Japanese from zero · N2 Lesson 13
The research
〜に伴って ・ 〜にわたって ・ 〜ばかりだ ・ わずかに
In this lesson, you will learn to say that one change comes with another with 〜に伴って, that something runs over a long period with 〜にわたって, that a change just keeps getting worse with 〜ばかりだ, and that a number moved only slightly with わずかに. Mr. Mori gives Lisa her research for the internship: the labor shortage at ports and warehouses.
By the end you will be able to say
この データは 十年にわたって 集めました。This data was collected over ten years.
高齢化に伴って、人手不足が 深刻に なって います。As the population ages, the labor shortage is getting serious.
物流の 人手不足は 深刻に なる ばかりです。The labor shortage in logistics just keeps getting worse.
若い 労働者の 数が わずかに 増えました。The number of young workers rose slightly.
港と 倉庫の データを 調べます。I'll look into the data on ports and warehouses.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜に伴って — as (one change brings another) — A noun for a change or an event + に伴って says something else changes along with it; before a noun, it is に伴う.
- 〜にわたって — over; throughout (a long period or a wide area) — A length of time or a range + にわたって says something goes on through all of it; before a noun, it is にわたる.
- 〜ばかりだ — just keeps getting (worse) — The dictionary form of a verb of change + ばかりだ says the change keeps going one way, usually a bad one.
- わずかに — slightly; only a little — わずかに means 'slightly' about a change you can measure; わずかな goes before a noun, and わずか before a number means 'only'.