Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 15
Obon, by video
〜かと思いきや ・ 〜とは ・ 〜のやら〜のやら ・ 〜ともなく
In this lesson, you will learn to talk about surprises and mixed feelings: to say things turned out against what you expected with 〜かと思いきや, to react to something hard to believe with 〜とは, to wonder, or fail to tell which, with 〜のやら, and to do something without really meaning to with 〜ともなく. It is the Obon holiday in August, and Lisa and Sakura are on a video call with Tanaka in Seattle.
By the end you will be able to say
帰って くるかと 思いきや、春まで 残る ことに なった。We thought he'd come home, but he's staying until spring.
まさか もう 一年 残るとは 思わなかった。I never imagined he would stay another year.
うれしいのやら 寂しいのやら、よく わからない。I can't tell whether I'm happy or lonely.
見るともなく、さくらの 絵を 見て いた。Without really meaning to, I was looking at Sakura's painting.
どこからともなく、いい においが して きた。From somewhere or other came a lovely smell.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜かと思いきや — I thought so, but in fact — Plain form + かと思いきや sets up what you expected and then turns it over: the second half is the surprise.
- 〜とは (surprise) — to think that…! — Plain form + とは reacts to something hard to believe; it often ends the sentence or comes before 思わなかった.
- 〜のやら / 〜のやら〜のやら — I wonder; I can't tell whether — A question + のやら says 'who knows?'; Aのやら Bのやら says you can't tell whether it is A or B.
- 〜ともなく / 〜ともなしに — without really meaning to — A verb (dictionary form) + ともなく, usually before the same verb, says you did it absent-mindedly, without meaning to.