Lesson 186: 随筆と 手紙を 読む

N1 · Lesson 186 · 20 min — Follow Rin as he reads his own essay and the last page from はな, and review every pattern from Lessons 180–185 in one go

No new grammar in this lesson! It's a late night in late March. In his dorm, Rin writes an essay about showing Grandpa around Tokyo. Then he gathers his courage and reads the last-page letter that はな gave him. Follow Rin and practice the concession, supposition and appearance patterns from Lessons 180–185 together.

After this lesson, you can:

• Use といえども・とはいえ・と思おもいきや・たところで to say "even if", "although", "I thought... but" and "it's no use even if you do"
• Use ようが〜まいが・ようにも〜ない・ではあるまいし・ならいざしらず to say "whether or not", "can't even if I try", "it's not like..." and "fine if it were..."
• Use なくして・ことなしに・が最後さいご・いかん to say "without X, no Y", "once X, it's over" and "depends on X"
• Use ようでは・ないまでも・にひきかえ to criticize, step back and contrast; use ずくめ・まみれ・めく・じみる・ごとく to describe people and scenery
• Use がてら・かたがた・かたわら・ながらに・と相あいまって to read essays and letters

The Last Page, Part 1

After showing Grandpa around Tokyo, Rin opens the last-page letter from はな late at night...

ながらに (in tears) and ようが (no matter...): Rin read the first half. Next: before the final review, Grandpa visits his tree daily despite everyone's worry...

Reading an essay and a letter

The 「」 lines are Rin's essay and はな's letter. Can you spot the patterns from Lessons 180–185? Tap any line to hear the Japanese.

Words in this lesson

• 随筆ずいひつ (zuihitsu): essay, personal prose
• 夜中よなか (yonaka): middle of the night, late at night
• 祖父そふ (sofu): (my) grandfather
• 快晴かいせい (kaisei): perfectly clear weather, cloudless sky
• 膝ひざ (hiza): knee
• 汗あせ (ase): sweat
• 別わかれ (wakare): parting, farewell
• 見送みおくる (miokuru): to see someone off, to watch someone leave
• 背中せなか (senaka): back, the back of a person (seen from behind)
• 一文いちぶん (ichibun): one sentence, one line
• 団子だんご (dango): dango (sweet rice dumplings)
• 気分きぶん (kibun): mood, feeling
• 小説しょうせつ (shōsetsu): novel
• 才能さいのう (sainō): talent, gift
• 吹ふく (fuku): (wind) blows
• 満点まんてん (manten): full marks, perfect score
• 程度ていど (teido): degree, level
• 理解りかい (rikai): understanding, sympathy
• 旅たび (tabi): trip, journey (a more emotional word than 旅行りょこう)

Grammar 1 / 6: といえども・とはいえ・と思おもいきや・たところで

といえども = even if ~; とはいえ = although ~, still; と思おもいきや = I thought ~ but; たところで = even if ~, no use

• といえども・とはいえ: N / plain form + といえども: even (someone at this level or status) ~. Very formal: 先生せんせいと いえども、一人ひとりでは 決きめられない = Even a teacher can't decide alone. N / plain form + とはいえ: although ~, in reality ~: 春はるとは いえ、まだ 寒さむい。
• と思おもいきや: Plain form (nouns often add か: 雨あめかと) + と思おもいきや: I thought ~, but the result was the complete opposite. Used only for things that already happened, often with surprise.
• たところで: Ta-form + ところで: even if you do ~, (it won't lead anywhere). The ending is always negative or "useless": 今いまから 急いそいだ ところで、間まに合あわない。

• 子こどもと いえども、ルールは 守まもらなければ ならない。 — Even a child must follow the rules.
• 休やすみとは いえ、宿題しゅくだいが 多おおくて 遊あそべない。 — It's a holiday, but I have so much homework that I can't play.
• 今いまから 急いそいだ ところで、間まに合あわないよ。 — Even if we rush from now, we won't make it.

Grammar 2 / 6: ようが〜まいが・ようにも〜ない・ではあるまいし・ならいざしらず

ようが〜まいが = whether ~ or not; ようにも〜ない = can't even if I want to ~; ではあるまいし = it's not like ~; ならいざしらず = fine if it were ~

• ようが〜まいが: Volitional form + が (〜まいが): no matter whether ~ or not, the result is the same. It also works with question words: 誰だれが 何なんと 言いおうが = no matter who says what. How to form まい: Group 1 verbs take the dictionary form (決きまるまい); Group 2: 食たべまい / 食たべるまい; Group 3: するまい (しまい)・来くるまい.
• ようにも〜ない: Volitional form + にも + negative potential form of the same verb: you want to do it, but something stops you: 名前なまえが わからないので、調しらべようにも 調しらべられない。
• ではあるまいし・ならいざしらず: N + ではあるまいし: it's not like ~, so you shouldn't / needn't ~. Often followed by advice or criticism. N / plain form + ならいざしらず (ならまだしも): if it were ~, it would be acceptable, but this situation is not.

• 誰だれが 反対はんたいしようが、ぼくは やる。 — No matter who objects, I'm going to do it.
• 名前なまえが わからないので、調しらべようにも 調しらべられない。 — I don't know the name, so I can't look it up even if I want to.
• 初はじめてなら いざしらず、三回目さんかいめで 迷まよう とは。 — Getting lost the first time is fine, but getting lost a third time!

Grammar 3 / 6: なくして・ことなしに・が最後さいご・いかん

なくして = without ~, no ~; ことなしに = can't ~ without ~ing; が最後さいご = once ~, no going back; いかん = depends on ~

• なくして・ことなしに: N + なくして(は) / なしに(は): without ~, (you can't) ~. V dictionary form + ことなしに: without doing ~, (you can't) ~. Usually followed by a negative: 家族かぞくの 理解りかい なくして、留学りゅうがくは できなかった。
• が最後さいご: V ta-form + が最後さいご (Vたら最後さいご): once ~, (you can't stop / it's over). The result is usually something you can't undo.
• いかん: N (の) + いかんで(は): depending on ~. "いかんでは" is often followed by "there's a chance that ~." N (の) + いかんに よらず: regardless of ~, ~. Very formal, common in notices: 理由りゆうの いかんに よらず、キャンセルは できません。

• 家族かぞくの 理解りかい なくして、留学りゅうがくは できなかった。 — Without my family's understanding, I couldn't have studied abroad.
• この ゲームは 始はじめたが 最後さいご、朝あさまで やめられない。 — Once you start this game, you'll keep playing until morning.
• 天気てんき いかんでは、明日あしたの ツアーは 中止ちゅうしに なる ことも あります。 — Depending on the weather, tomorrow's plan might also be cancelled.

Grammar 4 / 6: ようでは・ないまでも・にひきかえ

ようでは = if (even) ~, that won't do; ないまでも = even if not ~, at least ~; にひきかえ = in contrast to ~

• ようでは: Plain form + ようでは: if (even) ~, then (it won't work / it's impossible). Usually followed by a negative, to criticize or warn: この 程度ていどで 疲つかれる ようでは、山やまには 登のぼれない。
• ないまでも: Nai-form + までも: even if it doesn't reach the level of ~, at least ~ (and not far below that level). Often followed by 「〜ぐらいは・〜は〜たい・〜てほしい」: 満点まんてんとは 言いわない までも、八十点はちじゅってんは 取とりたい。
• にひきかえ: N + にひきかえ: compared with ~ (a complete opposite). The first N shows a trait (静しずかな 兄あに), and the second half gives the opposite trait, often with the speaker's surprise or dissatisfaction: 静しずかな 兄あにに ひきかえ、弟おとうとは よく 話はなす。

• この 程度ていどで 疲つかれる ようでは、山やまには 登のぼれないよ。 — If you get tired this easily, you can't climb a mountain.
• 満点まんてんとは 言いわない までも、八十点はちじゅってんは 取とりたい。 — I won't say a perfect score, but I'd like at least eighty points.
• 雨あめだった 昨日きのうに ひきかえ、今日きょうは いい 天気てんきだ。 — Unlike yesterday's rain, today's weather is nice.

Grammar 5 / 6: ずくめ・まみれ・めく／じみる・ごとく

ずくめ = all ~; まみれ = covered in ~; めく = having a feel of ~ (じみる is mostly negative); ごとく = as if ~

• ずくめ・まみれ: N + ずくめ: everything is ~ (いい ことずくめ・黒くろずくめ). N + まみれ: the surface is covered in ~ (汗あせまみれ・泥どろまみれ).
• めく・じみる: N + めく (めいた N): showing signs or a feel of ~. Few nouns work with it: 春はるめく・冗談じょうだんめいた ことを 言いう = say something like a joke. N + じみる (じみた N): ~-like (when it shouldn't be), mostly negative: 子こどもじみた こと = a childish thing.
• ごとく: Nの / V dictionary form or ta-form (が) + ごとく (ごとき N): as if ~. It's literary language, used in novels and essays. In speech, ように is enough: 夢ゆめの ごとく = 夢ゆめの ように.

• 黒くろずくめの 服ふくを 着きた 人ひとが 立たって いた。 — A person dressed all in black was standing there.
• 雨あめの 中なかで 遊あそんで、子こどもたちは 泥どろまみれだ。 — Playing in the rain, the children were covered in mud.
• 時間じかんは 川かわの 流ながれの ごとく 過すぎて いった。 — Time flowed by like a river.

Grammar 6 / 6: がてら・かたがた・かたわら・ながらに・と相あいまって

がてら = while at it; かたがた = also (formal); かたわら = alongside a main job; ながらに = staying in a state of ~; と相あいまって = working together with ~

• がてら・かたがた: N / V masu-form + がてら: doing ~, and also (doing another thing) (散歩さんぽがてら・買かい物ものがてら). N + かたがた: also ~. More formal, often used in letters or to people above you: お礼れいかたがた、ご挨拶あいさつに 伺うかがいます。
• かたわら: V dictionary form / Nの + かたわら: alongside your (main) ~, also doing ~ over a long time: 会社かいしゃで 働はたらく かたわら、小説しょうせつを 書かいて いる。
• ながらに・と相あいまって: N / V masu-form + ながらに (ながらの N): staying in a state of ~: 涙なみだながらに・生うまれながらの・昔むかしながらの. N + と相あいまって: combined with ~, the effect is stronger: 春はるの 風かぜと 相あいまって。

• 買かい物ものがてら、駅えきまで 歩あるきました。 — I went shopping and walked on to the station while at it.
• 彼かれは 大学だいがくで 教おしえる かたわら、絵えを 描かいて いる。 — Alongside teaching at a university, he has kept on painting.
• 昔むかしながらの 町並まちなみが 残のこって いる。 — The old streets keep the look they have had since long ago.