Japanese from zero · N3 Lesson 36
Speaking of, considering
〜と言えば / 〜と言うと ・ 〜割に ・ 〜にしては ・ 〜は別として ・ 確かに
In this lesson, you will learn to pick up a word and say what it brings to mind, to say that something is surprising considering a price, an age or an amount, to say 'for a …' about a person or thing, to set one point aside, and to agree with 確かに before adding your own view. Matsumoto finally gets a job offer, and the friends celebrate at café みどり.
By the end you will be able to say
長野と 言えば、りんごと 山です。Speaking of Nagano, it's apples and mountains.
初任給は 安い 割に、仕事は 大変です。The work is hard, considering how low the starting pay is.
先輩にしては、今日は よく 笑いますね。For you, senpai, you're laughing a lot today.
給料は 別として、いい 会社です。Setting the pay aside, it's a good company.
確かに 遠いです。でも、待ちます。It certainly is far. But I'll wait.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜と言えば / 〜と言うと — speaking of; when you say — A word + と 言えば or と 言うと picks up a word that was just said and brings up what it makes you think of.
- 〜割に — considering; for — 〜割に says the result is not what the first part would lead you to expect.
- 〜にしては — for (a …) — Noun or plain verb + にしては says what you see does not match what you would expect from who or what it is.
- 〜は別として — setting … aside — Noun + は 別として sets one point aside so you can talk about the rest.
- 確かに — certainly; it's true — 確かに agrees with what was said, often before a 'but' that adds your own view.