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A grammar question in Lower Intermediate #19

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watermen
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Joined: October 3rd, 2007 7:47 pm

A grammar question in Lower Intermediate #19

Postby watermen » October 13th, 2009 4:43 pm

大事な取引先かと思いますので、エースの木下にやせましょう。

I understand the meaning of this sentence, but I don't understand the meaning of か in this sentence? How to use this particle? May someone help me? Thanks.

kunikunosaku
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Joined: May 2nd, 2008 12:29 pm

RE:Lower Intermediate #19

Postby kunikunosaku » October 13th, 2009 7:15 pm

Hello.

This か is just the question marking particle か. It could be thought of as a subtle way of suggesting "I think ... but I could be wrong". It is often used as here where a junior (部下) is talking to a senior (社長) and wants to make a statement sound less assertive.

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watermen
Expert on Something
Posts: 401
Joined: October 3rd, 2007 7:47 pm

Re: RE:Lower Intermediate #19

Postby watermen » October 14th, 2009 12:37 am

kunikunosaku wrote:Hello.

This か is just the question marking particle か. It could be thought of as a subtle way of suggesting "I think ... but I could be wrong". It is often used as here where a junior (部下) is talking to a senior (社長) and wants to make a statement sound less assertive.


Thanks a lot for explaining, I didn't know that か can be put in the middle of a sentence, I have been searching all over my grammar book and Jpod101 lessons I had studied, but can't find anything regarding it.

Thanks again.

shimewaza
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Postby shimewaza » October 14th, 2009 2:26 am

か is often found inside a sentence, and often right before the quotation particle と。As mentioned, it often serves to soften a statement by phrasing it in the form of a question. Consider the following:

少し早くレストランに行ったほうがいいのではないかと思います。

This is a very polite way of saying you think it is better to head over to the restaurant a bit early. Note the のではないか before と思います, which imparts the meaning "don't you think so?", thereby softening the suggestion.

Also, I am guessing there is a typo in the original sentence. I suppose it should be やらせましょう not やせましょう。やらせるis the causative form of やる。やせる is an intransitive verb meaning to lose weight :P

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