This second sentence pack is even closer to the way I learn sentences than the previous one, in that it focuses on one word, and contains several sentences using that word, plus some sentences that are tangentially related.
So, the word for this sentence pack is 危ない（あぶない）, which is the first word on the Yale 100.
Clay over at The Japanese Page is going to kill me ;), but some of these sentences are possibly more kanji-heavy than a lot of Japanese is. Which is not to say that they are more kanji-heavy than any Japanese you will ever see. I have seen signs that use 御 instead of (お or ご）, and most Japanese people can read these, even though they may sometimes forget how to write them by hand. So, since you’re going to be fluent in Japanese, methinks it’s important to that you be able to read them, too.
Arguably, it doesn’t cost any extra money to aim high, so why not be able to read at a high level of Japanese? Anyway, enough Khatzumoto-izing. To the sentences!
Oh and if there are any mistakes here, you have permission to verbally beat me up, through venomous comments and email…
Q: 危ないぞ、逃げろ!!!
A: あぶない ぞ にげろ (PL2)
Dangerous [masculine emphasis] run away
CRAP, dude! Run away!
逃げる（にげる）
Q: 此処は危ない
A: こ・こ は（わ） あぶない (PL2)
Here [as-for] dangerous
It’s dangerous here
Q: 命が危ない
A: いのち が あぶない (PL2)
Life [subject] in-danger
(Her) life is in danger
Q: 此の儘で社長の椅子が危ない
A: この まま で しゃ・ちょう の い・す が あぶない (PL2)
This way [connector] Company President [‘s] seat [subject] in-danger
At this rate, the Company President’s in danger of losing her job
Q: 此の儘じゃ危ないよね
A: この まま じゃ あぶない よ ね (PL2)
This way [connector] dangerous [emphasis] [emphasis]
If this goes on, (we’re) in a whole lot of dooh-dooh
Q: 首が危ない
A: くび が あぶない (PL2)
Neck [subject] dangerous
(She’s) in danger of losing her job/getting fired
- 首（くび） is often used to mean’s one’s job
Q: 御前は首だ！
A: おまえ は（わ） くび だ (PL2)
You [topic] neck is
You’re fireｄ！
- 御前 is usually written お前
- だ comes from です/である
Q: 人の首を切る
A: ひと の くび を きる (PL3)
Person[‘s] neck [object] cut
To fire someone
Q: 彼の保証では危ない
A: かれ の ほ・しょう では（わ） あぶない (PL2)
[He [of]]=His guarantee [connector] untrustworthy
You can’t count on his guarantee
- In this case, では（わ） serves the same function as で
Q: 橋を渡る
A: はし を わたる (PL2)
Bridge [object] cross
To cross a bridge
- The 橋 is being 渡るed, so を comes after it
Q: 危ない橋を渡る
A: あぶない はし を わたる (PL2)
Dangerous bridge [subject] cross
To knowingly take (calculated) risks
- This is a Japanese idiom. One could conceivably be referring to the literal crossing of a dangerous bridge (Tacoma Narrows, anyone?), but this phrase is much more often used in its figurative sense.
Q: 今迄に今度も危ない橋を渡って来た
A: いま まで に こん・ど も あぶない はし を わたって きた (PL2)
Now until [to] from-now-on/hereafter also dangerous bridge [object] cross came
I’ve taken risks up until now, and I’m going to take risks in the future
- 渡る（わたる）
- 来る（くる） — >this is one of the few irregular verbs in Japanese (the others that I know of are です/である and する）
- 来る（くる） by itself means “to come”, but it’s often used as an auxiliary verb (so it’s “helping” the verb 渡る（わたる), kind of emphasizing the fact that you got from a far place (literal or figurative) to this place. 来る is often written in hiragana; but we’re too cool for that.
Q: 日本語を勉強して来ました
A: に・ほん・ご を べん・きょう して きました (PL3)
Japanese-language [object] study do came
I studied Japanese
- する (して is a form of する）
- 来る（くる）
- 来る（くる） by itself means “to come”, but it’s often used as an auxiliary verb (so it’s “helping” the verb する, kind of emphasizing the fact that you got from a far place (literal or figurative) to this place. 来る is often written in hiragana; but we’re too cool for that.
Q: 日本語を勉強して参りました
A: に・ほん・ご を べん・きょう して まいりました (PL4)
Japanese-language [object] study do came-humbly
I humbly studied Japanese
- This sentence is yet another example of 敬語(けい・ご), extra-polite Japanese. 参る（まいる）is the 謙譲語（けん・じょう・ご）＝humble word for 来る. Remember the difference between humble words (for your own actions/property/family/company) and respectful (謙譲語（けん・じょう・ご）） words (for the listener’s actions/property/etc) . If this is all going over your head, don’t worry. I’m mainly telling you all this to impress you. 敬語（けい・ご) is actually really easy once you get used to it; when the times comes, you’ll have it down like that: (*snap*).
More continues to be better. Thanks!
Q: 日本語を勉強して来ました
…
来る（くる） by itself means “to come”, but it’s often used as an auxiliary verb (so it’s “helping” the verb 渡る（わたる)
Isn’t it helping する?
ddddave, thank you so much for the correction (it’s corrected now). I really should be taken out and flogged, but you have chosen kinder methods :). Perhaps it would be best to write less commentary with the sentences, that way there’s fewer room for error; it’s very important that these things be correct. Any suggestions?
Consider yourself flogged… 🙂
Actually, I don’t mind the notes. I get some value out of those tidbits of information that can explain a word’s role in a sentence. It might go against your original theory but for some people it might be quite helpful.
1200 kanji to go…
I don’t know if anyone checks these comments anymore, but I’ve started sentence-picking and I’m a bit confused as to the meaning of( ‘ない ) in 危ない – is there an implied ( だ ) or what?
@Ryder
The ない has no special meaning as far as I know. It’s just the second half of 危ない. There is no implied だ because 危ない by itself can fuction as the end of a sentence, as with most adjectives that end with い （some adjectives that end in い、though, do need a だ as they are a different type of adjective altogether, like きれい、きらい、or とくい）
That probably makes it as clear as mud, but basically, 危ない functions as the end of sentence: nothing is implied at all. だ is only required when there is a noun-phrase or a なーadjective (like those above) at the end of the sentence.
I hope that helps a little bit. Sorry if I’ve just confused you.
Never mind 来る occasionally being written in hiragana, when was the last time you saw 此の、此処、 and 迄 written in kanji?
Khatzumoto, you’ve mistakenly written 謙譲語 twice, instead of 尊敬語 for respectful language, in the explanation of the last sentence. Just wanted to post this in case anyone was confused.