Japanese from zero · N3 Lesson 35
What on earth
あまり / あまりにも ・ 一体 ・ ついでに ・ 〜ても構わない
In this lesson, you will learn to say something is 'so much' or 'too much' with あまりにも, to ask 'what on earth' with 一体, to add a small extra job with ついでに, and to say something doesn't matter with 〜ても構わない. It is the night before the club paper's final issue goes out, and Lisa, Matsumoto and Ryo are printing until dawn.
By the end you will be able to say
一体 何部 刷るの？How many copies on earth are we printing?
あまりにも 眠くて、目が 開かない。I'm so sleepy I can't keep my eyes open.
コーヒーを 買う ついでに、おにぎりも 買った。While I was buying coffee, I got rice balls too.
名前なら、間違いが あっても 構わない。If it's just my name, a mistake doesn't matter.
ここに 座っても 構いませんか。Do you mind if I sit here?
The grammar in this lesson
- あまり / あまりにも — so (much) that; too — あまりにも (or あまりに) with a positive word means 'so very' or 'too', usually with a result after it.
- 一体 — what on earth — 一体 before a question word adds surprise or frustration: 'what on earth', 'who on earth'.
- ついでに — while you're at it — ついでに adds one small extra job because you are already doing something else.
- 〜ても構わない — it doesn't matter if; it's fine to — ても form + 構わない says something is acceptable: it's fine if it happens.