Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 43
The first order
〜を控えて ・ 〜を兼ねて ・ 〜なしに ・ 〜もしないで ・ 〜こともあって
In this lesson, you will learn to say a big event is coming up with 〜を控えて, that one action serves a second purpose with 〜を兼ねて, that something does not happen without something else with 〜なしに, that someone did not even do the least they should have with 〜もしないで, and to give one reason among several with 〜こともあって. It is November, and the tea has its first order: five cafés in Seattle.
By the end you will be able to say
出荷を 控えて、ラベルを もう 一度 確認しました。With the shipment coming up, I checked the labels once more.
市場調査を 兼ねて、小さい 缶の サンプルも 入れます。We're putting in small sample tins, too, which double as a market survey.
二重の 確認なしには、書類を 一枚も 出しません。Not a single document goes out without a double check.
彼は 書類を 読みもしないで、判を 押しました。He stamped the form without even reading it.
紹介も あって、注文は 早く 決まりました。Partly thanks to the introductions, the order came quickly.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜を控えて — with ... coming up — Nを控えて says a big event is close at hand, and people are getting ready for it.
- 〜を兼ねて — doubling as ... — AをかねてB says you do B and it serves as A at the same time: one action, two purposes.
- 〜なしに / 〜ことなしに — without ... — Nなしに (or a verb + ことなしに) says without something, often that B cannot or must not happen without it.
- 〜もしないで — without even ... — A verb's ます-stem + も しないで says someone did something without even doing the least they should have first.
- 〜こともあって — partly because ... — Nも あって or 〜ことも あって gives one reason among several: partly because of.