Daily Thread: simple questions, comments that don’t need their own posts, and first time posters go here (September 11, 2023)

This thread is for all simple questions, beginner questions, and comments that don’t need their own post.

# Welcome to /r/LearnJapanese!

* New to Japanese? Read our [Starter’s Guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/wiki/index/startersguide) and [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/wiki/index/faq)

* New to the subreddit? Read the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/wiki/subredditrules)!

Please make sure if your post has been addressed by checking the wiki or searching the subreddit before posting or it might get removed.

If you have any simple questions, please comment them here instead of making a post.

**This does not include translation requests, which belong in /r/translator.**

If you are looking for a study buddy or would just like to introduce yourself, please join and use the *\# introductions* channel in [the Discord here!](https://discord.gg/yZQKZYdBSw)

\—

\—

[Seven Day Archive](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/search?q=Daily+thread%3A&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=new&t=week) of previous threads. Consider browsing the previous day or two for unanswered questions.

2 comments
  1. All of the quoted lines are from the same scene. Attempted translations after the quoted Japanese. I included numbers if someone only wants to address part of it.

    [1]

    (Preceding line for context) 「え…?」 (A boy was approached by an unknown girl who asks him who he is, and he responds with え)

    > 少年は黒猫と黒い少女の顔を交互に見比べる**ようにしながら**、そんな風に間抜けたような声を返した…

    While the boy tried to compare the faces of the black cat and black girl alternately, he replied with a voice that came out like that.

    Q: The grammar in bold combines ながら (‘while’) and [ようにする](https://bunpro.jp/grammar_points/%E3%82%88%E3%81%86%E3%81%AB%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B) (‘to make sure to’ or ‘to try to’). What happens to the meaning when the two are used together?

    Also what is the 間 doing after そんな風に? I initially thought 間抜け (‘stupid’) was being used but then I saw that preceding よう was actually a verb, 抜けた.

    [2]

    > 黒い少女はまるで見きりを付けた**かのようにして**彼に背を向けてしまった。

    The black girl, as if she had given up, turned her back on him.

    Q: In bold I think is [かのように](https://bunpro.jp/grammar_points/682) with して, but how does the presence of the して effect the meaning?

    [3]

    > 瞬間、少年は理解し難い衝動ともいうべきものに弾き押**されるようにして**かけだしていた。

    That moment, the boy, pushed by what could be called a hard to understand urge, started running. (Context: the girl who asked him a question left as he didn’t answer. Now he’s running to find her)

    Q: What happens to the meaning when ようにして is used after a passive verb?

Leave a Reply
You May Also Like