Japanese from zero · N2 Lesson 41
What the year taught me
要するに ・ 〜はもとより ・ かえって ・ 次第に ・ もっとも
In this lesson, you will learn to sum up a long story in one point with 要するに, to say 'A, of course, and B too' in a formal way with 〜はもとより, to say a result went the opposite way from what you expected with かえって, to describe slow change with 次第に, and to add a fair limit to what you just said with もっとも. Lisa reads Minju the editorial she has written about her year of job hunting.
By the end you will be able to say
要するに、一人では 何も できませんでした。In short, I couldn't have done anything alone.
敬語はもとより、メールの 書き方も 教わりました。I was taught keigo, of course, and how to write emails too.
失敗が かえって 自信に なりました。If anything, my failures gave me confidence.
私の 日本語は 次第に 変わって いきました。My Japanese changed little by little.
もっとも、まだ 学ぶ ことは 多いです。That said, there's still a lot to learn.
The grammar in this lesson
- 要するに — in short; what it comes down to — 要するに starts the sentence that sums up everything before it in one plain point.
- 〜はもとより — A, of course, and B too (formal) — A はもとより、B も says A goes without saying and B is true as well; it is the formal twin of はもちろん.
- かえって — instead; if anything (the opposite of what you expected) — かえって says a result went the other way from what you expected: help made things worse, or a setback turned out to help.
- 次第に — gradually — 次第に says a change happens step by step over time; it is the written twin of だんだん.
- もっとも — mind you; that said — もっとも at the start of a sentence adds a limit to what you just said: it is true, but not the whole story.