Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 28
Whose mistake
〜としたことが ・ 〜ともあろう者が ・ 〜嫌いがある ・ 〜ではあるまいか ・ 〜たことにする
In this lesson, you will learn to blame yourself for a slip you would never normally make with 〜としたことが, to say someone of a certain standing should have known better with 〜ともあろう 人が, to admit a bad habit with 〜嫌いが ある, to put forward a careful suspicion with 〜ではあるまいか, and to talk about treating something as if it had or had not happened with 〜たことにする and 〜たことになる. Back from Seattle, Mori holds a meeting to look at what went wrong.
By the end you will be able to say
私としたことが、英語しか 確認して いませんでした。How could I? I only checked the English.
部長は 自分の ことを 「部長ともあろう 人が」と 言いました。Mori said of himself, 'A department manager, of all people.'
私は 急ぎすぎる 嫌いが あります。I have a tendency to rush.
本当の 原因は、日程ではあるまいか。I suspect the real cause was the schedule.
今回の ことを なかった ことには できません。We can't treat this as if it never happened.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜としたことが — how could I (of all people) — A person + としたことが blames yourself, or someone you trust, for a slip you would never have expected of them.
- 〜ともあろう 人が (者が) — someone of that standing, of all people — A title or role + ともあろう 人が (or 者が) criticizes someone whose position should have kept them from what they did.
- 〜嫌いが ある — has a (bad) tendency to — A dictionary form (or a noun with の) + 嫌いが ある says someone tends to do something they would be better off not doing.
- 〜ではあるまいか — I suspect that; isn't it that — 〜ではあるまいか puts forward a careful guess, in written style: 'I suspect it is'.
- 〜たことにする / 〜たことになる — treat as if it happened; count as — A past form + ことに する treats something as having happened (or not); + ことに なる says it counts as having happened.