The "I found some Japanese I don't understand" thread.

[CloudlandSwingMember]

Thanks in advance, by the way. Would be immensely helpful. ^^

[JoelMember]

んだ is described by the grammar dictionary as “a sentence ending which indicates that the speaker is explaining or asking for an explanation about some information shared with the hearer, or is talking about something emotively, as if it were of common interest to the speaker and the hearer” which is probably a better description than I could ever manage. It’s a way of softening the directness of sentences. =)

It’s also rendered (depending on formality) as のだ, んです and のです.

[CloudlandSwingMember]

Thank you Joel, yet again you have a quick answer. Keep on keeping on!

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

誰が買ったのかは分からないようになっています。

This sentence was in an article on some paintings sold at auction. I’m not sure what 分からないようになっています。means. I’ve seen ～ようになる before but unsure what meaning it has when the verb is negative.

Here’s an explanation from a native I found through a little searching; I can’t quite understand exactly what he’s getting at:
『ようになっている』—->機械などがそのようにできている
このボタンを押さないと、ドアは開かないようになっている。
正しいパスワードを入力しないと、このシステムは動かないようになっている。

He also said this in his answer but I understood it fine (just thought I’d include it out of interest):
『ようになる』
(1)能力の変化—->早く日本語が上手に話せるようになりたい。
(2)習慣の変化—->大きい病気をしてからは、お酒を飲まないようになった。

[JoelMember]

Grammar dictionary suggests “reach the point where” as a translation, says that it indicates a gradual change, and adds that “ようになっている emphasises a current state that has come about after a long process” – the example sentence given for this is この道は今通れないようになっている (This street has reached the point where people cannot pass).

There’s a side note saying that 〜ないようになる is similar to なくなる, only more gradual.

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

So in my example, the reporter originally knew who bought the painting but gradually proceeded to the state of not knowing? Were they hit on the head maybe? :P

There must be some other nuance I’m not understanding because my example and the examples the Japanese commenter gave still don’t make sense to me with an interpretation like that. Your grammar dictionaries usually seem to be pretty comprehensive though, so I’m not sure…

[JoelMember]

Perhaps they only thought they knew? Or stuff is so chaotic that it’s reached the point where he has no idea who bought the painting? Dunno – you’ve not given much context, and the ように constructions make me sad anyway. =P

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/easy/k10013037431000/k10013037431000.html
There’s some more context, if it helps ;) Basically, a very high-priced painting was sold at auction. The sentence in question is the last line. I don’t like ように either, not one bit :/

[JoelMember]

Yeah, I reckon it was so chaotic that he had no idea what was going on. “In the auction, people from over forty countries from around the world participated, and the price was decided in just six minutes.” That’s my story and I’m sticking with it. =)

On a side note, I do like this site you’ve linked to.

[MisterM2402 [Michael]Member]

Ah… ok, I think I’m seeing it now: bids were coming in so thick and fast that the reporter lost track. Thanks :)

Also, do you mean that you hadn’t seen that site before and you think it looks good, or that you *have* seen it before and already liked it before me linking? The way you phrased it made it seem like the former but then I would have expected you to have heard of it before haha.

[JoelMember]

I don’t think I’ve seen it before. Or at least, I don’t remember having done so. It’s entirely possible someone posted a link to it here somewhere sometime and I went “hey, that looks interesting” but never went back to look in detail.

[AikibujinMember]

一人じゃありませんでした

This can be translated as both:

I was not alone

and

It was not one person.

Correct?

Anki calls for the first, but I always read it as the second.

[JoelMember]

Yep, either translation works. Depends on context.

[AikibujinMember]

有難う御座います

[AikibujinMember]

This: http://www.textfugu.com/season-3/ha-and-ga/3-2/#top

Has the following example:

The tree は green
The dog that ate the cat は back
My friend who saw the ghost last night は staying at our house tonight

Shouldn’t these examples be using が?

I know he hadn’t really launched into the differences between は and が at that point and likely was just explaining what it was meant by subject, but if that should be が, that’s a bit confusing.

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