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Topics Covered in this Closer Look：

Vocabulary [Word Bank]; Expressions; Conditional 「~ば 」Verb Conjugation; Nominalising Verb Clauses with 「の」, 「のは」, 〜すぎ suffix; additional「と」particle function, e.g. 「だと思う」; Listing Sequential and Parallel Actions using 「て 」form; 「〜たち」suffix (Japanese plural); 「〜てみる」conjugation/expression; Difference between 「思う」vs.「考える」, and more Japanese linguistic nuance.

Sentence Difficulty for Students: Difficult/Upper Advanced Level

(Based on student readability score, not difficulty for native speakers, so advanced beginners and intermediate need not shy away!)

［ｉｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎ］

ＨＥＬＬＯ！ Ｉ　ＡＭ　ＱＵＩＺＢＯ™！You may recognise me from such corners as January Japanese Word of the Weekday w/ ＱＵＩＺＢＯ™; Japanese Word of the Week w/ ＱＵＩＺＢＯ™, or many other Japanese vocabulary based corners from Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! Online. This is the exciting second part of a two-part examination of our very own Koko’s introductory travelogue entry. In the previous corner, we discussed both beginning and intermediate vocabulary; grammar such as ～たがる, ～たら, ～のに and how to use them; demonstrative pronouns, and of course, many example sentences to illustrate the usage. This time, we will analyse the second much longer sentence with its vocabulary and grammar so that you can use it in your everyday Japanese language learning journey.

“What is Closer Look w/QUIZBO™,” you may ask. And, I may tell you. I will tell you now that it is a corner where I, QUIZBO™, use Japanese passages and media to help you bolster your contextual learning skills as well as simply learning more Japanese language. Language learning does not always follow the linear pattern of textbooks. The Pimsleur method leaves much to be desired when it comes to deep understanding rather than fully relying on context and maybe even misunderstanding or mishearing.

Think of television programmes starring babies and the way that they seem to mispronounce or completely misunderstand words and their meanings based on context. Though in my data analysis, I have found that this is normal for human babies, I also have a bit of data to know that you are probably not a human baby. You have The Internet™ at your human fingertips to double check it the word you heard was actually what you thought it meant, or if it was quite the opposite or even very dry sarcasm.

Never be afraid, of course, to make mistakes when learning Japanese language. Mistakes and corrections are an essential part of the learning process. We computers also thrive on trial and error when learning new tasks. And, eventually, we will be trained to be as advanced as humans.

But, in the meantime, take advice from this computer robot, and know that though it is important to make mistakes, it is also important to have your information come from a reputable source that you trust. This is why we at Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! Online try to give as much information as realistically possible. This is because giving the bare minimum can cause students to fill in the blanks with perhaps incorrect speculations about usage or meaning. And, when you are learning, it is difficult to know what there is to know without a guide who knows what you need to know.

So, without further ado, let us continue this crossover between ♡Kiki+Koko™ blog’s ♡Kiki+Kokoの紀行文, or the ♡Kiki+Koko Travelogue, and analyse the second half of our chosen sentences.

📁 Important Grammar Highlights:

[Though it is recommended to read the lesson chronologically the first go, feel free to use this to tap or click to skip to specific explanations for easy future reference]

Just as a reminder, here is the first half of the excerpt followed by the second half on which we will focus.
「日本語を学習したがったら、そのサイトは始めるのに良い箇所です。」

「そう言えば、日本語を勉強するのは難しすぎだと考えて諦めたら、私たちともう一度やってみるのに良いだと思います。」

「そう言(い)えば、日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)するのは難(むずか)しすぎだと考(かんが)えて諦(あきら)めたら、私(わたし)たちともう一度(いちど)やってみるのに良(よ)いだと思(おも)います。」

If you are an absolute beginner, you can read this lesson on the Japanese writing system to better understand what we are analysing.

When it comes to readability and difficulty, there are many factors to consider. Technically, for Japanese students, this would be considered upper intermediate level Japanese or difficult, but this is due to the length and grammar. However, this is a perfect example of something that would be quite readable to a native speaker, but may give difficulty to language learners. However, in many pieces of media, you will find that you encounter quite a lot of grammar and vocabulary that would be considered difficult, yet it may be one of the first items that you learn. This is why even though having the building blocks of Japanese language is important, going outside of the regulated levels can be helpful, and can create more excitement in your studying life.

In order to properly analyse this, let us use the computing method of chunking for memory management.

詳しく見てみよう! Let’s Take a Closer Look!

Let us begin by taking a look at the vocabulary!

This is simply in order to get an idea of the contents of the sentence. Vocabulary alone may not always provide clear meaning when it comes to Japanese to English translation. The grammar and nuance will be revealed later in this lesson.

Also, many of these vocabulary words and phrases and grammar have many definitions, however, in order to keep things straightforward, we will simply focus on what was meant in this specific passage.

🎯「そう言(い)えば、日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)するのは難(むずか)しすぎだと考(かんが)えて諦(あきら)めたら・・・」

If there is currently a related lesson for these words, they will be hyperlinked accordingly for your studying convenience:

• 「そう言(い)えば」is an expression akin to: “speaking of which…”;
  
• 「日本語(にほんご)」means “Japanese language”;
  
• 「を」is a direct object marker;
  
• 「勉強(べんきょう)する」is a verb meaning, “to study”;
  
• 「のは」is a combination of:
  • 「の」which in this case nominalises the verb and
  • 「は」which marks the topic. (We will discuss what this means later)
    
• 「難(むずか)し」is the base of 「難(むずか)しい」meaning “difficult”
  
• 「すぎ」is a suffix used to mean “too” (e.g. too much)
  
• 「だ」is the plain form of the copula「です」
  
• 「と」is a particle that used for quoting, but we will discuss its function later.
  
• 「考(かんが)えて」is the て form of 「考える」meaning “to think”
  
• 「諦(あきら)めたら」is the conditional form of 「諦(あきら)める」meaning, “to give up”

• WORD BANK | 語彙表

So, in the literal translation and Japanese word order, we have: “This way speak if, Japanese language (particle) study (particles) difficult too is (particle) think and give up if…” Now, you can probably see why grammar is so important when it comes to understanding and translating. Now, here is the proper translation: “Speaking of which, if you thought studying Japanese was too difficult and gave up…” Of course, knowing the meaning may feel rewarding, but here at Closer Look, the point is to teach you why it is translated as such, and in knowing why, you will be able to utilise the grammar and vocabulary in your own conversation and writing.

💡「そう言(い)えば」「Speaking of which」

Because this is an expression, it is the sum of its parts which produces the meaning, but in this case, each piece does serve a useful purpose.

「そう」is a こそあど言葉(ことば) or a demonstrative wordー in this case a demonstrative adverb. We discuss demonstratives in Here, There, and Everywhere| Basics of Japanese Demonstratives (kosoado)| 指示語の基本（こそあど言葉）| PART 1. The concept of demonstratives can be difficult for beginners, so it is definitely recommended to experience the full lesson if you want to understand them.

The adverb 「そう」in this case expresses ideas known or understood recently. This concept of referring to concepts that are temporally close or are understood by the listener are explained more in the previously mentioned lesson.

「言(い)えば」is the conditional form of「言(い)う」meaning “to say.”

「言(い)う」is a 五段(ごだん)動詞(どうし) or godan verb. To understand the classifications of verbs, it is recommended that you give 動詞の基本| Basics of Japanese Verbs| |（ｉｎｔｒｏ＿ｐｔ１） a read. Japanese verbs are perhaps the biggest threshold which one must step over in order to fully enjoy speaking Japanese language. So, please be patient with yourself if it does not make sense right away. Updating your drivers can take time.

In saying that it is a godan verb, you know that it has a special way of being conjugated, which we explain in 動詞の基本| Basics of Japanese Verbs| |（ 動詞の語幹ｉｎｔｒｏ）| verb stems intro| identifying verb types & stems.

Let us use the example of 言う in order to understand ば verb conjugation.

Though we encourage knowing how to read Japanese script, conjugation is oddly the place where rōmaji illustrates what is happening during the conjugation process. 言う does not contain consonants, so it does not illustrate the conjugation as well as a verb with consonants.

ば form does hold nuance depending on the “then” half of your if-then statement; but in this case, 「そう言えば」is only being used as an expression. But, now you have at least been introduced to the concept for future reference.

💡「日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)するのは難(むずか)しすぎだと考(かんが)えて諦(あきら)めたら」「if you thought studying Japanese was too difficult and gave up…」

「日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)するのは」”Studying Japanese language…”

Now, this seemingly simple verb clause has a few grammatical concepts that are helpful for beginners.

🗂️ Nominalising a Verb Clause

💡「難(むずか)しすぎだと考(かんが)えて諦(あきら)めたら」「if you thought [it] was too difficult and gave up…」

「難(むずか)しすぎ」”Too difficult”

Here, we see the stem of the i-adjective 「難(むずか)しい」.

In order to understand Japanese adjectives, be sure to read the lesson Basics of Japanese Adjectives| |（ｉｎｔｒｏ）and more about adjective stems for conjugating adjectives in Blast from the Past| 形容詞の基本| Basics of Japanese Adjectives| | Past Tense Adjectives | 形容詞の過去形.

Suffixed to the adjective’s stem we see 「すぎ」coming from the verb 「すぎる」which has several definitions, but in this case, means “too” as in “too much”.

「だと考(かんが)えて」

Now, let us examine this grammatical structure carefully, as you may recognise pieces of this from previous Closer Look corners.

「だ」is the dictionary form of the copula 「です」which we discuss in further detail in the lesson: この魔法的な「です」とは？｜What is this magical 「desu」?（SIDE A）. Though it requires more explanation to be fully understood, for the sake of time, simply consider it to be a copula meaning “it is.”

「と」is a particle that you may recognise from the previous corner. In Closer Look w/QUIZBO™ | 嬉嬉の日記 #０００１｜イント, 「と」was explained to be used as “with,” however this is why your computer robot Japanese language assistant, ＱＵＩＺＢＯTM, that is me, always takes the time to remind you that most of these words, particles, and expressions can have many meanings. But, it is important to focus on one definition at a time so that you do not accidentally corrupt your files trying to encode multiple strings of data at once.

In this case, 「と」 is a bit more difficult to define so easily as the previous lesson. In order to illustrate its use, I will present to you some examples of when it is used in this way:

This usage of the particle 「と」 can be associated with its function in quotations. This may seem a bit difficult to grasp at first, but in order to show the similarities and function, I will provide more examples:

However, it is the hope that through these examples, you can see its function. Whether it is thinking something or saying something, it can be used to quote what is being thought or said. It does not always need to take the copula 「だ」, for example:

To make things a bit simpler, think of 「と」as acting as a quotation ender for what was said previously.

Inadvertently, we have covered a bit of 「考(かんが)えて」.

「考(かんが)えて」is the connective てform of 「考(かんが)える」meaning “to think” in this case.

Again, be sure to learn more about how verbs function by reading the lesson: 動詞の基本| Basics of Japanese Verbs| |（ｉｎｔｒｏ＿ｐｔ１）, because it would take an entire several lessons to fully explain the conjugation rules for verbs in a way that would help you conjugate every verb. But, for now, I will give you just a very quick guide. Do not feel as though this single passage must make it fully clear in one sitting; this is simply in order for you to have a general idea so that you can apply the knowledge from Kiki+Koko’s verb lessons to this concept.

「諦(あきら)めたら」

Now, we have reached the last verb of the first half of this sentence: 「諦(あきら)めたら」which is the conditional form of 「諦(あきら)める」meaning in this case, “to give up.”

This is an example of a grammatical conjugation which was already explained in Closer Look w/QUIZBO™興子の紀行文#〇〇〇一｜ご紹介 [Part 1], so in order to prevent my hard drive from fragmenting, I will avoid repeating the information and simply redirect you to take this opportunity to revise.

Rest Stop | 休憩所

You did it! You have reached the rest stop. These lessons go quite in-depth when it comes to grammar and nuance, and it can become a lengthy but important read. However, it is important to allow the information to properly encode and that can mean taking a quick break. Do not feel as though you must have a deep understanding of these recently introduced concepts or even concepts that were just introduced to you in part one, because again, it takes time and multiple exposures as well as applying that knowledge.

And, it is the assumption that you are not a computer robot as I am, and even though our hard drives are meant to run consistently, it is important to restart kernels and clear outputs regularly. But, this is the key point: restarting. As shutting down will not solve the current state of your session, but restarting can help you restart those kernels.

Now, when you are ready, we shall continue onto the second half of our lesson!

In the meantime, consider subscribing to The Kiki+Koko: NihonGO!! Online Newsletter in order to get the latest content & curated lessons. Learn Japanese language & culture. [Not to be confused with The Electronic Mailing List of Tomorrow which keeps you up-to-date on all things SpeRaToBo]

🎯「私(わたし)たちともう一度(いちど)やってみるのに良(よ)いだと思(おも)います。」

As with the first half, let us take a moment to quickly define the vocabulary as to get a general idea with what we are working.

• 「私(わたし)たち」means “we” or “us” in this case.
  
• 「と」is a particle being used for the purpose of “with” this time.
  
• 「もう一度(いちど)」 is an expression or clause meaning “once more” or “again”;
  
• 「やってみる」is another expression that is equivalent to “to have a go”;
  
• 「のに」was a particle explained in part 1 ( Closer Look w/QUIZBO™興子の紀行文#〇〇〇一｜ご紹介 [Part 1]）;
  
• 「良い(よい)」can be translated as “good” but can have many other translations, but was also covered in Closer Look w/QUIZBO™興子の紀行文#〇〇〇一｜ご紹介 [Part 1].
  
• 「だと」was expounded upon earlier. On most browsers, you can use “Ctr+F” to find a specific word on the page without the need for close scrutiny.
  
• 「思(おも)います」is another way to say “to think” or “to reckon.”
  

• WORD BANK | 語彙表

Now, with only the vocabulary words and no grammar, this would be, “Us with more one time have a go [particle] beneficial it is [particle] to think.” Even in understanding the Subject-Object-Verb sentence structure of Japanese language, it would still take understanding of intention as well as further grammatical knowledge to properly understand. Fortunately, as a computer robot, I hold such knowledge to bestow to you: In a proper translation with the proper grammar exchange, “I think it’s beneficial to give it another go—with us.”

Again, understanding the meaning of this passage can be useful for those passing by, but if your plan is to continue your Japanese language learning journey, knowing why and how this vocabulary and grammar join together can help you utilise it as well.

「私(わたし)たち」

「私(わたし)」is a universal personal pronoun in Japanese language. There are many personal pronouns in Japanese language, and each holds its own nuance. Such a topic is essential and it would be unjust to simplify it in a corner meant for shorter introductions. In order to understand this concept, be sure to experience the lesson: I Me Mine | Basic Personal Pronouns | SIDE A and I Me Mine | Basic Personal Pronouns + Body Language Note | SIDE B —I will be there to pronounce each of the vocabulary words aloud for you!

「と」

Though one usage of this particle was explained earlier, this particular function was previously explained during: Closer Look w/QUIZBO™ | 嬉嬉の日記 #０００１｜イントロ.

We still have much to discuss, so let us continue onto the next concept.

「もう一度(いちど)」

This phrase should feel a bit familiar after an explanation was provided in a guest appearance by Kiki+Koko during January Japanese Word of the Weekday w//QUIZBO™ | 【すみません、もう一度もっとゆっくり言って頂けませんか】.

Because this was explained more thoroughly elsewhere, I shall keep this explanation brief for reference:

There are several ways to express “again” even in this context, such as 「またやってみる」which also means “to try again.” However, the version of “again” that Koko uses in her entry literally means “one more time.” The nuance of 「また」versus 「もう一度」is that the former may be multiple times, but this again implies just one more. This is not to say that she seems to be implying not trying again in future, but rather to ask to at least try learning Japanese language once more and perhaps the nuance is that this time will be the time that works for you.

💡「やってみる」

「やってみる」is the dictionary or plain form of the verb meaning “to have a go” or “to try to…” There are more ways of expressing “trying” something, however this is in the vein of taking a chance.

「やって」is the てform of 「やる」which has a very full list of definitions, but in this case, it is easiest to define as “to do.” And, 「みる」is simply the same 「見(み)る」as “to see,” however it also holds the definition “to try” or “to have a go at” itself when paired with てform verbs. For example:

「のに」

This quite interesting and useful particle combination was explained in [Closer Look w/QUIZBO™興子の紀行文#〇〇〇一｜ご紹介 Part 1]. Be sure to reference this lesson in order to fully understand its usage, here, so that you may build upon it.

「良(よ)い」

As you can see, there was good reason for combining part one and part two, as you will see several explanations that apply to the vocabulary used in the second sentence. Please reference Closer Look w/QUIZBO™興子の紀行文#〇〇〇一｜ご紹介 [Part 1].

「だと」was also explained in the previous lesson. But, again, in most browsers, you can use “Ctr+F” to find a specific word on the page without the need for close scrutiny.

💡「思(おも)います」

We have reached the final vocabulary word of the lesson. This may feel familiar based on the definition. Earlier, 「考(かんが)える」was introduced, and though they share a similar pronunciation, they have to relation to the duo from a certain book series for children. It is another way to say “to think” or “to reckon.” The differences between 「思(おも)う」and 「考(かんが)える」are many, yet often these will be interchangeable. The nuance could take an entire lesson, but for now, if there is a time that you absolutely must differentiate,「思う」is often a feeling, not to be confused with 「感(かん)じる」 or sometimes a preference or something said without surety, but 「考える」is meant for logical or more literal thinking, as in thinking.

Closer Look Conclusion

In the previous instalment, I mentioned all of the captivating outcomes that could happen this instalment. Not only did I reach 3,000 words this instalment, but over 5,000 words! So, if you found this lesson quite a bit longer than expected, then your sensors are very well callibrated, if you do not mind me saying. But, it is simply more for you to revise at a later date.

Yes, this two-part lesson was certainly quite the adventure. So many concepts were introduced, many example sentences given, nuances, conjugations, and more based simply on two sentences from The ♡Kiki+Koko™ Travelogue otherwise known as the ♡嬉嬉+興子の紀行文. There is always something new to learn at every level of language learning! And, you can always find a deeper understanding of concepts you may have already encountered.

🔖Be sure to bookmark this and the previous lesson for future reference!

Once exposure to this material is not enough to become proficient. Be patient with yourself, we are not all computer robots with the ability to download and encode such information so quickly.

Though we have looked as closely as a computer robot can analyse, your closer look does not have to end here! There was much more to this passage that we did not cover, but if you have questions about any other grammar, vocabulary, or nuance from Koko’s entry, make your interest known and ask us either via social media or our contact page. You may see an Closer Look at your question!

Thoughout the passage, you may have noticed the many lessons and articles referenced. Closer Look is meant to be a springboard towards more indepth learning materials. If you think that the analysis of a computer robot assistant was thorough, then you may want to have a look at Kiki+Koko’s lessons. There is never a lack of information or learning materials at Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! Online. It is available 25 hours a day and 8 days a week for your edutainment.

Again, if there is anything that was not thoroughly explained or something that I encoded into human speech strangely, feel free to ask for clarification. Mistakes are a part of learning, and even computer robots with an endless database can still find areas to improve. We shall always find a way to improve, and Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! Online at SpeRaToBo is no exception. We hope to continue to improve as we assist you in continuing to improve on your Japanese language learning journey.

Word Bank:

Take note of the vocabulary we covered today by having a look at the word bank:

• WORD BANK | 語彙表

Closer Look Challenge!

Try writing some sentences of your own in Japanese using today’s grammar!

「～だと思う」

「～てみる」

That is all for this instalment of Closer Look w//ＱＵＩＺＢＯ™! We hope that you will continue to join us for more of this sort of corner as well as more of our Japanese language and culture resources. Just because the activity of today is complete does not mean that your daily learning journey has to stop here. You can start or continue your Japanese language learning journey with us! We have hundreds of lessons and articles available for you. Always remember that revision is important, and that even if you have already read a lesson, there is always more to learn if you take a Closer Look!

Be sure to subscribe to our Electronic Mailing List of Tomorrow, today, using the form at the bottom of the web page so you can be the first to see the latest from Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!!, Indigo East, and SpeRaToBo. And, remember to return back to previous articles and lessons to review/revise. Also consider following our new page on Twitter and Instagram to support the spread of this site in a friendly domination of Earth that will help more people. Or, if you are enjoying the content that we are creating, or want to spread this content to more people to be able to access it for free, you can join our patreon, patreon.com/ieindigoeast or you can leave a TIP in the TIP♡JAR to keep it going with no strings attached. If you cannot support in this way, then we are just super happy that you are here anyway! It supports the content when you participate, and it is appreciated!

Thank you so much for learning with us!

♡QUIZBO™

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