Lesson 122: 約束の 木の ツアー

N3 · Lesson 122 · 20 min — Follow Rin's trial Yanaka tour day and review the reason, degree and judgment patterns from Lessons 117–121 in one go

No new grammar in this lesson! A one-day tour with Rin, Neko-sensei, Manager Tanuki and Kumata ties together the "reason, degree, judgment" patterns of Lessons 117–121 for extra practice.

After this lesson, you can:

• Use おかげで・せいで・ため for "thanks to", "it's the fault of", and the formal "due to" of announcements
• Use ものだから・ことから・せっかく for excuses, where a name comes from, and "since you've gone to the trouble"
• Use ほど・ほど〜は ない・に 比くらべて・から 見みると for degree, comparison and point of view
• Use こそ・さえ・さえ〜ば・は もちろん to stress "exactly", "even", "as long as" and "not to mention"
• Use なんか・なんて・くせに・に しては・わりに for judgments: looking down on, complaining, being surprised

The Promise Tree Tour

The manager said yes: a trial Yanaka tour! On a sunny October day, Rin leads his first self-planned tour. (地味じみ = plain)

おかげで・ほど〜ない・くせに・さえ〜ば: reasons, degree and judgments, all used. Next lesson: Rin writes his reply, but can't send it...

Yanaka Trial Tour Day

Can you spot the patterns from Lessons 117–121? Tap each line to hear the Japanese.

Vocab for This Lesson

• 約束やくそく (yakusoku): promise
• 新人しんじん (shinjin): newcomer, rookie
• 泣なかせる (nakaseru): to make (someone) cry; tear-jerking
• 言いい訳わけ (iiwake): excuse
• 旗はた (hata): flag
• きびしい (kibishii): strict
• 怒おこる (okoru): to get angry; to scold
• 参加さんかする (sanka suru): to take part, to join
• 集あつまる (atsumaru): to gather, to meet up
• ついて いく (tsuite iku): to follow, to go along with
• 頼たのむ (tanomu): to ask (a favor), to rely on
• ええと (ēto): um, uh... (while thinking)
• ゴミ (gomi): trash; dust
• さあ (sā): okay, come on (urging)
• 大成功だいせいこう (daiseikō): great success
• 今度こんど (kondo): this time; next time
• 大雪おおゆき (ōyuki): heavy snow
• 運休うんきゅう (unkyū): service suspended (trains, buses)
• 工事こうじ (kōji): construction work
• 値段ねだん (nedan): price
• 量りょう (ryō): amount, portion
• 文句もんく (monku): complaint
• まだまだ (madamada): still a long way to go
• うまく いく (umaku iku): to go well
• 階段かいだん (kaidan): stairs, staircase
• 夕日ゆうひ (yūhi): setting sun
• 絶対ぜったいに (zettai ni): absolutely, for sure

Grammar 1 / 5: おかげで・せいで・ため

おかげで gives the reason for a good result (thanks to), せいで gives the reason for a bad result (it's the fault of), and ため is the formal reason in announcements and news (due to).

• おかげで: thanks to ~: Plain form / Nの＋おかげで is followed by a good result and shows gratitude: 先生せんせいの おかげで 合格ごうかくしました. It can also end a sentence: みなさんの おかげです.
• せいで・せいか: the fault of ~: Plain form / Nの＋せいで is followed by a bad result and shows complaint or blame. せいか means "maybe because of ~", when you aren't sure of the reason yourself.
• ため（に）: due to ~: Plain form / Nの＋ため（に） is a formal, objective way to give a reason. It is most common in station announcements, news and notices: 大雪おおゆきの ため、運休うんきゅうします.

• 先生せんせいの おかげで、日本語にほんごが 上手じょうずに なりました。 — Thanks to my teacher, my Japanese got better.
• 寝坊ねぼうした せいで、バスに 乗のれなかった。 — I overslept, so I missed the bus.
• 大雪おおゆきの ため、電車でんしゃが 止とまって います。 — Due to heavy snow, the trains are suspended.
• 食たべすぎた せいか、おなかが 痛いたい。 — Maybe because I ate too much, my stomach really hurts.

Grammar 2 / 5: ものだから・ことから・せっかく

ものだから excuses your own reason (because, you see), ことから gives the origin of a name or a judgment (from the fact that), and せっかく means "since you've gone to the trouble".

• ものだから（もんだから・もの）: because ~, you see: Plain form＋ものだから (な-adjective・N＋な ものだから). You give the reason you couldn't help it. Most common when apologizing or making excuses. In speech it shortens to もんだから, and when acting cute you say just もん: 眠ねむいんだもん.
• ことから: from the fact that ~ (origin): Plain form＋ことから (な-adjective＋な／である, N＋である). It gives the origin of a name or expression, or "judging from this point": 猫ねこが 多おおい ことから、猫ねこの 町まちと 呼よばれる. It sounds written and is common in tours.
• せっかく: since you've gone to the trouble: せっかく〜から／んだから = it's a rare chance, so make the most of it. せっかく〜のに = you made the effort, but the result is a pity. せっかくの＋N: せっかくの 休やすみ.

• 初はじめてな ものですから、よく わかりません。 — It's my first time, you see, so I don't know much.
• 階段かいだんから 夕日ゆうひが きれいに 見みえる ことから、「夕ゆうやけだんだん」と 呼よばれて いる。 — Because you can see the sunset clearly from the stairs, it's called "Yuyake Dandan".
• せっかく 作つくったのに、だれも 食たべなかった。 — I went to the trouble of making it, but nobody ate it.
• せっかくの 休やすみだから、出でかけよう。 — Since it's a rare day off, let's go out for a walk.

Grammar 3 / 5: ほど・ほど〜はない・に比くらべて・から見みると

ほど means "to the extent of ~", AほどB は ない means "nothing is as B as A", に比くらべて means "compared with ~", and から見みると means "from the view of ~".

• ほど（くらい）: to the extent of ~: Plain form＋ほど uses an exaggerated example to show how high the degree is: 足あしが 痛いたく なる ほど 歩あるいた. くらい also works, with almost the same meaning.
• AほどBは ない: nothing is as B as A: A＋ほど＋B (of N)＋は ない／いない. The sentence always ends in the negative, but the meaning is "A is the best, the most ~": 谷中やなかほど 物語ものがたりが ある 町まちは ない. For people, use いない.
• に比くらべて・から見みると: N＋に（と）比くらべて = comparing with N. N＋から 見みると (からすると・から 言いうと) = from N's standpoint. Before it you mostly find a person or a role.

• 足あしが 痛いたく なる ほど 歩あるきました。 — I walked until my feet hurt.
• 母ははの 料理りょうりほど おいしい ものは ない。 — No food is more delicious than my mom's cooking.
• 去年きょねんに 比くらべて、日本語にほんごが 上手じょうずに なった。 — Compared with last year, my Japanese has gotten better.
• 子こどもから 見みると、この 机つくえは 高たかすぎる。 — From a child's point of view, this table is too high.

Grammar 4 / 5: こそ・さえ・さえ〜ば・はもちろん

こそ stresses "exactly this", さえ (でさえ) means "even ~", さえ〜ば means "as long as ~", and は もちろん means "not to mention ~ (also ~)".

• こそ: exactly ~, the very ~: N＋こそ puts a spotlight on that word: 今度こんどこそ (this time for sure), こちらこそ (no, the pleasure is mine!). A resolution or strong agreement often follows.
• さえ・でさえ: even ~: N＋さえ (でさえ is common for a person or subject) gives the most unlikely example, meaning "so the rest is even more so": 水みずさえ 飲のめない. さえ replaces が and を.
• さえ〜ば・は もちろん: N＋さえ＋〜ば = as long as this one condition holds, that's enough: 住所じゅうしょさえ わかれば. Aは もちろん、Bも = A is a given, and B too: ラーメンは もちろん、ぎょうざも おいしい.

• 今度こんどこそ、試験しけんに 合格ごうかくしたい。 — This time I'll definitely pass.
• 忙いそがしくて、水みずを 飲のむ 時間じかんさえ なかった。 — I was so busy I didn't even have time to drink water.
• 住所じゅうしょさえ わかれば、手紙てがみが 出だせます。 — As long as I know the address, I can send a letter.
• この 店みせは、ラーメンは もちろん、ぎょうざも おいしい。 — The ramen at this shop is great, not to mention the gyoza, which are good too.

Grammar 5 / 5: なんか・くせに・にしては・わりに

なんか・なんて show looking down on something, being humble or surprise. くせに is a complaint, "even though ~". に しては means "for a ~ (unexpectedly)". わりに means "considering ~, yet (not matching)".

• なんか・なんて: ~ or whatever: N＋なんか／なんて: looking down (言いい訳わけなんて いい) or being humble (わたしなんか まだまだです). Plain form＋なんて: surprise, something unexpected (泣なく なんて 思おもわなかった).
• くせに: even though ~, you ~: Plain form / Nの＋くせに blames someone: "even though you are ~, you do something that doesn't fit". It carries complaint, and you don't use it about yourself. Saying it straight to a senior is very rude (complaining about a senior behind their back is possible, for example: 部長ぶちょうは 知しって いる くせに、教おしえて くれない). Manager Tanuki's 「新人しんじんの くせに」 is tough talk: literally a scolding, but really he was moved and is hiding it. It's a joke that deliberately says the opposite, so don't normally use くせに to praise people.
• に しては・わりに: N・plain form＋に しては = for this role or standard, the result is unexpected: 初はじめてに しては 上手じょうず. Plain form / Nの＋わりに = compared with a certain degree, the result doesn't match: 安やすい わりに おいしい.

• わたしなんか、まだまだです。 — Someone like me still has a long way to go.
• 弟おとうとは 料理りょうりが できない くせに、わたしの 料理りょうりに 文句もんくを 言いう。 — My little brother can't cook, yet he complains about my cooking.
• 十月じゅうがつに しては、暑あつい 日ひですね。 — For October, it's really hot today.
• この 店みせは 安やすい わりに、おいしい。 — This shop is cheap, yet very tasty.