Quote:
Originally Posted by cloud9
I have a lot of trouble understanding 〜ておく (in preparation for the future) >_< Please help...
I can understand:
晩ご飯を作っておく。I will make dinner in advance. (I think...)
But... what about sentences like these?
アメリカにいるうちにニューヨークに行っておいたほう がいいよ。
Does it mean, 'It's better to visit NY and see before it's too late'?
忘れないうちに友達に電話しておこう。
Let's call our friend before it's too late and we forget.
 I pretty much replaced 'in advance/in preparation for the future' with 'before it's too late'. Am I on the right track? |
I would not say that you were not on the right track, but there are more meanings to 〜ておく than just "in preparation for the future". Then again, it is all related to future.
「 晩ご飯を作っておく。」 has at least two meanings.
1. "I will make dinner now so I can eat as soon as I'm done with homework (or something)."
You don't want to cook when you are tired and hungry so you are making it in advance to eat it later by reheating it.
2. "I will make dinner now because I will not be home when you come home for dinner."
Mom might say this.
___________
「アメリカにいるうちにニューヨークに行っておいたほ う がいいよ。」
This sentence does not mean what you said. It is never too late to see NY, is it?
This sentence means that the addressee is now in the U.S. (possibly from Japan) so it's a good chance to see NY because once he returns home to Japan, it will not be easy to go to NY.
It's saying "Do it now while it's much easier to do it."
___________
「忘れないうちに友達に電話しておこう。」
Again you used "before it's too late" when it doesn't say that.
You've got a call to make. There is no specific time limit for it but you would rather call now than forget about it and fail to call.
うちに is the key phrase here.
One more thing. You translated the last sentence with the subject "we" but the phrase is something that you would say to yourself nearly 100% of the time.