Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 48
Minju in Tokyo
〜かたわら ・ 〜ためしがない ・ 〜も〜なら〜も〜だ ・ 〜はどうであれ
In this lesson, you will learn to say what someone does alongside their main work with 〜かたわら, to complain that something has never once happened with 〜ためしがない, to say two people are as bad as each other with 〜も〜なら〜も〜だ, and to say 'whatever X is or was' with 〜はどうであれ. It is February, Minju is in Tokyo on business, and the old friends meet for dinner in みどり町.
By the end you will be able to say
ミンジュは、仕事の かたわら、同僚に 日本語を 教えて いる。Alongside her job, Minju teaches Japanese to her coworkers.
りょうは、時間通りに 来た ためしが ない。Ryo has never once arrived on time.
たなかくんも たなかくんなら、りょうも りょうだ。Tanaka's hopeless, and Ryo's just as bad.
昔は どうであれ、今 四人で 会えるのが うれしい。Whatever things were like back then, I'm glad the four of us can meet now.
出張で、旧知の 仲間と 再会した。On a business trip, I met up again with old friends.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜かたわら — alongside (your main work) — A noun + の or a verb's dictionary form + かたわら says someone does a second thing alongside their main work, over a long time.
- 〜ためしがない — has never once (done it) — A verb's plain past + ためしがない complains that something has never once happened.
- 〜も〜なら、〜も〜だ — A is bad, and B is just as bad — AもAなら、BもBだ, with each noun said twice, says two people are as bad as each other.
- 〜はどうであれ — whatever ... is (or was) — A noun + は どうであれ says that whatever that thing is or was, what follows holds.