- 14 Dec 2013
- 277
- 16
- 33
I'm trying to figure the meaning of this adverb and I could use some help.
There are some cases where I understand the meaning of it and there are some where I don't.
I understand it in sentences like - 「一日, われながらよく頑張ったので夕食は豪勢におごった。」, 「この絵は我ながらよくできたと思う。」.
Just to confirm - 我ながら can only be used when referring to your own action? You can't say 「この絵は我ながらよくできたと思う。」when referring to the painting your friend made, for example? I'm asking because in 大辞林 it's explained like "自分のしたことであるにもかかわらず", but I don't think "自分のしたこと" refers to よく頑張った or よくできた, but rather just meaning something like "although I'm saying/thinking, etc. this...よく頑張った/ よくできた"?
I can't quite fully figure it out in sentences like - 「われながら愛想が尽きた。」, 「また昨夜飲みすぎちゃった. まったく, われながらいやになるよ。」,「こんな簡単な計算を間違えるとはわれながら情けない。」, 「その場になったら, われながら何をしでかすかわからない。」,「財布をすられてね. われながら間抜けな話さ。」
The thing in common is that the speaker is talking about himself in a negative way. What I'm wondering about is, what kind of idea is 我ながら actually adding to these sentences. The dictionaries explain it as "自分のことではあるが". For instance, in 「こんな簡単な計算を間違えるとはわれながら情けない。」, is the speaker thinking that he is "above" getting such easy stuff wrong and criticizing himself for doing so? Same thing here - 「また昨夜飲みすぎちゃった. まったく, われながらいやになるよ。」, I get the feeling here that the speaker thinks that he's "better" then getting drunk like that.
On the other hand, I have no idea what 我ながら brings into this sentence 「その場になったら, われながら何をしでかすかわからない。」
Be sure to correct me me if I'm wrong about something (pretty sure I am), so I can get to the bottom of this.
Thanks.
There are some cases where I understand the meaning of it and there are some where I don't.
I understand it in sentences like - 「一日, われながらよく頑張ったので夕食は豪勢におごった。」, 「この絵は我ながらよくできたと思う。」.
Just to confirm - 我ながら can only be used when referring to your own action? You can't say 「この絵は我ながらよくできたと思う。」when referring to the painting your friend made, for example? I'm asking because in 大辞林 it's explained like "自分のしたことであるにもかかわらず", but I don't think "自分のしたこと" refers to よく頑張った or よくできた, but rather just meaning something like "although I'm saying/thinking, etc. this...よく頑張った/ よくできた"?
I can't quite fully figure it out in sentences like - 「われながら愛想が尽きた。」, 「また昨夜飲みすぎちゃった. まったく, われながらいやになるよ。」,「こんな簡単な計算を間違えるとはわれながら情けない。」, 「その場になったら, われながら何をしでかすかわからない。」,「財布をすられてね. われながら間抜けな話さ。」
The thing in common is that the speaker is talking about himself in a negative way. What I'm wondering about is, what kind of idea is 我ながら actually adding to these sentences. The dictionaries explain it as "自分のことではあるが". For instance, in 「こんな簡単な計算を間違えるとはわれながら情けない。」, is the speaker thinking that he is "above" getting such easy stuff wrong and criticizing himself for doing so? Same thing here - 「また昨夜飲みすぎちゃった. まったく, われながらいやになるよ。」, I get the feeling here that the speaker thinks that he's "better" then getting drunk like that.
On the other hand, I have no idea what 我ながら brings into this sentence 「その場になったら, われながら何をしでかすかわからない。」
Be sure to correct me me if I'm wrong about something (pretty sure I am), so I can get to the bottom of this.
Thanks.
Last edited: