Japanese from zero · N2 Lesson 31
Seattle in the snow
〜にしたら/〜にすれば ・ 〜ところを 見ると ・ 〜からして ・ それにしても
In this lesson, you will learn to say how something looks from another person's side with 〜にしたら and 〜にすれば, to draw a conclusion from what you can see with 〜ところを 見ると, to say that even one small part already shows the whole with 〜からして, and to turn to what still strikes you with それにしても. It is early March, and a long letter arrives from Tanaka in Seattle about the winter holidays he spent with Lisa's family.
By the end you will be able to say
子どもにすれば、雪の 日は 特別だ。For a child, a snowy day is special.
両親にしたら、初めての 経験だった。For my parents, it was a first.
毎週 メールが 来る ところを 見ると、元気らしい。Judging by the emails that come every week, he seems to be doing well.
この 手紙は 書き出しからして 楽しそうだ。Even the opening of this letter sounds happy.
それにしても、今年の 冬は 寒い。Even so, this winter sure is cold.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜にしたら / 〜にすれば — from (someone)'s point of view — A person + にしたら or にすれば says how something looks or feels from that person's side.
- 〜ところを 見ると — judging from (what you see) — A plain verb or adjective + ところを 見ると names something you can see and draws a conclusion from it.
- 〜からして — even, starting with; judging just from — Noun + からして picks one part, often the first you meet, and says it alone already shows what the whole is like.
- それにしても — even so; still — それにしても at the start of a sentence accepts what was just said and turns to what still strikes the speaker.