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+--- Thread: How to interpret this te-form sentence (/thread-3831.html)
How to interpret this te-form sentence - sprutnik - 2009-08-22
I'm using the Genki series for my Japanese studies and have come to this te-form sentence:
たけしさんは英語の本を読んでいます。Takeshi is reading a book en English.
The sentence is being used for describing an action in progress.
But why use the te-form? Doesn't たけしさんは英語の本を読みます without the te-form also describe an action in progress?
How to interpret this te-form sentence - sup3rbon - 2009-08-22
Using the te form, it's closer to what we actually use as present progressive in english. It would be something like "He is reading a book, right now, and continuing to do it." whereas using regular old 読みます is more like "he reads a book" or maybe "he is reading the book" in the sense that someone would be reading a book over the course of a couple months.
I'm sure there is probably some nuance that I'm missing there, but on a basic level it works.
How to interpret this te-form sentence - Delina - 2009-08-22
Without te-form, there are multiple meanings - he is reading an English book, or he will read an English book soon, or he does read English books (as opposed to someone who does not). With te-form, it rules out the future case, although it could refer to an action currently in progress or an action that happens regularly or habitually (Takeshi has been into reading English books lately, but he is not necessarily reading one right now). In context it will be clearer what, exactly, たけしさんは英語の本を読んでいます means - "Takeshi's English has gotten good lately, huh?" "Yes, he's been reading English books (and is continuing to do so, but not necessarily at this very moment)." vs "What is Takeshi doing right now?" "He's reading an English book."
How to interpret this te-form sentence - sprutnik - 2009-08-22
Thanks for the helpful answers. I can see it's actually quite simple, although it still requires a bit of work to wrap my brain around all the uses of the te form.
How to interpret this te-form sentence - Ampharos64 - 2009-08-22
I'm also struggling to wrap my head around it at the moment.
This sentence has me confused (from a very short story, 桜の樹の下には, which is pretty much over my head anyway so maybe I should leave it alone for now, much as I like the opening sentence: 桜の樹の下には屍体（したい）が埋まっている, Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees!):
これは信じていいことなんだよ。
A translation of the opening gives 'You have to believe it', but that doesn't seem to quite match up?
Looks like we're in a similar place in our studies, sprutnik. がんばって!
How to interpret this te-form sentence - Ampharos64 - 2009-08-22
Ah, ありがとうございます。 ^_^ Guess translations can't quite be trusted.
How to interpret this te-form sentence - ocircle - 2009-08-22
Eek.. I wans't sure about my translation so I deleted it...
Sometimes if I think too hard about a sentence I can't be sure what it means anymore.
But I do think it means something along the lines of
"It's something that's good to be able to trust"
or "This is something that's okay to believe"
or "It's a good thing that you believe it."
It kinds of depends on context, I think. Or I'm just thinking way too hard about it.
How to interpret this te-form sentence - Ampharos64 - 2009-08-22
I see, no prob. (that's probably a definite sign I should leave alone for now, great opening sentence or not). I think you're probably right, it does seem like it should mean something like that, just (as you say) gets confusing when you think about it.
Here's the rest in case anyone is interested in an odd short story:
http://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000074/files/427_19793.html