafeteria at 12:30.

今朝、朝寝坊してクラスに遅れちゃったから、明日はもっと早く起きなくちゃ。
I overslept this morning and was late for class, so tomorrow I should get up earlier.

リーさんはケーキが欲しいと言ってたから、店に行って買わなくちゃ。
Lee-san said he wants a cake, so I have to go to the store and buy it.