subject: Can Japanese Make You More Organized? [print this page] Can Japanese Make You More Organized? Can Japanese Make You More Organized?
The last thing you need is to have a hard time expressing that you've planned something out. Maybe you want to say, "I left my schedule open for you," or "I reserved seats in advance so we won't have to wait." Let people know that you're on the ball by clearly expressing that you've been planning ahead! In this Lower Intermediate Japanese article, you'll discover how to use te oku to let others know that you've made plans in advance. You'll also find a helpful review of the troubled passive voice so you can say things such as, "I got angry because...." As always, this Lower Intermediate Japanese article is full of great examples that you can begin to use immediately. So plan ahead, and start talking about it in Japanese!
Vocabulary: In this article, you'll learn the following words and phrases:
saenai - "less than perfect, bad"
mashi - "to be slightly better"
Sore wa nai. - "No way." / "Come on."
dotakyan - "to cancel at the last minute"
yotei o akete oku - "to keep one's schedule open"
Grammar: In this article, you'll learn the following words and phrases:
Te oku is the te form of another verb + oku. It means "to do something in advance for the purpose of some other future event," (introduced in Beginner #187 B3: Time Capsule 1). In the example below, it implies that she left her schedule open so that she could meet Sayuri on Christmas Eve. So, te oku can indicate that the action is performed for the purpose of the future event.
The following example from today's article is a review of the indirect passive voice, which we call "the troubled passive," (introduced in the bonus track of Lower Intermediate S3 #20). In today's example below, we use dotakyan suru, which means "to cancel something at the last minute," in the passive voice. The subject of this sentence is not the object of "to cancel." Instead, it is the person who has a negative influence because of this cancellation. So, this is an indirect passive sentence.
Watashi wa, ie no mae ni gomi o suterarete komatte iru. "I was troubled because someone threw trash out in front of my house."
Watashi wa, kodomo-tachi ni ie o yogosarete, okotta. "I got angry because my kids messed up my house."
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