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chryuop (Offline)
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Question about は - 02-09-2011, 09:46 PM

As someone said in this forum once, to fully understand the particle は can take years
I was reading about it in a dictionary and I got some doubts popping out in my head.
I know the fact that は is used in a comparative way, but what puzzled me is that the dictionary says that in Japan most of the times one of the the 2 parts compared is missing (given for granted). It gives a few examples like 子どもには無理だ giving for granted a missing part which could be 大人には出来る or again 大阪までは行ける giving for granted something like 大阪から先は行けない.
Does that mean that if I want to say a phrase which has a "but" hidden in it I can use は? I mean, for example if Masaeguさん is talking to me in Japanese I could tell him 聞いてはいる giving for granted a phrase like 聞いてはいるが、分かりはしない? (hoping that he doesn't understand I am listening to you, but I don't care...it could be misleading when 1 of the phrases is given for granted).
But at this point, wouldn't the use of は carry a negative meaning when used (except when used to introduce a topic).


Another little question about one of the examples: ゆっくりとは読めても、すらすらとは読めない小説 I think I have no problem about the meaning which should be "even reading this novel slowly, I cannot read it smoothly"...but my question is about the use of は. I was taught that は cannot be used in subordinate clauses...and here they are subordinate because modifying 小説. :O
Thank you very much in advance.


降り注ぐ雨 マジで冷てぇ
暗闇の中 歩くしかねぇ
everything’s gonna be okay 恐れることねぇ
辛い時こそ胸を張れ

Last edited by chryuop : 02-09-2011 at 09:49 PM.
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