JP2000 Lecture 30

Abstract noun TOKORO

1. Structure:  S      TOKORO       da/desu
               S1     TOKORO  | o  |   (S2)     S3
                              | ni |

2. Meaning:   Situation

3. Usage:  RU     | TOKORO  da/desu :   be about to/be going to
           TA     |                 :   have just -ed
           TE IRU |                 :   be in the middle of ~ing
           TE ITA |                 :   have been ~ing

           RU     | TOKORO datta/deshita: was about to/was going to
           TA     |                 :   had just -ed
           TE IRU |                 :   was in the middle of ~ing
           TE ITA |                 :   had been ~ing

     YOO TO SHITE IRU| TOKORO da/desu:  be in the middle of  trying to 
                  ITA|              :   have been trying to

                  IRU| TOKORO datta/deshita: was in the middle of  trying to
                  ITA|              :   had been in the middle of  trying to

       ~ TOKORO   | o |             :   in the situation where ~
                  | ni|             :   to the situation where ~

                 
4. Example:

       Ofuro ni | hairu        |    tokoro desu.
                | haitta       | 
                | haitte iru   |
                | haitte ita   | 

       Bangohan o   | taberu     |     tokoro deshita.
                    | tabeta     |
                    | tabete iru | 
                    | tabete ita |

       Dekake-yoo to shite |iru| tokoro desu.
                           |ita|

       Dekake-yoo to shite |iru| tokoro deshita.
                           |ita|

       Oisogashii tokoro o kite kudasatte arigatoo gozaimashita.

       Oyasumi no tokoro o ojamashite mooshiwake gozaimasen.

       Tabete iru tokoro ni tomodachi kara denwa ga kakarimashita.

       Shokuji no shitaku o shite iru tokoro ni shujin ga kaette kimashita.

Speaker's CONJECTURE/PROBABILITY

1. Structure:     S + KA MO SHIRENAI

2. Form    :      V/A/N ka mo shirenai

3. Meaning :      may/maybe

4. Usage   :      less probable than -deshoo/-daroo

       Kyoo wa ikanai ka mo shiremasen.
       Setsumee ga wakaranakatta ka mo shiremasen.
       Tomodachi wa rainen kuni e kaeru ka mo shiremasen.
       Rusu-chuu ni ani ga kita ka mo shiremasen.

   N.B. KA [Question] + MO [also] + SHIRENAI [cannot know] = MAY/MAYBE

Source of Information

1. Structure :    N [source of information] NI YORU TO, ..... (SOO DESU)

2. Form      :    ~ no hanashi/nyuusu/uwasa/hookoku ... ni yoru to

3. Meaning   :    according to ~

4. Usage     :    often accompanied by -soo desu
            	  -de wa is also used

   Tenki-yohoo ni yoru to, kyoo wa gogo kara yuki ga furu soo desu.
   Tomodachi no hanashi ni yoru to, moo sugu suto ga aru soo da.
   Shinbun no kiji ni yoru to, Eego ga kakenai hito ga takusan iru soo da.
   Watashi no kiita hanashi de wa, kazan no bakuhatsu de hito ga takusan shinda 
   soo desu.

Counters for PROPERTY and ROOM

[Property]  Traditional measurement: 

          -TSUBO  [3.3m²]
          -HEEBEE [heehoo meetoru = m²]

          hito/futa/mi/yo/go/mu,roku/nana/hat/kyuu/jut ... -tsubo

[Room]    -JOO [tatami mat]  [two mats = one tsubo]

          ichi/ni/san ... -joo
          san-joo/yo-joo-han/roku-joo/hachi-joo/juu-joo

GURAI for emphasizing DEGREE

1. Structure:   [extreme case] gurai  (NEG)

2. Form     :   V/N gurai

3. Meaning  : 	to the extent of ~ ; about as ~ as ...

4. Usage    :   emphasizing degree by comparing with extreme examples

       Boku gurai baka wa inai.                	    [=hodo]
       Kanada gurai ii kuni wa nai.                 [=hodo]
       Nihongo ga hanasenai no wa boku gurai da.
       Hon o yomu no wa kono gakusee gurai desu.
       Sakana wa kore gurai ookikatta desu.