Mina-san, bet you didn't see that ending coming! Erm, actually, neither did we.... But there was a lot of good stuff yō stuff in this series, so hopefully you can refer back it to it many times.

R.Hさん、こんにちは。

質問ありがとうございます！

日本語を高めるためにJapanesePodを聞きます。

日本語を高められるようにJapanesePodを聞きます。

どちらの文も正しいですよ。

「ために」の前は volitional action verb (高める)。

「ように」の前は state of being, potential or negative verb (高められる)。

この二つの違いをよく理解していますね👍

この調子で頑張ってくださいね。

Sincerely,

Miho

Team JapanesePod101.com

こんにちは！

質問させて頂きます。

日本語を高めるためにJapanesePodを聞きます。

日本語を高められるようにJapanesePodを聞きます。

どちらは正しいでしょうか？

ありがとうございます！

Thank you for your comments, everyone!

>こんにちは、Michiganさん

それは良いことですね😄私も健康的な食事を心がけていますよ。

>Hi Bruce,

Yes, ”～のために" in the example you posted means "because of" and it could be replaced with "～のせいで". It is used to mention a cause, normally a bad cause. So 良い天気のために、私たちはバーベキューをしました。 sounds weird.

>Hi Sam,

That's right to a degree.

[verb](+ように) is not a volitional action verb, but is often a state of being verb such as a potential or negative form.

>Hi Sarah,

Naomi先生 will be glad to hear that😄

Keep studying with JapanesePod101.com

Cheers,

Miki(美希)

Team JapanesePod101.com

Naomi先生! I really appreciate hearing the origins of expressions - thanks for sharing such great info!

こんにちは！ Am I understanding this right? When the subject is the same in both [verb 1] （ため・ように）[verb 2] that if [verb 1] is an action verb and not a state, we should used ため whereas if it is describing a situation as in the examples above (the state of not having caught a cold/the state of not being late to class) we should use ように?

日本語を勉強するためにJapanesePodを聞きます。I listen to Japanese pod to study Japanese.

日本語がわかるようにJapanesePodを聞きます。I listen to Japanese pod so that I can understand Japanese.

The first should have ため since it is an action but ように in the second is a state, right?

Thanks!

Sam

I saw this sentence in a Japanese high school English textbook. 「雨のために私たちは川辺でバーベキューができなかった。」

It was translated this way: "The rain prevented us from having a barbecue at the riverside."

The usage of ため here seems to be a bit different from what is given in the lesson. I don't know if this is addressed in another lesson but here's my question.

It seems ため can be substituted for せい. For example, 「雨のせいで私たちは川辺でバーベキューができなかった。」

Am I understanding that right?

If so, can ため only be used in a negative situation or can it also be used in positive situation. For example, could we say, 「良い天気のために、私たちはバーベキューをしました。」?

Sorry, typo in the English. "Little"

皆さん、こんにちは。

ちょっと痩せるために、健康的な料理を食べるようにしています。

In order to lose a lottle weight, I am working on eating healthy foods.

Andy`さん、

奈津子先生に代わって「どういたしまして」。 :smile:

Yuki 　由紀

Team JapanesePod101.com

奈津子先生のお陰で、有難うございます。

All thanks to you Natsuko-sensei.

Andy` さん、

こんにちは。

I'm sure you'll make a very good first impression with your great command of Japanese.:sunglasses::thumbsup:

Natsuko (奈津子),

Team JapanesePod101.com

はいわかりました。

僕は彼女の両親まだ会っていません。ドキドキからです。

I haven't met my girlfriend's parents yet, because I'm nervous about it.

Andy`san,

こんにちは。:smile:

「彼女の両親に良い印象を持ってもらうために」がいいですよ。

Andy`さんの彼女さんは幸せですね。

Team JapanesePod101.com

Yuki 由紀

僕は彼女の両親を印象づけるために日本語を勉強しています。

I'm studying Japanese to impress my girlfriend's parents.

Ninochtka smith san,

Konnichiwa. :smile:

"...tame ni" is "for/for the purpose of..." "for the sake of..." "for the reason of..." and often comes after a noun/noun phrase. Surely you can put the verb plain form before that. It speaks of clear purpose/reason.

"... you ni" is "so that (one can do something) ..." or "so as to/not to..." and often comes after the potential form or the negative form.

You can say:

アメリカへの旅行のために　貯金をしている。

アメリカに行くために　貯金をしている。

アメリカに行けるように　貯金をしている。

The first two sentences are very clearly pointing that the "purpose" of your saving money is to go to Japan. In the third one, it is not that that is the purpose; in English it would be like "I am saving money so as to be able to go to Japan."

I hope it could help you.

Team JapanesePod101.com

Yuki 由紀

Hi to all!

I didn't quite understand the difference bet "tame ni" and "you ni": Favorable in what sense?

Thank you for your help.

イギリスジムさん、

今日は。

That is often translated into English below.

Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.

Actually the Japanese meaning is ‘死を願うことを誓います、そして自分の目に(一本)針を刺します)’.

However, as you said the meaning is “if I lie I’ll swallow a thousand needles”.

げんまん（ 拳万 ）means ‘to hit someone with a clenched fist’.

The original meaning comes from prostitutes.

The words illustrate that ‘a prostitute swears forever on her love for one customer (potential husband)’.if the prostitute says that it’s hard to believe for a customer. Therefore, the prostitute cut her little finger and passed it to the customer. Of course it’s extremely painful so it showed her love. In fact they didn’t cut their fingers but used fake fingers…:sweat_smile:

The custom was spread out to general people.

Children often use this song but it has a deep meaning….:disappointed:

Yuki　由紀

Team JapanesePod101.com

先生、

I need some help to understand 指切りげんまん、うそついたら針1000本飲〜ます、指切った。

The English translation in the text is confusing to me. In England we have a saying, “Cross my heart,” meaning I swear that I’m telling the truth. We don’t usually add, “and hope to die” (if I’m lying). It is implied, but not usually spoken. This is the first time I’ve heard an added phrase “stick a needle in my eye” - possibly an innovation from the USA? However, I don’t see how this relates to the Japanese sentence.

In the Vocabulary section 指切りげんまん is translated as “pinky promise (Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.)”

A “pinky promise” must be another Americanism. (I know that the little finger is called a pinkie in the USA). So this sounds like the American version of the childhood practice of hooking little fingers together to seal an agreement. No connection as I understand it with “Cross my heart and hope to die”.

Now, to get to the Japanese in the dialog. As I understand it, Junko-san is promising to keep Tom-san’s secret.

I think 指切りis “cut (my) finger”, but what is げんまん?

And then, うそついたら針1000本飲〜ます seems to be, “if I lie I’ll swallow a thousand needles” - but not “stick them in my eye”, (am I right?)

Finally, is 指切った。 “I cut my finger.” (past tense)?

Can you tell me if my translation of the Japanese is in any way accurate?

Thank you, ジム

Louis san,

On behalf of Natsuko, douitashimashite.

We are happy it helped you.

Yuki 　由紀

Team JapanesePod101.com

Wow, thank you for your help, Mrs. Natsuko.

I am really appreciate the hard work that you've done for me.

Thank you,Jpod 101~!

It really helps me:smile::thumbsup: