Japanese from zero · N2 Lesson 26
An invitation
〜をきっかけに ・ 〜次第で ・ 〜限り ・ 〜得る
In this lesson, you will learn to say what got something started with 〜をきっかけに and its formal twin 〜を契機に, what a result depends on with 〜次第で, 'as much as', 'as far as' and 'as long as' with 〜限り, and whether something can happen at all with 〜得る and 〜得ない. It is January, and Ai's company has invited Lisa to its early selection.
By the end you will be able to say
インターンをきっかけに、貿易の 仕事が もっと 好きに なりました。The internship made me like trade work even more.
合格するか どうかは、準備次第だと 思います。I think whether I pass depends on how I prepare.
できる限りの 準備を します。I'll prepare as much as I possibly can.
私の 知る限り、その 会社は 留学生も 採用して います。As far as I know, that company hires foreign students too.
留学生の 採用も 十分に あり得る 話です。Hiring a foreign student is entirely possible.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜をきっかけに / 〜を契機に — with ... as the start — A noun + をきっかけに (or がきっかけで) names the event that got something started; を契機に says the same in formal writing.
- 〜次第で / 〜次第だ — depending on — A noun + 次第で says a result changes with that thing; at the end of a sentence, 次第だ says 'it all depends on it'.
- 〜限り — as much as; as far as; as long as — 限り marks a limit: できる限り is 'as much as possible', 知る限り is 'as far as I know', and a verb + 限り is 'as long as'.
- 〜得る / 〜得ない — can happen / cannot happen — A ます-stem + 得る (read うる or える) says something is possible, and 〜得ない says it is not; あり得る and あり得ない are the ones you will hear most.