Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 32

Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 32

1. Vた-form ほうがいい

    Vない-formない  ほうがいい

毎日運動したほうがいいです。

It is good to do some exercise everyday.

熱があるんです。

じゃ、おふろに入らないほうがいいですよ。

I have got a fever.

So, you had better not take a bath.

This pattern is used to make suggestions or to give advice. Depending on the situation, this expression may sound like you are imposing your opinion on the listener. Therefore, consider the context of the conversation carefully before using it.

[Note] The difference between ～たほうがいいand ～たらいい.

日本のお寺が見たいんですが…。(*)

じゃ、京都へ行ったらいいですよ。

I would like to see some Japanese temples.

So, it would be a good idea to go to Kyoto.

Example (*) illustrates a situation in which a simple suggestion is given. In such cases～たらいい is used. ～たほうがいいimplies a comparison and a choice between two things even if it is not expressed in words.

2. Plain form でしょう

な-adj / N：～だ  → ～な

This pattern expresses the speaker’s inference from some information he/she has. When used in a question like (**), the speaker asks for the listener’s inference.

あしたは雨が降るでしょう。

It will rain tomorrow.

タワポンさんは合格するでしょうか。(**)

Do you think Mr. Thawaphon will pass the exam?

3. Plain formかもしれません

な-adj / N：～だ  → ～な

～かもしれませんalso expresses the speaker’s inference, and means that there is a possibility that some event or state occurred/occurs/will occur. The degree of certainty however is much lower than with ～でしょう.

約束の時間に間に合わないかもしれません。

We might not be in time for the appointment.

4. きっと／たぶん／もしかしたら

1) きっと

This adverb indicates that the speaker is quite certain of what he/she is saying. The probability ranges from quite high to same level as that of ～でしょう.

ミラーさんはきっと来ます。

Mr. Miller will surely come.

あしたはきっと雨でしょう。

It will undoubted rain tomorrow.

2) たぶん

This adverb entails less certainty thanきっと, and is mostly used with～でしょう . As shown below, たぶんis very often used with とおもいます.

ミラーさんは来るでしょうか。

たぶん来るでしょう。

Do you think Mr. Miller will come?

I guess so.

山田さんはこのニュースをたぶん知らないと思います。

I guess Mr. Yamada does not know this news.

3) もしかしたら

This adverb is used with～かもしれません in most cases. A sentence withもしかしたら expresses the idea that there is less of a possibility of some event or situation occurring.

もしかしたら３月に卒業できないかもしれません。

There is a possibility I might be unable to graduate in March.

5. 何か心配なこと

何か心配なことがありますか。(***)

Is anything bothering you?

As shown in (***), you cannot say しんぱいな  なにか, but you should rather say なにか しぱいなこと. Other similar examples are なにか～もの, どこか～ところ, だれか～ひと, いつか～とき, etc.

スキーに行きたいんですが、どこかいい所ありませんか。

I want to go skiing. Could you recommend a good ski resort?

6. Quantifier で

でadded to a quantifier indicates the limit of a price, time, quantity, etc., necessary for a state, an action or an event to be realized.

駅まで３０分で行けますか。

Can I reach the station in thirty minutes?

３万円でビデオが買えますか。

Can I buy a video player for 30,000 yen?

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Minna No Nihongo Grammar Lesson 33
Minna No Nihongo Lesson 32 Vocabulary