Quote:
Originally Posted by KyleGoetz
New question!
I have no idea where I could have researched this grammar structure to learn about it, and I just can't figure it out.
一分間も早く、町の病院へはこんでやらねばならない。
What in the world is that 一分間も早く doing there? "We must transport her to the city's hospital." It seems the 一分間も早く obviously operates as something about the time frame, but does it mean "every second counts," or "we can't wait one more minute" or "it's only one more minute until we reach there" or what? "Even if we get there a minute early [before the hospital opens], we must..."?
What structure is this? 【期間】も【形容詞】? How is it used?
Later on, I come across a similar usage of 一秒間も争う人. 【期間】も〜.
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一分間も早く in standard Japanese would be 一分でも早く, which is still rarely understood by Japanese-learners. It means "as soon as possible". Literally it says "even a minute early".
This でも is a particle and it is different from the conjunctin でも that means "but".
【期間】も【形容詞】 = as (adjective) as possible with an emphasis that every (time frame) counts. As I said above, it most often takes the form of 【期間】でも【形容詞】
一週間でも長く日本にいたい。 (Said by someone who has been staying in Japan over a few months.)
一日でも長く生きたい。
一時間でも早くこの戦争が終わってほしい。
一円でも多く稼ぎたい。
死ぬまでに一本でも多くビールを飲みたい。
Try forming some phrases using the structure and you will get the hang of it.
Finally, 一秒間も争う人 is a bit different in that 争う is a verb. It means a person who is on a second-by-second schedule, which is usually an overstatement. 争う = competing (with time)