Japanese from zero · N2 Lesson 23
Food loss
〜に過ぎない/〜でしかない ・ 〜のみ ・ 〜に加えて ・ しかも/その上
In this lesson, you will learn to say something is no more than a small part with 〜に過ぎない and 〜でしかない, to say 'only' in written Japanese with 〜のみ, to add one thing to another with 〜に加えて, and to pile on a further point with しかも and その上. It is December, and Lisa is writing the newspaper club's feature on food loss.
By the end you will be able to say
店員が もらう ケーキは、売れ残りの 一部に過ぎない。The cakes the staff take home are no more than a part of what's left unsold.
フードロスは 店のみの 問題では ない。Food loss is not the shops' problem alone.
店に加えて、家庭からも 食品が 捨てられて いる。Food is thrown away by homes as well as by shops.
まだ 食べられる。しかも、おいしい。It can still be eaten. What's more, it's delicious.
ケーキが 余った。その上、パンも 余った。There were cakes left over. On top of that, bread too.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜に過ぎない / 〜でしかない — no more than; merely — A noun or a plain verb + に過ぎない, or a noun + でしかない, says something is no more than that: small, or less than it seems.
- 〜のみ — only (written) — のみ means 'only', like だけ, in writing and formal notices: 店のみの 問題では ない.
- 〜に加えて — in addition to; as well as — Noun + に加えて adds a second thing to the first, and the second half usually takes も.
- しかも / その上 — what's more; on top of that — しかも and その上 start a sentence that adds one more point in the same direction.