Lesson 18
Effort & Request
- 1 〜(よ)うとする・ようと思う ~(y)ou to suru / you to omou try to / be about to The effort of trying, and the instant just before — both in one form.
- 2 〜(よ)うとしない ~(y)ou to shinai won't even try They could, but they simply won't — a complaint.
- 3 〜つもりだった ~tsumori datta intended to (but didn't) N4's "I intend to" in the past — I meant to, but it didn't happen.
- 4 〜ていただきたい・てもらいたい ~te itadakitai / te moraitai I'd like you to The polite 「〜てほしい」— a request that works with bosses and customers.
- 5 〜(さ)せてください・せていただきたい ~(sa)sete kudasai / sete itadakitai please let me N4's causative used to ask permission — leave, time off, a chance.
- 6 〜てくれと・ないでくれと ~te kure to / naide kure to (was told) to / not to Passing on a request someone made — "he told me to…".
- 7 〜ように言う・〜なと言う ~you ni iu / ~na to iu tell someone to / not to The soft way to report an order or request — who told whom to do what.
Lesson check
All 7 forms of this lesson together — pick the right one from its look-alikes, the way the exam does. 6/8 completes the lesson.
🔒
「何度も窓を＿が、かたくて開かなかった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:What do 何度も and "wouldn't open" tell you — was the attempt made?
Volitional + とする = try to; so "I tried again and again, but it wouldn't open". ようとしなかった means you didn't even try, and 開けるなと言った means "I said don't open it" — neither fits "it wouldn't open".
「息子は、何度言っても宿題を＿。本当に困っている。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:He could, but he won't — a parent's complaint.
〜(よ)うとしない = won't even try — a complaint about someone else. ようとした says he did try, which clashes with 困っている.
「今日は早く＿のに、気がついたら夜中の2時だった。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:のに — it didn't go as planned.
Dictionary form + つもりだった = I meant to, but it didn't happen — a perfect fit for のに. ようとしない complains about others; させてください asks permission.
「こちらの紙に、お名前を＿。」 (to a customer — the customer writes the name) — which is the polite request?
💡 Hint:The customer does the writing, not me.
て-form + いただきたい = "I'd like you to", fine with customers and bosses. 書かせていただきたい means "let me write it" — then I'm the writer.
「熱があるので、今日は早く＿。」 (I have a fever; speaking to my boss) — which asks permission?
💡 Hint:I'm the one going home; I'm asking the boss to let me.
Causative + てください = please let me. 帰っていただきたい asks the boss himself to go home; つもりだった asks for nothing.
「友達に『お金を貸して』と頼まれた。」— which says the same thing?
💡 Hint:Reporting a friend's request — what follows the て-form?
て-form + くれと頼む reports a "do this for me" request. 貸すな is the opposite ("don't lend"), and 貸させてください would be the friend asking to lend.
「父に『タバコを吸うな』と言われた。」— which reports this softly?
💡 Hint:What does the な at the end of the quote mean?
Dictionary form + な is a blunt "don't"; reported softly it becomes Vない + ように言う. 吸うように says the opposite — "smoke".
「田中さんに『ほかの人には＿』と言われたので、だれにも話していない。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint:Why haven't I told anyone?
Vない + でくれ = "please don't". 言ってくれ would be "please tell them" — then why tell no one?
Your score: /8