TextFugu » Topic: Nikui/Yasui Question

Nikui/Yasui Question

Yippy — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 12:29:11 +0000

Just a thing that’s been nagging me since I reviewed the lesson.

When yasui or nikui is used in a sentence as in: “すしはたべにくいです。”, why is は used? Isn’t this supposed to be an action, making を the better particle?

I would appreciate any help on this conundrum.

Reply To: Nikui/Yasui Question

Elenkis — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 13:26:46 +0000

It’s not a verb anymore, by using にくい or やすい you’re turning it into an adjective. すし becomes the subject that the adjective is describing.

Otherwise you would do:

寿司を食べるのは難しい – (Eating sushi is difficult)

Reply To: Reply To: Nikui/Yasui Question

MisterM2402 [Michael] — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 14:01:57 +0000

Yeah, what Elenkis said. Also though, は and が can be used when it comes to verbs anyway, but it’s only for “intransitive” verbs (I think…?). If the verb doesn’t have a direct object, then you don’t use を, the direct object particle (well duh! :P).

子供　を　起きます。「こども　を　おきます。」- I woke the child.
as opposed to
子供　が　起こします。「こども　が　おこします。」- The child woke up.

Edit: Oh and Elenkis, is の pretty much the same as こと?

Reply To: Reply To: Nikui/Yasui Question

Elenkis — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:26:34 +0000

They both work the same way, but こと tends to be used for objective statements that the speaker is not personally involved with. の tends to be more personal and used when the speaker relates to or empathizes with what they are saying (because they have experienced it themselves for example).

Hope that makes sense!

Btw, you got the verbs in your examples the wrong way around. 起きます is intransitive and 起こします transitive :)

Reply To: Nikui/Yasui Question

SinisterT — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:34:33 +0000

Bingo. :D

Reply To: Reply To: Nikui/Yasui Question

MisterM2402 [Michael] — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:52:20 +0000

@Elenkis: Balls! I can’t edit it either XD Stupid forum (though the old forum was the same)!
And yeah, I think I get what you mean :)

So you could say
「僕はゆっくり食べるのが好きね。」
and
「彼はゆっくり食べることが好きね。」
Not sure whether that grammar is 100% correct, but it’s the bold parts that are important. You’d use の when talking about yourself and こと if it’s anyone else?

Reply To: Nikui/Yasui Question

Elenkis — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 18:10:43 +0000

It’s not quite that straightforward. It could perhaps be more correct to say:

彼はゆっくり食べるのが好き。

Because it’s your own personal observation that he likes to eat slowly; it’s something that you’ve perceived and not a generally well known fact. Or perhaps you empathize with it.

の is also more informal.

It’s kind of a subtle difference from what I’ve seen and perhaps a more advanced learner than me can do a better job of explaining :)

Reply To: Nikui/Yasui Question

MisterM2402 [Michael] — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 23:03:43 +0000

@Elenkis: Made a post on Lang-8 about it and the one person to comment said that こと is a bit “tedious” to say in everday conversation so you would use の. Basically, I think that means の is more informal than こと.